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Who was Milan Stefanik and why is he on stamps of three nations?
Dec 9, 2016, 12 PM
Three definitive stamps depicting astronomer, philosopher, soldier, and statesman Gen. Milan Stefanik: a 1935 50-halleru green stamp, a 1936 60h dull-violet stamp, and a 1939 60-halierov dark blue stamp. The 1935 and 1936 issues are from Czechoslovakia (Scott 208 and 217), and the 1939 stamp is from Slovakia (23A).
This Slovakian 40h Gen. Stefanik and Tomb stamp (Scott 34) was issued in May 1939 to mark the 20th anniversary of Stefanik's death.
On May 3, 2003, France and Slovakia participated in a joint stamp issue, producing these stamps (France Scott 2942 and Slovakia Scott 428) to honor Gen. Stefanik's achievements as an astronomer.
This 1945 Czechoslovakian 30h Gen. Stefanik stamp (Scott 293) was issued during the period when the Soviet Union tolerated a coalition unity government in Czechoslovakia.
A 1919 Czechoslovak Legion Post 50-koruna Armored Railroad Car stamp (Scott 2).
By Rick Miller
Shown in the first slide above are three stamps commemorating astronomer, philosopher, soldier, and statesman Gen. Milan Stefanik.
The 50-halleru green stamp perforated gauge 10, left, was issued May 19, 1935. The 60h dull violet stamp in the center is perforated gauge 12½ and was issued in 1936. Issued March 30, 1939, the 60-halierov dark blue stamp at right is also perforated gauge 12½.
All three stamps are inscribed "Ceskoslovensko," but the stamps at left and center are Czechoslovakia stamps (Scott 208 and 217), while the stamp at right is from Slovakia (23A).
The Czechs and Slovaks are Western Slavic people who began moving into Central Europe from the Black Sea area in the sixth century.
The Czech language and the Slovak language form a dialect continuum in which most dialects are mutually intelligible.
Culturally, the Czechs have been a more urban people with a fairly strong tradition of religious nonconformity, while the Slovaks have been more rural and agrarian and more conservatively loyal to the Roman Catholic Church.
As part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, the Czech lands were governed by Austria, while Hungary ruled in the Slovak lands. Before independence, the Czech lands were known as Bohemia and Moravia.
In 1918, it became obvious that the Dual Monarchy was losing World War I, which was likely to result in the fall of the Habsburg Empire. Czech and Slovak nationalists united in the Czechoslovak National Council to work for independence.
The council, which would evolve into the provisional government of independent Czechoslovakia, was primarily led by two Czechs, Thomas Garrigue Masaryk and Edward Benes; and one Slovak, Gen. Stefanik.
Milan Rastislav Stefanik was born July 21, 1880, in Kosariska, Slovakia. Atypically for a Slovak, he was a protestant and his father was a Lutheran pastor.
Educated in Slovakia through secondary school, he went to Prague in the Czech lands for his university education. At Charles University, he studied philosophy, astronomy, optics, mathematics, and physics. He received a doctorate in philosophy in 1904.
In 1904, Stefanik traveled to Paris and found employment at the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, the leading observatory in the world at the time.
Through hard work and talent, he became acknowledged as one of the premier astronomers of his day. He traveled the world to view eclipses and other astronomical phenomenon, visiting South America, Central Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, and Tahiti.
To observe astronomical phenomena without being obstructed by the thick sea level atmosphere, he became an accomplished mountain climber to view the heavens from the tops of mountains.
After accepting French citizenship in 1912, in his travels he served as an unofficial diplomat, working closely with French and foreign diplomatic personnel.
On May 3, 2003, France and Slovakia participated in a joint issue honoring Stefanik's achievements as an astronomer. The French €0.50 stamp (Scott 2942), perforated 13¼, and the Slovakian 14-koruna stamp (Scott 428), perforated 11¾, are shown in the slider above.
The main building of the Observatoire de Paris-Meudon can be seen in the background. The red, white, and blue colors above the observatory represent both the French and Slovakian flags, as well as Stefanik's work in spectral analysis of the sun's corona.
World War I started in August 1914 with Austro-Hungary allied with Germany and the Central Powers. Stefanik saw the defeat of Austro-Hungary as a catalyst for Czechoslovakian independence.
Accepting a commission in the French army, he took aviation training and became a military pilot. He flew Farman reconnaissance aircraft on the Western Front and later, in 1915, on the Serbian Front.
He was a founding member of the Czechoslovak National Council in 1916 and served as its vice president. His diplomatic contacts from his time as an astronomer greatly aided the council's work for Czechoslovak independence. He was promoted to the rank of general, and in 1917 was named a Grand Officier de Odre national de la Legion d'honneur.
In 1917, Stefanik began organizing Czech and Slovak prisoners of war in Italy and Russia who had been fighting for Austro-Hungary into pro-Allied Czechoslovak Legion troops.
This greatly enhanced the Czechoslovak National Council's standing with the Allies and led directly to its recognition as the provisional government of independent Czechoslovakia.
The Bolshevik coup in Russia in November 1917 left the Czechoslovak Legion troops in Russia trapped behind Bolshevik lines. Stefanik worked for and organized their withdrawal eastward across Russia and Siberia to the Pacific coast for evacuation via Vladivostok.
While in Russia, the Czechoslovak Legion organized a postal system and even issued its own stamps. A Czechoslovak Legion Post 50-koruna Armored Railroad Car stamp (Scott 2) is also pictured above.
After independence was established, Stefanik served as minister of war in the Czechoslovakian government. He worked closely with the French and Italian military missions present in Czechoslovakia to help restore order and establish the country's boundaries.
On May 4, 1919, he was flying home to Slovakia from Italy in an Italian military plane. The plane crashed while attempting to land near Bratislava, Slovakia, killing all four Italian crewmen and Stefanik.
The cause of the crash was never officially determined, but it could have been shot down by hostile Hungarian Communist forces or caused by pilot error or mechanical failure.
In May 1939, Slovakia issued a set of four Gen. Stefanik and Tomb stamps (Scott 34-37) to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death.
The 40h stamp from the set (Scott 34) is illustrated in the slider above. The shooting star above the tomb represents both his career as an astronomer and his meteoric rise and fall.
In his lifetime, Stefanik was firmly committed to Czech and Slovak unity. He failed to foresee the inherent tensions in the union that would lead ultimately to its breakup in 1939 and again in 1993.
The Czechs were generally more urban, better educated, and less religious than the Slovaks. The Slovaks tended to resent what they saw as Czech domination of the government and other institutions in the republic.
When Nazi Germany liquidated what remained of Czechoslovakia in March 1939, Slovakia became a nominally independent republic allied to the Germans.
The 60h dark blue Gen. Stefanik stamp shown in the first illustration had been prepared but not issued by the Czechoslovak postal authorities.
The Slovak government took possession of the stamps and issued them for use in the Slovakian postal system.
After Germany was defeated in 1945, the Czech and Slovak lands were reunited as Czechoslovakia, albeit under Soviet occupation. Under pressure from the Western Allies, the Soviets briefly tolerated a coalition unity government in Czechoslovakia.
Six Czechoslovakian definitive stamps in a set of 16 (Scott 293-304) issued during this period featured Stefanik. The 30h stamp from this set (Scott 293) is shown above.
On Feb. 25, 1948, the Soviet Union forced the resignation of President Edward Benes and the non-Communist members of his government, and Czechoslovakia became a one-party Communist dictatorship.
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia collapsed in 1989, once again exposing the fault lines between Czech and Slovak nationalism.
Attempts to reconcile differences were unsuccessful, and the republic was peacefully dissolved into its constituent parts effective Jan. 1, 1993.
Today, Stefanik is revered as a patriot and a pioneering astronomer in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and France.
The 1945 Czechoslovakian 30h Gen. Stefanik stamp (Scott 293) that is the last in the above slider was issued during the period when the Soviet Union tolerated a coalition unity government in Czechoslovakia.
Jun 23, 2016, 9 AM
Belarus' European history reflected on stamps: Stamps of Eastern Europe
Mar 11, 2016, 10 AM
Suvalkija, the first set in Lithuania Ethnographic Regions series: Stamps of Eastern Europe
Aug 4, 2016, 1 PM
Poland and Vatican City stamps feature the Black Madonna: Stamps of Eastern Europe


