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[Turkey] [Organizing] [Hunger Strike] [International Connections] [Political Repression] [Control Units] [ULK Issue 47]
Lessons from the Hunger Strike 2000-2007 in Turkey
by Informacioni Sekretarijat November 2015 permalink
by Informacioni Sekretarijat of Revolutionary People's Party-Front
Reprinted from http://en.rnp-f.org
Although the Marxist-Leninist theory advocates the validity of all methods of struggle for the sake of the revolution, one particular method is often ignored or frowned upon: hunger strikes. Western worker's movement is proud of the acts of self-sacrifice by its militants as it's the basis of the most important historical victories, yet hunger strike is often seen as a waste of human lives with little or no value for the class struggle.
Such is the general opinion of the hunger strike led and organised by Party-Front of Turkey (DHKP-C) in the period of 2000-2007, also called "Death Fast". Seven years long, Death Fast has claimed lives of 122 revolutionaries and it was considered to [be] a victory. Something that fellow communist parties very often criticise and questioning the effectiveness of such methods of struggle.
However, to entirely understand and properly evaluate the Death Fast, it would be incorrect to limit ourselves to the superficial manifestations of the whole process. Given a perspective of over a decade since its beginning, we are in a good position to see its effects and give more clarity to the historical circumstances in which it took place. Let us consider it from the historical perspective, the perspective of the class contradictions and the state the revolutionary movement in Turkey was in during that period.
The years between 1999 and 2001 were politically very interesting years. There were a couple of reasons for this:
Turkish state was in a state of permanent crisis. Since almost 10 years there were nothing but impotent coalition governments that failed to win the consent of the people. They were forced to resort to violence but this quickly made them unpopular, which, in the long run, undermined their legitimacy.
In February 1999, Kurdish leader Ocalan was captured and delivered to Turkey by CIA. During his trials in 1999 he made a surprisingly submissive defence and offered collaboration to the state. This made a serious negative impact on the Kurdish movement and the other left-wing movements that are tailing the PKK. What had been experienced and felt after the collapse of Soviet Union inside the European communist parties, was now being experienced in Turkey after 10 years. Since 1990, apart from a couple of movements, majority of the radical left were reduced to legal, weak social democratic parties. And the imprisonment of Ocalan meant to deliver the finishing blow:
"Everything was in vain, state was too powerful to beat, armed struggle brought nothing but pain, the only solution was to be a member of EU, so that the country might be democratized." This was the general mood among the wide reformist circles.
In August 1999, a huge earthquake hit the Marmara Region which was the most industrialized, most populated part of Turkey. It killed approximately 50,000 people. Three months later another earthquake with the same severity hit the same region for the second time. The state was incapable of bringing any aid. They just swept the rubble of the buildings off towards the sea with the dead bodies of the people inside. It was soon revealed that the corrupt businessmen who were then backed by the state built the collapsed buildings. People were angry, but the revolutionary alternative was weak, stuck in prisons and some revolutionary neighbourhoods with some armed cells here and there.
In September 1999, the state forces launched a violent attack against Ulucanlar Prison. This turned into a massacre as the military forces killed 10 revolutionary prisoners from 4-5 different organizations and wounded hundreds of prisoners with real bullets. This was done to send a message to the revolutionary movements: "It is your turn."
By the end of 1999, the balance of the class forces was like this:
There were the weak, scattered and ideologically low self-esteemed reformists, begging for EU involvement.
There was the demoralized Kurdish movement, with its leader in prison, openly talking about disarming and disbanding the organization.
There were the ruling classes with their strong military and police forces, but with a withering hegemony over the desperate population who has been looking for an alternative. And after the earthquakes not only the political crisis but also the economic crisis was at their doorstep.
And there were the radical/armed/revolutionary movements:
Some of them, like Maoists, were still obsessed with the old strategy of storming the cities from the countryside, whereas the 70-80 percent of the population had now started to live in metropolitan cities rather than villages. They were also in a state of crisis and getting divided into smaller organizations because of disputes on strategy. Some other organizations were opportunists with a not-so-clear ideology about how to make a revolution: Now you see them heavily criticising the Kurdish movement, and now you see them tailing the PKK. Gradually sinking into legalism, reconciliation, hesitation.
Finally there was the Party-Front (P-C). Although not as physically strong as the Kurdish movement, P-C had a kind of ideological hegemony over the other radical/revolutionary organizations and was constantly pushing them to take a solid attitude against the establishment. This was the case in 1996 Hunger Strikes and in the other prison resistances after it. When the other political parties stepped back or showed some signs of hesitation, militants of P-C encouraged them, criticised them in the prisons. And exposed them in its publications when they stepped back, which would harm their prestige among their own people.
In the year 2000 the crisis was deepening, the ruling classes knew that they had to take the necessary precautions. They were done with the reformists, they thought that they were done with the Kurdish movement and now, if these revolutionary/radical movements could not be bowed down, they would become an alternative for the desperate Kurdish and Turkish masses in case of a crisis. And if you wanted to destroy them, you had to start from their ideological hegemons, the P-C, that still continued to preach revolution, armed struggle and anti-imperialism.
Thus, the state prepared a plan to destroy the revolutionary discipline in the prisons: It decided to transform the existing prison system into a high-security prison system where the political prisoners would be isolated from each other in small cells. In this way, the ruling classes were hoping to destroy the organizational ties among the prisons, turning the political prisoners into isolated individuals.
Then came December 19, 2000. 20 prisons were simultaneously raided for three days with nearly 9000 soldiers. They used more than 20,000 gas bombs, thousands of real bullets against the unarmed prisoners. As a result 28 prisoners were killed, nearly 600 prisoners became permanently disabled in 3 days. The rest of the prisoners were forcedly sent to high-security prison cells.
It was not an issue of physical destruction alone. Compared to 60 million population at that time, there were only approximately 10 thousands of political prisoners in total. But still the prisons were like the headquarters of ideological production. Prisoners were writing [a] majority of the articles and books, composing songs, heavily training the future militants. Imprisoning stopped being a punishment and the militants knew that if they were sent to the prison, near to their comrades, they would undergo an extensive Marxist-Leninist training and continue their revolutionary activity.
On the other hand, the ruling classes at that time were trying to spread the ideology of desperation as opposed to revolution. "Nothing is worth to sacrifice yourselves" they were saying, "especially for socialism and revolution which has already collapsed". It was the end of history. The entire world was giving up. IRA in Ireland, ANC in South Africa, FMLN in El Salvador, Palestinian Liberation Organization, PKK in Turkey. The dream was over.
And one year after the Hunger Strikes began, 9/11 happened in US. Bush has declared the New World Order and clearly put that [b""you are either with us, or against us".
What would it mean if the prisoners had submissively accepted this menace? Since 1980s it was one of the main tenets of the revolutionaries that if you are left in a position where you don't have any weapons to fight, you should better die than to surrender.
P-C knew that from past experience: Those who surrendered to the impositions of the 1980 Military Junta were destroyed. They either became reformist, legal organizations or their militants were transformed into liberal, even right-wing intellectuals. Yes, they physically continued to live, but they had had a brain death. They had become the extensions of ruling class ideology.
They were the best propaganda materials for the ruling classes: "Look at these so called leaders of proletariat! They are telling you to fight until the end, but they do not want to make even a smaller sacrifice for their own cause. Is this what you are going to die for? Don't be stupid young people."
However, when people resisted and died (either in hunger strike or an armed action) it made a huge impact, firstly among its comrades and among the people. It was the same in Kizildere in 1972 when Mahir Çayan and his comrades were massacred. The entire organization had been destroyed with them. But in just 2 years, hundreds of young militants swore to take their revenge. It was the same in 1984 and 1996 hunger strikes.
That was the basic thinking behind the hunger strikes: If you make the necessary sacrifice, you may die but at least it can make an impact that deeply influences the others to carry on.
Death Fast Logic
Two main causes can be emphasised over the others to explain the logic behind the death fasts:
Death or permanent injuries were the risks of the hunger strike. But the same risk is carried by any other revolutionary activity, especially the armed one. On the contrast, the submission to the government and accepting high security prisons would result in what the government really aimed at: to destroy the organisation from within and incite the ideological crisis. The revolutionaries in prison that preached heroic self-sacrifice and struggle would be discredited in the eyes of the people outside of the prison and in the eyes of the guerillas and militants who risk their lives on daily basis.
By design, these prisons were intended to interrupt the communication between the revolutionaries and isolate them from their comrades, from the external world, so that their thinking and behavioural habits would change and they will give up the idea of revolution later on. They are meant to destroy the revolutionary fervour and discipline, something which the organisation could not submit to. In such a case, giving up would mean willingly destroying the tradition of resistance inside the prisons, for the inexperienced, incompetent young militants would sink into depression and despair. What should they do, even when their "leaders", "wise comrades" surrender? The high security prisons would be seen as "hell [on] earth", as the horrible factories that produce tamed, subdued ordinary people out of the fervent, audacious revolutionaries once you go in. You can force the people to do everything, once you instil this "fear of imprisonment" in their minds.
The hunger strikes started [on] 20th of October 1999, after the state openly declared its new prison policy, and went on until 2007, when the state agreed to show some flexibility in its isolation policy.
From this perspective, we can say that hunger strike was a political victory. Because:
Revolutionary movement and its militants managed to protect the tradition of resistance inside the prisons. Now in every single high security prison there is a very strong network of revolutionary prisoners who wake up, do exercise, study, write, and paint – according to one single schedule, although they may not see each other for years. They developed innovative and complex networks of communication inside the prison. In the former prison system, it is said that 60% of the revolutionary prisoners resumed the struggle when they were released, whereas this rate is now 80% according to some sources. The massacre and the new prison system created the opposite results for the ruling classes thanks to this resistance.
Outside, the memories and sacrifices of resistance continued to live and both ideologically and emotionally strengthened the cadres, militants and sympathisers of the revolutionary movement. It was clearly shown that socialism is a cause that is still worth to die for and the revolutionaries in Turkey were ready to do this, while the Islamists and patriots who always talked about "making sacrifices for Allah or for the homeland" became part of the establishment.
Regarding the other radical/revolutionary movements: 15 years later after the prison massacre and 8 years after the end of the hunger strike, now there is a huge ideological gap between the other left and the revolutionary movement, the P-C. Some of these organizations that refused to take part in the resistance splintered into pieces. Some of them went through an ideological crisis and legalised themselves, liquidated their illegal organizations. Many of them started to tail the Kurdish movement and became part of HDP as the Greek reformists did with Syriza in Greece. Revolution stopped being the main purpose, whereas imperialism stopped being their main enemy; they started to look for some excuses when the Kurdish movement initiated an open collaboration with US in Syria. For years they have not carried out a single legal democratic, mass campaign apart from their campaigns for the corrupt elections. Marxism-Leninism was thrashed. Their mass base waned.
When the hunger strike was ended 2007, none of the initial demands of the revolutionaries were accepted. A revised version of the demands, which involved the freedom to see other people for 10 hours a week, was agreed on. Compared to the main aim of the ruling classes to isolate the revolutionaries, to bow them into complete submission, it this was an important achievement too.
As to the question: "did it worth to sacrifice more than a hundred people just for this?" while ignoring the political and ideological victories of the Great Resistance. The purpose was to put an end to the revolutionary ideology in Turkey and they failed in doing this. Turkey did not become the next Guatemala, Palestine or South Africa as they wanted it to be.
Hope survived and although the revolutionary movement came out weakened, it did survive and grew stronger over the years. Now there are pro-Party-Front groups emerging in different fields of the struggle. There is a music band called Grup Yorum that organizes public concerts all around Turkey where they sing their revolutionary songs with hundreds of thousands people. An institution called Engineers and Architects of the People started to organize inside the revolutionary neighbourhoods, trying to put forward an alternative way of living with popular assemblies, public gardens, wind turbines to allow the community to produce their own electricity. There are attempts to organize the shopkeepers within a cooperative so that they can resist against the monopoly of the shopping malls and big supermarkets. In the last couple of years, a series of successful worker resistances were supported by the Revolutionary Worker Movement, which declares itself to be pro-Party-Front.
