It's well-known that a lot of artists don't write all of their own songs, and some don't write at all. Singing and songwriting are two very different skill sets, and just because you have a sterling set of pipes doesn't automatically make you a lyrical genius as well. In fact, before the "singer/songwriter" boom of the late '60s and early '70s, artists who wrote their own songs were the exception rather than the norm. Even the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, never wrote a song in his life. We know this because he said, "I never wrote a song in my life," which is tough to interpret any other way.
Even when you can write, the possibility of making a cover song can have a strong allure, and you don't even need permission — just obtain a few licenses and pay a royalty, and you too can have your way with someone else's heartfelt creative expression. Like these artists did — they took existing tunes, pressed the "MAKE ICONIC" button, and delivered cover songs that have made the originals all but fade from memory.
There was a massive outpouring of grief when Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin passed away in the summer of 2018 because she was an awesome lady and one of the very best vocalists of any type who ever walked the planet. Consider that in 1998, Luciano Pavarotti — one of the greatest opera singers of all time — fell ill before a scheduled performance of the aria "Nessun Dorma" on the Grammy Awards telecast. No sweat — Franklin stepped in to perform the extremely difficult piece in his place, and she killed it. If you're curious how many times anything like that has happened before or since, we direct you to the number zero.
Everybody knows that "Respect" is the song that made Franklin a household name, but not so many are aware that the powerful feminist anthem was originally written and performed by a dude — and not just any dude, but the legendary soul singer Otis Redding. Of course, Franklin's version tweaked the lyrics significantly, altering the tune from a man's plea to his woman to not treat him like crap to a woman's plea to be recognized as an equal. She also added the iconic "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" breakdown and backup singer accompaniment, and the rest is history. Redding wasn't the biggest fan; he introduced his version at the Monterey Pop Festival with, "This is a song a girl took away from me," which just kind of seems … disrespectful.
If you've ever heard of Robert Hazard, chances are you grew up in Philadelphia. The rocker never had much success outside his hometown, despite catching some national buzz with his song "Escalators of Life" and opening up for the likes of the Motels and U2 in the early '80s. But one song from his 1981 5-track EP went on to a bit of a second life — a bouncy, reggae-inspired tune he dashed off in 20 minutes while taking a shower.
The manager of an up-and-coming young singer named Cyndi Lauper came across "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" while searching for material for her debut album She's So Unusual, and despite the fact that it was written from the point of view of a girl-crazy dude, Lauper immediately saw its potential. With Hazard's blessing, she reworked the lyrics into a call for feminine solidarity and fun-having, and promptly scored a #2 hit with it in 1984. The tune that originally sported lyrics detailing the inner thoughts of a total skeev went on to inspire women of all ages for the next three decades; speaking with Yahoo, Lauper said, "Now I see three generations of women in my audiences. And when we start to perform 'Girls' — wow, you can't beat that, and that's why I never get tired of singing that song live."
Dolly Parton is a country music legend, and one of the most prolific songwriters in popular music. She's written over 3,000 songs, and perhaps her greatest work was inspired by Porter Wagoner, the man who gave her her big break. He invited Parton to be a regular performer on his country music TV show in 1967, and six years later, she was ready to say goodbye. As a touching tribute, she wrote "I Will Always Love You," bringing Wagoner to tears when she performed it for him. "Okay, you can go," he reportedly said, "but I'm producing that damn song."
It was a gigantic hit, going straight to #1 on the country charts — and when she re-recorded it for the soundtrack to 1982's Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, it went to #1 again. But a funny thing happened during the production of 1992's The Bodyguard — Kevin Costner and his secretary got hold of the song, and loved it. Parton approved of its use in the film, but didn't receive word as to whether it would actually appear … until she heard Whitney Houston's version on the radio while driving, and "damn near wrecked [her] car." She knew immediately that Houston's version would eclipse her own, and she was right — it even imitated the original's feat by shooting to #1 once in 1992, and again after Houston's death in 2009. As the sole songwriter, Parton receives royalties for the tune — one of the best-selling singles ever — to this day.