Join us for Maundy Thursday Worship and Communion as we continue to reflect on Words that Last Forever.
Join us for a family friendly review of Holy Week.
Join us for Worship and "blooming of the cross" this Easter Saturday as we begin to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
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Medical Surgical Nursing (MSN)EMERGENCY CONDITIONS – SHOCK
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS – SHOCK
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS – Shock (Etiology, Pathophysiology, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnostic Evaluation and Management)
Clinical syndrome characterized by decreased tissue perfusion and impaired cellular metabolism resulting in an imbalance between the supply and demand for oxygen and nutrients
ETIOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Cardiogenic shock occurs when either systolic or diastolic dysfunction of the pumping action of the heart results in compromised cardiac output (CO).
Precipitating causes of cardiogenic shock include myocardial infarction (MI), cardiomyopathy, blunt cardiac injury, severe systemic or pulmonary hypertension, cardiac tamponade, and myocardial depression from metabolic problems.
Hemodynamic profile will demonstrate an increase in the pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) and pulmonary vascular resistance
Tachycardia, hypotension, a narrowed pulse pressure, tachypnea, pulmonary congestion, cyanosis, pallor, cool and clammy skin, decreased capillary refill time, anxiety, confusion, and agitation.
Hypovolemic shock occurs when there is a loss of intravascular fluid volume
Absolute hypovolemia results when fluid is lost through hemorrhage, gastrointestinal (GI) loss (e.g. vomiting, diarrhea), fistula drainage, diabetes insipidus, hyperglycemia, or diuresis.
Relative hypovolemia results when fluid volume moves out of the vascular space into extravascular space (e.g., interstitial or intracavitary space) and this is called third spacing
The physiologic consequences of hypovolemia include a decrease in venous return, preload, stroke volume and CO resulting in decreased tissue perfusion and impaired cellular metabolism.
Clinical manifestations depend on the extent of injury or insult, age and general state of health and may include anxiety, an increase in heart rate, CO, and respiratory rate and depth, and a decrease in stroke volume, PAWP, and urine output.
Neurogenic shock is a hemodynamic phenomenon that can occur within 30 minutes of a spinal cord injury at the fifth thoracic (T5) vertebra or above an last up to 6 weeks, or in response to spinal anesthesia.
Immediate reaction causes massive vasodilation, release of vasoactive mediators, and an increase in capillary permeability resulting in fluid leaks from the vascular space into the interstitial space
Clinical manifestations can include anxiety, confusion, dizziness, chest pain, incontinence, swelling of the lips and tongue, wheezing, stridor, flushing, pruritus, urticaria and angioedema.
Septic shock is the presence of sepsis with hypotension despite fluid resuscitation along with the presence of tissue perfusion abnormalities
In severe sepsis and septic shock, the initiated body response to an antigen is exaggerated resulting in an increase in inflammation and coagulation, and a decrease in fibrinolysis
Endotoxins from the microorganisms cell wall stimulate the release of cytokines and other proinflammatory mediators that act through secondary mediators such as platelet-activating factor.
Clinical presentation for sepsis is complex. Patients will usually experience a hyperdynamic state characterized by increased CO. Persistence of a high CO beyond 24 hours is ominous and often associated with hypotension and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Initially patients will hyperventilate as a compensatory mechanism, resulting in respiratory alkalosis followed by respiratory acidosis and respiratory failure. Other clinical signs include alteration in neurologic status, decreased urine output, and GI dysfunction.
STAGES OF SHOCK
Compensatory Stage
Decrease in circulating blood volume
Sympathetic nervous system stimulated, release catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine), bronchodilation and increased cardiac output occurs. To maintain blood pressure; increase heart rate and contractility increases in peripheral vasoconstriction due to stimulation of beta adrenergic fibers (cause vasoconstriction of blood vessels of skin and abdominal viscera) and increase in heart rate and contractility.
Renin-angiotensin release of aldosterone-reabsorb H2O and sodium. Get fluid shift from interstitial to capillaries due to decrease in hydrostatic pressure in capillaries
Shunting blood from the lungs-ventilation-perfusion mismatch
Circulation maintained, but only sustained short time without harm to tissues
Progressive Stage
Altered capillary permeability (3rd spacing)
In the lungs: alveolar or pulmonary edema, ARDS, increased pulmonary artery pressures
Cardiac output decreases and coronary perfusion is decreased. Decreased myocardial perfusion-arrhythmias and myocardial ischemia
Kidneys: elevated BUN and creatinine
Metabolic acidosis, anaerobic metabolism and kidneys cannot excrete acids and reabsorb bicarbonate
GI-ischemia causes ulcers and GI bleed
Liver: cannot eliminate waste products, elevated ammonia and lactate, bilirubin (jaundice) bacteria released in bloodstream
Hematologic: disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
Refractory Stage
Anaerobic metabolism starts. Lactic acid build-up
Increased capillary blood leak, worsens hypotension and tachycardia, also get cerebral ischemia
Get profound hypotension and hypoxemia
Cellular death leads, tissue, death, vital organs fail and death occurs (lungs, liver and kidneys result in accumulation of waste products. One organ failure leads to another.
Recovery unlikely
Blood: RBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit
Arterial Blood Gases: respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis
Electrolyte (Na level increased early, decreased later if hypotonic fluid given) K decrease later increase K with cellular breakdown and renal failure
BUN and creatinine increased, specific gravity increased then fixed at 1.010
Blood cultures: identify causative organism in septic shock
Cardiac enzymes: diagnosis of cardiogenic shock
Glucose: increased early then decreased
DIC screen: fibrinogen level, platelet count, PTT and PT, thrombin time
Lactic acid: increased
Liver enzymes: ALT, AST and GGT increased
General management strategies for a patient in shock begin with ensuring that the patient has a patient airway and oxygen delivery is optimized. The cornerstone of therapy for septic, hypovolemic and anaphylactic shock is volume expansion with the administration of the appropriate fluid
It is generally accepted that isotonic crystalloids, such as normal saline, are used in the initial resuscitation of shock. If the patient does not respond to 2 to 3 L of crystalloids, blood administration and central venous monitoring maybe instituted
The primary goal of drug therapy for shock is the correction of decreased tissue perfusion
Sympathomimetic drugs cause peripheral vasoconstriction and are referred to as vasopressor drugs (e.g. epinephrine and norepinephrine)
The goals of vasopressor therapy are to achieve and maintain a mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 60 to 65 mm Hg and the use of these drugs is reserved for patients unresponsive to other therapies
The goal of vasodilator therapy, as in vasopressor therapy, is to maintain Mean arterial pressure at 60 mm Hg or greater
Vasodilator agents most often used are nitroglycerin (in cardiogenic shock) and nitroprusside)
COLLABORATIVE CARE
Overall goal is to restore blood flow to the myocardium by restoring the balance between oxygen supply and demand
Definitive measures include thrombolytic therapy, angioplasty with stenting, emergency revascularization and valve replacement
Care involves hemodynamic monitoring, drug therapy (e.g. diuretics to reduce preload), and use of circulatory assist devices (e.g. intra-aortic balloon pump, ventricular assist device)
Hypovolemic Shock
The underlying principles of managing patients with hypovolemic shock focus on stopping the loss of fluid and restoring the circulating volume
Fluid replacement is calculated using a 3:1 rule (3 ml of isotonic crystalloid for every 1 ml of estimated blood loss)
Septic Shock
Patients in septic shock require large amounts of fluid replacement, sometimes as much as 6 to 10 L of isotonic crystalloids and 2 to 4 L of colloids, to restore perfusion
Vasopressor drug therapy maybe added and vasopressin maybe given to patient's refractory to vasopressor therapy
Intravenous corticosteroids are recommended for patients who require vasopressor therapy, despite fluid resuscitation, to maintain adequate BP
Antibiotics are early component of therapy and are started after obtaining cultures
Drotrecogin alpha, a recombinant form of activated protein C, has demonstrated promise in treating patients with severe sepsis.
Glucose levels should be maintained at less than 150 mg/dl
Stress ulcer prophylaxis with histamine (H2)-receptor blockers and deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis with low dose unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin are recommended
Treatment of neuogenic shock is dependent on the tissue
In spinal cord injury, general measures to promote spinal stability are initially used
Definitive treatment of the hypotension and bradycardia involves the use of vasopressor and atropine respectively
Fluids are administered cautiously as the cause of the hypotension is generally not related to fluid loss
The patient is monitored for hypothermia
Epinephrine is the drug of choice to treat anaphylactic shock
Diphenhydramine is administered to block the massive release of histamine
Maintaining a patent airway is critical and the use of nebulization with bronchodilators is highly effective
Endotracheal intubation or cricothyroidotomy maybe necessary
Aggressive fluid replacement, predominantly with colloids, is necessary
Intravenous corticosteroids maybe helpful in anaphylactic shock if significant hypotension persists after 1 to 2 hours of aggressive therapy
Acute Intervention
The role of the nurse in shock involves
Monitoring the patient's ongoing physical and emotional status to detect subtle changes in the patient's condition
Planning and implementing nursing interventions and therapy
Evaluating the patient's response to therapy
Providing emotional support to the patient and family and
Collaborating with other members of the health team when warranted by the patient's condition
Neurologic status, including orientation and level of consciousness, should be assessed every hour or more often.
Heart rate, rhythm, BP, central venous pressure and PA pressures including continuous cardiac output should be assessed at least every 15 minutes.
The patient's ECG should be continuously monitored to detect dysrhythmias that may result from the cardiovascular and metabolic derangements associated with shock. Heart sounds should be assessed for the presence of an S3 and S4 sound or new murmurs. The presence of an S3 sound in an adult usually indicated heart failure.
The respiratory status of the patient in shock must be frequently assessed to ensure adequate oxygenation, detect complications early and provide data regarding the patient's acid base status.
Pulse oximetry is used to continuously monitor oxygen saturation.
Arterial blood gases (ABGs) provide definitive information on ventilation and oxygenation status, and acid base balance.
Most patients in shock will be intubated and on mechanical ventilation.
Hourly urine output measurements assess the adequacy of renal perfusion and a urine output of less than 0.5 ml/kg/hour may indicate inadequate kidney perfusion.
BUN and serum creatinine values are also used to assess renal function.
Tympanic or pulmonary arterial temperatures should be obtained hourly if temperature is elevated or subnormal, otherwise every 4 hours.
Capillary refill should be assessed and skin monitored for temperature, pallor, flushing, cyanosis and diaphoresis
Bowel sounds should be auscultated at least every 4 hours and abdominal distention should be assessed
If a nasogastric tube is inserted, drainage should be checked for occult blood as should stools
Oral care for the patient in shock is essential and passive range of motion should be performed three or four times per day
Anxiety, fear and pain may aggravate respiratory distress and increase the release of catecholamines
The nurse should talk to the patient, even if the patient is intubated, sedated and paralyzed or appears comatose. If the intubated patient is capable of writing, a pencil and paper should be provided.
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A Smarter Way to Sleep: Using Smartphones to Diagnose Sleep Disorders
Latest Research Sleep Apnea
Sleep disorders are often evaluated and diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG), which measures brain activity, eye movement and heart rhythms during sleep, but a new type of technology designed by researchers out of Osaka University utilizes a smartphone to help diagnose sleep disorders. It uses machine learning via a smartphone to help determine if a patient is suffering from a sleep disorder.
Using Modern Technology to Diagnose Sleep Disorders
According to Osaka University Associate Professor Ken-ichi Fukui, PSGs are ineffective because they require a patient to be monitored outside of their natural sleeping environment, typically in a sleep lab or other medical facility. He believes that because "our environment influences how we sleep...we should not expect the same patterns sleeping at a hospital [versus] or sleeping at home."[1] This could be why so many people aren't diagnosed with a sleep disorder, even though they really do have one.
Seeing this disparity, researchers set out to find a way to less invasively and accurately obtain sleeping data. The goal was to uncover a more effective method that would lead to a proper diagnose for those suffering from a sleeping disorder. The new technology used "machine learning to model a personal sleep pattern based on the sounds made during sleep"1 and evaluated that data alongside PSG data from the same patient as way to compare the measurement effectiveness of the machine learning algorithm. This new method is significantly less invasive than solo PSG monitoring "because the sounds can be recorded at home with no fancy devices" and as such, "it is expected that doctors using this technology could diagnose patients under normal sleeping conditions, which is expected to lead to better treatment."1
The Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in America
The American Sleep Association estimates that roughly 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. On average, about 48.0% of Americans reported snoring, 37.9% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day and an alarming 4.7% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving. Sleep disorders very clearly impact not just a person's sleep cycle but their everyday way of life. If left untreated sleep disorders can quickly become dangerous. One of the most common sleep disorders is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by repetitive pauses or cessations in breathing during sleep, and it's a condition that often goes undiagnosed for many years.
How Sleep Apnea Affects the Body
Dr. David Buck, a neuromuscular dentist in Washington states, specializes in treating the disorder. He's treated many patients who have sleep apnea but have never been formally diagnosed. Through his experience treating patients with sleep apnea, he's seen firsthand how the disorder impacts multiple bodily systems.
"Sleep apnea is a structural problem meaning the airway collapses during deeper levels of sleep," said Buck. "That causes blood oxygen to desaturate, the brain to be irritated and go through an arousal and the heart rate to accelerate. It really causes a lot of negative sympathetic nervous system overstimulation."
