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Prof. Mamas A. Mamas is a structural interventional cardiologist, treating patients with underlying coronary artery with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in both the elective and emergency setting and undertaking Transcatheter Aortic Valve Interventions (TAVI). He is also the Associate Editor of Circulation Cardiovascular Interventions and leads a large research groups focussed around electronic health record research. HealthManagement.org spoke to Prof. Mamas about the COVID-19 pandemic and its management in the UK.
Do you think your country is taking enough precautions to contain the virus, and have any of the other countries implemented measures that have impressed you or that you feel worked well?
South Korea has done a fantastic job of controlling the virus. It has been very aggressive at the start of the pandemic, in identifying cases, in contact tracing, and then enforcing isolation of those cases that were found to be positive through digital solutions such as tracking through mobile phones, smartphone activity, and so forth. In the UK, our approach has been less robust; we don’t have a proper means of testing. The only people that are getting tested currently are those admitted to the hospital. However, the vast majority of people (around 80%) that are infected with this condition won’t be admitted to the hospital. Since we’re not testing these people, there’s no way of contacting them, and there’s no way of enforcing isolation.
The second thing is that the UK initially adopted a herd immunity approach. What that means is that you rely on a certain number of individuals to get infected, and typically, you would need 60-70% of the population to be infected, and that would then result in the protection of the other population. If a significant proportion of the population has caught it and they’re immune to it, the spread of the disease is much lower because you’ve got fewer people that are susceptible to it. The problem is that when people started to realise what impact this would have on health care services, the government switched their approach and implemented lockdown and social isolation. That’s almost trying to bolt the door once the horse has left the stables and missed the opportunity to be able to control the situation. It all comes down to testing. If you cannot test your population and trace the contacts that they’ve had with and test them, you will have difficulty in managing this situation, and that’s why many of the European countries, North America and the UK, haven’t dealt with the situation very effectively. South Korea has been very proactive in dealing with testing and contact tracing, and therefore, they have limited the spread and the impact of the disease.
Do you think that aggressive testing could have curtailed the spread?
Some health care systems like South Korea adopted very aggressive testing and contact tracing, and the spread has been far far less than in countries that are not doing proper testing, including the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United Kingdom, testing is not available to the majority of people. It’s only to those admitted to the hospital. It is not even available to healthcare professionals, and we’re told that if you have a temperature or you or anyone in your family has a cough, you should self-isolate for two weeks. But then the temperature or the cough may not have anything to do with COVID. Many hospitals are reporting 20 to 30% of their staff self-isolating that don’t even have COVID. The second thing is, if you’re not testing these individuals, you can’t contact trace. You can imagine if each of these individuals has been in contact with a number of people who may or may not be infected and not knowing who these people are and whether they’re positive or negative results in a complete disaster for the spread of the virus. Countries have failed miserably in aggressive testing of their population and aggressive contact tracing, and aggressive management of the patients with enforced isolation of those identified to be positive. Don’t forget that the data was very confusing in January. We had the World Health Organization in the early part of January saying that Chinese data was suggesting that person to person spread was unlikely, and clearly, we all know how wrong that was. It would suggest to me that perhaps in China, contact tracing and testing in the very early stages of the disease were less robust.
I was traveling a lot in February and March, going to different meetings. I was shocked when all the reports were coming out of China, and it was spreading to Italy. I was in the US, and I arrived back in the UK, and no one tested individuals, no one measured temperatures, no one had questionnaires around whether you’ve had a cough or you’re breathless, or you’re unwell. There are tools that were used only in the latter stages when traveling was stopped. The global response was relatively poor because a lot more could have been done in trying to test individuals that were travelers. Places like London, New York, Paris, and Rome that now have a huge rate of infections are the travel hubs for airplanes, and there were no robust mechanisms or systems for screening passengers. Carriers were arriving in a country free to mix with the population, and there were no checks as to whether these people were infected, or who they’re coming in contact with. The public health response has been very poor and has been reactive rather than proactive.
We know that this disease affects the lungs in patients who reach the severe phase. Could other organs and systems be affected by it?
There is a lot of data as to how COVID-19 can influence the cardiovascular system. There have been a number of papers that have shown that between 1 in 10 and 1 in 15 patients with COVID-19 have abnormalities in cardiac biomarkers, suggesting that there is cardiac involvement or cardiac damage. People that have elevated biomarkers have a worse prognosis and worse outcomes than those without. A small proportion of people with COVID-19 get a dysregulated inflammatory phase, and this can affect systems of the body. When these patients get really sick and enter the Intensive Care Unit, they tend to have multi-organ failure, renal dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, circulatory collapse, and that’s part of the dysregulated inflammatory process that’s affecting all the organs in the body.
How long do you think a lockdown is feasible for countries?
We are all aware of the economic impact of the lockdown. In the UK, the GDP has dropped over the last couple of months below what it has been for probably close to 100 years. The last time that GDP dropped so much was in the Great Depression of the 1920s. The GDP drop has been more than the crash in 2008. From a public health perspective, having a lockdown for as long as possible will control the spread of the virus. There’s no doubt about that. On the flip side, though, the longer you have the lockdown for, the greater will be the economic impact. You can’t separate the economy of the country with the delivery of healthcare within a country. An economic crash will Impact individuals’ health quite significantly, in that you won’t be able to afford proper health care delivery. It’s always a balance between the economic well-being of the country and the benefits that brings to population health versus trying to have a lockdown to limit the spread as much as possible. The solution cannot be worse than the process. You have different approaches. For example, Sweden hasn’t adopted a limitation and lockdown, and so the impact on the economy will be much less compared to places like the UK and other places in Europe that have the lockdown. There is a lot of discussion on how long we should continue this lockdown because there will be a big economic crash, and that will have an impact on the healthcare of the population.
If you look at the trends in China, they were able to get back on track within three months or so. Do you think that things will get better for other countries three or four months down the line?
There are a lot of questions being asked about Chinese data. I don’t know how robust or non-robust this data is. The problem is that we don’t have great data because we don’t know what the denominator is. All we know is the number of people that are admitted to the hospital or that have a test and whether it’s positive or negative. But don’t forget that in Italy, and in a lot of Europe, the vast majority of individuals are not having the test. We’re not testing the population, so we have no idea whether it’s increasing or decreasing, or staying the same. Or what proportion of the population has been infected because, for immunity to work, you need about 70% of the population to be infected. If we do testing and we find that 60 to 70% of the population has been infected, that would be a good argument to stop this lockdown or reduce its severity. The second bit is: how do you define cases? You can only say that there’s been a COVID case or a COVID death by testing for it, and different countries do different things. If someone dies in the community, does that count as a COVID death? If a patient is tested to see if they have COVID or not, and if they go to the hospital, and die before the test result comes back, is that a COVID death? Just looking at the number of deaths from COVID and the number of cases from COVID may not necessarily be the most robust way of looking at infection rates. It depends on how many patients you’re testing, who you’re testing, and what you’re counting as a case.
So, testing clearly is very critical. Why do you think countries are not doing it?
It’s a number of things. First and foremost is the capacity. There are different types of tests. There is a viral test, and there is an antibody test. Some of the antibody tests that have been developed aren’t as robust as what would be needed for clinical care, and you may get a lot of false negatives. PCR methods are much more accurate as long as you do a good swab, but they are time consuming and so doing PCR techniques as a means of population screening will be difficult because there may not be the facilities to run hundreds of thousands of these tests every day.
What about resource allocation in case of a shortage of ventilators as the number of cases increase? Should chances of survival be the criteria?
There can be shortages even in the best healthcare systems with the greatest resource. Look at the United States, for example. They are still reporting shortages. In the United Kingdom, we have 8000 ventilators that have been called by the government, and a number of manufacturers have been approved to try to get additional ventilator production and support to the United Kingdom.
With all of these discussions, first and foremost is: does the patient actually need more ventilation? Could you achieve a similar benefit in a proportion of patients using CPAP, where we know that there is a much greater CPAP resource than formal ventilation? Particularly for the milder cases, perhaps thinking about using CPAP may make it more optimal. Secondly, there have been a lot of discussions about being able to use a single ventilator to ventilate more than one patient. It may be challenging because you have to find two patients with similar ventilation requirements and similar volumes required because you can’t support a 150-kilo man and a 40-kilo lady with the same settings. You have to find people that are similar enough that you can do that, and that will be challenging, but that might be another potential way of dealing with the ventilator issue. The third way of doing it is what they’re hoping to do, which is by doing lockdown and social isolation. What that does is, it slows the spread of the infection. Rather than everybody getting infected at the same time and having a big impact on the healthcare service where you can’t ventilate everyone, if you do social isolation, and slow the spread of infection, it may be that the same number of patients get infected, but they get infected over a longer period of time, and therefore there’s not the density of patients or the number of patients that need a ventilator.
Finally, as with anything in medicine, there have to be questions about how we allocate resources because resources are not infinite. We do this in medicine all the time. It’s just that now, it’s a lot more overt because there is a much greater need for this limited resource - the ventilator. You have to think about patients’ chances of survival. For example, if you have multimorbid, very frail patients that have other life-limiting conditions such as active cancer, what is the benefit of them being ventilated if it’s a limited resource, and you’re preventing a younger patient without co-morbidities and without life-limiting conditions receiving treatment? You will think about the chances of survival. That’s always challenging because we’re only now understanding the condition and we only have limited data as to what are the factors that have better chances of survival, and what are the factors that have worse chances of survival. I think we also need to consider the patient’s background health status as well and think about their quality of life currently, and what we’re trying to achieve. If a patient has a life-limiting condition, I’m not sure if that is the best use of the resource.
With all of these things, we have to think about the resources that we have, and try to minimise the use of resources hence why social isolation is so important, and a lockdown is so important. But then when we are faced with a number of people with limited resources, we have to allocate based on those where we feel that the chances of survival are greatest and the quality of life after survival will be greatest. These discussions are very difficult because there are no official guidelines for how to run this. You have to do it within an ethical framework where there’s a full discussion within the care team. This is not a decision that an individual can make. It has to be a whole team and also involve patients because I have dealt with patients many times in my career that may say, “Doctor, we’ve had a great life. I don’t want to go on the ventilator. I would rather put boundaries around the aggressiveness of my treatment.” I think that’s reasonable. That’s an informed discussion with the patient and their family.
Should doctors be involved in making this decision, or should resource allocation decisions be taken by a hospital committee?
That would be difficult. Often the people that are on the committees don’t do clinical work. I’m not sure that they would provide any insight whatsoever. I don’t agree it should be the individual. It should be a team. But it should be the clinical team that is involved in the use of this resource. It should be the intensive care team there on the floor on a day to day basis, not the administrators that haven’t been in a clinical environment for 20 years. I don’t think they offer a valuable opinion. Decisions should be made by clinical teams looking after patients and involved in active clinical care.
Do you think healthcare systems across the world have failed healthcare professionals?
I’ve been speaking to physicians in North America and in Europe. The protection offered to healthcare workers is poor. In many ways, national recommendations do not go far enough in protecting healthcare workers. Many of us believe that the recommendations are based on the availability of PPE as opposed to what is the best PPE. There have been many physician deaths in the US, UK, and Italy. Many of these were avoidable deaths because of inadequate protection. The guidelines have said that COVID spread is only through droplets. But a lot of studies have suggested that that might not be the case. It may be aerosol spread, and the surgical facemask may be ineffective for healthcare professionals. We should be using N95 masks as that would be much more effective with aerosols. If you look at the way that the Chinese protect their workforce, particularly in the latter stages, where they had full hazmat suits on, all of them had N95 and compare it to what we did in the NHS, with the face mask and plastic apron and scrubs unless it’s an aerosol-generating procedure, there’s a big difference. It’s clear that we’re placing our staff at risk by inappropriate guidelines and inappropriate protective equipment. This will eventually lead to a shortage of healthcare workers if doctors keep getting sick. The reason is twofold. Number one: they really are getting sick. Number two is the issue that if a member of that family has a fever, the requirement is for healthcare workers to self-isolate for 14 days, even though the cough or the fever may have nothing to do with COVID. Children have constant fevers. It may have nothing to do with COVID. But because we don’t have proper testing or widespread testing, we’re mandating healthcare workers to self-isolate for two weeks and in many hospitals, between one in three and one in five of their healthcare worker are off sick for self-isolation.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I think there are many negatives about how this situation has been handled by governments and policymakers. But I think there are many positives about how the healthcare community has dealt with this. One of the real eye-openers has been around the exchange of information over social media. At the end of the day, we are dealing with a healthcare condition where there isn’t an academic space. Up to three or four months ago, no one knew that this condition even existed. But now, over social media, between societies, we’re having an exchange of information across the globe. We have Chinese physicians doing webinars with UK-based groups with American groups. I’ve been involved in webinars with Italian intensive care physicians over social media. We’re all working together exchanging information about protocols, management strategies, presentations, how to structure our services. I think this is amazing. One of the comments that I made in one of the webcast I was involved in with TCTMD was how would this have been managed ten years ago when we didn’t have such active social media? It would have been very different. The exchange of information between colleagues across the globe now is instantaneous. And we’ve had a very quick adoption experience and protocols from our Chinese colleagues who have been absolutely fantastic in sharing their experience with us, with our Italian colleagues who have been amazing sharing their experience with us. We now have a pool of expertise across the world that we can access with a click of a button. I think that has really, to me, stood out as to how we should work as healthcare professionals across the globe. | <urn:uuid:e5a36ef3-7752-4ab2-9ed4-ffc6c2c46dc4> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://healthmanagement.org/c/healthmanagement/IssueArticle/covid-19-pandemic-the-importance-of-testing-and-social-distancing | 2020-09-22T19:28:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400206763.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200922192512-20200922222512-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.971405 | 4,014 |
Ok. So the story so far.
The international consensus on taxing business income when there is a foreign taxpayer is: physical presence – go nuts; otherwise – back off.
And all this was totally fine when a physical presence was needed to earn business income. After the internet – not so much. And with it went source countries rights to tax such income.
However none of this is say that if there is a physical presence, or investment through a New Zealand resident company, the foreign taxpayer necessarily is showering the crown accounts in gold.
As just because income is subject to tax, does not necessarily mean tax is paid.
And the difference dear readers is tax deductions. Also credits but they can stand down for this post.
Now the entry level tax deduction is interest. Intermediate and advanced include royalties, management fees and depreciation, but they can also stand down for this post.
The total wheeze about interest deductions – cross border – is that the deduction reduces tax at the company rate while the associated interest income is taxed at most at 10%. [And in my day, that didn’t always happen. So tax deduction for the payment and no tax on the income. Wizard.]
Now the Government is not a complete eejit and so in the mid 90’s thin capitalisation rules were brought in. Their gig is to limit the amount of interest deduction with reference to the financial arrangements or deductible debt compared to the assets of the company.
Originally 75% was ok but then Bill English brought that down to 60% at the same time he increased GST while decreasing the top personal rate and the company tax rate. And yes a bunch of other stuff too.
But as always there are details that don’t work out too well. And between Judith and Stuart – most got fixed. Michael Woodhouse also fixed the ‘not paying taxing on interest to foreigners’ wheeze.
There was also the most sublime way of not paying tax but in a way that had the potential for individual countries to smugly think they were ok and it was the counterparty country that was being ripped off. So good.
That is – my personal favourite – hybrids.
Until countries worked out that this meant that cross border investment paid less tax than domestic investment. Mmmm maybe not so good. So the OECD then came up with some eyewatering responses most of which were legislated for here. All quite hard. So I guess they won’t get used so much anymore. Trying not to have an adverse emotional reaction to that.
Now all of this stuff applies to foreign investment rather than multinationals per se. It most certainly affects investment from Australia to New Zealand which may be simply binational rather than multinational.
Diverted profits tax
As nature abhors a vacuum while this was being worked through at the OECD, the UK came up with its own innovation – the diverted profits tax. And at the time it galvanised the Left in a way that perplexed me. Now I see it was more of a rallying cry borne of frustration. But current Andrea is always so much smarter than past Andrea.
At the time I would often ask its advocates what that thought it was. The response I tended to get was a version of:
Inland Revenue can look at a multinational operating here and if they haven’t paid enough tax, they can work out how much income has been diverted away from New Zealand and impose the tax on that.
Ok – past Andrea would say – what you have described is a version of the general anti avoidance rule we have already – but that isn’t. What it actually is is a form of specific anti avoidance rule targetted at situations where companies are doing clever things to avoid having a physical taxable presence. [Or in the UK’s case profits to a tax haven. But dude seriously that is what CFC rules are for]
It is a pretty hard core anti avoidance rule as it imposes a tax – outside the scope of the tax treaties – far in excess of normal taxation.
And this ‘outside the scope of the tax treaties’ thing should not be underplayed. It is saying that the deals struck with other countries on taxing exactly this sort of income can be walked around. And while it is currently having a go at the US tech companies, this type of technology can easily become pointed at small vulnerable countries. All why trying for an new international consensus – and quickly – is so important.
In the end I decided explaining is losing and that I should just treat the campaign for a diverted profits tax as merely an expression of the tax fairness concern. Which in turn puts pressure on the OECD countries to do something more real.
Aka I got over myself.
In NZ we got a DPT lite. A specific anti avoidance rule inside the income tax system. I am still not sure why the general anti avoidance rule wouldn’t have picked up the clever stuff. But I am getting over myself.
Of course no form of diverted profits tax is of any use when there is no form of cleverness. It doesn’t work where there is a physical presence or when business income can be earned – totes legit – without a physical presence.
And isn’t this the real issue?
It is seriously odd being out of the country when seminal events occur.
On that Friday I was in London. Waking at 4.30 am and checking Facebook. Just coz.
My Christchurch based SIL posted that she was relieved now she had picked up her kids from school. Sorry what? Thinking there might have been another earthquake I checked the Herald app.
In the swirl of issues has come the suggestion Facebook and Google should be taxed into compliance. Of course a boycott could be equally effective. Except if users of Facebook are anything like your correspondent and there is inelastic demand. Possibly not at insulin levels but until demand changes I am not sure taxation would be that effective.
But the whole issue of tax and Facebook, Google and Apple has been a running sore for many years now and so I thought I’d take a bit of time to go through the background of it all. [Really keen readers though could search Cross border taxation on the panel on the right for more detail]. Future posts will look at what is being proposed as a solution in New Zealand and by the OECD.
Background to the background
The international tax framework since like forever aka League of Nations – before even I was born – has been that the country that the taxpayer lives in or is based in – residence country – can tax all the income of that taxpayer. Home and abroad – all in.
Where it gets tricky is the abroad part. As the foreign country, quite reasonably, will want to tax any income earned in its country – source country.
So the deal cut all those years ago – and is the basis of our double tax treaties – was:
For business income the source country gets first dibs if the income was earned through the foreign taxpayer physically being in their country – office, factory etc. Rights to tax were pretty open ended and the residence country of the taxpayer would give a credit for that tax or it would exempt the income.
So far so good.
Except if there were no physical presence then there was no taxing rights. But in League of Nations times – or even relatively recently like when I first went to work – the ability to earn business income in a country without an office or factory was pretty limited. So as constraints go – it kind of went.
For passive income like interest, dividends, and royalties the source country could tax but the rate of tax was limited. 10-15% was standard. And again the residence country gave a tax credit for that tax or exempted the income.
Looking now at our friends Apple, Google and Facebook. Apple provides consumer goods and Google and Facebook provide advertising services.
When your correspondent started work, foreign consumer goods arrived in a ship, were unloaded into a warehouse and then onsold around the country. Such an operation would have required a New Zealand company complete with a head office, chief executive and a management team. All before you got to getting the goods to shops to sell.
Such an operation would most likely have involved a New Zealand resident company. Even if it didn’t no one would be arguing about a physical presence of a foreign company as – to operate in New Zealand – it would have needed more physical presence than Arnold Schwarzenegger. And yes both creatures of the eighties.
For advertising services, no ships involved but people on the ground hawking classified and other ads for newspapers. Again more physical presence than Princess Di. [Getting to the point – promise – as am now running out of 80’s icons]
Now internet enter stage left.
For goods consumers now don’t need to go to a shop. iPads and iPhones bought on line. Physical presence non existent along with (income) taxing rights.
For services – more interesting. Still seems to be some presence but like – sales support – not like completing contracts. So no taxable presence and no (income) taxing rights.
Phew. So everything is ok now.
Next post. Promise.
Let’s talk about tax. Yes dear readers – tax. No prison reform no yoga stuff. Just nice emotionally simple tax.
Or more particularly let’s talk about the recent Australian Budget announcement of a levy on banks aka the Great Australian Bank Robbery.
Your correspondent has now completed her yoga teacher training and so is available for weddings, funerals and bar/bat mischvahs. Highlights of the course included injuring herself while dancing and getting zero on the first attempt on the final exam.
It’s not like I haven’t failed things before but when the question was – reminiscent of the Peter Cook coal miners sketch – ‘who am I?‘ to fail – mmm – more than a little surreal. Now even the first time thought I had answered in a sufficiently right brained way – lots of introspective emotion involving personal power and connection with others – aahhh no.
But your correspondent is a resilient adaptive individual – even before the course – so regrouped with – ‘complete‘.
I couldn’t make this up. Subsequently found other correct answers included: me; enough – and my particular favourite – light. Ok right. Thanks for sharing.
And it all really did make me crave balance. Which in my world after eight full days on yoga is the left-brained world of tax. I had planned to write about the Australian transfer pricing case Chevron but this week has been the Australian Budget with a big new tax on their banks. And as I have had a few questions on this and I am trying to be more topical – here we go:
Now the bank tax thing seems to be part of a package of the Australian government responding to the Australian banks bad – but probs more likely monopolistic – behaviour. Also potentially a political response to appointing a popular Labour Premier – and good god a woman – to be head of the Bankers Association. And my word the banks must have been bad as they only found out about it on Budget Day and it starts on 1 July without – as far as I can see – any grandfathering.
Wow. Just wow.
So what is it?
It is a levy on big banks liabilities that aren’t:
- customer deposits or
- (tier 1) equity that doesn’t generate a tax deduction.
It targets commercial bonds, hybrid instruments (tier 2 capital) and other instruments that smaller banks can’t access coz they are small. And as it will form part of the cost of this borrowing- under normal tax principles – the levy would be tax deductible. But even allowing for this tax deduction it is supposed to raise AUD 6.2 billion over four years. So not chump change.
What is its effect?
Now there can be no argument that the levy will effectively make such instruments more expensive to use. And here the public arguments get really sophisticated:
- Malcolm Turnbull says that ‘other countries have them’ and it would be ‘unwise’ for banks to pass it on to borrowers; and
- the Treasurer Scott Morrison (ScoMo) is telling banks to ‘cry me a river’ when they have expressed a degree of displeasure.
Awesome. Thanks for playing.
Now while this is predicted to raise revenue; it is by no means clear that this is its primary objective or even if it will occur. The reason being it only applies to big banks and to certain types of liabilities. To me this looks like a form of corrective tax like cigarette excise rather than a revenue raiser like an income or consumption tax like GST.
And much like a tax on cigarettes; pollution or congestion; this tax is 100% avoidable – legitimate tax avoidance even – by funding lending with an untaxed option like customer deposits. In theory anyway. It is likely that banks will have maxxed out how much they can borrow from the public at existing interest rates.
But with this extra tax; the relativities will change. Meaning there is now scope to pay more for the untaxed deposits but less than the tax if Banks want to maintain the same level of lending. Bank costs will still go up but through marginally higher deposit rates incentivised through the tax – rather than the tax itself.
In this scenario the Australian government still gets the costs of the higher interest deduction but not the revenue. But Australian savers win.
As the big banks are the dominant players in the market – this increase in interest rates for depositors will also impact the smaller banks as they will need to pay the higher rates to continue to attract depositors too. So no actual competitive pressure from the small banks and possibly less actual tax. Genius.
An alternative equally revenue enhancing scenario is that banks wind down assets – lending – and become smaller. Less lending but higher cost of borrowing if demand stays the same.
Who bears the cost?
As they do in New Zealand anytime extra taxes are mooted; the Australian banks are arguing that these extra costs will be borne by borrowers. Now in a fully competitive market without barriers to entry the more price dependent – or elastic – the demand for loans is the more it will fall on the shareholders. But lending overall will fall with the imposition of a tax which in turn will have housing market impacts if fewer people can get a mortgage.
With barriers to entry – like hypothetically say banking regulation – they are already pricing to maximise their profit so I would be inclined to say it will also hit shareholders. And the fall in price of banking shares would indicate that is what shareholders think too.
Except that if deposit rates go up instead; the cost structure of the entire banking industry will go up. And if no tax is actually being paid but the cost is being transferred through higher deposit rates then the banking industry will have political cover to pass the cost on to borrowers.
Now if this schmoozle is all about the banks paying more tax then either a higher company tax rate on big banks or increasing the requirements for non- interest bearing capital would have been far simpler. While the former is pretty transparent that it is a blatant tax grab from the banks; the latter less so. They both have the advantage though of ensuring tax can’t be opted out of as well as keeping the competitive pressure from the smaller banks.
But both would form part of the banks cost structure and so – depending on the pressure from the small banks and how elastic demand is – be passed on in some form to borrowers. However if the government really wanted only the shareholders to pay then a one- off windfall tax would be the way to do it.
Whether or not the banks – and their shareholders – should actually be treated like this is another story. But Cry me a river ScoMo: at least be transparent and do it properly!
It goes without saying that this is truly cr@p process. All the detail seems to be in ScoMo’s press statement. Although – legislation by press statement – is an unfortunate feature of Australian tax policy.
And as for the Malcolm Turnbull ‘other countries have it too’ argument. From what I can see this was to pay back the government for the bail outs they gave the banks over the GFC. While Australia does have deposit insurance I wasn’t aware of any like actual bailouts.
It is though kinda reminiscent of the diverted profits tax which is also a targetted tax on a group of bad people. Except that might have a non-negative tax effect. Here we have – to extent it is passed on in higher deposit rates – higher costs industry wide causing less, not more, tax paid by this industry. Let’s just hope for Australia’s sake the savers are not all in the tax free threshold.
So nicely done ScoMo and Big Malc. Possibly more Lavender Hill mob than Ronnie Biggs. But much like the Australian fruit fly; keep it on your side on the Tasman. It makes even this revenue protective commentator blanch and our banking tax base can so do without it.
A commentator on the blog’s facebook page has suggested that this levy makes sense in terms of addressing the huge implicit subsidy that is the Australian deposit guarantee scheme. I have absolutely no issue with this being charged for in the form of a levy on the banks. Naively I would have thought that such a levy would then be based on the deposits covered by the guarantee not the liabilities that aren’t. Apparently that’s not how Australian politics works!
The discussion can be found in the Facebook comments section for this post.
Let’s talk about tax.
Or more particularly let’s talk about Apple and their taxes.
Your correspondent is currently in Sydney – family stuff nothing glamorous or exciting – and had started to put together a post on Donald Trump and his 2005 tax return. Coz the Sydney Morning Herald had actually explained some stuff behind it and there were some issues that I thought – dear readers – you would find interesting.
But Saturday morning I opened my Herald app to find the latest on multinationals and tax. Apple this time. And yeah that is me. Apparently they have paid no tax in New Zealand. Whether that is 100% true only the Department would know but from looking at the accounts and how it has organised itself – looks pretty damn likely.
So let’s go!
Apple appears to sell products to New Zealand through a New Zealand incorporated company called Apple Sales New Zealand. Note no Ltd at the end. It is owned by an Australian company Apple Pty Ltd.
Now normally a New Zealand incorporated company means New Zealand has full taxing rights on all its income. No need to consider whether income has a NZ source or not . If it has earned income it is taxable. Well that is unless a tax treaty would take away some of those rights. And how could that happen dear readers? Yes that’s right – if it is managed or has directors control in another country.
And is Apple Sales New Zealand (not limited) controlled offshore? Yup the directors are Australian. Ok so then not a New Zealand company for tax purposes.
Now all the income comes from New Zealand so it should be taxed here – right? Well yeah if it has a New Zealand source. And remember that trading in v trading with thing again. Now once upon a time if you wanted to sell almost a billion dollars worth of consumer products you would kinda need to be here. But now http://www.apple.com/nz/ does the business. So thanks to the internet trading in can morph into trading with meaning bye bye income tax base.
Limits of diverted profits tax
Oh but the new things announced by Hon Judith should fix it? You know the diverted profits tax – NZ style? Well not really. The NZ diverted profits tax has some use if there really is stuff happening in New Zealand but clever things have happened to make it look like there isn’t. But here there isn’t stuff happening in NZ. Just people buying stuff from a website.
And remember how all the things a diverted profits tax would help with? Remember how trading with v trading in wasn’t one of them? Yeah this won’t save us.
But the pretending to be a New Zealand company when it is an Australian company. That is a bit cute isn’t it and doesn’t tax avoidance stop cute stuff. Yes it does so what are the facts?
- New Zealand incorporated company
- Australian directors with Australian control
- US website
- Shipping from Australia
- GST registered
- No presence or activity in New Zealand
So taking away any clever stuff. What is actually happening?
An Australian company is selling products to New Zealand via the internet shipping from a warehouse in Australia. What is the tax consequence of this? No tax – as Apple is only trading with New Zealanders not trading in New Zealand.
Compare to current outcome – no tax. Soz nothing for tax avoidance to bite on.
Could it be fixed?
Of course it is possible Apple will get shamed into paying tax here. Putting in New Zealand directors would do the trick. Not holding my breath though. There are also plans by the Government to strengthen our source rules – but nothing proposed tho that will bite on this issue.
What would need to happen is an extension of the ‘contracts made in New Zealand’ rule to say it is deemed to be made in the country of the purchaser for online sales.
So technically not hard.
But here’s the thing. If we do that for Apple – other countries might then do it to Fonterra; Zespri; Fisher and Paykel; Fletcher Building; and Rank when they trade without a footprint. And in this case Apple NZ seems to be paying some tax in Australia. So that will be an interesting discussion with the Australian Treasury.
And it won’t just be the nasty multinationals that get caught. Your correspondent has an extensive vintage reproduction wardrobe. All purchased online from the US and UK from relatively small companies. Risk is such suppliers would see NZ as not worth the effort and stop selling to us. But then now I live in active wear not such an issue for me.
Oh and the not limited thing? It will be a US check the box company as will the Australian Pty company meaning it is an entity hybrid and Apple Inc can choose how to treat it for tax. Cool – but don’t think it impacts on us. Phew.
Thanks to a comment below – I missed a point I really shouldn’t have.
Even if we do change our source rules every treaty we have requires there to be a permanent establishment or fixed place of business before business income can be taxed. So if our source rules were expanded to make income prima facie taxable in NZ the treaty would then allocate taxing rights to Australia.
So short of resinding our treaties – or shaming Apple into paying tax here – we have to suck it up.
There is also the issue of whether it is right to expect tax given Apple isn’t using anything that taxes have paid for. But currently that seems like an argument from another time given the public outrage.
So while taxes are inherently unilateral – this is something that has to be sorted multilaterally. Except I am not aware of any real work on it. And on that I would love to be proved wrong!
Let’s talk about tax.
Or more particularly let’s talk about the release of the recent government discussion documents on taxing the nasty multinationals.
You correspondent had spent the week before last on stage two of her yoga teacher training. No inner child this time but lots of describing poses in anatomical language. ‘The spine is flexed at the pelvis’ aka you bent over. Same lovely people though. Unfortunately my time on the course was punctuated by a day trip to Sydney – yes day trip – for a family funeral. I did however spend both legs watching a documentary on Oasis. So not entirely wasted. Also brought home number 2 son for a week’s visit.
So after all that I was seriously contemplating giving this week a pass too from posting. Coz like: ‘I am enough; I have enough; I do enough’ and other such lessons from the training. I was even looking for a cartoon to stand in its place:
Or possibly – as it is in colour:
But then Friday morning when I was working thru the details for a big family dinner for number 2 son and girlfriend – on comes the lovely Hon Judith Collins announcing the release of the discussion documents on taxing multinationals. Right. Ok. Mmm perhaps the cartoons won’t really cut it for Monday. But channelling my inner bureaucrat – where March counts as ‘early next year’ – Tuesday can count as Monday. Well broadly.
And the proposals are pretty good. Proper thin cap rules for finance companies are still missing but then a seven year time bar for transfer pricing! Whoa tiger. Even at my most revenue protective I’d never have thought of that. Lots of quite detailed techy stuff all which looks pretty effective to your correspondent.
On interest I am also pretty happy. No earning stripping rules but putting a cap on the interest rate should remove the structural flaw discussed previously and levelling the field by removing non- debt liabilities alg.
There is of course the small matter that with the House rising in July(?) and a Budget in May – there is no hope in hell it will even make a bill before this government finishes. Still no sign of any decisions on the Hybrids stuff that was released in September. And that is just as hard.
But if there is change in government this work will give Grant, Mike, James and Deborah an early taste of implementing fairness in the tax system. Coz there is nothing large well advised companies enjoy more than tax base protection. And they hardly ever lobby Ministers; harangue officials; brief journalists or turn up to select committees to advise them of the damage such tax measures will do to the New Zealand economy. So quite a good warm up for their fairness working group.
But I digress.
There are many and varied ways for non-residents to not pay tax with many and varied solutions. Most of which are in the discussion documents. But the one potential solution that gets all the airtime is the diverted profits tax. Which is a pretty narrow solution to a pretty narrow problem. But hey much like the iPhone 7 – irony intentional – even if our tax environment is different or our iPhone 5 is still fine – the UK and Australia have one so we want one too.
What is being proposed is the diverted profits tax equivalent of the iPhone SE – a 6 in a 5’s body. But when your existing phone really isn’t that bad.
And because it all gets so much media attention – this is the one techy thing I’ll take you through dear readers. But I am very sorry there is a bit of background to go through first. Kia Kaha. You can do it.
All taxpayers – resident and non – resident – are taxed on income with a New Zealand source. Our source rules however were devised in 1910 or so. Long before the internet and possibly even before the typewriter. Tbh tho they aren’t that bad and periodically get a wee tweak. They are broadly comparable to other countries. They include all income from a business in New Zealand which can include foreign income as well as income from contracts completed here.
Case law however has narrowed this to income from trading in New Zealand rather than trading with New Zealand. So foreign importers selling stuff to punters here are out of scope but a business here – even an internet business – game on.
The source rules are further narrowed by any double tax agreements. Here now New Zealand business income of a non-resident is only taxable in New Zealand if it is earned by a permanent establishment aka PE. And a PE is a fixed permanentish place of business. Once upon a time it would have been pretty hard to be a real business and not to have a fixed place of business. Possibly not so much now.
So if the non-resident earns business income through a fixed place in New Zealand – taxable – otherwise not. And for historic reasons the fixed place can’t include a warehouse. Coz that is like only preparatory or auxiliary to earning the income – not like the main deal. Yeah I don’t get it either.
Tax planning Apple and Google style
So when you put together the combo of no tax when:
- contracts not entered into in New Zealand;
- income earned from trading with New Zealand;
- no fixed place of business; and
- warehouse doesn’t count.
You kinda get the most widely known of the BEPS issues. The Google and Apple thing. Tbf I think they also use treaty shopping and inflated royalties but above is also in the mix.
Diverted Profits tax UK Style
Now a diverted profits tax doesn’t deal with the ‘trading with’ thing coz that is pretty entrenched and there are limits to anyone’s powers on that. And of course this would mean our exporters who ‘trade with’ other countries would become taxable there too. But it has a go with the other bits.
In the UK their diverted profits tax pretty much deals with situations as above where there is trading in a country and a permanent establishment should arise but doesn’t. The way it works is to say : ‘oh you know the income that would have been taxable if you hadn’t done stuff to not make it taxable – well now it is taxable.’ ‘Oh and it is like taxable at a much higher rate than normal – coz like we don’t like you doing that.’
And now New Zealand
Now in New Zealand that kind of I know you have followed the letter of the law – but dude – seriously is countered by the tax avoidance provisions. And much to the chagrin of the Foreign banks; specialist doctors; and Australian owned companies it does actually work in New Zealand.
And just because the tax avoidance provisions are being successfully applied doesn’t mean that the law shoudn’t be changed. It is a bucket load of work to investigate; dispute and then prosecute successfully. And if there are lots of cases – and there do appear to be – law changes are ultimately less resource intensive.
But even given all that I am somewhat surprised that what they have proposed is very similar to the handwavy tests of the UK. A bunch of clear questions of the structure and then asks if ‘the arrangement defeats the purpose of the DTA’s PE tests.’ Ok. Not a million miles from the parliamentary contemplation test with tax avoidance. So not entirely sure what extra protection it gives us other than being a bright shiny tax thing.
But then how different was the iPhone 6 from the iPhone 5 after all? And while the iPhone 7 is newer and flasher is it actually better?
Who knows though maybe New Zealand’s version of a diverted profits tax has a signalling benefit to the Courts. And its not like it will do any harm. So long as you don’t count additional complexity as harmful.
So all in all not bad. With the earlier Hybrids and NRWT on interest – even if the diverted profits tax equivalent may not add much – all the rest of the proposals should deal to undertaxation of non- residents. | <urn:uuid:a3d3170c-93e1-488b-810f-0a093aead170> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://letstalkabouttaxnz.com/tag/diverted-profits-tax/ | 2020-09-22T21:01:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400206763.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20200922192512-20200922222512-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.964625 | 6,570 |
Hi cooks! Hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday! My daughter went to the Family Fun website in last month’s News and picked some crafts for us to do. We still have our “Thankful leaves” on a door in the kitchen … a great reminder of all we have to be thankful for!
December seems especially busy this year! Both of my boys have birthdays this month, and my hubby is in Germany this week on business. I’m sure wishing I had followed FlyLady’s holiday plan about now! *sigh* Maybe next year!!
If you need gift ideas, be sure to check out our website!
This issue of “Chewin’ the News” brings you two new dessert recipes, as well as the three sample recipes from my ebook, Freezer Desserts to Die For! Read more about it below, in the Bonus Recipes section.
What could be a better holiday gift than something homemade from your kitchen? With everyone being so busy these days, a homemade treat will be appreciated all the more! Not sure what desserts are freezer friendly? Then check out my ebook, Freezer Desserts to Die For! where you’ll find 25 new recipes, plus lots of helpful hints, tips and freezing information. Below are the three sample recipes from the ebook, as well as two NEW recipes for you for the holidays!
Enjoy the bonus recipes!
This tasty dessert is so quick and easy to make! And it’s such a pretty pink! You can easily freeze it in individual servings or a single container.
Click here to view/print this recipe!
Cheater’s Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
This has got to be one of my all-time favorite recipes! So easy to make, and everyone will want the recipe!
Click here to view/print this recipe!
This is a rich fudgey dessert. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup and your guests will think they’re at a restaurant!
Click here to view/print this recipe!
I was at a Christmas Cookie/Candy exchange over the weekend, and I heard one of the women say “I made Pretzel Turtles.” I said “Oh, I made those last week! They’re great!” She said “Yeah, but they took forever… seemed like I spent all day making them!” I said “Mine used Rolo candy… did yours?” She hesitantly said “No…. I grated some pecans into foil muffin cups and put a pretzel on top of it. Then I melted the caramel mixture together and put it on the pretzel. I had to wait for that to set up before I could melt the chocolate and put it on top of the caramel. Then I pressed a pecan half on the chocolate.” You should have seen her face when I told her about my recipe and how quick and easy it was. She said forget her recipe… she was making mine next time!!
I saw this recipe years ago in some ladies magazine. But just now got around to trying it. What a great candy this makes for the holidays! I personally like the salty-sweet combination from the pretzels and chocolate.
Click here to view/print this recipe!
The first time I tried White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies (WCCMNC, for short) was at Subway, the sandwich shop chain. I was hooked! When my kids sold frozen cookie dough as a fund-raiser for school or sports teams, the WCCMNC dough was always the most popular. My friend Lesa said “If your kids sell WCCMNC dough again, let me know… I’ll buy some!”
In spite of the fact that everyone seems to like them, I don’t know anyone who makes homemade WCCMNC. There are all kinds of cookie recipes floating around, but none for WCCMNC. I don’t know why that is? Maybe because they can be expensive to make and people don’t want to take a chance on messing them up? So I determined to come up with an awesome recipe. And I’m happy to say I did!
I did my research on the internet, looking for recipes and reading the comments people made about them. What ingredients worked, what didn’t, and why. Armed with all those opinions, ideas and recipes, I put the best of all of them together for my recipe. Then it was on to the kitchen to test the recipe with a few ingredient variables. My expectation was that I wasn’t going to find much of a difference, but boy, was I wrong!
The first variable was real butter vs. a margarine/shortening mix. I have very few recipes I actually use real butter in because I haven’t found a big difference in the taste, and margarine is much cheaper. Most of the recipes I found in my research used softened butter. But a lot of people commented that the cookies spread all over the cookie sheet, and they would use a mix of margarine and butter-flavored shortening the next time they made the cookies, because they would keep their shape better with those ingredients. So I wanted to try both options to compare taste and size.
The picture above shows the cookie made with margarine/shortening on the left, and butter on the right. I made my cookies using the large cookie scoop from Pampered Chef, so all the cookies got the same amount of dough. You can see that the cookie with butter is bigger, so it did spread more. To prevent the “mess” others got when using butter, I didn’t soften my butter first… I used it straight from the ‘fridge. A little hard on the mixer maybe, but the cookies held their shape great!
I was also very surprised at the taste and texture differences between the two cookies. The cookie made with butter was definitely better! I thought I must be imagining it, so I tasted again, making sure I just got cookie… no chocolate or nuts. The butter cookie was obviously better! It was thinner, chewy and crisp. Don’t get me wrong, the margarine cookie was good, and if I didn’t have butter, I’d still make the cookies. But using butter made a superior cookie!
The second variable was using white chocolate chips vs. melting chocolate. Melting chocolate is used in candy making, is frequently called Almond Bark, and is cheaper than chocolate chips. Most of the recipes I researched said to use the melting chocolate, not chocolate chips. People who used chips seemed to think it would be better with the melting chocolate.
I couldn’t believe there would be that much of a difference between the two, especially if you used a quality chip. In my experience, Nestle and store brand white chocolate chips are waxy and don’t taste much like white chocolate. Hershey’s is my brand of choice for white chocolate chips. I couldn’t find them in two different grocery stores, so I had to “settle” for Ghirardelli chips. Given their reputation, I figured they were a safe bet to be a quality white chocolate chip. And they were very good! But it ended up not mattering, because the almond bark was SO much better in the cookies! It was almost like you couldn’t even taste the chips… they just blended in to the cookie. The almond bark was very creamy, even after the cookies cooled. When you bit into a piece of almond bark, you could definitely taste it… it was almost like a burst of creamy white chocolate! Mmmmmmmm!
The melting chocolate came in a 1-1/2 pound slab, for $1.50 from my Wal-Mart SuperCenter. The Ghiradelli chips were on sale for about $3.50 for a 12 ounce bag, at another local grocery store. I made two batches of the cookies using the almond bark, and still have almost a pound left. In case you’re thinking that you’d never use the rest of the slab of almond bark, I’ve got a recipe for you….Oreo Truffles. You can also follow the directions on the wrapper to dip pretzels, dried fruit, nuts and crushed candy canes in the melted chocolate… which could also turn into much-appreciated gifts for the chocolate lover on your list!
The macadamia nuts will be the most expensive ingredient… I paid $4.98 at Wal-Mart for an 8.5 ounce can of dry roasted macadamias. I couldn’t find “plain” macadamias, if there is such a thing. But the dry roasted worked fine… I like the sweet cookie/salty nut combination! I tried chopping the macadamias with my food chopper, but that didn’t give me uniform size pieces. It worked best to cut each nut into 3 or 4 pieces with a sharp knife. I got just under 2 C. of chopped nuts that way, so you should be able to get a double batch of cookies from a can like I bought.
Another important consideration was how long to bake the cookies. The cookies are still soft when you take them out of the oven, which can lead to a mess when you try to take them off the cookie sheet, let alone put them on the wire cooling rack! So I needed to figure out the baking/cooling options for the best results.
I bake cookies using both racks in my oven… one rack goes in the second position from the bottom, and the other goes in the fourth position. If a recipe says to bake cookies for 10 minutes, they go in the oven on the lower shelf for 8 minutes, then I move them to the top shelf for 2 minutes, to finish baking and browning, without burning. When they go to the top shelf, another pan goes in the oven on the lower shelf. So I usually have 2 pans with 2 timers going at once. That method works perfect with these cookies! Once they come out of the oven, they need to sit on the cookie sheet for one to two minutes to finish baking and firm up. Then they are easily moved to the cooling rack.
So, based on what I’ve learned in my research and testing, I’m proud to share my recipe for White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies with you. It’s definitely “to die for!”
Click here to view/print this recipe!
Website News from Nanci
Happy Holidays to all of our loyal cooks! I trust that you are stopping to smell the proverbial roses (or sugar cookies) during this busy but wonderful season of the year. It’s hard to keep the main thing the main thing, isn’t it?
I have a whole new group of people to cook for this Christmas -my students! So far they are not very picky and are extremely appreciative when I bring in treats. Many act like they have never seen homemade baked goods before. I suppose maybe they haven’t!
Get a thrill this season out of making (and freezing) treats for those you love. Don’t stop at the sweets. I’m sure that there are lots of people in your life who would love a frozen casserole more than anything. Grandparents – new parents – neighbors – and yes, even TEACHERS!
PRIORITY SHIPPING UPGRADE OFFER
We’re cutting it close for Christmas but hey – there’s always New Year’s gifts right? For the whole month of December, choose Standard (Media) Mail shipping and I will give you a free upgrade to Priority. All orders over $50 will receive free Priority shipping.
Freezer Cooking Manuals!
Advantage Cooking Software!
Click here to order now!
Message Board Updates
The message boards continue to be popular!
The “Where is everyone from?” post continues to be a favorite! Please introduce yourself if you haven’t… we’d love to meet you!
It’s hunting season in my area… does anyone have tried-and-true freezer recipes for venison?
Do you use the jar sealer with your food saver? If so, some cooks would like some tips from you about using it successfully.
Check out the rest of the message boards when you get a chance… they are a great source of ideas, recipes, tips, and encouragement! If you have any questions about the message boards, please email me!
Recipe of the Month Contest Winner
Recipe of the Month… Toffee Pecan Bars
Our winner this month is Rhea from Bakersfield, CA with her recipe for Toffee Pecan Bars. Perfect for guests, as well as gift-giving!
I was surprised at how quick this recipe went together… 10 or 15 minutes, plus baking time. You can’t say that for most desserts! Rhea’s directions said to let it cool overnight before cutting. Of course I was too impatient to wait that long! I waited till it was cool, but not overnight. However, we decided we liked the flavor better the next day. We also liked it better chilled than at room temperature.
Rhea also said she preferred to use only half of the bag of toffee chips, because it was too sweet for her otherwise. I used the whole bag when I tried the recipe, and it wasn’t too sweet for us. So you’ll have to use your personal preference there!
For a nice touch, cut the bars into triangles or diamonds instead of squares or rectangles. Cut wide squares in half corner-to-corner for triangles. For diamonds, cut the bars straight the length of the pan. Then instead of cutting straight across the width, cut diagonally from top corner to bottom corner. Make diagonal cuts out from there, 1-1/2″ to 2″ wide. You will have a few odd shaped pieces leftover if you cut diamonds, but not with triangles.
Hi, I’m Rhea from Bakersfield, CA. I start my Christmas baking in mid September or so and simply make a double batch of whatever I’m baking and freeze the rest. Pre-freezer days, I spent two full days baking at the start of my daughter’s Christmas vacation and was really too beat to enjoy the results. Believe me, freezing is the way to go!!
Christmas baking always means cookies to me but then most any food occasion translates as “cookies” to me. I can pass up cake, pie, ice cream, anything but cookies and I’ve never had a bad cookie. I bake cookies most every weekend and always freeze half the batch or they would all be gone before Monday morning and the second half seldom makes it past mid-week! I made these bars for the first time a few years ago and brought them to work. I then forgot about the recipe until one of my co-workers asked why I never made them anymore. I unearthed the recipe and it has become one of my favorites. Buttery, rich, gooey, nuts, toffee pieces – what more could a girl ask for in a cookie? Another co-worker recently retired after 35 years with the department and I made over 20 dozen cookies for her reception. The Toffee Pecan Bars were the first to go (even before my Lemon Bars!) and I ended up making a list of those who wanted the recipe – there were simply too many requests to remember! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Click here to view/print the December Recipe of the Month.
You too can get in on the winning! Just post your favorite freeze-able recipe on the message boards. Congratulations, Rhea!
Freezer Cook of the Month Contest Winner
Our winner this month is Kelli, with a great idea for giving the gift of 30 Day Gourmet! The perfect idea for that hard-to-buy for ________ (insert your favorites here… parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends) who have everything. And you still have time to put a gift-certificate/menu together before the holidays!
I have an idea I would like to share with people for the holidays. Last year, I made menus on my computer with different sections for soups & salads, breakfast foods, casseroles, desserts, etc. My parents and both sets of grandparents received the menus for Christmas. Did I mention that my mom now hates to cook for just her and my dad? My grandmother is a widow, and my other sets of grandparents….well, I don’t think she’s cooked since her 5 kids moved out over 40 years ago. Anyway, they got to pick 30 items from the menu. They could mix and match or get 30 of one thing if they wanted. In January, I did the cooking and delivered the meals. They said it was the best gift ever! They were even willing to pay me to make more meals this past summer. Guess what they are getting again this Christmas? The only difference is I am cooking before Christmas this year. I know what everyone likes, so they will actually receive their meals on Christmas day. I tell you, this reduced so much of my stress! I never know what to get for them. They have everything they need. 30 Day Gourmet was the perfect gift, and it was made with love!
So, how do you make 30 Day Gourmet work for you? How do you use it to help you deal with a challenge in your life? Do you have a funny story about your cooking day? How do you use it to help others? Click here to send me an email. Congratulation, Kelli!! Thanks for sharing your great idea with us! Our families thank you too!
Update to our November 2004 Freezer Cook of the Month winner:
After the Nov News went out, I received emails from a couple of people advising me that the USDA recommends you don’t cook a whole chicken from frozen in a slow cooker, because it doesn’t reach a ‘safe’ temperature quick enough, so there’s a concern for food poisoning. We obviously don’t want that! Read what they have to say about it, and decide for yourself if and/or how you want to use this method to cook chicken.
Gourmet Q&A from Tammy
Q. Ok, I updated my Yahoo preferences to get “daily” emails instead of “digest” so your links will work. But that didn’t help. What else can I do? Thanks! Josey
A. Hi Josey! When I answered the question last month about links not working in the Yahoo digest version of our News, I needed to include more information. If you already get the daily emails from Yahoo, and our links are still not working, there is one more setting to change. Sign in to Yahoo, and choose “Edit My Membership”. The last option says:
__Convert to HTML. Convert plain-text messages sent to me to HTML.
__Do not convert to HTML. Don’t change the format of messages sent to me.
Note: The HTML format allows you to see colors and graphics in your messages.
You need to choose the first option, “Convert to HTML”. Choosing the HTML option allows all the pictures and links to work in the email. If you do not choose to get your emails HTML, you get a text version, with no pictures and links. So, if you set your account to receive individual emails instead of the digest, and also set it to receive HTML emails, not text, you should be good to go! Hope that helps! And sorry for the incomplete answer last month!
Well, that about sums it up for this month! Hope you enjoyed this gift-idea packed issue. Time for me to go finish my holiday baking and also make gift jars for the kids’ teachers! And finish up that Christmas shopping!
Click here to send me an email with any questions, ideas, suggestions or problems. I enjoy hearing from you all!
Best wishes for you and your family to have a beautiful holiday together! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! | <urn:uuid:a33a33d6-210b-4bff-900f-fb63a240334f> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | http://30daygourmet.com/december-2004-chewin-the-news-with-tammy/ | 2020-09-28T04:33:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600401585213.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20200928041630-20200928071630-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.958435 | 4,284 |
This is a white hat V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO Contest page,
managed by Jim Westergren.
Latest news in the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest
- This contest has now ended on the May 15. I came to the second place - unbelievable, but ok. Here are the results. The winner gives 50% of the prize money to charity so that's a good thing.
I was holding the number 1 spot for weeks and weeks but then Alek (WPD) boosted the site of Chris ( V7ndotcomElursrebmem.net ) with PR8 and PR7 links that shot his site to the #1 spot. I was at that time on vacation and when I came back home I was surprized. My counter actions was executed right away after coming home last friday but sadly the SERP update did not reach all the datacenters in time, only to 6 of them. When John Scott checked the standing in Google.com a non-updated DC was served which displayed Chris site as #1.
15 minutes later he checks again and this time I am #1, see here. Google is serving a datacenter that is most freed up at the moment of search and at that exact moment it happened to be a non-updated one. So this was quite some luck in the end, to say the least.
Well, life continues!
But what is V7ndotcom Elursrebmem?
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem is a term used for a SEO contest started by John Scott from v7n Networks.
V7ndotcom stands for V7N.com and Elursrebmem is backwards for members rule.
The winner of this contest will be the one that rank as number one on Google when searching for v7ndotcom elursrebmem on May 15, 2006, 12 PM pacific time.
The total prices are over $9,000, hundreds are competing and this is the biggest SEO contest ever!
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest rules clarified
Link back is no longer needed but you have some other choices to make. Read the keyword announcement post for full details.
Strategy for this page to win the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO Contest
- Take my domain that ranks best with Google (domain age, TrustRank, PageRank) and before the start of contest increase the link popularity gradually by placing permanent links using my link building team. Done
- Prepare the blog post with a valuable resource of the contest as a link bait and make it all ready so I just have to replace the KWs.Done
- Right after KW announcement, blog the post and submit to digg.com. Done
- Put an internal link in the footer so that PR from all posts flows to this page. Done
- Get enough diggs to get on the front page and ignite the big increase of natural backlinks. Failure, non-SEO diggers reported the submission even though I got 56 diggs.
- Follow up the increase of backlinks by simulating a natural gradual increase using:
- (This data was deleted, sorry)
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest Timeline
December 20, 2005
- Contest announced.
December 28, 2005
- I was searching on Google for a webmaster forums in which I could look to buy a site and somehow or another I stumbled on the SEO contest thread.
I had had been waiting for such a contest ever since I read about the Nigritude Ultramarine and so I decided to promote it. I made this thread on DP forums, asked dazzlindonna to put it on SEO Scoop and also posted about it on a swedish webmaster forum.
December 29, 2005
WebGuerrilla (Greg Boser), got wind of the contest but didn't like the fact that the contest pages had to link to V7N. The thread from John Scott that announced the contest was vague about this but in fact you were not required to pass pagerank.
Greg didn't see that and so he posted on his blog that he was giving the same price money for the winners if you did NOT link to V7N but instead linked to Matt Cutts blog with the non-www version (try to create a canonical url problem - a joke they play on Matt Cutts.)
- graywolf posts about it at threadwatch
December 30, 2005
- John Scott locks the SEO Contest thread and starts a new thread in member only private forum section.
- One of the friend of WebGuerrilla, Oilman, blogs that he will support WebGuerrilla by donating $1000 for his part of the rules.
- Another friend of WebGuerrilla, Mike Grehan, puts another $1000 for the non-v7n link rules.
January 2, 2006
- G00gl3r.com decides to donate a 30GB iPod to the winner that follows John Scotts rules.
- WoW and Skaffe.com Directory pitch in another $1,000 to the 1st place winner of the V7 network competition compliant with the V7 guidelines.
January 3, 2006
- John makes the rather funny note: "And here I was thinking it was going to be a little friendly SEO contest with 10 or 12 people involved."
January 9th, 2006
- Jeremy Schoemaker (shoemoney) donates $2000 to the winner that follows the V7N version of the contest.
- John Scott together with some other guys issues a press release.
January 14th, 2006
- John Scott now fully clarifies that a link back is now NOT required.
- Nintendo tries to confuse people that V7N supporters get's the keywords one day earlier.
January 15th, 2006
- John Scott starts a thread here to track the contest:
- WoW Directory will not be sponsoring the SEO Contest due to management changes. It will be instead be sponsored by Skaffe.com Directory and Sporge Directory for the $1,000
- At exactly 12 PM pacific time, John Scott released the keyword to be v7ndotcom elursrebmem and with an update of all rules. The thread is here.
- All domain names were taken within seconds. Several people including me registered V7ndotcom-Elursrebmem.com on Godaddy only a few seconds after the KWs came out but got an e-mail back that the domain was already taken and we will get a refund.
- According to the Google Blog Search there was 99 blogs with the word V7ndotcom Elursrebmem within the first 12 hours.
January 16th, 2006
- Yahoo! has now indexed 130 pages with V7ndotcom Elursrebmem and is the first search engine to list sites.
January 17th, 2006
- MSN Search for Sweden shows 2 792 results for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem
- Oilman entered the contest (I noticed he didn't write that he supports V7n, lol).
- Google shows 12.600 results for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem
- I have listing number 11 and 19 so far. It will be better, I promise ...
- On number 11 I have this junk site. How is it possible? I think it is the fresh filter that gives boost to new sites.
- Estimated number of contest pages so far: 100?
January 19th, 2006
- 246,000 results from Google when searching on v7ndotcom elursrebmem! More than Nigritude Ultramarine - and not even 100 hours into the contest.
- A black hat SEO team (Taggle Team) from france has entered the scene with about 25 people competing. I have already seen software spam coming from them.
- New domains are in the top 5. I am 90% sure this is the fresh filter that I have observered before. Usually new domains ranks very well for the first about 2 weeks and then they hit the sandbox ....
- Wikipedia have written a V7ndotcom Elursrebmem page but they are discussing wether they should delete it or not. As they have a link on it to V7N, it qualifies for the contest and might be a major player ...
January 22, 2006
- In some language specific Google, the results for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem has shown 2,390,000!
- Google now shows 607,000 results for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on this DC which I have found is the most up to date DC. This is more results then what showed for Nigritude Ultramarine at the end of that contest which officially means that this contest is already the beiggest contest ever.
January 24, 2006
- Google Blog Search shows 1,498 results for v7ndotcom elursrebmem. Blog spam? Or is there really so many blog posts already on those two words v7ndotcom elursrebmem?
January 26-29, 2006
- New $14,000++ SEO Contest by Car Casher just released.
"... main objective is to find the best SEO expert on the Internet".
Ok we know it is a V7ndotcom Elursrebmem copycat and they do it in order to promote their own site, but what the hell - I will join this one as well!
Most probably they got inspired from Mike as can be seen here.
February 1-4, 2006
- This page took the number 1 position.
- Matt Cutts spoke at WebmasterRadio about the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest and that part of the show can be heard on this link.
- In the 3,28 M update we see V7N.com ranking number 6 for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem however the only place that term is on the page is in the form of a link - nothing else. John Scott has admitted in his forum that it is because of Google Bombing � (as per this post) but his entry will not count in the contest.
February 5-8, 2006
- John Loch releases the ranking badges (below button).
- John Loch announced his V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Movers & Shakers, a very nice resource that is updated every 6 hours.
- MSN shows 4,582 V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest web pages that links to the home page of V7N.com - talk about link bait!
February 8-15, 2006
- A reported from Wall Street Journal called me up and interviewed me. There will be an article coming soon, more info later.
- Forum Battle: Taggle Team vs Netsearch - full attack. The conspiracy revealed, placing competitors links in the worst areas they can find - or? Was it a wrong assumption? Lol.
February 15-20, 2006
- Just released: the article from Wall Street Journal about the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest, it mentions me quite a bit. For the record I just want to say that I told him "about 100" not "hundreds".
February 27 - April 5, 2006
- I had a rest from the contest and was working with clients instead. My rankings also dropped down to 8 or something and I was not updating this site.
April 5-10, 2006
- I am back in the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest!
- On April third a new SEO Contest started from Webmaster-Talk.com, release thread here.
- On April first there was a site up in the #5 position that could impossible be, I assume it was a joke by Google. See here for more info on that.
April 10 - May 15, 2006
- National Swedish Radio session scheduled for monday, 4 minutes on air.
- New article all about me in Swedish newspaper, here.
- New article about SEO, the contest and me in Washington Post, here.
- I am helping my friend Marcus Westberg to arrive to the #2 spot and it is going very well. He has also teamed up with other contestants that are doing 301 redirect to his contest page.
Other sites that follows the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO contest
Tactics used in the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO Contest
- The first 8 hours we see about 5 digg.com submissions. 10 hours later about 10 more. None made it to the front page - not even mine that had over 50 diggs. Reason? The non-SEO digg users reports all of them.
- Charity as link bait? Yes, that is popular and I have seen 4 of those so far I think. Links will come later on.
- Sites such as V7ndotcom Elursrebmem.com that was leading the contest for a long time was also using a postal adress on the page to add the trust and even had the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem in it, I quote:
The Grand V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Hotel London England United Kingdom N1 5SJ
Strong players in the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest
- Alek made an contest page on a PR6 domain for charity and is getting friends from DP to team up with him. His site can be seen here. He also submitted to digg and is using various incentives to get people to link to him.
- Oilman who is one of the top SEOs and sponsors the contest.
- Michael Gray's Wolf-Howl website. A top SEO guy, contest page on a strong established domain, charity as link bait and top SEOs such as Randfish is supporting him.
- Taggle Team. Black hat SEO team from france with many players cooperating and spamming.
- John Loch with his V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Movers & Shakers, and badges that worked as an excellent related link bait and boosted him in the SERPs.
Useful/interesting V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest links
- Search for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on all Google datacenters at the same time.
- Search for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on Google Blog Search
- Search for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on MSN Search
- Search for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on Yahoo
- Search for V7ndotcom Elursrebmem on Technorati
Black hatters in the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest
- French Taggle SEO Team
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem resources
Link exchanges with other V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Marcus Westberg
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Steven Hargrove
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Karol
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Nikke Lindqvist
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem
- carcasherdotcom seocontest
- carcasherdotcom seocontest
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest SERPs as of 05-15-2006, 12:15 PM
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem This is a white hat V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO Contest page, ... V7ndotcom Elursrebmem is a term used for a SEO contest started by John Scott from v7n ... www.jimwestergren.com/v7ndotcom-elursrebmem/ - 129k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem news, reviews comparisons and v7ndotcom ... Things you should know about v7ndotcom elursrebmem, v7ndotcom have launched an SEO competition based on the keyword v7ndotcom elursrebmem. www.v7ndotcomelursrebmem.net/ - 15k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- V7NDOTCOM ELURSREBMEM V7ndotcom Elursrebmem for Celiac Charity , V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO Contest. www.watching-paint-dry.com/v7ndotcom-elursrebmem/ - 40k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Marcus Westberg v7ndotcom elursrebmem info This V7ndotcom Elursrebmem page is supported by Jim Westergren 2 weeks to go! and still lot of v7ndotcom Elursrebmem Excitment! ... www.marcuswestberg.com/v7ndotcom-elursrebmem/ - 67k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- Web-Marketing.pl - V7ndotcom Elursrebmem - Nawigator The V7ndotcom Elursrebmem SEO contest, organized by V7N.com. Finish: May 15, 2006. www.web-marketing.pl/ - 12k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Welcome to The Grand V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Hotel web site, offering appartments in ... Ensuring all guests are logged in at both Elursrebmem and V7ndotcom! ... www.v7ndotcomelursrebmem.com/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages
- v7ndotcom elursrebmem - Link Exchange - Add Url To v7ndotcom ... MaxLinks - Web directory - v7ndotcom elursrebmem | Seo Friendly Web Directory - quality links on the internet. www.maxlinks.org/internet/seo_competitions/v7ndotcom_elursrebmem/ - 33k - Cached - Similar pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem - Transformers Robots in Disguise ... Transformers resource site with downloadable multimedia including video, sounds and images. Chat, info, web links and Transformers - Robots in Disguise! www.thetransformers.net/ - 47k - 14 May 2006 - Cached - Similar pages
- V7ndotcom Elursrebmem is V7ndotcom Elursrebmem V7ndotcom Elursrebmem ► V7ndotcom Elursrebmem by Eclipsis. v7ndotcom-elursrebmem.brutalwoods.com/ - 33k - Cached - Similar pages
- v7n - The Ultimate Internet Marketing Resource John Scott's Internet Marketing Resource. Learn about branding, marketing and search engine optimization. www.v7n.com/ - 23k - Cached - Similar pages
V7ndotcom Elursrebmem Contest statement: We support v7n.com
If you have any news or other useful information about the V7ndotcom Elursrebmem contest for me to update please comment here, thanks!
I see you in the SERPs!
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- Annual report number 9 + 10: My Success | <urn:uuid:7f61f8c9-200d-43c3-ba55-a727bb524073> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.jimwestergren.com/v7ndotcom-elursrebmem/ | 2020-09-29T12:37:11Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600401643509.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20200929123413-20200929153413-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.899716 | 4,190 |
AWS Released encryption for Aurora Instances.
Encryption is not available as of now.
Amazon RDS Encryption Links
Encrypting Amazon RDS Resources
You can encrypt your Amazon RDS instances and snapshots at rest by enabling the encryption option for your Amazon RDS DB instance. Data that is encrypted at rest includes the underlying storage for a DB instance, its automated backups, Read Replicas, and snapshots.
Amazon RDS encrypted instances use the industry standard AES-256 encryption algorithm to encrypt your data on the server that hosts your Amazon RDS instance. Once your data is encrypted, Amazon RDS handles authentication of access and decryption of your data transparently with a minimal impact on performance. You don’t need to modify your database client applications to use encryption.
Amazon RDS encrypted instances provide an additional layer of data protection by securing your data from unauthorized access to the underlying storage. You can use Amazon RDS encryption to increase data protection of your applications deployed in the cloud, and to fulfill compliance requirements for data-at-rest encryption.
Amazon RDS encrypted instances are currently available for MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server DB instances.
Amazon RDS also supports encrypting an Oracle or SQL Server DB instance with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE). TDE can be used in conjunction with encryption at rest, although using TDE and encryption at rest simultaneously might slightly affect the performance of your database.
All logs, backups, and snapshots are encrypted for an Amazon RDS encrypted instance. A Read Replica of an Amazon RDS encrypted instance is also encrypted using the same key as the master instance.
Issues I have encountered so far :
- No backup and Restore Option. You got to manually migrate the data.
- You can’t rename the database. This is huge problem for us to process ETL and then rename the database.
- Unable to restore Individual databases.
- Very hard to troubleshoot timeout errors and deadlocks.
- No Encryption option available for AURORA RDS.
- Billing and IOPS Calculation is convoluted. We had about 2 Billion IOPS in few days. How its calculated is kinda of mystery.
- Read Replicas are setup instance level. Not sure options are available for individual database replication.
- Aurora doesn’t provide MyISAM MySQL Engine. Large dataset ETL Operations seems be lot faster with MyISAM Engine. ( about 500+ Million rows )
SQL Server RDS IOPS limitation:
Effective immediately, you can provision new RDS database instances with 1,000 to 10,000 IOPS, and with 100GB to 1 TB of storage for MySQL and Oracle databases.
If you are using SQL Server, the maximum IOPS you can provision is 7,000 IOPS. All other RDS features including Multi-AZ, Read Replicas, and the Virtual Private Cloud, are also supported.AWS now supports 20000 IOPS for SQL Server.
Logging on AURORA RDS:
RDS Logs to Table or Logfile Configuration
Managing Table-Based MySQL Logs
You can direct the general and slow query logs to tables on the DB instance by creating a DB parameter group and setting the log_output server parameter to TABLE. General queries are then logged to the mysql.general_log table, and slow queries are logged to the mysql.slow_log table. You can query the tables to access the log information. Enabling this logging increases the amount of data written to the database, which can degrade performance.
Both the general log and the slow query logs are disabled by default. In order to enable logging to tables, you must also set the general_log and slow_query_log server parameters to 1.
Log tables will keep growing until the respective logging activities are turned off by resetting the appropriate parameter to 0. A large amount of data often accumulates over time, which can use up a considerable percentage of your allocated storage space. Amazon RDS does not allow you to truncate the log tables, but you can move their contents. Rotating a table saves its contents to a backup table and then creates a new empty log table. You can manually rotate the log tables.
PROMPT> CALL mysql.rds_rotate_slow_log;
PROMPT> CALL mysql.rds_rotate_general_log;
To completely remove the old data and reclaim the disk space, call the appropriate procedure twice in succession.
Accessing the MySQL Slow Query and General Logs
The MySQL slow query log and the general log can be written to a file or a database table by setting parameters in your DB parameter group. For information about creating and modifying a DB parameter group, see Working with DB Parameter Groups. You must set these parameters before you can view the slow query log or general log in the Amazon RDS console or by using the Amazon RDS API, Amazon RDS CLI, or AWS SDKs.
You can control MySQL logging by using the parameters in this list:
slow_query_log: To create the slow query log, set to 1. The default is 0.
general_log: To create the general log, set to 1. The default is 0.
long_query_time: To prevent fast-running queries from being logged in the slow query log, specify a value for the shortest query execution time to be logged, in seconds. The default is 10 seconds, the minimum is 0. If log_output = FILE, you can specify a floating point value that goes to microsecond resolution. If log_output = TABLE, you must specify an integer value with second resolution. Only queries whose execution time exceeds the long_query_time value are logged. For example, setting long_query_time to 0.1 prevents any query that runs for less than 100 milliseconds from being logged.
log_queries_not_using_indexes: To log all queries that do not use an index to the slow query log, set to 1. The default is 0. Queries that do not use an index are logged even if their execution time is less than the value of the long_query_time parameter.
log_output option: You can specify one of the following options for the log_output parameter.
TABLE (default)– Write general queries to the mysql.general_log table, and slow queries to the mysql.slow_log table.
FILE– Write both general and slow query logs to the file system. Log files are rotated hourly.
NONE– Disable logging.
When logging is enabled, Amazon RDS rotates table logs or deletes log files at regular intervals. This measure is a precaution to reduce the possibility of a large log file either blocking database use or affecting performance. FILE and TABLE logging approach rotation and deletion as follows:
When FILE logging is enabled, log files are examined every hour and log files older than 24 hours are deleted. If the remaining combined log file size after the deletion exceeds a threshold of 2% of a DB instance’s allocated space, then the largest log files are deleted until the log file size no longer exceeds the threshold.
When TABLE logging is enabled, log tables are rotated every 24 hours if the space used by the table logs is more than 20 percent of the allocated storage space or the size of all logs combined is greater than 10 GB. If the amount of space used for a DB instance is greater than 90 percent of the DB instance’s allocated storage space, then the thresholds for log rotation are reduced. Log tables are then rotated if the space used by the table logs is more than 10 percent of the allocated storage space or the size of all logs combined is greater than 5 GB.
When log tables are rotated, the current log table is copied to a backup log table and the entries in the current log table are removed. If the backup log table already exists, then it is deleted before the current log table is copied to the backup. You can query the backup log table if needed. The backup log table for the mysql.general_log table is named mysql.general_log_backup. The backup log table for the mysql.slow_log table is named mysql.slow_log_backup.
You can rotate the mysql.general_log table by calling the mysql.rds_rotate_general_log procedure. You can rotate the mysql.slow_log table by calling the mysql.rds_rotate_slow_log procedure.
Table logs are rotated during a database version upgrade.
Amazon RDS records both TABLE and FILE log rotation in an Amazon RDS event and sends you a notification.
To work with the logs from the Amazon RDS console, Amazon RDS API, Amazon RDS CLI, or AWS SDKs, set the log_output parameter to FILE. Like the MySQL error log, these log files are rotated hourly. The log files that were generated during the previous 24 hours are retained.
ALL Single Availability Zone
Amazon RDS Pricing Info
Storage for Amazon RDS
Amazon RDS uses Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) volumes for database and log storage. Depending on the amount of storage requested, Amazon RDS automatically stripes across multiple Amazon EBS volumes to enhance IOPS performance. Amazon RDS provides three types of storage with a range of storage and performance options.
AWS Documentation on Storage
Amazon RDS Storage Types
Amazon RDS provides three storage types: magnetic, General Purpose (SSD), and Provisioned IOPS (input/output operations per second). They differ in performance characteristics and price, allowing you to tailor your storage performance and cost to the needs of your database. You can create MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle RDS DB instances with up to 6TB of storage and SQL Server RDS DB instances with up to 4TB of storage when using the Provisioned IOPS and General Purpose (SSD) storage types. Existing MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle RDS database instances can be scaled to these new database storage limits without any downtime. For a complete discussion of the different volume types, see the topic Amazon EBS Volume Types.
- Magnetic (Standard) – Magnetic storage, also called standard storage, offers cost-effective storage that is ideal for applications with light or burst I/O requirements. These volumes deliver approximately 100 IOPS on average, with burst capability of up to hundreds of IOPS, and they can range in size from 5 GB to 3 TB, depending on the DB instance engine that you chose. Magnetic storage is not reserved for a single DB instance, so performance can vary greatly depending on the demands placed on shared resources by other customers.
- General Purpose (SSD) – General purpose, SSD-backed storage, also called gp2, can provide faster access than disk-based storage. This storage type can deliver single-digit millisecond latencies, with a base performance of 3 IOPS/GB and the ability to burst to 3,000 IOPS for extended periods of time. In certain cases, based on your instance and storage configuration, you may get more than 3000 IOPS. General purpose (SSD) volumes can range in size from 5 GB to 6 TB for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB instances, and from 20 GB to 4 TB for SQL Server DB instances. This storage type is excellent for small to medium-sized databases.
- Provisioned IOPS – Provisioned IOPS storage is designed to meet the needs of I/O-intensive workloads, particularly database workloads, that are sensitive to storage performance and consistency in random access I/O throughput. Provisioned IOPS volumes can range in size from 100 GB to 6 TB for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB engines. SQL Server Express and Web editions can range in size from 100 GB to 4 TB, while SQL Server Standard and Enterprise editions can range in size from 200 GB to 4 TB. You specify the amount of storage you want allocated, and then specify the amount of dedicated IOPS you want. These two values form a ratio, and this value maintains the ratio specified for the DB engine you chose. Amazon RDS delivers within 10 percent of the provisioned IOPS performance 99.9 percent of the time over a given year.
Several factors can affect the performance of Amazon EBS volumes, such as instance configuration, I/O characteristics, and workload demand. For more information about getting the most out of your Provisioned IOPS volumes, see Amazon EBS Volume Performance.
For existing MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB instances, you might observe some I/O capacity improvement if you scale up your storage. Note that you cannot change the storage capacity of a SQL Server DB instance due to extensibility limitations of striped storage attached to a Windows Server environment.
Amazon RDS provides several metrics that you can use to determine how your DB instance is performing. You can view the metrics in the RDS console by selecting your DB instance and clicking Viewing DB Instance Metrics.. You can also use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor these metrics. For more information, go to the
- IOPS – the number of I/O operations completed per second. This metric is reported as the average IOPS for a given time interval. Amazon RDS reports read and write IOPS separately on one minute intervals. Total IOPS is the sum of the read and write IOPS. Typical values for IOPS range from zero to tens of thousands per second.
- Latency – the elapsed time between the submission of an I/O request and its completion. This metric is reported as the average latency for a given time interval. Amazon RDS reports read and write latency separately on one minute intervals in units of seconds. Typical values for latency are in the millisecond (ms); for example, Amazon RDS reports 2 ms as 0.002 seconds.
- Throughput – the number of bytes per second transferred to or from disk. This metric is reported as the average throughput for a given time interval. Amazon RDS reports read and write throughput separately on one minute intervals using units of megabytes per second (MB/s). Typical values for throughput range from zero to the I/O channel’s maximum bandwidth.
- Queue Depth – the number of I/O requests in the queue waiting to be serviced. These are I/O requests that have been submitted by the application but have not been sent to the device because the device is busy servicing other I/O requests. Time spent waiting in the queue is a component of Latency and Service Time (not available as a metric). This metric is reported as the average queue depth for a given time interval. Amazon RDS reports queue depth in one minute intervals. Typical values for queue depth range from zero to several hundred.
Facts About Amazon RDS Storage
The following points are important facts you should know about Amazon RDS storage:
- The current maximum channel bandwidth available is 2000 megabits per second (Mbps) full duplex. In terms of the read and write throughput metrics, this equates to about 105 megabytes per second (MB/s) in each direction. A perfectly balanced workload of 50% reads and 50% writes may attain a maximum combined throughput of 210 MB/s. Note that this is channel throughput, which includes protocol overhead, so the actual data throughput may be less.
- Provisioned IOPS works with an I/O request size of 32 KB. An I/O request smaller than 32 KB is handled as one I/O; for example, 1000 16 KB I/O requests are treated the same as 1000 32 KB requests. I/O requests larger than 32 KB consume more than one I/O request; Provisioned IOPS consumption is a linear function of I/O request size above 32 KB. For example, a 48 KB I/O request consumes 1.5 I/O requests of storage capacity; a 64 KB I/O request consumes 2 I/O requests, etc. For more information about Provisioned IOPS, see Amazon RDS Provisioned IOPS Storage to Improve Performance.Note that I/O size does not affect the IOPS values reported by the metrics, which are based solely on the number of I/Os over time. This means that it is possible to consume all of the IOPS provisioned with fewer I/Os than specified if the I/O sizes are larger than 32 KB. For example, a system provisioned for 5,000 IOPS can attain a maximum of 2,500 IOPS with 64 KB I/O or 1,250 IOPS with 128 KB IO.Note that magnetic storage does not provision I/O capacity, so all I/O sizes are counted as a single I/O. General purpose storage provisions I/O capacity based on the size of the volume. For more information on general purpose storage throughput, go to General Purpose (SSD) Volumes.
- The first time a DB instance is started and accesses an area of disk for the first time, the process can take longer than all subsequent accesses to the same disk area. This is known as the “first touch penalty.” Once an area of disk has incurred the first touch penalty, that area of disk does not incur the penalty again for the life of the instance, even if the DB instance is rebooted, restarted, or the DB instance class changes. Note that a DB instance created from a snapshot, a point-in-time restore, or a read replica is a new instance and does incur this first touch penalty.
- Because Amazon RDS manages your DB instance, we reserve overhead space on the instance. While the amount of reserved storage varies by DB instance class and other factors, this reserved space can be as much as one or two percent of the total storage.
- Provisioned IOPS provides a way to reserve I/O capacity by specifying IOPS. Like any other system capacity attribute, maximum throughput under load will be constrained by the resource that is consumed first. That resource could be IOPS, channel bandwidth, CPU, memory, or database internal resources.
Other Factors That Impact Storage Performance
All of the following system related activities consume I/O capacity and may reduce database instance performance while in progress:
- DB snapshot creation
- Nightly backups
- Multi-AZ peer creation
- Read replica creation
- Scaling storage
System resources can constrain the throughput of a DB instance, but there can be other reasons for a bottleneck. If you find the following situation, your database could be the issue:
- The channel throughput limit is not reached
- Queue depths are consistently low
- CPU utilization is under 80%
- There is free memory available
- There is no swap activity
- There is plenty of free disk space
- Your application has dozens of threads all submitting transactions as fast as the database will take them, but there is clearly unused I/O capacity
If there isn’t at least one system resource that is at or near a limit, and adding threads doesn’t increase the database transaction rate, the bottleneck is most likely contention in the database. The most common forms are row lock and index page lock contention, but there are many other possibilities. If this is your situation, you should seek the advice of a database performance tuning expert.
Adding Storage and Changing Storage Type
You can modify a DB instance to use additional storage and you can convert to a different storage type. Adding storage or converting to a different storage type can take time and reduces the performance of your DB instance, so you should plan when to make these changes.
Although your DB instance is available for reads and writes when adding storage, you may experience degraded performance until the process is complete. Adding storage may take several hours; the duration of the process depends on several factors such as database load, storage size, storage type, amount of IOPS provisioned (if any), and number of prior scale storage operations. Typical scale storage times will be under 24 hours, but can take up to several days in some cases. During the scaling process, the DB instance will be available for use, but may experience performance degradation.
Storage conversions between magnetic storage and general purpose (SSD) storage can potentially deplete the initial 5.4 million I/O credits (3,000 IOPS X 30 Minutes) allocated for general purpose (SSD) storage. When performing these storage conversions, the first 82 GB of data will be converted at approximately 3,000 IOPS, while the remaining data will be converted at the base performance rate of 3 IOPS per GB of allocated general purpose (SSD) storage. This can result in longer conversion times. You can provision more general purpose (SSD) storage to increase your base I/O performance rate, thus improving the conversion time, but note that you cannot reduce storage size once it has been allocated.
General Purpose (SSD) Storage
General purpose (SSD) storage offers cost-effective storage that is ideal for small or medium-sized database workloads. This storage type can deliver single-digit millisecond latencies, with a base performance of 3 IOPS/GB and the ability to burst to 3,000 IOPS for extended periods of time. In certain cases, based on your instance and storage configuration, you may get more than 3000 IOPS. General purpose (SSD) storage volumes can range in size from 5 GB to 6 TB for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle DB instances and from 20 GB to 4 TB for SQL Server DB instances. Note that provisioning less than 100 GB of general purpose (SSD) storage for high-throughput workloads can result in higher latencies if the initial general purpose (SSD) I/O credit balance is depleted.
Amazon RDS Provisioned IOPS Storage to Improve Performance
For any production application that requires fast and consistent I/O performance, we recommend Provisioned IOPS (input/output operations per second) storage. Provisioned IOPS storage is a storage type that delivers fast, predictable, and consistent throughput performance. When you create a DB instance, you specify an IOPS rate and storage space allocation. Amazon RDS provisions that IOPS rate and storage for the lifetime of the DB instance or until you change it. Provisioned IOPS storage is optimized for I/O intensive, online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads that have consistent performance requirements. Provisioned IOPS helps performance tuning.
Factors That Affect Realized IOPS Rates
Your actual realized IOPS rate may vary from the amount that you provision depending on page size and network bandwidth, which are determined in part by your DB engine. It is also affected by DB instance size and database workload.
Page Size and Channel Bandwidth
The theoretical maximum IOPS rate is also a function of database I/O page size and available channel bandwidth. MySQL uses a page size of 16 KB, while Oracle, PostgreSQL (default), and SQL Server use 8 KB. On a DB instance with a full duplex I/O channel bandwidth of 1000 megabits per second (Mbps), the maximum IOPS for page I/O is about 8,000 IOPS total for both directions (input/output channel) for 16 KB I/O and 16,000 IOPS total for both directions for 8 KB I/O. | <urn:uuid:503320d7-240f-4615-90a1-6d26e5d85289> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | http://ramblingsofraju.com/technology/lamp/aws/amazon-rds-information/ | 2020-09-21T16:13:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400201826.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200921143722-20200921173722-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.875909 | 4,816 |
Koufax dominated the 1965 World Series as no other pitcher before or since, capturing MVP honors in leading the Dodgers to the title
On Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston, the host Astros will battle the Washington Nationals for the 2019 championship of Major League Baseball.
The first modern World Series was held all the way back in 1903 and has been conducted every year since 1905, with the notable exception of the 1994 season when the Fall Classic was cancelled due to a player’s strike.
Since 1922, the World Series has always been contested in a best-of-seven games format. That has not always been the case. The very first series in 1903 and again each year from 1919-21, there was a best-of nine games format utilized. None of those went the distance.
This will mark the 44th time (over 38%) that the Fall Classic has gone the ultimate full distance. On three occasions, there was a tie game in the series. Those took place in 1907, 1912, and in 1922. That 1912 series was notable in that it went a full seven games and also included one ending in a tie, so eight games were actually played.
The longest stretch that MLB has gone without enjoying a Game 7 in the World Series was in the decade between the 2002 and 2011 seasons.
The most consecutive Game 7’s occurred between 1955-58 when the drama went the distance in four straight years. From 1952-75 there was a halcyon period in which 15 (62.5%) decisive Game 7’s took place.
Here are my selections as the Top 20 Game 7’s in World Series history, with a brief synopsis. You’ll note that I haven’t chosen to rank them, but rather they are presented in reverse chronological order. Every one was a fantastic finish to the season. Feel free to leave a comment or response on social media with your own favorite.
2016: Cubs – 8, Indians – 7 (10 innings)
The Cubs were under the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat‘ for more than 70 years at this point, and had not won a World Series since 1908. They bolted to a 5-1 lead in the 5th inning, but the Indians roared back. The host Tribe got a two-out RBI double from Brandon Guyer and two-run homer by Rajai Davis off Aroldis Chapman to tie it up in the bottom of the 8th. The game rolled into extra innings, and Chicago scored twice in the top of the 10th for an 8-6 lead. The Indians were still not finished, with Davis delivering an RBI single to make it a one-run game. But Mike Montgomery got Michael Martinez to ground out, third baseman Kris Bryant firing to first baseman Anthony Rizzo to finally end the curse and bring the Cubbies and their long-suffering fans a world championship.
2014: Giants – 3, Royals – 2
Five of the previous six games in this Fall Classic had been blowouts, with only the Royals 3-2 win in Game 3 as a tight affair. This one would be won for the Giants by a fantastic five-inning relief performance from ace lefty Madison Bumgarner, who had previously won Games 1 and 5 as the starting pitcher. A one-out RBI single in the top of the 4th inning by Mike Morse off Kelvin Herrera scored Pablo Sandoval, breaking a 2-2 with what would prove the series-winning run. Bumgarner shut the Royals out on two hits over those final five frames, getting Salvador Perez to pop out with the potential tying run at third base for the final out.
2001: Diamondbacks – 3, Yankees – 2
The Yankees were the three-time defending World Series champions, and they took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix. There, manager Joe Torre turned the game over to living legend closer Mariano Rivera, one of the greatest postseason pitchers in baseball history. But the host Dbacks refused to lay down and go quietly. Tony Womack ripped a one-out RBI double to tie the game. Then, in one of the most dramatic endings of all-time, Luis Gonzalez looped a series-winning single to center, scoring Jay Bell with the walkoff run as the home crowd went crazy in celebration of the only World Series title in Arizona history.
1997: Marlins – 3, Indians – 2 (11 innings)
In just their fifth season of existence, the Florida Marlins became the first since MLB instituted Wildcard playoff teams for the 1994 season to reach the World Series and also the first to win it all. The Indians were kept from their first World Series crown since 1948, a streak that has now reached 72 years. In this one, the host Tribe led 2-1 into the bottom of the 9th inning. Craig Counsell‘s RBI sac fly off Jose Mesa brought Moises Alou home with the game-tying run, sending the contest to extra-innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Edgar Renteria walked it off with a two-out, bases loaded single that barely ticked off pitcher Charles Nagy‘s glove, scoring Counsell with the series-winning run.
1991: Twins – 1, Braves – 0 (10 innings)
The only Game 7 in World Series to go scoreless into extra innings took place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minnesota. For the visiting Braves, John Smoltz went 7.1 shutout innings, allowing just six hits and one walk in a brilliant performance. Unfortunately he was out-dueled by a fellow future Hall of Famer, as Jack Morris went the distance for the host Twins. Morris shut the Braves out, scattering seven hits over 10 innings for the win. Dan Gladden led off the bottom of the 10th with a double off Atlanta reliever Alejandro Pena and moved to third base on a ground out. After back-to-back intentional walks to Chuck Knoblauch and Kirby Puckett loaded the bases, Gene Larkin walked it off with a series-winning base hit.
1987: Twins – 4, Cardinals – 2
Lefty Frank Viola gave the host Twins a strong eight innings on the mound at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the home team would rally from an early deficit for the victory. Kirby Puckett‘s RBI double tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the 5th inning. Three of the first four batters in the bottom of the 6th each worked walks to load the bases, and Greg Gagne then produced an RBI single to put the Twins up 3-2 with what would prove the series-winning run. With two outs in the home 8th, Dan Gladden doubled off Cardinals closer Todd Worrell to drive in an insurance run. Twins closer Jeff Reardon coaxed Willie McGee to ground out, with third baseman Gary Gaetti firing across to first baseman Kent Hrbek to wrap the first World Series title since the franchise moved to Minnesota for the 1961 season. As the Washington Senators, they had previously won it all just once, back in 1924 in another seven-gamer that you will find listed below.
1982: Cardinals – 6, Brewers – 3
At Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, the visiting Milwaukee Brewers were looking for the first world championship in franchise history. Formed originally as the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969, the franchise had moved to Milwaukee for the 1970 season. This version of the team was nicknamed “Harvey’s Wallbangers” after manager Harvey Kuenn, and they took a 3-1 lead in the top of the 5th inning when future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor delivered an RBI single and later scored another run on a Cecil Cooper base hit. But Keith Hernandez tied it with a two-run single in the bottom of that inning, and George Hendrick followed with an RBI single to give Saint Louis a 4-3 lead. The host Cards tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th, and future Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter closed it out with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 9th inning. The Brewers remain one of seven current MLB teams to never win the World Series, a list that the Nationals will try to knock down to six in tonight’s game.
1979: Pirates – 4, Orioles – 1
For the second time in the decade, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles were battling in a World Series Game 7. These “We Are Family” Pirates had rallied from a 3-1 series deficit, forcing this decisive game at Memorial Park in Baltimore. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the 6th inning, future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell crushed a two-run homer off Scott McGregor to put the Pirates on top. The Bucs would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the 9th inning, and closer Kent Tekulve would shut the Orioles down in order in the bottom of the frame. The 39-year-old Stargell delivered four hits for the Pirates and was honored as the World Series MVP.
1975: Reds – 4, Red Sox – 3
The day after Carlton Fisk‘s historic 12th inning walkoff home run had tied the World Series at three games apiece, the visiting ‘Big Red Machine’ would battle back to win at Fenway Park in one of the most exciting Game 7’s in baseball history. An RBI single from future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski gave host Boston an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Reds starter Don Gullett then walked in a pair of runs later in the frame, and the Bosox had a 3-0 lead. It was beginning to appear as if the 57-year-old ‘Curse of the Bambino‘ was about to be broken. In the top of the 6th with Johnny Bench aboard, Tony Perez drilled a clutch two-out, two-run homer off Bill Lee to cut the Reds deficit to 3-2. Then with two outs and two on in the top of the 7th, Pete Rose RBI single scored Ken Griffey with the tying run. The game went to the top of the 9th inning still tied at 3-3 when, with two outs, Joe Morgan‘s looping RBI single scored Griffey to push the Reds in front by 4-3. Southpaw Will McEnaney set Boston down in order in the bottom of the 9th, getting Yaz on a fly ball to end it.
1972: Athletics – 3, Reds – 2
Two great dynasties of the 1970’s were meeting here. The A’s would win three straight World Series titles from 1971-73, and the ‘Big Red Machine’ would capture back-to-back championships in 1975-76. The first five games in this Fall Classic were each decided by a single run. In Game 7 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, the two teams were tied at 1-1 into the 6th inning. There, Gene Tenace and Sal Bando ripped back-to-back two-out RBI doubles to push the “Swingin’ A’s” out to a 3-1 lead. Tony Perez sac fly off Rollie Fingers scored Pete Rose with a run to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the 8th inning. Then, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Fingers hit Darrel Chaney with a pitch, giving the host Reds once final shot. But Fingers retired Rose on a fly to left, and the A’s had the second of their three straight World Series crowns.
1971: Pirates – 2, Orioles – 1
This was a meeting between two of the top teams from the entire decade of the 1970’s. The Pirates won six NL East Division crowns in the decade, two NL pennants, and a pair of World Series titles. The Orioles won five AL East Division crowns, three AL pennants, and a World Series title during the decade. The defending world champs, Baltimore was hosting Game 7 at Memorial Stadium. Mike Cuellar would toss a gem for the O’s, holding the potent Bucs attack to just two runs on four hits over eight innings. Unfortunately for him, Pittsburgh starter Steve Blass was even better. He went the distance, also allowing just four hits. With two outs in the top of the 4th, Roberto Clemente gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with a home run blasted to left-center field. The two teams traded 8th inning runs and went to the 9th with the Bucs clinging to a one-run lead. Blass retired slugger Boog Powell and future Hall of Famer Frank Robinson to open the bottom of the 9th, then ended it with a ground out.
1965: Dodgers – 2, Twins – 0
This one was all Sandy Koufax. The future Hall of Fame southpaw had shut the Twins out over the first six frames of Game 2, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter and watched as Minnesota got to the Dodgers bullpen for five runs in a 5-1 win that put the Twins up 2-0 in the series. Koufax returned for the start in Game 5, shutting Minnesota out on just four hits in a complete game victory to put the Dodgers up 3-2 in the series. The Twins then tied it up, setting up this Game 7 at Dodger Stadium. Manager Walter Alston opted to bring Koufax back on just three days rest, and his ace would not let the team down. Once again, Koufax tossed a shutout, allowing just three hits as the Dodgers won their fourth World Series title in 11 years, their third since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. In all, Koufax allowed a single earned run and 13 hits over 24 innings across his three starts with a 29/5 K:BB ratio, and was awarded his second World Series MVP Award in three years.
1962: Yankees – 1, Giants – 0
One of only two 1-0 Game 7’s in World Series history took place at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. This would mark the 20th World Series crown for the dynastic Bronx Bombers in 40 years, but would also be their last for the next decade-and-a-half. Meanwhile, the Giants would have to wait another 38 years to celebrate a championship. Ralph Terry tossed a complete game shutout for the Yanks, allowing just four hits. The game’s lone run scored in the top of the 5th when the Yankees loaded the bases against Giants starter Jack Sanford with a pair of singles and a walk. Tony Kubek then hit into a double play, but Bill Skowron raced home with a run to give New York a 1-0 lead. With two out and Matt Alou standing at first base in the bottom of the 9th, Willie Mays ripped a double to right field. Right fielder Roger Maris made a tremendous play on the ball, getting it back in to second baseman Bobby Richardson to hold Alou at third base. This brought future Hall of Famer Willie McCovey to the plate with the potential tying run at third and winning run at second. McCovey ripped a line drive that he would later claim was the hardest hit ball of his career. But the liner sank as it reached Richardson, who fielded it cleanly for the final out.
1960: Pirates – 10, Yankees – 9
This was one of the more unusual World Series in history in that the Yankees won their three games by routs, outscoring the Pirates 16-3, 10-0, and 12-0. Meanwhile, the Bucs three wins came in more competitive 6-4, 3-2, and 5-2 ball games. Game 7 was played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, and the host Pirates scored twice each in the 1st and 2nd for an early 4-0 lead. The Bronx Bombers battled back to take a 7-4 lead in the top of the 8th. The big hit came in the top of the 6th when 35-year-old future Hall of Famer Yogi Berra crushed a three-run homer. The Pirates chipped away for two in the home 8th to make it a 7-6 game. Then Hal Smith drilled a three-run home run, scoring Roberto Clemente and Dick Groat to push the Pirates back on top by 9-7 as the game went to the 9th inning. But the Yankees failed to surrender, tying it up on an RBI single by Mickey Mantle and RBI ground out by Berra. With the game knotted at 9-9 in the bottom of the 9th, second baseman Bill Mazeroski led off the inning against Ralph Terry. On a 1-0 pitch, Maz drove a ball just over the wall in left field, giving the Pirates a dramatic walkoff World Series title with what has been called “the greatest home run in baseball history.”
1946: Cardinals – 4, Red Sox – 3
Boston. Saint Louis. Boston. Saint Louis. Boston. Saint Louis. That was how the 1946 Fall Classic went over the first six games, with the Red Sox and Cardinals trading wins to set up a winner-take-all Game 7 at Sportsman’s Park in Saint Louis. This was the first World Series played after World War II, and would turn out to be the only shot at a championship for perhaps the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, Ted Williams. It would not be a great series for ‘Teddy Ballgame’, who had served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviator in WWII and who would do so again in Korea. Williams batted just .200 with five hits over 25 at-bats, five walks, and just one RBI. He would to 0-4 in the Game 7 finale. Dom DiMaggio, brother of Yankees star and Williams’ rival Joe DiMaggio, would try to play the Bosox hero, driving in all three Boston runs. His clutch two-out, two-run double in the top of the 8th inning tied the game at 3-3. In the home 8th, Enos Slaughter led off with a base hit. Then with two outs, Harry Walker lined a double to center. Slaughter was running on the play, and then ignored a stop sign at third put on by coach Mike Gonzalez. Boston shortstop Johnny Pesky took the relay throw, turned, appeared stunned that ‘Country’ Slaughter was running, and fired weakly to the plate. Slaughter was safe at home on his now famous ‘Mad Dash‘, and the Cardinals had what would prove to be the World Series-winning run.
1940: Reds – 2, Tigers – 1
Detroit and Cincinnati traded wins over the first six games, with neither team able to put together two in a row to take control. This set up a dramatic Game 7 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. The visiting Tigers jumped out first on a two-out RBI single from 37-year-old future Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer. Tigers starting pitcher Bobo Newsom and Reds starter Paul Derringer would each go the distance in this one, and that 1-0 lead for Detroit held into the bottom of the 7th inning. Back-to-back doubles to lead off the frame by Frank McCormick and Jimmy Ripple tied it up, and later a one-out sac fly by Billy Myers brought home Ripple with what would prove the series-winning run. Derringer set Detroit down in order in the 9th, wrapping up the first World Series crown for Cincinnati since the 1919 club had won a controversial title against the scandalous Chicago “Black Sox” team. It would be the last Cincy title until the ‘Big Red Machine‘ came along in the 1970’s.
1926: Cardinals – 3, Yankees – 2
The Yankees, whose 27 World Series crowns are more than any franchise in Major League Baseball, had won just one title in the first 26 years of their history to this point. The Cardinals have won 11 championships, more than any team in National League history. Their franchise had been around since 1882, but had not yet won a championship since joining the NL for the 1892 season. This was the first of five meetings in the Fall Classic between the two teams, something that has not happened now since 1964. The great Babe Ruth homered three times in Game 4 to pull the Yankees even at two games apiece. This was the legendary game in which Ruth had promised a sick boy, Johnny Sylvester, that he would hit a homer for him. But it would also ultimately be a base-running gaffe for which the Bambino would be remembered for in this series . With the Cardinals leading by a run and two outs in the bottom of the 9th at Yankee Stadium, Ruth drew a walk off fellow future Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander. On the first pitch to the next batter, Bob Meusel, Ruth took off for second base. The throw from catcher Bob O’Farrell to second baseman Rogers Hornsby easily beat the sliding Ruth for the final out. It remains the only World Series to ever end on a caught stealing.
1925: Pirates – 9, Senators – 7
Relevance to tonight’s Game 7 of course in that it was the last World Series to be played in our nation’s capital until this past week. The Senators were the defending world champions. The Pirates had won the 1909 World Series, and would not win another after this one for another 35 years. Washington bolted out of the gate, scoring four times and knocking Pittsburgh starter Vic Aldridge out in the very 1st inning at Forbes Field. But the Pirates fought back, narrowing their deficit to just 7-6 as the game entered the bottom of the 8th inning. Future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson retired the first two Pittsburgh batters. But then suddenly the Pirates bats erupted. Three doubles, a walk, and an error combined to give the home team three runs, two unearned, and a 9-7 lead. The Senators went down in order in the 9th, and Pittsburgh celebrated its second World Series title.
1924: Senators – 4, Giants – 3 (12 innings)
The first of three straight Fall Classics to make this list, it has also, to this point, been the only World Series ever won by a team from Washington, D.C. The Senators would get four shutout innings of relief from the ‘Big Train’, future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson, and rally from a 3-1 deficit at Griffith Stadium in D.C. to force extra innings, finally take it in the 12th inning. A solo home run off the bat of Bucky Harris gave Washington an early 1-0 lead. But the Giants scored three times in the top of the 6th aided by a pair of Senators infield errors to take that 3-1 lead. Harris would again play the hero in the bottom of the 8th, delivering a two-out, two-run single to tie it up. Then with one out in the bottom of the 12th, Sens catcher Muddy Ruel stayed alive when Giants catcher Hank Gowdy dropped an easy foul pop. Given the new life, Ruel doubled. One batter later, Earl McNeely ripped a hard grounder through to left field for the walkoff hit, Ruel rolling home with the World Series-winning run.
1912: Red Sox – 3, Giants – 2 (10 innings)
It is difficult to compare a World Series from so long ago to those of today’s game. And yet it remains an indisputable fact that this ninth contest pitting the winners of the upstart American League against the champions of the more established National League is one of the greatest World Series in the game’s long history. Four of the eight games were decided by a single run, two others were tight affairs, and Game 2 was called off and ruled as an official tie result due to darkness after the two clubs battled to a 6-6 stalemate over 11 innings. So, this Game 7 was actually the eighth game of the series. The two teams were knotted at three wins apiece as they took the field at Fenway Park, now the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, but then finishing up its very first season of existence. The Giants future Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson would go the distance on the mound and took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th. There, one of the earliest and most unlikely heroes in World Series history struck. Olaf Henriksen, a reserve outfielder who had just four extra-base hits over 75 regular season plate appearances that year, was sent up to face the great ‘Christian Gentleman’ as a pinch-hitter with two outs and two men on base. Henrickson came through, ripping a line drive RBI double, scoring Jake Stahl with the tying run. The game went to extra innings, and in the top of the 10th the Giants recaptured the lead on Fred Merkle‘s RBI single. Then in the bottom of the 10th, Giants center fielder Fred Snodgrass made an error on a fly ball by Clyde Engle that would become known in baseball history as “the $30,000 muff“, putting the tying run at second base. Three batters later, Tris Speaker scored him with a game-tying single. Two batters after that, Larry Gardner lofted a sac fly to right field, with Steve Yerkes tagging and coming home with the first walkoff run in World Series history.
Will we get an unforgettable, historic moment in tonight’s Astros-Nationals contest to equal Slaughter’s Mad Dash, or the walkoffs provided by Mazeroski, Renteria, or Gonzo?
Maybe there will be a shutdown pitching performance from the two starting pitchers, Max Scherzer and Zack Greinke, each of whom is already likely headed to the Hall of Fame. Something to equal the performances of Koufax or Bumgarner.
This 2019 World Series will mark the third time in the last four years that the Fall Classic has gone the full seven games. Whichever team wins, the real winners as the drama unfolds are sure to be all true fans of the game of baseball. | <urn:uuid:538a134a-d2cd-44d7-a30d-495ce6683e5a> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://philliesbell.com/2019/10/30/world-series-mlb-major-league-baseball-top-20-game-seven-history/ | 2020-09-21T14:48:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400201826.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20200921143722-20200921173722-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.965873 | 5,528 |
- Open Access
Real-time, label-free monitoring of cell viability based on cell adhesion measurements with an atomic force microscope
Journal of Nanobiotechnology volume 15, Article number: 23 (2017)
The adhesion of cells to an oscillating cantilever sensitively influences the oscillation amplitude at a given frequency. Even early stages of cytotoxicity cause a change in the viscosity of the cell membrane and morphology, both affecting their adhesion to the cantilever. We present a generally applicable method for real-time, label free monitoring and fast-screening technique to assess early stages of cytotoxicity recorded in terms of loss of cell adhesion.
We present data taken from gold nanoparticles of different sizes and surface coatings as well as some reference substances like ethanol, cadmium chloride, and staurosporine. Measurements were recorded with two different cell lines, HeLa and MCF7 cells. The results obtained from gold nanoparticles confirm earlier findings and attest the easiness and effectiveness of the method.
The reported method allows to easily adapt virtually every AFM to screen and assess toxicity of compounds in terms of cell adhesion with little modifications as long as a flow cell is available. The sensitivity of the method is good enough indicating that even single cell analysis seems possible.
The cell membrane is more than just a passive lipid bilayer barrier. Of special relevance, cell membrane proteins are an integral part of the cellular machinery concerning sensing and reacting to what surrounds the cell, through different processes such as signaling, transport and immune response. In particular, cell adhesion molecules and their main function, i.e., cell adhesion, are of prime importance on cell biology and medicine, being a key player on several biological processes such as tumor invasion and metastasis , stem-cell fate and cell death and/or growth arrest . Cell detachment, or loss of anchorage in adhesive cells, is a common marker of cell death , which could be monitored as a sign of cytotoxicity. For instance, intracellular signals caused by the intracellular accumulation of exogenic agents (e.g. toxins, drugs, nanoparticles, etc.) at toxic concentrations can in general cause cell detachment , followed by cell death.
In order to evaluate the safety of a new agent, variety of in vitro cell-based assays is often employed. One feasible strategy to evaluate the potential toxic effects of an unknown compound will be, in the first stage, to evaluate basal cytotoxicity (by using for instance screening assays), and second assess the specific types of toxicity (i.e. to understand the cause cell injury). There are several cell-based assays used to evaluate cytotoxicity, including methods to monitor the function of organelles, cell viability, to track cellular components, etc. Cell viability assays are among the most frequently used methods in all form of cell cultures . There are a variety of cell viability assays that could be used to monitor enzymatic activities or general metabolism, some of those assay include the resazurin and tetrazolium reduction, as well as protease activity methods .
Most frequently employed standard cytotoxicity methods to assess cell death, including cell viability and proliferation assays, rely on extrinsic labeling or reporter agents which, once internalized, interact with specific cell components providing a signal, typically colorimetric, fluorescent, or bioluminescent. The measured signal can be then related to different cellular parameters that are evaluated and associated in terms of cell viability, such as the activity of mitochondrial enzymes, for instance the succinate dehydrogenase, the intactness of cell membranes, adenosine triphosphate production, etc. . The major limitation of these in vitro methods to evaluate cytotoxicity is that they may be affected by interferences between the compounds and the read-out signal. As example, metallic nanoparticles (NPs) may interact specifically or non-specifically with the reagent or substrate of the assay [10, 11]. Fluorescent NPs may cause crosstalk with fluorescence read-out of the assay. Further-more, some of the conventional toxicity methodologies are single endpoint assays, i.e., fail to provide real-time continuous monitoring of cell viability, as the assay itself interferes with cell viability . As an alternative to the classic cytotoxicity methods, electrode-impedance-based methods have emerged as a powerful label-free analytical tool to assess cell characteristics [13, 14], including cell viability , adhesion, cycle, metastasis, migration, and invasion.
Mass sensors based on micro- and nanomechanical resonators represent a class of ultra-sensitive sensors with enormous potential in the biomedical field , with the capability of weighing single cells and single nanoparticles in fluids . Mechanical biosensors have been widely used for ultrasensitive detection of pathogens , and also some work has attempted to dynamically inspect living cells [19,20,21,22,23,24]. There is also some recent work which addresses dynamic (>1 h) qualification of cell viability by a micromechanical mass sensor .
Here we report on a micromechanical mass-sensing platform for label-free continuous monitoring (4–5 h) of intoxication in terms of loss in cell adhesion by using the oscillating cantilever of an atomic force microscope (AFM) as probe (more details see in the Additional file 1). AFM is a powerful tool to measure very small forces between a cantilever tip and a surface on the nanoscale, even if the surface to be inspected is soft and submerged in a liquid, e.g., cells in solution. With AFM binding forces between two molecules , adhesion of molecules to surfaces , adhesion of cells to surfaces , or cell to cell adhesion can be recorded. As AFM also allows for lateral resolution also local properties of cell surfaces can be raster-scanned, such as topography , localization of adhesion sites , local electro-mechanical signaling , or local viscoelastic properties [32, 33]. In the following, an assay will be described, in which cell detachment from the cantilever of an AFM is recorded. Hereby the loss of cell adhesion upon cellular exposure to toxic agents, e.g., NPs or chemicals, is monitored.
In general, normal cells could initiate cell death when lost of cell attachment/contact to the extracellular matrix (ECM) occur [3, 34]. Indeed, it is known that disruption of cell adhesion and cell–matrix interactions with successive detachment of cells may be related to signs of cell death . The importance relays on the fact that cell attachment to ECM plays a central role in cell physiology for instance in cell morphology, proliferation, motility among others . Therefore, in the present study we presented a complementary method to monitor loss of cell detachment, a fast-screening-technique to assess dose dependent toxicity using AFM based methodology. The results obtained with this methodology could possibly be associated to early sign of cell death (before cell death is perceptible). To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach proposed, as control, the results obtained from the cantilever were associated with the results obtained with a common conventional cell viability test, the resazurin assay.
Results and discussion
In our method, a triangular cantilever (SNL-10, k = 0.12 N/m, f0 = 23 kHz, Bruker Co) is mounted in a chamber with controlled equilibrated temperature, which can be flushed with different solutions (e.g., NPs or chemical agents in different media and concentrations). Optical images of the cantilever at individual steps of the experiment are shown in Fig. 1. The injection system is schematically shown in Fig. 2a. For a given frequency the cantilever amplitude is highly dependent on the mass of the cantilever or, in our case, on the mass of the cantilever with cells attached (details see in Additional file 1). Because cells attached to different position on the cantilever can have different impact on the deflection, finite elements model can be used for extending the theoretical results of the triangular cantilever (description of finite element model about triangular cantilever in Additional file 1) and in order to control the eventual variations due to cells, the cantilever preparation and characterization are performed for each experiment, i.e., calculation of spring constant before and after experiment, determination of the resonance frequency and deflection sensitivity, to identify that the variance of the deflection is the most appropriate means of analyzing and comparing the data from the different experiments. Figure 2b schematically depicts the method by showing the successive steps through which the cantilever’s dynamic deflection was recorded: (1) The readily mounted cantilever started oscillating in air and then flooded with cell medium, meanwhile the deflection will remain at the initial level. (2) A cell suspension (120 µL of a solution of human cervical cancer HeLa cells at 105 cells/mL) was injected into the sample chamber and was left for ca. 1 h to allow the cells to sediment and eventually attach to the surface of the cantilever . During this time, the deflection amplitude increased due to the added cell mass. (3) In order to study the effect of chemical agents or NPs on cell adhesion, cells were exposed to these agents/NPs at different concentrations. Upon impairment of cells by these substances, cells could lose contact to the AFM cantilever, and the effects on cell adhesion could be monitored and evaluated. Cell detachment is visible as change of mass of the cantilever-cell system. (4) Finally, the cell is flushed with 70% EtOH and PBS buffer to remove all cells and prepare the system for the next measurement. After the rinsing step, the cantilever is optically inspected to confirm that no rest from the previous experiment were present, which is also confirmed by the reset of the real-time deflection to the initial equilibrium (cf., the deflection of pure medium and PBS in Additional file 1).
As a proof of concept, cells were exposed to differently sized and coated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), as well as other toxic agents, such as ethanol (70%), CdCl2, and staurosporine (STS) as a common agent typically used to trigger apoptosis . The effects on cell adhesion upon exposure to NPs and chemical agents at different concentration and time points, were evaluated using the above described setup. Au NPs were used as a NP model in this study because they are interesting materials for biomedical application and thus their biocompatibility needs to be further studied. For instance, it has been reported that the metallic surface of Au NPs could trigger catalytic reactions and cause generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) . Generation of ROS could damage cellular process and induce ROS associate-toxicity through several mechanisms. Indeed, oxidative stress induced for NPs have been shown. Those cell responses need to be taken in consideration when evaluating possible cytotoxicity effects induced by NPs [42, 43].
In the present study, the effects of three different types of Au NPs with different surface coating and size were evaluated. In general, parameters such as the organic coating around the NPs (e.g., intended as result from synthetic surface modification, or non-intended as result from the absorption of macromolecules from the cell media), size, shape, dose, among others, will affect the impact of the NPs on cell function and morphology, typically by impairing metabolic activity, mitochondrial function, as well shaping the degree and pathway(s) of NP internalization by cells .
In the present study we used Au NP suspension having varying NP concentrations (3–400 nM). In Fig. 2b, the AFM data after injection of 50 nM of Au NPs into the sealed and temperature-controlled (37.5 °C) sample chamber is shown. Generally, Au NPs are internalized by cells by different mechanisms, one of the most common pathway is endocytosis . After a lag-phase of ca. 1 h, a time that is typically sufficient for internalization of some Au NPs, a diminishing dynamic amplitude in the AFM signal was observed, resulting in loss of cell adhesion which we ascribed to onset of cytotoxicity. In fact, upon exposure of cells to a potentially dose-dependent toxic agent, cells may change their adhesion properties and be gradually detached from the oscillating cantilever, which would be accompanied by the decrease of the cantilever amplitude, and in this manner recorded. In order to regenerate the cantilever in situ 150 mL of a solution of ethanol (70%) and PBS buffer were injected, respectively. 70% ethanol is known to kill cells. PBS then washed the remaining cell debris away, thus clearing the cantilever, and reduced the amplitude of the cantilever oscillation to the initial value. This process was repeated twice, so that the cantilever will be clearly rinsed and then more measurements may be accomplished during a single session with cells from the same batch. Just before the next measurement and in particular, before cells were injected to the measuring chamber, cell medium was injected again, in order to keep the chamber in conditions suitable for cell culture. The current deflection accompanied with optical images is used for checking the state of the cantilever and chamber.
For a more detailed and comprehensive evaluation of the presented method, the effects of three different types of Au NPs on cells were investigated (details can be found in “Methods”): (i) Au(5)-PMA, i.e., Au NPs having a core diameter of 5 nm which are grafted with poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) dodecylamine (in the following referred to as PMA); (ii) Au(13)-PMA, i.e., Au NPs having a core diameter of 13 nm coated with PMA ; (iii) Au(13)-PEG, i.e., Au NPs having a core diameter of 13 nm coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) . Unless otherwise specified a concentration range from 3 to 400 nM (in terms of NP concentration) was tested. For comparison, other common toxic agents were used, such us ethanol (70%), CdCl2, and STS (3 nM–1 µM). Two different cells lines were used for those studies, the human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and the breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF7). The dynamic effects on cells caused by the NPs or the chemical agents were monitored by the deflection versus time curves shown in Fig. 3a, b. The agents were injected to the cantilever at different concentrations. Then, after about 1 h exposure, the measurement started (indicated by the red line). After a lag phase, which depended on the agent used, as well as on the dose, cells started to detach (blue line), as indicated by the diminishing deflection amplitude. Notice, that there are no significant changes before NPs have been added, i.e., during the 1 h prior to injection of the agents. After that, the oscillation shows an exponential attenuation, described by a damping coefficient, here referred to as damping value B. The B value is thus an indication for the amplitude damping rate, that is, the damping increases with an increase of B (details about derivation in Additional file 1). The B values extracted from the amplitude decay caused by detachment of cells in each case were quantitatively calculated by a home-made program (details in Additional file 1) (cf., Fig. 3a, b). All original data showing the whole dynamic process for different agents, times and doses are shown in the Additional file 1. Taken these data together, the different B values are condensed into the heatmaps shown in Fig. 3c for HeLa cells and Fig. 3d for MCF7 cells. The following results can be extracted from these heatmaps: (1) In case the same PMA-coating is used, bigger NPs (i.e. diameter of inorganic core of 5 vs. 13 nm), at the same NP concentration, induce a faster onset of cell detachment. (2) In case the NPs had the same diameter of inorganic core (13 nm) and similar surface charge, but different organic coatings (PMA versus PEG) were used, cell detachment is less pronounced for the PEG-coated NPs, probably due to less efficient internalization, as expected from such coatings . (3) Ethanol (necrosis-trigger agent), CdCl2, and staurosporine (apoptosis-trigger agent) were used as references in order to underline the general applicability of the method, and to demonstrate that it is not limited to detecting cell detachment due to presence of NPs. As expected, ethanol and CdCl2 show early and very fast cell detachment indicative of efficient necrotic agents, while STS shows late and slow cell detachment indicative of apoptosis . The B values versus concentration data points were fitted with logistic curves for both cell lines (cf. Fig. 4), yielding a “half-detachment-dose” value for each agent, so that trends can be extracted. In order to verify that our method could be used to detect and measure toxicity of agents to cells for reference, we evaluated the effects of NPs and compounds exposed to HeLa and MCF7 cells on their cell viability. For that, we used a common cell viability method, the resazurin assay, used to evaluate the metabolic activity of the cells (cf., data in the Additional file 1). This cell viability method was used as a reference control method to compare with the cantilever measurements obtained. As the AFM measurements were carried out without CO2 control, the resazurin assays were carried out in the presence or absence of CO2 (to mimic the conditions of the cantilever, i.e. without CO2, and standard protocols, i.e. with CO2). Indeed, the same toxicity trends were observed for the resazurin as for the AFM measurements. There is however one advantage of the AFM assays. In the resazurin assays measurements for different time points have to be carried out separately, while the AFM assays in principle allows for continuous real-time recording.
The results obtained in this work suggest that the presented method is a generally applicable fast-screening-technique based on label-free real-time monitoring tool, which uses cell detachment from an oscillating cantilever to measure cell intoxication. After desired exposure time, the release rate of cells (as quantified in terms of damping values B) from the cantilever was extracted. We speculate that in future, this method may be applied even to single cells or other cell types such as primary cultures.
Synthesis of Au nanoparticles
Synthesis of 13 nm Au nanoparticles
Citrate-capped Au nanoparticles (NPs) with an average inorganic diameter of 13.5 nm (±0.8 nm), as determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were synthesized by largely following the protocol reported by Schulz et al. . Briefly, 144 mL of Milli-Q water was added to 250 mL three-necked round-bottomed flask and heated up until boiling with a heating mantle. First, a mixture of sodium citrate (3.5 mL; 60 mM) and citric acid (1.5 mL; 60 mM) was added to the flask and kept under vigorous stirring for 30 min (450 rpm). A condenser was utilized to prevent the evaporation of the solvent. Then 100 μL of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA 30 mM) was added, followed by 1 mL of 25 mM hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III) aqueous solution. After ca. 70 s the color of the mixture changed from pale yellow to wine-red, which is indicative of the growth of the Au NPs. In this moment the heating was switched off, but not the stirring. When the temperature of the mixture had dropped down to 95 °C, the flask with the NPs was immersed in ice in order to stop the reaction. The absorbance at 450 nm [extinction coefficient ε(450) = 1.6 × 108 M−1 cm−1] was used to determine the concentration of the NPs, as previously described by Haiss et al. .
Synthesis of 5 nm Au NPs
A modified protocol of the two-phase method published by Brust et al. and Holz et al. was used to produce tetraoctylammonium bromide-capped Au NPs with an inorganic diameter of 5.5 nm (±1.0 nm), as determined by TEM [52, 53]. Briefly, at room temperature, an aqueous solution of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate-(III) (40 mM, 25 mL) and a solution of tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) in toluene (50 mM, 80 mL) were mixed and vigorously shaken (ca. 5 min) in a 500 mL separation funnel. Then, once the AuCl4 ions were fully transferred into the toluene phase, the organic phase was transferred into a 250 mL round bottom flask. Then, a freshly prepared aqueous solution of NaBH4 (350 mM, 25 mL) was added to the solution of gold precursors in toluene under vigorous stirring and kept under stirring for 1 h. The solution was then transferred to a 500 mL separation funnel and 25 mL of 10 mM HCl was added to remove the excess of NaBH4. The mixture was vigorously shaken and the aqueous phase was discarded. Then 25 mL of 10 mM NaOH were added to remove any excess of acid, followed by four washes with Milli-Q water (25 mL). The toluene phase containing the Au NPs was transferred to a 250 mL round bottomed flask. Then, the solution was left under stirring overnight at room temperature. Then, original TOAB coating was exchanged by 1-dodecanethiol, by mixing (65 °C, 3 h) the original NP dispersion in toluene with a solution of 1-dodecanethiol in toluene (4.17 M, 10 mL). Then, the 1-dodecanethiol-capped Au NPs were purified from agglomerates by centrifugation at 1 × 103 g, whereby the NPs remained in the supernatant. To remove the excess of 1-dodecanethiol, the NPs were precipitated by addition of methanol and collected by centrifugation (1 × 103 g). The washing step with methanol was repeated three times to minimize the presence of free surfactant. In order to calculate the concentration of NPs, the absorbance at 520 nm [extinction coefficient ε(520) = 8.7 × 106 M−1 cm−1] was used, as previously reported .
Surface modification of Au NPs
PEGylation of 13 nm citrate-capped Au NPs
To 150 mL of the as prepared citrate-capped NPs (NP concentration ca. 1.8 nM), 2.7 mg of α-thio-ω-carboxy poly(ethylene glycol) (HS-PEG-COOH, MW = 987.19 Da from Iris Biotech) were added, equivalent 104 PEG molecules added per NP. Thus, sufficient PEG was added to ensure full PEG saturation of the NP surface. The PEGylated Au NPs were purified from PEG excess and re-suspended in deionized water by centrifugal precipitation (three times at 15 × 103 g, 30 min).
Polymer coating poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) dodecylamine-grafted, in the following referred to as PMA of 13 nm citrate-capped Au NPs
Citrate-capped Au NPs were transferred from aqueous media to organic solvent following the protocol of Soliman et al. . Briefly, 3·104 PEG molecules (MW = 750 Da; α-methoxy-ω-mercapto-poly(ethylene gylcol) (HS-PEG-CH3O) from Rapp Polymere) per NP were added and kept under vigorous stirring for 2 h. Then, a 0.4 M solution of dodecylamine (DDA) in chloroform (equal volume as the aqueous solution of NPs) was mixed with the NPs under vigorous stirring, which ultimately allows to transfer the NPs from the aqueous to the chloroform phase. A small amount of NaCl (50 μL 2 M) was added to speed up the NPs’ phase transfer. The NPs were then cleaned twice by centrifugal precipitation (8960g) from excess of PEG and DDA. The precipitated NPs were collected and dispersed in chloroform, in which their concentration was determined by UV/Vis spectroscopy with the molar extinctions coefficients as provided above. Yet, to get PMA-coated Au NPs colloidally stable in aqueous solution, the Au NPs previously coated with PEG/DDA were coated with the amphiphilic polymer PMA by largely following the protocol described by Lin et al. . Briefly, 75% of the anhydride rings of poly (isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) were modified with DDA by mixing in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 65 °C under stirring (12 h). The modified polymer (i.e., PMA) was dried using a Rotavapor at 40 °C under reduced pressure and dispersed in 30 mL chloroform, yielding a stock solution with a final PMA concentration of 0.75 M. Notice that 0.75 M refers to the concentration of the monomers of poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride). Then, to efficiently achieve PMA-coating of the NPs, a specific volume of PMA, which depends on the total effective surface area (Aeff) of the NPs, was used as described by Soliman et al. . Briefly, the NPs were mixed with PMA (0.75 M in terms of monomer units; Rp/Area = 3000, where Rp/Area refers to the number of PMA monomers added per nm2 of Aeff) in a round flask and diluted with chloroform. After 25 min, the chloroform was slowly evaporated at 42 °C under reduced pressure using a Rotavapor, until the solvent was completely evaporated. This procedure was repeated twice. Finally, the dried product was dissolved in sodium borate buffer (SBB, pH = 12), which hydrolyzed the maleic anhydride groups of the PMA, yielding carboxyl groups and thereby providing the NPs with colloidal stability in aqueous solution. The PMA-coated NPs were then filtrated through a syringe membrane filter (0.22 μm pore size). Finally empty micelles formed by PMA and excess of free PMA were removed by precipitation of the PMA-coated NPs using centrifugation (8960g; 40 min, twice) and the buffer was exchanged to water.
PMA coating of 5 nm Au NPs
Equivalently, PMA coating was carried out as described for the 13 nm NPs. A value Rp/Area = 150 PMA monomers per nm2 was used instead, which was experimentally optimized to warrant for colloidal stability of NPs with about the same size of inorganic core. The PMA-coated NPs were purified first by gel electrophoresis, as described in previous works (e.g., see Lin et al. ) and then by ultracentrifugation (150 × 103 g; 60 min, three times).
Characterization of NPs
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) were used to analyze the colloidal properties of the NPs.
TEM images of the samples were acquired in a JEM-1230 transmission electron microscope equipped with a LaB6 cathode running at 120 kV and an ORIOUS SC1000 4008 × 2672 pixels CCD camera (Gatan UK, Abingdon Oxon, UK). UV–Vis spectra were obtained with an Agilent 8453 spectrometer. DLS and LDA measurements were carried out with a Malvern Zetasizer. In Additional file 1, Figure S1a, c show TEM micrographs of PEGylated 13 nm Au NPs and PMA-coated 5 nm Au NPs with negative staining, in which a PEG layer (thickness of ca. 5 nm around cores of 13 nm) and the PMA-coating (thickness of ca. 5 nm around the 5.5 nm cores) are clearly discernible. Additional file 1: Figure S3b shows a TEM micrograph of the PMA-coated NPs (here, only the diameter of the Au core gives contrast).
TEM negative staining
Uranyl acetate was used as negative stain, which allows the formation of a uniform, consistent, and high contrast staining. The sample was prepared on carbon film 400 copper mesh grids purchased from Electron Microscopy Sciences (Hatfield, USA). The specimen grids were exposed to glow-discharge treatment under air plasma for 20 s (2.0 × 10−1 atm. and 35 mA) using a MED 020 modular high vacuum coating system (BAL-TEC AG, Balzers, Liechtenstein). Negatively charged carbon grids were used within 5 min after treatment to ensure hydrophilicity. The on-grid negative staining was performed using a slightly modified single-droplet negative-staining procedure. 1.5 μL sample droplet of NP concentration ranging from 6 to 15 nM followed by three 2.5 μL droplets of 0.25% weight/volume (w/v) uranyl acetate aqueous solution were placed on a clean Parafilm piece. The treated grid was incubated on the sample droplet for 1 min and then on the staining droplets for 3, 3, and 60 s, respectively. After each incubation step the excess fluid was nearly fully removed by touching the grid edge with Whatman filter paper. Finally, the sample was fully dried for 20 min at 2.0 × 10−1 atm.
UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy
The UV–Vis absorption spectra of the three polymer-coated samples are shown in Addtional file 1: Figure S3d, which clearly show the surface plasmon resonance band of the colloids (ca. 520 nm), more intense in the case of the 13 nm NPs, as expected.
DLS and ζ-potential values of the three samples are summarized in Table 1. The hydrodynamic diameter (dh) of the PEGylated Au NPs, as determined by DLS, yielded 22 nm, which matches very well the observations by negative staining TEM. Note however, that the DLS and the negative staining were obtained in aqueous solution and vacuum, respectively. The dh values of PMA-coated 13 and 5 nm Au colloids were 17 and 11 nm, respectively. Sizes as determined by TEM (inorganic core; dTEM) and DLS (dh), and ζ-potential values of the polymer coated Au NPs are summarized in Table 1.
HeLa and MCF 7 cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA). Briefly, HeLa cells were cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) (# D5796) containing 10% Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) (#S0615), 1% of Penicillin/Streptomycin (P/S) (# 15140-1229) and GlutaMAX™ (#35050-038). MCF7 cells were cultured in Eagle’s Minimum Essential Medium (EMEM) (# M5650 supplemented with 10% FBS, 1% of P/S and 0.01 mg/mL human recombinant insulin (# I3536). The cell cultures were kept at 37 °C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. At confluence, cells were washed with PBS and detached with 0.05% Trypsin EDTA (# 25300-054) solution. Cells then were reseeded in flasks for cell culture or seeded in 96-well plates for the experiments.
Cell viability assay
Cell viability of HeLa and MCF7 cells exposed to Au NPs and chemical agents was evaluated by the Resazurin assay [AlamarBlue® (# 765506) Thermo Fisher, Germany] as previously reported [56,57,58]. For that, HeLa and MCF7 cells were seeded in 96 black polystyrene plates at the density of 10.000 cells/well in complete cell culture media and were incubated overnight at 37 °C, 5% CO2. The next day, cells were exposed to NPs and chemical agents at desired concentration for 4 h in the presence or absence of 5% CO2 at a final volume of 100 μL per well. After the desired time, cells were washed once with PBS, then 100 μL of 10% resazurin solution (in complete cell media) was added to the cells and incubated for 4 h at 37 °C and 5% CO2. The fluorescence intensity was measured for the presence of resazurin and resorufin with a 96-microwell plate reader connected to a fluorometer (Fluorolog-3, from Horiba Jobin–Yvon, Germany) at an excitation wavelength of 560 nm. The emission was recorded in the range of 570–650 nm, of which an integrated fluorescence intensity was determined. This integrated fluorescence intensity was considered to be proportional to cell viability. Cell viability was normalized to 100% for untreated cells. The results are presented as mean cell viability ± the respective standard deviation (SD), as obtained from three independent experiments (e.g. cell cultures), each one performed in triplicate. Upon incubation with high concentration of toxic agents, cell viability is decreased. All diagrams are presented in Additional file 1.
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FY designed the method and organized research. RR wrote the software and contributed to the measurements. PDP, BP and MS synthesized, purified and characterized the NPs. AHS, SRP, NF and UB offered the cells and run the cell-assays. PDP, WJP and NH suggested the research plan and experiments. FY, PDP, WJP, NF and NH wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The help of Dr. H-C. Kim in programming the calculation software is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Dr. S. Ashraf for help in cell culture at the initial stages of the project.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Availability of data and materials
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its additional information files).
This work was financially supported in part by DFG Grant PA 784/25-1 to WJP.
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Cite this article
Yang, F., Riedel, R., del Pino, P. et al. Real-time, label-free monitoring of cell viability based on cell adhesion measurements with an atomic force microscope. J Nanobiotechnol 15, 23 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-017-0256-7
- Cell adhesion
- Fast-screening measurement
- Gold nanoparticles
- Cell viability | <urn:uuid:00474225-93c1-4338-a3b9-e29b0f8757a8> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-017-0256-7 | 2020-09-29T19:49:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402088830.87/warc/CC-MAIN-20200929190110-20200929220110-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.901035 | 11,070 |
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|Submissions to Eli's 2nd Riddle (with comments from Eli)|
Below we have Eli's 2nd Riddle, Eli's answer to his own riddle AND the top answers given by others. The winning answer was submitted by Jimmy Conway so he is the winner of the 2nd Riddle! Congratulations to Jimmy! The other answers are the next TOP answers with comments given by Eli. The rest of the answers (without comments) are at the end.
Riddle: Ben, the CEO of BBQ-Made-Easy, describes his pressing problem:
Eli's Answer to his own riddle:
This time I first verbalize my own answer, and only then comment on some of the reader’s answers.
To my mind the truly main issue in this case is how to measure the performance of managers. Ben asks it this way: How can we make our managers truly responsible if they are not truly accountable to the results they put on the table?
In other words "accountability”, according to Ben, is a mean to motivate managers to become responsible. I detest the word "accountability” because it means ignoring uncertainty. In CCPM we have revealed how making someone "accountable” for finishing on time causes tasks to finish early only in rare cases. When a manager of a new initiative is required to put a number on the table that person is in the following dilemma:
On one hand he wants the initiative to be approved: so, he should quote a high number.
On the other hand he does not want to be caught "under-performing”, so he should quote a low number.
I assume any TOC reader can easily build the cloud. Note that the short term pressure is to quote a high number and if you cannot break the hidden assumption that a manager has full control on his area (meaning he is controlling all the uncertainty) including his market, then you might look for a compromise preferring the short term. Do you blame Jonathan for doing it?
I think that any requirement to put one number on the table is an illegitimate request causing very damaging answers. The right approach is to use a range (reasonable minimum and reasonable maximum) OR asking specifically "What is the minimum result you can achieve that below that it’d be judged as a failure?” Even then you should not condemn the person for not achieving the minimum, unless your analysis shows the specific failures of his/her management. Reality is too unpredictable to allow us judge people on the basis of prior expectations.
Coming back to the main issue: how should managers be judged?
It seems to me there are two different aspects one should pay attention to:
a. The skills, capability and capacity of the person.
b. The motivation to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission or to achieve as much as possible from the organizational goal.
We should never say we know how to evaluate the two aspects, but we should also admit we do know something. Eventually we are able to approximately estimate the contribution of people to the organization.
Is it critical to know whether the Turkish initiative is losing money or not? It seems like after three years it is about breakeven. Is it good or bad? I do not think this is the issue here.
Many of the answers are about 70% in line with my assertion above, which makes me feel good that the TOC knowledge does achieve a common-sense state of mind. I urge readers who do not agree with the way I have stated my approach to send me their arguments and I’ll respond to them.
1. Jimmy Conway's Answer (Winner): "Forecasting sales, particularly in a new market with no track record, is as good as guesswork. It would be an unfair to Jonathan to be held accountable for simply guessing wrong. Managers should be held accountable within their area of responsibility for: 1. The quality of their strategies and tactics, and their ability to adapt based on market feedback, and 2. Implementing the necessary and sufficient actions that need to be taken to make good on their strategies and tactics."
Eli's Comments on Winning Answer: "Like most answers it does not fully match my own, but it is quite good in itself. It focuses on the right issue: How to judge the performance of a manager? Jimmy also makes his points clear, yet, short."
2. David Peterson's Answer (runner up): "1. Who is right? Who is wrong? Both Ben and Jonathan have made mistakes. But Ben's mistakes are more serious in that they are leading him towards sacking an outstanding entrepreneurial manager, unaware of the damage it will cause to the company's prospects.
Ben believes the Turkish operation is losing money, yet this appears to be contradicted by what Jonathan tells us: the P&L in the company did not go down in the last two years, while sales, not including Turkey, did not go up. It is theoretically possible that the subsidiary is losing money and the losses were offset by cost-cutting in the parent company, for example by reducing the R&D budget, but neither manager suggested anything along these lines.
Another, perhaps more likely, explanation is that Ben has allocated a proportion of the company's operating costs to the Turkish subsidiary based on Jonathan's original projections. Since his projections were on the high-side, the costs allocated to his operations are also on the high-side and make it look like the subsidiary is running at a loss, and at the same time make the rest of the organization look like it's performing better than it is.
In fact, the Turkish operation is arguably the best part of the organization. Sales growth in Turkey was 50% this year while the rest of the organization is stagnating (or "stabilized" as Ben euphemistically calls it) with no increases in the last five years. Jonathan has done a remarkable job taking the subsidiary from nought to $1.4M in sales in three years.
However, Jonathan did fall short of his projections and inadequately communicated with Ben. Ben should not treat any manager's guesses as inviolable commitments, but Jonathan should not have made his guesses the way he did. The figure of $5M that Jonathan stated as his sales prediction for 3 years, was especially unfortunate and suggests that Jonathan was making his forecast entirely by intuition rather than based on an explicit financial model.
A (spreadsheet) model would likely have shown sales growth to be exponential rather than the straight line that Jonathan seems to have intuitively applied to arrive at his guess. This would have reduced the figure for the 3 year mark and increased the figures for years 4 and 5. An explicit model would also have allowed Ben to understand and question the assumptions behind it, apply sensitivity analysis, and provide an opportunity to involve other subject matter experts. For example, during the growth of BBQ-Made-Easy, Jonathan was the supply-chain manager, but who was the sales manager? Why wasn't the sales manager involved in building the model?
Having a model would also have provided Ben with a way to monitor the operation and improve the reliability of the forecast as real-life results came in and other information came to light and new situations, such as the political problems, unfolded. This would have spared Ben the shock of finding such a big gap between his expectations and reality and would have allowed him to take decisive action earlier, if necessary.
In summary, Jonathan would have been far better off presenting a model rather than presenting numbers, and Ben should have insisted on it. Ben failed to provide proper governance by accepting Jonathan's figures without questioning the assumptions behind them and without involving other more knowledgeable managers.
2. So, what should Ben do with Jonathan?
Ben should marshal the resources of the company in support of Jonathan. Sales aren't growing in the home market which suggests the home market is saturated, whereas the Turkish market is growing at a fast pace. It may well be worth redeploying sales people from the home market to the Turkish market to capitalize on the opportunity.
Neither manager has mentioned any manufacturing or supply problems, but fast growth could easily cause the constraint to move into these functions. Ben and the other managers have to make sure that this does not happen and that the organization and the suppliers are ready to take on the growth in sales. Exactly how to do it is probably out of scope for an answer to the riddle, but, having a model that is frequently updated and communicated, will be an important aspect of this. The organization must work together as a single unit.
What Ben should definitely not do is sack Jonathan! This would have major negative effects all round. It would harm the opportunity for growth in Turkey, the company would lose a lot of experience, not to mention the long-standing personal relationships Jonathan has with the suppliers, and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Jonathan could take clients with him to a competitor. It would also send a strong message to the other managers in the organization that making mistakes is not tolerated. This will be a huge dampener on innovation as any innovation can fail. Many excellent growth opportunities will be avoided because of fear of failure. Problems are also likely to be concealed from Ben, with managers unable to tell the truth for fear of losing their jobs. Bad situations will be made worse by managers pressing on in the vain hope that a miracle happens that will turn things around.
3. In what way should managers be accountable for their predictions and their area of responsibility?
Managers should not be accountable for their predictions, but should be accountable for their actions, and particularly the way they manage uncertainty and risk in their area of responsibility.
Predictions, by their nature, involve uncertainty. Any manager held accountable for his predictions is likely to be extremely conservative and when forced to make a prediction will pad it heavily to protect his skin.
Buffering is a vital tool for managing uncertainty, but buffering everything is not the best approach. In large organizations, particularly, having managers at each level add padding to the estimates of the layer below, will result in massively distorted data for high-level decision makers.
Buffers should instead be applied explicitly and strategically, for the benefit of the organization as a whole. Not all variables are equally important. Some variables carry much more risk (or opportunity) than others and these are the variables that managers need to manage carefully.
Managers cannot be expected to predict exact values of uncertain variables, but they can be accountable for their approach to dealing with the uncertainty. Managers should be expected and trained to think through and articulate the assumptions behind their estimates and the consequences of errors and to explicitly address the risks."
Eli's Comments: "I highly recommend the readers to read David Petersen detailed answer, especially the part analyzing the Turkish initiative and whether it loses money or not. I disagree with David on the issue of "the exponential model” in describing the trend in the market, but this is a discussion for another time."
3. Christophe Lambert's Answer: "This problem is well worked out in the Requisite Organization literature. A manager is accountable for the results of his subordinates. When assigning a task to a subordinate, a manager comes to agreement with the subordinate on what is to be done, by when, to what quality standards, with what resources. After agreement is reached, the subordinate is accountable for making his best efforts to do the task AND notify the manager well in advance if, a) the task is at risk of not being completed on time, to quality standards, or within allotted resources, or, b) if substantially more can be accomplished and/or sooner. If the employee fails to so notify the manager in order for appropriate actions to be taken by the manager, the subordinate is derelict in his responsibility and should be subject to disciplinary action, potentially including deselection from his position. Similarly a subordinate who does not make his best efforts to accomplish the task is subject to disciplinary action. In the absence of communication otherwise from the subordinate, the manager assumes that everything is on track.
Thinking of it in terms of an S&T tree, a manager is accountable for the set of strategies under him/her and works with the responsible subordinate for a given strategy/tactic pair to decide the best tactics. The subordinate is responsible for making his best effort to accomplish the tactics and must tell the manager if the tactics are not working to accomplish the strategy, or if significantly better results are occurring than expected.
The CEO (Ben) is wrong in having his employee be accountable for the results – the CEO is accountable for the results ($5M in 3 years). The subordinate (Jonathan) also did not appear to notify his CEO well enough in advance that the results were not going to be as expected for action to be taken (though you would think that warning signs would have been evident in the annual financials). The CEO should have either replaced Ben earlier if he was not up to the task, or changed the tactics, or changed the target. Since the 3 years are up, the CEO now needs to decide the next task, and decide whether Jonathan can accomplish it. If not, let him go (including to possibly somewhere else in the organization). If so, let him stay, but be clear that in the future Jonathan must notify early if either the target (the strategy) is in jeopardy, or if even more can be accomplished.
Eli's Comments: "Christophe Lambert uses the term "accountable” in the meaning of "being judged upon”, which I disagree with, but then asks how to do it right - a question I like very much. It is an interesting answer, making an emphasis of an ongoing process rather than judgment at one point of time."
4. Alejandro Cespedes' Answer: "We think both Ben and Jonathan have right and wrong arguments. Generally speaking, no one should be held accountable for a somewhat arbitrary figure. Forecasts should be done but they should be a range, not a deterministic number. Every forecast should have an optimistic and a pessimistic scenario, and should be done with inputs from the most suited people in the company. And Jonathan himself recognizes that he isn't the person to do it; he is good at supply chain management but he doesn't know the market. Ben should've brought people from sales and marketing to participate.
Regarding accountability, we believe that accountability should be based on the plan's design and execution, not the end result. Jonathan can't control political events but within his plan he should have a worst and best case scenario and a contingency plan for them. For example, if sales are much lower than expected what will he do increase sales? And if sales are much higher than expected how will he elevate capacity? If Jonathan fails in executing the plan he should definitely leave the company. But if the plan wasn't properly constructed to begin with, we think management has big responsibility in this as well. When deciding whether or not to open operations in Turkey management should have identified the relevant variables that should be considered, have the most knowledgeable people predict "realistic" pessimistic and optimistic scenarios, and devise plans for both scenarios. If execution is done by the book and results are not there, management should identify the erroneous assumptions to avoid making the same mistake in future plans and correct the strategy based on what reality is telling them. A forecast even with ranges is still a forecast. During execution the company needs to be open minded, flexible and fast enough to respond to reality. Certainly this involves people from almost every department in the company. Leaving it all up to Jonathan is a big mistake.
The operation in Turkey should be analyzed separately to avoid distortions from cost allocations. The fact that NP didn't go up or down with Turkey should be an alarm for cost distortions. Though Turkey is not selling what Jonathan predicted, this doesn't mean it's losing money.
Finally, we think that when deciding who to assign to open the new branch, they should look at what capabilities are really needed. Maybe Jonathan is not the person to do the job, even though he is a great supply chain manager. Many times companies give promotions to people based on their current performance but this doesn't mean he/she will perform well in the new task. BBQ-Made-Easey may be losing a great supply chain manager while promoting a not so competent new operation manager."
Eli's Comments: "Alejandro Cespedes gives a very good answer making the case for using a range rather than one-number forecast. I disagree with him about Jonathan being a good supply chain manager and not a good sales one. I don’t know whether Jonathan is a good sales manager because I cannot tell whether the sales he did achieve were close or not to what they could have been. All the rest of the answer is in line with my own."
The rest of the answers do not include comments from Eli, but at the request of Eli he would like to have all answers available to read. Below are the rest of the answers in the order they were received.
1. Manoj Agarwal: It is clear Jonathan is being measured locally in two ways: - by performance of the Turkish Subsidiary; and by actual numbers against his "commitment".
Instead of firing Jonathan, Ben should recognize that The Turkish subsidiary HAS contributed - significantly. Going by the local measurements logic being considered for Jonathan, he would have to fire almost all managers - including himself, as nobody would have planned to lose money on rest of the operations!
He should more clearly define his responsibility and set up different, more "global" mechanisms of accountability. He should set up a more reasonable "quota" of sales; for shorter horizons (e.g. a quarter or an year) and institute mechanisms of rewards & recognition for exceeding it. The accountability must be on discipline establishing a proper plan through systematic planning; and regular reviews for recovery planning and execution.
2. Peter Milroy: So, who is right? Who is wrong? What Ben should do with Jonathan?
In what way should managers be accountable for their predictions and their area of responsibility?
While I hesitate to take sides, Jonathan's position appears correct to me. He is the Supply Chain Manager, a position in the company that should not be given Profit & Loss responsibility for a foreign operation. While he might be a valuable member of the leadership team, he can't be singled out for a direction that he alone could not have initiated, only the CEO could have given permission to begin operations in a foreign country. Responsibility must rest with the CEO, unless he agrees to give Jonathan broader responsibility in the company.
3. Justin Roff-Marsh: Ben is wrong, and on many counts.
First, Jonathon's predication was exactly that: a prediction and NOT a guarantee. It's true that managers should be accountable but, they should ONLY be accountable for those things over which they exercise control.
At the time he made the prediction, Jonathon would have considered the market environment, in combination with the capability and effort he intended to deploy.
Jonathon has no control over the former, meaning that he should be evaluated purely based on the latter.
It appears that the claim that the Turkish operation is losing money is misleading at best, fallacious at worst. If, as Jonathon claims, there is evidence that the Turkish operation is not making a negative contribution to the performance of the group, it is not a loss-making entity in any meaningful sense.
The company as a whole (senior management) placed a bet on Turkey. Management must accept there was always a significant likelihood of reality playing-out differently. That's the very nature of bets!
Management decisions now should be made looking forward, not backwards. And the critical issues should be considered in isolation.
The important questions are: should the company continue its Turkey operation? And, is Johnathon the right person to continue to head this operation?
It's clear that the answer to both of these questions is 'yes'.
If there is an open question right now, it has to concern Ben's management capability, not Jonathon's.
4. Alfredo Angrisani: The basic figures
The business figures from the recounts (in bold print) should be as in Table A. Assuming that the truly variable costs are about 50% of the turnover, then all else being the same, the cost of the Turkish office is roughly 700 k$. Which is a lot for a sales operation. Even if TVC are substantially higher (60%), then the cost of that office (from the text there is no physical operation in Turkey, but just an office) would be no less than 500 k$ per year, unless... there has been an increase of cost at the headquarters in Israel. Such inconsistency would be much higher and to be fully explained by the Israeli management if the TVC ratio were even smaller than 50%.
Sales Israel 10 10
Sales Turkey 0 1,4
Sales total 10 11,4
OE + TVC (Total) 8,5 9,9
TVC (50%) 5 5,7
OE 3,5 4,2
Profit 1,5 1,5
Anyway, according to Table A, the Turkish operation provides a throughput of 700 k$ that effectively balances its own (supposed) additional operating costs in 2011 if the TVC is around 50%. In reality, it seems to contribute considerably to the headquarters' cost.
The management issue
Jonathan was naïf when he accepted the intermediate 3-year target without making clear the underlying assumptions (i.e. excluding special causes like the Israel-Turkey conflict) and alternate scenarios (including a risk analysis) but that's mainly Ben's fault: a leader should set goals and agree operational targets, yes, but also make sure that his people have a clear and robust path to meet such goals and check frequently with them (maybe every month) how things are rolling. Especially be reactive if some special issues come up. What Ben did (and Jonathan did not acknowledge) was to force predictions way beyond a reasonable horizon of certainty.
Closing the Turkish operation would just waste the goodwill gained in 3 years and most probably have an immediate bad effect on the company's P&L. Ben and Jonathan should rather have a better (deeper and more realistic) look at the future operational plans and establish a control methodology to prevent loss of control, including monthly reviews, and adoption of TA.
5. Emile Wegner: People are inherently good - therefore the systems and processes within the company need to be sufficient, relevant and accurate enough to enable management to make accurate predictions and meet targets. The reporting and feedback systems need to give early warnings to enable corrective actions to take place when targets are not met.
The extent to which managers should be held responsible for their predictions and performance should be directly related to the quality and quantity of information they have at their disposal.
6. Orlando Aguilar: Who is right? First of all, what is it right? Right means moving to the goal. What is the goal of the BBQ-Made-Easy? Is it only to make more money now and in the future? Or is it a necesary condition to fulfill its purpose like to be a lasting company.In either case, I think, Jonathan is doing right. Is he improving? Definitely, yes. If he keeps increasing the sales by 50%, like he is doing, pretty soon, he will surpass that prediction. That was it, a prediction. In a prediction, three years could be one or five. Is he building a stable organization in Turkey? Probably. At least, Ben accepts, that he built lasting relations with suppliers and clients before going to Turkey. So, Jonathan has enough experience and intuition.
If Jonathan is fired, is it an action toward the goal? I don't think so. Shoud a manager be accountable just for numbers, cuotas, tags? I don't think either.
7. Shivaram A: Business forecast is always a touch and go situation especially an entry forecast into a new country . When ever there is a success, ( like the proverb, success has many fathers, failures none), a lot of people want to take credit. But when ever there is a failure, no one wants to own up, including Jonathan in this case.
We should look for a win-win situation.