English rockers After the Fire were a band that literally nobody in the United States would ever have heard of if they hadn't adopted a supremely risky strategy for breaking into the U.S. market: covering an unknown song by an Austrian rapper. Falco (who would later tear up the American and international charts with "Rock Me Amadeus") had himself a significant European club hit with "Der Kommissar," a sketchy crime story about a drugged-up couple on the run from the local sheriff. But being unable to get his foot in the door stateside, he encouraged any and all English-speaking bands to cover his tune, and After the Fire heeded the call.
The cover song featured badly translated lyrics sung in an impenetrable accent by lead singer Andy Searcy (example: Falco's succinct "Tell him your life is killing you" became Searcy's "Just say your life is gonna make you die,") but also featured super-slick production and a killer arrangement built around the original's earworm-y guitar riff. Helped along by a video which MTV played roughly every ten minutes, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts and was so popular that it dragged Falco's version onto the charts alongside it. Many '80s music fans may not even remember that it was a cover, but Falco had the last laugh. While After the Fire did a quick fade into ultra-obscurity, he became perhaps the best-selling Austrian pop singer in history.
In 2002, Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor was just hanging out when he received a call from superproducer Rick Rubin, because stone-cold legends can just call each other up like that. Rubin was in the middle of a three-album project with yet another legend, country superstar Johnny Cash, and wanted to know if Reznor would be cool with Cash covering "Hurt" — one of Reznor's most personal songs. Reznor said he'd be flattered, then forgot about it until he got a tape in the mail two weeks later. "Hearing it was like someone kissing your girlfriend," Reznor remembered. "It felt invasive." Shortly after, he received a DVD containing Cash's iconic video — and any and all doubt went out the window.
"We were in the studio, getting ready to work and I popped it in," Reznor said. "By the end I was really on the verge of tears. … There was just dead silence. There was, like, this moist clearing of our throats and then, 'Uh, okay, let's get some coffee.'" Like the Devil that time he went down to Georgia, Reznor knew he'd been beat. While the original is a fine song, Cash had turned it into an anguished summary of his entire life, which would be over a mere seven months after the video was shot. Today, Reznor considers the cover to be a greater honor than any award he's ever received, because who wouldn't?
Of all the bands to get unfairly pigeonholed as '80s bands simply because they were active in that decade, perhaps none have more reason to grouse about it than Tears for Fears. Sure, many of their hits were early MTV staples, and they used synthesizers and had weird hair. But the group's two primary members, Roland Olzabal and Curt Smith, wrote thoughtful, elegant songs whose accessible pop sound belied their depth of meaning. Just look at "Mad World," a 1983 single which began life as an almost disco-sounding, uptempo tune that features some of the most pessimistic, depressing lyrics of all time.
The version with which you're probably familiar was recorded in 2001 by journeyman singer/songwriter Gary Jules, who was recruited by his friend Michael Andrews, who had been hired to score the cult classic Donnie Darko for next to no money. Andrews laid down the somber piano track, Jules sang the vocal, and the pair banged out the cover — which leaned heavily into the song's depressing elements, and would play over an equally depressing montage near the film's end — in just 90 minutes. When the film's popularity started to snowball, so did the song's — and the cover ended up spending nine weeks on the U.S. charts. By contrast, the original was never even released as a single in the States — proving that Americans like their existential angst straight and unfiltered, thank you very much.
Back before Lauryn Hill started to come completely off the rails, she was the most promising talent in a group full of them. The Fugees' 1996 sophomore release The Score was great big ol' hit, and Hill proved that her vocal talents went much further than rapping with the single "Killing Me Softly," a hip-hop-ified cover of the famous Roberta Flack tune. Except that's not exactly right — Flack's version was itself a cover, and it pretty much derailed the career of Lori Lieberman, the woman who originally wrote and recorded it.