The good news is there are options available to treat the condition. Buck's approach is slightly different in comparison to what you might find at a traditional sleep clinic. He uses custom-designed orthotic appliances to stabilize the mouth and bite and open the away. By doing so, it accomplishes several things.
"The muscles can relax, we can decompress the joints, and on top of all of that, we open the airway," said Buck.
The Diagnosis Disconnect
While there are treatment options available, the disconnect lies in diagnosing the condition in the first place. Because it often requires patients to be evaluated in a sleep clinic or medical facility, many people opt out of being evaluated because they simply don't have the time. Additionally, as noted in the Osaka University, it's increasingly more difficult to get an accurate picture of the problem at hand if patients aren't sleeping as they normally would at home. That's why this new technology for diagnosing sleep disorders is extremely beneficial for patients who haven't been formally diagnosed. It's simple, convenient and lets them collect data on their sleep patterns in the comfort of their own home.
[1] Osaka University. "Smartphones and machine learning used to measure sleep patterns." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 April 2017.
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David Mills is Executive Officer of First Things
Justice, Peace and the Martyrs
Thousands and possibly tens of thousands of Christians die for the faith every year, notes Daniel Philpott, writing in the Jesuit magazine America. They have died in India, Vietnam, Iraq, Colombia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia, most killed by Muslims. More Christians were martyred in the last century...
Radiating the Word of Truth
Editorial FAITH MAGAZINE Mar-Apl 2013
Pope Benedict clearly wishes this Year of Faith to be a graced opportunity for Catholics to grapple with the content of their faith. He quotes approvingly his...
Paul VI, Wednesday Audience, 21st June 1967
During the last Year of Faith Pope Paul VI dedicated a number of audiences to the theme of Faith. We publish below an extract from one of those audiences.
Today it is important for everyone to...
Lumen Gentium and the Place of Mary
Ross Campbell FAITH MAGAZINE March-April 2013
One of the slow growing fruits that has developed out of the Second Vatican Council is an emerging deeper understanding of the relationship between...
Chastity and Same-Sex Attraction
James Parker FAITH MAGAZINE March-April 2013
James Parker, facilitator of the London Chapter of EnCourage, gives an insight into the aims, ideals and work of EnCourage in supporting people who...
Pastoral Recommendations for the Year of Faith
1. In preparation for the Year of Faith, all of the faithful are invited to read closely and meditate upon Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei.
2. The Year of Faith "will also...
Woman and the Cardinal Virtue of Justice
Mgr Burke continues his series of reflections on the cardinal virtues and their place in recovering an authentic understanding of womanhood. The article that follows was originally delivered as a...
Paul VI and the Year of Faith
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, built by Jesus Christ on that rock which is Peter. She is the Mystical Body of Christ; at the same time a visible society instituted with...
A Tribute to Ft John Edwards SJ, 1929-2012
Fr William Massie, parish priest in Scarborough, pays tribute to a great Jesuit.
John Edwards was a gunnery officer on a naval frigate during the Korean War when thoughts of the priesthood first...
FAITH MAGAZINE March-April 2013
Science and Religion News
Science and Scientism
At the heart of the natural sciences is falsifiability, the ability to prove a theory false by experiment or...
Comment on the Commments
Well, now. President Morsi of Egypt is due to meet President Obama, possibly in March. Jordan Sekulow thinks (writing of the case of Nadia Mohamed AN) that the US State Department should play...
The Editor, St Mary's and St David's, 15 Buccleuch Street, Hawick TD9 OHH, editor@faith.org.uk
A Concise Companion and Commentary for the Catechism of the Catholic Church
By James Tolhurst. Gracewing, 1994, 218pp, £9.99
In this Year of Faith it seems that...
David Mills FAITH MAGAZINE March-April 2013
Thousands and possibly tens of thousands of Christians die for the faith every year, notes Daniel Philpott, writing in the Jesuit magazine America. They have died in India, Vietnam, Iraq, Colombia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia, most killed by Muslims. More Christians were martyred in the last century than in all of Church history before 1900.
Their deaths, Christians know, bear much fruit. Writing in America, Dan, who teaches at Notre Dame and wrote "Peace After Genocide" (June/July 2012), offers four ways in which the modern martyrs advance the Church's work of justice and reconciliation.
First, their deaths testify "to the justice that is violated in their very murder: that of religious freedom."
Second, their deaths "afford church communities the chance to recognise in each other what all Christians regard as the truest devotion to Christ - following him in his death on the cross." Third, and similarly, "martyrdom witnesses to friendship not only among Christian churches but also between religions," because "members of different faiths recognise holiness in martyrdom."
Finally, martyrdom invites forgiveness, which for the Christian not only cancels the debt but invites others to conversion and reconciliation.
Martyrdom, Dan concludes, is an act of remembrance, like the Eucharist, in which "we make the past present", and is an act we should perform often, and with gratitude. We would add that the highest form of gratitude is imitation.
Anglicans and Ecumenism
After centuries of "good and truly brotherly relations" things have got rough - there are "tangible difficulties", in the diplomatic language of church statements - between the Russian Orthodox Church and the churches of the Anglican Communion, and the Orthodox insist it's the Anglicans' fault. So writes Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, the Russian Church's ecumenical officer, to the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
He brings up women priests and bishops, the blessing of same-sex "unions" and "marriages" (he uses the quotation marks), and the ordination of homosexuals.
These "deviations from the tradition of the Early Church ...increasingly estrange Anglicanism from the Orthodox Church and contribute to a further division of Christendom as a whole". He hopes the Anglicans will listen and that "good fraternal relationships between us will revive".
We presume he's not holding his breath.
Liberal Ultramontanism
The distinguished Catholic historian Eamon Duffy is "a theologically liberal ultramontanist" in his fellow Catholic historian William Tighe's striking phrase, used in a short review we published in November. Bill tells us that he heard one TLU insist that before breakfast the Pope could declare that women could be ordained and then after breakfast ordain as many of them as he liked.
This liberal ultramontanism helps explain the hatred some dissenting Catholics (not Duffy) have for the Pope, writes an English priest, Fr Ray Blake, on his weblog.
"They seem to have the idea that anything they object to is the personal responsibility of the Pope, that he alone is the brake, holding back their own vision of the Church. This is the terrifying Spirit of Vatican I that really sees the Church as the Pope's personal fiefdom and him as its master rather than its servant."
"Imagine There's no Heaven"
Look at suicide bombers, the guy at the other table was saying. They show what happens when you believe in heaven. The other guys at the table nodded or grunted in agreement.
Everyone knows that. It's the Time/ l/an/fyFa/r/Slate.com line. Religion lets people do horrific things to other people "in the name of God". Belief in heaven makes people reckless. The world would be safer without it. Of course, speaking with all due respect, this is stupid. Recklessness goes both ways. If you believe in heaven, you'll also sacrifice pleasures in this world, and maybe even your life, for the good of others. All those Catholic hospitals didn't get built by people like the guy at the other table.
It's a matter of drawing out the timeline far enough. If you think, and really believe, that your life lasts through eternity, the cost of giving up even life itself shrinks to nothing.
Look at it this way. You're 20 years old and someone tells you that if for just one day you work like a dog with a psychopath for a boss, being alternately baked in the Sahara and frozen in Siberia, and being eaten by mosquitoes and horseflies the whole time, you can cruise through the rest of your life without a care in the world. You'd take the deal.
At the crassest level, the level the theological expert at the next table should understand, belief in heaven makes saints as well as suicide bombers. We'd just point out that it's produced a lot more saints.
Mixed Marriages
In an article on English women becoming Muslims that we quoted a couple of issues ago, the author
mentions a Vatican statement on interfaith marriages. The one paragraph that mentions the subject appears in a 2004 statement titled "The Love of Christ Towards Migrants".
Since you're probably as ignorant of the thing as we were, It says that marriages between Catholics and non-Christians "should be discouraged, though to a varying degree, depending on the religion of each partner, with exceptions in special cases in accordance with the norms of the CIC and CCEO [in other words canon law]."
It closes with a quote from John Paul II: "In families where both parents are Catholic, it is easier for them to share their common faith with their children. While acknowledging with gratitude interfaith marriages which succeeded in nourishing the faith of both spouses and children, the Synod encourages pastoral efforts to promote marriages between people of the same faith."
Pro-Life Lefties
"Abortion", writes the political director of the Huffington Post UK, "is one of those rare political issues on which left and right seem to have swapped ideologies: right-wingers talk of equality, human rights and 'defending the innocent', while left-wingers fetishise 'choice', selfishness and unbridled individualism."
We think that's much less of a surprise than he does, but to his credit Mehdi Hasan rejects the cultural left's "my body, my life, my choice" line. Writing in the New Statesman he says: "Such rhetoric has always left me perplexed. Isn't socialism about protecting the weak and vulnerable, giving a voice to the voiceless? Who is weaker or more vulnerable than the unborn child? Which member of our society needs a voice more than the mute baby in the womb?"
"I consider abortion to be wrong because of, not in spite of, my progressive principles," he concludes. "That I am pro-life does not make me any less of a lefty."
SSPX
Readers may know that the Society of St Pius X, the group that sort of left the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council (the theology of communion and schism is a subtle one), has ejected one of its four bishops.
Already infamous for his Holocaust denial, Richard Williamson led the opposition to the reconciliation with the Church offered by Pope Benedict. He apparently refused to obey the group's superior general
and his council and wrote an open letter demanding that the superior general resign.
The SSPX, headquartered in Econe, Switzerland, has insisted that the current pope is the pope but that the Church he runs is somehow deeply defective and "modernist". The society's members are, they say, true Roman Catholics, faithful to the Church as she really is, without the deformations brought by the Second Vatican Council (all of whose documents their founder signed). Theirs is "the Rome of the ages", as they like to put it.
The group's announcement said that "this painful decision has become necessary by concern for the common good of the Society of Saint Pius X and its good government, according to what Archbishop Lefebvre denounced: This is the destruction of authority. How can authority be exercised if it needs to ask all members to participate in the exercise of authority?'"
The SSPX demands more obedience to its leader than it is (at the moment) willing to give the pope it acknowledges as the pope. But perhaps Williamson could say that despite all appearances he really and truly still belongs to the SSPX because, though he disobeys "Modernist Econe," he is faithful to the "Econe of the Ages".
The New Translation
As we write, the Catholic Church in the English-speaking world is finishing the
first year using the new translation of the Novus Ordo, and everyone seems happy. No one complains, anyway, and everyone we hear around us at Mass seems to have learned the new responses. There's not an "And also with you" to be heard. OK, there was this one elderly man sitting behind us one Sunday who bellowed out all the old responses, and he certainly looked angry, but just one man on one Sunday.
Not what some people expected. Back before the American bishops finally approved the new translation, the bishop of Erie, former head of the bishops' liturgical committee, warned that it might lead to a "pastoral disaster". In a major public lecture, Donald Trautman declared that "as a text for public proclamation, in many instances it borders on failure... As it stands, the New Missal is not pastorally sensitive to our people... Our liturgy needs not a 'sacred language' but a pastoral language".
The bishop smuggles in a lot of dubious ideas in that distinction between "sacred" and "pastoral," and his understanding of "vernacular" is more than a little biased. He overlooks the problems with the previous version, which is a little like ignoring the approaching white light when you're standing on a railroad track.
But we agree with him in calling for a translation, faithful to the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, "that is accurate, inspiring, reverent, proclaimable, understandable, pastoral in every sense - a text that raises our minds and hearts to God". We just think that's what we've got now.
The Public Order Act
Last month, we published English barrister Paul Diamond's report on official bigotry against Christianity in England, which uses the Public Order Act and its outlawing of speech that is "threatening, abusive, or insulting" as an excuse. As it happens, a recent issue of The Spectator includes more evidence.
Starting with the absurd. A man in the north of England was arrested and convicted under the act for... even the Anglophobes among you won't believe this ... growling at some labrador retrievers. Oh yes, and saying "Woof." The conviction was later overturned. It only cost the English £8,000.
More worrisome, writes Melanie McDonagh, the respected writer Matthew Parris, a Tory, reported listening to a pro-life Member of Parliament and, noticing the man's name, checked his religion. Finding out that the MP was a Catholic, he dismissed his argument because "he presumably believes that... almost any termination after conception is not just a sin but a mortal sin."
McDonagh also mentions the criticism that a professor of psychiatry at University College Dublin received for not declaring her Catholicism when writing on abortion for the British Journal of Psychiatry.
No one called for a pro-choice foundation to admit its bias in a recent paper on the same subject. "It's religious belief that appears to undermine the validity of your research and your academic integrity," she notes. "Secular prejudice doesn't count."
Finally, James Delingpole mentions that his niece told him that whenever students at her state school mention Muhammad, they are required to add "Peace Be Upon Him," though they're allowed to say "PBUH" instead.
"You can imagine the fuss," he writes, "if at every mention of the name Jesus Christ all children of whatever creed were forced to raise their arms in the air and add 'Our Lord and Saviour, He is risen, Alleluia.'"
The Public Order Act, argues Rod Liddle, source of the first story, "is used ... to criminalise people who express inconvenient political views". And als