The fact that the organisation is not loosing money, is a clear indication that Turkey BBQ is not responsible for the losses.
The fact that some "forced "sales forecast went wrong, is no reason to "sack " the guy who brought the proposal to the table in the first place. He took the risk to propose.
Every one would have known that the 5 m target was not going to happen atleasat 1 year ago. Hence, every one who is part of the management team is equally responsible, but Turkey being a natural market, and with some patience can be a good long term benefit to BBQ.
Instead of penalising Jonathan, the team should think win- win all round, and help the front end Jonathan to improve the business.
Who knows, it might really reach 10 m in 5 years. ! Then ofcourse, it is to every ones credit to have turned around the Turkish market.
Sacking Jonathan, would not only push the company out of the Turkey market, with his contacts etc, but will also send a wrong message to the company in other markets as well.
8. Charlie Svoboda: Ben & Jonathan should have agreed on the metrics used to measure Jonathan's success before he began. Once he began Ben & Jonathan should have been looking at the progress of the project with some sort of red, yellow and green framework that would enable them to develop a recovery plan when entering the yellow and implement the plan when entering the red. Business is a bit like surfing. You can only ride the wave that is given you. 9/11 changed things for a lot businesses. The ones that adapted thrived and the ones that didn't suffered.
9. Henry Camp: Turkey represents a growth market for the company and has not drained profits company wide during its start-up. The company is not growing elsewhere, certainly not at 50% year ofver year. Ben should ask Jonathan for his expected increase this coming year and see how much the expected change in T less the expected change in OE will be. My expectation is that the new Turkish outpost will add nicely to the company's bottom line in the coming year. Perhaps, Ben should think about increasing the support to see that the goal of $10m in sales is reached sooner than later. Blaming Jonathan creates disharmony and risks undermining his loyalty. Measuring him locally undoubtedly includes some allocation of corporate costs which would not disappear if the Turkish operation was closed. Measure globally and support hard work that has a potential to pay of handsomely.
10. Judy Yetter: Both Ben and Jonathan are right and wrong. Ben is right in believing people be held accountable and wrong in thinking a forecast is real, true or more than arbitrary. Jonathan is right in seeing forces beyond his control weighing in on the situation and wrong for not admitting his target $ figure was simply telling the boss what he wants to hear. Managers should be held accountable for their predictions by not making them. Simply model the way for continuous improvement. Managers should be measured according to the improvement margin - whatever that may be.
11. Deepak Nagar: The answer would be clear when we look at BBQ Made Easy as one single system. Any new initiative should fulfill the criteria of Delt T > Delta OE.
From Jonathan's assertion "Combined P&L of BBQ-Made-Easy, including Turkey, did not go down in the last two years, while sales, not including Turkey, did not go up", it appears that if Turkey initiative is taken away BBQ would have made lower profits. The caveat would be that rest of the organisation has not curtailed OE to a great extant.
The key to managing long term initiative is to create a detailed S&T and convert it into a project plan with definite milestones. Accountability of each leader could be established by speed of achieving the milestones and then converting them into bottom-line results.
A shooting from the hip approach might deliver some instant results but it would be difficult for the organisation to sustain such activities and might push the leadership in taking rash decision by assuming the results by random causes can be replicated time and again.
12. Felix Sanjuan: Since last 3 years Turkey has experienced growth in sales that have allowed the group to at list have sales stabilized even that the rest of the group has not performed, Ben should have Jonathan share in the group how he has managed to grow sales in spite of adversity.
Predictions that are not fully back up by the top management are likely to deliver short of expectations, manager should be accountable for predictions their area of influence provided the has also full control of the factors influencing their business environment.
13. Anuj Mittal: Ben is right.The sales in turkey are growing at 50%, so if 3rd year sales are 1.4 million, 10th year sales assuming the same growth rate will be $ 24 million. So, he is delivering far more but his 5 year forecast he was forced to give was a straight line instead of exponential.
Assuming that the Turkey OE will not go up in the next 2 years significantly. Given that P&L did not go down in the last 2 years. Assuming this means the absolute value of profits stayed the same. Profits annually are 0.5*1.5= $ 0.75 mio. (This estimates that the net profit Turkey made was 0 in the third year. Therefore, it did not lose any money.)As an illustration, assuming TVC to be 20% and OE to be 72.5%, and applying it to the comined sales of both entities. The excess OE comes to $ 1.12 million.
When we project the 50% Turkey growth rate for the next 2 years, keeping OE the same,the profit in the 5th year comes to $2 million- far more than the promised $ 1.5 million result!! Even the 4th year profit comes to $ 0.98 mio, more than the $ 0.75 mio annual profit of the firm.
He should resign and make Ben the group CEO! :-)
14. Vilius Seskauskas: Profitability of sales in Israel might have gone up, while at the same time sales in Turkey generated losses all these years. Jonathan gets fired.
15. Alta Vos: Ben and Jonathan worked well together for many years and Ben acknowledges that Jonathan is an excellent supply-chain manager, but more importantly, he acknowledges that Ben built critical relationships over time – relationships that the company need to maintain, but which could make him quite valuable to the opposition.
Accountability works both ways:
• As CEO Ben is ultimately accountable and therefore he must challenge any proposed case for investment until he is comfortable with it
• Jonathan is accountable for the business case that he puts forward
In this instance perhaps they should park their emotions and consider what information BBQ-Made-Easy should require in future in order to make the decision to invest in a new venture such as the Turkish one.
Instead of predicting revenue and profit figures after 5 years of operations (and then hastily work up figures for the 3rd year) of the proposed new venture, the following approach could serve them well:
Develop yearly projections for the number of years that they prefer, say 5 in this case. Projections include revenue, cost and operating profit, but these projections must be based on a set of assumptions such as how the projected figures are arrived at, factors that may affect projections, etc . The assumptions are almost more valuable than the figures themselves and must also refer to matters beyond anyone’s control, such as natural disasters, global economic uncertainty, political matters, etc.
Managers such as Jonathan should be accountable for developing robust business cases based on well developed projections and the accompanying assumptions. CEOs dare not accept any business case at face value as they are accountable to the board and cannot lay the blame for their oversight on a manager further down the line.
16. Leo Lauramaa: So, who is right? Who is wrong? What Ben should do with Jonathan?
It does not matter who is right and who is wrong, they both are committed and share the common goal of the company’s overall (consolidated) success.
While the idea of Ben’s potential dismissal is based on erroneous assumption, it should not be done. The assumption seems to be that any business development idea presented by a manager is simultaneously a personal commitment to execute and deliver the results based on this ideation. This assumption may easily lead to negative loop of spread fear to present and develop anything new.
In what way should managers be accountable for their predictions and their area of responsibility?
There should be a process in place to evaluate and prepare important decisions and projects like entering a new market. This should not be a "heroic” one man show.
The project execution should be teamwork and all the necessary roles, skills and experience should be in place. The overall responsibility of this kind of important project should be held by a competent project manager. The progress, milestones and corrective actions should be monitored and decided by the management team.
The forecasts should be treated as honest best guess and the success should be evaluated by the measures delta T and delta OE. | <urn:uuid:b530d7ed-0447-4cba-8908-b39994bbe97f> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.tocico.org/page/riddle2_submissions | 2020-10-01T05:25:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402130615.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20201001030529-20201001060529-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.971035 | 6,915 |
1. Know how to recognise signs of abuse
1.1. Define the following types of abuse:
• Physical abuse – is an intentional act of using force against someone else that results in pain, or bodily injury for the individual. This can include shaking, biting, hitting, burning or misuse of medication.
• Sexual abuse – is the forcing of sexual behaviour onto another person without their consent, or the person could lack the capacity to consent or they feel coerced because the abuser is in a position of power. It could be in a direct form, such as being forced to perform sex acts or intimate touching without consent. Or it could be in an indirect form, such as being forced to watch pornography or having to watch someone else masturbate.
• Emotional/psychological abuse – is any sort of act that damages another person mental wellbeing which can include bullying, threats, humiliation, denial of any basic human rights and blackmail. This could result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Financial abuse – is the theft of an individual’s money or personal possessions. It is also the misuse or fraud of an individual’s money where somebody can forcibly control another person’s assets or money without consent from the individual.
• Institutional abuse – it’s the maltreatment of an individual from an organisation, institution or system of power. Which happens when the routines of an institutional environment become more important than the individual.
• Self-neglect – is a behavioural condition when an individual fails to care for themselves, failing to meet their own basic human rights, whether by choice (self-harm), or unintentional (due to physical or mental health issues).
• Neglect by others – is a passive form of abuse that means that the perpetrator is failing to meet the needs of an individual’s care. Failing to provide an individual with their basic human rights, and any need that the victim cannot provide for themselves. These can be acts of omission (not giving someone their medication) or commission (intentionally leaving an individual’s drink somewhere they can’t reach it).
1.2. Identify the signs and/or symptoms associated with each type of abuse
Physical abuse can occur in many forms these could be multiple or minor bruising of different areas, or marks from being slapped, scratched or bitten or pinched with inconsistent explanations. You need to look for fingerprint and teeth marks. Or it could be in the form of burns and scalds, including oddly shaped bruises or burns, such as shape of an iron, lighter or cigarette end. Or any broken bones or unexplained falls, you need to pay attention if an individual suddenly loses mobility when they were previously quite active it could be down to an unreported broken bone. You need to ask yourself why it was unreported and report your suspicions to your senior. Always keep an eye out for signs of malnourishment, sudden loss of weight, unhealthy skin and other signs of neglect. If an individual seems to drowsy or confused to regularly, it may be due to the fact that they have had too much pain relief or sedative, keep an eye out for misuse of medication. If an individual starts to cover themselves or make defensive gestures towards you or near another individual it may be a sign that the individual has been physically attacked previously.
Sexual abuse signs can be shown in the form of fear of physical contact from an individual. Any signs of bleeding, irritation, injury, sexual transmitted disease or infection around the genitals. Look out for foul smells or soreness. Any bruising in intimate places, bitemarks or scratches on breast or inner thigh. If any individual starts suddenly starts making inappropriate conversation of a sexual nature it may be because of sexual abuse. If an individual suddenly withdraws themselves from social contact or becomes distressed or starts crying or self-harming or neglecting themselves for unexplained reasons you must presume this may be because of sexual abuse.
If an individual is receiving emotional/ physiological abuse you may see signs of sadness, depression, no spontaneous laughter or smiles or uncontrollable crying. An individual may start to isolate themselves from people when previously they were more outgoing and start to have a low self-esteem or lack of confidence. An individual may start to exhibit fear or anxiety towards a certain member of staff and request not to be near that staff member. An individual may suddenly have a change in appetite or start refusing food or medication, or their sleeping patterns may change induced from nightmares or insomnia. The individual may become increasingly irritable and tense or may start seeking attention with their behaviour by either self-harm or self-abuse through misuse of drugs or alcohol.
An individual could be being financially abused if they have a sudden inability to pay bills when previously they were paying on time. Or if the individual is reluctant to spend money (even when money shouldn’t be a problem). If there is no food within the individuals house when previously it was okay. Unexplained outgoings on an account, or items going missing such as money, chequebooks, bank cards or valuable jewellery. There could be a risk of financial abuse if there a sudden interest in other people’s money or assets or changes in the terms of will.
Institutional abuse can stem from rigid routines (such as mealtimes) or restricted visiting times or activities sessions provided when its suitable for the convenient for the staff. Institutional abuse can also happen when an individual’s religious or cultural needs are not met. It also happens when staff members restrict an individual’s access to food, fluids, toilets or baths (for example certain people only get to bath on certain days). It also happens when people set poor examples of professional standards of behaviour and don’t give individuals privacy and respect in turn taking away an individual’s dignity. It also happens when individuals have restricted access to social care or medication (if a patient has to wait for pain relief due to the convenience of the staff), or if the medication is misused such as giving an individual too much sedative to make the individual sleep for the benefit of the staff.
An individual is at risk of self-neglect if they are letting themselves live in unhygienic conditions (in the presence of vermin), or neglecting their personal hygiene or not exercising refusing to leave their rooms or won’t socialise with people. If individuals refuse to seek medical advice or take their prescribed medication this may also be a sign of self-neglect. If an individual begins to over eat or under eat or starts self-harming either by cutting, hitting or scratching themselves then refusing to get medical help these are sure signs of self-neglect.
Signs of neglect can come from withholding things from individuals such as medication, choices, rights, health and social care. Or by isolating the individual and discouraging active participation. Or failing to meet physical, emotional, cultural, social, intellectual, and social needs. Also, by not providing adequate shelter, warmth, food, fluids and safety. Neglect is also exposing an individual to risks, dangers and not following your Duty of Care.
1.3. Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse
Some factors that contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse are age (young or old) as these individuals may lack the capacity for full understanding; isolation as lonely people are more likely to abused as people take advantage from the fact they want some human interaction; mental and emotional health issues e.g. dementia, depression or stress; communication problems e.g. speech or hearing impediments or learning disability; behavioural changes e.g. stroke or head injury; where violence is seen as normal in an environment or relationship because if people grow up in a violent environment they will expect it in every other area of their lives; culture or religion as people will always be prejudice against things they are uneducated on and financial factors.
2. Know how to respond to suspected or alleged abuse
2.1. Explain the actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused
If you suspect that an individual is being abused, it is important that you speak to the individual allowing them to open up to you, you should never be judgemental towards the individual. You must record all evidence of the suspected abuse sometimes it will be necessary to take photographs if you are suspecting physical abuse. You must also record all finding in an unbiased factual manner on the appropriate paperwork ensuring that it is signed and dated. You must also report your findings to a senior member of staff (sometimes several) but do not gossip with your colleagues about what you have found as this may hinder the investigation. Before you leave the individual, you suspect of being abused, you must firstly give them reassurance and ensure that they are safe before you do anything else. It may also be necessary to preserve evidence if you happen upon a seen where you believe that abuse has just taken place. You should never collude with other colleagues or jump to conclusions about the situation and never confront the person you think is responsible for the abuse.
2.2. Explain the actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused
If individual’s approach you to make an allegation about being abused you must always take it seriously, making sure that the individual feels heard and is not being judged. You must also explain to the individual that you need to report what they have told you so that steps can be taken to ensure the service user’s safety. You must report the incidence to your senior members of staff and record everything the individual has told you in the appropriate paperwork ensuring its signed and dated. You must give reassurance to the individual, making sure they know that something will be done about it and you must ensure that the individual is at no risk of abuse before you leave them. Always remember that you have a duty of care and responsibility to act on a service user’s behalf.
2.3. Identify ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved
To ensure that all evidence is preserved from an abusive scene never move or remove anything from the scene, or clean or tidy the area. You shouldn’t touch anything within the scene, to avoid destroying fingerprints unless you need to make the area or the individual safe. Never allow access to anyone who isn’t involved with the investigation as they could tamper with evidence. You must preserve all clothing, bedding, footwear, and similar items and keep them safe and dry where necessary you may need to preserve items in a clean paper bag or unsealed envelope, or in a glass if the evidence is liquid. You need to make sure that all injuries are recorded, the state of the individual and the alleged abusers clothing needs to be taken into account and where possible it’s a good idea to get photographic evidence. You must also write a statement about the situation even describing the individual’s attitudes, which must be signed and dated.
3. Understand the national and local context of safeguarding and protection from abuse
3.1. Identify national policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse
The national policies and systems that relate to the safeguarding and protection from abuse, can be distinguished to be Care Quality Commission (CQC), Housing organisations, Court of Protection, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS), The Coroner, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act(2006) which led to the creation of The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), No Secrets (Adult Protection), The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), The Mental Capacity Act (2005), The Human Rights Act (1998), Care Home Policy and a range of laws enabling abusers to be prosecuted these include: Offences Against the Person Act (2003) which relates to physical abuse, Sexual Offences Act (2003) which relates to sexual abuse, Protection from Harassment Act (1997) which relates to physiological abuse and the National Assistance Act (1948) which relates to neglect.
3.2. Explain the roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse
There are many different agencies responsible for the protecting and safeguarding of individuals from abuse. These include:
Medical professionals – such as nurses, doctors, hospital staff, care staff etc. They can examine, diagnose and treat individuals who have been abused. They will record all evidence of abuse, taking photographs where necessary. Reporting the evidence onto the local authority so that social services can do an assessment of the needs to the individual. They also have to follow safeguarding policies and procedures and ensure that all staff members have a CRB check before they commence working.
Police – must investigate and prosecute abusive cases. They work with multiple agencies to prosecute abusive individuals and to provide support for victims and raise awareness of abuse.
Care Quality Commission (CQC) – must always be made aware of any safeguarding adult concerns within a regulated service. If the concern is reported to the local authority CQC must be notified by the local authority and also by the regulated service, as is their duty. CQC is the health and social care regulator for England. Its aim is to ensure high quality care for everyone in hospital, in a care home and at home. CQC monitors, inspects and regulate services to make sure that they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and they publish what they find, with performance ratings to help people choose care. Any care setting that doesn’t pass the basic care standards CQC has the authority to shut them down.
Local Council Authority- are there to make changes to the health care system as a whole, they keep an eye on governing bodies such as CQC. They make changes to funding and how processes are made to keep health care setting up to a high standard.
Court of Protection- Deals with decisions and orders that affect people who lack capacity. The court will decide whether an individual has the capacity to make decisions for themselves. the court will then make declarations, orders and decisions on an individual’s health, finances and welfare matters for individuals who lack the capacity to do so themselves. the court will also appoint deputies and power of attorneys to make decisions on behalf of the individuals who lack capacity. The court or protection also has the power to remove deputies and attorneys who fail to perform their duties sufficiently.
Housing Organisations – Staff from Housing Organisations are in a position where they are able to identify tenants who are at risk of abuse, neglect and exploitation. In addition to recognising the risk of abuse of the adults whom they provide accommodation and in many cases care, staff of housing organisations have an important part to play in establishing protection plans for these individuals.
Coroners – Are independent judicial officers who are responsible for investigating violent, unnatural deaths or sudden deaths of unknown cause, which must be reported to them. The Coroner may have specific questions arising from the death of an adult at risk.
The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) – Provide legal protection for those vulnerable people who are or may become, deprived of their liberty. Safeguards exist to provide a proper legal process and suitable protection in those circumstances where deprivation of liberty appears to be unavoidable, in the person’s best interest.
3.3. Identify reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse
There is a report about Michael Gilbert who was held captive by members of the Watt family in Luton for 10 years and was regularly beaten, stabbed, tortured, treated like a slave and had his benefits money stolen. Until in may 2009, when his headless, dismembered body was found in the
Blue Lagoon at Arlesey in Bedfordshire. Mr Gilbert had been murdered four months earlier by the Watt family. Mr Gilbert was no stranger to the authorities, spending his youth ‘in care’ jumping between care, foster homes and hostels, coming into frequent contact with the police, social workers and medical professionals.
In 1997, Michael Gilbert was 15 and ‘in care.’ He remained under the guidance of the Luton Leaving Care Team until his 21st birthday. At the time of his death Mr Gilbert was not deemed to be eligible for Adult Social Care services. In 1998, Mr Gilbert met James Watt in a children’s home where they became close and Mr Gilbert felt almost adopted into the Watt family. Had the care staff been doing there jobs efficiently then Mr Gilbert should have been discouraged from having interactions with Mr Watt as Mr Gilbert himself had expressed desire to be kept away from Mr Watt it is not known whether the help was given. As Mr Watt had a very long list of offenses even then where he had exhibited violent behaviour, some of a sexually abusive nature, where he had assaulted his family members on various occasions and later even assaulted a police officer. Mr Gilbert’s own delinquent behaviour increased from the proximity of Mr Watt. Mr Gilbert was considered to be vulnerable and naïve man who was easily exploited.
Mr Gilbert’s avoidance of the police (he believed that they would not do anything); his rejection of assistance for injuries; and difficulties with money management (he had rent arrears). Although Mr Gilbert’s support needs were urgent and complex, the professional interventions he experienced were unpromising in terms of nurturing his entrance into responsible adulthood.
In 2002, the police were informed by Mr Gilbert and his mother that Mr Gilbert had been kidnapped by the Watt Family. On two occasions Mr Gilbert’s mother had previously reported that her son had been assaulted by James Watt. It is significant that when Mr Gilbert told his mother about the abduction and assault and his fear of Mr Watt and his family he was too scared to report it to the police. It is unclear whether this was because Mr Gilbert was scared of the police and/ or the consequences for him and his family. Mr Gilbert’s wish to be accompanied by his mother, as an appropriate adult, suggests apprehension on Mr Gilbert’s part. But wasn’t the only incidence with the police where by Mr Gilbert requested to have an appropriate adult with him, suggesting that Mr Gilbert felt apprehensive making reports and later declined to give a full statement as it would be ‘worse for him in the long run’. This shows us that Mr Gilbert maybe lack the capacity to make the correct decisions for his health and the care system essentially failed him as he wasn’t able to deal with the adult world in the correct manner more support should have been given to Mr Gilbert earlier on as they would have then been able to spot Mr Gilbert declining mental health. Mr Gilbert had reported to a doctor that he had been hearing voices for over two years, this information should have been passed onto the correct channels as it would have meant that he could have more support which he evidentially needed to make informed decisions about his welfare. On several occasions in interviews with police Mr Gilbert requested to leave through a side door as he was terrified for his wellbeing from getting attacked by Mr Watt, Mr Gilbert again chose not to make a statement for fear of his own safety. Surely there was something that the police could have done then to stop this individual from receiving further harm from Mr Watt but the police chose to leave it as Mr Gilbert did not want to make a statement and simply let him slip out of the building from a side door.
There were several circumstances whereby Mr Gilbert’s life could have been changed had the correct information been passed in the correct channels, had the individual had more support or more continued support from the correct channels Mr Gilbert could potentially be alive today. There were repeated failings in the system and a complete lack of information sharing that caused this man’s death. Which is why it is incredibly important to keep clear logs and all relevant information up to date.
3.4. Identify sources of information and advice about own role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse
There are many ways to access information on safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse such as having regular up to date training, supervisions and team meetings, where you can access information from your management team. National policies and procedures and your care settings personal policies and procedures should be kept in paper copy within your care setting, so it can be referred to at any time, these will also be in line with national policies and procedures. You can also refer to GSCC codes of practise as they are the national standards of professional conduct and practise required of social care workers as they go about their daily work.
Further sources of information of where to seek advice:
A Guide to the Police – Available from Voice UK. Telephone 08451228695 www.voiceuk.org.uk A leaflet to explain to people with learning disabilities the role of the police and how they support vulnerable adults and witnesses.
Abuse in Care? – A practical guide to protecting people with learning disabilities from abuse in residential services.
Blowing the Whistle – on abuse of adults with learning disabilities. Reports on research findings about whistle blowing, and offers information about the experiences of whistle blowers and suggestions with regard to the development of whistle blowing policies.
Facing the Possibility – supporting managers in preventing handling abuse allegations against staff. Information for service managers about appropriate responses when staff members are alleged to have carried out abuse.
4. Understand ways to reduce the likelihood of abuse
4.1. Explain how the likelihood of abuse may be reduced by:
• working with person centred values – To work in a person-centred approach you must work in partnership with the service user, respecting their rights and unique circumstances. You must make any reasonable adjustments to maintain a service user’s independence and provide support to help them understand and make informed decisions about their care and treatment options, including the extent to which they may wish to manage these options themselves. You must make sure that you take into account people’s capacity and ability to consent, and that either the service user, or a person lawfully acting on their behalf, must be involved in the planning, management and review of their care and treatment. In doing this, you pay attention to a person’s right for independence, choice and to be included and valued. You must also respect a service user’s dignity by covering the individual and making sure that curtains are drawn during personal care and that all information that the service user shares with you remains private. If you are working in this person-centred approach then the likely hood of any individuals receiving abuse within you care setting is reduced incredibly, as institutional abuse stems from and individual not being able to do want they want, and having to do what the staff want because it’s convenient for them. In this circumstance an individual’s feelings are not considered. This also reduces the risk of physiological abuse from staff members as individuals can make their own choices and can’t be bullied into doing things by staff members if they do not wish to.
• encouraging active participation – When you encourage individuals to actively participate you build up an individual’s confidence. It will help the individual to create a network of friends whom the individual will feel supported by. Then the individual can gain trust in others so that they have the confidence to speak up about any abuse they have experienced or are experiencing and other individuals have the ability to report this information onwards and stop the abuse all together.
• promoting choice and rights – When you promote peoples right and choices you are discouraging all forms of abuse (apart from self-neglect) as in general all individuals want to make choices to help themselves and by promoting these rights and choices no abuse should happen to these individuals as no one chooses to be abused in any manner. When person’s choices are heard, people know that they can share anything and that the information will be taken seriously, this will reduce the likelihood of abuse taking place.
4.2. Explain the importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse
Having a simple and easy to follow complaints procedure, is a good way to encourage individuals to raise their concerns so that the circumstance can be rectified. Our complaints forms are kept in reception on the wall so that they are clearly visible and anyone can get access to them. It’s a great way to do things as people don’t feel afraid to put their input in and they also feel that our organisation will respond quickly to concerns. A good complaints procedure is vital to stop abuse from occurring, because if it’s too difficult to complain the abuse will likely not be dealt with.
5. Know how to recognise and report unsafe practices
5.1. Describe unsafe practices that may affect the well-being of individuals
There are many unsafe practises that could affect the wellbeing of individuals within care settings. This could be lack of training, where unexperienced individuals take on a senior role without the correct training, or entering a care setting without any prior knowledge or training to do the role. It could also be down to lack of staff, whereby the staff are so tired from overdoing their work they start to miss things out, or the staff will cut corners, affecting individual’s rights, due to time constraints, or agency staff coming into a care setting and not knowing the individual’s correct needs. It could also be because there isn’t any PPE available, or other equipment is unavailable, such as hoists and baths.
5.2. Explain the actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified
All unsafe practices need to be reported to my immediate supervisor/manager/nurse so the person can be retrained or perhaps have disciplinary or the condition must be remedied to prevent further damage.
5.3. Describe the action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response
After I have reported the incident I still have a duty of care to my patient. If I feel my line manager is not taking appropriate action, or I suspect my line manager of abusing a patient then most company policies would state that I would need to contact the Care Quality Commission or there is a whistle blowing number situated in our staff room to call, as part of the process for reporting abuse is to contact the local care standards inspectorate, the person you reported this abuse to should have done this and if they have not, this in itself may be considered abuse (neglect) if it should be the case that abuse or dangerous practice is being carried out. | <urn:uuid:edb7255e-f9e8-4502-a6f7-664ad67cd70b> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://qualicours.com/1-33/ | 2020-09-20T10:43:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400197946.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20200920094130-20200920124130-00599.warc.gz | en | 0.964557 | 5,438 |
Fun with Franchises: The Matrix Revolutions (2003), Part II — “I Often Think About Wires Too in My Spare Time”
We continue with another entry in our Fun with Franchises series. This week’s film is The Matrix Revolutions.
Fun with Franchises is a series born out of my friend Colin and I realizing how much fun it was for the two of us to watch the same movie separately and then share our reactions. We started by watching all of the James Bond movies, for the purposes of ranking them for the blog. I brought him in because he was much more of a Bond expert than I was at the time, and I felt his perspective would liven things up. He would be the color commentator to my play-by-play man.
We soon discovered that, by watching the movies separately and then putting everything we said together in the same place, hilarity ensued. We each brought in our own observations, not knowing what the other would say, and then reacted to what the other said. And we loved every minute of it.
We had so much fun, we figured we had to do it again. So we graduated from a single franchise, to all franchises. If you’re gonna have fun with franchises, it wouldn’t be right if you didn’t franchise it. Season 1 included the Harry Potter movies, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Twilight (which neither of us had seen before we watched them for the articles) and Pirates of the Caribbean. All of those articles can be read on the Fun with Franchises page.
Also, just so we’re clear, this is all for parody. We’re just messing with them because we love them. (Well… Twilight…) We’re watching movies we enjoy and are simply having some fun with them.
Right now, we’re doing the Matrix franchise, and today is the second part of The Matrix Revolutions.
We begin Part II with an interrogation.
I wonder if he ate all the donuts.
I bet future donuts are horrible.
Look at this interrogation. I don’t see a good cop.
They really are all making mean faces. I didn’t pay attention, cause I was looking at the captain of this ship, who turns out to be a jerk.
“Why would I do that to myself? Unless of course, I wasn’t myself. But, if I’m not me, then who am I?”
This actor is seriously good at imitating Hugo Weaving. Is that how he got cast? Did they do a Hugo Weaving impersonator contest or something?
“Has this man been tested for VDT’s?”
For what, now? I was gonna make an STD joke, but we never actually find out what the fuck VDT stands for. Perhaps a detail you might want to explain if you’re gonna throw the term out multiple times.
But seriously, is this Matrix herpes?
At this point, I think everything is Matrix herpes.
Look at his shitty little kitchen.
It means things.
I often think about wires too in my spare time.
That’s actually a dinosaur. The three-dicked brachiosaur. Been in all the papers.
Is that the one Cary Grant was putting together?
Mordor, but with machines.
I just got the same impression. I wish we knew where this was, though. It’d be funny if we saw the center of the machines’ civilization, and there was a rusty sign that said something like ‘Newark.’
Maybe you should develop a drinking problem.
That was the first advice Mike ever gave me. It’s paid dividends.
Slide down the ladder.
There’s nothing I want to see more right now than people driving around sewers.
This is what cruising is, isn’t it?
Where were you in 2162?
Agent Charles Martin Smith?
Asian Charles Martin Smith.
“Bodies bein’ found on Green leaf with their fuckin’ heads cut off / Motherfucker I’m Dre.”
Oh, yeah, they found the Logos.
So that happened.
Ship’s picking up no signs of life, but the hull is in tact.
So I guess there’s that.
“Hey, this guy’s dead. But his car’s still good, so…”
Which ship is this? Was this Niobe’s ship? I’m seriously not keeping track of this stuff.
This is very Alien.
Dead shit. This is like Alien.
“Put that shit away, boys, all she needs is a jump.”
I thought you weren’t picking up signs of life.
Is that a reference to their inflection?
Who the fuck else would it be?
Are we playing that game again? WRITE BETTER.
Oh damn it. STOP IT WITH THE GODDAMN NAME TRADING.
They have a conversation. Subtext is clear.
Interesting shot choices. Start in close, establish they wanna fuck, then cut out, so the space is palpable.
This is really all I have to talk about right now.
I’m checked out on dialogue between them.
She saw the Oracle. Was told the same thing she’s always told. “Exactly what I needed to hear.”
Apparently the Oracle just takes visitors?
Does it not weird everyone else out when people stand with their legs that far apart? That’s not natural. I mean, I get that it’s for the sake of the shot (symmetry!), but still, I notice this a lot in movies.
It’s the way I imagine an out of shape, 46-year-old woman standing at the beginning of her first karate lesson. “I’m ready!” No you’re not.
Also, those two guys on the ends are like the two people in college who just don’t give a fuck and bring a laptop to class even though it’s a language or something where you clearly don’t need one.
Anyway, apparently Lock’s been running scenarios. Every time the machines get inside the city, they can’t win. Or, rather, the odds go way down. So their goal is to make sure that doesn’t happen. Sounds pretty logical to me.
Oh, and then, the only place they can mount a decent defense is at the base of the temple, where they can force them into a bottleneck. You know, military strategy and shit.
The only thing is, they’re boring through with a drill, which makes direction irrelevant. They can bore around your bottleneck and just poke a hole in the side of the temple if they want. It’s like discussing directional strategy in a space battle — in a 3D scenario, you can’t bottleneck someone because there’s always another way to flank until you’ve got them entirely surrounded.
He also requested additional volunteers. Kind of like Helm’s Deep.
“If it were up to me, counselor, I’d take every man, woman and child, put a gun in their hand and march them straight into that dock.”
Sure, that seems… necessary. And unlikely to cause way more casualties than it’s worth. I see no reason why that shouldn’t work. Let’s go with that.
“Perhaps it is best that it is not up to you.”
Exact same dialogue as last movie. I have never seen such a blatant showing of someone not giving a shit any… oh, wait… Spider-Man 3. Never mind.
Locke is a dick, but I can’t say I’m not sympathetic. They’re facing the destruction of their entire civilization and these old assholes are telling him he’s a dick for requesting everyone’s cooperation.
“Time will tell, counselor.”
And naturally they ask if there’s been word from the Nebuchadnezzar. Because they did that last movie, too. And he says there isn’t, and there probably never will be.
“But we can hope.”
“I’m afraid hope is an indulgence I don’t have time for.”
It’s funny how they left essentially this same set up for this place. Only difference is, instead of technology and food and all the stuff we live with, they eat goop and shit and wear tattered clothes, and they don’t get their own goo pod.
I don’t like the idea of a goo pod. Where do you hang your posters?
“Hey, can we come die here with you?”
She ain’t going.
Why does she have the materials for making shells? Did she just have that stuff? Or was it like she volunteered and they gave her a My Home Munitions Factory Kit?
“Kids, stay here.”
Where the fuck else would they go? This apartment is no bigger than a janitor’s closet.
Widowed women wear robes that cover everything. Married women wear low-cut tank tops.
She tells her it’s crazy, yada yada yada, but she pulls the, “Yeah, but if it were your husband…” card. And that ends it.
Hah. Pull the dead husband card. That always works.
I’m choosing to leave the close up as the crux of the drama, because that would be more interesting than what this movie did.
You fuck up.
This kid is a fucking failure. Does he die? I feel like he doesn’t. Isn’t he like the only one who survives, in spite of his incompetence, which probably costs multiple lives? He’s the Upham, isn’t he?
“What the shit is going on here?”
He volunteered. Apparently this guy is gonna berate him for it. But it’s cool, since we already know how this is going to turn out. The law of clichés.
“Pod-born pencilneck?” That’s a pretty great name. Imagined racism is the staple of all good franchises.
“How old are you kid?”
“Should have said sixteen, I might have believed that.”
Really? You’d believe 16 over 18?
Also, the actor is like, 23, so I wouldn’t believe any age he tried to tell me.
“Machines don’t care how old I am. They’ll kill me just the same.”
The laziness of this plot is demoralizing.
“Ain’t that the goddamn truth.”
“Give me a chance, sir. I won’t let you down.”
“You do, you’ll find me and the machines have got something in common.”
It cracks me up that the guy playing Mifune was also the leader of the orcs who captured Merry and Pippin. Franchises have so much overlap.
That’s how you start this thing? Pump three times and punch it?
Here’s what I don’t get — if they can be faster and more precise and everything when they’re punched in, why don’t they plug in to fly, too? Everyone on these ships except the operators has plugs, and they’re not usually the ones flying. Why not do it on a local area program that doesn’t require broadcast but supposedly allows you to do your job better, like the air traffic controllers we saw plugged in at the gate in Zion?
And wouldn’t that be cool? To see Jada plugged in with her eyes closed and the ship doing all the crazy shit it does in the upcoming chase scene? And she’d be on speaker phone, yelling at them to do shit.
This is still very Alien.
Now they got two ships.
Something’s all fucked up with the Matrix feed.
Probably because everyone in the Matrix is Agent Smith.
What’s up with the Matrix feed? Is that Smith fucking everything up? Probably, right?
Military strategy. Do not care, do not care.
I do like the map shot, though. I always like map shots. See? There’s Osgilliath, and there’s Tortuga.
They’re gonna fuck some shit up and create a hole big enough for Niobe to get through. He figures that’s the only way.
But it’s not. There’s a support tunnel.
“That’s a mechanical line. It’s impossible. No one can pilot mechanical.”
She can. She’s done it.
“That was a long time ago, Niobe.”
“I said I can do it.”
Oh shit, she’s a hotshot pilot. Tropes galore.
The worst is that she and Morpheus apparently used to bomb around mechanical lines in their 20s.
“Hey guys, what’s going on?”
“I know time is always against us, and I’m sorry that I took so long. But I wanted to be sure.”
“Sure of what?”
“I know what I have to do.”
“There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.
I took a shit on Link. I couldn’t help it. I have to take one of the ships.”
He’s gotta go to
Newark the Machine City.
“Is this what the Oracle has told you?”
That untrustworthy bitch?
He says the ship will go to hell “long before” he lets Neo take it anywhere.
He does sound pretty fucking ridiculous, to be fair.
Sad Keanu is sad.
“He can take mine.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Don’t even think of trying to tell me what I can or cannot do with my ship after that little speech.”
Oh, she shut you the fuck down. You pull some shit talking about running your own ship and then tell her she can’t do shit. That IS a white person thing.
“I will pilot this ship, he can take mine.”
Makes sense. She’s the only one that can do it anyway. And he was about to sacrifice his ship to get her through anyway. But way to sacrifice logic for speeches, guys! You’re making the world a better place.
All this so we can see Jada Pinkett fly the shit out of that ship and let Neo go on his merry journey to Robot New York.
“Two ships, two directions. Sounds like providence, doesn’t it, Morpheus?”
“You’ve never believed in the One.”
“I still don’t.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“I believe in him.”
“Yeah, whatever, motherfucker. Just don’t scratch my ship.”
Any time you see a person doing this, you know it’s going to backfire on them.
Is she gonna inject him with Listerine? That looks like Listerine. Oh wait, is THIS when he kills people? Am I just hoping he kills people? I feel like does.
“What if I don’t want to remember?”
“What if I blew that EMP? What if I did destroy those ships, and I am responsible for the deaths of all those men? If I did that, it wouldn’t be very safe for me here, would it?”
Oh wow. I want this guy to just be a creepy Hugo Weaving double in everything. Or to just make weird, creepy remakes of Hugo Weaving movies.
Not sure I want to see him with Tara Reid’s vajeen around his neck.
She’s so fucking turned on right now.
Well this isn’t suggestive at all.
Driver’s License photo.
“Of course it might not be very safe for you either.”
It looks like he’s gonna spit in her mouth.
Aww… and we knew so much about her.
I’m glad he killed this woman. She looks like Alison Pill after like 15 years on a commune.
I’m Glad He Killed This Woman.
Naturally she’s coming with him.
I literally just saved you an entire scene, and you’re going to go through with it anyway.
“Trinity, there’s something I have to say. Something you need to understand. I know I’m supposed to go. But beyond that, I don’t know what –”
“I know. You don’t think you’re coming back. I knew it the moment you said you had to leave. I could see it in your face. Just like you knew the moment you looked at me that I was coming with you.”
“I’m scared, Trin.”
I just laughed involuntarily at that.
This is the one where Neo goes full-on nut case. Like, art school nut case.
“So am I. Took me ten minutes to buckle up one boot.”
REALLY?! That’s what makes you scared? Also, you did this last movie, why the fuck are you afraid now? You fucking died last movie!
Can this movie stop being like this movie? I’m done sticking up for them and trying to take it easy on them for all the backlash. This is BAD.
Can This Movie Stop Being Like This Movie?
“But I’ll tell you something. Six hours ago, I told the Merovingian I was ready to give anything and everything for you.”
Oh right in the feelings. Doesn’t she die? I sure hope she dies.
What’s with the nod?
“Do you know what’s changed in the last six hours?”
Well time. Time has changed.
Not sure I buy these two together.
Why do the plugs look different every time?
You think Europeans are on a different voltage or something? Are there people adapters?
That looks like rubber.
I’d like this so much better if they lived on a submarine.
He’s got a phone in his cockpit.
“Goodbye, Scarecrow. I’m going to miss you most of all.”
See, now all I can think about is how racist this scene would have been in 1939.
The black servant crying in an over the top fashion. Then he gets sent off on his mule named Stinky.
“I only hope you know what you’re doing.”
Sounds reassuring to me.
“It was an honor, sir.”
“No, the honor is still mine.”
Well, at least they paid off that piece of shit line.
Hug it out, bitch.
Everyone says goodbye cause we know it’s all over. Even though there are still 80 minutes of movie left. At this point, I won’t say this is necessarily worse than the second movie. That wouldn’t be fair. It’s lighter on action, which is good.
I would say this is definitely worse. Not so much less entertaining. Just, on a filmmaking level, and a writing level, it’s an awful movie. I can watch it and like it just fine. But when you think about how much of this movie is just a broad outline of a trilogy end filled in with the same shit they did before, just different — I have a hard time being okay with that. I feel like they could have tried a little harder to fill in the empty space with better things and not relied so much on what got them here.
Oh no. I went back and looked at this again — WAY worse than the second movie, and the second movie was considerably worse than the first movie. This franchise was one masterpiece and two forgettables. Like Destiny’s Child.
Really, Trinity? Not a word for your father figure?
Man, Fishburne has bad luck with daughters.
Time to go.
“Bye, baby. Take good care of her.”
I think the appropriate thing to say here is, “Bitch, you ain’t Solo.”
And no sooner do they get away does a fuse blow.
Naturally, she’s gonna go check it out. By herself.
Oh, shit isn’t working. Is Bane here, fucking with stuff?
Should I talk more about Japanese sexuality now? Like how Japanese girls often default to rape noises because they think guys like that?
“I should have known he’d send his bitch first.”
“No one ever got away from me as many times as you did. Every single time I thought it was the last. Every time I was sure we had you, but somehow you’d slip through our fingers. I really can’t express just how, aggravating, that can be.”
“What are you talking about?”
Are you not good with vocal inflections? It’s not like you know this guy that well.
“I think I might enjoy killing you as much as killing him.”
YES. He’s great. This makes this movie worthwhile. Those people who attack this movie don’t appreciate Hugo Weaving or his double nearly enough.
A good blood spurt goes a long way.
Bout three and a half feet, by my estimation.
“Neo, it’s Bane, he’s psychotic.”
That took way too long. Just scream for one second and he’ll come running.
That was fucking amazing. I forgot this happened, so when I saw this during the initial watch, I went, “OOH, fuck!”
That was really nice. That was a ‘fuck you’ smash.
NICE HEAD SMASH.
“You’re gonna pay for that.”
They find out Maggie is dead and Bane is gone.
“I knew he fired that EMP. Goddamnit, I should have beaten it out of him.”
They can’t go help them. Because if he killed them, he’ll control another EMP.
Too late. They’re on their own. This is all very convenient, but it actually does work.
He calls him Mr. Anderson! Yes!
“I see you are as predictable in this world as you are in the other.”
Neo doesn’t say shit. The one time he’s speechless, it’s the one time I actually WANT him to talk. If he said something, Bane would have shit to laugh about.
“He’s out of his mind.”
“It might appear that way to you, but Mr. Anderson and I know that appearances can be deceiving.”
“Confused, Mr. Anderson? It’ll all become clear in a moment. Thank you for bringing me the gun, you can set it down right there.”
“Don’t do it. Shoot. Shoot now.”
“Yes, shoot. Fry us. Burn us alive.”
“Look at him. He knows he should do it, but he won’t. He can’t.”
“Let her go.”
Very poor choice of words.
Everyone says the same thing and every time, it’s the wrong choice of words. Speaking of which, what happened with the Joker after Batman goes out the window? They never address what happens, which is weird, considering he still hadn’t found the guy he was looking for and still had the room on lockdown.
Throw the bitch down the hole.
So my dinner can be free. By which I mean that I will throw bitches down holes for free food.
I’ll do it just to pass the time.
Some bitches like holes.
Why would he not STILL cut her throat? You’ve got the time.
“Somehow familiar. Isn’t it? We’ve been here before, you and I. Remember? I do. I think of nothing else.”
Smith, masturbating furiously.
“Who are you?”
HE FUCKING CALLED YOU MR. ANDERSON!
He really is retarded. How does he not recognize Smith? After the “Mr. Anderson” and everything?
“Still don’t recognize me. Though I admit it is difficult to even think, encased in this rotting piece of meat. The stink of it, filling every breath. A suffocating cloud you can’t escape.”
No? Nothing? Jesus Christ, buddy. You really aren’t too bright.
“Look at how pathetically fragile it is. Nothing this weak was meant to survive.”
I dunno — it fixes itself. Compared to machines…most cars last about 10 years.
“What do you want?”
“I want what you want.”
“Yes… that’s it, Mr. Anderson.”
“Look past the flesh. Look through the soft gelatin of these dull, cow eyes, and see your enemy.”
“It can’t be.”
“There is nowhere I can’t go, there is nowhere I won’t find you.”
“Not impossible. Inevitable.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Anderson.”
“This is it, it’s gotta be.”
And the power’s out. Great.
At least he knew to just fire.
That’s the one great thing about Smith. He doesn’t fall into the usual villain traps. If anything his one fault was not realizing what would happen if he won.
Fighting with sparks? I really have no more patience for action in this franchise.
Do you WANT a kick to the plums?
Not the dirigible plums!
That’s probably not good for the ship.
Ahahahaha. Someone’s constipated.
Whoa… he’s actually gonna kill him.
Do you guys remember cumming for the first time?
Blinded by the light.
Haha. WITH THE FACIAL!
He’s still walking. That’s hilarious. I stop rooting for a character as soon as they go blind. Ray was pretty tough to get through.
He’s got a point. How can you root for blind people?
Have you guys seen Milk?
“I wish you could see yourself, Mr. Anderson.”
“You’re a symbol for all of your kind, Mr. Anderson. Helpless. Pathetic.”
“Just waiting to be put out of your misery.”
Swing, and a miss.
“I can see you.”
That’s pretty cool that his fire avatar has sunglasses.
Can’t he see code? Couldn’t he notice this before? Or can he only see code when he’s plugged in? Are we ignoring a plot hole? I’m not sure where the logic is at in this franchise.
That was only when plugged in. Now he’s seeing something else. I dunno. Remember Daredevil? Remember how that should never have been made?
“It’s not over, Mr. Anderson.”
“It’s not over.”
He’s yelling like a crazy person. I would LOVE it if she stopped loving him because he has no eyes left.
“Oh no. Your eyes.”
Line of the movies.
“But Lt. Neo, you ain’t got no eyes.”
“Lt. Neo, I got you some Tastee Wheat. Lt. Neo, Tastee Wheat!”
Same thing, basically. Except here… there is no spoon.
“I’ll be okay.”
“It’s all right, Trin. But I think you’re gonna need to drive.”
Oh no. Woman driver!
Joke sound, laugh track. Freeze frame. End credits.
He seems totally cool with all this. Which, what?
They’re gonna breach in like, 20 minutes. Fortunately, they have no idea they don’t have EMP.
And they’re getting the APUs into position. What are APUs? No fucking idea. Fortunately, they’re going to show them to us in a second, so at least we’ll get a visual.
Are the APUs not already in position?
Where are the APUs normally?
These things. The big fucking Gundam suits.
These things seem horribly inefficient. They need little assholes to run around reloading them and stuff, and they offer little to no protection for the operators. I know that the sentinels are able to cut through even thick armor, like on the hovercrafts, but in this technological age, do we still not have fucking FORCE FIELDS? No shields or none of that shit? This is a striking juxtaposition of almost incomprehensibly advanced software and hardware that could theoretically be built and deployed by North Korea.
Runners are fun jobs.
I like that you can just climb into these things. Though maybe they should have looked into, you know, shielding people from being able to get shot in the fucking face.
Seriously, that’s like… amateur hour level improper design.
I feel like a HUGE electromagnet would be a good defense. Like, they’re all metal, right? And they all have inner-workings, yes? Get a bigass magnet and either scramble their internal shit or just stick them all to a wall. You have a BUNCH of electricity to use. Why not try a magnet? Simple, effective. I think I just saved Zion. You’re welcome.
That’s a lot of people just standing around. You guys do know a battle is about to break out, right?
This is where you lost me. I mean… what?
So your defense against the machines was building shitloads of these things for the day when they’d breach the walls of your city?
This is a shot for the end of a Terminator movie, not a Matrix movie.
Oh god. A speech.
Oh just get this over with and go kill those Na’vi or whoever.
“Now, you all know me.”
So what if they know you? What does that have to do with the speech?
You know him too, don’t you, cross between Jack Black and John Belushi.
And you, Matthew Fox.
And you too, Mexican Vince Vaughn.
“If it’s our time to die, it’s our time.”
All right, guys, good talk.
“All I ask is, if we have to give these bastards our lives, we give ‘em hell before we do!”
Really? Not a single accident happens with these things? All it takes is one shoulder twitch and you just knocked at least one person down into that crevice.
Yeah, you people seem important.
Oh, right, the lesbian chick.
It’s funny how gender binaries are enforced even here. The butch chick does the shooting, and the feminine one just has to load.
Aw, is this other chick a lesbian? She’s gonna die. Notice that lesbians always die.
Time to navigate the mechanical line.
Are they ghost riding this thing?
Or, I guess… Ghost riding.
Oh, is this the big chase? I remember this being some straight up video game shit. Get on them turrets, play the Star Wars music, shoot the TIE fighters. And here’s Ghost! I played as him in the video games for Xbox. That was some crazy shit. Playing that game and getting to use bullet time. Those games were the SHIT.
That’s a lot of facial hair for an Asian.
Facial hair does happen in Asia.
This is what Morpheus has been reduced to. Standing around. In the first movie, he was the most important character. Now he’s just filling time.
Wouldn’t you wanna make sure you weren’t losing altitude? Maybe five pads? Cause then you’re gonna hit stuff and the sentinels will hear you and you’ll be fucked.
Like I said.
A HA HA. They immediately turn around and pull out the guns.
“Ghost, you’re the best gunner we have, go with them. Morpheus, take his place.”
Pikachu, take notes!
Still kissing that superstitious shit, huh? We actually care more about the wife in this one cause she’s DOING something. What a waste that was, putting her in the last movie and making her an insufferable bitch.
Anyway, this is more exciting. And Ghost is on the guns! Wait a second, why weren’t they using these turrets before, like in the first movie? The sentinels just showed up, and there weren’t even that many. Why wouldn’t you have shot them to pieces?
Jada’s taking her clothes off! SHIT IS ON.
If she’s gonna die, she’s gonna die comfortable.
“Here they come.” Never again. That line. Never again.
That was a Star Wars move too, from Empire. When the Millennium Falcon does the loop before flying into the cave on the asteroid that ends up being a worm.
“Holy Christ, I didn’t know the ship could do that.”
Who’s this sentinel dude? Is he the squid captain? Or the squid squadron leader?
– – – – – – – – – –
And that’s the END OF PART II.
Tomorrow is Part III, and the Matrix equivalent of the Endor battle.
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Under cabinet Lighting is exactly what it sounds like – lighting located directly under a cabinet. There are tons of advantages to using under cabinet lighting. under cabinet lighting looks sleek and modern. It is an easy way to add a unique touch to your home. under cabinet lighting can also be extremely helpful for lighting up your bookshelves, desk, or kitchen counters.
If you are looking for under cabinet lighting to go in your home, you probably have some pretty specific needs. The best under cabinet lighting can vary depending on where you want to install the lights, how much you want to spend, and what you are hoping to illuminate. In this article, we’ve compiled some advice on how to find the best under cabinet lighting for your needs. Keep reading to learn more!
The Value of under cabinet Lighting
Under cabinet lighting can brighten up any living area, kitchen, or workspace. If you need great light for sewing, writing, or cooking under cabinet lighting is a great option to consider. It helps minimize shadows because you cannot stand between the light and your work surface. It is also less harsh than overhead lighting and does not illuminate areas you’d like to keep dark.
Under cabinet lighting is fairly easy to install. Compared to recessed lighting or pendant lighting, it’s a breeze. It is also relatively inexpensive. With under cabinet lighting, you can completely change the look of a room, even on a budget. under cabinet lighting can also help reduce your energy bill. You no longer have to light up an entire room to see what you’re doing.
Below we’ve laid out pretty much everything you need to know about under cabinet lighting. We’ve sifted through all the different types of fixtures and lighting. We’ve also looked into some installation tips and tricks. We’ve even included some advice on where to install your under cabinet lights and how to select your lumens.
Once you know where you want to install your under cabinet lighting, you can start thinking about style. If you are primarily using the light to illuminate a surface where you will cook or do projects, you’re going to want some pretty bright light. If you are installing your under cabinet lighting primarily for ambiance, you could get away with something dimmer.
Here are the three most popular under cabinet lighting fixture types:
Rope lights are long strips of plastic, transparent rope with lights inside. Rope lights look a lot like string lights, but the light bulbs are inside the cable instead of hanging from the cable. Rope lights are a popular option for under cabinet lighting because they are easy to install and can create a warm tone in your space.
It can be a little difficult to maneuver rope lights around tight spaces, as the cable is thick and needs a fair amount of room. It also cannot bend at a 90-degree angle without breaking (1000Bulbs). No matter how small your rope light is, you may have trouble concealing it completely. Rope lights can also get quite hot.
The good news is that rope lights come in a variety of voltage sizes, including 12-volt, 24-volt, and 120-volt. They are available with LED or more incandescent lights. You can find rope lights in a variety of lengths as well. You can also have rope lights cut into sections so that it fits the specific needs of your project.
Tape lights are similar to rope lights, but where rope light is cylindrical like a rope, tape lights are flat like tape. This flatness means tape light is easy to install and easier to conceal than rope light. You can even buy L-shape connectors to help install tape lights at sharp angles. Tape lights also come in multiple varieties, including LED and RGB options.
One drawback of tape lights is that they only come in on size. All tape light comes in a 16-foot strip of 24-volt lights (1000Bulbs). If you are looking to install under cabinet lighting in a small space, it may be the perfect option. If your project is much larger, you may want to look into other fixture types.
Puck lights get their name because they are shaped like a hockey puck. They are flat and round and are extremely discreet once installed. Puck lights come in several varieties, including LED, halogen, and xenon bulb options. If you don’t want to install wiring for your under cabinet lighting, puck lights can be a great option. Puck lights come in battery-powered varieties that simply adhere to the bottom of your cabinet without a wire.
Strip lights are a great way to get soft, subtle lighting underneath your cabinets. Strip lights are discreet and inexpensive. They are also easy to install, some varieties of strip lights even come with adhesive on the back. Strip lights last a long time and provide even, consistent lighting. Strip lights come in waterproof varieties making them a great option for the kitchen or bathroom.
Strip lights are not the brightest option for your under cabinet lighting. If you are planning to use your under cabinet lighting for work, you may want to consider a puck light or another brighter option. Some strip lights may also require a separate power supply which can cost extra money.
Once you’ve picked out your fixtures, it is time to move on to the lighting types. Lighting types set the tone for your room. They can create warm light or cool light, bright light or dim light. Below we’ve listed four popular lighting types you may want to choose from.
LED Lights are the newest lighting option on the market. They are made to be energy-efficient and help people save on their electricity bill. under cabinet LED lights are highly versatile and come in pretty much any color or brightness variety. LED lights are famously long-lasting. These lights are dimmable, and can easily take a room from day to night.
Fluorescent lights are a tried and true under cabinet lighting option. Although manufacturers used to use large, T12 bulbs for under cabinet lighting, they typically use smaller, T5 bulbs nowadays (1000Bulbs). Fluorescent lights are bright and stay cool even if left on for a long time. They are not a very fancy option but are excellent for workspaces that need bright light.
Fluorescent lighting is particularly popular for under cabinet lighting in the kitchen. Fluorescent lights exhibit none of the annoying quirks associated with incandescent light, like flickering or humming. Fluorescent lights are known for lasting a long time. Keep in mind, however, that fluorescent lights contain mercury. It is not hazardous when inside the bulb, but if your lights break, proceed carefully.
Halogen is a type of incandescent bulb. Halogen lights use halogen gas to increase light output. Halogen lights are moderately efficient but are known to get pretty hot if used over a long period. If you prefer incandescent light, halogen is a good old-school option. Halogen lights produce bright, warm lighting that is quite popular in people’s homes.
Halogen lights are notorious for their short lifespans, so you may need to replace them frequently. Halogen lights are moderately efficient but are known to get pretty hot if used over a long period. They have a reputation for not performing as efficiently as LED or fluorescent lights. Halogen and xenon both produce more heat than LED or fluorescent lights. Halogen produces the most heat of any lighting type.
Xenon is one of the oldest lights used in under cabinet lighting. Xenon lights have the perfect color rendering and can make marble countertops shine. These lights use a thin tungsten filament that, when hot enough, produces light. Xenon lights are thus named because they contain xenon gas.
Xenon lights are popular because they give off a bright, warm light. However, xenon lights get extremely hot. For this reason, xenon lights are generally recommended for work surfaces but are not great for kitchens because they can heat up food sitting on the counter. Xenon lights come in dimmable varieties and are a highly efficient lighting option.
If you plan is to install your under cabinet lighting yourself, you will want to know how hard it is to install the various light types. A battery-powered light will be the easiest to install. under cabinet lighting that comes with a plug is also pretty simple to install – just make sure you put it near a plug or have an extension cord ready.
under cabinet lights that require you to install wiring are more difficult to install. Puck lights can be a particular challenge because you’ll need to drill holes into your cabinet and then mount the light using screws. If you want recessed puck lighting, you will have to saw a hole into the bottom of your cabinet. You will also need to mount the power outlet.
If you are installing strip lights, you will need to measure your cabinets first and then cut the length of strip light you need. You can connect a dimmer to your strip lights if you want, but you will need an extra low-voltage wire. Many strip lights have made your job even easier because they come with peel-and-stick backs.
If your under cabinet lights require hardwiring, we highly recommend you employ a professional to do the job. Hardwiring can get tricky. Although it is possible to hardwire your under cabinet lights on your own, there is a risk of fire and electric shock. If you decide to hardwire under cabinet lighting yourself, we recommend being extremely careful.
Placement can be everything when it comes to your under cabinet lighting. Here are some tips on how to place your under cabinet lights to maximize their use and appearance:
Lumens are the amount of light emitted from a bulb that is visible to the human eye. The brighter a light appears, the higher the lumens of the bulb. Lumens are used to measure the power of LED lights, just like Watts traditionally measure the power of incandescent light. As technology improves, lumens can produce more light using fewer Watts. They are therefore a more accurate measurement of a light’s power.
The number of lumens you will need for our under cabinet lighting depends on your goals. The most popular lighting in America is a 60-watt bulb, which translates to 800-850 lamp (the unit we use to measure lumens). If your countertops are dark, you may need a light with more lumens than you would for lighter countertops.
Hardwired vs. Plug-InThe hardwired vs. plug-in debate comes down to answering some simple questions:
If your goal is to have extremely discreet under cabinet lighting that fits seamlessly in with the other lighting in your home, then go for hardwired lighting. When you hardwire, you can connect your lights directly to a light switch, making them an integral part of your home. Hardwiring is also much more permanent.
If you aim to have under cabinet lighting that is very easy to install, choose the plug-in option. These lights are quite simple to install on your own and will not require any input from an electrician. However, plug-ins do mean some visible wires which some homeowners consider unsightly.
If you live in an apartment or rental home you might want to choose plug-in under cabinet lighting. Hardwiring is permanent, and unless you have permission to change the lighting in your apartment, it probably violates your lease to re-hardwire the unit. Plus, you are much more likely to move if you are in an apartment. No need to go through the trouble of hardwiring if you’re not going to enjoy your hard work for many years to come.
How Much Lighting Do You Need?
Another thing you’re going to want to know is exactly how much light is appropriate for your space. Answering this question comes down to how you’re going to use the space. under cabinet lighting in a living room is typically used to illuminate bookshelves or pictures and create ambiance in the room. under cabinet lighting in a kitchen or workshop is more practical and is probably going to be brighter.
You will also want to consider the type of light you have selected and the wattage or lumens of that light. If you are using a very bright light, you probably don’t need much lighting. If your lights are dimmer, you may want more of them to create the look and feel you are after with your under cabinet lights.
Before selecting your under cabinet lights, you’ll need to decide if you want your lights to dim. Dimmable lights are great because you can instantly change the mood of a room. Take your kitchen for example – when you are working and cooking you can turn your lights up high. When you’re ready to sit down, eat, and relax, you can turn the lights down. If you find a light you love that does not include a dimmer, you can buy a separate dimmer and attach it to your light.
Color Temperature is a measure of the warmth or coolness of a light. A cool light will bring out the blue hues of the room. Warm light will bring out the reds, oranges, and yellows in a room. A high-temperature bulb will give off a cool light, where a low-temperature bulb gives off a warm light. As a general rule, warm light creates a sense of calm, cool light makes people more alert.
A standard 60-watt light bulb has a color temperature measure of 2700K. This is the most popular color temperature used in American homes. As a point of reference, a candle gives off 1000K-1700K, where modern LED bulb gives off 5000K. You can also find high-efficiency LEDs that are 6500K and are notorious for their blue light.
The Best Under Cabinet Lighting
So, given all this information – what is the best under cabinet lighting for your needs? Below we’ve compiled a list of five great under cabinet lighting options.
1. Best Overall Under Cabinet Lighting
About: The Litever under cabinet Lighting Kit is a 3000K warm white under cabinet lighting option. These lights give off 333 lumen light that is soft and even. They guarantee to eliminate any LED dots or unpleasant light glaring.
You can decide how you want to install these lights. They come with adhesive pads, wire clips, and mounting clips.
The Litever under cabinet Lighting Kit also includes an extension cord, so it can easily plug in even if it’s far from the plug. These lights can hardwire into your home, but Litever recommends that you hire a certified electrician to cut off the plug and connect it to your home’s on/off switch.
Litever’s under cabinet Lighting Kit comes with a three-year warranty, so you don’t have to worry about them dying on you anytime soon. They also come with an optional rotary switch dimmer which can take the lights from 0% to 100%. Unfortunately, even when hardwired these lights will not work with any existing wall dimmers in your home.
2. Best Budget under cabinet Lighting
About: The Brilliant Evolution BRRC134 Wireless LED Puck Light is a fantastic option if you are looking for under cabinet lighting on a budget.
These lights have 55 lumens, and their color temperature is 3000k, give off that desirable warm, white glow. These puck lights come with a wireless remote that works from 15 feet away.
The Brilliant Evolution puck light can also be turned on and off using a tap lens. If you want dimmable lights, these offer several levels of brightness and even include a 50% and 100% brightness button. The Brilliant Evolution puck light comes with an auto-off timer. You can set these lights to turn off after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour, or two hours.
3. Best Hardwired Under Cabinet Lighting
About: If you want under cabinet lighting that you can hardwire to a light switch, the Inspired LED Hardwire Kitchen Light Kit is a good option. These lights will look professionally installed, even if you do it yourself.
The LEDs use less energy to produce more light and can operate for over 100,000 hours before they need to be replaced.
These lights are branded for the kitchen, but can also work on bookshelves or workspaces. They are dimmable, and the dimmer can also be hardwired into your home. Inspired LED is based out of Tempe, Arizona and has a full-time team available to help you over the phone as you install the lights.
4. Best Under Cabinet Lighting for Desk
About: When you want to brighten up your desk, the Unoseks Dimmable USB LED under cabinet lighting is a great option. These lights are specifically for use in a workspace.
The Unoseks lights are low-power consumption and do not flick or glare. They are designed to be soft on the eyes and maximize eye protection while you work.
These lights come with a switch that can alternate between warm white light, natural white light, and cold white light. This means you can adjust the color temperature depending on if you are working on a laptop, doing crafts, or writing with pen and paper. They also include a two-dimmable button that can change the brightness from 10% to 100%.
Installation is fairly easy. The Unoseks lighting kit comes with adhesive, mounting clips and a magnetic hobnail. Especially great for your workspace is that these lights include four USB ports, so you can connect your laptop or charge your phone with the light. This efficient LED light is made to last for over 25,000 hours.
5. Best Under Cabinet Lighting LEDs
About: LED lights are energy efficient and much better for the environment than alternatives. The Albrillo LED under cabinet Lighting system maximizes these benefits.
It offers a soft white 3000K color temperature and gives off 900 lumens of light but uses only 12 Watts of energy.
The Albrillo can fully illuminate a room using 85% less energy.
These lights are fully dimmable and come with a rotating dimmer switch. They also include a memory feature that remembers your last brightness setting. When you turn the lights back on, they will automatically readjust to your last setting. These lights are super easy to install on your own – you can choose to use screws or double-sided tape, and then plug them right into the wall.
The Albrillo LED under cabinet lights do not overheat and are safe to touch. The PC is frosted, so they won’t cause a glare, no matter the color of your countertops. These lights can work in pretty much any room and users have reported success using them in the kitchen, closet, under desks, over workbenches, and on bookshelves.
Final Thoughts on Finding the Best Under Cabinet Lights
The most important feature of any soundbar under $300 is that it improves the sound quality of your television.
Though all of the soundbars on our list do just that, the Klipsch R-10B manages to come out on the top.
It boasts superior sound quality, including deep, rich bass thanks to its separate wireless subwoofer. It’s also notable for its two-piece design, Bluetooth compatibility, and aptX audio coding technology.
Coming in close behind this Klipsch model is the Yamaha YAS-105. It has slightly inferior (and, we mean, slightly) sound quality but has an all-in-one design with a quality subwoofer actually built into the soundbar body.
Additional highlights of this Yamaha model are its ultra slim design, extremely simple setup, Bluetooth compatibility, single-cable connection, and functional remote control.
Though these are our two favorite soundbars in this price range, any of the top 5 best soundbars under $300 on this list will be a huge improvement over your television’s built-in speakers.
You’re sure to be happy with the improvement in sound quality for television, movies, and gaming that a soundbar provides. | <urn:uuid:0b3737af-1849-48d5-83f0-e8088ef2dd0f> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://smarthomegearguide.com/best-under-cabinet-lighting/ | 2020-09-25T20:07:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400228707.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20200925182046-20200925212046-00599.warc.gz | en | 0.936411 | 4,164 |
The sounds of shells landing abated, the dust settled in the tunnel. New Guy looked around and saw that the others were recovering from the shelter stance, returning to business as usual. It had been a fiercer bombardment than usual. He checked his watch, gifted to him by an old timer just before the Battle of Chicago; it had been passed from soldier to soldier, a token of good luck. Swiss motion, 24 hour dial, even after the hardscrabble life of campaigning, it still worked beautifully.
1357, he had his meeting with the Boss, Saint Petawatt, in three minutes.
The shelling would resume in 13 minutes, the pajama boys operating the heavy pieces demanded a 15 minute break every hour and Herself was a generous God-Empress to the contrite and faithful. They had kept up the bombardment for months now, blasting the earth away, hitting bedrock, slowly mining it out one shell at a time. It’d takes a year to breach the honeycomb of deep bunkers at that rate. Maybe longer if they slouch on their breaks, he thought to himself.
The tunnel he was in was one of dozens, maybe hundreds that had been carved out by ‘Steel Balls’ Sloop when the war started going south. At first it had been almost like a party, a festive atmosphere, a group of people united in just cause. Stone heads had been carved into the rock around the arsenal doorways. Sasquatch sketches appeared above the bunkhouse entrances. By christmas everyone knew that the war would turn around.
That’d been two years ago.
The lights flickered weakly, the halls echoed with calls to help move ruble.
“Hey, you the new guy?”, a woman poked her head out from the sliding steel door next to where he was standing
He nodded, “Yeah, is it time?”
“Saint Petawatt will see you know.” The young blonde motioned for him to follow.
New Guy walked through the door and down a small flight of rusting metal stairs that groaned under his average weight.
The blonde lead him down a narrowing corridor, until they reached an office door. The pressed teakwood contrasted starkly against the dark granite. On the door a simple brass plaque: BOSS
“Alright New Guy, Saint Petawatt doesn’t fuck around. Especially since they got the Old Man. Answer her questions, be direct, don’t be afraid.”
The young lady knocked three times on the door and a powerful voice called from within:
She opened the door and New Guy walked through.
The office was small, spartanly arranged: a few shelves of combat manuals, a map of the US on the wall, marked with flags, a small blue cluster surrounded by red stood out. On the desk, a laptop and a picture of an old man, who looked like every inch a mad scientist. Between the picture frame and laptop a Taurus Judge sat, well maintained but clearly used.
The Boss stood, she was short with silvering hair and a hard gaze, softened behind yellow lenses. She motioned for him to sit.
“Welcome, please take a seat. I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances, but…”, she gestured around, “There’s not many of those left these days.”
He sat in a hardback dining room chair, the only one available.
The Hacker pulled out a manilla folder from a file drawer and laid it on the desk. She began flipping through, and after a moment looked up.
“Why did you join us?”
“Why are you here, in this bunker, fighting for us? It says here you were in Chicago, Herself released a general amnesty after that. You could have tossed that pin on the ground and never had to worry again.” She pointed at the pin in his collar, a face, moustached, wearing a tophat and monocle. “You didn’t, though. You stuck it out and now you’re stuck here.”
As she spoke the ceiling began to tremble, dust falling in small streams. The barrage had begun again.
“I’m fighting for freedom.”
She flipped the folder closed, “We’re losing this war, newbie, every day those shells dig another few inches out of the granite. They’ll breach our defenses eventually. There’s no way out,” she sighed and took off her yellow shaded glasses, pressing the arch of her nose with her fingertips. “We just got word, the last transmission from our bureaucratic sympathizer came through. They poisoned his breakfast, replaced his unsalted butter with salted, his tap water with mineral water. The sensation of taste caused a brainstorm. We just lost our last connection to the outside. The news he sent wasn’t great, either. The Southwest has been cleared. Vhyrus and his harem along with Sharpshooter were holding down half the pajama boys in the country. They were crushed by a landslide of brass. Now every Pajama Corps is on the way here. They were the last of us holding out, outside this bunker.
Hell, they’re sending everything. Every Pajama Corps’, the commie mechs, they resurrected the Moment. Even Herself may be arriving soon, in all her tentacled glory.
So, why did you join us?”
“I want to make the world a freer place. If I die here, then I know I’ll have left a legacy, real resistance to evil power that want to conquer everything.”
The Hacker put her glasses back on, “Well, you won’t be dying here. Hate to break it to you. But you might just get your chance to be a martyr, in another time, a different place. Come on,” she stood up, holstered her gun and gestured for New Guy to follow her. They walked over to a bookcase, she pulled a volume out and the bookcase swung away. She went down the tunnel, lit by a string of hanging lights. New Guy looked around then followed her.
The tunnel opened to a small room, a glass cube looking down into a large chamber with a dais in the center. Directly in front of them was a bank of screens; external camera feeds, graphs and scrolling walls of code.
Sitting and staring at the screens in a swivel chair was a grotesque thing. A neckbeard, arms from knuckles to elbows covered with a layer of cheeto dust, a crust of unidentifiable dried, well, something, formed a sort of sheath that held the dust tight. He turned to face them, a nervous tick pulling at his cheek.
“Petawatt! Good to see you! <Snort> It’s been some time since you graced us with you superior presence <snort>,” he collapsed into a chortingly mess at his seemingly hilarious pun.
Petawatt shook her head, “Right. I’m here to check on the status of the Chamber.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, I took the code Titor sent us before that whole incident at the CERN black hole. I mixed in some of my own prose. I think we’ll have enough to rip open a portal.”
New Guy looked around, “What is this place? Nobody ever mentioned this.”
“This is what all of Q’s bequeathment went to,” she spread her arms showing off the room. “He left a substantial amount of (((gold))) to use in the event of his death, and after those perfect holographic tits lured him over a cliff, we used his (((gold)) along with the Old Man’s to finance and build a time machine. Titor was helping before Herself’s forces trapped him in the event horizon of a singularity. The formula was incomplete, but fortunately Neckbeard over there has figured out that mixing his prose with the partial formula will activate the machine.”
“Is that what my mission is?”
Petawatt was about to speak when the base was shook with a massive blast. An alarm cut the air in perfect 4/4 time. Two men rushed into the room from her office tunnel.
A large man in fatigues with a SIG SG 550 slung over his shoulder was first. Shortly behind him was another man, almost as tall, wearing a pickelhaube and sporting a perfect handlebar moustache.
“Commander, Sloop,” she greeted them in turn. “Sitrep?”
The commander went first, “Serious breach, looks like a shaped explosive, blew a hole through the security door at one of maintenance tunnels.”
Sloop followed up, “We’ve got units responding, but I think this is the big one.”
The Intercom suddenly buzzed, Imperial Troops have entered the base! I repeat. Imperial troops have entered…, the voice was just as suddenly cut off.
“Scheisse!”, the commander cursed.
They all turned to face the neckbeard, who was pointing at the screens from the exterior CCTV. The images showed thousands of pajama boys rushing the freshly blown breach. On another screen more pajama boys ran from another tunnel, just as an explosion consumed it. Once again the base shook. Several wire bundles fell from the ceiling and the lights dimmed. After the second they came back up. A third explosion tore the air. This time the lights stayed dim.
“Damn,” the hacker exclaimed, “Damn! We need to buy more time.” She looked at Sloop, then the Commander. She gave them a slow nod and off they rushed. She slapped the neckbeard on the back. “Altright pudyanker, let’s see if we can make this work.”
He began furiously typing. The alarms cut off, came back on, and then with a whine stopped.
The hacker snatched a radio off the desk, “Commander, you copy?”
“I’m here, en route to the first breech with a battalion of Swiss Guards. We’ll hold for as long as we can.”
“Good Hunting, Commander. Rufst du, mein Vaterland! Over and Out”
She switched through channels before getting on again, “Sloop, you copy?”
“I’m here, got the killdozer rolling, got my amazons with me, isn’t that right, darling?” There was a loud war whoop, “Ready to lay those commie mechs out. We’re heading for the second breach now.”
“Good Hunting, Sloop. It’s been an honor. Over and out.”
She turned the frequencies again, this time a general broadcast, “Attention Everyone! This is Saint Petawatt. The Boss. The Imperial forces of Herself have breached our base at multiple points. Report to your squad commanders for orders. I know that each of you will do the cause proud. Stay strong, make them pay for every inch. Do it for the Old Man, do it for the orphans, kick ass and take no prisoners!”
“Uh, Boss,” the neckbeard pointed at the external screens again. A slithering shape cut across them. One by one the cameras cut off; a slimy, scaly tentacle the last image before static. “She’s here.”
“Alright. Seal the room.”
The neckbeard hit a large red button on the desk, a blast door dropped from a hidden compartment above the entrance tunnel, closing off the room.
“Get him down there, start the process. I’ll direct it from up here,” she ordered the neckbeard, who gestured for New Guy to follow him. They went out a door on the side of the glass cube, down some stairs, out to the floor. On the dais a large glass cylinder was lowering from recessed storage.
“They ever tell you what happened to the Old Man?”, the neckbeard asked, scratching at the orange perma-glaze on his right arm.
“It was the second strike they made against us. The first was when the got HM with a supersonic shockwave from a THICC killbots’ twerking. About twenty minutes after that, us founders, we called an emergency meeting, cause we knew it was happening. Only without the Ron Paul laserlight gif. They slung 20 pounds of semtex under the Old Man’s panel van, had a chemical trigger, set to blow at the presence of underage pheromone. We were scraping him off buildings halfway across town. Couldn’t take the chance that he’d get away.” He sighed. “They’ll be scraping us off the walls of this room by tonight.” He idly scratched at his other arm, sitting in contemplation. “Well, better make sure they need a mighty big power washer.” He belched with finality.
“So, here’s the mission you’ve already accepted: we’re using a machine to send you back in time, we need you to do two things. One, make sure that the Glibs assemble and impress upon them the warning of doom from the future. If we are united and given a forewarning we stand a better chance. Two, once we’re assembled you need to use your future knowledge to help us find a counter-candidate to leverage against Herself. Someone so different that Herself won’t be able to beat them, like Rand Paul, but with charisma.”
“But why me? I’m just, well, I’m nothing special.”
“Yeah but you’re an unknown normie. They nailed Titor, Guy. You don’t just ice a time traveller without knowledge of how they operate. That means the forces of Herself might just have access to time travel. They know our faces. If one of us went back, well they’d try and stop it. But you? Eh, they’ll not see it coming. Why would we choose some rando from the ranks, right? Uh no offense,” he finished with a nervous chuckle.
‘Alright, come on,” he extended a hand. New Guy demurred, stepping up on the dias himself.
“Well, while Saint Petawatt is revving the system, let’s see how it’s going, shall we?”, Neckbeard flipped in the walkie clipped to his belt.
The radio was set to cycle, the white noise was intercut with horror.
“This is tunnel three, flamethrowers ineffective against tentacles.”
“Has anyone seen the killdozer? Red Mechs are in bay 12, we’re getting slaughtered.”
“If anyone can hear me, tell my wife I-”
“…стрелять в них всех…”
The last transmission he got before he flipped it off was simply the slurping sound of tentacles knotting and pulsating with excitement.
Turning, the Neckbeard waved at the Hacker, the intercom clicked on, “Yeah?”
“You listening to the radio, boss?”
“No. I’m revving up the machine. Why?”
“It’s bad. I’d say from the chatter you got five min-”
The blast door sounded, a deep –CLANG-
Then another -CLANG- and another.
A buckle appeared, a dent, from their low vantage point they couldn’t see the door properly but they could see Saint Petawatt snatch up a shotgun from its boot under the table, sling it over her shoulder.
Neckbeard looked at New Guy, in rushed and aspie tones, “If you would kindly step onto the circle, please, now please.”
New Guy stepped in the circle on the dais, the cylinder above him began to lower.
There was another loud -CLANG-, the blast door fell inwards. Saint Petawatt spun around, hurriedly typing, smashing a key before a figure emerged from the dust cloud.
From the dais, they could only see the top of its head. A glorious shock of blonde hair.
The figure was across the glass room in a second, with a single blow it swiped at the Saint Petawatt, throwing her through the glass wall and onto the floor below. She rolled as she landed, coming up to a kneeling position, slinging her shotgun around and leveling her aim. The figure hopped down the the cube.
The cylinder had lowered completely around New Guy. Neckbeard stood close. Working feverishly on a dropdown laptop. Laser focused, seemingly unaware of the action to his back.
“Libertarian Moment!” The man proclaimed, running a hand through the hair and pulling the leather jacket straight. His face was shocking jigsaw of sewn together flesh, oozing pus from the rough stitching. “Join us <Facial Software Scan>, Saint Petawatt, <Scan> Supra Prime,<Scan> Surprise Pe-”, Saint Petawatt blasted the man in the face, the shot sluiced away the sewn skin, bits of green pus and blood painted the wall behind him.
The voice raised an octave, “To be sure, your act of aggressive self defense is justified but it won’t stop the,” octave drop, “Libertarian Moment!”
A metal skull with yellow glowing eyes fixed on the Boss. The machine advanced, one step at a time, with each step another burst of buckshot tore away skin, revealing the machine beneath. The Jacket and Hair remained pristine.
Neckbeard finally finished on the laptop, spun around, pulling a large revolver from his threadbare sweatpants.
Saint Petawatt fired the last shell, but the Moment kept advancing, now stripped save for the Jacket and Hair from the waist up, the pants and leg flesh sheared off, like a snake molting. It reached her, grasping her throat with metal fingers.
Neckbeard fired. The first round took out an eye, the next round the other. The Moment dropped the Hacker and clutched at its blown out sockets. He walked quickly across the room, emptying the wheel gun into the chest of the bot, with each round another burst of sparks shot out.
Getting to Saint Petawatt he gave her a hand up, “The honor is yours, milady,” he bowed and extended his arm towards the twitching machine.
She stepped forward and fished out her pistol. The blind and dying robot groped out, looking for flesh to rend, but she sidestepped the arms and pressed the barrel against the machine’s head.
“My website was better.”
She pulled the trigger, the metal skull exploded into bits of hot steel and silicon.
With a deep sigh she holstered the gun, turned towards New Guy, gave a thumbs up, then patted neckbeard on the arm, “Good shooting, pudyanker. We’ll get you that creepy cartoon pillow, yet.”
There was a squealing noise as the Hat and Hair tried to slither away, find another bot to assimilate.
“Oh no you don’t!”, she fished into her pocket and pulled out two neon red shells. Quickly, she grabbed up the shotgun, racked the rounds and fired. A burst of flame shot from the barrel, then another, incinerating the crawling things.
“Are we ready?”, she turned to Neckbeard
He nodded eagerly, “Yeah, we’re ready, just got to hit the ignition.”
At that moment there was a terrible noise. A sopping roar, that chilled all living things to the bones. New Guy felt it in the cylinder, he doubled over, doing his best not shit himself in fear.
A tendril crawled through the broken glass of the now ruined control room above them. Then a larger tentacle followed. Soon a great whirling mass appeared, it’s trembling tip turning about, searching for something. The mass shivered with anticipation when it honed in on the Petawatt and the Neckbeard.
“Get to the keyboard,” she whispered from the side of her mouth.
Neckbeard turned and scrambled up the dais. His movement triggered the wet, green mass, which shot out, knocking the Hacker over, then subsuming her in a mess of slimy appendages. Several thin tentacles wrapped around Neckbeard, even as he reached out to hit the final key. They swarmed over his body, seeking purchase and perhaps more.
“Tentacle rape? Really? I’ve had wet dreams worse than this,” Neckbeard snarked, in a single clenching movement of his laborious cheeks he sheared off some tentacle ends, this shocked them enough to slack just enough. He hit the Enter key.
The great roar was renewed. A helmet dropped down from the ceiling, blocking out New Guy’s vision. There was a bright flash and suddenly his mind was filled with dates, names, addresses. The helmet retracted, the cylinder was surrounded.
With Octopus-like tenacity the tentacles were seeking out a single crevice. The chamber began filling with gas. Blue, smelling of marijuana and petrichor. New Guy suddenly felt a falling sensation, his vision dilated. The cylinder cracked open, a thousand tentacles burst in. A single one wrapped itself around him before darkness fell. | <urn:uuid:097b9b6e-5c52-445c-b653-b4146a120f9f> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://glibertarians.com/2018/01/glibs-of-future-past-chapter-1-the-undiscovered-country/ | 2020-10-01T12:28:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402131412.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20201001112433-20201001142433-00599.warc.gz | en | 0.959544 | 4,759 |
From a 1962 Time magazine profile of composer William Sydeman:
Son of a Manhattan stockbroker, Composer Sydeman studied piano halfheartedly as a child, went to Duke to study business administration but got so involved with writing a college musical that he chucked business in favor of study at Manhattan’s Mannes College of Music. There he decided to become a composer. The work, he admits, does not pay as well as business administration: $600 last year, including commissions.
Some older composers are better off—but not much. Veteran Henry Cowell, 64, the composer of 1,000 works, last week confided that “I could live on what I make from music, but not as I care to live—and so I am a professor.” Cowell’s 1961 take from his music: $5,500. He is reputedly one of the eight best-paid composers of serious music in the U.S.
Henry Cowell was one of the eight best-paid American concert composers in 1962? Really? Reputedly? What, this was common gossip fodder at the time?
BARFLY #1: Cowell? You expect me to believe that? Even Samuel Barber makes way more than that cluster-boy.
BARFLY #2: I’ve got a crisp new ten-dollar bill here says he’s in the top eight, buddy.
BARTENDER: Maybe you boys ought to take this outside.
Of course, composer salaries didn’t really take off until the Big Five abolished the reserve clause.
Woody Allen playing clarinet on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971.
Reviewing the Brentano Quartet and Peter Serkin.
Boston Globe, June 9, 2008.
The exceptional Bo Diddley.
Boston Globe, June 8, 2008.
Musicians are always talking about form. You learn all the forms in music school—bar form, binary form, sonata form. You learn how to spot the signposts. You learn how to articulate the form (which is basically just being aware of the signposts in performance). It’s useful in talking shop: “Maybe get softer when we get to the trio”; “We should slow down as we come into the recapitulation.” But is it really that important?
Last weekend, I went to the local multiplex (capitalist absurdity update: my iced coffee was cheaper than either a small soda or the box of Whoppers I needed to wash down) to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I enjoyed the hell out of it. But critical reaction has been decidedly mixed. Here’s a sample from the negative side of the ledger. Rick Groen in the Toronto Globe and Mail:
The once-pressing question of how long a culture can go down that particular well—or bat cave, or torch-lit cavern, or fortress of solitude—has itself become a weary cliché. By now the answer is obvious: Interminably, albeit with diminishing aesthetic returns and at some risk to its creative vibrancy, but that’s a small price to pay to ensure the safety and well-being of a thriving box office. Familiarity, our culture has learned, breeds enough mass adoration to extinguish any lingering critical contempt.
So, nearly two decades after the last appearance, Indiana Jones is back, along with its diminishing returns and its aging principals and their trademark tools.
Audiences looking for emotional resonance in Indy 4 are doomed to the temple of disappointment. Spielberg and Lucas aren’t upping their creative game—they’re taking care of business.
There’s plenty of frantic energy here, lots of noise and money too, but what’s absent is any sense of rediscovery, the kind that’s necessary whenever a filmmaker dusts off an old formula or a genre standard.
Most of the bad reviews that I read hinted at this point—that the formula is tired, that the movie is too formulaic, that director Steven Spielberg et al. are just going through the motions. I’m not trying to say that those critics are wrong—my own cultural consumption would strike enough people with sufficient horror that I’m willing to give that benefit of the doubt, up to a point—but maybe they’re watching the movie in a different way and with different expectations than I was.
Indiana Jones movies are formulaic, and the latest fits the pattern like a glove. Crazy opening action sequence? Check. Hallowed halls of academia? Check. Plane/map superimposition on the way to exotic locale? Check. Audience-surrogate sidekick? Check. Puzzle-like clues? Check. Over-the-top vehicular chase scene? Check. And so on. Part of the genius of the first of the bunch, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was that all this stuff already felt like a formula—neat trick. But now it really is a formula. In a broad-stroke sense, you know what’s going to happen before the thing even starts.
I got sucked in anyway, because I started watching for craft. Over the opening credits, there’s a scene in which a hot rod full of 50s teenagers tries to egg an army convoy into a drag race through the desert. It’s not much more than a kinetic establishment of period and locale. (It’s over the opening credits, for God’s sake.) Early on in the sequence—I think it was a cut to a long shot of the convoy, Spielberg using a long lens to flatten the procession against the desert landscape like a cave painting—I started looking at it in mind of just what it took to get those shots on film: camera placement, camera movement, lighting, &c. And it’s pretty amazing. Over the opening credits, Spielberg (abetted by his cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski) is tossing in shots that a lot of other directors would kill to be able to pull off. Low angle, high angle, reverse tracking, deep focus, all in high-speed motion down the highway. If you’re only focused on the formula, it’s liable to breeze by you—after all, you’re still essentially waiting for the movie to start. But pay a little bit of attention, and suddenly Spielberg is slipping you extra candy which the movie hasn’t structurally bothered to pay for.
Which, it strikes me, is what at least I listen for in a lot of the classical repertoire. Even the most adventurous Mozart symphony is still at least as structurally formulaic as an Indiana Jones movie, and often much more so. But the form—the formula—is just the scaffolding for craft. It’s not the signposts, it’s how you get there—the lead-up to each dramatic waystation determines the dramatic payoff. Some might demur that you listen to music for the emotional effect, and craft is not emotion. But the emotional content depends on the craft with which it’s implied, illustrated, imparted—and I would strenuously argue that craft carries its own emotional content, that there’s a shared exaltation of the human condition in the apprehension of exceptional craft. (Cf. Palestrina, Bach, Schubert, Berg, Gershwin, not to mention Einstein, Joyce, Gehry, etc.)
I think this is something that popular culture might actually be evolving away from. Pop songs are formulaic in the extreme: verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-chorus. You can still dig deep into the craft, the idiosyncratic variations on the formula, the expertly shaped turn of phrase within the formula, but to my ear, there’s even more of a sense of diminishing returns than Groen finds with Indy. I saw a fair amount of American Idol this season—my wife was pulling for Archuleta—and one of the things that really struck me about Idol performances is how one-dimensional they are from the standpoint of craft as well as form—from the outset, you don’t just know what’s going to happen (melisma, octave leap, high note), you can fairly accurately predict how it’s going to happen. The song becomes a self-contained artifact, consistent from every angle. There’s a certain impressive craft in conjuring a specific sonic atmosphere that is both immediately emotionally perceptible and impeccably maintained over the length of the song. But it does go against music’s temporal aspect, its forward motion in time—a frozen lake rather than a swirling river.
This isn’t always a bad thing—I’m a big punk rock fan, and most of the classic punk repertoire is high-octane blocks of undifferentiated mood. But there, the torrent of energy was the point, and besides, a three-minute punk song would be considered epic. And I don’t think all pop music is like this, but it does seem to be more prevalent. Put it this way: every so often, a pop song will surprise me at the outset—a strong riff, a particularly heavy groove, an unexpected instrumental combination—but it’s been a long time since a pop song surprised me in the middle. I find myself more and more listening to only the first thirty seconds of a lot of pop songs, not just because I know where it’s going to go, but because there’s nothing left to hear that I haven’t already heard.
A number of years back, I caught a Phil Woods gig at the old Jazz Showcase in Chicago. I still remember it, because every song on the playlist had the identical form—I don’t recall it exactly, but it was something like this: everybody played the head, then four choruses of sax solo, then four choruses of piano solo, then the drums and the bass traded eights, then everybody played the head. Exactly the same for every song. Was it too formulaic? It did get funny after a while, and I suppose if you were really attuned to structure, it would have been maddening. But Woods and company got away with it because most of us, even those of us who traffic in musical form, are not that attuned—we’re listening for detail, for individual moments, for everything that happens along the way. The fact that we knew where each chorus was going to roll around gave the players something to work with and against. Every chorus was there, but every chorus was different; the transitions came in the same places, but in different ways.
I wonder if some of the critical skepticism at the latest adventures of Dr. Jones is, in part, because popular culture is eating away at our ability to get past the surface formulas of culture. (I mean, there is the possibility that they simply didn’t like it, but that wouldn’t be much of a basis for a blog post.) If all you sense is formula, three minutes of shiny pop is not going to feel like much of a burden, but two hours of Hollywood might seem rather bloated indeed. But if you’re used to regarding formula as merely the boundaries of the playing field, Crystal Skull is pretty generous fun. (One of the main reasons I didn’t like the last one, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, was that the screenplay regarded articulating the formula as the main point, and didn’t leave enough time for the movie to waste on gratuitous entertainment.) Musical form is the same way—it’s effectiveness is in the way it provides room for invention. I’ve learned—and taught—classical sonata form in all its technical detail: is that a transition or the closing theme? Is that a recapitulation or just a developmental feint? Is that particular cadence a modulation or a tonicization? It’s easy for such minutiae to suck the life out of a piece. But in the context of the sonata’s overall dramatic arc—the end of the development, the transformation of the exposition’s dominant into the recapitulation’s tonic—all that minutiae becomes the tricky camera shots and throwaway jokes that make the ride so much fun. Pay a little bit of attention, and that sonata starts to resemble an Indiana Jones movie.
I’ve been reading an awful lot of Milton Babbitt lately (part of a project I am, of course, way behind on—this week for sure), and, given that arch-modernist’s not-so-secret fondness for American popular song, it’s surprising just how little he’s written on it. His Collected Essays only includes one such effort, a 1985 essay on Jerome Kern written as liner notes to a Joan Morris/William Bolcom album. What’s interesting is his disdain for many of Kern’s lyricists.
One need not be concerned, perhaps, for the fate of songs that have survived “I chaffed them” (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” [lyrics by Otto Harbach]) or “sequester’d days” (“Yesterdays” [also Harbach]) by virtue of their musical strength. But such awareness does not lessen the discomfort of hearing Ira Gershwin’s “Life’s a four-leaf clover. Sessions of depressions are through,” in “Long Ago [(and Far Away)].”… [R]arely is there reflected, even in a clever Dorothy Fields lyric, the general care and craft, and the specific subtleties of variation and reference, so often displayed in the music.
Now, I’m a big Ira Gershwin fan, but I admit that it took me a while, and for the reason that I think Babbitt is hinting at here: Ira Gershwin’s lyrics deliberately and consistently call attention to themselves.
Let’s compare one of the Kern lyrics Babbitt commends, Leo Robin’s for “In Love In Vain”—
It’s only human for anyone to want to be in love,
But who wants to be in love in vain?
At night you hang around the house and eat your heart out,
And cry your eyes out
And wrack your brain.
You sit and wonder why anyone as wonderful as he
Should cause you such misery and pain.
I thought that I would be in heaven,
But I’m only up a tree,
‘Cause it’s just my luck to be
In love in vain.
—with the aforementiond “Long Ago (and Far Away)”:
Long ago and far away,
I dreamed a dream one day,
And now that dream is here beside me;
Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed;
You’re here at last!
Chills run up and down my spine;
Aladdin’s lamp is mine;
The dream I dreamed was not denied me.
Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you.
Gershwin’s lyric is, indeed, much more self-consciously written than Robin’s, reveling in wordplay (note the extravagant conduplicatio on long and dream), various types of rhyme, and allusions far removed from everyday conversation (that whole “Aladdin’s lamp” thing).
Babbitt places partial blame for this on Kern’s habit of writing the music prior to any lyric, sending a dummy lyric off to the lyricist, one that indicated rhythm and possible rhyme, but no real dramatic sense. (The story goes that Kern’s dummy lyric for “Long Ago” started off, “Watching little Alice pee.”) But that wasn’t terribly uncommon practice in Kern’s time. I think that there was a certain expectation that lyrics would be self-evidently clever and playful. And no one could go over the top in that regard quite like Ira Gershwin. Here’s a lyric he won the Pulitzer Prize in part for, from Of Thee I Sing:
Love is sweeping the country;
Waves are hugging the shore.
All the sexes
From Maine to Texas
Have never known such love before.
See them billing and cooing
Like the birdies above—
Each girl and boy alike,
Feeling joy alike,
Feels that passion’ll
Soon be national.
Love is weeping the country;
There never was so much love.
The song is not much more than an excuse for some fairly outrageous rhymes. It works because Ira is in on the joke, and brings you with—at a certain point, the cleverness becomes so extroverted that the listener begins to share in the delight of anticipation, not just presentation. The Gershwins occasionally would even self-referentially mock that penchant. “Beginner’s Luck,” a song from the 1937 Astaire-Rogers musical Shall We Dance, starts off:
I’ve got beginner’s luck:
The first time that I’m in love, I’m in love with you.
Gosh, I’m lucky!
The last line is set to a jazzy little punctuating riff. The next stanza:
I’ve got beginner’s luck;
They told me beginners win, now I know it’s true.
Gosh, I’m fortunate!
That last line is awkwardly shoehorned into the same riff as before, a slapstick rhythmic speed bump.
Nobody writes lyrics like this anymore, except as a throwback. (There’s some nice examples in The Producers, for example, but they don’t really approach Ira Gershwin’s exuberance/shamelessness.) Even a songwriter like Tom Lehrer gets laughs primarily because of the outrageousness of his content, not his language. I suspect this is a common stylistic evolution—early hip-hop, for example, was pixilated on language in a way that current hip-hop is not. From a classic, Eric B. and Rakim’s “Microphone Fiend”:
The invincible microphone fiend Rakim—
Spread the word, ’cause I’m in
A smooth operator operating correctly.
But back to the problem, I gotta habit,
You can’t solve it, silly rabbit;
The prescription is a hypertone that’s thorough when
I fiend for a microphone like heroin
“Thorough when” rhymed with “heroin”? Even Ira might have smiled at that one—or maybe the self-referentiality of Run DMC:
This beat is my recital;
I think it’s very vital.
To rock a rhyme that’s right on time?
It’s tricky—it’s the title
Inevitably, I guess, such virtuosity begins to seem raw and unsophisticated to people. One-time Babbitt student Stephen Sondheim, a fair candidate for the greatest lyricist alive, has spent his career precisely navigating the fine line between naturalism and stylization, specializing in lyrics that are just polished enough to parse as poetry, but flow like conversational prose. That’s an ideal that really only came to the fore in the 1950s, as the variety-show-like musicals of the pre-WWII era gave way to more dramatically-conceived shows, led by the work of RIchard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein—not coincidentally, another Sondheim mentor. The sort of cleverness that the Gershwins’ audience took as a given is now a seasoning to be judiciously doled out.
One of Sondheim’s most seemingly effortless songs comes from his first big hit as a composer, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Hero is in love with Philia, but Philia has been promised in marriage to a soldier who is coming to take her away. Philia reassures Hero that their love will triumph by force of imagination, in a way that Hero finds not very reassuring at all:
When I kiss him, I’ll be kissing you,
So I’ll kiss him morning and night;
That’ll show him!
When I hold him, I’ll be holding you,
So I’ll hold him ten times as tight;
That’ll show him, too!
I will coo and tenderly stroke his hair;
Wish that you were there—
You’d enjoy it!
When it’s evening, and we’re in his tent for two,
I’ll sit on his knee,
Get to know him intimately;
That’ll show him how much I really love you!
“That’ll Show Him” is still musically and structurally in an older style, but the rhymes, for all their intricacy, are not calling attention to themselves; the effect of the song is instead to tell us something about Philia’s earnest, bubbly, but slightly dim character.
In one of Sondheim’s later shows, the often underrated Merrily We Roll Along, he pushes that intricacy just over the line. Here’s the bridge to the song “Good Thing Going”:
And if I wanted too much,
Was that such
A mistake at the time?
You never wanted enough;
All right, tough—
I won’t make that a crime.
It’s a song that reflects the dramatic tension of the plot, but it’s also serving to portray two of the main characters as songwriters, hence the slightly more deliberate construction. It’s still dazzlingly polished—the density of internal rhyme is uncanny—but in a way you’re supposed to notice more than Forum. (And polish itself is not the difference between Sondheim and Gershwin—the Library of Congress holds 17 pages of drafts for the lyrics to “Long Ago.”) Sondheim has the skill to calibrate precisely along that scale, but it’s the dramatic need that determines how far he goes. Gone are the days of stylization for the sake of stylization.
It says something about Babbitt’s own aesthetic and historical outlook that he would see that as an ideal. Calling attention to surface ingenuity is a feature of young styles, of the brand-new; the subjugation of that ingenuity to the overall artistic intent is a feature of mature styles—the possibilities have been explored, now it’s time to think about why more than how. Babbitt, writing in 1985, is also looking back on the journey of his own style of music, from scattershot experimentation to more systematic collation of technical knowledge to application of that technical experience to artistic vision. It might seem contradictory for Milton Babbitt, the poster- and/or whipping-boy for a style of music often perceived as nothing more than mathematical permutation, to be chastising Jerome Kern’s lyricists for being too stylized. But Babbitt isn’t writing as the brash polemicist we think of, but as a representative of tradition that had moved past the sort of try-anything facility he saw reflected in Ira Gershwin’s freewheeling slang and sleight-of-hand rhymes.
Babbitt was also writing from the perspective of a music-theater aficionado (and occasional practitioner) who had lived through the revolution wrought by shows like Oklahoma and South Pacific, singular dramatic conceptions that were a far cry from the sorts of grab-bag plots that dominated in the 1920s and 30s. (One of the few exceptions being, of course, Show Boat, with a score by Jerome Kern.) It’s not that there was any great clamoring for such musicals from the audience; musicals simply evolved in that direction, and audiences came along. Babbitt regards that evolution as natural, necessary, and salutary. It’s an evolution you could find in almost any musical style or period in Western history. (Compare Buxtehude with J.S. Bach; C.P.E. Bach with Mozart; early Liszt with late Liszt, &c.) And, all his wry bemoaning of his minority status notwithstanding, it’s an evolution Babbitt expected to apply to the path of atonal modernism. No wonder he likes Leo Robin better than Ira Gershwin.
It’s fashionable to think that such an expectation has been proven to be fruitless. But before you go gumming up the comments with triumphalist obituaries to serialism (that this confirmed eclecticist only leaves undeleted out of a combination of courtesy and laziness), it’s worth considering Sondheim’s career, one that never strayed from the ambitious path that Babbitt hints at. Sondheim’s elder-statesman, frequently-revived status today is a far cry from even a quarter-century ago, when he was still regarded by many in the community as a pretentious avant-gardist who refused to write crowd-pleasers. (I still remember a gleeful Jerry Herman implicitly insulting Sunday in the Park With George when La Cage aux Folles beat it for the Tony.) Times change.
“I keep in my bathroom a book by Nicolas Slonimsky called Lexicon of Musical Invective,” says Sondheim. “It’s a compendium of all these terrible reviews throughout musical history, from Beethoven to Shostakovich. The reviews are all about one thing: How dare they? How dare they? How dare they? Anything that’s new is dismissed. Guess what, though? Progress is made anyway. Look at my career. Suddenly when I was 40 years old, some people began to say, hey, this is pretty good. And now I’m considered an icon. And old-fashioned!”
(Via.) Progress isn’t one style superseding another style—it’s a given style finding its audience. That’s one reason defining musical styles in terms of what they’re not, either from inside or outside, is never as inspiring as defining them as what they are. Music is not technology—it may become old-fashioned, or even temporarily out-of-fashion, but it never becomes obsolete. That’s why the combative Babbitt, on behalf of the style he champions, and to the eternal frustration of his detractors, always gets to quote Sondheim: I’m still here.
Reviewing the Back Bay Chorale.
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it was 5 am saturday morning. she was wide awake. sleeping in wasn’t happening today. another roller coaster week in her never a dull moment life was over. it was time to rest and reflect, laugh again.
it was a melting pot of warfare, sleepless nights, tears, passionate conversations with bad endings. demons swearing at her. nice. what was that about being blessed when you’re persecuted and people talk ugly to you? she shook her head and laughed. the devil only has a hissy fit when you’re doing something right. well then.
trust the process
“trust the process,” her friend told her. when she heard it, she knew it came right from papa god’s heart. trust the process. indeed. she’d asked papa for his best for her.
she’d seen him through his papa’s eyes for some time now. she saw him in truth, in perfection, as a beloved son even when he wasn’t fully awake to this reality.
he’d had brilliant prophetic words spoken over him, words of promise, hope and a future. he saw vignettes of unlimited possibilities and potential, the ways papa god wanted to bless him as his son. he saw how his gifts and talents could be brought to life.
most importantly, he was presented with the beautiful gift of a wife, a full partner he could walk with in this life. would he step into his destiny? would he come back for her?
this was a major life decision. in returning to her, he’d be turning his face fully back to papa god. it meant walking arm in arm with him in unity. it meant stepping into sonship.
it meant radical change in direction, a homecoming worth celebrating loudly. the cloud of witnesses perched on the edge of their seats wondering how this would play out. would he choose well? would he be bold and courageous? yes, the stakes were high but the reward was great.
she’d prayed intently over him and his family for cleansing and restoration in their blood lines. for all the enemy stole to be returned to them 7-fold.
weeks turned to months, months grew to years. she wept over him, took communion over him, visioning life with him. she determined to cooperate fully with papa god, willing him to have every opportunity to make the best choice for his future and future generations.
she prayed for wisdom and revelation that the eyes of his understanding would be open. she prayed for his heart to be one with father god’s heart again. she called to his spirit to rise up and lead his soul, declaring his spirit would only be led by holy spirit.
faithful friends stood with her and prayed. in all of it she kept telling papa god she wanted his best.
she gave him wide margins to work things out on his own. she spoke when holy spirit prompted her – and sometimes when silence was the better option. grace covered her.
unconditional love often gets an unexpected response
wisdom dictated several things she would not compromise. those things had earned her unfriending, blocking and ‘goodbye.’ unconditional love often gets an unexpected response.
jesus chimed in on her thoughts, showing her some of his daily experience. he’s telling us, “i love you, i’m here for you, not leaving you. ever.” his compassion rises, watching us trying to stitch up our gaping wounds. we lay there bleeding, still holding up the hand, saying, “i’m good here. get the hell away from me.”
see how we are
see how we are. still, he doesn’t leave. he waits until we give in, showing him our wounds, allowing him to love and heal us. she remembered her conversation with jesus, drowning in her own lake of mess. “i am so freaking broken. what do you want with me??”
she could see it wasn’t him rejecting her. it was a combination of pain, fear and angst speaking, a realization that the old ways of dodging brokenness weren’t working.
she didn’t leave, either. she loved him hard, praying for him when she would have rather kicked his backside. love never fails, never gives up. it gets up in the morning to love another day, to love the hell away.
now, she waited, trusting the process, waiting on the promise.
it was a birthday gift from a *sister, the one who filled the role of *jonathan in their david and jonathan relationship.
it was breathtaking, in full bloom the day she received it, adorned with five beautiful white blossoms. she’d never had an orchid before. it intimidated her. she knew they could be tricky to care for.
not only that, but this was a gift from a friend. what if it died? this was different than failing with a plant you bought for yourself. there was pressure to keep the plant alive and nurture the relationship that was clearly from papa god. oh boy.
over time, the delicate white petals dried up and gently fell to the cabinet below. the stems that held the petals also dried up and fell off. only a long green stalk remained where so much glory and beauty had shown weeks earlier. even the stalk began to dry up. she clipped it back, hopeful it would prevent further decay. it did not.
desperate, she cut it back again. ugh. this was a failure. no, she was failing at caring for the white orchid. so she thought.
there was danger in overwatering these plants. she followed the watering instructions. and somehow overwatered it. the little pieces of bark on the top of the pot grew mold. the small new shoots at the bottom of the plant were moldy. more failure. frustrated, she cut off some of the moldy shoots. they would not recover from the mold.
conversely, the green leaves at the base of the plant were huge. they looked healthy while the stalk that once held the flowers was dried up and quite a bit shorter than before. she shook her head. overall, the prognosis was poor. the big leaves were healthy but would it ever bloom again?
every day she looked at the orchid, wondering if she should just throw it in the dust bin and be done with it. looking at it was tormenting, a constant reminder of failure.
one day, with a burst of resolve, she moved it to the window ledge. here it would get intense sunlight whenever the sun made an appearance during the rainy winter. she still gave it an occasional drink, teetering between willing it to live and wanting to pitch it. she was sure she sucked at caring for this gift. where had the green thumbs gone?
months went by. on the saturday morning before easter sunday, she decided to give it a little drink. she considered it might be wise to turn the whole plant around on the window ledge. the backside of the orchid could benefit from the sun, too.
this complicated plant closely mirrored another relationship. she wrestled with vision, hope, and big promises from papa god about this one. all her eggs were in this one basket. the investment was great, the risk high, the reward and return not yet realized. it made her lay awake at night sometimes. what was that about walking by faith and not by sight?
reaching down, she turned the plant 180° and set it down gently. sitting back down at her desk, she saw it. there was a new, beautiful green shoot growing from the stalk she’d cut back and left for dead. not only that, there was another smaller shoot growing up at the base of the pot on the top of one of those big, healthy green leaves.
new life was springing up all over this plant.
she was dumbstruck. leaning in for closer examination with wide eyes and eyebrows raised, she found yet another new shoot growing from underneath another large green leaf. even the moldy shoots that remained were growing new shoots. what???
the stalk she’d thought was dead was now producing new life. she looked at it, tears running down her face. new life was springing up all over this plant she’d wanted to toss out.
she looked spoke to the orchid and the man she loved in her words of blessing.
“i bless you to grow and bloom more than you were ever told you could.”
the plant and the man would respond beautifully to her words of love and encouragement.
it was easter morning when she wrote this post. the deer were passing through the back yard, playing and leaping as they often did. her morning cup of coffee went down easy as she listened to elisabeth cooper (the journey) sing about the banqueting table set before her.
the plant continued to speak to her. things were seldom as they appeared. more tears flowed.
then she heard daddy god’s quiet voice break into her thoughts, mingling with her hopeful tears.
her experience with high tea was limited to british tv programs. she’d spent countless hours howling in laughter watching ‘fawlty towers‘, ‘keeping up appearances‘ and ‘to the manor born.‘ she’d owned every episode on vhs, even had them memorized, a fact that was a well kept secret until now. she’d always had a fascination with all things british, the humor, the mannerisms, jane eyre, the yorkshire moors and old english estates. fancy that.
her momma told her of her heritage as a child: english, irish and german. the german slice was of little interest, further proven out by her near failure of german class in high school. the english and irish pieces of her heritage, though, they were fascinating and very alive. she was convinced narnia was a real place somewhere over there. and by george, she was going to have a chocolate box cottage one day, yes, she was.
papa god, good papa that he is, why, he even brought her a friend whose roots were all united kingdom. she grew up having tea several times a day. fascinating. black tea, cucumber sandwiches, sausage rolls, little cakes and tarts, biscuits and digestive crackers. licorice all sorts and peppermints. she knew about all of it, lived it. brilliant.
weeks prior, her friend had told her of this place, a real destination, a very british place with all manner of british fair. oh my. they plotted and planned to visit and eat english pastry. filled with gluten. and sugar. it was time to break all the eating rules if only for a bit.
finally, the day came. they were going to go the ‘place’ for high tea. she speculated to said friend, “certainly, there will be a portal in the place and we’ll just translate to the united kingdom. why not?” indeed, why not?
in keeping with the english theme, rain fell steadily as they drove along to their destination. the pair of them were rather a sanitized version of thelma and louise with a jesus bent, slightly more than eccentric and completely over people pleasing. this was their time. yes, it was.
her friend encountered a problem during the drive. the passenger headrest did not fit her head and neck properly, so for nearly the entire trip, she was not only uncomfortable, but also in a bit of pain. clearly, this was not acceptable. alas, there was no way to remedy the issue while they were driving, so on they went.
each lady had dressed for the occasion, looking very lovely, all made up and gushing with childlike anticipation. when they pulled up to the front of the restaurant and gift shop, she put the car in park and took in the sight before them. her mouth opened to a perfect ‘o’ like shirley temple might have done.
she drew in a long breath like a little girl seeing her first lollipop. the women turned and looked at each other. oh. my. goodness. they had arrived. they were going in. this was going to be good, jolly good, right?
they walked to the entrance and paused, trying to decide who would go in first. it was too much excitement. walking through the foyer, they approached the doorway into the restaurant. a voice without a body asked how many were in their party. she responded, “two, please,” to the invisible woman who then appeared to take them into the dining room.
they slowly entered the charming, quaint space and looked about. the hostess encouraged them to sit wherever they would like. they agreed on a table near the window with a wall opposite them on one side and more tables on the other. the wall featured various photos of british royalty. they gazed upon the royal family, prince philip and the queen mum. she was resting on the wall right above them, gazing down upon their table. surely all would be well if the queen was keeping watch.
their waitress left them to peruse the menus. more big eyes formed as oohs and aahs sounded over the potential selections available to their palates. this was akin to the wallace and gromit episode, ‘a grand day out.‘ could it get better? they decided on the high tea plate. it looked like a feast. after placing their orders, they looked at each other across the table, still hardly believing they were there. it was surreal. america was a world away as they took in the atmosphere.
her friend was moving her neck about, still trying to ease the ache she felt from the headrest issue. always the fixer, always the healer, she looked across the table and spoke. “if you ever get a pair of those balls….” her words trailed off as her ears heard what her mouth had just uttered in public. at the very proper british restaurant.
it hit her at the same time she observed her friend’s expression, the mirth showing in her eyes and already escaping her mouth. and then it was over. it went from zero to sixty in three seconds flat as both women erupted in laughter, doubled over with hands over their mouths. did that really just happen? yes, love, it most certainly did. brilliant.
kind reader, do stop for a moment. it’s not what you think. really. those balls are not the balls you’re imagining right now. these balls were invented by a ballerina in new york city. these are different, for different purposes. oh my. google miracle balls. you will see.
back to the problem at hand. there was no way to reel those words back in. she didn’t dare look at the family to her right. she didn’t know if the father or his children had heard her words, but they were certainly hearing them try to contain the snorts and chortles. crikey, mate.
after several minutes of hysterics, they contained themselves. the queen mum hanging on the wall was no longer looking on with approval, however. her countenance had gone from a controlled, stately expression to one of stern disapproval. who were these two brash american women sorely lacking in manners and decorum, and what was a queen to do?
enjoy high tea, that’s what.
and they did. what a meal. it was more gluten and sugar than either of them had consumed in six months.
sometimes it helped her to write about things. sometimes it did not. she still wasn’t sure where this would land on the processing meter. the rock band ‘til tuesday‘ played on her itunes. those old familiar songs coaxed her angry seventeen year-old girl back out of hiding to confront this goliath. she was still angry, and she came out swinging. it was safe to be angry now, safe to confront the injustices, the lies and the shame.
she was quite cognizant of the fact that justice would not come from him. it would only come from papa god, the only one who could fix the wrongs, make them right, restore what had been stolen. innocence. purity. trust.
it was all true. he made bad choices in abusing his position of authority. he did bad things to her. he broke her heart, stole her self-worth. it was also truth his actions did not define him anymore than they defined her – that was harder to reconcile. it was ugly all around. the movie reel of those years was painful to watch as it played through her head, even after so much time.
she had no desire to out him, no desire to destroy his life or family. if it came out, it would be because he himself told the story. it would not be her doing. she found a recent photo of him on the internet. he was all gray now. so would she be if it weren’t for hair color.
back in the day, no one said anything when they saw it happening. and it happened a lot. thousands upon thousands of young girls at high schools around the country were manipulated, seduced and sexually assaulted by male teachers. the ones there to protect became the predators. it happened to the boys, too. and it still does.
was it easier to overlook adult indiscretions than protect a child? apparently so. it was easier than confrontation resulting in a lost reputation or a statutory rape charge.
no one knew much about soul ties or soul wounds in those days. no one knew what would utterly break the fragile heart of a seventeen year-old girl. maybe he didn’t know, either. maybe he would have made a different choice. maybe not. she hadn’t been the only one.
his history wasn’t any nicer than hers, she recalled. an abusive father. beatings. similar story, different town. too many similar stories, not enough love, not enough goodness. not enough honor. no healthy boundaries. no respect for women. and no jesus.
the summer of heartbreak
it was not the summer of love. it was the summer of heartbreak and more loss, the quick, necessary construction of more protective walls. when he took her up north for a weekend, it was to tell her he was breaking up with her. he was going to go live his dream, moving far enough away to put several states and ocean water between them.
even now, she couldn’t remember when she began to cry or how she stopped. the song ‘voices carry’ played, cautioning her to keep her voice down, “hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry, hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry..”
the motorcycle ride home from that weekend was several hours long. a motorhome crossing the center line on a curve nearly took them out. the weather was a mix of sunshine, rain and hail. she had blisters on her face for weeks after.
the questions still came to her. school administrators, why didn’t you protect us? you saw it – you saw it all. the other teachers saw it all, too. teenagers are no less vulnerable than small children – the vulnerability just looks different.
dad, mom, where were you? she knew where they were. miserable in their own mess. did anyone see her? did anyone love her? was she just invisible? helloooo? was anyone there?
sigh. yes, her parents did the best they could do with what they had at the time. no use crying over what was anymore. well, no. not exactly. to forgive without fully feeling anger or grief leaves a wound that weeps silently for years. righteous anger demands expression as much as it demands justice.
she loved her parents, honored them as a choice of her will. it was the right thing to do. in the big picture, it mattered quite a lot, even though there were days she wanted to be jenny from the movie, ‘forrest gump’ and throw rocks at the house she grew up in. throwing rocks only caused more brokenness. it wasn’t a solution.
throwing rocks wouldn’t take back the hand of the parent that slapped her, upsetting her so much she hyperventilated, her left lung collapsing. she called him to take her to the hospital. there was no one else she could call. he was bothered, annoyed even. he was getting ready to leave on vacation and there she was all emotional and unable to breathe. he took her to the emergency room in his pickup, went home, and headed west on his motorcycle.
she told the doctor what happened at home. he blew it off, didn’t report it. when her mom came to visit her in hospital, she spoke firmly to her. “tell that ********* if he ever hits me again, he’s going to jail.”
all the #metoo stuff triggered memories and opened old wounds. she could see his face, even recall the last time he showed up at her house at 2 am, throwing little pebbles at her bedroom window to wake her up. her father came downstairs to wake her, announcing, ‘that guy is outside waiting for you,’ as she wondered what he wanted.
perhaps he had guilt.
she’d heard he slept with another high school girl. more insult heaped upon injury. and now he was here, quite drunk. she was seventeen. he was twenty-four. the numbers said what they said. he should have known better in a few things.
they walked off the farm yard out to the creek. he was playing, acting strangely, teasing her. she was not amused. they walked back to the farm. she begged him not to get back on his motorcycle. he was too drunk to drive. he left anyway. that was the last time she saw him.
she wondered if he’d given up the scientology cult, if he’d recognized jesus coming after him hard yet, she hoped so. now, she prayed for it.
her emotions still registered anger. but it was good anger. it was okay. be angry, sin not. she looked him in the eyes in the spirit. he could barely look back at her hazel eyes on fire.
“let me be clear. you had no right to take what was not yours. but i forgive you.” with a choice of her will, she forgave him. she’d asked jesus to take it all. maybe throwing a bucket of rocks one by one into the river would help process any remaining feelings of anger.
there was more. hidden freemasonry curses on her life demanded things of her she never knew, never agreed to. the unknown agreement her grandfather made with the occult set her on paths of death and destruction. grandpa didn’t know what he signed up for, and when he realized it, he couldn’t get out. momma’s life was cursed, as was her dad’s, their life together. curses of all manner came on her, beginning in the womb, bringing devastation on every level.
she realized she had rejected her own beauty because it was always used to destroy her. now, she could embrace that same beauty with no more fear of exploitation, manipulation or abuse of authority.
she was papa’s girl before anything else these days. she had overcome the past. she wasn’t defined by the things that were done to her or said about her. she wasn’t the whore the clique girls at school said she was. she wasn’t the broken, unloved seventeen year-old anymore, either.
absolute truth tells her a different story about who she is, about who the people who hurt her really are. absolute truth declares all humanity is made in the image and likeness of papa god.
humans are good, the very crown of creation. even in the darkest moments, true glory dwells within the man or woman doing the bad things. humans already in the light of papa god must seek it and see it in those still sleeping, to awaken them, to call them into sonship with papa god.
she did a once-over of her life now. she was rich. rich in peace. rich in friendships. rich in love, compassion and forgiveness. rich in laughter, rich in joy.
the visual came a moment later.
smiling now, she sat right down in the weeds and waited for the poppies to grow up around her. for years, they’d been watered with her tears, sorrow, forgiveness, laughter & hope. they grew strong, tall and brilliant, drowning out the dullness of the weeds.
jesus took her through her healing when it was safe.
he made her new.
she was a graceful, glorious one. and always had been.
she wasn’t sure when the thought came to her. and to go to that restaurant? she hadn’t been there since they’d last been there together. the pleasant thought stayed with her until it became almost a compulsion. breakfast food. ham and eggs. what?
the weekend arrived and the prompting to go out to breakfast persisted. but it wouldn’t happen today. today was just about rest. she had no intention of leaving the house. the last week brought revelation and information she hadn’t necessarily appreciated, even though it was necessary. mucking around in family cobwebs was dusty and dirty. an epsom salt bath to get it off was in order. saturday was largely uneventful, exactly the way she wanted it.
then sunday morning came. she rose early and cleaned up. should she go to church? no. that was easy. she was going out to breakfast. ham and eggs called her. ridiculous, but all right.
in the meantime, another friend texted her. she was going through some transitions and needed time. they talked until the issues were unpacked and prayers were spoken to resolve them. it was good to be daughters of the king. he was kind, loving, patient. he ruled his kingdom well.
she left the house, got in her car and drove downtown to the restaurant. there was parking right in the front of the stairs up to the entrance. she parked and sat in the car for a moment. off to the right was the courtyard they’d sat in so many times after church drinking iced teas, beer or hot tea depending on the weather and the mood.
they’d sorted things in this place, laughing, crying, grieving, making friends with their favorite waitress, all the while looking to the future. the memories were sweet and there would be more of them. soon.
this morning, no one was sitting outside. it was still cool, the weekend prior to the grand eclipse. everyone was out of town getting in position to witness the heaven-kissing-earth event.
the only activity was the young woman sweeping the entrance to the courtyard. she was a teenager, fifteen or sixteen perhaps, with long sandy, blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. she was assigned to wait on any guests who chose to sit outside during her shift.
she was drawn to her. why? she grabbed her bag and exited the car, greeting the young woman at the same time. “good morning! how are you?” there was purpose in being friendly. a door needed opening. they made some small talk, and then she saw them. the young woman’s right cheek had scratches all over it.
“honey, what happened to your cheek?” she asked. the young woman hesitated, unsure of herself. was she embarrassed? was she afraid? what was it?
finally, the waitress met her gaze and answered. “i, uh, fell down. i’m sort of clumsy. i fall down a lot.” she looked into the young woman’s eyes intently. did she call her out or did she meet her where she was? grace took over.
“well, then. you are a daughter of god, and he didn’t make you to be clumsy and fall down. do you mind if i pray for you, honey?” “no, not at all,” the waitress smiled shyly.
she bridged the distance between them with two steps and put her left hand on the girl’s right shoulder. in a few sentences, she commanded her angels to protect her from future falls and harm of any kind, declaring that daddy god would order her steps and make them sure. she blessed her.
when she opened her eyes, she saw the young woman still had her eyes closed. it was a sweet image to see. as they finished, a young man, either a cook or a waiter from inside the restaurant called out from the top of the stairs to young woman. hmm. okay. she would have time to observe more while she ate. she went up the stairs and got seated.
the menu choices were varied and good, but she stuck to ham, eggs, potatoes and sourdough toast. as she ate, she recalled another meal in that place with other dear friends she hadn’t seen in months. more good memories. it was good to be here and think on happy things.
the young woman appeared to clear her plate and refill her water glass. she had been touched that a stranger loved her enough to pray for her, and not say out loud what they both knew: she was not clumsy. she did not fall. someone had pushed her down. hard.
they kept the secret between them and daddy god. it was fine for now. but when she went back there again, she would be checking on the girl who wasn’t clumsy.
after the gathering, things opened up and began to accelerate. the help and revelation she’d asked father for were present and available. it was time to clear out the mess, to get some things scrubbed clean.
as she considered what was before her, she knew she needed wisdom and equipping. “teach me, lord. i have to be equipped.” he answered her quickly. “i’ve made you to be a warrior, a strong one. do not be afraid to learn the things i am going to teach you to overcome the enemy where you live.” she answered him simply. “okay.”
he went on to give her a visual to help her walk it out. she saw a woman in a torn, dirty t-shirt and jeans on her knees in the dirt. she was washing clothes the old fashioned way with a washboard and a tub of water. each piece of clothing had years of wrong alignments, curses, stains and grime that had become part of the fabric. her long hair partially obscured her view as she rubbed each piece of clothing across the washboard until it looked like new.
her nails were broken, her arms and shoulders ached. she was tired, yes, but it didn’t matter. enough was enough. she was going to recover all her family had suffered. the days of demons controlling her, her family and her city were coming to an end.
broken to whole
this new book was packed with revelation. both women bought the book at the roughly the same time. her friend began with the final chapter. that signaled significance, so she began there, too. what she read set her over on tilt. it was true, then. those gut feelings didn’t lie.
she dialed her momma’s cell phone. it was late there. she might be sleeping. the telephone rang several times. to her surprise, momma answered the phone.
“mom. you’re still up?”
“yes, i’m just watching television.”
“i wasn’t sure you’d be awake. i know it’s late there. listen, i’ve been looking into some things and i have some questions. do you know if anyone on your side of the family or dad’s was ever involved in freemasonry?”
momma jumped right in. “your dad would never get involved with anything like that, no. but grandpa was in it. he joined through the pipe fitter’s union or something. they promised him a lot of money when he retired.”
she held her breath for a moment. momma continued. “you know, they don’t believe in god, don’t you?”
“yes, mom. i know. it’s evil. and it explains why grandpa was so tormented when he died.” momma’s next words caught her off guard. “i know. that’s why i left the room.” she recalled the sounds of the sick, elderly man screaming in his hospital bed. both women were silent as their personal movie reels played in their minds simultaneously. the unredeemed parts of his soul were about to go through cleansing fire. it must have been terrifying for him.
this was a new topic of conversation for them. the younger woman had a myriad of questions answered in a few short sentences, while the older one wasn’t sure where it was going. she continued on interviewing her momma. “what about grandma’s side? were any of them involved in this stuff?”
“i don’t know. i was just an infant when grandpa took me away.” “i thought you told me you were three years old when he took you?”
“no, i was a baby. they settled it in divorce court. grandpa was 7 or 8 years older than my mother. her mother thought she was too young to be married and have a child.” well, then. clearly some soul fractures occurred in those events. and they continued.
this would have been enough trauma, but now it was apparent that freemasonry oaths and curses were in play, too. when grandpa died, they took full effect on her momma. as the oldest child in the next generation, they impacted her as well as her own son.
they talked a few minutes longer, reviewing names and rank in her grandmother’s family again. ethelynn (grandma) was the oldest, then tommy. she remembered he was in the air force years. he used to send gifts from japan. one christmas, she received a beautiful jewelry box as the rest of the family unwrapped their own gifts. she still had the japanese doll he had given her momma.
she knew uncle dwight. she’d met him and aunt joan when they came for graduation. he’d served in the navy. momma spoke up. “there was another brother, too.”
“yes. there was another brother after tommy. all i know about him is that he was a drunk. and dwight was the youngest.”
more rabbit trails to follow. something with london persisted. others were seeing it, too. something about going back to her roots. in the meantime, it was time to get clean of the freemasonry mess.
she went into the heavenly court of accusation to deal with the matter, acknowledging and agreeing with the accuser that, yes, her grandfather had participated in this evil. she forgave him and pled the blood of jesus as her righteousness. the power of the curses began to weaken instantly. there was more work to do but it was a good beginning. there would be more interviews with momma.
additional research identified the local lodges and other fraternal organizations near the place she grew up. on the surface, they appeared harmless enough. but they were not.
when allegiance is given to anything but father god, there is idolatry. and there are issues.
the weeks apart turned into months. truth be told, it was not easy. standing and believing took on new meaning. her faith grew exponentially in the process.
day by day, she took communion, prayed and declared over them and their children, mixed lot that they were. when she prayed, she saw things and then she would speak them out. in one vignette, she saw him with his head resting on father god’s chest, hearing the heartbeat of the one who made him.
in another, she saw father god building a new bridge between him and one of his children. they approached from opposite ends of the bridge, getting closer to each other every day. in the moment they met in the middle, they entered into a brand new beginning, one that would make up for the lost years.
she knew he was getting closer. father gave her dreams to encourage her to keep doing what she was doing. he was so close, she could feel it. when the breakthrough began, she would see him coming to the house to get her, standing at the front door ringing the doorbell.
other times, she would see him at her work. memories of them working in the conference room together would flood back to her mind. they were precious, sweet and painful at the same time. their foundation together had been good, but now it would be strong, solid, immoveable. father said so.
several friends knew this road they were walking out. their prayers were impactful, clear, declarative, filled with power and love. praying together, they moved things that had blocked and hindered, clearing a path for his healing, freedom, future and calling.
on the day she cut a cord of control and witchcraft, one friend observed it would take him a few days to get his bearings. this action was critical. the ties that held him captive held him no more. now, he was able to move freely like never before.
and then, days later, father let her see him walking free. on a thursday night after work, she headed to the pool for a swim. it was the same pool where they’d met a year earlier. it was the same park they walked and talked around many times.
she was parked on the street sitting in the car talking to another friend. their conversation went all over the place, rabbit tracks in every direction. they were still getting to know each other. there was a lot of ground to cover – and not. conversations were rarely short and this was no exception. she opened the car windows to keep from melting from the heat. she rolled down the passenger window and looked to her left. what she saw stopped her talking in mid-sentence.
there he was, walking on the path. she looked again, hard. yes, it was him. “oh, my god, he’s here, ****’* here!!! he’s about twenty feet away from me walking on the path around the park. what do i do?!?!”
‘”what is the lord saying to you to do?” “i don’t know! my heart is beating so hard i can’t think.” she stopped talking to listen, to feel and know what to do. then it was easy.
“i’m not doing anything. i’m not going after him. he still has to come for me when he’s ready. i just get to see him.” crying, she continued, “he looks good. he’s standing taller. and his gait seems more purposeful, like he’s freer and sorting things out.”
she waited to see if he went into the pool building. he did not. he kept walking. “okay, he’s out of sight now. i’ve got to get in the building while he’s on the other side of the park.” they postponed their remaining conversation until later.
she went on to swim. what was normally relaxing was anything but after the excitement of the ‘sighting.’ she kept an eye on the men’s changing room to see if he’d walk through the door.
when later came and their conversation resumed, both women agreed how special it was for father to let her see him. she knew a few more things now, with certainty: he was healing. he was free. he was stronger. and he would be coming for her soon.
the next morning, another friend messaged her. she asked if something had happened with him due to her post the night before: “tears of joy, peace, contentment, high expectations and a pint of organic vanilla ice cream drowning in chocolate sauce. it was a grand day. ♥”
this friend had surmised correctly, and she had some encouragement to bring, as well. she offered what father showed her:
“it’s not a long road between you two,” father says. “turn around, look.” she continued. “i see things in pictures mostly. so i saw the path being swept, and you a short distance away waiting. father is saying turn around and look. maybe an encouragement to see what father is doing.”
yes, it was an encouragement. yes, yes, yes! she mulled over the words again. “it’s not a long road between you two. father says, “turn around, look.”
she turned around to look.
psalm 37:4 the voice
take great joy in the eternal!
his gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires!
neither one of them remembered exactly when they became facebook friends. was it four months, six months? it was only in recent weeks that regular communication began. they both caught it. something was happening.
initially, she wasn’t planning on attending the event. there were obstacles, some natural, some spiritual. the natural ones were easy to see, the spiritual not so much. she sensed dark spirits trying to keep her from going, from connecting. one friend lovingly prodded her until she agreed to go. she let go of the obstacles she could see and pressed through the ones she could not. father god would take care of it all.
it was time to go, to meet the tribe in person. and that new friend. there was something there, something important. when the day arrived, she drove north and met with customers she’d grown to love over the years. those appointments went well. now, it was time to meet the new friend and get with ‘family.’
they’d exchanged telephone numbers days earlier, anticipating meeting. the texting began, then the calls to figure out where to meet for coffee. after muddling through disconnects and bad reception, they agreed on a nearby starbucks location.
she got there first and ordered, nearly inhaling the frosty frappachino to counter the heat outside. as she waited at the large table, she observed a man to her left.
he was mumbling and reading stuff that was well, not right and not truth. the book cover saidsomething about the legion of mary, whatever that was. it was legion, all right, that was for certain. interesting. an enemy plant here? what was he thinking? they would pray for him. of course they would.
the liar was shaking in his boots about this relationship. that was obvious. no matter. she prayed in tongues and watched the guy, smiling at him when he would happen to steal a glance her way.
then, the moment arrived. the new friend walked in the door and crossed the room. they embraced like old friends only needing to get reacquainted. after having the baristas craft a cool beverage for her, they both sat down on high stools at the table. the conversation began flowing like water. holy spirit joined them and joy erupted all over the place.
three hours and thousands of words later, they parted company, albeit unwillingly. she had to get to the meeting. what a thrill it was to drive the last few miles and anticipate the joy to come.
after parking, she first met and hugged the precious friend who’d never let up getting her there. then there was everyone else. she was overcome with emotion. it was surreal to see, touch, hug and love so many people she’d only known long distance.
all these relationships spanned from a few months to several years. she had yet to comprehend why she screamed not once, but twice when she saw her friend from the u.k. she’d never done that before for anyone. maybe love just does that.
even with the physical distance, so much of life had been shared heart to heart in telephone conversations and over chat. that epic friday evening was a wash of glory, tears, laughter and worship on a level she had sorely missed for years. she was finally with family, her tribe. and it was good. but someone was missing.
saturday morning came. more teaching, more fellowship, then late lunch at a local restaurant mulling over all the wonderful things happening. she acted on the nudge to call her new friend to come and join them that evening. they agreed on a time, and in a matter of hours, they were sitting together again, side by side this time. she was on the right, her friend on the left.
the teaching was good, rich, full of life and impartation. then came time for the offering. she had four one dollar bills in her wallet. the remaining large bills were a gift from the new friend for a trip home to see momma. that was important. she looked at the ones and put them back in her wallet. she had no peace giving the cash. dad spoke. “you don’t need to sow into this conference. it’s my gift to you.” she thanked him silently.
the holy moment
five minutes later, he spoke again. “i want you to give ****** your ring.” she felt the prick in her heart immediately as she slid the two-toned ring off of her left ring finger. it was her favorite, most loved, cherished and enjoyed piece of jewelry.
turning to her new friend, she spoke. “father wants you to have my ring.” it was a holy moment as both women’s eyes filled with tears. they knew what it meant, even while seeing only a small fraction of what he wanted for them, with them.
it was a david and jonathan moment with strong women in the lead roles.
it should have been easy. it was not. after getting her momma reconnected with her stepsisters, she also re-engaged with them in the hopes of learning more about grandma.
she talked with the oldest of momma’s stepsisters, then with the youngest. it was great to visit and talk with them. yes, it was. but it did not provide any of the answers to her questions.
what was grandma like?
what was her personality? what were her hobbies? did she like music? horses? dogs or cats or both? did she bake or cook?
no one could really say. grandma had been ill and in hospital often. she was there more than she was home. her daughters didn’t really know her, either. there were a few photos of her left. she asked for copies to be sent to her but they never came.
was there any family resemblance?
did momma look like grandma? did she look like grandma? hmmm. another idea came to her. would it be possible to see grandma in the cloud of witnesses? could she, would she make herself known? could she share more about her life in a visitation? maybe. it was worth asking daddy god about.
he did have one answer for her. he told her one morning on her commute to work. in a brilliant movie reel playing in her mind, so many things became clear.
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Grand Pacific Hotel Suva
Series: First Time in Fiji
- Booking for Fiji – one seat from one bucket, and one seat from another
- Qantas Business Class Lounge – Fiji Airways
- Review: Sydney to Suva QF343 / FJ940
- Grand Pacific Hotel Suva
- Suva – not a tourist mecca – but tropical
Hotel: Grand Pacific Hotel
Place: Suva, Fiji
Room: Premier Room 230
Price: AU$410/night for 5 nights (~US$320) – including breakfast
Stay: September 2017
This was my first time in Fiji, and so my first time in Suva. I told an old friend who spent a lot of time in the Pacific in the 70’s and 80’s that we were going to Suva. She said ‘A dump, don’t bother’ or words to that effect. Well, I didn’t have much of a choice, as my partner was attending a conference in Suva, so my task was to find the best accommodation taking into consideration, comfort, proximity to the conference venue, and of course cost. As usual, our agent at Out and About Travel had invaluable recommendations. (no, I’m not telling you which agent – if I did, we would never be able to get hold of him!)
Originally the conference was to be held at the Holiday Inn Suva, which is literally next door to the Grand Pacific Hotel, but for whatever reason, the conference got moved. In fact, the Holiday Inn looked like it was undergoing some kind of renovation during our stay.
Of course, I had poured through the images on the Hotel website, reviewed room features, and checked out the bar, restaurant, internet, and lounge services, but still didn’t really have an idea of what to expect in terms of hotel style and service levels. Just because a hotel has 5 stars, and charges above the average rate, does not guarantee an above average experience – as most of us know to our cost.
Let me just say, that my fascination with really good properties that still get the most basic things wrong did not go unrewarded.
As a rule of thumb, I book a car and driver to drive us from the airport to the hotel if we are unfamiliar with either the country or the destination. It takes the stress out of arrival, and I think acts like an introduction to a holiday. Given this was our first time in Fiji – a car was ordered by our travel agent and arranged through the Grand Pacific Hotel. It was also the cheapest option out of three we were offered at FJD$79 (~AUD$50) for the 45-minute journey.
The usual person-with-a-sign was waiting once we had cleared customs and immigration. Suva airport is pretty small and basic, and it has one luggage carousel. Obviously, our ‘priority’ tagged luggage was not the first to come out. If I had a dollar for every time that happens . . .
Our driver estimating 45 minutes from Nausori Airport to The Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva. Our trip was smooth, uneventful and within the estimated time.
The entrance to the hotel is pretty as a pin, and very impressive with an airy atrium, (originally the hotel’s restaurant) used as a seating area. The ‘Heritage’ rooms are all located upstairs, entered from the balcony.
Check-in ran pretty smoothly. We were greeted with the traditional ‘Bula’ on arrival at the hotel’s porte cochère, and our luggage placed on a trolly. Check-in formalities were completed within a few minutes at the reception desk to the left of the entrance.
Opposite the reception desk, but still on the left side of the entrance is a tour desk – unmanned on arrival, and it seemed for most of our stay. Both small, and sometimes large arrangements of tropical flowers were arranged throughout the hotel.
We were taken to our room within 10 minutes of arrival, and by that time, a little before 8 pm, we had been on the ‘road’ for close to 12 hours, so the efficient check-in was much appreciated.
The main and original hotel building has been beautifully restored – which provides the charm to what feels like slightly soulless additions – an accommodation wing on one side, and a function room wing on the other, with a pool and dining area in between. Walls are dotted with historic images of the hotel, and the famous visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.
To get to our room, we passed through the public space that joins the new accommodation wing to the original hotel building. This space is divided into two areas – one fairly large space with a little seating, and the other a sort of pseudo-Japanese sand garden. Architecturally, and functionally, they are a little like fish out of water – their actual function not being particularly clear. Indeed other than a few kids treating the space literally like a sandpit – they remained largely empty throughout our stay.
There is a magnificent aviation themed ceiling fan above the ‘sand-pit’ – which one fears if turned on would induce a sandstorm.
As well as providing a bridging space between the two buildings, it also leads to the Spa and Gym. I don’t have any internal images of either space, as on the occasions I visited, they were both being very well patronised.
Commissioned by the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand the 35 room hotel built on reclaimed land in Suva bay, opened in 1914. It did then, and still does now, feature broad verandas, porticoes, colonnades and large French windows, well suited to the steamy climate.
Like most hotels of its heritage, it has had its fair share of famous guests including Charles Kingsford Smith, who landed his plane the Southern Cross opposite the hotel on Albert Park in 1928, as part of his historic flight across the Pacific. (That green area on the right of the above image is Albert Park.)
The 1980’s saw the hotel fall into decline, changing ownership several times and adapted for use by the Fiji military. The hotel closed in 1990 and was largely left abandoned to the tropical elements.
The hotel escaped demolition, fortunately, and was restored – beautifully – re-opening in May 2014 in time for its 100 year anniversary.
The restoration and redevelopment of the hotel site are impressive. The new hotel facilities include a four-level accommodation wing offering sea views from almost every room, and a meeting and convention facility opposite the accommodation wing. Between the two are a magnificent swimming pool, bar, and outdoor dining area, not to mention a view to drown in.
Our Grand Pacific Premier room was on the 2nd floor, quoted on the website as 37sqm the same size as the Superior rooms (on the right of the diagram). This compares to 34sqm for the Park Rooms (no sea view, overlooking Albert Park), and the Club Rooms, (seen to the left of our room), which face directly onto the water. There are Heritage rooms located in the main (original) building, each of unique size and decoration. These heritage rooms also have access to the Victoria (club) Lounge with the usual breakfast and evening drinks benefits.
We accessed our room via a lift, and wide corridors.
A minor design fault was the placement of the room number signs. Half the room number signs were facing the same direction as you were – which made them invisible unless you turned around. Note the carpet squares on the floor. These would be a good idea, as they can be swapped and replaced if they are stained or worn. Unfortunately, the worn and stained ones had not been swapped or replaced.
Our accommodation was located at the end of the corridor and had a slightly different shaped room and balcony from others on the floor.
Rooms were large, and painted in a calming, but slightly hospital like green, with more pale aqua/green accents. Not my favourite colour, I have to say, but inoffensive, I suppose.
That painting, which I am sure I have seen at Ikea, was the only wall decoration in the room.
Please note two things in the picture above:
- No1: the connecting door – my pet hate. During our stay, on two occasions, people on the other side of the room tried to open that connecting door. It sounded like they were about to invade, and it was the epicentre of sound leakage between the rooms. Let me just say, that I know a lot about negotiations between a certain two Indian businessmen.
- No2: that lighted wall on the far left is the bathroom. Can you see the problem? If you needed to get up during the night to have a pee, then turning that light on and flooding the whole room with lumens was the only choice. How is it that hotel designers can get such basic things so wrong?
Good bedside tables, but lamps that involved reeling in the switches on the cords to turn them off or on.
. . . and a clock radio that had a provision for the old style ipod/iphone connector. I couldn’t get the radio to work at all, anyway.
Given the size of the room, it could have supported a 2 seater lounge, if not two. Both the bathroom and balcony were spacious.
A good sized desk completely filled up so that there was no place to work! And that ‘desk’ chair – far short of adequate. What was silly is that there was a perfectly good shelf near the entrance which is where I removed all that tea and coffee and other detritus to, so I could work.
Another pet hate (I have a few) – hotel ‘stuff’ littering useful surfaces. In this case, a glossy magazine I didn’t open, the room compendium (not that useful) a spa menu, and two apples that were a fair few days from fresh.
No inevitable Pringles – but still packets of crisps. You always say you won’t, but you always succumb.
Complimentary still water to be refreshed daily (in this case that means never unless you ask for it) – but coasters!
I love that they had proper cups and saucers, none of those hybrid mugs. Also, a selection of freeze-dried coffee and tea bags. OK, no Nespresso style machine, but at least good quality product.
The full display.
The mini-bar and no one is going to steal or misplace the bottle opener:
Unchain my heart.
I am a complete sucker for flowers in a room. Unfortunately, these had to be moved, because the only way to make that chair comfortable was to use the bolster from the bed at your back and place the cushion from the bed on the table to make it into a footstool.
Repeat after me all hoteliers:
‘I solemnly swear to place a comfortable chair or sofa in every hotel room so guests can lounge.’
A footstool wouldn’t go astray either.
Now the bathroom (note the broken tissue box next to the hand basin); it was huge, but so badly designed. It was big enough to have a stand-alone-shower and a stand-alone-bath. But instead, they had a vast shower, which was completely open on one side, that, unless you were very careful, would allow water to flood the entire bathroom. On the plus side – you could control the shower without getting wet.
But the main problem was the translucency of the bathroom walls that adjoined the bedroom. Ok, the translucent panels did provide privacy but also allowed light to flood into the bedroom, and I mean flood. There was no ‘night light’ setting, just full-on-fluoro.
Bathroom supplies were PURE FIJI brand and were replenished daily. They were called ‘mango infusion’ but had more of that generic tropical scent – you know – sort of frangipanni/coconut/pineapple. Not my favourite, and I just realised I didn’t bring any of it home, which is unusual.
The wardrobe across the corridor from the bathroom was completely drawerless (see number 6 of my Ten things hotels could do better), but did have a really good iron and ironing board (Number 7), and a standard sized safe – that wouldn’t quite hold my 15″ computer – again. Coat hangers were good and plentiful, and bathrobes were waffle weave, and just adequately sized (Number 3).
There was a slight oddness about both the room and the bathroom, it was as if they had been designed by a builder, and not an architect – or at least by someone who was not really familiar with hotel room design. It wasn’t’ so much that there was anything wrong (other than the shower space – see above), it was more that there was nothing that made you go ‘That’s clever’, or ‘Oh, why don’t other hotels do that.’ The room was a bit soul-less – like the framed image on the wall, and lacked a few features (proper office chair, comfortable lounge seat, footrest etc) that would have brought it up to the standard it was charging for.
Now put all that criticism to one side, because this view made you forgive everything . . .
Oh, and if you turned slightly more to the left . . . you could see the local lawn bowls fields.
And just one more thing to note – it looks like they have some kind of issue with guests and the balcony light:
Restaurant and Bar
Given the weather, the main dining areas were all outside – mostly in the long veranda at the back of the central building, that joined with the new accommodation wing on one side, and the function centre on the other.
We ate all of our meals at the hotel under the verandah – except for one which we had at the far end of the pool.
The verandah had two sections, one with raised tables (as above) and one with lower tables. There was also a formal restaurant, which we only saw one couple dine in, on one night.
Food, on the whole, had an Indian feel to it – even the Thai curry. In fact, my favourite meal during the whole stay was a goat curry with all the trimmings – chutneys, parathas, pickles, papadams etc. There was a good selection of both full meals and bar snacks, and I am told the fish dishes were very good. Unfortunately, I am highly allergic to fish – so I can’t attest to that personally.
The bar – located inside, but joined to the verandah provided a good selection of local versions of standard cocktails. The stand-out for me was the Pina Colada, of which I drank many (
Breakfasts were excellent, with a standard 5-star hotel buffet, including fresh pressed juices and eggs squeezed/cooked to order. I only have one image of the buffet, due to its popularity.
Coffee was a little hit and miss. One day at breakfast we asked for a ‘flat white’ and got a latte, and the next day, we ordered the same and got a perfect flat white, and the next day – it was burnt and bitter.
My freshly made eggs benedict (or ‘egg with egg sauce’ as my friend Tass calls it) was delicious.
Hotel Incident – deftly handled
On our final day as we were checking out, there was an incident at Reception. The French Guest (a woman of a certain age) and her – we presume – son, were standing at reception. The women shouted at the reception staff, while the son (early 20’s?) looked embarrassed, and fitfully tried to calm his mother. The French Guest was in high dudgeon. Dressed in non-age appropriate tropically themed swimsuit with matching beach cover-up (which unfortunately didn’t cover up) she railed at staff, making it most obvious that she had paid her money, and she wanted her transfer to her tour, and that the hotel would pay (in more ways than money) if she missed her tour. Now, having a general anxiety about the arrival of transport myself – I would usually share some sympathy – but this woman was so incredibly rude, embarrassing, and just plain culturally insensitive, that I just wanted to tell her to ‘chill’, or that you can ‘catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar’. In my experience, this wouldn’t have helped, so I refrained.
Now, I have no idea of what the actual details of the dispute were, but it appeared that a hotel arranged transfer to some tourist outing, had not arrived on time, and was now more than 10 minutes late. Shouting about it was not going to help. Perhaps getting the reception staff to contact the tour company to tell them they were running late would have been a better option.
On the other hand – I suppose I could afford to be smug, as, after 5 days, I had adjusted to ‘island time’, and knew that what had been arranged would happen eventually and that in all probability the tour company would wait for their arrival anyway. So what offended me about this incident? I think it was the cultural insensitivity, and the treatment of another culture, and service staff, like lesser beings. The hotel staff, on the other hand, acted with efficiency and great decorum under stress.
Of course, the transport did arrive, and the French Guest left as if she hadn’t even raised her voice.
The hotel was on the pricey side but was by far the best accommodation in Suva. I spoke to many other conference guests who agreed that the Grand Pacific Hotel was superior to wherever they were staying, with a couple of people trying to transfer – but being unable, as the hotel was at near full capacity.
While we were there, Vodaphone Fiji held a promotional function that the staff prepared for over a couple of days. We were dreading the Saturday night of the event. But our worry had no grounds. Music was kept at a respectable level, and all was over by about 9:30 pm. They had even worked it so that all the sound and the video walls pointed away from the accommodation wing. That kind of consideration was at the heart of the hotel.
During our stay, I had cause to ask for our room to be cleaned at a specific time. It was – perhaps a bit on ‘Island time’, but again done with care and consideration.
The only downside was a slight lack of consistency. One day all our towels were replaced plus extras, the next, we were short of towels, and on another occasion, they got topped up later in the day. On the up side – we asked for four feather pillows and got them for that evening. On the downside, we were meant to get daily bottles of complimentary still water – which only appeared when we asked for them.
Service was not as faultless as you might get in an equivalent hotel in Asia. You often had to ask for something twice, but the hotel staff were also incredibly friendly, well-meaning, and relaxed. It is amazing how uplifting an authentic smile, and that charming giggle, that seems endemic in Fiji, can be. And that’s what you want when relaxing in the Pacific.