On the other hand, Party-Front itself continued its armed activities, some of which are widely publicized in the international media. It has militia bands in the main revolutionary quarters of Istanbul which fight against gangs, drug dealers and the state forces. These activities must have attracted the attention of the imperialists, so that some analysts started to speak of Party-Front as an "emerging threat" in Turkey. The US State Department issued a warrant of arrest for whom they think to be the top leaders of Party-Front. Imperialism declared that "up to 3 million dollars" will be rewarded to those who assist in capturing these people, whom the US considers to be the "most wanted people in Europe".
We will see what will come up in the following years.
With Solidarity.
Bahtiyar Safak
MIM(Prisons) adds: We are reprinting this analysis from http://en.rnp-f.org because of the relevance to conditions and struggles within Amerikan prisons. Our comrades behind bars sometimes find themselves in a position where a hunger strike is one of only a few potential avenues of protest against conditions that are brutal and often deadly. This article demonstrates the potential successes that can be gained from long-term hunger strikes.
However, it MUST be noted that these strikes in Turkey were in a very different political context than the one faced by prisoners in the United $tates. In Turkey in 1999 there were relatively large networks of revolutionary organizing in the prisons and a solid (and armed) network of support outside. Without those conditions the sacrfices made would not have had the same impact. In our current conditions in prisons in the United $tates we are not anywhere close to this level of organization. Hunger strikes in U.$. prisons are not focused on protecting such advanced political activity and organization behind bars, rather they are used to gain reprieve from conditions of torture and create opportunities for some organizing. Because of these differences we can not simply apply this analysis directly to our situation.
Our knowledge of the RNP-F is limited. We applaud what little we have seen of their work and look forward to learning more about their political line and practice.
[New Afrika] [Africa] [National Oppression] [ULK Issue 47]
Two Sides of Garvey
by Loco1 of United Struggle from Within November 2015 permalink
Marcus Garvey and Amy Jacques
In response to the call to honor freedom fighters, it is an honor and pleasure to journal the commemoration of New Afrikan freedom fighter Amy Jacques Garvey.
So many today dismiss the Pan-Afrikan movement and its various bodies, both within and outside of U.$. prisons, as that of an unnecessary call and reference to an outdated idea. In the context of the proletarian political causes, it is often the ultra-leftist who has taken up this position.
However, in our attempts to fast forward the most correct methods of resolving contradictions, we acknowledge that they come in the form of class consciousness among nationalist leaders driven by internationalist struggles led by the proletariat. The Pan-Afrikan movement is one likely place where we find these elements.
Many prisoners are aware of the name Marcus Mosiah Garvey, but very few are familiar with Amy Jacques Garvey, the wife of Marcus Garvey and the bone and marrow of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Amy Garvey was a special person in the history of liberation struggles. Born 31 December 1895 in Kingston, Jamaica to a middle-upper class family, Amy Garvey was ahead of her time. Though "all identity is individual, there is no individual identity that is not historical or, in other words, constructed within a field of social values, norms of behavior and collective symbols."(1)
The mother of what author Ula Yvette Taylor coined "community feminism," Amy Garvey pressed the issue of lower class wimmin not only in serving their male counterparts, but also educating themselves to become political leaders in the nation. Today, lumpen wimmin of the internal semi-colonies still find themselves criticized for either being home-oriented or for sex. UNIA enjoyed support across gender and promoted equality of the sexes. Yet, in practice, this "community feminist" approach was a means of dealing with the expectations put on wimmin to be supporters of men while still being political leaders. While wimmin like Amy Garvey had to take on an unequal burden compared to their male counterparts, their actions served to break down the expectations of gendered roles, paving the way for others.
Amy Garvey empowered wimmin to confront racism, colonialism and imperialism, while contesting masculine dominance as well.(2) As she wrote, wimmin should use their "intelligence in a righteous cause" as they are needed to "fill the breach, and fight as never before, for the masses need intelligent dedicated leadership."(3)
Since the 1920s, Amy Jacques Garvey's organizing activities had sought to further the decolonization of West Afrikan nations as people of African descent endeavored to restructure their societies. The antecedents of these largely nationalist movements were well-established in Pan-Afrikan struggle that came into its own during the early 1940s, including the fifth Pan-Afrikan Congress. Meanwhile, other power shifts were occurring such as: the rise of the Soviet Union, liberation struggles in southeast Asia, the independence of China and the Asian-African Bandung Conference.(4) Indeed, within this political milieu, "West Afrikan nationalism and various brands of Pan-Africanism, could mix with everything from Fabian socialism to Marxism-Leninism."(5)
While engaging in the international arena, Amy Garvey also struggled against fellow comrades of the UNIA. She was well known for her refusal to hold her tongue on the contradictions that arose within, even at times writing critical positions of Marcus Garvey himself. It resembles so many of those within the belly of the beast babylon who struggle to liberate themselves in order to offer liberation to their people, only to be hushed by LO leadership.
Amy Garvey was from Jamaica and considered herself an Afrikan. She drove home the point that people of Afrikan descent in the United $tates (New Afrikans) and elsewhere were living as second-class citizens, largely as a result of economic oppression. Today we see the second-class citizenship that New Afrikans and [email protected] face as the biggest targets of social isolation by the U.$. prison system. The second class that the oppressed nations are being bred into today is what we call the First World lumpen class. In the imperialist countries, that is the class that has nothing to lose from a revolution except the very chains that bind them to a bourgeois system that doesn't serve them. "As the lumpen experience oppression first hand here in Amerika, we are in a position to spearhead the revolutionary vehicle within the U.$. borders."(6)
The 2015 release of [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán by a MIM(Prisons) study group introduces prisoners to the reality of their class identity with the lumpen of oppressed internal semi-colonies in North America.
"Kwame Nkrumah in his analysis of neo-colonialism in Africa defined it as: 'The essence of neo-colonialism is that the state which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside.' Nkrumah stressed the importance of dividing the oppressed into smaller groups as part of this process of preventing effective resistance to imperialism as had already occurred in China, Vietnam, Korea, Cuba and elsewhere."(7)
Amy Garvey too considered the likes of Kwame Nkrumah as her comrade, alongside of Nnamdi Azikiwe, W.E.B. DuBois and George Padmore, just to name a few. She was a disciplined, arduous scholar whose objective was to fold Garveyism into existing progressive organizations, thus uniting a divergent Pan-Afrikan world.
Many of the ideas that are circulated amongst the lumpen organizations within the belly of the beast babylon are grafted from the ideas of the peoples parties like the UNIA, whether they admit it or not. The proof is in the pudding. Amy Garvey showed that one could stand on two legs and not buckle under the pressure of integrationist culture.
Amy Garvey held Marcus Garvey up while he served his prison bid in Atlanta, and took the driver's seat of one of the world's most influential Negro organizations in its time when wimmin weren't expected to be political. It is so similar to the anti-imperialist prisoner movement; prisoners aren't expected to be political souljahs.
Death to babylon-imperialism!
MIM(Prisons) adds: MIM said that Pan-Afrikanism should be a strategic question, and is not worth splitting over.(8) They also said that Pan-Afrikanism has historically been the most progressive of the "pan" ideologies. Clearly that the Pan-Afrikan mission has yet to succeed in the dire need for effective revolutionary leadership is evident in the recent revelations that
"In 2014, the U.S. carried out 674 military activities across Africa, nearly two missions per day, an almost 300% jump in the number of annual operations, exercises, and military-to-military training activities since U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) was established in 2008."(9)
The imperialists continue to foment the tribal divisions across the African continent to wage proxy wars that amount to inter-proletarian killing on the ground. The overwhelming proletarian character of the populations in Africa gives Pan-Afrikanism its strong progressive character.
1. Etienne Balibar and Immanuel Wallerstein, Race, Nation, Class: Ambiguous Identities, Verso Books, 2011.
2. Yvette Ula Taylor, The Veiled Garvey, the life & times of Amy Jacques Garvey, University of North Carolina Press, 2002, p. 2.
3. Amy Jacques Garvey, "The Role of Women in Liberation Struggles", Massachusetts Review, Winter-Spring 1972, p. 109-112.
4. Ehecatl, "Lessons from the Bandung Conference for the United Front for Peace in Prisons", Under Lock & Key No. 43, March 2015.
5. Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, Washington DC: Howard University Press, 1982, p. 277-78.
Hakim Adi, West Afrikans in Britain 1900-1960: Nationalism, Pan-Africanism and Communism, London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1998, pp. 160-170, 186.
6. A MIM(Prisons) Study Group, [email protected] Power and the Struggle for Aztlán, MIM Distributors, 2015, p. 14.
7. Ibid, p. 68.
8. 2002 MIM Congress, "Resolution on Pan-Africanism."
9. Nick Turse, "The U.S. Military's Battlefield of Tomorrow", TomDispatch, 14 April 2015.
Lessons from the Bandung Conference for the United Front for Peace in Prisons
Book Review: Marcus Garvey Falls Short of Revolutionary Nationalism
[Organizing] [ULK Issue 49]
Sept 9 Solidarity As Survival Strategy
by USW12 of United Struggle from Within November 2015 permalink
In honor of our comrades and others sacrificed and murdered at Attica on 9 September 1971, the purpose of this article is to promote unity, peace, and solidarity amongst all prisoners regardless of affiliation or association. For, "every individual who stands against oppression on any level is a freedom fighter."(1) And, "We want everyone to take the ideological development of our movement into their own hands."(2) We must face the truth that we can be our own worst enemy allowing our oppressors to manipulate us against our best interests through the tactic of divide and conquer. "And they use the gangs as their puppet to do hits for smokes and food. That's the real story in this place that the prisoners are brushing under the rug. It ain't just the pigs who are oppressing our people, it's their puppets."(3) These words ring true and those of us who have been held in these gulags for any appreciable amount of time can attest to its truthfulness.
As an alternative and challenge to do better for self, our organization, and movement, and, especially as an act of unity in remembrance of the atrocities inflicted on September 9th at Attica, a California prisoner offers this sage advice: "If you see someone in the struggle in need of some support, be that support. The number one reason for mistreatment in prison is lack of solidarity amongst prisoners. We need to start supporting each other in order to have a livable life. Not only will we get along but we'll support each other when needed."(4) So let us adopt this comrade's viewpoint, at all costs, for together on 9/9 we stand and divided we fall. Let us be determined that failure shall not be attributable to our lack of due diligence and strong revolutionary action.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This comrade penned the above message as part of eir commemoration of the September 9th Day of Peace and Solidarity in 2015 and suggested that it be used as a flier for other USW comrades. It is a good reminder of the need to address the contradictions within the prison population for true peace and solidarity to be achieved. And as the California comrade quoted points out, this is also closely linked to a general spirit of looking out for each other that must be developed year-round.
Alienation and individualism are important parts of our capitalist culture that make oppression and abuse possible. With solidarity and by looking out for each other the oppressor cannot get away with their abuses. That is why solidarity is central to the question of survival and well-being inside prisons. The campaign for mental and physical health in prisons cannot be separated from the campaign to build the United Front for Peace in Prisons.
September is just a few months away again, start organizing for the Day of Peace and Solidarity. Write to us for a copy of the September 9 study pack to start educating and building now.
1. A New York Prisoner, "Black August Call to Celebrate Freedom Fighters Year Round", April 2015, Under Lock & Key No. 45 July/August 2015.
2. MIM(Prisons). "Prisoner-led Study Groups Summary", July 2015, Under Lock & Key No. 45 July/August 2015.
3. A Florida Prisoner, "Is ULK Too Hardcore for DOC?", May 2015, Under Lock & Key No. 45 July/August 2015.
4. A California Prisoner, "Peace and Solidarity Challenge September 9", June 2015, Under Lock & Key No. 45 July/August 2015.
Build a United Front for Peace in Prisons
Peace and Solidarity Challenge September 9
Prisoner-led Study Groups Summary
Is ULK Too Hardcore for the DOC?
Black August Call to Celebrate Freedom Fighters Year Round
[Abuse] [Organizing] [Southeast Correctional Center] [Missouri]
Organizing Against Rights Violations in Ad-Seg
by a Missouri prisoner November 2015 permalink