We want to see how the beautifully busy women of Australia use their BB cream! Whether it's in the morning, on-the-go or a holiday holy grail, BB cream is the go-to beauty shortcut. Content should be fresh and bright, and feature the product alongside natural elements.
Submit posts of you using BB cream Naturals.
marissatdesigns I like Garnier. That product sounds great!!!


text:
Greenwashing 'rife' according to industry poll
by Elena Johansson 22 Nov 2019
66% of those surveyed highlighted a lack of ESG understanding at fund groups
Greenwashing at investment management companies is "rife", according to a poll of delegates attending Expert Investor's 2019 ESG Congress in Berlin.
A majority of attendees said they felt it was a major issue facing the industry, and a further 23% of delegates said they felt while most fund houses are taking the issue of ESG seriously, some major players are still greenwashing. Just 11% of those polled believed that almost all fund groups take ESG investment seriously.
Audience participants in the live poll said that environmental, social and governance issues mattered to them and their clients.
An overwhelming number said that the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are interesting, to different degrees; with 7% stating they are 'vital' for ESG investment, 51% saying 'important' and 37% 'interesting'. Just 5% thought that the SDGs were irrelevant for ESG investment purposes.
A lack of common ESG standards has exacerbated the problem of greenwashing, the audience heard.
Joe McGrath, editor of ESG Clarity and a speaker at the Congress, told the conference that definitions such as impact investing are commonly misused for commercial purposes.
He said while there have been some "genuine efforts" by companies to deliver funds with meaningful impact, the ambiguity of the term has been harnessed by some ruthless marketers.
McGrath cited a report by the International Monetary Fund which warned that a lack of consistent methodologies and ESG standards could be harming trust in sustainable investing across the board.
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) defines impact investing as investments made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
GIIN found that the current size of the global impact investing market is $502bn (€453bn) in assets under management as of the end of 2018.
It was the first rigorous analysis and estimate of the size of the impact investing market.
Read More: ESG Congress, Greenwashing
PRI to align with global standards with reporting framework updates
Global sustainable flows bounce back in Q4
Tech platform launches for ESG managers
FCA sustainable fund label proposal nuances hammered out by industry


Acclaimed metal band Tengger Cavalry share a performance of "Farewell Song" ahead of their forthcoming Mongolian nomadic folk music concert.
Tengger Cavalry has seen a tumultuous past year. At first, they broke up in February following the stresses of ongoing business matters. Frontman Nature G later decided to reinstate the acclaimed metal band after spending the past several months finding himself, first in Austin, then in Mongolia, Tibet, and Beijing. In Beijing, Nature took the opportunity to rekindle familial bonds while helping a friend train a young horse, which was a turning point for the artist in reigniting his passion for music. Reinvigorated by the horse-based culture that Tengger Cavalry embraced to begin with, Nature decided to resurrect the band over summer.
Following a return to New York City and a successful Kickstarter campaign, Nature has rounded up Tengger Cavalry once more. Albeit, their much-anticipated performance at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall will be taking a turn from the metal sounds of their previous endeavors. Rather, the band will be offering their renditions of Mongolian nomadic folk music on the evening of 20 September at the venue. Ahead of the jam, Tengger Cavalry are sharing a performance of the Inner Mongolian composition, "Farewell Song". Nature is joined on fiddle by Wulijimuren, drummer Randy Tesser, bassist Greg Baker, and keyboardist Zong Li. Together, they produce a riveting live performance of the traditional arrangement.


That means no change. We are still in the market.
Well, now that it looks like I can post again I'll go ahead and these entries after the fact.
For those only looking at the crossover that means you now want to get out of the equities and transition into your less risky investments. For those only/also looking at the trend there is no change yet. We are still fully invested.
Note1: Since looking at the numbers last December, the numbers for 10/18, 8/18, 3/18 & 11/17 have been corrected/changed. Those figure into our 12 Month Moving Average. If you use the old (uncorrected) numbers we don't have a crossover yet and everyone is still fully invested. It's up to you.
Note2: I checked the data back for 10 years today and found corrections/changes all the way back to Aug 2013. That means it's not only the recent figures that are corrected. I had been checking back 6 months to a year every month. This seams to to be new since last month. There are also corrections to corrections as the correction for Sep & Oct 2016 that was documented in post #24 of this thread has now been reverted back to what it was originally. That's the one thing I don't like about this system -- the historical values change in the future. That doesn't do any good for us making decisions now.
For those only looking at the crossover that means that like last month you want to be out of the equities and in your less risky investments.
For those only/also looking at the trend there is no change yet but that line is getting pretty flat. We are still fully invested but be prepaired to jump.
Oh my, Cactus I just rediscovered this thread for the first time in 2-1/2 years! I'd completely forgotten that you were tracking this, great job.
One comment, the signal to get out of stocks is two parts, first you look to see if the UE rate moves above the 12-month moving average, which it did today...that's step one...step 2 is to look at the trend of the S&P 500. If the month-end S&P 500 drops below the 10-month moving average (and I contacted the author of that article several years ago and he confirmed that he thinks it's best to use the month-end S&P 500 numbers, not intra-month daily numbers so you don't get whipsawed), then you have a confirmed sell signal. The month-end S&P 500 price fell below the 10-month moving average at the end of December, and was still below on 1/31/2019, so I'd say that step 2 is also satisfied and today we got a sell signal. Per my spreadsheet it's the first sell signal since the beginning of December 2007. I need to go back through your thread regarding revised UE rate numbers since I hadn't documented those...a month ago I had the UE rate moving average at 3.90%, a dead tie with the moving average, and wasn't sure how to handle that...but it appears you had the moving average at 3.89%...really splitting hair there but staying in the market for January sure made a huge difference!
Update - OK, now I see, the BLS numbers for some previous months changed here; https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000 and when I plug in the changed numbers it looks to me like the sell signal actually came a month ago with the December report, since the 12-mo moving average was 3.892, and the December UE rate was above that at 3.9%.
Well the crossover is now back below the 12 MMA but numbers wise we are leveling off. Keep an eye on this because it could easily switch back next month with little change in the numbers. We are right there on the line.
As for now we are back in the market.