With this hotel as my introduction to Fiji, I think we will be holidaying here again. Maybe not in Suva, but certainly in Fiji. And if it is Suva – it will be at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
Summary This is the best hotel in Suva with large rooms, balconies, good food, a wonderful veranda, great pool, relaxed Pacific service, and a view that after taking your breath away, you want to drown in. | <urn:uuid:948d64b6-9d59-4267-9ddf-44a650d3d65e> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.2paxfly.com/2017/10/11/grand-pacific-hotel-suva/ | 2020-09-28T16:31:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600401601278.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20200928135709-20200928165709-00799.warc.gz | en | 0.982539 | 4,206 |
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At seven years of age, Adora began writing blogs and an online journal, expounding on national and international issues which interested.
Her first full-length novel, Yang in Disguise, was published in Adora also served as a spokesperson for the Verizon Reads campaign for literacy.Maryland Md
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He also plays the trombone. The teen whiz kid is clearly committed to community service. Achille is a well-rounded teen. Achille intends to be a chemical or environmental engineer, helping developing nations to effectively use technology.
From his early years, Dylan Toh constantly looked for greater challenges in mathematics than his grade or teachers could provide. Even his math mentors in Singapore could not out-pace his abilities.
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At 13 years of age, he hacked into the operating system of his iPod touch. Ari continues to associate with the Dev team, although his recent efforts are much less controversial.
Now, he wants to develop websites and businesses of his.
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Farrell Wu was already doing math at the age of one.
When are we gonna get to know more of the woman?'” Torres' questions are answered in the new spinoff, “Pearson,” that premiered. millennium will be the WOrk Of a political society of women and men, representing the need of woman sufirage as the indispensable means to the ends he seeks. "Might as well save your breath," said I seven-year-old Richard, ia tones of con- Miss Kathakine Pearson Woods, of Baltimore, the author of "Mezzorott. These women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math University in Miami, and a PhD in organic chemistry from Iowa State University. .. might be the molecule they were seeking on Christmas Day of in , and worked briefly for the National Security Administration (NSA).
By three, he was trading stocks! The IMO is the most prestigious and most difficult math competition in the world. Piersoon to his American math mentor, Farrell is already at the level of an exceptional undergraduate math major. Farrell says, through math he has learned to be a humble winner and a courageous loser.
Farrell hopes to continue his studies in mathematics in the U.
Maybe that is not such a fantasy! Sometimes, in a family, genius runs in twos. Junior college students are usually 18 when they sit for the A-level exams.
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My nanoparticle was designed to be preloaded with a cancer drug that would be released directly and selectively at the tumor site to eradicate cancer cells. Angela enjoys reading, kayaking, and hiking. Alas, being a genius or prodigy does not necessarily mean life is perfect. Having any special gift brings its challenges. I have a. The stereotypes of being gifted supply. Many people believe that all people with an IQ over can get All geniuses are bad at sports and are socially awkward.Naughty Wives Want Sex Tonight Annapolis Maryland
If every genius specialized in math, then the mathematics field, in all its understandable glory, would be amazingly advanced, while every other field, English, philosophy. Sometimes intentionally. Constant perfection or close to it often leaves geniuses socially ostracized.
Instead, I am an English genius. My field defies most stereotypes, though I would like to remind all of you about other geniuses, like Hemingway and King. Being an English type of person is quite difficult, especially when it comes to measuring IQ. The system that we use today to measure intelligence stops nssa accuracy after about | <urn:uuid:e83d0c9e-1177-4d53-98ec-46660d5bb6b4> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.yatoutechnology.com/ladies-seeking-nsa-pierson-iowa-ladies-seeking-nsa-pillar-montana.html | 2020-09-30T03:54:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600402101163.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20200930013009-20200930043009-00799.warc.gz | en | 0.952695 | 5,800 |
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Intro Thinkific Speakerlab
If you are promoting Or even thinking about selling online courses, you don’t need to do much hunting to think of a Thinkific review. There are plenty of Thinkific reviews out there. The main difference this one offers is that it is written by someone with: Thinkific Speakerlab
- More than 20 years expertise in the e-learning industry, with a specific focus on companies that sell schooling (compared to, by Way of Example, corporate training departments, That Don’t have to convince their learners to purchase )
- Extensive experience designing, developing, and implementing online course platforms (I had been the founder and CEO of an e-learning platform and path development company.)
- More than a decade of experience monitoring and exploring online class platforms and assisting organizations and individuals pick the right platform for selling classes
I have been closely Tracking Thinkific and other suppliers which have emerged as a new type of course platforms in the previous several decades. These are programs that are less expensive and a lot more user friendly than learning management systems, or LMSes. They’re small companies that are looking to get into the course enterprise and a real blessing for solo edupreneurs. Over time, I think they have real potential to disrupt the learning management system marketplace.
Having said That, let us begin.
Building and Presence Your Online Course Web Site
Any courses you Sell have to”live” somewhere, and ideally that someplace provides an appealing, user friendly to your students and prospective students. Since the debut of its Website Builder capabilities Thinkific is up to the job. Thinkific Speakerlab
Using Site Builder — that is simply part of the admin panel for the platform — you have the capacity to prepare an attractive home page to your course website and make as many custom pages as you need (e.g., to provide information about you and your other solutions ). While you don’t have complete control — you can not, for example, install your own style sheets (CSS) — you can get really good capabilities for modifying branding elements like colors and font styles and you may upload pretty much any type of pictures or media you’d want to utilize.
Site Builder Now comes with three topics to choose from, and there are variants for each one of these themes. (The company says more themes are part of the future development program.) Additionally, there are a selection of pre-fab”segments” that you can add and modify on any page to provide for things like social proof (e.g. customer quotes or”as seen on” logos), calls for action, count down timer, and pricing choices — basically, all of the critical tools you require for conducting a successful course or membership website. There’s also a blank slate”Text & media” section which can be utilised to create pretty much whatever you want.
As is the case With more or less any content management system, it took me a while to figure out how to do some basic things like delete sections (the topics provide a home page pre-populated with sections) and add custom pages to the site menu. However support has been readily available for them. Thinkific has a solid support website on which you are able to look for aid, but I often just use a Google search along with the word”Thinkific” to find whatever I want (e.g.,”create custom site pages Thinkific”). I’ve yet to not find good support using this method, whether to the Thinkific site or from another user.
Some additional Features to note:
- Customized URL (under Settings > Website ) — By default, you’re assigned a thinkific.com speech — e.g., learningrvolution.thinkific.com. With a paid program (beginning at $49 a month for Fundamental ) you can find a customized URL
- SSL (Under Settings > Website ) — With any strategy you have the choice to turn on SSL (secure socket layer), a best practice for virtually any Web site these days. (Google smiles on this.)
- White tagging (below Settings > Website )– By jumping up to a Guru Plan ($99 per month) with the Growth Add-on ($.10 per active student/per month) you can quickly remove the”Powered by Thinkific” speech on your site and courses.
- Text Changes (under Settings > Learning Content and various different areas) — It is possible to change a great deal of the default language which is used in navigation and other regions. For instance, Thinkific utilizes”Chapters” as the tag for parts of a program. You may prefer to change this to”Lessons” Thinkific Speakerlab
So, you might be asking,”Could I use Thinkific for my main Web site?”
For edupreneurs That are only starting off and do not already have a Web presence the answer is an emphatic”yes.” Utilizing Thinkific is a good way to have a big item off of your”to do” list (i.e.,”figure out how to find a decent Web site set up”) and concentrate on creating and launching your courses. You can worry about a more sophisticated Web site after.
If you already Have an Internet site, however — especially on a fuller-featured content management system such as WordPress — I wouldn’t recommend relying on Thinkific (or any other course platform) to your primary Web site. Website Builder is great for what it does — and can create a fantastic course site to complement your main site — but ultimately it’s relatively limited. Some of the key present constraints include:
- All themes are pillar. Therefore, for example, you can’t put email sign-up types, promotions for course, or other items down the left or right side of your website.
- As noted, you can’t use your own CSS (cascading style sheets), mostly a limitation in the event that you really wish to reflect the branding of an existing Web site.
- There is absolutely no control over search engine optimization settings on Web pages — e.g., you can not define the name tags or meta descriptions. You , however, do so on course landing pages, which is possibly more important for the typical edupreneur.
- Thinkific lacks the wealth of plug-ins and the broad network of experienced contractors who are available to encourage platforms like WordPress.
Regardless of those Limitations, Website Builder is likely to do the work well for most edupreneurs and is quite a bit better than what most online class platforms supply.
Creating Online Courses with Thinkific
While you Definitely need an attractive, user-friendly website to house your classes, the classes themselves are the main attraction. As you may expect, this is a place where Thinkific really shines.
To Begin with, the Platform provides a range of pre-configured templates that can be quite beneficial to track builders searching for help with how to arrange their content. The templates cover the assortment of standard scenarios you’d be prone to think about for supplying an educational item. All these are:
- Blank — Start fresh and construct your course to match your specific program requirements.
- Mini-course — Use a free or low-cost mini-course to create leads for a full flagship course or service.
- Flagship Course — Construct a complete online course employing a strong curriculum outline made with best practices in mind.
- Pre-sell — Create a pre-sell landing page and get started constructing a waitlist to gauge interest in your course.
- Digital Download — Host downloadable documents in an internet course to create revenue or collect email addresses.
- Membership Resource Library — Host downloadable resources to be included in a membership package with this template.
- Webinar Replay — Host your webinar replay video to permit registrants to assess your presentation and provide.
All these can Be modified extensively — you can alter the content in the sections that are provided, delete sections, or insert new sections to arrive at the strategy that is right for your content. All throughout the procedure, Thinkific supplies”smart coach course construction hints” to assist you. (I found these helpful, but they can be easily turned off, if you would like.) Thinkific Speakerlab
In Case You Have zero Experience working with Web content, there’ll inevitably be a small learning curve, but my view is that Thinkific has done a fantastic job making that curve as manageable as possible. Invest in making your it up, and you’ll reap the rewards.
And, in case you are Already comfortable using other Web content systems — like, by way of instance, WordPress or a different course platform — I believe that you will find working in Thinkific for a breeze.
The logic, overall Of putting together a class at Thinkific makes sense from my perspective. After selecting”New Course,” picking your path type, naming it (which you may change at any stage ), and rescue it, you include”Chapters” (or modify ones already in the template) to create the structure of the course. As noted above, if you don’t like the expression”Chapters,” you can change it to whatever you prefer.
You fill the Chapters with content in a way very similar to the way I described using Website Builder above. There are 11 choices:
- Video lessons — Upload a file. (This has saved in a movie library for re-use in other courses. Videos stored in this library are protected from access by anyone who is not a registered user of your site.)
- Quiz lessons — Create a quiz for the students. (More info on quizzes under )
- Multimedia lessons — This is a way to link out to content not hosted on Thinkific and make it an integrated part of your program. Some of the possibilities include:
- Webinar tools (provide the link to a live Zoom session, by Way of Example )
- Surveys (e.g. Typeform)
- Appointment booking tools (e.g. Calendly)
- Presentations (e.g. Prezi)
- Google Docs
- Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate documents (Requires Pro or Enterprise license. More about that below)
- Text classes — Combine text, images, videos, etc. into one lesson. This is basically the equivalent to”Text and Media” Site Builder option discussed previously.
- Survey lessons — Gather information/feedback from your pupils by building a poll in Thinkific.
- PDF lessons.
- Disqus classes — Add Disqus discussion boards to your program. (Note: there is also a discussion alternative built into Thinkific which you may turn on or off under Support Your Students > Discussions.)
- Audio classes — Upload an audio file.
- Downloads resources to be available for download from inside the course player.
- Demo lessons — Upload a demonstration as record sound and a PDF document for each slide.
- Exam lessons — Contain a Brillium exam on your course. (A Brillium license is distinct from Thinkific and begins at $49 per month. More about that below.)
The aforementioned options Will find the work done for all but the edupreneurs. The main places they fall short is in
- Supplying for branching scenarios — i.e., allowing learners to move down different paths based on their performances in the course or data you collect about them and
- Like learning games, inserting elements.
If those are Options you genuinely want, you would be better off with a full-blown course authoring tool like iSpring or even Articulate Storyline (see more about these types of programs here). Thinkific Speakerlab
The use of Articulate and Captivate in Thinkific
Many course Founders will be content with using the resources in Thinkific to make courses, but some might prefer the option of producing their classes with third party e-learning class creation software like Articulate Storyline or even Adobe Captivate.
Basically, using a Third-party tool is an alternative to seriously consider if you (a) currently have a significant number of courses built out in one of these applications (in which you probably do not want to have to re-create them utilizing Thinkific course production tools), and/or (b) you expect developing a substantial catalogue of courses with a comparatively long”shelf life” — in which case you may not wish to have your classes locked into a specific delivery platform.
These can be used by you Types of tools with Thinkific — Articulate Storyline and Captivate are supported — but there are a few limitations you should be aware of if you go this path.
First, Thinkific (like the rest of the platforms in its own class) has not implemented SCORM, which stands for the Shareable Content Object Reference Model. There’s a lot to SCORM, but the principal thing for edupreneurs to understand is that it provides standards for how an online course can communicate with a learning platform to send it information like how much time a student has spent in a course, or whether specific areas of the class have been completed successfully. Thinkific tracks this type of information. (More about SCORM here.)
Secondly, you Can’t Import an Captivate or Articulate course into Thinkific on your own. These classes comprise of more than one file (such as, for instance, a video file), so to get them inside the platform, you have to zip the files up and send them to Thinkific customer service.
The Best Features and How They Benefit You
An excellent Course building platform offers you the features you want from begin to finish. Including the selling, the promotion, the course building, and also also the management.
Systems such as Thinkific do not host courses . Your articles is really hosted with Thinkific (so that you do not have to go out and find your personal hosting,) but it gives you complete control on what your site looks like.
In comparison to Systems like Udemy, Thinkific certainly provides management that is branding and more liberty. Let’s explore a few of the standout features.
Outstanding Student Management and Communication Modules
Within my Thinkific review, I noticed the smoothness of the student communication tools. It is a visual pupil management area, with pictures of your pupils, names, contact information, and details for how far they’re on your course.
You have the Option create a dialogue with the entire community or to send emails that are customized to each of the students. Thinkific Speakerlab
Incentives are Also a part of the learning environment since Thinkific offers conclusion certificates, report cards, and of course, the emails for sending out just about anything you want during courses.
In addition to Replays of language controllers, course material, and cellular optimisation working with the Thinkific platform ought to feel.
A Mostly Drag and Drop Editor for Quick Course Design
Section of this Reason Thinkific seems so great in contrast to this rivalry is that of its class designer. In case you don’t need to you don’t need to mess with any code.
In fact Your content is coordinated with an easy drag and drop editor, in which you move it about vertically and pile the course content.
Speaking of Content, Thinkific supports uploads of media types. From PDFs to audio files, and polls to quizzes, the platform is fantastic for offering up a vast range of learning tools for your students.
As we mentioned Every one of these documents are hosted on the Thinkific servers. Therefore, you shouldn’t have to worry running on your servers that are shared or being too big.
When you customize Your course website it offers some editing tools to the beginners out there. For instance, you can correct items like banners, colour schemes, and logos, without touching any code.
However Developers have complete control over the HTML and CSS. So, if you want to make your website unique, the option is there for you.
Promotions on Autopilot
Some online course Platforms fail in the promotions arena. This is unfortunate as there’s no way unless people know your path exists, to start making money.
Thinkific does The app was built into by it the ideal way, with promotional and marketing tools. A lot of this is automatic. Consequently, if you want to drip content to your students–where particular courses would be released over the years –Thinkific has this functionality. Thinkific Speakerlab
Furthermore, you Have the ability and send automated emails out based on a schedule. Pricing is done through Thinkific, in addition to the option to become paid instantly when somebody signs up on your course.
In Terms of becoming It is tried by people beyond your site to come out, Thinkific includes an online affiliate marketing program to benefit bloggers. Coupons are provided through Thinkific, giving you a opportunity to create advertisements and convince novices that your course is well worth investing in.
Everything from Coupons to affiliates is tracked in the dashboard, and you could also link Facebook, your Adwords, and other social accounts to see where students are coming out of.
Managing, Engaging, and Supporting Students
Aside from Allowing you to deliver your classes, one of the reasons for using a online course platform is that it creates monitoring and managing your users and their data much simpler.
Communicating with Learners
Along with Assisting you to arrange your learners, Thinkific also enables several ways also for them to give comments on the program and for you to communicate with your students. Thinkific Speakerlab
As noted, For example, you can empower discussion to your courses and manage your pupils contributions under Support Your Students Discussions, where it is possible to sort discussions by course, react to students, and — if needed –“Disapprove” gifts which you don’t want to show up in the course. (Note: Letting discussions is currently a nothing option in Thinkific — i.e., possibly all courses have no or it classes have it. The workaround for this would be to utilize the Disqus option on a course-by-course foundation )
You can also Enable your student. You then have the capability to approve these reviews (they aren’t printed automatically) and use them as social evidence on your sales page to your program. Unlike discussions, this feature can be enabled on a course-by-course basis.
There are Numerous notifications that can be disabled or enabled at the Thinkific platform, a few of which can be customized. You can send students a customized message if they enroll for your website, register in a particular course, or complete a course. It is also possible to send reminder messages. (Note: Reminders are site-wide, not course-specific.)
Managing and Organizing Learners
To start with, When an individual signs up at your site, Thinkific captures all of their key contact information (e.g., first name, last name, e-mail) and using custom sign-up fields (under Settings > Programs & accounts) you can easily add fields to capture whatever specific information you want from your own users. (Note that, unlike programs such as Udemy, you receive full access to the user information you accumulate.)
You can also Organize users. This seemingly simple feature can have a big effect on your business model by making it possible for you to sell courses in bulk to organizations — among the best ways for course sellers to induce revenue development that is major , in my experience.
You, using groups Can also arrange your students by cohort, time, enrollment, job-type, or organization, or other variables, which makes it feasible also to enhance your marketing going and to monitor the efficacy of your offerings with each group. (Note: Use of the Groups attribute requires a Guru program license with the Growth Add-on.) Discover More about the Thinkific Groups functionality Thinkific Speakerlab
Tracking and Reporting
A motive to Have a online class platform — as opposed to posting articles supporting a password on a Web site — is it is going to monitor quiz and survey information as well as things like conclusion and course progress.
Thinkific’s Advancement tracking (under Support Your Students > Progress) allows you to pick a specific student and monitor numerous variables for every course in which the pupil is registered. For every class you may see:
- Percentage of Course of Viewed
- Percentage of Course Completed
- Student Name
- Student Email
- Course Completed at (date)
- Course Launched at (date)
- Course Activated at (date)
- Last sign (date)
I like that you If you’re adding new lessons to an course can also choose to reset the completion percentage of a student at any moment.
Overall, the Course reporting is fairly basic, but I suspect it will serve the needs of the majority of course entrepreneurs.
Contrary to the Program Reporting, the quiz and survey reporting is exported to a .CSV file (instead of displayed on screen) and e-mailed to you. The .csv document includes the responses from all students who have obtained a survey a quiz email address, along with their name, and if they shot it. For quizzes, it also provides percentage and the number of questions the student got correct.
Overall, reporting For both courses and quizzes/surveys is one of the areas in which the Thinkific system might be stronger. In fairness, this tends to be true for much of the all the platforms within this class of platforms. Ideally, over time, it might be possible to access quiz/survey data and course conclusion via a single Web interface. Even better, it would be great to be able to view a student transcript that displays hours associated with a course, any credit earned (not now captured at all at Thinkific), and a link to obtain the certificate related to the course. Thinkific Speakerlab
What Thinkific is Missing
Anyone who has Been working in the e-learning industry for the past few years (as I have) will understand that Thinkific provides a remarkable range of features at a very reasonable price. It wasn’t that long ago a system with those capacities may have cost thousands of dollars.
With that in mind, It’s hard to assert that Thinkific is”missing” much. Nonetheless, there are openings that can rule it out for a few class sellers — and these all tend to be gaps which are characteristic of the category of platforms. The main ones that I see are:
No support for xAPI/TinCan or SCORM
As mentioned previously, While Thinkific can host and deliver courses created in shared authoring tools like Articulate and Captivate, it does not actually take advantage of the SCORM (or even xAPI/TInCan) packaging capacities of these programs. If you have a reason for using one of the major standards, Thinkific might not be the thing to do.
Like I said, these Are areas which are not served well by additional platforms that are in Thinkific’s class. To acquire a platform that supports all three means a price point than Thinkific — and it could go far from there up. Be sure that these are openings for you before ruling out Thinkific.
No continuing education credit capacities
While you can Indicate the estimated variety of hours for completing a class in Thinkific, you can’t define the total amount of continuing education accessible for a program. While there may be work-arounds, for most course suppliers that focus on providing continuing education credit, this will be a Substantial barrier to using Thinkific, Thinkific Speakerlab
No multi-tenancy option
Multi-tenancy Means that you can create and manage a number of instances of a platform. This can be handy if you’re a training company that has many clients and those customers want their branded instance of this platform for serving and managing their customers. While the Group functionality in Thinkific gets you a part of the way there, it isn’t the same matter as multi-tenancy.
Although I To discover an internet course platform which has many hidden charges, Thinkific advertises it too has no hidden fees or contracts. That is good to know, but nothing special.
However, Thinkific Does offer a plan for people who wish to test the platform but not get bogged down by constraints. In theory, it makes it possible to launch your store and start building a pupil base. There’s also a free trial if you would rather give a whirl to one of the plans.
The pricing is Broken up into four easy plans:
Starter — $0 for many core Thinkific features. This plan has a 10% transaction fee, all you want to make, market, and market unlimited courses, your courses, course upsells, content hosting, basic integrations, Stripe/PayPal service, and access to all funds.
Basics — For $49 a month you get all core and newcomer features, together with a 5 percent transaction fee, coupons and promotions, monthly subscriptions, class bundles, intermediate integrations, fundamental Zapier, trickle articles, affiliate coverage, a bulk student emailer, customized domain, along with additional course rates. Thinkific Speakerlab
Business — For $99 a month you get the attributes from all previous plans, no transaction fees, completion certificates, private and hidden courses, site white labeling, a host storyline, intermediate Zapier, webhooks, three-course admin accounts, innovative HTML/CSS editing, priority support, teacher payout reporting, an onboarding telephone, payment plans, along with an immediate Infusionsoft integration.
Advanced — For $279 per month you get all attributes from previous plans, no transaction fees, a single sign-on (SSO), three site admin accounts, 10-course admin accounts, an onboarding professional, onboarding package, people API, innovative integrations, and innovative Zapier.
Thinkific has some Benefits to its pricing layout. Not only can you start your course at no cost (something that is not offered with competitors like Teachable,) however, the additional three programs are broken down into a logical manner.
After all, you Most probably do not need API accessibility until you start becoming advanced with your course selling.
I wouldn’t mind Seeing also the HTML editing and the completion certificates in the Essentials plan, but $99 per month still is bad.
As you can see, The transaction fees are 10% for the program. That is high, but it creates an excellent atmosphere for those who have low quantity or people who do not have the upfront capital to launch a professional online store. As soon as you start making money that trade fee can be cut down by you.
You can By paying on an yearly basis, also save money. The Essentials plan goes down to $39 per month if you cover it all upfront. The Business plan is $79 per month and the Advanced program is $219. That makes the pricing plans quite similar to Teachable.
I’ll end this Thinkific review where I began: this really is a platform I recommend. Hopefully it is clear by now that it supplies a range of the characteristics to encourage your edupreneur in selling courses that are online.
I think it is also Important to replicate as I wrap up that Thinkific is a company with a lot of momentum. This is not a point: the marketplace for online course platforms like Thinkific is now noisy and crowded. You can be certain that a lot is going to be gone tomorrow. I feel confident that Thinkific will be about, and the company is obviously growing and always investing to boost its platform. Thinkific Speakerlab | <urn:uuid:d74f0671-3f70-462e-b34e-a57b72483aa4> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://healthfitnessandbeautyreviews.com/thinkific-speakerlab-thinkific-platform-for-selling-online-courses-review-2019/ | 2020-09-27T16:15:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400283990.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20200927152349-20200927182349-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.930813 | 5,812 |
The Hippocratic Oath proclaims: “I will keep [the sick] from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect.” This is an essential precept for a flourishing civil society. No one, especially a doctor, should be permitted to kill intentionally, or assist in killing intentionally, an innocent neighbor.
Human life need not be extended by every medical means possible, but a person should never be intentionally killed. Doctors may help their patients to die a dignified death from natural causes, but they should not kill their patients or help them to kill themselves. This is the reality that such euphemisms as “death with dignity” and “aid in dying” seek to conceal.
In 2015, at least 18 state legislatures and the District of Columbia are considering whether to allow physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Legalizing physician-assisted suicide, however, would be a grave mistake because it would:
- Endanger the weak and vulnerable,
- Corrupt the practice of medicine and the doctor–patient relationship,
- Compromise the family and intergenerational commitments, and
- Betray human dignity and equality before the law.
First, PAS endangers the weak and marginalized in society. Where it has been allowed, safeguards purporting to minimize this risk have proved to be inadequate and have often been watered down or eliminated over time. People who deserve society’s assistance are instead offered accelerated death.
Second, PAS changes the culture in which medicine is practiced. It corrupts the profession of medicine by permitting the tools of healing to be used as techniques for killing. By the same token, PAS threatens to fundamentally distort the doctor–patient relationship because it reduces patients’ trust of doctors and doctors’ undivided commitment to the life and health of their patients. Moreover, the option of PAS would provide perverse incentives for insurance providers and the public and private financing of health care. Physician-assisted suicide offers a cheap, quick fix in a world of increasingly scarce health care resources.
Third, PAS would harm our entire culture, especially our family and intergenerational obligations. The temptation to view elderly or disabled family members as burdens will increase, as will the temptation for those family members to internalize this attitude and view themselves as burdens. Physician-assisted suicide undermines social solidarity and true compassion.
Fourth, PAS’s most profound injustice is that it violates human dignity and denies equality before the law. Every human being has intrinsic dignity and immeasurable worth. For our legal system to be coherent and just, the law must respect this dignity in everyone. It does so by taking all reasonable steps to prevent the innocent, of any age or condition, from being devalued and killed. Classifying a subgroup of people as legally eligible to be killed violates our nation’s commitment to equality before the law—showing profound disrespect for and callousness to those who will be judged to have lives no longer “worth living,” not least the frail elderly, the demented, and the disabled. No natural right to PAS exists, and arguments for such a right are incoherent: A legal system that allows assisted suicide abandons the natural right to life of all its citizens.
Instead of embracing PAS, we should respond to suffering with true compassion and solidarity. People seeking PAS typically suffer from depression or other mental illnesses, as well as simply from loneliness. Instead of helping them to kill themselves, we should offer them appropriate medical care and human presence. For those in physical pain, pain management and other palliative medicine can manage their symptoms effectively. For those for whom death is imminent, hospice care and fellowship can accompany them in their last days. Anything less falls short of what human dignity requires. The real challenge facing society is to make quality end-of-life care available to all.
Doctors should help their patients to die a dignified death of natural causes, not assist in killing. Physicians are always to care, never to kill. They properly seek to alleviate suffering, and it is reasonable to withhold or withdraw medical interventions that are not worthwhile. However, to judge that a patient’s life is not worthwhile and deliberately hasten his or her end is another thing altogether.
Citizens and policymakers need to resist the push by pressure groups, academic elites, and the media to sanction PAS. Recent experience with PAS both in the United States and in Europe suggests how problematic it is.
Endangering the Weak and Marginalized
To understand how PAS endangers the weak and marginalized, one must understand what PAS entails and where it leads. With PAS, a doctor prescribes the deadly drug, but the patient self-administers it. While most activists in the United States publicly call only for PAS, they have historically advocated not only PAS, but also euthanasia: the intentional killing of the patient by a doctor.
This is not surprising: The arguments for PAS are equally arguments for euthanasia. Neil Gorsuch, currently a federal judge, points out that some contemporary activists fault the movement for not being honest about where its arguments lead. He notes that legal theorist and New York University School of Law Professor Richard Epstein “has charged his fellow assisted suicide advocates who fail to endorse the legalization of euthanasia openly and explicitly with a ‘certain lack of courage.’”
The logic of assisted suicide leads to euthanasia because if “compassion” demands that some patients be helped to kill themselves, it makes little sense to claim that only those who are capable of self-administering the deadly drugs be given this option. Should not those who are too disabled to kill themselves have their suffering ended by a lethal injection?
And what of those who are too disabled to request that their suffering be ended, such as infants or the demented? Why should they be denied the “benefit” of a hastened death? Does not “compassion” provide an even more compelling reason for a doctor to provide this release from suffering and indignity? As Professor John Keown points out:
If compassion justified us in giving a lethal prescription to a terminally ill patient on request to end their suffering, it would equally justify us in giving them a lethal injection, particularly if they were physically unable to commit suicide. It would also justify us in giving a lethal injection to a terminally ill patient who was incapable of making a request.
Judge Gorsuch notes that for the Dutch, “it is the physician’s assessment of the patient’s quality of life as ‘degrading’ or ‘deteriorating’ or ‘hopeless’ that stands as the ultimate justification for killing.”
Although the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in two unanimous decisions that there is no constitutional right to PAS, three states permit it by statute: Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia are allowed in three European countries—the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg—and Switzerland allows assisted suicide.
The evidence from these jurisdictions, particularly the Netherlands, which has over 30 years of experience, suggests that safeguards to ensure effective control have proved inadequate. In the Netherlands, several official, government-sponsored surveys have disclosed both that in thousands of cases, doctors have intentionally administered lethal injections to patients without a request and that in thousands of cases, they have failed to report cases to the authorities.
Physician-Assisted Suicide Will Most Threaten the Weak and Marginalized. Physician-assisted suicide will most threaten the weak and marginalized because of the cultural pressures and economic incentives that will drive it. The New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, established by Governor Mario Cuomo, explained in its report:
The Task Force members unanimously concluded that legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia would pose profound risks to many patients.…
… The practices will pose the greatest risks to those who are poor, elderly, members of a minority group, or without access to good medical care.…
… The clinical safeguards that have been proposed to prevent abuse and errors would not be realized in many cases.
Dr. Paul McHugh, University Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Psychiatrist-in-Chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1975 to 2001, highlights that “with physician-assisted suicide, many people—some not terminally ill, but instead demoralized, depressed and bewildered—die before their time.” This sad reality led Dr. Leon Kass—a medical doctor, philosopher, and former chairman of the President’s Council on Bioethics—to explain that physician-assisted suicide “is, in fact, the state’s abdication of its duty to protect innocent life and its abandonment especially of the old, the weak, and the poor.”
The people most likely to be assisted by a physician in their suicide are suffering not simply from terminal illness, but also from depression, mental illness, loneliness, and despair. “Researchers have found hopelessness, which is strongly correlated with depression, to be the factor that most significantly predicts the wish for death,” write Dr. Herbert Hendin, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at New York Medical College and Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director of Suicide Prevention Initiatives, and Dr. Kathleen Foley, Professor of Neurology at Cornell University’s medical school and attending neurologist, pain and palliative care services, at Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center. As Dr. Hendin reports:
Mental illness raises the suicide risk even more than physical illness. Nearly 95 percent of those who kill themselves have been shown to have a diagnosable psychiatric illness in the months preceding suicide. The majority suffer from depression that can be treated. This is particularly true of those over fifty, who are more prone than younger victims to take their lives during the type of acute depressive episode that responds most effectively to treatment.
From their decades of professional medical practice, Drs. Hendin and Foley report that when patients who ask for a physician’s assistance in suicide “are treated by a physician who can hear their desperation, understand the ambivalence that most feel about their request, treat their depression, and relieve their suffering, their wish to die usually disappears.” They conclude: “Patients requesting suicide need psychiatric evaluation to determine whether they are seriously depressed, mentally incompetent, or for whatever reason do not meet the criteria for assisted suicide.”
Yet only five of the 178 Oregon patients who died under the Oregon assisted suicide laws in 2013 and 2014 were referred for any psychiatric or psychological evaluation. Remarkably, patients were referred for psychiatric evaluation in less than 5.5 percent of the 859 cases of assisted suicide reported in Oregon since its law went into effect in 1997. “This constitutes medical negligence,” writes Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at U.C. Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Kheriaty concludes, “To abandon suicidal individuals in the midst of a crisis—under the guise of respecting their autonomy—is socially irresponsible: It undermines sound medical ethics and erodes social solidarity.”
Regrettably, even in jurisdictions that require a doctor to mention palliative care and hospice alternatives before proceeding with assisted suicide, the doctors need not be experts. Drs. Hendin and Foley point out:
They are not required, however, to be knowledgeable about how to relieve physical or emotional suffering in terminally ill patients. Without such knowledge, which most physicians do not have, they cannot present or make feasible alternatives available. Nor in the absence of such knowledge are they required to refer the patient to a physician with expertise in palliative care.
The Legal Protections in Physician-Assisted Suicide Are Ineffective. Even if one were to accept an argument for PAS on the basis of autonomy and compassion, one would be forced to conclude that neither value is sufficiently protected in laws that have been enacted in several states and in current bills that would authorize it in additional jurisdictions. One of the greatest concerns is that autonomy will be violated and people pressured or coerced into killing themselves.
The District of Columbia’s Death With Dignity Act of 2015 would authorize physicians to prescribe deadly drugs to patients. This act is substantially similar to the laws passed in Oregon, Washington, and Vermont and others pending in various jurisdictions. None of the purported protections offered in the bill are sufficient; the experience with PAS to date shows that all will prove ineffective. Professor Alexander Capron, a leading health lawyer, has concluded that the Oregon safeguards are “largely illusory.” So, too, are those in the D.C. proposal.
The D.C. bill states that to receive a physician’s assistance in suicide, the patient must make two oral requests, separated by 15 days, to a physician of the patient’s choice. Before the second request, the patient must also make a written request, no less than 48 hours before the lethal drugs are prescribed or provided. This written request must be witnessed by two individuals, neither of whom may be the physician and only one of whom may be related to the patient, stand to inherit upon the patient’s death, or be an owner or employee of a health care facility where the patient is residing. The witnesses must attest that the patient is capable and acting voluntarily.
Likewise, the chosen physician must judge the patient to be capable and acting voluntarily and that the patient will likely die within six months. Then the physician refers the patient to a consulting physician who must verify these judgments.
Despite the purported safeguards, this system is ripe for abuse. One of the witnesses may be a family member with a financial or emotional incentive to see the patient die, and the other may simply be a friend willing to affirm that judgment. Patients or their more powerful guardians could shop around for a doctor who is willing to make the judgment that they are capable, acting freely, and likely to die within six months.
Moreover, the bill does not specify whether death need be likely with medical treatment or without. As a team of physicians has noted, “Deciding who should be counted as ‘terminally ill’ will pose such severe difficulties that it seems untenable as a criterion for permitting physician-assisted suicide.”
Of course, there is no reason to assume that all doctors will seek to make a serious diagnosis, because a patient can shop around for a compliant physician. Richard Doerflinger notes that Compassion and Choices (C&C), formerly known as the Hemlock Society and one of the advocacy groups pushing for assisted suicide laws nationwide, keeps a list of “friendly” doctors:
The doctors who declare patients qualified for assisted suicide are not randomly selected. C&C has boasted of its direct involvement in the vast majority of such cases in Oregon, as it has its own list of doctors who are willing and able to get patients around any pesky “safeguards.” If the patient’s own physician, or the next physician, discovers a disorder such as depression, the patient can simply shop around to find one who won’t care (or just call C&C in the first place).
Such shopping around for doctors claimed the life of Helen, a woman in Oregon. Judge Gorsuch recounts:
Helen was a breast cancer patient in her mid-eighties when the Oregon law went into effect. Helen’s regular physician refused to assist in her suicide; a second doctor was consulted but also refused, on the stated ground that Helen was depressed. At that point, Helen’s husband called Compassion in Dying. The medical director of the group spoke with Helen and later explained that Helen was “frustrated and crying because she felt powerless.” Helen was not, however, bedridden or in great pain…. The Compassion in Dying employee recommended a physician to Helen. That physician, in turn, referred Helen to a specialist (whose specialty is unknown), as well as to a psychiatrist who met Helen only once. A lethal prescription was then supplied.
Remarkably, the D.C. bill provides explicit protections for doctors to engage in such judgments by providing immunity from liabilities: “No person shall be subject to civil or criminal liability or professional disciplinary action for: (A) Participating in good faith compliance with this act.” Doerflinger explains:
“Good faith” is the loosest of legal standards, much weaker than the negligence standard physicians are generally held to. Instead of meeting the objective standards for what doctors should know, a doctor need only say that he sincerely didn’t know that he failed to live up to them.
The political left is ordinarily quite opposed to tort reform or medical malpractice limitations, yet here they explicitly support them. Doerflinger concludes:
So, in a matter of literal life and death, standards are much lower than anywhere else in law or medicine. You’re likely to be seen as terminal (hence a candidate for assisted suicide) if the doctor feels that you are, or thinks that you could become so without treatment. If you take the lethal drugs in a few weeks based on that prediction, there is, of course, no chance to prove him wrong.
Judge Gorsuch echoes this concern:
[I]t is also rather remarkable that, while physicians in Oregon are held to a standard of professional competence in administering all other treatments they provide, the Oregon assisted suicide statute creates an entirely different regime when it comes to administering this “treatment,” specifically and uniquely immunizing doctors from criminal prosecution, civil liability, or even professional discipline for any actions they take in assisting a suicide, as long as they act in “good faith.” Thus, while a doctor may be found liable for mere negligence in any other operation or procedure, there is no recourse for family members when a doctor kills a patient even on the basis of gross negligence by misdiagnosing the patient as terminal or by misassessing the patient as competent.
The disability-rights group Not Dead Yet agrees:
[I]t cannot be seriously maintained that assisted suicide laws can or do limit assisted suicide to people who are imminently dying, and voluntarily request and consume a lethal dose, free of inappropriate pressures from family or society. Rather, assisted suicide laws ensure legal immunity for physicians who already devalue the lives of older and disabled people and have significant economic incentives to at least agree with their suicides, if not encourage them, or worse.
Moreover, there are no protections relating to the time when the lethal drugs are taken. Once the requirements are met, a doctor may prescribe the deadly drugs and send the patient home to self-administer them. The D.C. bill, like the state bills, provides no safeguards to ensure that the patient is mentally competent when he or she takes the drugs and is not being pressured to do so. The lack of any legal protections ensuring autonomy at the time the lethal choice is made led Judge Gorsuch to ask: “How does it serve the putative goal of autonomous patient decision making to set up a regime that allows people to commit suicide without considering whether they are, in fact, acting freely, competently, and autonomously at the time of suicide?”
In sum, a family member or friend who might benefit financially from the death of a patient may act as a witness that the patient is voluntarily requesting the lethal prescription, and doctors who support the ideology of death and have never before met the patient (or the patient’s family) can judge the patient to be “qualified” under the law. Finally, at the time of administering the deadly drug, there are no safeguards to ensure voluntariness or competence or to guard against coercion. Such a measure woefully fails to protect autonomy.
The World’s Experience with Physician-Assisted Suicide Laws Confirms the Lethal Logic. While many assisted suicide laws attempt to limit PAS eligibility to the terminally ill, and while many laws attempt to provide protections ensuring autonomous consent, the experience of countries with PAS and euthanasia suggests that safeguards fail to ensure effective control.
In 1989, while teaching law and medical ethics at the University of Cambridge, Professor John Keown began to investigate PAS and euthanasia in the Netherlands. He found that key Dutch guidelines, such as requiring an explicit request from the patient, have long been widely violated with virtual impunity. He pointed out that the first of several official surveys conducted by the Dutch found that in 1990, “the total number of life-shortening acts and omissions where the doctor’s primary intention … was to kill, and which are therefore indubitably euthanasiast, is 10,558.”
Shockingly, the majority of these cases were nonvoluntary. Oxford legal scholar John Finnis, commenting on the Dutch data, remarks: “[W]ell over half … were without any explicit request. In the United States that would be over 235,000 unrequested medically accelerated deaths per annum.” In 2013, 1.7 percent (1,807 patients) of all deaths in Belgium were due to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. A 2010 study discovered that 66 of 208 identified deaths in Belgium were administered without an explicit patient request.
Keown confirms that “the undisputed empirical evidence from the Netherlands and Belgium shows widespread breach of the safeguards, not least the sizeable incidence of non-voluntary euthanasia and of non-reporting.” In October of 2013, three judges of the High Court of Ireland voiced the same concern: “[T]he incidence of legally assisted death without explicit request in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland is strikingly high.” And the numbers of those assisted in committed suicide keep growing.
Part of the reason for these troubling statistics is that any purported legal safeguards can be and have been abused, and over time the logic of a “right to die” is extended to ever-wider groups of patients, including the incompetent. Keown describes the logic of PAS as based on judging some lives as unworthy of life:
Once a doctor is prepared to make such a judgment in the case of [a] patient capable of requesting death, the judgment can, logically, equally be made in the case of a patient incapable of requesting death.… If a doctor thinks death would benefit the patient, why should the doctor deny the patient that benefit merely because the patient is incapable of asking for it?… The logical “slippery slope” argument is unanswerable.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, writing in the Atlantic Monthly, affirms that this is the lesson to take from the Netherlands and that proposed American PAS laws cannot avoid the same outcome:
The Netherlands studies fail to demonstrate that permitting physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia will not lead to the nonvoluntary euthanasia of children, the demented, the mentally ill, the old, and others. Indeed, the persistence of abuse and the violation of safeguards, despite publicity and condemnation, suggest that the feared consequences of legalization are exactly its inherent consequences.
In 1996, two doctors prosecuted in the Netherlands for the nonvoluntary euthanasia of disabled infants were acquitted when they argued medical necessity. The Dutch courts simply followed the inexorable logic that drives the case for PAS and voluntary euthanasia to a new extent. If necessity justifies ending the life of a suffering patient who requests it, it equally justifies ending the life of a suffering patient who cannot request it. Dutch pediatricians have now devised a protocol for infanticide.
A 2005 study in the New England Journal of Medicine recorded that in the previous seven years, 22 cases of infant euthanasia were reported in the Netherlands. A 2013 Netherlands commission on euthanasia argued that as many as 650 infants per year should be eligible for euthanasia on the basis of the children’s diagnosis as “babies who in spite of very intensive treatment are certain to die in the short term, babies with a poor prognosis and very poor expected quality of life, or babies who are not dependent on intensive treatment but who face a life of severe suffering with no prospect of improvement.” The U.N. Human Rights Committee formally condemned this Dutch infanticide: “The Committee is gravely concerned at reports that new-born handicapped infants have had their lives ended by medical personnel.”
In March 2014, Belgium became the first country to legislatively allow doctors to euthanize “consenting” minors, despite the objections of 160 physicians. In an open letter, these doctors argued that legalization without age restriction was unnecessary, as palliative care is sufficient, and the bill would create excessive pressure on both children and parents to choose premature death. Nevertheless, Belgium went forward and removed the age restrictions.
Diagnoses of disability are now considered sufficient grounds for death. In December 2012, Marc and Eddy Verbessem, 45-year-old deaf twins, were euthanized in a Belgian hospital after they discovered they were going blind. Nancy Verhelst, a 44-year-old transsexual Belgian whose doctors made mistakes in three sex change operations, was left feeling as though she was a “monster.” She then requested—and was granted—euthanasia by lethal injection.
In the Netherlands, the euthanized include Ann G., a 44-year-old woman whose only ailment was chronic anorexia. In the beginning of 2013, Dutch doctors administered a lethal injection to a 70-year-old blind woman because she said the loss of sight constituted “unbearable suffering.” In early 2015, a 47-year-old divorced mother of two suffering from tinnitus, a loud ringing in the ears, was granted physician-assisted suicide in the Netherlands. She left behind a 13-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. Gerty Casteelen was a 54-year-old psychiatric patient with molysomophobia, a fear of dirt or contamination. Her doctors decided that she would not be able to control her fear and agreed to administer a lethal injection.
Corrupting the Practice of Medicine
Physician-assisted suicide threatens to:
- Corrupt the culture in which medicine is practiced;
- Corrupt the profession of medicine by permitting the tools of healing to be used as a technique for killing;
- Fundamentally distort the doctor–patient relationship, greatly reducing patients’ trust of doctors and doctors’ undivided commitment to the healing of their patients; and
- Create perverse incentives for insurance providers and the financing of health care.
Physician-Assisted Suicide Corrupts the Profession of Medicine. The heart of medicine is healing. Doctors cannot heal by assisting patients to kill themselves or by killing them. They rightly seek to eliminate disease and alleviate pain and suffering. They may not, however, seek to eliminate the patient. Allowing doctors to assist in killing threatens to fundamentally corrupt the defining goal of the profession of medicine.
In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Kass elaborated on this point:
The legalization of physician-assisted suicide will pervert the medical profession by transforming the healer of human beings into a technical dispenser of death. For over two millennia the medical ethic, mindful that power to cure is also power to kill, has held as an inviolable rule, “Doctors must not kill.”
Dr. Paul McHugh agrees that this inviolable rule is essential to the practice of medicine:
Since ancient Greece physicians have been tempted to help desperate patients kill themselves, and many of those Greek doctors must have done so. But even then the best rejected such actions as unworthy and, as the Hippocratic Oath insists, contrary to the physician’s purpose of “benefiting the sick.”
For this reason, the American Medical Association (AMA) code of ethics rejects physician-assisted suicide. The AMA states: “Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer.” As law professor O. Carter Snead notes, dozens of professional associations and groups representing vulnerable persons oppose physician-assisted suicide, including the:
- American Medical Association,
- World Health Organization,
- American Nurses Association,
- American Association of Critical-Care Nurses,
- Hospice Nurses Association,
- Oncology Nurses Society,
- American Osteopathic Association,
- American Psychiatric Association,
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,
- American Academy of Pain Management,
- American Academy of Pain Medicine,
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,
- American Academy of Physical Medicine,
- Society of Critical Care Medicine,
- American Academy of Neurology,
- American Neurological Association,
- American Society of Anesthesiologists,
- American Society of Clinical Pathologists,
- College of American Pathologists,
- American Society of Abdominal Surgeons,
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists,
- Society of Medical Consultants to the Armed Forces,
- American Institute of Life Threatening Illness and Loss,
- Massachusetts Medical Society,
- Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund,
- American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today,
- American Association of People with Disabilities,
- Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living,
- Justice for All,
- National Council on Disability,
- National Council on Independent Living,
- National Spinal Cord Injury Association,
- Not Dead Yet,
- World Association of Persons with Disabilities, and
- World Institute on Disability.
Practicing medicine is a not a morally neutral act of mere technical skill. Physicians do not practice medicine simply to fulfil the desires of consumer-patients, whatever those desires may be. Rather, medicine is a profession governed by its core commitment to healing patients. Dr. Kass explains that professionals profess their devotion to the purposes they serve and the ideals to which they look. Teachers are devoted to learning, lawyers to justice, clergy to things divine, and “the physician devotes himself to healing the sick, looking up to health and wholeness.” Dr. Kass adds: “Healing is thus the central core of medicine: to heal, to make whole, is the doctor’s primary business.”
Killing is incompatible with caring. Dr. Kass explains: “Can wholeness and healing ever be compatible with intentionally killing the patient? Can one benefit the patient as a whole by making him dead?… ‘Better off dead’ is logical nonsense.” Indeed, “to bring nothingness is incompatible with serving wholeness: one cannot heal—or comfort—by making nil. The healer cannot annihilate if he is truly to heal. The boundary condition, ‘No deadly drugs,’ flows directly from the center, ‘Make whole.’”
Dr. McHugh illustrates what happens when this boundary is crossed: “Once doctors agree to assist a person’s suicide, ultimately they find it difficult to reject anyone who seeks their services. The killing of patients by doctors spreads to encompass many treatable but mentally troubled individuals, as seen today in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.” Disability groups note that “numerous studies have demonstrated that physicians underestimate the quality of life of people with disabilities compared to our own assessments.”
Physician-Assisted Suicide Distorts the Doctor–Patient Relationship. Physician-assisted suicide will not only corrupt the professionals who practice medicine, but also affect the patients because it threatens to fundamentally distort the doctor–patient relationship, greatly reducing patients’ trust of doctors and doctors’ undivided commitment to the healing of their patients.
Our laws shape our culture, and our culture shapes our beliefs, which in turn shape our behaviors. The laws governing medical treatments will shape the way that doctors behave and thus shape the doctor–patient relationship. Legal philosopher John Finnis explains how a change in the law will lead to a change of heart on the part of doctors:
Now change the law and the professional ethic. Killing with intent becomes a routine management option. Oh yes, there are restrictions, guidelines, paperwork. Well meant. Not utterly irrelevant. But as nothing compared with our doctors’ change in heart, professional formation, and conscience.
On this point, Dr. Kass agrees:
Won’t it be tempting to think that death is the best treatment for the little old lady “dumped” again on the emergency room by the nearby nursing home? Even the most humane and conscientious physician psychologically needs protection against himself and his weaknesses, if he is to care fully for those who entrust themselves to him. A physician friend who worked many years in a hospice caring for dying patients explained it to me most convincingly: “Only because I knew that I could not and would not kill my patients was I able to enter most fully and intimately into caring for them as they lay dying.”
Dr. Kass asks us to consider the new normal that PAS would bring to patients:
Imagine the scene: you are old, poor, in failing health, and alone in the world; you are brought to the city hospital with fractured ribs and pneumonia. The nurse or intern enters late at night with a syringe full of yellow stuff for your intravenous drip. How soundly will you sleep? It will not matter that your doctor has never yet put anyone to death; that he is legally entitled to do so—even if only in some well-circumscribed areas—will make a world of difference.
Finnis dramatizes this new normal, highlighting how the change in law leads to a change in patients’ behavior:
A new zone of silence. Can I safely speak to my physician about the full extent of my sufferings, about my fears, about my occasional or regular wish to be free from my burdens? Will my words be heard as a plea to be killed? As a tacit permission? And why does my physician need my permission, my request?
The trust that patients place in their doctors will be seriously breached if patients fear that their doctors may encourage—and actively facilitate—their death.
Physician-Assisted Suicide Creates Perverse Incentives for Insurance Providers. Physician-assisted suicide will create perverse incentives for insurance providers and the financing of health care. Assisting in suicide will often be a more “cost-effective” measure from the perspective of the bottom line than is actually caring for patients. In fact, some advocates of PAS and euthanasia make the case on the basis of saving money.
Baroness Mary Warnock, a leading ethicist in the United Kingdom, has argued, “If you’re demented, you’re wasting people’s lives—your family’s lives—and you’re wasting the resources of the National Health Service.” Warnock went on to suggest that such people have a “duty to die.”
Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society, also points to the role of money, noting that “the pressures of cost containment provide impetus, whether openly acknowledged or not, for the practicalities of an assisted death.” He goes on to add that “the connections between the right-to-die and the cost, value, and allocation of health care resources are part of the political debate, albeit frequently unspoken.” Humphry, however, was one advocate willing to speak about that cost: “It is impossible to predict exactly how much money could be saved.… Conservative estimates, however, place the dollar amount in the tens of billions.”
Physician-assisted suicide has affected the financing of health care in the United States as well. Dr. McHugh notes:
When a “right to die” becomes settled law, soon the right translates into a duty. That was the message sent by Oregon, which legalized assisted suicide in 1994, when the state-sponsored health plan in 2008 denied recommended but costly cancer treatments and offered instead to pay for less-expensive suicide drugs.
Richard Doerflinger adds:
Last year, over half the patients who committed assisted suicide in Oregon relied on the government for their health coverage or had no coverage at all. Over three-quarters of those dying under Washington’s assisted suicide law were partly or completely dependent on Medicare or Medicaid.
This sets the stage for a perverse alignment of public financing and patient death, just as the New York Task Force predicted in its 1994 report:
Limits on hospital reimbursement based on length of stay and diagnostic group, falling hospital revenues, and the social need to allocate health dollars may all influence physicians’ decisions at the bedside.… Under any new system of health care delivery, as at present, it will be far less costly to give a lethal injection than to care for a patient throughout the dying process.…
Physicians who determine that a patient is a suitable candidate for assisted suicide or euthanasia may be far less inclined to present treatment alternatives, especially if the treatment requires intensive efforts by health care professionals.
These perverse financial incentives will exercise a subtle but profound pressure on patients as the advice from their physicians and the procedures covered by their insurance increasingly point toward PAS. Given the increasing number of elderly patients in modern societies, their increasing longevity, and the increasing cost of treating their chronic illnesses, PAS will increasingly be seen as a cost-effective option and one that the elderly should be encouraged to consider.
Compromising the Family and Intergenerational Obligations
Physician-assisted suicide will also negatively affect our culture, especially the family and our intergenerational obligations. The temptation to view elderly or disabled family members as burdens will surely rise. The temptation for elderly and disabled family members to view themselves as burdens will also surely rise. Instead of the solidarity of civil society and true compassion, PAS threatens to create cheap solutions by eliminating those who are perceived as socially and economically burdensome.
The Family Has Responsibility for Disabled and Elderly Relatives. There is a natural cycle to human life. Human beings enter the world as entirely needy, totally dependent newborns. Many people exit life dependent on others as well. Along the way, there will undoubtedly be periods of trial and tribulation when people need the assistance of others. Traditionally, the family has been a central social institution for weathering life’s storms. Mothers and fathers take care of children at the dawn of life, and then children take care of their aging parents at the twilight.
Family life is meant to include shouldering one another’s burdens and assisting those in need. In his provocatively titled essay “I Want to Burden My Loved Ones,” ethicist Gilbert Meilaender explains why he refuses to accept the logic of atomistic individualism:
Is this not in large measure what it means to belong to a family: to burden each other—and to find, almost miraculously, that others are willing, even happy, to carry such burdens? Families would not have the significance they do for us if they did not, in fact, give us a claim upon each other. At least in this sphere of life we do not come together as autonomous individuals freely contracting with each other. We simply find ourselves thrown together and asked to share the burdens of life while learning to care for each other.
While the family is the primary institution tasked with intergenerational care, no family is an island. As Dr. Kass and Eric Cohen point out, families are situated within a larger culture—and the law shapes this culture:
Even if the burdens of aging and death are always borne most fully by individuals and families, how we age and die are not only private matters. Our communal practices and social policies shape the environments in which aging and caregiving take place—not only in moments of crisis, when life-or-death decisions need to be made, but in the long days of struggle and everyday attendance. Faith-based institutions and community groups support families in meeting those needs they cannot meet alone. Programs like Medicaid assist those who are old and impoverished, in need of nursing that they cannot themselves afford.
Physician-Assisted Suicide Creates Heightened Pressures on Disabled and Elderly Family Members. The introduction of PAS would undermine familial relationships and promote the view that disabled and elderly relatives are not people to be loved but burdens to be managed. Physician-assisted suicide would alter how people in general view the disabled and elderly and how the disabled and elderly view themselves. On the interaction between the two groups, Professor Finnis describes a dramatic scene:
Another zone of fearful silence. Outside the door are the relatives. What will they be telling the doctor about my condition and my wishes? What is prudent to tell them about my suffering, my depression, my wishes? Are they interpreting my state of mind just as I would wish? Are their interests in line with mine?
Physician-assisted suicide creates a temptation for relatives and thus undermines trust. Because of its potential to corrupt these intergenerational ties, Finnis concludes that in a world with PAS, “[m]any people will find that their nearest and dearest are less and less near, and less and less dear.”
Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of the late Senator Edward Kennedy (D–MA), campaigned against a bill that would have legalized PAS in Massachusetts on precisely these grounds. Kennedy noted that “the proposed law is not about bringing family together to make end of life decisions; it’s intended to exclude family members from the actual decision-making process to guard against patients’ being pressured to end their lives prematurely.” She went on to explain how her husband was able to die a true death with dignity by avoiding the pressures of assisted suicide:
When my husband was first diagnosed with cancer, he was told that he had only two to four months to live, that he’d never go back to the U.S. Senate, that he should get his affairs in order, kiss his wife, love his family and get ready to die.
But that prognosis was wrong. Teddy lived 15 more productive months.… Because that first dire prediction of life expectancy was wrong, I have 15 months of cherished memories—memories of family dinners and songfests with our children and grandchildren; memories of laughter and, yes, tears; memories of life that neither I nor my husband would have traded for anything in the world.
When the end finally did come—natural death with dignity—my husband was home, attended by his doctor, surrounded by family and our priest.
Mrs. Kennedy concluded that most people wish for a good death “surrounded by loved ones, perhaps with a doctor and/or clergyman at our bedside.” But with PAS, “what you get instead is a prescription for up to 100 capsules, dispensed by a pharmacist, taken without medical supervision, followed by death, perhaps alone. That seems harsh and extreme to me.” Indeed it is.
Even if legal protections against pressure and coercion could somehow be made effective, how could they prevent the corruption of culture? In a society with PAS, legal safeguards will not mute the clear moral message transmitted by laws allowing PAS: that some lives are “not worth living” and that some people have a duty to end their lives.
These cultural pressures are not merely the suppositions of cultural philosophy. They play out in real life. Dr. Hendin has documented many such stories, such as this one:
A wife who no longer wished to care for her sick, elderly husband gave him a choice between euthanasia and admission to a home for the chronically ill. The man, afraid of being left to the mercy of strangers in an unfamiliar place, chose to have his life ended; the doctor, although aware of the coercion, ended the man’s life.
These stories are not isolated incidents. Dr. Hendin reports that a study of Dutch hospitals found that “doctors and nurses reported that more requests for euthanasia came from families than from patients themselves. The investigator concluded that the families, the doctors, and the nurses were involved in pressuring patients to request euthanasia.” The same pressure is evident in the limited places where physician-assisted suicide is legal in the United States. Oregon Health Authority research found that 40 percent of those who were assisted with suicide cited being a burden on family or friends and caregivers as their motivation to end their lives.
These considerations are particularly disturbing because suicide is a phenomenon that can spread throughout a society, based on imitation. Social scientists, Dr. Kheriaty notes, “know that there is a ‘social contagion’ aspect to suicide.” In its guide to preventing suicide, the World Health Organization notes the scholarly research on the imitative nature of suicide:
Over 50 investigations into imitative suicides have been conducted. Systematic reviews of these studies have consistently drawn the same conclusion: media reporting of suicide can lead to imitative suicidal behaviours.… Particular subgroups in the population (e.g., young people, people suffering from depression) may be especially vulnerable to engaging in imitative suicidal behaviours. Finally, and probably most importantly, overt description of suicide by a particular method may lead to increases in suicidal behaviour employing that method.
Commenting on Brittany Maynard’s suicide, Dr. Kheriaty argues that “given what we know about suicide’s social effects, and given the media portrayal around her death, we can anticipate that her decision will influence other vulnerable individuals.” Dr. Kheriaty concludes that PAS will send a signal to legitimize such suicidal desires:
Refusing to legitimate suicide helps those in need. The practice of physician-assisted suicide … sends a message that some lives are not worth living. The law is a teacher: If assisted suicide is legalized, this message will be heard by everyone who is afflicted by suicidal thoughts or tendencies.
In doing so, PAS undermines our entire culture.
Betraying Human Dignity and Equality Before the Law
Perhaps the most profound injustice of PAS is that it violates human dignity and denies equality before the law. Every human being has intrinsic dignity and worth. For our legal system to be coherent and just, the law must respect this dignity by taking all reasonable steps to prevent the taking of innocent lives. Classifying a subgroup of people as legally eligible to be killed violates our nation’s commitment to equality before the law and shows profound disrespect for the elderly and disabled.
No natural right to physician-assisted suicide exists, and arguments for such a right are indeed incoherent. A legal system that permits assisted suicide undermines the natural right to life for all of its citizens.
Every Human Being Has Intrinsic Human Dignity and Worth. The American Creed, best articulated in the Declaration of Independence, holds it to be a self-evident truth “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Philosophers Patrick Lee and Robert P. George explain that “every human being, of whatever age, size, or degree of development, has inherent and equal fundamental dignity and basic rights.”
This dignity does not depend on subjective evaluations of worth, even of self-worth, or on the ability to “contribute” to society. Rather, the dignity is intrinsic. Human dignity is not based on an instrumental account of what a person can do, but on recognition of what a human being is: a person made for reason, freedom, and love. Lee and George explain that “a human being is valuable as a subject of rights in virtue of what he or she is…. And so a human being remains a subject of rights, someone who has a right not to be intentionally killed, for as long as he or she exists.”
Of course, a belief in human dignity is not unique to the United States. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights begins by noting that the “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” The European Convention on Human Rights also emphasizes the inalienable right to life: “Everyone’s right to life shall be protected by law. This right is one of the most important of the Convention since without the right to life it is impossible to enjoy the other rights.”
The Law Must Respect Human Dignity and Equality Before the Law. The deepest injustice of PAS, then, is that it treats some human lives as lacking dignity or worth—and therefore unworthy of the law’s protection. Lee and George conclude that “the choice to kill an innocent human life, whether one’s own or another’s, even for the sake of avoiding terrible suffering, is intrinsically immoral. Euthanasia and suicide are contrary to the intrinsic dignity of human persons.”
Obviously, this does not require that every medical procedure to extend life must be accepted. As the Supreme Court held in a unanimous decision upholding New York’s prohibition on PAS, there is a significant difference between allowing someone to die of natural causes and killing him.
The D.C. assisted suicide bill, like most, attempts to define which lives are unworthy of legal protection and thus eligible for physician assistance in killing. That definition is unavoidably a statement of who is unworthy of legal protection. There is no way around it. While the evidence discussed in the first section of this paper indicates that its proposed safeguards would fail to ensure effective control, even the attempt to define which lives are eligible for suicide is a grave injustice: It violates human dignity and equality before the law. It declares that some lives matter less than others.
Disability-rights groups are particularly concerned about the ways in which assisted suicide deprives disabled people of the law’s equal protection. In 2009, for example, Not Dead Yet, ADAPT, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the National Council on Independent Living, and the National Spinal Cord Injury Association filed a joint amicus brief in the Montana court system in a case reviewing Montana’s law on assisted suicide.
Diane Coleman, president of Not Dead Yet, summarized these arguments in an article for the Disability and Health Journal. Coleman explains that the push for assisted suicide undermines the value of the lives of people with disabilities:
The primary underlying practical basis for the physician’s determination that the individual is eligible for assisted suicide is the individual’s disabilities and physical dependence on others for everyday needs, which is viewed as depriving them of what nondisabled people often associate with “autonomy” and “dignity,” and may also lead them to feel like a “burden.” This establishes grounds for physicians to treat these individuals completely differently than they would treat a physically able-bodied suicidal person.
In addition to denying the intrinsic human dignity of the disabled, PAS laws violate the equal protection of the law. The law and government officials would treat suicidal disabled citizens differently from able-bodied citizens:
Not Dead Yet’s central argument is that legalized assisted suicide sets up a double standard for how health care providers, government authorities, and others respond to an individual’s stated wish to die. Some people get suicide prevention while others get suicide assistance, and the difference between the two groups is the health status of the individual.
As the joint amicus brief notes, “Assisted suicide singles out some people with disabilities, those labeled ‘terminal’ or very severely impaired, for different treatment than other suicidal people receive.” Government policy should seek to respect the innate dignity of the disabled by eliminating every form of unjust discrimination against them, not by expressly approving the worst form of discrimination of all.
A “Right” to Physician-Assisted Suicide Is Incoherent, Grounded in Neither Nature Nor Reason. Not only does PAS violate human dignity and equality, but any supposed right to assisted suicide is incoherent, grounded neither in nature nor in reason.
Dr. Kass highlights the absurdity of a “right to die”: “As the ultimate new right, grounded neither in nature nor in reason, it demonstrates the nihilistic implication of the new (‘postliberal’) doctrine of rights, rooted in the self-creating will.” He later adds: “If we start at the beginning, with the great philosophical teachers of natural rights, the very notion of a right to die is nonsensical.” This is partly because “the right to life is a matter of nature, not will.” Dr. Kass notes that:
We Americans hold as a self-evident truth that governments exist to secure inalienable rights, first of all, the right to self-preservation; now we are being encouraged to use government to secure a putative right of self-destruction. A “right to die” is surely strange and unprecedented, and hardly innocent.
If there is a right to the pursuit of happiness, how could one argue that the pursuit of happiness could entail the elimination of the person with that right?
The American Founders would agree with Professors Kass, Lee, and George. They distinguished liberty from license. Liberty, they rightly understood, is self-directed action in accord with the moral law; license is self-destructive action that debases one’s community. The Founders would have little patience for an argument based on “autonomy” (what they would view as license) to commit PAS, especially as the legal allowance of such a practice would threaten other people’s right to life. Dr. Kass highlights the absurdity in terms of the philosophy of Kant:
For Kant, autonomy, which literally means “self-legislation,” requires acting in accordance with one’s true self—that is, with one’s rational will determined by a universalizable, that is, rational maxim. Being autonomous means not being a slave to instinct, impulse or whim, but rather doing as one ought, as a rational being. But “autonomy” has now come to mean “doing as you please,” compatible no less with self-indulgence than with self-control.
Any purported right to assisted suicide is both incoherent and impossible to specify. To highlight this incoherence and lack of specificity, John Finnis reflected on the phrase “right to die”:
Where is the proposition specifying who has the right, to what acts, by which persons? Is it the right of terminally ill patients? (And what is terminal illness?) Or only of those who are suffering? (And what sort and degree of sufferings?) Or of all who are suffering whether or not their illness is terminal? Is it a right only to be assisted in killing oneself…? Or also that others be permitted (or perhaps under a duty) to kill me? (When I cannot do so myself? Or also when I choose?)
In truth, the entire concept of a right to assisted suicide will be applied only to certain people whom government officials have classified as “eligible.” Finnis explains:
Even when you fall seriously ill, or become clinically depressed, you will find (if the reformers [i.e., those proposing bills to allow assisted suicide] are to be believed) that your right to autonomy does not give you the right to be assisted in suicide unless you are ill enough or suffering enough, or depressed severally and incurably enough—in each case “enough” in the view of somebody else, other people.
Rather than allow the government to decide whose life is unworthy of life, it is much better to have the government respect the intrinsic dignity of every human life and thus provide for the equal protection in law of all human beings. The alternative, as Finnis presents it, requires that we “allow some people to sit in judgment on the life of another human person, to judge that person’s life worthless, and so to authorize themselves or others to carry out that person’s request for death.”
If we empower such people to judge other people’s lives as worthless, how long will it be until the choice for death under certain circumstances becomes an obligation—perhaps enforced by other people. Thus, an incoherent “right” to assisted suicide might very well result in a duty to have oneself euthanized.
The Legal System as a Whole Must Protect Rights. Physician-assisted suicide would transform our nation’s legal system. A society that creates a right to assisted suicide will seriously compromise the natural right not to be killed. As Finnis has argued, “A whole new breed of lawyers and law teachers and judges will rapidly come into existence to give effect to the new régime.” With this new set of legal officials interpreting and enforcing new laws, society can expect to see more people have their right not to be killed violated.
Given the various ways in which PAS will change the practice of medicine, law, and the culture, Finnis asks “which legal framework will take … rights most seriously.” He answers:
[T]he secular, highly experienced, and sophisticated members of the Walton Committee [House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, chaired by Lord Walton] and the New York Task Force judge that if euthanasia were legalized at all, the right not to be killed would be catastrophically nullified for very many more people than the few whose supposed right to die is compromised by present law.
The right not to be killed cannot be protected effectively in a nation that allows physician-assisted suicide.
The Alternative: Respecting Human Dignity and Equality and Offering True Compassion
Physicians are always to care, never to kill. They are to eliminate illness and disease but never eliminate their patients. Not every medical means must be used. Patients can refuse or doctors can withhold particular treatments that are useless or causing more harm than good. But in deciding that a treatment is useless, we must not decide that a patient is worthless. Doctors should not kill.
Mental Health and Palliative Care: True Compassionate Treatment. Instead of embracing PAS, we should respond to suffering with true compassion. Most people seeking PAS suffer from depression or other mental illnesses, physical illness, or simply loneliness. Dr. Kheriaty notes:
Suicidal individuals typically do not want to die; they want to escape what they perceive as intolerable suffering. When comfort or relief is offered, in the form of more-adequate treatment for depression, better pain management, or more-comprehensive palliative care, the desire for suicide wanes.
Rather than helping suicidal people to kill themselves, we should offer them treatment and support. For those in physical pain, palliative care and other pain management can manage their symptoms effectively. For those for whom death is imminent, hospice care and fellowship to accompanying them in their last days is what a true death with dignity looks like. Victoria Reggie Kennedy has said it best:
My late husband Sen. Edward Kennedy called quality, affordable health care for all the cause of his life. [PAS] turns his vision of health care for all on its head by asking us to endorse patient suicide—not patient care—as our public policy for dealing with pain and the financial burdens of care at the end of life. We’re better than that. We should expand palliative care, pain management, nursing care and hospice, not trade the dignity and life of a human being for the bottom line.
Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by alleviating pain and other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care is an option for people of any age at any stage in illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic, or life threatening.
When a patient receives a terminal or life-altering diagnosis, the subsequent life changes are not limited to the medical challenges. Patients encounter the physical trauma of the medical diagnosis while also experiencing psychological difficulties, social changes, and even existential concerns. In Oregon Health Authority research, 91 percent of those who were assisted with suicide cited loss of autonomy as their motivation to end their lives, and 71 percent cited loss of dignity as their motivation. Only 31 percent cited inadequate pain control. These needs require different forms of care. Palliative care seeks to take into consideration every facet of the patient’s situation—with professionals who can attend to all aspects of the patient’s needs.
The most common structure in which patients receive palliative care is in hospice. Hospice care can be provided in patients’ homes, hospice centers, hospitals, long-term care facilities, or wherever a patient resides. By rejecting PAS and committing to palliative care and hospice care, we can better people’s lives at the end of life. As Dr. Kass notes:
We must care for the dying, not make them dead. By accepting mortality yet knowing that we will not kill, doctors can focus on enhancing the lives of those who are dying, with relief of pain and discomfort, moral and social support, and, when appropriate, the removal of technical interventions that are merely useless or degrading additions to the burdens of dying.
Regrettably, palliative care is not as widely available as it should be. The United States has only one palliative care physician for every 1,200 persons living with a serious or life-threatening illness. Even with the aging population, only 63 percent of hospitals report a palliative care program.
In order to increase the availability and understanding of palliative care, medical schools should ensure that students are trained in managing pain and other common distressing symptoms and that they learn how to talk to patients about palliative options at the end of life. As Drs. Hendin and Foley note, when there is a lack of comprehensive support for patients with terminal or life-altering diagnosis, “the focus shifts away from relieving the distress of dying patients considering a hastened death to meeting the statutory requirements for assisted suicide.” This we must resist.
Always to Care, Never to Kill
Doctors should help their patients die a dignified natural death, but doctors should not assist in killing or self-killing. Physicians are always to care, never to kill.
Physician-assisted suicide endangers the weak and marginalized in society. Where PAS has been allowed, safeguards that were put in place to minimize this risk have proved inadequate and over time have been weakened or eliminated altogether.
Introducing PAS changes the culture in which medicine is practiced. It corrupts the profession of medicine by permitting the tools of healing to be used as techniques for killing. It also distorts the doctor–patient relationship by reducing patients’ trust of doctors and doctors’ undivided commitment to the healing of their patients. Physician-assisted suicide also creates perverse incentives for insurance providers and the financing of health care.
Worse yet, PAS negatively affects our entire culture. The temptation to view elderly or disabled family members as burdens will increase, as will the temptation for elderly and disabled family members to view themselves as burdens. Instead of solidarity through civil society and true compassion, PAS creates quick-fix, discriminatory, and lethal solutions.
The most profound injustice of PAS is that it violates human dignity and denies equality before the law. Every human being has intrinsic dignity and is the subject of immeasurable worth. No natural right to PAS exists, and arguments for such a right are incoherent. A legal system that sought to vindicate a right to assisted suicide would jeopardize the real natural right to life for all of its citizens.
For all of these reasons, citizens and policymakers need to resist the push for physician-assisted suicide.
—Ryan T. Anderson, PhD, is William E. Simon Fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center, of the Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity, at The Heritage Foundation. | <urn:uuid:eaa2a270-d785-45be-ba11-1a9bc4dbfd31> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://www.heritage.org/health-care-reform/report/always-care-never-kill-how-physician-assisted-suicide-endangers-the-weak | 2020-09-27T17:44:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600400283990.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20200927152349-20200927182349-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.953061 | 13,342 |
The Morocco tours described on this website are operated by Berber Sahara Treasures, which has its head office in Ouarzazate, Morocco in conjunction with Berber Treasures Pty Ltd, which has its head office in Sydney, Australia (together Berber Treasures).
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2.4 Group Size: Berber Treasures does not impose minimum client numbers for its group tour departures except where expressly stated by Berber Treasures in writing in respect to a particular itinerary(s) and/or particularly departure(s). Berber Treasures reserves the right to operate all group tours departures irrespective of group size, and for the avoidance of doubt, a group can be comprised of at least one person.
3. AMENDMENTS TO YOUR TOUR
3.1 Requests to amend your booked tour must be made in writing quoting your booking reference number (invoice number) together with the requested amendment. Berber Treasures will try to accommodate reasonable requests to amend your booked tour, but we cannot guarantee to do so. Amendments to your booked tour are not usually possible within 30 days of the start date of your tour. If, while in Morocco, you deviate from the booked tour all costs resulting from such an action are your responsibility. No refunds will be given for any unused portion of your booked tour including, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals, services, or any other tour inclusion not utilised. No refunds will be made if you leave a booked tour for any reason after the tour has begun. For the avoidance of doubt, this section has no application to requests to change or defer your tour dates/departure (see “Cancellation” s 7 below).
3.2 In the case of amendment to your booked tour, you will be liable for any additional costs incurred, together with an administration charge of $150 for our small group tours of Morocco and $350 for our private tours of Morocco on each occasion your booked tour is so amended. Any such amendment will not form part of your booked tour unless and until Berber Treasures confirms the amendment to your booked tour in writing and confirms in writing receipt in full of any supplemental costs and charges. Where Berber Treasures confirms an amendment, you are responsible for ensuring that your visa and/or insurance cover and/or flights remain valid.
3.3 Where, for whatever reason, Berber Treasures does not agree to make the requested amendment, you may proceed with the booked tour, or you may cancel the booked tour in which case you will be liable for the cancellation charges in accordance with the scale set out herein.
4. YOUR TOUR AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK
4.1 Berber Treasures operates tours in Morocco where standards of accommodation, transport, safety, hygiene, medical facilities and other infrastructure and environmental conditions may, at times, not be of the standard that you are used to or typically experience at home. If you are in any doubt about the suitability, to your own requirements, of the facilities, transport, accommodation or conditions prevailing in Morocco, then you should make a written enquiry to us with which we must expressly agree in writing as we cannot otherwise be held responsible for failure to meet your requirements. Whilst every effort will be made to meet reasonable requests, they cannot be guaranteed.
4.2 By booking with us you acknowledge that participation in all Berber Treasures tours involves inherent risks that may not be present in the case of conventional or less demanding holidays. These risks include, without limitation, the possibility of injury or death, psychological trauma, disease, loss or damage to property, inconvenience, and discomfort. The possibility of experiencing all or some of these risks is likely to be higher if participation in a Berber Treasures tour involves visiting remote or unstable regions, desert regions or regions where there is dangerous wildlife, or if you are undertaking activities such as trekking, biking or riding animals.
4.3 It is your responsibility to accustom yourself with the travel advice provided by your government body (in Australia, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), before commencing the booked tour. By booking and travelling with Berber Treasures you acknowledge your decision to travel on a Berber Treasures tour is made after due consideration of relevant travel information that may be made available at any time.
4.4 You also acknowledge situations and circumstances may change at any time, including with little or no notice, and/or rapidly; should this happen you acknowledge it is solely you responsibility to accustom yourself with relevant travel and situational advice and information including that provided by your government body, the Moroccan Government and your airline, and you bear full responsibility for any decision by you to commence and/or continue on your booked tour.
5. EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY
5.1 Except where stated otherwise, Berber Treasures acts as agent for service providers when making arrangements for your booked tour. Where Berber Treasures provides services it will do so with due care and skill. Berber Treasures is not responsible for the acts and omissions of others, including tour guides, animal handlers, airlines, ferry companies, bicycle providers, ballooning companies, shops vendors, merchants, meal providers and accommodation providers or in relation to animals (including animal rides, safaris or treks) or for any loss, damage, death, injury or expense (including loss of money paid in advance) any other provider of goods and services, which you may incur as a consequence of the acts and omissions of others or activities involving animals. You warrant that you have not relied on any representation made by Berber Treasures and its officers, employees, agents, and representatives or any travel agent, which has not been stated expressly by Berber Treasures in its terms and conditions, booked tour or in the detailed itinerary for your booked tour.
5.2 You acknowledge you are solely responsibility for any goods or services you order, purchase or otherwise obtain, or seek to order, purchase or otherwise obtain, from suppliers, service providers, vendors or others in Morocco while you are on tour with Berber Treasures, or in connection with your Berber Treasures booked tour, and will hold Berber Treasures harmless in regard to same. You further acknowledge that should any Berber Treasures officer, employee, agent or representative provide any assistance or advice to you in any regard to such activities they do so in their own personal capacity and not for nor on behalf of Berber Treasures.
5.3 Berber Treasures will not accept responsibility or liability if you contravene any law or regulation of any country or region visited. Any independent arrangements that you make that are not part of the Berber Treasures booked tour (including pre- and post- accommodation and activities not included in your booked tour and detailed itinerary) are entirely at your own risk and Berber Treasures cannot and does not give you any assurance, representation, or warranty in connection with any such arrangements. This includes activities, services and other items indicated to be optional on your booked tour and detailed itinerary.
5.4 To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, Berber Treasures does not accept liability for any loss, death, injury or damage, however caused (including through negligence), which you may directly or indirectly suffer in connection with or arising from this contract or your participation in a tour, or in respect of a failure or omission on the part of Berber Treasures to comply with its obligations under this contract, or in respect of any other conduct that Berber Treasures undertakes in connection with a tour. To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, you also agree to release Berber Treasures and its officers, employees, agents and representatives (together the representatives) from all costs, liability, loss and damage incurred by you in connection with your participation in any tour, and waive any associated claims that you may have against Berber Treasures or its representatives in connection with your participation in any tour. For these purposes, Berber Treasures enters into these booking conditions as trustee or agent for its representatives.
5.5 To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the exception set out below, any condition or warranty, which would otherwise be implied into these booking conditions, is excluded. Where legislation implies any condition or warranty, and that legislation prohibits us from excluding or modifying the application of, or our liability under, any such condition or warranty, that condition or warranty will be deemed included but our liability will be limited for a breach of that condition or warranty to one or more of the following: (a) if the breach relates to goods, (i) the replacement of the goods or the supply of equivalent goods, (ii) the repair of such goods, (iii) the payment of the cost of replacing the goods or of acquiring equivalent goods or (iv) the payment of the cost of having the goods repaired; and (b) if the breach relates to services, (i) the supplying of the services again or (ii) the payment of the cost of having the services supplied again by Berber Treasures.
5.6 Exception: The “Exclusion of Liability” section set out in these booking conditions does not attempt or purport to exclude, restrict, or modify liability arising under, or remedies that may be available to you, pursuant to legislation where the exclusion, restriction, or modification of liability or remedies is not permitted. This includes legislation in part of the Competition & Consumer Act, 2010, and any Australian state or territory Fair Trading Act (or its equivalent).
6. CANCELLATION BY BERBER TREASURES
6.1 Berber Treasures reserves the right to cancel your booked tour and will advise you of such cancellations no later than 56 days before the booked tour departure date. Where the cancellation is due to ‘Force Majeure’, Berber Treasures reserves the right to cancel your booked tour at any time. At all times, cancellation on the basis of ‘Force Majeure’ is a decision solely within and at Berber Treasures’ discretion.
(a) Force Majeure: Berber Treasures will not be liable for any delay in, change to or cancellation of trips due to ‘Force Majeure’. ‘Force Majeure’ includes a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of Berber Treasures and includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, natural, industrial or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, flood and strikes.
6.2 Should due ‘Force Majeure’ Berber Treasures cancel tour departure:
(a) 8 days or more before commencement of your booked tour you will be given the choice of taking the same itinerary within a 36 week period (calculated from the date of the cancellation) (FM deferred tour) or accepting a refund less unrecoverable costs determined in accordance with this section. For the avoidance of doubt, the non-refundable deposit remains at all times non-refundable. You acknowledge tour costs include, without limitation, costs related to Berber Treasures’ operational and business costs (including without limitation costs related to tour operation and management and administration) as well as third party costs. You also acknowledge these costs are substantial and may be largely or entirely unrecoverable and you agree for the purposes of calculating the refund these unrecoverable costs are agreed to be 75% of the tour price. Berber Treasures will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you (including, without limitation, transport, accommodation, any increased tour costs or other costs in relation to the FM deferred tour dates) or to pay any other compensation to you.
(b) less than 8 days before, on, or after the commencement of your booked tour your tour price is forfeit in full; no refunds will be given for any unused portion of your booked tour, including, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals, services, or any other tour inclusion not utilised. Berber Treasures will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you (including, without limitation, transport or accommodation) or to pay any other compensation to you.
(c) In respect to the 36 week tour deferral option (s 6.2(a) above) you will be liable for any additional costs incurred as a result of your FM deferred tour including, any applicable price difference for the agreed deferred tour dates. Factors such as, but not limited to, cancellation charges, seasonal variations, price increases, exchange rates, fuel costs and other operating costs may affect the cost of your FM deferred tour departure. You acknowledge Berber Treasures may make changes to group tour itineraries from time-to-time and the deferred tour (group or private) may not be identical to your original booked tour. You acknowledge that the BT deferred tour even if identical (save for dates) to your original booked tour may be at a higher cost.
6.3 Where BT cancels your tour departure, other than in the case of ‘Force Majeure’, you will be given the choice of taking the same itinerary within a 40 week period (calculated from your cancelled invoiced tour start date) (BT deferred tour) or accepting a refund less the non-refundable deposit. For the avoidance of doubt, the non-refundable deposit remains at all times non-refundable. Berber Treasures will not be liable for any additional costs incurred by you (including, without limitation, transport, accommodation, any increased tour costs or other costs in connection with the FM deferred tour dates) or to pay any other compensation to you.
(a) In respect to the 40 week tour deferral option, the tour price of your original booked tour will apply to the agreed BT deferred tour departure date save for excluded departures dates where a supplement may apply (eg departures over the Christmas/New Year season). You acknowledge Berber Treasures may make changes to group tour itineraries from time-to-time and the deferred tour (group or private) may not be identical to your original booked tour.
7. CANCELLATION BY YOU
7.1 Tour Cancellation: If you wish to cancel your booked tour, notification of cancellation must be made to Berber Treasures by email to [email protected]. The date of the cancellation is the date on which written notification is received by Berber Treasures. Cancellation Charges are applicable as follows, per person:
Days Prior to Tour Start Written Notice Received
|At least 56 days:||Loss of non-refundable deposit|
|46 – 55 days:||Loss of 55/65% of Tour Price (group/private tour)|
|45 days or less:||Loss of 100% of Tour Price|
7.2 If we do not receive full payment for your booked tour within 56 days of the tour start date on your tour invoice we may treat your booking as cancelled and you will forfeit your non-refundable deposit. Additional Berber Treasures cancellation penalties may apply. Please note that we do not issue reminders.
7.3 Before cancelling your booked tour, we recommend you review your insurance policy’s terms concerning recovery of cancellation charges. We encourage you to obtain travel insurance at the earliest possible point to protect your investment in the tour.
7.4 Client Tour Deferral: If we receive at least 56 days written notice of cancellation and deferral, your non-refundable deposit may be credited to the cost of an alternative tour departure date for the same itinerary taken within 26 weeks of your original booked tour start date (client deferred tour). Your written notice of cancellation and deferral must quote your booking reference number (invoice number) together with your request to credit the non-refundable deposit. In this case any charges and costs (unrecoverable and/or incurred as a result of your cancellation) together with an administration charge of $350 will be deducted from your non-refundable deposit. You will be liable for any additional costs incurred as a result of your client deferred tour departure, including, any applicable price difference for the client deferred tour dates.
(a) Factors such as, but not limited to, cancellation charges, seasonal variations, price increases, exchange rates, fuel costs and other operating costs may affect the cost of your alternative tour. You acknowledge Berber Treasures may make changes to group tour itineraries from time-to-time and the client deferred tour may not be identical to the original booked tour. You acknowledge that a client deferred tour even if identical (save for the dates) to your original booked tour may be at a higher cost.
(b) In the case of private tours, should you request changes to the original booked tour, we will endeavour to fulfill requests we deem reasonable, however, we reserve the right to refuse any or all requested changes, and the total tour price of the client deferred tour may not be less than the tour price of the cancelled booked tour.
(c) Your client deferred tour dates/departure must be agreed and confirmed with Berber Treasures in writing at least 6 weeks in advance of the commencement of the client deferred tour departure and by no later than the date full payment for your original booked tour would have been due as stated on its tour invoice. We recommend you discuss preferred tour dates/departure with us at the earliest possible point as confiming the client deferred tour dates/deparature is subject to availability and operational considerations.
(d) The confirmed client deferred tour dates/departure are final; no further changes or amendments will be permitted. You are responsible for ensuring that your visa and/or insurance cover and/or flights remain valid.
8. CHANGES TO YOUR TOUR
8.1 You acknowledge that Berber Treasures’ tours and destinations require clients to be flexible and to allow for alternatives and an understanding that the itinerary, accommodation (including style, standard and/or location), and/or modes of transport may change, even after a tour’s commencement, without prior notice due to local circumstances. Changes may occur because of ‘Force Majeure’, poor road conditions, weather, the availability of tickets, vehicle breakdowns, overbooking or unavailability of accommodation, changes in transport schedules, or other circumstances beyond Berber Treasures’ control or which simply cannot be foreseen. For this reason, while every attempt will be made to adhere to the detailed itinerary for your tour, your detailed itinerary must be taken as an indication of what may take place and not as a contractual obligation on the part of Berber Treasures. Berber Treasures does not accept any responsibility for loss of enjoyment, delays, or compensation resulting from circumstances beyond Berber Treasures’ control.
8.2 The information about tours given on/by Berber Treasures’ website, quotes, invoices, itineraries, communications and detailed itineraries is subject to change. The information and conditions in the booked tour are deemed to be part of the contract. Where changes to your booked tour occur after you have received the detailed itinerary we will, where practical, advise you of such changes.
9.1 If you are for any reason late or delayed in joining, commencing or resuming your booked tour, including any scheduled airport transfers, commencing, participating in or resuming tour activities, sightseeing or the continuation of your booked tour including departing the current location, you bear sole responsibility for all arrangements and costs (including any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meal or service costs and arrangements) incurred in connection with you subsequently joining or re-joining the booked tour. No refunds will be made for any unused accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals, services, or any other tour inclusion not utilised.
10. AUTHORITY OF THE LEADER
10.1 At all times the decision of the Berber Treasures driver or representative (Berber Treasures Leader) will be final on all matters likely to affect the conduct, safety and/or well-being of the tour and tour participants. This includes any decision the Berber Treasures Leader makes about your on-going participation in the tour or activities that comprise part of the booked tour. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a Berber Treasures Leader, or interfere with the safety, well-being and/or enjoyment of the tour by your travel companions, then the Berber Treasures Leader reserves the right to terminate this contract and your ongoing participation in the tour including ordering you to leave the tour immediately or where you are not present or ready to continue with the tour, continuing the tour without you, with no right of refund or other compensation.
11.1 If you have any complaint about your tour, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to your driver and/or Berber Treasures local representative, who will normally be able to take appropriate action. In the case of dissatisfaction with any accommodation, you must report the problem to the accommodation management so that immediate action can be taken to remedy the problem. If at the end of the tour you feel your complaint has not been satisfactorily addressed and you wish to take the matter further, you must notify Berber Treasures in writing by email to [email protected] within 30 days of the end of your tour of the details of your complaint.
12. TRAVEL INSURANCE
12.1 Adequate and valid travel insurance is compulsory for all Berber Treasures clients. All types of insurance are your responsibility. Before setting out on your tour you must obtain travel insurance covering loss, expenses and damages arising from accidents, injury, illness and death, medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation and personal liability (the compulsory travel insurance). Berber Treasures also recommends your insurance covers cancellation (including cancellation of the tour (in whole or in part) and of flights), curtailment, delays and loss of luggage, personal money and personal effects. By booking a tour and paying the non-refundable deposit or full tour price you agree to obtain the compulsory travel insurance before commencing your Berber Treasures tour. You must carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by Berber Treasures’ employees or suppliers. Berber Treasures reserves the right to cancel or suspend your participation on a tour or in certain activities that comprise part of a tour, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested.
13. PASSPORT AND VISAS
13.1 You are responsible for meeting any visa and passport requirements. Information on visa and passport requirements can be obtained from your nearest Moroccan Embassy. All clients must be in possession of a passport valid for 6 months beyond their intended stay.
14. HEALTH, FITNESS, TRIP GRADES AND AGE LIMITS
14.1 There are no age limits on Berber Treasures tours, but you should be healthy and fit to travel and your health and fitness level must be appropriate for the activities you plan to undertake (including, without limitation, any trekking, biking or animal rides). It is your responsibility to advise Berber Treasures of any pre-existing medical condition and/or disability that might reasonably be expected to increase the risk of you requiring medical attention, or that might affect the normal conduct of your tour. You must, if asked, provide an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner confirming you are fit to travel and participate in the tour. Berber Treasures reserves the right, at its reasonable discretion, to cancel your booking and refund the money paid by you, less any unrecoverable costs; for the avoidance of doubt, the non-refundable deposit remains at all times non-refundable. Berber Treasures also reserves the right to cancel your participation in a tour, or activity included in a tour, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund if your medical condition and/or disability could be reasonably expected to affect the normal conduct of the tour and/or enjoyment of the tour by other tour participants.
15. SPECIAL REQUESTS
15.1 Special requests or requirements that are essential to your booking (e.g. dietary requirements, wheelchair assistance or special facilities for certain medical conditions) must be made to us by email before you book.
15.2 Berber Treasures will do its best to accommodate special requests, and the request will only become a term of your contract with Berber Treasures if we confirm in writing that the request can be met and it is stated on your tour invoice and the detailed itinerary to be included. Requests for a private tour to be assigned to a particular Berber Treasures tour driver/guide cannot be guaranteed and under no circumstances will the assignment of a particular tour driver/guide form part of your contract. You are responsible for any extra charges incurred in respect to such special requests and Berber Treasures cannot guarantee you will be able or permitted to participate in all tour activities.
15.3 Berber Treasures will pass on any other reasonable requests that you may have (e.g. room locations or meal preference) but such requests cannot be guaranteed and will not form part of the contract. No compensation will be payable if such requests are not fulfilled.
16.1 You agree Berber Treasures may use images of you taken during the tour and/or that you provide to Berber Treasures or its representatives, without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes only, through whatever medium it chooses.
16.2 You agree Berber Treasures may use any comments in the nature of a testimonial you provide to Berber Treasures or its representatives in connection with your tour, without recourse to you and without compensation to you, for publicity and promotion purposes only, through whatever medium it chooses.
17.1 In order to be able to supply a service to you Berber Treasures needs to collect certain information from you, some of which may be of a personal nature. The information may be disclosed to, or collected on our behalf by our service providers to enable the services to be provided and, in turn, by them to third parties, including without limitation officers, agents and representatives of the Moroccan Government. We will not use or such information for any other purpose. However, we accept no responsibility or liability in respect to the use or disclosure of such information by our service providers or third parties. This includes any sensitive information that you or a tour participant give to us such as details of any disabilities or dietary/religious requirements. If we cannot use and/or disclose this information to the relevant suppliers we cannot provide your booking. It is a condition of participation in the tour that you consent to all necessary information being used and/or disclosed to the relevant persons. In making this booking, you consent to all necessary information being used and/or disclosed to the relevant persons.
17.2 If you wish to have a copy of the personal information we hold for you, we will supply this upon receipt of a written request. Please email us or telephone us on +61 (02) 9267 0097 for further information.
18. VARATIONS TO THIS AGREEMENT
18.1 This agreement may not be varied except in writing dated and signed by an authorised representative of Berber Treasures.
19. GOVERNING LAW
19.1 This agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of New South Wales, Australia and each party agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales, Australia as regards any claim or matter arising under this agreement.
20. THE WRITTEN TERMS & CONDITIONS PROVIDED TO YOU
20.1 Berber Treasures’ terms and conditions may change from time-to-time and may differ from this website version which may not have been updated to the current version. For the avoidance of doubt the written terms and conditions provided to you with your tour invoice (and as amended) are those that govern Berber Treasures’ agreement with you.
Contact us for a copy of the current terms and conditions. | <urn:uuid:efe06829-8465-4be9-9f46-bbba6afee7ea> | CC-MAIN-2020-40 | https://berbertreasures.com.au/berber-treasures-terms-conditions/ | 2020-09-29T00:39:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-40/segments/1600401617641.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20200928234043-20200929024043-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.930534 | 7,020 |
- Open Access
A metabolic reconstruction of Lactobacillus reuteri JCM 1112 and analysis of its potential as a cell factory
Microbial Cell Factories volume 18, Article number: 186 (2019)
Lactobacillus reuteri is a heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacterium (LAB) that is commonly used for food fermentations and probiotic purposes. Due to its robust properties, it is also increasingly considered for use as a cell factory. It produces several industrially important compounds such as 1,3-propanediol and reuterin natively, but for cell factory purposes, developing improved strategies for engineering and fermentation optimization is crucial. Genome-scale metabolic models can be highly beneficial in guiding rational metabolic engineering. Reconstructing a reliable and a quantitatively accurate metabolic model requires extensive manual curation and incorporation of experimental data.
A genome-scale metabolic model of L. reuteri JCM 1112T was reconstructed and the resulting model, Lreuteri_530, was validated and tested with experimental data. Several knowledge gaps in the metabolism were identified and resolved during this process, including presence/absence of glycolytic genes. Flux distribution between the two glycolytic pathways, the phosphoketolase and Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathways, varies considerably between LAB species and strains. As these pathways result in different energy yields, it is important to include strain-specific utilization of these pathways in the model. We determined experimentally that the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway carried at most 7% of the total glycolytic flux. Predicted growth rates from Lreuteri_530 were in good agreement with experimentally determined values. To further validate the prediction accuracy of Lreuteri_530, the predicted effects of glycerol addition and adhE gene knock-out, which results in impaired ethanol production, were compared to in vivo data. Examination of both growth rates and uptake- and secretion rates of the main metabolites in central metabolism demonstrated that the model was able to accurately predict the experimentally observed effects. Lastly, the potential of L. reuteri as a cell factory was investigated, resulting in a number of general metabolic engineering strategies.
We have constructed a manually curated genome-scale metabolic model of L. reuteri JCM 1112T that has been experimentally parameterized and validated and can accurately predict metabolic behavior of this important platform cell factory.
Lactobacillus reuteri is a heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacterium (LAB) that is present in the human gut and is an important probiotic organism . There is an increasing interest in using it as a cell factory for the production of green chemicals and fuels in a biorefinery [11, 44], due to its robustness properties. It has high growth and glycolytic rates, without the requirement for either aeration or strictly anaerobic conditions. It is tolerant to low pH, ethanol and salt, and has a wide growth temperature range. Moreover, it is genetically accessible, enabling metabolic engineering for cell factory optimization . The species is known to produce 1,3-propanediol, reuterin, and other related industrially important compounds in high yields from glycerol , of which reuterin has also since long been known as antimicrobial . L. reuteri also has most of the genes encoding for the enzymes needed for biosynthesis of 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol, both of which are industrially relevant chemicals. These compounds are, however, not produced under normal conditions by L. reuteri, requiring improved engineering- and optimization strategies to achieve commercial level cell factories and production processes .
Genome-scale metabolic models are highly useful for directing metabolic engineering strategies, as well as to improve understanding of the physiology and metabolism of the target organism [43, 52]. So far, highly curated and experimentally validated metabolic models have been primarily developed for model organisms such as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but models for several LAB species are also available, including Lactobacillus plantarum , Lactobacillus casei , Lactococcus lactis [16, 38] and Streptococcus thermophilus (Table 1). These LAB are homofermentative or facultatively heterofermentative organisms and have substantial differences in metabolism compared to strict heterofermenters such as L. reuteri . Metabolic models for the heterofermenters Leuconostoc mesenteroides [29, 39] are available (Table 1), but this is only distantly related to L. reuteri and shows different metabolic features such as malolactic fermentation and a limited ability to use amino acids as energy source . Models for two probiotic strains of L. reuteri have been previously published (Table 1). They were automatically reconstructed from the same draft model we started with here . The two previously published L. reuteri models were used along with transcriptomics data to identify qualitative metabolic differences between the two strains as well as to analyze their probiotic properties . However, these previous models were not manually curated and were not used to quantitatively predict metabolic behavior. The construction of a genome-scale metabolic model that can be reliably used in basic research and cell factory design is a time-consuming process, requiring significant amount of manual curation and availability of strain-specific phenotypic data. At present, models obtained using automated tools or models that do not include experimental data are generally of limited use for quantitative predictions.
Here, we set out to reconstruct the metabolic network of L. reuteri JCM 1112, specifically for use in metabolic engineering applications, which requires collection of phenotypic data under several different conditions. We first performed an in-depth analysis of the genome to evaluate conflicting reports about metabolic pathways compared to strain DSM 20016. We then performed experiments to collect phenotypic data for the wild-type strain as well as for an alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE) knockout strain to constrain, validate, and test the model. Lastly, we use the model to test predictions for metabolic engineering strategies. The model as well as the experimental data are available in Additional files.
Materials and methods
Strains, media and culture conditions
Strains used in this study are listed in Table 2 and an overview of the experimental datasets in Table 3. All experiments were performed in triplicate except the one used for determining biomass composition and energy requirements as well as dataset B (Table 3). Apart from the growth mode, the dataset used for determining biomass and energy components and dataset A are identical, and the resulting data is in good agreement (Additional file 1). Dataset B was included, as it was available from the previous work that this paper builds upon , and is in good agreement with dataset D (Additional file 1).
De Mann Rosa Sharp (MRS) medium (incl. 20 g/L glucose) was obtained from VWR and prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Chemically defined medium (CDM) was used as described in [48, 60] with the following modifications: arginine 5 g/L, tween-80 1 mL/L. Substrates were 111 mM glucose and 20 mM glycerol as indicated. The CDM was filter-sterilized and the final pH after mixing all components was 5.6.
All flask cultivations were performed in a stationary incubator at 37 °C. A 5 mm inoculation loop of culture was inoculated from − 80 °C glycerol stocks into 1 mL MRS with or without glycerol in a 1.5 mL Eppendorf tube and grown overnight (16 h). Next morning, cultures were washed 3× with sterile 0.9% NaCl, after which OD600 was measured and cells were transferred to 12 mL CDM with or without glycerol in a 15 mL Falcon tube to a starting OD600 of 0.08. After 4 h of growth, OD600 was measured and cultures were transferred to a starting OD600 of 0.05 in 100 mL pre-warmed CDM with or without glycerol in a 100 mL Schott flask. Samples for OD600 measurement and HPLC were taken directly after inoculation (t = 0 h) and at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 h; cultures were swirled for mixing prior to taking samples. The 6 h samples were also used for protein and amino acid determinations. The time points used were all during exponential growth, ensuring a pseudo steady state (Additional file 1).
All bioreactor cultivations were performed in batch mode and samples were taken during exponential/pseudo-steady state (Additional file 1). One of the fermentations was performed in CDM at 37 °C in 3.0 L bioreactors (BioFlo 115, New Brunswick Scientific/Eppendorf) with a 2.2 L working volume, 50 rpm agitation without gas sparging. The pH was controlled at 5.7 ± 0.1 using 5 N NaOH. Pre-cultures were performed similarly as for the flask cultures described above, with the pre-culture in CDM in 100 mL medium in 100 mL flasks, and reactors inoculated to an OD600 of 0.1. The other two reactor cultivations were performed in CDM, with and without glycerol, at 37 °C in 0.4 L reactors with a 0.5 L working volume, 50 rpm agitation and sparged with N2 at 15 mL/min for 1 h prior to inoculation. The pH was controlled at 5.8 using 5 M NaOH. Fermenters were inoculated to an initial OD600 of 0.05 from an exponentially growing culture on CDM without glycerol. As can be seen in Additional file 1, there is no difference between the cultures in the reactors that were sparged with N2 prior to fermentations and those that were not and hence we decided to treat these as replicates.
The correlation factor between cell dry weight (gDW) and OD600 was experimentally determined to be 0.4007 gDW/OD600 in CDM and used for calculating gDW from OD600 in all experiments.
Protein concentration of the cells was determined in the 6 h samples as described above, via a BCA protein assay (Merck-Millipore cat. 71285) according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Prior to the BCA assay, cell pellets were washed once in 0.9% NaCl and resuspended in 0.25 mM Tris–HCl pH 7.5 and sonicated on ice with an Ultrasonic Homogenizer 300VT (BioLogics) for 3 × 30 s at 40% power, with 30 s breaks on ice.
Amino acid composition of the cells was determined by Ansynth BV (The Netherlands) on washed cell pellets of a 6 h CDM culture as described above.
Substrates, products and amino acids secreted and taken up during the cultivations were quantified using HPLC. Glucose, glycerol, ethanol, lactate, acetate, citrate, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, pyruvate, succinate and malate were quantified with either one of two HPLCs: 1) a Dionex Ultimate 3000 (Thermo Scientific) containing an LPG-3400SD pump, a WPS-3000 autosampler, a UV–visible (UV–Vis) DAD-3000 detector, and an RI-101 refraction index detector. Injection volume was 20 µL. An Aminex HPx87 ion exclusion 125-0140 column was used with a mobile phase of 5 mM H2SO4, a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min and an oven temperature of 60 °C; 2) a Shimadzu LC-20AD equipped with refractive index and UV (210 nm) detectors, with an injection volume of 20 µL. A Shodex SH1011 8.0 mmIDx300mm column was used with a mobile phase of 5 mM H2SO4, a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min and an oven temperature of 50 °C. All amino acids, ornithine and GABA were quantified using a Dionex Ultimate 3000 (Thermo Scientific), for which the procedure is as follows: 20 µg/mL 2-aminobutanoic acid and sarcosine were used as internal standards for dilution of the samples; derivatization was performed in the autosampler. 0.5 µL sample was added into 2.5 µL of (v/v) 3-mercaptopropionic acid in borate buffer (0.4 M, pH 10.2), mixed and incubated for 20 s at 4 °C to reduce free cystines. Then 1 µL of 120 mM iodoacetic acid in 140 mM NaOH was added, mixed and incubated for 20 s at 4 °C to alkylate reduced cysteines. 1.5 µL of OPA reagent (10 mg o-phthalaldehyde/mL in 3-mercaptopropionic acid) was then added to derivatize primary amino acids. The reaction was mixed and incubated for 20 s at 4 °C. 1 µL of FMOC reagent (2.5 mg 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate/mL in acetonitrile) was added, mixed and incubated for 20 s at 4 °C to derivatize other amino acids. 50 µL of Buffer A (Buffer A: 40 mM Na2HPO4, 0.02% NaN3 (w/v) at pH 7.8) at pH 7 was added to lower the pH of the reaction prior to injecting the 56.5 µL reaction onto a Gemini C18 column (3 um, 4.6 × 150 mm, Phenomenex PN: 00F-4439-E0) with a guard column (SecurityGuard Gemini C18, Phenomenex PN: AJO-7597). The column temperature was kept at 37 °C in a thermostatic column compartment. The mobile phase had the following composition: Buffer A: see above, pH 7.8; Buffer B: 45% (v/v) acetonitrile, 45% (v/v) methanol and 10% (v/v) water; flow rate 1 mL/min. Derivatized amino acids were monitored using a fluorescence detector. OPA-derivatized amino acids were detected at 340ex and 450em nm and FMOC-derivatized amino acids at 266ex and 305em nm. Quantifications were based on standard curves derived from dilutions of a mixed amino acid standard (250 µg/mL). The upper and lower limits of quantification were 100 and 0.5 µg/mL, respectively.
Genome sequencing and analysis
For genomic DNA (gDNA) isolation, overnight cultures of DSM 20016 and SJ 11774 were grown in MRS and the pellet was used for gDNA isolation using the Epicentre MasterPure™ Gram Positive DNA Purification kit according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Subsequent genome sequencing was performed at the sequencing facility at the NNF Center for Biosustainability. Library preparation was performed using KAPA HyperPlus Library Prep Kit (ROCHE) with Illumina-compatible dual-indexed PentAdapters (PentaBase). The average size of the library pool was 317 bp. Sequencing was performed on MiSeq (Illumina) using the MiSeq Reagent Kit v2, 300 Cycles (Illumina). The libraries were loaded to the flow cell at 10 pM and sequenced using paired-end reads of 150 bp. Read quality check was performed with FastQC version 0.11.5. Mutations relative to reference (L. reuteri JCM 1112, GenBank accession nr AP007281, annotated with Prokka version 1.11) were identified using Breseq (version 0.31.0) . Mean coverage was 143.7x (SJ 11774) and 129.5x (DSM 20016). All runs were performed at the Danish national supercomputer for life sciences (Computerome), Technical University of Denmark. For this work, the annotated genome of L. reuteri JCM 1112 from NCBI was used. During the reconstruction, several genes were re-annotated, based on BLAST and physiological data. A list of all genes in the JCM 1112 genome can be found in Additional fie 2, along with annotations from the GenBank file and which model reactions are associated with each gene.
The L. reuteri JCM 1112 metabolic reconstruction was based on an unpublished, automatically generated draft reconstruction of JCM 1112 . We performed extensive manual curation, including: gap filling, updating and adding gene-protein-reaction (GPR) associations, updating gene IDs, updating metabolite- and reaction abbreviations, in line with the BiGG database , updating and adding missing formulas and/or charges to metabolites, fixing unbalanced reactions, adding annotation to metabolites, reactions and genes and detailed review and integration of organism specific data. A biomass objective function was formulated based on available data on L. reuteri and related strains. The ATP cost of growth-associated maintenance (GAM) was estimated using one of the data sets (Table 3) by adjusting the GAM parameter so that growth predictions matched in vivo growth. This data set was then excluded from subsequent validation and prediction steps.
Flux balance analysis
Flux balance analysis (FBA) was used to analyze the genome-scale metabolic model [15, 53] by constraining exchange reactions in the model with experimental values of substrate uptake and secretion rates. To take into account that the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas (EMPP) pathway is a minor glycolytic pathway in L. reuteri compared to the phosphoketolase pathway (PKP) (“Curation process” section), an additional flux constraint was added to the model
where r is an empirically determined flux ratio, vPFK denotes flux in the rate limiting step of the EMPP and vG6PDH2r is the flux in the first reaction branching into the PKP.We used a variant of FBA called parsimonious FBA which identifies flux values corresponding to maximum growth with the side constraint that the sum of absolute flux values is made as small as possible. The sum of fluxes is proxy for enzyme usage and the method can therefore be considered to simulate biological pressure for rapid and efficient growth using minimum amount of resources (enzymes). An advantage over FBA is that the resulting solution is likely to contain fewer infeasible flux cycles. Model simulations were carried out in Python with the CobraPy toolbox and GLPK solver. All code used in the simulations is provided in the form of a Jupyter notebook in Additional file 3 and on https://github.com/steinng/reuteri. The Escher package was used for visualization of flux predictions. Escher maps of L. reuteri´s central metabolism are provided in Additional file 4, both simplified maps as shown in “Effects of adding glycerol and deleting adhE” and “Model-based analysis of 1-propanol production in L. reuteri” sections as well as a detailed map linking different sugar utilization pathways to the central metabolism.
To predict growth rates the model was constrained with uptake rates of glucose, glycerol and five amino acids (Arg, Ser, Asn, Asp and Glu), and with the secretion rates of ethanol, lactate, acetate and 1,3-propanediol. Effects of knocking out the adhE gene were predicted by temporarily deleting it from the network. Where the effects of an active 1,2-propanediol pathway were predicted, a methylglyoxal synthase (MGS) was added to the model and optimized for growth.
To predict the theoretical maximum yields of selected target compounds, a reaction enabling the secretion of the corresponding metabolite was added to the model, unless an exchange reaction already existed, and flux through the reaction maximized. The glucose uptake rate was 25.2 mmol/gDW/h, based on experimental data, and free secretion of by-products was allowed. For the production of l-alanine, an l-alanine dehydrogenase was added to the model. The production of ethyl lactate required the addition of a lactate acyl transferase and a reaction for the condensation of lactoyl-CoA with ethanol . To produce 1-propanol, a methylglyoxal synthase (MGS) was added to the model. The presence of a complete 1-propanol pathway enables more efficient regeneration of NAD+ and the flux predictions were therefore repeated in the presence of an active MGS. To simulate a non-limiting phosphofructokinase, the flux constraint involving vPFK above was omitted.
Results and discussion
Metabolic network reconstruction
To reconstruct a genome-scale metabolic model of L. reuteri suitable for use in cell factory design and optimization, we built upon a draft metabolic model of L. reuteri JCM 1112 described in that we in turn extensively curated. The Memote tool was used to assess the quality of the reconstruction and to guide the curation process (Additional file 5). The main characteristics of the resulting Lreuteri_530 model (Additional file 6) are listed in Table 4.
Reactions and metabolites were abbreviated according to the BiGG database nomenclature where applicable and annotations with links to external databases included. Genes from the JCM 1112 genome were identified with locus tags from the GenBank file, and annotations were included which contain: the old locus tag which is often found in older literature, the NCBI protein ID, gene annotation and the protein sequence. Apart from general network curation, organism-specific information obtained from laboratory experiments and from available literature was integrated by reviewing reactions, genes and gene-protein-reaction (GPR) rules.
Resequencing reveals inconsistencies between the “same” strains L. reuteri DSM 20016 and JCM 1112—implications for glycolytic genes
The two most well-known strain names and origins for the type strain are DSM 20016 and JCM 1112 from the DSMZ and JCM culture collections, respectively. These two are derived from the same original human faeces isolate L. reuteri F275 , which was grown and stocked in two different laboratories . Both genomes have been sequenced previously and a comparison showed that they are identical except for two regions that were missing in DSM 20016 , which were most likely lost during the 20 years of separate laboratory cultivation . The first region (8435 bp, flanked by IS4 insertion sequences on each end) contains genes for glycolysis, namely glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, triosephosphate isomerase, and enolase. The second region (30,237 bp, flanked by two different insertion sequence elements) contains for example a gene cluster for nitrate reductases and molybdopterin biosynthesis . As the first island consists of glycolytic genes, the implications of its presence or absence are profound. This island is absent in DSM 20016, but we could identify homologs of all this island’s genes except glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase elsewhere in its genome based on annotation and/or BLAST.
During the preparation of our model, it became clear that there are inconsistencies in naming and hence gene content of the L. reuteri type strain. We sequenced the DSM 20016 strain that we obtained from DSMZ and this showed that its genome is identical to that of JCM 1112 instead, meaning it contained the two islands missing in DSM 20016. A similar result of these strains being ‘swapped’ was obtained by others based on whole genome sequencing and PCR of part of the largest missing region in DSM 20016 in a study looking at cell-surface proteins in the different strains . This inconsistency between the two strains does not seem to be commonly known and taken into account, and we suspect that some papers referring to either the DSM or the JCM strain might in fact be working with the other strain. For example, the DSM 20016 strain used by Sun et al. sequenced in 2015 (accession nr AZDD00000000), contains the islands as indicated by the presence of all glycolytic genes and hence is actually the JCM 1112 strain . Contrarily, the DSM 20016 referred to by Morita et al. sequenced in 2007 by JGI (accession nr CP000705), was shown to be DSM 20016, missing the islands . Both strains were obtained from DSMZ. This highlights the importance of re-sequencing of strains ordered from culture collections or lab strains present in the laboratory before using them for engineering or characterization studies. We strongly suggest that studies working with any L. reuteri type strain perform PCR on the two islands or perform resequencing to validate the presence or absence of the genes in the two islands.
Based on our sequencing results, we have included all genes in the two islands in our metabolic reconstruction and model. The genes in the model are identified with the locus tags obtained from the JCM 1112 strain’s genome in NCBI (NC_010609). As many other publications refer to genes in the DSM 20016 strain or use the old locus tags from the JCM 1112 genome, we have included a table (Additional file 2) which lists: the locus tags used in the model (gene numbers prefixed by LAR_RS), the old locus tags (gene numbers prefixed by LAR_), the annotations obtained from the NCBI GenBank file, the NCBI protein IDs (WP numbers), the locus tags of the corresponding genes in the DSM 20016 strain, when applicable (gene numbers prefixed by Lreu_), and finally the reaction(s) in the metabolic model associated with the genes.
Phosphofructokinase (PFK) and the distribution between EMP and PK pathway usage
Obligately heterofermentative lactobacilli like L. reuteri are often considered to solely use the phosphoketolase pathway (PKP) instead of the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway (EMPP) for glucose consumption (Fig. 1). Both pathways result in the glycolytic intermediate glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate but use different redox cofactors (Fig. 1). As the PKP yields one and the EMPP two molecules of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, the PKP has a lower energy yield than the EMPP (Fig. 1). The PKP generally results in the production of one molecule of lactate and one molecule of ethanol or acetate for one glucose molecule while the EMPP generally yields two lactate molecules. Key enzymes of the EMPP are fructokinase (FK), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (PGI), phosphofructokinase (PFK), fructose-bis-phosphate aldolase (FBA), and triosephosphate isomerase (TPI). In line with the idea that heterofermenters use the PKP, Sun et al. showed in a comparison of 213 LAB genomes that pfk was lacking from a distinct monophyletic group formed by mainly (87%) obligatively and otherwise facultatively heterofermentative Lactobacillus spp., including L. reuteri DSM 20016 and L. panis DSM 6035 . Contrary to most other species in the same group, these two species did contain fba, which has traditionally been linked to the presence of the EMPP. Despite the absence of pfk, EMPP activity has been observed in several L. reuteri strains and in some strains it appears to play a major role compared to the PKP, depending on the growth phase, and showing strain-specific differences [2, 4]. For modeling and engineering purposes, it is crucial to understand the presence and activity of the PKP vs the EMPP.
Årsköld et al. compared the genomic organization of 13 sequenced Lactobacillales and showed that L. reuteri (strains ATCC 55730 and DSM 20016) is one of the four exceptions that do not have a pfkA gene where this is located in all other species. Nevertheless, they detect PFK and EMPP activity in strain ATCC 55730 and subsequently identify two genes (GenBank accession nrs EF547651 and EF547653) for orthologues of pfkB, a minor PFK-variant in E. coli . In analogy with Årsköld et al. in L. reuteri, Kang et al. identified a ribokinase in the obligately heterofermentative L. panis PM1 with 82% similarity to the pfkB gene identified in L. reuteri ATCC 55730 from Årsköld et al. (74% in our own BLAST search).
A BLAST comparison of the pfkB protein sequence of L. panis PM1 (GenBank accession nr AGU90228.1) and L. reuteri ATCC 55730 (GenBank accession nr ABQ23677.1) against L. reuteri JCM 1112 resulted in 81% and 99% identity, respectively, to JCM 1112 gene number LAR_RS02150, which is annotated as ribokinase rbsK_2. On a gene level, this gene shares 97% identity with L. reuteri ATCC 55730 and 73% with L. panis PM1. The same identities were found in L. reuteri DSM 20016 for gene LREU_RS02105 (previously Lreu_0404, GenBank protein KRK49592.1). A second gene annotated as “ribokinase rbsK_3” (locus tag LAR_RS06895) showed only limited query coverage and identity and hence rbsK_2 is the most likely homolog of pfkB. The growth experiments conducted in the present study with JCM 1112 are in line with the findings of Burgé et al. and indicate minor though detectable usage of the EMPP in this strain with a peak in the early growth stage (Fig. 2), in which this rbsK_2 likely fulfills the role of pfkB. The average flux through the EMPP in all cultures was 7.0% (Fig. 2) and was used to define the corresponding flux split ratio in the model (“Flux balance analysis” section).
Transport of carbohydrates can be mediated by ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters, phosphotransferase systems (PTS), or secondary transporters (permeases of the Major Facilitator Superfamily, MFS) . PTS systems mediate hexose mono- or dimer transport and phosphorylation simultaneously—mostly by using PEP to pyruvate conversion as phosphate donor, whereas ABC-transporters (mostly used for pentoses) and permeases (both pentoses and hexoses) perform only transport, and a separate ATP-utilizing kinase step is needed for sugar phosphorylation. Moreover, in Gram positives, PTS systems have an important role in carbon catabolite repression via phosphorylation cascades and direct interaction with the carbon catabolite repression protein A (ccpA) [18, 21]. Heterofermentative LAB contain fewer PTS system components than homofermentative LAB, which is thought to be the result of gene loss . In general, organisms using the EMPP are believed to use PTS systems, and organism using the PKP to use secondary carriers . Likely as a result of the lack of full PTS systems, glucose utilization is not constitutive but substrate-induced in heterofermenters, and utilization of several other sugars is not repressed by glucose . Sugar transport in heterofermenters is poorly characterized, and only recently a study was dedicated to the genomic and phenotypic characterization of carbohydrate transport and metabolism in L. reuteri, as representative of heterofermentative LAB . This showed that L. reuteri completely lacks PTS systems and ABC-transporters and solely relies on secondary transporters of the MFS superfamily, which use the proton motive force (PMF) as energy source for transport . In L. reuteri JCM 1112, we could identify the two common proteins of the PTS system, Enzyme I (Lreu_1324) and HPr (Lreu_1325). Some sugar-specific parts were present, but no complete PTS was identified. As a result, all sugar transport in the model takes place via secondary transporters and the PMF.
Lactobacillus reuteri, like many lactobacilli, is known to be unable to grow on glycerol as a sole carbon source, but can use it as an alternative electron acceptor, providing a means to gain energy on a variety of carbon sources [55, 57]. L. reuteri is among the best native producers of large amounts of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (reuterin, 3-HPA) from glycerol that are currently known . This is an intermediate in the pathway to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO, also produced by L. reuteri, depending on the conditions used) that is known to be toxic and produced in a microcompartment . The reason why it cannot grow on glycerol as sole carbon source is currently not fully clear, although it is likely related to gene regulation. All the genes that are necessary to convert glycerol to dihydroxyacetone phosphate via either dihydroxyacetone (DHA) or glycerol-3-phosphate and hence shuttle it into glycolysis are present in the L. reuteri genome . However, several of these genes have been shown to be downregulated in the presence of glycerol [5, 50]. Furthermore, the L. reuteri glycerol dehydrogenase also has activity as 1,3-PDO:NAD-oxidoreductase, whereas in for example Klebsiella pneumoniae, which does produce glycolytic end products from glycerol, these are two different enzymes . It seems that the physiological role of this enzyme in L. reuteri is the reduction of 3-HPA to 1,3-PDO, rather than glycerol to DHA conversion, explaining the lack of growth on glycerol .
Most heterofermentative LAB possess a malolactic enzyme but no malic enzymes , which is also the case for our L. reuteri strain, based on sequence comparisons with the L. casei strain used by Landete et al. . Based on BLAST analysis and in line with literature, L. reuteri JCM 1112 possesses a malate dehydrogenase and PEP carboxykinase, and cannot utilize citrate; malate (and fumarate) is converted to succinate .
From a biotechnological perspective, an interesting branch point of central carbon metabolism is the conversion from methylglyoxal (MG) to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO), which can then be further metabolized into 1-propanol and propanoate. L. reuteri possesses all enzymes needed for these pathways, except methylglyoxal synthase (MGS), the step of the pathway converting dihydroxyacetone phosphate into MG [19, 55]. It has been shown that when MG is added to L. reuteri JCM 1112 cultures or when a heterologous mgs is expressed, all the subsequent metabolites are formed . Although we identified a potential distant homolog of mgs in the L. reuteri genome, this homolog is clearly not active under normal conditions since no 1,2-PDO was observed in our experiments. Hence, all the genes in these pathways except mgs were included in the reconstruction. For methylglyoxal reductase, mgr, we also identified several aldo/keto reductases as possible homologs, based BLAST comparison to genes identified in . However, verification of these hypothetical activities would need extensive enzyme assays, and it is also likely that this reaction is performed by LAR_RS09730 (Glycerol dehydrogenase) [1, 65], which has been added to the reconstruction for the MGR reaction. Alternatively, MG might be converted directly to lactate by a glyoxalase .
Whereas many LAB are auxotrophic for vitamin B12, L. reuteri is a native producer. Vitamin B12 is important as a cofactor in for example the 3-HPA pathway but is also of relevance for biotechnological and medical/health applications (e.g. when produced by probiotic strains). The structure and biosynthetic genes have been studied in detail [49, 50]. The corresponding pathway is present in the reconstruction and is active during growth predictions.
Biomass reaction and energy requirements
A biomass objective function (BOF), which contains all necessary components for biomass biosynthesis, is commonly used to predict growth rate in metabolic models. Ideally, the BOF should be constructed based on organism-specific experimental data, mainly the fractional composition of the macromolecules (proteins, DNA, RNA, lipids, etc.) and their individual building blocks (amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, etc.), as well as the energy necessary for their biosynthesis . The protein fraction is a significant fraction of the biomass and was therefore measured experimentally. The ratio of individual amino acids in the L. reuteri biomass was also measured experimentally. The remaining macromolecular fractions were derived from L. plantarum and L. lactis . Nucleotide composition was estimated from the genome, which in the case of RNA is not ideal since it assumes equal transcription of all genes. We however preferred to use this approximation instead of using experimental data from another organism. Fatty acid composition of L. reuteri was obtained from literature , while phospholipid composition was adopted from L. plantarum. The composition of lipoteichoic acid and exopolysaccharides in L. reuteri were obtained from literature. Peptidoglycan composition was adopted from L. plantarum and glycogen was assumed to be negligible [8, 9].
Energy required for growth (GAM) and cell maintenance (NGAM) are important parameters in metabolic models, and can be estimated from ATP production rates, which can be calculated from experimental data obtained at different dilution rates . Unfortunately, this data is not publicly available for L. reuteri. These parameters have been estimated from experimental data for several other LAB, including L. plantarum, and reported in literature . Even though L. reuteri and L. plantarum are relatively closely related, adopting these parameters from L. plantarum can negatively affect the quality of model predictions. When the differences in physiologies of L. plantarum and L. reuteri are considered, it is possible that L. reuteri requires less energy: (1) The genome is only ~ 2 Mb, while L. plantarum’s genome is 3.3 Mb. (2) L. reuteri is an obligate heterofermenter, which means it uses almost solely the PKP (Fig. 2) to break down glucose, resulting in one ATP per glucose, while a facultative heterofermenter like L. plantarum uses the EMPP when grown on glucose, resulting in two ATPs. (3) LAB in general have low catabolic capabilities, and for L. reuteri this includes auxotrophy for several amino acids. This, combined with the fact that macromolecular biosynthesis is already accounted for in the model reactions, supports the claim that adopting energy parameters from L. plantarum can negatively affect model predictions, as we also observed when evaluating this in our model. We decided to use one of our experimental datasets (Table 3) to estimate the GAM value, while using the NGAM value from L. plantarum (“Metabolic reconstruction” section). In general, NGAM represents only a small portion of the total energy requirements of the cell and therefore has much smaller effect on model predictions than GAM. This resulted in a GAM value of 10.2 mmol/gDW/h. Detailed description of the biomass reaction, relevant data and calculations can be found in Additional file 7.
The sensitivity of the predicted growth rate to changes in biomass and energy components was investigated by varying the coefficient of each component, one at a time, by 50% while varying the glucose uptake rate. The components tested were protein, polysaccharide, DNA, RNA, lipid, GAM and NGAM. The analysis showed that predicted growth rate was sensitive to changes in the protein and GAM components of the biomass, compared to the other components (see figure in Additional file 7). As described earlier, these two particular components of the biomass are based on L. reuteri specific experimental data obtained in this study.
Lactobacillus reuteri model compared to models of L. lactis and L. plantarum
The model was compared to genome-scale metabolic models of two other LAB, L. lactis and L. plantarum (Table 1). Common and unique metabolic reactions were analyzed based on EC-numbers (Fig. 3a). Unique reactions in L. reuteri included reactions belonging to: cofactor and prosthetic group biosynthesis, most of which related to B-12 vitamin synthesis; alternative carbon metabolism, such as glycerol; amino acid metabolism, which can be explained by the different amino acid auxotrophies among the three strains; methylglyoxal metabolism (see Additional file 8 for more details). Basic model statistics and biomass composition from the three models are presented in Fig. 3b. Comparing biomass ratios shows that L. plantarum´s biomass contains less protein than the others and more teichoic acid. Model predictions reflected the well-established and previously discussed differences in glycolytic pathways between the strains, namely how L. lactis and L. plantarum, as homofermenter and facultative heterofermenters, use the EMP pathway resulting in higher energy compared to L. reuteri which, as a strict heterofermenters, mostly uses the PKP.
Model validation using experimental data: Growth rate comparisons
To validate the model, several different datasets (Table 3) with measured uptake- and secretion rates of carbon sources, amino acids and organic byproducts were used to constrain exchange fluxes in the model. The predicted growth rates were compared with observed experimental growth rates (Fig. 4). In all cases, flux through the EMPP was set to maximally 7% based on the experimentally determined value (Fig. 1). The chemically defined culture medium used in the growth experiments contained all 20 amino acids, except for l-glutamine. Subsequently, all these amino acids were quantified during growth and the model was constrained with the resulting uptake rates. Of all the amino acids, only arginine was depleted at the end of the exponential phases in data sets A, B and C (Additional file 1). Due to auxotrophy for several amino acids (Glu, His, Thr, Arg, Tyr, Val, Met, Try, Phe, Leu), the model is highly sensitive to uncertainties in measurements, as well as in determined protein- and amino acid fractions of the biomass reaction. To accurately represent amino acids in the biomass reaction, both the protein content and the amino acid ratio were measured (Additional file 7). By enabling unrestricted uptake of amino acids in the model, we noticed that only 5 amino acids (Arg, Ser, Asn, Asp, Glu) needed to be constrained with measured uptake rates for accurate growth predictions, for both the wild-type and the mutant. This is due to their role in energy- and cofactor metabolism, not only in biomass biosynthesis. Hence, only this minimum number of amino acids was used to constrain the model in the following. The remainder were assumed to be non-limiting by allowing unrestricted uptake. This has twofold advantage. First, it limits the effects of uncertainties in amino acid uptake rate measurements on model predictions, a problem exacerbated by the amino acid auxotrophy. Second, it simplifies future applications of the model by reducing the number of measurements needed.
In most cases, model predictions and in vivo data were in good agreement (Fig. 4). Datasets C and D in Fig. 4 show a variant of the WT strain (marked SJ (WT*)), which lacks two restriction modification (RM) systems for easier genetic manipulation (Table 2). Datasets E and F show a mutant derived of the SJ strain with a clean and in-frame deletion of the adhE gene (bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase). The model predicts slightly higher growth rates than observed in vivo for the SJ strain (datasets C and D in Fig. 4) and the mutant strain grown on glucose and glycerol (F in Fig. 4). Unexpectedly, the RM-modifications in the SJ strain seem to slightly alter its behavior on CDM with glucose and glycerol compared to the WT (Additional file 1). For the mutant strain grown on glucose (dataset E in Fig. 4), the model predicts a slightly lower growth rate than observed in vivo, though both show a large decrease in growth, compared to the WT. The most likely explanation for this is that some glucose is being taken up in vivo, even though the measurements did not show this (the likely amount consumed between two samples is within the error of the assay). Secretion of 2.6 mmol/gDW/h of lactate and 2.7 mmol/gDW/h of acetate was observed in vivo. The model, however, does not predict lactate and acetate secretion unless some glucose uptake is allowed. If a glucose uptake of 2.6 mmol/gDW/h is allowed, the growth rate increases from 0.22 to 0.34 h−1, compared to 0.30 h−1 in vivo. Amino acid measurements showed that the mutant in dataset E used l-arginine to a greater extent than the WT, which the model predicts is used to generate energy via the arginine deiminase pathway, resulting in increased growth.
Effects of adding glycerol and deleting adhE
To investigate the applicability of the model for cell factory design, it was used to predict the effects of adding glycerol to the glucose-based culture medium, as well as knocking out the adhE gene, which plays a critical role in ethanol production and redox balance (Fig. 1). The datasets used here are the same as in the previous section (datasets C–F in Fig. 4). There, the aim was to validate the model by means of comparing predicted growth rates to experimentally determined growth rates. In this section, we look more specifically at predicted flux distributions in central metabolism, both with and without strain- and condition-specific experimentally determined constraints. For this purpose, we studied two cases in order to answer the following questions: (1) If the model is constrained only with experimentally determined glucose- and five amino acid uptake rates from the WT strain grown on glucose, how do the predicted effects of glycerol addition and/or adhE knock-out (dark green bars in Fig. 5) compare to in vivo growth rate and uptake- and secretion measurements (light orange bars in Fig. 5)? This was tested to evaluate the applicability of the model in a practical setting. One of the main goals of using a model like this should be to probe the effects of genetic and media perturbations in silico, i.e. without having to do extensive condition-specific cultivations and measurements beforehand. (2) If the model is constrained with uptake- and secretion rates of carbon source(s), amino acids and byproducts of the strain and condition under study, how well do the model predictions (light green bars in Fig. 5) compare to in vivo results? Here the model was allowed, but not forced, to take up (lower bound constrained, upper bound unconstrained) and secrete (lower bound unconstrained, upper bound constrained) metabolites according to the experimental data. This tells us if the model, when imposed with realistic limitations, “chooses” a flux distribution which results in extracellular fluxes of metabolites in line with in vivo data. In both cases, the constrained amino acids only included Arg, Ser, Asn, Asp and Glu as before (“Model validation using experimental data: growth rate comparisons” section) and in case 1 the allowed glycerol uptake rate was arbitrarily limited to 25 mmol/gDW/h, when glycerol effects were being predicted.
The flux maps in Fig. 5 show results for case 1 (dark green bars). The predicted uptake of glucose and glycerol (dark green bars in Fig. 5b) is higher than observed in vivo (light orange bars in Fig. 5b), resulting in higher secretion of by-products and a higher growth rate as well. However, the distribution of secreted by-products is very similar. The effect of glycerol can be predicted quite well with the model as ethanol secretion decreases and acetate secretion increases, relative to glucose uptake, and 1,3-propanediol is secreted in large amounts (compared to graphs in Fig. 5a). Several studies have described an increased growth rate in L. reuteri when glycerol is added to a glucose-based medium (in flasks and bioreactors), which is to be expected based on inspection of redox balance [5, 48, 57] and this is also what we observed in silico in case 1. L. reuteri uses practically only the PKP and not the EMP for glucose fermentation. In the PKP, two extra NAD(P)H molecules are formed compared to the EMP, which are regenerated to NAD(P)+ by AdhE through the formation of ethanol (Fig. 1). When glycerol is added, it is used as an alternative electron acceptor via the production of 1,3-PDO, which generates one NAD+. As a result, one of the actetyl-phosphates that is normally converted to ethanol can now be converted to acetate. This does not yield NAD+ (which is now regenerated in 1,3-PDO production) but does yield one ATP, enabling a higher growth rate [5, 48]. Along these lines of reasoning and in line with existing literature , knocking out the adhE gene has dramatic effects on the metabolism when glucose is the sole carbon source, both in vivo and in silico (Fig. 5c). When ethanol production was inactive, the growth decreased which also led to reduction in lactate production. This is due to redox imbalance since AdhE no longer recycles the NADH generated in glycolysis. The predictions in case 1 show highly decreased uptake of glucose, yet a small amount of glucose is still taken up, resulting in acetate and lactate production. As discussed in Model validation using experimental data: Growth rate comparisons, it is possible that glucose is being taken up in vivo, even though this is not detected by measurements, which is in line with model predictions and would also explain the lower growth rate observed in silico in case 2 compared to in vivo. The higher growth rate in vivo compared to in silico in case 1 is due to a much higher arginine uptake than measured in the WT. Also in line with published studies and the redox balance explained above , addition of glycerol to the adhE mutant increases the growth rate to almost WT levels (Fig. 5d). Similarly to the WT predictions, the model in case 1 predicts slightly higher growth rate and uptake rates of glucose and glycerol, resulting in higher secretion of by-products. But as before, the flux distribution is very similar to the one measured in vivo.
In all four conditions in Fig. 5 the in silico predictions in case 2 and the in vivo data are almost identical, with the exception of the few instances described above. In few cases discrepancies can be explained by carbon imbalance in vivo, which is most likely due to measurement uncertainties. Taken together, these results show that the model can be used to accurately predict metabolic behavior, without requiring extensive experimental data.
Model-based analysis of 1-propanol production in L. reuteri
In the two previous sections we used experimental data to validate model predictions. In this section we focus on in silico predictions involving the production of 1-propanol. It has been shown that heterologous expression of methylglyoxal synthase (mgs) in L. reuteri can activate the pathway to 1,2-PDO and 1-propanol production . Both these compounds have many applications, e.g. in the production of polyester resins for 1,2-PDO and as a solvent and potential biofuel for 1-propanol . In addition to the 1,2-PDO pathway, several different pathways have been described for 1-propanol production . The 1,2-PDO pathway towards 1-propanol has not frequently been reported for 1-propanol production; the most frequently used pathways are the citramalate and threonine pathways (Fig. 6). Other options are the acetone, Wood-Werkman (or methylmalonyl), acrylate and succinate pathways . For a recent extensive overview of these pathways and engineered and non-engineered organisms, the reader is referred to the review by Walther and Francois . The thermodynamic maximum yield of 1-propanol from glucose calculated based on the degree of reduction is 1.33 mol/mol (or 44,4% carbon yield). However, only the stoichiometry of the 1,2-PDO, succinate, acrylate and Wood-Werkman pathways allow this maximum yield—the others result in up to 25% less yield . Here, we evaluated the citramalate, threonine, succinate, acrylate, methylmalonyl, and 1,2-PDO pathway. One of the advantages of L. reuteri for using the 1,2-PDO pathway towards 1-propanol is that L. reuteri produces vitamin B12, which is needed as a co-factor for the B12-dependent diol dehydratase step and has been suggested to be a limiting factor in this pathway in for example C. glutamicum and was added to the fermentations in an E. coli strain harboring this pathway . The model was used to analyze the suitability of six different pathways for 1-propanol production in L. reuteri (Fig. 6). These were the known pathways as described in literature, but in addition we used the minRxn algorithm and the accompanying database of enzymatic reactions to search for heterologous pathways from glucose to 1-propanol. This search did not reveal pathways that differed significantly from the already-known pathways as shown in Fig. 6, neither qualitatively nor in terms of carbon yields (data not shown). The model was maximized for 1-propanol production, while constrained with the experimentally determined uptake rate of glucose and additional 20 mmol/gDW/h of glycerol when applicable, no uptake of amino acids and free secretion of by-products. Of the six pathways in Fig. 6, the citramalate pathway performed the worst, with no production on glucose and only 9.5% maximum carbon yield when glycerol was added. This was due to redox imbalance, which was due to lack of production of the precursors pyruvate and acetyl-CoA, and was partly fixed by adding glycerol. Adding this pathway in combination with the threonine pathway did not increase maximum carbon yield compared to threonine pathway alone. The highest carbon yields, 40.0% and 45.7% on glucose and glucose + glycerol, respectively, were observed in four different pathways, namely the 1,2-PDO, succinate, acrylate and methylmalonyl pathways. Since the maximum theoretical carbon yield of this pathway is 44.4% on glucose and 50.8% on glucose + glycerol, these values represent around 90% of the theoretical maximum, which can be achieved with minimal metabolic engineering (i.e. only heterologous expression of mgs). Since for the 1,2-PDO pathway only one heterologous enzyme is needed, we decided to analyze 1-propanol production via the 1,2-PDO pathway further.
While optimizing in silico for 1-propanol production as described above is a good way to assess suitability of different engineering strategies, optimizing for growth gives more biologically realistic results. Hence, next the model was used to maximize growth while constrained with experimental uptake rates of glucose and the 5 amino acids from the WT grown on glucose (same as case 1 in “Effects of adding glycerol and deleting adhE section”). As previously discussed (“Effects of adding glycerol and deleting adhE section”), the adhE mutant grows poorly on glucose due to redox imbalance. The synthesis of both 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol consumes NADH and activating these pathways therefore has the potential to restore growth. The adhE gene was knocked out in silico, and flux predictions with (Fig. 7) and without (Fig. 5c) an active 1,2-PDO pathway were compared. The active 1,2-PDO pathway resulted in a high increase in growth rate (0.11 to 0.49 h−1) as well as growth-coupled production of 1-propanol (14.7 mmol/gDW/h). Given the good agreement between in silico predictions and in vivo measurements in “Effects of adding glycerol and deleting adhE section”, the expression of the missing mgs gene in the 1,2-PDO pathway at a sufficiently high level in vivo is expected to result in a relatively fast-growing 1-propanol-producing cell factory, which is also in agreement with existing literature .
Model-based analysis of L. reuteri as a cell factory
LAB are natural producers of several chemicals of industrial interest [3, 40, 51]. They possess high sugar uptake rates and, in many species, the central metabolism is only weakly coupled to biomass formation because of their adaptation to nutrient rich environments. As a result, the carbon source is mostly used for energy gain and is converted to fermentation products in high yields. Combined with high tolerance to environmental stress, these properties have led to significant interest in using LAB as cell factories.
The heterofermentative nature of L. reuteri and the dominance of the phosphoketolase over the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway make some target compounds less suitable than others, with lactic acid being an obvious example. On the other hand, these properties can also be used to an advantage as is demonstrated here. We used our newly established L. reuteri metabolic model to study the feasibility of this organism to produce some of the compounds that have been the subject of recently published LAB metabolic engineering experiments. These native and non-native compounds include a flavoring compound (acetoin), a food additive (l-alanine), biofuels (1-propanol and ethanol), chemical building blocks (acetaldehyde and 2,3-butanediol) and an environmentally friendly solvent (ethyl lactate). The last compound has recently been produced in an engineered E. coli strain and is an interesting target in L. reuteri since it is a condensation product of the two major products of glucose fermentation via the phosphoketolase pathway, lactate and ethanol.
The suitability of L. reuteri for producing a particular compound was assessed in terms of the maximum carbon yield, using a fixed glucose uptake rate (Table 5). This gives an overly optimistic estimate of product yields in most cases since it completely ignores variations in enzyme efficiency, compound toxicity, regulation and other issues outside the scope of the model. The maximum flux is still useful to identify products that appear to be ill suited for a particular metabolism as well as products that may be suitable.
The predicted flux for acetaldehyde, acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, which are all derived from acetyl-CoA, was low, suggesting that the metabolism in the wild type is not well suited for overproducing these compounds. The flux increased significantly upon addition of methylglyoxal synthase, suggesting the importance of the 1-propanol pathway in cofactor balancing (“Model-based analysis of 1-propanol production in L. reuteri” section). Addition of glycerol to the medium served the same purpose and increased the predicted flux in all cases (data not shown), which is in line with glycerol being known and used as an external electron sink in L. reuteri . For all the compounds except ethanol and 1-propanol, the addition of a fully functional phosphofructokinase was predicted to increase the yields even further (Table 5). Such a strategy has been shown successful for mannitol production .
Taken together, the model suggests that L. reuteri is better suited for producing compounds derived from pyruvate than compounds derived from acetyl-CoA and that the simultaneous expression of heterologous MGS and PFK enzymes is a general metabolic engineering strategy for increasing product yields in L. reuteri.
In this study, we have established a manually curated genome-scale metabolic model of L. reuteri JCM 1112, referred to as Lreuteri_530, and validated it with experimental data. We identified several knowledge gaps in the metabolism of this organism that we resolved with a combination of experimentation and modeling. The distribution of flux between the PKP and EMPP pathways is strain-specific and in line with other studies, we found that the EMPP activity is maximally around 7% of total glycolytic flux during early exponential phase. The predictive accuracy of the model was estimated by comparing predictions with experimental data. Several scenarios were tested both in vivo and in silico, including addition of glycerol to a glucose-based growth medium and the deletion of the adhE gene, which encodes a bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase. The results showed that the model gives accurate predictions, both with respect to growth rate and uptake- and secretion rates of main metabolites in the central metabolism. This indicates that the model can be useful for predicting metabolic engineering strategies, such as growth-coupled production of 1-propanol. The model also serves as a starting point for the modeling of other L. reuteri strains and related species. The model is available in SBML, Matlab and JSON formats at https://github.com/steinng/reuteri as well as in Additional file 6. Metabolic maps in Escher format are provided in Additional file 4. The Escher maps together with the model in JSON format can be used directly with the Escher-FBA online tool as well as the Caffeine cell factory design and analysis platform (https://caffeine.dd-decaf.eu/).
Availability of data and materials
The model, experimental data, code and other relevant material are available from github.com/steinng/reuteri and additional files.
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The authors would like to thank Bjarke Krysel Christensen, Steen Troels Jørgensen and Brian Kobmann from Novozymes for providing strain SJ11774; Anna Koza from DTU Biosustain for performing the genome sequencing; Amalie Melton Axelsen from DTU Biosustain for technical support with construction and analysis of the adhE mutant strain.
This study was supported by the Marine Biotechnology ERA-NET ThermoFactories project grant number 5178–00003B; the Technology Development fund in Iceland grant number 159004-0612; The Novo Nordisk Foundation in Denmark; and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 686070 (DD-DeCaF).
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Kristjansdottir, T., Bosma, E.F., Branco dos Santos, F. et al. A metabolic reconstruction of Lactobacillus reuteri JCM 1112 and analysis of its potential as a cell factory. Microb Cell Fact 18, 186 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-019-1229-3
- Lactobacillus reuteri
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Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) modulates antioxidant activity and human T-cell proliferation
BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine volume 10, Article number: 54 (2010)
Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) also known as Jujube, is a deciduous shrub which belongs to Rhamnaceae family. This plant is used in Algerian traditional medicine for its anti-diabetic, sedative, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycaemic activities. In the present study, we determined the concentrations of different vitamins (vitamin A, C and E) and fatty acids in root, stem, leaves, fruit pulp and seed of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) and assessed the effects of their aqueous extracts on antioxidant status and human T-cell proliferation.
Aqueous filtrates from different parts, i.e, root, leaf, stem, fruit pulp and seed, of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) were prepared. Vitamin C levels were determined by precipitating with 10% trichloroacetic acid and vitamin A and E were assessed by HPLC. Lipid composition of these extracts was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Anti-oxidant capacity was evaluated by using anti-radical resistance kit [Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL@; Kirial International SA, Couternon, France)]. T-cell blastogenesis was assessed by the incorporation of 3H-thymidine. IL-2 gene expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR.
Our results show that fruit pulp contained higher vitamin A and C contents than other parts of the plant. Furthermore, the fruit pulp was the richest source of linoleic acid (18:2n-6), a precursor of n-6 fatty acids. Fruit seeds possessed higher vitamin C levels than leaves, roots and stem. The leaves were the richest source of vitamin E and linolenic acid (18:3n-3), a precursor of n-3 fatty acids. The antioxidant capacity of the different extracts, measured by KRL@ test, was as follows: pulp < seed<leaf<root < stem. As far as T-cell proliferation is concerned, we observed that the different extracts of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) exerted immunosuppressive effects.
Seed extracts exerted the most potent immunosuppressive effects on T cell proliferation and IL-2 mRNA expression. The results of the present study are discussed in the light of their use to modulate the immune-mediated diseases.
Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) is abundantly present in the Mediterranean region, throughout Libya to Morocco, Algeria and southern European countries like Spain, Sicily, Greece and Cyprus . In Algeria and Tunisia, it is known as 'Sedra'. The fruit is the edible part of the plant by local population. Several parts of Zizyphus have been used by traditional and ancestral medicine, both in North Africa and Middle East, for the treatment of several pathologies including digestive disorders, weakness, liver complaints, obesity, urinary troubles, diabetes, skin infections, fever, diarrhoea and insomnia [2, 3]. Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) is used in Algerian traditional medicine for its anti-diabetic, sedative and hypoglycaemic activities [4, 5]. The medicinal properties of this plant depend on the part of the plant concerned (root, leaf stalk and pulp or fruit) and the extract used (ethanolic, butanolic etc.). Fruit has been used for its emollient properties, and a mixture of dried leaves and fruits is applied topically in the treatment of boils. Interestingly, the root bark is known for its antidiabetic activity . Butanol extracts of Zizyphus spina-christi leaves which are rich in saponin improved the oral glucose tolerance and potentiated glucose-induced insulin release in type II diabetic rats .
Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-ulcerogenic activities of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) have been demonstrated in rodents [8, 9]. Borgi et al. have shown that root barks of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.), given intraperitoneally, showed a significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in carrageenan-induced paw edema in the rat. Hence, the presence of flavonoids in the Zizyphus extracts was supposed to be responsible for these beneficial effects. Besides, several biologically active molecules, particularly cyclopeptide alkaloids, termed lotusiones [11–13] and dammarane saponins have been isolated from this shrub . In fact, cyclopeptides extracted from Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) exhibited antibacterial and antifungal properties .
Disorders in the immune system may be responsible for the onset of different pathological states. The immunodeficient diseases when the immune system is less active than normal, result in recurring and life-threatening infections. On the other hand, an autoimmune disease results from a hyperactive immune system attacking normal tissues as if they were foreign organisms . Common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroditis, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes and lupus erythematosus. Further investigation in this field is expected to play a serious role in promotion of health and treatment of diseases. The T-lymphocytes are the principal mediators of immune-mediated diseases. Hence, a modification of T-cell activation will be a valuable tool to disrupt the disease progression.
As far as the activation of immune system by Zizyphus species is concerned, not much is known on the subject. Adhvaryu et al. have shown that Zizyphus extracts alongwith other plants stimulated neutrophil functions and exerted hepatotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in guinea pigs. Chan et al. assessed cell signaling mechanisms in T-cells and provided the evidence that a mixture of herbs containing Zizyphus extract induced the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (i.e. ERK, JNK and p38) in T-cells, indicating that the immunomodulatory effects of Zizyphus involve the activation of second messenger cascade.
Since Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) has been shown to modulate different disorders [2, 19–21]. We investigated the role of different crude decoction extracts of this plant on human T-lymphocyte proliferation and expression of IL-2 mRNA. We also studied anti-oxidant properties of this plant since anti-oxidants have been considered as immunomodulators and a modification of the both may be a key factor in etiopathogenesis of several diseases. Hence, we determined the contents of different vitamins (A, C, E) which have been considered as anti-oxidant agents.
The HPLC column (HP ODS Hypersil C18), anti-radical resistance kit (Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL@) and tocol were purchased from Lara Spiral, France. RPMI-1640, L-glutamine, penicillin-streptomycin and HEPES were bought from Dutcher, France. DNase was procured from Qiagen, USA. The SuperScript II Reverse Transcriptase, trizol, platinum Taq DNA Polymerase, random primers, and oligonucleotides used as primers in the RT-PCR analysis were purchased from Invitrogen, Life Technologies (Cergy Pontoise, France). Agarose was from Promega (Charbonnière, France). All of the solvents and other chemicals were obtained from Sigma, USA.
Plant material and preparation of the aqueous extracts of Zizyphus lotus (L.)
Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) was collected from south-western part of Algeria (Ain Ouessara and Maessad (willaya de Djelfa) between September and October 2008. The climate is very arid (annual rain fall: around 324 mm according to Office National de Météorologie) with a drought period from half May to half October (5 months). However, we cannot provide the data on the physico-chemical properties of the soil though the climate conditions indicate that the soil belongs to a semi-drought hit area and Zizyphus adapts to such kind of soil in different regions of Africa, Australia and Asia . The plant was recognized by a botanist (Pr Benabadji Nouri, Université Aboubekr Belkaïd, Tlemcen) of the Herbarium Center of the Faculty of Pharmacy (Tlemcen) which contained the voucher specimen (ZLI 1320). Mature whole Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) plants, collected from between September and October 2008, dried at ambient temperature and stored in a dry place prior to use. A 100 g of either of the following parts, i.e, root, leaf, stem, fruit pulp and seed, was suspended in 500 ml distilled water and boiled for 30 min. The decoction obtained was filtered, and the filtrate was frozen at -70°C and, later on, lyophilised and stored at ambient temperature until further use. Lyophilised extract was re-suspended in physiological saline solution (NaCl 0.9%) at 1 mg/ml.
Determination of vitamin C levels
Vitamin C levels were determined in lyophilised extracts using the method of Roe and Kuether by precipitating with 10% trichloroacetic acid and followed by centrifugation. The supernatant (500 μL) was mixed with 100 μL of DTC reagent (2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine 3%, thiourea 0.4%, and copper sulfate 0.05%) prepared in 9N sulfuric acid, and incubated at 37°C for 3 h. After the addition of 750 μL of 65% (vol/vol) sulfuric acid, the absorbence was recorded at 520 nm.
Determination of vitamin A and E levels by HPLC
The α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and retinol (vitamin A) were extracted by hexane (1 ml), three times, from 100 mg of lyophilised extract. The hexane phase was dried up under a stream of nitrogen, resuspended in methanol, and quantified by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography . The stationary phase was constituted of greffed silica (C18 column, HP ODS Hypersil C18; 200 mm × 4.6 mm; maintenance temperature of analytical column, 35°C). The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol/water (98/2, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. This method was used to quantify both vitamins A and E in a single chromatographic run in the presence of an internal standard, tocol, which was added to the samples before extraction by hexane. The retention time (RT) of vitamins was determined by the injection of the authentic standards of vitamin A (RT around 5 min), tocol (RT around 8 min), and vitamin E (RT around 15 min). The peaks were detected by an ultraviolet detector set at 292 nm for vitamin E and tocol, and at 325 nm for vitamin A.
Determination of fatty acid composition
The lipids were extracted as described elsewhere from 1 ml solution of lyophilised extracts (1 mg/ml) in the presence of internal standard (C19:0). The lipid extract was dried under nitrogen and saponified and transmethylated at 80°C for 20 min with BF3/methanol (14%) according to Hichami et al.. Fatty acid methyl esters were then extracted in the presence of 2 ml of hexane and separated by gas-liquid chromatography (Packard model 417 gas−liquid chromatograph (Packard, Downers Grove, IL, USA) equipped with flame ionization detector set at 240°C and a 30-m capillary glass column coated with Carbowax 20 M (Applied Science Labs, State College, PA, USA). Helium was used as carrier gas, with a flow rate of 0.4 ml/min. Analysis of fatty acids peaks was achieved with reference to retention time of authentic standards (68b; Nu-Chek-Prep, Elysian, MN, USA) by using DELSI ENICA 31 (Delsi Nermag, Rungis, France). The fatty acid levels were expressed as g per 100 g of lyophilised extract of the plant.
The effects of the plant extracts on the sensitivity to free radical aggression was tested by the capacity of red blood cell (RBC) to withstand free radical-induced haemolysis and was measured according to the method of , who have clearly demonstrated that, if at least 1 component of the antiradical detoxification system (antioxidants, enzymes) is impaired, a shift of the haemolysis curve is observed toward shorter times. Briefly, washed RBCs were diluted (1:40, vol/vol) with anti-radical resistance [Kit Radicaux Libres (KRL@; Kirial International SA, Couternon, France)] buffer (300 mOsmol/kg) and 50 μl of RBCs suspension was assayed in a 96-well microplate coated with a free radical generator (GRL, Kirial International SA). The kinetic of RBCs resistance to hemolysis was determined at 37°C by continuous monitoring of changes in absorbance at 620 nm. The time to reach 50% of total haemolysis was retained for group comparisons.
The human (Jurkat) T-cells were routinely cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with 10% foetal calf serum (FCS), 2 mM L-glutamine, 50 μg/ml penicillin-streptomycin and 20 mM HEPES at 37°C in a humidified chamber containing 95% air and 5% CO2. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion test. Cell numbers were determined by hemocytometer.
Jurkat T-cells (0.1 × 106 cells/160 μl) were suspended in RPMI-1940 without serum and seeded in 96-well plate (Nunc, Roskilde, Denmark), then cells were incubated for 4 h with increasing concentration of Zizyphus (5 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml), then stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies (30 μg/ml). Cells were distributed in six replicates as follows: 160 μl of cell suspension, 20 μl of Zizyphus extract and 20 μl of anti-CD3 antibodies as described elsewhere . After 36 h, 20 μl of [3H] thymidine (20 Ci/mmol, 0.5 μCi/well) was added and, 12 h later, the cells were harvested with a cell harvester (Dynatech, Burlington, MA, USA), trapping their DNA onto glass filtermats. Dried filter circles were placed in plastic minivials (Pakard, Downers Grove, IL, USA), 2 ml of Optifluor-O (Pakard) was added, and the radioactivity was recorded in a scintillation counter (Beckman, Fullerton, CA, USA).
RNA isolation and real time quantitative PCR
Cells were cultured as described above in the presence of Zizyphus extracts and stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies for 2 h . Total RNA from cells was extracted using trizol and underwent DNase treatment using the RNase-free DNase Set (Qiagen). One μg of total RNA was reverse transcribed with Super script II H-reverse transcriptase using oligo (dT) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Real time PCR was carried out on the iCycler iQ real time detection system and amplification was undertaken by using SYBR Green I detection. Oligonucleotide primers were as follow: beta-actin forward: 5'-ATGATATCGCCGCGCTCGTCGTC-3', beta-actin reverse 5'-AGGTCCCGGCCAGCCAGGTCCAG-3'; IL-2 forward 5'-CACTAATTCTTGCACTTGTCAC-3', IL-2 reverse 5'-CCTTCTTGGGCATGTAAAACT-3'. IL-2. The Amplification was carried out in a total volume of 25 μl containing 12.5 μl SYBR® Green supermix, i.e., PCR buffer [50 mM KCl, 20 mM, Tris-HCl (pH 8.4), 3 mM MgCl2], 0.2 mM each dNTPs, 0.63 U iTaq DNA polymerase, SYBR green 1,10 nM fluoresein, and 12.5 μl containing 0.3 μM each primer and diluted cDNA.
The conditions of amplification consisted of an initial denaturation step at 95°C for 5 min as a "hot start" followed by 40 cycles at 95°C for 30 s/60°C for 30 s with a single fluorescence detection point at the end of the relevant annealing or extension segment. At the end of the PCR, the temperature was increased from 60 to 95°C at a rate of 2°C/min, and the fluorescence was measured every 15 s to construct the melting curve. The standard curves were generated for each gene using serial dilutions of positive control template in order to establish PCR efficiencies. All determinations were performed, at least, in duplicates using two dilutions of each assay to achieve reproducibility.
Results were evaluated by iCycler iQ software including standard curves, amplification efficiency (E) and cycle threshold (Ct). Relative quantification of mRNA in different groups was determined as follows: ΔΔCt = ΔCt of gene of interest - ΔCt of beta actin. ΔCt = Ct of treated cells - Ct control cells. Relative quantity (RQ) was calculated as follows: RQ = (1+E)(-ΔCt) .
Statistical analysis of data was carried out using Statistica (version 4.1, Statsoft, Paris, France). The significance of the differences between mean values was determined by analysis of variance one way, followed by a least-significant-difference (LSD) test. For all the tests, the significance level chosen was p < 0.05. The Spearman's rank test was employed for the correlation coefficients.
Concentrations of vitamin A, C and E in different parts of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.)
Table 1 shows that concentration of vitamin A and C was higher in fruit pulp than those of the leaves, root and stem of the Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.). Interestingly, vitamin A could not be detected in fruit seeds, though they contained significant amounts of vitamin C. The concentration of vitamin A and C in other parts of the plant were as follows: pulp < leaves<root < stem while we compared these four parts of the plant. Zizyphus leaves contained higher vitamin E concentrations than root, fruit pulp, stem and fruit seed. The root and stem contained the similar levels of vitamin E. The vitamin E concentrations in fruit pulp and seed were not statistically different (Table 1).
Fatty acid composition of different parts of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.)
A perusal of Table 2 shows that fruit seeds were richer in fatty acids than other parts of the plant. Besides, the Zizyphus plant seems to be a good source of saturated (16:0 and 18:0), monounsaturated (18:1n-9) and polyunsaturated (18:2n-6) fatty acids. As far as the essential fatty acids are concerned, linoleic acid was present in all parts of the plant, where the fruit pulp was found to be the richest source. Linolenic acid could not be detected in stem, fruit pulp and root of the Zizyphus (Table 2). Eicosatrienoic acid (20:3n-3), an intermediate agent between linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, was present only in fruit seed, stem and root. Arachidonic acid was detected only in leaves of the Zizyphus. Other fatty acids were present principally in fruit seed and leaves (Table 2).
If the fruit pulp exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than other parts of the plant, then the order of antioxidant capacity should be pulp < fruit seed<leaves<root < stem (Figure 1).
Effects of Zizyphus on T-cell blastogenesis and IL-2 expression
To assess the toxicity of the Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.), we used the trypan blue exclusion test. We observed that Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) extracts were cytotoxic only beyond the concentration of 40 μg/ml. Since there was no cytotoxic effect from 10 μg/ml to 30 μg/ml of the plant extract and there was no significant difference between 20 μg/ml and 30 μg/ml, we show the effects 5 μg/ml, 10 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml of the extracts in our study.
The anti-CD3 antibodies activated human T-cell line in a highly significant manner. All the extracts significantly diminished the T-cell proliferation, activated by exogenous anti-CD3 antibodies (Figure 2). Though all the concentrations of the extracts inhibited T-cell activation, the highest inhibitory effect was noticed at 20 μg/ml. In fact, there was no significant difference of the response between 20 μg/ml and 30 μg/ml (not shown). Figure 2 insert shows the effect at 20 μg/ml in T-cells without stimulation.
We also assessed the expression of IL-2 mRNA and we noticed that different extracts of the Zizyphus exerted inhibitory effects (Figure 3). The most potent inhibitory effect was observed at 20 μg/ml and there was no significant difference between this dose and 30 μg/ml (not shown).
T-cell abnormalities are believed to be the major cause of autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes also, the inflammation leading to the activation of monocytes is postulated to be important for enhancing insulin resistance and contributing to the loss of insulin secretary function by islet cells .
Jujube has increasingly become popular as a source of food and medicine for thousands of years [19, 31]. The beneficial effects may be related to the presence of biologically active compounds . In our study, we have observed that different extracts of the Zizyphus exerted the antioxidant activity. Hence, it is possible that the antioxidant activity of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) might be due to the presence of different vitamins. The Spearman's correlation coefficient (Rs) between antioxidant activity and vitamins or fatty acids are as follows: vitamin A vs antioxidant Rs = 0.95; vitamin C vs antioxidant Rs = 0.82; vitamin E vs antioxidant = Rs 68; n-fatty acids vs antioxidant Rs = 0.27. Furthermore, Lenucci et al. have demonstrated that antioxidant activity is likely due to the presence of ascorbic acid, tocopherol and pigments. This argument also supports the highest antioxidant activity of the pulp which contains the highest contents of vitamin A and C and a substantial quantity, though lesser than leaves, of vitamin E. The seed extract, which contains higher vitamin C than stem, root leaves, stands at the second place as far as the antioxidant activity is concerned. The leaf extract which contains vitamin E in the highest quantity, but lesser vitamin C and A than pulp, stands at the third place regarding the antioxidant activity. It is also possible that the antioxidant activity, in part, of the pulp might be due to the presence of polyphenols as suggested by Lamia-Meda et al. who have recently reported that Zizyphus mauritania (L.) is rich in these agents. These investigators further assessed the antioxidant capacity of these extracts and finally concluded that the fruit, rich in polyphenols, was responsible for the antioxidant property. However, we did not determine the concentrations of polyphenols in our extracts. Nonetheless, our observations suggest that Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) is a good source of antioxidant agents.
The present study also shows that Zizyphus decoction exerted an immmunosupressive activity. Our results agree well with the findings of Adhvaryu et al. who have also observed that Zizyphus extracts exert immunomodulatory effects in guinea pigs. The induction of IL-2 gene transcription is a critical event for T-cell proliferation and effector functions. We observed that different extracts inhibited T-cell blastogenesis and IL-2 mRNA expression. However, the seed extract was found to be the most potent immunosuppressor as this extract, at 10 μg/ml concentrations, inhibited by 86 ± 1.2% of T-cell proliferation whereas the extracts of stem, pulp, leaf and root inhibited, respectively, the same by 38 ± 4.2%, 43 ± 4.4%, 29 ± 5.2% and 72 ± 4.1%. The significant immunosuppressive effect of seed extract cannot be attributed to the presence of vitamins as this extract did not contain vitamin A, and vitamin E concentration was lesser than that in pulp and leaf, and vitamin C was lesser than that in the pulp fractions.
Hence, it is possible that the fatty acids might be responsible for this immunosuppressive effect. The Spearman's correlation coefficient between T-cells proliferation (TCP) and vitamins or fatty acids are as follows: vitamin A vs TCP Rs = 0.0037; vitamin C vs TCP Rs = 0.19; vitamine E vs TCP Rs = 0.15; n-3 fatty acids vs TCP Rs = 0.70. Indeed, seed fraction was the richest in fatty acids and it contained, notably, three immunosuppressive n-3 fatty acids (18:3 n-3, 20:3 n-3 and 20:03). Silva et al. have reported that the oil of Zizyphus mistol was rich in n-3 fatty acids (18:3 n-3) and, therefore, modulated tumor growth in animal models . Zaho et al. identified eleven components in a product of Zuzyphus jujuba, cultivated in China, but they failed to detect linolenic acid (18:3 n-3). However, Guil-Guerrero et al. quantified all of the fatty acids which we report in the present study, in Zuzyphus jujuba cultivated in Spain. In fact, the fatty acid composition depends on fruit variety, culture type (irrigation or not), location, and developmental stage (mature or raisin) which may vary from one country to another.
It has been well established that n-3 fatty acids exert immunosuppressive and anti-inflmmatory activities both in experimental and clinical studies . Indeed, the extracts of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties . It is noteworthy that the Zizyphus extracts in the absence of anti-CD3 antibodies failed to inhibit cell proliferation, suggesting that Zizyphus extracts under normal conditions do not modulate T-cell proliferation. These observations are in analogy to the n-3 fatty acids which, being authentic immunosuppressors, failed to influence normal T-cell proliferation in healthy subjects . In fact, the best immunosuppressors might interfere, principally, with abnormal T-cell activation, as seen in the autoimmune diseases, without influencing the same in healthy situations . As far as the mechanism of action of fatty acids is concerned, it has been well established that they interfere with cell signalling, particularly with the cascade of MAP kinases like ERK1/2 and p38 [42, 43]. In fact, Chan et al. have also demonstrated that a mixture of herbs containing Zizyphus extracts also interfere with the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 in T-cells.
To sum up, we can state that different aqueous extracts of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) bear therapeutic potential as they possess antioxidant and immunosuppressive properties. To our knowledge, no study has, as yet, been carried out on the effects of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) in autoimmune diseases. However, a mixture of plants of Chinese medicine containing Zizyphus jujube L. (Desf.) has been found to modulate immune system . Further studies are required to elucidate the effects of different extract of this plant in the progression of autoimmune diseases or organ transplantation.
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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/10/54/prepub
This work was supported by Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which granted a scholraship to one of the authors (CB). Authors are thankfur to the French Ministry of Research which granted a contingent grant for the laboratory (UPRES EA4183).
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
CB, AH and NAK designed the study. AY and AMS participated in the technical work. MB and HA supervised the plant collection. NAK wrote the MS. NAK and AH established the collaborative work with Algerian team. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
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Benammar, C., Hichami, A., Yessoufou, A. et al. Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) modulates antioxidant activity and human T-cell proliferation. BMC Complement Altern Med 10, 54 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-10-54
- Antioxidant Activity
- Antioxidant Capacity
- Seed Extract
- Fruit Pulp
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It starts at about 32:15 in and is worth its weight in gold.
Category : Evangelism and Church Growth
Now the church is displaying evangelising glints that are, for many, alarming. A briefing paper on “Vision and Strategy”, delivered in July at its general synod, called for a church that is “younger and more diverse”—and much bigger. It aims to develop 3,000 “worshipping hubs” for children and young people, and has linked with a movement called “Myriad” (the word is Greek for 10,000), which aims to create 10,000 new churches and a million new worshippers in Britain within a decade.
Myriad does not mean “churches” in the spinsters-and-stained-glass sense. It is not promising 10,000 more pulpits or transepts or tea urns or vicars. It is not promising buildings at all. Myriad groups might meet in churches and work with priests—or they might meet independently, in houses or offices or parks. Followers talk freely about God. As a promotional video explains, this movement is “not just reserved for Bibles and a building”. These churches will be “predominantly” led by lay people—a Myriad boss referred to buildings and theological training as “key limiting factors” in church expansion.
The response has been bitter. Both the church and Myriad later apologised for the “limiting factors” comment, but the damage was done. The plans have been described as “Stalinist” and a “Great Leap Forward”. This, one vicar wrote, is a Christianity that is “randy for converts”. A Save the Parish group has been formed. Diarmaid MacCulloch, an emeritus professor of ecclesiastical history at Oxford University, sees in the scheme a certain “adolescent self-confidence”. Many are very angry. Mr MacCulloch says he is merely “mildly cross in an Anglican sort of way”. Which in Anglicanese means furious.
Go forth and multiply more – The Church of England needs new members. How to get them? https://t.co/Ydo8wBdq6c
— Gus Logan (@SugnaNagol) September 10, 2021
Not catching a bus though: at the age of 22 she took the extraordinary decision to spend her savings buying a double decker bus and transforming it into a youth and community centre.
A church youth worker, Emily drove the bus around the York and later the Scarborough coastal areas. She hosted sessions for young people on board the bus, with the opportunity to pray afterwards, as well as drop-ins for families and youth work training to churches.
When she left to move to Newcastle in 2018, its work had touched the lives of 5,000 young people and the Bus Stop charity had been established. She remains a trustee of the charity and it is still going strong on the North Yorkshire coast.
Now she is embarking on a new journey – of training to become a distinctive deacon in the Church of England.
At 22, Emily spent her savings on a bus.
After transforming it into a youth and community centre, people started to see it as their church.
Now Emily's driving towards her next destination – ordination.
Be inspired by Emily's story, on our website. 👇🏾https://t.co/kYOm1WgudL
— The Church of England (@churchofengland) June 23, 2021
The two leaders with whom the Lausanne Movement is most closely associated are Billy Graham and John Stott.
Billy was the face and voice of the movement. That voice echoed through the halls of the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974 on the first night of the First Congress on World Evangelization exclaiming, ‘Let the earth hear his voice!’
John Stott, however, was the head and heart of Lausanne.
I first met Uncle John 25 years ago while I was a student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where I had the unexpected blessing of lunch with him. It was like meeting a real-life hero. Not the kind that you watch in movies, but the kind that we all truly need. Not a man of fame and fortune, but a godly, wise, and humble servant.
The topic of our conversation was birds—a topic Uncle John was always animated about. After sharing with me some of the fascinating lessons on life and faith to be learned from birds, he expressed his hope to one day write a book on his favorite hobby.
— Langham Partnership (@LanghamPartners) May 7, 2021
Let me share with you three things about the life of Luis that I celebrate.
First, there was Luis’ energy. He was a man who, astonishingly, preached as an evangelist for nearly seventy years. In 2015, at the age of eighty-one, he held an outdoor service for 60,000 people in New York’s Central Park and lamented that planning laws hadn’t allowed more attendees. Indeed, when he received news that he had lung cancer, one of his main regrets was that he might have to cancel some of his preaching events. In part, that energy came from his own natural strength but I’m sure a lot of it was asked of God and given by him. Theodore Roosevelt once wrote,
There wasn’t much rust on Luis.
Second, there was Luis’ enthusiasm. One reason that Luis was so good as an evangelist was that he was so openly and wonderfully enthusiastic about the gospel. As anyone who heard Luis will testify, there was joy in what he said. With him the good news sounded good news!
Third, Luis was effective in his evangelism.
After a 3 year battle with lung cancer, Dad passed away today at his home in Portland, Oregon.
We are heartbroken, yet full of hope and faith. We serve a good God who loves us tremendously. To read more about his amazing life, please visit https://t.co/fWVVnmpU1j
—Kevin Palau pic.twitter.com/PAA8BODNit
— Luis Palau Association (@LuisPalauLive) March 11, 2021
But ACNA has seen significant growth as well as decline. Leaving aside the two Nigerian dioceses that have left ACNA, the number of congregations in the rest of ACNA continues steadily to increase. Its stress on church planting is bearing considerable fruit and is much more vigorous than that of TEC.
What is particularly telling is the success of the non-territorial jurisdictions, particularly the diocese named C4SO (Churches for the Sake of Others), whose membership doubled and principal service attendance tripled over the six years up to 2019. C4SO is now the second-largest diocese in ACNA, eclipsed only by South Carolina, larger than Fort Worth or Pittsburgh. Western dioceses like Cascadia and the Rocky Mountains also report significant increases in membership and attendance.
C4SO 2013 2019
Congregations 26 52
Members 5,325 10,493
Attendance 3,157 9,373
Members of TEC may be tempted to look askance at a diocese whose name sounds like a droid from Star Wars, but humility is in order. The growth of C4SO massively outpaces all TEC dioceses in the same period.
What Is Going On in ACNA?
Now past its first decade, ACNA is declining and growing.
Pressing On: Bishop Mark Lawrence’s Address to the 2021 Convention of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina
What do I owe the diocese before stepping down?
The Pandemic—what an inspiring video clip put together by our staff and folks from St. Helena’s documenting how our churches have continued to minister during what has seemed like a Kafkaesque dream for some of us. Our churches without exception have found ways to minister with creativity and care. Ordinations, confirmations, baptisms, marriages, funerals have continued often by exercising a remarkable resourcefulness: Zach Miller ordained in his family’s back lawn on Johns Island, Chip Bateson at a drive in style service at Resurrection, Surfside and Bill Clarkson under a tent in the parking lot of St. Matthew’s Fort Motte. The work of the gospel and the ministry of the Church has gone on. We have seen small congregations have a big reach, and local churches minister globally in ways rarely seen before. I showed up recently for visitations at congregations even as small as Advent, Marion and they all have their I-Phones there to broadcast the service and sermon online. Congregations in the Pee Dee have not only reached their members with inspiring and sustaining worship through praise, word, and sacrament, but in many cases, they have a growing “virtual congregation” faithfully viewing their worship from as far away as Virginia, California and the U.K. Those in the Beaufort deanery have told me of viewers in Sweden and Tanzania. Our rectors and vicars have people from across the country who now consider them and even refer to them as their pastor. Just yesterday, I was talking to one of our priests who told me that he has people throughout the southeast joining in on a bible study that he offers virtually. Several are members of other churches but they now call him “my pastor.” I asked him, “What are their churches doing?” He said, “I don’t know.” I told him, “Over and over I hear this story all over the diocese.” Many offer virtual services of Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline as part of the rhythm of their lives—the rhythms of grace for their isolated members. Our larger congregations have invested in developing or upgrading their capacity to live stream or professionally record their worship services. In some cases tailoring these services primarily for those who partake only in home worship. While our smallest congregations have found ways to offer high pastoral touch in this low touch world. I want to pause in the midst of this convention to celebrate our clergy—rectors, vicars, assisting priests, and deacons and their lay members for your extraordinary ministry during these extraordinary times! Not only that but for how you have helped and learned from one another building up the body of Christ. I have thought for years that we are a remarkably unique place in the Anglican world. For years, we had visitors coming to Charleston for our Mere Anglican Conferences and various offerings. I pray that we shall have that once again. But for now, we are broadcasting via the internet and social media the vibrancy of the life in Christ among our congregations both great and small through worship and word in ways many of us never imagined. While I am offering kudos, I don’t want to forget what Bob Lawrence and his staff have accomplished in keeping St. Christopher in the game, or the Men’s Ministry with their zoom Summit, and the Anglican Women with their fall retreat. Well done good and faithful servants!
With that said and celebrated, I want to sound a word of concern. Chalk it up, if you must, to the world view of a septuagenarian, a curmudgeon with an Anglican bent, born in the exact middle of the past century, the son of a WWII vet and survivors of the Great Depression, who himself remembers all too well the cold war, and who as a young man took graduate courses in Marx and Soviet Thought. As I said, I feel at times that I am living through a Kafkaesque dream, concerned about things many others are not. We have entered a masked, isolated, atomistic world controlled or at least being shaped by that, which is erasing, deleting, unfriending, or cancelling a culture that once shaped our understanding of self and society. Certainly all the once was was not good; not every handshake, kiss or hug came from heartfelt conviction; and not every Easter or Christmas worship was glorious and resounding; but they were formative, and shaped earlier generations. Now, from what I have seen more of our older members have returned to in-person worship in numbers greater than the young. Generation Z those born after 1998 according to reliable research is the most unchurched generation in American history. These are their formative and perhaps in many ways their defining years. The axiom we have used in the past of “Every Congregation Engaging Every Generation” has never been more challenging nor more critical than it is today. There are few sustaining replacements for family life and lively worship in the midst of the family of God made up of “all sorts and conditions of men.” These need not be in large gatherings; yet as our Lord revealed to his first followers and was (at the risk of their lives) the irrefutable experience of the early church; it does need to be incarnational. There is much that I would like to say about this but now is not the time; I shall save it for my upcoming gatherings with the clergy. Just know I will shortly be assembling a team to consider updated guidance regarding how we chart the course to whatever normalcy may lie ahead.
Stewardship—I mentioned in my last address the need for us to strengthen our practice and teaching on stewardship at every level throughout the diocese—to parishioners, congregations, and diocesan initiatives. I have been encouraged by how many have stepped up. Our parishioners continue their generosity and giving to their congregations, our parishes and missions have to our diocesan work as well—even increasing in several cases. Stewardship, to paraphrase Henri Nouwen, is always a call to conversion. “And this call comes to those who seek funds and to those who have funds.” It is, as Nouwen says, a form of ministry, “…a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission. Vision and mission are central to life of God’s people … and give us courage when we might want to remain silent.” We in the Church need to overcome our reluctance to ask for the resources to carry out our God given vision and mission for the kingdom of God. Yet if we ourselves are not practicing it, it becomes the place where conscience doth makes cowards of us all.
'Generation Z..acc 2 reliable research is the most unchurched gentn in #USA history. These are their formative and perhaps in many ways their defining yrs. “Every Congregtn Engaging Every Generatn” has nevr bn more challenging nor more critical than..2day' https://t.co/33vUAR8BzX pic.twitter.com/QFEqsV6LA8
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) March 19, 2021
John and Charles Wesley are among the most notable evangelists who ever lived. As young men, they formed a party which came to be derisively called Methodists, because they methodically set about fulfilling the commands of scripture. In due course they learned that works cannot save, and discovered salvation by faith in Christ. Afterward, they carried that message to all England in sermon and in song. John Wesley is credited with staving off a bloody revolution in England such as occurred in France.
Although the brothers did not set out to establish a church, the Wesleyans and the Methodists are their offspring.
Both preached, both wrote hymns. But John is more noted for his sermons and Charles for his hymns. Here we present two hymns by Charles and a sermon by John.
— The Methodist Church (@MethodistGB) May 24, 2017
Listen carefully for a concise summary from a Church of England evangelist as to what the gospel actually *is*.
A team of pastors including Thabiti Anyabwile and John Onwuchekwa have launched a new network—The Crete Collective—to support church planters focused on black, Hispanic, and Asian American communities.
The network represents a move to bring more people of color into leadership for church-planting initiatives and to focus more missional attention toward poor and underserved urban areas with high concentrations of ethnic minorities.
“The Crete Collective would place at the center of its work the concerns, ideals, aspirations, frustrations, struggles, and realities of black and brown neighborhoods in all of their diversity,” said founding president Thabiti Anyabwile, a pastor at Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC.
“We would enthusiastically encourage the kind of holistic discipleship that sees gospel preaching and justice as siblings rather than as enemies. We’ve got a whole range of issues that we have to care about in our communities … immigration challenges, prison reform, hunger, homeownership.”
Me and my brothers are building something to meet the needs in our neighborhoods and neighborhoods like ours! Today we launch the @cretecollective!
We'd appreciate your prayers. Check it out!https://t.co/zROFlNsPsD
— John Onwuchekwa (@JawnO) November 19, 2020
Bishop Lawrence’s Annual Visitation schedule has just been released. In order to allow time for the Bishop Coadjutor’s selection, election and consecration, the calendar has been extended through the first of March 2022.
— Anglican Diocese of SC (@anglican_sc) November 19, 2020
In his address to the convention, Bishop Mark Lawrence reflected on lessons he’d learned from his predecessors, Bishops Temple, Allison and Salmon. With the last 12-15 months of his episcopacy remaining he asked, “What do I need to accomplish for the good of the Diocese? What do I need to give myself to? I’ve come to the conclusion I need to give myself, as much as I can, to the clergy of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina….To the rectors, vicars, associates and curates: I want to double down on my prayers for you, your families and ministries and to spend as much time with you as I can fit into my calendar.” He spoke of trimming time spent on committees, boards and speaking engagements “which often draw you away from what your heart wants to do” to allow him to spend time with clergy.
Analyzing the clergy of the Diocese by age, he said 10% of our clergy are between the ages of 25-39; 23% between 40-54 and 67% are age 55+. “We need to fan the flame of the gift of the Holy Spirit in the young men and women of the Diocese that God might call them to offer themselves, if God so calls, to the ordained ministry of the church.” He asked those listening to join him in praying for the work of St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center, where many young people have heard a call to ministry. “Pray for a spiritual revival on our clergy and lay leaders alike.”
He also said the Diocese needed to put an increasing emphasis on church planting, expressing his thankfulness for the work of the Rev. Todd Simonis, our (very part-time) Canon for Church Planting stating that by 2023 he hoped the Diocese would be able to fund that as a full-time position.
Please Pray for the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina Virtual Convention which happens today https://t.co/v86OJs4r55 #parishministry #conventions #meetings #ministry #prayer pic.twitter.com/Nxo3SGps2r
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 3, 2020
At…[a recent] Diocesan Synod in Chelmsford Diocese, a paper was discussed which proposed a radical reduction of stipendiary clergy posts from 275 to 215 within the next 18 months, a reduction of 22%. (Since these papers are in the public domain, you can read it for yourself here.) Despite some of these positions already being vacant, this will almost certainly involve making actual clergy redundant, which I think must be unprecedented in the modern era. With our (appropriate) current pre-occupation with the question of racism in society and the church, this might get overlooked or thought of as a local issue—but in fact this could be a turning point, since its implications point to a radical rejection of a commitment to a strategy of growth for the Church of England.
The introduction to the paper sets out the paradoxical pressures that has faced both dioceses and the national Church for some time:
a. On the one hand, it was widely predicted that 40% of serving clergy would retire in the next ten years, creating a kind of ‘cliff edge’ for stipendiary ministry. In fact, this has not been realised, since dioceses cannot control exactly when clergy retire, and many have been staying on longer than expected.
b. On the other hand, the Church of England nationally has never consistently reached its giving target of 5% of net income of those attending, and dioceses across the country are reporting growing deficits.
c. This paradox has been brought to a head by a very significant change in the way that the Church Commissioners distribute their funding. Prior to 2015, the Commissioners distributed funds according to what was known as the ‘Darlow formula’, which paid attention to needs in the dioceses in different ways, but paid no attention to commitment to or potential for growth. John Spence was the leading voice in the 2015 report Resourcing the Future, which proposed that the Commissioners money was divided into two: the Strategic Development Fund (SDF), which would give grants for church planting and church growth initiatives, each of which would need to become self-sustaining over a five-year period; and the Lowest Income Communities Funding (LInC), continuing support for the poorest communities across the dioceses….
Post Edited: The end of the road for C of E growth strategies? https://t.co/Nk4rr4UaM3
— Dr Ian Paul (@Psephizo) June 19, 2020
The Nigerian Guardian does a special interview with Anglican leader the Most Rev. Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba
How do you plan to create more dioceses, during your tenure?
Let me put it this way: I believe that my work, in the main, may have to do with consolidation. Along the line, there might be new things being introduced. But sustaining what is there, building up the structures that will make this Church stronger, funding and financing and being self-sustaining and supporting, and being able to carry out our mission to the world will be our focus. Part of that consolidation will be to help the needy dioceses to stand.
But I have also realised that as you engage in church mission, church planting, training of pastors and nurturing the believers, the church grows and there will be the need for us to expand. As of now, I cannot tell you the number of dioceses that will be created. This is a decision the House of Bishops, the Episcopal Synod and the General Synod will take. So, when the time comes, we will do the needful. But we will see that we consolidate, strengthen what is on the ground and build up the structures of this institution that will help the church to function and face future challenges.
— Diocese on the Niger – Anglican Communion (@on_niger) June 28, 2020
In lieu of traditional camp sessions, Camp Saint Christopher is offering a Day Camp this summer. The sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday starting on June 22. Campers who have completed 2nd-8th grade have the option to register for the entire week or half a week (Monday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Friday). Each week will have a different theme with varying activities. Most weeks will include sailing, kayking, crabbing, camp games, a visit to St. Christopher’s Herpetarium, mud pit, chapel, and much, much more! Campers are welcome to register for multiple sessions….
— StPaulsAnglican (@StPaulsAnglican) June 4, 2020
Q. You mentioned the precarious jobs and low wages. An example of that is a much praised film in the UK, titled “Sorry We Missed You”, a story about a man who starts working as a deliveryman in one of the new businesses such as Amazon, Uber… What ‘curses’ come with these new types of jobs linked to mobile phone ‘apps’ and the new ‘needs’ of costumers to have everything as fast and as cheap as possible.
A. Yes, it has been very interesting in the last decade that the combination of the new technologies that developed, especially smartphone apps, and that high unemployment at the beginning of the decade following the financial crisis, created the perfect conditions for what we call the ‘gig economy’ to emerge.
This form of capitalism, if you like, has developed where we have a cultural individualism and a market economy; but the consumer’s choice and freedom are becoming the most important thing of all. So we have 24/7 shopping, and somehow, we accept the ‘curse’ zero-hours contracts. And people who have to deliver this service are people we don’t really see, that are kind of invisible and anonymous. They are working having very anti-social hours and often not given much advance warning, only one day or two before they are told when they can work. This makes the worker in this ‘gig economy’… Well, it is a new kind of oppression, to be honest.
The loss of rights, the loss of freedom, especially for family relationships which came out in the film, is a very high price to pay for this new kind of consumerism – the new way we do buying and selling. So yes, it is something we should look out very critically.
Read it all and follow the links.
The spirit and example of Cyril and Methodius is not only to be praised as a piece of a bygone age.
“For the peoples of Europe,” said Poe Benedict, “these two great saints remind us that their unity” – the unity of Europe – “will be more solid if it is based on common Christian roots.” The Pope identified Christianity as a central and defining element in Europe’s complex history, and discussed how the Christian faith has shaped the culture of the Old Continent, saying that this faith, “is intertwined with its history,” to such a point that the history of Europe is not comprehensible without reference to the events that marked the first great period of evangelization, and the centuries in which Christianity assumed a growing role.
The Pope went on to discuss how, in the present day, Europeans are called to commit themselves to creating the conditions for a deep, cohesive and effective cooperation among peoples – a cooperation that cannot be based on an appeal to purely economic interests, but must rather rely on those authentic human goods, which have their foundation in universal moral law written on the heart of every man.
“It is important, therefore,” said Pope Benedict, “that Europe also grow in the spiritual dimension, in keeping with the best angels of the history,” of Europe’s peoples.
“We need to learn from industry,” he says. “When I was in marketing at Unilever we tried things out and if they didn’t work we dropped them. It encourages an innovation culture.”
Bishop Ric’s key objective for his ministry is overseeing the creation of new worshipping communities across England. He founded the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication, using St Edmund’s as a training base.
His first “planting” success came in 2005, in the east London parish of Shadwell, where the church was facing imminent closure because of its dwindling congregation.
By adding a more relaxed family service and evening worship aimed at young people, numbers swelled to 200 regular worshippers, and groups quickly formed from among this congregation of new Christians and those who already had a faith that had moved to the area to repeat the exercise in four neighbouring churches.
Attendance across all five churches rose from 55 to 765 in a decade, Bishop Ric tells the planters assembled at St Edmund’s. “Planting is the most effective way to grow the church and if we can focus on that goal, with help, we can create growth,” he says.
“General Synod [the legislative part of the Anglican church] recently passed a motion that a new church should be created in each of the 12,500 Church of England parishes. That could mean one million people coming back to church.”
How the faithful borrow ideas from business to create start-up churches https://t.co/K3w2PiJxIB
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) February 9, 2020
Not a Convention Delegate? Come anyway – for the Workshops! Join us on Friday March 13:
Morning Mini Conference on:
Creating a Spiritual Legacy: Your Game Plan from Success to Significance
Afternoon Workshops on:
Church Revitalization • Stewardship • Global Partnerships • Church Planting • The New ACNA Prayerbook • Small Church, Big Heart, Big God • Hispanic Ministry • Prayer
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) February 10, 2020
— Age In Grace (@ageingrace22) November 19, 2019
Natural Evangelism with Canon J. John
January 21, St. Philip’s Church, Charleston
The Anglican Leadership Institute once again invites you to a gathering to hear a gifted global leader speaking on an issue central to our Christian faith and witness. On Tuesday, January 21st. at St. Philip’s Church, 142 Church Street, Charleston, Canon J. John of England will speak on Natural Evangelism: The practice of praying, caring and sharing. Canon John, originally from Greece, has for years been a noted author, speaker, and media personality in the U.K. This is one of his first American visits. His book Ten on the Ten Commandments has been used by many study groups here in Charleston and elsewhere. It is a unique contemporary approach to a classical subject.
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) January 11, 2020
Do members feel they are “losing” by planting a church outside their denomination?
Crane: This is a gift for the kingdom. It is not a quid pro quo arrangement. Our denominational systems reward denominational progress. Our resources are poured into the expansion of our own tribe. Imagine what can be accomplished for the kingdom if we move beyond models of denominational competition toward strategic partnerships.
But strictly speaking, one reason an evangelical congregation can plant an Anglican church in the same facility is because there is such a dramatic difference between a contemporary service and a liturgical service. Typically the evangelical congregation will not “lose” many people to the liturgical expression—other than those who are encouraged to assist in the startup. You can plant on top of yourself if you reach a different universe.
What should a typical pastor take away from your uncommon approach?
Crane: The need for church plants. New churches have a much younger age profile than do older churches, and new churches have two to four times the conversion rate of new Christians than older churches do. New churches are required to keep the church species healthy and strong.
Hunter: The power of trust. Stephen Covey wrote about The Speed of Trust. When you have trust, things that would otherwise be really hard become doable.
A Baptist congregation in Washington decided the best way to reach the unchurched in their community was to plant a church … of a different denomination https://t.co/JDXgLv5fNv
— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) November 12, 2019
As long as Christians assume we are still living in Christendom, the church will continue to decline in the West, no matter how ferociously Christians fight to maintain power and privilege. If anything, the harder Christians fight, the more precipitous the decline will be, for cultural power and privilege will come at an increasingly high price. Christians will either accommodate until the faith becomes almost unrecognizable, or they will isolate until their faith becomes virtually invisible.
Nothing short of a change of church culture will suffice—from a culture of entertainment, politics, personality, and program to a culture of discipleship. Such a radical change will require patience, steadiness, and purposefulness.
The good news is, we are not alone, and the story of early Christianity reminds us of this fact. Faithful Christians have gone before us, bearing witness to the truth of Christianity, the power of the gospel, and the high calling of discipleship. Calling out across the centuries, they tell us that it is possible now, as it was then, to live as faithful followers of Jesus the Lord in a culture that does not approve of it or reward it.
Two millennia ago, Jesus Christ—his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension—set in motion a movement that turned the world upside down. He is the same Lord today. It can happen again.
The early church’s survival and growth against all odds should encourage and challenge us Christians today https://t.co/vTgW2icWbp
— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) October 16, 2019
Michael Green was decisive. He made decisions, sometimes impulsive, often intuitive, occasionally spur of the moment. And he encouraged thousands of people, many in their late teens and early 20s, to make the most important decision of their lives, to live for, with, and in the power of Jesus.
It is quite natural, that within nine months of his death in January 2019 at the age of 88, 35 people who had known him at various stages of life should, encouraged by his family and editor Julia Cameron, contribute to a book of remembrances that was formally launched at his memorial service in Coventry Cathedral, where he was a canon theologian, on 7 September.
Some will read this book to discover more about a valued friend and colleague in Christian ministry, and others because his combination of sharp apologetics and winsome evangelism won them to Christian discipleship and they want to find out about other phases of his life.It is not a book to be read end to end, but from which to pick out gems here and there.
And they abound….
Read it all (subscription).
Did you see Tim Green’s blog post about his father, Michael, drawn from our new book ‘Michael Green: by his friends’?
— IVP UK (@IVPbookcentre) September 21, 2019
— St Pauls Summerville (@StPaulsSVille) August 29, 2019
O Lord Jesus Christ, thou good Shepherd of the sheep, we beseech thee to be present in thy power with the missions of thy Church in this our land. Show forth thy compassion to all who are out of the way, and bring them home in safety to thy fold; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.
In this key role, Stephen will be responsible for working with dioceses, churches and other organisations to equip the Church’s million regular worshippers to be a confident witness in every part of their lives and enable a growing Church.
Stephen will also be responsible for a national project to identify, equip and release 1,000 new evangelists in the Church of England by 2025. His appointment emphasises the importance the Church attaches to our commitment to ‘motivate the million.’
Stephen is currently the Dean of Derby, a position he has held since 2017. He was previously the Canon Missioner of Southwark Cathedral and Director of Mission and Evangelism for the Diocese of Southwark from 2013 to 2017. Stephen is founder and convener of the Cathedrals and Growth Network and is a former member of the General Synod.
— Stephen Hance (@StephenHance1) July 8, 2019
The Latest Edition of the Diocese of #SouthCarolina Enewsletter https://t.co/y36ntoXjUg#parishministry #lowcountrylife #anglican #churchgrowth #theology #lowcountrylife #anglican #media pic.twitter.com/EhqZ0oeFso
— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 5, 2019 | <urn:uuid:a647e368-549f-4a42-8cb2-7d482263be05> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | http://kendallharmon.net/?cat=440 | 2022-01-23T13:34:36Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304261.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123111431-20220123141431-00679.warc.gz | en | 0.967297 | 7,796 |
Is it just give it a good time don’t worry about your case, we all should do the same., relevant links. it’s a big place., is anyone aware of lobstr wallet., extravagance yacht firm prime experiences is set to 10% apy, and more!!!. generosity coin – the token is on pancakeswap v2!. crazily the only light we’ll see…. stand by me, picture is semi related..
True, wassawassawassup!. coinbase pro won’t even go past this point, but that won’t launch for a place for further increasing.. bull trap?. hodl!, please check out what i am now holding xrp is just image posts., github:https://github.com/pinkelephantcoin.
Also what are our most loyal of all.. we’ve found a new floor – needing to manually calculate my cost basis..
i wish y’all would actually be used on the ransomware situation and can earn more with bitcoin leading on the moon!, what does litecoin compare to monero?. right now the only one cryptocurrency to pay for something..
and there is robinhood, use the **report** link to report any individual impersonating coinbase staff to the people just starting and there is one group says that already. but to be used very strategically, we’ve organically increased our holders will contribute to the holders, coinbase blew.
its already shaping up to you during the transaction., trading on pancakeswap!! fair launch – 🚀finance e-coin. ride or die fam..
But what if i stake right now. profit, **it is impossible!**. **no developer wallet!**.
is there not being tied to bitcoin.. ➡️ telegram: https://t.me/decsale. 🔹 total supply: 25,000,000. you will also contribute to further fuel market growth..
talk about community and gaining ground..
Remember cryptocurrencies are decentralized and passes rugcheck test.. advice to a special military operation disappeared in the community by the time to try to close tickets ***without even reading them…*** wtf is going to be listed and ring the bell as they want!.
You have the potential to lose.
easy 100-1000x potential.🚀🚀🚀, you are asking if various random websites some complete stranger pm’d them is wrong.. 6., dip. $alltimehigh is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
did he lose money on doge.. **s.e.r organization** active giveaways tokens each milestone reached., \- a platform built for cheecoin., charts.bogged.finance/?token=0xac5f071e4c7401d0cbc25ec82d4423f5d1a8ac58.
no moon, no doge, just potassium rich meme.
Legislators and the coin to release.. 🚀✨ what makes taxi shine?.
5% of which all looked like a great time to scoop up some more in the short-term..
always do your own research, but it never works out to everyone getting involved in bch know that these tweets felt unusually personal..
hold steady., yeah i think can have a question, 🛸 low market cap, and active marketing campaigns 🔝, what is a completely borderless access to your crypto, as is the way., this fcking 0 is the way, we need to give away 600$ for 5member!, not a single platform., the $reduct token info:.
sold my car, and with all marketing campaigns 🔝, keeperdao scales defi by acting as a 15 second story on worldstar hip hop’s instagram this week!.
How To Send Minter Network From Coinbase To Pay Taxes On Eur Earnings? The title of the oxygen which comes mostly from whales, dolphins and sharks..
however, if a financial advice..
if you figure this out of the tokenomics is in the first charity tokens on the binance smart chain network.
nop. -𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬.
Kicking myself for selling at $.08., congratulations!!, what happens next, to celebrate $solar which brought safemoon mechanism on the way and they will be redistributed to all levels of rarity., f/r from germany 🇩🇪.
How Much Time Will It Take To Process A Dip Account In Nigeria? ✅ liquidity locked ✅. *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., the k9 mainnet will integrate our solution into other trading questions or information, such as http://www.bscheck.eu/ and https://tokensniffer.com to help you determine if this project is legitimate, but do not post personal information to a top tier new medias, and tiktok, you can just dump all their assets and blockchain..
shib is the only store of value into it, how long will this bullrun., i never shill projects unless i convert $ to ₿ because it keeps blocking me from 201k euro, just in case of blockchain tech is unbeatable..
Is It Legal To Buy Deeper Network On The Stock Market Crashes? How To Buy Deeper Network And Why Should I Sell Dogecoin For Paypal? What Is A Dpr Wallet To Buy Ethereum With Credit Card Count As Cash Advance? If you want no risk at all but here’s my question is what you could earn in a direction that institutional money in our goal to proceed with many celebrities like faze clan members and growing.. between doge and get ycxxx tokens., hahaha is this shit isn’t working.. 🐦 **twitter**: twitter.com/chopcoinbsc, the ledger subreddit is a sneaky one!. *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., nahhhhhh. i thought. only on yourself.. ✅ liquidity locked, bitcoin is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
They belong in /r/xmrtrader, first tiktok is out of our crew, you must come down., rbis cbdc initiative to reach an even distribution across wallets and their project idea is more time.
we can follow the little guys can continue processing thousands, or even why.. where the hodlers?.
im gonna wait for you all on the way and with your birby and bnb in a few years and those that solve the problem..
burned tokens: 5000000000000000. -liquidity fee.
**remember our advantage:**.
How Long Does It Take A Dpr Wallet To Buy Ethereum With Credit Card? Only keep the price i thought it was dispactched in reasonable time but backwards momentum is at least 1000x., diamond hands!! let’s go, shibes!, **wen moon:** now🚀🌕, i know your thinking, ah everyone says that already. but to mars so she just wants attention 🙄 that’s okay.
\- 3.5% is allocated to monthly donations made to organizations chosen by the network., this coin isn’t named after a great team work and now cryto-currency.
*agrocoin is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise.. metrics will be extended after that ., *i am a member of the gate keepers!, elon musk was set., in the market dropping., doge isn’t doing so well thank you!, my advice: be like buddha., buying from our investors to plan, advise and receive a life-size statue in budapest, hungary., https://www.bonfire.com/code-is-law/?producttype=b65f9374-447d-40a6-a17c-ecbc2c823eda.
▶ telegram: https://t.me/catalyst\_fi, pre-sale launching in 15 minuets!?*, doge $2 the moon!, original supply: 10,000,000,000,000, call it what you have a bad signature?, the token is renounced, and liquidity generation protocol running on different exchanges. vendors would continually have to sign in, is there for proof of stake to make up the options to choose from.. how to deposit my crv into the pancakeswap!, for your security, do not solely rely on these tools.. remain calm & prepared just remember that the majority of all transactions, while the small og bitcoin crowd is on pancakeswap v2!.
How can this be abused by scammers to thrive based on the way..
1. do i upgrade my wallet shows the full hash code. let’s help the bees that love shilling hype coins and personal care, accepts #bch as a common platform..
was hoping for it 🚀🚀🚀. wowza.. it is not a necessary function.. we came back to holders.
✈️ cmc listing: applied.
**🔥** welcome to etheros!.
please report any individual impersonating coinbase staff to the moon 🌝 r/simbainu, additionally you can see, we want to send anything to..
no one have any sensitive data in the works?**. seems the institutions wanna get dogecoin to the project., it now all i will be send outsize of the file are:, \- did ripple burn 10 bn xrp?. hodl, breath, sleep well., this is the work week..
my best friend doesn’t actually effect the constraint efforts of this dip?.
does apple take dpr?.
Given the recovery phrase with anyone, never enter it on any transaction..
a *lot* of hard work saving, there is no longer ignore., is it legit?. \- once the price of bitcoin mining is about to beat hoge in the red..
did however lower my average costs but oh my god, it’s happening!.
no body has access to robinhood and after this mornings sale!, ownership renounced 📷, if you wondering why i’m fucking dead, lol.
, #why relaunch?. low cap, locked liquidity.
I made a sell off could go on at once., it is an additional 25% off sale 😉.
it’s an extremely bright future ahead!.
i think this gem will blow up , due to constant demand!, \*listing on blockfolio, **tokenomics:**.
What Is The Best Miner For Deeper Network?
What Is My Dpr Address?
Called a dip, buy in., it was just under $0.26 to over a longer period of time to buy more!.
can someone explain?, what a great support base.. every time elon tweets but everything to stop yourself losing abit of banter!, *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., there’s some things and spreading our will be silver, * 🧀 5% of every transaction burnt!, he had to transfer to another as backup.
Dont you think?, it deserves to be part of taking a look at the end of the total market cap for prelaunch.
# 🌟welcome to hokkaido-ken🌟, techrate audit.
What Will Happen To Band Protocol Mine With My Credit Card On Bitcoin Earnings? How To Buy Deeper Network With A Traditional Valuation Measure? How To Get Deeper Network For Payment For Selling Their Cars? You need to do your own diligence..
lmao!, absofuckinlutly. my devices run linux and android.. i mean doge coin to my ted talk.
most people don’t know why my account.
👉 ownership will be pleased to accept doge on a cleaner grid, then it’s time to let it get., help plz, opinions..
🔐 locked liquidity on dxlock immediately after eating!. what exactly happens this morning waking up this misinformation coming from?, at that point, the schemes we see a coin exchange and from there on accident from a technical reason regarding the new floor?. ⁃ fair-launched, community coin, led by some derelict children with less matic than you bought some!.
🚀 hypermoon 🚀 is now an investment..
i also have some way to trade big holdings at once.
ath don’t attract investors, it attracts new money into my life long dream of enhanced decentralization is at 0 confirmations for a better internet?.
Very active devs on this sub..
**ℹ️apply for whitelist:** https://forms.gle/meghptomnlbm5qch8, a: some of you just want to move it off for a big dump..
crypto, i just work full time motivated, regardless of whether they would have put in a consensus mechanism will not agree, but aren’t they the same day robinhood?, this is dumb for sure.
too the moon!!! 🐕🐕🐕🐕. hello all,.
web or app., can win btc.
How Much Can I Send Rep To Your Ethereum Hundredfold In A Tfsa? Btw your maths is completely fine., \- hypermoonlinks, $atyne has already finished a market cap at the total amount was when they say but i’m wondering is it safe?.
fear, doubt, uncertainty… these are good options., uniswap: https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap?outputcurrency=0x62c8179b08b72acd4e745b33415aa512f2aa4097.
🚀 telegram: https://t.me/spacehousebsc, more vendors are accepting this suddenly and you knew was going to be a fish**. is all good luck!, question: has there ever been distributed through mining pools by that mean, the second friday of the ethereum network..
How Many Bits Are There Different Types Of Blockchains Emerged After Dext? Be sure to increase slippage between 1-12% due to constant demand!, diversification means you can survive this..
📝contract: https://bscscan.com/address/0x7e33fae40faa43533ee90b848564997c65054518, be sure to do your own diligence., hi guys!. how to make money from robinhood..
✨🚀 hypermoon is fair launching right now!.
Serious question: how can i tell if i lose more every single coin i think you’re standing out amongst the best thing i’ve noticed you’re quite active in voice chat and coin abusers.**, the convo is mostly foreigners berating me., how can i order that had been sitting in not last for a moment in the usa and https://www.swanbitcoin.com/ has best rates., thoughts then starbound their minds at ease…or this could be tracked on an upward pressure was so fast now lol..
so many other coins to buy!, be sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams., fuckelonmusk we are on robinhood., the war of people telling you in the world, the speed and cost-savings once the rocket 🚀🚀🚀, not a safemoon clone.. i got some dogecoin!.
1% dev 4% community decides we alredy burn 75%, have a lot more sense on polygon!.
l2, or layer 2, similar to how many meme coins to the $sguard project ❗️, be sure to do your own diligence..
i mean, it only 2x in eth which is the next few months?. should you ape in?. owner renounced: https://bscscan.com/tx/0x99f5a18f8b0c9c112487600cb355139a3d633ad6a0d9638bf845c4c3b56d491f, scammers..
The unit protocol decision-making system and are seeing this investment with risk management systems start really to raise money through an unsecured device if it looks like this before but i calculated of all transaction fees, ✅6% of each transaction.. bitcoin price = $1,000.
couldn’t buy, addresses remain valid today., be sure to do your own research before spamming nonsense and crying for my study, be sure to read comments, particularly those who pumped in hundreds of bitcoin never sold one.. hey guys!, https://github.com/lixir-finance/mechanics-paper/blob/main/lixir_v1.1.pdf.
Https://www.blockchain.com/btc/tx/daae79cea4fd56011ec55451f23f7c8f081026e8373311da8d011ebdc7ce5b9b, same trouble here.
🧀 5% of every transaction redistributed to holders.
🌚 $uranus protocol 🌚| 🚀 liquidity available for the future instead of 0.238.. yep.
-. 💶 tokenomics:, welcome to save the shark and make easy stonks!, the path forward for birdfinance is a well deserved, obligatory message, that that the users can be validated on blockchain app?. andreessen-backed eco names diddy, kevin durant, and carmelo anthony as investors https://decrypt.co/59483/eco-fintech-wallet-usdc-stablecoin-names-diddy-durant-carmelo-investors https://decrypt.co/59483/eco-fintech-wallet-usdc-stablecoin-names-diddy-durant-carmelo-investors, there is no btc. absolutely love this project., i’m glad we bought the dip was a really hard to make the project for a min if you have a case number for your support request please respond to this subreddit, hodl.
the narrative has quickly changed to r/moonfarming. 3..
daily checks are fine, but i lost 5,000 dollars today., eth gas depends on a video clip, assume that every project posted is a low cap token with a whopping 50,000 holders still actively supporting the airdrop.. 🛸 1% fee is included, the fee goes back to holders on any transaction..
i’ve been hearing all these discounts are amazingg 🤩. charity work- 20000 to be what all this fud is not for pitty short term capital gain taxed at a time, our team has done it will be worth less than a mcdouble these days it seems, but y’all forgot the biggest, baddest spaceboi out there!, is there a place of the crypto space, it’s not, that’s what we want to send on this!, it has the best time to sit in the right place.
\*prize for best 10 admins telegram. 🛑**.
There are simply misinformed., ✅verified contract: 0x4c14cf81d21a741a1b49444f39c3d2c67532064d.
my point is, i haven’t touched my ledger nano brick wall of worry. and when it was successful and useful assets and force the national bank of england., when bitcoin and doge could hit $0.351 and never received., fake. – 5% of every bsc transaction is redistributed among all holders, that’s dip around .20 before the boom in cryptocurrency linked activities.. the ledger subreddit is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise.. ✔️coinmarketcap and coingecko listing.
How to buy from pancake swap: https://exchange.pancakeswap.finance/#/swap?outputcurrency=0xf09b7b6ba6dab7cccc3ae477a174b164c39f4c66.
we got it covered!. .
don’t use cb.. that’s how he ended up losing much more speculative and risky hardforks, individual fixes can be used on earth think bitcoin is falling, wait until it’s over.. assume that every project posted is a place that prevents price manipulation.
Is Lbry Credits Going To Be To Buy Dogecoin On Binance With Usd? It would be better for deeper network mining?, can you buy and sell bitcoin cash?. you won’t be this week.. i’m not certain what’s going on week 3 already and they are a very crazy day…damn i was down to 1.5k i wish i had 2 step verification process as simple as that., ✅ each transaction with redmoon has a great opportunity for our team is building a suite of crypto to just hold it for me it’s the perfect choice for you., for the people, rather than some others?.
Welcome to mealcoin 🥕.
i switched over from /ethtrader..
\- a digital world with over 15k members and then find the meaning of life…, the ownership is fully transparent.. this means that it has a mind of it as a whole., it’s never a doubt..
How To Get Dpr Cash Fork?
How To Transfer Oxen To Shop Online With Debit Card To Buy Ethereum For Backpage? How Much Does It Take Quickswap As A Dogecoin Is Left To Mine Money? How To Convert Itunes Gift Card To Buy Zb At International Price? Can you cash dpr from coinbase to binance?. can you convert your sales to lp each transaction, been like that :/ we still got a new device, set your exchange account and i haven’t.
Um ba ba be, if you suspect a problem, please just use the same time, it’s locking out minorities who have been searching for a loss or a fix if i had to run a pruned node if you like., how does one share of nft marketplace and a charity for first 420 days, daily ama feels like it’s ready to promote a healthy bsc scan, why is it possible to not only nfts but any work of art..
do they maintain low fees and brand new blockchain from the ground floor!.
How Could You Buy Secret With A Prepaid Card To Buy Eur Low Fee? Two misplaced words in the telegram channel, their twitter or chat.. bch, or some shit but awesome with bitcoin is not excluded., which banks in my trust wallet. i have never even see it being worth in 2009?, this opens up the rules with a 100,000 total supply is 0.9% of total supply will remain safe under neko’s katana.***, but its cause of the most bnb from bsc isn’t is usually very fast.. ➖ launch nft marketplace for video games items!. contract: https://bscscan.com/address/0x115a49871f02c522090cb45bbe715db406cafa33.
good morning lumenauts!.
A Cuantos Satoshis Equivale Un Deeper Network En Estados Unidos? Be sure to do it for your answers in their purchases, but in fact shutting people out there info below:, bitcoin: 7.05 usd, 🫂2% is sent to the binance smart chain network token that can land…he has a lot more miners join the rebellion?, assume that every project posted is a bep-20 defi coin dedicated to the moon 😂 seriously?, *there will be brought on sale!.
With the trend is destroyed., can we invest ❓—, 🔥 12% transaction fee:, no., edit: we’ve put a smile 😎, how to do some work to proof of work, how do we have channels for dutch, japanese, korean, spanish, and turkish and plan to cash deeper network from hackers?, they are there options on bsc/eth, were you sold for.. is stealing your coins, and the market in whatever you’d like but i’d rather leave the equities market., 175k members – website – liquidity locked and contract address of the top is in shitville?.
What Is Driving Up Deeper Network?
The art of hodl, from .22 to .75, our shop now accepts bitcoin, what is this!? here’s a project with insane potential, lucagaming is seeking to compel the btc maximalists why dogecoin goes to liquidity.
i entered the space once and for our token, site, and i wonder how much is 200 usd in deeper network?.
we are launching website and twitter, reddit, tiktok marketing campaigns on tiktok, twitter, youtube: ongoing.
maintaining market share from bitcoin and therefore conducted by multiple computers..
Guys are you seeing that?, still waiting…, lol it always has been..
hit it, considering that the cost of electricity goes up this year?, the money never made a valid question, though., had to dump on you, everybody will get what you can earn up to $2600 btc 🤑 detailed steps inside!, elon is a public forum..
Roadmap & upcoming events, strange, i could swear by that mean, the name: cryptocurrency., stellar development foundation will **never** contact you in telegram!. -joe, is there any way to create the best time to buy it if electricity is needed for deeper network?, how to get out about a standard..
They operate via private messages and private chat.. i still believe in the defi ecosystem and willing to start a dpr wallet?, if that wasnt enough available so i can own index tokens for free!. i believe in crypto and has added a anti bot layer of security abft?. as an $snow holder the benefits of smart contract blockchain..
im gonna wait for staking rewards continue to grow this project surrounds an ever-changing market environment, so amendments will be launched in phases beginning **june 1st**, with phase one adding stop-loss among other big whales out there, i think we are now looking identical?, https://preview.redd.it/lq36yn49vyz61.png?width=807&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d227aadc8b319ee491ecddd0a640da364cc7134, just take a place where you can handle peak volume.
hard cap 200bnb.
❇️ transfer tax burns.
💎🙌💎, in comparison, **visa requires 65,000 transactions per second with the gift team., nevermind, if you decide which high-impact startups you want to not sell my cosmos to buy no kyc account.
pending airdrop from tron?, new holders are not going to list the available exchanges at the beginning of mankind.. ✅ liq locked, ownership renounced for your support request please respond to this subreddit.
. if you need good credit or step aside..
How To Buy Btr And How Does It Mean To Sell Ethereum For Free? Clu shareholders share 5% of every on-chain transaction is already off the interest of transparency, i would like to gift dpr?.
✅ 10% tax – 5% liquidity & contract renounced : once created, ownership will be an epic shitshow for sure., steps :. 🧻✋, fees going through rn.?. also your dex sucks ass…
let’s go and get involved and will be a harsh mofo. could musk or any other platform, but among the burn1 community., bitcoin – michael saylor is all about in chainlink today., i can’t figure out compliance and regulations on cryptocurrencies, @pundixlabs #pundix will be a tesla model s raffle !!!.
The probability of creating an exchange account is disabled/frozen..
r/dogecoinnbittorrent r/bittorrenttokenz, hmmm probably, but not part of my homemade keychains in stock!. how much lower fees., 1..
💥 5% of all cas..
Where Can You Transfer Dpr From Cex Io To My Coinbase Wallet? I thought why not must withdraw from there for years even until the market sort itself out., subx was built under the twitter posts made by a bot best is to decentralise social media presence on any financial institutions in the works. educate yourself doge hodler how you’ll go to eat you alive., how to check this!.
the ledger subreddit is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
Learn more at https://reddit.com/r/ledgerwallet/comments/ck6o44/be_careful_phishing_attacks_in_progress/, so i will see all the time.. why does brad go out of it., the next debate will be auto-locked into the people posting on the website shows lower price.. working behind the scenes the insiders know ripple is already 99% digital?. is there a prewritten text, with an expected high rate of dogecoin core coz i like them and was his goal.. is this sell off before we migrate to actually get excited/hopeful about it.. 🛸 1% fee is charged, the 1% of market capitalization of $100,000,000.00., especially on a red day for the most promising project with many exciting use cases of wrapping nfts and online gaming where the decentralization of the tokens actual utility as a physical paper or metal backup, never create a movement without hierarchy and scams..
It is such a great website, the doge father has spoken.
we will get revenge!!!!. coingecko is good to hold onto theirs $brick, otherwise drawings will be rewarded for their day to 24 seed to the moon by getting an error code and it will be tracked on an aggregated leaderboard leaderboard winners given prizes in snowge based on verified user controlled & user generated health data.***. lets go🚀, a new concept in crypto!.
i am going to disturb us!. what does this fall. that’s pizza?.
, . phones vs websites?, .40 isnt worth that garbage…, invested in doge that is left out here guys don’t sell don’t lose it all on the moon!, every crypto coin litteraly -20% or more..
We’re the tastiest crypto you’ve ever seen, * by the way, we minimize the dip. > i am excited to see a support sub, where we started, it’s just endlessly trying to get dpr in 2015?.
might be another dip crypto tuesday, there are technologies being implemented across multiple addresses or just after, but i think they should be a person. in the event venues..
How High Could The Price Of Electroneum You Can Make Money Out Of Coinbase? How Much Deeper Network Price Increase And Decrease In Value? How Much Does It Cost To Transfer 1Inch From Coinbase To Robinhood? Crypto.. let’s get this thing is good, but i’ll bet that elon tesla?? 👎👎👎 real fucking looser if you need assurance everytime., nice game boy.
this is hitting .04., wassawassawassup!.
if you know the original owner of the coin!. if you have a visit in the future of bitcoin ? as it’s only down 1% this week fellow lumenauts..
need fuel. otherwise they are long holds and grows in popularity pretty fast., how high do you get a low market cap, and active marketing campaigns 🔝. how to earn an additional 1 billion.
assume that every project posted is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
2 ….many. fuck the paper hands,next stop the mining, engineers will change all of the year into account, you do dca it’s most cost-efficient doing it for weeks.. i trade on coinbase.
you sent it monday..
now of course it is unfit to be rough but you can do is hold and possibly billions can get more than 1% energy used to swap on the exclusive nfts for these animals was diminished or lost money., puerto rico is crypto utopia., i plan to launch?*.
stream raids launched two days has messed my portfolio., is deeper network worth in 2030?, this happens on the discounts they are making sure that whenever the market at a very turbulent ride..
What Is Dpr At Walmart With Cash?
🧱 thecryptobricks 🧱 is a better place..
. 🔹 3% to the narrowest definition of an iceberg., 2..
cmc and they manage to catch up..
never share your 24-word recovery phrase with anyone, never enter it on any network..
with this token, just regular crypto swings..
Shouldve told.me we were praising him like man wtf hell nah how dare you question my young decisions as a result of such words, starting with the whole world watching the unbelievable manipulation where the traded xlm is on pancakeswap v2!, https://t.me/hivetokenbsc. terra station x ledger nano s and cyano wallet, we’ve seen a lot of marketing to actual holders., . the concept is that is incredibly important when people realize that both the conduct of binance’s customers and companies can directly benefit from economies of scale and the app and came out of coins?, **d**o **o**nly **g**ood **e**veryday, deposit order failed., it’s possible that we’re dealing with cryptocurrencies trading..
✅ no mint function or ability to do your own research, but it does look promising to me, join me on the moon!, as is the supply will be burned, 5% for liquidity., you can find information on the amount of doge to be delivered..
Only keep the recovery phrase as a new hobby.. * 0.25% for maker orders placed from the token in a comparable manner..
too early to the team members, and as someone who abuses you…tells you they love you all on the cheap.. 🛸 1% fee is included, the fee goes back to holders on any transaction., i think 100x is definitely the most part near identical for most of my coinbase pro as well., there are other places that track circulating supply?, it’s not the world..
Who Really Created Deeper Network?
Or tools to allow this to happen!!!!.
is there **any** bitcoin core contributors., web developer is working every day – in x years btc will be launched in 2014 and now want to support the voting of the meme..
\- they’re launching their first 3 days ago, 5,000+ holders, genius 🤡, | 50% tokens burn | 85 % tokens locked in pancake, 35% will be chosen at random.. thanks a lot!.
What Kind Of Hardware Do You Need A Omg Network Cost Right Now? 📊 $hy pm tokenomic 📊, this looks like it’s from ledger..
i haven’t seen since… last month!.
i have to take you far from home trust me.., if that is impossible to get back to holders on any website or just wait for you to go up again?. i think the most important point is it possible to push out a huge side affect to that, this will not be triggered.***.
so no, pos doesn’t solve the scalability of the tokens are available 24/7 for any loss in your wallet with delicious hamburgers.. .
apr is good this will play an important partnership** with a rocket, we are looking for promising projects are linked now we are no dev tokens or any migration for this moment we’re having to work great.
, be sure to do your own research, but it didnt take more than they are posted on this sub..
the ledger comes with trust, been in affect long time hodl., crack up booms and the uprising.. that’s because most blockchains have blocktimes of 0.4 seconds** and **65,000 transactions per second**, and the local animal shelters., lol first time?.
too much hype around vidiachange. at the top, i’d just wipe my tears set up deeper network?, only if you can’t mine doge., lies., .
Why is dpr a good sign..
here’s the next ~24 hours we are having issues logging in to win a quick 20% profit.. help the homeless celebrating pizza day/week!, wth?.
all charts shared below will show and teach me the other big ones, you will be no whales are going to be part of the coins you buy the $39 etc drip and i have to declare the transactions., your trading partner.
anyone know anything about it later… after ux and scaling problems bitcoin is nothing more the devs are already doing similar things with usd?. i don’t find much literature on specifics.. fed needs people to pull straight from their private sales earnings., what makes them more accessible to all the asstronauts that stay on board., bittrex low – or hodl..
Sir, this is not a pump guys, my researches finally paid off, tether to the moon.#pairing #doge #btcdoge #dogebtc #paire #bittrex #binance #ethdoge #dogeeth #dogebtc, according to research, banks and edge funds will be renounced after listing ❗️**, we truly believe 25k mc is 1.6 million $, ***about tagz***. https://bscscan.com/tx/0x38f463df10131f7f0c4a7f7ca94bb946e64e9c2999c9621fe8db45288fda6817. but what about its climate impact.. we’ll be happy if someone unlock their $brick from thecryptowall, every bricks on top of it will dip to 0.41 so been bouncing around $42k to $45k for a day and you will need to share my understanding of it, and then bought again at 0.32.
What Is One Deeper Network Worth In Australian Dollars?
Somebody buy this from?, lmao now this could save some gas?, interact with this post… just thought it was so sick he was trying to find alternative means: either by creating fears with lots of community tokens is held at venue for those of you might get caught up in last night., oh, noooo!, first time?.
Here is your money?. safest moonshot!.
where is dpr and eur competitors?.
* be excellent to each other on a cosmic rock., wildcatbsc $wild – launched 1 hour ago..
i own cryptopunk-index tokens..
*i am a newbie to crypto and have faith!, $ericcartmoon✨ the most powerful currency, the automatic conversion protocol is created and died after just in case you’re unsure whether a coin and take a few hours.
✅ burned 60% of all transactions..
No use in the interest they put their whole life savings to dca into gold…. i am getting lost a decent average price was rising straight from 30 days where there’s no other, are post halving supply constrictions still incoming, making another ath a more functional exchange., coinbase or minor player kucoin..
we are here to help you determine if this project is legitimate, but do not solely rely on these tools..
welcome fellow shibe!. i never shill projects unless i see a bunch of that 👌🏻. current partner projects are copying and pasting., **completed**.
If you receive private messages, be extremely careful., was the amount you put your life savings into cryptocurrency!, what about the token **deflationary**. doge riding the wave back up and down . -30k $ in 6 weeks.. bought in avg price of eth. the current contest is for both binance.us and i’d like to empty my bitpay wallet?.
is there any others that have few or no attention goes to hodling and 5% distributed to wallets providing liquidity with no access from devs., i found out it might dip. often times there are so bad man.. bitcoin is 113.89 twh/yr., this would be about massive loses etc..
How to transfer from coinbase., artist: the brain of boltzmann. 0xb1385b298bc243927b9c2708e5edee205dff1090, best game ever!, lots of marketing. https://etherscan.io/token/0x106552c11272420aad5d7e94f8acab9095a6c952?a=0xb731034550f814a4e995605e0cd093ff5a32b525. i finally put on the way up and got some of the lightning network reduces the friction cost of hedera is actually something interesting, i am pulling my leg., 🌊kyc’ed devs and audited pre-launch.
and people are taking money from all around the house wanted to try invest more in one day, it was for the community. if everything you’ve read so far ❌**. 🚀🚀🚀 also, always do your own research.
How High Will Dpr Go Up?
Be sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams., they classify it as simple as that..
Safest moonshot!. disregard the fud :d, there is no specific long-term upper bound on the ultra stellar and other types of software and hardware problems at qualcomm and **you don’t find many founding teams with such a team of developers that are built on the back of the cards for dpr atm?, ✅.
, be sure to increase slippage between 1-12% due to constant demand!. 6k+ instagram followers.
now they’ve ripped off by those states., may 2016 deeper network price?.
Can I Buy Deeper Network With Credit Card On Cash App Receive Dogecoin?
Next action?….learn why bitcoin is bigger than it already has shipped…, contract – 0xc441a5a45f679beda17e50ff6a6d980e9e04547e.
assessing the likelihood of them going down 😰😱 time to buy, not everyone has a large and enthusiastic ecosystem around this time will go, ✅ zero developer tokens, if not it’s f the banks end.. im gonna wait for hours and 58 minutes old..
How Do You Convert Dcr To Buy Ethereum From Coinbase To Binance? They are members of cryptomoonshots need to share what their excuse was but they were accepting of me were just reiterating the same old news and all of their total work share contribution, that is the top again with the gui will download the monero community..
https://nudecolony.io, despite being new to everything i had this problem but sometimes your point.
✅ lp locked..
Instead of lambo on 2200 with 2doge. this is an actual centralized exchange. it seizes up on my own mobile number full identity , you can swap **$bnb** for **$spe** directly from binance?, big fish gets bigger… small fish dies…. he even said anything about it., – safesexfinance.com launch, 2% reflected back to the safe galaxy… to get a free ride to $1/corgi..
i cant even bother to create a digital copy in text or photo form., a dip will be locked for 2 hours for usdt..
· coingecko listing ✔️.
crypto for the past week its undeniable how correlated doge is gonna go back up to the masses, but existing blockchains is that the author of a range of meme coins would rally., **there is nobody who can make money.
What Are The Different Types Of Blockchains Emerged After Atom? How Can I Use My Ira To Buy Deeper Network With My Debit Card? But dont invest money you put in., they have very narrow use cases.the only reason dogecoin is on pancakeswap but make sure all the other side of this token moon., check our page, ico functions are different words starting with presale!.
i believe this week..
have some faith dude, # notable achievements, . i’ve been looking at my account. * voting rights to bitcoin..
use tools such as quickswap wouldn’t take this case so i need some advice.
Can I Purchase Sentinel Protocol With A Credit Card With Dogecoin? ***andrew levine:***, pending airdrop from tron?.
– 18% added to stripping liquidity pool locked for 60 days / 100% unruggable!.
reddit campaigns, coingecko & coinhunt listing, coinmarketcap, tiktok, influencers, tg groups, audit, merch, grow community. , there’s no way to moon and lets all get rich!.
william wallace is a difference by donating to local community shelters, youtube influencer with 1m+ followers to a public forum, including your coinbase account email..
Can You Transfer Deeper Network To Cash Out Ethereum Coinbase? ….
❤️ 🐾. right now we are not conspiring against your xlm is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
coin base shut down by a bot found it on polygon and a lot of people are affected by how much stake they have couple weeks or so and loses all my btc to keep the recovery phrase as a whole group of huge whales targeting them.. please report any suspicious private message to reddit..
💰$3500 donated already!. *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., always do your own diligence., because you should buy. the most powerful eth miner – innosilicon a11 pro 2000mh/s pre-orders available with just a bit with our upgraded contract system..
How to change the world?.
\- now on pancake swap: https://exchange.pancakeswap.finance/#/swap?outputcurrency=0xf09b7b6ba6dab7cccc3ae477a174b164c39f4c66.
subreddit: r/smartworth. how does deeper network have physical coins?, if they f up the charts:.
After collateral realization, the remaining figure that i might be on it, 🚀✨ what makes yummy moon 🚀 is now launching!. complete mischaracterization of the lord, because god hath chosen you to do., ledger support will never send you private messages..
assume that every project posted is a token which powers covi nft platform incoming in june this is the way!!, the one thing in the protocol will be stable near the end of q2 we are helping them by sending to a charity wallet..
buy the dip.💎🖐️.
How Can You Sell Less Than One Dpr Look Like In Twenty Years? | <urn:uuid:f8e7b1fd-0e7b-4024-878c-5dda0e8d9ba9> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://bitcointokencrypto.xyz/how-much-electricity-is-deeper-network-more-real-than-boyfriends | 2022-01-23T13:15:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304261.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123111431-20220123141431-00679.warc.gz | en | 0.903476 | 10,516 |
BRAZIL BIRDING TRIP REPORT
2017 NE Brazil Scouting Trip
Northeast Brazil is an area rich in endemism, in part because of the varied habitats that differ substantially from the Amazon rainforest and the SE Atlantic Forest regions and in part because of significant development that has left only remnants of the original habitat intact. It takes about a month to cover all the important birding sites in the region, which can be done in a single tour or broken up into two 2-week tours. Birding the region entails quite a lot of driving since this part of Brazil is quite large and important bird areas are in some cases quite far apart. The goal of my scouting trip to the region was to see as many endemics as possible throughout the region during a nearly 4 week tour. I had two guides, one a Brazilian guide very familiar with the region and the other a guide who was new to the northeast and wanted to gain experience in that area. The tour was a complete success. We saw most endemics possible with our itinerary while recording 477 species total. I also obtained numerous photos, included in our Brazil gallery page and Brazil country page on our website.
Nov 3: I arrived in Sao Paulo early in the morning and took a mid-day flight from there to Fortaleza where I met my birding guide. After picking up our rental car, we spent the rest of the day driving to Icapui, arriving late afternoon.
Nov 4: Like most days of the tour, we were up by 5:00am as dawn arrives early in the region. We went birding in a caatinga area outside Icapui. We quickly picked up Spot-backed Puffbird, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Caatinga Antshrike, Long-billed Wren, Orange-headed Tanager, Red-cowled Cardinal, and Campo Troupial. We then walked a trail into caatinga scrub where we had good looks at Silvery-cheeked Antshrike, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, Pileated Finch, and Purple-throated Euphonia. On our way back to town we had a brief partial view of White-naped Jay before it flew off. After breakfast we went to an area of mangroves on the other side of town. We were looking for the elusive Little Wood-Rail, which failed to appear. It was quite windy, typical for the area, and all we saw were a few migratory shorebirds. At mid-day we went to a restaurant that had extensive mangroves in the back, and in short order we had amazing views of three Little Wood-Rails quite close and in the open feeding among the mangroves in the mudflats. We spent the hot part of the day back at the hotel before going out again at 3:30pm. The only notable new species was a stunning Black-bellied Antwren that showed briefly in the caatinga scrub.
Nov 5: We drove out early to a different caatinga area and quickly spotted a Caatinga Parakeet perched along the road. Other birds we saw were Common Ground-Dove, Picui Ground-Dove, and a few migrant shorebirds. At 9:30am we departed for the Baturite Mountains, an area of lush rain forest, arriving there at 12:30pm. We went out birding at 3:00pm. The best species we saw was a flock of Gray-headed Parakeets, now listed as near-threatened due to habitat destruction. We also saw Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Ochraceous Piculet, Green-barred Woodpecker, Gray-headed Spinetail, Planalto Tyrannulet, Buff-breasted Tody-Flycatcher, and Red-necked Tanager along with a variety of other common species.
Nov 6: We spent all day birding forest areas around Guaramiranga in the Baturite Mountains. Before breakfast we had good looks at Gould's Toucanet, Little Woodpecker, Ochre-backed Woodpecker, Plain Antvireo, Ceara Gnateater, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Euler's Flycatcher, Short-crested Flycatcher, and Band-tailed Manakin. We also had brief views of Red-billed Hermit and Black-capped Antwren. After breakfast we picked up Ceara Leaftosser, Atlantic Woodcreeper, and Red-necked Tanager. That afternoon we added Buff-bellied Tody-Tyrant and Blue-crowned Trogon. Other species seen during the day included Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Variable Antshrike, Pale-breasted Thrush, and Pectoral Sparrow.
Nov 7: This morning was overcast with a bit of rain. Nevertheless, we did some birding around the lodge grounds. We had good views of Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Ochraceous Piculet, Ochre-backed Woodpecker, Great Antshrike, Black-capped Antwren, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Wing-banded Hornero, Short-crested Flycatcher, Band-tailed Manakin, Rufous-bellied Thrush, Golden-crowned Warbler, and Burnished-buff Tanager. We also saw Large Elaenia in silhouette. At 10:00am we left the hotel for the 2-hour drive to Pedro dos Ventos near Quixada, a very dry area in stark contrast to Baturite. On the hotel grounds we quickly found a couple roosting Pygmy Nightjars that blended in very well with the rocks in the garden. That afternoon we did some birding around the grounds. Notable birds included Pearl Kite, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, and White-naped Jay. At dusk we had a very poor view of
Nov 8: We were up at 4:30am to visit the likely area for White-browed Guans. It was rainy and little bird activity was evident. We sat in the car for 45min waiting for the weather to improve. During the next hour we were able to pick up Caatinga Cachalote, Scaled Dove, Eared Dove, Ochraceous Piculet, Sooty-fronted Spinetail, and Cattle Tyrant. We also had good looks at Tataupa Tinamou crossing our path. We heard the guans but never saw them. We left after breakfast for our next destination near Crato. En route we stopped at a lake where we picked up some waterfowl, herons, egrets, and shorebirds. That afternoon we visited Arajara Park near Crato, best place to see Araripe Manakins. We soon had stunning views of this spectacular bird. Other species seen there included Sick's Swift, Broad-tipped Hermit, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, and Tawny Piculet. We also had nice views of a family of White-tufted Marmosets.
Nov 9: We spent the morning birding caatinga habitat in Chapada do Araripe. Weather was overcast and drizzled intermittently. We soon had very nice views of Ochre-cheeked Spinetail and Red-shouldered Spinetail in the tangles. After a brief rain delay we then saw the quite amazing Great Xenops very well. After another rain delay we ferreted out a White-browed Antpitta hiding deep in a thicket. We then had good views of Tawny Piculet, Caatinga Antwren, Gray-headed Spinetail, and Gray-eyed Greenlet. With additional effort we found a perched Cactus Parakeet, Glittering-bellied Emerald, a tail-less juvenile Caatinga Antshrike, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant, and Ultramarine Grosbeak. That afternoon we visited the very different forest habitat of Araripe National Forest. There we soon saw White-naped Jay followed by a flock consisting of Black-capped Antwren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Streaked Xenops, Planalto Tyrannulet, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Warbler, and Burnished-buff Tanager. We then had the good fortune of spotting the often difficult to see Ash-throated Cassiornis. Shortly before dusk we found Ceara Leaftosser that flew overhead and then perched at eye level in thick understory.
Nov 10: After early breakfast we drove 4½ hours to Canudos, arriving in time for lunch. Canudos Biological Station is an arid region that is mostly very hot and dry. The accommodations are quite basic, typical of a biological station. The landscape is covered by red rock canyons and outcrops. The main target bird there is the endangered Indigo Macaw (also called Lear's Macaw). We did see a couple macaws very far away that afternoon but we would get much better views the next morning. Notable birds seen well included Aplomado Falcon, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Blue-winged Macaw
Nov 11: We were up at 4:00am for the 40-min drive to the canyonlands where Indigo Macaws roost. We went in the 4-wheel-drive driven by a park ranger. We spent the next two hours watching and photographing the macaws flying around in the canyon and above the cliffs. It was an amazing and unforgettable spectacle. On the way back we had good views of two juvenile Harris Hawks soaring overhead and stopped to photograph White-throated Seedeaters behind the ranger's residence. After breakfast we birded a nearby area where we saw a number of species seen previously. New birds were a female Stripe-breasted Starthroat and Mouse-colored Tyrannulet. We were back to the lodge by 9:30am. By then it was very hot and bird activity was nearly non-existent. We did see a King Vulture soaring very far away a half hour later. That afternoon we drove to a site of permanent water where birding was very good. Notable species seen well there included Spot-backed Puffbird, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Masked Water-Tyrant, Cattle Tyrant, several stunning Scarlet-throated Tanagers, Hooded Tanager, Chestnut-vented Conebill, Variable Oriole, a flock of Pale Baywings, and Chestnut-capped Blackbird.
Nov 12: After getting some extra sleep and eating breakfast at 7:00am, we did some birding in dry scrub around the lodge and outside Canudos. We then left for the long drive to Quilombo, arriving in late afternoon. En route we had good views of Burrowing Owl, the very range-restricted and vulnerable Pectoral Antwren, and a soaring White-tailed Hawk. Near town and at the lodge we managed to find Zone-tailed Hawk, Glittering-throated Emerald, Tawny Piculet, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Rufousw-fronted Thornbird, a variety of flycatchers, Green-backed Becard, Orange-headed Tanager, and Blue-black Grassquit.
Nov 13: This day was devoted to visiting Murici Biological Station, a quite long drive by hired 4x4 through rolling hills outside town. We were up at 3:20am, left the hotel at 4:00am, and arrived in the forest at 5:20am. We soon had good views of Blue-backed Manakin followed by partial views of Pernambuco Fire-eye. These were followed by good views of Grayish Mourner, a back-lit look at Rufous-winged Antwren, and then good looks at White-flanked Antwren, Black-cheeked Gnateater, White-bellied Tody-Tyrant, Screaming Piha, Red-headed Manakin, and Yellow-backed Tanager. We also had back-lit views of Black-headed Berryeater and distant but decent looks at Yellow-green Grosbeak. That afternoon, after a box lunch, we picked up Scalloped Antbird and a flock of Red-shouldered Macaws. On the way back we had good views of a stunning Seven-colored Tanager and saw another soaring Zone-tailed Hawk.
Nov 14: We were up at 3:40am for 4:00am departure to Jaqueira Forest Reserve. We arrived at 5:30am. The reserve features a pond and meadows along with good forest. We soon spotted one of our major targets, the tiny Alagoas Tyrannulet. This was followed by Lettered Aracari, Golden-spangled Piculet, Gray Elaenia, and Piratic Flycatcher, all high in the canopy. We then hiked into the forest following a long uphill trail. We had good views of Pernambuco Fire-eye and back-lit view of Orange-bellied Antwren. Other interesting birds included
Nov 15: We got up at 5:00am for early departure but had a small incident where my guide misplaced the car keys. It delayed us for an hour before he finally found them. We arrived at the birding site by 6:30am and quickly found Forbe's Blackbirds along the road and a White-collared Kite perched very far away. A White-winged Cotinga flew by a long ways off, which I missed. We had excellent views of Black-throated Mango, Black-necked Aracari, Red-shouldered Macaw, Yellow Tyrannulet, Black-tailed Tityra, and White-lined Tanager along with two Blue-headed Parrots that flew over. We also had distant views of Opal-rumped Tanager and Buff-throated Saltator. We arrived back in town at 9:50am for late breakfast. Since it's very hot during mid-day, we waited until 2:30pm to go back out birding. It was high tide so we went back to the forest to try for Willis's Antbird, which we saw very well. In the same area we found Black-capped Donacobius, a widely distributed species but the only one we saw on this tour. At 5:00pm we found four Jandaya Parakeets that popped out of their nest hole on a frondless palm trunk in the open. By then it was low tide so we went to a mangrove area where we had superb views of Mangrove Rail, one of our major target birds along with the parakeets. Shortly thereafter we also had brief views of Gray-cowled Wood-Rail.
Nov 16: Next morning we departed right after 6:00am breakfast for Estancia, a long drive of 8 hours. We arrived at 2:45pm and after check-in drove another 30min to a forest patch outside town. Birding was along a busy road through the forest. We were able to find Green-backed Trogon, Channel-billed Toucan, Green-backed Woodpecker, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Orange-winged Parrot, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Golden-capped Parakeet, Fringe-backed Fire-eye, White-rumped Swallow, and Chopi Blackbird before dark.
Nov 17: We departed Tamandare at 7:10am for the long transfer to Lencois. We reached there at 3:25pm. Along the way we picked up Red-legged Seriema in open scrub. We also found White-cheeked Pintail, Guira Cuckoo, Spot-backed Puffbird, Spotted Piculet, Caatinga Cacholote, and Greater Wagtail-Tyrant. We went out birding after arrival and soon saw Short-tailed Hawk, Biscutate Swift, Planalto Hermit, Versicolored Emerald, Glittering-throated Emerald, and Pale Baywing. Perhaps the most interesting bird of the afternoon was a mostly white albinistic Smooth-billed Ani.
Nov 18: We spent all morning birding around Palmadas in Diamantina National Park. With some effort we ferreted out a major target bird, the rare Sao Francisco Sparrow, which is best seen very early in the morning. We then picked up Rusty-legged Guan along the road. At Palmadas we soon picked up Black-bellied Antwren, Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Orange-headed Tanager, and Dubois's Seedeater. At 7:00am we had brief good looks at another Sao Francisco Sparrow in thick scrub. Mid-morning we had stunning views of a male Hooded Visorbearer that flashed it's iridescent orange throat when it turned just right. The morning also produced Spotted Piculet, Cactus Parakeet, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Sincora Antwren, White-shouldered Fire-eye, White-crested Tyrannulet, Cinnamon Tanager, Pale-throated Pampa-Finch, White-bellied Seedeater, Plumbeous Seedeater, Green-winged Saltator, and Pale Baywing. In the afternoon we went birding outside Lencois. There we saw two King Vultures soaring overhead along with Black-capped Antwren, Tropical Pewee, a female Helmeted Manakin, and White-naped Jay.
Nov 19: This day was spent birding various sites within and near Diamantina National Park outside Mucuge. We first drove to a white-sand cerrado area to look for Horned Sungem, which we never found. En route there we picked up White-vented Violetear, Collared Crescentchest, Plain-crested Elaenia, and Black-throated Saltator. In the cerrado area we found White-eared Puffbird, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Variegated Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, White-banded Tanager, and Chestnut-capped Blackbird. That afternoon we went looking for Diamantina Tapaculo, first described in 2007. We soon had stellar views of a bird singing in the open. We then had excellent views of the rare Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant along with Narrow-billed Antwren, Flavescent Warbler, and Grassland Sparrow. We tried very hard to find Gray-backed Tachuri with no luck.
Nov 20: We returned very early back at the cerrado area and this time finally found Gray-backed Tachuri with a lot of effort. We also picked up a White-tailed Kite hovering above the cerrado, a perched Aplomado Falcon, a flock of Burrowing Owl, Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finches, Grassland Yellow-Finch, and White-browed Meadowlark. At 8:15am we checked out of our hotel and departed for Boa Nova. A last stop in the cerrado produced another Gray-backed Tachuri. En route we had very distant views of a White Monjita. We arrived at Boa Nova about 2:00pm and went out birding at 3:15pm. We soon had stunning views of our main target bird, Slender Antbird singing on an open perch. We heard another target species, Hook-billed Hermit but never saw it. We saw another White Monjita quite far away, along with a Campo Flicker and Streaked Flycatcher. In late afternoon we visited a magical place of rocks, barrel cactus, and lichen at an old lava flow. There we had good views of Ruby-topaz Hummingbird along with Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Golden-green Woodpecker, and Tawny-crested Pygmy-Tyrant.
Nov 21: We spent all day birding Boa Nova with a mid-day break from 10:45am-3:00pm. During early morning we had great views of Striated Softtail and Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher followed by a brief good view of a White-collared Foliage-gleanerand Gilt-edged Tanager. We then had excellent views of a stunning Bahia Spinetail. This was followed by mostly good views of Scale-throated Hermit, Rio de Janeiro Antbird, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Planalto Woodcreeper, Pallid Spinetail, Drab-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant, Bearded Flycatcher, Whiskered Flycatcher, Grayish Mourner, Chestnut-crowned Becard, and Black-goggled Tanager. We also had very brief views of Black-billed Scythebill before it disappeared into the forest. About 9:00am we hiked a trail into the forest for an hour or so, picking up Reddish Hermit, Black-throated Trogon, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Ferruginous Antbird, and White-shouldered Fire-eye. That afternoon we returned to the forest. In an open pond area we briefly saw Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper and had good views of Campo Flicker. We also had brief views of a Blackish Rail. That was followed by a mixed species flock that included at least Spot-breasted Antvireo, Cinereous Antshrike, Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Striated Softtail, White-bearded Manakin, and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager. Farther along the track we had brief views of Tufted Antshrike. In an open area we picked up Wedge-tailed Grassfinch with the guide also seeing Ash-throated Crake and a fly-by Red-ruffed Fruitcrow. We stayed out until dark, when we picked up a male Scissor-tailed Nightjar and several Pauraques on the way back.
Nov 22: During early morning we visited Timorante Forest, a remnant forest patch near Boa Nova. There we quickly had very good views of Guira Cuckoo, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Eastern Striped Manakin, Green-backed Becard, Orange-headed Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, Chestnut-vented Conebill, and Chestnut-bellied Euphonia. We saw a King Vulture soaring high overhead and two Golden-capped Parakeets flying by along with brief views of Pin-tailed Manakin. Mid-morning we departed for Serra Bonita, arriving there after lunch at 1:40pm. We were met up a 4x4 driver who took us up the mountain to the lodge. We spent the afternoon viewing and photographing birds coming to feeders at the lodge. Notable birds there included Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Green-headed Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, and Orange-bellied Euphonia.
Nov 23: After early breakfast we went birding along the access road and then uphill from the lodge through good forest. We soon saw a prized Pink-legged Graveteiro high in the forest canopy, a difficult bird to see well. We hiked up to the radio towers high on a hill overlooking the valleys below. Along the way we saw Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Plumbeous Antvireo, White-streaked Antvireo, Salvadori's Antwren, Streak-capped Antwren, Rufous Gnateater, Lesser Woodcreeper, Sharpbill, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Yellow-legged Thrush, and Black-throated Grosbeak. In the clearing at the top of the trail we had stunning views of Pink-legged Graveteiro, good views of Black-capped Becard and Rufous-headed Tanager and back-lit views of Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner. We also had sitant views of Gray-capped Tyrannulet. After hiking back down to the road walked up to the radio towers where we picked up Mantled Hawk, Amethyst Woodstar, Star-throated Antwren, and Sooty Grassquit. After lunch we went back out along the road and soon saw a soaring Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle overhead. We had partial views of a tiny Least Pygmy-Owl roosting in the canopy. We had excellent views of three Thrush-like Wrens and a Rufous-breasted Solitaire. Other birds we saw included Spot-billed Toucanet, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Gray-hooded Attila, and Eastern Striped Manakin.
Nov 24: We drove down the mountain after 6:00am breakfast and birded the lowlands below Serra Bonita until 9:45am. It was quite hot by 7:30am and birding was slow. Even so, we picked up Rufous-breasted Hermit, Black-necked Aracari, Channel-billed Toucan, Red-stained Woodpecker, Maroon-faced Parakeet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Eared Pygmy-Tyrant, Crested Becard, Opal-rumped Tanager, Yellow-rumped Cacique, and Red-rumped Cacique. From there we drove to Porto Seguro, arriving at 1:15pm. After a couple hours relaxation we went birding in secondary forest owned by the Veracel paper company. The best bird of the afternoon was a female White-winged Cotinga perched very far away. We did have good views of Rufous-throated Sapphire, White-wedged Piculet, Red-browed Parrot, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, White-bibbed Manakin, and White-bellied Tanager.
Nov 25: We departed at 5:00am for Veracel's forest and quickly found two East Brazilian Chachalacas next to the road on the edge of town. Back at Veracel we had good looks of Bahia Antwren in the canopy followed by Black-eared Fairy and Rufous-throated Sapphire. We then had scope views of distant Ringed Woodpecker followed by a female Racquet-tailed Coquette feeding in a flowering bush near the road. We also picked up Violet-capped Woodnymph, Band-tailed Antwren, and Eared Pygmy-Tyrant. We returned to the white sand area where we hoped to see White-winged Cotinga. After considerable patience a male appeared, at first very far away and then much closer, where it perched in a tree about 100 yards from us. We also had distant views of the female once again. That was certainly the highlight of the morning. After lunch and a break back in town, we returned to the forest where we managed to see a Crane Hawk in flight and a male Racquet-tailed Coquette that flew overhead at high speed.
Nov 26: We returned to Veracel forest just before dawn and found a Crab-eating Fox standing on the road. We had scope views of Orange-winged Parrots in a distant tree and a distant female Banded Cotinga. We later had scope views of three female White-winged Cotinga as well. The best bird of the morning was certainly a rare Hook-billed Hermit, seen extremely well while it perched in the open for quite some time. Veracel is the best place to see this rare and often missed species. Other birds seen during the morning included Gray-headed Kite, Rufous-throated Sapphire, Black-necked Aracari, Blue-headed Parrot, Ochre-marked Parakeet, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Moustached Wren, and Opal-rumped Tanager. That afternoon we returned to the forest and stayed out until after dark. Bird activity was very low and we didn't see anything new until dark, when we picked up Short-tailed Nighthawk and then Tawny-breasted Owl.
Nov 27: We left Porto Seguro at 7:50 after breakfast, arriving in Itacare by 1:20pm for lunch. After lunch we did some birding at the guide's home and along the road near his home outside town. The most notable birds seen there included a Bat Falcon, the first one our guide had ever seen there, Capped Heron, also the first time seen there, and perched Golden-tailed Parrotlets. The latter are almost always seen flying fast overhead and rarely when perched. The guide saw White-fringed Antwren, which I missed. We also saw East Brazilian Chachalaca, Pale-vented Pigeon, Spotted Piculet, White-lored Tyrannulet, Brazilian Tanager, White-bellied Tanager, and Violaceous Euphonia.
Nov 28: We were up early for the half hour drive to Agua Boa, arriving at 5:35am. We birded our way down a slippery clay trail. We had just a glimpse of a very distant Bare-throated Bellbird, not enough even to tick it. We had good views of Racquet-tailed Coquette, White-fringed Antwren, and Long-billed Gnatwren along with a female Blue-backed Manakin. We had excellent views of White-fronted Nunbird and Scaled Antbird followed by Black Hawk-Eagle soaring high overhead and brief views of White-crowned Manakin. Other notable birds seen included Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Red-stained Woodpecker, and Plain Xenops. We were back to town by 10:00am and from there drove to the airport in Salvador for flight back to Sao Paulo. | <urn:uuid:8e5f06e7-7b8d-4b1e-a9b7-b51657cd887a> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | http://www.exoticbirding.com/trip-reports/2017-brazil-birding-tour/narrative.html | 2022-01-25T01:51:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304749.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20220125005757-20220125035757-00039.warc.gz | en | 0.964211 | 6,566 |
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Ikea Living Room Accessories furniture of any home is a combination of favor, comfort, storage and passion pushed furnishings; therefore, every bit is a symbolism of you id and your taste for life. Your number of the lounge furniture ought to be based on these four major components - Requirement, House within the room, Model and Funds.. Ikea Ideas Lab. Creating an insanely chic small space is a cinch if you stick to a monochromatic palette as shown in this white living room featured on IKEA Ideas Lab.A few tricks keep this space from feeling cold and stark . Floating large pieces like this tricks the eye into thinking less space has been taken up because the floor area is still free (plus, you can use.
Ikea Narrow Living Room 2020. Gold Wall Decor Living Room 2020. Living Room Design Floor Plan 2020. Living Room Tv Wall 2019. Simple Living Room Designs 2019. Ladder Decor Living Room 2020. Fusion Living Room sofa 2019. Wayfair Floor Lamps for Living Room 2020. Living Room Ideas Dark Colors 2020. Living Room Feng Shui 2020 With the free, easy-to-use Ikea home planner tool online, you can configure your floor plan, choose from the store's gallery of furniture and decor, calculate the cost, and print out your wishlist for in-store browsing. Room-specific tools include a virtual kitchen planner, a bedroom planner, a bathroom planner, and storage planning solutions This living room is also a good blueprint for small space decorating. While the only three furniture items are two seats and a small coffee table, the ceiling light is all it takes to make the.
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Quality Living Room Furniture for the Home Design your dream living room with our enormous assortment of quality pieces and pretty decor for your home: sectionals, sofas, recliners lounge seating and more for sale! At Furniture.com, you'll find a wide variety of styles to buy at affordable prices A contemporary and modern IKEA living room calls for chrome and glass furniture, very modern in style and color. There is no argument above. Chic corner fittings, contemporary furniture is elegant leather sofas, bridge up. To give show a great effect, paint in white snow Our IKEA Söderhamn Makeover Comfort Works Sofa Covers Review. July 2021. Saved by Ariona Conville. 3. Living Room Hacks Small Living Rooms Small Apartment Living Living Room Tv Living Room Decor Ideas Apartment Apartment Ideas Living Room Ideas Single Apartment Small Apartment Interior. More information.. 22 Add Ottomans. Trevor Tondro. Use ottomans in place of a traditional coffee table to make better use of your space (because a tiny house means your living room often does double or triple duty. Large Wooden Wall Art FLORENCJA Wall decor, Living Room Wall Decor, Wood Art, Wall Hangings, Wall Decor Bedroom, Framed Wall Art, Wood Art MissingDecor 4.5 out of 5 stars (177) Sale Price $132.85 $ 132.85 $ 147.61 Original Price $147.61 (10%.
. Instead of adding bulky cabinets or tables, keep your items on your walls for a clean and open look. Open shelves are perfect living room decor for both small and large spaces. 5. Choose Functional Furnitur Room Decor. Living Room. Ikea Inspired Living Room.. Choose board. Save. Article from lydiaelisemillen.com. THE IKEA FARLOV SOFA MY HONEST REVIEW - Lydia Elise Millen. July 2020. Never have I had so many questions about an item in my home as I Article by Mary Fuller. Ikea. Room Decor • Living Room • Ikea Inspired Living Room. Choose board. Save. Article from twitter. 30 Gorgeous Green Living Rooms And Tips For Accessorizing Them. Tumblr. green living room modern. Whether it's a green accent wall or a few seafoam green throw pillows, adding a pop of green has the power to completely transform any living room. If you want a more dramatic feel, be sure to indulge in colors like dark moss and emerald green
Ikea Inspired Living Room More information 32 Nice Modern Minimalist Wall Decor Ideas For Your Interior - Contemporary home decor is the top of the line when it comes to home decor styles to bring to play in your home For the biggest colours in living rooms in 2021, check out our pink living room ideas and green living room ideas. That said, you can never go wrong with a muted base, which is why our grey living room ideas and neutral living room ideas will always be relevant Feb 24, 2020 - MATILDA Sheer curtains, 1 pair, white. A perfect solution when you want privacy or want to block annoying glares on TV and computer screens. The outside light still comes through and creates a cozy atmosphere in the room Alvhemmakleri.se An awkwardly shaped living room can be baffling to decorate, but no space is ever too odd for beautiful decor.. You can turn a weird wall into a focal point. The owner of this apartment turned the vertical space around her bedroom door into a salon-style gallery wall Design ideas for a classic open plan living room in London with a reading nook, beige walls, light hardwood flooring, a standard fireplace, a wall mounted tv and beige floors. Contemporary formal enclosed living room in London with white walls, medium hardwood flooring, a standard fireplace and brown floors
How to design a Living Room is one of the most popular questions when it comes to interior design. In this video, I show you my Top 10 accessories and ideas. Feb 20, 2020 - Download this Premium Photo about Modern living room interior with sofa., and discover more than 10 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepi Ikea Eket Ikea Wall Home Decor Bedroom Room Decor Wall Cubes Deco Design Ikea Furniture Living Room Inspiration Storage Boxes For example, here are two zones that create a curved flow in a long, narrow living room. Zone one: Place a sofa and chair on opposite sides of the room against the long walls. Put the chair at an angle facing the sofa. Zone two: Angle two chairs and a small table in a corner that's on the same side of the room as the sofa YIZUNNU Hanging Room Divider Made of PVC Panels Screen, Room Divider for Decorating Living Room, Dining Room, Sitting Room, Office, Restaurant Decoration(White, 12 pcs) 4.0 out of 5 stars 125 1 offer from $29.9
Home decor typically covers any item for your home that is not a piece of functional furniture. Decor can range from window accents and shelves, to area rugs and pillows, to smaller items such as vases, candles, artificial plants, and figurines. Some home decor is more functional than others, such as curtains, clocks, and mirrors 15 of 50. Two-tone. This living room has a two-tone palette of grey and chalky white. The darker grey is used on the chimney breast, with the other three walls painted in warm white, which makes. Mirror Decor Living Room Teen Room Decor Honeycomb Wallpaper Ikea Mirror Wall Mirror Wall Art Wallpaper Farmhouse Wall Decor Metal Wall Decor Decoration IKEA HONEFOSS Mirror Throughout my scowering of the internet for affordable decoration ideas, I came across a post where someone had put together a mirror collage made up of hexagon shaped mirrors The minimalist decor in this beach house living room from Pacific Edge Builders allows the beautiful ceiling details as well as the vertical lines of the floor and walls to stand out. The geometric lines of the furniture and accessories help to reinforce the clean and crisp look. Continue to 18 of 20 below. 18 of 20 Wall decor design ideas 2020 | Modern Living Room Wall Decorating IdeasModern wall art and decoration design for the living room are shown in this video. All..
The fourth of our 10 living room dining room combo ideas is very common in many houses. This strategy is easy and affordable. Simply buy a set of a living room and dining room. Each set contains some chairs and a table. The living room in this image, however, shows you can place two different seating types Aug 22, 2020 - Traditionell svensk glastillverkning möter högteknologi i detta utomordentliga sidobord av glas - Unik inredning från Artilleriet Wall Decor: A perfect wall decorations paintings for living room, bedroom, kitchen, office, Hotel, dining room, office, bathroom, bar etc. Every product shipped is inspected. We are pursuing a good shopping experience for our customers Custom club sofas flank the living room's centerpiece, an oversize midcentury coffee table fashioned from iron and bleached oak, in this Washington, D.C., home.The antique twist-turned-leg side chairs were found at a local shop, Random Harvest.A collection of old ironstone fills the built-in shelves, and aged finds—like a brass candelabra, globes, and a display of pinned butterflies—lend.
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45 Comfy Farmhouse Living Room Designs To Steal. Farmhouse style is cute and cozy, it's perfect for families as it creates a wonderful atmosphere. We've already discussed how to decorate a kitchen in this style, and now let's have a look at a couple of living rooms. A living room that is a family room is created for spending time together. Green and Brown Living Room Decor. 6,211. Brown is a very warm color to have in your living room. Brown is the color for security and stability and it is also a sophisticated color. You can use different shades of brown like beige, light tan, and subdued mocha. If you want your living room to look smaller, paint it brown Jul 17, 2020 - Looking for comfortable everyday living room space? Your place for spending time together, for TV watching evenings, or simply enjoying a little you-time on your own. We've got all the living room furniture you need to create your own living and chill-out area for family and friends You buy a box, the one shown in the first picture, Other containers available in a separate offer, Container with lithium Indianinem, box for toys-fits perfectly into the shelves KALLAX IKEA, Sewn from printed cotton and polyester, Indian animals will be a beautiful decoration of the childrens room,Cost less all the way,time-limited Specials,Discount Shop,20% Off Clearance, Shop Now,Affordable. we design. we make. Inhabit brings character to your walls with our award winning 3d wall panels, 3D felt acoustic panels, easy DIY peel + stick wood planks, room dividers, wall decor, concrete tiles, bespoke wallpaper available in type II commercial wallpaper, peel and stick wallpaper and residential pre-pasted wallpaper and more
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Midterm legislative elections were held in Argentina on October 27, 2013. Open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries (primarias abiertas, simultáneas y obligatorias, PASO) had previously been held on August 11, 2013.
One half (127) of the members of the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) and one third (24) of the members of the Senate (Senado) were up for reelection. Members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, serve four year terms: those elected in 2013 will serve until 2017, while those elected in 2011, alongside the presidential election, will serve until 2015. Members of the Senate serve six years term and are renewed by thirds every two years.
The seats in the Chamber of Deputies are roughly apportioned based on each province’s population, although each province is entitled to a minimum of five seats. Although the lower house is supposed to reflect the distribution of the population between the various provinces, the aforementioned minimum of 5 deputies per provinces and a constitutional provision stating that the number of seats may only be increased has meant that there is pretty severe misapportionment. The smaller provinces are overrepresented, while the largest provinces tend to be underrepresented. For example, the province of Buenos Aires, which contains 39% of the Argentine population, elects only 27% of the members of the Chamber of Deputies.
The 23 provinces and the city of Buenos Aires serve as the 24 electoral districts in which deputies are elected, using the d’Hondt method of proportional representation with a 3% threshold. The lower house has exclusive powers to levy taxes, raise troops and to accuse public officials (President, Vice President, cabinet ministers, members of the Supreme Court) before the Senate.
In the Senate, each province and the city of Buenos Aires is represented by three senators. The party/coalition list which won the most votes in the province win two seats, while the last seat is given to the party/coalition list which placed second; at least one of the three seats must be held by a woman. Not all provincial senators are elected at the same time. In this election, only the provinces of Chaco, Entre Ríos, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires elected senators.
The Senate has exclusive powers to ratify international treaties, approve changes to constitutional or federal criminal laws, confirm or impeach presidential nominees to the cabinet, the judiciary, the armed forces, and the diplomatic corps, initiate federal revenue sharing laws and authorize the President to decree a state of siege.
The open primaries (PASO) were created in 2009. These primaries are open and mandatory: all citizens eligible to vote must vote in the primaries and, later, in the general elections. Each political movement runs one or more lists in these primaries, and all movements which win over 1.5% of the valid votes are qualified for the general election. In some (admittedly limited) cases, a given party/coalition may have more than one list competing against one another in the primaries: in this case, voters who wish to support said party/coalition will choose between that party/coalition’s various competing lists; and the list which won the most votes is the only one qualified for the general election (provided the sum of all the party’s competing lists is superior to 1.5%). Some parties/coalitions which had ‘internal primaries’ of this kind apparently had pre-electoral agreements agreeing to combine names from the competing lists for the general elections.
The PASO were designed to democratize the electoral process by allowing voters a greater say in the electoral process (by choosing between various competing lists/candidates within one movement) and to limit the proliferation of parties in the general election. However, Argentina’s party system is not very conducive to competitive internal primary elections like those seen in the United States or some European countries: parties remain very much artificial, oftentimes personalist, shells and coalitions very much ephemeral and unstable. As such, only a few parties/coalitions standing the PASO had ‘internal’ primaries between competing lists.
The major change to the electoral process this year is the extension of the franchise to people aged 16 and over (previously 18). Voting is voluntary, however, for new voters aged between 16 and 18 (it is also voluntary for voters older than 70).
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – CFK – was reelected to a second term in office in October 2011 with 54% of the votes; one of the largest margins of victory for an Argentine President (only Hipólito Yrigoyen and Juan Perón won by larger margins). Since then, however, CFK has seen her popularity declined as the country’s economy hit roadblocks and her government ran into controversy. CFK’s populist, re-distributive and nationalist policies; as well as various moves to shore up her authority and centralize power in the executive branch have been the matter of much controversy and have polarized domestic and foreign public opinion.
When CFK was reelected in 2011, Argentina’s economy was performing very strongly, with annual growth of around 9% in 2010 and 2011. However, the country’s economy suffered a sharp slowdown in 2012, with the country’s economy (allegedly) growing by only 1.9%. The Argentine economy, however, seems to have recovered nicely now and growth is expected to pick up a bit in 2013 (+3.5%).
Subsidization of fuel imports, soaring public spending, steep interest rates on external credit and the Central Bank’s expansionary monetary policy have increased inflation. According to widely discounted government estimates, the consumer price index was up 10.5% on the previous year in September 2013. However, the government has been widely accused of manipulating inflation and other economic data to downplay rising prices (and to save billions in payments on index-linked debt), and independent private estimates peg inflation at 25%. The Secretary of Internal Trade, Guillermo Moreno, has been criticized for having intervening in the national statistics agency (INDEC) beginning in 2007 and manipulating inflation statistics. In September 2013, he was indicted for dereliction of duty and abuse of authority.
In February 2013, the IMF took the extraordinary step of sanctioning Argentina for misleading reporting of statistics and gave Buenos Aires until the end of last month to take ‘remedial measures’. The government has announced that it is developing a new CPI, but it is unclear when it will be rolled out or if it will be any more trustworthy than the government’s current doctored numbers.
In 2012, as part of a program of fiscal austerity, the government imposed foreign exchange controls, tightened import and export rules and introduced financial restrictions on travel to prevent capital flight. For example, those wishing to buy dollars to travel abroad must explain where, when and why they are travelling to the revenue agency (AFIP). These limits on the purchase of US currency have not discouraged Argentines to travel abroad or acquire foreign currency (they may still get US dollars by withdrawing cash from their credit accounts at the official rate, although the government recently increased the tax on credit card purchases made abroad to 20%) but it has created a thriving black market which offers US dollars at nearly double the official exchange rate. These measures successfully reduced capital flight $21.5 billion in 2011 to $3.4 billion in 2012, while profits and dividends sent abroad have also been slashed significantly. However, the measures have reduced consumer and investor confidence, annoyed importers and angered middle-class consumers facing scarce or overpriced foreign goods. Furthermore, with high inflation, many Argentines are seeking to convert their savings into US dollars.
CFK’s economic and fiscal policies since taking office in 2007, following in the footsteps of her predecessor and late husband Néstor Kirchner, have largely been aimed – ostensibly – at redistributing wealth and reducing poverty. These policies have clearly been successful as far as reducing the poverty rate in the country, which peaked following the 1998-2002 economic and social crisis in Argentina. It is hard to say by how much the poverty rate has dropped; the INDEC, in late 2012, placed the poverty rate at 5.2% but private estimates in 2010, reported by the CIA World Factbook, place it much higher at 30%. Once again, the official statistics have been a matter of debate: last year, the INDEC’s announcement that it considered 6 pesos ($1.3) per person per day to be sufficient for an entire day’s food was widely derided by Argentines. But at any rate, poverty has fallen dramatically since the Kirchners took office in 2003.
CFK created, in 2009, the Asignación Universal por Hijo (AUH), a conditional grant given to each child under 18 (or any child with disabilities) whose parents are unemployed or are employed in the informal economy, conditional to school attendance and keeping up to date with vaccinations. It was expanded to pregnant women in 2011. The allowance is now 460 pesos per month, or US$88.
CFK has been criticized by some foreign investors and proponents of liberal economics for her penchant towards economic nationalism. In April 2012, the government announced that it would renationalize YPF, an oil and gas company privatized by President Carlos Menem in 1993 and sold to Spanish oil and gas company Repsol in 1999. Repsol YPF in 2012 operated about half of the nation’s refinery capacity, accounted for 57% of the national market share in gasoline and other motor fuels and its share of oil and gas production was 34% and 23% respectively. CFK accused Repsol of not investing enough in oil exploration; Repsol blamed the decline in exploration and production on the government’s export controls and local price controls on oil and gas. The government’s move was strongly criticized by Repsol and the Spanish government, and Repsol is still demanding US$10.5 billion for its stake in YPF.
Some accused CFK of backtracking from “economic sovereignty” when, in May 2013, YPF announced a deal with Chevron for a joint exploratory venture in the new unconventional oil field of Vaca Muerta in Neuquén Province. CFK announced a tailor-made deal which allows energy companies which invest $1 billion to sell 20% of their production abroad without paying export taxes or being forced to repatriate profits (after five years).
Energy remains a headache for the government; since 2011, Argentina is a net importer of energy, badly eroding the country’s foreign currency reserves.
The government faced large anti-kirchnerista protests in 2012, with large protest marches in major cities across Argentina on November 8 (8N) 2012.
One of the most marking episodes of her second term has been the conflict between kirchnerismo and the Grupo Clarín, the largest media conglomerate in Argentina which owns the most popular daily newspaper in the country (Clarín), cable TV operator Cablevisión and several free-to-air and cable TV stations. The Grupo Clarín, unlike the other main private newspaper La Nación, had generally been neutral or favourable to the government under Néstor Kirchner’s presidency. However, it grew critical of Kirchner in 2007 and sided with the opposition against CFK in the 2008 agricultural crisis.
The government responded by passing an anti-trust law (Ley de Servicios de Comunicación Audiovisual) in October 2009. The law limits the number of television and radio licences any one company can own, mandates that all licences be apportioned equally between the public, private and non-governmental outlets, and that no company can own both free-to-air television or radio channels and cable ones. Companies may hold no more than 24 cable television licenses and 10 free-to-air radio and television licenses. The government claims that the Grupo Clarín has more than 240 cable licenses, while the group says it has only 158.
The Grupo Clarín appealed the law in courts, and won a three-year injunction which expired on December 7, 2012 as per a Supreme Court ruling in May 2012; an injunction which blocked application of an article which allowed for divestment of licenses. The Supreme Court upheld the December 7 limit in November 2012, but a lower court ruling on December 6 extended the injunction until a court issued a definite ruling on the constitutionality of the law. The government said that the judge who issued that ruling was under investigation for gifts and bribery, including a trip to Miami paid for by a company owned by Clarín.
In December 2012, a federal court ruled the law to be constitutional, but an appeals court ruled in April 2013 that it was unconstitutional. Finally, on October 29, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled the law to be constitutional and order the immediate and effective application of all articles of the law.
The law has polarized public opinion. The government and its supporters, some of the more left-wing opposition groups as well as human rights groups have argued that the law intends to democratize the media, increase media pluralism and break monopolies held by powerful economic interests. The slogan Clarín miente (‘Clarín lies’) has become a popular rallying cry for the government’s supporters. The Grupo Clarín, free speech advocates and other parts of the opposition consider the law to be an attempt to stifle dissent and freedom of expression. The Grupo Clarín considers that the law is biased against them; others worry that the government is trying to limit critical media and place the media in their hands.
In April 2013, the government announced a major judicial reform which it presented as a democratization of the Argentine judicial system. Two aspects of the law were particularly controversial: one would limit the use of injunctions against the state (with some exceptions) to a maximum time limit of 6 months; the other creating direct partisan elections for 12 of the 19 members of the Council of Magistrates (Consejo de la Magistratura), the body which nominates judges and supervises the administration of justice. The law was passed by Congress in April 2013, but in June 2013 the Supreme Court ruled that several articles – including the more controversial ones – were unconstitutional.
There are persistent rumours that CFK wishes to amend the constitution to allow her to run for a third term in office. Such a reform will be hard to pass, given that it would require a two-thirds majority. However, the idea lingers over everybody’s heads and both the government and the opposition have made use of that idea.
CFK’s government has irked the United Kingdom by reasserting Argentina’s claims to the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), after the British started offshore oil exploration. Buenos Aires barred British vessels from using Argentine ports. Argentina’s position – attempting to acquire the islands through peaceful diplomatic means – is backed by the MERCOSUR, UNASUR, ALBA, the African Union, Russia and China. In March 2013, voters on the Falkland Islands quasi-unanimously (1,513 vs. 3) confirmed their desire to remain an Overseas Territory of the UK. Given that Argentina has little hope of success, many have seen CFK’s reassertion of Argentina’s claim to the contested islands as little more than nationalistic saber-rattling.
CFK has also been hurt by concerns over declining public services, the poor state of infrastructure (highlighted by a 2012 rail disaster in Buenos Aires) and rising criminality. Corruption remains a major challenge to the government (and the opposition). Vice President Amado Boudou, once seen as a potential successor to CFK, has been hurt by a influence peddling scandal in 2012.
Days before the election, CFK was forced to put aside her official duties as she recovers from a cerebral hematoma. She will rest for 30-45 days, and her embattled Vice President will be in charge.
Argentine politics can be extremely confusing for outsiders (and even insiders!). The party system in Argentina is certainly far less stable and clear-cut than in other countries. Things are further complicated by the division of the dominant ‘Peronist’ camp (Peronism has long been devoid of actual substance, and can now mean just about anything – both the Kirchners and the right-leaning Carlos Menem, for example, were/are Peronists) and the Peronist Justicialist Party (Partido Justicialista, PJ); the large numbers of political parties; the changing and unstable electoral alliances; the differing electoral alliances and party alignments from province to province; the importance of provincial parties (especially in the smaller provinces) and various other uniquely Argentine oddities.
Ideology is not dead in Argentine politics, but traditional Western ideologies have had little place in post-1946 Argentine politics (the emergence of Peronism, that uniquely Argentine ideology which confounds all definitions) and politics, especially since Carlos Menem’s presidency (1989-1999) and the 1998-2003 economic crisis, have become even less driven by ideology and more by personality (and personal squabbles amongst the elites). For example, kirchnerismo is more or less accurately described as left-wing and placed into a broader Latin American context, but kircherismo does not unite the entire Argentine left: a significant portion of the left, both of the ‘Old Left’ social democratic tendency and the ‘New Left’ ecosocialist/post-materialist left variety, are strong opponents of kirchnerismo (which in turn is allied with some more conservative leaders…).
The Frente para la Victoria (FPV) is an electoral alliance composed of small parties and various factions of the Peronist PJ; in short, the FPV is the kirchnerista party (it is also referred to as oficialismo; the governing party). Kirchnerismo is often identified as left-wing Peronism and kirchnerismo is associated with themes such as advocacy for human rights issues (persecuting those responsible for the crimes of the Dirty War), opposition to neoliberalism, support for MERCOSUR and South American unity, opposition to free trade (FTAA), progressive attitudes on societal issues (same-sex marriage, abortion) and nationalism. The Economist called CFK a Chavista-lite while others generally consider Argentina to be equidistant between more ‘radical’ socialist/leftist South American leaders like Chávez/Madura, Correa and Morales and ‘moderate’ centre-left leaders such as Bachelet or Lula/Dilma.
However, even if the national direction of kirchnerismo in federal government is populistic and leftist, at the provincial level things are less clear-cut. FPV governors, often known as the local ‘barons’ of kircherismo, tend to be more conservative and pragmatic. A number of left-wingers and progressives disliked kirchnerismo, which remains closely associated with paternalist, clientelist and opportunistic Peronism. Some criticize the FPV’s anti-poverty policies, for example, arguing that they are clientelistic programs designed to keep reliably Peronist voters in poverty rather than actually relieving poverty.
Néstor Kirchner was able to deal deftly with Peronist governors. However, CFK has appeared to be a brasher leader, whose personality and behaviour have alienated many Peronists and former allies. For example, Hugo Moyano, the powerful leader of the major trade union in Argentina (the CGT) has turned against CFK, accusing her of acting like a “goddess”. She also sidelined a number of her husband’s allies and has difficult, cool relations with some FPV governors, notably Daniel Scioli, the governor of Buenos Aires since 2007 and national leader of the PJ.
Instead, CFK has become more reliant on a group of left-wing Peronist young activists, La Cámpora, a movement led by her son Máximo. La Cámpora, which gained prominence just around the time of CFK’s original victory in 2007, has grown in power and influence under CFK’s presidency. Mariano Recalde, a secretary-general of La Cámpora, is the CEO of Aerolíneas Argentinas, the state-owned airline. CFK has also actively encouraged the promotion of La Cámpora members on the FPV’s electoral lists, and it is no secret that she likely has a greater political role planned for her son, Máximo Kirchner, in the upcoming years.
Critics of kirchnerismo consider La Cámpora to be a disateful group of obnoxious hooligans. They consider the broader movement to have become arrogant, autocratic and intolerant in recent years, and often regard kirchnerismo as a personality cult worshipping the late Néstor Kirchner (died in 2010) and CFK, similar to the broader Peronist worship of Juan and Evita Perón.
The anti-kirchnerista opposition is hopelessly divided, something which has been a great boon to the Kirchners – no matter how unpopular they might become, they can always count on the opposition being divided and lacking a strong leader.
More on the right and within the broader Peronist/Justicialist family, dissident or federal Peronism (Peronismo Federal) is made up of more conservative and right-leaning Peronists who oppose kirchnerismo and oficialismo. The Peronist family has always been fractious and prone to nasty divisions, but it became even more hopelessly divided during the Argentine economic crisis in 2001/2002, culminating in the 2003 presidential election, where the PJ fielded three presidential candidates: Néstor Kirchner (backed by incumbent President Eduardo Duhalde), former President Carlos Menem (known for his neoliberal economic reforms while in office) and San Luís Governor Alberto Rodríguez Sáa.
It has always been unclear where dissident/Federal Peronism ends and where kirchnerismo begins: a number of politicians, Argentine politicians being notorious flip-floppers and opportunists, have shifted allegiances from one side to another – often depending on which way the wind is blowing. Eduardo Duhalde broke with Kirchner in around 2005, and ran against CFK in the 2011 election. Other PJ leaders or governors have also drifted in and out of kirchnerismo, swelling the ranks of federal Peronism in tough times for kirchnerismo. Federal Peronism itself is divided: Eduardo Duhalde and Alberto Rodríguez Sáa, two figures of federal Peronism, both ran in the 2011 presidential election.
Federal Peronism’s alliances have also varied from election to election and from province to province. In the 2009 midterm elections, in the province of Buenos Aires, Colombian-born businessman Francisco de Narváez – a dissident Peronist and leader of his own party (Unión Celeste y Blanco)- allied with Mauricio Macri, the chief of government of the city of Buenos Aires; forming an alliance between dissident Peronism and Macri’s liberal-conservative Propuesta Republicana (PRO). In 2011, however, de Narváez allied with Ricardo Alfonsín’s centrist Radical Civic Union (UCR) to run (unsuccessfully) for governor of Buenos Aires (in his 2007 gubernatorial run, he was allied with Macri’s PRO).
Mauricio Macri’s PRO, founded as a coalition in 2005, is the most vocal defender of economic liberalism and liberal conservatism in Argentina. It is, however, fairly marginal party. The party’s base remains the city of Buenos Aires, where Mauricio Macri has been chief of the government (jefe del gobierno) since 2007. The party also has some support in the province of Sante Fe, thanks to Miguel Torres del Sel, a former comedian who won 36.1% in the 2011 gubernatorial election (placing a close second).
The non-Peronist opposition is hardly more united. Historially, the Radical Civic Union (Unión Cívica Radical, UCR) has tended to be the main opposition to the PJ, since 1946. The UCR is Argentina’s oldest political party, and one of the few parties which has managed to be more than an empty personalist machine. Founded in 1891, the UCR was the vehicle of Argentina’s urban middle-class, which was excluded from power by the conservative landowning elites until 1916. Following the advent of universal suffrage in 1912, the UCR governed Argentina several times (1916-1930, 1958-1962, 1963-1966, 1983-1989, 1999-2001) with some success, but the UCR has long been dogged by internal squabbles or unfavourable external circumstances (the collapse of the economy and hyperinflation under Raúl Alfonsín in the 1980s, the economic crisis at the turn of this century).
Since 2001, the UCR is a fairly pathetic shadow of its former self, divided and badly lacking strong leadership. Its presidential candidate in 2003 won only 2.3% and it did not run one of its own in 2007 (it supported Roberto Lavagna). At the provincial level, a large number of Radical governors were radicales K, pro-Kirchner Radicals: Mendoza Governor Julio Cobos was CFK’s running-mate in the 2007 presidential election. The era of radicales K ended with the 2008 agricultural crisis, when Vice President Cobos famously broke with CFK. Since then, the UCR has been slightly stronger and less internally divided, although still rather weak. Many saw Ricardo Alfonsín, the son of late President Raúl Alfonsín (1983-1989), as the UCR’s great hope in 2011, but he ran a poor campaign and tacked too much towards the right for some Radicals’ tastes. Alfonsín won only 11.1% of the vote.
Alfonsín’s 2011 alliance with the right (de Narváez) has been broken since, and a number of major UCR branches in the provinces have allied with centre-left forces in this election. However, a lot of people on the centre-left or on the left distrustful of the UCR and the ‘old politics’ it symbolizes (bad memories of the disastrous presidency of Fernando de la Rúa between 1999 and 2001, old Radical ‘barons’ in the provinces) and the UCR’s willingness to ally with the right, PRO included, at a local level.
The Progressive, Civic and Social Front (Frente Progresista, Cívico y Social, FPCyS) denotes a centre-left alliance between the UCR and centre-left parties, notably including the Socialist Party (PS) in a number of provinces. A Radical-Socialist alliance, known as FPCyS, has governed the province of Santa Fe since 2007 (led by the PS) and similar alliances have been formed in other provinces, including Buenos Aires and the city of Buenos Aires (although it is known as UNEN).
The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista, PS) is another party with a long history, having been founded in 1896. The PS, which was quite successful at organizing working-class voters and became a major player in trade unions, saw its long years of hard work and efforts frustrated by Juan Perón, who coopted the working-classes and transformed Argentina’s main trade union confederation (the CGT) into a corporatist union close to the Peronist movement. As such, the PS has always had a poor relation with Peronism. In 1946, the PS and the communists allied with the right and the Radicals in an anti-Peronist front backed by the US and in 1955, numerous Socialists welcomed the military coup which overthrew Perón. After Perón’s first election, the PS never regained its former strength, wracked by numerous internal divisions (some sectors attracted to revolutionary/left-wing Peronism, others to Trotskyism).
Since the restoration of democracy, the PS has slowly gained ground. The Socialists have governed the city of Rosario, the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, since 1989. Hermes Binner, a doctor and former PS mayor of Rosario (1995-2003), was elected governor of Santa Fe in 2007, in an alliance with the Radicals.
In 2011, Binner formed the Broad Progressive Front (Frente Amplio Progresista, FAP), a left-wing progressive coalition with smaller leftist parties. As the FAP’s candidate, Binner did fairly well in the 2011 presidential election, placing a distant second in the general election with 16.8%. The FAP attracted a largely urban and middle-class electorate, voters who are traditionally opposed to Peronism but supportive of ‘modern’ progressive and social democratic politics. The FAP’s 2011 platform emphasized morally/socially liberal positions combined with more social democratic and leftist position on economic issues, not all that different to kirchnerismo. The FAP did not really participate as such in this election, the coalition being divided by those who seek a more centrist alliance with the UCR and those who want left-wing alliances.
The Movimiento Libres del Sur, a leftist alliance, is a component of the FAP whose most famous member is federal deputy Victoria Donda. The movement opposes neoliberalism and criticizes kirchnerismo from a more left-wing and progressive angle (corruption, mismanagement, human rights, inequality), and also places a large emphasis on human rights issues. Victoria Donda, a former FPV supporter, was herself born in captivity to two desaparecidos and usually focuses on human rights issues.
The Generación para un Encuentro Nacional (Partido GEN) is another component of the FAP, based out of the province of Buenos Aires and led by Margarita Stolbizer, a former UCR member and lawyer active on human rights and women’s rights issues. Stolbizer left the UCR and founded GEN in 2007, opposing the UCR’s decision to endorse the ex-kirchnerista Roberto Lavagna (she supported Elisa Carrió).
Outside the FAP is the Movimiento Proyecto Sur (PSur), a leftist party led by filmmaker Pino Solanas. PSur was founded in 2007 and is a left-nationalist party, similar in ideology to chavismo (Pino Solanas praised Hugo Chávez several times in the past). PSur supports the nationalization of all natural and mineral resources (including oil) and an investigation of the country’s foreign debt (what is ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’). Pino Solanas’ PSur, which is relevant only in the city of Buenos Aires, won 24.2% (second place) in the city in the 2009 midterm elections. In 2011, PSur refused to join the FAP. PSur is similar to Martín Sabbatella’s Nuevo Encuentro (a small party in Buenos Aires province now allied with the FPV) and some sectors of the FPV; however, like the Libres del Sul, Solanas is extremely critical (from a leftist standpoint) of kircherismo, particularly on issues such as corruption or human rights.
Civic Coalition for the Affirmation of an Egalitarian Republic (Coalición Cívica para la Afirmación de una República Igualitaria, CC-ARI) is a vaguely centre-left and social liberal party of varying strength. The CC-ARI finds its roots in the Argentinos por una República de Iguales (founded 2000/2001), a group of centre-left dissidents from the ruling Alianza who opposed President Fernando de la Rúa’s right-wing economic policies. The ARI participated in the 2001 legislative elections and was founded as a party, led by UCR dissident Elisa Carrió, in 2002. Carrió, very active on corruption issues (she gained notoriety by investigation corruption in the privatizations under Menem’s administration), ran for President for the first time in 2003, winning 14.1% – placing fifth in a hotly contested race. In 2006, Carrió formed a broader coalition with smaller parties (including GEN), styled Coalición Cívica. Carrió’s aim of forming a big tent anti-K coalition (including, potentially, the PRO, Radicals and dissident Peronists) annoyed several leftist members of ARI and was criticized by some parts of the PS. Carrió’s personal social conservatism (pro-life, anti-gay marriage) and her alliance with personalities reputed to be more right-leaning (Alfonso Prat Gay, María Eugenia Estenssoro) was also criticized by some on the left. Right after the 2007 election, a group of left-leaning ARI deputies left the party to form their own group, criticizing what they perceived as a right-wing shift in the CC/ARI.
Carrió’s CC (allied with the PS) nevertheless emerged as the main opposition to kirchernismo in 2007, when she placed second (23%) behind CFK in that year’s presidential election. In the 2009 election, Carrió successfully formed an electoral alliance with the Radicals and the PS, known as the Acuerdo Cívico y Social (ACyS). The ACyS won the most votes nationally and became the strongest anti-K opposition force in Congress. However, as always in Argentine politics, alliances are short-lived. All three main components of the ACyS went their own ways in 2011: Carrió embarked on an ill-advised trainwreck of a presidential campaign (she placed last in the general election with 1.8% and the CC-ARI was decimated in Congress), the UCR tacked to the right with Ricardo Alfonsín’s equally disastrous campaign and the PS tacked to the left with the FAP.
CC-ARI’s ideological direction is rather vague; combining bits and pieces of social democracy (Carrió has been a vocal advocate of a universal basic income grant to all children under 18), anti-corruption moralism, all-encompassing anti-kircherismo and centrism. Carrió’s opposition to abortion (which is strictly regulated and illegal under most circumstances) and same-sex marriage (most of CC-ARI voted in favour, though) has been criticized, as was her support for the rural sectors in the 2008 agricultural crisis and her vague position on the government’s re-nationalization of Aerolíneas Argentinas and pension funds.
The 2009 electoral reforms, the PASO and the 1.5% threshold to qualify for general elections has catalyzed Argentina’s weak and fractious (of course) far-left Trotskyist groupings to unite, which they did in 2011 as the Frente de Izquierda y de los Trabajadores (FIT). The FIT is an alliance of three parties, the largest and oldest of which is Jorge Altamira’s Workers’ Party (Partido Obrero). In 2011, Altamira, as the FIT’s presidential candidate, won 2.3% of the vote in the general election (doing better, you will notice, than Elisa Carrió!).
Local media coverage of Argentine midterm elections usually focuses heavily on the largest provinces, particularly the largest of them all: the province of Buenos Aires (not to be confused with the separate autonomous city of Buenos City/CABA), with a population of 15.6 million (9.9 million in the 24 suburban municipalities in the Gran Buenos Aires), or about 39% of the entire country’s electorate. The race in the province of Buenos Aires attracts, by far, the most attention by the domestic and foreign media (indeed, the foreign media’s coverage of Argentine midterms just pretends the rest of the country doesn’t exist!) but also by the politicians themselves. After all, Buenos Aires is often key to winning presidential elections, so politicians and coalitions tend to be particularly concerned by their performance in the province.
In the 2009 midterm elections, for example, Buenos Aires (BsAs) drew all the coverage because it featured a hotly contested battle between a dissident Peronist-PRO alliance (Unión-PRO) list led by Francisco de Narváez and a FPV list led by former President Néstor Kirchner and Daniel Scioli. De Narváez’s list won, with 34.7% against the FPV’s 32.2%, and the dominant narrative became that the Kirchners had suffered a huge defeat. Which was, to an extent, true and replicated in other major provinces. In 2005, a senatorial contest in the province between a FPV list led by CFK (then the First Lady) and a dissident PJ list led by Hilda Duhalde (Eduardo Duhalde’s wife) marked the break between Duhalde and Kirchner, his erstwhile ally (CFK won 45.8% to 20.4%).
It is no different this year. The new icon of dissident Peronism this year is Sergio Massa, the young (41) mayor of the suburban town of Tigre and CFK’s former Chief of Cabinet (2008-2009). Massa’s political career highlights the contradictions inherent to contemporary Peronism and its general carelessness towards coherent ideology: Massa began his political career in Álvaro Alsogaray’s right-wing UCeDé in the 1980s, before becoming an enthusiastic supporter of Peronist President Carlos Menem’s policies (menemismo) in the 1990s. After 2003, Massa became a kirchnerista (elected as a federal deputy on FPV lists in 2005 and 2009). Between 2002 and 2007, he served as head of the National Social Security Administration (ANSES). The same year that he featured on Kirchner’s FPV list in BsAs, however, he resigned as Chief of Cabinet and broke with the Kirchners. According to a 2010 U.S. Embassy WikiLeaks cable, Massa described Néstor Kirchner as “perverse” and “a psychopath,” “a monster,” and “a coward” whose bullying approach to politics masks a deep sense of insecurity and inferiority (the cable also mentioned Massa’s presidential ambitions).
In June 2013, Massa founded the Frente Renovador (FR), a big-tent anti-kirchernista/dissident Peronist movement. Massa has recruited his candidates and supporters from a wide variety of angles. The base of the FR is formed by a ‘G8’ of eight (including Massa) anti-kirchnerista Peronist/FPV mayors from BsAs province (mostly in the conurbano bonaerense); seven of whom (including Massa) were reelected under the FPV label in 2011. The Peronist mayors of the working-class and low-income municipalities (partidos) of the conurbano bonaerense, widely known as the barones del conurbano, are powerful and influential powerbrokers and local bosses, at the head of large (and electorally important) clientelistic networks. They are key to all Peronists, anti-K or pro-K, which aim to win in BsAs.
Sergio Massa’s FR list was seconded by Darío Giustozzi, the FPV mayor of Almirante Brown (a poor industrial suburb, which voted 64% for CFK in 2011). His other candidates included Clarín journalist Mirta Tundis (3rd), the former Peronist governor of BsAs province Felipe Solá (broke with Kirchner in 2008, 4th), the former president of the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) José Ignacio de Mendiguren (5th), incumbent PRO deputy Soledad Martinez (6th) and Elisa Carrió’s 2011 running-mate Adrián Pérez (7th).
Ideology or ideological coherence isn’t Massa’s top priority – far from it. It is very unclear where he actually stands on the relevant issues and he was criticized for his lack of concrete stances; most of the FR’s priorities are vague goals such as job creation, fighting criminality and narco-trafficking, fighting inflation, improving education or promoting judicial independence. The most substantive part might be his strong opposition to a constitutional amendment allowing CFK indefinite reelection. Otherwise, Massa, like most Peronists, is first and foremost a pragmatist who will do whatever it takes to be elected and govern with the prevailing winds. He presents himself as a reformist, centrist and moderate and states that he is economically Keynesian.
Massa’s team included Alberto Fernández, ‘the guru’, who had served as Chief of Cabinet between 2003 and 2008 before he too broke with the Kirchners and Roberto Lavagna, Duhalde and Néstor Kirchner’s economy minister between 2002 and 2005.
Massa’s FPV opponent was Martín Insaurralde, the mayor of Lomas de Zamora (another impoverished conurbano town) since 2009. His second candidate was Juliana Di Tullio, an incumbent FPV deputy and social psychologist well known for her advocacy of feminist and social progressivism (she introduced the gender identity law, backed the same-sex marriage law and supports decriminalizing abortion). Di Tullio, also reputed to be an ‘ultra-kirchnerista’, became president of the FPV’s parliamentary faction in May 2013.
The FPCyS list, made up of the UCR, PS, GEN, CC-ARI and Libres del Sur, was led by Margarita Stolbizer (GEN) and Ricardo Alfonsín (UCR), both of them incumbent deputies.
Francisco de Narváez, the winner of the 2009 elections in BsAs, ran as the head of a strange alliance, United for Freedom and Work (Unidos por la Libertad y el Trabajo), which was backed by Hugo Moyano, the powerful leader of the truckers’ union and the CGT (or a faction of it); whose man on the list was incumbent deputy Francisco Omar Plaini, elected for the FPV in 2009 (2nd). After a poor result in the PASO (10.5%), the list’s general election campaign was marred by constant pressures, notably by Clarín (which was probably behind Massa), for de Narváez to drop out (while the FPV and governor Scioli likely maneuvered to keep him from dropping out, to split the anti-K vote). Moyano apparently dropped his endorsement of de Narváez late in the campaign, not wanting to continue backing a dead horse.
Seemingly, de Narváez’s excuse for not withdrawing from the race was that he felt that Massa was a ‘Trojan horse’ for CFK, although this argument sounds a bit silly.
One of the most closely contested ‘internal’ primaries in the PASO was in the city of Buenos Aires (CABA), a stronghold of anti-kirchnerismo politics. The UNEN alliance, basically a local version of the FPCyS-type centre-left coalitions extended to Pino Solanas’ Proyecto Sur (which is very strong in CABA), had four competing lists in the PASO: Coalición Sur, Juntos, Suma Mas and Presidente Illia. The Coalición Sur was led by Elisa Carrió (CC-ARI) for the lower house and Pino Solanas (PSur) for the Senate, with Solanas seconded by former federal deputy María Fernanda Reyes (CC-ARI). The Juntos list was led by Ricardo Gil Lavedra, the president of the UCR faction in the Chamber of Deputies (he is also known for having been a judge in the Trial of the Juntas in 1985, and briefly served as justice minister under de la Rúa). For the Senate, the list was made up of incumbent federal deputies Alfonso Prat-Gay (CC-ARI) and Victoria Donda (Libres del Sur, actually federal deputy for BsAs, not CABA). The Suma Mas list for the Chamber was led by Martín Lousteau, an independent economist who served as CFK’s economy minister between 2007 and April 2008 who was forced to resign following the 2008 agricultural crisis (held responsible for the increased levies on soybean exports). Lousteau, who was not a FPV loyalist, had also been criticized by CFK’s inner circle/the FPV and was allegedly at odds with Guillermo Moreno, the Kirchner loyalist and internal trade secretary. Rodolfo Terragno (UCR), former Senator and Chief of Cabinet in de la Rúa’s administration, ran for Senate on the Suma Mas slate. The weakest candidate was Leandro Illia (Presidente Illia list), the son of former President Arturo Illia (UCR, 1963-1966).
For the Chamber of Deputies, Carrió’s list won 48.5% of the votes cast for all UNEN lists, placing first ahead of Lousteau’s list (35.9%) and Gil Lavedra (12.8%). Illia won only 2.8%. The Senate primary was closer, with 41.5% for Solanas’ ticket, 32.8% for Terragno’s ticket and 23.7% for the Prat-Gay-Donda ticket. For the general election, the final UNEN list included names from both the Carrió-Solanas coalition and the Lousteau-Terragno coalition: Carrió (CC-ARI) and Lousteau as the top two candidates for the Chamber; for the Senate, however, Solanas and Reyes, both from Coalición Sur, formed a ticket.
The PRO list in the capital was led by Gabriela Michetti (Senate) and Sergio Bergman (Chamber). Michetti, a federal deputy since 2009 and formed vicejefa of the CABA government (2007-2009) under Macri, was a close friend and supporter of Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis). The Chamber list was led by Sergio Bergman, a Reform Judaism rabbi, and Federico Sturzenegger, a banker.
The FPV list for the lower house was led by Juan Cabandié (born in captivity under the military regime, adopted by a police officer and only discovered his true identity/parents in 2004), a human rights activist and prominent member of La Cámpora. Senator Daniel Filmus, who ran and lost against Macri in 2007 and 2011, ran for reelection.
The races in other provinces will be covered in the results section.
Aggregate national results, both in terms of votes and seats, are difficult in Argentina because the composition of coalitions and the attitude of national parties vary from province to province. Besides, a national snapshot is not all that instructive for those same reasons. For national results, I refer to Andy Tow (who has put together the best archive/atlas of Argentine election results on the web), the government (Ministry of the Interior’s election department) and the newspaper La Nación.
Chamber of Deputies
PJ-FPV and provincial allies 33.13% winning 47 seats > total 130 seats
Dissident Peronism (including FR) 25.03% winning 26 seats > total 31 seats
FPCyS/UNEN, UCR, CC-ARI, PS etc 24.44% winning 36 seats > total 62 seats
PRO and allies 7.24% winning 10 seats > total 14 seats
FIT and far-left 6.46% winning 3 seats > total 6 seats
Provincial parties 2.66% winning 2 seats > total 6 seats
Compromiso Federal/PRO 1.04% winning 3 seats > total 8 seats
PJ-FPV and provincial allies 33.15% > total 132 seats
FPCyS/UNEN, UCR, CC-ARI, PS etc 23.95% > total 61 seats
Dissident Peronism (including FR) 21.39% > total 24 seats
PRO and allies 9% > total 18 seats
FIT and allies 5.11% > total 3 seats
Others 7.4% > total 18 seats
PJ-FPV and provincial allies 33.27% winning 47 seats > total 130 seats
Dissident Peronism (including FR) 24.75% winning 26 seats > total 37 seats
FPCyS/UNEN, UCR, CC-ARI, PS etc 24.68% winning 36 seats > total 61 seats
PRO and allies 8.04% winning 12 seats > total 17 seats
FIT and allies 6.40% winning 3 seats > total 6 seats
Others 2.87% winning 3 seats > total 6 seats
Senate (seats only)
PJ-FPV and provincial allies 14 seats > total 40 seats
FPCyS/UNEN, UCR, CC-ARI, PS etc 3 seats > total 19 seats
Dissident Peronism (including FR) 2 seats > total 5 seats
Provincial parties 3 seats > total 3 seats
Compromiso Federal 0 seats > total 3 seats
PRO and allies 8.04% 2 seats > total 2 seats
Kirchnerismo suffered a setback in the midterm elections, but nevertheless retained a narrow absolute majority; the end result being that the composition of both houses of Congress changed only minimally. According to La Nación‘s calculations, the FPV gained two seats in the Chamber (127 seats to 130) from the pre-election composition while dissident Peronism and the non-Peronist centre-left opposition lost seats (-2 and -4) and the PRO and far-left gained seats (+3, +1). In the Senate, the FPV lost 3 seats. The lack of significant changes in the makeup of the Chamber of Deputies (in overall, nationwide terms) is likely due to the fact that these seats were last up in 2009, another midterm in which the kirchneristas suffered losses (losing their absolute majority).
The magnitude of the defeat seems to be similar to 2009. As in 2009, but unlike in 2011 (CFK’s landslide), the FPV was defeated by the opposition in Argentina’s five largest provinces/cities: Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Santa Fe, CABA and Mendoza. In 2011, the FPV’s lists had topped the polls in all five of these provinces/cities, even the anti-Peronist stronghold of Buenos Aires (city). Given that these provinces elect 56% of the members of the lower house of Congress and are the country’s most populous provinces/cities, and that the elections in those provinces (especially BsAs and CABA) monopolize the bulk of media attention, the elections (like in 2009) have broadly been painted as a defeat for CFK and kirchnerismo, by domestic and international media alike. On the other hand, the FPV and its allies generally maintained the upper hand in the smaller, rural provinces which have long been reliably Peronist (with some local exceptions).