The paramount purpose for this correspondence is to bring awareness to the barbaric, dehumanizing, unacceptable living conditions for us (the offenders) who currently reside in the Restrictive Housing Unit/Administrative Segregation (RHU/Ad-Seg) units of #1 and #2 house here at Southeastern Correctional Center (SECC). These inhumane conditions are inconsistent with the evolving standards of a decent society. We are being abused and oppressed at the hands of the administration. Therefore, I'm hoping that hearing our cry for help may spark a fuse in your spirit and compel you all to help us fight against injustice. These particular injustices are inflicted upon us intentionally and being used as a form of psychological torture for the purpose of tormenting and dehumanizing the prisoners here at SECC.
The staff here at SECC, namely: Warden Ian Wallace, Asst. Warden Paula Phillips-Reed, Asst. Warden Bill Stange, Major Terry White, and HU#2/FUM Bruce Hanebrink, have conjured up a host of sanitation and human rights violations under the umbrella of a recently created "limited property" policy implemented in the Administrative Segregation housing units #1 and #2. These violations are as follows:
1. Equal protection violation (14th Amendment of the U.S. Const.): SECC Administration limited Phase 1 & 2 prisoners in RHU/Ad-Seg to 5 stamps, 5 envelopes, 1 pad of writing paper, and 1 small security ink pen per month. To have the aforementioned supplies is a right and cannot be treated as a privilege in the punishment and reward system to be given or taken away at the staff's discretion based off of behavior and/or placement. Prisoners in Ad-Seg units should be allowed to purchase the same amount of stamps as general population prisoners are allowed to purchase. Having writing material does not pose a potential security threat. It does however, hinder prisoners' access to courts, the House of Congress, our lawyers, prisoner advocate groups and our families if we are deprived, thereof. We have a right to use the mail for corresponding purposes without limitation.
2. Sanitation violation (8th Amendment of the U.S. Const.): The SECC Administration subjected us to cruel and unusual punishment when they sent CERT officers into the housing units of #1 and #2 in August 2015 to confiscate from all prisoners therein all state issued personal pants, t-shirts, boxers, socks, towels and face cloths. Prisoners are no longer allowed to have towels and face towels in their assigned cells. We are given 1 pair of boxers, 1 t-shirt, and 1 pair of socks to be changed out every three days. For prisoners to be forced to wear the same dirty boxers for 3 days straight is such an unsanitary condition that I developed a "jock itch and rashes" around my groin area. When we do finally change boxers they are in exchange for more over-used boxers shared by hundreds of other prisoners. Some of these prisoners have various diseases (i.e. Aids, HIV, Hepatitis, TB, Staph, Shingles, etc.)
Furthermore, we are not allowed to have face cloths in our cells, preventing us from being able to at least wash up in our sinks to get the dirt and stink off of us until shower day. We are only given a wash cloth on shower day, once we enter the shower stall. These items must be given back before returning to our cells. To add fuel to the fire, the same exact towels and face cloths that we are being forced to use on our body, staff are using them for multi-purpose towels (i.e. staff use them to clean the shower walls and doors with; staff use them to wipe the wing food carts with, staff use them to wipe the wing desk down that they sit at while in the wing, staff use them on clean up night — forcing us to wash our walls, sink, and cell floors with, and staff use them to clean up smelly, rust water that comes from the pipes whenever a cell sprinkler busts.) What reasonable minded person uses their dish towels to shower with? This is definitely a serious problem that poses a potential health risk. To sum it all up, we have been reduced to the dark ages. Forced to live like Vikings and cavemen when uncleanliness was an acceptable way of life.
3. Human rights violations: unsanitary conditions: The administration officials decided that Ad-Seg prisoners are not allowed to purchase soap from inmate canteen. Instead, we are issued 1 small bar of state made soap (approx 3 inches in length, 1/2 inch thick) per week. With that 1 bar of soap we have to take a shower twice a week and wash our hands throughout the days. Most of the time, by the 2nd shower day, there is not enough soap left to shower with. Some prisoners, myself included, complain that they limit how many times they wash their hands after using the toilet so that they may have enough soap to shower with by the next shower day.
Furthermore, prisoners in Ad-Seg are not being permitted to purchase toilet paper to adequately wipe with after defecation. We are given only 1 roll of tissue and being forced to make it last a week. Sometimes we have to blow our noses with the tissue due to poor ventilation or various illnesses thereby lessening the tissue supply. Most of the time we run out of tissue and staff refuse to give us any. We use our socks to wipe with and wash them out afterwards. This is grossly unsanitary and also poses a potential health risk.
4. Human rights violation: Ad-Seg prisoners are not allowed to have any pants in our cells. Prisoners are forced to walk around in their cells with only boxers and t-shirts on with cellmates who often times are convicted sex offenders, homosexuals and prison booty bandits (prisoners who rape other prisoners) which opens the door for a Prison Rape Elimination Act claim. It's as if the administration are promoting homosexuality or setting the stage for one of us to possibly get raped. Prisoners are also being forced to attend our Ad-Seg hearings as well as sick call appointments without pants. Prisoners are also being forced to walk across the yard in only our boxers and t-shirts amongst other offenders, sometimes in the cold or rainy weather, while being escorted between #1 and #2 house which is approx 150 feet apart. Not only is this inhumane, these boxers have a loose opening in the front of them and if a prisoner's penis just happens to flop out through the opening then we are subject to sexual misconduct violations.
Furthermore, sometimes the Ad-Seg laundry doesn't get cleaned on time in which case prisoners are forced to choose between going to rec in the outside cages in only boxers and t-shirts in 30 degree weather or simply to refuse our rec.
5. Sleep Deprivation: The administrative staff has approved staff in housing units #1 and #2 to conduct a number of activities during 1st shift (midnight) which include:
Passing out our mail after the 12 a.m. count when lights are out.
Passing out HSRs (Health Service Request forms)
Passing out cell cleaning supplies at 3 a.m. to clean our cells with.
Picking up sheets and blankets to be washed, which is also picked up and given back around 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.
There's no movement count between 10:30 p.m. count and the 6:30 a.m. count because prisoners must be allowed to have at least 7 or 8 hours of undisturbed sleep. The reason for this critical consideration is because physiological and psychological degradation caused by the lack of sleep or insufficient amount of sleep. Disturbing our sleep throughout the night creates an even more stressful environment.
Suggested Remedies to Violations
1. Allow prisoners in Ad-Seg to purchase the same amount of stamps and envelopes as general population are allowed to purchase. These items are not a privilege but a right.
2. Allow prisoners in Ad-Seg to have our own state issued personal towels, face cloths, and boxers back in our cells so that we can at least wash up in our cells until shower day. Good hygiene habits are to be practiced everyday, not every 3 days.
3. Allow prisoners in Ad-Seg to purchase at least 4 or 6 bars of soap per month. General population prisoners are allowed to purchase 2 per week, totaling 8 per month. Also, allow prisoners in Ad-Seg to purchase at least 4 or 6 rolls of toilet tissue per month. General population prisoners are allowed to purchase 2 per week, totaling 8 per month. (Soap or tissue should not be treated as a "privilege" either).
4. Prisoners in Ad-Seg should be allowed to have at least 1 pair of their state issued personal pants or 1 pair of orange Ad-Seg pants to keep and wear in our cells, to be changed out once-per-week. We have a right to adequate clothing supported by the 14th and 8th amendment clause of the U.S. Constitutional.
5. For prisoners in Ad-Seg mail should be passed out on the 3rd shift (like it used to be) so we can read it and respond back if desired to do so. It's unreasonable for staff to pass out our mail after lights are cut out. Cell cleaning should be done on the 2nd or 3rd shift using the proper supplies instead of the towels we are currently forced to shower with, and laundry should be picked up after breakfast and given back before the 10:30 p.m. count. HSRs should be passed out by the nurses on the 2nd or 3rd shift since they only pick them up on the day shift.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade is initiating a campaign around a very reasonable set of demands. The lack of writing materials and unsanitary conditions are all too common in Amerikan prisons and these conditions expose the reality of prisons as a tool of social control and in particular the use of long-term isolation (Ad-Seg) for this purpose. Denial of the materials necessary to maintain contact with people on the outside, and creation of conditions that will cause mental (denial of sleep) and physical (unsanitary conditions) health problems are clearly counter to any possible rehabilitative goals of prisons. Instead, these conditions serve to reduce the likelihood of successful reintegration into society by prisoners released from Ad-Seg. It is because of this that we can say prison control units are clearly tools of social control. This sort of long-term torture must be struggled against. In the short term this comrade's demands are a good basis to organize around. But we cannot lose sight of the need to shut down control units altogether. We must demand an end to long-term solitary confinement for any and all prisoners. Of course, in the longer run our fight is for an end to the criminal injustice system entirely, and we should frame these battles against the torture of solitary confinement around this broader struggle so that we are clear about the fact that the injustice system cannot be reformed into justice.
[Rhymes/Poetry] [ULK Issue 47]
by an Oklahoma prisoner November 2015 permalink
As we reminisce in disguise about our
working with bloody knuckles
knowing everybody had to struggle
to get it
we used our muscles
and a pistol on our buckles
being the oppressor by dope
selling in capitalism just to hustle
please listen
this is a lesson in our mission
a part of the intervention
no comrade has
ever mentioned
many lives are in this picture,
check out the new addition
born into oppression
by the second as we're speaking
about the oppressor
who is destined
to take lives into its sector
only to control them
by their lack of initiative
to join together
and be a weapon
as one, we stand tall
with the strength of a bullet
the words of communism
for the communists
who can pull it
and no one lesser than the other
be a voice within this struggle
'cause we're equal to one another
like a Muslim to his brother
we're family by our choosing
against the oppression that we're refusing
my fellow comrades
to revolution!
[Idealism/Religion] [ULK Issue 48]
Scientific Thought and Internationalism
by Durango of United Struggle from Within November 2015 permalink
As prisoners in this socially oppressive injustice system we tend to be attracted to philosophy to try to get a better understanding of why and how did we end up in a cage like some type of animal. Some choose religion hoping that some omni-present being can answer their questions and fill in the blanks. Others choose a more materialist ideology for a better scientific understanding to the present situation here in the United $tates. The rest just choose to ride it out and hope that the situation changes.
There is no denying that dialectically and hystorically the empire is socially unstable, so much so that the oppressive Amerikan Gestapo are killing us, free of judicial repercussion, in order to protect the bourgeois interests at the expense of the oppressed nations. The state sponsored bourgeois media are quick to suggest that the Amerikan gestapo killings are justified with no scientific facts to support their so-called reporting. The people must look past the bullshit smoke being blown in our faces and understand that shit isn't all lemonade and apple pies.
Religion doesn't tell us scientific facts, but actually dogmatic scriptures about this false paradise where those "chosen" can live free after death. So how can this spiritual being give those materially existing on this earth freedom? It cannot. Religion blinds us to what's really happening here. It is a poison infecting the masses with its dogmatic ideology.
Scientific theory with Maoist philosophy is the only way to freedom. Scientifically it teaches the masses to dissect hystory and to digest what is beneficial to the struggle. It gives us, the lumpen of the oppressed nations, a place in a socialist society where we can take part in the world's struggle for freedom. The former CPUSA called this line petty-bourgeois radicalism, but Maoism teaches that all prisoners are political prisoners. The United $tates has the highest prisoner population in world hystory with most prisoners coming from the barrios and ghettos. Growing up in poverty, the oppressed nations are forced to adapt to their reality. What separates the barrios and ghettos from the Third World? Nothing, we are the Third World. Today we [email protected] and New Afrikans make up most of the prison population. Centuries of oppression on our people has brainwashed us to accept this as our reality.
Fellow prisoners ask me, why do you read about China, or Palestine, etc? Or when I clearly state that I don't believe in God they look at me like I'm crazy. First I state that God is a facade, meant to pacify the masses and mind fuck them into accepting their oppressive reality. World hystory is our hystory, and by examining other nations' struggles we can philosophically advance as a people. The struggle in Palestine is our struggle and our struggle is the Palestinian struggle. Together we are one; the Third World.
Together we stand firm. The victims of the empire deserve justice and only we can bring that about. Oppose the imperialists wars on the Third World, whether they're in Kabul, Juarez, or South Central.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We echo this comrade's internationalism as well as eir dedication to the philosophy of dialectical materialism. However, if we are to make a material analsysis of the conditions in the First World ghettos, barrios, reservations and even prisons, we must disagree with em asserting that "We are the Third World."
Like the Third World, the internal oppressed nations of the United $tates are oppressed by imperialism and have histories connected to other oppressed nations that are in the Third World. However, the distinction between First World and Third World is important because of the material benefits that those living within imperialist borders receive just because of the luck of where they were born. That is why we speak of the First World lumpen as a different class than the lumpen proletariat; First World lumpen are surrounded by the labor aristocracy, and not the proletariat. All U.$. residents benefit from the flow of wealth away from the exploited in the Third World. True solidarity with the exploited must recognize this reality if we hope to liberate ourselves from imperialism, or else we risk falling into positions that put the interests of oppressed in the United $tates over the interests of the oppressed elsewhere.