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The Rich History of Woodstock Inn Bed & Breakfast
How Woodstock Inn Bed and Breakfast became what it is today!
For over 100 years, the location of Woodstock Inn has figured into both local and national history, and has seen wagon trains, art studios, and adventurers thrive under its roof. What do wagon trains, the civil war, art design, quilts, and doll manufacturing have in common with Woodstock Inn? Read on and find out!
Woodstock Inn was first built as the residence of Morris Short and family in the 1890's. Called Old Westport Road at the time, this road most surely saw the wagon trains that left Independence with all of the excited faces of westward pioneers headed onto the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Trails. Every September, Independence celebrates these pioneers with Santi-Cali-Gon Days, a weekend filled with country music, pioneer crafts, homemade foods and sarsaparilla root beer for over 200,000 people attending the festival.
The road name was changed to Lexington Avenue in the 1900's, perhaps a reference to the civil war history that also figures into the area. Less than a hundred yards from the Inn is a historical marker that designates one of the confederate lines, where the North defended the territory. Morris Short lived during the time of the civil war, and most surely the area saw activity since it is one of the highest points in the Kansas City area. In fact, the knoll just a few yards from the Woodstock Inn marks the Temple Lot, a place of much religious significance, and the highest point in Independence.
The most famous resident of what is now Woodstock Inn was Ruby McKim, born in 1891 to Morris and Viola Short. Ruby became interested in art early on, and attended the New York School of Fine Arts before returning to Independence, Missouri, and marrying Arthur McKim. She settled into home here with her husband and shortly thereafter began teaching art in the local schools. Her prolific career began here as a quilter and publisher. She published quilt patterns in the Kansas City Star, published the historically famous "101 Patchwork Patterns," and was finally inducted into the Quilter's Hall of Fame.
Ruby continued her prolific career in design, business and writing. With her husband, Ruby opened McKim Studios, a needlework supply and pattern business which eventually turned into the Kimport's Dolls business and residence. Vestiges of the studio and business can still be found in the attic and eaves of Woodstock Inn. Ruby also began a column in Better Homes and Gardens on "Adventures in Home Beautifying," in which she focused on a different room of the house every month.
In the 1980's the old McKim Studios became Woodstock Inn and was restructured as a bed and breakfast. In a certain way, the spirit of Ruby McKim was honored as each room was taken one by one, outfitted with ensuite bathrooms, and detailed for guests. At the same time, some additions were made to the core of the residence. Woodstock Inn changed hands a couple of times in the last 26 years since Ruby McKim's passing, but it is interesting to note that current owner Kim Morgan is an educator and publisher, as Ruby McKim once was, and that along with Innkeeper Mark & Lorrie Look, she is still in the business of beautifying the home. So it is with great pleasure that we welcome you to Woodstock Inn, and share the history and warmth that was and is part of the charm
Meet your InnKeeper, Mark & Lorrie Look
Woodstock Inn Bed & Breakfast
1212 W. Lexington Ave.
Independence, Missouri 64050
wind: 4mph NW


The input range of a channel determines how large signals can be measured. The input range is defined as full scale value, the highest voltage that can be measured, both in positive as in negative direction. When the input range is e.g. 8 V, signal values between -8 V and +8 V can be measured. Values outside that range will be clipped.
For oscilloscopes, another way of defining the input range is also used, in V/div. This is the full scale input range divided by the number of grid divisions that are used to display that range. A typical oscilloscope display has 8 division vertically, covering -full scale to +full scale. A full scale input range of e.g. 8 V equals 2 V/div.


text:
A Budapesti Hírlap a kiegyezést megelőző időszak önkényuralmi rendszerében megjelent magyar nyelvű hivatalos napilap volt 1853 és 1860 között. Szerkesztője Szilágyi Ferenc császárhű történész volt, aki korábban a Magyar Hírlap, majd a Sürgöny nevű lapok szerkesztését végezte.

Története

A lap a korábban Magyar Hírlap néven megjelent napilap tulajdonképpeni folytatása volt. Mind az osztrák hatóságok, mind Szilágyi Ferenc érdekeltek voltak abban, hogy egy magyar nyelvű, félhivatalos lap jelenjen meg, ami az osztrák kormány álláspontját tükrözi. A két lap közti különbség alapvetően az volt, hogy míg a Magyar Hírlapot a kormány csupán használhatta céljaira, és felügyeletét  személyesen Pest rendőrfőnöke, Josef Protmann látta el, a Budapesti Hírlapot a kormány már saját lapjaként ismerte el, felügyelete pedig átkerült a Helytartótanácshoz. Az 1853. január 1-jén induló új lap a bécsi Wiener Zeitung magyar nyelvű hasonmása volt, fejlécében az osztrák birodalmi címerrel.

Bár mint kormányzati sajtóorgánum, a Budapesti Hírlap egyfajta közlöny szerepet is betöltött, hírlapként is funkcionált, és időnként színvonalas publicisztikáknak is helyt adott. 1853-55 között a Pesti Napló szerkesztését Török János látta el, akivel szemben a szerveződő ellenzéknek fenntartásai voltak, és ebben az időszakban sokan inkább a Budapesti Hírlapba publikáltak, melynek hatására rövid időre Szilágyi Ferenc lapja vált a legszínvonalasabb magyar nyelvű sajtóorgánummá. Így alakult ki az a sajátos helyzet, hogy a császári kormánylapban - igaz, csak két évig - szinte a teljes forradalmi múltú nemzeti értelmiség névsora megjelent szerzőként. Később ezt az előnyét elvesztette ugyan, de Falk Miksa és Kecskeméthy Aurél írásai továbbra is emelték a Budapesti Hírlap színvonalát.

1857-ben Nádaskay Lajos vette át a szerkesztői (lényegében főszerkesztői) feladatokat Szilágyitól. 1859-ben Alexander Bach lemondott, így a Bach-korszak véget ért. Az osztrák kormány kezdetben a kiegyezés irányába tapogatózott, majd ismét a központosítás volt a stratégia középpontjában. Új lapra volt szükség, mivel a Budapesti Hírlap hintapolitikája révén már lejáratódott. 1860 őszén Nádaskay elhunyt, Vértei Ernő vette át a (fő)szerkesztői feladatokat, feltehetően ez a változás adta meg az utolsó löketet ahhoz, hogy a lapot minden előzetes értesítés nélkül megszüntessék, és helyette egy új napilapot indítsanak: a Sürgönyt. Az utolsó lapszám 1860. november 30-án jelent meg.

Források

Magyar nyelvű sajtótermékek
Magyarországi napilapok
Megszűnt magyarországi sajtótermékek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Life & Letters
Title: Walt Whitman to Richard Maurice Bucke, 17 April 1890
Whitman Archive ID: loc.08238
Source: The Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. The transcription presented here is derived from Walt Whitman, The Correspondence, ed. Edwin Haviland Miller (New York: New York University Press, 1961–1977), 5:39. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Contributors to digital file: Andrew David King, Cristin Noonan, Yara Moustafa, Marie Ernster, and Stephanie Blalock
Cite this page: "Walt Whitman to Richard Maurice Bucke, 17 April 1890." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, and Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 10 January 2023. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Camden1
near noon April 17 '90
Much the same—stupid condition—fine sunny day—passable night—buckwheat cakes honey & coffee for my breakfast—eat pretty light—appitite not really bad—the reading Tuesday night2 seems to have been satisfactory—Get the "Illustrated American"3 of April 19, (25cts New York) it has a pretty good portrait from Sarony's4 old photo5, &c—Did you note what I told you ab't the (London Eng.) "Universal Review" of Feb: 15 last, with Sarrazin's6 piece in French in full?7—I have lots of visitors & compliments—yesterday one the sweetest red-cheek'd prettiest young naieve Boston women8 did me good to see me & hear her—I have had the Canadian cloth made up in an entire suit & wore to appear in Tuesday night last9—went first rate & just opportune—dull monotonous heavy times with—Publishers Dodd, Mead,10 & Co: N Y have written for me to furnish them in MSS a new book (60,000 words) on Abrm Lincoln, for a new series Makers of America—my pay to be 10 per cent on sales, or $500 in lump—I think favorably—
God be with you—
Richard Maurice Bucke (1837–1902) was a Canadian physician and psychiatrist who grew close to Whitman after reading Leaves of Grass in 1867 (and later memorizing it) and meeting the poet in Camden a decade later. Even before meeting Whitman, Bucke claimed in 1872 that a reading of Leaves of Grass led him to experience "cosmic consciousness" and an overwhelming sense of epiphany. Bucke became the poet's first biographer with Walt Whitman (Philadelphia: David McKay, 1883), and he later served as one of his medical advisors and literary executors. For more on the relationship of Bucke and Whitman, see Howard Nelson, "Bucke, Richard Maurice," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998).
1. This letter is addressed: Dr Bucke | Asylum | London | Ontario | Canada. It is postmarked: Camden, N. J. | Apr 18 | 8 PM | 90; N. Y. | 4-18-90 | 1030AM; London | PM | AP 19 | 90 | Canada. [back]
2. Whitman is referring to his lecture on Lincoln, "Death of Abraham Lincoln," which he delivered for the last time on April 15, 1890 in the Arts Room in Philadelphia, where he was part of a reception given that evening by the Contemporary Club. He included a newspaper clipping from the Philadephia Record that reported on the event in his April 16, 1890, letter to Bucke. For more information, see Larry D. Griffin, "'Death of Abraham Lincoln' (1879)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
3. The Illustrated American publication was a weekly photographic news magazine published at the Bible House in New York. The editor, writer, and politician Maurice Meyer Minton (1859–1926) founded The Illustrated American in 1890 and was editor and owner until 1894; Whitman appeared on the cover of the magazine in the April 19, 1890, issue. [back]
4. Napoleon Sarony (1821–1896) was an eccentric lithographer and photographer who took at least nine pictures of the grey-bearded Whitman in 1878. Besides Whitman, Sarony's clients included well-known literary figures like Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. One of the trailblazers of modern celebrity culture, Sarony invited public figures to sit for him and be included in his catalogues. Whitman enjoyed the experience, writing Harry Stafford that he "had a real pleasant time" and calling the studio a "great photographic establishment" (see his letter to Stafford of July 6–7, 1878). For more on Sarony, see Ed Folsom, "Nineteenth-century Visual Culture," A Companion to Walt Whitman, ed. Donald D. Kummings (Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell, 2009), 272–288. [back]
5. A sketch of Whitman based on this photograph of the poet taken by Sarony in 1878 became the frontispiece of the issue of The Illustrated American for the week ending on April 19, 1890. On March 9, 1890, Maurice M. Minton, of The Illustrated American, had requested a few lines of verse to accompany the photograph. In a lost letter, on March 11, Whitman transcribed three lines from Section 16 of "Song of Myself," which appeared in facsimile (Whitman's Commonplace Book, Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). The magazine pronounced Whitman "The greatest figure—almost without question—in contemporary American literature" (203). Minton, on April 2, had also asked Whitman to answer the question, "Why am I a bachelor?." [back]
6. Gabriel Sarrazin (1853–1935) was a translator and poet from France who commented positively not only on Whitman's work but also on Poe's. Whitman later corresponded with Sarrazin and apparently liked the critic's work on Leaves of Grass—Whitman even had Sarrazin's chapter on his book translated twice. For more on Sarrazin, see Carmine Sarracino, "Sarrazin, Gabriel (1853–1935)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]
7. Gabriel Sarrazin's "Poètes modernes de l'Amérique—Walt Whitman" appeared in La Nouvelle Revue 52 (May 1888), 164–184. The Universal Review reprinted Sarrazin's essay in French. See The Universal Review 6 (1890), 247–269. [back]
8. As yet we have no information about this visitor. [back]
9. On April 4, 1890, Whitman noted in his Commonplace Book the "new togs (coat, vest, trousers) of the Canada gray cloth sent me by Dr B" (Charles E. Feinberg Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1839–1919, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.). [back]
10. See the letter from Dodd, Mead & Company to Whitman of April 15, 1890. [back]