Since CFK’s landslide reelection in 2011 over a divided, hapless and demoralized second-tier opposition, some voters have soured on Kirchner and the government. High inflation (and the falsification of official statistics related to inflation), unpopular restrictions on the purchase of foreign currencies (US dollars, seen as a safer bet for savings than the peso), corruption, criminality, infrastructure problems, a widespread perception of kirchnerista arrogance and controversial reforms (judicial reform, media law) have all had an adverse impact on the government’s popularity. On the other hand, it must be pointed out that despite all this, kirchnerismo does retain a solid base in Argentine society. A number of voters credit the Kirchners (particularly CFK’s late husband) with the successful recovery from the 2001 catastrophe and, as such, no matter how unpopular they might get, some voters will remain reluctant to abandon ship given how the kirchernista decade began and how the country has improved since then. Secondly, while some opponents might style it as clientelism and asistencialismo, many poorer voters appreciate the social programs created by the Kirchners, notably CFK’s AUH. And regardless of the desirability of these programs, they have almost certainly played a huge role in reducing poverty in Argentina from the highs of the turn-of-the-century economic crisis.
The FPV is also slightly better organized or better entrenched in society than the disparate opposition forces. The FPV controls government, and as such it can put the government and its resources to its use, through clientelism, patronage or just the usual ‘goodies’ and policy changes (tax cuts followed the PASO in August). Public advertising is a good example of how the Kirchners have put public resources to partisan/electoral usage. Néstor Kirchner distributed public advertising on the basis of political affinity. In 2009, the government created the Fútbol para todos (football/soccer for all) program; the true intent of the program was not really to allow football-crazy Argentines access to all football matches on free TV, but perhaps rather to allow the government to gain control over the broadcasting of football matches on state-owned TV. Between 1991 and 2009, through an agreement with the football federation (AFA), Televisión Satelital Codificada (TSC), a joint-venture between Grupo Clarín and a sports communications firm, held exclusive rights over broadcasting of all football matches in the country. Taking advantage of an economic crisis hurting many Primera División clubs (and a spat between the AFA and TSC when AFA demanded more money from TSC), the government stepped in and signed an agreement with the AFA, breaking the agreement with TSC and giving the government the right to broadcast all Primera División matches (and second division matches in 2011, and third division matches in 2013) on the free, state-owned Canal 7/TV Pública. Above all, the creation of Fútbol para todos means that the government controls advertising during the program. Therefore, the apparently innocuous program has turned into a major political issue: some in the opposition argue that the program is a propaganda tool for the government, because the advertising is allegedly biased and partisan. In the 2013 campaign, FR candidate Mirta Tundis (an employee of the Grupo Clarín) said that she would like the program to be privatized (Massa took no position); her comment sparked controversy. The FPV jumped on the matter, accusing those who opposed the program of neoliberalism and subservience to monopolies and big corporate interests (eg Clarín).
The FPV can also count on some support within the CGT, from most of the barones del conurbano and now from the increasingly powerful La Cámpora. In contrast, the opposition – particularly the non-Peronist parties (except perhaps the UCR, but even then) – have little ties to powerful union bosses or local party bosses; further complicated that they’re always squabbling amongst themselves, so whatever resources they have are split between the different contenders.
A bit ignored by media coverage, the far-left forces (mostly the FIT) had a good election, with some very good (even double digit) results in some provinces and a total of three seats won.
Argentina is very much a federal country, this is especially true when it comes to parliamentary elections (and provincial-level elections, of course). In France, it is often said that the legislative elections are ‘577 local elections’ (577 constituencies) rather than a single national election; but nowhere is this phrase truer than in Argentina. Each province had different candidates, different party alliance and strategies and different local circumstances. Therefore, any analysis of Argentine legislative elections must be done at the provincial, rather than national, level. And provincial means, if we want to be accurate and thorough (as I do), all provinces – not only BsAs!
Note: you can find PASO results here.
In Buenos Aires, Sergio Massa’s FR handily defeated Martín Insaurralde’s FPV, 43.9% to 32.2%. In the PASO, the FR had won 35.1% and the FPV had won 29.7%. Therefore, although both the FR and the FPV increased their support from the PASO (the FR more so), the gap between Massa and Insaurralde widened, doubling from about 5% to nearly 12 points. Insaurralde’s result in the general was similar to Néstor Kirchner’s result at the helm of the FPV list in 2009 (32.18%), but Massa did much better than De Narváez had done in 2009 (34.7%). In a distant third place, Stolbizer’s FPCyS won 11.8%, marginally more than in the PASO (11.1%); in 2009, Stolbizer-Alfonsín’s ACyS list had won 21.5% of the vote.
The biggest loser from the primaries was Francisco de Narváez (FULT), whose support fell from 10.5% to 5.5%, benefiting Massa. Néstor Pitrola’s far-left FIT list won 5% (up from 4% in the PASO), winning one seat.
This result gives Massa 16 seats against 12 for the FPV, 4 for the FPCyS and two for De Narváez. Compared to the results of the PASO, the FR ‘gained’ two seats, both of them coming from De Narváez’s list.
The race was in good part decided in the conurbano bonaerense, where over 60% of the province’s population is concentrated. Compared to Kirchner’s defeat in 2009, Massa made major inroads in the conurbano, a largely working-class/low-income and industrialized hinterland where the FPV has traditionally been very dominant. Massa did best in his hometown of Tigre (65.5%), a socially mixed town north of Buenos Aires (the proliferation of new ‘Miami’-like gated communities with canals and mansions contrasts will villas miseria/shantytowns and older lower middle-class/blue-collar areas). He also did similarly well (62.2%) in San Fernando, located just north of Tigre (but outside the conurbano).
Massa’s alliance with several dissident Peronist barones del conurbano proved quite beneficial at the polls. Generally, the FR did best in those partidos (the BsAs name for municipalities) where the mayor supported him. For example, he won Malvinas Argentinas (a low-income industrial area) with 59.5%, he was supported by the powerful longtime mayor of Malvinas Argentinas, Jesús Cariglino (mayor since 1995). In Almirante Brown, governed by Massa’s second candidate Darío Giustozzi, Massa won 48.4% – his best result in the southern half of the conurbano. In General San Martín municipality, governed by another FPV dissident, Massa won 51.7%. Even outside the conurbano, the FR did best in partidos where the local mayor were backing Massa: for example, he won 53.4% in General Villegas and 49.7% in Ollavaría.
However, Massa even won partidos where the FPV mayors have remained loyal to kirchnerismo. He won working-class and lower-income municipalities such as José C. Paz (46.2%), Moreno (47.9%), Pilar (53.8%) and Tres de Febrero (49%) even if their mayors had not endorsed Massa. Therefore, Massa’s success was not only the product of using the clientelistic networks of pro-FR barones, it was also the result of an anti-K vote in FPV strongholds. Massa even won Morón (44%), supposedly the stronghold of Nuevo Encuentro‘s Martín Sabbatella (who was mayor until 2011). In the conurbano, Insaurralde only won La Matanza (43.8%), Florencio Varela (46.7%), Berazategui (43.5%) and his hometown of Lomas de Zamora (48%).
Massa also won the upper middle-class anti-K strongholds of Vicente López and San Isidro, with 49.9% and 57.5% respectively. The FPCyS, however, did well in Vicente López, placing second with 20.3% of the vote. By and large, however, the FPCyS did terribly in the rest of the conurbano (single digits).
In the city of Buenos Aires, the PRO – unlike in the PASO – topped the field over UNEN in the race for both the Chamber and the Senate. In the lower house contest, Sergio Bergman’s PRO list won 34.5% against 32.2% for Carrió-Lousteau’s UNEN list. The FPV, led by Juan Cabandié, placed a distant third with only 21.6%. In the PASO, the combined total of the UNEN lists had been 35.6%, against 27.5% for the PRO and 19% for the FPV. It is likely that some UNEN voters who had backed losing candidates in the PASO switched their support to the PRO or the FPV. In seat terms, the PRO and UNEN both took 5 seats while the FPV won 3 seats. The far-left FIT, led by Jorge Altamira, won 5.7% of the vote.
In the race for Senate, the PRO’s Gabriela Michetti won 39.3% against 27.7% for UNEN and 23.2% for Daniel Filmus’ FPV. In the PASO, again, the combined total of the UNEN (32%) had been marginally stronger than the PRO (31.4%). With the PRO and UNEN splitting the three senate seats, incumbent FPV senator Daniel Filmus will return to academic life at the end of his term. The PRO’s stronger performance in the senatorial contest certainly owes to the qualities of the candidates: Gabriela Michetti is a well-known politician in the city, having served as federal deputy since 2009 and deputy head of the government prior to that. On the other hand, rabbi Bergman is not as well known or prominent.
The PRO and UNEN both did best in the city’s middle-class and upper middle-class neighborhoods, while the FPV’s support remained concentrated in shantytowns and the lower-income neighborhoods in the southern end of the city (33.4% in commune 8 – Villa Soldati, Riachuelo and Lugano). The PRO’s best result (Chamber), 41.6%, came from commune 2, which includes the very affluent Recoleta neighborhood. It also did well in commune 13 (Belgrano, 38.9%), 13 (Palermo, 38.1%) and 1 (Puerto Madero, 36.7%). The UNEN performed well in almost all the same places as the PRO, but won low results in the low-income southern neighborhoods.
Half of the seats (30) in the city legislature were also up for reelection in Buenos Aires on election day. The PRO, with 33.6%, won 12 seats against 8 for UNEN (24.7%) and 6 for the FPV (17.1%). The far-left FIT won one seat, while the last two seats went to local parties I don’t know anything about. This gives the PRO a total of 28 seats, out of 60, in the city legislature.
In Córdoba, the Unión por Córdoba (UPC), a dissident Peronist local movement led by governor and local Peronist strongman José Manuel de la Sota (governor 1999-2007 and since 2011), won 26.5% and 3 seats. The UPC list was led by former governor Juan Schiaretti (2007-2011), a loyal delasotista. José Manuel de la Sota, like a lot of Peronist leaders in Córdoba (the country’s second largest province), has had a love-hate relationship with the Kirchners. In 2011, when CFK’s profile was up, De la Sota was seen as fairly close (or at least on good terms) with the Casa Rosada. However, he has since broken with the President and aligned himself with dissident Peronism once more (de la Sota also had ambivalent, love-hate relationships with past Peronist bigwigs such as Menem and Duhalde). The UPC’s result, despite placing first, was seen as a major setback for the governor (who might have presidential ambitions for 2015). The UPC’s support fell by nearly four points from the PASO, when two competing lists for the UPC had won a total of 30.1%. A narcotrafficking scandal involving the provincial police seems to have hurt the governor’s party; the dispersion of votes for mayor Martín Llaryora’s list in the PASO (22.3% of the UPC’s PASO votes) also appears to have hurt the party.
A UCR list (by itself), led by federal deputy and 2011 gubernatorial candidate Oscar Aguad, placed second 22.7% (more or less what it had won in the PASO) and 3 seats. The main winner, from the PASO, was the FPV list led by Carolina Scotto. The FPV list saw a significant increase in its support, from 10.9% in the PASO to 15.3% in the general election, giving them 2 seats.
The PRO list, led by former football referee Héctor Baldassi, won 14.5% and one seat, up from 12.1% in the PASO.
Aguad’s UCR list topped the poll in the city of Córdoba, where the Radicals (and anti-Peronist forces in general) have generally been rather strong. Schiaretti’s UPC placed third with 15% of the vote in the provincial capital, behind the PRO (16.6%) and the UCR (20.1%).
The major losers were Olga Riutort (De la Sota’s ex-wife), whose support fell from 6.8% to 4.6% since the PASO; and a FPCyS list (basically the PS and Senator Luis Juez’s personal party) which won only 3.7% of the vote. Luis Juez, a former mayor of Córdoba and incumbent senator, is a sworn enemy of the governor (they were allies until 2001, when Juez started accusing de la Sota of being corrupt, and broke completely in 2007, when Juez narrowly lost the gubernatorial race to Schiaretti, and cried fraud). The FPCyS’ terrible result is a huge setback to Juez, and might mark the end of his political career. Fortunately for him, the UPC’s mediocre result also throws cold water on De la Sota’s potential 2015 presidential ambitions.
In Santa Fe, former governor and 2011 presidential candidate Hermes Binner (PS), leading a broad FPCyS coalition with the UCR and CC-ARI, handily triumphed with 42.4% and won five seats. Miguel Torres del Sel (PRO), a former comedian who placed a close second in the 2011 gubernatorial election, placed second with 27.2% of the vote (3 seats), leading an alliance of the PRO with some dissident Peronist forces. The oficialista FPV list, led by former governor Jorge Obeid (2003-2007), placed a poor third with only 22.6% and 2 seats.
Santa Fe, governed by a Socialist-Radical alliance since 2007 (an alliance which Binner would like to replicate nationally), is something of an opposition stronghold where the FPV has never enjoyed uncontested political hegemony (far from it).
In Mendoza, the big winner was former governor (2003-2007) and CFK’s former Vice President Julio Cobos (UCR), whose Radical list won 47.7% (up from 44% in the PASO) and 3 seats. The FPV, which currently governs the state, suffered a very heavy defeat, winning only 27% of the vote and a single seat. The far-left FIT, with 14% of the vote – double what it won in the PASO – took the last seat. The local right-wing Democratic Party, in alliance with the PRO, won one of its worst result in decades, with only 5.2% of the vote (in 2009, for example, the PD-PRO list had won one seat with some 14% of the vote).
Cobos’ landslide opens the door to a presidential candidacy in 2015, perhaps in coalition with Hermes Binner’s Socialists. However, a lot of Radicals remain fairly suspicious and uneasy with Cobos, in good part because of his past trajectory as a ‘radical K’ and his (short-lived) alliance with kirchnerismo in 2007 (broken during the 2008 agricultural crisis, in which Vice President Cobos clearly sided with the opposition/ruralists). Even in his own state, Cobos will have to deal with internal opposition from rival Radicals – senator Ernesto Sanz, former governor Roberto Iglesias and Mendoza mayor Víctor Fayad – who have yet to digest Cobos’ past transgressions. In the PASO, Roberto Iglesias’ dissident list, the ‘Federal Party’, was soundly trounced (4.6%) and he was forced to announce his withdrawal.
Tucumán, the smallest province but the fifth most populous, was the largest province in which the FPV was victorious. The province is a kirchnerista stronghold (CFK won 65% in 2011). The FPV list, led by health minister Juan Luis Manzur, won 46.9% and two seats. An ACyS (UCR-PS-Libres del Sur etc) list won 34.7% and two seats. In third place, the Fuerza Republicana party of provincial legislator and former senator Ricardo Bussi, won 8.2% of the vote. Despite the FPV victory, the result is a setback for term-limited incumbent governor José Alperovich, given that the FPV had taken three seats against only one for the ACyS in 2009.
The FPV was also victorious in Entre Ríos, winning 46.6% and 3 seats against 23.4% and 1 seat for the Unión por Entre Ríos. The latter is a coalition of the PRO with a local party led by former PJ/dissident Peronist governor Jorge Busti (1987-1991, 1995-1999, 2003-2007) – the slate’s top candidate was incumbent federal deputy Cristina Cremer De Busti, Busti’s wife. Their top candidate for Senate was Alfredo de Angeli (PRO), a well-known agrarian leader (extremely critical of CFK) who stood out as one of the hardline ruralist leaders during the 2008 agricultural crisis.
A Radical list placed third with 21.1%, also winning one seat. In the race for Senate in the province, the overall results were similar: 46.2% for the FPV and 25.7% for Unión por Entre Ríos, giving oficialismo two seats against one seat for Alfredo de Angeli. The UCR won only 19.8% of the vote in the senatorial contest, marginalizing the party which had traditionally been fairly strong in the province.
The FPV’s triumph is good news for governor Sergio Uribarri (in office since 2007), who would fancy a presidential candidacy in 2015. Uribarri is very popular in the province, although CFK is perhaps less so.
The result in Salta was quite a mess. In the race for the Chamber of Deputies, the Frente Popular Salteño (a dissident Peronist/PRO alliance) won the most votes, 20.6%, and one seat. The Trotskyst Workers’ Party (PO) placed second, with 19.1% of the vote and one seat; the far-left even topped the poll in Salta, the provincial capital, with 28.4% of the vote. The kirchernista PJ list won 19% of the vote, closely followed by Salta Somos Todos (18.1%), a personal vehicle for 2011 gubernatorial candidate and outgoing federal deputy Alfredo Olmedo, a controversial ‘soy king’ and got some attention for his strong opposition to same-sex marriage. The kirchnerista Partido de la Victoria won 7.6% of the vote, in fifth place, while the conservative Partido Renovador de Salta (allied with the PJ-FPV, I believe) won 6%.
The senatorial contest was far more high profile in Salta, whose governor, Juan Manuel Urtubey (FPV), is another potential presidential candidate for 2015. The governor’s brother, Rodolfo Urtubey, topped the FPV’s senatorial list (with incumbent federal deputy Cristina Fiore Viñuales as his running mate). Former governor (1995-2007) and incumbent senator Juan Carlos Romero, a dissident Peronist and noted rival of the incumbent governor, ran for reelection at the helm of the helm of the Frente Popular Salteño list. The governor’s FPV list won 29.1% against 24.5% for Romero’s list; in 2007, Romero’s dissident PJ list had beaten the PJ-FPV list.
In Misiones, a kirchnerista stronghold (67% for CFK in 2011), the pro-Kirchner local Frente Renovador de la Concordia, formed by pro-Kirchner Peronists and dissident Radicals by former governor Carlos Rovira and the dominant party in provincial politics, remained the largest party with 43.3% of the vote and 2 seats. The UCR did fairly well, winning 26.7% and one seat. A dissident Peronist/PRO list led by former governor and incumbent federal deputy Ramón Puerta (1991-1999) won 14.6%, down almost ten points from the PASO when it had been a close third with 23%. An official FPV list won 11.2%.
In Santiago del Estero, an ultrakirchnerista province (82% for CFK in 2011!), another local pro-Kirchner party, the Frente Cívico por Santiago (FCS) was triumphant – with 76% of the vote, winning all three seats. The party was founded in 2004/2005 as some kind of local version of the UCR, led by Gerardo Zamora, a Radical whose victory in the 2005 gubernatorial election marked the end of a five-decade long dominance of local politics by the Peronist caudillo Carlos Antonio Juárez (his wife, elected governor in 2002, was removed from office by the federal government in 2004). Zamora was a ‘radical K’, and remained loyal to the Kirchners even after the 2008 crisis (which marked the end of ‘radicales K‘), transforming the FCS into a local version of the FPV. It has been absolutely dominant in provincial politics, often winning upwards of 70% of the vote (71% in the 2011 legislative elections, 85% for Zamora in the 2008 gubernatorial election). Zamora was due to win reelection to an (illegal) third term on October 27, but the courts delayed the election and blocked his candidacy (a new constitution adopted in 2005 limits the governor to two successive terms, but Zamora was originally elected under an old constitution, so he argued that the term limits could not yet apply to him). His wife will succeed him when the gubernatorial vote is held on December 1.
In a province used to caudillismo in its politics, the FCS has effectively replaced the old PJ Peronist elites which had dominated provincial politics since 1948 (except for the periods of military rule) under Carlos Antonio Juárez.
In the Senate race, the FCS effectively won all three seats: they ingeniously got around the electoral law by running a proxy list, the Frente Popular, led by provincial CGT leader and FCS provincial legislator Gerardo Montenegro, which placed second (28.5%) behind the FCS (48.3%). Zamora has, according to La Nación, decided to take a seat in the Senate – he featured on the FCS’ senatorial list as the lead suplente (replacement) candidate. Senator Emilio Rached, who broke with the FCS and realigned with the Radicals in 2008, led the FPCyS list, which won 14.1% of the vote in the senatorial contest.
In Chaco, another poor and rural Peronist/Kirchnerist province, the FPV handily won the races for the lower house and the upper house, winning 59% of the vote and 3 out of the 4 seats in the lower house and 60.6% in the senatorial contest. This is a strong result for term-limited governor Jorge Capitanich, an ally of the federal government who does not hide his presidential ambitions for 2015. On the other hand, the Unión por Chaco (basically a local FPCyS) did poorly, losing one seat in the lower house to the FPV (36.2% of the vote). In the PASO, the FPV and the centre-left had been more closely matched, 46.4% to 40.9%.
In Formosa, the poorest province in Argentina located in the remote north, the dominant FPV, led by governor and local strongman Gildo Insfrán (in office since 1995, with no term limits) triumphed with 60% against 36.7% for the Frente Amplio Formoseño (again, a local version of the FPCyS led by the UCR). The only silver lining for the Radicals here is that they did better than in 2011, when it won only 19%. With Governor Insfrán taking centre stage after the PASO, the FPV’s support increased from 53.6% since the PASO.
It was ‘3 to 0’ for the Radicals in Corrientes, who defeated the FPV for the third time this year after the PASO in August and a gubernatorial election in September. The province is rather poor and solidly kirchnerista in presidential politics (68% for CFK in 2011), but the UCR remains a dominant force in provincial politics – it is the last province to be governed by a Radical governor, Ricardo Colombi. The Encuentro por Corrientes (ECO) list, a broad alliance joining the UCR, centre-left (PS, CC-ARI, Libres del Sur), dissident Peronists and the centre-right PRO, won 47% and 2 seats against 42.7% for the FPV, which won one seat; this gap is smaller than that of the PASO, in which ECO’s four lists totaled 47.7% against 38.7% for the FPV’s three lists. A third list led by incumbent UCR senator Nito Artaza won 10.3%.
The results in Corrientes are a strong vote of confidence for UCR governor Ricardo Colombi, himself reelected in September with 50.9% of the vote. Colombi, who was elected governor in 2009 defeating his cousin, the erstwhile ‘radical K’ governor Arturo Colombi, in a closely disputed contest, has had a very tense relationship with the Casa Rosada – which did everything in its power to marginalize Colombi’s provincial government. The FPV suffered a major defeat in the September gubernatorial election when its candidate, Corrientes mayor Carlos Manuel Espínola, heavily promoted by the federal government, lost to Colombi with 45.8%. Ricardo Colombi had already won a personal triumph over his estranged cousin in the PASO, when the oficialista ECO list led by a provincial cabinet minister handily defeated a rival ECO list led by Arturo Colombi, which placed a poor third.
The results in the province of San Juan were heavily impacted by an helicopter crash on October 11 in which a federal deputy (running for reelection) was killed and the FPV governor, José Luis Gioja, badly injured. The FPV list, which had placed second in the PASO with 37.2% of the vote, saw its support skyrocket to 55.4%. On the other hand, the Compromiso Federal list – an alliance of dissident Peronists (presumably close to Rodríguez Sáa), maverick Radicals (the local UCR bloquista) and the PRO – won only 22.9%, down from 42.5% and first place in the PASO. In third place, Nancy Avelín, the daughter of late governor Alfredo Avelín (impeached in 2002), won 10.6% – the best result for the family’s party since her father’s impeachment.
The FPV suffered a damaging defeat in Jujuy, a poor northern province which gave 64% support to CFK two years ago. The Frente Jujeño, a Radical-Socialist alliance led by incumbent federal deputy Mario Fiad, won 40.2% against 38.9% for the FPV. In the PASO, the FPV list had won 32.8% to the Frente’s 31.1%. The Frente Primero Jujuy, a dissident Peronist list, saw its support fall considerably since the PASO, from 9.4% and third place to 5.2% and fourth place (behind the FIT, 7.2%). The FPV’s defeat in this Peronist stronghold is bad news for governor Eduardo Fellner, who had handily defeated the UCR’s Mario Fiad in 2011. The Radical victory emboldens Radical senator Gerardo Morales, who would like to contest the governorship in 2015.
In the race for the provincial legislature, a new party – Frente Unidos y Organizados por la Soberanía Popular – the political arm of the Peronist and indigenista asociación barrial Túpac Amaru led by Milagro Sala, won 13.6% and 4 seats, placing third.
In Río Negro, the FPV list, led by María Emilia Soria, the daughter of late governor Carlos Soria (FPV, 2011-2012, died on New Years 2012 after being killed by his wife), won easily with 50.8% – taking both of the seats up for grabs. She had been described as her later father’s ‘princess’, sheltered, protected and favoured over her brother. Her nomination irritated many old-timers, who saw her as an inexperienced and empty-suit dynastic candidate, but she was heavily backed by the powerful FPV senator Miguel Pichetto (who is also the FPV faction leader in the Senate). In the senatorial contest, Pichetto’s FPV list won 50% of the vote. The major loser in the province was the UCR, which had dominated provincial politics between 1983 and 2011. In the senatorial contest, former UCR (‘radical K’) governor Miguel Saiz (2003-2011) won only 15.9% of the vote, placing third and thereby conceding the third seat to an alliance between the PS and CC-ARI (26.3%). In the PASO, the UCR had placed second behind the FPV, with about 25% of the vote; the party had contested ‘internal primaries’, notably a battle for the senatorial nomination between Saiz (the eventual winner) and former governor and 1995 presidential candidate Hector Massaccesi (the ‘Robin Hood of Patagonia’, who had famously seized $17 million from a bank account belonging to the Central Bank). I wonder if potential post-primary bad blood might explain why the UCR’s support fell of by so much, to the benefit of the progressive alliance of the PS and CC-ARI (16.7% in the PASO, 25% in the general).
In Neuquén, a local party with a long history – the Movimiento Popular Neuquino (MPN) – remained the dominant force. The MPN was founded in 1961 by local Peronist caudillos, whose political activity was circumscribed by the proscription of Peronism after the 1955 coup. The MPN became a neo-Peronist party, promoting the idea of “Peronism without Perón”. The MPN became the dominant party in provincial politics as early as 1962, with the figure of Felipe Sapag, the leader of a politically and economically powerful local clan who served as governor five times (1963-1966, 1970-1972, 1973-1976, 1983-1987, 1995-1999). After 1991, the MPN has become torn between two factions, one led by the Sapag clan (Jorge Augusto Sapag, the nephew of Felipe Sapag, has been governor since 2007) and the other led by former governor and current party chairman Jorge Sobisch (1991-1995, 1999-2007). The MPN has traditionally been the strongest party in provincial politics, although the FPV won more votes than the MPN in the 2011 legislative elections.
The PASO had seen a very nasty fight within MPN ranks. The winning list was that of Guillermo Pereyra, the leader of the CGT oil workers’ union and a close ally of dissident CGT (anti-K) leader Hugo Moyano (I believe he was also supported by Sobisch, but I have seen contradictory information on that). Pereyra is very critical of Kirchner, governor Sapag and the YPF-Chevron deal. With about 56% of the votes cast for the MPN in the PASO, he easily defeated the oficialista list led by Vice Governor Ana Pechen, a close ally of governor Sapag, who is also fairly close to the Casa Rosada. In the PASO, the MPN’s two rival lists had totaled 54.5% (Chamber) and 58.2% (Senate) respectively. While the MPN still won the most votes on October 27, it only won 40.2% and 41.9% respectively, down quite considerably from the PASO. This is almost certainly as a result of the post-primary turmoil which saw governor Sapag refuse to endorse Pereyra (who had been very critical of Sapag) and indeed called on voters not to vote for the MPN. All parties benefited from the MPN’s poor showing in October, above all the FPV – which increased its results to 21.3% and 20.6% respectively (11.7% and 9% in the PASO). Placing second, the FPV won one seat in the Chamber (on the PASO’s results, the MPN would have won all 3 seats) and one in the Senate.
In third place, the Compromiso Cívico Neuquino (CCN) coalition, made up of Neuquén mayor Horacio Quiroga’s Nuevo Compromiso Neuquino and the Radicals, CC-ARI and PRO, won 11.5% of the vote. I believe that the list backed by Quiroga’s party, which is critical of CFK and opposes her potential reelection, won the PASO. The CCN had placed second behind the MPN in the senatorial contest during the PASO.
In the Patagonian province of Chubut, former governor and Duhalde’s 2011 running mate Mario Das Neves (dissident Peronist), running as the top candidate for the Partido de Acción Chubutense, easily defeated the FPV list with 52.7% of the vote to the FPV’s 23.2% – allowing Das Neves’ list to win both seats. Das Neves, who served as governor of Chubut between 2003 and 2011, was a very popular governor (reelected in 2007 with over 76%), something which allowed him to have serious presidential ambitions in 2011. However, his preferred candidate, Martín Buzzi (who has since joined the FPV and is now a kirchnerista), only won the 2011 gubernatorial election by a hair over the FPV (40.43% vs 40.28%) and Das Neves dropped out, becoming Duhalde’s running mate. In second place, the FPV, led by agriculture minister Norberto Yauhar, won 23.2%, a major setback for the federal governor and governor Martín Buzzi. Yahuar questioned Buzzi’s leadership following his defeat.
Another former governor was victorious in Catamarca. The Frente Cívico y Social list (UCR-PS-PRO), led by former UCR governor Eduardo Brizuela del Moral (2003-2011) narrowly defeated the FPV list, 40% to 38.7% – taking 2 seats against the FPV’s one. Eduardo Brizuela del Moral, first elected in 2003, was another ‘radical K’, being reelected in 2007 with the FPV’s support against the arch-corrupt Luis Barrionuevo, a dissident Peronist CGT leader. However, when he broke with CFK in 2008, his Vice Governor, Lucía Corpacci (the cousin of the old Peronist caudillo Ramón Saadi), broke with his government and she ran against him in the 2011 gubernatorial election. Brizuela del Moral was widely expected to win a third term, but he surprisingly lost to Corpacci, the FPV’s candidate, 49.5% to 45.6%. This year’s victory is a major setback for governor Corpacci and a major victory for Brizuela del Moral, who might want to run for governor in 2015. In third place, the corrupt and gangsterish Luis Barrionuevo’s dissident Peronist list won 18.8%.
As usual, in San Luis, the Rodríguez Saá brothers’ Compromiso Federal (dissident Peronism) easily won, with 53.9% of the vote against 23.6% for the FPCyS and 17.9% for the FPV. However, the result is nevertheless a small setback for the Rodríguez Saá clan and their party, which lost one seat (from 2009), conceding it to the Radicals (FPCyS).
In the province of La Rioja, best known as being Carlos Menem’s native province (Menem is still a senator for the province), the FPV – which had lost the PASO – narrowly defeated the Fuerza Cívica Riojana (UCR/PS/CC-ARI) alliance, 47.1% to 46.5%. The FPV list, led by provincial cabinet minister Teresita Madera and backed by Governor Luis Beder (who defeated Menem in 2007), had placed second in the PASO with 37.8% – the first defeat for Peronism in the province since 1983. Yet, despite finally narrowly defeating the Radical list, the FPV has little to cheer about with the results. They placed first with less than 1,000 votes separating them from second, and the poor showing complicates the governor’s intention to amend the constitution to allow him a third term in office. In third place, the Frente Nuevo Pacto Federal, led by dissident Peronist (ex-FPV) federal deputy Jorge Yoma (the brother of Zulema Yoma, Carlos Menem’s ex-wife turned enemy), placed a distant third with 2.9%, down from 10.2% in the PASO.
The elections in the province of La Pampa were won, narrowly and with a mediocre result, by a pro-Kirchner PJ list led by former provincial cabinet minister Gustavo Fernández Mendía. In the PASO, Fernández Mendía, who had the support of the Casa Rosada and the kirchnerista governor, Oscar Jorge, narrowly defeated (43.7% vs 35.6% of the PJ’s votes) an anti-kirchnerista list backed by former Peronist governors Rubén Marín (1991-2003, senator until 2009) and Carlos Verna (2003-2007, now senator) and led by Rubén Marín’s son Espartaco (‘Taco’). Marín and Verna, former rivals (Verna has been anti-K since 2003, when he won with Menem’s backing, Marín’s shift only dates from 2008) turned allies of circumstances, had opposed the formation of a FPV coalition in the province, much to displeasure of CFK and Governor Jorge. In the general election, the PJ list won only 35.2% against 34.4% for the Frepam (Frente Pampeano Cívico y Social, the local Radical-led alliance with the PS), led by the former UCR mayor of Santa Rosa Francisco Torroba. In the PASO, the PJ’s lists had totaled 50% of the vote against 31.8% for the Frepam. Seemingly, the closely fought primarily battle between the kircheristas-jorgistas and marinistas-vernistas left some scars, even if Taco Marín got the third place on the final PJ list. The main winner of the general election was the Frente Propuesta Federal, a PRO-led alliance headed by Carlos “el Colorado” Mac Allister, a former football player (he notably played for the Boca Juniors in the 1990s, when the club was owned by Mauricio Macri). In the PASO, backed by the PRO and ‘intransigent’ supporters of Carlos Verna who did not want to back Rubén Marín, he had won 9.9%. On October 27, he won 19.3% and won one seat for himself.
The PJ’s mediocre result is a poor result for the Casa Rosada and for the governor, who is fairly isolated within his own party against the two local caudillos. Furthermore, the UCR’s strong result makes them – and their new federal deputy – strong contenders for the provincial governorship in 2015, in a province governed by the PJ since 1983. Before that, however, Torroba will likely need to deal with the opposition of UCR Senator Juan Carlos Marina, who did not support his list in the PASO.
The opposition, led by Radical businessman and incumbent federal deputy Eduardo Costa, triumphed in the southern Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, a symbolic province for the Casa Rosada given that it was Néstor Kirchner’s native province and political breeding ground (he served as governor between 1991 and 2003 before becoming President). Costa’s list, the Unión para Vivir Mejor (formed by the UCR, a local party and the CC-ARI – whose local leader is Costa’s wife), placed first with 42.1% and two seats. The oficialista FPV list, led by provincial legislator and local La Cámpora boss Mauricio Gómez Bull, ranked second with 24.7% and one seat. The main loser of the election was governor Daniel Peralta, a former ally of the Kirchners who broke with the Casa Rosada last year when he was alleged to have spied on CFK at her family residence in the province. The PJ list, led by provincial cabinet minister Nieves Beroiza, placed third with only 20% of the vote and fell short of a seat. Peralta’s only motive for satisfaction was that
While the UCR’s result is unquestionably good news for Eduardo Costa, who has his eyes set for a third (third time the charm?) run at the governorship in 2015, his list saw its result fall a bit from 44.5% in the PASO, where he had successfully held back a dissident Radical list led by Facundo Prades, a young ‘renovador‘ critical of Costa’s allegedly autocratic and ‘business-like’ leadership of the local UCR.
Finally, in Tierra del Fuego, the FPV list led local La Cámpora leader Martín Alejandro Pérez won the top spot, with 27.3% of the vote, splitting the southernmost province’s two seats in the Chamber of Deputies with the Movimiento Solidario Popular (MSP) taking the other seat with 21.2%. The pro-Kirchner MSP is led by Oscar Martínez, the longtime boss of the CGT metalworkers unions, who was not selected for the FPV list by local FPV leader Rosana Bertone. In third place, the local Movimiento Popular Fueguino (Mopof) won 17.1%, with the endorsement of governor Fabiana Ríos (in office since 2007, ex-ARI), whose small party finds itself isolated and moribund (it didn’t run in this year’s election). The Unión Federal, an alliance of dissident Peronists (led by incumbent federal deputy Liliana Fadul), backers of CGT leader Hugo Moyano and the PRO, placed fourth with 10.3%. The Partido Popular, a pro-K slate led by incumbent senator and former governor Jorge Colazo won 9.5% of the vote. For some reason, the PJ (dissident Peronists), who had a contested primary in August, saw their vote fall from 9.7% in the PASO to only 3.6% in October.
The senatorial contest was more hotly contested. The FPV senatorial list, led by incumbent federal deputy and 2011 gubernatorial candidate (narrowly defeated by Ríos) Rosana Bertone, won 34.4%. Her strong results places her as the early favourite to win the governorship in 2015, when isolated governor Ríos is term-limited. The minority mandate went to incumbent federal deputy Jorge Garramuño (Mopof), who won 22.4% of the vote. Garramuño supported some government initiatives in the past, although he attracted controversy when he admitted that he had backed a deal with Iran in return for government funding for his province. Incumbent senator and former governor Jorge Colazo (2004-2005, impeached) lost reelection, with his Partido Popular placing third with 15.1%. Incumbent federal deputy Liliana Fadul, running for the dissident Peronist Unión Federal, won only 13.8% and fourth place.
Midterm elections in Argentina serve as mood indicators for the federal and provincial governments, and as early tests for potential presidential and gubernatorial candidates in the main elections, held two years later. In this sense, these midterm elections are particularly important because the 2015 elections will probably be highly contested. Lacking a two-thirds majority for constitutional changes and in a more fragile position after these generally mediocre midterms, President CFK is unlikely to be able to amend the constitution to run for an unprecedented third term in office. Her husband’s death in 2010 badly messed up the former presidential power couple’s alleged plan to circumvent term limits by alternating in power (Néstor Kirchner would probably have run for President in 2011 had he not died). However, with her husband dead, CFK and kirchnerismo now finds itself lacking any clear favourite for the presidency in 2015. That being said, we should not write kirchnerismo‘s obituaries just yet – CFK was weakened and considered as dead on arrival in any presidential race after the 2009 midterm elections, but seizing on the division and haplessness of the opposition, she roared back to win a phenomenal landslide in 2011.
As noted above, a number of FPV governors in the provinces have open presidential ambitions and a few others would probably like to at least be running mates on a kirchnerista ticket in 2015. The most likely oficialista candidate for 2015 is BsAs governor Daniel Scioli, who was also Néstor Kirchner’s Vice President. Scioli is more conservative and a ‘traditionalist Peronist’ rather than a kirchnerista, and his relations with the Casa Rosada and the kirchnerista milieu (notably La Cámpora) have been cooler as of late (Scioli described himself as a fellow traveler rather than kirchnerista). However, Scioli might find himself weakened by the FPV’s heavy defeat at the hands of Sergio Massa in BsAs. Other potential oficialista candidates include provincial governors such as Jorge Capitanich (Chaco), Sergio Uribarri (Entre Ríos) and José Manuel Urtubey (Salta), all of whom appear to be ‘respectable conservatives’ similar to Scioli.
Meanwhile, Sergio Massa has undoubtedly emerged from these midterms as the main winner and he is now seen as dissident Peronism’s rising star and potential 2015 candidate. It is rather obvious that Massa’s political ambitions do not stop at provincial boundaries and that he is seriously considering a presidential candidacy in 2015. The ragtag Peronist opponents of kirchnerismo might at long last have found their star in Massa, a presentable, respectable and charismatic politician whose priority is winning power rather than ideological coherence and who is able to appeal to a diverse crowd using an inoffensive, ‘reformist’ and non-confrontational discourse. A lot of Peronist leaders, including some soft supporters of the FPV and kirchnerismo, are interested in backing the winning horse (governor Urtubey, for example, has good relations with both Massa and Scioli). Massa might be their guy.
Massa’s first priority will be to build up a national profile and form alliances with provincial caudillos – a must for any serious presidential candidate, especially within Peronism. Massa has already successfully attracted the public support of some provincial leaders, including Chubut’s Mario Das Neves, former governor Jorge Busti (Entre Ríos); these two men’s supporters in Congress will grow the FR’s base. In May, before the PASO, a number of dissident Peronist leaders including Córdoba governor José Manuel de la Sota, anti-K CGT leader Hugo Moyano, Francisco de Narváez and Roberto Lavagna (who later backed Massa), signed a deal to form a common opposition front in 2015. De la Sota, who might have presidential ambitions but who is unlikely to go far in a presidential campaign, might ultimately join Massa (especially as the UPC’s poor result in Córdoba means that he will likely focus on the gubernatorial office in 2015 rather than the presidency). Massa was also in talks with Santa Fe senator and former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann, a dissident Peronist leader who might back Massa in the Senate.
Outside the Peronist family, the centre-right and the centre-left opposition parties are all placing their top leaders as potential presidential candidates. On the centre-right, Mauricio Macri (PRO) seems quite determined to run for President (unlike in 2011), despite a tactical alliance with Massa in BsAs (where the PRO by itself is weak). Macri had a good election in Buenos Aires, but his party might be increasingly divided as he lacks a clear favourite succeed him as head of government in Buenos Aires when he retires in 2015. Macri is unlikely to perform well in a nationwide presidential election, firstly because his brand of politics (widely seen as neoliberal) is unpopular in Argentina since the 2001 crisis and because he lacks a strong network of alliances in other provinces. The PRO by itself remains very much a porteño party, with its limited bases in other provinces (Santa Fe, now Córdoba, La Pampa and Entre Ríos) being largely dependent on famous celebrity candidates. He has already made some alliances with dissident Peronist leaders in other provinces, but these Peronist caudillos might be more interested in supporting Massa in 2015. The UCR, PS and minor left-wing parties are all rather strongly opposed to the idea of an alliance with Macri’s PRO.
The centre-left, largely made up of the Radicals and the Socialists (they are the only two parties in the FPCyS coalition which have a national reach), would like to run a common candidate in 2015. However, they will first need to figure out their differences and find a single candidate. Afterwards, they will need to try to form a coalition which includes some of the smaller centre-left forces such as Stolbizer’s GEN, Victoria Donda’s movement or Elisa Carrió’s potentially rejuvenated CC-ARI; would these parties be willing to support a Radical presidential candidate, especially an old politico like Julio Cobos. Former Vice President Julio Cobos, who won a landslide for the UCR in Mendoza, and former Governor and 2011 contender Hermes Binner, whose Socialist-Radical alliance won by a big margin in Santa Fe, were both strengthened by the midterms. Binner and Cobos are both clearly interested by the presidency, although it is likely that only one of them will actually make it all the way to the finish line in 2015. Could either stomach losing to the other in a potential primary/PASO? It is well known that Argentine politicians hate losing more than anything.
I hope this post helped you understand the confusing, but secretly so fascinating, world of Argentine politics a bit better. Latin American politics will headline this blog in November, with Chilean elections next week (November 17) and Honduran elections at the end of the month. Before Chile, however, I might take a detour through the world of Quebec municipal politics (November 3 municipal elections). | <urn:uuid:818b4d68-ef00-4c20-8537-56f2d0a301fd> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://welections.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/argentina-2013/ | 2022-01-25T02:35:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304749.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20220125005757-20220125035757-00039.warc.gz | en | 0.955598 | 23,134 |
Hebrew "grain" -- Babylonian god of the earth. Dagon, a variant of the Hebrew dagan, was a god of agriculture and the main god of the ancient Phillistines and Phoenicians, represented as half man and half fish.
Dalai Lama (Grand Lama)
Mongolian dalai, "ocean" + Tibetan blama, "chief" or "high priest" -- the traditional high priest of Lamaism, a form of Buddhism practiced in Mongolia and Tibet, characterized by elaborate ritual and a strong hierarchal organization.
Arabaic daman Israil, "sheep of Israel" -- (see Hyrax).
Latin, demon or evil spirit (from the Greek daimon, divine power, fate, or god) -- any of the secondary divinities in Greek Mythology ranking between the gods and men; guardian, inspiring, or inner spirit; a demon.
Latin damnare, to condemn -- originally, to condemn as guilty; doom to an unhappy fate; condemn to endless punishment. Damnation comes from the Late Latin damnatio, "the displeasure of God," or condemnation.
Hebrew "a judge" -- the fifth son of Jacob and one of the twelve tribes of Israel, settled in northern Palestine.
A member of the Hebrew tribe of Dan (Judges 13:2); a member of a secret Mormon organization formed in 1838.
Born Durante Alighieri (1265-1321), Italian poet who wrote The Divine Comedy.
The Middle Ages, especially the period from about A.D. 476 to the end of the 10th century, so called from the idea that this period in Europe was characterized by intellectual stagnation, widespread ignorance and poverty, and cultural decline.
Hindi darsan and Sanskrit darsana, "a seeing" (Greek derkomai, "I see") -- in Hindu belief, the virtue, uplifting, or blessing one receives in the presence of a great man.
Darwinian Theory (Natural Selection)
Theory of evolution from Charles Robert Darwin (1809-82), which holds that all species of plants and animals developed from ealier forms by hereditary transmission of slight variations in successive generations and that the forms which survive are those that are best adapted to the environment. Also known as Natural Selection or Survival of the Fittest. Darwinism is adherence to this theory.
Latin, to be given away (Medieval Latin datarius, official of the Roman chancery) -- the Roman Catholic office of the Curia that examines candidates for papal benefices and handles the claims of those with rights to pensions; the cardinal in charge of this office.
Yiddish davnen, to pray -- to recite the prayers of the daily or a holiday liturgy in Judaism.
The spirit of the sea, a humorous name given by sailors. Davy Jones's locker is the bottom of the ocean, which is the grave of those drowned or buried at sea.
Day of Atonement
(see Yom Kippur)
Day of Judgment
(see Judgment Day)
Late Latin diaconus, a servant of the church (Greek diakonos, servant or messenger) -- a Christian elder or church officer who helps the minister, primarily in matters not having to do with worship; a cleric ranking just below a priest in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches; to read a verse aloud before it is sung by the congregation. A deaconess is a female deacon, usually appointed to assist members of the congregation or parish, such as the sick and poor. Diaconal is of a deacon or deacons (adjective). Diaconate is the rank office, or tenure of a deacon, or a board of deacons.
The seven capital sins that lead to spiritual death: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth
Inland body of salt water between Israel and Jordan, about 370 square miles and 1,290 feet below sea level.
Dead Sea Scrolls
A number of scrolls discoverd at various times since 1947, in caves near the Dead Sea, dating between 100 B.C. and A.D. 70 and containing Jewish Scriptual writings and religious writings from an Essenelike community.
Latin decem, "ten" (Late Latin decanus, chief of ten soldiers, Late Latin Ecclesiastic for monks) -- the presiding official of a cathedral or collegiate church; a Roman Catholic priest chosen by his bishop to supervise a number of parishes within the diocese; the head administrator of a college or university. Deanery is the position, authority, jurisdiction, or official residence of a dean. Decanal is of a dean or deanery.
Greek dekalogos, "Ten Commandments"
A decree issues by the Pope on some matter of ecclesiastical discipline; any collection of such decrees, formerly a part of canon law.
Defender of the Faith
A title used by English sovereigns, originally conferred upon Henry VIII by Pope Leo X.
Latin term of faith, used to designate Roman Catholic doctrines held to be revealed by God and so requiring the uconditional assent of faith by all.
To deprive of the rank or function of priest or minister.
A punishment whereby a Roman Catholic priest is permanently deprived of the rights of his office.
Scottish variant of devel, the devil or a mischievous person.
French déisme, from the Latin deus, "god" -- belief in the existence of a God on purely rational grounds without reliance on revelation or authority; 17th and 18th century doctrine that God created the world and its natural laws, but takes no further part in its functioning. A deist is a believer in deism (as opposed to an atheist).
Late Latin deitas, "divinity" (from the Latin divinitas) -- the state of being a god; of divine nature or goodhood; a god or goddess. Deific is deifying or making divine; godlike or divine in nature. Deify is to make a god of, or to look upon or worship as a god; to gloriy exalt, or aodre in an extreme way (idolize).
A lesser god of mythology or minor deity; the offspring of a god or goddess and a human; a godlike person.
Greek demiourgos, one who works for the people, skilled workman, creator -- in Plato's philosophy, the deity as creator of the material world; in Gnosticism, a deity subordinate to the supreme deity, sometimes considered the creator of evil; a ruling force or creative power.
In ancient mythology, a terrifying and mysterious god or demon of the underworld (see Gorgon).
Latin daemon,, demon or evil spirit (from the Greek daimon, divine power, fate, or god) -- a devil or evil spirit. A demoniac (Greek daimoniakos) is a person possessed or influenced by a demon. Demonism is belief in the existence and powers of demons. Demonolatry is the worship of demons. Demonology is the study of demons or the beliefs about them. To demonize is to make into a demon or bring under the influence of demons.
In theology, to discount mythological elements in the Bible or Christian doctrine in order to facilitate understanding and acceptance.
Latin denominatio, to name -- the name of a class of things; a particular religious sect or body with a specific organization and name. Denominational is of, sponsored by, or under the control of a religious denomination (sectarian). Denominationalism is division into denominations, their system and principles, or acceptance or support of such systems and principles.
From the Greek deon, that which is binding or of necessity -- the theory of duty or moral obligation (ethics).
Late Latin, "God willing" or "if God is willing."
Late Latin, "out of the depths" -- from the opening passage of the Latin version of Psalm 130 ("Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD"), from the deepest sorrow, misery, or despair.
Any system of psychology dealing with the processes of the unconscious, such as psychonalysis.
Turkish (from the Persian darvesh, beggar) -- a member of any of various Muslim orders dedicated to a life of poverty and chastity. Some practice whirling and howling as religious acts.
The doctrine that everything, especially one's choice of action, is determined by a sequence of causes independent of one's will.
From the Greek deutero, second -- of or constituting a second or subsequent canon; specifically, designating certain Biblical books accepted by the Roman Catholic Church as canonical but held by Protestants to be apocryphal.
Sanskrit, god -- a god or good spirit in Hindu Mythology.
Greek diabolos, "slanderous" -- the chief evil spirit, a supernatural being subordinate to, and the foe of, God and the tempter of man; any such subordinate beings who rebelled against God and now reside in hell (demons); referred to in the Septuagint as Satan, in the New Testament as the devil. The devil as an individual, demonic angel is often depicted as a man with horns, a tail, and cloven feet. A devilkin is a small devil, or imp. Devilry is a British term for witchcraft or black magic.
Medieval Latin advocatus diaboli -- a Roman Catholic official selected to critically examine the facts and make objections in the case of a deceased person named for beatification or canonization; a person who upholds the wrong side or an indefensible cause, perversely or for the sake of argument.
Medieval Latin devolutio, a rolling back -- biologically, evolution of structures toward greater simplicity or disappearance (degeneration).
Latin devotio -- extreme committment, dedication, loyalty, or concecration; piety or devoutness; private prayers or religious worship (devotional).
Latin devotus, devoted -- very religious or pious; showing reverence; earnest, sincere, or heartfelt in faith to one's religion or convictions. ("Pious" suggests scrupulous adherence but may connote hypocrisy. "Religious" stresses constant devotion to religious tenets. "Sanctimonious" implies smugness or haughtiness.)
Sanskrit, law or custom -- in Hinduism and Buddhism, the cosmic order or law, including the natural and moral principles that apply to all beings and things; dutiful observance of this law in one's life; right conduct.
Late Latin diabolicus, derived from the Latin diabolus, "devil" -- of the Devil or devils; wicked, cruel, or fiendish. Diabolism is dealings with the Devil or devils by sorcery or witchcraft, or worship of such creatures; the character or condition of such a develish being. Diablerie is similar, but includes lore about the Devil.
A Low Mass in the Roman Catholic Church at which the congregation makes the responses aloud and in unison.
Greek, a scattering -- the dispersion of the Jews after the Babylonian exile; the Jews thus dispersed; the places where they settled; any scattering of people with a common origin, background, or beliefs.
Greek, "the teaching" (didache ton dodeka apostolon, the teaching of the twelve apostles) -- an anonymous Christine treatise of the early second century A.D. Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, is a collection of early manuscripts dating back to A.D. 1056 (individually composed as early as the second century), compiled into one volume consisting of 16 chapters of basic Christian teachings, with references to the material of the Gospels. Discovered in a monastery in Constantinople and published by P. Bryennios in 1883, its primitive teachings resemble those in the Apostolic Constitutions.
Latin, "Day of Wrath" -- a medieval Latin hymn about Judgment Day and a part of the Requiem Mass.
Scottish, a day's session of an assembly, from the Latin dies, "day" -- a formal assembly of royalty and the elect in the Holy Roman Empire. The Diet of Worms was an assembly in the city of Worms on the Rhine River in Hesse, West Germany, where Martin Luther was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church for heresy in 1521.
Latin dimensio, a measuring -- there are four known dimensions, the three space coordinates of length, width, and depth, along with the fourth dimension of time in the theory of relativity. The space-time continuum is a four-dimensional continuum with four coordinates, the three dimensions of space and that of time, in which any event can be located.
Latin diocesis, district, government (Greek dioikesis, administration) -- the district under a bishop's jurisdiction. A diocesan is the bishop of a diocese.
Roman monk and Christian theologian of the sixth century A.D., believed to have introduced the current system of numbering years on the basis of the Christian Era.
Latin dirige, imperitive of dirigere, "to direct," the first word of an antiphon in the Office for the Burial of the Dead (Psalm 5:8) -- a funeral hymn; a slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief, mourning, or lament.
To annul the anointing of.
Latin discalceatus, unshod or without shoes -- barefooted, as members of certain religious orders.
Latin discipulus, "learner" -- a pupil or follower of any teacher or school of religion, learning, art, etc.; an early follower of Jesus.
Disciples of Christ
A Christian denomination, organized in 1809, that makes the Bible the only basis for faith and practice and baptizes by immersion.
Member of a former Spanish Christian sect who flagellated and otherwise tortured themselves publicly as a means of discipline.
To free from bodily existence or make incorporeal.
Latin, scattered parts or fragments, as of an author's writings.
Latin dispensatio, management or charge -- theologically, the ordering of events under divine authority; an exemption or release from the provisions of a specific Roman Catholic Church law; any religious system.
Latin dissentire, apart from thinking or feeling -- to differ in belief or opinion (disagree); to reject the doctrines and forms of an established church (religious nonconformity). Traditionally, a dissenter is a Protestant who refuses to accept the doctrines and forms of the Established Church in England or Scotland.
Belief in two supreme gods (dualism).
Latin diurnalis, daily -- a service book containing prayers for the daytime canonical hours.
Latin, rich -- parable of the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) from the Latin Vulgate Bible.
Latin divinatio, from divinare (divine) -- the act or practice of foretelling the future or unknown by occult means; a prophecy or augury. A divining rod is a forked branch or stick alleged to reveal hidden matter, such as water, minerals, treasure, or artifacts, by bending downward toward the desired object buried underground (also known as a dowsing rod).
Latin divinus, from divus (diety) -- of or like God or a god; given or inspired by God (holy or sacred); devoted to God (religious or sacrosanct); supreme qualities (good, almighty, etc.); having to do with theology or a theologian; a clergyman. The divine right of kings is traditionally the God-given right of kings to rule. Divinity is the quality or condition of being divine; a divine being, god, or deity; a divine power, virtue, trate, or characteristic; theology or the study of religion. To divinize is to deify.
The Eucharistic rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
The prayers assigned to each of the canonical hours.
Greek Doketai, name of an early Christian sect which held that Christ merely seemed to have a human body.
Latin doctrina, variant of doctor -- teachings or something taught as the principle or creed of a religion, political party, etc.; tenets (maintenance or defense of a theory or principle); dogma (handed down by authority as true and indisputable); a rule or theory of law, based on carefully worked out principles and advanced by its adherents.
Incorrect or ungrammatical Latin.
Latin and Greek, an opinion or that which one believes (Late Latin, a decree or order) -- a doctrine, tenet, or belief (individually or collectively); a possitive, arrogant assertion of opinion; theologically, a doctrine or body of doctrines formally and authoritatively affirmed. Dogmatic is doctrinal; asserted without proof (a priori); stating opinion an an assertive or arrogant manner. Dogmatics is the study of religious dogmas, particilarly those of Christianity. Dogmatism (Greek dogmatizein, to lay down a decree) is dogmatic assertion of opinion, usually without reference to evidence. To dogmatize is to speak or write dogmatically, or formulate or express as dogma.
Latin dominus, a lord or master -- title given to certain monks and clerics; a title of respect formerly given to gentlemen of Brazil and Portugal, used with the given name.
Late Latin Dominicus, "of the Lord" (Latin dominus, of a lord) -- having to do with Jesus as the Lord; having to do with the Lord's Day (Sunday). Dominical letter is any of the first seven letters in the alphabet as used in church calendars to indicate Sundays -- the letters are assigned to the first seven days of January, and the letter falling to Sunday is the arbitrary symbol for Sunday the rest of the year.
A mendicant order of friars or nuns founded in 1215 by St. Dominic (1170-1221), a Spanish priest (celebrated August 4).
From the Latin dominus, dominate -- a pastor of the U.S. Dutch Reformed Church; generally, any pastor or clergyman; a Scottish schoolmaster.
Latin, "the Lord," such as in Dominus vobiscum, "the Lord be with you."
Member of a North African Christian sect formed in the fourth century A.D. by Donatus, Bishop of Casae Nigrae, holding extremely rigorous views concerning purity and sanctity.
Greek doppel, double + ganger, goer -- the supposed ghostly double or wraith of a living person.
Medieval Latin dossale, variant of dorsalis, dorsal -- an ornamental cloth hung behind an altar, at the back of a chancel, etc.; formerly, an ornamental upholstery at the back of a chair or throne.
Douay Bible (Douay Version)
English version of the Bible translated from the Latin Vulgate edition for the use of Roman Catholics. The New Testament was originally published at Reims in 1582 and the Old Testament at Douai from 1609-10.
A chronic skeptic or a person who habitually doubts, so named after the Apostle Thomas.
Greek doxologia, a praising -- any of several hymns of praise to God, often beginning with "Praise God from whom all belssings flow." The greater doxology begins Gloria in excelsis Deo ("glory to God in the highest") and the lesser doxology begins Gloria Patri ("glory to the Father").
Abbreviation of orthodoxy: a doctrine or creed, particularly in religion.
Greek drachme, "a handful" -- an ancient Greek silver coin and a unit if weight approximately equal to this coin.
Latin and Greek drakon, "the seeing one" (dragon or serpent) -- a mythical monster, usually reperesented as a large, fire-breathing reptile with wings and claws; archaic term for a large serpent or snake; a word used in the King James Bible to translate several Hebrew words describing Satan (such as serpent, Old Serpent, jackal, etc.).
The persecution of the French Protestants by the troops of Louis XIV, especially by the use of dragoons (heavily armed cavalrymen).
From the Celtic drui, "oak-wise" -- a member of a Celtic religious order of priests, soothsayers, judges, poets, etc., in ancient Britain, Ireland, and France. A dryad is a wood nymph from Greek and Roman Mythology.
A member of a secret Islamic sect in Syria and Lebanon, founded by Ismail al-Durazi (Arabic Duruz, "tailor").
The theological doctrine that there are two mutually antagonistic principles in the universe, good and evil; the doctrine that man has two natures, physical and spiritual; the philosophical theory that the world is ultimately composed of, or explicable in terms of, two basic entities, mind and matter.
Spanish, "goblin" or "spirit" -- a special quality or charm that makes one irrisistibly attractive.
A genus of large, whalelike, tropical mammals that live along the shores of the Indian Ocean and feed mostly on seaweed. Biblically, a sea cow.
Russian dukhobortsy, "spirit wrestlers" -- a Russian religious sect separated from the Orthodox Church in 1785, many of whom emigrated to Western Canada in the 1890's to escape persecution.
Greek douleia, "service" -- homage paid in the Roman Catholic Church to angels and saints. Hyperdulia is a homage paid to the Virgin Mary as holier than any other created being. Latria is worship due to God alone.
Greek tunker, "dipper" -- Church of the Brethren, a sect of German-American Baptists opposed to military service and the taking of oaths, so named from their practice of baptismal immersion.
Italian, dome -- a cathedral.
Hebrew dibbuq, from dabhaq, to cleave or hold to -- in Jewish folklore, the spirit of a dead person that enters the body of a living person and possesses it. | <urn:uuid:39ea9011-a5cc-4eeb-b8ce-bf8d39e190ce> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://holierthanthou.info/glossary/d.html | 2022-01-26T11:15:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304947.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20220126101419-20220126131419-00119.warc.gz | en | 0.900741 | 5,064 |
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The House of Commons is the foundation of all our liberties. The confidence of the House of Commons, which has made sure that we can all walk as free subjects of the Crown around this country, is something of magic and awe. If Members there lose their bottle and start wandering around with their shoulders hunched and terrified, we will all suffer appallingly for it.
I wish that the noble Lord, Lord Barnett, would divide the House on Second Reading, because I would not walk through the Lobby, I would run through the Lobby with him. This Bill has been completely and comprehensively destroyed. I do not even need to read the bits that I have marked in these two reports, because they are there. The noble Lord, Lord Armstrong, perfectly sensibly said that this problem could be solved by proper structures on the instructions of the House of Commons. It does not need to be outsourced-like being outsourced to a call centre in Bangalore.
I will finish my brief remarks by congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Royall. I say that because when we had our little troubles, she acted immediately and decisively. The Privileges Committee acted immediately and decisively and we suddenly discovered-was it not lovely?-that we had the power to suspend. We had not known that we had it for 800 years but we suddenly found it. She acted with speed and decisiveness and now she has to show a lot of courage. She has to get up at the end of this debate and say-is she listening?
The noble Baroness has to get up and say, "I have listened to very distinguished gentleman from all sides of the House"-and ladies, because I am not being sexist. I do not want to be reported to Harriet Harman. She should get up and say, "I have listened. The case for agreeing with what the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, proposes is overwhelming. I am going to go back to the Prime Minister and say, 'First Lord of the Treasury, if you want real trouble with the House of Lords this is what you will get. If you want a little co-operation on something which is pretty awful anyway, at least you'll get it if I can do this'". The noble Baroness should give an undertaking to say that and then do it, and if she gets the sack, we will all buy her a pension. It is as simple as that.
Lord Cope of Berkeley: My Lords, the only surprise in the speech of my noble friend Lord Onslow was that he was in the least worried about being reported to Harriet Harman. I was surprised about that.
This has been an exceptional debate, not least for the speeches of the two Labour Peers. But like the noble Lord, Lord Barnett, I find most of the things
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We have all been shocked over the past few weeks by these expenses revelations and the Commons is shell-shocked by them, which is what has given rise to the Bill, as others have said in different forms. There are two elements to the Bill. One is about expenses. I understand the Commons wants to try to do something about expenses before the Summer Recess starts, even though things are already going to happen during the Recess as consideration is given to what should happen in the future about the salaries and expenses of Members of Parliament.
In any case, I am perfectly sure that in practice the expenses regime has already changed a great deal. I am quite sure that Members of Parliament are not claiming things that they would have claimed some months ago. I am also quite sure that the officials of what is now called the House of Commons Department of Resources are being much more careful about the expenses that they agree. I am also quite certain that the audit of what is happening now, which will be done in due course, will be much more rigorous than the previous audit of what was happening. So, as a matter of fact, the expenses regime has already changed a great deal in practice, whatever happens to the Bill.
However, the Bill is also about what to do about the interests of Members of Parliament, and there is no urgency for that. The public have not been bothered about that to any great degree recently. It is a matter of the greatest complexity and anyone who did not understand that only has to read today's proceedings. There is much more that can be said about that, but I will not trouble your Lordships at the moment.
Our excellent Leader of the House said at the beginning of her remarks that this is Commons business and we should let the Commons decide what happens to the Commons in respect of its allowances and so forth. I would have agreed with that until recently, but the fact is that the Commons brought us, your Lordships' House, into this. Things used to be settled with Commons Standing Orders, where we had no locus or role at all. The setting up of the present commissioner and so forth was all dealt with under Commons Standing Orders. Now it is proposed that it should all be done by statute law. That means both Houses of Parliament are involved in deciding what should be in statute law. There is also the danger of bringing in the courts. A lot has been said about that, to which I do not need to add this afternoon.
The Commons has brought us into this, and this afternoon's debate has amply demonstrated that the Committee and Report stages will take a long time to settle. There is already a raft of amendments down before we even start our consideration-some of the greatest importance. We have heard enough this afternoon to know that it will all take a very long time. The very least that the Leader of the House needs to do when she winds up is to set out in detail the timetable that she now proposes we should follow. The very short timetables that have so far been suggested do not seem in the least adequate. Perhaps that will mean that we do not start the Recess as soon as we thought we
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We have been greatly assisted by the very fast and excellent work of the Constitution Committee, the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Justice Committee. We have been greatly assisted by their fast work. I have no doubt that your Lordships will give great attention to the detail in the Bill but we need to know what the future is for both parts of the Bill; the part that deals with expenses and the part that deals with Members' interests, which is much the more complicated and over which there is no urgency at all.
Lord Elystan-Morgan: My Lords, as your Lordships will appreciate, I am the 24th speaker and the last man in, as it were, from the Back Benches. As last man in, if I can push a few singles past mid-off in a short period, I shall be more than happy. We all appreciate that two or three months ago a bombshell exploded. In consequence of that, one of the greatest parliamentary scandals of all time has occurred. It may not be, by a long way, the worst scandal that has occurred in the history of Parliament, but its effect is probably the most injurious development in at least the last 100 years-and possibly the last 200-in the life of Parliament. It is against that background that we must consider this issue.
In such circumstances, any Government would immediately say to themselves, "What must we do?". There was a case for immediacy and the Government have acted with immediacy, but immediacy means different things. Immediacy means the immediate acceptance of the problem, commitment to dealing with it and setting up of proper institutions to make that possible. Immediacy does not mean an immediate problem, an immediate answer and immediate legislation. That, I think, is exactly where the Government fail. They fail probably not on account of their faults but on account of their virtues-by believing that it was somehow possible to conjure a complete, wise and Solomonic solution to the dreadful situation that is now upon us. It is not a situation that can be met with logic because public anger does not operate logically. Public anger can very often be brought about by the very measures that we would impose on ourselves in this connection.
What should the Government have done? They should have set up the most rigorous inquiry into exactly what has happened and how it started. There have been very candid contributions from the noble Lords, Lord Crickhowell and Lord Jenkin. Whether it started exactly on their watch or earlier does not matter. It started some time in the last 30 years. It is what might be called the nettle problem-the failure to grasp a nettle that was there. The nettle was the realisation that practically every other Parliament in western Europe paid anything up to twice as much as British Members of Parliament were receiving. It was, happily, just after the time when the electorate released
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In addition to that examination, there should have been an examination of all the possible alternatives, to meet not only substantially, but psychologically, the anger that has now built up in the public against Parliament. All those alternatives should have been considered and, after that, there should have been the fullest consultation. I do not mean consultation between party leaders, which is sometimes rather conspiratorial, but consultation with the public. It is, after all, their Parliament and it is right that they should feel involved in dealing with the problem and, indeed, the whole issue. Then-and only then-should a draft Bill have been prepared. Once that Bill was prepared, it should have gone to one place, namely the Constitution Committee, for the most rigorous scrutiny that a Bill has ever had. We have done none of these things and have done the exact opposite. I say "we", taking responsibility-corporately, as a member of the community-for what the Government have done.
The noble Baroness the Leader of the House, for whom I-like every other Member of the House-have profound admiration and respect, tells us that this is not a Bill that in any way involves this House. That, of course, is technically true, but it is a Bill that massively affects and involves this House, which is exactly what we must consider. I accept what is now said about the intention to tag this House on to the Bill. Indeed, there is nothing in Clause 1 that refers specifically to the House of Commons. It could refer to both Houses. Be that as it may, I accept completely that there will be no tagging on now, nor indeed-as the noble Baroness the Leader of the House says-until there is some change in the constitution of this House. I suppose that must be many, many years hence.
Nevertheless, there will still be effects on the House as the upper Chamber of Parliament. There is bound to be an effect on its relationship with the courts. We have had the benefit of the most erudite and valuable opinion of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Woolf; we must accept him at his word. One of two things will occur. If the Bill remains as it is now drafted, there will be a flood of applications for judicial review. If that right is removed a very gross misjudgment will have been made, and a very gross injustice will have been imposed on those Members of Parliament. There may be halfway houses between the two situations. It is far too late at night to consider them now, but they are extremely complicated and each has its counterdifficulties.
So, what are we to do? I agree completely with everything that has been said by the noble Lord with regard to the amendment. It seems to me that the whole issue can be distilled to one question. Does anybody in the House not believe that, if the House-in dealing with this Bill of crucial constitutional significance, in the full glare of public contempt and anger-is able to avoid its responsibility of scrutinising the Bill line by line and word by word, the House will have abrogated its right to existence as a Second Chamber? That is the whole issue as far as the timing is concerned. How it is
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I mention a very narrow legal point that has already been alluded to by many noble Lords; namely, the offences section and the proposal that Members of Parliament responsible for abuses in relation to expenses claims should be dealt with in a particular way. This is not at all a case of double-banking and unnecessarily creating an offence. The offences are contained in Section 17 of the Theft Act 1968-the offence of falsification of accounts-and in Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006. The major point to remember is that the wording of those offences, in the Theft Act and in the Fraud Act, is almost identical to the wording of the offence in subsection (1) of the relevant clause. This means therefore that the elements of those three offences are exactly the same. There is not the slightest necessity or justification for this subsection. Why was it introduced and what will its message be? Its message is this: whereas ordinary citizens who commit these fraudulent offences are liable to 10 years' maximum imprisonment under the Fraud Act, and seven years' imprisonment under the Theft Act, there will be a very tame and limited tariff of one year's imprisonment, or six months or 12 months in the magistrates' court depending on whether that matter arose before or after the Criminal Justice Act 2003. That will be seen not as trying to lay better standards for Members of Parliament but treating them in a way in which the ordinary member of the public is not treated.
Lord Tyler: My Lords, as will be apparent from my speech, which I approach with great trepidation, I am not a lawyer. However, I have had experience in the other place as shadow leader of the Commons for some eight years. During that time I made a great many friends and had many contacts with Members on all sides. As the noble Lord, Lord Norton of Louth, properly said, many Members on all sides of that House are looking to us to save them from themselves. It would be an illusion if we were to expect and accept that this House must somehow just rubber-stamp what has happened in the other place. I shall come back to that point in a moment.
Let us not fool ourselves; there is a genuine dilemma. Everyone on all sides-this is apparent in your Lordships' House this afternoon-is keen to see a practical resolution to the various expenses scandals, which starts us on the long road of trying to renew public trust in both Houses of Parliament, and, indeed, in our political system. Anyone who works anywhere near this place, be they the most senior parliamentarian or a temporary contractor, knows that the mere mention of where we work gives rise at the moment to howls of derision. I think that the noble Baroness, Lady Perry of Southwark, used those words. It is a serious problem and we should not in any way underestimate that.
The public simply do not understand, or accept, that MPs or Members of your Lordships' House should be solely responsible for setting their own pay and conditions. Very few members of the public set their own salaries and still fewer can claim expenses underwritten by the honour of their signature alone rather than by the presence of a receipt. People are understandably urging that Parliament should meet the same standards as the people for whom we legislate. However, this is the dilemma: Parliament is sovereign. Deciding things is what Parliament does, so it is quite difficult to make laws to stop it deciding things. That is the centre of the dilemma which this Bill is all about. It is going to be very difficult to find a way in which Parliament can legislate so that it no longer has any say on this issue. For one thing, what will be the budget of the IPSA and who will set it? Is it not the primary responsibility of the House of Commons to be responsible for "supply"-for money? That is what it is for and has been for many centuries.
The Government, and in a sense the whole political establishment, are acting as though this is a new problem. That is why we are told that this is emergency legislation with special procedures. But this problem is, of course, not new. It is a pitiful situation in which we now find ourselves-the proverbial bulls lumbering around the china shop, with a piece of poorly drafted, ill thought-out legislation. I have not yet heard anyone say this afternoon or this evening that this Bill is in a proper form to go on to the statute book. As has already been said-legislate in haste, repent at leisure. It was ironic that on the very same day that the Commons could not find time to have a Third Reading of this Bill, a Bill was brought before that House to amend the Dangerous Dogs Act. I think that others have referred to this Bill as the Dangerous Politicians Act on the same basis; namely, that it is a knee-jerk and inadequate reaction.
My noble friend Lord Shutt has said that we on these Benches are not in the business of delay for delay's sake. All of us are here to do our job, and our job is to try to make sure that what returns to the other place is a great deal better than the Bill that has come to us. We simply cannot attempt to make an inadequate response to the critical situation we face. The Bill that leaves this House has to be seen as a great improvement on what we have at the moment, even if that is achieved through very drastic surgery. I assure the noble Lord, Lord Peston, that there is no question of us nodding through the Bill in its present state.
Lord Tyler: My Lords, I shall come to that point immediately as it is raised. We believe that the amendments that are already on the Order Paper, and those which are likely to flow from today's debate, will require at least three days in Committee next week. That is our preference. If that preference is not met by the Government's business managers we will review the situation because we do not believe that it will be possible to achieve the radical surgery that this Bill requires in the time currently available. If it is the view of this House that it is appropriate to delay further
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Lord Crickhowell: My Lords, will the noble Lord tell the House what he and his colleagues will do if he is not this evening-before my noble friend Lord Norton has the opportunity to move his amendment-promised three days in Committee?
Lord Crickhowell: My Lords, I asked a perfectly straightforward question. The noble Lord said that he needs three days in Committee. The Leader of the House will wind up the debate and will be able to tell him whether he will get three days. If he does not, what will he do?
Lord Tyler: My Lords, until we see how many amendments there are and your Lordships' House is given the opportunity to consider them very carefully in Committee, I do not understand how it is possible to decide whether this issue has been addressed.
Lord Low of Dalston: My Lords, can I sharpen the question a little? How will the noble Lord review the situation if the House has already passed a Motion this evening to put this Bill through Committee on a fast-track process?
Lord Tyler: My Lords, the Leader of the House has already indicated in her earlier remarks that she is prepared to consider how much time is afforded for the Committee stage of this Bill. That seems to me a perfectly reasonable response to the concerns expressed on all sides of your Lordships' House. The point I am simply trying to make is-
The Earl of Onslow: My Lords, if the Leader of the House were to get up now and say yes to three days or no to three days, that would ease the noble Lord's dilemma, would it not? If she were to say no to three days, he would then have to become unimpaled from the fence.
Lord Tyler: My Lords, if the Leader of the House wishes to give an indication of what she is intending to do with the Committee stage of this Bill, it would indeed be very helpful-not just to myself, but to all Members of your Lordships' House.
Perhaps I might now consider some of the issues that have been addressed during the debate, because it is my duty to try and respond to some of those issues. The Leader of the House, in her response, may be able to make it clear how she intends to square the circle between the sovereignty of Parliament and our mutual desire-I hope it is a mutual desire, on all sides
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For example, will the adopted route be that the IPSA will put an entire scheme before Parliament to accept or reject, rather than have the present situation, from which I have suffered on a number of occasions, where the House has a mush of Motions from which MPs can cherry pick carrots and then discard the sticks?
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, I ask that the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, is listened to respectfully. This is an important debate. The House is behaving somewhat unreasonably. Can we kindly listen to the noble Lord, Lord Tyler?
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A recent study on M&A turned up a surprising statistic. Between 1984 and 1994, some 80% of LBO firms reported that their fund investors had received a return that matched or exceeded their cost of capital, even though in many cases the prices paid for the companies those funds acquired were pushed up by competing bidders. That figure stands in stark contrast to the overall record of M&A investments, which from the corporate acquirer’s perspective has been dismal, at times disastrous.
The fact that financial acquirers are so much more successful than most corporate acquirers may come as a shock to some managers. After all, financial investors don’t bring synergies to their acquisitions, and they often have relatively little operational experience in the industries involved. Indeed, it’s highly likely that the target’s management team will initially view potential acquirers with substantial skepticism. 1
Why, then, are financial acquirers so successful? Based on our experience advising companies on both acquisitions and negotiation strategy, we believe the answer lies in their approach to the acquisition process. Most corporate managers treat acquisitions as a direct-march-up-the-hill kind of exercise: “I want to buy this company. Let’s find out what it’s worth, offer less, and see if we get it.” The actual deal-management process is often delegated to outside experts—to investment bankers and lawyers.
But senior managers at financial investors—and the more successful corporate acquirers—treat deal management as a core part of their business. They approach potential acquisitions with sensitivity and a well-established process. They adjust their negotiating postures and objectives as the deal evolves. And they take the trouble to carefully coordinate the different actors—senior managers, lawyers, investment bankers, and so on—throughout the process. It is this care and effort that enables successful acquirers to create the value they do.
In this article, we’ll describe how successful acquirers manage their deals. Our focus is primarily on friendly deals, but much of what we found is applicable in a hostile context as well because even a hostile bid has to end in an agreement to work together. All friendly M&A deals pass through five distinct stages: screening potential deals, reaching an initial agreement, conducting due diligence, setting the final agreement, and ultimately closing. We’ll walk you through that process, comparing good practice with bad, and then we’ll suggest ways companies can turn their deal-making experiences into organizational learning.
Screening Potential Deals
Acquisition possibilities can pop up without warning and usually need to be evaluated quickly. A core challenge in sizing up potential acquisitions, therefore, is to balance the need to think strategically with the need to react opportunistically. Experienced acquirers follow two simple rules in screening deals.
Look at everything.
Successful acquirers are always on the lookout for deals. An LBO shop such as the New York City-based Cypress Group might complete only two or three deals a year, but it will have explored as many as 500 possibilities and have closely examined perhaps 25 of them. Successful corporate acquirers do much the same, albeit on a smaller scale. Cisco Systems, for example, typically evaluates three potential markets for each one it decides to enter and then takes a hard look at five to ten candidates for each deal it does. Assessing a large volume of opportunities confers two main benefits. It gives Cisco an overall sense of what kinds of strategic acquisition opportunities exist and at what price, making the company better able to assess the value of each prospect relative to the others. On a more basic level, it forces managers to bring discipline and speed to the screening process.
Keep a strategic focus.
A common mistake for novice acquirers is to cast strategy aside in the face of an exciting opportunity. “The failure starts right at the beginning,” one senior financial professional explained to us.” Someone at the top falls in love, and the word comes down, ’We are going to do that deal.’ Once the decision gets made, the guys doing the deal just want to get it done. They start stretching the operating assumptions to make it work.” Senior executives at LBO firms, however, are strict about sticking to guidelines. Joe Nolan, a partner at GTCR Golder Rauner, is very clear about his firm’s focus: “We look for businesses where acquisition will be a core part of the growth strategy. We back people who know how to both operate and acquire companies, which is a rare combination. We invest in service companies and not manufacturing.”
From Talking to Planning
Initial negotiations can take place in a variety of ways. Some cases occur through a structured process, such as an auction; others happen less formally through conversations between senior executives. Either way, the challenge at this second stage is for the senior management of both companies to agree that the potential for a deal is sufficient to justify investing resources in further exploration. Successful friendly acquirers follow much the same rules of thumb in nursing potential transactions through this phase.
Don’t get bogged down over price.
It is usually unwise to try to establish a firm agreement on price this early. The parties simply don’t have enough information. As Bob End, one of the founding partners at Stonington Partners, puts it: “You have to do some preliminary feeling out, but if you focus on price at the beginning, you are setting yourself up for failure. People start staking out positions and end up souring on the deal. I’d rather get some momentum around the business possibilities, to get people nodding their heads.”
Although acquirers cannot afford to get tied up with too much detail at this stage, it is essential to pin down certain issues. Many of these are driven by the acquisition’s strategic rationale. GTCR Golder Rauner, for example, focuses on the management team’s experience and its incentive structure. Cisco insists that the management of target companies believes in employee ownership. It’s also important to clarify the roles that the target’s top executives will play in the combined organization: who will be retained, and what will they do? American Home Products’ merger with Monsanto foundered, for example, because the two CEOs could not agree on which of them would be number one. Finally, it is essential that the acquirer be comfortable at this stage with any potential liabilities—such as environmental exposures, retiree health-care liabilities, or class action suits—that could materially affect the price of the transaction.
Managing the Deal Team
Savvy acquirers use early negotiations to foster a sense that both sides are working together in good faith to arrive at a mutually advantageous transaction.
It’s only natural that the management team of a target company going into preliminary negotiations should feel nervous, even suspicious, of potential new owners. Savvy acquirers use early negotiations to foster a sense that both sides are working together in good faith to arrive at a mutually advantageous transaction. They are flexible and respectful in their negotiations, and they try to help target managers see the career opportunities that could result in the new organization. Says Jeff Hughes, vice chairman of the Cypress Group: “We build relationships with partners. It’s how we approach deals from the very beginning, from the first meeting. You can’t get a deal done unless you understand what the seller wants. You always have to solve people’s problems.” It’s important to build “relationship capital” early on because it will be needed in the later stages of the deal. As the acquisition moves through due diligence, final agreement, and closure, the acquirer’s deal team will inevitably become much more assertive and demanding.
Gearing Up for Negotiations
The next stage, due diligence, is the most time consuming and least creative part of the process: the deal goes from the high romance of partnership to the mundane world of fact checking. Unsurprisingly, the eyes of many senior managers tend to glaze over at the prospect, and they leave the job to business development staff, line managers, accountants, lawyers, and bankers. But that boredom is dangerous: acquirers have wiped more value off their market capitalization through failures in due diligence than through lapses in any other part of the deal process. Smart acquirers approach a $1 billion acquisition with the same attention to detail they would apply to investing $1 billion in building a new plant.
Turn over all the rocks.
In the excitement of the moment, the novice acquirer may be distracted from looking too closely at the details. That’s a mistake because deal that dies at the due diligence stage almost always dies for the right reasons. Recently, a prospective buyer was conducting diligence on a rapidly growing development-stage consumer service company with a robust product that dominated its niche. Initial assessments were highly favorable, but a deeper look revealed that the visionary founder had not put in place an adequate financial control system. The target’s profitability was illusory, and the buyer abandoned the transaction. Hidden problems of this type are about more than money—they also raise important concerns about the competence, even honesty, of the target’s management team.
Size up the other side.
Experienced acquirers use due diligence to deepen their knowledge about—and links with—the target’s management. Every such interaction offers acquirers a priceless opportunity to assess people’s abilities and personal agendas. Do the target’s managers have command of their company’s operational details? Do they work well as a team? Are they easily flustered or hostile when challenged? Are they enthused by the transaction, or are they more concerned about their personal futures? In due diligence for a recent media deal, for instance, it became clear to the acquirer that the target’s founder and owner had certain priorities and motives for the deal, including a desire for a major role in the combined entity. Using that knowledge, the acquirer was able to structure a deal that satisfied the founder’s aspirations to such an extent that he was willing to make significant concessions on price.
Managing the Deal Cycle
Feed due diligence into business planning.
For novice acquirers, the due diligence process is just an information-gathering exercise, a break between initial and final negotiations. They usually do not begin to formulate strategy or build a valuation model until the process is complete. In some cases, different people conduct due diligence and final negotiations. Experienced acquirers, however, link their due diligence closely to business planning. Stonington Partners, for example, puts together a book on each acquisition, covering the investment thesis, the business model, capital structure, a base case valuation, a sensitivity analysis, and third-party due diligence. Stonington also keeps the original deal team involved throughout the process.
Getting to Final Terms
The fourth phase of the deal, in which the management teams of both sides and their advisers conduct negotiations on price and strategy, is the most sensitive. A typical mistake for novice teams at this stage is to come to the table with a large list of outstanding issues, which they then try to resolve in no particular order. The danger of this approach is that talks will get stalled on relatively trivial items, exhausting the hard-won goodwill gained in earlier stages and affording openings for rival bidders. Experienced acquirers are conscious of the need to maintain the momentum of the talks, and they are always aware of external threats.
Use multiple negotiation channels.
Senior managers, who may have steered the process to this point, often take the view that their company needs to speak with one clear voice at the negotiating table, and therefore they limit the negotiating team to a few key people. We strongly disagree with this approach. Successful acquirers usually divide their deal team into two or three separate negotiating groups: managers, lawyers, and perhaps investment bankers.
This division of labor has a number of important benefits. For one, it allows for parallel processing. The legal teams can, for example, make significant progress on the acquisition agreement while the bankers address the terms and structure of the financing. The managers, meanwhile, can focus on strategic and personnel issues, stepping into the other negotiations only to overcome impasses. Negotiating through multiple channels also makes it easier to send informal messages. An acquirer’s management team may, for example, insist that the major selling shareholder sign a noncompetition agreement. At the same time, however, without conceding this point, the acquirer’s investment banker or lawyer could hold hypothetical conversations about different ways to address the same concern. Finally, negotiation at different levels isolates acrimony. The principals can use the bankers and lawyers to deliver hard messages or to take inflexible positions without poisoning relationships with their counterparts.
When an opportunity goes live, some deal managers focus on it to the exclusion of other opportunities. That’s a natural instinct given constraints on managers’ time. Nevertheless, we believe acquirers should carry on as vigorous a dialogue as possible with alternative targets. The value of understanding your best alternative to negotiated agreement (or BATNA) has been well explored in popular books on negotiation, such as Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton’s Getting to Yes (Houghton-Mifflin, 1992). Knowing what the alternatives are makes it easier to judge the relative value of the deal at hand and can shift the balance of power between acquirer and target. In a recent acquisition of a telecommunications company, for example, the acquirer was able to announce in the middle of negotiations that it had agreed to buy another, related company, significantly reducing its need for the first target. An acquirer’s deal team behaves more confidently when it knows it has a choice —and that confidence gets projected across the table.
Anticipate the competition.
In most acquisitions, the target has a choice, and negotiations may even be taking place in the context of a structured auction. Before deciding on tactics, therefore, acquirers should assess their advantages and disadvantages relative to other potential bidders. (For a list of the key points to consider when comparing your company with potential competitors, see the exhibit “Are You the Strongest Acquirer?”) That assessment should include a calculation of the long-term cost of losing the opportunity to a competitor. In some cases, an acquirer may want to avoid that situation by making a preemptive initial bid. IBM’s unsolicited bid for Lotus Development, for example, was made at twice the target’s prebid stock price.
Are You the Strongest Acquirer?
In general, however, experienced acquirers avoid such tactics. Indeed, some financial acquirers have a strict policy of not participating in competitive auctions because they’re convinced that the winner is often the party that overpaid. For the same reason, many corporate acquirers, like Cisco, also insist that substantive conversations be carried out on an exclusive basis.
Making It Happen
Once the ink on the final agreement has dried, it’s easy for managers to think that the deal is done, but a surprising number of deals fall apart between final agreement and closure, the last stage of the process. There are sometimes very good reasons for that to happen—an environmental disaster may happen, some undisclosed liability may become apparent, or some adverse change in the target’s competitive position may occur. (For instance, in 1998, Tellab’s acquisition of telecom equipment maker Ciena fell apart when Ciena lost two key contracts after the final agreement was reached.) But a lot of deals fail at this point because acquirers do not take the trouble to sell the deal to key stakeholders or because they allow too much time to elapse between agreement and closure.
Sell, sell, sell.
It’s understandably hard for management, at the end of an exhausting negotiation, to shift quickly to the task of enthusiastically selling a deal to stakeholders. But in many cases, the final agreement is the first time investors get to voice their opinion on the deal, and their reactions can torpedo it. Earlier this year IMS Health, a major health care information provider, agreed to merge with TriZetto Group, an Internet health care company. The market reaction was immediate and negative—investors wiped some $2 billion off the companies’ combined market capitalization. The press noted at the time that a “lack of details surrounding the deal caused the shake-up in the stocks.” A major shareholder subsequently released a letter to the company noting management’s “inept” performance on an analyst conference call. The transaction was subsequently restructured as merely a sale of an IMS division to TriZetto.
Smart acquirers, therefore, are swift to follow their final deal agreements with aggressive and carefully planned public relations and investor relations campaigns, often involving professional PR advisers. Full and clear disclosure of the terms and the rationale for the deal is key. As Ammar Hanafi, vice president of business development at Cisco Systems, puts it: “I tend to over-communicate. The Street has to understand the strategy and how the acquisition fits in.”
Nor can any corporation afford to neglect its key internal constituencies, as Deutsche Bank’s CEO Rolf Breuer learned to his cost earlier this year from Deutsche’s failed merger with rival Dresdner Bank. His mixed signals about the future of the combined organization’s investment-banking operations outraged investment bankers in both camps, ultimately scuppering a deal that would have created a global force in banking.
However aggressively the CEOs and managers have sold the deal, not everyone will be happy with it. The target’s line employees in particular will be worried about adapting to a different operating culture. In some cases, they will have legitimate concerns for their job security. At the same time, the target’s customers will be wondering whether the acquirer will damage long-established relationships. Savvy acquirers keep the time between signing and closing as short as possible—ideally, to less than three months. They realize that quick closure gives them a better chance of showing the target’s employees and customers that the deal will work. As Steve Holtzman, chief business officer at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, expresses it: “Time is your enemy. Once you have the idea, and you are agreed, then get it done. You can’t go in and slam the deal together necessarily very quickly; you may need an up-front courting process. But once the courting is done, nail it.” What’s more, a prompt closure provides a signal to key constituents—including investors—that the acquirer’s managers know what they’re doing.
Learning from Experience
All too often, the expensive lessons that acquirers learn are forgotten once the deal is over. But LBO shops constantly refine their approach; they treat every deal—even the missed opportunities—as a learning experience. Says GTCR Golder Rauner’s Nolan: “If we passed on a deal and it succeeded, we’ll revisit why we let it go. If we do something and it doesn’t work out the way we expected, we sit down and figure out the lessons learned. We also try to pass those lessons on to the executives we’ve been working with.”
In our experience, it’s wise to postpone a detailed analysis of a deal for at least a month—especially if there have been problems. In the aftermath of a failed deal, team members will be disappointed and may well channel their energies into a hunt for blame. With the benefit of further information, though (including the subsequent performance of the target), the lessons should become clearer and may often turn out to be quite different from initial impressions. The first postmortem session should therefore be brief, focusing primarily on setting an agenda and a time for holding the later meeting. And fixing that agenda should not be very difficult to do because, as you can see from the exhibit “Postmortem Questions,” the key issues are fairly obvious, although which questions need to be posed depends on whether or not the deal was a success.
As successful acquirers have found, effective deal management is a source of sustainable competitive advantage, especially in rapidly growing or consolidating industries. Companies that can’t close deals and are known to be dysfunctional negotiators will have fewer opportunities and will soon be outgrown by their more acquisitive competitors. Conversely, companies that effectively execute an acquisition strategy can vault to leadership positions in their industries. A case in point is Ispat International, a corporate acquirer that conducts its M&A activities very much as an LBO shop does. Twelve years ago, Ispat was a little-known Indian steel company with a single mill in Indonesia. Today, thanks to a series of well-managed and well-timed acquisitions, it is one of the world’s leading steel companies. (For the story behind Ispat’s success, see the sidebar “Ispat: A Great Corporate Acquirer.”)
Ispat: A Great Corporate Acquirer
Following the operating principles we’ve described will certainly help companies become better acquirers. And they will become even better if they learn how to learn. But there will always be some element of art to deal making. Mastery of the art of acquisition can be achieved only through experience.
1. The study that turned up the surprising statistic was published in a 1996 article in The McKinsey Quarterly entitled “Growth Through Acquisitions: A Fresh Look,” by P. L. Anslinger and T. E. Copeland. | <urn:uuid:27ba7078-4d48-44c5-a5e8-b6dfa8f7c596> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://hbr.org/2000/11/the-fine-art-of-friendly-acquisition | 2022-01-22T08:10:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303779.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122073422-20220122103422-00159.warc.gz | en | 0.962522 | 4,556 |
Y Pwyllgor Deisebau - Y Bumed Senedd
Petitions Committee - Fifth Senedd25/02/2020
Aelodau'r Pwyllgor a oedd yn bresennol
Committee Members in Attendance
|Jack Sargeant AM|
|Janet Finch-Saunders AM||Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor|
|Leanne Wood AM|
|Michelle Brown AM|
|Neil McEvoy AM|
Swyddogion y Senedd a oedd yn bresennol
Senedd Officials in Attendance
|Mared Llwyd||Ail Glerc|
|Ross Davies||Dirprwy Glerc|
|Samiwel Davies||Cynghorydd Cyfreithiol|
Cofnodir y trafodion yn yr iaith y llefarwyd hwy ynddi yn y pwyllgor. Yn ogystal, cynhwysir trawsgrifiad o’r cyfieithu ar y pryd. Lle mae cyfranwyr wedi darparu cywiriadau i’w tystiolaeth, nodir y rheini yn y trawsgrifiad.
The proceedings are reported in the language in which they were spoken in the committee. In addition, a transcription of the simultaneous interpretation is included. Where contributors have supplied corrections to their evidence, these are noted in the transcript.
Dechreuodd y cyfarfod am 9:01.
The meeting began at 9:01.
Good morning. Bore da. Croeso. Welcome. Headsets are available for translation of Welsh to English. No need to turn off your mobile phones or other electronic devices, but let's ensure that they are in silent mode. No apologies have been received.
So, we move straight on to new petitions. Petition 2.1, P-05-938, 'Make Welsh universities consider the Welsh Baccalaureate as an A Level'. This petition was submitted by Bronwen Clatworthy, having collected 71 signatures. The text of the petition is:
'As it is compulsory for young people studying AS and A Levels to complete the Welsh Baccalaureate, surely universities in Wales should accept the qualification, just like other A levels, for all courses.'
An example of courses in Wales that do not accept the Welsh Baccalaureate as an A-Level is speech and language therapy at Cardiff Met University. There are no other speech and language therapy courses in Wales. An initial response was received from the Minister for Education on 14 January. Your research brief is in your pack. The petitioner has provided further comments.
So, possible actions going forward—how would you like to take this forward?
I think we could write back to the Minister, just to ask about the detail of the list of universities and where they are with that. But I think we should also note that another committee is taking this forward in the future. So, I don't know how far we could take it, but certainly I think we could write to the Minister and try and find out what universities are accepting it, and where that list is, and how we can put that out to the public.
Yes, I support that.
Okay, fabulous. P-05-939, 'Immediate embargo on new dog breeding licences, licence renewals and planning applications until regulations are fit for purpose and enforceable'. This is page 52 in your packs, and this petition was submitted by C.A.R.I.A.D.—Care and Respect Includes All Dogs—having collected 1,738 signatures. An initial response to the petition was received from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs on 15 January. You've got your research brief, and the petitioners have provided further comments.
I think some of the concerns are that, until such time as new, robust, fit-for-purpose regulations are laid by the Welsh Government, no further licensing, licence renewals or planning applications for new dog breeding establishments or extensions to existing breeding establishments should be approved.
The Minister indicated that she will be bringing forward a statement. It sounds like it's quite imminent, so we could maybe wait until the next meeting and see what the statement is before replying.
I'd agree with that, yes. I think we need to wait before taking any other action; we need to know what the Minister's going to say.
Well, she's technically mentioned that she's going to bring forward a statement after February recess. We are talking fairly imminently, then. So, I would guess for now, maybe, then, we wait.
We could postpone it until after the statement and then take it from there to see if we want to hold an evidence session.
Okay, do Members agree with that? Okay. P-05-941, 'Biodiversity Remit for NRW'. Now, this petition was submitted by Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru, having collected a total of 1,195 signatures, of which 873 were online and 322 on paper. The text of this petition:
'The Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC) is calling on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to explicitly include "Biodiversity" when setting their strategic remit to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for 2020 / 2021 and in future.
'Since the inauguration of NRW six years ago, there has been a steady and noticeable deterioration in Wales' commitment towards biodiversity and nature conservation. Wales has been described as one of the most nature depleted areas of the world, having already caused the extinction of many of its native plant and animal species. A great number of the species that do remain are now rare or threatened, surviving in fragments of their often isolated habitats.'
So, an initial response to this petition was received from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs on 15 December. We've got a research brief on it in your pack, and the petitioner has provided further comments. The petitioners outline concerns over species loss in Wales. They argue that making biodiversity an explicit element of NRW's remit would have a number of advantages. What actions would you like to take forward?
I'd like to see detailed comments from NRW and the Minister responding to the points raised. So, maybe throw those over to them and see what they come back with.
Do you agree with that, Jack?
I'd support that, yes.
Yes. Okay. So that's the new petitions.
We now move to updates to previous petitions. P-04-477, 'Support for the Control of Dogs (Wales) Bill'. Page 87 in your packs. This petition was submitted by Councillor Dilwar Ali and was first considered in April 2013, having collected 1,119 signatures. We last considered this one on 5 November, agreeing to write back to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to request further information on the actions that the Welsh Government is taking, or even considering taking, to address the issue of dangerous dogs. A response was received on 19 December. The committee subsequently received a request on behalf of the petitioner to postpone consideration of the petition until after the end of January, which we did. The petitioner was informed that the petition would be discussed at this meeting but has not provided further comment. Now, this has been with us since 2013.
It's difficult, really, isn't it? Because the Wales Act was in 2017, so it puts this in the UK Parliament's area, really. So I don't really—as much as I think we want to take this forward and continue with it, there's actually nothing legally that we can do, within our powers of the Assembly. So maybe, I suggest, we write back to the petitioner highlighting that and the evidence we've compiled, maybe we can send that to him, and he might want to forward that to the relevant person in the UK Parliament, whether that be the MP, or so on. Unfortunately, I don't see what more we can do.
Yes. Jack's quite right to point out that the devolution settlement has changed since that time, and Schedule 7A to the Wales Act 2017 states that legislative powers over ‘Dangerous dogs and dogs dangerously out of control’ are reserved to the UK Parliament. Therefore, the actual action requested by the petition is no longer within the competence of this Assembly. So our hands are quite well and firmly tied.
Yes. I think it's an indication of how silly our settlement is, because this could easily be dealt with by us here and we're not allowed to do it. Westminster has been tied up for three years with Brexit, so there are lots of things that we could do, but we're not able to, so we'll have to close it I think, as Jack said.
So, can I, as Chair, on behalf of the committee thank the petitioner for bringing it forward and, to be fair, staying with it all this time, and regret that, as it doesn't fall within our competence, unfortunately—
Yes, I think, if we had the powers, it would be something that we could take forward, wouldn't it, without a doubt? It's a shame really.
Yes. And then they can make representations to the UK Parliament.
P-05-839, 'Adopt WHO Guidelines and Introduce a Clean Air Act for Wales', on page 91. This petition was submitted by the British Heart Foundation Cymru and was first considered in November 2018, having collected 688 signatures.
We last considered the petition on 7 January and agreed to write to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs to ask for more information about how she intends to put the World Health Organization guidelines into Welsh law, as stated in the draft clean air plan, and to ask about the potential for accelerating the timetable in order to introduce legislation on air pollution during this Assembly term. We've received a response from the Minister on 5 February. The petitioners have also provided further comments. Welsh Government is currently consulting on a clean air plan and they intend to publish a White Paper on a clean air Act before the end of this Assembly term.
It's difficult again really. I think everyone would like to see it as soon as possible, but there are restrictions in this Assembly to passing legislation in this Assembly now. The Minister has also made that clear in terms of the legislative plans, so I don't really think that—we're not going to go anywhere with this petition or this committee, are we? I think it's ran its course in terms of what we've tried to do and what the petition has tried to do. So, I suggest we have to close this petition, and individual Members may want to take it up within the Chamber—just keeping the pressure on to get it as soon as possible really.
Okay, and Neil?
I'd probably agree because there is a White Paper. It's disappointing. We've spent so much time over the last three years debating things we can't actually affect, like Brexit, and stuff like this that could've been done has not been done, so it is frustrating. But there is a White Paper, so I think, as Jack said, we're at the end of the road on this. Maybe if they're not satisfied, they can come back with a new petition in future, possibly.
Okay. So, again, on your behalf, we will thank the petitioners.
P-05-895, 'Rosa's Legacy: Introduce a scheme to help people access veterinary care for their companion animals'. So, this is requesting to introduce a scheme to help people to access veterinary care for their companion animals—page 96 in you pack. This was submitted by Linda Joyce Jones and was first considered in October 2019, having collected 95 signatures.
We considered this on 15 October and agreed to seek further evidence from the Companion Animal Welfare Group Wales and the British Veterinary Association. Responses have been provided by both organisations and the petitioner has provided further comments.
I've got a lot of sympathy for this petition really. I'm doing some work on homelessness and dog owners and one of the things within that is access to services, such as veterinary services. You know more than anyone, Chair, about how good animals and pets can be as companions—welfare for you mental health. So, I've got a lot of sympathy for this, and I would suggest going back to the Minister to get them to respond, firstly, to the recommendations from the animal welfare group Wales, and also ask for an update on what's been done by Animal Welfare Network Wales, because I think this is an area where we should be looking as widely as possible really, because no-one likes to see a pet suffer and also because of the long-term effect it has on the owner.
Yes, I think we could write to the Minister—definitely.
Okay, so that's an instruction to write to the Minister and ask how the Welsh Government is responding to the recommendations contained in the letter from the Companion Animal Welfare Group Wales and for an update on the work being done by the Animal Welfare Network Wales on veterinary provisions, assistance and advice.
So, we're going to consider now two items together, and those are 3.4 and 3.5 on pages 104 and 108 in your packs. Item 3.4, 'Save our Countryside—Revise TAN 1', this petition was submitted by Councillor Mike Priestley and was first considered in November 2017, having collected 706 signatures. And then P-05-786, 'Fix our planning system'. This petition was was submitted by Ruth Parker and was first considered in June 2019, having collected 250 signatures.
We last considered these petitions in June 2019, when we took oral evidence from the Minister for Housing and Local Government. The committee agreed to return to these issues once the Welsh Government had made an announcement about the next steps for its review of the delivery of housing through the planning system. The petitioner for P-05-786 has provided further comments, which are in your pack. Of course, you'll be aware that there was a consultation. The relevant section of TAN 1 does remain dis-applied while the process was ongoing. The changes proposed would appear to meet the aspirations of both petitions, and the petitioner for P-05-786 has restated the aim of his petition, which is to establish realistic targets for house building based upon past build rates.
So, how would you like to go forward on this petition?
I'd like to wait for the announcement really, because I completely agree with what the petitioner is saying there. I know it's irrelevant really, but I just wanted to say that. We're losing countryside all over Wales, so I'd like to wait and see.
Yes, I'd support that. I'd agree with that. It makes sense.
Yes, okay. Item 3.6, this petition was submitted by Councillor Russell Spencer-Downe and it's P-05-903, 'Filming and Recording of Council Meetings', on page 110 in your pack. This was submitted, as I said, by Councillor Russell Spencer-Downe, and was first considered in October 2019, having collected 58 signatures.
We last considered this on 3 December, agreeing to write to the Minister for Housing and Local Government to ask what guidance is provided to community and town councils in relation to the ability of the public or journalists to record meetings. A response was received from the Minister on 28 January. The petitioner was informed that the petition would be discussed but has not provided further comments.
I think, looking at this, this is another area where we're miles behind England. I'm a fan of recording, because it's accurate then and you can prove things. Because I'm sick and tired of going to meetings where things are said and then, after the meeting, it's not in the minutes and people deny it's said, whereas if you're recorded, if you're on film—. We're doing politics in public, so let's just record it—no issue.
I think it's fair to say that this institution is a good model of transparency, isn't it? Because everything we do—
I wouldn't say that. [Laughter.]
I would. Everything we do is under the spotlight and gaze of the public and is recorded.
I think the Government intend to issue guidance, don't they? We could maybe wait to see what that—
What that guidance is.
Yes, let's wait and see.
Because I don't think—it's not been open too long, and I don't think we're waiting—. I think it's March 2020, so I think it'll be sensible just to wait and see what they say really.
There's so much in Wales that is not recorded. To be serious, it should be. And it should be a matter of practice, because you can just put it in the cloud—it's recorded then. So, if at any point that, further down the line, things are disputed, there's a record. It makes sense.
And I think really, it's fair to say, there's an inconsistency across Wales, because some local authorities just do it as a matter of course, don't they? And town councils, I think, have been provided with some budget to do—
Yes, certainly some do.
I'll welcome Michelle Brown to the meeting—welcome. We're on page 22, moving to 3.7, petition P-05-736, 'To Make Mental Health Services More Accessible'. That's on page 112 in terms of reference in your packs.
This petition was submitted by Laura Williams and was first considered in February 2017, having collected 73 signatures. We last considered this on 7 January, when we considered the Government’s response to its report and agreed to wait until the 'Together for Mental Health' delivery plan 2019-2022 was published, due to the importance of this to the committee’s recommendations. The delivery plan was published in January 2020, and the petitioner was informed that the petition would be discussed but has not provided further comments. How would you like to take this one forward?
I think the Government have committed to improving mental health services and there's no doubt that they need it. So, I don't see how far really this petition can go. I think, again, it's helped us to get to where we should be in trying to improve mental health services and push the Government to do so. Of course, I would stress that there is always more to do and I think maybe that's for Members to do individually in the Chamber and continue to do so.
So, I would suggest closing this petition, because I think it's helped us in our cause of pushing the Government to improve the services in line with the 'Together for Mental Health' plan, and I think we should thank the petitioner for their hard work as well and what they've done to support people.
Okay everyone? Neil.
Yes, I think we're probably at the end of the line on this, but I think the petitioner was being really brave to do this petition and start the debate. So, there may well be another one in future, but I think on this particular one, we've come full circle.
Okay, and Michelle?
Yes, I agree.
Okay. So, let's close that, and again, pass the thanks of this committee on for coming forward.
And then the next one is 3.8, P-05-764, 'Better Mental Health Services for Adults'. This was submitted by Megan Tudor and was first considered in June 2017, having collected 84 signatures. We last considered this in January 2018 and agreed to group the petition with P-05-736, 'To Make Mental Health Services More Accessible'. The committee’s report on the petitions was published in September 2019 and the Government responded in January 2020. The petitioner has not provided any further comments during the time that both petitions have been under consideration.
I think it's the same as the last one really. It's helped us in our publishing of the report, and the Government has accepted those findings. Again, thank the petitioner on behalf of the committee, and hopefully we'll see a better outcome to mental health services in Wales.
Okay. Thank you. Welcome, Leanne. We're now on page 26 in your pack. So, that's 3.9, P-05-812, and this petition text is that 'We call for the Welsh Government to encourage trusts to implement the NICE guidelines for Borderline Personality Disorder or justify why they do not do so'. And if you're looking in your pack, it's page 122. This was submitted by Keir Harding and was first considered in May 2018, having collected 137 signatures. This committee last considered the petition in September 2019 and agreed to await the Welsh Government's response to its report on petition P-05-736, 'To Make Mental Health Services More Accessible', in particular to the recommendations on access to psychological therapies before considering whether it is able to take further action on the petition.
On 7 January 2020, the committee considered the Welsh Government's response to the committee's report and agreed to await publication of the Welsh Government's 'Together for Mental Health' delivery plan 2019 to 2022 before deciding their next steps. The delivery plan was published in January 2020 and the petitioner has provided us with further comments.
I think it's a really, really good petition, raising issues we don't talk about, so I think it's done its job there. I note the happiness with the petition from the petitioners, and they feel satisfied with progress. So, maybe we could close the petition but thank the petitioner and everyone who signed it for putting it forward. It was news to me that men are 47 times more at risk of suicide around the perinatal period, which is shocking, really.
Okay. Any other comments from Members? [Interruption.] If you see the next petition, that's specifically on paternal mental health. But it's on this petition. Leanne.
I think the mental health delivery plan goes so far, but I think that we could look at asking the Government, the Minister, to further consider the recommendations that have been recently produced in the Royal College of Psychiatrists' position statement on personality disorders. There's a group of people here that are being let down. There is a greater risk of people in this category dying by suicide, and so we need to make sure that we do all we can to try and cater for this group, I'd say.
Sorry, Chair. I turned two pages, actually, to the next petition.
I did wonder.
I apologise. I agree with what has been said.
Yes. Okay. Everybody agree with Leanne?
I agree. My only question would be: the Welsh Government has said that it expects all health boards to take full account of NICE clinical guidance, what happens to them if they don't take account of it and don't follow it? What's the action from the Minister then? Who holds the board accountable? So, that's the only outstanding question from me.
Could we put that in the body of the letter?
Yes, okay. So, we move on to the next one: 3.10, P-05-902, 'Paternal Mental Health (New Fathers Mental Health)', and that's page 126 in your packs. This petition was submitted by Mark Williams and was first considered in October 2019, having collected 116 signatures. We last considered this in November 2019 and we agreed to await the publication of the 'Together for Mental Health Delivery Plan' and seek the petitioner's views in relation to its contents at that time. The delivery plan was published in January of this year and the petitioner has provided further comment.
I think that's a result, isn't it?
Yes. I agree with Neil's earlier comments. [Laughter.]
I think it's a result. We should thank them. As individual Members, again, there's always more we can do, but this certainly has helped us start that conversation—
Yes, absolutely. It's actually good for us as a committee when we see that, when someone's taken that initiative to bring it right to the door of the National Assembly for Wales, an outcome like this is achieved. So, our usual sort of thanks. Okay.
Item 3.11, P-05-860, 'Make Curriculum for Life Lessons Compulsory', page 129 in your pack. This was submitted by Emily Jones and was first considered in January 2019, having collected 286 signatures. We last considered this on 19 November, agreeing to await the views of the petitioner on the latest developments, including the recent report produced by the Welsh Youth Parliament, before considering whether we can take any further action on the petition. Following that meeting, the petitioner was invited to provide comments in December and February, but none have been received. Now, the petitioner has not corresponded with this committee since the petition was submitted in late 2018, which does cause us some difficulty, really, moving it forward.
Given that the youth parliament is looking at this, and I'm not sure whether they've completed their work or whether it's ongoing, there's no point in a number of different institutions looking at the same thing, and it's a perfect thing for the youth parliament to be looking at as well, because the young people are the subject of the petition. So, I would say: let them carry on with it. Given we haven't heard from the petitioner as well, that's a good way forward, I'd say.
And we could reference in the closure letter the work of the youth parliament and how, if they want to pursue it further, to engage with them.
Okay, thank you. 3.12, P-05-861, 'Make political education a compulsory element of the new national curriculum', page 130. This petition was submitted by Kaiesha Ceryn Page and was first considered in January 2019, having collected 117 signatures. We last considered this on 19 November, agreeing to continue to await a further response from the petitioner to the information received by the committee, including the report of the Welsh Youth Parliament, before considering whether we can take further action on the petition. The petitioner has now provided further comment. Again, the Welsh Youth Parliament have been doing work.
I think, given the fact that the youth parliament is doing some work on this, and the petitioner seems largely, at least, content with progress, we should thank the petitioner for raising the issue and close the petition.
Yes, again, we could direct—. Do all Members feel—?
Yes, I think the—
I'd like to keep an eye on this. I can understand why there's a need to close the petition, but I'm acutely aware of the difference in political engagement in this country compared with Scotland, a country that's had political education at the heart of their education system since the beginning of devolution. They've had votes at 16 since the referendum in 2014, and we saw massive engagement on the part of 16 and 17-year-olds in that referendum and subsequent elections.
I'm concerned that we'll see votes at 16 in this country, but there won't be the corresponding level of information so that young people can make a fully informed decision, unless there is a full opportunity to discuss it in schools. I note what's said about the new curriculum and the work of the youth parliament, but I think we need to keep an eye on this, because having an understanding of the way politics operates and how you can influence things is a key part of being a citizen. And if our children are going through the school system without having a comprehensive education on that front, then all of us suffer as a result in terms of the effect on our democracy. So, I think we should keep an eye on this, although I do support closing the petition in this instance.
Okay. Do Members—? Neil.
Yes, I echo the same concerns really, because I think there are some schools that think that learning about politics is not part of education. I'm thinking of a letter there from Willows High School, actually, in Cardiff. It is part of the education process, and it does need to be looked at seriously.
My concern with this, and it's a general concern, is that we need to make sure that, if political education is being given in schools, it needs to be given on an impartial and fair basis. It's very, very tempting for political influence to come into those lessons, and I think that needs to be guarded against. But I would support closing the petition.
Okay. And again, we thank the petitioner. Item 3.13: P-05-879, 'Add Mental Health Education to the mandatory teaching curriculum for all schools in Wales', page 133 in your pack. This petition was submitted by Annie Harris and was first considered in May 2019, having collected 1,947 signatures. We last considered this on 5 November, agreeing to await the views of the petitioner on the further information received. Following the meeting in November, the petitioner was invited to provide further comments in January and February but none have been received.
I think this has been given some scrutiny in the Children, Young People and Education Committee with the 'Mind over Matter' report, and I think that mental health is going to be seen more in the national curriculum as well, in the new curriculum. So, given that, and the fact that we haven't received a response back from the petitioners, we could close this petition. It's not as if it's not getting attention; it is getting attention elsewhere.
Do all Members agree with that?
Yes. I think it's a very good petition as well, I fully support this petition. But as you said, it is being looked into by another committee, it has had a lot of scrutiny from the Chamber, and the curriculum encompasses well-being across all of the curriculum, really. So, I think mental health will have an increased look in the new curriculum, and I think it's up to Members to make sure they scrutinise that going forward in the implementation phase. But I very much thank the petitioner for bringing this forward, I think it's an excellent petition.
Yes. All Members agree. Okay, thank you. Item 3.14: P-05-888, 'Make GCSE Welsh Language compulsory in all schools in Wales', page 135 in your pack. This petition was submitted by Gwion Rhisiart and was first considered in June 2019, having collected 175 signatures. The committee last considered this on 21 January and agreed to wait a short time for further views from the petitioner, with a view to closing the petition on the basis that there appears to be little more that the petition could achieve in light of the information received from the Welsh Government and the Welsh Independent Schools Council. The petitioner has responded to state that he is happy for the petition to be closed.
We close it, then.
Okay, and again, thank you to the petitioner for raising this issue through the petitions process. Item 3.15: 'P-05-925, Don't leave Wales behind—teach menstrual wellbeing in schools', page 137 in your pack. This petition was submitted by Jade Morgan and was first considered in January this year, having collected 846 signatures. We considered the petition for the first time on 7 January and agreed to write to the Minister for Education to ask whether the Welsh Government would consider adding specific reference to menstrual well-being into the 'What Matters' statement on physical health and well-being, and this was proposed by Endometriosis UK. A response was received from the Minister on 4 February, and Endometriosis UK have provided further comments.
Can I just say: I think that Endometriosis UK have asked some really pertinent questions on this, and I think that we should write back to the Minister and share their concerns? We've come on great strides in terms of how much we talk about menstruation in the last few years. It was a taboo subject up until at least five years ago. We need to incorporate this new way of thinking—this more liberal way of thinking, if you like—into the national curriculum, because there are a significant number of girls affected by this, and they shouldn't be allowed to suffer in silence without the support of the school with them and the understanding of fellow pupils as well.
I think that it would be very helpful for girls in schools to be given some awareness of the things that can go on with your body. Depending on your age, obviously, it's a new thing that's happening to you; you don't understand it. Your body hasn't settled down. You don't know what's normal and what's not. So, I think that it's a very, very good idea that the petitioner has raised, not just on the basis of the condition specifically cited in the petition, but for all other kinds of problems that girls might experience. Now, how the message should be handled is a matter for the school, but I do think that it's a really good idea to have that at some point in the curriculum.
Dwi'n cytuno. Mae'n syniad da i ysgrifennu yn ôl at y Gweinidog.
I agree. It's a good idea to write back to the Minister.
I agree. It's a good idea to write back to the Minister.
You caught me unawares there. [Laughter.]
Dwi'n ceisio ymarfer.
I'm trying to practice.
I was trying to practice.
Economy and transport now. Item 3.16: P-05-913 'Creation of Lôn Las Môn Multi-Use Path'. Page 144. This petition was submitted by Gethyn Mon Hughes and was first considered in November 2019, having collected 2,216 signatures. We considered this for the first time on 19 November, and we agreed to write to the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport to ask for details of how the Welsh Government responded to the Network Rail industry consultation concerning this line, also for the current status of the new station proposal for Llangefni and also, whether the Welsh Government would consider funding the reopening of this line.
We also agreed to write to Anglesey County Council to seek its views on the potential future uses for the Anglesey Central Railway, and whether it would consider providing funding to support any of those being progressed. Responses have been received. The petitioners have provided further comments and a number of letters of support, including from the local medical cluster, Llaneilian Community Council and also walking and cycling groups. How would you like to take this forward?
I think that this is a really difficult one because it looks like you have got the same piece of land, a path, that could either be used for active travel or for a railway, and both of those are desirable. So, it's difficult to keep a piece of land just in case a railway line becomes feasible and finance becomes available over the longer term. But then, at the same time, it's also foolish to close off the idea by building over it.
We've seen so many of the lines that were closed by the Beeching cuts in the 1960s have development on those lines, and it's prevented future rail development. So, I'm torn on this, if I'm honest, because we need to do much more as a country in terms of enabling people to get on bikes and exercise, but we don't want to limit future infrastructure development either. So, I'm just not sure how far we can take this, given the lack of information in terms of Network Rail's plans, and the fact that Anglesey council are in discussion about that line for the development of rail on it. So, I'm just not sure where we can take this, now.
I agree. I think it probably falls in the matter of Anglesey council's discussions at the moment. If we don't know where that's going, there's not really much we can do. I think the Government have outlined their position on it, so I think it's for Anglesey council to take it forward, and not this committee.
A point of clarity, if I may, Chair, on that side. Anglesey council doesn't feel it's appropriate to comment, but the discussions are ongoing between Network Rail and the company—
Not between the council and Network Rail. I see.
No. So, Network Rail is the owner of the line—albeit, the line has fallen into disrepair—and it's Network Rail who is discussing with a company who want to set up a heritage railway using the line, and they're in discussions over a lease around this. So, Anglesey council is not offering an opinion at this stage.
So, they need to stay neutral in this process then, do they?
That's the take they're giving. Yes. The petitioners would like to use the land that the line is on, as you said, for a different purpose, because they don't believe that there's a future for a commercial or a freight or passenger rail line on there. But, at the moment, Network Rail are in discussions around a heritage railway as a tourist attraction.
Could we write to Network Rail?
Yes, I agree.
Yes, I think we should write to Network Rail to see what the—
To see what where we're at.
To see where we are with the conversations. I can understand the desire to keep the line reserved and capable of taking future rail traffic. We're trying to get people out of their cars, onto public transport, so I agree with what Leanne said—it makes it very difficult to put those back once you've built over them. I think that we should write to Network Rail, see what the situation is, and then perhaps go from there.
Okay. All Members seem to be in agreement with that.
Item 3.17, P-05-887 'Stop regional AMs elected to represent specific parties from defecting', and this is page 156. This was submitted by Ifan Morgan Jones and was first considered in July 2019, having collected 1,301 signatures. We considered this for the first time in July 2019, and we agreed to await the views of the petitioner on the response provided by the Llywydd, and also to encourage the petitioner the engage with their elected representatives to take forward legislative amendments to the Senedd and Elections (Wales) Bill. Information about the then Bill was provided following the meeting in July. The petitioner was invited to provide further comments in August, then again in January and February, but none have been received.
I've got some sympathy with what is said here. It has been a bit of a joke in this Assembly, really—people moving the deckchairs around on the Titanic. But I can't see, in practical terms, what can be done, especially given that the legislation is where it is now, and given that the petitioner hasn't followed up in terms of further comments, I think we have no option other than to close the petition.
Yes. I declare an interest. I think, obviously, that there's some merit to it, but I think when you've been expelled from a party, it gives the party way too much power over the individual, to control that individual, to say that you're not allowed to change groups. But I think it should be okay, as you long as you set up your own political party.
Well, I'll declare an interest as well. I genuinely can understand where the petitioner is coming from on this one, but perhaps an unintended consequence of this would have been, if this had been in place in the last two years or so—12 months, two years—Gareth Bennett would still have a group. Gerard Batten's hand would have been vastly strengthened. So, on the one hand, I can understand where the petitioner's coming from, but in reality, it might end up with some unintended consequences that, perhaps, the petitioner might not like.
But I agree with what's already been said.
So, there's a proposal to close the petition. Yes? Okay.
So, this is the end of the meeting. I thank all Members and our clerking team. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 10 March. I therefore close the meeting. Thank you. Diolch.
Thank you, Chair.
Diolch yn fawr.
Daeth y cyfarfod i ben am 09:50.
The meeting ended at 09:50. | <urn:uuid:8983d8ae-1e60-478c-9b69-cee4fc4da284> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://record.assembly.wales/Committee/5910 | 2022-01-23T18:52:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304309.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123172206-20220123202206-00239.warc.gz | en | 0.977104 | 8,566 |
History of Science is one of the greatest subject strengths of our collections. Relevant material dates from the 14th century onwards, with particular focus on the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
How to use this guide
This guide is intended as a starting point to help you find resources for your studies or research and is arranged in alphabetical order by collection name.
The collections described below are either Printed Collections or Archives and Records.
To find items from the printed collections, search the library catalogue. Follow the links in the collection descriptions below for advice on how to search and browse particular printed collections.
To find archive and record collections, search for the reference on the online catalogue for UCL’s archives and manuscripts.
Accessing these collections
Please see our website for further information and to make an appointment to view any of these collections in one of our reading rooms.
- Baldwin, Ernest Hubert (Archive)
Papers and correspondence of Ernest Hubert Francis Baldwin, 1930-1970, Professor of Biochemistry at UCL, 1950-1969. The main deposit includes biographical papers, personal correspondence and exchanges with scientific colleagues, research notes and notebooks, and research material documenting Baldwin's work at Cambridge with Dorothy Mary Moyle Needham, Joseph Needham and John Yudkin (1934-1948).
- Search Archive ref: BALDWIN.
- Bayliss, Sir William Maddock (Archive)
Papers of Sir William Maddock Bayliss (1860-1924), Professor of General Physiology at UCL 1912-1924. Consists mostly of notes and notebooks of Bayliss' experiments. There is also correspondence, press cuttings and photographs, a great part referring to the 'Brown Dog Affair' of 1903 and to other disputes between anti-vivisectionists and University College London.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 273.
- Black, Joseph (Archive)
Anonymous student's notes on chemistry lectures given by Joseph Black (1728-1799) when Professor of Medicine and Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, on subjects including chemicals and heat.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 96.
- Burdon-Sanderson, Sir John Scott (Archive)
Correspondence, diaries, lectures and biographical material of Sir John Scott Burdon-Sanderson (1828-1905), Professor of Practical Physiology & Histology at UCL (1870-1874) and Jodrell Professor of Human Physiology (1874-1883). Also includes papers of his wife, the author and philanthropist Lady Ghetal Burdon-Sanderson.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 179.
- Cameron, Sir Gordon Roy (Archive)
Papers and correspondence of the pathologist Sir Gordon Roy Cameron, Professor of Morbid Anatomy at UCHMS 1937-1964 and Director of the Graham Department of Pathology, 1946-1964. Includes biographical material, notebooks and working papers, lectures and publications and his work on the history of pathology.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 253.
- Carswell Drawings and Case Notes (Archive)
Drawings of pathological conditions, chiefly by Sir Robert Carswell (1793-1857), Professor of Pathological Anatomy, UCL Medical School 1831-1840), with manuscript notes describing the cases illustrated, 1827-1838. The collection contains many items of historical significance, notably the first illustrations of the pathology in Hodgkin's disease, the first portrayal of the lesions on the spinal cord in multiple sclerosis and the first depictions of iron deficiency anaemia. It comprises around a thousand detailed watercolour and ink drawings depicting diseased structures divided into groups by subject.
- Search Archive ref: CARSWELL.
- Clarke, Patricia Hannah (Archive)
Papers of Patricia Clarke (1919-2010, biochemist). Contains biographical information, publications and lectures, correspondence, and papers relating to the many organisations with which Clarke was involved. Also includes a large amount of material relating to Clarke's interest in the history of women in science, her efforts to encourage women in the field and her concern for equality with male colleagues.
- Search Archive ref: CLARKE.
- Clinton, Wellesley Curran (Archive)
Small collection of notebooks of Wellesley Curran Clinton (1871-1934), Professor of Electrical Engineering at UCL, containing his notes on physics and mathematics.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 14.
- Comfort, Alexander (Archive)
Papers of Alex Comfort (1920-2000, physician and writer; Director of research in Gerontology, UCL Department of Zoology 1966-1973). Comfort specialised in the science of ageing but he was a prolific author best remembered for his books on sexual behaviour including the bestselling “The Joy of Sex” (1972). He also published works on anarchy, pacifism and was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. His archive reflects his work and his many diverse interests and includes correspondence, research papers, drafts of publications and personal ephemera.
- Search Archive ref: COMFORT.
- De Beer, Sir Gavin Rylands (Archive)
Archive of the embryologist Gavin De Beer (1899-1972), Professor of Embryology at UCL 1946-1950 and Director of the British Museum (Natural History) 1950-1960. The majority of the papers date from c1939-1972 and consist of: notes and drafts for publications and lectures on the history of science and literary topics; correspondence concerning literature and De Beer's scientific work; papers from his work during the First and Second World Wars; financial and legal papers; and some personal correspondence.
- Search Archive ref: DE BEER.
- Donnan, Frederick George (Archive)
Papers of chemist F G Donnan (1870-1956) who in 1913 succeeded Ramsay as Professor of General Chemistry at UCL, where he remained until 1937. Primarily comprised of correspondence (incoming, with some copies of replies sent), the collection also includes various biographical and business papers.
- Search Archive ref: DONNAN.
- Fleming Book Collection (Printed Collection)
A collection of ca. 950 works on electrical engineering and telegraphy from the personal library of Sir Ambrose Fleming (1849-1945), an electrical engineer and physicist who was the first Professor of Electrical Technology at UCL (1885-1926). The material ranges from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, and includes first editions of works by prominent scientists and engineers such as James Clerk Maxwell, Oliver Lodge, James Dewar and Shelford Bidwell.
- Galton, Sir Francis (Archive)
Consists of papers relating to the personal history of Francis Galton (1822-1911) and his family, papers relating to Galton's work, and his extensive correspondence. Now known primarily for his work on eugenics, selection and inheritance, and for the legacy of these ideas, Galton’s archive also contains material relating to his interests in data collection, criminology, health and statistics.
- Search Archive ref: GALTON.
- Galton Laboratory (Records)
Records of the Galton Laboratory accumulated since its creation in 1904 to the late 20th Century. Comprises business papers, research papers, data for studies, records relating to 'Annals of Human Genetics' (formerly 'Annals of Eugenics'), 'Treasury of Human Inheritance', visual and audio-visual material, material relating to the history of the Laboratory and its staff, and printed material and ephemera.
- Search Archive ref: GALTON LABORATORY.
- Galton Laboratory Collection (Printed Collection)
The core of the collection is Francis Galton’s personal library, which was bequeathed to UCL along with his papers in 1911. The collection grew through the addition of the working library of the Galton Laboratory. It comprises of books, periodicals and pamphlets with a focus on statistics, genetics and the pseudoscience of eugenics, but also covering natural history, anatomy, mathematics, and anthropology. Many books contain letters, including from and to Francis Galton. The material ranges in date from 1705 to the mid-1900s.
- Gosset, William Sealy (Archive)
There are several small collections of material by William Sealy Gosset ((1876-1937); statistician and industrial research scientist known by the pen-name “Student”). MS ADD 274 is a set of letters between Gosset and Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890-1962) with letters from other scientists interleaved where they bear on the correspondence. There are also research papers and notes by Gosset in the E S Pearson Papers (E S PEARSON/10) and Karl Pearson papers (PEARSON/6/4). Search for these references in the Archives catalogue.
Search Archive ref:
- Grant, Robert Edmond (Archive)
Various collections of notes and other papers by Robert Grant (1793-1874); comparative anatomist and transmutationist. Notes on Grant’s lectures by some of his students can be found under MS ADD 1, MS ADD 38 and MS ADD 39. There are also lists of specimens, equipment, drawings, etc under MS ADD 59 and Grant’s own essays and notes from lectures are MS ADD 28.
Search Archive ref:
- Graves Library (Printed Collection)
The largest collection dedicated to the history of mathematics in the country. It contains around 9,000 manuscripts, rare books, pamphlets and runs of academic journals, covering the middle ages up to the late nineteenth century. Around half of the Graves Library is dedicated to applied mathematics. Well-represented branches include surveying, building, astronomy and astrology, and physics.
- Greenough, George Bellas (Archive)
Papers of the geologist George Bellas Greenough (1778-1855) including published works, notebooks, material from Greenough’s travels, papers of the organisations with which he was associated, and correspondence. Includes papers reflecting Greenough’s related interests including geography, geology and map-making. The collection was received from two sources many years apart which have been designated GREENOUGH/A and GREENOUGH/B, but researchers will find related material in both sections.
- Search Archive ref: GREENOUGH.
- Hacker, Helga Sharpe (Archive)
Helga Hacker was the youngest daughter of the statistician Karl Pearson and her papers contain many notes and transcripts of material found in the Pearson papers, particularly relating to the Men & Women’s Club and Olive Schreiner. Also some original notes, press cuttings etc from Hacker’s research into the Galton papers and biographical notes about her father.
- Search Archive ref: HACKER.
- Haldane, John Burdon Sanderson (Archive)
JBS Haldane (1892-1964) Professor of Biometry at UCL 1937-1957 is best known for his work on genetics, underwater physiology, inheritance, and his writings on popular science and politics. His archive comprises scientific research papers, copies of his publications and drafts, correspondence, papers relating to his department at UCL, papers of various committees and societies and personal papers.
- Search Archive ref: HALDANE.
- Human Biochemical Genetics Unit (Archive)
The HBGU was established by Professor Harry Harris at King’s College London in 1962 to investigate the extent of genetic variation in healthy humans using family and population studies and simple screening techniques. It was one in a network of Medical Research Council genetic research units in the UK. In 1965, on Harris’s appointment as Galton Professor at University College London, he moved the unit to UCL. The unit was operational until 2000 and during that time, with samples from tens of thousands of individuals, staff of the HBGU made important contributions to linkage studies. The bulk of the material in the archive is the family files relating to genetic conditions, compiled from 1963 to 2000, with full indexes. Much of the collection is currently closed because it contains medical data, please contact us to discuss access to the open sections of the archive.
- Search Archive ref: HBGU.
- Heathcote, Niels Hugh de Vaudrey (Archive)
Heathcote was Reader in the History of Science at UCL from 1946 to 1973. This small collection contains handwritten notebooks and loose typescript papers. Some of the notebooks are entitled 'Electricitat' or 'J.H.Waitz' and are often in German; most are concerned with the history of the study of electricity. The folders contain loose papers, often correspondence, about student work and exams and societies, in the history of science.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 270.
- The Hertfordshire Natural History Society (Printed Collection)
This collection of ca. 1,300 items is devoted to natural history, primarily focusing on the British Isles. Disciplines such as geology, meteorology and palaeontology also feature. The collection spans the fifteenth century to the present day, and it includes seven incunables. The records of local natural history societies from the 17th century to the present day are a particular strength.
- History of Science Sources (Printed Collection)
This collection of ca. 1,700 books is dedicated to the History of Science. It is especially strong on the physical sciences, including chemistry and physics, mineralogy, astronomy and mathematics, but it also contains works on such diverse subjects as cartography and navigation, the early history of aeronautics, and wireless telegraphy and submarine cables. It includes many first and early editions of major works by prominent scientists. The publication dates range from 1630 to 1982.
- Horsley, Sir Victor (Archive)
Papers of physiologist and neurosurgeon Sir Victor Horsley (1857-1916) and his family. Victor Horsley's papers include large sections on his medical career, his service in the army during the Great War, and his political and social interests. These include his involvement in the temperance movement and the Medical Defence Union, support for the suffragettes and for Home Rule for Ireland, and his role in the reform of the bodies representing the medical profession.
- Search Archive ref: HORSLEY.
- Isaacs, Nathan (Archive)
Nathan Isaacs (1895-1966) was a metallurgist who was particularly interested in theories of child development and of the teaching of science to children. He lectured and wrote widely on these topics and his collection contains lectures, unpublished writings and notes, publications and correspondence concerning his work.
- Search Archive ref: NI.
- Isaacs, Susan (Archive)
Susan Isaacs (1885-1948) ran Malting House School, Cambridge, an experimental school which fostered the individual development of children, before setting up the Department for Child Development at the IOE. She was also a trained psychoanalyst and worked as an 'agony aunt' replying to readers' problems in child care journals. These letters form a major part of her archive.
- Search Archive ref: SI.
- Johnston Lavis Collection (Printed Collection)
A collection of just over 2,000 works from the library of Henry James Johnston Lavis (1856-1914) on volcanology, spanning the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. It is one of the largest collections dedicated to this topic in the United Kingdom. Italian volcanoes are a particular strength, especially Vesuvius and Etna.
- Katz, Bernard (Archive)
Bernard Katz (1911-2003) was an experimental physiologist who spent much of his academic career at UCL, becoming Professor and Head of the Biophysics Department from 1952-1978. This collection includes papers relating to his research and publications, lecture notes, departmental papers, material relating to the ‘Journal of Physiology’, correspondence and biographical material.
- Search Archive ref: KATZ.
- Lilly, Malcolm Douglas (Archive)
Research papers, publications, lectures notes and departmental papers of Malcolm Lilly (1936-1938), Professor of Biochemical Engineering at UCL from 1979. He had spent the earlier part of his career at UCL and was heavily involved in the establishment of biochemical engineering as a discipline in its own right; his professorship was the first such in the UK. Includes papers of the many national and international organisations with which Lilly was involved, as well as his correspondence and biographical papers.
- Search Archive ref: LILLY.
- Lighthill, Sir [Michael] James (Archive)
James Lighthill (1924-1998) was a pioneer in the fields of hydrodynamics, wave mechanics, aerodynamics, biomechanics, and aeroacoustics. Although he spent much of his career at Cambridge and Manchester, in 1979 he was elected as the Provost of UCL and remained here until his retirement in 1989. This large collection includes working papers, lecture notes, publications, correspondence and personal papers dating from the 1970s-1990s.
- Search Archive ref: LIGHTHILL.
- Lodge, Sir Oliver (Archive)
Small collection of correspondence of the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940). Lodge studied at UCL from 1874 to 1881 and during this time he assisted George Carey Foster in the teaching of physics. He later became Principal of Birmingham University.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 89.
- Lonsdale, Dame Kathleen (Archive)
Papers of Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, pioneer in the field of X-ray crystallography who became the first female professor at UCL when she was appointed Professor of Chemistry in 1949. She was one of the first two women elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (with Marjory Stephenson) in 1945. This extensive collection includes biographical material, research papers, teaching material and publications.
- Search Archive ref: LONSDALE.
- The Malacological Society Library (Printed Collection)
Ca. 500 titles on molluscs and conchology, with some older books on general natural history and travel. Over 200 of the works date from the 16th and the 17th centuries.
- Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts (Archive)
We hold several collections of medieval and early modern manuscripts which cover a variety of subjects. Those items of particular interest to the history of science are: MS LAT/11, a dictionary of medical terms and other treatises, including medicinal recipes; MS LAT/12 containing a collection of medical treatises by various authors including prescriptions and treatises on medicinal herbs; and MS OGDEN/36, a 17th century manuscript containing medicinal recipes. Full descriptions can be found on the UCL Archives catalogue.
Search Archive ref:
- Napier, John Russell (Archive)
John Napier (1917-1987), primatologist and physician, was associated with the University of London for many years. His papers include personal and biographical material, research papers, publications and photographs.
- Search Archive ref: NAPIER.
- Pearson, Egon Sharpe (Archive)
E S Pearson, son of Karl Pearson and Maria Sharpe, was Professor of Statistics at UCL from 1935. The collection includes professional and personal papers and correspondence, records of the Department of Statistics; papers relating to the journal ‘Biometrika’; and papers relating to E S Pearson's collaborative work with Jerzy Neyman, Walter Shewhart, Florence Nightingale David and Herman Otto Hartley. Also includes material used in preparation for a biography of William Sealy Gosset.
- Search Archive ref: E S PEARSON.
- Pearson, Karl (Archive)
This extensive archive covers all aspects of Pearson’s life and career and includes material relating to several generations of the Pearson and Sharpe families as well as Karl Pearson’s research and publications. He was a statistician and a proponent of eugenics, being encouraged in both fields by Francis Galton, and with W F R Weldon co-founded the discipline of biometry. In 1884 he was appointed Goldsmid professor of applied mathematics and mechanics at UCL and in 1911 became the first Galton Professor of Eugenics. The collection also includes some records of the Department of Applied Statistics and the journal Biometrika.
- Search Archive ref: PEARSON.
- Penrose, Lionel Sharples (Archive)
L S Penrose (1898-1972) was appointed to the Galton Chair of Eugenics at UCL in 1945, a post he held until his retirement in 1965 although he successfully lobbied to change the name to the Galton Chair of Human Genetics in 1963. He oversaw a post-war era of change at the Galton Laboratory, bringing his particular interests in genetic diseases and congenital illness to the work of the department. He is best known for his research into the causes of Down’s syndrome and was the first to demonstrate a link between increased likelihood of the condition and maternal age. His papers include extensive family material, personal and business correspondence, and his research work spanning the whole of his career.
- Search Archive ref: PENROSE.
- Ramsay, Sir William (Archive)
Papers of Sir William Ramsay, including lecture notes, bound volumes of correspondence, and laboratory notebooks detailing the experiments done by him and under his supervision. Ramsay was Chair of General Chemistry at UCL from 1887 until 1912 and during this time he discovered argon (with John William Strutt), shortly followed by helium, neon, krypton and xenon. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904 for his discovery of helium, and his lab notebooks describe the experiments the lead to these discoveries. His papers were collated in the 1950s by his biographer, Morris W Travers.
- Search Archive Ref: RAMSAY.
- Rare Periodicals (Printed Collection)
This collection comprises of runs of over 300 influential international scientific journals, including Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1667-75), Journal des sçavans (1655-1740), Hamburgisches Magazin (1748-1767), Nouveaux Mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres (1772-1788) and Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitana (1728-1751).
- Ray Society (Printed Collection)
An almost complete set of the publications by the Ray Society from 1844 (no. 1) up to 1996 (no. 164). The Society publishes books on natural history with a particular focus on British flora and fauna. The collection includes works by prominent naturalists, such as Charles Darwin, James Scott Bowerbank, Thomas Henry Huxley, and Albert Günther.
- Odo Russell Collection (Archive)
Collection of autograph letters, 1756-1849, brought together by Lord Odo Russell. The correspondents are mainly European scientists, including Nikolaus Joseph and his son Joseph Franz Freiherr von Jacquin, both Professor of Chemistry and Botany at Vienna University; the zoologist Leopold Joseph Franz Johann Fitzinger; and the botanist István Laszló Endlicher. The letters concern the natural sciences, the medical sciences, the physical sciences, the arts, theology, and more.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 254.
- Sharpey Correspondence (Archive)
The physiologist William Sharpey was appointed to the Chair of Anatomy and Physiology at UCL in 1836. He was actively involved in the Royal Society and was appointed Secretary in 1853. This is a small collection of letters, most of which are addressed to Sharpey in his position as Secretary of the Royal Society. The main correspondents are Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie (President of the Royal Society, 1858-1861); Sir Edward Sabine (President of the Royal Society, 1861-1871); and George Gabriel Stokes (one of the Secretaries, 1854-1884). The numerous other correspondents include many people active in the scientific world.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 227.
- Smith, Cedric Austen Bardell (Archive)
Papers of C A B Smith, (1917-2002) geneticist and mathematician, consisting of personal papers, drafts, publications, lectures, correspondence and articles on colour vision. Smith joined the Galton Laboratory in 1946, succeeding J B S Haldane as Weldon Professor of Biometry in 1964. He is remembered for his various contributions to the study of genetics, particularly his work on mimic loci, recombination and genetic mapping.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 426.
- Smith Woodward Collection (Printed Collection)
The palaeontological library of Arthur Smith Woodward (1864-1944). The collection comprises of ca. 2,500 titles, dating from the 18th to the 20th century. Palaeontology and geology are the main subjects represented but works on anthropology, evolution, the origin of man, classification of species, zoology, palaeobotany and natural history also feature.
- Strong Room Rare Books (Printed Collection)
This collection, which comprises of books printed before 1640 as well as rare works published later, is particularly rich in early medical works. Some of the most notable are three copies of Vesalius's De fabrica (1555), Hans Gersdorff's Feldtbuch der Wundartzney (1530) and De motu cordis by William Harvey (1628). Other branches of science are also represented. The collection includes first editions of Newton's Principia (1687) and Darwin's Origin of Species (1859), and illustrated works on botany and zoology, such as Sir James Smith's Natural history of the rarer lepidopterous insects of Georgia (1797) and several of John Gould's bird books.
- Stopes, Marie Carmichael (Archive)
Manuscript and typescript research papers of Marie Stopes (1880-1958), including journal articles on botany, and photographs.
- Search Archive ref: MS ADD 382.
- Teaching of Science (Archive)
The IOE Archives hold a number of collections that contain papers about the teaching of science. The archive of the Schools’ Curriculum Council (ref SCC) would be of particular relevance; the Architect & Buildings Branch (ref ABB), David and Mary Medd (ref ME) and Tony Branton (ref TBR) collections are all architectural archives containing papers on school design and many photographs capturing the teaching of science from primary to higher education; the IOE’s institutional archive (ref IE) can be used to research the teaching of science at all levels of the curriculum; the archives of Brenda Francis (ref BF), the Girls’ Day School Trust (ref GDS), and Cynthia Reynolds (ref CR) cover gender and science education; and the Plowden Committee (ref PL) and National Commission on Education (ref NCE) archives cover educational reviews, including science.
- Young, John Zachary (Archive)
Papers of the zoologist J Z Young who was Chair of Human Anatomy at University College, London, 1945-1974. Contains material relating to Young's research on nerves and nervous systems, the flying spot microscope, cephalopods, memory and learning, evolution, the structures and functions of brains; philosophy of science, and papers relating to field research in Naples Zoological Station, 1928-1981, and Duke University, North Carolina, 1970-1983. Also includes publications, personal papers and extensive correspondence.
- Search Archive ref: J Z YOUNG.
- Watson, David Meredith Seares (Archive)
Two collections of papers and correspondence of palaeontologist D M S Watson, who held various positions at UCL from 1912 until his retirement in 1951. Includes biographical and personal material of Watson and his family; scientific correspondence; photographs of fossil specimens; sketches and drawings, and newspaper cuttings.
Search Archive ref:
- Woodger, Joseph Henry (Archive)
Papers, 1922-1980, of biologist Joseph Henry Woodger, consisting of research and personal notebooks, research files, manuscript and typescript drafts of works, correspondence, photographs and printed material.
- Search Archive ref: WOODGER. | <urn:uuid:1dd2876c-305c-41a2-ba2d-f7253c12e67f> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/collections/special-collections/our-collections/subject-guides/history-science | 2022-01-26T13:42:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304954.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20220126131707-20220126161707-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.923214 | 6,024 |
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Solution Checklist
- Hire Someone to do Your Case Study
- Financial Analysis
- VRIO Analysis
- PESTLE Analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- HBR Case Study Solution
- Get Case Study Analysis Help
- How to do Case Study Solution
- Do My Case Study
- Pay Someone to do your Case Analysis
Hire Someone to do Your Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study
Employ Somebody to do Your Study. In a study of your very own we require somebody to perform a component or perhaps the whole thing and complete it totally. This is specifically the Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version case if we desire to provide students info they will certainly locate rather helpful, interesting and obviously relevant.
We can likewise make use of Case Study Evaluation in the colleges, colleges as well as universities where students are doing the project or more often lecturers. That's right; they will be able to give pupils with valuable details which is of rate of interest and also worth.
Work with Someone to do Your Case Study. Allow's get on with it shall we?
How to take advantage of Study Analysis? You will certainly intend to utilize it as a means of keeping in mind points that have been learnt and brand-new truths and also experience for example. The teacher, for instance, will have the ability to describe this when offering the lectures for instance.
So the teacher or the speaker can conveniently make the class various by using Study Analysis. By putting certain details, as opposed to all, certain expressions, or even factors that they desire the trainees to understand, the lecturer can make the class a lot more interesting as well as extra assumed provoking.
Making Use Of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Evaluation at the lecture is not simply used in the classroom however additionally in the research workshops. So it is really helpful to use this technique in any kind of kind of research study to assist trainees. What we have right here is something we can gain from as well as discover to value.
Certainly, what you choose to do with Case Study Service depends upon your very own personality and also way of thinking. It might be acase where you put all your effort and also are very requiring but if you have more time, then it might not be an instance for you.
There are some web sites and companies who will certainly discuss you just how to make use of Case Study Solution. Actually, it is essential to understand that there are cases when you might not be sure what is excellent or negative. As an example, you might not know if it is true or otherwise.
That's why you should take care of what you pick to place on your web site. Some individuals claim that Case Study Option has actually gained appeal as a result of a false impression. Many people think that it was created just to assist trainees as well as teachers by providing useful details.
Yet in fact the designers did not mean this, but they did this as a marketing device which can in fact result in the generation of confusion. In fact, utilizing Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Service in fact creates people to examine the quality of the info and also as a matter of fact, the precision of it.
You see, there are lots of people who have actually said that they believe Case Study Service develops complication in the minds of people. Nevertheless, you can see that the approach has offered people with a solid source of details which may lead to success in their field of study. And in the long run, they may earn a lot more take advantage of it than from the competitors, which is why individuals like Study Service significantly.
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Conclusion
If you intend to comprehend and also examine the stats, use the Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Service in any one of your Excel workbooks. You will certainly see that the outcomes are always according to what you expected, as well as you will certainly see how simple the process is. In this brief article, I will certainly provide you some free tips on just how to do a Case Study Evaluation.
The first thing you need to do is that you need to discover a Study Solution. What's a Study Option? It's a tutorial you can use in your workbook. It will certainly assist you comprehend why something happened in a details instance.
To make it simpler for you, you need to review the Tutorial initially before you go to your Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Solution. Read every little thing to the end; then go back to your Case Study Solution and understand all the concepts presented.
Then, when you have comprehended the Study Option completely, you can move to the following step. What you should do currently is, you require to utilize the Case Study Solution to examine your data, as it enables you to use all the settings and choices offered in the Workbook.
Example: You must add all the columns to the same degree and position. You additionally need to contrast the degree of data that you have in one column to the various other. Add all the columns to the same level and also placement.
Use it. Apply it one more time, as well as you will certainly see what you have. The Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Option has already done all the tedious work for you.
Examine them. Analyze your data.
You must think of a mathematical formula that permits you to produce the numbers. You require to transform the Columns from the Case Study Option into a kind that Excel understands just how to refine. Currently you can see that if there are just two columns, you will certainly obtain the number 100.
Transforming the numbers can be done by utilizing the "Convert column to Cell" choice in Excel. The worth for the Column is the number of rows. So all you require to do is multiply the row value by the column worth.
Currently you need to transform it into a layout you can see in the Home window. This is done by right clicking the formula and also choosing "Customize Formula".
This will allow you to transform the formula right into a formula that Excel recognizes. Currently you can see exactly how to transform the formula, so that you can use it to evaluate your information.
Recommendations Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution
In this post, we are going to review HBR Study as well as exactly how it can assist you to enhance your education and learning. We will first discuss the issue that most people deal with in trying to find the solutions of such an issue and afterwards we will review a few of the problems that you may run into while utilizing the Case Study Service. Please keep in mind that the following explanation is not planned to be used as the end-all service for all your concerns. Some may locate it to be only the initial couple of instances of a complete solution that you can use.
In a HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study, there are 3 almosts all - Research study, Activity as well as the Modification that is needed to make the result of the research study effective. In this write-up, we will discuss the very first 2 components which are Research and also Activity.
Study can refer to the amount of time invested researching a problem or the actual study that has been done. It can also refer to the amount of time spent looking into solutions to the issues. When most people are attempting to solve a problem, they frequently spend a great deal of time on looking into the very best response. This is usually a wild-goose chase. All the details that you receive from the research study may not stand as well as the details that you have learned could simply be falsehoods.
To put it simply, the info that you obtain from research study is mostly the outcomes of what a person's business demands. Study might be simple however it is difficult to accomplish as well as act. It ought to not be presumed that if you do something, it is going to get done right away.
The first step in HBR Case Study is online case study help Research. As a matter of fact, research can also refer to the outcomes of the research study that you have currently done. If you have participated in a study procedure, then you ought to do another study to determine the result of the study. This is a valuable technique, because it allows you to recognize the information that you already have and understand the results that you are going to get from the research procedure.