[National Oppression] [Campaigns] [Education] [ULK Issue 47]
Freedom Fighter: Frederick Douglass
by a West Virginia prisoner November 2015 permalink
For my essay I chose Frederick Douglass. I admire his inner strength, free spirit, and intelligence. I believe that he could see opportunity in every situation. For example, when his oppressors became so irate of his learning to read and write, he knew that things that are restricted are usually worthy of pursuit.
He overcame so many obstacles with so few resources, and he gives me motivation and inspiration to overcome and succeed, although my difficulties are minor compared to his. He was a great man and an unsung hero of freedom fighting. He must have thought to himself that it was better to risk death and fight for his freedom, than to conform to the wishes of tyrannical beings.
He fought and won. So much was against him and yet his spirit refused to be broken. He knew how powerful words can be. He learned them and mastered them. And once he'd won, he didn't let the realm of success lull him into complacency — a realm where many men venture and are swallowed, ending their reign of greatness. No, Frederick Douglass was a mossless stone; he never stagnated. Douglass continued pressing forward, not only bettering himself, but also bettering those he came in contact with and helping other oppressed individuals.
His written word will echo through the generations, inspiring thousands and perhaps millions. The American education system gives him only a cursory glance, then moves on to lies about founding fathers. Imagine if they lingered longer or more often on Frederick Douglass, and the valuable influence on those impressionable minds he would render. Frequently, I wonder about a stronger, less passive and more spirited generation. Like Frederick Douglass.
MIM(Prisons) adds: Frederick Douglass was born into slavery around 1818 in Maryland. Ey escaped slavery and went on to become a prolific writer, speaker, and newspaper publisher. Eir primary battles were against slavery and for wimmin's right to vote. Douglass had a similar path to radicalization as many readers of ULK, even though ey lived almost two centuries ago.
Douglass was taught the alphabet at around 12 years old from eir slavemaster's wife. Even though ey was discouraged from reading, sometimes with violence, Douglass continued to study and taught many others how to read as well. With the ability to read, Douglass became politicized through reading newspapers, which helped em develop into an internationally-acclaimed writer and speaker against slavery and oppression.
Even in the face of censorship and lack of programming, many U.$. prisoners build themselves and others up in the same way Douglass did. Present-day prisoners are not allowed to come together in a group to study, for "security threat concerns," which parallels Douglass's experience of having eir weekly literacy classes disbanded by the clubs and stones of slave owners. Nowdays, those who try to teach in spite of restrictions are locked in isolation toture cells.
Without good literacy skills, one can't file a lawsuit, or write grievances, or understand the prison handbook, or read Under Lock & Key; get the picture? Various sources state that 60-70% of U.$. prisoners are functionally illiterate.(1) Illiteracy affects the majority of prisoners, and thus hinders the organization of the majority of our subscribers' peers. Passing on an issue of ULK does little good if the recipient can't understand it.
Statistics from the prisoncrats themselves state that prisoners have a 70% chance of recidivism if they get no help with their literacy, whereas prisoners who do receive literacy help have a 16% chance of recidivism.(2) We wonder, why aren't there more programs for teaching reading comprehension and writing skills in prisons? It's clearly a continuation of the same exact national oppression faced by Frederick Douglass's generation.
That we are still having a conversation about building literacy among New Afrikans should give us a clue of the ineffectiveness of reformism and the necessity of complete communist revolution. After gaining state power, one of the first steps of this revolution will be to establish a joint dictatorship of the proletariat of the oppressed nations (JDPON), so that the most oppressed people in the world can dictate to those who have been oppressing others for centuries how society will be run. As was done in communist China under Mao, one of the primary functions of this dictatorship of the proletariat will be to build literacy at every single level of society, and especially among those who are furthest removed from the benefits of the economic system. One can't fully participate in society's development without literacy, and we need as many people as possible to participate.
We want to do as much as we can now to speed up the transition from capitalism to communism, and reading and writing are essential to this task. Building literacy also fits well into our immature Re-Lease on Life program, so those who are released can have a better chance of success and hopefully also a better chance of staying engaged in political work when on the outside. Even though MIM(Prisons) and United Struggle from Within are on a much smaller scale than a JDPON, or even a single nation-state, we can still contribute to this goal while we build for a society where advanced literacy is taught to everyone systematically.
Douglass is just one individual example of a larger social phenomenon: when higher education meets a lack of opportunity, it produces radicalization and objection to the status quo. We know there is much more we can do to increase the reading and writing skills of oppressed nation lumpen in U.$. prisons, and to foster this politicization. But since MIM(Prisons) can only reach people with written material, we need our comrades behind bars to do the work on the ground. Anyone who is already teaching others basic literacy skills should get in touch with MIM(Prisons) to help us develop this Serve the People program. If you already have a study group, try to think how you can expand it to teach literacy as well. Tell us what materials we can send you to help you teach reading and writing to others. It is one of the ways we can improve the material conditions of our fellow oppressed peoples, and one way we can uphold the legacy of Frederick Douglass.
1. National Center for Educational Statistics, "Literacy Behind Prison Walls," U.S. Department of Education, 1994.
2. Begin To Read, "Literacy Statistics," begintoread.com.
[Campaigns] [Legal] [Texas] [ULK Issue 52]
Lawsuit Filed Against Corrupt Grievance System
by a Texas prisoner November 2015 permalink
I have an active case in the Federal Courts suing the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for violation of BP-03.91 Uniform Offender Correspondence Rules, and the corrupt grievance system denying prisoners access to courts. I have filed a lawsuit under 42 USC Section 1983 against TDCJ.
If you would like to help me stop this corruption aimed at Texas prisoners, send any grievances, unsworn declarations, and other process documents you may have that can be used as evidence in the two above mentioned U.$. Constitutional violations to MIM(Prisons). Be sure to write "Dunham v. Wainwright, et al. Case No. 1:15-cv-1018-RP" on the top of each document. Your evidence will help prove deliberate indifference because it shows officials knew of the problems and failed to act. MIM(Prisons) will then forward your documents to the Court Clerk at Clerk Court, United States District Court, c/o Case no. 6:15 cv 869, 300 Willow Street, Suite 104, Beaumont, TX 77701-2217.
The Texas Attorney General handling this case for the defendants is Gloria Chandler, PO Box 12548, Capital Station, Austin, TX 78711. Please feel free to send her ALL of your complaints so that she may realize the wide range and depth of behavior and activities. I doubt she is receiving enough complaints at the present time. MIM(Prisons) will also be forwarding your complaints to the Attorney General, and be sure to again write "Dunham v. Livingston et al. Case No. 1:15-cv-1018-RP" on the top of your complaint.
Since filing this case, state employees' actions under color of law has put me in fear for my life. I need your support so they know I am not in this alone.
We Demand Our Grievances are Addressed in Texas
[Censorship] [State Correctional Institution Huntingdon] [Pennsylvania]
Pennsylvania Censorship Victory
by a Pennsylvania prisoner November 2015 permalink
This is a followup letter to notify you fine folks of the outcome of the article in ULK 46 about textbooks being censored by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC). Any time a prisoner receives a publication it gets screened for any possible reason they might be able to withhold it. This is done by a committee, and these people may consult other prison employees for help in the decision on whether or not to allow a given publication into the prison. If this committee, the Incoming Publication Review Committee (IPRC) deems a publication does not fit the criteria to be possessed by a prisoner, they hold it, and send the prisoner a notification. The prisoner has a certain amount of time to reply before it gets destroyed. The prisoner can request the publication get mailed out, at their expense (only first class postage), or they have the option to appeal IPRC's decision to the superintendent.
I had three computer programming textbooks denied over the course of 5 months and appealed each one in turn. The superintendent here at SCI-Huntingdon responded to me by saying that I wouldn't be getting my books. He told me that IPRC's decision is final, and that he can't approve them. Around that time I wrote to you and got your censorship packet. I appealed the superintendent's decision to central office by writing a letter to the department policy director Dianna Woodside. In the letter I told her that, although the IT department was consulted, they were incorrect in determining that the books were a threat. I demonstrated my preexisting knowledge of the subject, and listed several cases where the prisoners were awarded monetary damages for being denied books, including one that was specifically about programming textbooks. I told the official that I was sincere about trying to pursue a possible career in programming computers, and reiterated my willingness to go to court. I am unsure of why exactly she decided in my favor, but in the end I got all three of my books sitting right here with me. I am sending copies of the decisions along with this letter.
MIM(Prisons) adds: The books this prison initially denied were Java in a Nutshell, Build Your Own Website the Right Way Using HTML & CSS, and Object Oriented Programming. This shows both the random and unfounded basis on which prison administrators decide what literature to censor, and the potential for successful appeal with persistence. It's obvious that prisons in Amerika can not possibly have a rehabilitative goal if the very books required for education into a productive career post-prison are denied for no reason.
We certainly don't win the right to our incoming mail often, but it is well worth the time to appeal every instance of censorship possible. If nothing else, it provides documentation of the denials and lack of reasons, and may pave the way for a future court case. For those facing censorship, write to us for a copy of our censorship packet that will guide you through the appeals process. And be sure to send us any documentation you have on censorship of our materials, your appeals, and administrators' responses to your appeals. We put these documents on our website at www.prisoncensorship.info.
Pennsylvania Censors Textbooks
[Rhymes/Poetry]
Amerika... Are We Free
by an Illinois prisoner November 2015 permalink
I often wonder, that in the land where freedom rings,
Why does pain and suffering it also bring?
Because the only ringing I hear is a baton against my bars
As I stare out the window, beyond the day to its stars.
Eyes closed wishing & praying as often as I might,
I still must fall asleep, within a cell every night.
Hoping when I wake, that it was nothing but a dream,
Yet nothing in my life is now as it may seem.
Loved ones passing, as I stay locked inside of a cage,
Working a job that pays less the 1% of minimum wage,
Walking on the yard, as shots ring out from over head,
Saying a silent prayer, hoping that no one else is dead.
"The joint" is locked down over an argument on the yard.
Not a fist was thrown, yet the whole "joint" is scarred.
Commissary denial, and visitation is restricted.
"On the new," they holler, another man has been convicted.
Everyone around me is doing maximum time.
Once free & now trapped, like a box & it's mine
Silently and desperately, trying to find some way out.
While dry tears escape my eyes as I scream silent shouts.
So anyone whom claims that Amerika is the land of the free,
They don't know a single thing, about the life that surrounds me!
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Sophie the Giraffe, the popular chew toy for babies, may look cute, but some of them might be hiding a dark secret: Cut her in half, and she'll possibly be full of mold.
Dana Chianese is a pediatric dentist who recommends teething toys to parents every single day. Her own two young boys love their Sophie the Giraffe toy. But a month ago, she noticed the air coming out of the plastic toy's hole smelled musty.
"I decided to cut into Sophie out of curiosity and discovered a science experiment living inside," Chianese told Goodhousekeeping.com. "Smelly, ugly mold living in my infant's favorite chew toy!"
Chianese says she always cleaned the toy according to instructions, and never submerged it in water. And yet, it grew mold regardless.
"I no longer buy any chew toys with a hole or recommend any to my patients," Chianese said.
An Amazon reviewer shared a picture of what she found when she cut the legs off of her toddler's teething toy.
"Beware!! If you have a drooly baby, moisture will get in the hole and you'll end up with mold!" Amazon user Stephanie Opera posted in a review."We've had ours for two years and the entire inside is coated with black mold!"
But what exactly are the dangers of mold? Dr. Lyuba Konopasek, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at New York Presbyterian/Weil Cornell Medical Center, told Care.com that unless your child has immune problems, "the likelihood of a child getting sick from this is close to zero." Even if your child directly ingests a squirt of moldy bath-toy water.
However, if your child has a mold allergy, they could experience coughing or itchy eyes.
The only way to prevent mold inside hollow plastic toys is to make sure they're thoroughly cleaned and dried. And don't let the toys sit in water or leave them with water trapped inside between uses or cleanings. But it may be difficult or impossible to know what's going on inside the toy. And probably best to replace the toys after a year or so, just to be safe.