Lieberman recalled in a Huffington Post interview that she was inspired to write the tune after seeing Don McLean (the American Pie guy) performing at a nightclub. "When he sang 'Empty Chairs,' I felt exposed — as though he were singing about me and my life. It felt as though he was singing straight to me. As the audience filtered out of the club, I wrote a poem on a napkin." Songwriter Norman Gimbel helped her flesh out the song, which became her debut single and began climbing the charts — only to be stopped cold by Flack's more lavishly-produced version, which she had apparently recorded approximately thirty seconds after hearing the original. Five unassuming years later, Lieberman was out of music, and a recent comeback attempt has been stymied by the fact that nobody knows who she is. Thanks a bunch, Roberta Flack.
The tragic ballad "Last Kiss," about a teen girl who tragically dies in a tragic car crash (it's all very tragic), was a #2 hit for seminal grunge band Pearl Jam in 1999, quite awhile after the genre had lost its grunginess. The song's throwback sound loudly announced it as a cover, and while Pearl Jam's version is certainly the most popular, the story behind the original(s) is super-interesting and, well, tragic.
The tune was penned by Wayne Cochran, who based it on the real-life story of a pair of teens killed in a car crash on a rural road near his Georgia home. He released it as a regional single in the early '60s, but the tune didn't get any traction nationally until it was picked up by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, whose cover version was a top ten hit. Four months after its release, the band was touring in Ohio when their manager fell asleep at the wheel. The car smacked a trailer truck head-on, killing the manager instantly and injuring Wilson, who appeared onstage on crutches just a week later to sing his hit song about a fatal car crash. The song would then languish in obscurity for over 30 years, until Eddie Vedder picked up a copy in a Seattle antique store and became obsessed with it. Unbelievably, the tune turned out to be Pearl Jam's biggest U.S. hit — confirming that old adage that tragedy plus time equals boatloads of money.
"Walk This Way" is a classic Aerosmith tune, but its cover version swiftly eclipsed it by virtue of being one of the most significant songs in all of popular music, maybe ever. The original's opening two-bar drum salvo had long been one of rap's most popular break beats, and Queens trio Run-D.M.C. were attempting to write a song around it for their breakthrough third album Raising Hell when fate intervened. Producer and noted longhair Rick Rubin suggested they do a straight cover instead, and as D.M.C. would later tell Rolling Stone, "We said, 'Motherf*cker, this is hillbilly gibberish, this is f*cking bullsh*t!" So the guys weren't totally on board at first.
But then, Rubin remembered that the dudes from Aerosmith weren't really doing much, being about a decade into a serious commercial slump. He invited Joe Perry and Steven Tyler to come on down and lay guitar and vocal tracks, respectively, and their presence prompted Run-D.M.C. to step up their game. Somehow managing to sink their teeth into Tyler's hillbilly gibberish, they cut the tune that would turn them instantly from hungry up-and-comers to international superstars, become the lead single from rap's first platinum album, and literally bring Aerosmith back from the dead. Along with the Beastie Boys' similarly rock-tinged "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)," the song catapulted rap into the mainstream consciousness. It also spawned several dozen ill-advised rock-rap collaborations, but we can forgive it for that.
Singer Alan Merrill of British band The Arrows wrote his band's most enduring tune as a sort of rebuttal to the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock and Roll," which he had seen the band perform on Top of the Pops. He felt the song was apologizing for rock, to which his knee-jerk response was, "Screw you, I love rock and roll." A light bulb then appeared over his head, and he dashed off a song with that very title (minus the "screw you" part).
Unfortunately, the Arrows were clashing with their label at the time. The song was relegated to a B-side and didn't even chart. But the band's performance of the tune on the TV series Pop 45 so impressed producers that they threw down their hats and yelled, "Get these lads their own variety series!" Which they did, and it lasted for two full seasons between 1976 and '77. Of course, they hauled out "I Love Rock and Roll" for one of the first episodes, and a young Joan Jett happened to catch the show while on tour in the U.K. with her band the Runaways. Years later, Jett would cover the song with her new outfit the Blackhearts for their 1981 sophomore album — also titled I Love Rock 'n Roll — and score a #1 smash hit with it. It just might be the most successful cover of all time.