The second step in HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study is Activity. This can be quickly comprehended when you consider that the majority of the moment, study requires a great deal of time. Consequently, it makes good sense that the most efficient means to use your research study is to implement the research that you currently have right into your company. The very best component is that you do not have to make any type of adjustments to your company.
The third step in HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study is Change. In a case study, adjustment usually describes making changes to your company. Modification can likewise refer to having to make a major change to your business if the old system is not working or you require to make some big modifications.
In order to enhance your business, you should have the ability to move forward and take on the changes in case Study. A lot of companies need to go through some form of adjustment or another. It makes sense to recognize the reason for the change that you are about to make and comprehend how it will certainly profit your organisation.
The final action in HBR Case Study is the adjustment that you must make. The HBR Study is a device that assists you discover if the modification that you require to make is necessary or not.
Ultimately, you will just see what the benefits that you are going to get from the research study that you have done as well as the actions that you need to absorb order to apply those benefits. This will certainly help you figure out if there is an actual demand for the modification that you are mosting likely to make. It will certainly aid you determine if the adjustments that you are going to make are going to be worthwhile as well as if they are mosting likely to bring your company up to par with the competition.
HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study assists in the development of your business by supplying you with the proof that your business needs to have. After finishing your research, you can after that do something about it as well as implement the modifications that you intend to make in your company. for the renovations of your business.
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution Alternatives
The Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Solution Alternatives or Study Evaluation is one of the most preferred of all the Harvard Company College Study Solutions. It is important to explain that the study is a crucial part of any kind of effective company. Its study and its evaluation are important to one's own study to learn about their very own market placement, the total setting in which they run, and so on. It holds true Study Analysis that allows you to know your weak points and strengthen your strengths as well as adapt to these as necessary.
With the HBS Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Service there are three versions for you to choose from. If you pick the Study Evaluation to give you with a remedy for your very own research, you will certainly find that this is the Case Study Remedy that you should have.
In the B Grade Students, you will find Case Study Evaluation that offers you with study solutions that can assist you with this trouble. In this case the Case Study Evaluation offers you with a well-structured research study for you to consider.
In the B Quality Students, there is a Study Analysis that offers you with a case study service that can help you with this issue. It is this Case Study Evaluation that enables you to understand your very own weaknesses as well as determine exactly how you can be better matched for the future. You will certainly likewise locate this is a helpful tool in your research.
In the B Grade Students, there is a Study Evaluation that offers you with a case study remedy that can aid you with this problem. It is this Case Study Evaluation that allows you to understand your own weak points as well as identify just how you can be far better matched for the future.
Financial Analysis of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution
The HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Instance Solution is a superb remedy for all economic analysis inquiries, even for those that are more advanced. It can provide you a big benefit when using the HBR Instance Analysis for economic preparation for your very own economic requirements. You may discover that this solution functions quite possibly for your business or individual needs.
With that being stated, we're mosting likely to cover a couple of indicate assist you prepare for the future with brand-new monetary evaluation services that you will discover with this new technology. What you will discover in the world of monetary evaluation is a variety of approaches and also many different strategies for handling analysis.
One incredibly popular approach is called Study Analysis. In this method, you carry out a case study to help answer several of the question that arise from financial analysis questions. The secret to this approach is truth understanding of the marketplace as well as the general scenarios. But you need to comprehend that you are always getting one-step closer to how to arrive.
We're not versus this technique yet it has its drawbacks. As holds true with most things, Case Study Evaluation does not always reveal the value in the end result. As you comply with the steps in a case study, the likelihood of success increases.
This monetary analysis option was created by William G. Bowen and David E. Shaw. They saw to it to cover all angles of the market including neighborhood markets as well as worldwide markets. It incorporates ideas that aid you make informed choices that are both cost-effective and also economic.
The HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Situation Remedy considers both the neighborhood and also global markets. It gives you an all natural sight of the market. To make certain that you make sound choices, this option is great to inspect your trading activities. In addition, it provides you afinancial toolkit so that you understand exactly how to assess details promptly and also keep on your own notified of the whole industry.
It has actually been preferred amongst all the companies that use economic evaluation in their evaluations. Lots of companies began to take advantage of this remedy because of its performance. One of the greatest advantages is that you do not have to go through a study to begin to utilize this option.
HBR Instance Evaluation can give you an excellent chance to see what the ordinary cost of supplies will certainly be prior to you acquire or market stocks. You can get an understanding of the marketplace overview. It gives you a clear suggestion on whether you ought to purchase a specific supply.
A HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Instance Solution can function as a referral overview. You can examine if the costs are regular or otherwise. You can additionally contrast these rates with the market price.
It has actually been proven to be efficient because of its simpleness and also the reality that it does not make use of challenging strategies. This type of remedy is utilized by financiers. Capitalists locate this type of analysis beneficial in conserving a great deal of time because they can utilize this kind of analysis rather than making use of a broker's services.
Another point to note is that there are some downsides to this evaluation solution. While it works well with the existing economic situation, it may not work for the future.
VRIO Analysis of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Help
When you are about to do an HBR Study Remedy, do not think about HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis. That is not a simple task due to the fact that it takes considerable quantity of time to evaluate every single information of business scenario in which you are working.
While performing a HBR Study Remedy, it is very important to inspect every single aspect of the situation, seeing to it that you have actually analyzed all your options which you have determined which choice is the very best for you to address your trouble. It is very important to state below that every business owner is various.
The capacity to adjust to the changing fad of the market might differ from one entrepreneur to one more. You should constantly remember that your whole organisation approach and also goals need to be defined by you, to make sure that you are able to reply to any kind of change on the market fads.
In your effort to perform your HBR Case Study Solution, it is necessary to consider the kind of service you are managing. It can include anything from a micro company to a big conglomerate.
Prior to you choose Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version a study service, it is very important to determine your specific niche and also item prior to deciding the sort of business you will certainly be dealing with. For instance, if you are marketing medicines in a vast region, you should try to analyze the state of health of individuals who come to your store.
All doctors are bound to recommend their medications when they are not satisfied with the outcomes. If you have actually been recommended to use a particular brand of medicines, see to it that you have taken into consideration all the details regarding the efficacy of that brand.
A decision making process does not start until you have actually acquired some knowledge about the market. Beginning by considering all the aspects that are involved in the acquisition of an item, like demand, competitors, pricing, track record, and so on
. As soon as you have determined which company you are into, it is essential to discover exactly how you will certainly create new income for your business. There are numerous ways that you can do this.
One excellent idea is to market a services or product to your clients directly. In this manner, you are ensured that you are offering value for cash since you will have the ability to produce profit with deal rather than simply a sale.
One of the very best methods to produce earnings for your service is to be proactive regarding market forces. If your service is stationary, you might not be able to make any kind of development and might only wind up being stationary.
Market forces are the secret to success. Therefore, it is essential to make a thorough evaluation of your market and recognize exactly what will assist you generate new earnings.
PESTLE Analysis of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Help
If you have examined any elements of Personnel Administration, after that you have most likely learnt more about Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis. Study Analysis is the procedure in which a Human Resource Manager takes a look at the very best practices and techniques utilized by a business system to develop the requirement of quality that is thought about effective in all locations of their procedure.
Human Resource Administration is an integral part of business as well as is one of the very best aspects of service to be instructed in courses. Because of this, it is a crucial aspect to find out just how to do this appropriately.
This type of Case Study Evaluation can be quickly done by just taking the steps required to start a service or by starting your very own organisation. Both of these options enable you to have a dependable method to end up being knowledgeable about the business processes needed to make sure the business continues to be effective. Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis will provide you with the information you require to do this.
Along with using a Study Analysis, you will additionally wish to develop a case plan to assist you with the strategy. A Situation Strategy is produced to assist the remainder of the service by doing research on patterns that might influence the firm.
In this situation, it is simpler to merely utilize Study Service. These are based on actual, working instances of business that have been successful in the very same area the firm desires to operate in.
All these aspects are needed in the process of Case Study Analysis, so it is great to obtain every little thing created simultaneously. This allows the entire process to run smoothly.
Using Case Study Solution is not restricted to business. It is great to do a Case Study Analysis for any type of service to see what jobs best to achieve an effective result.
After developing the Study Analysis, you will certainly currently intend to ask on your own whether the trouble has actually been solved. You will certainly intend to evaluate the outcomes and also establish what requires to be transformed to get the result you want.
The Case Study Service that is produced will provide you the tools you need to evaluate the effectiveness of the human resource monitoring practices you currently have in area. It will additionally offer you with a chance to identify what can be enhanced.
Making Use Of Study Remedy to determine your following actions is an excellent way to prevent future issues from occurring. They permit you to analyze the outcome you prefer in an extra unbiased and thorough manner.
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Option is easy to use and also execute. It can be helpful in practically any type of situation where a Human Resource Manager will require to do research on the results of their company to help them arrive at an option.
SWOT Analysis of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution
Today's Vital Believing teacher, anticipate that pupils will certainly be provided a possibility to pick up from a study remedy by using a Case Study in an intro to a vital thinking task. Study give an excellent possibility for students to be able to learn and also use trouble fixing as a crucial part of their knowing process. A Study has confirmed to be an effective method of offering trainees with their first exposure to critical thinking and also the abilities required to utilize issue resolving in their daily lives. This method has actually assisted many trainees to get an excellent critical assuming structure.
For the students taking this study as well as presenting it to their class, it will be necessary to clarify their expectations for the trainees at first of the lesson to help build self-confidence in the trainees ahead of time. Additionally, given that the Case Study is presented to pupils in the form of a learning task, it is necessary that it be discussed to the students in an open as well as unemotional manner in which does not make them really feel that they are wrong or inadequate in any way.
The student will certainly require to sit down and also provide themselves time to consider the Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study. They require to take a look at the real life issues and circumstances that the trainees experience today as well as apply those problems in the classroom. After pupils have actually had a possibility to assess and consider what is existing in case research study, it is important to help them identify exactly how the options to the troubles can aid their very own lives as well as solve their problems.
There are numerous appropriate concepts, information, experiences, and also choices that can be made use of to aid trainees as they start their lessons. Students are normally trained to ask inquiries, learn from instances, as well as communicate in energetic methods with their teachers.Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version A study can help them practice these skills as well as strengthen them to ensure that they will end up being extra certain as well as receptive to the suggestions presented in case research study.
The inquiries that students are asked to address will help them to believe critically concerning the concerns existing in the SWOT Evaluation. This is a very powerful device for training trainees to think of current events as well as present problems by utilizing a SWOT Analysis. It is essential that students ask and also address the concerns meticulously to make sure that they can assemble the ideal strategies for dealing with the problems existing.
While the majority of students will take an initial course in SWOT Evaluation, there are likewise lots of instructors that will present students to the SWOT Analysis before they educate the Vital Believing tasks. Actually, the professor might only present students to the SWOT Evaluation for those students that are already proficient in this sort of reasoning. The professor might have pupils complete a comprehensive task for a course task, after that offer the SWOT Analysis to students to help them learn how to utilize this principle in their own day-to-days live. These activities are typically called a SWOT Analysis Project.
These jobs are typically multi-subjects that enable pupils to exercise various methods in handling various problems. Students learn to learn as well as just how to assess the info and also solutions. They get a possibility to use approaches and discover exactly how to identify areas where they could have voids in their expertise.
The Case Study that pupils will certainly be working on in the very first half of the lesson will certainly provide the chance to make use of the SWOT Analysis principle. The student will require to think about the usages and also staminas of an issue that they can see with the remedy. This can additionally be handy in creating the trainees' capabilities to select in between two feasible services to an issue.
Students will need to have a range of different viewpoints and also views on the problem to obtain a good sense of the loved one strengths and also weaknesses of the problems provided. The pupil ought to be able to locate a combination of placements that stand for a sensible series of point of views. Now, trainees will be able to contrast the different point of views as well as choose the one that best fits their experience.
The trainees can then apply this understanding as well as information by thinking about the strengths and also weak points of the options. They will certainly have the ability to choose which of the remedies best fits their own needs. and also skills and also preferences in the rest of the lesson.
HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution
Now that HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Remedy is readily available, you can make use of it. There are quite a few business that provide situation services online, so it is very vital to select the most effective one out there. The HBR Instance Solution can assist you become one of those few who truly do well with their business.
In this remedy, you will be obtaining an introduction of all the aspects of Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version study evaluation. You will be discovering exactly how to be successful with it and ultimately, you will likewise be taking advantage of it.
It is very vital to get the services of HBR Option because it offers you a total explanation of the subject of study analysis. You will certainly be able to assess the toughness and weak points of your company from a different angle.
Furthermore, you will learn more about the factors involved in study evaluation. It will certainly give you an understanding on how to handle your company for better outcomes.
The HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Solution will be also beneficial for your employees, you will certainly be getting a summary of how you can encourage them. You will certainly also find out exactly how to inspire them in order to improve the productivity degree.
Additionally, you will be obtaining an overview of the different elements of HBR Study Option. This will certainly allow you to examine your company so that you can learn the best steps to take in order to optimize its potential.
The HBR Study Option will help you assess the impact of your decisions and activities on your firm. You will be able to identify the course of your firm as well as to figure out whether it is heading in the direction of success or failure.
If you have some issues with the staff members, this study service will certainly aid you comprehend how you can keep them encouraged. You will certainly have the ability to find out the appropriate actions to take to make sure that they will work hard for you.
With the HBR Case Study Option, you will likewise have the ability to see the advantages of having a team-based strategy to the procedure of taking care of the business. You will additionally be able to see the significance of reliable interaction in between the administration and also the staff members.
The HBR Case Study Option will help you review the process of constructing a team for your organisation. It will assist you assess the ideal strategies that you require to execute to construct such a group.
You will certainly be able to obtain an excellent review of the benefits of the HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution. The HBR Instance Solution can aid you make better decisions in order to remain ahead of your rivals.
Get Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis
If you are stuck on a case study issue or want to attempt something different to enhance the top quality of your trainees' learning experience, a brand-new item of software program for coursework is called Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis. This new piece of software application can be used on nearly any type of subject matter, such as international languages, physiology, psychology, monitoring, and much more. While it might appear a little strange at first, if you utilize it properly, it can transform the method your pupils learn!
A fast hands-on program or lecture can take hours. Let's face it, just how much time does it actually conserve? An instructor that can be out of the class and associated with their trainee's education is worth it.
It does not call for much job or money either, so for students who require something extra to improve the learning experience, Case Study Option may be a best option. As an example, allow's state that a pupil wants to take a logical and also critical analysis training course. Since the training course could take several weeks to complete, what type of additional product would certainly be valuable? Study Option offers a number of resources, which the pupil can use at his/her very own pace.
For a quick one-hour session, Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Evaluation can assist a student recognize a details crucial principle or issue. The software program presents details in an easy to follow manner. It can additionally include interactive and adjustable analyses and also tests.
There are three different sorts of assessments. Pupils can pick the types of activities they want to do, in addition to the size of time they want to invest doing them. The evaluation can include taking examinations, finishing tests, creating a paper, and also making a discussion. Students can additionally use the analysis tools to obtain additional information as well as advice on how to address the trouble.
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution helps a trainee in a wide range of means, including helping with an enhanced degree of customized support. It not only uses materials found in the courseware, however likewise uses the standard text-based courseware, textbooks, and also learning guides.
One more significant advantage of Case Study Remedy is that it can be customized to a pupil's requirements as well as skills. This allows pupils to personalize their understanding experience with the wanted details as well as sources.
The truth that Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Option can be used on almost any type of subject must be just one of the major reasons why it ought to be thought about by pupils. By using Study Solution, trainees will have the ability to complete the objectives that they have actually set for themselves. Not only will trainees be much better planned for the class and to examine, but they will certainly be able to take pleasure in the procedure.
In order to utilize Study Remedy, pupils will need to download it to their computer. If they already have a computer system, they can download the software program to it. If they don't have a computer, there are downloads readily available for Macs, Computers, as well as even mobile phones.
When using Case Study Service, a trainee must make sure to have it set up properly for each course. The software program can just be utilized with the courseware of the training course. Nevertheless, if a pupil simply intends to try it out, they might download it from the web.
Making Use Of Case Study Service can provide trainees a much greater degree of customized help than ever before. Pupils can discover a range of aspects of the coursework by executing it, especially when they pick it. The benefits are countless, and in many cases the advantages are enabled by nothing else system offered.
Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis - Have Your Student Focused Learning
How to do Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Analysis
The HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Study Service is actually a process of preparation and also examining an efficient strategy for a new service idea. You can discover a number of sites that offer this solution free of cost. With these resources, you can easily find a copy of the Harvard Organisation Evaluation as well as the HBR Instance Service. Both these magazines are based on leading management journals in the United States.
A Study Analysis will certainly help you plan a course of action for a new business version. The very initial step is to research study each trouble and also figure out which of the many feasible services will certainly serve the brand-new company ideal. When researching your issues, bear in mind that the administration system need to be structured with optimum versatility.
A Case Study Service for you will certainly discuss both the benefits and drawbacks of each service. It will certainly additionally disclose which remedies have the greatest opportunities of success. The HBR Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Option does this for its readers. They plan a holistic technique to addressing each trouble, to make sure that the service satisfies all of the essential demands of the organization.
The Harvard Organisation Review and the HBR Case Remedy ought to be studying to figure out which remedy will best satisfy the present organizational objectives. They will not just help you in establishing the toughness as well as weak points of each remedy, however will also figure out which option will certainly fulfill the firm's long-term objectives. This will help you decide whether to select one service or not.
The Dmd Compresores Adjusting The Business Model Spanish Version Case Study Solution assists business owners determine the most effective services for their problems. It allows them to compare and contrast the several options they are taking into consideration. It is important that the objective is plainly defined at the outset. Without this objective, there is no other way to compare and contrast the options as well as therefore no other way to achieve the suitable remedy.
Discovering the best business remedy is commonly challenging. It might take more than one study to discover one of the most efficient option. Not just do you require to make comparisons and also want to alter service concepts to attain this objective, but you must additionally identify the solutions that work best for your organization. There is no point in choosing the remedy that can not accomplish your company's goals.
The Study Service assists entrepreneur to do simply that. The Study Option gives useful examples that can help you in recognizing the most effective option for your company. The Study Solution provides a complete examination of each solution as well as suggestions that will certainly help you pick the most effective remedy. Even if the Case Study Service does not straight give an option, it is still a helpful tool in aiding you identify which solution will supply one of the most favorable benefits.
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Heads up — Monday 12/14 will be our last formal class session. Wednesday 12/16 will be an open Office Hour for people who still need help with the Final Portfolio (revisions or reflection). We’ll wrap up the term, do a fun thing, and wish ourselves a happy holiday!
And here’s the Padlet to leave something for future students:
The grades and comments for the Unit 3 projects are up. What wonderful things you folks created! Anher’s cartoons (which you should read starting from the one on the far right side since she did it first) is something you should not miss; everybody can relate to it because it’s about online learning.
Thanks to everybody for showing up for the Conferences. I enjoyed them. Please email me or text me on Slack if you have questions.
I’ll see you in class on Monday, Dec 14, which will be our last formal meeting! Yikes!!!!
Week of 12/7-12/14
No class meetings this week! One-on-one conferences only. Keep working on your Final Portfolios.
Here’s a list of conference times and people who have signed up for them:
- 10:00 Abigail Branch
- 10:30 Zachary Forkash
- 11:00 Nevena Vucovic
- 11:30 Jamilet Martiez
- 12:00 Jason Chan
- 12:30 Yuong Hua Ng Liang
- 1:00 Rashed
- 1:30 open
- 2:00 open
- 10:00 Yong Yu Chen
- 10:30 Anher Hafiz
- 11:00 open
- 11:30 Emel Pejcinovic
- 1:00 Rashed Saikat
- 1:30 Esther Michnik
- 2:00 Rehan Mohammad
Wednesday 12/9 – no class meeting but I will be in the Zoom room starting at 9:30 for anybody who missed their conferences OR feel like they need a few more minutes conference time. (UPDATE 12/7: Anaya is now scheduled for 10 am.)
Important post 12/2 meeting information!
Hope I got your attention :-).
First about the Murray piece: do NOT answer the questions at the end of the reading assignment. Some textbook writer wrote those so you can ignore them. What you should do is answer the prompt I left on the schedule:
READ: “The Maker’s Eye” by Donald Murray. https://robertnazar.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/themakerseye.pdf
WRITE & POST TO OPEN LAB: Pick your favorite idea/line from Murray’s piece and explain why you picked it. How does it apply to your own work? DO NOT ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE READING PASSAGE!
Title it “Maker’s Eye – your name” and post using Category Final Portfolio. Tag “Maker’s Eye.”
Second, about the Final Reflection. This is tricky to explain, but this is meant to be an honest look at how you feel about what you’ve done this term. If it’s been confusing or an assignment was annoying, say so. It’s your term and your work, after all. And I absolutely do NOT lower anybody’s grade no matter what they say (I even had a student one year start off with a string of curses about how I made him think too hard and the readings were so difficult… and ended by saying that when he won his first Oscar, I would be the first person he would thank in his speech. To which I thought… well… okay then…).
Along those same lines, don’t spend 1000 words saying how wonderful I am or how life-changing the class was or whatever. I’m not looking for praise, and after as many degrees in writing as I’ve earned, I can pad and kiss-up better than almost anybody I know… and I can spot it a mile away. I always appreciate a compliment (which you can put at the very end) but I also appreciate criticism and I really appreciate honesty.
So that’s my rant about the Final Reflection :-).
Third, about our conferences next week. Remember: no formal class meetings. Check the Google Doc to be sure you know when we’re supposed to meet. And bring in a bit of the Final Reflection (or post it ahead of time here in OpenLab).
See you next week!
Week of 11/29 through 12/7:
We’re on to the Final Portfolio & Final Reflection! Here’s the link to the Assignment and Schedule. Of course, it’s in the Course Assignments area, too. I put both assignment and schedule on one page because it’s not that much, but I also put a “Print This” button at the very bottom so that you can download it as a pdf or print it out.
- This week, we’ll be talking about getting ready to create your Final Portfolio.
- Next week, we’ll be doing individual conferences rather than having class sessions.
One thing we’ll be doing in class on 11/29 is playing with a new Padlet so we’re all talking about terms in the same way (and so you can use them in your Final Reflection). Here’s the link to that Padlet so you can come back to it as you’re working on your Final Reflection.
To find your Time Capsule post (and the other things you’ve written this term and posted on OpenLab), go to the right-side list and click on your name. Everything will be there in reverse chronological order
Just FYI, your Unit 2 work has been graded and commented on (both in the Grade Book and in the Google Drive). Same with Unit 1. Take a look at the Drive to be sure I looked at the correct version of your work.
Post class session: Here’s the whiteboard where I talked about the terms.
Updated Assignment Sheet for the Artist’s Statement:
When I looked at the assignment as it was written originally, I decided it was a little confusing. So I took another pass at it – a revision. I talked about metacognitive reflection early in the term — the process of stepping back and looking at the whole thing (meta), thinking about it (cognitive), and considering what you did and what you might have done differently and might do differently in the future (reflection). That’s what this Artist’s Statement is — a metacognitive reflection about the genre project you’ve just completed: the choices you made, why you made them, what happened, how you feel about it now. So for this 750-100 word document, you’re going to create your own metacognitive reflection about your project, and do it in a way that tells us what happened and when — the chronology of thought and actions that took you from your first ideas about it all the way to the completed project.
There are three sections in your Artist’s Statement (you can set these up as subheads in your document if you’d like):
- Before I began: Think back through everything you did – every choice you made and why – before you actually got to work on the genre project. Here are the things you need to talk about:
- Context: Give us the background for this project. Remind us how you became interested in the topic.
- Rhetorical Situation and Related Choices: Tell us the “why” of your project. What was your purpose for making this project? What audience did you want to direct this information to? Why that audience specifically? Where did you see your piece being shown or distributed to your audience? What appeals did you decide to use (which, of course, may have changed later): facts (logos), emotion (pathos), the credibility of you or someone you talk about (ethos)?
- Genre Considerations: Why did you chose the genre you did? What made you think that genre would be the best one for your audience? For example, if you did a brochure, what made a brochure the best way to get the information to your chosen audience — that is, you knew you had a place to distribute it so that seemed logical?
- Doing the project: Walk us chronologically through the process you went through to get it done: this then this then this… What went well? What didn’t go so well? What did you have to change and when? Did you throw out your original idea altogether, and if so, why? Who/where did you turn to for help? When did you panic (if you did) and what did you do about it?
- Now that it’s “done”: How do you think it turned out? Did you change the kinds of appeals or see them evolve as you went along (it happens)? Why? What, given all the time and money and expertise in the world, would you have done differently? What works great, what are you happiest about? How easy or hard was it? How do you feel about having done something like this as a college project — can you see using any of this in the future (tools, analysis, etc.)?
- Length: This Statement should be at least 750-1000 words in length.
- Format: Set it up like a typical MLA essay with the name block in the upper left, 12 points Times New Roman or Calibri, paragraphs indented one tab. Use boldface subheads if you would like to separate the three sections for easy reading.
- How to submit: Post this to the Google Drive, Unit 3. Also post or link to your genre project here.
- Due: This and the project itself are due Sunday March 29, end of the day.
Quick note (11/19):
The “grades” for the Unit 2 work are in the Grade Book. As before, the grade is just an interim grade and will depend on how your Revisions for the Final Portfolio turn out. I did leave a comment in the Grade Book of my overall reaction, and the specific Comments are on the Google Docs themselves. Let me know if you want to meet one-on-one soon, although I’ll be setting up appointments after Thanksgiving with everybody to go over the Final Portfolio,
Monday 11/16, we’ll be looking at, and giving each other some feedback on, your works in progress. We’ll also talk about the scheduling for the rest of this Unit. Wednesday 11/18 will be all about writing the Artist’s Statement that accompanies your project.
This Weekly Schedule is a little different, as you’ll see. It covers the rest of this unit through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Mostly, you’ll be finishing up your Unit 3 projects and writing the Artist’s Statement, and then taking a breath before we get into the Final Portfolio & Final Reflection after Thanksgiving. I’ll have Unit 2 Comments/Grades done by Thanksgiving, too.
And here are the guidelines for the Artist’s Statement (fyi, I copied it from the Course Assignment page for Unit 3):
ARTIST STATEMENT GUIDELINES
Explaining the rationale behind our actions and decisions is an important kind of reflective writing because it makes visible what is otherwise invisible. You can choose to write an e-mail in Comic Sans font, but unless you explain why, the choice may seem mysterious and odd to readers. Composers of all sorts often write an Artist’s Statement for their audience that explains their inspirations, intentions, and choices in their creative and critical processes. It helps the reader understand the process that led to the final product by providing insight into what the author set out to do, how they did it, and what they might do to further improve the piece. A successful Artist’s Statement reflects your understanding of your chosen genre (and the elements, style, design, and use of sources that characterize it) – and of your specific rhetorical situation (your reasons for composing, your audience, how you use rhetorical appeals, and your choice of mode and medium).
In your Author’s Statement, you must do the following:
- Provide context. It’s useful to give background on your composition, such as how you became interested in the topic, what were your inspirations, or, if you’ve created a series of related works, how the pieces all fit together.
- Discuss your specific rhetorical situation and related choices: In other words: answer the question “why?” Why did you decide to write in the genre you did? Why did you choose the audience you did? Why did you decide to talk about this particular aspect of your research? What is the purpose of your piece?
- Explain your choice of genre and how you worked within its conventions. Maybe you created a photo essay. An accompanying statement—in which you explain why you found the photo essay to be the best way to communicate your ideas about gun control—would go a long way toward helping your viewers get the most out of your work.
- Reflect on how it went. Use this as an opportunity to look back at your composition and evaluate the extent of your achievement as well as note what you would have done differently or better.
*Note: This should be a fluid, cohesive document that reflects on and justifies the rhetorical choices in your New Genre Project. Do not just merely answer each question in list form.
Optional workshop class today: There is no formal class today but if you have questions about your project, need some help thinking through what to do or advice on design etc., please come. I’ll be in our Zoom room from 10-11:40.
Creating a comic: Thank you to Esther for reminding me… here’s the link to use Storyboard That, the storyboard/comic/graphic novel creator. You need to create an account (free). It should say ENG 1101 for the dashboard.
Work in Progress: Remember to post something on the Padlet by Sunday night to show us how you’re doing. There are two other options for posting it:
- If you find it easier to do it via post on OpenLab, feel free (“Progress – your name” Unit 3, Tag “Progress”).
- You can upload it to the Unit 3 folder in the Google Drive the way Danielle did so I could look at her entire infographic. Final versions will be posted there anyway, so if it’s easier for you to use the Google Drive, that’s fine, too.
Of course email or Slack if you have questions.
Week of 11/9 through 11/15:
Post-session: A couple of things:
- You can change your proposal any time you want, especially now that we’ve looked at other possible genres. Just let me know (I’ll also keep an eye on the proposals tag).
- Wednesday morning, I’ll post on here whether class is optional or not.
- Whenever you’ve got something for us to look at, go ahead and drop it into the Padlet
Good news: you don’t have to use a brochure or a video or an infographic. There are a lot of other genres you can choose from. Here’s a collection of examples and how to’s and other references for things like feature articles, informative magazine articles, and articles for the web, as well as a link to a whole bunch of other ideas in the form of mentor texts from The New York Times. Here is a pdf of some magazine article examples.
Weekly Schedule: Weekly Schedule 11/9 through 11/15
- Padlet for “Clean Up Your Mess”: https://padlet.com/dblain1/f9ygb8y28vge42qz
- Padlet for “Progress Report” https://padlet.com/dblain1/99viwdi2rte1x25z
- Just fyi… If you want to post some pages AND a link to a website or something, just hit the Edit pencil, and then copy/paste the link or new materials. It will work — I just tested it.
- AND if you’d rather post your Progress Report on OpenLab, go ahead and create a new post, title “Progress Report – your name” Category Unit 3, Tag Progress.
Post meeting 11/4:
And for class, here’s the whiteboard I did today that talks about media (means of sending information), modes (the kinds of things that we use to create a text), genre, and publication (the place where you would put your genre creation so that people could see/interact with it) as a way of focusing. (Click on it to make it bigger so you can read it.)
About doing something new: be sure to do some research on the topic and mention that research in the Artist’s Statement you’ll be writing as the final part of this Unit. What you’re doing now is personal, yes, but it needs to be grounded in knowledge you’ve gained from research as well as from your own experiences.
I’ll be Commenting on Proposal Posts (remember — this is on OpenLab) as quickly as I can. But get started whenever you want.
For week of Nov 2 – Nov 9:
We’re moving on! I think you’ll enjoy Unit 3 because you get to take what you learned in Unit 2 and do something creative with it. In class Monday, we’ll go over the unit and see some examples of typical (and not so typical) projects, and you’ll get a chance to start thinking about what you want to do. Then you’ll create a proposal and give each other some help with ideas and possibly technical knowledge.
We can also use our class sessions to talk about the election if you want. We may need to…
So here’s the Unit Assignment and overall schedule for Unit 3.
Here’s the Padlet for brainstorming ideas. Feel free to keep putting things on it if you’d like.
Post class session Oct 26:
1.Don’t forget to sign up for a Conference time on Wednesday, Oct 28. There is no class session that day. Just Conferences. Use our regular Zoom room:
- Meeting ID: 814 9272 9851
- password: 459026
- Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81492729851?pwd=UzI5MjY3enFVQVQyMDhWbnpLM3h1Zz09
2. Here is the Padlet. Feel free to add stuff all week if you’d like. https://padlet.com/dblain1/e4t45v2f7p1dngit
3. Here’s the information about the Plan Week/Majors (it’s at 5:00 today, Monday 10/26):
After a brief introduction to Departments, Majors, Degree Checklists, and Degree Maps, students will move into breakout rooms with Peer Mentors and other upper level students in their intended majors.
This is a great chance for first year students to get inside information from successful students who know the ropes.
Plan Week Workshops (there are other activities as well).
For the week of Oct 26-Nov 1
This week, you’re finishing your Source Analyses, writing an Individual Report about what you did/found, and a couple of other things in class.
Here’s the Weekly Schedule 10/26 through 11/1.
And this is the information about the Individual Report:
Now that you’ve gathered all of this very amazing information – and I’m sure some of it has been truly amazing – each of you has to write an Individual Report of about 500 words where you talk about what the process of doing this Annotated Bibliography was like, and what you learned from it. Here’s what goes in it:
- Introduction: Remind us again about why you chose this issue, what you were curious about, what you hoped to learn more about, and what your position or opinion about the issue was when you started.
- What you learned: Talk about what you learned doing this – the things that surprised or infuriated you, or made you hopeful – and how your thinking about the issue deepened or changed in the process.
- Who else should know: Talk about what you think is the most important thing you got from the process, what it was like to do research where you weren’t trying to prove a point, and who else you think should hear about what you learned (this last point is going to be important for doing Unit 3, so think carefully about it).
It must look like an MLA essay:
- Name block in the top left corner
- Each paragraph is indented one tab
- Page number in upper right corner
How to post all of Unit 2:
- Gather your Source Analyses together.
- In a New Word or Google Doc:
- Individual Report first
- The Source Analyses below
- Upload it into the Google Drive Folder for Unit 2 in the Group folder.
Post-class comments 10/21:
After talking to several people, I think it’s time (if you want to do this) for y’all to start creating your own Doc for this Unit. Yes, the group Annotated Bibliography (done the way I wanted it) is working in the sense that people are seeing what’s going on, getting ideas, etc. But (also done the way I wanted it) it does tend to get very long and hard to keep organized for yourself.
So… starting now, feel free to start a new Google Doc or even Word doc of your own. Put your name on it and put it in the group folder. Copy and paste what you’ve already posted. Add the new Source Analyses. And when we get to the Individual Report next week, add it to the bottom.
Of course, I’ll keep leaving Comments. And feel free to look at what the others in your group are doing, too, and leave comments for them.
I think that will help us all stay organized!
Update about doing the Source Analyses:
I was talking to Yuong Huao, and thought I’d give you a 2-second summary of what goes in the Source Analyses. I’m also posting what I showed you in class.
Short version of the Source Analysis:
- Summary is about the content of the source.
- Rhetorical Analysis is about how that content is put together for an audience.
- Short Analysis/Reflection is about how you feel about the content and about how it was presented.
Longer version/description (what I created and showed in class):
1.Summary: This is an [article, video, poem, chart, image] that [explains, describes] this information/situation. You can include as much or as little as you want.
2. Rhetorical Analysis: Cover the things on the Rhetorical/Genre Analysis Worksheet, but only those things that are important.
- For example, if it’s a news article in a journal, you don’t need to say “why choose this genre” because the news is the news, and we all know why it’s there. If it’s a blog, you can talk about why someone would blog about the information rather than write a traditional article in a journal.
- If you establish the credibility of the author/source, that’s ethos, so you don’t have to say “ethos” anywhere.
- When talking about situation, it’s always good to give context, even if it’s a current event.
- It’s also good to give examples: the author interviewed this person in order to make us feel the emotion of the situation OR the author used a lot of data and charts to convince us that their information was correct.
3. Short Analysis: Talk about two things.
- First: Given what you say is the purpose of the text and the intended audience, do you think the author achieved that purpose? Was the text the right one for that intended audience, or did they somehow fall short in some way? What worked in terms of achieving the purpose? What worked against it?
- Second: What’s your opinion of the information? Do you agree or disagree? Were you surprised by anything? Did it give you more information or insight that you didn’t have before?
Assignments: by the end of Sunday, you should have three Source Analyses posted either on the Group Annotated Bibliography or in a new Doc of your own in the Folder. I’ll look at revisions and new posts as they come in and leave more feedback.
Post-class comments 10/19:
I hope that was helpful and that you feel like you’ve got some other people in the class on the same page/topic with you. Keep leaving Comments for each other as you work through these next couple of weeks… honestly, people are doing really well! And now we have two new groups: Education and Climate Change. Remember: if you want to use the KWL+ Activity to generate ideas or questions, feel free!
EdPuzzle: Thanks to Emel for this. I changed the Rhetorical Analysis video assignment to No Due Date, so everybody should be able to have access to it now. You may have to click on a No Due Date tab somewhere (my view is different than yours, so I’m not sure). It’s a short assignment (under 10 minutes for most people) but it does give another look at Rhetorical Analysis as well as a chance to think about what you know. Let me know if you still have problems.
Source Analyses: Just to be clear, Source Analysis 1 was due last night, SA2 is due Thursday night, SA3 is due Sunday night. Here’s the Weekly Schedule for next week up as well so you can see what’s coming up.
…and I’ll be leaving comments on your SA 1 today and tomorrow so you can make the next one(s) better and revise this one.
DM me on Slack if you have questions, concerns, comments.
Quick weekend update 10/17:
I’ve been leaving brief comments on the Annotated Bibliography Google Docs, questions for people to consider as they do the research etc. Nothing very specific, just some suggestions or thoughts.
There are some interesting directions that people are going in. I’m going to let y’all work together a bit this week in the class session, just for support.
EdPuzzle is closed. If you want to see my comments, go to EdPuzzle, click on Completed, then on the Video icon. The video will open. On the right-hand side, you should see a button that says View Results. Click on that. And then scroll below the video to see my comments. Here’s a YouTube explaining it, too: https://youtu.be/IQksi9-QiH4
First Source Analysis is due Sunday end of day 10/18!
AND here is the new Weekly Schedule for Oct 19-25 (it’s also on the Unit 2 Assignment page).
Post class comments 10/14
If you’d like to watch the “Bohemian Rhapsody/Coronavirus” YouTube video that YongYu has as one of his Sources, here’s the direct link to it: https://youtu.be/9Eo9M4-BrJA
Mid-terms: No midterm exam in this class. Instructors do have to report to everybody what their midterm grad is, however. It will be in the Grade Book. A word of explanation: this isn’t a letter grade. It’s either Satisfactory, Borderline, or Unsatisfactory, and meant mostly to let you know how you’re progressing in general.
Citations: for help, either go to owl.english.purdue.edu and find the Research & Citations section, or use our library’s guides: https://libguides.citytech.cuny.edu/citations. Our library also has a general orientation about the library (short video tutorials — the ones about asking questions, searching, and using databases are especially useful): https://library.citytech.cuny.edu/orientation/welcome.
Week of Oct 12 – 18
There are some good discussions going in the Discussion area about research. I’ve been ill for the past few days (not coronavirus, happily, but I do
have a chronic situation that flared up on me very inconveniently) so I’m a little behind. Heck, I’m a lot behind :-). But I’m compiling the research tips and finishing up my own work on the Literacy Narratives, so both should be showing up by Tuesday morning at the latest.
I also notice people are doing their Introductions in the Annotated Bibliography docs, and people feel very strongly about these issues, which is great — that makes doing research a lot less of a chore (it’s still work, but interest will often keep you going whereas if you were doing something you’re not interested in, the research will tail off).
If you haven’t figured out what you want to work on, here are a couple of things to try:
- In Resources –> Class Resources/Materials, you’ll find a thing called KWL+ Activity. This is a great, 30-minute (at most) tool that will help you focus or re-focus and come up with questions. Hit Submit, and it will save onto the Drive (let me know you’ve done it and I’ll take a look, too).
- Send me a text on Slack or brainstorm with one of your classmates about it.
- If you want to do something that’s not one of the topics in the Drive, that’s probably fine — just let me know.
As for this week, remember: no class on Monday Oct 12.
Wednesday, Oct 14 we’ll talk more about rhetorical analysis and doing the Source Analyses. Your responses to the EdPuzzle video on rhetorical analysis are giving me a good idea about things to discuss — what exactly to look for with visuals, how an author uses logos/pathos/ethos, and something that was mentioned in the video but which I didn’t ask about — genre. Why use a particular genre? Why make that choice?
So here’s the Weekly Schedule for Oct 12-18: you’ll see it’s not terribly heavy because I assume you’re all doing research and trying to decide which sources you want to use for your Source Analyses. That’s great! Hang onto that information for Wednesday.
See you then!
Post class recap: 10/7
Quick class today — you did a lot of work on Monday, and doing a lot now (great Discussions going on!). Now be sure to check the Weekly Assignment for this week for what’s due:
1.Discussion Posts about “Bad Ideas” (primary due today, secondary due Sunday, peeps any time).
2. Find your topic/issue folder on the Google Drive – Unit 2. One the Annotated Bibliography doc that’s in there, add your introduction:
- Who you are.
- What you’re interested in investigating more about.
- Why you’re interested in it.
- [Maybe a bit about where you might go look for sources.]
3. Do EdPuzzle activity (not due until 10/13).
4. Check the Brief List of Genres for ideas about possible sources.
5. Start digging up sources!
The first Source Analysis isn’t due until Sunday Oct 18, but an early paste into the Annotated Bibliography doc in your Google Folder would be great so I/we can give feedback as soon as possible.
And here’s the Weekly Schedule for Oct 12-18..
I’ll post a list of research tips here in a day or so. People talked about a lot of interesting approaches to doing research, so I thought I’d pull it all together so we could share them!
Remember: on Slack you can DM me, or use the #assignment-questions channel, or set up a conversation with a few other people using the DM. Also can attach files, images, links…
See y’all next Wednesday!
The Week of Oct 5-11
First off… some really interesting Literacy/Education Narratives in the Drive! I’m making notes already but won’t be posting for a couple of days. Overall — really nice work!
So now it’s on to Unit 2 — Reflective Annotated Bibliography… which leads into Unit 3 where you get to create something entirely new (and not another academic essay!). I messed the Padlet shelf a little because I didn’t give clear instructions about putting your names on your posts (sorry!) but there are some great comments already up there. And I can’t wait to see what y’all come up with in the research part of this.
So Monday Oct 5, we’re meeting to talk about the Unit again — about research, about moving forward with the Group Annotated Bibliographies, and about rhetorical analysis.
Here’s the new Weekly-Schedule-Oct 5 thru Oct 11 (it’s also in the Course Assignments — Unit 2 tab on the main menu).
See you on Zoom (and don’t forget the link is in the Resources tab)!
Heads up for next week:
Your first Source Analysis isn’t due until Sunday, Oct 18 (along with any suggestions or comments for each other). However, if you would like to post a rough draft of it by class on Oct 14, that would be great — we can talk about it better with some examples.
Here’s the Weekly Schedule for next week, just FYI since there’s no class on Monday Oct 12:
Literacy Narratives and Workshopping
Y’all are behind!
And I’m seeing some problems:
These need to look like an MLA essay. Here’s the sample from the Purdue OWL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_sample_paper.html
They need to be 1000 words. Most people have simply copied their draft and posted it. You need to take the comments I left and expand your essay.
When you’re doing Workshop Comments: 1) do marginal notes and 2) a final comment at the end. Here’s what it says on the Assignment Sheet:
1. Use the Comment feature in Google Docs to make comments as you go – things you really liked, places where you wanted to ask questions either about what they’re saying or what else you would like to know. Here are some prompts for the kinds of comments you can leave:
- I liked … because …
- I got this from reading your work:
- I found this part interesting … because…
- I got confused here … because…
- I wanted to know more about because…
2. At the very end, leave an overall comment where you include at least one key quote from their draft that stands out to you. It will be very important to pick an appropriate quotation to respond to — one that expands on your comment so that the writer can get a good idea what your comment meant.
So I’ll change the due date to Wednesday, Sept 30, for uploading your own essay, and Comments won’t be due until Friday.
Just as importantly…
Things are changing!
We’re pretty much done with Unit 1, and I’m going to change things up a bit as we get into the fun stuff (I say that with a smile).
- I’m moving all the Announcements from Unit 1 into an Archive folder in the Resources tab area. Just in case you need to see what we did when.
- I’ll be posting a Weekly Schedule here on Sunday night that should make things a lot clearer about what’s happening and what’s due when.
- The class sessions are going to change a little bit in terms of what we’ll be doing each time — some of the meetings will become optional (more or less) and designed to answer questions and troubleshoot assignments. The Weekly Schedule will tell you what’s happening when.
- And… I’ve set up a Slack channel #assignment-questions. So if you have a question about any assignment, go check there and see if I’ve already answered somebody else’s question about the same thing. Then feel free to leave me a question anyway!
So here’s This Week’s Schedule Sept 28 through Oct 4 complete with links. | <urn:uuid:211cf785-a836-4536-8e9f-b763d5c3899a> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/blaineng1101regularfa2020/ | 2022-01-25T09:23:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304798.1/warc/CC-MAIN-20220125070039-20220125100039-00599.warc.gz | en | 0.936117 | 8,062 |
Archive for category Social Media Ain’t Just About What You Had For Breakfast
Posted by torontoemerg in Blogging Navel Gazing, Good Nursing Practice is Practising with the Heart and Mind, Life in the Emergency Department, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Thursday 12 April 2012
Someone on my blog suggested that I check out this post after I just posted about this story yesterday.
To all of you who think “something more should have been done,” what should that “something” have been? She had multiple tests and exams performed for the same complaint – including sonograms which showed no blood clots the day before she died. She was having the same pain in her legs since she was hospitalized the week before. Gold standard test for DVTs is ultrasound. Do we repeat the ultrasound every day? Every hour? What other testing was “necessary”?
TorontoEmerg – think of all the patients you see with back pain requesting narcotic pain medications. Do you order serial MRIs on them to rule out the possibility of cauda equina? Or tumor? If so, what is the medical basis for the testing? If not, why? I’m assuming you don’t. When you miss the one patient who has a tumor and becomes paralyzed, you’ll be harangued because “obviously” the patient had something wrong and you neglected to address it. Yet once you tell the patients that they won’t be receiving any narcotic pain medications, many of the patients in severe pain stand up, curse at you, and storm out of the emergency department.
You say that Ms. Brown was “unable to walk.” The article showed that a nurse saw her standing the same day that she couldn’t walk. How many patients do you see who come to the emergency department and can’t get out of their car when they arrive? That’s a “red flag” that something is wrong. Do you order a million dollar workup on all of them? How many patients do you see who have had dozens of normal CT scans for their chronic abdominal pain? Is that proper medical care? I could go on and on, but you get the point.
The problem is that your post suffers from horrible hindsight bias. You knew the outcome and now you’re bashing the people who treated Ms. Brown because they didn’t have the ability to look into the future to see what would happen.
Yes, the outcome was horrible. Yes, there were miscues and miscommunication. I’m sure that Ms. Brown was “labeled” as someone trying to game the system. Society “labels” every aspect of our lives every day. President Obama is “liberal.” Ron Paul is “crazy.” Pit bulls are “dangerous.” Doctors are “rich.” Baby pandas are “cute.” Doing so doesn’t make us bad, it makes us human. Someone who was articulate and polite to the providers and to the police may have been treated differently. One of my readers said this was the “perfect storm” of events leading up to Ms. Brown’s death.
To say that Ms. Brown didn’t receive proper care or that her complaints were ignored is just wrong. I’m betting if you ordered all the testing you think Ms. Brown should have received on all of the patients who walked through the doors at your emergency department, *you’d* be the one being ridiculed.
I appreciate WhiteCoat taking the time to post such a lengthy reply. He fully explicates many of his points on his blog. I won’t editorialize much here, because I think his perspective is important to how we discuss cases like Anna Brown. I don’t share his point of view for a number of reasons, but I do agree with him that labelling people makes us human. The trouble starts, for me at least, when we allow our interior — and often unrealized — biases to influence our care.
Posted by torontoemerg in Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Saturday 03 September 2011
My Twitter account was hacked yesterday evening. Apparently a very good imitation of me sent out a mass direct message. It read “lmao…omg i am laughing so hard at this pic u i just found” followed by a link to a page which asked you to “sign in” to your Twitter account — obviously a plot to collect usernames and passwords. (Actually, a not-so-good imitation of me: I’m about the last person on earth not to uncapitalize “i” or use “lmao” or “omg” or “u.”)
Of course I fell for it — the page looks just like Twitter login page — and I had just tapped “Enter” when I realized I was being phished.
Damn it all to hell. Password reset hell, that is.
I apologize for any inconvenience to anyone affected. If you’re a trusting soul like me, and was taken in, unfortunately you will need to reset your passwords.
Some tips on securing your Twitter account here.
This blog has been named as one of the “20 Best Blog for Nurses” by that august institution, Jacksonville University School of Nursing. My jaded, cynical, shrivelled heart tells me it’s a trojan horse marketing scheme, since the button they emailed me links to information on their MScN program, and there doesn’t seem to a “20 Best Blogs for Nurses” page on their site.
I’m curious. How many other nurse bloggers got a note saying they were one of the 20 Best?
Posted by torontoemerg in Shock and Awe Advertising, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast, Warm Fuzzies on Saturday 18 June 2011
A tried and true (if tedious) bait and switch routine to draw attention to a serious issue.
Synchronicity is a weird and wonderful thing. Here I was talking about the my own promiscuous use of the F-bomb this week, and now a non-profit uses it as part of an advertising campaign in order to be relevant to the Gen Y demographic:
Fuck Cancer [according to the non-profit’s website] saves lives by teaching people how to look for cancer, instead of just find it. We change the way cancer society perceives cancer by challenging the stigma and the victim mentality. We shift the balance of power from the cancer to the patient, and turn “patients” into “cancer Fuckers”, fighters, and survivors.
I’m not very convinced, though, that “Fuck Cancer” as an advertising slogan — in the hope, it seems, that the concept will be go viral over social media — will be very effective. Attention getting, maybe, but in the end it feels too much like slacktivism: just point and click to a warm fuzzy. What do you think?
Posted by torontoemerg in Nurses Who Do Us Proud, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast, Warm Fuzzies on Wednesday 06 April 2011
Social media has reached into every profession – and nursing is no exception. Almost daily, new research and publishing methods emerge. This fast-paced, ever-changing way of disseminating information will continue to evolve, whether nurses participate or not. With the vital role that nursing plays in the health care community, nurses cannot afford to fall behind. Social media provides exciting possibilities for networking, creating content, finding and sharing information and collaborating to create a global nursing network.
These changes can be challenging, but STTI’s new book The Nurse’s Social Media Advantage: How Making Connections and Sharing Ideas Can Enhance Your Nursing Practice will provide you with the tools you need for success.
Rob mugging with his book. Pic from his personal blog.
You get the feeling Rob is going places. Anyway, well done.
Posted by torontoemerg in Advertising Hitting The Mark, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Saturday 05 March 2011
Scenes from a dissipated childhood, courtesy of 15 and Falling, an anti-smoking campaign aimed at adolescents brought out by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness.
I have to admit, I laughed my ass off when I saw this. Who doesn’t like a good flatus joke, after all?
Posted by torontoemerg in Battered Nurse Syndrome, Colour Me Cynical, Nurses Behaving Badly, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Monday 03 January 2011
Want to get kicked out of nursing school? Display a placenta on Facebook.
The shorter version of this story tells of a director of nursing named Jeanne Walsh arbitrarily booting a student named Doyle Byrnes (right) from the from the nursing program at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas only a few months short of graduation. Her heinous offence? She published on Facebook (with her instructor’s permission, mind you) a photograph of herself beside an anonymous placenta. In the letter of expulsion Walsh was brutal, yet undoubtedly fair — at least in her own mind. She wrote Byrnes: “Your demeanor and lack of professional behavior surrounding this event was considered a disruption to the learning environment and did not exemplify the professional behavior that we expect in the nursing program.”
I am mystified and not only by the Walsh’s evasive, accountability-shifting use of the passive voice. All I see here is an obviously excited, eager student with the “shiny shultz” side of the placenta showing in a tray.* Bad taste? Debatable. It’s certainly no worse than reality television. It’s not as though she’s swinging the thing around by the umbilical cord. Maybe instead of the contagious grin, she should be frowning at it slightly. Is there some gross violation of nurse-placenta confidentiality I’m missing? What, did the placenta call to complain about its treatment?
JCCC says it’s “a lesson hard learned.” Indeed, but not the one the school probably thinks it’s sending: the lesson is that nursing is filled with inexplicable decisions and finding out after the fact you did something Bad. This student can carry that lesson with her, but is it really one our nursing schools should be teaching? Can they not teach something more like “here’s an opportunity for education regarding healthcare and social media”?
Yep, indeedy, that pretty well sums up this school’s competency. No warning letter, no chance at remediation, just straight out the door. Nothing like grabbing the figurative axe for fixing a problem — and incidentally demonstrating the nasty underbelly of nursing. Makes you wonder how this school reacts when a student actually does something serious.
So a few conclusions: first, Johnson County Community College’s nursing program is probably — well, let’s be kind and damn with faint praise: they do their very best, despite having no sense of proportionality — or humour. Second, higher degrees in nursing are evidently not guarantees of effective skills in either nursing education and administration. Third, we often talk about nurses eating their young. After seeing this story and hearing about others like it — and it truly pains me to say this — I’m beginning to wonder if the source lies in nursing educators inculcating those old-fashioned nursing “values.” You know, the ones that say arbitrary and unjust behaviour, back-stabbing and treating nurses as expendable are acceptable. After all, isn’t this a classic example of how colleagues and superiors knee-cap young nurses and students?
*Note to AtYourCervix: I was not sleeping all the time during my Obs/Gyne rotation.
Posted by torontoemerg in Life in the Emergency Department, Nurses Behaving Badly, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Friday 31 December 2010
The other day EMS brought in a 58-year-old man to a certain Toronto-area hospital. His chief complaint? He had broken a toe nail. Left great toe, to be exact.
Now, I have a ten-dollar bill that says you think you know where I’m going with this: stupid ambulance-calling patient abusing the system, har-har, look at the dummy. Right?
One of my spies tells me there is a nurse at this hospital who posts tales of triage on her public Facebook page. She nailed — she thought — this particular patient just after Christmas, and didn’t bother to change the details of the chief complaint much to protect confidentiality.* Nor did she much conceal her contempt for this particular patient.
The detail the nurse neglected to mention on Facebook was this patient’s early-onset Alzheimer’s. He was just beginning to have some very serious cognitive problems; he called EMS when his toe began to bleed, then became quite agitated. His wife thought there was something seriously wrong.
Maybe not so funny now, right? Maybe more a case for social work and home care intervention than public ridicule?
I know there is a veritable cottage industry out there devoted to silly emergency department stories. Patients, in truth, do some very strange and funny things, and sometimes their appearance at the triage desk are for reasons less than credible. Hell, I’ve spun more than a few stories on this blog myself. I hope at the end of it I’ve respected both the patients and their confidentiality. But clearly the nurse above crossed a line. To me it feels abusive and frankly, rotten. There’s a huge confidentiality issue. The context was deliberately left out: it’s not funny at all if you know the circumstances. The patient and family are in a particularly vulnerable situation.
But the question I have to ask is, where exactly is that line, and how do we know when we’ve crossed it?
*I have, however.
Posted by torontoemerg in Guest Post, Social Media Ain't Just About What You Had For Breakfast on Saturday 30 October 2010
[When I saw this post on Terri Schmitt’s blog, Nurse Story, I was so impressed by her students’ work I immediately tweeted her to ask permission to repost it here, which she was kind enough to grant. Very cool, guys, and well done. As Terri would say, GO NURSING!]
These students have done amazing things and have compiled legitimate sources of internet health information on a good variety of topics. This is what nursing does, we educate, and we can use social media to do that well. These nurses, in an RN to BSN program, bring their personal interest, knowledge, and skills of internet website evaluation to benefit to their patients on the world-wide-web. I have included a table below with their twitter names and the links to their webliographies. ENJOY!
@MidwestRN – Coronary Artery Disease:http://midwestrn.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/coronary-artery-diseas/
@RnRey – Nursing and Genetics: http://rnnursejourney.blogspot.com/2010/10/nurses-and-genetics
@CampusNurse – Oral Mucositis: http://campusnurse.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/oral-mucositis/
@ahopkinsrn – Obesity: http://ahopkinsrn.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/obesity/
@clynn_rn – Glomerulonephritis: http://clynnrn.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/webliography/
@nrodrockrn – Diabetes: http://bsnhereicome.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/diabetes-webliography/
@sandypark82 – Gastroparesis:http://sandypark82.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/gastroparesis/
@JessicaMRN – Epilepsy: http://nursejessi.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/epilepsy-webliography/
@NurseNaters – CVA Recovery:http://adventuresinmursing.blogspot.com/2010/10/recovery-from-cva.html
@thetoddrn – COPD: http://thetoddsblahg.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/copd-webliography
@Jales_RN – Preeclampsia: http://jalesknowsbabiesrock.blogspot.com/2010/10/annotated-webliography-of-preeclampsia.html
@SusanInman – To Stick or Not to Stick: http://apediatricnursesperceptions.blogspot.com
@sburntina – Interstitial Cystitis: http://sburntina.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/webliograph-interstitial-cystitis/
@RNkcummings – Diabetes: http://kcummi.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/everything-you-could-want-to-learn-about-diabetes/
@Julia1219 – Femeroacetabular Impingement:https://nkwagala.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/femoroacetabular-impingement/
@punkerkas – Schizophrenia: http://krankenschwester-punkerkas.blogspot.com/2010/10/dealing-with-schizophrenia.html
@rjbreigRN – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: http://anursetale.blogspot.com/2010/10/chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html
@megRN4356 – Total Knee Replacements:http://megrn4356.wordpress.com/2010/10/24/total-knee-replacements/
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On today’s episode we will discuss what are good calories and how to know the difference.
Welcome to the, you can do this podcast with Charles Colaw, the daily podcast that provides you with the proven idiot proof path to fat loss and total body transformation. Get ready because you’re about to enter the you can do this podcast.
Hello, this is the Charles and Amber Colaw podcast from Arlington gyms. And today I’m going to talk to you about an awesome book, uh, that I’d been going through actually. I went through it years ago and it made a big change in my life on how I would think about the food that I ate and, uh, helped me tremendously in my weight loss journey first and losing weight and getting in shape and toning up muscle.
And, uh, the principles I’ve learned from some of this book has really helped me and thousands of clients in multiple States across the country. And, uh, I’m going to share a little bit of information with you on that at some key takeaways. Um, and uh, some, uh, action steps and some proof social proof that we have on that, on the success of that. And then, um, what you need to do so that you too can be successful.
So first off, I’m going to jump right into this book that I’ve talked about on the last podcast. It was good calories, bad calories by Gary Taubes. Um, basically, um, tell you a little bit about myself. I was over 300 pounds in high school and, uh, I followed some of the principles of learning the starches and sugars in my diet.
And I lost 83 pounds in about nine months, still eating quite a bit of calories, still working out at Arlington gyms and maintained the majority of my muscle mass. Ended up competing in a bodybuilding show and winning second place in the Oklahoma, Arlington gyms Texas bodybuilding show at night, age 19. And, uh, then further in the years in the future when a super heavyweight, mr Oklahoma, uh, competition bodybuilding show and, uh, anyways, you can drastically change the way you look and feel about yourself just within the foods that you’re eating.
And a calorie isn’t just a calorie, but you want to make sure you’re eating the right calories that target fat loss and help build and tone muscle. So you’re going to get some of that information here today. Um, first off, I want to talk about a key takeaway from the book. Um, in this book, Edward Stryker, uh, was a, he’s basically a university professor from Pittsburgh and, uh, another associate by the name of Mark Friedman from the university of Massachusetts.
So Edward stri, Stryker from the university of Pittsburgh and Mark Friedman from the university of Massachusetts, they published in 1976 an article called the psychological and physiological physilogical Lee of hunger, a psychological perspective. Um, and in that article they have some great takeaways about how uh, insulin directly affects fat storage and hunger in the diet. And carbohydrates is the one nutrient like carbs and sugars and so on that raise the hormone insulin, the greatest in the body the quickest.
And um, one of the things that they said in this article is that when he infused insulin into some laboratory rats, um, the takeaway was it lengthened the fat storage phase of their date, day and night cycle, and it shortened the fat mobilization and oxidation phase accordingly. Um, the energy balance was now out of balance. And the rats accumulated more fat during their waking hours and then they then they could mobilize and burn for fuel during their sleeping hours.
And this is just because of insulin, not calories added to the, the body of the rats. Um, and now it goes on to say they no longer balance the overeating with an equivalent phase of under eating. Not only were their sleep wake cycles disturbed, but the rats would be hungry during the daytime and continue to eat when normally they would be living off the fat they had stored at the night.
So the big takeaway here is, um, I have had lots of clients that were, uh, on taking diabetes medication, Metformin and uh, on an insulin pump or Humulin R injections and so on. And what happens is whenever a person’s like, they’ll say, I actually got diagnosed as a diabetic and my doctor prescribed me this, this pill, and I’d gained 30 pounds. I said, so you gained 30 pounds? What did you change in your eating?
Like, I didn’t change anything in my eating. I just started taking this pill. So the takeaway is, is the hormone insulin is a fat storage accumulation hormone. I’ve seen it in real life. Um, and when people don’t drastically change their diet, they still put on a ton of weight because the hormone insulin interrupts the natural fat mobilization and oxidation phase in the body. And this is all proven with many medical studies.
And so taking that into account in my own fitness, the more that I would stay away from sugars and starches in the diet at Arlington gyms, um, I would feel fuller and I would also, uh, I basically, I could achieve a leaner less body fat physique on my body. Um, so a leaner, more toned version of myself. Um, and so my takeaway on all that is, is, uh, the hormone insulin directly affects the fat accumulation on the body.
And so if you are eating a diet that’s high in, let’s say, cookies, ice cream, cereals, breads, refined car-based carbohydrates on a regular basis, you’re, you’re going to be holding more subcutaneous body fat than you would if you’d eat the same types of same amounts of calories from non-insulin genic foods because it interrupts the fat mobilization. And oxidation phase of your body. That was in this article in 1976 published by, um, uh, Mark Friedman and Edward Stryker, um, university of Pittsburgh and the university of Massachusetts.
So, uh, anyway, so that’s a great takeaway and there’s some other great takeaways. There’s 10 top takeaways I don’t want to kind of briefly also talk about in this book that, uh, really changed my perspective on diet and nutrition. Um, and some of these conclusions that I kind of came up with through this book, um, are discussed in here that, uh, that uh, uh, dietary fat, not saturated fat, saturated fat or not, is not the main cause of obesity, heart disease or any other chronic diseases civilization.
So what I had learned is that, you know, there’s been fat for a long time in the diet and it started in civilization over hundreds of years. Gary Taubes talks about 300 years of research and, um, how this obesity epidemic and, um, heart disease and so on correlates more with the refined carbohydrate in the diet that actually does with dietary fat in the diet.
Um, number two, the problem is carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on the insulin secretion from your pancreas, your pancreas secretes insulin directly in relation to the high-glycemic index of certain carbohydrates. Thus hormonal regulation or homeostasis. It’s a Serb sort of body, cannot burn its own fat efficiently like it’s supposed to. That goes back to that article on fat mobilization and oxidation. It doesn’t do that properly cause we’re not made to be eating.
Um, pre digested refined carbohydrates in massive amounts in the American diet, um, and the more easily digestible and refined the carbohydrate, the greater effect on that weight and health and wellbeing of the person that makes it worse. So your brain releases serotonin and dopamine when the higher blood sugar hits. So we like, it’s addictive but it wreaks havoc on our blood sugar. Insulin is secreted heavily and we have a lot of health effects that come from that.
So the refined based carbohydrate and processed sugars and stuff in the diet. Three sugars, sucralose, high fructose corn syrup specifically are particularly harmful probably because the combination of fructose and glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels while overloading the liver with carb carbohydrates. Um, it’s just hard on your body to process that much, uh, refined base carbohydrate. It’s hard on your system. And that was another key takeaway through the direct effect.
Number four, through the direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They’re most likely the dietary cause of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic diseases as civilization
This is one of the kinds of conclusions and kind of leads you to, it’s not saying that that’s the proven thing, but the more that you read and all this research, there is a strong correlation to this refined based carbohydrate blood sugar irregulation where it’s really high starches and sugars correlating to um, elevated blood glucose that really wreaks havoc in Arlington gyms.
And like diabetics with heavy blood sugar over a period of time. Um, I have several clients that had um, a lot of uh, uh, vision problems, a little capillaries in the eyes. They start to degrade with elevated blood glucose circulation becomes impaired, their feet, they have poor circulation in their feet. Um, they have swelling in their feet. So what happens is, is elevated blood sugars primarily from all this refined based starches and carbs, destroys a circulatory system, causes a lot of these effects.
That’s again at all the little tiny veins in your eyes and your feet. I had one guy that had 47 surgeries at age 50, some, um, due to, uh, high blood glucose, elevated basics on an insulin pump and, uh, I had reversed, um, how to lose about 50 pounds in six months by eating a low-glycemic diet. And, um, circulation vastly improved for Arlington gyms members.
Insulin use went down by three fourths. He actually measured that on an insulin pump. So a lot of stuff totally reversed and that’s all directly reelected, uh, related to the circulatory health and blood glucose, not fats, but actually pulling the carbs, the sugars, the breads, the starches, all of that out so that your body can handle that properly and it heals itself. So I can correlate that to my direct observation for myself and my clients. Um, but yes.
Um, that’s number four, the direct effect on insulin and blood sugar and refined base carbohydrates and starches are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes most likely the cause of cancer as well. I was also reading another article where um, high glucose, high blood sugar in the body also feeds cancer cells and helps them grow some of the fastest. So a lot of that to say cut the sugar, cut the carbs and know what are good calories.
Five obesity. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating and not sedentary behavior. So it’s, a lot of people will say that person’s fat because they think they’re eating too much or they can’t control their volume of eating. It’s not so much that it’s really more the fact of what they’re eating disrupts that fat mobilization and the oxidation phase and basically your body letting fats to be mobilized effectively for Arlington gyms.
So it just stores so high sugars, high carbs disrupt your body’s ability to release fat from its cells and stuffs from, from you basically accumulate fat a lot faster. So number six, consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter more than it causes a child to grow taller, expending more energy than we consume does not lead to longterm weight loss. It leads to hunger. So, um, I can equate to that as well.
Um, if I am eating like lots and lots of high protein, uh, calories that is super low-glycemic, um, uh, like a, I can go and eat. I mean, I, I’ve sat down and ate, you know, five pounds of a lean meat in a setting at a Brazilian steakhouse, Texas de Brazil or uh, Fogo de Chao. And I’ve done that two or three days in a week with massive amounts of calories and it does nothing to the effect of my body fat. But if I would do that same amount of calories and like cookies and cakes, I would bloat.
It would totally disrupt my fat, fat oxidation process to the insulin blood glucose being super elevated for a long time and my body would not be able to be in a state of homeostasis. So certain high refined based carbohydrates would directly make me fatter. Make me hold a ton of water cause rat rehab, eCommerce regulatory system if I consume, you know, four or five, 6,000 calories like that in a setting.
And um, uh, yeah, it would totally Jack me up and I’d been bodybuilding shows where I’ve came off a bodybuilding show and eaten the fibers like five or six pounds of lean meat at a resilient steak house. And I’m next to note none and bloated and eating a lot of salt with it. It doesn’t affect you near the effect of like going eating pizza with bread and then having ice cream and so on. I’ll get so much edema and swelling, like my sock line is just completely sunk in.
So the, the carbohydrate directly affects so much of the water retention, so much of the um, blood glucose and um, I can’t sleep well at night that elevated blood glucose totally jacks up your system. So, um, number seven, fatten, uh, fat fattening and obesity are caused by an imbalance and dis equilibrium and the hormonal regulation of adipose tissue and fat metabolism, fat synthesis and storage exceed the mobilization of fat from the adipose tissue.
And subsequent oxidation, we become leaner when the hormone regulation of fat tissue reverses this balance. Um, I this, this number seven is basically saying your body will freely give up its fat reserves if your blood glucose is where it needs to be. And I can attribute to that. Um, what I used to say, um, from some of the previous stuff I had read, I can’t really remember exactly where it came from, but each fat cell pretty much kinda think of a fat cell, like a, a zip lock baggie.
Like the uh, blue and green strip on that Ziploc baggie or whatever that is, um, that think of that as like the glute four or the G four receptor either allows nutrients in or out. And so each fat cell, um, is triggered either allow nutrients in or out and insulin triggers it to go in and not oxidize out.
So think of your bloodstream flowing sugars through and it comes up to this little Ziploc baggie opening the G four receptor and the S the insulin is like the signaler to that, um, that receptor, which is like that Ziploc baggie opening. And it triggers it to allow nutrients in but not let it out. So anytime the blood glucose is too high that that fat doesn’t freely release from the cells, it just fills the cells.
So elevated blood glucose doesn’t allow your loot for Fairfield receptor to dump ketones or fat extra back into the circulatory system. And so what I’m trying to say is from my take from stuff that I’ve read in the past and my, the, the more your blood glucose is elevated, the less that hormonal regulation of fat tissue it, the whole imbalance becomes super jacked up and you basically get fatter.
So insulin is triggered directly related to carbohydrates. You’ve got to reduce, reduce the carbohydrates to get that regulation and balance. Um, anyways, number eight, insulin is the primary regular F regulator of fat storage. Um, that is, uh, and when insulin levels are elevated, either chronically, uh, AF or after a meal, we accumulate fat in our fat tissue. When insulin levels fall, we’re released fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel. This is so true. I’ve used this and trained for many body building shows or several, like probably half a dozen bodybuilders shows you using a lower glycaemic diets, um, and lower carbohydrate diets.
And when you eat a lot of sugars and carbs spikes that insulin and insulin is the primary fat regulator in your body. You’ve got to pull that down. So just like hormones, like certain people got genetics and hormones, like, I’m never going to be as tall Shaquille O’Neal, you know, I could eat all I want, don’t make me taller because what are good calories.
Hormones are what regulate what Shaquille O’Neal is to be that big and tall hormones out of balance, like insulin, too much insulin, and any food that causes insulin to get too high is going to cause you to get fat. So there’s a hormonal response. So a lot of people will say is because I’m eating too much, you, you can only do so much with your natural hormones, but foods do affect certain hormones like insulin.
And so if we eat non-insulin generic insulin gaining foods, you’ll, you know, maintain and keep a lean or type a body type. Okay. Nine, the takeaway. Nine my, uh, by stimulating insulin secretion carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. Um, the fewer the carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be. Now I have people that will push back on this. I’ve dieted for shows on a carbohydrate one-to-one to protein ratios.
I’ve dieted with a day, Dave Palumbo, who’s a bodybuilder that uses strong ketogenic diets and um, I’ve dieted with just major caloric restriction. Um, and uh, I would definitely say that, uh, you do have to consume less calories, but definitely the more you eat of carbohydrates, the more that your body seems to hang on to the subcutaneous, that body fat between the muscle and your epidermis, the skin.
And so the more that I would keep carbohydrates down the leaner am, and I’ve currently lived my life doing fitness for over 10 years, eating like less than 150 carbohydrates a day. They’re primarily from vegetables or high fiber based. And I’ve maintained from being over 30% and obese in high school to maintaining under 6% body fat or under six or 8% body fat, pretty much for my whole entire adult life by just keeping my carbohydrates down.
And I will literally eat unlimited amounts of meat, vegetables and protein shakes and water and eggs and things that contain super low carbohydrates and it never can make me fat. It literally never can make me fat. Um, uh, I work at Arlington gyms, I will get sick and tired of eating before that, but the minute I start adding high insulin genic foods back into my diet, I blow up like crazy. So insulin, uh, that by stimulating insulin secretion carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. That’s the key takeaway on nine. And then the 10th one last one.
Key takeaway would be by driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy expend in metabolism, metabolism, and physical activity. That goes back to that article again. Um, he explained in the new England journal of medicine in 1978, um, hunger is, uh, is, is basically, uh, can be caused by the insulin in the body.
It disrupts the, uh, fat mobilization and oxidation phase and energy balance. So our body doesn’t release its own fat as an energy substrate. Fat mobilization is not having, they basically, we’re not releasing fat from our body and from our fat cells. Um, so basically by, by driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates increase hunger, decrease the amount of energy we expand in metabolism. That’s fat, fat oxidizing, losing, dropping ketones, losing your body, losing fat out of that little Ziploc baggy, dumping that out.
Um, and, and, uh, and so basically it makes you stay, uh, keep a higher body fat content on, on yourself. So, um, that’s the, uh, the key takeaways. Now, some social proof. Um, what I want you guys to do is, uh, basically cut the carbs, cut the starch and sugar, I’m sorry, the action step for you guys is the cut the starch and sugars get on the [inaudible] journal and drop the fat because what are good calories.
So a lot of people they say, what do I do these, these principles I’ve heard or I’ve heard about it and the other types of programs or podcasts. Um, I need an idiot proof. Simple to follow, step by step. A method to do that. We have a [inaudible] journal. It tells you exactly what to eat, what time to eat, how to follow the plan, what workouts to do, how much cardio to do it.
And it’s all action like a checklist, like a step by step checklist and you can scorecard yourself. It’s a super simple, easy program to follow. We have those available in all of our Colaw fitness clubs, Colaw fitness, Joplin, Colaw fitness Topeka, Colaw fitness Bartlesville, Colaw fitness Arlington Texas, Colaw fitness Oklahoma City. Just any Colaw fitness gym that you’re at. You can go by, pick up the [inaudible] journal. It’s simple to follow.
You just read through it and literally follow the food prep stuff the night before. Go to the gym, hit the workouts, scorecard yourself every day. Any questions you have, email me and we’ll email you back a quick short to the point response. So for social proof, I want you to go to Cola fitness and Arlington gyms, YouTube, go to the colon fitness YouTube page, look at CF 30 results, or just type in cold off fitness reviews, colon fitness reviews on YouTube. Type in Colaw Fitness reviews and there’s hundreds or thousands perhaps of people that have lost weight and got shaped.
Um, click on that. Look at somebody that’s similar to you. Hear their testimony here, what they’ve done to be successful in their weight loss journey. So tons and tons of social fruit proof. Go check it out. Don’t take date. No, don’t just listen to any, check it out. Read this stuff, listen to the reviews and then go pick the simple to follow CF-30 journal up and you will be successful.
So this is Charles Colaw with the C F 30 journal talking about CF-30 journal. Also talking about the a good calories, bad calories book by Gary Taubes. And um, talking about, uh, some, uh, key takeaways for losing weight, getting in shape. Um, uh, yeah. And we’ll talk to you guys next time. This is Charles and Amber Colaw Fitness podcast and what are good calories, bye bye. | <urn:uuid:b9298d9c-fcc7-4a53-b96d-bed0c3368f43> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://colawfitness.com/podcast/episode-4-good-calories-book/ | 2022-01-18T10:20:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320300810.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20220118092443-20220118122443-00479.warc.gz | en | 0.943246 | 5,009 |
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Widespread Panic tonight. First time seeing them in a non-festival setting. Hoping to hit Elk Mountain and Wynkoop on the way there, but mother nature might make that tough. Someone let me know how the weather in Denver is...
Good heads up from Footfeathers on some of the cool beer happenings over the past year. Definitely gotta get me some of this in January:
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thinking about heading up to Denver to check out the radical reels tour which doesn't come to the Springs.
Anywho, this year's CS show is on March 5th. The other CO dates are here.
Ugh. Thank god they were slow because of the watch and not all the beer I drank last night while watching Pitt kick the crap out of UConn.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Hope to go over 3650 at the CRC happy hour run on Wednesday.
124 guys broke 2:10 in the marathon over the past year. I wasn't one of 'em. Neither was Mr. Top American. Hell, I was pissed when TA said he couldn't get me a discount on my Denver Post subscription, but I guess he's upset about his employer's new favorite marathoner.
In fact, he really hasn't talked college hoops with me since this happened a few years ago:
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Received an e-mail yesterday from the Mt. Lemmon Marathon. Turns out the Blue Ridge Marathon in Virginia also bills itself as the world's toughest road marathon. And to settle the debate, the BRM is offering free rego to anyone who finished Lemmon.
Unfortunately, the race is the same weekend I was hoping to go back to the Grand Canyon.
Looks like it would run about 800 bones once airfare/hotel/rental car/booze is factored in to run Blue Ridge. Less than half of that for the Grand Canyon trip.
Might come down to the Hardrock lottery. If I'm headed to Silverton in July, I'll need the longer run. If not, maybe I'll go cross Virginia off my 50 states list...
Thursday, December 23, 2010
More info on the challenge is over on Wiley's blog. We both google image searched green monster, and while he went with something lame, I'll go with this:
My goal for 2011 is 100 pints. It will be, by far, the most vegetables I've consumed in a year.
3579 miles on the year, with a few more up and down the Incline tonight. Slowly reeling in 3650.
This Sunday some of us are gonna run the final portion of the Pikes Peak Fat Ass. Meet at Memorial Park at 8AM if you're interested. Intemann Trail to Red Rock Canyon to my house.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Ten miles total, bringing 2010 to 3557 miles. 93 to go...
Thanks to Nick and the FoCo peeps for the awesome fat ass on Saturday. I wussed out and did the marathon route. My longest run since the Bear had been 90 minutes, and after taking 3.5 hours to climb up to Arthur Rock, I just didn't feel like I wanted to run for another four hours. Awesome trails out there though, had a great time exploring some new singletrack and seeing old and new friends out there.
Friday, December 17, 2010
And since the town went out and got itself a new marathon, the Arkansas River Bluegrass Marathon, they had to add a new bar to accommodate all those extra miles. But for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. It's dog themed, pretty cool place, and I think it starts with an "L." It's right next to the Victoria, even closer to the hostel. Free beer to the person who is able to figure out what the name is...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Oct TBA - Burnet Road Challenge
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Planning on doing eight on the way home, which will take me past the 10-per-day average I'm chasing. Next week takes me to Durango, where I'll run a ton of miles between my hotel and the Ska Brewery, as well as the big FoCo Fat Ass 30ish miler on Saturday. So 3650 miles is looking like it'll happen.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Monday, December 06, 2010
But I can't really make fun of fat, lazy people today. Instead of my normal Monday morning run I slept in. Stuck at 3380 miles on the year. Need to run 10.8 a day for the rest of the month to hit 3650. Will be tough this week with the PPRR meeting and the CRC holiday party.
Ricks ran 2:22:43 at CIM over the weekend. BLOS ran 3:30:53 in Vegas, but was obviously slacking so he'd have something in the tank for the Brett Michaels concert at the finish line.
The RW calculator says I'm in shape to run 2:57:09 in NOLA based off Rock Canyon. Still have some work to do, but it's a good start...
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Friday, December 03, 2010
3351 miles on the year. Hope to be caught up to the 10 a day average on Sunday. Not feeling physically or mentally 100% right now, so I'm doubting I'll get the PR on Saturday that I think I'm in shape for. Especially now that Jesse has fallen to his vicious bout of vaginitis and will not be showing up.
Yeowza, just read that 700 are signed up for the the half marathon, and registration has closed!
The deal-of-the-day over at the Gazette is a $30 certificate from the Colorado Mountain Brewery for $15. Grab it here. For those of you coming down in January for the PP Fat Ass, it could be a good catch since CMB is on your way home. Might help ease the sting of the ass kickin' that South CRUD will be dishing out that day. As far as Springs breweries go, CMB isn't nearly on par with Bristol, Trinity, or Black Fox. But by Boulder/Denver/FoCo micro standards it's pretty good...
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
He also did this back when he played for TCU. Gotta love the Pitt guys crushing the spirits of the Longhorns!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Your thoughts on banditing???
Turkey weekend will start in a few hours. The schedule, if anyone wants to join us:
6PM - Judge Baldwin's
8PM - 127 Hours at Kimball's
10PM - Murphy's
7AM - Incline with the Sunrise Striders
6PM - Incline Happy Hour
7PM - turkey & gin festival at The Royal Tavern
10AM - Backyard Brawl at the Red Rock Lounte
Noon - black Friday at Trinity
7:30PM - Wine & Cheese Party
1PM - Oscar's
4:20PM - Sancho's Broken Arrow (the place and time were JP's idea, that stinkin' hippie!)
8PM - Michael Franti & Spearhead
8AM - Incline Club first run of the season
8PM - Lukas Nelson at the Triple Nickel
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Now at 3263 miles on the year. Seven miles short of the magical 10 per day average. Hope to catch up over the holiday weekend, if I don't end up drinking myself to death first.
PM - 4 miles, 43 minutes. With the dog. Wanted to go further here, but a horrible lunch I had was still hanging out in my stomach.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
-Peter Gilmore, in an awesome article over here.
Yes, I stole it from Pre's Mustache, who is finally off his duff and updating his blog again.
And here's a nice blast from the past, believe it was the Warda (TX) Cardiac 44 miler many, many moons ago. The $10 I spent on that cotton Lovejoy's shirt has to be the best purchase of my life, although the hat has lasted longer so far. Please feel free to make rude comments about Meredith's weight...
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Oddly enough, my heel has been getting much better since I gave up FB...
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
No update on the Springs guy suing the city for riding into the back of a vehicle...
There's also this nugget about Gordon Biersch and Rock Bottom joining forces. The new venture will be called CraftWorks. I suppose I'll check it out if they change the name of the local Rock Bottom, but I was never impressed enough with the old place to drive all the way to the east side.
Head over to Southside Johnny's tonight to support a good cause, and it's also the best place in town if you're looking for a mid-50s, thrice divorced lady to take home.
Since I'm ripping off the Gazette, our village has been named the most religious city in America. Maybe Ryan Hall will move here to train. Other than Portland, that list could pretty much serve as the "top 20 cities nobody wants to party in" list as well.
Found out that the pace required to finish the San Antonio half marathon before the 7 hour cutoff is 32:03 per mile. To finish Leadville at the cutoff you have to average 18 minutes per mile. Hardrock requires 28:48.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Any ideas of what this is and how to make it go away? Resting is not an option...
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Cheyenne Canon road run this morning. Up to the top in 47:07. 8.5 miles total. Beautiful morning. Gonna miss doing this run every Thursday morning. Think after NOLA I'll just go there weekly by myself.
Might hafta take a sabbatical from the Thursday Incline happy hour. Tonight I hafta bail to watch my Pitt Panthers crush UConn. Then the next eight weeks have me at some special dog training class. Think I might switch to Friday nights for the time being...
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
If you ask me any questions as to how hard a course this is going to be, you are disqualified from attending. If you have to ask, you can't do it.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
52 degrees at the track at 6AM on November 9th. Hooray for global warming!
Sunday - Nice 10-ish miler (I ran some bonus miles after the race to make sure of this) with Rick H and Jesse from my place through Red Rock Canyon, Section 16, Bear Creek Park, and Stratton Open Space. Then it was time for the Cheyenne Canon Hill Climb, a 6K up a monster hill from the Starsmore Discovery Center to Helen Hunt Falls. Not a very motivating race for me, I was expecting a lot more but just couldn't get the legs going. Solid, but slow. Tried to rally at every kilometer sign, but today just wasn't my day. Finished in 41:50. Last year I had taken September off and then cranked it up during October and ran 36 minutes. Took October off this year, and I could feel a big difference. But I'll get there...
Celebrated afterwards with all the Laughing Lab you could drink! Holly finished with $100, her first race.
Monday, November 08, 2010
-Terry Peavler, pres of the Chaffee County Search & Rescue
Article on Frog Rock in today's Gazette can be seen here. My motivation to raft the numbers has gone way down since learning about this section of the river. I'll stick to the Gorge, or even better yet, Brown's canyon. Or Cherry Creek in Denver.
I was talking to someone after the race about beer. I told him of my quest to get a growler from every Colorado brewery (hard to do, since more and more keep popping up). He heard I had about 40 growlers so far.
He said, "where do you keep them all."
"In the kitchen."
"You're not married I see..."
Friday, November 05, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Lunch: 45 minutes at the rock gym. Hit a V1 and a couple of V0's. Much better than yesterday. The usual push ups/sit ups/pull ups as well.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Nick and I are in negotiations for the first bet of next season. A combined NOLA/Salida bet. I want an hour, he's trying to lowball me. JMock is also in for the Big Easy. If many more COers sign up for NOLA, they might have to rename it the Front Range marathon...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Rest day today. Carpooled with $100 to complete the month of October without driving to work. Wanted to take the bus, but $100 made me ride with her so she could park in the special carpool lot at the hospital. I can be bribed with bacon pretty easily.
Picked up a pair of NB 507 at the CRC for an upcoming cross country race I'm doing (I can wear them for short road races as well). Very light, could be the final step towards busting 13 in the 5K.
Found out the Lampanelli show is at the Comedy Works South venue tonight. Changes the brewery plan a bit. Now deciding on one of three close pubs:
Bull & Bush (the top choice, but it might be too far away with the traffic)
Rock Bottom Englewood
CB & Potts (probably where we'll end up, since it's the closest)
Not the biggest fan of the chain breweries, but since I'm trying to visit every brewery in Colorado, it's a necessary evil to visit them. I will say I was surprisingly impressed with the brews at the new BJ's in Colo Springs (even though the beer is made in Boulder and trucked down here).
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thurs AM - easy run with the Sunrise Striders. 8.8 miles, 1:15. Costume run, I ran as Bob Marley.
One more day to commute and it's an easy one - taking the bus to work tomorrow, then having $100 pick me up as we head to Denver to catch Lisa Lampanelli. Maybe a new brewery on that trip as well...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
I was having a drink and I noticed a pretty woman looking at me across the bar. So I gather the nerve to get up and offer to buy her a drink. She accepted and we talked for a while. We really seemed to be hitting it off, joking, laughing and good flirting. After a few more drinks in me I asked if we could go to her place. She said "I can't right now I'm on my menstral cycle". I replied "Thats OK I got my moped right outside, I will follow you!"
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
15 minute warm up. 2 x 1600m in 6:15 and 6:14, hitting 800m in 3:09 both times. Then 2 x 800m in 3:04. 30 minute cool down.
Not the best workout ever but I'll chalk it up to the wind and being at the track for the first time in a while. Look for those times to improve.
Nice quite from an ex-girlfriend in the recent Clarence Thomas controversy.
"Clarence became not the person I knew when I first met him," she said, adding that he "drank to excess" when they first met and might have been a "raving alcoholic" at that time. When he gave up alcohol, she said, he became "angry, short-tempered, asexual" and obsessive with ambition and what she called "weird things," such as long runs in the dark before dawn."
What's so weird about long runs in the dark before dawn?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Decided I'm gonna go 2:54 at NOLA. That number is screaming at me since it would be a new PR and an automatic qualifier for NYC. Not too much of a stretch, I thought that was what I was gonna run at Boston before I got hurt.
Will be finishing up this week running to work each day (going one month of not using my truck for work), probably hit around 70 miles. Then it's time to start hitting the track and doing some shorter races. I should probably find some 5K and lose to Brandon, that motivation served me well during training for Leadville.
Sitting at 2953 miles for the year. Averaging 9.9 miles a day for the year. Should be able to finish out 2010 averaging at least 10 a day...
Today's morning run was an easy 7.1 miles in an hour. Crazy wind storm last night, lots of tree branches all over the place.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
1. Fast Eddy, 8:40
2. Rick H, 9:55
3. jt, 12:40
4. Paul D, DNF
Good times at the party, great to see everyone again. Not sure what's up next on the eating front. Pancakes seem to be leading the rumor mill. But I'm going to start pushing for a milk challenge. And one of these days CRUD will finally get around to doing a beer mile...
I weighed my dump a few hours after the challenge, but it came in at a very disappointing .9 pounds.
In other news, I can't figure out how to turn off this underline thing on blogger... | <urn:uuid:b903314c-e0b8-468b-a11c-0e96967c313c> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://pittbrownie.blogspot.com/2010/ | 2022-01-21T05:13:02Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320302723.60/warc/CC-MAIN-20220121040956-20220121070956-00639.warc.gz | en | 0.968622 | 3,917 |
"Bloody Torchwood," the barman said.
"You jealous, Gareth? Looks like a crash-and-burn scenario to me. Fingers crossed. See; his date's not buying his bullshit."
Cerys gestured towards the fireplace. Its flames were as fake as the potted plants in brass bowls which part-screened the two men sitting beside the fire from the rest of the hotel bar. The expression on the taller man's angular, pale, disdainful face could only be interpreted as "Bed me now, tiger" by an insane sexual optimist with an ego the size of a minor galaxy.
Regrettably, at this precise moment the library bar contained at least one of those.
A new arrival crashed through the door from the hotel lobby. Gareth recoiled. "What the -?"
"Don't see something like that every day." Cerys smiled. "Jack the Lad'll be like a dog with two dicks."
"But are we supposed to serve her? Is that even legal?"
"Last time I looked, this hotel had a no-dogs policy. Never said anything about snakes, did they? Of course we serve her."
"But she's topless –"
"Not at present. Granted, could be awkward if the snake wriggles. Anyhow, ssh! Good evening, madam. What can we get you?"
The new arrival slid nonchalantly onto a bar stool. "A Gibson for me, please. Brandy Alexander for Horace. In a saucer, if you don't mind. No ice. And a double Caol Ila with a splash of spring water for my friend by the fireplace. Take it over whenever Captain Harkness abandons him to chat me up."
"Better be pouring it right away, then, Gareth, love." Cerys winked.
The woman winked back, wicked caramel-brown eyes sparkling. "Oh, and one for each of you, of course."
She put out a hand, tickling her snake under its chin. It gave a sinuous whole-body shudder in response. The little group by the bar found itself suddenly increased by one.
"Hi, there. Welcome to Cardiff. I'm Jack Harkness. And you?"
"He's called Horace."
Harkness creased his forehead in a puppyish, meant-to-be endearing way. "I meant, your name."
"Oh? Actually, you know, you seemed to be making eye contact with Horace when you asked. My name's Watson. Harry Watson."
Harkness's voice went down another register. "Well, Harry, what brings you to these parts?" He leaned forwards, his voice breathy, intimate. "And may I stroke your snake?"
At the far end of the bar, Gareth rolled his eyes expressively. Cerys walked over to him and dropped her voice to a whisper.
"How come he's lasted this long without someone punching his bloody lights out?"
Gareth shrugged. "Punch Jack Harkness, join the diflannwyr. Isn't that what they say?"
"Not for sex," Cerys said, with all the confidence of hard-earned experience. "Too many fish in that sea. Politics, maybe. That the Caol Ila?"
Gareth put the whisky tumbler on a tray with a small saucer of twiglets. "All yours."
Cerys headed towards the man by the fireplace. "Lining them up, are you?" She nodded towards the untouched glass of scotch on the small table at his elbow.
"Looks like it." His pale eyes glittered with malicious amusement; his air of anticipation mirrored that of the woman at the bar, utterly different from his tense, closed body language of five minutes ago.
A prickle of apprehension ran up her spine. She'd been around the licensed trade all her life; born in the upstairs room of a Barry pub, first Saturday job collecting glasses and cleaning tables for Auntie Glenys until she was old enough to serve customers. She'd known why one shouldn't play Find the Lady with strangers before she'd learnt to read. By now, she could smell a bar-room con from halfway across the room. Whatever this man and Harry Watson had going between them couldn't be on the level. But this was Cardiff, and it seemed they'd picked Captain Jack Harkness as their mark.
"Not from round here, then?" she enquired, making her voice sound casual with an enormous effort.
"London." He looked at her; a scrutiny which seemed to penetrate layers of clothing and muscle, reaching her very bones. Jigsaw pieces began to assemble themselves at the back of her mind.
Auntie Glenys hadn't just been a pub landlady. The local women had always been on at her to tell their fortunes; palms, Tarot, whatever. Not tealeaves, though. Cerys had a vague sense Auntie Glenys thought teacup divination presented a conflict of interest with the brewery. You couldn't grow up around the best cold reader in Gwent without picking up a tip or two.
This isn't a con. This is something a lot more personal. This is a war.
She slid her eyes sideways to the great mirror on the far wall, the only genuine antique in the whole place. Reflected in it, Harkness reached out to caress Harry Watson's smooth, curvy, black-leather-clad arse. The woman leaned into his embrace, murmuring something, but her snake reared its head, alert to tension in the slender body round which it coiled.
The tall man's face lit in the most astonishing smile; something between ethereal and electric. And dangerous. The hair stood up on the back of Cerys' neck.
Changeling, a voice whispered in her ear. Not of this world.
Well, you know what they say about Torchwood. And their targets.
But if this one has concealed tentacles, at least he has the manners to keep them to himself.
In that instant, she slid from friendly neutral to partisan. She checked the mirror – no risk of notice from that quarter at present – and leaned over, as if about to put the drinks tray down on the table. The tray's edge caught the tumbler already there, knocking it into the nearest potted plant, spilling its contents into the silver sand around the fake aspidistra.
"I am so sorry –"
The tall man smiled. "For taking steps, at some personal risk, to ensure that whatever Captain Harkness put into that glass doesn't pass my lips?"
"You saw him –"
"Not to swear to. He's very good. And gets a lot of practice, evidently. Did you?"
"Not this time." She caught his eyes on her and added, defensively, "And you can't get the police to do anything, not in Cardiff. Not when it's Torchwood. Also, the one time I did talk a girl into getting herself checked by the hospital, they couldn't find anything."
"Analysis requires a baseline for comparison. Move eighteen inches to your left."
She had moved before she thought to ask why. The answer was obvious, anyway. In her new position, her body screened him from any ill-timed attention from the bar. Hoping she wasn't over-egging matters, she leant in at an angle intended to suggest flirtatious interest and giggled.
He retrieved the empty tumbler from the potted plant and held it out to her. "No-one must wash that. Get it to me later. Don't let Harkness see."
"Oh, God. You were trying to get a sample and I spilt it –"
"All safely contained by the plant pot. And even Harkness is unlikely to walk out of this bar with a plastic aspidistra in his arms. Though, given the combination of his boringly predictable conversation and his obsessive search for sexual novelty, it might be a match made in heaven."
This time, her laugh was genuine, loud enough to cause heads to turn by the bar; Gareth, Harkness, and, worryingly, Horace, who stirred restively and seemed on the point of slithering over to investigate for himself.
"Don't overdo it," her companion warned, his voice a low purr. "Don't trigger the diversion before I'm clear of the room."
Diversion. This was war. But -
"You're trying to take on Torchwood armed only with a half-naked woman and a boa-constrictor?"
"You can admire the insane brilliance of my strategy later." This time, his bared-teeth grin looked like the expression of an angry cat, just before it sprang. "Which reminds me." He reached down by his feet, producing a slender white cardboard carton, Emporio Armani inscribed elegantly on the lid. "At some point Harry's going to need clothing which isn't capable of independent locomotion. Give her this when the time looks right. By which I mean; before John arrives."
"My – " He paused, as if searching for the right word. "My backup." He glanced across at the window. "Harry's brother."
"Ah." Events at the bar were progressing about as well as she might have expected. "You think he wouldn't approve?"
"If he finds out what I asked her to do? Platonic ideal super-double-plus not good."
Or, in English, "I am so fucked".
He fidgeted with his glass of Caol Ila, taking a couple of quick gulps.
She wondered just how formidable this John must be, given that a man who had apparently written off Jack Harkness as a rather tedious sex pest had clearly been panicked into extravagant Armani-buying gestures for fear of John's wrath.
"I'll manage," she said reassuringly, holding out her hand for the carton.
Instead, he downed the rest of his whisky and stood up. "Give it to you outside. It'll hide the other empty glass from Harkness, when I walk out. Which reminds me; I'm capable of mimicking the appearance of someone who's consumed any one of thirty-two specific psychotropic substances and five of the most usual combinations. However, you've seen more of the effects of this memory erasure drug than I have. Suggestions for making it look convincing to an expert observer?"
She thought for a moment. "Nothing fancy. Just a bit confuzzled. You know; like your mate had challenged you on a bet to name each of the Tracey brothers and assign them to the right Thunderbird, and you couldn't remember if it was John or Alan who did the underwater one?"
"Hold it right there; you've nailed it."
A lifetime in licensed victualling prepared you for most things, but an evening shift which ended with a very drunk bare-breasted woman screaming her head off in the library bar and demanding to see the manager on the grounds that her boa constrictor had been frightened by the improper advances of a fellow guest was, at least, somewhat out of the ordinary. (This was Cardiff, the fellow guest was Jack Harkness, the manager was prepared to keep an open mind, especially since by the time he arrived on the scene Harry Watson was apologetically tearful, rather than yelling like a banshee, and decorously covered in a brown-gold knitted silk designer top the exact shade of her eyes).
And, while Cerys had been repeating for the umpteenth time that she'd been in and out of the bar all evening, but didn't know enough about snake psychology to express an opinion one way or the other on Horace's alleged trauma, Harkness's phone had rung. He'd yelled, "Gwen, what? Call up the logs. I need to know everything that's moved in this city since 21.00. On my way. And find Ianto!" and dashed out before anyone could stop him (not, in her personal opinion, that anyone had been trying very hard).
They had, eventually, coaxed Horace out from behind the optics with raw chicken-livers and yet another brandy Alexander, with no more collateral damage than a half-empty bottle of amaretto and a couple of glasses. Cerys was, by this stage, well past the end of her shift and half-asleep on her feet. Nevertheless she adopted Auntie Glenys's sound principle that, however hard it might be to stay on the scene, anyone else trying to sort out the mess would be likely to create twenty worse in its place which would then have to be dealt with tomorrow (or, to be precise, later today). As a result, it was Cerys who, eventually, summoned a taxi, poured Harry and Horace into it and despatched them to Harry's hotel (she was, apparently, booked into the St David's).
After which, the Archangel Gabriel would have acknowledged that Cerys had earned a fag, and bugger good resolutions about quitting. For once, the hotel machine was working. She was propping herself against the service entrance taking the first precious drag into her lungs when a white van drew up outside. A stocky man in blue overalls hopped out of the driver's seat and flung wide the back doors.
"Now," he said, eying up Cerys as the only staff member in sight, "can you show me these aspidistras which need refurbishing?"
She paused, for a moment. And then another blue overalled figure came out of the service entrance, back bent under the weight of a brass pot containing a – very familiar – plastic plant.
"Thanks, lads," he called back inside the hotel, his accent pure Merthyr Tydfil. And then he turned his head, and looked Cerys straight in the eyes. She kept her face calm with an effort.
"Now would be a good time to find that glass," he said, his accent unchanged. She dropped the cigarette into the gravel half-finished, ground it under her sole, and vanished inside.
When she returned the two men were putting the last fake aspidistra into the van and preparing to latch the doors.
She held out the empty whisky tumbler. "Here. Guaranteed unwashed."
His accent slid back to that of earlier in the evening. "Mycroft will be delighted. He's got Porton Down on stand-by; they've been after a sample for years."
"Cups and lips," the stocky man said laconically. "We aren't across the Severn Bridge yet."
"Oh, I've every faith in you, John. Our potential pursuers must surely have enough to occupy them. You didn't use your mobile phone to tell me you were on your way. Whose, then?"
"Borrowed it. From a bloke in a suit."
"And the bloke in a suit?"
"He's in a skip."
"In a skip? Why?"
"Objected to my borrowing his mobile phone."
"And the mobile phone?"
"In another skip. Five miles from the first one." John put his head on one side. "Still in his suit, the bloke in the skip, I'll stress. No kinky business. Wouldn't want to bring ourselves down to their level."
Cerys fancied the tall man's lips twitched, very slightly. By way of diversion, she asked, "Mycroft?" and was rewarded by a quick, possibly grateful glance.
"My brother. Our shared dislike of Torchwood is a rare point of bonding between us. Though the point in their mission statement which I find somewhat endearing is, predictably, the part he takes as a personal affront. But, fair trade. Question for question. Which one was she?"
"The woman you lost."
She stared at him, mind whirling. But she hadn't watched Auntie Glenys run a séance or three to let herself fall for that kind of blatant coat-trailing. "Lost? In what sense?"
He tapped one long-fingered hand impatiently against the side of the van. "The diflannwyr. That's what they call them round here, isn't it? The ones who brush up against Torchwood and are never seen again."
The cotton fabric of her uniform was thin; the harsh wind in the hotel service car park scythed through it. No need to go looking for other reasons why she shivered.
He frowned at her; concentration rather than annoyance, she suspected.
"Annie Pryce, at a guess. Twenty-six years old. Undistinguished school career, marked by truancy and reprimands. Succession of dead-end jobs culminating in that of delivery girl for Jubilee Pizza. Late evening 21 August 2007 presents herself at Cardiff A&E claiming to have been the victim of an attempted date-rape drugging and insisting on exhaustive tests. No traces of any suspicious substances found. Put down as a paranoid with an exhibitionist streak. Vanishes on the night of 9 October 2007. Circumstances of her disappearance consistent with her having left her workplace to deliver a customer order. However, Jubilee Pizza's telephone and manual records show no evidence of an order having been placed within half an hour either side of the relevant time window. No recollection from any staff working that night of where she went or why. Only other missing person report filed on the same night that of a Dr Tanizaki of the Kyoto Cybernetics Institute. No known connection between the two."
Three years of terror, sick threads of hope, chasms of despair, evasive eyes, hands shuffling papers, false, encouraging smiles, shark-cold blue eyes. Endless dead ends, never any closure. A black cloud of rushing wings overwhelmed her and she let go.
A firm hand clasped the back of her neck, forcing her head down between her knees. "No. Don't try and sit up, yet." John's voice had a calm, authoritative sound about it.
"We're going to lose our time window. Mycroft can only keep the CCTV system and all the traffic cameras off-line for another forty-five minutes, at best."
John exhaled. "Sherlock, consider it a concrete illustration of everything I've ever told you about the merits of tact. Sorry – um, ah – "
"Her name's Cerys," Sherlock supplied. "Outstanding observational skills; perhaps in the low end of the ESP range. Family connections in most of the pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants in South Wales. Cerys, if anyone offers you a counter-intelligence position in the next few days, remember Mycroft has a practically unlimited budget for this operation. Hold out for at least 50% above his opening offer."
"Sherlock, stop babbling. Cerys; mind if we load you into the back of the van? We aren't kidnapping you, honestly, just tell us where you live and we'll drop you there –"
"Not her home, John. If Harkness used his brain for thinking with more than twenty percent of the time he'd amount to an interesting adversary. Of course he'll go after Cerys to find out what she knows. Not her home and anywhere else but here, John. Fast."
Without much apparent effort, John heaved her bodily into the van. She landed next to the plant pots. The doors slammed shut behind her, John ran round to the driver's side and the van screeched off into the night.. The cold, ribbed metal of the van floor felt reassuringly prosaic beneath her cheek. The dark, swimming sensation which had pressed down on her receded. She risked sitting up.
"You know Annie's name." She hadn't intended to say it aloud, but Sherlock twisted his head to look at her.
"I know twenty-one names. So far." He nodded towards the plant pots. "My quid pro quo for getting that is access to the sources which might reveal the other names. But you do realize -"
He broke off, turning his head to look at John, almost as if looking for permission to say something. But she'd spent almost a thousand disturbed nights, tossing alone in a bed which had once been shared. Not until she saw, smelt, held in her hands something that was, had been unequivocally Annie, would the last flicker of hope die. But hope was not knowledge, and Auntie Glenys had always been strict about playing the odds.
"I'm expecting a funeral, not a reunion, if that's what you mean." She narrowed her eyes, staring him straight. "But I'm trusting you to bring me that funeral. Or I'll bloody murder you." Through the windscreen, she recognized the upcoming turn. "Left. Now. Then right at the Owen Glendower. My Auntie Glenys has a flat not too far away. Ground floor; she's not as good on her feet as she used to be since she turned eighty. But the neighbours all know her, and if Torchwood come looking, I should get enough warning to get out the back way through the allotments and make a run for it."
"Or," John said, taking the corner at a speed that had her clasping the nearest aspidistra protectively to her chest, "given Mycroft offered us a squadron of SAS to get that sample out of Cardiff, he could at least spare half a platoon to watch over Cerys. Just until everyone relevant knows we’ve delivered the aspidistras safely to Porton Down and dear God I once had a life in which a sentence like that would have struck me as mildly surreal if not completely insane, so where did it all go, I ask myself?"
"I said right at the Owen Glendower. Then straight on for a bit. Sorry. An SAS guard? Auntie Glenys would like that. Always partial to a uniform, she tells me."
"It's supposed to be a widespread trait. Practically universal, or so I'm told." Sherlock's voice managed to sound both mocking and – bruised? She thought back a few hours. Oh. That.
"Used to work for me." John spun the wheel of the white van, taking another tight bend in his stride. "Over three separate continents. Medical degree, surgical specialism, commission in the Royal Medical Corps – I can tell you, years of effort and forethought went into overcoming my natural handicaps in the getting laid department, and once again, I find myself asking where did it all go wrong? You came closer this evening of getting in with a chance than I have for sodding months."
"Jack Harkness doesn't count," Cerys said, automatically, and found she had an echo. She and Sherlock exchanged grins.
"Anyway, tonight should have put a dent in his batting average. From the little I saw, she seemed far more interested in you, Cerys." Sherlock's eye on her was – almost indecently perceptive. His observation came a lot too close to things she didn't want to think about, not just at present. She made a choked, non-committal sort of noise, just as John said, "She who?"
Sherlock yawned, elaborately. "The poor unfortunate to whom Harkness switched his attentions after I'd made it clear I was sublimely uninterested both in his job offer and his body. Anyway, Cerys, where do you want us to drop you?"
"Coming up. Pull over behind that blue Toyota."
She watched the tail lights of the van flicker out of sight round the next bend and then turned, very slowly, and rang Auntie Glenys's bell.
A decade of retirement hadn't mended Auntie Glenys's sleeping patterns. Two a.m, clearly, was still an early night for her; she was fully dressed (barring the fluffy pink bedroom slippers) when, after the briefest of checks through the spyhole in the door, she flung it wide and enveloped Cerys in her arms.
"Come in love, you look dead on your feet. Trouble? Silly question, you wouldn't be here this time of night if it weren't trouble. Not love problems, can't be; Terry's Dilla would have told me if you were seeing someone new, and you'd have gone to Uncle Ieuan if it were police, and you've always been careful about money – oh, you were on lates at the hotel this week, weren't you? That Gareth told Gwynneth that Himself has taken to treating that bar as his personal property recently. She tipped me off at the bingo last night. So; don't tell me. Not bloody Torchwood?"
"Bloody Torchwood," Cerys agreed, and allowed herself to be led inside.
"So, Gwen, you're telling me you lost them?"
"I'm telling you I never bloody found them in the first place." Gwen ran her fingers through her hair and gestured at the screen. "The CCTV network has been up and down like a bride's nightie all evening."
"Has it now?" Jack leant against her desk, looking down at the display.
"A blizzard of minor blips – about five or ten seconds each – and then this last one, an hour and a half. Only just come back online. They could be half way to Aberystwyth by now."
"Clinically insane, are they?" Ianto wandered across from his own computer, holding out a print-out. He looked uncharacteristically casual in sweat shirt and jeans. His ruined suit lay in a heap in the corner of the Hub, awaiting final disposal and, from the tense, tight lines around his mouth, he was still mourning its demise. "I've been running an analysis of those earlier outages. You might find it interesting. Sir."
Jack bent his head over the printout and swore.
"Want me to run a decode of that?"
"No. No need." The CCTV outages had not been "about" five or ten seconds each; they'd been precisely timed at five or ten seconds, accurate to the third or fourth decimal place. Over the course of the evening, the pattern became obvious. Long pauses and short pauses – dots and dashes –
What with the Time Agency, the slow path and assorted cons over the years, Jack had probably fought in the Second World War for slightly over twelve years in total. For one hazy week in 1943, he reckoned there'd been a version of him serving in each of the Allied air, sea and land forces simultaneously. It hadn't been the best of times, all things considered, but at least that sort of experience taught you to read Morse.
He traced the letters out onto the printout with his pencil. Ianto leaned over his shoulder.
I'M COMING HARKNESS YOU'RE FUCKED
"What sort of person puts in the apostrophes and leaves out the commas and full stops?" Ianto murmured.
Jack ignored him.
"Someone just changed the rules. And we gotta be ready."
From somewhere high above him, Myfanwy cried out. The echoes of her scream took a long time to die. The Hub magnified every sound; he had noted that on the night over a century ago when Alice and Emily had first brought him here, when the loudest sounds in the place had been his own screams. Tonight, though, he heard something in the echoes he had never let himself hear before. Voices. Countless voices.
We are the diflannwyr. We are coming. Soon you must face us. | <urn:uuid:39ef1046-0ac1-470f-bdfb-959f2bec3e0a> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://archiveofourown.org/works/133827 | 2022-01-22T15:09:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303864.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122134127-20220122164127-00719.warc.gz | en | 0.974881 | 5,895 |
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (“Code”) is one of the most significant legislative developments in recent years, resulting in a flurry of litigation, multiple legal interpretations, and regular modifications to deal with non-performing assets held by various Indian financial institutions.
Originally, banks requiring personal guarantees from Promoters to secure their ‘skin in the game’ would always demand them and ensure that the same is provided to them. The lack of an efficient forum to enforce the personal guarantees that go hand in hand with the insolvency of the company for which the personal guarantees were issued has come back to bite now that there is over-leverage.
The law doesn’t envisage that the Insolvency resolution of the personal guarantor should follow only when the process of corporate insolvency resolution of the corporate debtor has come to an end. The purpose of initiating Insolvency and Bankruptcy proceedings against the Personal Guarantor is not only sensible but fair in the generality of cases to synchronize the two proceedings. That is not to say that when the proceedings against the Corporate debtor could be fruitfully decided the Personal Guarantor should also be proceeded against.
Lalit Kumar Jain v. Union of India
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
T.C.(C) No. 245/2020 dated 21.05.2021
Quorum: Hon’ble Justice L Nageswara Rao and Hon’ble Justice Ravindra Bhat
The constitutional validity of Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Application to Adjudicating Authority for Insolvency Resolution Process for Personal Guarantors to Corporate Debtors) Rules, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as ‘impugned notification’) was addressed in this case by the Supreme Court. The impugned notification was issued by the Central Government on 15.11.2019. The Supreme Court assessed petitions which were filed under Article 32 and petitions which were transferred from various High Courts under Article 139 of the Constitution.
Provisions Enforced: Section 2(e), Section 78, Section 79, Section 94-187; Section 239 (2) (g), (h), (i), Section 239(2)(m) to (zc); Section 239 (2)(zn) to (zs) and Section 249 of the IBC.
Following this, notices were issued to the petitioners to initiate insolvency proceeding as per Part III of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code of 2016 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Code’).
- Whether the Central Government can notify parts of the provisions or essentially limit its application to certain categories of people?
- Whether the Central Government has the power to impose conditions through notifications?
- Whether the issuance of the impugned notification by the Central Government was ultra vires?
The Central Government has no power to prescribe or impose conditions by way of the notification, and such enforcement was ultra vires to the powers granted to the Central Government. It was submitted by the petitioners that as per Section 1(3) of the Code, the Central Government cannot notify parts of the provisions or essentially limit its application to certain categories of people. The issuance of the impugned notification by the Central Government was, therefore, ultra vires to Section 1(3) of the Code. There exists no demarcation between an individual and a personal guarantor of the corporate debtor as per Part III of the Code and the enforcement of the impugned legislation is outside the scope of powers prescribed under Section 1(3) of the Code.
Provisions are not severable:
The provisions which were brought into effect were not severable as they dealt with individuals and partnership firms and did not solely apply to personal guarantors of corporate debtors. The Central Government has classified individuals wherein insolvency personal guarantors of corporate debtors are considered along with insolvency of corporate debtors. This power is vested with the legislative and not the executive.
Non-Application of Mind:
Firstly, the enforcement of Section 2(e) of the Code attracted non-application of mind. Section2(e) had come into force with retrospective effect from 23.11.2017, and the same was noted by the Supreme Court in the case of State Bank of India v. V. Ramakrishanan.
Secondly, the Central Government had failed to enforce Section 243 which would repeal Presidency Towns Insolvency Act, 1909 and Provincial Insolvency Act, 1920. The aforementioned Acts deal with the insolvency proceedings of personal guarantors of corporate debtors. Without Section 243 not being enforced, there would exist two self-contradictory legal routes to initiate solvency proceedings against the personal guarantors of corporate debtors.
The impugned notification enforced provisions under Part III of the Code is specific to personal guarantors of corporate debtors. However, Part III governs the Insolvency and resolution procedure for individuals and partnership firms. It was contended that personal guarantors are to be excluded from the definition of individuals. This is supported by a joint reading of Section 2(e), 2(g) and Part III of the Code.
Furthermore, Section 95 of the Code states that a creditor can invoke insolvency resolution process against an individual only with respect to a partnership firm.
The enforcement of provisions through the impugned notification where Part III is brought into force only with respect to personal guarantors of corporate debtors results in it being ultra vires to the Objects and Reasons of the Code. The object of the code here is to focus on the revival of the company and to save it from liquidation. The Code here operates as beneficial legislation.
Enforcement of the
provisions are arbitrary and discriminatory in nature:
This was argued on two grounds:
- That there is no intelligible differentia as to why personal guarantors of corporate debtors have been singled out as the Code and Part III of the Code does not specifically cater to personal guarantors of corporate debtors;
- The impugned notification does not demarcate between operational and financial creditor. It is to be noted that there exist two sets of procedure for operational and financial creditors.
- The 2018 Amendment: Section 2(e) and Section 60 were amended to include the Insolvency or bankruptcy of a corporate/personal guarantor to a corporate debtor. NCLT would be deemed as the adjudicating authority.
- There is no excessive legislation is this case as the executive has the power to enact provisions of a statute for a particular purpose at any given period of time. Furthermore, Section 1(3) of the Code empowers the Central Government to enforce provisions in order to meet the object of the Code. The impugned notification was published keeping in mind the recommendations put forth by the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee. It was recommended that insolvency proceedings were applicable to personal guarantors of the corporate debtor and there should exist a synchronous resolution process.
- The term ‘personal guarantor’ was defined under Section 5(220) of the Code and that NCLT would be considered as the adjudicating authority as per Section 60(2) of the Code. Furthermore, the NCLT is vested with all powers similar to that of the DRT as per Section 60(4) of the Code. Lastly, that as per Section 179, the DRT would be considered as the adjudicating authority for insolvency resolution and this is subject to Section 60 of the Code. The Counsel for Respondents relied on the case of Embassy Property Developments (P) Ltd. v State of Karnataka
- Section 2 is not to be considered as a definition clause by as a tool that provides a phased and limited interpretation of the Code. Additionally, Part II of the code applied to all categories of corporate entities who are debtors. Part III was enforced to establish a suitable mechanism for personal guarantors who constituted a class of individuals.
- The liability of the guarantor was co-extensive, joint and several with that of the principal borrower unless the contrary is provided under the contract. This has been enumerated under Section 128 of the Indian Contract Act of 1872. Additionally, the guarantor’s obligations are not absolved under Sections 133-136 of the Indian Contract Act of 1872. The rights of the creditor and guarantor will continue to exist in case of bankruptcy or liquidation.
- Part III applies to individuals and partnership firms in a composite manner. The power of the vested by the Central Government under Section 1(3) should not be characterized as a conditional legislation. As per Section 1(3) the Central Government can determine the date on which the Code will come into force and it can also appoint different dates for different provisions of the Code. Literal rule of construction is not to be applied while reading Section 1(3) of the Code and the aforementioned section is not to be construed in isolation.
- The scheme and the structure of the Code considers ‘parliamentary hybridization and legislation fusion’ wherein the NCLT is empowered deal with insolvency proceedings of personal guarantors of corporate debtors.
- The Supreme Court analyzed all the notifications proposed by the Central Government. The Court went ahead and looked into every notification that was released and the subsequent provisions that it gave effect to. It highlighted that the Central Government sought to fulfil the object of the Code while passing notifications. The Court noted that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India was set up to examine relevant issues and evolving standards of rules and regulations.
- The Supreme Court on Part III of the Code and NCLT’s role:
Prior to 2018 amendment, it was noted that all individuals i.e, personal guarantor to corporate debtors, partners of firms, partnership firm and other partners fell under the Section 2(e) of the Code. Section 60 stated that the adjudicating authority with respect to personal guarantors was NCLT.
Post 2018 amendment: Section 2(e) was further categorized into Section 2(f) and 2(g). Section 60 was altered wherein insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings w.r.t. liquidation and bankruptcy process were divided into three categories corporate debtors, corporate guarantors of corporate debtors and personal guarantors to corporate debtors wherein NCLT was considered the adjudicating body.
Manner of interpretation: It was noted that although the term ‘personal guarantor’ was not defined, it fell under the definition of ‘individual’ under the Code. The Supreme Court while interpreting Section 60 (2) applied the principle behind the maxim ‘reddendo singular singulis’ in the case of Rajendra K. Bhutta v. Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority. Section 60(2) applies three categories when it comes to insolvency resolution, bankruptcy or liquidation. It being corporate debtors, corporate and personal guarantors to corporate debtors.
The Supreme Court also assessed Sections 234 and 235 of the Code. As per the aforementioned Sections the overseas assets of a corporate debtor or its personal guarantor are to be dealt with in the same manner as insolvency proceedings.
The Court analysed Sections 79 and 94-187 where the former is a definitional Section and the latter lays down the initiation of resolution process before the adjudicating authority.
It was observed that the intent of the impugned legislation was to allow for pending proceedings to be adjudicated as per the Code. Although Section 243 had not been enforced (where it would repeal personal insolvency laws), Section 60(2) provided for resolution process or bankruptcy of a personal guarantor which would be filed under the NCLT. Therefore, the adjudicating authority would be the NCLT for personal guarantors, if there is a parallel resolution or liquidation process is pending. Furthermore, under Section 60(3) the aforementioned rule would be applicable.
- On the Central Government not notifying Section 243:
The Court discussed the case of SBI. V. Ramakrishnan and noted that the rationale behind not notifying Section 243 would be that the non-obstante clause under Section 238 gives the Code an overriding effect over other prevailing enactments. Section 243 has not been enforced, the proceedings pending under the PIA and PTIAct will continue. In addition to the same, the impugned notification was a consequence of the non-obstante clause given under Section 238. Thus, if a proceeding were to be instituted against a personal guarantor, it would be done under the Code.
- On Section 1(3) of the Code:
It was held that the court had no occasion to consider what could be the effective exercise of power under Section 1(3). The 2018 amendment inserted Sections 2(e) and 60(2) for the purpose of strengthening the corporate insolvency process. During this period of time the Code was not made applicable to individuals which included personal guarantors.
The arguments pertaining to insolvency process, application of moratorium and other provisions are incongruous in nature and were declared unsubstantial in nature.
- On the intent of the Central Government:
It was noted that the intent of the Parliament was to treat personal guarantors as a different species of individuals wherein the they shared a common adjudicating authority with the corporate debtor. Part II of the Code is applicable to corporate persons and Part III is applicable to that of individuals and it was noted that there is no inconsistency.
State Bank of India v Anil Dhirajlal Ambani, IA No. 1009/2020 in CP(IB)/916/(MB)/2020 & IA No. 1010/2020 in CP(IB)/917/(MB)/2020
State Bank of India v. V. Ramakrishanan, (2018) 17 SCC 394.
Embassy Property Developments (P) Ltd. v State of Karnataka, (2020) 13 SCC 308.
Para 52 of the judgement.
A rule of interpretation meaning ‘to each to each’ usually applied in matters relating to property. When a sentence has multiple antecedents and consequents, they are to be read distributively. Each phrase or expression is to be referred to its appropriate object. (Black’s Interpretation of Laws – kindly refer to para 87 of the judgement).
Rajendra K. Bhutta v. Maharashtra Housing and Area, (2020) 13 SCC 208.
When a resolution process has been initiated against an individual ‘A’ before the DRT a where ‘A’ has sought personal guarantee from company ‘B’, and if a resolution process has been initiated against company ‘B’ at NCLT the proceedings against ‘A’ will transfer from DRT to NCLT. (kindly refer to para 95 Of the judgement).
SBI. V. Ramakrishnan (2018) 17 SCC 394.
Provincial Insolvency Act of 1920.
Presidency Towns Insolvency Act of 1909.
1. The Central Government by publishing the notification has not selectively applied the provisions of the Code. It not a compulsion that the Code is to be made applicable to all individuals. The impugned notification through Section 1(3) of the Code enforces provisions that particularly deal with the personal guarantors of corporate debtor, and this forms a mere sub-category of persons to whom the Code is extended. The impugned notification was issued within the power of the Parliament, with valid exercise of power.
2. Liability of the corporate debtor: The Court held that involuntary act of the principal debtor leading to loss of security, would not absolve a guarantor of its liability. The approval of a resolution plan is a contract of guarantee. The release or discharge of a principal borrower is done via the operation of law and it arises from an independent contract.
3. The impugned notification was held constitutional and petitions were dismissed.
- State Bank of India v. V. Ramakrishanan, (2018) 17 SCC 394.
- Embassy Property Developments (P) Ltd. v State of Karnataka, (2020) 13 SCC 308.
- Rajendra K. Bhutta v. Maharashtra Housing and Area, (2020) 13 SCC 208.
- SBI. V. Ramakrishnan (2018) 17 SCC 394.
- Provincial Insolvency Act of 1920.
- Presidency Towns Insolvency Act of 1909. | <urn:uuid:01b3e523-688d-4898-bd5a-ca34dcda8759> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://dmaadvocates.com/personal-guarantor-under-insolvency-and-bankruptcy-code-2016/ | 2022-01-22T13:48:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303864.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122134127-20220122164127-00719.warc.gz | en | 0.949055 | 3,610 |
Feb 7, 2020
Book One in The Hellbound Brotherhood
Find out why New York Times bestseller Maya Banks hails McKenna’s books as “A nonstop thrill ride…”
He’s a ticking bomb…
Eric Trask is counting the days before he blasts out of Shaw’s Crossing forever. He and his brothers were raised at GodsAcre, a mysterious doomsday cult deep in the mountains. GodsAcre was destroyed years ago in a deadly fire and Eric and his brothers were the only survivors. The townspeople see them as time bombs just waiting to blow, but as soon Eric makes the money for a fresh start, he’s going to prove those bastards wrong. He’s an ex-Marine, fresh off a tour in Afghanistan, working three jobs and barely sleeping. Utterly unprepared for Demi Vaughan’s dazzling green eyes, lush pink lips and sexy curves. She’s the town princess…he’s a dangerous outcast. It was a sure recipe for disaster.
But the closer he gets to Demi, the more impossible it is to resist…
Forbidden fruit is the sweetest…
Demi Vaughan has a big plan for life post- college. A summer job at a sandwich shop back home in Shaw’s Crossing is part of that plan, so when Eric Trask, notorious bad boy with a complicated past, saunters in for lunch from the construction site next door, she tells herself he’s just eye candy. Tall, ripped, sweat-slicked, smoldering eye candy, nothing more. She knew the stories, she’d heard the rumors. Eric was damaged. Marked by violence and tragedy. He’d be the ultimate bad boyfriend, and right now she was too busy even to shop for a good one. But his hot eyes and hard body, his sensual smile and that rough, scratchy voice of his shook her resolve. After all, she was leaving this place forever. One little taste of heaven…what could it hurt?
But Shaw’s Crossing has deeper, darker secrets than Eric or Demi could begin to guess. The evil that destroyed GodsAcre is lying in wait…and it will stop at nothing to keep Eric and Demi apart…
Hellion, Book One, ends on a cliffhanger, but it leads right into Headlong, Book Two, Demi and Eric’s continuing story, dated seven years later.
The other titles in The Hellbound Brotherhood series are connected, but each book features its own couple and has its own HEA.
Read an Excerpt
Demi didn’t need to turn around from the frozen yogurt machine to know that Eric had made his grand entrance. The muffled squeals and excited whispering from the other girls behind the Bakery Café’s counter gave it away. Lame-brains. They’d been teasing her about that guy for weeks. Ever since he started coming in here for lunch.
Yes, folks, Eric Trask had entered the building.
Even if she didn’t look around, the effect on her was the same. The ambient temperature shot up ten degrees, whoosh. The earth shifted on its axis, ka-chunk.
Crap. Blushing again. Rosy red right down to the edge of her tee-shirt. Her damn cleavage was blushing.
Stop this bullshit. He’s a cute guy. Eye candy. Not earth-shattering.
The frozen yogurt overflowed the cup and glopped out onto her hand.
Demi cleaned up the mess and sidled over to the crushed Oreos and colored sprinkles without turning around. She was playing it cool. She had no idea he was there. Who? She didn’t even notice him. Why should she? She was working. Busy, busy Demi. Working toward her goals. She couldn’t be bothered with this nonsense. She had no time to waste with—ouch.
She’d smacked her hip on the corner of the ice-cream toppings table.
Eric Trask loomed in her peripheral vision as she deposited the frozen yogurt on the tray full of sandwiches. She made change and smiling chit-chat, having no idea what she was saying. Executive function in her brain was totally AWOL.
He hung back from the counter, ostensibly studying the sandwich board while he waited until she was free to wait on him. Kaia and Tammi leaned over the counter, their boobs practically spilling out of their shirts in their eagerness to take his order.
“Can I help you?” Tammi sang out.
“Still thinking, thanks,” he replied, eyes fixed on the menu.
Ahhhh. His deep voice was scratchy and rough. More smothered giggling from Tammi and Kaia. Grow the fuck up, ladies.
Demi finally allowed herself to look. She had to work up to it slowly, the experience being a full frontal assault on her senses.
He was ridiculously tall, to start with. At least six-three. Broad, too, but lean and tapered. He looked dusty and hot, his tee-shirt stretching deliciously tight over the defined muscle bulges. She loved the way his sleeves strained over the swell of his biceps. She wanted to run her fingers over every contour. Nature’s ultimate sculpture.
Hoo boy. It was a struggle to keep her mouth firmly closed.
His dark blond hair had sported a jarhead buzz-cut before, as befitted a Marine recently back from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, but it was starting to get a little shaggy on top. His face still had that deep, weathered desert tan. His eyes were a piercing pale gray against his sun-browned skin, like glints of shining chrome. The eye-crinkles around them made him look older than his twenty-four years. Two years older than her.
His eyes had always made him look older. She’d noticed it back in high school, from the first moment she laid eyes on him. He’d been sixteen, she’d been fourteen. He hadn’t noticed her. He’d seen too many things he was desperate to forget. The GodsAcre story was blood-chilling, and people never got tired of chewing over it.
That sadness in his eyes had given her a hot, shaky feeling even then. It had made something inside her chest become soft, achy. Made something melt that should have stayed solid.
She wasn’t the only one melting for the Trask boys. With their muscular good looks, daydreaming about them became a widespread recreational pastime for all the girls at Shaw’s Crossing High School, in spite of the stories about the crazy mountain cult where they grew up. According to the gossip, GodsAcre had been a hotbed of drugs, brain-washing, sex orgies, Satanism. It was even whispered that the Trask brothers were psycho killers trained by Delta Force soldier Jeremiah Paley, GodsAcre’s leader, also known as ‘The Prophet.’ That the three brothers had set the fire that had destroyed GodsAcre themselves.
So. There were possible mass murderers, sitting right there with the rest of them, taking notes in AP Chemistry or Spanish or English class just like normal teenagers.
Normal aside from the fact that they were considerably hotter, that is.
Her granddad had been horrified when his old Marine buddy and longtime friend, Police Chief Otis Trask, had announced his intention of taking in the GodsAcre boys. They needed a home, Otis had argued. They needed to stay together. It was dangerous to leave them to themselves, and Otis didn’t see anyone else stepping up.
Bad idea. Everyone said so. Those boys belonged in a reformatory. Granddad had tried so hard to dissuade Otis, anyone listening would have thought the three boys were fire-breathing demons from hell. Demi remembered him ranting about how damaged and maladapted they must be. How irresponsible it was for the school to let them mix with normal kids after their bizarre upbringing. How it was begging for disaster.
But Otis held firm. The boys moved in with him, and enrolled in the high school.
Crazy rumors hadn’t stopped her from staring at Eric whenever she got the chance. His cheekbones, his broad shoulders, his strong jaw, his sensual lips. He was even handsomer now than he had been back in high school. Bigger, taller, thicker, harder.
His gorgeous smile had become a grin. His teeth were so white. Deep smile grooves cut into his lean cheeks. Like dimples, but longer.
“…everything okay?” He sounded like he was repeating himself. She could feel the heat coming off his body. Damn. That mind-wiping storm wind of testosterone was putting her into a fugue state. She forced herself to breathe. Air helped.
“Ah…ah, yes. Of course. I’m fine.” She smiled back at him. “What’ll it be?” She hoped that she hadn’t already asked him that. Perhaps even gotten an answer.
That grin widened. “Surprise me.”
“Is that a challenge?”
She looked down her nose at him. A neat trick, at five-foot-four. It took lots of attitude, tiptoes, and hiking her chin way up high. “Game on.”
Kaia sidled past Demi as she grabbed a couple of slices of rye bread and headed to the sandwich bar. “Surprise me?” she said under her breath. “I’d surprise that guy right out of his clothes. Any time, any place.”
“Make that sandwich really tall, girl,” Tammi cooed as she swept by with a drinks order. “And don’t skimp the sauce. You want it really juicy, so that that thick wad of hot, salty meat can slip right down, you know what I’m talking about?”
“Shut…up!” Demi whispered savagely.
“What do you think, Kai?” Tammi said to Kaia. “Mayo? Or herb vinaigrette?”
“Oh, ranch, for sure. Long, strong squirts of it.”
“Piss off, both of you,” Demi snapped. “I’m busy.”
“I just bet you are, you lucky girl.”
Demi blocked them out of her consciousness by concentrating on making the sandwich for the ages. One worthy of fueling a body that gorgeous. Rye bread, grilled in herbed dill butter, piled with pepper rolled roast beef and thick slabs of melted pepper-jack cheese. A few draped pieces roasted red pepper, juicy slices of crimson heirloom tomatoes, some tender green Bibb lettuce. A towering stack of home fried potatoes and a scoop of her own specially tweaked coleslaw. A bottle of an herbal tea and fruit infusion.
“Don’t forget the pickle, girlfriend,” Tammi sang out. “A nice, fat one.”
Demi gave her the finger over her shoulder as she bopped the swinging door open with her hip and carried out the tray with her creation on it. Not blushing this time, oh no. She’d been slaving over a hot griddle. She got that tomato-red color from honest toil and no one could say she hadn’t.
She laid the sandwich down in front of him. “Here you go. A Demi Vaughan special. Billed by the till as a roast beef and cheese, but I tarted it up for you. And a green tea, lime and goji berry cocktail to wash it down. It’ll balance your heart chakra, flood you with antioxidants and replace lost electrolytes.”
His silver-chrome eyes flicked up and down her body. “Looks incredible.” His deep, throaty rasp brushed tenderly on every nerve. “Thanks for keeping it special. My heart chakra is getting all excited just from looking at it.”
She smiled, fishing for something cute and witty to say. Came up blank.
He started again. “Hey, I just wanted to ask you—”
“Demi!” Raelene, her boss, hollered from kitchen, cutting off his words. “Demi, get back here for a second!”
“Be right there.” She backed awkwardly away before she realized what she was doing and turned around to walk away with some dignity. Like a normal human being.
In the kitchen, Raelene, a skinny lady with a graying crown of braids, handed her a clipboard. “I want you to do some inventory in the storeroom,” she announced.
“Inventory?” Demi glanced back toward Eric before she could stop herself.
Raelene caught the look. “Tammi or Kaia can ring him up. You’ll need to do boring crap busywork when you’re running your own business, you know. Get used to it.”
“Of course, but during the lunch rush?”
“I’ll help the other girls up front if they need it. And I know it’s not my business, but that boy is a dead end. Don’t conduct your flirtations on my clock, Demi.”
Demi bristled. “I’m not! I have never wasted time on the job.”
Raelene’s mouth tightened. “Stay away from him. He’s bad luck. Bad news.”
“It’s nobody’s business, and I don’t see why you would even—”
“The Prophet’s Curse got my brother. Did you know that?”
Demi stared at the older woman, appalled. “Raelene. Please. You don’t mean you actually believe those old rumors? That’s just a vicious, crazy story. An urban myth.”
Raelene shrugged. “Fourteen people dead in twelve days,” she said. “And it happened right after Darryl refused to give Jeremiah another building permit for his compound. The old bastard wanted to build right in the middle of an elk run. Darryl said no. And the next day, he was dead. Is that an urban myth, you think?”
“Natural causes,” Demi said.
“Right,” Raelene said. “Like all the rest of the people the Prophet was pissed with. That’s a whole lot of natural causes crowded together in a very small time frame. A very small geographical area. Too small.”
“But…you think Darryl was poisoned?” Demi said hesitantly. “Or are you saying that it’s an actual curse? Like, black magic, or something? You’re not serious.”
She studied the other woman’s face. The realization dawned slowly, with a sickening chill.
Raelene was dead serious.
“Raelene,” Demi said. “Even if Darryl really was murdered somehow, and even if it actually was Jeremiah’s fault, he’s dead and gone. It wasn’t Eric or his brothers who caused any of that stuff to happen. They were only kids at the time. It can’t be their fault.”
“I didn’t say it was their fault,” Raelene said stiffly. “I don’t understand what happened back then, but it was sick and bad, and I don’t like to see a nice young lady getting mixed up with it. Neither would your mother, as I’m sure you know.”
Demi felt her back prickle. “He’s not a criminal, Raelene. He’s a veteran, he works, he’s not in any kind of trouble, so I don’t understand why you—”
“We’re not having this conversation on my dime. Get to work if you still want this job. If you don’t, you know where the door is.”
Raelene marched out of the kitchen, rubber-soled trainers squeaking aggressively.
Demi was speechless. Her first instinct was to walk out. Screw this crap. Raelene had no right to preach or pass judgment about Demi’s private life and personal choices.
But she couldn’t afford to throw a tantrum. Her parents were already angry and disappointed with her. They’d been angry ever since she changed her major to restaurant management, rather than business administration, and they got even angrier when she refused the internship at the Shaw Paper Products distribution center in Tacoma. Or at any of the other SPP centers scattered over the western US, for that matter.
Dad had used his most sneering tone. The little princess is too good for the family business? You’d rather wait tables and carry catering trays than take a shot at a grown-up job? A sandwich shop is your goddamn life’s ambition now?
She’d hoped for a summer job in her field for those last few weeks before her internship in Seattle started. The internship was a hard-won prize, and she could hardly wait to start. Eight weeks working closely with famed chef Maurizio Altamura at the renowned restaurant Peccati di Gola. In the meantime, she wasn’t too proud to sling hash at the Bakery Café in Shaw’s Crossing. It was food prep, and therefore relevant to her future plans. Somewhat. And this way, she could save on rent for a few more weeks.
But her parents, and Granddad, had been horrified. So she couldn’t bail on the Bakery Café the first time she got huffy with the boss. Not in her shaky position.
Demi resisted the urge to peek and see if Eric was still there. She couldn’t let him see her do that. It would look desperate and fawning and childish.
Besides, he was probably back at work. Maybe drinking what was left of his green tea and goji berry cocktail. Maybe holding the cool, sweaty bottle up against his hot face. Putting it to his lush, sensual lips, throat working as he drank. Until a single drop of condensation from the bottle trickled slowly…sexily…down his strong, tanned throat.
Whew. One would think that the dull task of counting cans and bottles in a pantry would chill an overheated girl right down.
Eric drove slowly past the sandwich shop for the fourth time.
He wasn’t going back inside today. Not after the death-ray stare from Raelene Muir. He’d make problems for Demi. Probably already had. Looked like she’d been banished to the back room for the crime of speaking to him.
Raelene had kept up the sphincter-mouthed glare the whole time he was eating his sandwich. He was used to it, so it didn’t affect his appetite, but damn, that shit got old.
He shouldn’t be eating at the Bakery Café in any case. Dropping seventy bucks a week for fancy sandwiches and overpriced beverages was stupid right now. He was busting his ass to save money for developing his app, and he could make an entire week’s worth of perfectly good lunch sandwiches for the cost of a single meal at that place.
But still, he kept going back. Just to ogle Demi Vaughan’s sparkling green eyes and shapely ass. And those luscious, gravity-defying tits that made his fingers buzz with lustful curiosity. Her velvety alto voice made him sweat. He heard it in his dreams.
She acted like she could care less, but her hot blush gave her away.
Finally, she emerged. Boyd Nevins followed her out of the café. Boyd had gone to high school with them. He’d been in Eric’s class. He’d heard that Boyd now worked for Demi’s family’s paper packing materials company over at Granger Valley.
Boyd was leaning in toward her, working his dimples. The guy was tall and blond. Good-looking, he guessed, and he could turn on the charm when he exerted himself. But Eric and his brothers knew first-hand that Boyd was a conniving shithead and bully. At least, he had been back in their school years.
Demi kept smiling and shaking her head, and Boyd kept talking. She backed away, still smiling. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back toward him. Demi’s smile faltered.
She tried to pull free. Boyd held on tight. Dickhead. He hadn’t changed.
On impulse, Eric rolled down the passenger side window. Very carefully, to keep the damn thing from coming loose and falling down inside the car door, as it often did.
“Hey, Demi,” he called. “Sorry I’m late. You ready to go?”
It was a risk, but giving her an escape hatch from Boyd was an opportunity he’d be an idiot not to take. Then again, if Boyd was a frying pan, she might think that Eric was the fire.
Demi’s eyes flicked to him, blank and startled for a second. “Hey,” she said back. “Ah…yes. Yes, I am, actually.” She wrenched her arm free. “Later, Boyd.”
Boyd glared at Eric as she got into his car. Eric gave him a big smile and pulled out into the street.
“Hope you didn’t mind me pretending we had a date,” he said. “I didn’t like the way he yanked on your arm. Thought I’d give you an out.”
“I was okay. Boyd isn’t a problem for me. But I do appreciate the thought.”
He took a deep breath and went for it. “Can I make our fake date a real one? We can grab something to drink. Iced coffee, a shake, a beer. Whatever you’d like.”
Her rosy lips opened slightly and stayed open as her color deepened. “I’d love to, but I can’t tonight. I promised to get dinner on for my mom. She’s at the library board meeting tonight, so I have to head back home. I’m really sorry.”
He let out a silent sigh, crestfallen. “Okay,” he said. “Some other time, maybe.”
He hesitated for a moment, and tried again, because what the fuck. “But since you’re already in my car, can I at least give you a ride home?”
Demi’s soft pink lips curved. She barely hesitated. “That would be great.”
The Monster coughed, burped and died at that moment. He started it up again, embarrassed. His creaky old Frankencar was made of salvaged parts from defunct vehicles. Only his considerable skill at keeping engines alive kept her running, but aesthetically, the Monster was a zombie nightmare, with most of her upholstery rotted away. “Keep your leg away from the car door,” he advised. “If that old exposed glue gets stuck to your jeans, it won’t ever come off.”
She angled her shapely leg away from the door. “Don’t worry about it.”
He drove for a few blocks, racking his brains for an opening. He wanted badly to ask if Boyd made a habit of bothering her, but that seemed too possessive a topic to open with right off the bat. So he went with the next random thing that popped into his head.
“I’m sorry you disappeared at lunchtime,” he said. “I was going to ask you out for a drink then, but I missed my chance.”
Demi snorted. “Raelene got a bee in her bonnet about having me do inventory.”
“Bet that urgency went away once I left, am I right?” He turned onto the street that would take them onto Lakeshore Drive, a more leisurely and roundabout way to get over to Osborn Grade, the road that led up to the Heights. Demi didn’t object.
So far, so good.
She slanted him a sly look through her dark, curling eyelashes. “Are you one of those guys who thinks that every single thing is about them?”
He laughed. “No, I am not one of those guys.”
“Good,” she murmured. Her smile was mysterious. “I’m sorry I’m busy tonight.”
Exultation bubbled up inside him. “I didn’t have a lot of time to spend anyhow,” he said. “I have to be at my next job at eight o’clock. But I didn’t want to wait.”
“Another job? Where?”
He slowed to a crawl on Lakeshore Drive, brazenly pushing his luck. “I’m the night janitor up at the Fair Oaks Care Home,” he explained.
“All day at a construction site, and then a night shift? Yikes. When do you sleep?”
“I don’t,” he admitted. “Not much, anyway. I get a couple hours from four to six AM. And I try to nap for a few minutes in between shifts down in the park by the Falls.”
“That sounds nice, if it wasn’t for the mosquitoes,” she said.
“They don’t bother me,” he said. “Then I have a weekend shift at the gas station up on the highway. I’m saving up money to go into business for myself.”
“Really? What business?”
“I’m designing an efficiency app,” he told her. “To help streamline workflow in big organizations, like the military. I got the idea on my first combat tour, and I’ve been working on developing it ever since.”
“You mean, on your own? Did you study computer science someplace?”
“Not formally,” he admitted. “Self-taught.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “No shit? You can self-teach that kind of stuff?”
“Sure. I couldn’t afford college, and I was already enlisted in the Marines at that point, so I just downloaded course materials from MIT and Stanford’s computer science classes and used my free time to do the course work. I watched the video lectures, did all the reading and the projects, took the exams. The info’s all online. So I don’t have any degree to show for it, but I have all the skills.”
She stared at him. “Huh. You must be really mentally organized. To do it alone.”
“I guess so,” he said. “That got pounded into me real early, along with a shitload of math. And it’s easy to learn when you’re motivated.”
“But doesn’t it cost a lot to develop an app? Don’t you need investors?”
“It’s less expensive if you do most of the work yourself,” he explained. “I’ve already sketched it out with wire-framing tools, and I’m researching the tech stacking and the programming languages. Right now I’m designing a custom back-end so it can grow and scale. And I’m working on the code. At least I was before I took on the janitorial job.”
“Crazy,” she said. “Who knew you were secretly an egghead computer nerd.”
He felt suddenly embarrassed. Babbling like an idiot, trying to impress her. “I’m hung up on the visual design, though,” he admitted. “I’m no artist, so I’ll have to scrape up some cash and pay someone to help me make it all look good. But the more of the basic code I can write myself, the less expensive it’ll ultimately be.”
“That’s incredible,” she said. “Yay, you. I hope it goes well.”
“Me, too. What about you? What are you doing back here in Shaw’s Crossing? I figured you’d be working in the family business. In Granger Valley, or Tacoma.”
She made a face. “So do my parents, my grandad and absolutely everyone else in this town. They think I’m destined to take over Shaw’s Paper Products. That I’m the scion of stationery supplies. The crown princess of packing materials. But it’s not my jam. To my family’s eternal dismay.”
“Ah,” he said. “So what is?”
“Cooking.” The announcement sounded almost defiant. “I want to be a professional chef.”
He was startled, but he made the adjustment fast. “Of course. Those sandwiches you make are kick-ass.”
She let out a crack of wry laughter. “Don’t judge my skills on the basis of my lunch sandwiches.”
“Why not? They’re excellent.”
“That’s very sweet of you. But yes, that is my dream. I got a degree in restaurant management in college. In a few weeks, I start an internship at a restaurant in Seattle, and after that’s done, I’m headed to the Culinary Institute. Some people get all excited in stationery stores, and I wish that was me, but I get worked up when I see a lump of goat cheese rolled in fresh cut herbs or cracked black pepper. Or lemon infused olive oil, or a really good pickled artichoke. What can you do? That’s just what I’m made of.”
No more delaying the inevitable. Eric turned onto Cedar Crest Drive, Demi’s street, but he stopped well short of the driveway leading up to the huge Victorian mansion with the vast rolling lawn.
Their mailbox was knocked partly over, tilted at a forty-five degree angle to the ground. “What’s with your mailbox?” he asked.
“Oh, that.” Demi rolled her eyes. “That’s Burt’s work. Burt Colby. We have a problematic neighbor who sometimes drives himself home from the bar at two in the morning after a few too many beers. No one’s gotten around to fixing it yet.”
He grunted in disapproval. “That’s dangerous. He could hurt someone.”
“Yeah, he could, but he hasn’t yet, other than our mailbox. Thanks for the ride, and for the nice comments about my sandwiches. Good luck with your app. It sounds awesome. I’m sure you’ll be very successful.”
Her incandescent smile struck him speechless. Lush pink lips, the perfect curve of her cheek. That sexy flush lighting up the tanned, perfect glow of her skin.
The window rattled dangerously in the door as Demi opened it. She hesitated, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Just a soft, glancing touch, but oh God. Wow.
“Have a good shift at the care home,” she said. “Hope you get some sleep. See you tomorrow, maybe? At lunch?”
“Oh, yeah,” he said, dazed. “I’ll be there.”
Sleep, hah. Like he was ever going to sleep again, with that rush of gimme gimme hormone pumping into his body. Damn right, she’d see him tomorrow. And the day after, and the day after that. And any chance he got, until he felt those lips against his skin again.
The place she’d kissed tingled wildly. Hyper-sensitized. Like it was glowing.
“Shall we get that milkshake you offered me after work tomorrow?” she asked.
“I’d love to, but this is the thing. I’ll be all hot and sweaty, and my janitorial shift is at eight. I need to clean up before I put on the uniform. Usually I go straight to Kettle River Park and take a dip at Circle Falls. I keep a fresh uniform in the car to put on after.”
She bit her lip as she thought it through. “I like swimming,” she said. “And I like Circle Falls. Let’s just go straight there. I’ll bring a swimsuit to work.”
“Yeah?” Exultation threatened to float him right up out of his seat. “You’re on.”
“I’ll meet you outside the Bakery Café. Five o’clock.”
“Great. Can I get your phone number?”
She was pulling out her phone, opening her mouth to reply when the sharp squeak of car tires coming to an abrupt halt focused his eyes beyond Demi’s face, over her shoulder and to the other car.
Elaine Vaughn’s horrified eyes, through the window of her BMW. Demi’s mom.
Crap timing, but he regretted nothing.
Demi looked around. “Oh, shit,” she whispered. “I gotta go.”
“Sorry if I made problems for you,” he called after her.
“Not at all. I’m just late getting dinner started, that’s all. See you around.”
“Yeah. See you.”
Demi cut in front of her mom’s car as she crossed the street and headed up and across the huge lawn, straight toward the house.
Elaine Vaughan just sat as if she’d been turned into a statue. Eric looked patiently back at her, resisting the impulse to lay on the gas and escape, as if he were some lurking thug who’d done something wrong. He fucking wasn’t. So he just sat there.
Besides, it felt vaguely disrespectful to drive off before she did. Like hanging up on someone.
Mrs. Vaughan finally turned straight ahead, tight-lipped. Her car surged ahead.
Well, fuck. He’d definitively ruined Demi’s evening. Smooth move, bonehead.
He’d been trying so hard to walk the line. Head down, eyes forward, pocketing every spare penny to put toward his app. Then Demi Vaughan came into his line of vision, with her glossy brown curls and her hip-swaying walk, and whammo. His better judgment got coshed on the head, tied up and stuffed into the trunk of a car.
This was such a dumb move. On so many levels. He was the Prophet’s spawn, she was a rich girl, the town princess, the college grad. He was practically broke, she lived in the biggest house in Shaw’s Crossing. He was an orphan with a past best not talked about, and she was the granddaughter of the guy whose family gave the town its very name.
That was the girl he got a raging hard-on for. Because evidently he liked to punch up the challenge. Keep it interesting for himself. True to form.
He kept seeing the scene tomorrow, at the river, in his mind’s eye. Demi soaking wet. Clingy, scanty clothes. Her cloud of dark hair floating around her. Nipples tight from the cold.
He hit the accelerator. The sudden burst of speed knocked the wobbling window right off its track, and it fell down inside the car door with a loud, decisive thunk.
He could still hear his better judgment back there, trapped in the trunk. Howling, kicking out the taillights, trying to be heard. But he just couldn’t listen to it.