text:
Fission 3 Welcomes New Director Nicky Grant
Kelowna, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2022) - Fission 3.0 Corp. (TSXV: FUU) ("Fission 3" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mrs. Nicky Grant to the Fission 3.0 Board of Directors. Nicky has 18 years' experience in Investment Banking. She joined the US Institutional Desk at Goldman Sachs before moving across the 'wall' into the Special Execution Group in Corporate Finance where she specialized in Debt Capital Markets. After being hired to join UBS as part of their Transaction Management Team, she focused on Global Capital Markets with a particular focus on Emerging Markets. She then re-joined Goldman Sachs as a Vice President and joined their Equity Capital Markets team covering UK companies including the Corporate Broking Team.
Nicky initially started as a consultant to Ocean Wall and in September 2020 became Head of Corporate Advisory. She currently acts as UK/European IR and Corporate Advisor to 2 Canadian TSX-V listed companies - one in the Lithium Sector and one in the Uranium Sector - as well as acting as sole UK/European Advisor to a US listed psychedelics company.
Fission 3.0 also announces that Mr. Phil Morehouse has stepped down as a Director of the Company. Mr. Morehouse will move to an advisory role with Fission 3.0.
Dev Randhawa, CEO commented, "We want to thank Mr. Morehouse for his expertise and support as a director. We look forward to his input and expertise as an advisor as Fission 3.0 moves forward with their projects in the Athabasca Basin."
Fission 3 is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home to some of world's largest high grade uranium discoveries. Fission 3 currently has 16 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of Fission 3's projects are near large uranium discoveries, including, Arrow, Triple R and Hurricane deposits. Fission 3 is currently planning a winter exploration/drill program on its PLN project.
Dev Randhawa, Chairman and CEO
Fission 3.0 Corp.
ir@fission3corp.com
www.fission3corp.com
Cautionary Statement: Fission 3.0 Corp.
Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "has", "now", "shall", "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "offers the opportunity to", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions, our ability to continue to trade on the OTCQB Marketplace, our ability to increase visibility and liquidity, our ability to diversify our shareholder base, risks related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including disruptions to the Company's business and operational plans, risks related to the global economic uncertainty as a result of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and Fission 3.0 Corp. disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.