For every decision made by the Executive Branch and every crisis managed by government executives, there is a Congressman or Senator tasked with oversight of executive decision-making to ensure it complies with legislative intentions. There are also legislators who may not have a specific oversight role, but who would like to find out more about Executive Branch decision-making for constituent services. In all cases, it is important to accurately represent the decision making process, context and the reasoning used by executives behind it.
The Executive Branch makes tens of thousands of complex decisions daily in order to balance competing goods. Some of those decisions, such as those pertaining to budgetary matters or national security, have far-ranging impacts; others have far less visible impacts. However, irrespective of the breadth or the impact of the decision, government executives may at any time be called before Congress to inform the legislature of their policies, decisions, and the effects of legislation on the American public.
Congressional Testimony for Executive Branch Officials educates government executives in the processes of Congressional Testimony at every stage of testifying before Congress. Because the Executive Branch engages unique processes at the policy, budgetary, regulatory, and management stages of decision-making the way that the Executive functions is often opaque and hard to understand to Members of the U.S. Senate and Congress. In many cases, this is simply a matter of translating Executive Processes into rationales that non-subject matter experts can understand, in others testimony requires placing decisions and programs in the context of intended, and sometimes unintended, consequences. This course provides participants comprehensive instruction and insight into the techniques, processes, and strategies behind presenting Congressional testimony effectively. The practical curriculum identifies and presents in five modules what executive branch officials need to know about Congress before presenting before committees and then spends six modules coaching government executives how to write and present testimony and effectively answering Congressional questions after testimony. Additionally, the course also addresses the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in Congressional oversight process and how to craft testimony to address the concerns of each.
Proper protocol and the U.S. Congress – The course will focus on the mechanics of presenting before Congress, techniques for dealing with Congressional staff, how to prepare and submit written testimony and the historical evolution of the practice of the Executive Branch testifying before Congress.
Testimony the Congressional Record and the Senate Record – The course will focus on how to compose effective and accurate written submissions in order to frame testimony before a committee, detail the ability to revise and extend remarks after testimony and how to walk back potentially incendiary testimony sessions.
Congress in Executive Branch Oversight – The course will focus on the practical implications of Congressional oversight and how that effects decisions on how to present testimony regarding Executive Branch decisions and programs in response to Congressional inquiry.
Presidential and Partisan Politics in Testifying before Congress – The course will focus on how political strength and weakness can determine questions from Members of Congress and Senators, how shifting institutional strength changes lines of inquiry, how to address politicized programs and how to present from positions of neutral competence despite overwhelming political pressure.
Testimony and Furthering Objectives – The course will focus on how each participant in a hearing room comes with a particular set of objectives and how the role of a good witness is to consider each of these objectives, weigh the various considerations and present data in a matter which accurately reflects the needs of Government while not unintentionally politicizing or stoking political rivalries within Congress.
Writing for Congress – The course will focus on how to prepare written testimony for Congress, including how to boil away pedantic detail for Congressional staff that are not necessarily subject matter experts, yet provide all relevant and requested facts and understanding the writing format and styles most effective for written testimony before Congress.
Answering questions from Congressmen, Senators and Congressional Staff – The course will focus on how to efficiently, effectively answer questions from Committee staff and others as tasked by legislators while at the same time balancing understanding how those answers could effect competing programmatic needs.
How to prepare for testimony in a way which enhances agency reputation during the question periods.
Congressional Testimony and Oversight – Participants will have a comprehension of how the testimony process can create additional issues for Congressional oversight or enhance the reputation of various departments and agencies depending on the kind and level of responsiveness.
Providing Written Testimony – Executives will understand how to craft written testimony in a way that is easily accessible to lawmakers and Congressional aides who may not be subject matter experts in the department, agency or field in question.
Practical Testimony – Participants will practice testifying before Congress, receive feedback about which styles are appropriate for which committees and how to maximize impact of written testimony during the question and answer period.
Congressional Stakeholders – Executives will learn how to recognize the different Congressional stakeholders, create 'testimony issue maps' which are specific to committees and hearing types, develop strategies for dealing with leading questions and Congressional staff inquiries.
Congressional Politics and Testimony – Participants will understand how decision-making agendas are reviewed and revamped in different Congresses, how partisan and institutional politics between the Executive Branch, stakeholders, and Congress change the kind of questions asked, the types of testimony required and how to move forward with.
Anticipating Congressional Questions – Executives will learn strategies for anticipating which programs and issues will require repeated Congressional testimony depending on the political, news, and regulatory cycle outside of those hearings normally held.
Testimony Preparation – Participants will understand how to put together programs to prepare themselves and their superiors for testimony by teaching how to create a rigorous simulation that allows presenters to hone speaking skills and anticipate questions and objections.