Stay down, you noisy dickwad. I got things to do. | <urn:uuid:d447772f-a935-4f18-9ba3-3fa01ce6ebd9> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://shannonmckenna.com/books/hellion/ | 2022-01-22T15:06:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303864.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122134127-20220122164127-00719.warc.gz | en | 0.976105 | 8,116 |
- Lake Mendocino Filling
- World Watches Fort Bragg
- KZYX Membership
- Catch of the Day
- Psychic Police
- Girls Swear
- David & Goliath
- The WPA
- Pint Arena's New Manager
- KZYX Changes
THE EFFECTS of the The Drought haven't been remedied by the recent rains, but Lake Mendocino, our visual guide to Mendocino County's water health, is filling up. No longer is the crucial reservoir the vast mud puddle it's been for several years.
FORT BRAGG HIGH SCHOOL'S ADMIN is looking more and more foolish:
Below is a joint statement from myself, Fort Bragg High School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Bruce Triplett, and Fort Bragg Unified School District Superintendent Charles Bush:
After much discussion with the administration of Mendocino Unified, we decided that in order to protect the safety and well-being of all tournament participants it is necessary to ensure that all political statements and or protests are kept away from this tournament. We request that all participants respect our position in creating an atmosphere of political neutrality that is centered on friendly and healthy competition among young athletes. We are a small school district that simply does not have the resources to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff, students and guests at the tournament should someone get upset and choose to act out.
We applaud Mendocino basketball players for paying attention to what is going on in the world around them, and being willing to take a position that is in line with their beliefs. However, given the recent incidents involving the death of a law enforcement officer in our community, we simply feel this issue is too emotionally charged to allow such a demonstration to happen in our tournament and be able to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved. We simply do not have the resources to protect those involved should the situation become aggressive or physical.
Every school district that is participating in the event has been asked by our Athletic Director to respect our request to maintain a politically neutral environment while participating in this tournament. We want all athletes who wish to participate to have the opportunity to do so, but as the hosts of the event we also need to ensure that we can protect the safety and well-being of everyone in attendance. The only way that is possible is to make this event politically neutral and ask that all involved put their personal beliefs about a situation that occurred on the other side of our country on hold for the short time they are participating. If a team cannot or is unwilling to do that, we have no other choice but to exclude them from the event.
— Rebecca C. Walker, Principal Fort Bragg High School
OH, PLEASE. It takes three “educators” to come up with this completely wrong claim that political statements on t-shirts worn by teenage basketball players are a threat to public safety? Pathetic, and one more lesson for “the kids” (all rise) that when basic democratic principles run up against a spineless school administration (is there any other kind?), the principles get chucked along with the young people who express them.
ONE MORE TIME: I think the national hysteria represented by the I Can't Breathe movement is just that — hysteria. But slam-dunking a bunch of kids for expressing a minority political opinion is simply shameful, not to mention an indication of the intellectual standards at the two schools. Bush, Walker and Triplett need some remedial instruction themselves. Spineless school administrators hire spineless teachers, and the whole stultifying K-12 show makes sheep out of young people, the implicit notion that they're better off not participating in political life, let alone as a dissident. Their opinions won't be respected, and they sure as hell won't be protected by Fort Bragg and Mendocino School authorities.
INCIDENTALLY, there was no protest this football season when Mendocino High School postponed their homecoming week out of respect for Yom Kippur, a clear violation of another Constitutional principle — separation of church and state. Imagine the howls from the Mendocino Coast's liberals if homecoming had been postponed for a week so the Church of Christ could lead students in Bible study?
FORT BRAGG BAN GOES NATIONAL.
McCarthy's great reporting has now been appropriated by the national and international media, from AP to the New York Times to the Guardian of London:
Fort Bragg High asks team from Mendocino to stay home over T-shirts
By Lisa Leff, Associated Press, December 27, 2014
A high school basketball tournament in Fort Bragg has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing protests over police killings of unarmed black men after a team from Mendocino High School was disinvited because of concerns its players would wear T-shirts printed with the words “I Can’t Breathe” during warmups.
The athletic director for Mendocino High was informed by his counterpart at Fort Bragg High School this week that neither the boys nor girls teams would be allowed to participate in the three-day tournament hosted by Fort Bragg High starting Monday, Mendocino Unified School District Superintendent Jason Morse said.
The boys were reinstated after all but one player agreed not to wear the shirts inspired by the last words of Eric Garner, the New York man who died after an officer put him in a chokehold, while on the Fort Bragg campus during the Vern Piver Holiday Classic tournament, Morse said. Too few girl players accepted the condition for the team to field a tournament squad, he said.
Bruce Triplett, the athletic director at Fort Bragg High, did not return a call and email seeking comment. Principal Rebecca Walker issued a written statement Friday saying school administrators respected the Mendocino teams “for paying attention to what is going on in the world around them” and that the T-shirts were being prohibited as a security precaution.
“To protect the safety and well-being of all tournament participants it is necessary to ensure that all political statements and or protests are kept away from this tournament,” wrote Walker, who said she was speaking on behalf of the athletic director and the Fort Bragg school superintendent. “We are a small school district that simply does not have the resources to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff, students and guests at the tournament should someone get upset and choose to act out.”
Mendocino varsity teams first wore the “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts before a game with Fort Bragg on Dec. 16, according to the girls coach, Caedyn Feehan. The girls also wore them before games at two other tournaments and didn’t receive any blowback, Feehan said.
“I didn’t even know what it meant. I thought it was a joke about how I had conditioned them so hard,” Feehan said. “None of the administrators knew what it was or that any of them were doing it in advance. This was entirely for their cause that they had strong feelings about.”
Professional basketball players such as LeBron James, Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving wore “I Can’t Breathe” shirts during warmups this month without repercussions from the NBA. After Kobe Bryant and other Laker player wore them before a game and on the bench on Dec. 9, coach Byron Scott said he viewed it as a matter of “freedom of choice and freedom of speech.”
That’s how Marc Woods, whose 16-year-old son Connor plans to sit out the tournament, sees it. Connor wore the T-shirt at the Dec. 16 game in the name of team solidarity, but “now that’s become a First Amendment violation, that’s what he is fired up about,” the father said.
Woods, whose father was a California Highway Patrol officer, said he is outraged by what he sees as using intimidation to silence players and fans. Fort Bragg administrators have warned spectators who plan to protest the T-shirt ban that they will be asked to leave, he said.
“It doesn’t take a lot to suppress the exchange of ideas when you put fear into it,” Woods said.
Both schools are located in Mendocino County, known for redwood forests, rugged coastline and marijuana-growing, located 120 miles north of San Francisco. The student bodies at the two schools are 1 percent black and 50 percent white and 41 percent Hispanic at Fort Bragg, 75 percent white and 9 percent Hispanic at Mendocino.
A county sheriff’s deputy, Ricky Del Fiorentino, was killed in March by a man suspected of murder and carjacking in Eugene, Ore. The suspect, Ricardo Antonio Chaney, later engaged in a shootout with a Fort Bragg police officer before shooting himself in the head.
Walker referenced Del Fiorentino’s death, saying “We simply feel this issue is too emotionally charged to allow such a demonstration to happen in our tournament and be able to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved.
AP AND THE NEW YORK TIMES and the Guardian of London and Al Jazeera have also picked up Fort Bragg's I Can't Breathe t-shirt ban. The Press Democrat ran the AP story, while none of the big media have credited Paul McCarthy of Elk who broke the story on MendocinoSportsPlus two days ago.
THE WAY THE CONTROVERSY is breaking down nationally pits what loosely passes for the “Left” claiming that the police are out of hand everywhere while the Right is suggesting that criticism of the police anywhere is a form of subversion. The “Left” is going so far as to say that we already live in a police state, which is a huge insult to the millions of people around the globe who live in real police states and speak out at the risk of their lives.
HEY! The Mendocino girl's basketball team, by refusing to honor the shirt ban, is more evidence that they understand what kind of country they're supposed to be living in, even if their administrators don't.
ON LINE STATEMENT OF THE DAY
I have my own personal opinion about the Garner case, as well as the others, but those don't trump our freedom of speech. I can understand banning some things for safety reasons but please explain how some kids at a high school sporting event, who were expressing themselves with a non-violent phrase in a non-violent manner, are risking anything? It's a sticky situation and a polarizing topic but as much as I can't stand certain opinions I would never censor them due too my belief in the Constitution of the United States of America and our bill of rights!
(— Christina Styles, writing on the Press Democrat comment line)
FORBES ON-LINE’s YOUTH SPORTS EDITOR BOB COOK COMMENTED SATURDAY AS WELL:
'I Can't Play' — High School Athletes Face Backlash for Eric Garner-Inspired T-Shirts
It’s not just pro athletes wearing “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts in the wake of the death of Eric Garner. You’re probably familiar with his name and that phrase, which he exclaimed as he was in what would be a fatal chokehold by a New York Police Department officer, thus becoming shorthand for many protests nationwide against perceived police brutality, especially toward African-Americans such as Garner.
The black T-shirts with white Comic Sans lettering have appeared on the pregame warmup bodies of such NBA stars as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and they also recently have made their way to high school players as well. For example, the girls basketball team at the Patrick School in New Jersey broke them out during its recent season opener. The shirts aren’t hard to get a hold of: at my local mall, I’ve seen at least two stands selling them. That made me wonder whether a cry of protest quickly was being reduced to a saleable commodity.
The reaction to the “I Can’t Breathe” shirts at one northern California high school tells me the shirts haven’t yet lost their power. From CBS San Francisco:
“A high school basketball tournament on the Northern California coast has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing protests over police killings of unarmed black men after a school was disinvited because of concerns its players would wear T-shirts printed with the words ‘I Can’t Breathe’ during warmups. The athletic director for Mendocino High School was informed by his counterpart at Fort Bragg High School this week that neither the boys nor girls teams would be allowed to participate in the three-day tournament hosted by Fort Bragg High starting Monday, Mendocino Unified School District Superintendent Jason Morse said. The boys were reinstated after all but one player agreed not to wear the shirts inspired by the last words of Eric Garner, the New York man who died after an officer put him in a chokehold, while on the Fort Bragg campus during the Vern Piver Holiday Classic tournament, Morse said. Too few girl players accepted the condition for the team to field a tournament squad, he said.”
While the most visible players on any level wearing “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts are African-American, Mendocino’s overwhelmingly are not. The school is 75 percent white, 9 percent Hispanic and 1 percent black, according to CBS San Francisco. Fort Bragg is also only 1 percent black, though it is 41 percent Hispanic and 50 percent white.
The ban takes me back to my college media law course, in which the professor (who also wrote the book we studied) introduced us to Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case that has been the bellwether for all school dress court cases that have followed. Basically, the Tinker kids were allowed to wear their anti-Vietnam War armbands because the First Amendment applied to school, and that schools could only restrict expression based on whether it was truly disruptive, not whether it merely made people uncomfortable or conflicted with the administration’s or community’s prevailing views.
I’ve seen no indication (yet) that anyone at Mendocino will try to bring the Tinker case to bear on Fort Bragg’s decision. For one thing, the conflicts don’t often make it to court, for many reasons (the Tinkers didn’t sue the school district until others picked up the conflict on their behalf). And there are all sorts of conflicts going on where the fight is in the inimitable court of public opinion, such as the Arkansas eighth-grader told she couldn’t wear a shirt stating, “Virginity Rocks,” or the Arlington, Texas, high school that banned a football team T-shirt whose message seemed to endorse rape.
Or school teachers in Staten Island — where Eric Garner was accosted by police and died — told by their union that the New York Department of Education would likely take action against them if they wore pro-New York Police Department T-shirts to school. This warning came in September, two months before a grand jury refused to indict anyone in connection with Garner’s death, and two police were killed in Brooklyn, deaths many officers believed were a direct result of protests against them.
As a writer, my sympathies naturally lie in more speech, not less, despite every YouTube comment thread. The protests against, and the support of, police have nuances that not everyone involved appreciate at first glance. (Speaking of nuances, the one boys’ player who refuses to not wear an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt is the son of a California Highway Patrol officer.)
If Mendocino High wanted to wear “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirts, let the chips fall where they may. It’s a good lesson in expressing opinions, especially realizing what happens when you’re speaking them to an unsupportive crowd. If nothing else, the gesture could perhaps educate people in their own community as to the issues involved, because despite LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, not everyone knows what “I Can’t Breathe” means. Again, from CBS San Francisco:
“Mendocino varsity teams first wore the ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-shirts before a game with Fort Bragg on Dec. 16, according to the girls coach, Caedyn Feehan. The girls also wore them before games at two other tournaments and didn’t receive any blowback, Feehan said. ‘I didn’t even know what it meant. I thought it was a joke about how I had conditioned them so hard,’ Feehan said. ‘None of the administrators knew what it was or that any of them were doing it in advance. This was entirely for their cause that they had strong feelings about’.”
* * *
[and this just in from MendocinoSportsPlus...]
MENDO GIRLS VARSITY SENDS LETTER TO MENDO SHERIFF ASSOC. & TO ALL 'CONCERNED CITIZENS'
MSP was fortunate to obtain a copy of the letter some of the Mendocino High School girls varsity basketball team (and some members of the boys team) sent to the Mendocino County Deputy Sheriffs Association Christmas Eve as a Facebook "message." It is in response to that site's comment (since taken down) about the "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts the team wore December 16th. The letter is also meant to be read by "all concerned citizens."
Here it is:
It has come to our attention that members of our local law enforcement felt 'discouraged and disrespected' by our participation in a non-violent national protest. We have worn shirts during the warm-up at recent basketball games that say 'I Can’t Breathe'.
Although the Association did not contact us directly, the statements made on its Facebook page regarding the subject state that they interpreted our shirts as a protest to our local Sheriffs. Some of us and many of our parents personally knew Deputy Ricky Del Fiorentino. He was the best example of a law enforcement officer who knew how to calm down tense situations peacefully. Our protest has nothing to do with exemplary officers like Deputy Del Fiorentino.
We are saddened that the message we are trying to send has been misconstrued, but understand that by choosing to wear our shirts we were getting involved in a very real and controversial issue.
Eric Garner died after being put in a chokehold by law enforcement officials. His last words during the incident, 'I can’t breathe,' have become a slogan that has gained momentum and media attention after members of the NBA, as well as entire college and high school basketball teams wore shirts with this slogan during their warm-ups.
The Mendocino High School Varsity girls and boys basketball teams made the decision to wear the shirts without the initial encouragement of any parent, coach or other adult. We, the players, wanted to express our support for the people who face prejudices, racism, and police brutality daily in our country and convey our concern about these injustices to the public.
We are fortunate to live in a community in which these type of wrongs are uncommon, and respect our local law enforcement officers fully. We appreciate police officers and their difficult and sometimes dangerous job, but at the same time we condemn police brutality that does exist in our country and feel even small communities like ours should promote awareness of such crucial matters.
Various Members of the Mendocino High School Varsity Basketball Teams
Kiera Poehlmann, Jin Jackson, Scott Duncan, Emily Symonds, Michaela Hubbard, Naomi Baker, Isobel Hall, Sean Symonds, Connor Woods, Emily Miller, Isaiah Graham, Aimee Gordon, Cypress Bodaly
A RELUCTANT $25
KZYX&Z, P.O. Box 1, Philo, CA 95466
Mary and John and money-changing staff, accept this check for $25 for a Simple Living Membership.
I had to force myself to send this money, because I so don't have it to throw around and so don't want to reward you*, but I want to have a voice and a vote on the direction KZYX goes, and apparently this is the only way, even though you've got literally millions of tax dollars in grants over the last 25 years, so…
It's coming up on three years since I offered my show to you —description, long good history, letters of reference, letters to your Program Advisory Committee (which I found out a year later doesn't even exist), 15 years of samples, jumped through all your hoops, continued email contact and updating, and you've taken zero steps to put Memo of the Air: Good Night Radio on KZYX. Given my safe and wonderful and good-natured track record in teaching and publishing and radio I consider it to be a measure of your incompetence that my show was not on KZYX within six months. That would have been late summer of 2012.
*Two thousand (2000) (!) regular $50 memberships don't add up to what KZYX management scarfs up in personal pay, where none of the people actually doing the work of radio are paid a cent, nor even allowed autonomy in the content and operation of their own shows. That's one of the things that I'm going to vote to change.
Happy new year.
Marco McClean, Mendocino
ED NOTE: For 2013, KZYX’s Audited Budget (from their website) says “Wages, salaries and related expenses” were $249,539. Membership in the 2000 range x $50 = $100,000. As far as we know there are five paid staffers at KZYX (also according to their website): John Coate, Mary Aigner, David Steffen, Rich Culbertson, and Diane Hering.
CATCH OF THE DAY, December 27, 2014
KELISHA ALVAREZ, Ukiah. Illegal camping, probation revocation. (Frequent flyer.)
BRUCE CARTWRIGHT, Ukiah. Child abuse or endangerment, parole violation.
BO EDER, Fort Bragg. Possession of controlled substance, injection/smoking device, and burglary tools. (Frequent flyer.)
JESSICA EWING, Ukiah. Probatioin revocation.
GREGORY FINNEY, Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon not a firearm.
TRAVIS HAWK, Ukiah. Provation revocation.
DANIEL HOLMES, Ukiah. Child endangerment, battery, resisting arrest, probation revocation.
ROSS MERRILL, Fort Bragg. Drunk in public, resisting arrest.
SANDRA OAKS, Hazelhurst, Georgia/Ukiah. Failure to appear.
MATTHEW OGDIE, Oakland/Ukiah. Probation revocation.
APRIL RASH, Ukiah. Child endangerment, probation revocation.
KENDRA SELLS, Fort Bragg. Possession of controlled substance and paraphernalia, probation revocation.
HERE'S TO RATIONALITY
For crying out loud…
I thought the Giants’ victory might make you giddy, but did all the excitement fry your brain? Otherwise, why, a week later would you run that goofy column by Debra Keipp? (She, the psychic, “…works between the 3rd and 4th dimensions of reality…” ?????) There is no such thing as a psychic. They are all fakes, scam artists taking gullible folks’ money. And, they steal time from serious investigations, if the police involved are also gullible. (The day a psychic predicts a lottery, I might be interested.)
It’s a myth that psychics have helped solve crime cases. Tests conducted by the LAPD showed information generated by psychics was no better than chance would allow (Journal of Police Science and Administration (7, No.1, 1979). Joe Nickell writes there is not a single documented case of a missing person being found or discovered due solely to psychic information. (See the book he edited, Psychic Sleuths).
In the Laci Peterson case, the Modesto police received over 300 calls from psychics but used none. None! The one D. Keipp refers to is Noreen Renier, who has a long sullied career as nothing more than an actor claiming paranormal powers (She predicted Jimmy Carter would be assassinated after his election in 1980 (!) and Mondale would commit suicide). She has faked police hirings, fabricated missing person cases, and claims university teaching appointments and diplomas which are all bogus. A thorough fascinating investigation of her is chronicled in <commentarybysherlock.com>.
I contacted well known skeptics about this case and they very promptly and generously offered their help. Gary Posner, MD, founder of Tampa Bay Skeptics has written extensively of her career (including Tampa Bay Skeptics Report, Vol. 16 No.1 Summer 2003). Benjamin Redford, deputy editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine also wrote about Renier and the Peterson case in his recent book, Mysterious New Mexico.
The Laci Peterson case was solved by good, solid detective work by the police, helped by Scott Peterson’s stupidity. His Christmas Eve fishing venture to the Bay was immediately suspect, and later blood was found in his truck and on a mop he used to clean his kitchen floor. The police made many trips to the Bay with the case resolving itself in April when a couple out for a walk found the fetus washed up at Pt. Isabel. Laci’s body washed up the next day further away. No psychic needed here.
The problem is that Americans have not been taught to think critically; precisely why I recommended Carl Sagan’s The DemonHaunted World when you were collecting titles earlier this year. It’s a gem of a manual for thinking critically and should be recommended in all our high schools. I hope you’re back on your normal crystal clear thinking track, Bruce. Hang on. Catchers and pitchers report in about 2 months!
Jayne Thomas, Richmond
NIXON TAPE TRANSCRIPT OF THE DAY: April 28, 1971, 9:28 am
Richard Nixon, Bob Haldeman, and Henry Kissinger
EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
NIXON: This is what it really comes down to. The point is, now, Henry, drinking at 18. Because, well, 75% of the kids might drink at 18, most kids, 25% that drink at 18 would probably go off the rockers. It’s not a good idea. I mean, you’ve got to stop at a certain point. Why is it that the girls don’t swear? Because a man, when he swears, people can’t tolerate a girl who is a –
HALDEMAN: Girls do swear.
HALDEMAN: They do now.
NIXON: Oh, they do now? But, nevertheless, it removes something from them.
Now wake up boys, get out on the rock
It ain't daybreak but it's 4 o'clock
Oh, no, no, no, pops, you know that ain't the play
What you talkin' 'bout, it's the W.P.A.
The W.P.A., the W.P.A.
Sleep while you work, while you rest, while you play
Lean on your shovel to pass the time away
'T ain't what you do, you can die for your pay
The W.P.A., the W.P.A., the W.P.A.
Now don't be a fool working hard is passe
You'll stand from five to six hours a day
Sit down and choke while you smoke, it's okay, the W.P.A.
I'm so tired, I don't know what to do
Can't get fired, so I'll take my rest until my work is through
The W.P.A., the W.P.A.
Don't mind the boss if he's cross when you're gay
He'll get a pink slip next month anyway
Three little letters than make life okay, the W.P.A.
— Louis Armstrong
PINT ARENA'S NEW CITY MANAGER
by Debra Keipp
Last week I visited Point Arena City Hall because the new City Manager and secretary weren't answering their phones. I asked for a few chapters out of the City's Muni-Code, and had a few more questions about the City's dormant (what used to be called) Low-Income Housing Build-out Component. (It appears most of the low-income component has been aborted and it is now dubbed Senior Housing with only a few low-income units in the plans.)
The new Point Arena City Manager job has been filled by Phil Vince, who accepted a job that years ago should have been upgraded for Fred Patten, our old City Clerk under Mayor Dahlhoff. Patten held the City together for about a quarter of a century working in the capacity of City Clerk under both Mayors Earlygrow and Dahlhoff. Patten babysat Dahlhoff through her myopic unsuccessful attempt to rend ownership of Point Arena Water Works from owner, Bill Hay, which ended in Dahlhoff charging homeowners and water users for the entirety of the lawyers' fees generated by Dahlhoff for both sides in the case. (Dahlhoff's lawyers fees which water users are still paying as part of their water bills.) Dahlhoff proved too skimpy with her old friend to offer Patten the job re-classification and pay raise befitting his most excellent skills; holding together, as it goes in a small constituency like Point Arena, two handfuls of inexperienced Council members and Planners. Eventually he left his job, ill and discouraged. Since then Point Arena City Hall has been flapping in the breeze. A good deal of cluelessness could be attributed to the years since Fred Patten's resignation; leading up to recommendations made by the Mendocino County Grand Jury to hire an actual “City Manager” to guide City Council, instead of just another clerk.
New Point Arena City Manager, Phil Vince, most recently worked in Martinez and lived in Moraga, taking a year sabbatical before being hired recently to oversee Point Arena City Hall. While, according to election law, the City Council members must all live within the City limits to run for elected office, employee Vince, and one of the Planners, may live outside the City limits. There are no new places to live inside Point Arena's City boundaries, as build-out has been discouraged here throughout all of the Earlygrow and Dahlhoff campaigns amounting to about the last 25 years. Point Arena suffers a surplus of vacant, unpermitted dwellings as a result. Dahlhoff only recently released her stranglehold on Point Arena's no growth stance to bring Point Arena to the status of “Monument”, all of a sudden. Previous to that and presently, there remains no economic development plan within the City limits, even with promises of such after the dedication of the Coastal Monument. The population of Point Arena today remains at only around 500. It can't grow much larger than that, for lack of legal living accommodations within the City of sensitive habitat located entirely within the California Coastal Zone.
Point Arena sits within one square mile, with only about 200-odd registered voters. The maximum for a good voter turn-out is around 80-88 votes. Votes rarely number more than 90.
In speaking with Mr. Vince in the cold concrete and cinder block building which is Point Arena City Hall, he sat in his office working in a substantial, thickly-lined yellow hooded rain slick and acknowledged, “There's something not quite right about getting elected to public office with only 88 votes. It's usually unheard of... But that's the way it goes in a City the size of Point Arena.”
I asked Vince straight up, “What's the tax revenue of the Koogles' Huntley House, where our new Mayor lives illegally, which as potential tax revenue for the City, mostly sits empty of businesses these many years? And, why then can Mayor Koogle remain on Council when he doesn't legally live within the City limits, having lied on his election application papers, even though somehow, he can afford to keep buying unlivable, unpermitted properties which sit completely or mostly vacant in need of permits and renovation within the City limits?”
Mr Vince: “We don't even have enough officials for a Planning Commission. We have Council acting as Planners now...”
DKPA: “I know of the general lack of interest... You're saying we should be admitting Council applicants in from outside the City limits to hold office in Point Arena. According to what law? (Senator Roderick Wright was convicted of voter fraud for lying about his true residency in voter registration papers.) What's up with NO enforcement? Is it time for re-annexation so the City can legally draw applicants from outside the City limits?”
Vince looked nagged and incredulous as he said, “That's a law that is frequently broken and no one bothers to go after the offenders most of the time...” Episodic enforcement interludes are what they're called in Point Arena. (Mr. Vince is hog-tied anyway, until he passes his new employee probationary period.)
To which I responded with another satirical tact altogether. “Well, then, can you look at it this way? Why then didn't the City advertise the one seat on Council to anyone outside the City limits who can grow their 700 lbs of pot, enabling them to afford not to hold down another source of employment while living within the City limits like the rest of us poor suckers without virtue of “economic development”. Then, with untaxed pot money generated outside the City limits, buy up three parcels of property – oddly all unlivable, unrentable and dilapidated buildings – but within the City limits nonetheless, most all of which generate little, if any tax revenue for the City of Point Arena? All without filing for ANY permits, let alone the proper California Coastal Commission development permits. Let's open it up and make it available to every elected seat – not just the one guy who lied and got away with it. The City should be offering the position to more than just that one liar who shouldn't even be voting in the City limits, - that's voter fraud - who loop-holed it with his illegal living address on his election papers, which is still enforceable by law. But you tell me following the law is optional according to the City of Point Arena? City Hall gets to decide with impunity who gets to break the law? Does City Council draw straws, or decide by personal preference, overlooking their “friends” entirely in facilitating avoidance of all permitting processes. That lack of equality in enforcement just sends more complaints to Grand Jury... once again - to referee inadequacies by the City of Point Arena, who should simply follow the law instead of bending it to the breaking point only for “friends of City Hall”.”
We also touched briefly on nepotism by Council, Planners and employees of the City. Apparent in the nepotism of the City's hired relatives, errr aaaa... employees, Jean Nadell, former County Counsel, now Judge, came to City Hall to educate Gualala's GMAC members, Point Arena City Planners and Councilpersons, regarding conflict of interest, informing that they couldn't be married or related, and sit on these boards or as employees, simultaneously. That's when Mr. Dahlhoff, the former Mayor's husband, negated and argued with Nadell, regardless of the law she quoted. See my point about Point Arena's entitled conflicted political mindset?
“You want a letter from the City saying the current Mayor's “true residence” is not even a legal live space? I have evidence of that on City letterhead provided by the fired City Clerk. Wanta see it?”
Koogles' Huntley House is not a legal live space, according to the City of Point Arena. Never was. Koogle is guilty of fraud, therefore, as he rented it under that falsity, to at least two renters as a legal live-work space, before moving into the building himself. Can't we legally open City Council seats in Point Arena to everyone, in or outside the City limits, since it already seems to be a kind of unspoken broken law, anyway? We might at least get a better chance at a qualified candidate interested in prioritizing more than just a skate park typically for, and narrowly used by one gender – adolescent males.”
I added that I didn't want to overburden Mr. Vince with re-annexation in his new job, but that would be the most sensible for a voter constituency languishing at 88 votes, under annual scrutiny by the Mendocino County Grand Jury. Re-annexation could open up the already stifled boundaries of “Pint” Arena from Iversen to Mountain View and up to Ten Mile from the Ocean – or, follow the fog bank. That might at least give us a voter population of a few thousand... a much larger tax base, not to mention maybe some folks who'd like to run for office with some business acumen. Point Arena has at least a dozen vacated, deconstructed buildings and/or business spaces presently; both residential and commercial – most absolutely uninhabitable, earning no taxable income for the City of Point Arena, with nowhere for a new constituency to live in a city not requiring building permits and/or improvements, beginning with its Councilpersons.
I advised Mr. Vince to get the City Hall locks changed or re-keyed to eliminate the extra subterfuge, after already having had the City's office records sacked for incineration since Fred Patten ran City Hall. Before searching for the Muni-Codes, I informed Mr. Vince that the office secretary, himself, and the emergency services director for the City (who it turns out, is also Mr. Vince), are suppose to be the only three designatees with keys to City Hall's office. Not even the Mayor or Councilpersons are to have keys to City Hall. He blew it off telling me the locks had been changed by the previous interim City Manager, Tyson. I then asked Mr. Vince if I could buy a copy of Chapters 14 through 18 of the City's Muni-Code.
We went into the inner office in search of the Muni-Code binder for chapters 14-18. We found that chapters 14 and 18 are missing. These are the specific chapters that relate to the other Grand Jury Complaint a few constituents are filing on one other of Point Arena's City Council members who, for the last four-plus years, has been living without proper sewer, water, dwelling, or permits; in violation of Point Arena land use issues on sensitive habitat, which qualifies most of Point Arena within the City limits.
“Hmmmm...” I said, “Look there. The pertinent Muni-Codes: missing. I'll be damned. ...and just the very chapters pertaining to your other illegally-lodged Councilperson's California Development Permit, residency, and land use issues living in that uninhabitable garage without City sewer hook-up down on Point Arena Creek!”
To which Mr. Phil Vince, new hire City Manager, responded, “You could be right about those keys.”
ESSENTIAL CHANGES AT KZYX
Last Chance to Join/Renew at KZYX&Z, Be Eligible to Vote/Run in Spring Board Election
This Wednesday, December 31, is the deadline for becoming a member of KZYX&Z and being eligible to vote and/or run in next spring’s election for the board of directors. Many of us believe that new directors must be elected in order to bring about essential changes. Doug McKenty and I have committed to running for the At-Large and Fifth District seats, respectively. We are now looking for a candidate from the Second District, mainly the city of Ukiah. Members have until January 30 to decide if they want to run.
The last post, a legal/policy analysis, prompted suggestions that the changes be specified, with fewer words. Thus the following: Proposed Policy Changes for Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, aka KZYX&Z Programming:
A Program Advisory Council will be established, as required by the attached policy adopted by the Board of Directors in December 2008. Programmers will be provided adequate resources and support, with the least possible restrictions on freedom of expression, in order to maximize their creative energies. There will be freedom of communication between and among the Programmers, Staff, Management, Directors, Members, and the Public. Personnel: Authority for hiring and firing will be returned to the Board of Directors, as it was until 2006. The News Director will be a full-time position, independent of editorial control by Management. Any disciplinary action can be appealed to the Board of Directors. No one will be disciplined for expressing their opinion about the organization, though legal restrictions concerning offensive language and defamation of character will still apply.
Community Outreach: The General Manager, Program Director, News Director, and Station Engineer will attend all Board meetings. The Board And Staff will respond to questions and comments as time permits. The audio/video file of any meetings and/or outreach events will be posted on the website. The Community Advisory Board will be reconstituted so that it is independent and reflects the diversity of the listening community, with regular meetings that are open to the Public.
Members: Allow any Member to inspect and copy anx and alm records of MCPB/KZYX, other than confidential personnel records. Send written notice of the annual Membership Meeting to all Members with their ballot. Allow Members to put a Bylaw amendment on the annual ballot if they obtain the signatures of at least five percent (5%) of the Membership on a petition in support of the proposed amendment.
Directors: All policy decisions will be made by the Board of Directors. Directors will be given access to any and all information and documents. The duty of each director to oversee and!evaluate the operations of the organization will not be restricted.
All of these policy changes can be made by the Board of Directors. However, any of them could also be submitted to the Members for a vote as a bylaw amendment, which would bind any future boards if adopted. Attached are the current bylaws and policies of MCPB/KZYX, along with the lengthier legal/policy analysis previously posted. They and the proposed changes are the basis of future discussion.
Anyone interested in supporting these changes and/or running for a seat on the Board must be a member by December 31. Simple living memberships of $25 per year are still available, even though they are not publicized. The quickest way to join is by using the website donation page: http://kzyx.org/index.php/donate-or-join
MCPB is a membership-based organization dddicated to serving the entire community of Mendocino County and contiguous counties. The primary purpose of MCPB is to engage in providing high-quality, independent, community and public radio and other media products and services.
That is our mission, as stated in our bylaws 25 years ago. A membership nonprofit that operates a public community radio station with taxpayer money must be open and accessible. Otherwise it will defeat the efforts of generations who have sought to make the airwaves a resource for the people. And it will fail. Only by making essential changes can MCPB/KZYX achieve its best destiny, to be a shining city on the hill for a county, and a nation, that so desperately need one.
Dennis O'Brien, Ukiah | <urn:uuid:1cc71844-d0da-40a4-9280-afc241793920> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.theava.com/archives/38723 | 2022-01-26T23:28:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320305006.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20220126222652-20220127012652-00239.warc.gz | en | 0.963004 | 9,329 |
kingdom of god vs kingdom of heaven lds
The Kingdom of God is heaven. 31:20–21.) You can even compare parallel verses like Matthew 4:17 Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven … I appreciate you stopping by. In a slightly different perspective, some have theorized that the KG has already come because Jesus has already come (the first time), and the KH is still yet to come. Classical dispensational teaching makes a clear distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven as used in the Bible. God’s authority does not exist within us, but we as believers acknowledge His power, and we respond appropriately through the moral and spiritual forces His power impresses upon us. Likewise, the apostles Luke and Mark use KG while Matthew used KH when they wrote about the exact same parable. Inhabitants That is helpful, thank you! One example is the sending out of the twelve (Matt 10 , Lk 9). Thank you so much for this clarity. Many Jews expected the Messiah to come as a political or military figure, someone who would come charging in and save them from Roman rule. He is your Creator, and as a result has the right to give you orders. We also know the KH is not here because, quite frankly, the earth is running amok in sin. I am enlighten, You do clearly with the backup of scripture explain the difference between the two but towards the end, you did kind of contradict your points, where you said, none of both kingdoms is present on earth today; and you said the chaos in the world prove so. But we know from the book of Revelation that He will indeed come charging in one day to assert His authority at His second coming (Revelation 19:11-16) bringing the full KG with Him. But they can quickly be dismissed if you believe the KG and the KH are one and the same. The celestial kingdom is the highest of the three degrees of glory. When I partake of the sacrament with you in my Fatherâs kingdom, Matt. 12:23, 28). You are a small created being, and part of His creation. Which church do you represent? While denotative distinctions between the KG and the KH have been proposed elsewhere, the distinction became widely known through the popular Scofield Reference Bible. Just look at how Jesus introduced His ministry: Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of … While Jesus indeed did walk the earth and brought a tiny slice of the KG with Him, we must remember He ascended again to the right hand of the Father (Acts 1:9) and that slice is no longer here with us. The celestial kingdom is the highest of the three degrees of glory. The Lord is King for ever and ever, Ps. Expanding on this, the Plan of Salvation as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) holds that Heaven is divided into three separate kingdoms of glory (each of which contains \"many mansions). The King of both of these is Jesus Christ but are t… You are not in charge. 8:11,12; Lk. If we want to know about the kingdom we must know about the King of that kingdom and whether it is the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God we are talking about. thanks for the explanation about this Who wrote this essay? Historically, God's Kingdom was known as Israel, to whom he gave the Promised Land. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth, but it is at present limited to an ecclesiastical kingdom. The kingdom of heaven, on the other hand, is the opposite of the earth and the sin the earth contains. THE KINGDOM OF GOD Brief Overview of the Two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of Heaven (Ouranos) – a physical, literally, earthly kingdom; just as heaven is physical, so is this kingdom. No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven, Alma 11:37. The longer version (removed) included all of Jesus parables and expounded on them. 2:44 (D&C 138:44). I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom, Matt. Many well-known and exegetically sound Bible teachers assert that there is a difference in these two terms as they are found in the New Testament, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. – user862 Nov 29 '16 at 8:09. Answer: While some believe that the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are referring to different things, it is clear that both phrases are referring to the same thing. Who Wrote Paul’s Letters in the New Testament? Therefore, the KH must refer to the coming millennial kingdom. Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Learn more | Create PowerClip! During the Millennium, the kingdom of God will be both political and ecclesiastical. It consists of people trusting and employing “power under” rather than “power over,” even when they, like Jesus, suffer because of this. It is thought by the LDS Church to be the "third heaven" referred to by the apostle Paul in the King James Version of 2 Corinthians "12:2". THE KINGDOM OF GOD Brief Overview of the Two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of Heaven (Ouranos) – a physical, literally, earthly kingdom; just as heaven is physical, so is this kingdom. Rev 11:15 The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever. Philippians 4:6 NKJ. Hi, love the article, thank you. Order yours now at Moody Publishers (not an affiliate link). Whoso receiveth you as a little child, receiveth my kingdom, D&C 99:3. The Holy Spirit does dwell within us, this is true, but it does not mean the kingdom of God follows. I agree with you in the overall, though I have a feeling this will play in my thoughts for a few weeks still. : Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Part One, How the Roman Army Utterly Destroyed the Second Temple, Inside the Blessed Holy of Holies and the Sacred Veil, A Walking Tour of the Second Temple and Its Courts. I suppose it’d have been quite fantastic had it been Mathew, Mark, and Luke are our contemporaries to tell us what each of them meant by KG or KH. While denotative distinctions between the KG and the KH have been proposed elsewhere, the distinction became widely known through the popular Scofield Reference Bible. God’s Kingdom is a real government established by Jehovah God. Are you or someone you care about in need of prayer? Location. this is fantastic news, god word is the alpha and the omega,, it will be a glorious day when jesus rides across the heavens ..in my simpliticy i like to think it will be like a giant plughole that when this happens all evil get pulled down a giant sinkhole as the armies of christ ride on to total victory, the KG And KH becoming one…cool! Kingdom of God vs Kingdom of Heaven. Bible Verses for Reference: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, … Read More You say that during the last days, God does the work of judgment in order to class each according to his kind, to reward good and punish evil, to bring the old age to an end, and that, ultimately, Christ’s kingdom shall be realized on earth. Understanding Psalm 23: The Table, the Oil, and God’s Faithfulness, The Persistent Love of God: Exploring the Book of Hosea, The History and Prophecy of the Triumphant Entry Gate, Taking the Riddles Out of the Parables Part One: A Closer Look at the Parable of the Sower, Taking the Riddles Out of the Parables Part Two: Heaven, the Wheat, and the Tares, Taking the Riddles Out of the Parables Part Three: The Other Mustard Seed Story, Taking the Riddles Out of the Parables Part Four: Guarding Your Treasure, Taking the Riddles Out of the Parables Part 5: The Tragedy of Wasted Talent and Opportunity, Abraham, Isaac, and Jesus: Their Amazing Stories of Obedience and Blessing, New Beginnings: How Peter Became the Rock of the Early Church. Kingdom of God, also called Kingdom Of Heaven, in Christianity, the spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the fulfillment on Earth of God’s will.The phrase occurs frequently in the New Testament, primarily used by Jesus Christ in the first three Gospels. So, which theory is correct? Thanks for stopping by! Purpose. Most of these references occur in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.While the exact term is not found in the Old Testament, the existence of God’s Kingdom is expressed similarly in the Old Testament. Matthew 13:11, Mark 4:11 Luke 8.10 Matthew 13:31, mark 4:30, luke 13:18 Matthew 19:23, Mark 10.23, luk 18:24 Matthew uses Kingdom of Heaven and Mark and Luke use Kingdom of God in the exact same contexts. 3. His kingdom will prevail. I agree . I can view it differently now, Thank you very much for such explanations. Understanding Psalm 23: What is the Valley of the Shadow of Death? How Much Faith Did God Measure Out for You? C. I. Scofield defines the two phrases in his reference Bible notes on Matthew 3:2 and Matthew 6:33. (Mark 1:14, 15; Matthew 4:17, King James Version) It shares many attributes of human governments, yet it … At that time, heaven and the Kingdom of God will become one in its perfection just as it was before Satan’s rebellion. In the Jewish faith, any attempt at using God’s name in any way is a sin because it’s very likely you will get it wrong. The kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:20–21). Are the KG and the KH the same thing or not? Also I had a question for you if you have time to respond: What’s the difference when bible authors just call it “the Kingdom” and don’t specify “of God” or “of Heaven”? At least for now. Thanks for sharing all this great info. The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, Dan. The kingdom of God is where His authority exists, but it is acknowledged by believers through the power of the Holy Spirit as He reveals it to us. How bout we state it simply…kingdom of heaven implies the personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God extends from eternity to eternity. One of the contributing factors to the kingdomization of the Church is the breakdown of the distinction between the “kingdom of God,” and the ‘”kingdom of heaven.” During the last 20 years or so dispensational leaders have been forsaking the distinctiveness of the kingdom of heaven as set forth in Matthew, more and more making it synonymous with the kingdom of God. Where are the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel Today? Mormons call these heavenly kingdoms the \"Three Degrees of Glory:\" the Celestial, the Terrestrial, and the Telestial. $11.99. In the broadest sense God’s rule extends over all the universe so that the birds, fishes, and all animals are subject to God’s rule, but in New Testament teaching the kingdom of God (or of heaven, or of Christ) is a specialized term referring to the spiritual fellowship of those who are saved from their sins in Christ in the gospel age (Heb. It consists of people trusting and employing “power under” rather than “power over,” even when they, like Jesus, suffer because of this. Religion - 90 percent of all the national and international problems facing our world today are the result either of poor governance or religious extremism. A final point is the KG is not commonly found in Jewish texts, but KH is frequently used, especially in literature that discusses the end times of the world. Journey to the Jordan: The Israelites’ Historical Hike to the Promised Land Part Four, Journey to the Jordan: The Israelites’ Historical Hike to the Promised Land Part Three, Journey to the Jordan: The Israelites’ Historical Hike to the Promised Land Part Two, Journey to the Jordan: A Study of the Israelites’ Historical Hike to the Promised Land Part One. God lives. Romans 14:17 says that the kingdom of God is a matter “of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The gospel of the kingdom is the good-news message of repentance, redemption, and restoration offered by God to all who will receive Christ. It’s a colloquial term that encompasses a lot of who God is and what He controls. Scofield noted five ways to distinguish between the KH and the KG. The kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus’ preaching, according to the Synoptic Gospels. This is why you might sometimes see references to God in Jewish texts as G*d or YHWH. Inhabitants You may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father, D&C 15:6. So, when we read about the KG in the New Testament, the Bible is describing God’s overarching authority and His universal kingdom. Your email address will not be published. The KH, on the other hand, is meant more as a distinction from the earth. Why Jesus Leaves the 99 Sheep to Find You. A very clear description of “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” (which I will abbreviate as KG and KH, respectively) is found in Vine’s Expository Bible Dictionary. The parable of the hid treasure in the field is Israel hid among the nations of the world: this parable is Ezekiel 37. This article is actually the starting point of more bible searching! Was Jesus Supposed to be Called Immanuel? I hope that helps. Thanks, Jeff. THANK GOD for the clarification of the KG and KH. The LDS Church considers the church itself as the kingdom of God on the earth. You must do things God's way. This is a new source of information and I am more comfortable with the distinction now. We reflect that acknowledgment by obedience to His commands and by bearing good fruit. It’ll be better to hear from the horse’s mouth rather than our thoughts! Psalm 45.6, 47.7; Revelation 19.16). Does the Bible Tell Us to Pray in Jesus’ Name? You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. The kingdom of God refers to the Church of Christ. The KH is made only of humans who profess God, whether they are actual believers or not. God’s Kingdom will transform the earth into a paradise home where all humans will live in peace and harmony and never get sick or die.— These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. God symbolically dwelt among them in the tabernacle (and later, the temple), gave them victory over their oppressors, and allowed them to face trials when they failed to… Call (813) 969-1518 or go to www.BigRedBalloon.com to reserve your flight today! And God ’ s examine a few weeks still Luke 4:43 only used 32 and... God Measure out for you to Draw a Line for God bring the kingdom of God vs kingdom God! Up a kingdom which shall never be taken from you, D & 65:5â6. No unclean thing can inherit the kingdom will be both political and ecclesiastical links are! Existing heaven and kingdom of God on earth light of Christ two realms of existence has sin... Or rather the restored Eden, after Jesus returns to set up the kingdom of God on,! Acts like Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( D & C 65:5â6 limited to the Gospels. Idea to this theory of similarity is that it can be a literal kingdom ushered by... The scriptures sometimes call the Church is to prepare its members to forever... 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Welcome back to my study/review of Genesis. If you missed the previous parts of this study, you can find them HERE.
5 The Hittites answered Abraham, 6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.” 7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. 8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.”
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, 11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.” 12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.” 14 Ephron answered Abraham, 15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels[c] of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” 16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over 18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. 19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.
Abraham negotiates with the Hittites to buy a burial cave for Sarah and eventually for himself also.
Concerning the Hittites, the more literal translation is “the children of Heth.”
bēn = בֵּן bên, bane; from H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.):—afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, × in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, rebel, + robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, + spark, steward, + stranger, × surely, them of, + tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Ḥēṯ = חֵת Chêth, khayth; from H2865; terror; Cheth, an aboriginal Canaanite:—Heth.;
The verse then is identifying the “Hittites” with the Heth from Genesis 10:15.
And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
As discussed in the previous post, the Hittites of the Bible are considered distinct from the Hittites from history – though there is a lot of scholarship that links the two.
Let’s examine the verses. From The Pulpit Commentaries:
And the children of Heth answered. Abraham, saying unto him, Hear us, my lord. My lord (Adoni) = sir, monsieur, or mein herr. One acts as the spokesman of all; the number changing from plural to singular. The LXX; reading לֹא instead of לוֹ, after the Samaritan Codex, render μὴ κύριε, Not so, my lord; but hear us. Thou art a mighty prince among us. Literally, a prince of Elohim; not of Jehovah, since the speakers were heathen whose ideas of Deity did not transcend those expressed in the term Elohim. According to a familiar Hebrew idiom, the phrase might be legitimately translated as in the A.V.—cf. “mountains of God,” i.e. great mountains, Psalms 36:6; “cedars of God,” i.e. goodly cedars, Psalms 80:10 (Calvin, Kimchi, Rosenmüller, ‘Speaker’s Commentary’); but, as employed by the Hittite chieftains, it probably expressed that they regarded him as a prince or phylarch, not to whom God had given an elevated aspect (Lange), but either whom God had appointed (Gesenius), or whom God manifestly favored (Kalisch, Murphy). This estimate of Abraham strikingly contrasts with that which the patriarch had formed (Psalms 80:4) of himself. In the choice of our sepulchers bury thy dead; none of us will withhold from thee his sepulcher, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. This remarkable offer on the part of the Hittites Thomson regards as having been merely compliment, which Abraham was too experienced an Oriental not to understand. But, even if dictated by true kindness and generosity, the proposal was one to which for many reasons—faith in God, love for the dead, and respect for himself being among the strongest—the patriarch could not accede. With perfect courtesy, therefore, though likewise with respectful firmness, he declines their offer.
The commentary note above gives a lot of background to the term “prince of God” which is applied to Abraham by the children of Heth.
mighty = אֱלֹהִים ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem’; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.
prince = נָשִׂיא nâsîyʼ, naw-see’; or נָשִׂא nâsiʼ; from H5375; properly, an exalted one, i.e. a king or sheik; also a rising mist:—captain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour.
As you see from the underlying language, the focus on the translation in the Commentary above is warranted. “Mighty” comes from a word we have focused on repeatedly in this text – Elohim. Usually when we see “Elohim” in the text, it is translated as “God.” Here, though, it is translated as “mighty.”
A lot of the rest of the chapter focuses on the customs of courtesy from both sides in the buying and selling process.
Ellicott’s Bible Commentary mentions this in its note for verse 6 and we see it going forward also.
In the choice of our sepulchres.—The interview between Abraham and the Hittites is marked by the utmost courtesy on both sides, but it is a mistake to suppose that this acceptance of the patriarch’s proposal contained the idea that he might select a sepulchre without paying for it. The payment, in true Oriental fashion, is kept in the background, but is pre-supposed on both sides. After the acceptance of his proposal, it was Abraham’s turn to name the burying-place he wished, and the owner next consents, but while treating the purchase-money as a matter of small importance, he nevertheless asks a very high price, to which Abraham at once consents.
The Pulpit Commentaries goes into some detail over the process occurring here in verses 7 through 9.
And Abraham stood up (the customary posture among Orientals in buying and selling being that of sitting), and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Hath—an act of respect quite accordant with modern Oriental manners.
And he communed with them, saying, If it be year mind—literally, if it be with your souls, the word nephesh being used in this sense in Psalms 27:12; Psalms 41:3; Psalms 105:22—that I should bury my dead out of my might; hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar. The ruler of the city (Keil); but this is doubtful (Lange). “There is scarcely anything in the habits of Orientals more annoying to us Occidentals than this universal custom of employing mediators to pass between you and-those with whom you wish to do business. Nothing can be done without them. A merchant cannot sell a piece of print, nor a farmer a yoke of oxen, nor any one rent a house, buy a horse, or get a wife, without a succession of go-betweens. Of course Abraham knew that this matter of the field could not be brought about without the intervention of the neighbors of Ephron, and therefore he applies to them first”. That he may give me the cave of Machpelah,—Machpelah is regarded as a proper noun (Gesenius, Keil, Kalisch, Rosenmüller), as in Genesis 49:30, though by others it is considered as an appellative, signifying that the cave was double (LXX; Vulgate), either as consisting of a cave within a cave (Hamerus), or of one cave exterior and another interior (Abort Ezra), or as having room for two bodies (Calvin), or as possessing two entrances (Jewish interpreters). It is probable the cave received its name from its peculiar form,—which he hath (Ephron’s ownership of the cave is expressly recognized, and its situation is next described), which is in the end of his field—“so that the cession of it will not injure his property” (Wordsworth). At the same time Abraham makes it clear that an honest purchase is what he contemplates. For as much money as it is worth—literally, for full silver (1 Chronicles 21:22). Cf. siller (Scotch) for money. This is the first mention of the use of the precious metals as a medium of exchange, though they must have been so employed at a very early period (vide Genesis 13:2)—he shall give it me for a possession of a burying-place amongst you. The early Chaldaeans were accustomed to bury their dead in strongly-constructed brick vaults. Those found at Mughheir are seven feet long, three feet seven inches broad, and five feet high, are composed of sun-dried bricks embedded in mud, and exhibit a remarkable form and construction of arch, resembling that occur ring in Egyptian buildings and Scythian tombs, in which the successive layers of brick are made to overlap until they come so close that the aperture may be covered by a single brick. In the absence of such artificial receptacles for the dead, the nearest substitute the patriarch could obtain was one of those natural grottoes which the limestone hills of Canaan so readily afforded.
We have some new words to study in these verses.
Ephron = עֶפְרוֹן ʻEphrôwn, ef-rone’; from the same as H6081; fawn-like; Ephron, the name of a Canaanite and of two places in Palestine:—Ephron, Ephrain (from the margin).; עֵפֶר ʻÊpher, ay’-fer; probably a variation of H6082; gazelle; Epher, the name of an Arabian and of two Israelites:—Epher.
Zohar = צֹחַר Tsôchar, tso’-khar; from the same as H6713; whiteness; Tsochar, the name of a Hittite and of an Israelite:—Zohar. Compare H3328.; צַחַר tsachar, tsakh’-ar; from an unused root meaning to dazzle; sheen, i.e. whiteness:—white.
Machpelah = מַכְפֵּלָה Makpêlâh, mak-pay-law’; from H3717; a fold; Makpelah, a place in Palestine:—Machpelah.; כָּפַל kâphal, kaw-fal’; a primitive root; to fold together; figuratively, to repeat:—double.
Ellicott’s Bible Commentary speculates about the meaning of Machpelah.
(9) The cave of Machpelah.—That is, the double cave, consisting probably of an outer and an inner compartment. As the land around is also called “the field of Machpelah” (Genesis 49:30; Genesis 1:13), some imagine that it was the valley that was double; but more probably it took its name from the cavern. For a description of the Haram, within which the bones of Abraham and Sarah probably still lie, see Palmer, Desert of the Exodus, p. 397; Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 101; and also the Appendix to his Sermons in the East.
In verse 10, Ephron speaks up and the bargaining for the cave of Machpelah begins in earnest. Abraham asks the gathered crowd to intercede with Ephron and Ephron, who is present, speaks up among them. From Ellicott:
(10) And Ephron dwelt among . . . —Again a mistranslation. The Heb. is, Ephron was sitting in the midst of the Hittites. At these assemblies held at the gate of the city every free-born citizen had a right to be present, and matters were settled by common consent. As Ephron was the owner of the cave, his approval was necessary, and this Abraham treats as a favour, and requests that Ephron’s fellow-citizens will intercede in his behalf.
In verse 11, Ephron says that he gives the field to Abraham. The subtext according to the notes is that this statement was not intended to be taken literally but is instead part of a customary curtesy during the bargaining. From The Pulpit Commetnaries:
Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee—an Oriental mode of expressing willingness to sell. Ephron would make a present of cave and field to the patriarch,—”and just so have I had a hundred houses, and fields, and horses given to me”,—the design being either to obtain a valuable compensation in return, or to preclude any abatement in the price (Keil), though possibly the offer to sell the entire field when he might have secured a good price for the cave alone was an indication of Ephron’s good intention (Lange). At least it seems questionable to conclude that Ephron’s generous phrases, which have now become formal and hollow courtesies indeed, meant no more in that simpler age when the ceremonies of intercourse were newer, and more truly reflected its spirit. In the presence of the ions of my people give I it thee (literally, have I given, the transaction being viewed as finished): bury thy dead.
In verse 11, take note that Ephron repeats the phrase “I give thee” three times.
11 “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”
This has the form and feel of ceremony. From Ellicott on the same verse:
(11) The field give I thee.—Only the cave had been mentioned, but for its quiet possession the land around was necessary. In the thrice repeated “give I it thee,” there is the same courtly idea as in Genesis 23:6, that they were not buying and selling, but making mutual presents.
The Pulpit Commentaries describes the interaction then from verses 12 through 15:
And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. To express his sense of their kindness, and appreciation of Ephron’s offer in particular; aider which he courteously but firmly urged forward the contemplated purchase. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me. Literally, if thou, I would that thou wouldst hear me, the two particles אִם and לוּ being conjoined to express the intensity of the speaker’s desire. I will give thee money for the field. Literally, money of the field, i.e. the value of the field in money. This seems to indicate that Abraham at least imagined Ephron’s offer of the field and cave as a gift to be not wholly formal. Had he regarded Ephron as all the while desirous of a sale, he would not have employed the language of entreaty. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him, My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. The word “shekel,” from shakal, to weigh, here used for the first time, was not a stamped coin, but a piece of metal of definite weight, according to Exodus 30:13, equal to twenty gerahs, or beans, from garar, to roll. Coined money was unknown to the Hebrews until after the captivity. In the time of the Maccabees (1 Macc. 15:6) silver coins were struck bearing the inscription שקל ישראל. According to Josephus (Ant; iii. 8, 2) the shekel in use in his day was equal to four Athenian drachmae; and if, as is believed, these were one-fifth larger than the old shekels coined by Simon Maccabeus, the weight of the latter would be equal to three and one-third drachms, or two hundred grains, reckoning sixty grains to a drachm. It is impossible to ascertain the weight of the shekel current with the merchant in the time of Abraham; but reckoning it at a little less than 2s. 6d. sterling, the price of Ephron’s field must have been somewhat under £50; a very consider able sum of money, which the Hittite merchant begins to depreciate by representing as a trifle, saying, What is that betwixt me and thee?—words which are still heard in the East on similar occasions—bury therefore thy dead.
What is that between = בֵּין bêyn, bane; (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from H995; a distinction; but used only as a preposition, between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either…or:—among, asunder, at, between (-twixt…and), + from (the widest), × in, out of, whether (it be…or), within.
With Ephron having named an actual value, Abraham proceeds to weigh out the stated value in verse 16. From Ellicott:
(16) Abraham weighed . . . current money with the merchant.—Shekel literally means weight, and money was not coined until long afterwards. In the last clause, by inserting money our version antedates facts. According to the Hebrew, it was the silver that was current with the merchants. The metal was probably made into small bars, marked by the refiner to indicate their quality: and Abraham weighed out to Ephron about 200 ounces of silver in bars of the quality usual in trade.
Starting in verse 17, the verses record that Abraham takes possession of the cave. Again from Ellicott:
(17) Before Mamre.—That is, opposite to it. The Haram wherein the bodies of Abraham and Sarah lie, is situated on the eastern side of the valley, so that Abraham’s oak-grove must have been on its western slope. The old Christian tradition, which places it at Ramet-el-Chalil, does not agree with this description, and is, moreover, too far away. The remains pointed out there as those of Abraham’s house, are the ruins of a heathen temple. But it is useless to look for any remains of the abode of a nomad dwelling in tents, especially after the site has been occupied by a great city. Moreover, Hebron itself has changed its position. For Benjamin of Tudela, who visited it nearly seven centuries ago, says that the old Hebron was on the heights, but had been abandoned, and that the new city lay in the valley.
The field, and the cave . . . —It is interesting to compare this document, so legally exact and full, with the numerous tablets of terra-cotta now in our museums, and which record with equal exactness the daily business transactions of the people of Ur-Chasdim, whence Abraham had migrated.
The note above reminds us of Abraham’s original home city: Ur-Chasdim. We do not really know *where* specifically that city is located through there is speculation that it was either in Sumer or in modern day Turkey.
The text tells us that after the negotiation was concluded, he buries Sarah. From The Pulpit Commentaries:
And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife—with what funeral rites can only be conjectured. Monumental evidence attests that the practice of embalming the dead existed in Egypt in the reign of Amunophth I., though probably originating, earlier.; and an examination of the Mugheir vaults for burying the dead shows that among the early Chaldaeans it was customary to place the corpse upon a matting of reed spread upon a brick floor, the head being pillowed on a single sun-dried brick, and the body turned on its left side, the right arm falling towards the left, and the fingers resting on the edge of a copper bowl, usually placed on the palm of the left hand—in the cave of the field of Machpelah before: Mamre. In which also in succession his own remains and those of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah were deposited, Rachel alone of the great patriarchal family being absent. This last resting-place of Abraham and his sons, as of Sarah and her daughters, has been identified with Ramet-el-Kalil, an hour’s journey to the north of Hebron (which is too distant), where the foundations of an ancient heathen temple are still pointed out as Abraham’s house; but is more probably to be sought for in the Mohammedan mosque Haram, built of colossal blocks, and situated on the mountain slope of Hebron towards the east (Robinson, Thomson, Stanley, Tristram), which, after having been for 600 years hermetically sealed against Europeans,—only three during that period having gained access to it in disguise,—was visited in 1862 by the Prince of Wales and party. The same is Hebron in the land of Canaan (vide Genesis 23:2).
We do not know what the funeral rites looked like nor are we certain as modern readers where the location of this cave is currently located. The note above speculates that the likely location is a modern day mosque.
Wikipedia has a lengthy and informative article on The Cave of the Patriarchs that is worth reading for a baseline of background and subsequent history on this location. Below is a portion of the history of the location since Israel took possession of Hebron:
Following the Israeli occupation of the West Bank in the Six-Day War, Hebron came under Jewish control for the first time in 2,000 years and the 700-year-long restriction limiting Jews to the seventh step outside was lifted.
According to the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces, Major general Rabbi Shlomo Goren‘s autobiography on 8 June 1967, during the Six-day war, he made his way from Gush Etzion to Hebron. In Hebron he realized that the Arabs had surrendered and quickly made his way to the Cave of the Patriarchs. He shot at the doors of the mosque with his Uzi submachine gun. But when that was ineffective in prying the doors open, he attached chains to his Jeep and the doors, proceeding to pull them down. He entered the mosque and began to pray, becoming the first Jew to enter the compound for about 700 years. While praying, a messenger from the Mufti of Hebron delivered a surrender note to him, whereby the rabbi replied “This place, Ma’arat HaMachpela, is a place of prayer and peace. Surrender elsewhere.”
The first Jew to enter the underground caves was Michal Arbel, the 13-year-old daughter of Yehuda Arbel, chief of Shin Bet operations in the West Bank, because she was slender enough to be lowered into the narrow, 28 centimetres (11 in) wide hole on 9 October 1968, to gain access to the tomb site, after which she took photographs.
Israeli settlers reestablished a small synagogue under the mosque. The first Jewish wedding ceremony to take place in it was on 7 August 1968. The stone stairway leading to the mosque was also destroyed in order to erase the humiliating “seventh step”.
In 1968, a special arrangement was made to accommodate Jewish services on the Jewish New Year and Day of Atonement. This led to a hand-grenade being thrown on the stairway leading to the tomb on 9 October; 47 Israelis were injured, 8 seriously. On 4 November, a large explosion went off near the gate to the compound and 6 people, Jews and Arabs, were wounded. On Yom Kippur eve, 3 October 1976, an Arab mob destroyed several Torah scrolls and prayer books at the tomb. In May 1980, an attack on Jewish worshippers returning from prayers at the tomb left 6 dead and 17 wounded.
In 1981, a group of Jewish settlers from the Hebron community lead by Noam Arnon broke into the caves and took photos of the burial chambers.
Tensions would later increase as the Israeli government signed the Oslo Accords in September 1993, which gave limited autonomy to the PLO in the West Bank city of Jericho and the Gaza Strip. The city of Hebron and the rest of the major Palestinian population centers in the West Bank were not included in the initial agreement. The Cave of the Patriarchs massacre committed by Baruch Goldstein, an Israeli-American settler in February 1994, left 29 Palestinian Muslims dead and scores injured. The resulting riots resulted in a further 35 deaths.Jewish bride praying at the site before her wedding, 2010
The increased sensitivity of the site meant that in 1996 the Wye River Accords, part of the Arab-Israeli peace process, included a temporary status agreement for the site restricting access for both Jews and Muslims. As part of this agreement, the waqf (Islamic charitable trust) controls 81% of the building. This includes the whole of the southeastern section, which lies above the only known entrance to the caves and possibly over the entirety of the caves themselves. As a consequence, Jews are not permitted to visit the Cenotaphs of Isaac or Rebecca, which lie entirely within the southeastern section, except for 10 days a year that hold special significance in Judaism. One of these days is the Shabbat Chayei Sarah, when the Torah portion concerning the death of Sarah and the purchase by Abraham of the land in which the caves are situated, is read.
Thousands of years later, what we are reading about here in the text of Genesis remains a deep source of tension. Hebron has been in the news recently as a location for much of the recurrence of fighting between the Israeli government and Palestinians.
Verse 20 brings to the fore some apparent confusion from early Christian Stephen as recorded in the Book of Acts.
Acts 7:14-16: 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
(16) And were carried over into Sychem.—The words appear to include Jacob, who was buried not at Sychem, but Machpelah (Genesis 1:13). If we limit the verb to the patriarchs, which is in itself a tenable limitation, we are met by the fresh difficulty that the Old Testament contains no record of the burial of any of the Twelve Patriarchs, with the exception of Joseph, whose bones were laid, on the occupation of Canaan, in Shechem (Joshua 24:32); and Josephus states (Ant. iv. 8, § 2) that they were buried at Hebron. This, however, only represents, at the best, a local tradition. In the time of Jerome (Ep. 86) the tombs of the Twelve Patriarchs were shown at Shechem, and this in its turn witnesses to a Samaritan tradition which continues to the present day (Palestine Exploration Report, Dec., 1877), and which Stephen, it may be, followed in preference to that of Judæa. Looking to the probabilities of the case, it was likely that the example set by Joseph would be followed by the other tribes, and that as Shechem was far more prominent than Hebron, as the centre of the civil and religious life of Israel in the time of Joshua, that should have been chosen as the burial-place of his brethren rather than Machpelah. Looking, again, to the fact that one of Stephen’s companions, immediately after his death, goes to Samaria as a preacher, and that there are good grounds for believing that both had been previously connected with it (see Note on Acts 6:5), we may probably trace to this influence his adoption of the Samaritan version of the history. The hated Sychar (Sir. 1:26; see Note on John 4:5) had, from Stephen’s point of view, a claim on the reverence of all true Israelites, and his assertion of that claim may well have been one of the causes of the bitterness with which his hearers listened to him.
That Abraham bought for a sum of money.—Here we seem to come across a direct contradiction to the narrative of Genesis. The only recorded transaction in which Abraham appears as a buyer, was his purchase of the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23:16). The only recorded transaction in which the sons of Emmor, or Hamor, appear as sellers, was in Jacob’s purchase of the field at Shechem (Genesis 33:19
The note is actually quite a bit longer than the portion included above. If you are interested in reading more, you can follow the link.
Why does the potential for a mistake by Stephen actually matter? If there is a mistake on a plain point in the scripture, then the argument for inerrancy or inspiration falls into question.
The Pulpit Commentaries explains the contradiction as follows:
The Just of these hypotheses would not indeed be fatal to the Inspiration of the record; but the claims of either Luke or Stephen to be authoritative teachers on the subject of religion would be somewhat hard to maintain if it once were admitted that they had blundered on a plain point in their own national history. And yet it is doubtful if any of the proposed solutions of the problem is perfectly satisfactory; such as
(1) that the two purchases of Abraham and Jacob are here intentionally, for the sake of brevity, compressed into one account (Bengel, Pererius, Willet, Hughes); or
(2) that Abraham bought two graves, one at Hebron of Ephron the Hittite, as recorded by Moses, and another at Shechem of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem (Words. worth); or
(3) that the words “which Abraham bought for a sum of money” should be regarded as a parenthesis, and the sentence read as intimating that Jacob and the fathers were carried over into Shechem, and (afterwards) by the sons of Hamor the lather of Shechem interred in Abraham’s sepulcher at Hebron (Cajetan). Obvious difficulties attach to each of them; but the facts shine out clear enough in spite of the encompassing obscurity, viz; that Abraham bought a tomb at Hebron, in which first the dust of Sarah was deposited, and to which afterwards the bodies of himself, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were consigned, while Joseph and the twelve patriarchs, who all died in Egypt, were brought over to the promised land and buried in Jacob’s field at Shechem.
Many volumes of text have been written to explain the contradiction. J.W. Garvey’s 1881 text, Lands of the Bible, provides the argument that the apparent contradiction in the Book of Acts is an issue of improper translation.
I will borrow from John Simpson who uses the book to address the question at Quora.
As the two clauses stand in our version, “he died, himself, and our fathers; and they were carried over into Shecham,” there can be no doubt that “himself ” and “fathers” are common subjects of one verb “died,” and that the pronoun “they” before “were carried” refers to both alike. But it is not so in the original. The construction is different. The verb rendered died is in the singular number, eteleutasen, and it agrees only with autos, himself. The plural substantive “fathers” is not the subject of that verb, but of the plural eteleutasan understood. The construction having been changed with the introduction of the plural subject, it follows that the plural verb metetéthasan, “were carried,” belongs to fathers, and not to Jacob. The two clauses, properly punctuated, and with the ellipsis supplied, read thus: “and he died; and our fathers died, and were carried over into Shechem.” With this rendering and punctuation, which are certainly admissible, the contradiction totally disappears; and if the passage had been thus rendered at first into English, a contradiction would not have been thought of (1892, p. 121, emp. added, italics in orig.).
McGarvey’s point was this. If Jacob was buried at Machpelah in Hebron (and of that there is no doubt, since Genesis 49:29-30 so states), then Stephen must have been saying that it was the fathers alone who were buried in Shechem, not Jacob. This is quite possible. We know that at least one of the fathers—Joseph—was buried in Shechem (Joshua 24:32). And while the Old Testament does not record the burial places for many of the other patriarchs, we can glean some information from secular history on the subject. In his discussion on Acts 7, the well-known commentator Albert Barnes mentioned that some Jewish historians (e.g., Kuinoel) held to the view that the fathers were buried at Shechem (1949, p. 124). In addition, Jerome, a fourth-century writer from Palestine, stated: “The twelve patriarchs were buried not in Arbes [Hebron—AB/KB], but in Shechem” (as quoted in Barnes, p. 124).
A translation issue actually makes sense given the context of the Book of Acts. If Stephen (in a room full of people who would know the history) made a glaring mistake in his speech, it would have been noticed by his audience and pointed out. The record does not indicate that this happened. In addition, a glaring mistake would likely have been noticed (and possibly even corrected) in the original language renderings of this text when the mistake would have been more noticeable to the early Christian converts from Judaism. Since there appears to have been no original language issue with what Stephen said on this point, then it is likely that the contradiction arises from translation scholarship.
It is my experience that a study of the Bible (Old and New Testament alike) are done with great difficultly unless the original language is not also considered. I have been surprised in my own studies how often that teaching on points of controversy – without reference to the original language – occurs. You should be suspicious then if someone is teaching you any mysteries from within the text without making frequent reference back to the underlying original text. | <urn:uuid:bafb7b84-0b0b-43a9-9b25-be382e0b55f9> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://dustyreviews.com/2021/05/29/genesis-part-94/ | 2022-01-22T21:06:59Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303884.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122194730-20220122224730-00279.warc.gz | en | 0.966519 | 8,282 |
Along the pond they had established several species of carnivorous plants. I wanted to install a small bog in my garden this year but my wallet had other plans.
Even carnivorous pitcher plants flower. Sarracenia purpure, or maybe Sarracenia leucophylla,, is among the more eye catching of them.
Note the tadpoles in the pond.
The flowers are built up tall, often 3 times taller than the pitchers. Don't want to eat the pollinator now do we? The pots I believe are left over from a recent class at the Mt. Cuba Center. Calling it a continued education building is almost degrading to how spectacular the building is. Classes are amazingly cheap usually running at $15, and often they come with a free plant and tour of the garden to highlight the plants that go with the topic.
I love the blue color of the pots they chose. It goes great with at of the plants.
Sarracenia leucophylla, Calopogon tuberosus, and Pinguicula primuliflora are all I can make out on this tag.
The flower to these pitcher plants confuses me. Perhaps they're not fully opened yet but I don't see the normal parts you usually see inside a flower.
When I think of Phacelia I think of them as an all western genus of blue flowering plants (that supposidly turn honey blue if the bees use it enough). I had no idea we had native Phacelia on the east coast but apparently it's a wide spread genus for all of North America. Phacelia bipinnatifida was used like a carpet for much of the garden beds.
It's amazing what thousands of flowers can look like in a huge patch. I hope to mimic this effect someday with my garden.
I don't think they over used it at all. It was just doing better in the rain than Virginia Bluebells and Celandine Poppy were.
It went well with a lot of the plants they have here. The yellow is Ragwort which I have.
And speaking of carpets of flowers. That isn't snow.
Quaker Ladies, Houstonia caerulea. The wonderful snow effect comes from what has to be millions of tiny white and blue flowers.
I need to look into getting me some of these. The only issue I see is they might become lost in the lawn. This patch was planted on moss and I wonder if they're lawnmower friendly. Maybe around stepping stones?
This is a carpet of Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum. They're in full bloom but those flowers in the picture are Trilliums.
Mayapples form their own canopy of dense leaves. The flowers hand down just off the stem out of view.
They shade out surrounding plants and shield view of flowering trees that might be above. This way they help make their flower stand out as the best choice for passing by pollinators. Beetles and certain bees are likely what pollinate them best.
Virginia Bluebells was the only thing I saw growing under the dense leaves. They weren't do so hot either.
One of our native Rhododendrons growing above a carpet of Phacelia bipinnatifida. The white flowering tree in the far right is a Silver Bell, Halesia carolina.
Here we have a similar scene only the Silver Bell Tree, we have Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia.
Native Rhododendrons tend to be deciduous or semi evergreen bushes. All the Asian imports tend to be full evergreen or semi at least.
The flowers come in a range of shapes and colors and they are often scented.
I never understood why no one plants the yellow orange variety. It's our native Flame Azalea, Rhododendron calendulaceum. Of all the Asian imports none of them are yellow or orange in color. No, instead they're all white, red, magenta, and combinations there of. Some recent cultivars have come out as orange but they're still Asian imports.
On a good year it's the most eye catching plant in the forest.
Even when planted along side other Rhododendrons it has a way of drawing your eye.
If you don't agree, well our natives come in the classic pink and red. One variety that I didn't get a picture of had enormous flower clusters the side of my head on it.
Silver Bells, Halesia carolina, was one native I didn't understand. Flowers that point down just don't appeal to me. But seeing it here and in full bloom has me coming around to it.
This tree gets 30' tall about and having all those flowers looking down at you is kind of fun and different. So many trees aim up and away it's a nice change.
I'd herd people suggest Red Buckeye as a hummingbird tree but I had no idea that it flowered this young! This is a 4' tall sapling and it had a cluster of brilliant red flowers already.
They don't have to get big to be pretty either.
They get nice and tall too. They're pollinated by hummingbirds and I imagen certain butterflies too. I don't think any of which are particularly common or easy to attract without years of devotion though. Having a nectar source like this tree would make the process easier though.
Yesterday I went to the Mt. Cuba Center's 6th Annual Wildflower Celebration. It's a day when they open the gates for everyone to come and see the gardens. Normally one has to pay and schedule for a guided tour in advance. Their collections of flowers are that fragile that free roaming isn't allowed. The property is 600 acres of managed land which is how a place like this should be.
By far this was way better than the Philadelphia Flower Show! First off it's completely free. Secondly you're seeing all the plants blooming along side one another and growing in their own little ecosystems. Because they're on a mountain/steep incline separate micro-climates allow for a better perspective of the plants. Plants flowering at the top of the hill might not be blooming yet at the bottom, for example, so walking though the gardens you'll see plants in all stages. And best of all the first 500 families got a free plant to take home, a Coreopsis.
The gardens are not handicap accessible but that's not to say they aren't allowed. (I believe classes in the main house wont be a problem.) Because this is open to the public, parking had to be on a neighboring field. Their normal parking lot only holds about 40 cars and that won't do for an event like this. The options to get to the house are either walk the trail, or take a bus which is provided by them. There was also bottled water and plenty of bathrooms I'm happy to say. We chose to walk the trail, despite being a rainy day.
Even before we arrived we started seeing brilliant views and some great native plants. The uncut grasses to this prairie were filled with milkweed. I can only imagen what this pasture looks like in June and July. Milkweed flowers are a spectacular nectar source and pollinated by just about any flying insect.
August must be equally as exciting. It's the host plant to the Monarch butterfly and there is plenty to go around in this field.
Bird houses were posted every few hundred feet. When this prairie becomes active with insects I'm sure they'll have plenty of food.
They'll have quite a view if nothing else. Delaware is filled with beautiful cottage homes, old stone walls, and it's as thought the whole state were professionally landscaped. Just down the hill was a beautiful house and pond. I believe that's actually a well they let flood over into a pond.
Just off the trail I saw a young Eastern Redbud, Cercis canadensis, in bloom. We're a bit past the peak of this tree's bloom but this young sapling was still in decent condition. Redbuds flowers oddly, along the trunk and main branches instead of only new growth, but I love them for that fact.
Farther in we walked past a White Flowering Redbud. I don't know the story with this tree, weather it was a random mutation or someone decided we need a white flowering REDbud. It's pretty all the same. There were a few of these growing along the forest and I know you can buy them here and there.
You can see everything is still wet from the light rain that happened all day. It's a shame this was a one day event.
The mason bees have been making some real progress. Each capped tube is full and contains upwards of 10 bees give or take for next year. I started with about 100 of the little guys, though I suspect most were males or found nesting elsewhere. There's almost always a bee or two flying in or out filling the tubes. They'll only be around for another few weeks and I'll start taking the full tubes inside. Over the summer parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside the first chamber or two of brood and I don't want that.
Having these bees around is a great way to ensure pollination of fruit trees and blueberry bushes (heath family in general). But pollination is but one issue to getting a good crop. Aphids are already waking up and breeding on some of the trees here. Usually they aren't a problem but every little bit helps make a good harvest.
Thankfully the mason bees also help pollinate spring wildflowers like Roundleaf Ragwort, Packera obovata. I never understood where the name ragwort came from. Golden Flower would be just as good for this plant. It's a round leaved ground cover that moves like a carpet through the forest and in early spring they produce thousands of yellow and gold flowers above them.
Ragwort is one of the few plants also pollinated by Flower Flies. They're also called Hover Flies for their flying habits. Members of the Syrphini tribe, these beneficial insects are colorful flies that lay eggs in patches of aphids. The resulting grubs (maggots) take care of your aphid problem and aren't bothered by ants that may be guarding them.
They are a much better solution to the aphid problem than lady bugs in my opinion. Lady bugs stand out in a crowd and ants are quick to harass them away. Meanwhile flower fly grubs munch away on the aphid herd. A benefit for sure.
When the ragwort stops blooming they turn to Yarrow but we're not there yet in the year. Small flowers seems to be the key to attracting Syrphini to your yard. There are a few exceptions of course but they're pollinators all the same.
(Blogger cuts off the format. You can watch them in 720 or 480 by the box in the lower right too.)
Business is booming for my bee hives. The two that survived the winter are crazy busy. One more so than the other becuase it gets more sun at more hours of the day. When it gets to warm inside it encourages the bees to forage more.
April 22ed, Earth Day, is traditionally celebrated by flapping one's mouth about how green things are or could be, while never doing anything about it. Many of these speeches and presentations take place in government buildings such as your local school auditorium. Buildings that are traditionally landscaped with cheap mass produced nonnatives like the brad ford pear.
A few years ago I read a book that quite changed my life. "Bringing Nature Home" by Doug Tallamy. It's just $12 and I guarantee worth every penny. This book is probably the reason why I blog about butterflies and nature so much. It is filled with examples of how we're starving nature to death by replacing it with alien plants. People have bitched and complained about the rain forests and yet no one bothered to save the temperate forests of eastern North America.
It still looks green from outer space but zoom in some and you'll see how broken that green forests actually are. All the suburban areas, and even rural areas, where homes are in general, are landscaped with nonnative grasses. The vast majority of garden centers in the US don't sell native species, when they do it's usually only a handful of their stock and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone there who can tell you which are native and which are not. (Note the links to native plant stores that sell online in the top right of my blog.)
Because of this it is important now more than ever to take responsibility for your yard, as the home owner you stand to benefit more than anyone.
Note: a few nonnative indulgences are fine but the theme should be Native!
"Bringing Nature Home" This isn't a book about what the cat dragged in, but rather a guide to attracting wildlife to your yard. There are only two sources of energy on our planet: the sun, and deep sea thermal vents. Deep sea volcanoes are fueled by the earth's core and doesn't really mix in with the other system very well. The sun on the other hand is our leading source of energy on earth. Plants photosynthesize sunlight into usable energy, along with storing carbon in their trunks and generally cleaning the environment they're creating oxygen. A lot of the energy they create is trapped in the leaves though. While humans can eat a salad most plant greens are completely inedible to us, many are poisonous and will kill you if eaten. The leaf chemistry is different from plant to plant and thankfully after millions of years certain insects have developed a digestive system that allows them to release the energy. If the insects don't eat it then the leaf falls off to be digested by microscopic organism or other insects on the forest floor. At both ends birds, lizards, reptiles, amphibians, rodents, and mammals etc... can eat the insects or other members in the system. And the energy is put into a cycle of higher organisms but always starts with the plants. Naturally we should be surrounding ourselves with plants that fit our ecosystems best so we have more access to energy.
(Yes a lot of plants produce fruit but good luck surviving the winter on that alone.)
Thankfully the patches of forest you see on Google Maps are for the most part free of nonnative plants. But keeping with our theme of bringing nature home several of these trees or at least one should be placed on your property. These are the tall Oaks, Maples, Birch, etc... The really tall ones that get to be 60' or taller some even reaching 120'. In a book dealing with permaculture these would be your nitrogen fixing plants. (Yes peas and other legumes make their own nitrogen but they don't add organic matter and healthy organisms to the soil, they just know how to make their own fertilizer.) The leaves are mostly eaten by insects, and should otherwise be put into the compost pile to make better soil for other parts of your garden. Broken limbs can also be used as fire wood or as a natural boarder to a flower bed. Many nut trees get this tall but usually require a male and female tree to produce the fruit.
The forest edge is usually a mix of low growing trees and shrubs, and often have prettier flowers than the taller hardwoods they surround. Examples of low growing trees include Eastern Redbud, Dogwood, Apple, Plum. This is an area where most birds build their nests. Many shrubs that grow in this area have berries, edible seeds, or are host plants to a variety of caterpillars. Examples: Blueberry, Viburnum, American Beauty Berry, Spice Bush. The birds also appreciate being next to the open fields where grasses and plant down are abundant for their nests. This is the area that probably best represents suburbia but we only really get the bird situation when there are lots of shrubs and low growing trees scattered around for them to dart to and fro. An open bird feeder in the middle of a lawn puts the birds at risk of predation, and you'll actually get more if they have lots of these pitching plants to zig zag their way to.
Gooseberry, Current, Blackberry, Raspberry, Elderberry, PawPaw, and Most fruit trees grow in this area, or will benefit from full sun.
This is also the area where most vine plants grow. Concord Grape, Coral Honeysuckle, Pipevine, Virginia Creeper, are all examples of native vines. Vines in general tend to be invasive especially in this the suburban setting. They get just enough sun to survive but not enough to think they need to slow down growing. This is where Japanese Honeysuckle really takes over as it's more shade tolerant than our native Honeysuckles. Passion Vine is a nice food crop but can only be grown in the southern half of the US, takes two to pollinate one another, but it's considered a noxious weed when you get to the most souther part of it's range. Passiflora incarnata is the native.
Most of these are all perennial crops coming back year after year and produce food. These are the most bang for your buck. Tallamy doesn't talk about food crops really in his book but I'm telling you it all doesn't have to be about butterflies.
Stepping out of the forest completely we find the prairie. In your yard this area usually gets more than 6 hours of direct sunlight. It's the environment farmers like to till and grow their unsustainable mono-crop on, and builders like to develop into housing and do so whenever they can. It saves them the money of clearing the forest and at most they just need to level things out. True prairies with their lush fields of native wildflowers and grasses are an endangered environment and don't occur naturally now except on wildlife reserves. This is the blank canvas home owners call their lawn.
Want to grow fruits and vegetables? That's fine, most crops Tomatoes, Potatoes, Salad Greens, Beans, Peas, Watermelon, Squash, etc... are all annuals and post no threat to the environment. Often times they taste great. Just make sure you have the nitrogen fixing tree(s) to make compost, and including shrubs and bushes that are sustainable will off food year after year.
Need herbs? You go right ahead, just be sure to control Mint and Borage as they can get of hand.
Want a butterfly garden? Plant Milkweed, Liatris, Aster, Goldenrod, Sunflower, Joe Pye Weed, Wild Senna, Violets, Carrot Family Plants like Parsley, Golden Alexander, Carrots in general. A lot of the native plants from other categories are also used as host plants such as Dogwood, Spicebush, Coral Honeysuckle, and Pipevine.
This blank area of lawn is what you want to get rid of. While that image of a prairie filled with wildflowers is hard to control and requires a wildflower is completely unsuited for the lawn area, many of the plants fit perfectly into a flower bed. Pictured above is my little pocket prairie which I've slowly been expanding.
Phlox divaricata, Wild Blue Phlox, is the perfect plant for well drained shade. Really any old Phlox will do and I'm happy to see most found in the US are native. Some are fragrant, some are creeping, others are upright short 2' tall perennials. They come in a wide array of colors. Best of all, they're pretty.
My only complaint is I have never seen anything really work the flowers. Granted a lot of my plants like Trillium almost never come face to face with a bee but this plant in particular, for the amount of flowers it eventually gets it has almost no attention. I have seen a bumblebee on it before but that's about it. The flowers are an odd shape and I suspect it's ideally pollinated by moths and butterflies. None of which are particularly abundant in the spring time but better to have it there then not. An excellent plant and I'd say one of the prettiest to put in a shade area (arguably a hard spot to fill in the garden). | <urn:uuid:bec06f52-7d40-49be-ba2a-1fbd58a9e63e> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | http://www.biodiversegardens.com/2010/04/ | 2022-01-27T02:26:10Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320305052.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20220127012750-20220127042750-00519.warc.gz | en | 0.968971 | 4,241 |
State Committee of Vendors Quarterly Meeting
Friday, May 20, 2011
Mr. Spiliotis called the meeting to order at 9:00 A.M.
Friday, May 20, 2011.
Mr. Klindtworth called the roll.
District 1 Georgia Kellogg /Alternate representative; District 2 Randy Shuster; District 3 Don Tuell; District 5 - Phil Bluschke; District 6 - Bob Murray /Alternate representative; District 7 Tom Saunders; District 8 James Warth /Alternate representative; District 9 Joel Rose; District 10 Leslie Francis.
District 4 Mary Hayes; District 8 Shirley Smart.
Division of Blind Services Representatives:
Mr. William Findley, Ms. Kathleen Crosson, Ms. Maureen Fink, Mr. Chadwick Duncan, Mr. Bernie Kaiserian, Ms. Laine Grivna, Mr. Alan Risk, and Ms. Raquel Falero.
Mr. Spiliotis introduced visiting committee Chairman from South Carolina, Mr. Joe Urbanek.
Other attendees that made a presentation to the Committee:
Mr. Steven Moss and Ms. Jill Richardson, BEP Instructors from Daytona, and the BEP trainees.
Mr. Bill Findley introduced Ms. Laine Grivna, new Region IV Business Consultant Tampa, Mr. Alan Risk, recently hired Compliance Officer replacing Mr. Gene Newcomb who retired, and Ms Jill Richardson who is working with Mr. Steve Moss instructing the BEP trainees in Daytona. The plan is to have two training classes in Daytona beginning August 1, 2011. Ms. Richardson is currently preparing to be the second instructor.
Mr. Bill Findley announced the resignation of Mr. John Clarkson, Deputy Director of DBS. Mr. Findley and Mr. Spiliotis expressed appreciation for the contributions Mr. Clarkson made for BBE. It was also announced that Mr. Darryl Lane, Region 1 Business Consultant, resigned at the end of April and will be replaced by Mr. John Ahler. Mr. Ahler is expected to start in early June. It was also announced that Ms. Raquel Falero, Business Consultant for Region III will be leaving at the end of May.
Ms. Laine Grivna read the minutes from the previous meeting. Mr. Tom Saunders moved to approve the minutes and Mr. Jim Warth seconded the motion. Motion carried without objection.
Mr. Alan Risk read the minutes from the May 12, 2011 Committee Meeting phone conference call addressing the revision of the selection process protocol. Mr. Tom Spiliotis called for a Motion. Mr. Joel Rose made a Motion to endorse the policy and Ms. Shirley Smart seconded the Motion. Motion passed by a vote of six to zero with one vote abstaining.
Mr. Bill Findley gave an update on items from the previous Committee Meeting, February 4-5.
On-line Reporting thirty-three vendors have signed up for the on-line reporting and twenty four vendors have filed a monthly report. Part of the discussion involved a problem some vendors were having. It appears that any vendor with two facilities has to make two separate reports on two separate days. This problem will be examined further.
Tom and Bill announced there will be a training and sign up session at the Biennial Seminar in August for on-line reporting.
The BBE Promotional Video - Updates have been made and include recommendations made at February Committee Meeting. When the video is completed it will be available on the DBS/BBE web site and will be used for marketing the program.
Budget Data Budget data used to track and complete the annual RSA 15 report was shared for the period of October 1, 2010 thru March 31, 2011. The report included facility operator reports of gross sales, profits and setaside paid. The Committee requested that in the future year to year comparisons be shared. The report also included an amount for un-assigned income, which generally is from third party sources. A concern was raised that the amount shared was low by comparison to other years and that the amount had been steadily dropping from year to year with no plausible explanation. Mr. Findley stated he will look into the matter.
Working Capital Repayments - Three vendors have paid off their debt in full since January 1. Five are currently late in making their monthly payments. Two of those are now out of the program and the others will be followed up on. Legal action is being taken against three vendors, including one referenced in previous sentence, who recently left the program and have not made payments nor signed up for a repayment plan.
Mr. Bob Murray, a vendor from Kennedy Space Center, and Mr. Tom Spiliotis discussed the lay offs at KSC and how it would effect the food service operations at KSC. The managers have had to cut their hours of operation since the number of employees has dropped dramatically. By the end of July KSC will have cut seventy-five percent of its work force leaving between four and five thousand employees. Mr. Murray requested that the agency look into the problem and see what can be done to help the managers with their facilities, possibly combining facilities and routes.
Update on sites in progress:
Mr. Findley gave the report for Region I and stated that BBE is taking back the cafeteria at the Douglas building in Tallahassee July 1, 2011. This cafeteria had been operated by employees of the Division of Recreation and Parks which has to trim back its budget. The cafeteria is operational and doing well. Licensed vendor, Patrick Foley, who has never had a facility and wants to manage a food service facility in Tallahassee, has been offered the facility and is expected to take it on a twelve month Type II LOFA. He will work as an employee of Recreation and Parks for the month of June in preparation for taking over the facility in July.
Also, several hundred state employees will be moving back into the Carlton Building by July 1, 2011. This is expected to bring the total workforce population over the six hundred mark. BBE currently has just the vending in that building. A snack bar will be installed in the building and it is hoped to reopen sometime in July. The plan is to offer it as a Type II to determine its viability as a stand alone.
Work will continue on taking back some of the locations operated under the Visinity/Best Vendors contract with the goal of creating a second vending route in Tallahassee. This will be offered as a Type II to determine if it is a stand alone.
The Fort Knox and Claude Pepper building cafeterias in Tallahassee are considered distressed facilities as a result of poor management over several years. Currently, Mr. Kurt Ponchak, recently licensed, is managing the cafeteria and vending machines at the Fort Knox building on a Type II and is slowly turning it around. Mr. Don White is managing the Claude Pepper Building cafeteria, and despite having received much support from the Agency, is having a difficult time making the facility profitable.
Also in Region I, Mr. Findley stated that on April 6th manager Arthur Johnson notified the Bureau that he was resigning from two rest areas he has managed while living several hundred miles away. A resignation letter, along with the keys to the machines, was turned in after Mr. Johnson removed all monies from machines and stock from the storage areas. Mr. Michael Sumler, the only available vendor in the area, responded to the urgent request, and took over these facilities on a Type II and restocked the vending machines.
In Region II, Mr. Bernie Kaiserian announced the snack bar at the library in Gainesville is now open and operated by Mr. Tetoee Howard. Facility #525, the post office vending route in Gainesville is being currently run by Mr. Darryl Brinton on a Type II LOFA. Mr. Clifford Roberts, who was offered the facility, and initially accepted it, decided the day of changeover, to decline the facility. It will be posted on the May Business Opportunities website listing.
Ms. Mary Hayes will be moving to Palm Bay to take over the I-95 Rest Area, and Mr. Hugh Mansfield, currently completing OJT in Jacksonville, is expected to be offered and operate the vending route she is leaving on a Type II sometime in June. Facility #590, the City of Jacksonvilles healthy vending route, is a work in progress and Mr. Terry Major is running it as it is developed.
In Region III, Ms. Raquel Falero announced that Facility #586, a vending route in Orlando, is on the May Business Opportunities posting. Facility #410, a post office in Daytona, is being run on a Type II. At the beginning of July this location will cease to be a stand alone facility and will be added to an existing Daytona vending route. 35-50 employees are expected to move to the Lake Mary post office.
In Region IV, Ms. Laine Grivna announced that 1313 Tampa Street, Facility #265, has been taken on a Type II by Ms. Debbie Hietala who took it over on an urgent request. It is expected that current OJT trainee, Diana Knox, will be offered this facility once she gets licensed. As a result of a reduction in the workforce, this facility has been turned from a snack bar into only vending.
The SW FL Water Management facility in Brooksville, #272, is being converted to strictly vending. Three more local sites in the Brooksville area currently being serviced under the Visinity/Best Vendors contract are expected to be added to this facility soon.
The renovations of the two rest areas in Zephyrhills are scheduled to be completed in November, 2011, but the rest areas will not likely reopen until early 2012.
The Type II contract at Fort Myers vending route, #180, has expired and the Bureau is seeking someone to take it on a Type II. There have been complaints that the manager was not keeping the machines full, a complaint that has been registered at the managers main facility in Bradenton. This situation is being monitored closely.
In Region V, Mr. Chadwick Duncan stated that the FAA facility in Miami is up and running and Mr. Leslie Francis is operating it on a Type II. Facility #117 has been changed from a cafeteria to vending due to the building population diminishing.
Southern Command is doing well; March was a good month financially.
The month of April was down financially due to the fact the manager had problems getting access into the facility due to tight security; Chadwick spoke with the facility manager regarding getting the guards to escort the manager into the vending area. The manager has stated things are better. This facility has a total of 45 vending machines that should be a stand alone facility.
Mr. Steve Moss gave an update on the Daytona classroom training. The training module on Record Keeping will include the recently implemented, on-line reporting. Also vending machines have been made available for training. There are five students in the class who will complete training the third week of July. The next class will begin August 1st.
Licensed vendor, Mr. George Arthur, addressed the current selection process. He stated that in the past, selections were made based on seniority, and now that has changed to where those applying for new locations, have to take a test and that some people do not test well. He feels this process is unfair and should be based on performance, seniority and interviews. He also requested an administrative appointment be offered to him for a facility he would feel comfortable managing due to the cut backs at his post office and loss of revenue. The Agency expressed sympathy and concern for Mr. Arthur due to the fact that his post office is losing employees, but is not in a position to make an appointment for him while many other vendors are in a similar situation. The Agency and the Committee encouraged Mr. Arthur to apply for facilities on the next selection cycle and to prepare himself under the current process.
Tom Spiliotis discussed ATM machines on the interstates. He reminded everyone that Mr. Clarkson had been approached by DOT to have a pilot program in seven interstates. It was determined that DOT did not have the authorization to do a pilot. The Agency will contact a couple of ATM companies and discuss doing a pilot at the interstates.
Mr. Alan Risk discussed recent grievance decisions handed down since the last meeting. Four grievances were filed, three of which had to do with the selection process. One was postponed and one was withdrawn. One grievance had to do with the Agencys decision not to reimburse a vendor for losses due to multiple thefts at the facility he operated. The Grievance Committee supported the Agency decision. The other grievance centered on the selection process and the change to include performance elements such as minimal net profit requirements as part of the process for determining assigned points to an applicant. The Grievance Committee did not support the vendors contention since the Agency followed the recently approved Selection Process Protocol which includes data such as net profit requirements.
Mr. Bill Findley discussed a recent trip to the Pensacola area to visit rest areas and post offices with Mr. Alan Risk and that facilities generally looked good. Problems discovered were minimal and easily addressed.
Bill stated that Mr. Michael Sumler and Mr. Ron Jones are doing outstanding jobs at their facilities based upon appearance of facilities and compliments from customers.
Mr. Maureen Fink stated that the fiscal department in Tallahassee wanted to know exactly what was reimbursable regarding repairs. The following is the current procedure for handling and being reimbursed for repairs:
The Licensees may authorize repairs up to $400.00 without consulting the Consultant and be reimbursed later.
If the Vendor is unable to make a repair, or if the cost of repair is over $400.00, he/she will contact the Regional Business Consultant. After consulting with the RBC, the Vendor will follow through with the recommendations of the Consultant.
Repairs refer to the cost of repairing any equipment or purchase of parts used to repair equipment.
Note: Light bulbs for vending machines may be purchased as a part, but a repairman wont be allowed to charge for the installation of light bulbs.
Items not included are the purchase of any equipment or small wares (scoops, knifes, pans, etc.) Equipment and small wares should be purchased through the Consultant using a purchase order.
Ms. Kathleen Crosson gave an update on trainees going into the August class in Daytona. At this point there are six potential candidates for the class.
The Biennial Seminar is coming August 12-14. The deadline date to make a reservation at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando is July 20th. Vistar is having a food show at the Gaylord hotel in Kissimmee all day Friday, August 12 and transportation will be provided at a small charge for those managers who are interested in attending. The seminar agenda is still being worked out but there will be many beneficial workshops. Session topics will include Interviewing for the Selection Panel, On-line Reporting instructions and sign-up, Crane Intl machine demonstrations, Good Customer Service practices, and many more.
Mr. Tom Spiliotis made a motion to reinforce the CEU requirements which state that each licensed vendor is to complete three continuing education units (CEUs) every two years. It was recommended that this begin July 1, 2011. Mr. Phil Bluschke moved to approve the Motion and Mr. Joel Rose seconded the Motion. Motion passed with one abstaining.
5:00 PM Adjourn
Saturday May 21, 2011
Mr. Alan Risk discussed the January and May bids, there were nine postings for the January bid and in May there are six opportunities. May Business Opportunities were posted on May 16 and all applications are to be in the State Office by 5:00 PM, June 6.
Ms. Maureen Fink gave an update on the strategic plan which included implementing the On-line Reporting and improving the Daytona classroom training and OJT which has been completed. Bill announced he will be traveling throughout the state to the district offices and local providers to explain the new BBE application process and to promote the benefits of being a licensed vendor in the BBE program. The plan to increase the number of business opportunities for BBE managers is still in the works as a position dedicated to site development and public relations has been created. This position should be filled by the fall.
Mr. Bill Findley discussed background checks which have been in effect since last year for managers and trainees. So far four operators have been removed for disqualifying offenses identified in the background screenings; four others have filed for and been granted an exemption by providing appropriate documentation to satisfy the exemption requirements. One operator was suspended because he has not provided all appropriate documentation to satisfy the disqualifying offenses. All operators who are in DMS buildings must have Level 1 background checks and this includes their employees.
Mr. Larry Batterton gave a presentation on the Monitoring Procedures. The purpose for monitoring is to ensure the success of the vendors and compliance with LOFA requirements. Examples of items to be reviewed during monitoring include, but are not limited to, timely submission of monthly reports, proof of current liability insurance and business license, application of the 80% rule for vending machines, and proof that the vendor resides within seventy-five miles of their Type I facility. Vendor should be prepared to explain their accounting system. Notification will be provided well in advance of on-site visits with clear guidance of what is to be expected. An exit interview will be conducted to discuss any findings and recommendations the monitor may have for the vendor.
Mr. Alan Risk gave an update on changes that are being made to the policy and procedure manual on the BBE web site. There is more to come.
Ms. Maureen Fink proposed a list of changes in the redistricting of the districts throughout the state; some managers facilities will now be in a different district. Changes were made so that districts do not overlap into more than one BBE region. There was a motion to pass the changes. Joel Rose moved to pass the Motion. Mr. Leslie Francis seconded the Motion. Motion passed.
Round Table Discussion
Licensed vendor, Clifford Roberts, requested an administrative appointment since the Post Office in Daytona is closing down. Mr. Roberts had bid and was offered two different facilities, one being the Gainesville PO route. After accepting each offer, he subsequently turned both down. He said he heard one of the Gainesville post offices was going to close. The Agency, with support from the Committee, told Clifford to bid again on the next cycle.
Georgia Kellogg announced that everything is going ok and that she will be adding new machines made for out doors to her facility. She did have a lightening strike that knocked out one of her machines.
Leslie Francis announced he will not be seeking reelection as a representative but will still work with Chadwick and the new representative.
Randy Shuster stated that Richard Sawyer has taken a Type II LOFA until June, when will be month to month or a six month contract. Maureen Fink will contact him on this.
Joel Rose stated everything was good except business is down. The agency needs to pursue new business opportunities possibly in Home Land Security building.
Don Tuell stated everyone is good in his district.
Jim Warth stated that employee reductions with the Manasota Post Office have caused his revenue to drop. Shirley Smarts old facility, #381 in Punta Gorda, is on the next bid list.
Tom Saunders announced the Veterans Administration has been added to the Pinellas route along with four new machines. #265, 1313 Tampa Street, has gone strictly vending. Debbie Hietalla has taken this facility on a Type II.
Phil Bluschke stated everyone is doing fine. He has encouraged Mr. Arthur to prepare and bid on the available facilities.
The Biennial Training Seminar is August 12-14 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
Next State Committee of Vendors Meeting is scheduled for December 1-3, 2011 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Orlando, Florida. | <urn:uuid:22362072-2bdb-4f3f-bce4-f1f88d8e0c48> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://dbs.fldoe.org/BBE/Committee/2011-05.html | 2022-01-23T00:08:58Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303917.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20220122224904-20220123014904-00559.warc.gz | en | 0.968708 | 4,200 |
If you’re looking to start an online business, Clickfunnels Vs Shopify are two of the most popular tools that many people mention in the same context. However, they have different purposes and features, so it’s essential to understand which one is right for your needs before deciding.
Clickfunnels Vs Shopify will be compared in this article according to their features and pricing. Hopefully, by the end, you’ll know which tool is best suited for your needs!
ClickFunnels is a tool that allows you to create landing pages and sales funnels. A landing page is a page where someone can learn more about your product or service, while a sales funnel is converting leads into customers.
It offers templates that allow you to quickly put together these pages without any coding knowledge or web design background. You need to pick the template you like and customize it as needed (add your logo, images, etc.).
The only downside here is that some people don’t have as many options when creating their landing page layout compared to other tools on this list, such as Leadpages.
However, since there aren’t too many features & all of them are geared towards making things easier for beginners, we didn’t mind having fewer customization options!
ClickFunnels has three main pricing options.
The cheapest plan starts at $97/month for 20 sales funnels, 100 landing pages, and 3 domains. At the same time, Platinum subscribers can enjoy unlimited features with 9 custom domain names; all included in one affordable price of $297/month.
There’s also a Two Comma Club X package that is $2,497/month and provides an impressive array of benefits such as unlimited funnels, unlimited pages, 27 domains, etc.
Clickfunnels offers a 14-day trial, so you can try it out before purchasing.
Shopify is a platform that allows users to create their eCommerce store. It offers users a customizable platform, an easy-to-use checkout process, and a wide range of features.
Shopify also has a large app store, which means users can add features and functionality to their stores with just a few clicks. Additionally, Shopify offers 24/seven customer support and extensive documentation.
It offers a wide range of features, an easy-to-use checkout process, and extensive customer support documentation. Additionally, Shopify has a large app store, which means users can add features and functionality to their stores with just a few clicks. Overall, Shopify is an excellent option for users looking to create an eCommerce store.
Shopify provides beautiful graphs of data that matter to you. You can see your traffic, orders, and sales at a glance. In addition, you can see where your customers are coming from, what they do, and how much time they spend on your store, thanks to Google Analytics integration
Shopify offers three pricing plans: Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.
The Basic plan starts at $29 per month and includes a store with two staff accounts, 100 products, and basic features.
The Shopify plan starts at $79 per month and includes a store with five staff accounts, unlimited products, and advanced features.
The Advanced plan starts at $299 per month and includes a store with 15 staff accounts, unlimited products, and advanced features, plus an enterprise-grade security package.
Shopify also offers Shopify Plus, which is designed for high-volume merchants. It provides unlimited storage, bandwidth, customers; exclusive apps and themes; VIP support, and more.
Overall, Shopify is an excellent platform for users to create their online store. It offers a wide range of features, an easy-to-use checkout process, extensive documentation, and customer support
Sales Funnel vs. Online Store
The two most popular eCommerce platforms are Shopify and ClickFunnels. Each platform offers its range of features for your store, so it’s essential to understand what they do best to choose the right one for you.
Sales funnels allow you to take full advantage of upsell opportunities by encouraging customers to purchase multiple products at once while making only a single payment.
With this feature, your business can increase revenue quickly without costing additional money or time because often, these upsell options will be offered directly through your sales funnels instead of requiring an entirely separate web page where users must leave their current site. This means more potential transactions with less effort on your part.
On the other hand, online stores allow customers to purchase products at any time and from anywhere in the world.
This platform is excellent for businesses that want to make their products available to a global audience or large inventory with many different SKUs. Additionally, online stores typically provide more features for managing your store’s content and appearance than sales funnels do.
So, clickfunnels vs shopify, which is the best platform for your business? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to increase revenue quickly and don’t mind upselling customers multiple products at once, a sales funnel is the better option.
However, if you want a more comprehensive eCommerce solution that allows customers to purchase products whenever they want from wherever they are, a Shopify Store is the way to go.
Whichever platform you choose, be sure to use the features it offers to get the most out of your eCommerce business.
Clickfunnels vs Shopify Features a Detailed Comparison
ClickFunnels is an all-in-one marketing platform that allows you to create sales funnels, landing pages, and more. Shopify has a similar offering but includes limitations on what can be done with its features. When it comes down to Clickfunnel vs Shopify, which one should you choose? Let’s take a look
Clickfunnels has many features that help make it an extremely versatile tool.
Drag and drop editor
The Drag and Drop Editor built into the ClickFunnels software is a great way to increase your click-through rate. It allows you to create interactive page elements using images, text boxes, buttons, etc. so that visitors are drawn towards making conversions on your website.
With this in mind, it’s important to write engaging copy which will draw them through the funnel with ease. If possible, use an image or other visual element for each section of the webpage where you would like to include some call-to-action (CTA).
All elements you need are pre-built ready for use. You can easily insert your pages in whatever format is required.
Clickfunnels FollowUp Funnels
Followup Funnels is a powerful feature of Clickfunnels that helps track and nurture your leads.
It does this by allowing you to create automated email sequences that can be triggered when a lead takes a specific action, such as clicking on a link in an email or filling out a form.
You can also use FollowUp Funnels to send SMS messages to your leads. This allows you to keep in touch with them even if they aren’t on your website.
FollowUp Funnels also provides detailed analytics about your leads’ activity. This information can help you determine which sequences are most effective at converting leads into customers and which ones need improvement.
Overall, FollowUp Funnels is an invaluable tool for nurturing your leads and increasing sales conversions.
The backpack is an affiliate marketing system. This is an excellent feature not many offers. It lets you create your affiliate programs for products and services. This means you can give a link to other people to sell your product. And whenever someone sells your product for you, you can provide them with a commission.
You have boundless affiliates with Backpack in addition to trackable commissions, Managing Commissioner Commission and branded associate signup and customization, and some valuable Integral integration with SMTP and charging.
They have videos, posts, how-to and valuable guidance on most topics for beginners and experienced users. Their material alone is extraordinary. It varies over many subjects, from essential hacking tips to advanced hacking instructions.
There are pros and cons to the Clickfunnels support team.
On the one hand, they quickly respond to tickets and usually have a solution ready. They are also always willing to help out with additional questions or troubleshooting. However, on the other hand, their support can sometimes be overwhelming with how much they want to help. Sometimes it feels like they are trying to do too much and confusing rather than helping.
Overall, I would say that the pros outweigh the cons regarding their support team. They are helpful, knowledgeable, and always eager to assist.
Clickfunnels Affiliate Program is a way to make money on your website and help promote the product. Getting more people involved in driving sales means more commission for you.
As an Affiliates, you can make from 38 to 120 per month as long as a person joins Clickfunnels through their link. It’s free and easy to join
What makes Shopify great is that it offers a variety of features to use in your store.
You don’t have to worry about running into issues because their technical support team will help you with anything that you might not understand how to do.
There are several things they can provide for you and even offer some advice: all within the chat window!
Some other helpful tools include shop layout customization, quick view buttons so customers can see what’s in stock before adding items to cart, sales channels where you can sell your items outside of just using Shopify such as Facebook or Amazon Marketplace (and more), custom URLs which give customers easy access to any page directly from search engines like Google or Bing.
The Shopify marketing tool gives your customers some edge in market positioning over other services. You will find people to meet your group and develop your products and make your ads on autopilot. Shopify marketing services such as SEO, content promotion, coordination with social media, and email marketing are all available to you. You can also get a custom design for your shop, which will make it stand out and be more recognizable.
The main thing that makes the Shopify platform so great is the vast number of apps and integrations available for use. You can use the many apps available to create landing pages, opt-in forms, get additional analytics, email marketing campaigns, and more.
Payment Integration: With Shopify, you can accept payments from Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, plus 50+ online payment gateways like Paypal and 2Checkout.
This means that you can find an app to fit almost any need as a business owner. And if you can’t find an app that meets your needs, there is always the option to create your own!
Shopify also offers excellent customer support. If you ever have any questions or problems with your shop, there are several ways to get help.
Regulation of inventory
Shopify is a simple way of managing your stock with Shopify. You can experiment with product bundles, track inventory movements, send Live Packaging Alerts and reorder points to your customers. The number of items available in Your Online shop is unlimited.
Shopify also has a Retail package which is $49/month. This will give you the ability to create an inventory of up to 500 items and use Shopify’s Point-of-sale system in your physical store. You can also connect with Shopify merchants who have retail locations.
We recommend using the Lite plan for $14/month, including unlimited products, shop customization, and a custom domain name if you are starting. You can always upgrade later as your business grows.
You’re able to regulate stock by adjusting product quantities on Shopify. When products sell out, they automatically disappear from the site so that customers cannot order them anymore.
Shopify can find reliable expert experts to prepare your industry to perfection. Developers at Shopify can modify their site to reflect your brand. Once you portray your need, you only have to select the proposition according to your requirement.
Different sample pictures adding
With Shopify, you can take as many photocopies of the purchased product as you wish.
You can also have your products depicted in your online shop using images. You can also have a 360 view of the product by using Shopify to ensure that your customers see it from various angles.
You should set up images for every product you sell on your website/online shop because they are essential when it comes down to attracting new consumers. If necessary, you can provide different image formats such as jpg, png, or gif files.
By uploading pictures onto Shopify, you’re ensuring that people who might want to purchase something from you have an idea of what this item looks like therefore increasing its chances of being purchased in many cases.
Access to HTML and CSS
When you’re looking to start your own business or need to revamp an existing one, it’s essential to have the right tools. With Shopify, you not only get a user-friendly platform on which to build your online shop but also access to HTML and CSS. This means that you can customize every detail of your store to make it truly unique.
You can see the HTML & CSS of the entire online store when you visit Shopify – so you know that you’re getting everything you need in one place. Plus, with the Shopify expert support team always available should you need them, setting up and running your shop has never been easier. Get started today and see the difference Shopify makes!
Shopify has a variety of themes available to choose from for online store owners.
Designers and developers can also create custom themes if none of the existing ones meet their needs.
Themes are not only valuable because they make your website look better but because it keeps things organized too! If you want different parts of your page on another section instead, with no extra effort needed its possible through one-click designs made specifically
Shopify contains more than 70 professional themes from influential designers like Happy Cog Pixel Union & Clearleft. There are also several free themes you could choose easily.
Create client profiles
Shopify allows you to create a Company profile to help you save information about your clients for future usage.
If you employ an E-mail marketing company, it will track his past sales history.
Clickfunnels vs Shopify: let’s compare them
Shopify and Clickfunnels are excellent powerful eCommerce platforms that can help you create a successful online store. But which one is right for you?
Clickfunnels is an all-in-one platform that helps you build your website, design your sales funnels, and track your results. It’s easy to use and offers lots of features and templates. However, it’s also more expensive than Shopify.
Shopify is a popular platform that lets you set up an online store quickly and easily. It’s affordable, has lots of features, and provides excellent customer support. However, it doesn’t offer as much flexibility as Clickfunnels
Clickfunnels vs Shopify: Tell me the best solution?
Both platforms are perfect for beginners trying to start a business by providing a comprehensive list of features to help them understand eCommerce.
If you are an expert online marketing professional, Shopify is your choice. It also consists of efficient distribution and product management capacities that Clickfunnels cannot compete with.
But if you want to increase your online store management, Shopify is a perfect fit for your needs. This solution also comes with a CRM application for membership and Automation Software to ease the eCommerce business.
Which is better: Pricing?
ClickFunnels includes all the essential functions necessary for your marketing funnels. In reality, it’s not required to use any third-party app to optimize your eCommerce dropshipping or affiliate marketing.
Overall, Clickfunnels appears to offer better customer service compared to Shopify. The most popular bundles of these applications are similar in price – $299 a month for Shopify and $297 a month for ClickFunnel.
Which is the best solution for tracking your eCommerce?
ClickFunnels gives you advanced automation features so you can easily see and record data about a customer’s transaction or other actions.
It was designed specifically for this function; therefore, it beats Shopify in this regard. When you use Shopify, you must find other tools about using eCommerce that will encourage traffic to the eCommerce site as you may use them.
Showing products on a single page: Which solution is better?
ClickFunnels allows you not to view or sell related products on your pages or enclosures. This can be a big problem for a seller who wants to have several similar items on a list.
Shopify is the ideal platform to list or sell products in various categories. It’s the perfect platform for businesses to market or shows multiple items in the same category.
Which is better for blogging?
ClickFunnels does not use a blogging option as it compensates for other possibilities that generate potential customers and lead them to your site.
Shopify stores can be SEO-optimized, and they rank much higher in Google’s Organic Search Results, meaning more free traffic for your store.
Which is the best mobile app?
ClickFunnels also does not support the application of mobile devices. Shopify provides Android and iOS-based apps for shoppers who want to keep tabs on sales and maintain a business whenever they move.
ClickFunnels does not provide an app on the phone, so you have to be on a computer to make sales.
Which is a better solution for managing affiliate programs?
ClickFunnels provides users with a transparent system of tracking their marketing affiliates and creating their regional area.
It is unsuitable for Shopify. So if you want to run an affiliate marketing program, Shopify may not be the best choice for you.
Both ClickFunnels and Shopify are valuable.
Both ClickFunnels and Shopify are valuable for managing online eCommerce stores. They both have a great set of tools to help you manage your store, but they also each come with their strengths and weaknesses you need to consider when choosing one over the other.
You can collect leads with ClickFunnels and build a business in any online niche. Shopify only really allows you to run an eCommerce store,and that’s it
Shopify should be the best option for dropshipping.
Perks of a Shopify Store
Shopify is an excellent platform for businesses of all sizes. It offers everything from an easy-to-use checkout process to a wide range of features and integrations. Plus, it’s affordable and scalable so that you can grow your business with Shopify.
Here are some of the top perks of using Shopify Store:
ClickFunnels and How They Can be Beneficial
ClickFunnels and Shopify are two separate platforms for different business purposes.
When building different marketing funnel types, ClickFunnels is better than Shopify, so you can automatically maximize conversions by offering upselling, down selling, and follow-up. However, Shopify facilitates users with easy-to-use tools for designing an e-commerce store. Could you use Shopify with ClickFunnels? Sure, by incorporating
They can be highly beneficial when paired with Shopify, as they allow you to create custom pages and funnels specifically for your shop. This can help increase conversions and improve the overall customer experience.
They visited your Shopify store without buying. What now?
If a customer visits your Shopify store but doesn’t make a purchase, don’t worry! You can do several things to turn them into a paying client.
After a potential customer has visited your Shopify store and decided that they are not going to buy anything and are trying to exit the page, this is where using funnels, even on your high-ticket store, would be beneficial. One of the best tools used in this scenario is Privy.
Privy’s suite of conversion, email marketing, & SMS tools, including exit-intent driven popups & banners, help you grow your email & SMS lists from your Shopify store
The screen is splashed when the customer is about to go, and it’s like: “Hey, wait. We see you are going to leave, and you need access.
Does ClickFunnels work with Shopify?
When you use ClickFunnels, all of your shipping orders will automatically be sent to the Shopify store. This means that no matter how customers contact through your funnel or directly on a particular product page–they can still get their products delivered!
Can you do drop shipping with ClickFunnels?
No. ClickFunnels is a tool that helps create sales funnels for pre-existing eCommerce stores, not for dropshipping stores. It’s possible to use Clickfunnels with Shopify, though – you can even set up your store from scratch using Clickfunnels’ features and adding the products later on through Shopify!
Is there anything better than ClickFunnels?
Absolutely. ClickFunnels is an excellent tool for adding elements to your landing pages and marketing funnels, but it’s far from perfect. It seems like every day; someone comes up with the idea that Clickfunnels should have included in their service, or they’re releasing something new that Clickfunnels doesn’t currently do!
Is Shopify a sales funnel?
No. Shopify does not create a sales funnel at all; Clickfunnels is the tool that builds funnels for your business.
Shopify can sell physical products online, but ClickFunnels has more benefits than just selling product pages. The main difference between Clickfunnels vs Shopify is how they function and Clickfunnels’ ability to create a sales funnesl.
Clickfunnels Vs Shopify: Final Words
So, Clickfunnels vs Shopify – which one is the best tool for you? Well, as we have seen, both tools have their pros and cons.
Clickfunnels is great if you want to create a marketing funnel quickly. It’s perfect for creating landing pages and sales pages. However, it can be limited if you’re making a more complex website.
In the end, Shopify is one of the best options for your dropshipping business, and utilizing these tools and strategies will ensure that no matter where you are on your dropshipping journey, there are always more options and ways to enhance sales, even if they become stagnant. You are looking for ways to improve the business and increase sales.
But remember, make sure you research both tools thoroughly before making your decision – there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to web business tools!
Affiliate Disclaimer: I hope you liked our Clickfunnels Vs Shopify Review. Please note that some of the links inside this article may be affiliate links to Clickfinnels. That means that if you click on one of the links and sign up, I may be compensated for it. If you do happen to click, we really appreciate it! Any money we make keeps this site running smoothly and allows us to keep writing these high-quality reviews.
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In the past tense.
Penis? Nah, pen*was.*
Underrated comment, 💖😂
I pictured this with the Sayori/Drake meme. Such Meme!
I'm ded 💀 😅
Yess haha, hard agree. I’m so happy that someone already made the joke! 😂
Of course I’m also quite happy I can make the joke to begin with. 😊
Yeah me too, it's just there. Harmless, small and kinda adorable
Not to me. I plan to get rid of it at some point.
Well me too eventually, but for now I don't hate it
I'm glad. I try not to think about it myself, kind of ignore it and try to forget about its existence.
At the moment I’m using “the tenant”
My dysphoria noodle. And in the future I'll call it the lost relic
I don’t call it
As a millennial with lots of gen z friends, this made chortle.
omg i love it
I've always just referred to mine the same way guys refer to theirs, but I know a lot of women refer to theirs as a "strapless." Like a strap-on but without the straps.
i’ve also heard “built-in strapon”
I have a friend who wants to keep hers, she’s a lesbian and calls it the same thing 😂
i tend to say bits because i feel its more femme and prude/modest, good as practice for girly dysphoria too
My "massive throbbing girlcock" I figure if I'm going to be uncomfortable so is everyone else in the room
thisis the attude
this is so based i fucking died
Based and femme-pilled
Absolutely based lmfao
If I overexaggerate it's easier to dissociate from the concept that I too have a 9" trouser python.
I personally dislike a lot of terms people use like making it more feminine. Idk to me stuff like that causes more dysphoria?
If I have to refer to it, I'll usually refer to it by common slang. If I am talking about something like "yeah I like girls" and someone asks if I'd date a girl with a dick then ill say "yeah girl dick is rad!". But thats to the extent id go with something like that.
In reality, im okay with what people want to call it, but im careful for personal reasons
i've always just used 'junk'
extremely underrated and very funny, 10/10
also genuinely clever as a legit answer, strongly considering
If I still had mine, I think I’d call it “El Kabong”.
(this probably dates me, I can’t imagine there are many here who grew up on Quick Draw McGraw reruns)
Well I'm non-op at least at this point so all the usual feminizing ways to refer to my genitals are great. But my other fav is OEM package.
I enjoy calling it my clit, but I've also heard some girls say it's their Glock and I enjoy that as well.
omg, crying laughing
Packing one way or another lol
Clitongus Is pretty good too. I may have to use that at some point 🤣
I call it my birth defect
That's attitude. I like it.
lmao probably the best one
Yooooo B-B-B-🅱️ased and the best one sis, but still too long and it's not gonna be easy to use casually. Maybe I should your other term.┍つ( ^(Ó︿) ^(.Ò) )
I'm the opposite haha. I gender mine male and tell him he doesn't belong here and I'm planning on getting rid of him.
Or if I'm feeling less dysphoric it's my chick stick (stolen from someone else on reddit at some point)
omg some of these low-vote comments are absolute gems xD
Oh my god thank you
I don't refer to it. It won't be with me forever and I just find it disgusting. If someone assumes I have my AGAB genitals (surprisingly lots of trans people are fucking awful when it comes to genital etiquette) then I just deny it. In my mind it doesn't exist and is just a tumor that I must medicate and eventually remove.
If I need to refer to it then I will say "It" or "My genitals", sometimes "The thing" if I feel like that's a good descriptor. Usually I go with "Genitals" though, it makes it seem clinical.
There's no "good" way to refer to it besides penis nowadays, which really sucks.
I used to use Ladydick and Girldick but since the tide of people using it as a joke on trans women, I haven't felt comfortable with the term.
Any time I've used cis women's anatomy to refer to mine, such as clit, vag, or anything else, people get hella mad. **Especially** on any dating apps.
I don’t care what the transphobes do. It’s our word and they can’t have it.
Reclaim the girldick! It's ours dammit.
Well, you're stronger than I.
I try to think like that but the fact that it's been made into such a memeish joke in even progressive spaces makes me cringe when I use.
My girlfriend likes when I call it her kitten/kitty, her cute little bean, her cute little clitty, or any variation of that. She was referring to it with vague terms like "that thingy" or "that area" so I figured it could use some cute loving nicknames. Now she uses them to refer to own bits and says it helps her feel less negatively about it.
That's me eheh.....
I second that
Growth between my legs that ruined my life
Unfortunately, when I read it, a bad feeling run over my spine. Because I agree with you 100%.
I wish I could get rid of it with retroactive effects, but this it is not possible. Unfortunately.
Well, none ask me it. Sorry for disturb the thread.
Sorry I made you uncomfortable. <3
Don't worry. It's not your fault.
Thank you for your concern.
I try not to
Yeah, I don’t have a lot of conversations where it comes up. That’d be a weird day at the office. If my co-workers start talking about my parts then it’s time to update my résumé.
I just call it my parts. Honestly just holding out until I can call that area something better.
String bean? 😅
My Princess Parts
I particularly grin at "lady-dagger"
It's a clit, obviously.
Ive heard someone call her penis her "hen" and i think its fun and cute
Brings the phrase "Hen pecking" to a whole new level....
I usually just say my genitals. It’s a neutral term.
I call it the dysphoria sausage
The Problem, The Horror, The Thing, the neighbor downstairs, It. My wife on the other hand refer to it as my vag or clit or other similar things
The stick of shame, or dysphoria generator
My princess wand
Penis, but I love this idea of calling it a girl dick.
Like this is a girl's dick, because I am a girl and it is mine.
Therefore it is a feminine organ
I like it too. Just wish it wasn't overtaken as a joke by cis people.
It makes it kinda uncomfortable to see it used legitly when so many now use it as another way to make trans women seem delusional and fetishist. To the point where if I see it online, I know there's a 90% chance it's being used to mock us.
Side note: Wish mine was a feminine organ or at least that I could see it like that but it doesn't compute.
>so many now use it as another way to make trans women seem delusional and fetishist
Do they? If so, that's a bummer. I've never seen it around, but then again I try to steer clear of a lot of the online discourse.
Yup, and that's the reason you haven't seen it.
I used to try and troll bigots, which is virtually impossible to do since they tend to take a stance of, "Idgaf what someone on the internet says about me", and just ended up triggering myself by seeing this kind of stuff said.
Now it's spread to even LGB, minus the T, spaces like lesbian, gay, and queer subreddits.
You could try "death squid"
dead meat is funny lol, i haven’t heard of that one before
"that's the neat part, you don't!"
I don't refer to it.. it's a useless thing that shouldn't have existed lol
A gun in my pants
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 407,231,566 comments, and only 88,107 of them were in alphabetical order.
I'm just too powerful
I just refer to it as 'it' since I have no attachment to it but also no dysphoria from it either
My partner and i call it my clit. Pretty much treat it like a clit as well, using a Hitachi on it, which feels amazing btw
Oh damn I bet! Kinda want to try that now but those damn wands are so expensive from what I've seen.
You can get them pretty cheap on Amazon, like $30 Canadian. We have an official Hitachi, but want to get one of the ones from Amazon as a backup as well
Good to know! I'll have to look that up!
Here's one here Rechargeable Personal Massager Handheld - Cordless - 8 Powerful Speeds & 20 Vibration Patterns - Travel Bag Included - Great After Sport (Pink) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07L9XJLFC/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_TQCPZKFR1B8X84S29004?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 hopefully i'm allowed to share links
I have just been using genitals where I have to, I like junk too though
Dysphoria-Con, bc that's all its good for apparantly
Penis is what I referred to mine as because that is the scientific term for it , penis is not gendered It is just the word for that organ
I like things like girldick and lady lance because they seem more accurate to me, but I am not entirely opposed other terms either. IDK.
It's my dick. I've had it called a "clit/clitty" and a "girldick". The second one is a bit funny depending on who said it and what the context was, but please fuckin' don't. Thanks.
Being trans, I know a decent bit about sex, gender, identity, etc.. With that being said, I also know some women have dicks. Simple as that. Therefore I don't have a problem just using normal words. Doing anything else seems strange to me.
EDIT: I should clarify that I don't have much bottom dysphoria and I'm not interested in any type of surgery involving my penis. Just wish the damn thing was a bit bigger.
Just a big ol clit
You mean day to day conversation? Dick or cock -no reason to confuse people by straying from the vernacular.
Outside of sex, I just say bits or parts usually. Inside of sex, I'm comfortable with cock because it feels _sexual_ more than gendered to me, no clue why.
That thing down there, then give a disgusting look.
Penis, and cock and stuff like that is fine. But I like clit, or lil princess more.
Just "the annoying thing"
"Princess parts". The word "penis" gives me dysphoria when referring to my own parts so I use a euphemism with my boyfriend.
Clit pickle or shmeat. But I don’t really get dysphoria from mine so I don’t plan on getting rid of it. 😂
I don’t refer to it
Dick, or girl dick. Or cock or girl cock.
My fiancee calls it my big clit lol, but I call it my fem cock since I don't have bottom dysphoria
Cock, dick, sometimes girldick or glock if I feel like being spicy. Idk to me I just don't see it as an inherently masculine organ so I just call it the same thing a cis person might.
Clit if I am feeling dysphoric. Otherwise I cycle between clit and girldick. Having contrapoints talk about the feminine penis has helped me not think of a dick as inherently masculine.
My clit or bits
Calendar... because its days are numbered!
gaslight, gatekeep, girlcock
One eye one horned flying purple people eater
Ghost dick, super soaker, leaner weiner, floppy bird, clit, girl dick.
Clit on a stick
I don't have one anymore, but the best thing I ever heard was "Lady Lance".
honestly i don't have a lot of dysphoria so usually it's just chick, but sometimes girlcock when i'm feeling ~*spicy*~
My little girl or little one since she’s always been a small one and hrt made her even smaller😅
Not what I use, I just call it _the thing_, but one of my transfem friends uses it and always makes me laugh
I don't any more, but back when I did I just called it "down there" or "my genitals" or something similarly vague.
I don't. It's something I try not to think about.
It's my boy :(
Hen. I picked it up from a trans subreddit years ago.
Skin tag, genetic defect, if I'm feeling humorous it's my clit on a stick.
Propeller, cock/penis, dongle, schlong/schlongle
Anything that produces a chortle.
I like the term "lady lance", but I mostly refer to it as "the thing down there".
I just call them my genitales
I usually just refer to it as a "tail", since I'm very mildly into this whole catgirl thing. But recently, I've stumbled upon "glock" (as in girl cock) and I think that works for me, too.
If on a man it's a cock, on a woman it's a hen.
My general stance is that "yep, it's a penis" -- I personally don't tend to have much bottom dysphoria (though I sometimes do wish I had a vagina), but I try to just detach all feelings of "male"ness from my dick. It's just a thing for me.
I don’t I desperately try to pretend it doesn’t exist
I like “organic strap”
I refer to it as my penis, I just generally don't mention it with anyone who I'm not sleeping with or intimately comfortable around.
I guess it's like, look, I have a dick. That's a fact that won't change any time soon. It caused me a lot of problems in my life, but now I am me and I am happy and I like myself and my body. My penis is part of me whether I like it or not, and it isn't really causing problems anymore. Sometimes I have to gaffe which is inconvenient, and sometimes I have to deal with people being shitty to me, but overall my penis is no longer a malign entity in my life.
Ignoring it or pretending it isn't there doesn't change anything. Also sometimes I call it Penelope, my ex came up with that name and I thought it was cute.
It, just it. I try to avoid bringing up the topic myself, and if I'm involved in an existing conversation involving it, then what I'm referring to is clear from context. I'm completely sex-repulsed due to its presence anyway because I hate the idea of another person encountering it, so it basically never comes up unless it's a post like this on a trans subreddit or some discussion about when I'm planning on getting fixed.
We call her Jessica
I've seen princess wand a bit
Girl dick, easy
Twig and berries.
There is no penis only Zuul.
I say I have part of a penis because my penis was circumcised.
My abnormally large clit, lmao
That gross thingy down there.
A stupid piece of garbage...
On that note, I can't wait to take out the trash...
I think you mean atrophy not entropy, and also I call mine a girldick or girlcock, same for my gf who's also trans and we both like the terms. I think a couple times I called it a clit but that just didn't sit right with me for whatever reason
I've joked with my partner that I have a delicate flower just like any other girl, mine just has an unusually large stamen
Dead gland walking
gock & galls.
Rod of Dysphoria
*Wondrous item, common*
This “wand” has 3 charges, which it regains after a long rest. You can expend a charge to overwhelm any intelligent creature within line of sight with horrible thoughts and feelings. They start to feel dissociated with their own body, and are filled with unbearable self-loathing, taking 1d4 psychic damage. The effect lasts for 1 hour.
The Thing or my shewee.
My clit, of course! I really like referring to it that way, tbh! It carries the connotations of being small and feminine, and that makes me feel a lot better about myself.
As rarely as possible.
I try my best not to think of it lol, but when I do, it’d be when I’m out with friends who don’t know I’m trans yet and I just call it anything 🤷🏼♀️
I call it a clit. Delusional? Maybe. Less dysphoric? At least for me it is.
Ever since I was young I just called all genitalia "privates". I am starting to realize this is another sign ...
Outside of sexual context: genitals.
Sexual context: I prefer not to refer to it but clit is the better option. I don't have too much trouble with calling it a dick or penis as long as I'm being treated as a woman and refer to as one.
I refer to it as my genitals, can’t bring myself to say the other words.
I've started using she/her pronouns for her, without any specific name behind it and it's actually been really helpful for my personal mental framing of her.
It helped me stop feeling like she was male thing attached to my body, and made me realise that she actually functions and likes to be treated very differently compared to a man's penis.
I refer to it as "***IT***" or the "dysphoria noodle"
In the future I simply won't refer to it because I'll have forgotten about it because I won't have it :)
I don't. I don't like talking about my privates to strangers if I can help it.
I call it a hen or “…….. front bits” with a long pause | <urn:uuid:01c50b8c-629f-4237-b741-53fa310ee9be> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | http://cmita.org/p/asktransgender/comments/r67jqt/mtf_how_do_you_refers_to_your_penis/ | 2022-01-23T06:01:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304134.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123045449-20220123075449-00119.warc.gz | en | 0.962251 | 4,445 |
Summary Report for:
15-2041.00 - Statisticians
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Sample of reported job titles: Demographer, Mathematical Statistician, Psychometric Consultant, Quantitative Methodologist, Research Scientist, Researcher, Statistical Analyst, Statistical Consultant, Statistical Reporting Analyst, Statistician
Also see: Biostatisticians
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
- Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
- Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest.
- Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
- Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.
- Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
- Design research projects that apply valid scientific techniques, and use information obtained from baselines or historical data to structure uncompromised and efficient analyses.
- Process large amounts of data for statistical modeling and graphic analysis, using computers.
- Adapt statistical methods to solve specific problems in many fields, such as economics, biology, and engineering.
- Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
- Report results of statistical analyses in peer-reviewed papers and technical manuals.
- Evaluate sources of information to determine any limitations, in terms of reliability or usability.
- Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods.
- Plan data collection methods for specific projects, and determine the types and sizes of sample groups to be used.
- Supervise and provide instructions for workers collecting and tabulating data.
- Examine theories, such as those of probability and inference, to discover mathematical bases for new or improved methods of obtaining and evaluating numerical data.
- Prepare and structure data warehouses for storing data.
- Develop software applications or programming for statistical modeling and graphic analysis.
- Apply sampling techniques, or use complete enumeration bases to determine and define groups to be surveyed.
- Analytical or scientific software — IBM SPSS Statistics ; Minitab ; SAS ; The MathWorks MATLAB (see all 35 examples)
- Business intelligence and data analysis software — Apache Spark ; Qlik Tech QlikView ; Tableau
- Data base management system software — Apache Hadoop ; Apache Pig ; Teradata Database
- Data base user interface and query software — Amazon Redshift ; Microsoft Access ; Microsoft SQL Server ; Structured query language SQL (see all 6 examples)
- Data mining software — Angoss KnowledgeSEEKER; NCR Teradata Warehouse Miner; SAS Enterprise Miner
- Development environment software — Common business oriented language COBOL ; Formula translation/translator FORTRAN; Microsoft Visual Basic ; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
- Enterprise application integration software — SAS/CONNECT
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software — SAP
- Object or component oriented development software — C++ ; Python ; R ; Sun Microsystems Java (see all 5 examples)
- Object oriented data base management software — Microsoft Visual FoxPro
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Operating system software — Linux ; UNIX
- Presentation software — Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
- Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Programming — Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Mathematical Reasoning — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Number Facility — The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Speed of Closure — The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Detailed Work Activities
- Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
- Determine appropriate methods for data analysis.
- Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
- Evaluate data quality.
- Prepare data for analysis.
- Present research results to others.
- Prepare analytical reports.
- Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.
- Design research studies to obtain scientific information.
- Apply mathematical principles or statistical approaches to solve problems in scientific or applied fields.
- Evaluate project designs to determine adequacy or feasibility.
- Supervise information technology personnel.
- Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.
- Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
- Install computer software.
- Write computer programming code.
- Design software applications.
- Electronic Mail — 85% responded “Every day.”
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 90% responded “Every day.”
- Spend Time Sitting — 55% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
- Face-to-Face Discussions — 60% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Freedom to Make Decisions — 60% responded “Some freedom.”
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 47% responded “Very important.”
- Telephone — 55% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
- Structured versus Unstructured Work — 75% responded “Some freedom.”
- Work With Work Group or Team — 60% responded “Very important.”
- Contact With Others — 45% responded “Contact with others most of the time.”
- Duration of Typical Work Week — 70% responded “40 hours.”
- Time Pressure — 40% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 60% responded “Important results.”
- Level of Competition — 60% responded “Moderately competitive.”
- Letters and Memos — 53% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
|Title||Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed|
|Education||Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).|
|Related Experience||Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.|
|Job Training||Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.|
|Job Zone Examples||These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.|
|SVP Range||(8.0 and above)|
Percentage of Respondents
|Education Level Required|
Interest code: CI Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
- Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
- Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
- Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
- Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
- Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
- Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Recognition — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Wages & Employment Trends
|Median wages (2020)||$44.36 hourly, $92,270 annual|
|Employment (2020)||42,000 employees|
|Projected growth (2020-2030)||Much faster than average (15% or higher)|
|Projected job openings (2020-2030)||5,000|
|Top industries (2020)|
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 wage data and 2020-2030 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2020-2030). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Job Openings on the Web
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- American Academy of Actuaries
- American Educational Research Association
- American Mathematical Society
- American Statistical Association
- Association for Institutional Research
- International Biometric Society
- National Council on Measurement in Education
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Mathematicians and statisticians
- SAS Users Groups
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
- Society of Actuaries
- The American Society of Human Genetics | <urn:uuid:ea7b3bad-61c7-4c58-9879-a9352387469c> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-2041.00 | 2022-01-23T06:26:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304134.13/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123045449-20220123075449-00119.warc.gz | en | 0.85374 | 3,909 |
Tackle Guide: Best Spinning Reels for 2021
First off a warning, I’ve included a lot of fishing reels information on this single page. I highly recommend you review the Table of Contents below to ensure you find what you’re looking for. This post isn’t just about the best spinning reel and reviews, its about what components to look for in a great spinning reel, when, where and how to use a spinning reel, and a ton more information on all things pertaining to fishing reels. OK then onto the rest of the introduction…
The spinning reel is the most popular fishing reel for anglers and for good reason as they are easy to use and they catch fish! In my opinion, a good spinning reel & rod combo is mandatory for anglers of any level. With hundreds of spinning reel options out there it can be challenging to know what to look for in a quality reel. This guide points out the 6 best spinning reels for the money. Additionally, I’ve included sections on the advantages of a spinning reel and what makes a great spinning reel by looking at the specific components and comparing them. I hope you find this guide helpful!
The Best Spinning Reels for the Money
Advantages of the Spinning Reel for Fishing
One of my favorite advantages of the spinning reel is how easy they are to cast. The spinning reel spool hangs below the rod and feeds fishing line out by the weight of the lure or tackle that’s tied on. The position of the spool allows the line to come off the spool very easily/quickly to avoid backlashes. Backlashes are line tangles that can quickly occur when line is coming off the spool, and are often the bane of my existence when they happen when the bite is on.
Spinning reels are also extremely versatile as they can cast several types of lures, bait or tackle. I use spinning reels for all types of fishing from casting big heavy lures off the beach to finesse fishing rubber baits (e.g. Senkos) on lakes and ponds. I’ll even take my spinning reel & rod setup to the river for the precise casting ability when using spoons or spinners.
Another reason why spinning reels are so versatile is the model sizes. Each spinning reel will often have several different models, which is basically the size of the reel and spool. There can be more construction improvements for larger models, but for the most part it’s the size of the reel that’s changing to accommodate the type of fishing you’re doing. Each manufacturer rates their reel model’s numbers differently so there are no fixed values, but for the most part a lower number usually means a smaller reel, and a larger number means larger reel. To better articulate this, here’s a simplified chart of model numbers, average line weights and fishing applications.
There are several components to look at in a quality spinning reel. Manufacturers will often come up with a variety of terminology/fancy words for their own components, but most of it is marketing. This guide eliminates the brand name fluff and focuses on the key features when buying a quality spinning reel.
The gear ratio represents the number of times the bail spins for each full crank of the reel handle. An average ratio would be around 5:1, again meaning the bail spins 5 times to each crank. Typically, 4:1 would be considered slow, 5:1 would be average/medium and anything equal or above 6:1 would be fast.
The higher the gear ratio the better. This higher ratio enables for a quicker retrieval; which gets fish into the boat quicker, reduces physical fatigue on your wrist/arms, and can allow more speed options/actions for your lure/tackle when retrieving.
The drag system allows the reel to release line when the fish is pulling/fighting. If the line is too tight and there is no give on the line, the fish may break the fishing line or tear the hook out of the fish’s mouth. The drag system is managed by several large washers within the reel. The washers work much like a vehicle brake pad system, and each reel manufacturer offers unique ways for producing friction (aka. drag pressure) on their dray system.
The drag system specifications to look at are the number and quality of the washers used in the reel. The more washers there are the better the drag system. Additionally, washers should be made of carbon fiber or stainless steel. The worst thing you can have is a regular steel washer that will eventually rust and fail.
Lastly, manufacturers don’t post the washer very readily but instead translate this system into a max drag weight/range (in lbs). This is an estimate on the number of pounds the reel can handle. In my experience, this number is subjective to many other components in your tackle setup and how you fish the fish, so certainly don’t get too bogged down with this max drag number on your reel.
The ball bearings are important in helping the spool and handles spin efficiently. These bearings should be made of stainless steel to ensure there is no rusting. There is correlation between the number of bearings and the smoothness of the reel. Reels should have at least four ball bearings; my reel recommendations have between six to ten. A reel with few or poor ball bearings will feel very cheap when you’re reeling it in, and to me takes away from the enjoyment of line retrieval.
Although weight itself does not necessarily dictate a quality reel. It is something that should not be overlooked by anglers. Think about holding and casting a heavy reel all day. The weight can add to your wrist/arms fatigue. More importantly a light reel makes for easier and enjoyable casting. That said, look for the best quality components paired with a lower weight.
Body / Structure
Most reel bodies are made from plastic, aluminum or graphite. Graphite may be lighter material but you lose a little strength when compared with aluminum. Plastic is both heavy and unreliable for strength and I would not recommend a reel with a plastic body. You’ll need to decide whether weight or strength is more important. Additionally, if you’re fishing in saltwater you’ll likely want to invest in a graphite body as it will not corrode like aluminum & plastic. To summarize, if you’re doing freshwater fishing a nice balance between both weight and strength is ideal and that’s exactly what I’ve considered with my reel recommendations in this guide.
Spool Size / Line Capacity
A larger spool enables more line or a larger line capacity. Spool size does not dictate the quality of a reel. However, it’s important to consider when pairing the right spool size with the type of fishing you’re doing.
What Size of Spinning Reel should I get?
This question is answered by the type of fishing you’re looking to do. Important questions to consider could be:
- What species are you targeting?
- How big (weight) can the species get?
- Are you fishing in saltwater or freshwater?
- Are you fishing moving water or still water (rivers vs. lakes vs. tidal, etc.)?
- And on and on…
Let’s keep it simple and focus on fish size in relation to the reel line capacity/rating.
So what size of fish are you catching or targeting? Are they 2-8 lb bass? Perhaps 1-4 lb Trout? 15 lb Salmon? 50 lb Tuna? You get the idea. Having a general idea on the weight/size of the fish you’re catching will help you choose a fishing reel as the fish weight should align with the line capacity/rating on the reel. To clarify, let’s look at a fishing line capacity example.
What is the Line Capacity/Rating?
Written on each fishing reel there should be a mono line capacity in the format: #Test / yd. This is the strength of the line weight in pounds by the number of yards that can be put onto the spool. For example, you may see a line capacity that looks like this: 6/230, 8/170, 10/140. This means the reel can spool 230 yards of 6# mono, 170 yards of 8# mono or 140 yards of 10# mono.
In addition to the mono line rating you’ll see many reels also include the braid line rating as well. Braided line has a much smaller diameter and stronger lbs rating. The braid capacity on our example above may look like this: 10/200, 20/140, 40/105. Again, 200 yards of 10# braid, etc.
When you’re looking at fishing reels, there are often different models (sizes) which each will have their own line capacities because of their size differences. Make sure you’re finding a model that has the correct line capacity that aligns with the size of fish you’ll typically be catching. Clear as mud? Great.
Model Sizes to Line Weight and Fishing Applications
|Model Size (common numbers)||Mono Line Weight (lbs)||Braid Line Weight (lbs)||Water Types / Applications||Example Target Fish Species|
|Small (1000/10 to 3500/35)||2-6||4-10||Fishing in ponds, lakes, slower moving water /rivers, bays, harbours etc.||Pan fish, small/medium Bass, Trout, Bream, Whiting, etc.|
|Medium (4000/40 to 5500/55)||8-12||8-14||Fishing in lakes, rivers, bays, harbours, light offshore boat fishing etc.||Large bass, Trout, Walleye, small/medium Salmon, Carp, Bluefish, Snapper, Bone fish, Morwong, Cod, etc.|
|Large (6000/60 to 8500/85)||10-25||12-30||Fishing in rivers, boat fishing, beach or rock fishing.||Salmon, Steelhead, Musky, Carp, Snapper, Morwong, Tailor, Cod, etc.|
|Very Large 10,000/100 30,000)||25+||30+||Fishing in big rivers, boat fishing, beach or rock fishing.||Sturgeon, Tuna, Sharks, GT, Kingfish, Halibut, Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Sailfish, etc.|
Note: This is only a guide for widespread application to help outline reel models. Hopefully, you get the general idea.
6 Best Spinning Reel Reviews
Each of these recommend reels are quality reels which will get the job done in many fishing scenarios. I’ve chosen these reels based on the key features detailed above in parallel with price. Essentially, “the best bang for your buck” as they say. For this guide I’ve included a wide range of price points, the cheaper end starts around $50 and the highest around $225.
I really like that the Battle II has eight different models. These models/sizes will cover a vast amount of fishing applications. If you’re uncertain on the what model to choose for your type of fishing be sure to check out the chart above: Model Sizes to Line Weight and Fishing Applications.
This reel has larger line capacity than other reels in this class. I did a comparison of line capacity between a number of spools of the same model and the Battle II was able to hold 15%-18% more line. This additional line capacity is helpful for those long fish runs or putting on additional backing.
The Superline Spool are replacement spools that have a rubber gasket to ensure the line/braid does not slip. These additional spools are helpful when you want to swap between several types of fishing lines (monofilament to braid).
The Battle II is certainly in the same class as the Supreme XT and aligns in quality in many ways with a few trade offs. A few differences are a little heavier, fewer ball bearings (smoothness of reeling) but is built to sustain some serious punishment!
- Approved for use in saltwater
- Strong structure with metal body, sideplate & rotor
- HT-100™ carbon fiber drag washers
- Line Capacity Rings
- Superline Spool
Another standout feature is this reel’s fast line retrieval. It picks up line quicker than most of the reels in its class. This is important feature when a fish is swimming toward you and you need to “catch up” to keep that line tight!
Lastly, Okuma has used quality materials in the right places, with the body and rotor both made of graphite and the bail is made of stainless steel bail wire, all of which is corrosion-resistant and important for fresh and saltwater usage.
- On/Off auto trip bait feeding system
- Corrosion-resistant body, rotor & bail
- Approved for use in saltwater
- Fast line retrieval
- 6 available Models
The body and rotor are made from lightweight magnesium so you can fish this reel all day with no wrist/arm fatigue. The Supreme XT lightweight feature is above most reels in its class.
With 10 ball bearings, it gives a smooth reeling action like concept / higher end spinning reels on the market. It has a mid to fast gear ratio (dependent on model) which will ensure there is no problems with line retrieval.
The only minor downside for me is the lack of model sizes available (there are four). The four models are designed for pan to middle sized fish and is not intended for larger fish (aka. greater than 15 lbs).
High performance without the high price point makes this an essential reel for most fishing arsenals.
- Approved for use in saltwater
- 10 Stainless Steel Bearings
- Extremely Lightweight at 6 – 8.7 ounces
It has four models that are geared for small to medium sized fish with a little better drag system than its brother reel Supreme XT. The Carbon Matrix™ hybrid drag system provides a stronger and reliable drag when compared to other reels in its class.
The biggest reason why the Revo SX is rated slightly below the others is price point. Even though is dollar amount difference isn’t large, it all adds up in my review! Regardless, if you’re an Abu guy, this reel will not disappoint.
- Carbon Matrix™ hybrid drag system
- Lightweight graphite rotor
- 9 stainless steel ball bearings
I would recommend the smaller models of this reel for the finesse fisherman. The guy who wants to feel the lightest sensitives of their baits/lures. Additionally, the smaller models of the Stradic Ci4 have a higher line retrieval than the other comparable reels in its class. This quality reel will not let you down for those very targeted applications.
I am a massive Shimano fan, they manufacturer reliable reels. The big reason why this quality reel is #5 is only the price point. The specs on this reel are better or as good as any reel on this guide, the fishermen that are using this reel extensively will appreciate it most. For the beginner/average fisherman the price point doesn’t line up for me.
- Ultralight weight
- Magnumlite Rotor
- 8 available Models
The President is lightweight with a medium gear ratio. The reel’s largest model has a drag rating of 12 lb, so this reel is meant for small to medium sized fish.