text:
Did Cleopatra Drink a Pearl Dissolved in Vinegar?
Ancient legend tells of Cleopatra's extravagantly expensive beverage. But modern scholars disagree about whether she ever really drank such a concoction.
The Banquet of Cleopatra by Jacob Jordaens, 1653.
The story goes that Cleopatra bet Mark Antony she could outdo his efforts at extravagance by serving a single meal that cost 10,000,000 sesterces (this translates to about 1,764 pounds of gold — so, in modern currency, almost $30 million, or a WHOLE LOT of money). Antony couldn't imagine how one meal could cost so much, so he accepted the challenge.
The next day Cleopatra set before Antony a sumptuous meal. He laughed and said that although it was indeed extravagant, the cost hardly came to the price tag promised. She responded that this was merely the start. She then ordered her servants to bring in the next course.
They carried in a single glass of vinegar and placed it before her. On her ears she was wearing two enormous pearls — the two largest pearls in the world, left to her by oriental kings. She removed one of them, dropped it in the vinegar, and when it was dissolved, swallowed it down.
She was about to drop the second pearl in another glass of vinegar when Antony's ally Lucius Plancus, who was refereeing the bet, stopped her and declared her the winner.
Did it actually happen?
The pearl dropped in vinegar is one of the most famous tales about Cleopatra, second only to the story of her suicide by the bite of an asp.
The story first shows up in the Natural History of Pliny the Elder, written in 77 AD — over 100 years after the death of Cleopatra, who died in 31 BC. In subsequent centuries, the scene was described by many other writers, and was also memorialized in numerous paintings. It was a particularly popular subject for painters during the early-modern period because it fit into the fashion for painting lavish dining scenes. And during the 20th Century, it was often depicted in newspaper cartoons, and was even featured in several ad campaigns. But all these retellings ultimately rely on Pliny as the primary source.
The Banquet of Cleopatra by Giambattista Tiepolo, 1744
Cartoon depictions of Cleopatra's wager
Is the story true? Ancient writers accepted the veracity of the tale, and commentators continued to take it at face value up until the mid-nineteenth century. But since then the story of the pearl has been the subject of ongoing debate and disagreement.
So let's begin where the debate usually starts — with the question of whether pearls will dissolve in vinegar, because if they don't the story obviously can't be true.
Do Pearls Dissolve in Vinegar?
According to many classical scholars, vinegar definitely does not dissolve pearls.
Herbert Wethered, in The Mind of the Ancient World (1937), tells us that, "it seems a pity for the sake of the story that pearls do not dissolve in ordinary vinegar." Likewise, Harris Rackham in his 1940 translation of Pliny wrote that "no such vinegar exists" that will dissolve pearls. More recently, John Healy in Pliny the Elder on Science and Technology (2000) says, "No form of acetic acid can dissolve a pearl."
Unfortunately, what this demonstrates is that many classical scholars aren't very good at chemistry, because they're wrong. Pearls will dissolve in vinegar.
Not only were they wrong, but the correct information has been available, if they had looked for it. As early as 1881 the German classicist Ludwig Friedländer conducted an experiment showing that vinegar will dissolve pearls. Similar experiments have been conducted in 1957 by Berthold Ullmann of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1957) and in 2010 by Prudence Jones of Montclair State University. Nowadays you can also find videos on YouTube of people conducting the pearl in vinegar experiment.
What all these experiments show is that if you drop a pearl in a glass of vinegar, it'll dissolve — but very slowly. You need to wait a couple of days for full dissolution.
So Cleopatra couldn't have dropped a pearl into a glass of vinegar, stirred it up, and watched it dissolve like an alka-seltzer in water. In other words, the pearl scene could not have occurred exactly as Pliny described it.
However, there are other options. If you heat the vinegar, the pearl will dissolve much more rapidly. In hours rather than days. But again, Pliny says nothing about boiling the vinegar.
But there's a third possibility. If you first grind up the pearl (which is easy to do with a pestle and mortar), and then sprinkle it into the vinegar, the powder will dissolve in a few minutes, even in cold vinegar. Both Ullmann and Jones are inclined to believe this is what happened.
Ullmann theorizes that Antony and Cleopatra were actually using the pearls as a kind of alkaline, to prevent acid indigestion after a heavy meal. Pearls (cheap ones) were definitely used in this way during the middle ages up until the early modern period. Both Francis Bacon and Shakespeare refer to this practice. The pearls would usually be dissolved in vinegar and then mixed with wine. So it's quite possible people in imperial Rome used them in this way too.
Jones, on the other hand, doesn't think we need to come up with a medical reason to explain Cleopatra drinking pearls. She finds the story quite plausible taken at face value, as a story of conspicuous consumption. At the very least, she argues, we should give the story the benefit of the doubt because it could have happened.
Adrienne Mayor, a research scholar at Stanford University's Departments of Classics and History of Science, agrees with Jones. She told Discovery News, "It's likely [Cleopatra] softened the pearl in advance, then crushed it and placed it in a goblet to dazzle Marc Antony with her wealth and arcane scientific expertise."
The Pearl in Vinegar Story As An Urban Legend
1965 ad featuring Cleopatra's wager
So we have some scholars who are willing to accept the story of Cleopatra and the pearl as true. But there's another group of scholars who realize that pearls will dissolve in vinegar, but nevertheless doubt the story, and the reason they're skeptical is because they think it sounds like an urban legend.
Their urban-legend alarm goes off because Cleopatra wasn't the only person said to have drunk vinegar-dissolved pearls in the ancient world. Similar stories were told of two other people.
The first version of the pearl dropped in vinegar tale appears in the Satires of Horace, written around 33 BC (which is around the time when Antony and Cleopatra were hanging out together in Egypt). In a poem about the madness of profligacy, Horace wrote that the spendthrift son of the actor Aesopus once took a pearl hanging from the ear of a young woman named Metella and dissolved it in vinegar, intending to find out what it would taste like to drink a million sesterces. Valerius Maximus, writing during the reign of Tiberius (14 AD to 37 AD), repeated the story of the son of Aesopus in his Nine Books of Memorable Deeds and Sayings.
Pliny's account of Cleopatra drinking a pearl, which he wrote around 77 AD, is then the second version of the tale.
Finally, we find a third version of the tale in The Twelve Caesars written by Suetonius around 121 AD, in which we learn that drinking pearls dissolved in vinegar was just one of the decadent extravagances engaged in by the Emperor Caligula:
In reckless extravagance he outdid the prodigals of all times in ingenuity, inventing a new sort of baths and unnatural varieties of food and feasts; for he would bathe in hot or cold perfumed oils, drink pearls of great price dissolved in vinegar, and set before his guests loaves and meats of gold, declaring that a man ought either to be frugal or Caesar.
So we have a trio of similar tales, and this fits the pattern of an urban legend.
An East German scholar, Ilye Becher, pointed out in her 1966 doctoral dissertation that the story improves over time, which should also raise our suspicions because legends often get exaggerated as people retell them. In the first version of the tale, the dissolved pearl is worth one million sesterces, but over time the value inflates to ten million sesterces. And the story gets attached to more famous people: Cleopatra and Caligula.
Andrew Turner, of the University of Melbourne, further notes that pearls had a particularly potent symbolic meaning when these tales circulated, because the pearl was associated with eastern decadence that was corrupting Roman virtue:
Consolidation of Roman rule in the East in the early imperial period had led to massive imports of luxury goods; pearls in particular became available in Rome in great numbers after the fall of Alexandria, and Pliny specifically cited them as contributing to moral corruption in Rome.
Seen from this perspective, the tale originated out of people's concerns about the changing character of Roman society caused by the enormous fortunes being created by imperial expansion. And over time the tale was attached to celebrities of the era to make it more dramatic. But like many of the urban legends about modern celebrities, it probably wasn't true.
The tale of Cleopatra drinking a pearl probably isn't true, but on the other hand, that doesn't mean it's necessarily false.
It's possible that Cleopatra, Caligula, and the son of Aesopus had all heard about the idea of drinking pearls and that this inspired them to actually do it. Folklorists call this "ostension," when (in the words of Jan Harold Brunvand) "people actually enact the content of legends instead of merely narrating them as stories."
In other words, drinking pearls could have been a popular (and shockingly scandalous) way of showing conspicuous consumption in ancient Rome, and the stunt was repeated by a number of different people, including Cleopatra.
So it's possible that Cleopatra drank pearls, as Ullmann, Jones, and Mayor argue. However, I'm still inclined to doubt that she did, and the reason for my suspicion is basically because I don't believe Pliny.
Literal, objective truth wasn't something that ancient biographers placed great value on. The important thing for them was to accurately convey what they believed to be the essential character of a person, and they would happily accept any story that fit this purpose. So Pliny probably heard the story of Cleopatra and the pearl, which had become attached to her in the 100 years since her death, and since he believed that she was arrogant and decadent, he accepted it as true.
But should we accept it just because Pliny did? I don't think so. But on the other hand, I concede that it's possible she drank the pearl.
Ultimately, there's no way to come up with a definitive answer. Maybe she drank the pearl. Maybe she didn't. We'll never know.
Posted on Sat May 30, 2015
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"Tithes And Offerings": A Well-Established Fad Among The Glenn Beckish, Conspiracy-Theory Oriented Christian Right Types
As long as we are talking about flaky but popular-among-conservatives tax plans, Ben Carson's allegedly Bible-based "tithe" tax, which he got to tout in last night's debate, is among the flakiest. It's really just an unusually low flat tax, which means (a) it wouldn't come even close to paying for anything like the government we have, and (b) it represents an incredibly huge windfall for the rich along with significantly higher taxes for the poor (plus loss of refundable tax credits).
What it is, however, is a well-established fad among the Glenn Beckish, conspiracy-theory oriented Christian Right types that represent Carson's real ideological home. Here's RightWingNews' Peter Montgomery on flat taxes and "biblical values:"
The American Family Association's Bryan Fischer has declared, "God believes in a flat tax." On his radio show last year, Fischer said, "That's what a tithe is, it's a tax."
Of course, that kind of flat tax would amount to a massive tax cut for the richest Americans and a tax hike on the poorest. So it's not terribly surprising the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity has teamed up with the Religious Right to promote the idea that progressive taxation is an un-Christian idea. AFP joined Religious Right groups to create the Freedom Federation, one of the right-wing coalitions that sprung up in opposition to Barack Obama's election as president. The coalition's founding "Declaration of American Values" declares its allegiance to a system of taxes that is "not progressive in nature."
David Barton, the pseudo-historian, GOP activist, and Glenn Beck ally, is a major promoter of the idea that the Bible opposes progressive taxes, capital gains taxes, and minimum wage. Barton's views are grounded in the philosophy of Christian Reconstructionism, a movement whose thinking has infused both the Religious Right and Tea Party movements with its notion that God gave the family, not the government, responsibility for education — and the church, not the government, responsibility for taking care of the poor.
That's how we have Republican members of Congress supporting cuts in food stamps by appealing to the Bible. And how we get Samuel Rodriguez, the most prominent conservative Hispanic evangelical leader, saying that a desire to "punish success" — i.e. progressive taxes — "is anti-Christian and anti-American."
A lot of people still think of the conservative movement as a combo platter of "conservative Christians" who don't care about economic issues, and "economic conservatives" who are indifferent or even hostile towards "social issues," and then Tea Party People who only care about fiscal probity and constitutional issues. It's actually all a stew. And in particular, the Christian Right is composed in large part of people who have divinized private property and think the Constitution permanently addressed social and family policy along with taxation and government structure. That's part and parcel of Ben Carson's strange gospel of American unity: it was all resolved by the Founders, and we'll all get along if "politically correct" people weren't causing trouble with their secular socialist schemes.
By: Ed Kilgore, Contributing Writer, Political Animal Blog, The Washington Monthly, August 7, 2015
August 8, 2015 Posted by raemd95 | Ben Carson, Conservatives, Religious Right	| Christian Reconstructionism, David Barton, Flat Tax, Freedom Federation, Glen Beck, GOP Primary Debates, Koch Brothers, Samuel Rodriguez, Tea-party | 1 Comment
"What The Godfather Of Reaganomics Gets Wrong": Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge; More Distorted Reagan Nostalgia
Chris Christie just announced a big tax-cut plan. Well, of course he did. Offering such proposals is de rigueur for Republican presidential candidates. And it pretty much has been since the Reagan presidency.
No surprise, then, that Arthur Laffer, intellectual godfather of the Reagan tax cuts, remains in high demand on the right. Many GOP 2016ers — including Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz — have been publicly consulting with the supply-side economist who continues to joyfully preach the wonder-working power of cutting top marginal tax rates.
But Laffer is, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about my recent column here at The Week, in which I argued that some presidential wannabes were misinterpreting and misapplying the lessons of Reaganomics. As I wrote a few weeks back:
Republicans sometimes misuse Reaganomics to justify fantastical tax plans that promise deep rate cuts for the rich — both Cruz and Paul favor low-rate flat taxes — that will pay for themselves and boost the middle class through explosive economic growth. … Republican policymakers and voters have little reason — either from historical experience or empirical studies — to assume tax reform will generate a prolonged period of 4-5 percent GDP growth such that concerns about budget deficits and income distribution are irrelevant. [The Week]
In other words, a flat tax won't supercharge growth enough to prevent us from losing big bucks. This is a rather modest claim and critique, one perfectly compatible with the idea that the Reagan tax cuts were still good policy. Reaganomics was a home run — just not an impossible five-run dinger.
My comments are also compatible with the consensus among economists on the left and right. Yet Laffer felt compelled to respond to my article with a three-chart, five-page, 2,000-word rebuttal.
Laffer is one of the most important public policy entrepreneurs of the 20th century, right up there with John Maynard Keynes and Milton Friedman. His official bio asserts his work was responsible for "triggering a world-wide tax-cutting movement in the 1980s" — and that is no vain boast. His famous Laffer Curve — an illustration of the trade-off between tax rates and tax revenue derived from the ideas of philosopher Ibn Khaldun — is indeed one of "the main theoretical constructs of supply-side economics."
So it is disappointing that Laffer, in responding to me, offers such an odd, airy, and ultimately unnecessary defense of his life's work. For instance: While Laffer doesn't explicitly say the Reagan tax cuts paid for themselves, he doesn't say they lost revenue, either. Yet he spends hundreds of words countering my claim that they didn't pay for themselves. What Laffer basically argues is that since (a) income tax revenue rose during the 1980s, (b) the rich paid a higher share of GDP in income taxes, and (c) there were more employed people as a share of the entire adult population, then that must mean the tax cuts paid for themselves. Except he doesn't actually say that. "Well, I hope you get the idea" is how he puts it. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Put aside for a moment that Laffer mostly avoids my evidence, such as a Treasury Department study concluding the Reagan tax cuts lost $200 billion a year and one by former Bush II economists that found income tax cuts only recoup a sixth of the revenue they lose through higher growth. A bigger flaw in Laffer's argument is that he ignores everything else happening in the U.S. economy during the 1980s. Tax rates matter plenty — Laffer's key insight — but they aren't all that matters. Laffer ignores the big role of easier monetary policy in driving the recovery after the awful 1981-82 recession. And, yes, the employment-population ratio rose in the 1980s — as it did in the 1970s. Did the Reagan tax cuts cause the Baby Boom, too? Laffer also ignores the revenue impact of $115 billion a year in 1980s tax hikes and how the Tax Reform Act of 1986 nudged rich people to shift how they took their income to the personal income tax base from the corporate one. Laffer ignores a lot as he attempts to make a stronger-than-necessary case. The economist doth protest too much.
Laffer's other big objection is that I downplay the growth effects of the Reagan tax cuts by cherry picking dates. Since the tax cuts did not go fully into effect until 1983, Laffer argues that's the appropriate start date for the Reagan boom. Indeed, real GDP grew at a snappy 4.5 percent annually from 1983 through 1988. But Laffer's timing is problematic. The recovery likely would not have been as strong if not for the 1981-82 recession itself. Sharp recoveries after downturns were the rule of the postwar era through the 1980s. And since the 1981 downturn was the deepest, a strong rebound would be expected. For example, the economy grew by 5 percent during the first two years after the awful 1973-75 recession.
Again, none of this means the Reagan tax cuts failed. It would be hard to find a reasonable economist who denied they boosted growth in the 1980s as the Fed battled inflation. The effects just were not ginormous enough to fully offset the direct revenue loss. More importantly, perhaps, Reaganomics — tax cuts, deregulation, entrepreneurial optimism — changed America's longer-term economic direction. Economist Michael Mandel contends that "the impact of the policies Reagan set out in the 1980s, which slowly worked their way through the economy, helped lay the groundwork for the Information Revolution of the 1990s." So, yeah, you can give Reagan a bit of thanks for your smartphone.
This is the data-driven, evidence-based analysis Laffer and other old-school Reaganauts should be making to today's GOP and center-right movement. The real Reaganomics. With fantasy tax plans again abounding on the right, the presidential race could use a reality check more than more distorted Reagan nostalgia.
By: James Pethokoukis, The Week, May 13, 2015
May 14, 2015 Posted by raemd95 | GOP Presidential Candidates, Reaganomics, Supply Side Economics	| Deficits, Economic inequality, Economy, Flat Tax, Marginal Tax rates, Reagan Tax Cuts, Republicans, Tax Revenue | 1 Comment
Gingrich's Tax Plan Would Give Millionaires A $600,000 Tax Cut
The latest 2012 GOP presidential frontrunner, Newt Gingrich, has, like Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) before him, released a plan to overhaul the U.S. tax code by giving taxpayers the option of paying a single, flat, income tax rate, as opposed to using today's progressive tax code. In fact, Gingrich goes a bit further than Perry, setting his flat rate at 15 percent, as opposed to Perry's 20 percent.
Gingrich claims that his plan will "allow Americans the freedom to choose to file their taxes on a postcard, saving hundreds of billions in unnecessary costs each year." However, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center, the plan will also achieve another of Gingrich's ends — giving millionaires a tax cut of more than $600,000 per year:
Gingrich's plan would create an optional 15 percent flat tax with a per-person deduction of $12,000. He would drop the corporate tax rate to 12.5 percent from 35 percent, allow businesses to write off capital expenses and eliminate taxes on capital gains and estates, according to his website.
People earning more than $1 million a year would receive an average tax cut of $613,689 in 2015, compared with what they pay now. That change would boost their after-tax income by 28.7 percent and put their average tax rate at 11.9 percent.
Under the plan, half of the entire benefit goes to the richest 1 percent of taxpayers. The richest 0.1 percent of the country will receive a tax cut worth nearly $2 million each and every year. These tax cuts are in addition to what the wealthy are already receiving from their disproportionate share of the Bush tax cuts.
The end result of the plan would be millionaires paying a lower tax rate than middle-class families, as a millionaire would pay an 11.9 percent rate, while a family making $40,000-$50,000 would pay 12.7 percent.
Gingrich has already criticized his top competitor, Mitt Romney, for not lavishing enough tax breaks onto the wealthy. And it would seem that Gingrich's critique is extremely genuine, as his own tax plan hands out tons of breaks to the very wealthy, in the misguided hope that prosperity will then trickle down to everybody else.
By: Pat Garofalo, Think Progress, December 12, 2011
December 13, 2011 Posted by raemd95 | Economy, Taxes	| Flat Tax, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Tax Policy Center | 1 Comment
Cutting Taxes For The Rich Never Ends Well
You can call it 9-9-9, the Perry two-step, or a national sales tax. But the various flat tax plans being proposed by Republican candidates, right-wing think tanks, and media commentators share some common characteristics that should worry most middle-class Americans.
The basic notion behind a flat tax is to eliminate the current system of six tax brackets—in which people with higher incomes pay higher tax rates—with a single uniform rate. Most flat tax proposals also eliminate most or all of the deductions and credits in the current code—such as the mortgage interest deduction, the deduction for charitable giving, and hundreds of lesser-used preferences.
The flat tax is certainly a good deal for high-income individuals. Although they might not get to deduct mortgage interest payments on their vacation homes, those with high incomes more than make up for it in the lower, "flatter" rate. For example, under a 20 percent flat tax (similar to the one proposed by Rick Perry), the top 1 percent would see an average tax cut of over $200,000.
If the rich are paying less, you can probably guess who would pay more: low- and moderate-income families. For example, under the Cain 9-9-9 plan, 90 percent of filers with incomes between $40,000 and $50,000 would see a tax increase averaging about $4,000. (The Perry plan gives taxpayers an option of staying in the current system—so it's unlikely anyone would choose the flat tax option if it means higher taxes. Since low- and moderate-income taxpayers would see an increase under the 20 percent plan, the final result of the Perry plan would be the introduction of an exclusive tax code designed for the high-income individuals, while the rest of us get to keep the old clunker. See who would choose which plan.)
Because flat tax proposals lower rates at the top, and because the top is where an increasing share of income is being concentrated, they also tend to bring in significantly less revenue than the current tax code, resulting in higher deficits, fewer public investments, and pressure to cut programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Proponents of the flat tax argue that lower rates on the rich (or the "job-creators" as some are now calling them) and on income derived from stocks and bonds will boost economic growth and job creation. However, this trickle-down theory has been tried and failed: Bush-era policies moved the tax code in this direction, but the "boom" of the 2000s was the worst on record since at least the 1950s.
Tax cuts for the rich and a higher debt for everyone else? We've seen that movie before, and it doesn't end well.
By: John Irons, Research and Policy Director, Economic Policy Institute; Published in U. S. News and World Report, November 1, 2011
November 7, 2011 Posted by raemd95 | Class Warfare, Income Gap	| Flat Tax, Jobs, Republicans, Rick Perry, Tax Code, Tax rate, Trickle Down Economics | Leave a comment
The GOP's Latest Tax Gimmickry: Soak The Poor
It's one of the strangest things in our politics: The only "big" ideas Republicans and conservatives seem to offer these days revolve around novel and sometimes bizarre ways of cutting taxes on rich people.
Given all the attention that Herman Cain's nonsensical and regressive 9-9-9 tax plan has received, the Republican debates should have as their soundtrack that old Beatles song that droned on about the number nine.
Now, Texas Gov. Rick Perry hopes to pump up his campaign with a supposedly bold proposal to institute a flat tax, which would also deliver more money to the well-off. Perry plans to outline his proposal this week, but he has already touted it as a sure-fire way of "scrapping the 3 million words of the current tax code."
There is absolutely nothing new about this idea, and candidates who pushed flat taxes in the past saw their campaigns flat-line, most prominently businessman Steve Forbes in 1996 and again in 2000. Politically, the idea falls apart rather quickly when middle-income voters realize that its main effect is to cut taxes on the financially privileged while usually raising them on Americans who have more modest incomes.
Note to Perry: Voters are shrewd in figuring out whether tax proposals really benefit them. That's why raising taxes on millionaires — the exact opposite of what Cain and Perry want to do — wins support from a broad majority.
But the more interesting question is: Why are today's Republicans so enthralled by tax gimmicks? Their party, after all, was once innovative in thinking about affirmative uses of government. The Grand Old Party instituted the Homestead Act and created land-grant colleges, the interstate highway system, student loans, the Pure Food and Drug Act and even a prescription drug benefit under Medicare.
It was Richard Nixon who supported laws establishing the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In signing the OSHA bill, Nixon called it "one of the most important pieces of legislation, from the standpoint of 55 million people who will be covered by it, ever passed by the Congress of the United States, because it involves their lives." Yes, government regulations save lives, a view now heretical in the GOP.
Republicans have boxed themselves into a rejection of both their own traditions and the idea that government can do any good. Thus they have confined themselves to endless fiddling with the tax code. Almost everything conservatives suggest these days is built around the single idea that if only government took less money away from the wealthy, all our problems would magically disappear.
There is a history to this. The Republican fixation on taxes dates to the mid-1970s, when supply-side economics began taking hold. The late Jude Wanniski, an editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal who campaigned indefatigably on behalf of lower marginal tax rates, came up with the "Two Santa Clauses" theory. He argued that if Democrats earned support by giving voters benefits through government programs, Republicans should play Santa by giving people tax cuts.
Wanniski sold his tax ideas to Jack Kemp, one of the most ebullient political figures of his generation, who in turn sold them to Ronald Reagan. Reagan made Kemp's 30 percent tax cut (co-sponsored with Sen. Bill Roth) a centerpiece of his 1980 campaign. The political scientist Wilson Carey McWilliams perfectly described the result in a 1981 essay. "After years of learning that 'you don't shoot Santa Claus,' " he wrote, "the Republicans decided to nominate him."
But Republicans have a problem now. In the Kemp-Reagan days, they were selling across-the-board tax cuts. Most of their benefits flowed to the rich, but almost everyone got a piece. Today, many Republicans complain resentfully that less prosperous Americans don't pay enough in taxes — overlooking the fact that citizens who don't pay income taxes still shell out a significant share of their earnings in payroll, sales and (directly or through their rents) property taxes.
Reagan's optimism has thus been replaced by crabby put-downs of the less affluent. Perry said it directly in his announcement speech: "We're dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don't even pay any income tax." Considering the other injustices in our society, this seems an odd and mean-spirited obsession.
"Tax the poor" is a lousy political slogan. That's why Cain's 9-9-9 plan and Perry's flat tax are doomed to fail. Among conservatives, Santa Claus has given way to Scrooge.
By: E. J. Dionne, Opinion Writer, The Washington Post, October 21, 2011
October 24, 2011 Posted by raemd95 | Class Warfare, Congress, Corporations, Democrats, Economic Recovery, Elections, GOP, GOP Presidential Candidates, Government, Ideologues, Ideology, Income Gap, Middle Class, Right Wing, Taxes, Teaparty, Voters	| Conservatives, Economy, Flat Tax, Herman Cain, Politics, Republicans, Rick Perry, Ronald Reagan, Tax cuts | 1 Comment