text:
Labor unions promise 24-hour workdays to build riverfront stadium
St. Louis Public Radio | By Jason Rosenbaum
Published February 19, 2015 at 3:04 PM CST
Bill Greenblatt | UPI
Gov. Jay Nixon speaks on Thursday at St. Louis Building Trades headquarters in south St. Louis. Labor unions agreed to work 24-hour shifts with no overtime to build a riverfront stadium in St. Louis.
St. Louis labor unions are willing to work 24-hours-a-day without overtime to build a stadium on the city's riverfront.
It's a move that Gov. Jay Nixon said showcases how serious the city and state are about building a stadium aimed at keeping professional football in the Gateway City.
"The working men and women of Missouri bring a toughness, a tenacity, a willingness to overcome any challenge that is quite simply unmatched," Nixon said. "We build strong. We build safe. We build to last. The bigger the job, the harder we work."
At a press conference in south St. Louis Thursday, Nixon announced that the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, the Eastern Missouri Laborers' District Council, and the Carpenters District Council of Greater St. Louis agreed to work three, eight-hour shifts, five days a week.
It's a move the governor's office said will get the project done sooner and save about $40 million in construction costs compared to two 10-hour shifts. And it's a plan that will provide several million work hours to laborers.
St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council secretary-treasurer Jeff Aboussie said agreement would be mutually beneficial for workers, contractors and the region.
Credit Jason Rosenbaum, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Building and Construction Trade secretary-treasurer Jeff Aboussie at Thursday's press conference.
"These are things that we think are creative to a developer, they're creative to the economic environment that affects our city," Aboussie said. "But more importantly, you can't do these things without capacity. And right now in our region, we have the capacity of the workforce of the most well-talented, skilled women and men in the building trades in our construction industry."
Labor unions came to a similar arrangement to work 24-hours shifts when Missouri was trying to lure production of the 777X to the St. Louis area. Those overtures, however, weren't enough to get Boeing to move production of the aircraft.
The outdoor stadium proposal comes as St. Louis Rams owner, Stan Kroenke, is seeking to build a state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Most of the stadium's cost could be paid for with private dollars, which has stoked fears that the Rams' days in St. Louis are numbered.
It's possible that the outdoor stadium proposal could be use to prevent such a move, since NFL bylaws favor cities with definitive stadium proposals.
"Clearly keeping what you have – keeping the Rams – would be the priority," Nixon said. "But, secondarily really, what we're dealing with is meeting an NFL standard here. That's why we've been working directly with the league. That also helps us guarantee the necessary private investment that's a pillar to what has been done in these deals."
Backers of the project have also contended it could be used to lure a professional soccer team to St. Louis – which is popular throughout the region. But Nixon said he hasn't had any discussions with Major League Soccer about that prospect.
"We believe that the MLS continues to look for expansion sites," Nixon said. "We believe that as you look at that, if you're going to put together a facility of this nature – there are ways to design it so that it would have a dual purpose."
Nixon reacts to state bond vote proposal
When former Anheuser-Busch President Dave Peacock and attorney Bob Blitz unveiled their stadium proposal earlier this year, one of the mechanisms proposed to pay for the facility was "extending" state and local bonds currently paying for the Edward Jones Dome.
A rendering of the riverfront stadium.
Since that time, some legislators – including Sens. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, and Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph – proposed bills requiring legislative or voter approval to extend state bonds for the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. It's a reaction to Office of Administration chairman Doug Nelson's contention that Nixon can extend the bonds himself.
"The measure isn't about whether or not we should make an effort to keep a professional sports team in Missouri. It's not even ultimately about this particular governor, although his current actions are the catalyst," Silvey said in a statement. "This legislation is about establishing in law that the executive branch does not have the authority to put our state into debt without legislative or public approval. It's critical we immediately stop what could set a very dangerous precedent in this state."
When Nixon was asked about that proposal, he said "the legislature gets to vote on the bonds each and every year."
NIXONQASTADIUM.mp3
Nixon answers questions from the media about the labor agreement to build the stadium.
"The current bonds, and all of the bonds of the state, must go through and -- do go through -- the appropriations process, and have to be approved in order to maintain our AAA standards," Nixon said. "So they'll be involved in that decision-making process. I think it's up to us to put forth a proposal and to meet the timelines we're involved in here."
Nixon said the announcement about the 24-hour shifts by labor unions "is another way we can help make any payments that the state might have on those bonds … less dollars."
"But it's also important to not forget the private sector dollars that are involved here and how that helps make this something that's good for taxpayers," said Nixon, alluding to how money from the Rams and the NFL could be used toward the stadium.
St. Louis and St. Louis County have either ordinances or charter amendments requiring a vote before approving any public assistance to stadiums. But some – including St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger – have contended that the provisions may not apply in extending bonds.
Government, Politics & IssuesSt. Louis RamsJay NixonJeff AboussieLabor unionsRyan SilveyDavid PeacockBob Blitz
Plans Unveiled For New Riverfront NFL Stadium
Nixon Pushes To Keep St. Louis An NFL City
Rams Task Force Confirms Year-To-Year Lease, Inglewood Stadium Signatures
Missouri Senate Bill Could Complicate Extending Bonds To Fund New Stadium
Money? Pride? Both? Gauging The Value Of Professional Football In St. Louis
Five Big Questions About Professional Football's Future In St. Louis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Money Mess! IRS Documents Show Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Spent Thousands More On Dissolving 'Sussex Royal' UK Foundation Than They Raised For Archewell Charity
By:Whitney Vasquez
Jan. 5 2022, Published 1:06 p.m. ET
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent thousands more on legal fees to cutting ties with their UK nonprofit, Sussex Royal, than they raised for their charity.
According to IRS documents obtained by Daily Mail, the couple dropped $55,000 on attorneys between June 2020 and June 2021 in an attempt to help wrap up the foundation. Compare that to what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reported for their US charity Archewell, and the difference is shocking.
In December, they allegedly told the IRS they raised less than $50,000 for the American nonprofit. It's worth noting, Harry and Meghan only opened a bank account last January.
Sex Pests & Tech Titans: Inducting Radar's Rogues & Renegades – The Class Of 2021
The controversial couple reportedly has $380,000 in its Sussex Royal bank account. The filings allegedly show Harry and Meghan spent a total of $55,600 in legal fees — giving $35,000 to Harbottle & Lewis and $20,600 to an unidentified law firm — to begin the dissolving process.
Harry and Meghan's Archewell charity made headlines when it launched in April 2020. According to their lawyers, the foundation's bank account wasn't set up until nearly one year later in January 2021. The filing suggests their first deposit wasn't made until February, and they collected less than $50,000 in gross total for the year.
This is where it gets interesting.
The IRS requires all charities to detail their finances by filing a public "Form 990." Foundations that bring in less than $50,000 only have to file an "e-Postcard," which provides limited information.
Meghan Markle Could Be Called To Testify As A Witness In Prince Andrew's Sexual Assault Case
While some might raise their eyebrows at the low amount, Harry and Meghan revealed they were delaying Archewell to focus their attention on real-life issues like the Coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Their Sussex Royal foundation isn't the only UK nonprofit the couple has copped backlash for. Harry and Meghan added fuel to the family feud fire when they broke away from another foundation they shared with Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.
Despite leaving the country and their royal duties behind, Harry and Meghan continued to trash the royal family during their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.