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Police: 2 arrested, 1 at large in death of Benton …
Mom accused of starving baby: 'I dream about her'
by: Leon Hendrix
Posted: Aug 10, 2018 / 03:46 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 10, 2018 / 05:18 PM EDT
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — In a jailhouse interview with 24 Hour News 8, the mother of a baby girl who police say starved to death said the child was loved.
Married couple Tatiana Fusari and Seth Welch, both 27, have been charged with open murder in the death of their nearly 10-month-old daughter Mary Ann Welch.
They've also been charged with child abuse. Police say the child died of malnutrition and dehydration last Thursday.
A day after her husband declared his innocence in an interview with 24 Hour News 8, Fusari did the same. Welch's interview was done using the jail's remote visitation system so the video and audio was recorded and published by 24 Hour News 8.
Fusari, for reasons unknown, could only receive visits at the jail facility where recording is not allowed in the visitation area.
"We're not terrible people… it was purely accidental," Fusari told 24 Hour News 8 during the interview. "I went to check on her… and my baby was dead."
Fusari said that she was the first to notice Mary had died. After the baby had been sleeping for more than 16 hours under Welch's care, Fusari said she went to check on her after returning from work.
"She was already cold," Fusari said. "We were trying to perform CPR."
For some reason, the couple didn't immediately call 911. A report filed in court said that Welch admitted to waiting an hour before calling for emergency help — something Fusari was hesitant to discuss.
"Certain details of the case I'm not allowed to reveal," she said citing advice from her attorney. "I was just told not to… we had a good reason."
"She was already dead," Fusari explained. "I just spent too much time crying."
While her husband spent a great deal of his interview explaining the religious reasons for not taking his children to the doctor regularly, Fusari did not. Her reasoning was more pragmatic.
"We didn't feel the need to," Fusari explained. "It was just a matter of whether it was necessary."
"Chalk it up to religious preferences if you'd like," she said when pressed.
Fusari pushed back against police reports that indicated the baby was obviously skinny, malnourished, and sick-looking.
"She was premature, so we knew she would be petite," Fusari said. "It was after she died that she started to appear that way."
She also said police reports indicating the baby was sleeping in a soiled crib are not true.
"That is completely wrong," Fusari said. "They just saw and assumed."
She admitted that the mattress the baby slept on was ripped. She said there were stains on the mattress but said they were a result of her children who used the crib. They had been cleaned up and bleached, Fusari said.
Fusari defended her husband who was home with the child when she died. She said she didn't find it unusual that he hadn't attempted to wake the baby to feed her or change her diaper for such a long time.
"If she were awake, [leaving her unchecked for so long] would be very unusual," she said adding that she thought the amount of time sleeping was not out of the ordinary. "My other children did the same thing at this age."
When Fusari found the child she said she assumed Mary had choked to death.
"She had spit-up coming out of her mouth," Fusari said. "I thought she choked on her spit-up."
Fusari and Welch are college sweethearts who met while attending Grand Rapids Community College. They've been together for seven years and married for three of them, Fusari said.
The couple has two other children who are now in the care of Welch's parents. Welch had a child from a previous relationship who lives in Florida.
Fusari is also pregnant. She is just shy of three months along.
"You can't have a baby in here (jail)," she said. "I'm praying that I'm out before that."
During the 40-minute interview, Fusari remained calm. While she appeared concerned about her situation, she did not cry or show extreme emotion.
She spoke lightheartedly about the jail conditions.
"At least the foods good, right?" she said with a laugh. "It could be a lot worse… I get extra food because I'm pregnant… they let me see my husband once a week."
Fusari said going through the justice process has been uncomfortable, but she said she expected to be arrested after Mary died.
"I've never even had a parking ticket," she said. "I wasn't surprised to get arrested… somebody always has to get arrested, right?"
Welch and Fusari have had previous run-ins with Children's Protective Services before. In one case a doctor of theirs told authorities that their daughter was malnourished, Welch said Thursday. Both parents said the allegations were false and came after they refused to buy an expensive head-shaping helmet as suggested by the doctor.
"One of the doctors lied to CPS," Fusari said.
The parents said the case against them was never substantiated. In 2014 records show that CPS initiated a case when there was THC, one of the chemicals in marijuana, found in their eldest child's system at birth.
Fusari insisted that Mary was loved and cared for.
"She was our baby," Fusari said. "She was a blessing."
Fusari said that had she known something was wrong with her daughter, she would've sought medical help.
"If there was some sort of a disease or something, absolutely," Fusari said.
Despite what happened, Fusari said she has no regrets about not getting Mary medical care. She said there were no signs the infant was ill.
If given the opportunity, she initially said she doesn't intend to take the child she is expecting in for regular visits with a doctor.
"I don't think so. I don't see the need to," she said before backing off the statement and saying she'd like to consider it further.
Fusari's court-appointed attorney, Damien Nunzio, said he has yet to receive police reports in the case.
"Obviously, there's a lot that has to be done," Nunzio told 24 Hour News 8. "Its mind boggling… it's my job to connect the dots."
Nunzio said the case is serious.
"As long as [prosecutors are] able to prove the underlying predicate offense (child abuse)… if during the commission of that crime someone dies… it turns into first-degree felony murder," Nunzio said.
Fusari said she has fond memories of her daughter.
"She had such a great laugh…she loved being outside," she said. "I dream about her every night."
Fusari and Welch are expected in court for a probable cause hearing later in August. Once the case is over, Fusari said she hopes she and her husband will be reunified with their children.
"We're good people. (Our children) live happy… I wish I had that life," Fusari said from jail. "We tried to, until we ended up here."
Bill would ban TikTok across United States
Forecast / 1 hour ago