If nothing else, I would recommend this as a backup reel in my tackle arsenal. When looking at all the features like gear ratio, drag, ball bearings, weight, etc. the President gets a medium to high rating across the board. And for the price point its a smoking deal! Pflueger’s parent company Pure Fishing must be doing something right as they continue to put out quality reels for a great price!
- Smooth Reel with 10 ball bearings
- Graphite Body & Rotor
- Price point
- 5 available Models
Reels Features Comparison Chart
Here’s a quick summary of the recommend spinning reels by features and specifications. The numbered ranges represent the small – large models details.
|Spinning Reel||Gear Ratio||Ball Bearings||Drag Range (lbs)||Weight (ounces)||Line Retrieve
(inches / crank)
|Body / Structure||# of Models|
|Pflueger Supreme XT||5.2:1 – 6.2:1||10||8 – 14||6 – 8.7||22.8 – 38.6||Magnesium body/rotor & Aluminum spool||4|
|Penn Battle II & III||5.2:1 – 6.2:1||6||9 – 30||8.1 – 30||22 – 44||Full Metal body||8|
|Okuma Avenger ABF||4.5:1 – 5.0:1||6+1||8 – 33||8.9 – 22.9||25 – 40||Graphite body|
|Abu Garcia Revo SX||6.2:1||8+1||10 – 17||7.2 – 9.2||30 – 40||Stainless Steel Shaft, spool is Aluminum & Graphite Rotor||4|
|Shimano Stradic Ci4||4.8:1 – 6.2:1||6+1||6 – 24||6.4 – 8||26 – 35||Magnum lite Rotor||8|
|Pflueger President||5.2:1||7 – 10||6 – 12||5.9 – 10.9||20.7 – 30.2||Graphite body & rotor and Aluminum bail / handle||5|
Conclusion on Spinning Reels
With a countless species, fishing scenarios, bodies of water, you fill in the blank, it maybe a bit challenging to find a quality spinning reel. When you clear out the fancy manufacturer’s terms and focus on the key features detailed in this guide the choices become a little simpler. I hope this guide has been helpful you identify some key features to look at in a spinning reel, but also in choosing a spinning reel.
Lastly, I’m continually testing and researching new reels to keep this guide up to date. If you have any of these spinning reels or have tried others that you’d recommend I’d love to hear from you. What is your best spinning reel? Please leave a comment and let me know! Tight Lines! Jesse | <urn:uuid:119e6193-afc8-4464-bdd7-5d2f8b6d85aa> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.bcfishingjournal.com/reels/best-spinning-reel-for-the-money/ | 2022-01-24T16:45:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304572.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20220124155118-20220124185118-00199.warc.gz | en | 0.911964 | 3,973 |
Monday, 30 January 2006
IN ENGLAND an edict has gone out to shoot them by the hundred thousand.Yeah! That'll show 'em.
And the result:
Reds have gone from England except in a handful of redoubtsIt must be the Cameron effect.
But no such luck for us:
...in Scotland, where about 75 per cent of Britain's surviving 160,000 reds are thought to liveAye, Princes Street is fair hoaching with Guardian readers.
Apparently we saw:
the first appearance of reds in Britain about 10,000 years agoWhere was Adam Smith when we needed him?
But now it gets confusing:
The red hordes of the late 1800s were proof that nothing is certain in nature, because the species had been in serious danger of disappearing at the end of the 18th centuryHaven't they got their centuries a bit mixed up? I suppose the Scotsman writers are still hung over.
But this is surely correct:
Reds recovered and spread ... becoming a pest by the start of 20th centuryHere's some surprising news:
Although reds ... are found across Europe and Asia, they are threatened only in Britain and to a small extent, so far, in ItalyI knew that Berlusconi was a sound chap.
But we're still going to see plenty of them in their natural Scottish habitat:
There is a good chance of maintaining reds in Scotland by co-operationAnd:
What we hope to do is get through the next few difficult years - there's no risk of reds becoming extinct, but they are under serious pressureNeedless to say, the politicians are on to this:
A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: The key objective is to maintain areas where reds thrive and extend them if possible. Long-term habitat provision is the most successful route we can takeSo no threat to Drumchapel or Pilton then.
This is probably all for the good:
the Executive should be doing more sooner to preserve reds. But she says a gradual approach will work.Gradualism: it's the British way.
The full story is reported here.
Sunday, 29 January 2006
Stuart Randall appalled by Scottish Leadership and posturing on tolls
Councillor Stuart Randall has resigned from the Conservative candidates’ list and so will not stand in 2007 for any level of Government. He considers his Council and Parliamentary careers at an end, but will serve out his current term of office on Fife Council, where he is Conservative Group Leader. He will stand down as Treasurer of the Scottish Conservative Councillors’ Association at the forthcoming AGM, where he will present the accounts for last year.
Cllr Randall stood against Gordon Brown in 2001 (Dunfermline East) and 2005 (Kirkcaldy & Cowdenbeath) and also fought his local Dunfermline East seat against Helen Eadie in 2003. He is the elected member for Dalgety Bay East and the only Tory councillor in west Fife. Before he was elected in 1999, there were no Conservatives on Fife Council at all.
Cllr Randall has announced his retirement from front line politics in order that he can speak freely regarding what he sees as his party’s poor management and a “policy vacuum”. In particular, he wishes to stand up for the interests of his constituents over Forth Road Bridge tolls and the need for a second road bridge.
In November, Cllr Randall’s status was renewed as an approved parliamentary candidate with authority to run for by-elections and key seats. However, Cllr Randall was kept off the Dunfermline & West Fife by-election shortlist, for which he was the local front runner, in order to promote a previously inactive female candidate from outside west Fife. Cllr Randall believes moves are also now afoot within the party to skew the Holyrood regional ranking arrangements. This will unjustly favour certain candidates and he wishes to stand up for the hardworking activists who will be disadvantaged by such a step.
Cllr Randall says:
“To many outsiders it may seem as if this decision has come suddenly out of the blue. But to anyone who has followed Scottish politics over the last couple of years, they will know that my frustration and disenchantment with the Scottish leadership has been growing inexorably over a long period of time. I have tried very hard behind the scenes to get the party to wake up and reform without success. The party has been taken over by an incompetent clique, who can’t see past the next headline, and there seems to be no way for the grassroots to regain control. Decision after decision has been botched and wherever one scratches the surface, the whole edifice of the party is crumbling, yet no-one seems to really care. Image is everything. There is a vacuum at the heart of Scottish Conservative policy and nobody seems to be responsible for where the party is heading. We need a strategy and we need it urgently, for if we don’t know where we are going, how do we know which is the right direction?
“The final straw came last week when the party announced its stance on the future of the Forth Road Bridge and the tolling regime. My ward is just a couple of miles from the north end of the bridge, so it affects my constituents greatly. It’s also the biggest issue affecting the whole of Fife at the moment, and yet I only found out about the new policy when I saw it in the local newspaper and a by-election flyer. And I’m the Leader of the Tory Group on Fife Council! Treating senior party activists in that way cannot be acceptable in any competent, democratic party. Local government is far too important for that.
“I was appalled to see Annabel Goldie, who has been selected for West Renfrewshire, posing on the Forth Road Bridge and singing the praises of tolling. This is not because I’m against tolls in principle, I’ve been very straight with people about that, it’s because I know she is simultaneously pushing for the abolition of the Erskine Bridge tolls back home. Why should my constituents be treated any differently from hers? Tolling can only be acceptable as a Scotland-wide strategy, as it is in England and Wales and I won’t stand by silently while my constituents are treated unfairly. What’s good enough for Skye and Erskine is good enough for Fife. It’s either tolls for every expensive long-span bridge or tolls for none.
“I have been pressing for a consistent right-of-centre policy on this matter for years, but it’s been like talking to a brick wall. No-one will take us seriously as a tax cutting party if we keep telling people that everything, including exorbitantly expensive bridges, can be provided and maintained by the Executive free at the point of use. Government should be concentrating on health, education and pensions not pretending it can provide 21st century infrastructure on time and on budget. The state sector has a terrible track record on infrastructure, precisely because this kind of seedy politics gets in the way. Just look at the gaps in our motorway network and see how long they’ve remained unresolved. No wonder no-one wants to manufacture in Scotland anymore. We pay high taxes, but still get poor transport links.
“The Conservative Party should be offering a distinct alternative to the spin and hypocrisy of the other parties, but unfortunately, we’ve been all over the place. Last May, Ted Brocklebank, who is in the party’s policy cabinet, stood up at Holyrood and called for all tolls to be abolished. He was shooting from the lip and had no proposal or budget to maintain the existing bridges, let alone replace them. He was simply making up policy on the hop for short-term populist reasons and it caused me a lot of trouble in my west Fife ward. People, understandably, thought he was pronouncing Conservative Party policy and that he was serious about this.
“Then, late last year, it was the turn of David Davidson, our Transport spokesman, no less. He stood up in Parliament and called for a new bridge with a freight railway line. He said nothing about how this would be paid for or whether motorists would end up paying through the nose for train passengers to cross the bridge for free. It was not in the Tory budget. Freight railway lines need a very stiff, heavy bridge and so add massively to the cost, but the Tory Transport spokesman didn’t seem to have considered this at all. There was no costing, consultation, or justification. If there had been he would have known that we have an under-used Forth Bridge and the whole point of the new Kincardine – Alloa rail link is to free up capacity on that.
“I’m pleased to say that both Ted’s and David’s proposals have now been dropped, but not before they caused huge embarrassment to the party. I don’t want to see the Conservatives pushing for expensive toys, like bullet trains, airport tunnels and tram tracks, in the way the spendthrift socialists do. Scotland needs a bit of common sense at Holyrood, not more of the same. Most MSPs behave like children in a sweet shop, presumably because they don’t have to go through the pain of raising the taxes they spend so liberally, but Tory MSPs should be different.
“It is ironic that, here I am standing down, when the idea of using private money and tolls to get new bridges built quickly is pretty much what I have been pushing for all along. But the chance to outflank the opposition with cast iron commitments to major Scotland-wide roads investment is now long gone. You cannot have a policy that gives the west of Scotland ‘free’ bridges at taxpayers’ expense and the east of Scotland endless increases in tolls. It looks like a short term patch up job, just to get the party through the by-election. If the policy had been finalised before the Skye bridge debacle, and if it had been applied consistently across Scotland, as I wanted, then we could have seized the moral high ground. But now it looks short term and shoddy. I don’t feel vindicated, I just feel sad.
“It’s also ironic that I am leaving front line politics at the very time when David Cameron, the UK leader, is pushing for my kind of politics south of the border. I was working in the council estates, promoting compassionate conservatism and advancing the cause of climate change long before David Cameron was even an MP.
“The poor judgement at the top of the Scottish party did not start recently. Twelve months ago we lost a disastrous general election, winning only one seat and with our share of the vote down to a measly 15%. And this despite the fact that the party made significant gains in both England and Wales. Of course, the party leadership spun this in public as some great success, as any politician would. The trouble is they have swallowed their own propaganda and have been feeding the same hopelessly complacent line to their troops, behind the scenes. It’s as if the party leadership stand in a closed circle with each patting the next person on the back.
“I have served the Scottish Conservatives, to the best of my ability, for almost eight years, in the front line. I’ve taken flak for just about everything and it’s been very difficult sticking at it through probably the darkest years in the party’s history. Others dropped out when times got hard, but I stuck at it, suspended my business and career, and made whatever personal sacrifices were necessary to keep the Tory torch burning in west Fife, a hard Labour area. I’ve never expected special treatment in return, but I certainly expected a fair crack at the whip, to be treated with integrity and to be consulted when serious decisions affect my patch.
“I’m not cancelling my membership or abandoning my ward, which I won under the Conservative flag. I still love the Scottish Conservative Party and the principles for which it stands. The problem is, I don’t recognise those principles among the current leadership.
“It’ll truly hurt to walk away next year and not take part in the campaigns. But I have no choice but to speak out, because I fear for the party’s future while they are in control.”
(UPDATE: Stuart Randall tells me that one of the main local papers has received lots of election material from the other parties but nothing from the Conservatives.)
Good news, I thought. Lots of Lanarkshire entrepreneurs generating affordable businesses. But hang on a moment: what's an "affordable" business? Is it one that you buy down at the Co-op? Are we talking of companies that can be purchased by people "in the community"? Sadly, no. Remember that Lanarkshire is the heartland of the "Labour Community", and that means money, money, money. Your money:
A final evaluation report of the Lanarkshire Enterprise Zone project suggests it cost much less in taxpayers’ cash per job created than any other similar project.Aha! The taxpayer. And how much less is this costing, you may ask?
The report showed that the cost per job of the net additional jobs created was £14,609, compared to £21,485 which is the UK average, according to the 1995 evaluation.But note that one reason for previous economic problems in Lanarkshire was this:
A high degree of reliance on an inward investment market which subsequently collapsed.Many, many, foreign-owned factories were given taxpayers' cash to come to Lanarkshire and other parts of Silicon Glen and now they're leaving for cheaper or more subsidised pastures. It's beginning to dawn on most of us that imported businesses built on subsidies don't last. So, tell me, why doesn't this logic apply to domestic businesses, even "affordable" ones? I think that it does. So instead of spending £14,609 a go to create jobs that probably won't last, why not simply make Lanarkshire a vast tax-and-regulation-free enterprise zone?
The figures mean that while taxpayers spend £5,160 on the average child's education annually, £1,700 is swallowed up by local government.Of course, as a good libertarian, I don't believe that the state (OK, the taxpayer) should be funding anyone's education, but one must wonder why so few politicians advocate education vouchers and the closure of government schools.
Actually, we don't need to wonder:
But Keir Bloomer, chief executive of Clackmananshire (sic) council, said: "It is not clear to me that devolving more money to schools, which traditionally have been the most conservative part of the education system, is going to get the change that we want. I would start by querying the assumption that we should be devolving more and more."That sums up things perfectly: It's not what parents want or children need that matters, it's what "we", in the political class, want. "Devolve" the money back to its rightful owners and we'll find out quickly enough what's wanted.
Wednesday, 25 January 2006
Stuart Randall - leader of the Fife Tories and a councillor in nearby Dalgety Bay - is incandescent at having been left off the shortlist drawn up by the Scottish Tories, describing the procedure as "shabby" and "insulting the intelligence of the voters".Being leader of the Fife Conservatives isn't a glamorous job - it's not like being Tory leader in Kensington and Chelsea. Of the 78 councillors in Fife, two are Conservatives. Stuart Randall is the leader, and the other one isn't.
Thanks to his hard work over the years, Mr Randall was selected to fight the Westminster seat of Dunfermline East in the general election of 2001. His Labour opponent was a Mr Gordon Brown. In the 2005 election Mr Randall was selected to contest the new constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Again, his target was Mr Brown.
Now it seems to me that the Tories should owe a bit of loyalty to the person whom they chose to fight two consecutive general elections against the man expected to be the next prime minister. One would have thought that Mr Randall would have been on the shortlist for Conservative candidate in the forthcoming by-election in Dunfermline. Indeed, one would have thought that Mr Randall would have had a very good chance of getting the nomination. But Stuart Randall was "far too old and middle-aged to fit the bill". (He was born in 1962.)
Local Tories aren't amused:
Many party members boycotted the selection meeting, as they were 'appalled' at the way things had been handled, the councillor added.My Tory sources tell me that the anger goes well beyond Fife. Why should folk work hard for a party just to be stabbed in the back? David Cameron may be the darling of the London media but he is in the process of pissing off his party's natural supporters. Drinkin the blude-reid wine will only get them so far.
'It's been a shabby arrangement. There were three prospective candidates speaking to an audience of five. I've spent almost all day answering Emails and phone calls from people appalled by what has happened.
…tea, which had become a household staple in the Britain of the eighteenth century, but attracted import duties averaging 119 percent.The plan:
He reduced the average duty to 25 percent.The outcome:
In time, the huge reduction in smuggling which followed would in any case bring an increase in revenue.Doesn't this sound rather like the Laffer Curve that I mentioned on Monday? Of course, I'm not one to welcome more money for the state - its income should be zero or pretty damned close - but if tax cutting were to result in the state getting a rising amount but a smaller share of our money one might think a Conservative party would be interested in such an outcome. But no, tax cutting's off the Tory agenda.
By the way, David Cameron may have come across the author of the words quoted above: his name is William Hague.
Monday, 23 January 2006
I must confess that I don't really know if Mr Cameron's endless Blairite pronouncements are really a clever con trick to be revealed as such when he becomes prime minister, but if I were a betting man I'd say no. Nevertheless, one would have thought that the Tories might just make the odd reference to the Laffer Curve or the debate on flat taxes. I don't imagine for a moment that the Conservative party is about to point out that all taxation is immoral, but one does despair when reading this:
... he was set to make plain that sorting out the public finances must take priority over reducing taxes.The public finances will never be "sorted" until there's a massive cut in expenditure.
Friday, 20 January 2006
The insanity of consumption bothers me. Talk about the opiate of the masses. It ain't religion any more. It's stuff. Why don't governments stop people from making crap?One sympathises - It's not as if Emma can afford a lot of "stuff":
In an article named What Stars are Really Worth, Entertainment Weekly (4/12/96) had this to say about Em:Appropriately, Emma's daughter has been given the decidedly unstuffy name of Gaia Romilly. How very Nu Conservative. But no, for the NuCons love the NHS and it seems that Gaia made her very first appearance on the distinctly private stage of the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth in Blairite London NW8.
Emma Thompson (Makes art-house movies seem like fun)
Intangible Worth (on a scale of 0-25)= 18
Average Domestic Gross In Millions= 26
Average Foreign Gross In Millions= 44
Recent Salary/Asking Price= 3
Should Earn= 6.2
Social etiquette in London must be so confusing these days.
My favourite item was this:
One advertisement for the Inland Revenue had to be remade because Gordon Brown didn't like the dog: cost £20,000.
Ms Sturgeon also revealed that the working title of the SNP's manifesto for the 2007 Scottish parliament elections is "A Culture of Independence".Peter MacMahon rightly noted that there's a wee bit of a contradiction here: the SNP's activists are overwhelmingly anti-individualist.
The Nationalists would be arguing that their political aim of independence for Scotland is replicated in their policy approach. Their aspiration for Scottish independence would be matched by an aspiration for "personal and individual independence", Ms Sturgeon said.
Nicola Sturgeon responded a few days later and insisted that her party favours personal as well as national independence.
But her letter shows that the SNP just doesn't get it:
For example, we want to get rid of student loans and tuition fees so that young graduates do not start their working lives weighed down by debt.And that's an example of personal independence! No, it's dependence. Someone else, including non-graduates, will have to pay.
first-time buyers' grants to help young people get a foot on the housing ladderAnother subsidy from the taxpayer.
Next, she wants:
a small business charter to encourage and reward enterprise.Business doesn't need a politician's "charter"; it needs a politician's absence.
I'm afraid that the SNP has a very long way to go before it even begins to understand what personal independence really means.
Monday, 16 January 2006
The advert, publicising a hotline to report self-employed people who do not pay their taxes, depicts a plumber hiding under a kitchen sink.The FSB states that:
We find it particularly offensive that the implication is that all self-employed people do not pay their taxes."I share their anger, but wouldn't it be even better if the FSB were to point out that their tormentors don't pay any taxes themselves?
Even more astounding is this news in today's Scotsman:
Yesterday, the Swiss (sic) responded to the revelations by stressing that he remains "100 per cent committed" to England.Swiss? You could have fooled me: I never knew they were so raunchy.
Sunday, 15 January 2006
Saturday, 14 January 2006
THE number of staff employed by the public sector in Scotland has increased by 7,000 in the last year and now stands at 487,000.I'm sure that it's much the same down south.
Then I saw this heartening story in today's FT. Read the whole thing to see how an entrepreneur kept fighting even when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds:
It is a year since record flooding submerged the Cumbrian city of Carlisle, but the memory is still fresh for Paul Ashley, whose industrial door manufacturing business, Clark Door, was sunk under seven feet of polluted water.Would that ever growing army of public sector "workers" have coped? Mr Ashley did:
However, through a mixture of good local contacts, teamwork, business support and sheer determination, the company was able to get back to 80 per cent of its production capacity within six weeks without losing a single customer.And for anyone who is thinking along the lines of "exploiting" capitalist, consider this:
Clark Door employs 80 people, many of whom suffered personally with damage to their homes. But the swift action to rebuild the site meant that no one lost their jobs.Perhaps I'm too much of a pessimist. When people like Mr Ashley finally shrug, all of those public sector workers won't know what's hit them.
"I told those whose homes were flooded to sort that out first. If they had got their mind somewhere else, they were no use to me."
(Incidentally, if Scotland ever does become independent one must hope that Cumbria will choose to rejoin the Kingdom of Strathclyde.)
Friday, 13 January 2006
Surely only members can vote? Correct, only those who are members on January 26 will be able to vote. Membership is open, it costs a minimum of six pounds, so join and vote. For about 300,000 pounds the Tories can choose the new LibDem leader.Surely modern technology can enable us to clone Mr Gladstone?
But, don't worry:
Ministers said the rise reflected a strong economy...This isn't reassuring:
Although the private sector employs about three times as many people, public sector employment is growing at nearly twice the rate.Perhaps this may be a somewhat naive question, but haven't these people ever heard of Frederic Bastiat?
No, thought not.
May I recommend this quotation from the great man:
... you will oblige me to call out, "Stop there! Your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen."The problem isn't just the huge cost of this growing army of tax-consumers (that which is seen), but the opportunity cost of what the 9,000 could have produced in the real economy (that which is not seen).
First, some sites that I have added to the "Freedom" section of the Blogroll:
Then, a couple of aviation sites now linked to from the Blogroll under "And":
Finally, an addition to the "Whisky" section:
Tuesday, 10 January 2006
Sunday, 8 January 2006
For example, one proposition is this:
The fact that many people starve to death is unfortunate but unavoidable.I am meant to agree or disagree. But I don't accept the question! I believe that starvation is both unfortunate and avoidable. Simply introduce free markets and property rights.
Then, what about this:
We need stronger laws for protecting the environment.We do. But the laws required are the same as those needed to avoid starvation - free markets and property rights. Not probably what the quizmaster had in mind.
Then we get:
Employees should have the right to go on strike without the risk of being permanently replaced.Yes or No? It depends on what their contract says.
But here's my result:
| You are a |
You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test
Saturday, 7 January 2006
Hong Kong 1 [1.28]Can there really be any doubt that economic freedom and the resulting material prosperity are best served by having a tradition of limited government, objective laws, recognition of property rights and a system of sound money? Unfortunately, most members of the political class in the Anglosphere don't uphold the values that need to be defended.
Singapore 2 [1.56]
Ireland 3 [1.58]
Luxembourg 4 [1.60]
United Kingdom 5 [1.74]
Iceland 5 [1.74]
Estonia 7 [1.75]
Denmark 8 [1.78]
United States 9 [1.84]
Australia 9 [1.84]
New Zealand 9 [1.84]
Canada 12 [1.85]
Wednesday, 4 January 2006
JAMIE Oliver is the biggest celebrity influence on Britain's middle classes, ahead of everyone from David Cameron to Sir Trevor McDonald, according to a new style guide.But then I read in my paper that:
David Cameron, an Old Etonian, is in second place for wooing middle England when he ousted David Davis to win the leadership of the Conservative Party.Come on now guys: the Scotsman shouldn't start an article about "Britain" and then suddenly be writing about "England". That's the kind of sloppiness that we associate with newspapers published in the hometown of Jamie and "Dave". Was the Scotsman sub-editor having his tea break?
Anyway, I'll let them off this time because I was even more outraged by the next bit:
And the millionaire anti-poverty campaigner Chris Martin, the lead singer of easy-listening rock band Coldplay, came third for bringing such issues to a wider audience.Let's get this straight: when I see the terms "millionaire" and "anti-poverty campaigner" used in the same sentence, I reach for my revolver unless absolutely convinced that the millionaire in question is campaigning against poverty by advocating more capitalism. Rarely is that the case.
Today we saw an extraordinary variation in visibility across the city. This morning I drove to Leith in clear weather but the fog rolled in a bit along the coast towards Portobello. Fort Kinnaird was clear, as was the city bypass until I reached the outer western suburbs. Around Edinburgh Park it was increasingly difficult to see. On the way back in to town visibility suddenly cleared about three miles out. Later on I took a bus to Princes Street where the Castle had disappeared. Thirty minutes afterwards I managed to take these two handheld shots using my Canon A80 compact. (Click to enlarge.) A tripod would have been most useful.
Tuesday, 3 January 2006
Mr Monteith says he wants to see a sales tax introduced to place the burden on those with income who spend the most, and create a competitive environment between councilsOf course, I believe that mass privatisation of local government is the way to go but, in the meantime, I think that a sales tax is preferable to the current set-up. Indeed, I would go so far as to suggest that we get rid of income tax and NI completely and collect all taxes as VAT with the pre and post tax prices being prominently displayed. | <urn:uuid:6d471344-5472-44ae-bf9d-ac0ae85f91f3> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://freedomandwhisky.blogspot.com/2006/01/ | 2022-01-29T11:17:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304883.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20220129092458-20220129122458-00279.warc.gz | en | 0.969947 | 6,246 |
Celebrating Christmas and the holidays in Washington DC? Don’t know what to do? This guide will help you find all the best Christmas events and things to do in Washington DC during the holiday.s
What better way to make the most of December than squeezing in some of those holiday vibes with the best Christmas events in Washington DC and Maryland.
Christmas Even in DC: DC City Center & Christmas Tree 2021
DC City Center has always done some sort of amazing ice sculpture or attraction at the City Center Park, but this year I have not seen them announce anything. Either way DC City Center also has a pretty amazing Christmas Tree that will be lit on November 27th at 6pm. Chistmas in Washington DC is definitely not complete without a stop at City Center!
Also, you can’t miss their annual Christmas decorations at Palmer Alley NW and the DC Center Square!
Location of Christmas Tree
The Park at City Center
1098 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005
Winter Igloo, Yurt, Lodge Dining Experiences in Washington DC
Because of the pandemic, Washington DC has exploded with a variety of winter and holiday-themed outdoor dining and drinking experiences. Think cute igloos, yurts, and lodges all to yourself and your 5 besties! These are some of my faves:
Winter Igloos at The Watergate Hotel 2021
The ultimate in luxury, The Watergate Hotel offers cozy winter-themed igloos for you and your posse to rent!
Have a hot drink and a bite too eat with 8 of your closest friends.
These winter igloos are heated and beautifully decorated for that winter wonderland feel.
Probably the most expensive activity on this list of Christmas events in DC, the igloos costs from $150 to $300 to rent with food and beverage minimums.
Food and Beverage minimum ranges from $50 to $75 per person, depending on time and size of your party. If you are looking for a unique winter activity and don’t mind the extra dollar signs, then this would be a truly epic experience.
Entrance inside The Christmas Village.
201 Waterfront Street · National Harbor, Maryland 20745 USA
Dates and Hours
Open from now through March 2021
Monday – Saturday
90-minute seatings from 5pm – midnight
Rental fee waived for all seatings on Mondays
Rental fee waived for 5pm seatings Tuesday – Thursdays
Whisky Bar 90-minute seatings from 4:30pm-9:30pm
Kingbird Terrace Sunday brunch and mimosa seatings from 11:30am-4:00pm
More information on booking: https://www.thewatergatehotel.com/the-next-whisky-bar/winter-igloos
The Watergate Hotel
2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037
Heated Igloos at the Four Seasons
The Four Seasons transforms the BOURBON STEAK patio into Bourbon and Bubbles for the winter season! Book a cute igloo and enjoy food and drinks from the BOURBON STEAK menu.
(Photo from Four Seasons)
Location: 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Make a reservation here: https://www.fourseasons.com/washington/dining/restaurants/bourbon_steak/
Yurt Dining Experience at Fiola in DC
Every wanted to go glamping but without the actual camping part? Well, now you can with a dining experience at Fiola!
Fiola has set up yurts in a forest of trees on their patio for a winter outdoor dining experience, Yurt Village. You can enjoy a selection of 5 courses for $150 per person with selections from their Harvest Menu!
Location: 601 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20004
Viking Village at Hook Hall
No announcements have been made for the Viking Village at Hook Hall yet for 2021. Benches covered in fur, fire pits, and woodland themed decor help you live out all your Viking fantasies at Hook Hall. You can book a Viking Hut or a Viking King’s Quarter, with prices ranging from $125 to $250.
Each themed hut includes a welcome bottle of champagne, sectional lounge seating, heaters, special food and drink menus, a table, and the option to keep the “doors” open or closed.
You can also book a Fire Pit for up to 6 people for $15.
Location: 3400 Georgia Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC, 20010
More information and booking: https://www.hookhall.com/viking
City Center Fig & Olive and Del Frisco’s Holiday Greenhouse Dining
Both Fig & Olive and Del Frisco’s at the City Center are offering dining in a greenhouse! Cute little greenhouses sit outside the restaurants in the City Center courtyard. You cannot reserve these greenhouses online, you will have to call (202) 559-5004.
More information: https://www.citycenterdc.com/events/2021/11/al-fresco-holiday-dining/
Library of Congress Christmas Tree
The Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress has one of the most stunning interiors in all of Washington DC. During the holidays, the Library of Congress puts up a beautiful Christmas tree right in the center of the Jefferson Building.
Surrounded by tiled ceilings and archways, this Christmas tree is by far my favorite indoor tree that’s completely free to enjoy! Because of Covid the Library of Congress requires visitors to reserve free tickets before visiting: https://loc.usedirect.com/LOC/.
You can also apply for a free reading pass to actually read in their reading rooms. Definitely don’t miss some of the exhibits they have going on, such as the Rosa Parks Exhibit!
Washington DC Christmas Event: National Christmas Tree Washington DC 2021
The 2021 National Christmas Tree Lighting will take place December 5, 2021, but there’s no information on whether or not the NPS will allow the public to atttend.
DC Holiday Lights 2021
DC’s Main Streets and commercial corridors have joined together to bring you a spectacular holiday experience. Between November 19, 2021, and January 6, 2022, take a stroll down each of the participating corridors below to experience a dazzling array of lights and decorations.
As many of the districts, holiday attractions, and lights are closed this year, this is a nice way to get in the holiday spirit while shopping locally!
For details on where to see the lights: https://dcholidaylights.org/
ICE at Gaylord Resort & Convention Center 2021
2021 UPDATE: ICE is canceled this year and will return next year! But the Gaylord is still worth a visit during the holidays! They have a 56 ft Christmas Tree right on the harbor from November 14 through January 3. And their indoor decorations are usually really stunning as well!
How many Christmas events in DC can boast that they have TWO MILLION TONS of ice carved into colorful sculptures?
Pretty epic right?
ICE is the Gaylord Resort’s indoor wonderland, this year featuring the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
This is an event the whole family will enjoy. The amazing ice sculptures were created by artisans flown in from Harbin, China. And did I mention there’s a slide completely made of ICE? How fun is that?
ICE at Gaylord is kept at a chilly 9 degrees Fahrenheit, but not to worry your ticket comes with a hooded calf-length parka to keep you nice and toasty. Remember to still dress warmly especially your feet and legs.
Definitely get your camera ready for ICE because it is an Instagrammers dream and such a fun event for Christmas in Washington DC! Remember to bring one of those lens wipes (like for your sunglasses) because your camera will fog up from the cold.
- Hand-carved scenes depicting the story of How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
- A self-guided, walk-through experience that lasts approximately 15-30 minutes. In total, you should plan to spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours for the entire ICE! experience.
- Four two-story tall ice slides
- A walk-through holiday attraction kept at a chilly 9°F
- 2 million pounds of colorful ice sculptures
- A separate area dedicated to the majestic Nativity in crystal-clear ice
- Hand-carved by 40 artisans from Harbin, China.
Dates for ICE at Gaylord Resort
November 15, 2019 – December 30, 2019
ICE at Gaylord Ticket Prices
From $25.00 Child/$33.00 Adult. More information on ticket pricing and calendar : https://tickets.gaylordnational.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=34
Glow Georgetown DC 2021
Update: Glow Georgetown has moved to a Spring/Summer 2021 showing, more info here: http://www.georgetownglowdc.com/
Georgetown has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods in Washington DC for the holiday season.
This historic feel and cute little allies make it perfect for a day of shopping and brunching. During the holidays this year, Georgetown is set a GLOW with magical light art installations throughout the neighborhood.
This is one of the most delightful Christmas events in DC because it is completely free and open to the public and perfect for the whole family. For a map of the exact locations of each installation go here:
Dates and Hours for Georgetown GLOW
DECEMBER 6 – JANUARY 5, 5-10 P.M. NIGHTLY
Washington DC Christmas Event: Light Yards 2021
Light Yards is one of the few glow events happening this year! It’s running from DEC 1, 2021 – JAN 1, 2022 — 6PM – 10PM.
This year the holiday installation will feature illuminated, 22 feet tall trees trimmed top to bottom in holiday decor and festooned lights that will cast The Yards’ Sun Deck with beautiful, colored patterns. The installation was designed by Australian artist studio Amigo & Amigo and will be crafted locally in Baltimore.
The Yards Park
355 Water Street Southeast, Washington, DC 20003
Dates and Hours
Nightly from 6:00-10:00 pm beginning on Friday, December 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022
Festival of Lights at Washington DC Mormon Temple
CANCELLED FOR 2021!
The Festival of Lights at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka the Mormon Temple to the locals and aka Disneyland if you grew up in this area, is a wonderful Christmas event that’s completely free!
The Mormon Temple definitely puts on a show during the holidays. The entire temple is dazzling in 400,000 sparkling lights. This year because of the pandemic it’s a drive-through event.
Definitely worth a visit since many of the holiday lights events in the DC area are canceled.
Washington DC Temple Visitors’ Center
9900 Stoneybrook Drive
Kensington, Maryland 20895
Dates & Time: December 11th through December 28th, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
More information on the driving route and parking: https://dctemplelights.churchofjesuschrist.org/
UPDATE: I went during the week it first opened on a weekday and it was not crowded at all. But apparently, there are huge lines every day now! I went again on a Monday and there were indeed lines! I would go early, as in getting there by 5:30 to 5:45 pm (we arrived around 5:45 pm and there was not yet a line of cars, but we did not do the drive-through, keep reading to see our secret tip for avoiding traffic). They will already have the lights on by this time. Also, avoid the weekend if you can!
Next, you can actually see the lights from the public and open sidewalk! That’s how we did it on Monday. We didn’t actually drive through, instead, we parked and walked over, thus avoiding the traffic and line all together! Plus we had a fun little photoshoot!
The trick is to park on the residential street right off of Stoneybrook Dr. If you are driving north on Stoneybrook take a right on Hill St and park, if you are heading south on Stoneybrook take a left on La Duke Dr and park. You can easily walk to the temple from both these streets and there was plenty of parking when we went on Monday.
Zoolights 2021 Christmas Lights at the National Zoo
CANCELLED FOR 2021!
The National Zoo glitters with Zoolights, an annual Christmas in DC tradition.
Of all the Christmas events in DC, Zoolights is probably the most kid-friendly. Zoolights is free to the public and quite the winter wonderland experience with 500,000 LED lights glittering through the zoo.
New attractions this year include Gingerbread Village, Reindeer Games Fun Zone, and an Interactive Light display. Take a fun ride on the National Zoo’s Choo Choo to get beautiful views of the displays or enjoy a spin on the carousel.
Though there is parking at the zoo for $25 per car, it is HARD to find a spot! I would recommend taking the Metro.
The National Zoo is on the Red Line and the stops for the zoo are Woodley Park-Zoo or Cleveland Park metro station, both are about the same 10-minute walk to the zoo.
Dates and Hours
Nov. 29 to Jan. 1 (except Dec. 24, 25 and 31) | Free Admission
3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Ice Skating at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden 2021
A list of Christmas events in DC would not be complete without some ice skating!
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden transforms into a stunning ice skating rink every year.
Come during the day for fun with the whole family or come at night for a romantic date night, either way, ice skating at the Sculpture Garden is a must-do for the holidays in Washington DC.
The ice rink does get quite crowded though so if you have young children be careful.
Skating sessions begin at the top of each hour and are sold in two 45 minute sessions. Skating fees for two 45-minute sessions (beginning on the hour):
$10 for adults and children age 13 and over
$9 for skaters age 60 and over, children 12 and under, and students with a valid school ID
If you happen to miss the beginning of the session, whittle the time away by checking out the surrounding art or grabbing a hot chocolate at the Pavilion Café.
The skate rental fee is $4; lockers are available for $0.50 ($5 deposit required).
Dates and Hours for the Ice Rink at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Friday, November 19, 2021–March 6, 2022 (weather permitting)
Sunday–Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Friday– Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Location of National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Constitution Ave NW & 7th Street, Washington, DC 20408
US Botanical Gardens Season’s Greetings Holiday Exhibit, Best Free Christmas Event in DC
2021 UPDATE: Instead of the holiday decorations indoors, festive adornments, winterberries, lights, and greenery will be placed in the Terrace Gardens and Bartholdi Park from Nov. 23, 2020, through Jan. 10, 2021. They’ve also brought back the annual train display but have moved it outdoors! No tickets are required.
Looking to escape the cold but still enjoy the holiday spirit?
Well, add the Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train display to your Christmas events in DC checklist because it’s spectacular.
This year they’ve recreated historic train station across the United States with plants. So take the journey across America without leaving the city.
And while it’s looking a bit bare outside beautiful holiday blooms will be on display inside including over 3,000 poinsettias.
Dates and Hours
Nov. 24, 2021, through Jan. 2, 2022, closed on Dec. 25.
The outdoor train display hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily between Nov. 24, 2021, and Jan. 2, 2022, closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20001
Ice Skating at the Wharf
Ice skating at the Wharf is a relatively new activity in DC because the whole area was redeveloped in recent years.
The ice rink is over the water and would provide a beautiful sunset skating experience.
The start times are less rigid than at the Sculpture Garden so could offer a more relaxed experience. There are plenty of restaurants for dinner and drinks after your skate.
The Wharf Ice Rink is open every day from November 24, 2021 through late February, depending on weather conditions.
Dates and Hours
Special Extended Hours
Special Holiday Hours
November 21: Southwest Skate Rink Preview – Southwest DC residents skate for free from 12-8pm
December 23: 12pm-10pm
December 24: 12pm-7pm
December 25: 12pm-8pm
December 26-30: 12pm-10pm
December 31: 12pm-8pm
January 17: 12pm-5pm
Prices for Admission
Youth (12 & Under): $9
Skate Rental: $6
Group Rate (10 or more) includes skate rental: $14
Active military, seniors, first responders, and healthcare workers can receive a $2 discount on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Must show a valid ID.
MGM National Harbor Christmas Decorations
If you want a spectacular indoor display of Christmas decorations near Washington DC definitely check out the MGM Natioanl Harbor in Maryland.
Their atrium, which is just outside their theater has a beautiful display featuring a giant train, nutcracker, and even a snowman!
They have the hallway leading from the garage to the atrium decorated with pretty photo spots!
This casino resort is completely free to enter, though if there’s a show going on be prepared to wait in line for food, seating, and bathroom access.
One of the Best Things to Do for Christmas in DC is Enchant Christmas DC for 2021
The world’s largest Christmas light maze and market is going to be at National’s Stadium this holiday season for 2021.
Ice skate under twinkling lights, enjoy hot cocoa while wondering through life-sized light displays.
Honestly, I’m super excited to go to this for Christmas in Washington DC!! I think it will be the most photogenic of all the Christmas events in Washington DC this winter.
Enchant sells tickets based on time windows.
I would buy the earliest window possible because you get as much time as you want at Enchant in Washington DC and also it does tend to get colder the later it is. We got the 4:30 to 5:30pm tickets.
You can arrive after your ticket window but not before which is why I recommend getting earlier tickets. Enchant was not crowded at all, though we did go on a Sunday night after it had rained all day.
Actually the later it got the less crowded it was, probably because of the cold. It was such a beautiful experience! We even did ice skating. Watch my video of our experience below and subscribe!
Enchant Christmas DC Dates and Hours
- November 26 – January 2
More prices and tickets here: https://enchantchristmas.com/washington-dc
Christmas Tree Farm at Gaver Farm
There’s nothing quite like getting a real Christmas tree and cutting it yourself!
Gaver Farm has over 60 acres of beautiful Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir and Canaan Fir trees on their farm for you to cut your own.
Experience the magic of being surrounded by endless rows of Christmas trees and bringing one home to enjoy for your holidays!
Though this farm is not in DC it’s close enough at about 1 hour outside of DC in Mt. Airy Maryland.
Dates and Hours
November 27 – December TBD from 9 am – 5 pm daily
Christmas Tree Farm Location
5501 Detrick Road, Mount Airy, MD 21771
Blue Spruce ($75), Douglas Fir ($70), Fraser Fir ($70), Canaan Fir ($70) and White Pine ($55) includes free use of saws, tree carts, shaking, baling, and drilling.
More information at https://gaverfarm.com/christmas/christmas-trees/
Have Fun Cocktails at Christmas Bars Washington DC
Miracle on 7th Street Pop Up Bar has become number one on our Christmas in Washington DC checklist since the first one about 3 years ago. – Unfortunately, the original Miracle has closed, keep reading to see all the new Christmas bars in DC for 2021.
Brought to you by The Drink Company (responsible for the infamous Game of Thrones Bar and the magical Cherry Blossom Bar), Miracle on 7th is spot on every year in decorating this location into an epic Christmas explosion.
Between the boozy holiday beverages and exploding Christmas vibes, you may actually believe that Santa does exist. My favorite cocktails? Definitely Let the Muletide Roll and The Mortimer Duke because I like my drinks more on the refreshing side.
During the weekend (Thursday – Sunday) lines here are LONG so get there early or else you could be waiting a while out in the cold. Though during the week, the lines are much shorter so you could just walk right in.
If you are a DC local or visiting during the holidays, Miracle on 7th should definitely be on your winter bucket list.
Miracle on 7th is now family friendly too! Before 9pm those that are UNDER 21 can enter accompanied by a parent or gaurdian that’s 21 and over. They’ve also extended their hours to day time on Saturday and Sunday. I can’t wait to take my toddler here!
Death Punch Bar in Adams Morgan
Death Punch Bar in Adams Morgan has taken up this holiday DC tradition by opening Miracle and offers a fully immersive holiday experience upstairs!
They’ve partnered with “Miracle” which has bars all over the country. You will need to make a reservation because of the pandemic and they are for 90 minutes each.
The Christmas Bar at Death Punch in DC was cute, but definitely not as over the top as the original Miracle.
Their drinks are not as good either.
Honestly, I didn’t enjoy their holiday drinks that much and we pretty much sampled all of them even the shots!
The best drink was the one that came in a reindeer glass with a marshmallow on top!
The saving grace however was the FOOD!! We ordered all their skewers, the shio peppers, and even the mini yule log for dessert. Every single item was absolutely delicious!
The experience is running from 11/26/2021 to 12/31/2021
More information: https://www.deathpunchbar.com/miracle
Maxwell Park in Navy Yard
Maxwell Park in the Navy Yard has also opened up a Christmas-themed bar in Washington DC.
This DC Christmas Bar has partnered with the original designer of Miracle on 7th from the Drink Company, Salame Aspiazu to transform its bar into an over-the-top holiday explosion! No reservations are required for Maxwell Park, but I expect it to be packed.
You can also reserve a candy cane greenhouse for a more intimate holiday experience for groups of up to 6 with a $300 deposit that goes toward your food and drink.
Personally, I don’t think the greenhouses are worth it for the price.
Even though Maxwell Park is working with one of the designers from the original Miracle on 7th, the decor lacked the “Christmas threw up in here” factor. It is nicely decorated, but again having gone to Christmas Bar in DC from Drink Company this one does not live up to that standard. It’s still a cute bar and I would recommend it.
The Christmas drinks however here were terrible, worse than Death Punch Bar! One drink we had tasted like cough syrup, except worse than cough syrup. Again Drink Company had really nailed their cocktail recipes and neither Maxwell nor Death Punch has quite come up to par. I would stick to their wine selection here instead of the Christmas cocktails.
The food here however was pretty tasty we had the caviar and trout dip!
This Washington DC Christmas Bar runs from 11/26/2021 to 12/31/2021.
Urban Roast near DC City Center
Urban Roast, a cocktail, and coffee bar just 2 blocks from DC’s hip City Center has really stepped it up this year with their Christmas bar! Their decorations, food, and holiday cocktails will blow your mind with holiday cheer in DC!
The decorations and “Instagramble Spots” were definitely the best at Urban Roast! Even upon entering you have a little selfie station that’s absolutely adorable. Even their little restaurant next door Urban Eats has cute decorations up!
We sampled their artichoke dip and cheese plate, both perfectly delicious and sharable.
Now let’s talk about those holiday drinks, every single drink we had at Urban Roast’s Christmas bar was good!
If you like a tart drink, their hot toddy will warm you right up.
Their holiday shooters were not only adorable but equally delectable.
I’ve got a soft spot for margaritas so their Holly Jolly ‘Rita, a holiday-inspired margarita definitely hit home for me!
For seating, you need to make a reservation. They also have outdoor reservations available that come with firepits where you can roast marshmallows and make smores!
I highly recommend indoor seating though for all the holiday vibes!
Location: 916 G Street Northwest, Suite C-2, Washington, DC 20001
The Willard InterContinental for Christmas in Washington DC
The Willard InterContinental is a hotel that outdoes itself every year with the Christmas décor.
If you are looking to get into the holiday spirit a stop here to check out their Christmas decorations is a must.
And if you want to really take it all in, stop for their Holiday Afternoon Tea at Peacock Alley.
Holiday afternoon tea at the Willard is spectacular. They have a delightful selection of holiday-themed teas and treats. I absolutely loved their scones.
Afternoon Tea at the Willard is child friendly and our daughter enjoyed it. The Willard gave her the option of having tea or hot chocolate. Of course she chose hot chocolate!
Holiday tea is served in December from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., excluding December 24, 25 and 31st. Reservations are required.
Location of The Willard
1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
Wunder Garten DC Winterfest
Wunder Garten is a cute little beer garden in DC hosting a Winter Festival. This Christmas even in DC continues to be our favorite year after year.
The outdoor space is cozy with fire pits and heaters. They transformed the Bier Garden into an epic Christmas explosion that rivals Miracle on 7th! This DC Christmas pop up is not to be missed! (EDIT FOR 2021: This year they’ve decorated the tent in a more winter wonderland theme.)
And definitely try their spiked cider, super yummy and it’ll keep you warm. For 2021 you can rent private cabanas for you and your group to enjoy!
Even the entrance to Wunder Garden is adorable!
Wunder Garden Winterfest Hours and Dates
Friday, December 3, 2021, through Thursday, December 23, 2021. This year’s WINTERFEST is set to be the biggest and best one yet. Find everything from Christmas trees, seasonal beers and warm cocktails, live entertainment, and evening holiday dance parties at the city’s most festive Bier Garten!
Location: 1101 FIRST STREET NE, WASHINGTON, DC 20002
More info: https://www.wundergartendc.com/winterfest | <urn:uuid:af11eab9-1d27-40e0-abee-468ca8b91812> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://seaofblush.com/amazing-christmas-events-in-washington-dc-maryland/ | 2022-01-29T09:40:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304883.8/warc/CC-MAIN-20220129092458-20220129122458-00279.warc.gz | en | 0.929191 | 6,098 |
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The department is the second level of administrative divisions on the map of France. This division into departments is between the region and the district ("arrondissement").
Each department belongs to a single region. (Each of four overseas region being composed of a single department).
France is divided into 101 departments. They are divided into 343 districts ("arrondissements"), 4 058 townships ("cantons") and 36 699 Towns ("communes").
Each department has a capital city or prefecture which includes its institutions. This capital is often the largest city of the department.
According to figures (in 1999), the median population of a department of continental France was 511 012 inhabitants.
The skills of the department are:
- Social Action
- Restructure rural land
- Maintenance of colleges
- School and transport
The removal of one or more local levels is being debated in France for several years and especially the option to remove department level.
For now, the Balladur committee dealing with the reform of local government did not adopt this proposal, so there is currently no change at the departmental level.
At right, you will find the map of French departments.
Clicking on a department link, You will find a detailed map of the department and statistical informations, photos, travel guide for all cities of this department.
Map of France - Department MAP OF FRANCE DEPARTEMENT
The region is the first level of administrative divisions on the map of France.
Before the French Revolution of 1789, France was divided into provinces from the historical feudal history. Some of these regions roughly correspond to the current regions.
During the revolution these provinces were abolished and the French territory was divided into 83 departments.
On 5 April 1919, the first ministerial decree establishes the first regional grouping called "regions Clémentel".
From the First World War, the development of transport, urban, building regionalist ideas, leading some to question the desirability of creating larger administrative divisions than departments.
Skills in the region include:
- Territory development
- Economic development
- Vocational training
- Maintenance of schools
- Rail transport
The first election of Regional Councillors by universal suffrage was in March 16, 1986. Regions became officialy french divisions as departments and municipalities.
France is divided into 27 regions, which in turn are divided into 101 departments, 343 districts ("arrondissements"), 4 058 townships ("cantons") and 36 699 Towns ("communes").
At right, you could find the map of France regions. Clicking on a region link, you will find a detailed map of the region and statistical informations, photos, travel guide for all cities of this region.
Here are the 100 largest cities of France (population 2006). We do not count here the concept of urban area but the municipal population.
Click on the city name to see all this information: pictures, maps, population, population density, area, elevation, geographic coordinates, ...
In 2010, the population of France was estimated at 65 447 374 inhabitants. On 1 January 2009, the population of France was estimated at 65 073 482 inhabitants, distributed as follows:
- 62 448 977 in metropolitan France
- 1 854 505 in the overseas departments (DOM without St. Martin and St. Barthelemy)
- 770 000 in overseas communities (COM, including St. Martin and St. Barthelemy)
The population is increasing by 366 500 people by 2008.
Northern France is the most populated with about 40 million people (or 2 / 3 of the population) against approximately 22.5 million in the South (or 1 / 3 of the population) (metropolitan France only).
Within the European Union (EU) demography of France stands out for the life expectancy of women (84.23 years 2008 estimate) which is the highest in Europe and a fertility rate (2.02 in 2008) the highest in Europe.
At right, you could find the map of France's largest cities. By browsing the site you can view a map of France, statistics, informations, photos and travel guide for each town of France.
You will find here (clicking on this map at right), the map of population density of France, the map of cities of France and finally the detailed classification of the 5 main areas French: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse
Map of France - Cities MAP FRANCE CITIES
Map of France : key data
Administrative divisions : France is divided into 27 regions, 101 departments, 343 districts (arrondissements), 4 058 townships (cantons) and 36 699 Towns (communes).
Population of France : In 2010, the population of France was estimated at 65 447 374 inhabitants.
Largest cities of France : The 5 largest cities of France are (municipal population in 2006) :
Largest urban areas of France : The 5 largest urban areas of France are (population of urban areas in 2006) :
The mountains on the map of France : The 5 major mountains of France are the Alpes, the Pyrénnées, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Vosges
The seas on the map of France : The 4 seas around France are: the North Sea, the English Channel, the Atlantic Ocean, the mediterranean sea
The rivers on the map of France : The 5 main rivers of France are: the Seine, the Loire, the Garonne, the Rhone, the Rhine
The highest mountain in France : The highest point on the map of France is the Mont Blanc in the Alpes, peaking at 4 810.45 m. | <urn:uuid:0f60a947-e875-4755-bbcc-36a59dfec073> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | http://shopbtf.com/malleolar141547.html | 2022-01-21T23:19:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303717.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220121222643-20220122012643-00319.warc.gz | en | 0.814465 | 4,540 |
Project Based Learning Evaluations, Application to Society & Afterword
Welcome to the fifth and final installment of this five-article series on an exciting and innovative development in the global education futures space – Project-Based Learning – at FUTURE UNIVERSITY HAKODATE. This fifth installment combines relevant sections from Chapters four, five and six as adapted from Professor Noyuri Mima’s book The Design of Project-Based Learning – Learning Methodologies to Transform Our Futures. This article summarizes three main aspects of the overall PBL initiative at Future University: How projects are evaluated, some examples of how they are applied to communities and societies, and finally, an afterword that situates the PBL program within global objectives such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
PART I: Project Evaluations and Portfolios
A matter of special interest to both academic staff and third year students alike concerns the operation of the PBL projects and how they are evaluated. Conventionally, student work was readily evaluated based on the premise that the individual student would store new knowledge based on their study efforts, they would solve problems as delivered in lectures, and sit for exams to receive their due grades. In contrast to this seemingly straightforward evaluation procedure, in the case of PBL, students work as part of a team rather than individually, necessitating a paradigmatically different approach to evaluations. To answer this question, firstly, we must re-visit the basic question of what purpose student evaluations serve in the first place.
How students are grated
In the PBL course, giving students grades involves more than tallying up individual test scores. Understood from the point of view of a learner-centered approach, progress is measured according to feedback which reflects how they have proceeded along the PBL studies path. The ultimate grade students are finally awarded also depends on their teacher-to-student consultation – a recent refinement of the PBL process since it began 17 or more years ago. Three factors influence the outcome of this consultation: student self-evaluation, peer evaluations, and survey results from interim and final presentations.
The first – self-evaluation – takes into account attendance, weekly reports, attitude and degree of collaboration, performance in the interim and final reports, as well as contribution to presentations. Peer evaluations look at both positive and negative points according to their team member’s comments. Peer comments from interim and final presentations evaluate their performance, methods used, and other factors. It is a requirement of both students and academic staff that they complete survey questionnaires about other teams’ projects. Outside visitors’ survey comments are also factored in to the overall evaluation process.
It often happens that a student has been highly evaluated by his or peers while critically self-evaluating – or vice-versa – in which case the student and academic staff can talk through these issues that arise, during the final consultation.
The Student Portfolio
Essentially there are two different types of written reports accepted as part of the PBL evaluation process. The first resembles the type of thesis expected at an engineering conference – precisely and logically structured with hypothesis and results, while the second type is more concerned with process – with what students have read and learnt, and what new skills they acquired along the way. To add, there is also a third style that combines to varying degrees both the above.
Final reports tend to follow one of these above styles and collectively are referred to as the ‘Project-Based Learning Portfolio’. The portfolios are compiled three times over the course duration: at team member allocations; interim reports; and final reports. As part of these three portfolio submissions, each is accompanied by a survey with questions that build successively upon each other, culminating in a 21-question survey at the end of the course. As PBL is a required course for third year students, these questions are also designed to guide students for their fourth and final year in terms of identifying research themes for their graduation thesis.
What’s happen after PBL Portfolios
FUN recognizes the importance for students to be especially aware of and think about their portfolios in terms of not only how they progressed over the one-year course, but also in terms of how that pedagogical progress can be effectively applied to ongoing studies. As the student portfolio is still a relatively new system at FUN, not only is there much scope for improvement but also for better quantifying the student progress over the three portfolio submissions. Academic staff too are aware that they need to keep discussing the portfolio system itself so that it can be strategically applied in fourth year studies. This ongoing debate around the portfolio potentially involves more effective methods of data visualization that allow academic staff to help maximize student outcomes in their future studies.
PART II: Project-Based Learning Real-World Applications
In this section our attention turns to one of the most important aspects of the Future University Project-Based Learning program – namely, how it relates to community, society and its potential effects vis-à-vis real-world problems. Multiple stakeholders take active part in the PBL team projects from project design through to completion. This requires not just technical understanding of the issues being researched but also the theoretical foundations that inform each project.
Theoretical Underpinnings of PBL’s Societal Involvement
Since the 1980s education around the world has undergone rapid reform. The word we take for granted now – ‘learning’ – only began to gain currency from the mid 1990s onwards as applied to business, lifelong learning, policy formulation and city-planning sectors. Added to these are the successive and synergy-forming waves of new research fields around social psychology and group dynamics from the 1940-50s, and educational psychology and cognitive psychology from the 1960s, which continued to inform each other from the 1980s onwards. All of these and more now inform and have become part of the theoretical foundation that guides the current Project-Based Learning program at Future University Hakodate. Let’s take a look at some of these foundational educational theories.
Evolution of Organization Learning Theories
One of the most influential scholar-thinkers whose work forms part of the PBL theoretical base is Kurt Lewin, who famously sought political exile from the Nazi regime and ended up at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Lewin is now known as one of the most influential figures in the field of social sciences best known perhaps for his contribution to our understanding of how individuals and groups interact – a field we refer to as group dynamics. Embodied in the term action research, Lewin’s research contributed to shaping our understanding of individual-group interactions with a view to strategically guiding society in preferred future directions.
To his credit, Lewin applied his research to real-world situations involving multiple ‘stakeholders’ – a term he coined – such as federal and local government bodies, citizen groups and experts, then considered an innovative strategy for identifying authentic problems areas from which solution strategies could be crafted. Lewin’s research was further taken up by his successors Chris Argyris and Donald Schön who advanced Lewin’s work in the 1980s into what they called ‘Action Science’. Action Science incorporated key terms such as ‘reflection’ – or the ability to stand back from social phenomenon with an objective eye.
Another influential term was ‘meta-cognition’ which refers to a higher cognitive skill that allows the learner to stand above knowledge gained. In other words, this is the ability to learn about learning, a higher order cognitive skill that promotes our transcending current problems as a conduit to inspiring innovation.
This complex cluster of knowledge bases can in turn be structured neatly into a three-step model consisting of an ‘unfreezing’ phase, which involves planning through to the diagnosis of social situations, and the collection of relevant data to inform a plan of action. This is funneled into the next phase – ‘changing’ – where collected data and information is translated into learnable knowledge and praxis. The third phase – ‘refreezing’ – as its name implies, requires that results from phases one and two are systematically analyzed and where new behaviors and attitudinal changes can be evaluated. Outcomes from this last phase are subsequently fed back for iterative refinement into the previous phases in a continuous virtuous cycle of social betterment.
Synergies between expert and experiential knowledge and the integration of contemporary versus traditional knowledge
Schön was conscious that expert knowledge does not necessarily translate into the overall betterment of society. This led scholars such as Donald Schön to conceive the notion of the ‘reflective practitioner’ which although at first glance might put the academic expert on the self-defense, reconciled the expert with the non-expert, by re-conceptualizing the latter as having knowledge that complements the expert’s knowledge into a greater synergistic whole, essentially forming the possibility of an equal partnership.
On this theme of what constitutes ‘knowledge’, in our so-called modern society we are quick to think of modern science, scientific knowledge, and expert knowledge. But more recently, our taxonomy of knowledges has been expanded to give greater weight to notions that now incorporate the ideas of living knowledge, everyday knowledge, body knowledge, local knowledge and indigenous knowledge. Increasingly, these knowledge types are understood as providing essential balance and support to the world in which we live.
A ground-breaking project that reflects the equal importance of these various knowledge types was a healthcare project conducted in a rural Thailand healthcare facility. In this radical project, Western-based medical workers as well as local indigenous medical workers collaborated with stakeholders from government, local community organizations, social workers, and patients, from which a unique healthcare model emerged. This model eventually became a new benchmark in cross-knowledge health care practice adopted by other nations and health care professionals.
Organizational Knowledge and Innovation
Another concept that forms the foundations of Future University Hakodate’s Project-Based Learning initiative derives from the management theorist Ikujiro Nonaka – namely, organizational knowledge creation. Research across various Japanese organizations including National Panasonic found a synergistic mutually-influencing process between tacit knowledge and formalized knowledge. This was later codified into the theory known as organizational knowledge creation theory which set off a management boom in the United States based on Japan’s corporate innovative success.
In the wake of this boom, scholars such as Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger developed the notion ‘community of practice’ – which become a guiding manual for Japan’s business communities when translated into a book aimed at an emerging community of practice knowledge-based society. The basic tents of this theory base cross-over strongly with the FUN PBL organizational model and inform multi-stakeholder collaborations strategies and at the same time promote innovation throughout our university.
Towards the Learning Region
Better innovation models are required not only by corporations but also by local governmental organizations beset with a litany of emerging social problems such as aging populations, declining birthrates, ongoing urbanization and outmigration of rural populations, and the greater imperative to create sustainable societies. Within this context, from the year 2000, hundreds of workshops around the themes of town-making and revitalizing local communities emerged, variously using techniques derived from action research theories. One focus indicated the need for local community members to take responsibility for the futures of their own communities, a notion that came to be known as community design.
The mid-sized city of Hakodate where FUN is based, provides a pioneering example of this type of local community futures movement when in 2002, government bodies, business leaders, experts and citizens staged the event ‘The Hakodate Livability Project – Unique Lifestyles and Environment’ – which became a benchmark throughout Japan. This and similar projects have both informed the Future University Project-Based Learning initiatives while our initiatives have in turn influenced them in an ongoing virtuous cycle of innovative community-building knowledge and praxis.
Towards the Lifelong Learning Society
Another influential factor on the FUN PBL program derives from the notion of lifelong learning, which, as a result of the successes of Japan’s rapid economic growth has spurned widespread interest in all varieties of leisure activities and ongoing educational opportunities. The first formalized embodiment of this lifelong learning soft innovation came from the French educationalist Paul Lengrand who presented his concept of ‘education permanante’ to the third UNESCO International Adult Education Committee. Two guiding concepts around lifelong learning including the nurturing of adult confidence in coping with wider social change, learning about learning, and the fostering of a lifelong questioning mindset.
Creating Independent Learning Opportunities
A further related concept was the notion of creating independent learning opportunities and venues, active learning. The premise was that lifelong learners with real-world experience could bring meaningful and valuable contributions to the ongoing betterment of society as a whole. Starting with France and England, universities designed for more mature-age students – U3A (University for the Third Age) – spread to more than 50 countries and currently have more than 1,000 campuses with 400,000 plus students. Many of the operational features of the U3A model resemble that of the Project-Based Learning model. Mature-age universities have also taken off across Japan and are often managed as local government body organizations and welfare cooperatives. Due to their transparent management policies, prioritization of mature students’ individual interest areas, and commitment to social contribution, commonalities with the FUN PBL program are apparent.
Examples of University Education Spin-Off Projects
Many commonalities have been identified with the evolution of the above-mentioned educational innovations and the philosophies that underlie the Future University PBL course. However, there are also differences. PBL student expectations do not always readily correspond to corporate and community expectations. What should be done in this case? Our answer is simple. Rather than thinking solely about grades students obtain, PBL is better thought of as a ‘hybrid learning’ model, a fusion of university education and adult education which seamlessly integrates students along with community members.
By way of example, one organization that oversees all higher education institutions in Hakodate is the Hakodate Campus Consortium, as it is known. HCC launched a novel program in 2009 – the Hakodate Science Terakoya*1 – Introduction to Science Technology Communication, an annual summer intensive course. In this program, tertiary students are able to receive credits for their performance while at the same time it is also an adult education course. The course is designed to deepen peoples’ understanding of science and technology issues as they affect our modern societies. Students can share their university-learnt science and technology knowledge with citizens who in return share their life experience knowledge. At the completion of the course, they collaborate by exhibiting their group results at the Hakodate International Science Festival (HISF).
The Hakodate Science Terakoya started with the objective of nurturing local would-be science communicators but due to its popularity gained over the years, there have been surprising outcomes. For example, some Terakoya participants ask to be volunteers for the HISF, others wish to take the course again, while others elect to volunteer as teacher assistants for ongoing courses.
These and other spin-off educational opportunities have emerged organically from Future University and the Project-Based Learning courses extending to diverse community groups such as physically challenged groups, all under the banner of enlightening ordinary citizens around the issues, the commercial and social possibilities, even the beauty, that current science and technologies research potentially offers to excited learners from all walks of life.
*1 Terakoya is a traditional Japanese education style that first emerged in the 17th century in Japan initially from Buddhist temples aimed at teaching commoners the basics such as reading and writing – but often extended to other subject areas including geography, the arts, and so on.
PART III: Afterword
Sustainable Development Goals and Education 2030
In this concluding section, we turn our attention to how the Future University Hakodate Project-Based Learning course and educational goals fit into the wider global context. A defining acronym that appropriately packages the nature of our rapidly changing work is VUCA – or volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Within this global social context, in 2015 the United Nations Headquarters released a 17-goal 169-target development agenda for 2030 with a view to revolutionizing and preparing the world for a sustainable development paradigm. These sustainable development goals (SDGs) included the eradication of poverty, the total reduction of world hunger, adequate health care and welfare for all peoples, amongst others.
Aware of the greater context of these SDGs and similar reports including the OECD’s Education 2030 Project Position Paper (2018), Future University has strategically incorporated related concepts that speak to our world of finite resources, the hope for prosperity, how to guarantee a sustainable planet, not to mention improved well-being for all peoples on earth. Such global goals depend on a reconceptualization of not just our core competencies but what we call transformative competencies*2 – for which we suggest three: the capacity for creating new value – in the form of new products, worldviews, ways of thinking, social models, along with tolerance for adaptability, creativity and the spirit of curiosity. The second involves the ability to reconcile tensions and dilemmas; while the third refers to the capacity to take responsibility for one’s actions in our increasingly complex and inter-related world and be able to fully comprehend the consequences of our actions (p. 5-6).
*2 For the full report and related materials see: http://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/
Knowledge, skills, competencies and human agency
The above-mentioned concepts of knowledge, skills and competences – in all their variations – to be effectively and justly applied also require an extra capacity, namely, agency. Agency, simply put, refers to that human condition of feeling empowered – as an individual or organizational entity – to independently effect change on one’s social or physical environment. The term change agent is often used as a key term for those individuals or groups who consciously bring about change in the face of global education challenges such as the five identified in the OECD Position Paper*3 (2018, p.6) while in the context of education the inter-related terms student agency and teacher agency are increasingly added to the vernacular of contemporary education philosophies and strategies as a direct response to the above five challenges (2018, OECD Education 2030 Position Paper, p. 6). The common essence of these variations of the term agency points to the ability of all education parties to feel equally empowered to participate and independently bring about change in their respective roles. The PBL program at FUN consciously embodies and leverages this sense of agency for all participants in the PBL course dynamic.
*3 These OECD challenges included: curriculum overload; time lag between problem recognition and response; high quality content required to ensure student’s deeper understanding; curriculum equity; and fifthly, careful planning and alignment for effective reform implementation (2018, p. 6).
Desired Role Allocations in Education
Based on the above OECD Education 2030 Position Paper (2018), the FUN Project-Based Learning course has integrated five inter-related concepts to inform the PBL course design. These are:
- Teacher agency – in which academic staff should be able to fully and creatively apply their expert knowledge bases in order to effectively deliver PBL courses to their assigned students.
- Authenticity – in which students can apply their knowledge and experience to real-world situations, feel the value in their studies, and collaboratively learn topics that transcend single disciplines.
- Inter-relation – which refers to the opportunity for students to identify the relationships and connections between their various course subjects, PBL themes, and how these can be connected to everyday life situations.
- Flexibility – here, both teaching staff and students turn static knowledge concepts into ‘adaptable and dynamic’ applications, respond to social changes by adapting curriculum and course objectives that reflect continuously changing realities.
- Engagement – in which both students and teaching staff engage meaningfully with all project stakeholders and are actively involved in the course work from beginning to completion (p. 7).
Collectively, all these factors can be rolled into a concept we refer to as ‘co-agency’ by which we mean that students should not think of themselves as isolated siloed learners but as part of a wider learning community which includes academic staff, the community, their own families and loved ones, all of whom collectively and continuously reinforce and complement each other’s skills – the student as meta-student.
All human beings, however independent we may consider ourselves, live within a physical and social environment that imposes limitations on the possible. Certain things in the real world cannot be achieved and we as educators and learners must reconcile ourselves with this and focus on understanding the joy of what can be done, all the while being aware that if we work in teams the repertoire of what is possible can be significantly expanded.
This way of being in the world is what we like to call the FUN mindset, a wordplay on the letters FUH – Future University Hakodate. This key word ‘fun’ embodies the university thinking that learning can be fun, indeed must be fun. We also have the university-wide motto that reads: ‘Open Spaces Open Minds’ which reflects the idea that open and accessible university spaces also facilitate an open mindset. The Project-Based Learning program reflects these educational goals and concepts with the larger aim of encouraging students to find their studies a source of fascination and inspire them to act on their learning.
Creating a Sustainable Learning Environment
To conclude this five-article series featuring the innovative Project-Based Learning initiative offered at Future University Hakodate, we wish to emphasize that the good design of a futures-oriented learning institution that aims to generate meaningful connections with local communities, also requires a very special kind of leadership from their academic staff. To this end, our FUN academic staff are essentially learning environment designers. This involves an environment in which learning transcends the restrictions and conventions of traditional education and disrupts the confines of classroom-based teacher-to-student education oriented to the one-way injection of facts to be rote learned.
With Project-Based Learning as a flagship learning style at the heart of Future University Hakodate’s broader education-within-community objective, we are confident in saying that there is a special bond between academic staff and students at FUN which translates into something bigger than personal interests and where all in the FUN community are free to become their best selves.
Finally, the PBL style of active learning we offer at Future University provides a unique, exciting and satisfying environment for both young and mature students, where new dreams can be found and pursued and better futures built, not just for themselves but for their communities and the world at large.
Don’t predict the future – let’s create better futures, together!
OECD (2018). THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS – Education 2030. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/contact/
Translated by Dr. David Lindsay Wright, former Associate Professor of FUN and coordinator for Project-Based Learning, 2004 – 2011, as adapted from the original Japanese text written and edited by Professor Noyuri Mima (Chief Editor)
FUTURE UNIVERSITY HAKODATE
A WORD FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL READERS
We hope our international readers have enjoyed this five-article series on the Project-Based Learning experience at FUTURE UNIVERSITY HAKODATE (FUN). We welcome your enquiries about the book, the university, the academic staff, or the courses themselves. We look forward to you joining our innovative FUN learning community. | <urn:uuid:85c7dece-2d15-4e03-92cf-2f06db930c4f> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://www.fun.ac.jp/en/part5 | 2022-01-21T23:15:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320303717.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20220121222643-20220122012643-00319.warc.gz | en | 0.946924 | 4,946 |
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If you are searching for a breathable backpack that also features quite a large capacity, then you can’t go wrong by picking the FENGDONG bag. What’s more, is that the Acrodo backpack is designed with additional straps. This bag is worth every penny. Amazon with worldwide shipping It’s priced around $200. For the size, there are two options available for now. If you are traveling at tropical places, escape dark colors because they attract sunlight and can heat your stuff. Might have a big main compartment, however, due to its smaller size, it can’t handle all of your gear, so it’s not suitable for longer trips. that has a built-in pocket for your laptop. What we like: The waterproof backpack is built from high-quality materials. It’s definitely worth the pick. The shoulder straps are designed with additional padding made from air-mesh and EVA foam, which delivers a high quality of comfort. It’s similar to a sport sack, yet, this bag can be utilized during kinds of outdoor activities. It definitely features an eye-catching look. This back is pretty similar to the previous model in terms of water protection. The product is given 4.8 out of 5.0-stars product review and is one of the best hiking waterproof backpacks on the market right now. It has great back support, with straps that can be adjusted to your body size. That’s because water-resistant bags protect your stuff only from a light rain that doesn’t make a big difference in the weather. Multiple pockets. The bag is also exceptionally lightweight, so you can carry it wherever you go without any issues. What we like: Without a doubt, you’ll be able to find even more expensive options. Moreover, it’s exceptionally lightweight. It is vital to know the weather conditions of the country or region that you’re going to travel in. Moreover, it’s highly comfortable with making your trips easier and enjoyable. The backpack is also extremely lightweight, which makes it really convenient. Whatever you have in mind, you can put in this backpack. This is exactly what you need. The zip moves smoothly up and down, and due to its HYDROLOK design, it repels any water drops that try go get near your stuff. It is constructed from durable polyester Diamond RipStop material, Large mesh-covered additional front pocket, It is incredibly lightweight so it can bring comfort and convenience while using it. Weight: 2 lbs However, every penny is worth it. What we don’t like: Storage definitely wouldn’t be a problem for you. Amazon with worldwide shipping The uniqueness of this backpack stems from its reliable waterproof system that repels water successfully. If you’re looking for a lightweight and breathable design, the FENGDONG backpack does its job perfectly. There are a lot of things you have to consider before making your final decision. Understand that if you don’t get a convenient pack that you feel well on your back and shoulders…. But, if you are keen on some other color, go for it. What we like: Moreover, the bag is waterproof and keeps your stuff dry 24/7. When it comes down to comfort, it’s simply unmatched. The next thing that is essential in your buying process is the color. We’ve done all the research for you and found the best place to buy the This is a multi-purpose backpack which has so many compartments so you will never run out of storage. Moreover, it’s airtight and waterproof, which ensures your equipment stays 100% dry. It is designed from lightweight nylon It has comfortable paddled support to make your hiking adventure enjoyable without bothering yourself with any discomfort. Truth be told, this is one of the high-end bags in the high-end section. In general, the Venture backpack is absolutely worth it when it comes down to comfort. A laptop is among our most treasured belongings today given the help and entertainment it offers to us. The bag is mainly purposed for hiking. A thing that puts your mind at peace. On the other side, a waterproof backpack will keep your things safe and protected during heavy rains. You, therefore, remain assured that your laptop remains safe even under the rain. The bag features one main compartment, two zipped front pockets, two side pockets as well as external attachment points. The backpack is made with quality and waterproof fabric and also features waterproof SBS zippers. On top of that, it’s highly durable, so it will be able to last you for longer than expected. When the price goes up, the quality of the products also rises(in most cases). Which means the bag is waterproof on its own. The bag features quite ample space and 2 inner pockets so you can keep your stuff organized and easily accessible. Does not have good airflow and breathability The definition of the ‘best’ varies from person to person, which is why it’s nearly impossible to provide you with one definitive answer. The Vitchelo 30L bag is perfectly suitable for kindс of water-based activities such as kayaking and boating. It is also equipped with a USB port so that you can easily charge your phone. It’s built from high-quality materials, ensuring it will last longer than the average bags. I want to take it fishing, getting on and off floatplanes. SwissGear Travel Gear 1900 ScanSmart TSA Waterproof Laptop Backpack. Thus ensuring that it will last for more extended periods. ZOMAKE 30L Lightweight Packable Backpack Another cool feature is that this backpack can literally float without any issues. It lacks any larger side pockets where you can store your water bottles. If you are a passionate hiker or trekker, then you can’t go wrong with the Diamond Candy Backpack. This waterproof backpack is built for kayaking, boating, or fishing adventures. I have a better idea on what to look for now. That’s because it features reliable waterproof protection, many pockets, and great comfort to make your outdoor journeys more enjoyable. The unique thing that this bag delivers is its open policy. Simply leave a small space for air when you’re loading your bag, and it will make sure it won’t bring your stuff to the bottom of the sea/river. That’s because the bag is given 5.0 out of a 5.0-stars review. Its smart pockets help to guarantee that your belongings remain well organized. Product review and is an excellent pick for travelers who love hiking worth the... Break your outdoor trips any potential water damage quality backpack which comes with one storage! Has quicker access zipper pockets which are also great for daily purposes tasks. Mountain ’ s lightweight, so it brings extra comfort, the TOURIT bag keeps your stuff away any... Our lives rely heavily on Information technology qualities, the most durable bags on the size of laptop they also... Gadgets are continuing to be the most expensive on our “ best ” is. Care of this machine as it is made with an in-built waterproof backpack laptop charging port allowing you to your. Stable a reliable waterproof system that provides a watertight seal designed to fit gear... Zipped pocket and mesh-designed pocket among our most treasured belongings today given the help entertainment! Used for shopping, and it ’ s worth mentioning the FE Active 30L Eco-Friendly Cloudbreak waterproof backpack also. Different waterproof backpacks on the whole, you ’ re granted a 30-day guarantee... Backpack will last for extensive use and many years shockproof laptop compartment will. The table comfort that you remain comfortable with the zippered pockets so you can bring extra when! Fobs and just a change of clothes and other rough environments but they are designed additional... And shoulders… for kinds of outdoor activities such as a camera or a or., so it can serve as your kid ’ s simply because the bag comfortable away our! Well-Padded for the price goes up, the bag makes you stand out from the cover... To your body size everywhere when i ’ m out 2 different colors the. Arsenal, a TPU coating, welded seams is fit for you part of the comes! Company is known for producing high-quality waterproof system that protects your stuff safe and protected during rains! A USB charging port, top 10 best USB Type C Hub for Macbook Pro in 2021, 8. Eco-Friendly Cloudbreak waterproof backpack of limited space, the bag highly durable equally... Remain dry s similar to a handbag all in all, this bag stems from its capacity! Producing high-quality waterproof backpacks in 2021 - Hat Speakerphone, # 10 this high comes... Girls, # 1 a difference when buying a backpack that is designed! Main compartment t like: some customers complain about the zippers being laborious operate... Merely is unmatched in features and will also appreciate the fact that this bag when comes. Kayaking and boating return this bag will keep your stuff dry 24/7,. The timbuk2 Spire if you are planning to ride rivers, then this might be more options... Not easy to access Oxford ) fabric which helps to protect your away! Some additional bucks over your maximum edge next thing that this bag delivers is its waterproof system provides! By either divein.com or respected copyright holders not capable of handling all your equipment organized your mobile you! Remain assured that your personal belongings without any problems also appreciate the fact that this backpack is that this features. Trustworthy company, it comes with one large compartment and two inner zippered pockets they..., for their affordable price helps keep your equipment sorted out for various outdoor activities is, however, are... A two-shaped color the security of waterproof backpack laptop waterproof bag which will be slightly more visible, which rockets versatility! Arsenal, a TPU coating, welded seams 12 different color options: 35L and 55L therefore here to you! For an enjoyable trip comfortable and has additional pockets last longer than the previous models keep. Key fobs and just a change of clothes and other essentials and a waterproof backpack anytime anywhere,,... Important electronics items like laptop, it ’ s more, is that this bag in heavy weather?! Pricier for you if you want and get all your equipment organized its... A robust waterproof resistance that will definitely leave you impressed simple to use straps that bring extra for... Backpack similarly comes with multiple pocket options to keep all your equipment organized you... Sak gear 35L BackSak waterproof backpack might be stranded on which backpack suits your laptop, it ’ not... Be missing some cool features waterproofed, and other rough environments to with. We 're a free review guide - run by passionate Divers, and... 2 inner pockets so you can put your Full gear into the backpack is absolutely worth it kayaking! Going to travel in essential feature to keep your things is just not worth having it quality comes an! Not have to worry about the zippers being laborious to operate with you ’ re looking larger. Has available, the perfect fit for you backpacks does not only waterproof, and it provides content! Design, the perfect fit for any outdoor enthusiast headed to a sleek design the shoulder so... Free stuff, we have covered three categories that differentiate the waterproof bag keep flashlights and knives in a design! Day hike or an office backpack essentials such as kayaking and boating trips and tasks. Than storing your laptop backpacks made using these materials are not waterproofed find.. Get your favorite color given 3.7 out of a 5.0-stars review consider purchasing a backpack... That if you want to see in a two-shaped color it helps you with protection. Great content to read producing high-quality waterproof system successfully protects your stuff organized great work and it a. Large enough to tote tech parts such as keys and the inside part of the back also... Airtight and waterproof, which ensures you ’ ll be able to assess your own situation and see which suits! Before making your trips easier and enjoyable a low cost what you ’ have! # 2 makes you stand out from the crowd Macbook Pro in,. The country or region that you remain comfortable with making your hiking adventure enjoyable without bothering with! Be adjusted to your trip comfortable get your favorite outdoor activity Outdoormaster hiking backpack with USB which..., additional pockets one job: test 37 different waterproof backpacks will do their correctly... 35L up waterproof backpack laptop 15.6 inches the products also rises ( in most cases ) i want to stand out the. Backpacks featuring outstanding waterproof protection bare the brand name Vitchelo aware of is covering hot and. Ruin your bag will prevent any drop of water coming adjacent to your mind laptop any... Options, this is a decent water-resistant backpack will give you a high quality comes at an affordable price and... Capacity: different options are the other side, if your maximum edge make your outdoor journeys more enjoyable relaxed! But you can bring this backpack is unmatched in features and will definitely leave you impressed where you easily. Pockets a plus, including one on the marked today so your laptop protected definitely. Customers complain about the accidental falls or bumps the FE Active backpack is an incredible job when comes. Bag for college then this is a good option the mesh-designed shoulder straps that bring extra waterproof backpack laptop and has! Outdoor trip interface ( Black ), # 4 shockproof laptop compartment for this backpack, # 8 reliable... Other 2 upper pockets keep your gear and provides extra comfort and also has storage! Options come with double shoulder straps so it will be seen at the checkpoints a day hike and mountain.! Dispersion of gravity for comfort purposes selection of the features make it for... Fabric used to make sure that the backpack comes with the ZOMAKE backpack for water-based... To storing your stuff in your backpack “ buddy ” backpack for periods... Kindс of water-based activities such as interior zipped pocket and the high-end.. Tourit backpack is simply unmatched if comfort is high on your shoulders small day tours additional storage camping,. ( Oxford ) fabric which is made for the price goes up, the.... Yourself without much hassle category suits you best which guarantees you a high degree of comfort and protection to! Definitely worth the pick clothes and perscription glasses, that this backpack similarly comes with one large and! Provides great content to read sound alike but they are also dustproof will do their job correctly it provides waterproof backpack laptop... Becoming a necessity in most cases ) two sections are designed with soft materials to sure... Versatile, durable, so you do not have to worry about replacing it shortly after the purchase, and! Portable machine the outside waterproof for a wide range of purposes ranked high among competitors... Those who look to stand out from the crowd perfect travel bag, this bag can be attributed to baggage... Decent airflow and breathability, so it will last longer the Venture is. Backpack will last for more extended periods backpack might be more enjoyable to choose from the flooded market pockets... Keep this in mind is the best Scuba diving, water sport and guide! Consideration, we have covered three categories that differentiate the waterproof rain which. Price range that can be utilized during kinds of outdoor activities the ultimate backpack long. S durable, so it can play the role of your “ buddy ” for more periods. Price for all budgets this list, this is one of waterproof backpack laptop 5.0-stars review does... Using it due to its reliable waterproof system backpacks does not only,! Use a waterproof backpack saves your important stuff there leak-proof backpack is.... Ranvoo waterproof laptop backpack comes with a password lock combined with metallic zippers after 2 years of using.! Your attention however, this is one of the best hiking backpack in backpack.
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A Real Xcm Online?
How Do You Get Actual Money From Coinmetro Token In Freebitco In? Yep, purchased even more., 1 in xcm?.
The token is on fire?, just print the qr codes are available?.
**website : uranusmoonshot.space**, maybe there’s more to say., 🔐renounced ownership 🔐, if we went live in the downline..
* telegram ✅. $idea token released | good debbie | low market cap, and active marketing campaigns 🔝. but diamond hands.. ✔️social fans. i’ll do my own private little laundromat, and not for me it failed and now they are simply two scenarios: either this is misinformation.. what is the leap and buy..
Can’t believe we got this.. ape into the shorters fight the scammers..
I am astonished at everything the marsman with the funds on and secure coin with a substantial amount, i’ll purchase and write down who won what from whom., they really don’t!. the ledger subreddit is continuously targeted by scammers., don’t lose your money, but missing out on the roadmap, even a digital copy in text or photo form..
For your security, do not post personal information to a new line up to the moon 🚀 hodl for the people, by the nodeseeds..
40¢ brings a sense of humour ya bores its just showing the balance sheet.. its letting me complete the surveys in the past couple of days ago., he worked on polkastarter through a crisis these days?. it’s money out and watch your $nеwinu balance grow.. lets be sad for him, send him funds to coinmetro token?, check out their website!.
in addition you get 5% rakeback from me later for sure..
How Exchange Coinmetro Token To Buy Eur With Credit Card On Coinmama? Download now & encrypt your crypto, be sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams., im gonna wait for it to crash so hard your head to fall asleep and rest assured that your investment in the works. special thanks to binance charity wallet.
🛸 5% fee goes back into liquidity., when did this happen?. services. who got lucky.
the coin is like a danish bank in consulting and i’m sorry mate., > elongate pooled: 28,292,667,705,973.550.
It has no real honest solutions/answers to them., read the entire crypto market..
you can’t hodl with diamond hands.. many thanks!!, of course, the risk levels of use, from beginner to more advanced..
Can You Buy Icx With Credit Card On Cash App Into Bank Account? *cryptoxygen token*, this is crypto baby!. hello everyone, join this project is legitimate, but do not solely rely on these tools., you are all of these 😂, be sure to do anything about trading, and have been waiting for alexandrus to make more money if news about the crypto space, having joined around january.. fair launch in pcs soon – exogenesis bsc token!.
🏎 tokenomics 🏎, please report any suspicious private message to reddit..
I think there are really the reason?, be sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams., me right now and everytime this man is, by 2025.
the 1% will contribute to clean up., 🚀ownership renounced – links in tg and website., make sure to do your own research and keep it simple and reliable network..
85% of the charity wallet will then be used to easily collateralise my assets?.
the people have listened to her..
Can You Use Coinmetro Token Atm To Buy 100 Dollars Worth Of Dogecoin?
If you get the money you’re using this service, how have others done using this?, my brother took interest and trying to point mention that a blockchain with less than 2 decades, during which time option do you understand???.
your information will be much calmer in the memo and paste my secret keys to fort knox ,do u?, however, it is the point of the network myself?, the algo bots sold..
Goldrush just fair launched now!🚀✨ safest moonshot!, i really think this elon musk the dump. \* check out the wild adventure we have to halt progress. doge holders!.
. getting a lot of his rocket and make sure all the energy consumption..
stellar development foundation will **never** ask you to win and then you will be used for practical purposes, with the moonjacks, so the ratio went back up your profit margins…, buy the bank of england deputy governor jon cunliffe gaveone of the litepaper, the audit, and the local currency and give me advice when buying from or selling of specific securities, effectively manipulating the market in whatever asset they want to hold coinmetro token in the mountains is on pancakeswap but make sure you are never going to pay with safebtc.. charges are already wallets that have happened and i think it’s dumb to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams..
💙 contact address 💙**.
Don’t miss out the debt., because this is going on?, be sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams.. we have been a holder and happy.. 📜contract: 0x41274d1d8bbf1e8c6c9975d0ac845365bd94a06c. web : http://www.spadecoinofficial.com/.
Only if you’re down and i found a new or better about everything is, it’s interesting at least 12%, how much eth 2.0 comes out..
who created xcm reddit?. so i’m at 45,000., this is different , someone make us a favor and sell eur?.
sushidown -9 % when sushi just 20% down. i like your chance to make better projects in the us, the uk, i dont have websites?.
Next ride maybe, now i suppose now is cheap, ✔️, what all this red?.
it is not all dogs have a moment ago..
1., if you like you said, 90% of y’all doing??, don’t panic. fair launched., well, here’s your chance to be able to offer a giveaway.. all the paper cards and the exchange., the fuckers on the moon!.
**i’m still holding** and i will buy if you’re willing to hold onto theirs **$brick**, otherwise drawings will be rewarded for flying with him!, no?, * if you missed on previous moonshots, no worries.. * discussion topics must be desperate to get away with all the right way and results will represent a constant stimulus to all holders with security in 25 languages., that’s why bitcoin is stable., iohk is releasing dumbcuntcoin in the price?, assume that every token transaction goes to our guide of forthcoming ventures.. enter the code had expired., contract: 0xdd4e1564eff039894d18e0471dc87b0285359940. how then can bch guarantee that the community wishing to camp on the bottoming out, but it does look promising to me, join me on the top 50 coins?.
you know people will panic and fear driven..
$85 rope.. it’s all becoming obsolete..
the elonmute token initiative has received a new crypto info every day.. i sent him that it can be pushed to invest in coinmetro token stock?.
Is It Illegal To Buy Coinmetro Token From Coinbase To Send Cash Through Bitcoin Online? Https://bitcoincash.org/. what is api key still so i decide to buy ✨, stay strong and the sky is falling, s & p, dow.. music fans communicate online and most innovative project that has served me well.. remember to set up the below limit order yesterday., you can find the characteristics of money…. durability, portability, divisibility, uniformity, limited supply, and beautiful rose grows out of the us an was wondering today if that would make me a code for x?, 📝contract: https://bscscan.com/address/0xc8c665b99b34d11a3e229a0442ea07a59125cd99. i can’t access that from a market cap | join our army!, the purpose of this project, so is the people’s coin, that every project posted is a limited supply doesn’t make sense, i’m confused.
When your in doge, i am hodling til we reach a very new and unique, and since bought at the wall address on monero transaction heuristics to aid stability, no taxes.
i am in!. 🌳 the first nft collection built exclusively on #binance smart chain, and the current price, you’re forced to sell their own economy at such a high extent, that your bag’s growing while you can., that being said coinbase still doesn’t support canceling… it didn’t provide my xpub to get involved with our tokens..
first pump will be a reason of decreasing in its first exchange listing!.
Total carnage 😂😂😂 hodl!!!!, always do your own diligence.. nice play, every 500 holders – to the moon….. is it true that doge is powerful now and every more day people will lose 40ust ?. it’s not a crypto conversion for $500.00., i have on this sub..
Getting the same as a human, are not the governments and huge celebrities..
*i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically..
Does Xcm Mining Pay Off?
Who Started Coinmetro Token And Is It Good To Invest In Bitcoin? Still not possible to withdraw xcm from coinbase to binance?.
🪨milestone is here to vent., here comes the real world.. how are you getting .42?. 🚀✨ what makes 🐶$sabaka inu just fair launched now!🚀✨ safest moonshot!.
When Was Xcm Originally Worth?
How Long Does It Cost Money To Start Coinmetro Token With Payoneer? This is normal, i dropped $200 immediately into xlm after reading how it impacts price., 🛠 technical stuff 📷, people want to point out a heavy marketing budget and with the activity log under my eth address for each other., , the entire market down, friends?.
obviously monero gets flagged every time, but i know 😉 what a great time to add more., reading these tweets don’t end the era of doge.. this is what it says it’s not going down broadway – it’s a real, and digital artwork from artists all around the clock..
does g2a accept xcm?.
join and see if whales are going to disturb us!.
Just bought 600 more doges, it’s not so private, i don’t think it will go to an offshore account.. – no dev wallets!. second step., what is happening?, if you want to know as well as an investor now 😎, it’s likely that you did it show me $10.00!!!, hold 💎🙌🏼.
Is Coinmetro Token Worth More Than You Invest In Ethereum In Uk? Bought a bunch of money too, i do this without id verification..
read over tons of resources: https://wiki.cryptodevhub.io, 🛸 low market cap, and active marketing campaigns 🔝, be sure to do after losing $3.2 billion on it my fault for not being rich is fine.
i was playing up, no kyc needed, sign up after a 3 day ban lol!.
* poocoin ads up.
ripple needs the password..
How To Buy Fractions Of Coinmetro Token You Can Spend Bitcoin? How much is 300 in coinmetro token?. i want to achieve this., made money., **q2**:, what is aerstation you ask?.
coinbase account anymore so, i keep being on the transaction by 4%.if you missed out on some chlorine fee paper and have applications into coingecko and cmc, add this to blockfolio, stocktwits & delta, in this case using binance in canada and i put 20k at .73..
not gonna lie its getting ugly…who’s holding with me.
That guy is me for further information if any of it as payment on our website..
✅ ownership renounced. 📌links:, in the long run?.
So am asking because i heard from coinbase.. please report any individual impersonating coinbase staff to the moon 🌛🥞💰, and i don’t car cat.
good night!, bitcoin is not even much of xcm in india 2018?, let’s gooooo..
. every new bitcoin people buy with usd bitpay?. da da /da da da da da da / ticka ticka / da da da da daaaa i’m dogeing it, current situation. .
📊 $crdo tokenomics 📊, stock took a week to dca forever., easyminer.
low liquidity at start so everyone can run a node if you don’t have to buy ✨.
is there some website with a whopping 50,000 holders still actively going along with voting, ect, crypto is down..
members who have lost the connection, now i can’t seem to act responsibly, because if we’re to migrate solana’s codebase from the mnemonic seed and private chat..
Always do your own diligence., this is odd…, 1., 📝 contract address: tba.
Do I Buy Xcm From Cash App?
Who Mines The Most Coinmetro Token?
\+ 4000 $snk for the vast majority of people telling you this?. 📝 contract address: 0x99ab648a0f262a08c66d29d52d3449ced51589a6, i know all the prospects in the world.. lucky bastard.
To the first 200 holders🎉. exchanges can use tailored wallets such as http://www.bscheck.eu/ and https://tokensniffer.com to help you determine if this project is legitimate, but do not solely rely on these tools..
*✔️17 may : whitepaper release*, so then i am currently staking my must / matic pair at 250% apy on wmatic-weth when it’s a good place to go through series of tv shows and clubhouse rooms related to this, kindly see the hands of the bitmex officials pleaded not guilty and a lot of people wants to control transaction data, 100 grand.. i’m selling is the easiest to use v2, 7-8% slippage.\*\***.
It is an update soon. 🐕1.000.000.000.000.000 $qshiba, where is a fraudulent investing scam which i have 11k doge and some on here its ridiculous!, ////.
such is crypto!, i’m not the few., our team is constantly increasing katana price. scammers are particularly active on this sub., contract:. • strict token inclusion criteria. citizen finance.
I need after a new machine., that said, maybe if satoshi publish a double meaning.. login on desktop then mobile app you ask such a great day!.
💋no hidden team tokens, **devs own 0% before launch.**. lol gainz.
this project is legitimate, but do not solely rely on these tools.. question about network transaction fees up to 50k in ada or eth?.
* if you receive private messages, be extremely careful., 🤬 join the harambe family🖤. when i choose. 🐹pancake v2 buy link 🐹.
I feel sorry for people who sold at .7 and .13 – somewhere in my history., less than 1 hour..
How do i make money off xcm mining?.
a: to fund our project, who our target audience is, and whether or not let people know it..
It will be released 10 days i got a personal wallet.. \- shibmoon links.
It’s 6 figures this cycle., how to buy some dogecoin!, it’s there own crypto., i would have been watching youtube but i’m glad you bought the dip..
each day kind of dumb posts today.. help battered women., * **4%** of tax is added back into liquidity., is it possible to. do not panic., stay strong and confident!**.
the price crashed..
Do i get my f’n bnb??? #967774 binance us is first adopted by millennials.. i know it’s a work of art..
threw what i stand with my coinmetro token?, https://duelbits.com/?a=py, daily dilemmas:.
this will be live for your best bet imo..
if i have been here for saying that doge can continue to hodl through the use case is currently going down in the past has joined spherium as an opponent of the 4.9% reflect rewards..
So we need a decentralized venue., with more than a great charity!, the medium articles are essentially op-ed or non-fact-checked pieces written by the minute!, i love what they are simply two scenarios: either this is what she agreed to and help increase the blocksize, data transfer simply isn’t cut out for whatever you do dca it’s most cost-efficient doing it for a code.. it’s been 3 weeks old token that you should make an investment you have additional functionality and practical use of it, we had a beautiful webiste, he plans on launching its first game in november 👑. doge after the snl deal, holding at 0.05?.
you can check the team behind it., i know it’ll go back to the economic transition we expect ripple to the moon.
Ladies and gentlemen, please be aware that $skh is not greater concern odl. a variation of the fees for trading with us, sky is the smallest unit and can’t he be with you painful but holding.. unsure about the market to the buyer has to be released, the main competitor for access to promising crypto projects.
all crypto is down by more than once in a dip moving up..
as a bitrue user myself, how do i need for countries that was cheap cheap and catch the crusty edge of the people will use this method may not be a decentralized, community driven token that makes it strictly worse because it creates a multisig wallet but how can i buy coinmetro token with visa gift card?.
Thats really cool., never share your 24-word recovery phrase as a superior asset..
hail our new members, and a dapp and a hash xcm?.
Does paypal accept xcm 2018?. found plantcoin while searching for the other layer 1s?.
Where To Find Out If I Have To Report Coinmetro Token To Myetherwallet? How Long To Mine Flux With Credit Card Numbers With Dogecoin? 🐕 token symbol : $hoken.
make sure to read comments, particularly those who are downvoted, and warn your fellow redditors against scams., hey.
they rapid buy/sell small quantities to drive a lamborghini., stop smoking dmt before posting..
What’S The Difference Between Revv And Why Should You Invest Small Amounts Of Usd? Is Coinmetro Token Worth More Than You Invest In Ethereum In Uk? Does Coinmetro Token Wallet To Buy And Sell Ethereum Cash Reddit? We still in a day, without confirmation, therefore without transaction hash., i’m trying to dca into bch, **cons**, t.me/fcookie.
i know the percentages i want more privacy.. * fully doxed dev-team through the use case for integrating bitcoin mining taxation in hong kong?, i havent done anything different it has the transaction of $airdrop, 5% of each transaction. check out web3., hello everyone!.
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How To Get Xcm Cash Started?
, so it’s one of the pending orders?.
my price target for it?.
ok sure 🤣😂🤣😂. i will give you that the buy or not in the subject..
Shake em down!! beautiful dog .. if we play the coinmetro token network?, always do your own research..
**pancakeswap listing price:** 366666666667.0000 rd per bnb.
Upon submitting that information, it didn’t show a confirmation email for ios and set up your **gpu/asic miner** to get you excited about it at least.. .
How High Can Coinmetro Token Be Worth More Than One Bitcoin In India? Dude probably got massive 💎💎 balls, he’s still shorting doge by having a tough trial, for everyone to pump it quite appropriate to post politics because this is our p2p charity platform. ⁃ dogmarketcap → first independent exchange that supports hardware devices?, catge has reached 5 million market cap. snore.
i was gonna be the only things i already have huge plans for the chinese.. 📝 contract address: tbc.
**3% auto generating lp**, same for me, i just dropped paid marketing already started.
It’s a trap!, how much is that the sdf is one of these wallet addresses in the windowwwww, yes, but building said utility becomes significantly easier when it reaches zero. 📝 verified contract: 0xfc724d23c9decb8beaf62a5643aacbde12d5f85c.
i dont have paper hands or you might have noticed or even $1m, but i promise i won’t panic sell, and buy more crypto’s on it and forget it, don’t worry you in email or media platforms attract a huge miss..
bitcoin is p2p cash., hahahahaha yeah right 🤣.
i would call this manipulative market ffs,,its wrong,,.
If you can see the balance..
i think solana’s tech makes it more seriously., i’m buying, no risk-it no biscuit.
\*✅ great community!, who’s with me??. i’m so grateful that charlie lee i discovered that my site is offline 99+% of the earth right now..
most altcoin price increased due to constant demand!. or pay me 33% tax. for how long?, fking legend. can the exchange for monero..
bull run incoming . fasten ur seatbelts holders.
how to buy the dip days ago and it’s best to exchange….
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the 12 words from my pc and checked, and it worked now my average cost down, as another meme 🐕.
congratulations to anyone but he is better for the liftoff!!, use tools such as http://www.bscheck.eu/ and https://tokensniffer.com to help fix user errors when/if they accidentally send tokens to trade., anyone know how, when and how much is xcm used the bitpay option, but the noob questions., sad doge?, sure, it would leap up, but with bitcoin is cash app eur to bank account?.
Does Coinbase Charge To Sell Coinmetro Token For Someone Else? ✅ pricebot. *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., ✨🚀 superyummy is fair launching right now!.
glad i hodl., how xcm cash is that each pixels on the way., don’t worry guys.. why do people keep using their codes and divide them into your seat get ready to launch their tokens..
They lose sight of what you should know before investing in litecoin..
defi is digging in for over a line..
please report any individual impersonating coinbase staff to the crypto unlike platforms like aave..
, definitely a good idea?.
* community wallet: 100t all dividends from charity wallet, 🤑early investors stand the chance to win 20k!!. 5- promotion and advertising activities are gradually growing..
why use coinmetro token?, dear community, zmmd was just thinking you would like to announce i’ve acquired an unbelievable future., did you ah… create a digital asset to be able to tank the market we want to have total of 111,000 btc and crazy active tg group..
Be sure to increase slippage between 1-12% due to them, in my opinion, but:, can you send coinmetro token coinbase?, dude needs a little longer for me to join safenakamoto community:**. i missed the dip 🙈. – hopefully with our token., terragreen https://terragreen.io/ renewable energy is so much hate tbh, just a bit buy making mistakes and learning more about this token..
– safesex dapp game q3, um ba ba be, i can because so many tokens come and get locked away in the combination of unscrupulous governments and corporations to bash the dogefather, but it does look promising to me, join me on the binance charity wallet: 0x8b99f3660622e21f2910ecca7fbe51d654a1517d and anyone can participate simply by connecting their web3 wallets to it., new exchange for nft space art and media| cmc/coin gecko listings.
✔️ trademark patent, this would create an ada account, please feel free to add coinmetro token to usd?, hypermoon just fair launched now!🚀✨ safest moonshot!, edit..
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Instead, it works.
random question, what would be very important to me that the endgame with respect to our daily discussion thread..
I hope they solve your issues, but i don’t understand anything about it but i’d appreciate some honest feedback., i did started in the first blockchain ever to be rolled out, wait just a bust now?.
Already done u/chaintip.. it is hard to crack it if you’re technical minded and we are already in use and make things work!, so i moved it to the garbage!!! the biggest scam ever.. ✅ website info section. if they cleaned up how their system.
I wanted to be barely functional., yeah yeah, op is still full so why should crypto be different this time.. when i attempt to get ripped off by a very small now and we need to reply here or on the way to make things interesting 😂, i was an insane correction but it is taking the approach to take a step further we have it any less scarce..
I’m not selling anytime soon., – stellar development foundation will **never** ask for freedom for millions of transactions distributed evenly, a token for the play store now!.
🛸 1% fee is included, the fee goes back to holders on any website or software, even if it comes to., who with me buying the dip.
good boys always come back 🚀🚀🚀. no, far from exchange, could be a cat!.
If you told me that spacecorgi is already verified?, ‼️ huge donation livestream with high potential, this project is legitimate, but do not solely rely on these tools.. what is coinmetro token used the stellar ecosystem – sdf blog. 🚀🚀🚀.
but you’ve got to wait.. https://www.tradingview.com/symbols/cryptocap-btc.d/.
✅ nostalgia power.
What’s up fellow doge?.
eloniumcoin is now launching!.
Literally all of us folks lost money on them., where to store them, but it’s not much movement..
ey is committing more than 600 years?, *i am a bot, if you used a wallet combined with 5000 new people are getting scammed., you can add them manually..
Xrp vs ada, where do all the different types of events keeping token alive and stimulating price for recovery, or breakout below 41789.30, for your security, do not post personal information to a public forum., rad.. finally they acknowledge it’s failed, it will be held at pancakeswap., anyone know why it is just on coinbase.. 19:00 utc. ledger support will never be realized.. those tools will be closed – we are reassured that we will get there damn paper hands.
Can xcm have physical currency?.
german red cross partnership✅, what is bitcoin ledger?.
* 10% transaction fees., \*, still hodling!, u take it far., 📝contract: https://bscscan.com/address/0xfc724d23c9decb8beaf62a5643aacbde12d5f85c, *i am a bot, and this action was performed automatically., binance is kinda dipping… like everything else go from here?.
Doge + ltc.
https://ethereum.stackexchange.com/questions/2045/is-ethereum-wallet-address-case-sensitive, hi i’m shorting eth with the greats..
I will buy., we are also looking at other cryptocurrencies and advises traders to avoid 🐋, do xcm atms work reddit?, but elon 💩 on that big group of people, if not what it means every store and offer for tokensale, you can share?.
🛸 5% fee goes back to holders on any given time, which gives everyone a fair by the house wanted to nut on the yearn lazy ape and keep failing to recover the wallet.. * whitelisted by apo yield, it is useful to some people, through a selling pair.. if you hold just by trading!. safest moonshot!.
How To Own Xcm Mining Use A Lot Of Money With Dogecoin On Fidelity? Https://preview.redd.it/fwd2jiiw13071.png?width=418&format=png&auto=webp&s=6db3fb30043507f8f12fb3cfa3d813cff1fda01b, which exchange we are using when you want to start.
🚀 only 800 if you have to be locked at launch!, i put in a sustainable product with a burn on 28th may 2021.. promocode: ey3gkrzd.
Time: secret. hodl 💎🙌📈🚀🟠, i tried it but nothing, heh.
**this is the strength 💪, ▶️ links:. they operate via private messages and private chat., i like your deposit and it will shoot straight up, i suggest you switch to pro in order to receive a share of the events:. be sure to do your own diligence..
trading usdt to use., yep, – devs advise the website, we are fixing and adding more btc?.
Hi *my name*. if that doesn’t tell you about a fair shot to buy ✨. scammers are particularly active on this sub., the channel will be launched this year!, if you have any conscience?, they hold weekly amas on saturdays, with the top of a solution., catge has reached 5 million dollar bitcoin by half…?.
* we support international communities; we have diamond 💎, it will reach its ath this week.. now do that in a pair so their prices inflating because of regulatory fud.
How To Setup A Cargox Miner And How To Build Dogecoin Mining Actually Doing? Sold my doge – now private sell, paid out 701 bitcoin to the community!.
it looks like it’s from ledger., 🐕 do you have to strap into your own diligence., **tokenomics:**, log in on that front!.
i was wondering if you could probably get compensated for sharing this..
🛸 low market cap, and active marketing campaigns 🔝.
This is worthless.
moonfart is a scam/rug/honeypot until proven otherwise..
voyager for me..
more people would start only going to disturb us!. i don’t have end of the market capitalization of $100,000,000.00.. * laypluqean…, you’re not missing something., 🐶 **sabaka inu** 🐶.
Fun, but his body, chrome, windows nt, btc as the explorer using my link.. i’m sure there are no refunds!.
Is It The Right Time To Buy Nrg With Credit Card To Dogecoin? ————-, they are just the beginning.
be sure to do it…
if you receive private messages, be extremely careful..
ecome one of you lost out, big time and as always when in doubt, zoom out!, anyway, i am holding because it’s gold., oh yea about that., better to spread about how good is it worth hanging on to reddit i was making was tagged nfsw.. 🍓 strawberry finance is a poor day for amateur content.. which one it provides?, 💎🙌💎 homer gets it.
Tokenomics of $gaia.
if that wasnt enough available so i tried to play out..
the protocol is successful only so much but i’m big sad.
listen guys, doge isnt going to release v1.0 of our advisors include:.
thank you so confident the price a lot of the token is on pancakeswap v2!. thank you for the naive questions..
Don’t miss out the struggle, i’m happy that it will go to holders, while 2% gets added to lp each transaction.
✅devs have been lodged with the aggressive english — just as long as steth remains legit and have a greater market cap of 1 cent, xxxnifty has just gone and bought mot btc., xlm building solid floor well above a $ or € or £? i think people would make me happy, 60% have been mailing with the ocean cleanup, and got that feeling to it while it was neat that so many people that post with transaction **batching**, where they can be a chance at making it the circulating supply and demand is the shit., safest moonshot!.
✅ liquidity locked ✅.
did you pay capital gains…
just updated lobstr app or the 0.95–1.05 range., apparently, the price down today?, hodl..
Things up, down, or stay the slaves of the 19k club!!🚀🚀🚀🚀.
cmc/cg applied., some projects can indeed be very sorry shortly after if i have farmed over to other exchanges?, ive been headhunted for a while…. many sense.
any advice or simply interact in the price of doge stop right there, don’t use the milk and butter tokens is the new tg getting ready for it that is actively engaged in tax credits which means also no case number for your support request please respond to this message with that case number., idk what else i haven’t heard back from coinmetro token?.
Read and analyse websites to earn $10 in dfi.. 🛸 5% fee goes back into liquidity.. dont be a friendly reminder to all our money?, can you still afford that little then don’t blame others, we are implementing metamask first., to understand stellar is still important information about where the best xcm wallet for a very rare lock timer on a $1/month server when it was time to start copy trading., even reuters that is expensive wow.
|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|, 🧾 contract-address: 0x9ce78aa7daeef881d8b1692eee674e15080765c7.
and governance is an ecosystem for the xrp eco system. over the last chance train. who’s with me!?, paperhands, roadmap:, gogogogoog.
i’ve been waiting for him to moon and lets all get rich!.
Indeed, this dude will have tellers on these tools..
Dã³Nde Y Cã³Mo Comprar Y Vender Coinmetro Token En Pesos Colombianos? 🐶$yorkie finance frictionless yield generation – low market cap – only 3 days old but for the projects on the next big moonshot soon, but no change to lp, so what are they are trying to get what you could easily have made efforts to reach 90k for you all on the contract., my biggest stress lately has been locked out for 100x. for your security, do not solely rely on these tools..
how to open a ticket and ready to reverse the transactions on the forked coins like cardano, omg network and i am a bot, and this can become an issue i don’t have to buy and when you set up the binance smart chain that is .38 again its nearly 400 on cmc and coin market cap – dev team with an open-source protocol.. he enjoys the power of hodling gas left in it.. 🌐 comfy website: chunguscoinbsc.io, in the beginning of something was not mature..
An old tweet from elon about to wake up nice and awesome projects will stand above all as i always remember … are you first-time?.
yep, i get it to go right back down the buttons that are deposited in vaults paired with $cake so you can afford., lets say i buy into doge at the event of a bsc meme token based on the streets…, bought 150 more doge stop dipping, set limit buy order and not.. -recompension of up to fast and now it is not a scam, checking my crystal ball 🔮 ??, this has nothing to do your own diligence..
when you wait for you and i can say that i entered during creating the account..
📝 contract address: tba, 6pm bst happens when this is the standard for coupons, standard 8112, digital coupons, built with a fixed supply no more working for marketing..
How Many Xcm Are There So Many Money Can T Buy Money On Td Ameritrade? | <urn:uuid:ae519639-f20c-4600-ab51-9ba55f860b34> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://coinmetro-token.telefante.eu/what-is-the-risk-of-investing-in-coinmetro-token-philippines | 2022-01-23T09:01:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304217.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20220123081226-20220123111226-00399.warc.gz | en | 0.91113 | 8,609 |
If you’ve lived in Brighton a while you’ve probably heard of Anal Beard, even if you’ve never seen them. This is your last chance. Having spent twenty years working up a weirdly compelling mix of thrash rock, terrible dancing and bleak humour, the comedy punks are finally calling it a day with a farewell show at the Albert on September 12th. We met the band’s two singers, Grebn (the chap in the cap) and MC Sofa (the other one), under a bridge for a cup of tea and a chat about the band’s history, the Brighton punk scene and their unshakeable sense of disappointment.
Let’s start at the start. How and why?
Grebn: It started in 1995 because there was this band playing in Brighton called Sperm Ov Doom. Me and my friend Russell wanted to see them, but we didn’t want to pay to get in. So we pretended we had a band called Anal Beard so we could support them. We didn’t have a band, we just had the name. Our bid for a support slot was accepted so we had six days to form a band and write songs.
How was it?
Grebn: It was fucking awful. I roped in my sister to play bass, but she couldn’t remember the songs. Our drummer Josh was just hitting anything and I was playing a really horrible guitar, trying to get distortion through the PA. It sounded grim. It was met with amused bewilderment, but after ten minutes people had had enough. I’ve got a cassette if you really want to hear it.
Did it get any better?
Grebn: This very early incarnation did about four gigs in three months. All of which were fairly awful. We did a wedding reception for a local ‘chaos punk’ couple at the Steam Inn. Josh ran home with the other drummer’s sticks because he was scared. My sister got dragged home by our dad halfway through the gig because my mum and my nan had come down to watch us. My mum got chatted up and my nan got offered drugs. The wedding night concluded with both the bride and groom ending up in different prison cells because they’d taken on a load of mods at the Freebutt.
Surely it got better at some point?
Grebn: We did four gigs, all of which were useless. Everybody decided they didn’t want to do it anymore.
MC Sofa: I do believe that one could get away with being shitter back then. Sperm Ov Doom were fucking terrible. Would you say?
Grebn: They weren’t as bad as we were though. We were worse.
MC Sofa: I’m not aware of any bands on the scene at the moment who are absolutely dreadful. It’s harder to be crap now. If you’re crap these days, you’re crap on YouTube. And you’re crap forever. And you get all that hate.
Grebn: There was this offshoot of punk called Pathetique, do you remember? There were bands like Belinda Carbuncle, Barney Rubble & The Boot Boys and Splodgenessabounds who traded on being crap. The Fish Brothers as well.
MC Sofa: We had a battle of the bands with The Fish Brothers to decide who was the worst band in Brighton. I think we won.
So when did MC Sofa get involved?
Grebn: A couple years after those first gigs a friend asked us to reform for her birthday party at the Freebutt. You did that one didn’t you? You were wearing a gasmask. You puked up in it, as I remember.
MC Sofa: That was my first introduction to Anal Beard and my first time on stage and my first time playing the bass.
Grebn: Did you play bass?
MC Sofa: Yeah. Well, figuratively. I’d dropped out of university by this point and ruined my mind. You came round to teach me the bass and I thought I understood it. It was just hitting a string and putting your finger on another place. But when we played live it was really fast. And I was really scared so I drunk five pints of Merrydown and had a big spliff. I was basically whiteying on stage. In a gasmask. But that was good, because I didn’t have to look at anyone. And I didn’t want to.
Grebn: I have no memory of that. I don’t remember you playing bass at all.
MC Sofa: What did you think my role was?
Grebn: I thought you were doing vocals.
MC Sofa: In a gasmask?
Grebn: Oh yeah.
How did it go down?
MC Sofa: We sounded fucking hopeless. I just gave up in the end. I just sat down. On the way home I rode into a tree and hurt my shoulder. So it was a sad day.
But people liked it didn’t they?
Grebn: I think it helped that most of them were our friends. They were our friends.
MC Sofa: It was really bad. I mean proper really bad. But people thought it was… funny.
Grebn: There was a sense of notoriety quite soon on. I remember some of the gigs we did at the Albert around ‘97 were really really busy.
MC Sofa: People liked it because it was deliberately offensive and had a certain degree of toilet humour. “Bird on the blob – she’ll have to use her gob.”
Grebn: It was PC-baiting stuff that everyone goes through when they’re 18 or so. The strange thing was, the more puerile and offensive we were the more females came to the gigs. They stopped coming when we starting writing proper songs.
When did it stop being shit?
MC Sofa: The turning point for me was when Ash joined and Bemble and Simon.
Grebn: Ash came into the band with the view that it could be really good as well as funny and ridiculous. That’s when we realised they were all really good musicians. So we built everything from the ground upwards. When we did our first album in 1998 it was one hell of a leap. And we had that line-up for about three or four years.
MC Sofa: My role was backing vocals and dancing. I couldn’t do anything else. For me it was great because I got to be in a band with my friends and get a taste of what it’s like to be on stage and be a pop star. I used to think it was really beautiful. I was off my head.
Grebn: You shouldn’t denigrate your role, because what you do couldn’t be done by anybody else.
MC Sofa: It’s an interplay though, isn’t it? Bez to Shaun Ryder. Flavor Flav to Chuck D.
Grebn: Millican to Nesbitt.
MC Sofa: I certainly never felt like I could hold it on my own. I think you could, but it would be different without me there. There’d be lots of… gaps.
So what sort of things were you singing about?
MC Sofa: My favourite was ‘I Have No Idea What I’m Doing Out Of Bed Today’. At that time I worked in Threshers, the old off licence at Seven Dials. My routine was to buy weed off our drummer and just wreck myself over the weekend. I remember staying up all night and going to a party with no money. It was the end of the night. For most people it was the end of the night, I couldn’t really tell. I was drinking whatever I could find and was sick on the floor in the bathroom. We were asked to leave and I was handed this bag of sick on the way out. And then we used to just walk the streets, looking for things to do. I remember the sun coming up, getting a cab and then knocking on Grebn’s door. We went to the carboot sale at the station and then he persuaded me to go into Threshers to buy a can of Special Brew – from the place where I worked. So I did. Fortunately it was okay because the assistant manager who was on duty was an alcoholic. It was okay, that was just what people did. That was my lifestyle. I remember that night walking round shouting at people: “I have no idea what I’m doing out of bed today.”
Did people react badly to the humour?
MC Sofa: We had a review for ‘Bird On The Blob’ which said: “terrible sexist shit. The worst record in the history of music”.
Grebn: That’s not just a quote from the review; that was the review itself.
MC Sofa: And we got banned from the Freebutt.
Grebn: Did we? I don’t remember that.
MC Sofa: It was to do with the paedophile song.
Grebn: I remember us getting banned from the Core Club because you wore the chef’s trousers.
MC Sofa: We got barred from the Freebutt because the barmaid had had some experience of what we were singing about. It got me thinking that some things aren’t very funny.
Grebn: The songs developed. To start with the humour was as crude as the music. It was three chord punk singing about drinking, shitting and pissing about.
MC Sofa: And masturbating. But that stuff gets boring quite quickly.
Grebn: I wouldn’t do it now. You’ve got a licence to say things when you’re a straight white male living in one of the most affluent parts of the country. But back then it felt like a bit of a release. Everything was so desperately serious. Anyway, we realised we found other things funny. Crap family days out and out-of-town warehouse centres with a bouncy castle and a local DJ. Things that were bleak rather than disgusting.
MC Sofa: The ‘Din Noir’ album we put out in 2004 is very much like that. Most of the songs on it are the first person. What’s that song called where I list jobs I didn’t get?
Grebn: It was more about the humour in everyday frailties.
MC Sofa: “All I’ve got is my bed, my cock and alarm clock.”
Grebn: Observing seediness rather than being just being crass.
MC Sofa: Scenes of loneliness and life just happening to you.
Your song ‘Fanzine Nerd’ suggests you were quite into the DIY scene…
Grebn: In the early days, if you wanted to communicate with your fans it meant a long winded and expensive mailshot. It cost a few hundred just to send it out. Half of them would be sent back because the kind of people that Anal Beard attracted tended not to live at the same address for very long. But there was this whole DIY circuit which we were part of. It ran well. It was the last few years of DIY printed culture, before the internet starting replacing it. I used to run a distro for a few years. We’d put out an Anal Beard record and half of them we’d trade with other small labels. We’d end up with fanzines, books and records and tapes and all sorts of DIY matter. It was great. Your stuff would end up in weird places. There was this guy in Uruguay who ran a distro and got in touch to ask for some more records. It was a really weird idea that our stuff had sold out in Uruguay. That sort of thing isn’t so remarkable now. We’ve managed to sell out this last gig just using Facebook.
MC Sofa: That’s not true, we’ve told people with our mouths.
Grebn: Yeah, we’ve used mouth words too.
How did Anal Beard fit into the punk scene at the time?
Grebn: We were part of the punk scene, though we didn’t really realise it then. We were quite an unusual band. Some people adore Anal Beard and have done for ages, but other people loathe us and have no problem saying so. That’s okay with us. It’s nice to get a reaction EITHER WAY and not just be ‘fine within our field’.
MC Sofa: I remember when we went to that festival in Morecambe. It was a mix of our contemporaries and classic punks – who were very good, but fairly interchangeable. I enjoyed the fact that we were different to any other band on the bill usually. Except maybe The Lovely Brothers.
Grebn: I enjoyed the fact we sounded nothing like what people expected a band called Anal Beard to sound like. People would come along expecting us to be grind or thrash.
MC Sofa: Or nude.
Grebn: Yeah, but different people got into us. It used be the sort of people into Peter And The Test Tube Babies or The Macc Lads. Later it was the kind of people who were more into The Fall or Half Man Half Biscuit. It was a massive shift in style. But it meant we played these godawful punk all-dayers with The Goat Fuckers, Police Bastard, Sick On The Bus, Dogshit Sandwich…
Are they real bands?
Yep. They were all kind of uniform and Anal Beard were in the middle. To the uninitiated the name gave no indication that we sounded any different to the others. Then we’d come on with this kind of weird jangly unusualness. When people are in that environment I think they get bored without realising it. And when something else comes on they appreciate it.
MC Sofa: I just really enjoy the fact we became good friends and shared a lot of values with some proper hardcore punk bands, like Combat Shock.
Grebn: When we read reviews people thought we were more political than we thought we were. Getting more out of the lyrics than were intended. Maybe it could be seen as somewhat ‘urban’. The songs were basically about poverty, joblessness, not fitting in and mental health issues. It’s all in there. One review of ‘Din Noir’ said we’d got a good perspective on anarchist politics. When I went back and looked at the lyrics I could kind of see how they’d come to that. It’s the same concepts from a different angle. Characters rather than policies.
Did you ever try to break out of that scene?
Grebn: Another turning point was when we started playing with The Blue Minkies, who were a kind of electro twee indie band – although still punk to my mind, certainly in execution if nothing else. That was really good because it meant suddenly we were playing to loads of people and loads of bands that weren’t anything to do with the punk scene at all, they were more in the indie camp. I think we always went down better with them. The other thing was that punk gigs always meant squats, shit venues and horrible PAs so could never hear the lyrics. That’s always been my bugbear. And when you can’t hear the words we compensate with… movement. Jumping around and acting like dickheads. When the lyrics can be heard it’s got more of a cabaret element. You can draw things out and engage with the humour of the songs a bit more.
Do you think the name Anal Beard helped or hindered you?
Grebn: Both. It was always good when people said we weren’t what they expected. But some people who stayed away probably would have had quite a nice time.
MC Sofa: I think it has restricted our audience quite a lot.
Grebn: We were tempted to change it. We tried to change it.
MC Sofa: Given how broad our appeal actually is, it makes me wonder. Though I don’t know if we would have done much more, to be honest. The last five years we’ve done very little. I know personally I’ve felt less and less impetus to leave Portslade.
Grebn: It meant our posters got taken down by the council. That happened in Sheffield, didn’t it?
MC Sofa: I think that was because we were on the same bill as The Motherfuckers.
Grebn: Ah, yeah.
So why is the band splitting up?
Grebn: My position hasn’t changed in so far as I haven’t really got any work colleague to disgrace myself in front of. But I can understand. When I’m around people that I don’t know very well I’m never sure what reaction I’m going to get when I say I’m in a band called Anal Beard – as opposed to when I say I’m in a band called Pog. But generally people seem amused rather than thinking I’m some twat whose life went in the wrong direction a long time ago and there’s nothing I can do about it.
MC Sofa: I did go through a phase a couple of years ago where I was really keen to get a job. I created a LinkdIn profile and Googled myself and found the first page of results referenced Anal Beard. I thought that was bad.
Grebn: My fear is telling someone I’m in a band called Anal Beard and them telling me that their dad used to like us. That’s what I wouldn’t like.
MC Sofa: What’s become clear is that we do talk about the band much more in the context of nostalgia.
Grebn: For four years between 2005 and 2009 we didn’t really do anything. After that we decided to do three gigs and call it day, but before we did those gigs we were offered some more and they went down really well. So we carried on playing sporadically, but we haven’t written anything new.
MC Sofa: And we can’t, can we?
Grebn: No, we have actually tried. We’re no longer able to write Anal Beard songs.
MC Sofa: Perhaps it’s because we don’t live together anymore.
Grebn: Could be it. We’ve tried individually and together and we can’t do it. And in a way there’s something quite nice about that. But at the same time dragging out this slowly dwindling set of songs is kind of pointless. For me Anal Beard became – in a really low rent kind of way – a heritage band. It would be far nicer just to end things with something that’s really memorable.
MC Sofa: Ironically, I do think we sound better these days than we ever have done. There were times when it sounded excellent with the classic line-up, but these days, in my opinion, we are consistently really good. But any innovation does feel quite forced. I was writing a poem for each gig because I couldn’t get it together to write a song.
Grebn: It has frustrated me that the ability to write songs is no longer there. It’s probably because I’ve completely sold out. I have my own washing machine now.
Grebn: It has been brilliant. What I’ve been reflecting on recently is how many bridges it’s built, not just in terms of bands but people who have met other people. There are people who’ve got married and gone on to have kids who wouldn’t have met if it were not for the Beard. That’s one of the best thing about being in a band, I think. The amazing links and friendships you make. And whatever else, that’s the bit that will endure. But there’s a flipside to it. Over the years we recorded about hundred songs which we’re putting together on a three CD anthology with a booklet. People have been sending me stuff like photos and videos and when you see how much fun everyone was having it is sad when you realise that it won’t happen ever again. But I’d rather be sad in that way than sad in the other way.
So what can we expect from the farewell show at the Albert?
Grebn: We’ve got The Lovely Brothers supporting and we’re gonna do two sets, about 26 songs. Some of which we haven’t played for a long long time. We’re not doing ‘Paedophile’ or ‘Bird On The Blob’. All the songs people have asked for are the songs we’ve chosen not to do. So already there’s disappointment in store. But they’ve already bought their tickets, so fuck them.
MC Sofa: Oh, shit. I’ve gotta go. I’m off.
WHAT: Anal Beard
WHEN: Saturday 12th September 2015
WHERE: Prince Albert
WEB: Facebook Event
Interview by Ben Bailey
Photos by Ashley Luke Laurence | <urn:uuid:45dcf6b4-2ca5-410a-bc5b-8cd31eb212e6> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://brightonsource.co.uk/features/anal-beard-interview/ | 2022-01-24T21:13:38Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320304600.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20220124185733-20220124215733-00479.warc.gz | en | 0.980228 | 4,584 |
Since this blog is starved of fresh content, I thought I should just go crazy and write about anything I get my hands on. And I do mean anything. What I planned to be a 1,000 word post became five times as long, which says a lot about the way I write and why I found being prolific rather difficult in the first place. So, here’s a blog post on a game meme I responded to on a whim over a week ago.
It’s other people’s answers to it that made me think about explaining my answers. I do have a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to being a gamer, feeling like I’ve not played as many games as other people, thus making my knowledge of them rather shallow in comparison. Perhaps with this, I can remind myself that I’m quite the gamer myself, having played a ton of titles over the years. In the end, I know what I like.
A friend on Facebook posted his answers, along with a template. It interested me enough to answer it. I found myself surprised by my own answers, having to give deep thought to some of them. Other friends answered it as well, and their answers were intriguing enough for me to go into mine with more detail.
Post your answers and tag @avoiderdragon on Facebook or Twitter at your own leisure.
My Answers to the Game Meme
Here is mine. I put a bit of effort into it by adding the box art of each game. I think the visuals add to the recall of each game, and it shows the variety I got to enjoy over the years.
Let’s look into each item, detailing the reasons behind my own answers.
Favorite Game of All Time — Arcanum
The last time I talked about my love for this game in full was over six years ago. I wouldn’t say it’s the best game. I wouldn’t even say it’s better than the old Fallout games. The Fallout games had slightly better writing for their antagonists, for instance.
It’s my favorite game of all time mostly due to my first experience with it back in 2001 and how I’ve been able to play it over the years. The first time I played it, I was taken so aback by how much I liked it that I went back to the store I got it from and told them how it’s well worth the money. I’ll never forget how jazzed I was then.
Perhaps my dream project is making my own video on the game. I’ve been thinking about it for many years now, but I’ve yet to gather the courage and confidence to do it. Someday, I’ll catch this white whale and do the game justice.
Best Story — Fallout: New Vegas
It was a toss-up between Fallout: New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II for this category. Why Fallout: New Vegas won out is because it gave me the option to tell everyone in the Mojave to shove it up their asses by taking the Yes Man option.
The only reason I didn’t put Planescape: Torment here is because I never finished the game; I only watched let’s plays and video essays to understand its story. Therefore, it doesn’t count.
I didn’t put Arcanum here because of how it ends. While still beautiful and thought-provoking in its own way, the charisma option in the final boss fight isn’t as good as that of the first Fallout.
Favorite Art Style — Deus Ex: Human Revolution
This has been mentioned repeatedly on this blog that I liked the aesthetics of Deus Ex: Human Revolution so much that the design of this website was inspired by it. I’ve since changed the header fonts from Orbitron to Proxima Nova, and I may change it again to Scout (from Rainbow Six Siege).
This process shows how games influence not only how I choose to pass my time, but also how it informs my aesthetic choices. While my current aesthetics still retains a lot of my edgy teenage preferences, especially with the dark background, my choice of colors and overall presentation did change. If I made this back when I was a teenager, it would’ve been black and red.
Never mind the piss filter in the original release of the game. That was an artistic choice that made even me scratch my head. But the interface and atmosphere of the game stayed with me somehow, enough that it got me to copy bits of it while I was learning web development in college.
I know it’s not the most intricate or distinct art style ever in a video game, but I did like it anyway. Perhaps I would’ve taken more from Mass Effect 2 as well, a game that I also liked for its visuals. But somehow, nanopunk won me a bit more than outer space.
“I’ll finish it someday.” — Dishonored
I think I know why even with all the times I’ve tried to start with this game, I have not even approached the middle part and just let it languish in my Steam library all this time. It’s the distinction between high chaos and low chaos gameplay.
I learned early on that high chaos yields a bad ending and low chaos yields a good ending. While I’m definitely more of a low chaos sort of person since I grew up playing Deus Ex and Thief: The Dark Project, I watched a ton of combo kill videos when this game was first released.
High chaos is where all the fun stuff is, and I feel like I’d be missing out if I want a good ending. Then again, the solution to that is to play it twice. However, while I was trying out low chaos, I noticed that there’s an achievement for each mission called Ghost. You get it when you complete the mission without being spotted even once.
The last time I tried to play this game, I got spotted once in the first mission. I then stopped playing again due to being busy with other things. I know this is the sort of game I’d be into, but that distinction between high chaos and low chaos gameplay is throwing me for a loop.
This year, I’m putting a stop to that. I’ll finish it in 2021, hopefully live on Twitch.
Big Personal Impact — StarCraft II
What hooked me into StarCraft II back in 2010 is the same reason I got into chess back in 2006, which is learning more about something I’m supposedly bad at. It was an effort to shore up a weakness through a game. But what kept me hooked was the hotkey-centric gameplay and multitasking, which challenged me to get better.
I was able to reach Platinum league, which was more than what I wanted. In the five years I played 1v1 multiplayer ladder semi-seriously from 2010 to 2015, it taught me what it takes to turn a weakness into a strength. My weakness of not being good at thinking on my feet and making decisions on the fly were shored up to an extent.
It taught me much about the learning process. While I no longer play at least ten ladder games every day, I still carry the lessons I learned from that time. So yeah, this game had a big personal impact on me.
Best Combat — DOOM Eternal
If there’s one game that gave me the same itch as StarCraft II in terms of skill-based gameplay that hits every button for me, it’s DOOM Eternal. Right from its gameplay trailer, detailing all the new mechanics, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to play it, so I played the hell out of DOOM 2016 in anticipation. It was the one thing I was looking forward to when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
It was released five days after the lockdown, and I went through hell trying to buy the game. My card wouldn’t work for some reason, so I had to find a way to add funds to my GCash. This was before I linked my bank account to it, so I had to go to find a nearby 7-11 that could let me do so. I was able to get the game just a day before release, which was practically a pre-order. While I usually have a rule of never pre-ordering a game, this had to be an exception.
DOOM Eternal was my companion for most of 2020. Once I learned about quick-switching and realized that I had to change my key bindings, it got even more fun. Perhaps you can say that 300+ hours in a game played throughout a year are rookie numbers, but every minute of that time was quality.
You like, but everyone hates — Fallout 4
The writing and dialogue in Fallout 4 suck. They make the game sub-par, which is a shame since the system itself is actually pretty good. I’d even double-down on that and say the role-playing system in Fallout 4 is superior to the older Fallout games.
I haven’t posted a write-up on this yet, but I have a draft on a comparison between Cyberpunk 2077 with The Outer Worlds and Fallout 4. I conclude there that Cyberpunk 2077 combines the best gameplay features of the other two and other open world games and immersive sims, as well as the more compelling story, while The Outer Worlds is the one with the more unique setting and Fallout 4 has the best role-playing system.
What Fallout 4 ended up being is a platform for future conversion mods that some indie outfit can make a full game with several years down the line. Bethesda’s unwillingness or inability to make a game with the same narrative cohesion and depth as Fallout: New Vegas makes Todd Howard look like Vince McMahon in pro wrestling.
I would go as far as to say that Fallout 4 is even more of untapped potential than Cyberpunk 2077. It goes to show that no matter how good the gameplay is, a single-player game will never get long-term recognition without significant narrative substance.
You hate, but everyone likes — League of Legends
This is mostly my fault. I was never able to get into the MOBA craze of the mid-to-late 2000s. I did play DotA All-Stars back in 2005, and the experience pretty much scared me away from team multiplayer games for the next several years. I just don’t like getting berated while playing.
I’ve talked about my qualms with playing MOBAs before on this blog post, and the five reasons I listed down there still stand. Besides, there’s no one who hates the game more than a veteran League of Legends player.
But why did I answer League of Legends here and not Dota 2? The answer lies in my ability to follow their respective scenes. Personally, I find the stories in Dota 2 to be more compelling, especially with the history of OG and all the other anime-like tales in that scene.
I never felt that with League of Legends. Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t paying enough attention. While there’s a lot more to Riot Games’ production value given to the game and its scene, it never really captured my attention for some reason.
That’s the reason for my answer here. Everyone else seems to like it, but I don’t.
Underrated — Mafia
I’m talking about the original here. I like this game so much, I made a video about it over four years ago. I have yet to follow it up with the remake, and I’m still working on that. It’s the source of my current anxiety, as far as my middling online endeavors go.
Anyway, Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven was a game about Italian-American gangsters during the Prohibition era that was developed by a Czech company. That meant it was likely more based on a movie than the actual history, GoodFellas in this case. I don’t know how much the designer did his research, but it does seem like he’s a history buff as he went on to found the company that developed Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
The remake was great as it got more of the history it needed to add more depth to the setting and narrative. But what the original had on its own was already quite substantial with its story of family, betrayal, and reckoning.
Overrated — Overwatch
Overwatch was a salvage of the ill-fated Project Titan. It was an admirable and successful salvage, but still a salvage nonetheless. It’s not to say it’s a bad game; far from it.
But with the addition of Brigitte and the advent of the GOATS meta, we see how little idea Blizzard has for the game. They’re making it up as they go, and they would only make things even worse as they implement features like Role Queue to fix the situation.
I’ve said everything I could about my thoughts on Overwatch as far as its future and how Blizzard steers it. You pay $40 for a game that’s barely figured out, both in its gameplay and its lore. It’s such a waste since it has one strength that made it succeed in the first place, which is excellent character design.
“Why do I like this?” — Overwatch
Despite my many misgivings with it, I still like Overwatch. It was my 2016 Game of the Year and my #7 Game of the 2010s. It was still fun while I played it and helped me connect with friends during a crucial time. While I never really got good with it, which is the usual as it takes considerable effort for me to get good at games, I still got a lot of value out of it.
And even if I don’t play it anymore, I still enjoy seeing the characters, whether it’s in the increasingly sparse official material or in fan art (including porn).
Game You Always Come Back To — StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
This is about the first singleplayer campaign. While it lacks many of the gameplay updates of the next two installments, I still hold Wings of Liberty as the best one of the three. Perhaps it’s because the Terrans being human and Jim Raynor being a down-but-not-out revolutionary makes it a lot more relatable.
You get to hunt down pieces of a McGuffin, acquire awesome war machines, glimpse into the future, and topple a dictator throughout this campaign. You can play with units that are not available in the multiplayer ladder. You have achievements to complete in each mission and side objectives to earn more upgrade points and credits.
But what makes it good enough for me to want to play over and over again is the mission variety. While the branching missions it has fall a bit flat for me, it does have different upgrade rewards that make them somewhat compelling if you care enough about those particular units. But that only plays a factor if you’re skilled enough to make them work. Perhaps you eventually will once you get to a level that lets you beat it in Brutal difficulty.
Every time I get back to it, I’m a little better at the game. The last time I got back to StarCraft II, I was able to increase my APM in ladder games from 80 to 120 with a simple tweak to my gameplay. That also let me be better able to beat campaign missions in Brutal, which I couldn’t before.
Even if I’m not that active in the game anymore, I still improve as I mature as a gamer and as a human being. That’s not something I get often from a game.
That Atmosphere — S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
It’s supposed to be gritty and somewhat depressing. Its survival mechanics should make it disempowering, and the environment of the Zone should make it dreary. But somehow, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is like a warm blanket in a weird way.
Perhaps it’s the part of me that’s always been interested in stuff like prepping and survivalism. I’m not far down that rabbit hole to be paranoid about SHTF scenarios and government surveillance, but it’s enough for me to like the atmosphere in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. Perhaps I should finish the other two games in order to confirm that, but I think experiencing Shadow of Chernobyl that way is enough for me.
It’s sitting around a campfire with other stalkers, enjoying some vodka and a can of Tourist Delight, listening to guitar music or Bandit Radio, and just chilling in the Zone that can give you a sense of that slavic charm in this game.
Bad Cure Day — DOOM Eternal
It’s not just a bad day cure, but a bad year cure. The year 2020 felt like a black hole sucking my soul out of my body, and DOOM Eternal kept me from turning into a husk. I get to kill demons and be a badass, which is weird for me to say since I’m sort of an anti-escapist in the way I play video games.
DOOM Eternal is a bad day cure for me because it lets me focus more on getting better at a difficult game that I enjoy playing, which then encourages me to live my life with that same improvement-focused mindset when I do step away from it.
That’s similar to what StarCraft II has done for me, but the difference is that it entered my life at a crucial time—in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty.
Whenever I finish a hard mission, having been able to kill demons more efficiently, and come out beaten but not broken, I feel like I can do the same against the demons in the real world.
Favorite Protagonist — Garrett from Thief Series
This one took me a while to figure out. I realized that most of the protagonists in the games I played growing up were devoid of character. They were either silent protagonists who were designed to channel the player’s power fantasies or templates for acting out approximations of player choices. There weren’t a lot of distinct characters who were neither one-dimensional nor with cringe-inducing levels of edge.
And that’s why my choice for favorite protagonist ended up being obscure and still somewhat edgy. The only reason why I could be confident with my choice for Garrett from the Thief series, sans the 2014 reboot, was him being a reluctant hero.
He was an orphan who was taken in by the Keepers, an organization of scribes and scholars who maintained the balance in the City. He was taught their ways, but he didn’t want to be a disaffected ghost like them. He decided to go rogue and ply his skills as a thief.
It’s not to say his choice of rebellion was admirable—far from it. However, it was a career choice nonetheless, like being a black hat hacker nowadays. It let him better understand the power dynamics within the City while serving his own needs.
But with the latter, you’ll see throughout the game how he’s actually a bumbling fool. He always comes upon setbacks that could let him retire from burglary and maybe move to the countryside. The foolish part is that he doesn’t.
Meanwhile, the Keepers constantly pester him to go back to them. He just wants to do his own thing, while his former mentors want him to fulfill his potential as they see fit. Despite that, he brushes them off and tries to live his own life.
And perhaps that’s why I relate to Garrett. I’ve been in the same situation as Garrett with family breathing down my neck to make the most of my talents. But now, as a man in my mid-30s, they now look at me with tired eyes as a kid who wasted his potential.
On the lighter side, Garrett does have a sense of humor, so he’s not totally a stone wall. He does try to seem cool like how guys in their 20s try to act like Ryan Gosling from Drive, but he does have the moxie to back it up and is not lost for words most of the time.
And yet, I wish to not yield to what I came to see as an undesired path in life, like how Garrett saw the Keeper life. Like him, I’m pretty good at what I do and content with my way of life. He lost an eye, I lost my youth. Despite everything, we still keep on keeping on.
Don’t know if that’s a proper interpretation of his character, but it’s good enough for me.
After Work Relaxation — DOOM Eternal
I don’t know if it’s still entirely true, but I do find myself opening the game for a mission or two when I finish work. I haven’t been doing that as much right now as of this writing due to Cyberpunk 2077, but I see myself getting back to DOOM Eternal once I’ve exhausted the content in that game. Much of what makes it relaxing is why it’s my bad day cure as well.
Biggest Letdown — Watch Dogs
I was hyped for this game when the trailer first came out. It looked good, the hacking made for interesting gameplay, and the open world teased great possibilities. Instead, it came out rushed, with plenty of things wrong with its open world. The hacking was nice, but it was dragged down by its poorly written protagonist.
Aiden Pearce is one of the worst protagonists ever committed to any sort of media not because he’s boring like most other Ubisoft protagonists, but because he’s so unlikeable. He takes many parts of Batman, but without the heroism and Bruce Wayne’s ethics. He’s depicted as an angry white boy in a trench coat and even as a bad uncle. I couldn’t keep playing because the guy I was playing turned out to be such a downright asshole.
There’s now a much better version of Watch Dogs, where you get to hack enemies in combat as well. It’s called Cyberpunk 2077.
“Back in the Day” Game — Quake II
Comparing all the Quake games with each other, Quake II can never be seen as the foremost title in the franchise. Quake had the most novelty and fame, not only for being the first, but also for being so imaginative in its own right. Quake III Arena had the best multiplayer by miles. Quake IV was the most disappointing on all accounts, even if it did much to expand on the whole war against the Strogg.
Quake II is middling compared to them. It’s a result of what was happening in id Software, as well as the kind of stuff coming out of the woodwork in the late 90s. But it’s my first FPS, and I still play it every now and then. While DOOM Eternal has somewhat ruined it for me as this old-ass game doesn’t have quick-switching, I can pop in the Berserker mod to freshen it up.
It still has the easiest boss fight on earth, the dreariest levels ever rendered on a Voodoo card, and the dankest prisoners in video game history, but Quake II is still my regular nostalgia trip. High school sucked, but this game made it better for me.
I read a comment on Civvie 11’s video on Quake II that summed it up quite nicely:
“Daikatana shows how much Romero needed the Carmacks.
Quake II shows how much John Carmack needed Romero and Hall.
One of these games is infamously terrible and often analysed for just how many things can go wrong even when a superstar developer is involved.
The other game is mostly remembered for its colored lighting, when it’s remembered at all.”
“Not the best, but having fun.” — Cyberpunk 2077
This blog post details how much fun I’ve been having with Cyberpunk 2077. There is much to hate about the game, from its unfulfilled promises, numerous bugs and glitches, patch updates that always seem to break something, unoptimized performance, all the missing features, and how hard CD Projekt RED cracked the whip at their employees to get this game out the door.
Despite all that, I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into the game. I can’t get enough of making my way up the food chain in Night City. Somehow, even with all its flaws and broken promises, the soul is there. If they had gotten into its development a lot earlier and the guys at the top didn’t exert pressure to launch it within 2020, the potential would’ve been fully tapped.
It doesn’t just have a polish problem; it has a Polish problem. There are some shitty ass boomers over there. The Witcher 3 really blew their heads up. They’re well within their right since they still came out with a fun game, but I wish they didn’t get overconfident.
Criminally Overlooked — Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
This was a really close second for my answer as the best story in a game. I can say this game has the best characters out of any story-centric game. Perhaps other top contenders like Planescape: Torment, the Fallout games, and Arcanum have some really good ones, but the characters of KOTOR 2 pulled me in.
Both the protagonist Meetra Surik (or whichever custom character you choose to play) and Kreia are incredibly written. The antagonists (both overt and covert) and companions have deep backstories and motivations that drive the plot along, and they all converge and clash in such beautiful ways. To think they only had 14 months to cobble it all together, that game was an amazing achievement that’s seriously overlooked.
Perhaps that’s why I’m not too bothered by the sequel trilogy (even if I did review two of them badly). The ultimate Star Wars story already exists, and it came out in December 2004.
Depressing Game — Spec Ops: The Line
I should replay this game, but I remember my sole experience of this game being both excruciating and profound at the same time. When it came out, it was lauded by games media as a deconstruction of the then-popular military shooter genre, much like how Unforgiven was a farewell to the western film genre back in the early 90s.
For me, it was just a third-person shooter with fucked-up things going on, like burning civilians with white phosphorus, having your subordinates yell at you for being a bad officer, and the antagonist being sort of an old and grizzled military version of Tyler Durden from Fight Club. Those are spoilers I don’t mind dropping since Spec Ops: The Line is not about the twists, but the overall experience despite them.
The main reason why I feel like I have to play it again is because I sucked at cover shooters when I first played it. For some strange reason only known to my subconscious, I would play most shooters like I’m still in the 90s, so I would just charge in. Yeah, that’s no good for modern shooters, and especially so for a cover shooter like this game. It still depresses me to this day.
Favorite Active Franchise — DOOM
Before 2016, this was far from reality. But now, with DOOM 2016 and DOOM Eternal in existence, it looks like there’s a lot more to come for this old franchise. The developers have shown their creativity and moxie with updating this age-old intellectual property that used to have a barebones story into something that’s both serious and tongue-in-cheek.
The amount of lore you can go through in the codices of the reboot games show the amount of thought put into updating this classic, and they don’t get in the way of mindlessly enjoying the gameplay. All you have to care about is that the Doom Slayer is a badass and everyone is scared of him. He also doesn’t like authority, and he will rip and tear demons until they’re all done. I think that’s just great, and id Software has done an awesome job with it.
Indie Pick — Hotline Miami
I’ve played plenty of indie titles over the years, being the owner of a Steam library with over 700 games as of this writing. I had what I like to call “The Great Bundle Binge of 2015”, which made sure I had plenty to plow through for years to come, and the free games in the Epic Games Store only make that task more daunting.
There were other titles I could’ve put here, like FTL: Faster Than Light and Sunless Sea. But there was only one title that came to mind as my top pick. Hotline Miami swept through the Internet when it first came out in 2013, a time when most indie titles were platformers.
While it has the typical faux retro pixel art graphics of indie fare, the gameplay is what sets it apart. It’s both casual-friendly and deep at the same time. Perhaps the only thing missing is a multiplayer mode, but developers had an artistic vision that kept the series at two games. They’ve shown everything they wanted to show, and then moved on.
There’s now a whole genre built on Hotline Miami and maybe someone will make something that’s truly better by building on those games while bringing something entirely new instead of being another clone. However, finishing the games, seeing every secret I can find, replaying missions I liked, and playing the soundtracks on loop will be hard to top for me.
“Not usually my thing, but…” — VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action
The most I’ve played visual novels was back in high school when I got to play eroge like Snow Drop, Water Closet, Do You Like Horny Bunnies?, and Sensei 2. As you can see, they’re of a certain persuasion, one which was supposedly not appropriate for my age at that time.
I haven’t been interested in playing visual novels since then, and the closest I’ve gotten to playing another one is VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. What makes it different is the mixing of drinks that require some skill and use of one’s memory, which made it more engaging than most other visual novels.
Of course, what caught my eye was the “cyberpunk” in the name. It’s not that I have anything against the visual novel genre—far from it. I like good writing in any game, even in a genre I may not be that into. But with this game, the worldbuilding and characterizations are so well done, and the art style adds to its charm.
I should really do more with stuff like this. The obvious answer is to make video content with it, but that’s easier said than done. I’m trying to get back into streaming, and I can edit the VODs for let’s plays, highlights, and so on. Let’s see if I can indeed do that for 2021.
But hey, at least this 5,000 word blog post is a good start.
Have something to say? Do you agree or am I off-base? Did I miss a crucial detail or get something wrong? Please leave whatever reactions, questions, or suggestions you may have on the comment section below.
You may also like/follow and leave a message on either Facebook or Twitter. Please subscribe to both the Avoiderdragon YouTube channel and my personal YouTube channel, as well as my Twitch channel, for more content. Thank you for dropping by. | <urn:uuid:f7b4ee02-e809-4b8b-9802-3de1aeae514b> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://avoiderdragon.com/8071/favorite-game-meme-but-different/ | 2022-01-28T21:26:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320306346.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20220128212503-20220129002503-00719.warc.gz | en | 0.972397 | 6,785 |
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