401 E 21st Street Kannapolis, NC. | MLS# 2076081 | Provident Living (704) 609-5362 - Jean Griswold - Your Trusted Real Estate Advisor - Call Jean for all of your real estate needs.
BACK ON THE MARKET -- estate home priced to sell! Well-maintained older home on gorgeous flat fenced double lot with garden space; mature trees & flower beds; new roof 2006; hardwood floors under carpet throughout. Enclosed glass front porch used as sunroom; enclosed rear porch used as utility room. Spacious detached workshop & one-car garage. Exterior access to root cellar & basement.


These unique turbines will create a presence on your kite lines and bring life to your garden with their colorful rotation. Comes complete with a quality 450g swivel and carabiner. They are simple to pack and transport.
Wind Turbines are available in a broad range of sizes and produce a rotating spiral of color. They are inflated by the wind and rotate as air passes through their vented throats.
The number next to the Turbine represents the length of the device in centimeters. For example, the Wind Turbine 90 is 90 cm or 35 inches long.
The smaller models, sizes 90 and 150 work well on most average size entry level kites. These smaller sizes work nicely on the kite line or in some cases as a kite tail. The 90s and 150s also look good on telescopic windsock poles.


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The Pause That Refreshes
October 24, 2021 October 23, 2021 ~ michaelhvs	~ Leave a comment
Coca Cola has always been viewed as being at the top of the game in terms of advertising and branding. Long before there was the internet or tv commercials, Coca Cola sold people on their carbonated beverage by associating it's "refreshing taste" with attractive, wholesome women.
Known as the Coca Cola Girls, these fresh-faced females served as the models for a team of talented illustrators who were skilled in presenting the epitome of feminism to the American Public. This successful campaign ran for nearly 70 years, from 1890 to 1960, spanning both World Wars and the Great Depression.
Largely modeled after the Gibson Girls made popular by illustrator Charles Dana Gibson, the Coca Cola ads began by featuring women in Victorian outfits, both refined and demure. As the decades passed, the depiction of the women also changed to reflect a more independent and confident demeanor.
This Golden Age of Illustration began to wane with the rise of television and broadcast advertising. But the image of attractive, alluring young women gracing the billboards of our cities and the pages of our newspapers will forever be a part of our remembered past. And our family had a part to play in it.
Valeria Lamar (pictured above) was the sister-in-law of my grand uncle. She and her sister Camille were both hired by the Coca Cola Company to be models for their Coca Cola Girl campaign. They hailed from Macon, Ga (not too far from the Coca Cola headquarters in Atlanta).