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Michael Chapdelaine (born September 15, 1956 in San Diego, California) is an American guitarist.

Chapedelaine is the only guitarist ever to win First Prize in the world's top competitions in both the Classical and Fingerstyle genres. He won the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championships at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas. His performances, played on both steel string and classical guitars, include musical styles ranging from blues to Bach to country to rhythm 'n' blues.

In the '80s and '90s Chapdelaine twice won the coveted National Endowment for the Arts Solo Recitalist Grant and took First Prize in both the Guitar Foundation of America's and the Music Teachers National Association's Guitar Competitions. He also won the Silver Medal in Venezuela's VIII Concurso International de Guitarra "Alirio Diaz". He has toured four continents while giving hundreds of performances for Affiliate Artists Inc., and various arts promotion organizations. In 1992 he recorded the Sonata Romantica CD, (now re-released as "Mexico"), about which Acoustic Guitar magazine (January 1993) wrote "... if I were marooned on a desert island with a limited selection of recordings, this one would be among my choices...I have seldom heard a more beautiful album. Other young guitarists have excellent technique, but few have such style and musicality, and Chapdelaine's beautiful tone is the nearest to Segovia's that I can recall."

In 1994 Chapdelaine turned his attention to pop music, in arranging, producing, and recording Time-Life Music's Guitar by Moonlight collection (also released as "with love"), which sold 250,000 copies in its first two years in the stores. In 1998, he won the National Fingerpicking Championships at Winfield.

Chapdelaine is Professor of Music and head of guitar studies at the University of New Mexico, and has previously been on the faculties of the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State University. He has given master classes throughout the world including, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Peru, Venezuela, Taiwan, Indonesia, and at institutions such as University of Miami, Mannes School of Music, University of Texas, and California State University.

Discography
 The dbx Reels (1989)
 Mexico (1992)
 Time-Life Music's "with love" (1995)
 Land of Enchantment (1998)
 Spanish Roses (1999)
 Yamaha Sampler (2001)
 Replay (2001)
 Bach Is Cool (2004)
 Guitar for Christmas (2003)
 Portrait de Femme (2005)
 Grapevine Reserve (2005)
 Guitar Man (2008)
 The Somogyi Incident (2014)
 Counterpoint Boundaries, Homage to Michael Hedges (2018)

References

External links
 Official website
 Video Interview with Michael Chapdelaine

American acoustic guitarists
American male guitarists
Fingerstyle guitarists
Living people
1956 births
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
University of New Mexico faculty
University of Colorado Denver faculty