EVL's condition variable behave like the POSIX one for the most part. It can be used for synchronizing EVL threads on the state of some shared information in a raceless way. Proper serialization is enforced by pairing a condition variable with a mutex.


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Polygala callispora är en jungfrulinsväxtart som beskrevs av Chod.. Polygala callispora ingår i släktet jungfrulinssläktet, och familjen jungfrulinsväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Jungfrulinssläktet
callispora

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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An Evening of Dance, Fashion and Progress
The Fall Gala previews the NYCB's upcoming season (CELIA PATTERSON/THE OBSERVER).
By BETHANY GREENHO
On Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, the annual Fall Gala at the New York City Ballet (NYCB) unofficially kicked off the start of the fall season with an unprecedented concentration on politics, fashion and rap music. While it may have only been one night of the 2018-19 season, this year's gala revealed a NYCB season that is taking steps to change the discussion and relevancy of ballet.
At the start of the evening, before the dancing and couture took the stage, the curtain rose on the company's 90 dancers. Principal dancers Adrian Danching-Waring and Teresa Reichlen read from a prepared statement acknowledging the impact of the recent sexual harassment allegations made against the company and three former dancers, stating that "with the world changing — and our beloved institution in the spotlight — we continue to hold ourselves to the high moral standards that were instilled in us when we decided to become professional dancers." Perhaps seen as necessary to the company and patrons to reestablish a clean image, the statement instead read as an attempt to promote various policies that might provide absolution this season.
After a brief video about the costume designers and their work this evening, choreographer Matthew Neenan's piece, "The Exchange," commenced. While the music was purley classical, the sharp, dark red and black costumes, designed by Gareth Pugh, created problematic contrasts. Neenan seemed confused about the opening mood of his piece; he was torn between adhering to the music and following Pugh's intent to bring ugliness to the ballet. With an overused motif of flexed hands and feet, Neenan tried to represent that ugliness but instead created awkwardness. Initial formations were not formations at all. The stage was littered with dancers in disconnected groups each doing different steps or just standing in an awkward pose in the background. Without a central focus, the piece came off as chaotic and in sore need of another rehearsal. Despite its initial bumps, towards the halfway point the choreography started to match the crescendo of the music, and the entire cast ran out to fill the stage with appealing formations. By the end of the piece Neenan had overcome an uncomfortable start.
Next up was Gianna Reisen's "Judah," her second choreographic commission for NYCB. Reisen, a 19-year-old dancer with the L.A. Dance Project, created a visual feast with her geometric formations that were accentuated by Alberta Ferretti's colorful, flowing wave-like costumes that twirled with the dancers as they glided across the stage. Reisen played with the intricacies of John Adams' music, allowing the dancers to bring to life the music with their movements. With her choreography, Reisen made basic steps, a tendu, port de bras and even a straight line something artistic and beautiful. The balanced formations and choreography of the corps dancers rendered an organic, aesthetically pleasing composition of pyramids that framed the soloists on center stage. She also experimented a bit in the partnering work between Lauren Lovett and Preston Chamblee with her diving into his circular arms and Lovette sliding into an assisted arabesque promenade. The choreography was intricate and quick, and, while not every moment worked well, specifically in Megan LeCrone's solo where she shuffled backwards in a squat, overall Reisen created a ballet that NYCB founder Balanchine himself would have enjoyed seeing on his stage.
The highlight of the evening, however, was Kyle Abraham's piece, "The Runaway," a true 21st century ballet. With choreography that combined elements of ballet, modern and street dance to a medley of piano, violin, Kanye West and Jay-Z, Abraham challenged NYCB to go beyond the limits of what a ballet is "supposed to be." Abraham's choreography was innovative, primarily because the male dancers — Taylor Stanley, a standout among them — adapted and molded themselves to this new musical language. Stanley showcased such fluidity that a ripple through his shoulders appeared as a wave crashing through his body. Then in an instant he displayed extreme strength and control in his developes. In certain moments, such as when Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Gotta Have It" started, the choreography did not match the music's energy and the women's execution did appear somewhat awkward. Yet the atmosphere in the theater and the creativity that Abraham brought to that stage is what shone brightly that night.
Overall, Abraham's piece was a triumph, not just for the evening but for what it signals for NYCB's future. By combining various forms of music, dance and lighting, "The Runaway" stripped the ethereal, elitist aspect from ballet; it made it more than just something pretty to watch. This piece gave ballet depth, challenging each traditional audiences on what they thought they knew about NYCB and ballet. And by bringing in both a young female choreographer and an African-American choreographer, NYCB, one of the premiere ballet companies in the U.S., is starting to realize that dance, especially ballet, is diverse.
While the Fall Gala is only one evening, its performances embodied the theme of the 2018-19 season, one defined by combining old and new works that showcase all forms of dance. In October the "La Sylphide" program, highlights Balanchine pieces alongside those influenced by Bernstein. Throughout the season repertoire that is not frequently performed, such as "Scotch Symphony" and "Valse Fantaisie," will be brought back to the stage. And a highlight in the spring will be the "Balanchine Meets Peck" program highlighting Justin Peck's "The Times Are Racing," alongside Balanchine's "Symphony in Three Movements." This season NYCB seeks to make ballet meaningful for new and familiar audiences. Whether they succeed or not, we'll have to see. But they are taking the first steps.
Bethany Greenho
NYCB


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Tom McLaughlin
tmclaughlin@nwfdailynews.com
Three men qualified last week to run for two seats on the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Personnel Standards and Review Board.
Real estate agent and Shalimar resident Michael Cadogan is running against Charles Bozeman and James Wells, both of whom have prior law enforcement experience.
The two candidates who receive the most votes from Sheriff's Office employees will serve on the board, which had been dormant for years before a judge ruled in 2015 it should be resurrected to hear appeals in the cases of Rick Hord, Jon Bush and John Lee.
Newly elected Sheriff Larry Ashley failed to retain Hord, Bush and Lee after he was sworn in in late 2010. His offer to rehire them at a lower rank and less pay was rejected, and the former deputies sued. The case has never come to court, and won't before the personnel board meets.
The election, scheduled for May 16, is the second since the board was reborn. The first board met just a couple of times.
Employees of the Sheriff's Office will vote to fill the two seats.
Howard Oakes and Johnny Eubanks, the original pair elected to sit on the five-member Personnel Standards and Review Board, have both stepped down, which is what is prompting the second election.
A third member of the original board, Jerry Alford, has died. Ashley will be responsible for replacing Alford.
Former Okaloosa County School Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts and former county Sheriff Larry Gilbert, remain on the board.


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The IPLCN – Inspirational Professional Learning Community Network
"Because they're ALL our children"
Hamer school has a long term history of collaboration involving events for our children and support, challenge and rigour in terms of self-evaluation.
An Annual Events Calendar is compiled each year and different partnership schools take responsibility for organising and hosting different events. There are 12 primary Schools in the IPLCN Collaborative:
Springside Special School
Marland Hill
Stanley Rd (Oldham)
Moorhouse
Brimrod
Lowerplace
Greenbank
Spotland
Hamer takes responsibility for organising the Annual School Councils event at Ashworth Valley where the school councils of each partnership school take part in outdoor learning and forest schools activities run by the Hamer HLTA team. The Hamer Sports Leader also organises an annual trip to Sheffield Stadium to raise aspiration for gifted and talented sports people. Other schools take responsibility for organising intra-collaborative sporting tournaments such as Girls Football and Boys Football, Hockey, Netball Tournaments, cycling event, Dance and Music Festivals, Gifted and Talented Maths club. Hamer School takes full advantage of these so that our children are encouraged to meet with a wide range of children all with a social and professional stake in the Rochdale Community.
Additionally, in terms of school to school support and professional development, since 2014, Hamer has worked in an Evaluation Triad with two partnership schools. Stanley Rd School in Oldham and Marland Hill School in Rochdale. The Headteachers of the three schools take part in an Annual review and evaluation of teaching and learning and check the performance data of each other's school to ensure that schools are evaluating and prioritising their development planning in precise and measured ways. Marland Hill is an outstanding school and the Headteacher has LLE (Local Leader of Education) Status which helps to add objective rigour to the process for all three schools. The three schools share practice regularly and provide support to each other as we progress on our unique journeys together. As a result of the school improvement work undertaken in the evaluation triad created between Hamer, Stanley Rd and Marland, a protocol for visits was established and shared with the wider network of IPLCN schools so that in 2017, each school now forms part of an evaluation triad.
We actively seek to support and challenge each other in our schools with the collaborative vision statement at the heart of all we do:
"Because they are ALL our children."


Whether you are a small, medium or large company, phone calls are a vital aspect of business activities. Call Center Sales Pro provides superior telephone answering services that ensure that all your business calls are promptly handled by professional and trained receptionists. We are well-equipped to handle hundreds to thousands of customers and through our superior sales and marketing techniques can almost guarantee you a strategic growth in your sales report and profit.
The CEO of Call Center Sales Pro, Janet Livingston, and her team of dynamic personnel specialize in offering clients a host of services to further their business. We take a consultative approach and look into the billing rates, individual customer profitability and the type of work that is required by the customer. Once we have acquired all the needed information, we adjust the rates accordingly for each individual account and try to make it as profitable as possible for our clients.
Our dedicated team at Call Center Sales Pro takes an active interest in looking into the client's operation, customer base, strengths and business goals. Based on this information, prospects are targeted that fit the requirements of the client. Telephone answering services can be focused on generalists or vertical markets, but either way, we customize our services according to the needs of our individual clients.
At Call Center Sales Pro, we do not believe in making false promises to our esteemed clients. The number of sales that we target to add each month on our client's account is controlled and manageable. The money that we help our clients save are further invested back in the telephone answering services for better sales and marketing initiatives.
We at Call Center Sales Pro with our advanced telephone answering services can manage any kind of business communication so that our clients can simply concentrate on what they are good at. Call us to know how we can help you increase your profit and cut your costs!


Large Gold Wrapped Clear Quartz Crystal Necklace – Everyday Ritual Co.
Scoop up this handmade clear quartz 30" long necklace to complete your outfit and clear negativity from your space. Each crystal is hand selected and wire wrapped to suit the unique shape and size. 30" long chain with lobster claw plus approximately 2" pendant, including the crystal and bale.


Hosted by Emmy® nominated actor Cameron Mathison (All My Children, 54), the Vancouver-based series follows four teams of two amateur home renovators as they compete for the prize of a lifetime – a house and a plot of land to put it on. Produced by Great Pacific Media in association with W Network, Game of Homes premieres Tuesday, March 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on W Network. The action-packed series pits each team's skill, ingenuity and teamwork against each other. Every week, two expert judges, Cheryl Torrenueva (Restaurant Impossible, Restaurant Makeover, Colin & Justin's Home Heist) and Jeremy MacPherson (The Re-Inventors) assess the design and workmanship of each team's room transformation.
As president and chief creative at JMAC Productions Ltd. for the past 15 years, Jeremy MacPherson always takes a hands-on approach, whether he and his team are building a custom-designed kitchen for a major client, or in his studio—based in Toronto's trendy Leslieville neighbourhood—honing handcrafted furniture.
Jeremy is hands-on in front of the camera too: He made his foray into television as co-host of The Re-Inventors, where he built and tested historic inventions. It was a perfect fit for Jeremy, tapping into his carpentry skills, as well background as special effects artist for television and film, including blockbusters X-Men, Chicago, Resident Evil and The Incredible Hulk. The Re-Inventors ran for three seasons on History Television in Canada and was picked up by Smithsonian Channel in the U.S. It now airs around the globe in several languages and on Netflix.
Jeremy landed a gig as an online host with Innovation Nation TV, where he starred in a popular segment testing the latest and greatest tech devices for the home. Armed with a keen eye, wry humour and easy-going attitude, Jeremy is hit both on and off screen.
Designers and clients turn to JMAC for his creative and carpentry talents: Jeremy's custom kitchens, unique built-ins and inspiring furniture are regularly featured in top design magazines, including House & Home; Style at Home; and Cottage Life.
This spring, catch Jeremy back on screen, as he joins the cast of W Network's big competition series, Game of Homes.
What I enjoyed most about judging GOH?
I loved seeing how well the teams dealt with the amazing amount of pressure ..
What surprised you most about the teams?
My biggest surprise was seeing the teams tackle some very difficult and complex style choices and in some cases pulling it off.
Were you impressed by the teams creativity and workmanship?
The creativity from the teams very surprising! They had some very strong design ideas and they stuck to em.
What was the best advise that you gave the teams renovating?
The advise that a would tell anyone on covering a Reno is work to completion! Unfinished details drive me crazy. It's really hard to enjoy a newly finished room if there is a hole in the wall.
You have been dubbed 'Cheremy' by all the teams, was it hard to give criticism to the contestants?
I found it difficult to criticize the teams only when I new it was becoming a sore spot. It was hard to see them upset by our decisions.
How did you enjoy working with Cameron and the rest of the cast and crew?
Working with Cameron on GOH was such an awesome experience. His energy level is out of this world and he would keep that enthusiasm going from dean till dusk.
This entry was posted in Game of Homes and tagged 2014, ABC, Application, Blair Reekie, blog, Buying, Cameron Mathison, Canada, casting, Episodes, Executive, family, filming, Friends, Game of Homes, Good Morning America, Great Pacific Media, Great Pacific Television, Highway Thru Hell, host, House, Interior Design, Lesley Diana, Love It or List It, Mark Tiu, Media, photography, press, prizes, producer, Property Brothers, real estate, Renovation, Selling, television, The Promotion People, TV, Undercover Boss, Untold Stories of the ER, Vancouver, W Network on March 16, 2015 by press.


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Home » ACT » The Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist Program
The Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist Program
Hours: 322 | CEUs: 32.2
Medical records and health information technicians are a rare breed. Their work is technical, but they bring a lot more to the table than tech knowledge. They're also effective communicators with strong analytical skills. Here's a brief look at what they're day-to-day might look like:
Reviewing patients' records for timeliness, completeness, and accuracy.
Tracking patient outcomes for quality assessment.
Using classification software to assign clinical codes.
Record data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and reporting.
Maintaining confidentiality of patients' records.
This is one of the few jobs in which there's no direct patient care. Most hours (about 40 per week) are spent sitting in front of a computer in an office setting.
We know financial security is a driving factor as you weigh your career options, so let's talk about salary. Most health information technicians work full time and earn just over $45,240 a year, while more experienced pros earn about $70,000.
This program covers everything you need to know to position yourself as an ideal candidate for nearly any medical records or HIT role:
History of Medical Scribing: Medical scribing continues to evolve. We'll fill you in on where the profession started, where it stands now, and where we expect it to be in the future.
Functions of Electronic Health Records: Learn all about EHR—how they work, what they're for, and why they're valuable.
Basic Body Systems: We'll walk you through all the basic body systems and provide an overview of standard terminology.
Communication Standards: Learn how to construct an accurate and organized HPI, which requires the use of medical terminology and appropriate phrasing as used in formal healthcare documentation.
Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist Program Courses
Our 322-hour program outline is divided into 11 bite-sized courses that cover everything from the basics of coding to the importance of HIPAA compliance.
Program Orientation: Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist
Law, Liability, and Ethics for Healthcare
Comprehensive HIPAA
Comprehensive Medical Terminology
Comprehensive Pharmacology
Comprehensive Electronic Health Records
Scribe Essentials
Career Success in Healthcare
Program Completion: Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist
How long does the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist program take?
This program is designed to take 322 hours of study, which you can complete in as little as 12 months.
Are healthcare professionals in high demand?
CareerStep training programs are all focused in growing industries—particularly healthcare, which is expected to add upwards of 2.4 million jobs through 2029.*
How much do medical records and health information technicians make?
There's a slight variation in salaries depending on specific locations, but the median wage comes in at just over $45,240 per year.
What do health information technicians do?
Health information technicians have a pretty incredible gig. In simple terms, they use technology to help healthcare providers improve care and lower costs, but the day-to-day routines are a lot more involved than you might think. Typical job responsibilities include tracking patient outcomes for quality assessment, using classification software to assign clinical codes for insurance reimbursement, and recording data for collection, storage, analysis, retrieval, and reporting.
Pharmacy Technician (Voucher Included)
Certified Ethical Hacker (Voucher Included)


The tentacles of infidelity are insidious, running long and deep and destroying everything they touch along the way. Crystal Davis can't shake the images and whispered conversations she overheard as a child as her parent's relationship fell apart. As a married woman she finds herself walking in the footsteps she abhors. But once on that path, getting off is not easy and to set her life right may cost her more than she ever imagined.


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Onthaalklas voor anderstalige nieuwkomers, dikwijls in spreektaal tot OKAN afgekort
 Okan (houtsoort), een houtsoort

Personen met de voornaam
 Okan Buruk (1973), Turks voetballer.
 Okan Alkan, (1982), Turks voetballer.
 Okan Oktay, de dader in de Moord op Marion en Romy van Buuren.


Multi-CAD support means that you can view files online, from any device.
View Solid Edge parts, assemblies and drawings, as well as data in most common 3D CAD formats including neutral formats (e.g. JT, Parasolid, IGES, STEP), 3D print data files (e.g. STL), SolidWorks, CATIA V4 V5 V6, Pro/E, Inventor, Rhino 3D, and more. Pan, zoom and rotate, view 3D cross sections, and show and hide components or explode assemblies.
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Online project folders let you organize your CAD files in the cloud. Any file type can be uploaded to support project collaboration, and you can directly view 3D models and 2D drawings in many popular CAD formats.
Want to see what Solid Edge is all about? Take a test drive with the free trial. Instant download.


Invasives is Emily Hamilton Laux's entry-point into today's conversation about biodiversity. Here she addresses questions about the earth's changing ecosystems. The project represents her personal exploration of the plants that grow in our backyards, along the edges of fields and parking lots, as well flora that are cultivated for their beauty. All of these plants have complex roles and relationships in the ecosystems where they grow. In Invasives: Beauty Versus Beauty (part 1), selected plant species are portrayed in isolation or with one or two other species.
Bio: Visual artist Emily Hamilton Laux's primary medium is photography. A member of the Westport Artists' Collective and Ridgefield Guild of Artists, she opened her own studio at Firing Circuits in 2016. Laux has exhibited in a group in Connecticut including Ridgefield Guild of Artists Camera Works, ArtWorks, Westport Artists' Collective Group Show and at Simon Pearce, Westport in a solo exhibit. Previously, Laux worked as a writer, editor, and photojournalist; she also worked as a gallery manager and publicist in the visual arts.
Born in Saigon, and raised in Cambodia, Paris and Washington, D.C., Laux has an MA in International Economics from American University and she earned her BA at Tulane University in New Orleans, where maintains close ties. Laux believes her art work is informed by her cultural experiences in Asia and the Deep South.