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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This startup is saving crops by making 'super bees'
Super bees
By: CNN
One company wants to help farmers adapt to a world of rapidly declining bee populations.
Argentina-based startup Beeflow has developed a special nutrient-packed formula for bees meant to boost their immune systems and make them stronger to work better in colder temperatures. According to CEO Matias Viel, it enables bees to do seven times more flights in cold temperatures than they ordinarily would be able to without the formula.
That's a massive uptick amid a dramatic decline in the bee population that's threatening the almost $20 billion bees contribute to US crop production annually. Bees are responsible for pollinating nearly one-third of all crops worldwide, but this past winter saw the highest number of bee colony losses on record as pesticides, parasites and climate change make it harder for them to survive.
"If you have bad weather, or cold temperatures during that period, and you have a low amount of bee activity hours, your crop won't be that good. We think that with healthier bees and then with a stronger immune system, bees can work better and perform better," Viel told CNN Business.
Beekeepers feed the bees the plant-based formula, which contains sugar, water and proprietary ingredients, about once a week.
In February 2019, the company started testing the formula at a major California almond farmer. Almond farmers, who are planting more almond trees to keep up with surging demand for the nut, are especially struggling to get enough bees to pollinate their crops. Almond farmers generally rent between 2 and 2.5 beehives per acre for the pollination season, but costs have jumped from $50 per beehive to about $230, said Viel.
Almond crops took up about 1.3 million acres of land in California in 2017, up from 1.2 million in 2016, according to the California Almond Acreage Report . California produces about 80% of the world's almonds. In addition, almonds have a short pollination window of about two to three weeks. Colder temperatures can prevent bees from performing at their best during that time.
After bees are given the superfood, the team selects and monitors a group of flowers on a branch for five minutes and counts the number of bees that visit. This exercise is repeated at various locations on a farm. The company doesn't have an automated way to measure a bee's performance yet.
The formula also conditions bees to pollinate a specific target crops they aren't necessarily attracted to.
Results from the almond trial are still being analyzed, but Beeflow said it has seen success in Argentina by increasing crop yields for almonds, blueberries, apples and kiwis by up to 90%. The company also made the size of blueberries at a farm in Oregon last winter increase by 22%.
In June, the company announced a $3 million investment from venture capital firm Ospraie Ag Science. It plans to use the funds to build an office in Los Angeles and grow a team in the US.
"Although this is a long journey, we are starting -- and we think that this can add a lot of value to the agriculture industry," Viel said.


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Zero Tolerance?
July 4, 2018 August 29, 2018 1zenwomanLeave a comment
"Star Mangled Banner" by Carol Chamberland
How distorted and unrecognizable must things become for US to realize that our grand old flag is becoming a relic, much like its confederate cousin. Red, white and blue stood for unity. Red and Blue can't even talk to one another these days and White is now a racist point of contention– not the purity those stripes were meant to evoke. We've become the Divided States. #SAD but true. Continue reading →
Social Pontification2016 Election, Civility, Politics, so-called #POTUS, Trump, vote
Calling for 37 FAITHful Electors!
December 14, 2016 1zenwoman1 Comment
That's all we need, 37 Electors who realize Trump is a madman and simply cannot be our next President. Madman is NOT an exaggeration. He lied and cheated his way to "victory", even inviting Russian leader Putin to hack Hillary. He knew! But, YOU #EsteemedElectors can put a stop to it!
The Electoral College is not just a formality this year! The Electors are coming into power, asking for intel briefings and planning to deliberate. GREAT! Thankfully the media (actual TV networks and prominent newspapers) are covering this. I posted my "Open Letter to Electors" (my official plea about the #EmolumentsClause) and this twitter moment with the NY Times story about the cyber hacks:
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Given the Russian Hacking we are truly in a Constitutional Crisis! There are bipartisan calls for a Congressional Investigation. I posted Senator McCain coming down the escalator to SAVE US from the last guy who took us on a similar ride. McCain and even Leader McConnell (along with many other Republicans) are ready to come back to DC and begin the investigation into Russian influence on our election and political process. It's a tremendous threat to our nation. AND, so is Trump! He's violating the Emoluments Clause of our Constitution and now the Federal GSA (Government Services Administration) confirms he's in violation of his contract to run the Washington Trump Hotel (the "Old Post Office" on Federal land) and be President. Electors, PLEASE. Don't let him play you… stop him. It's all up to YOU!
OUR fate is in the hands of the Electoral College. 306 – 37 = 269 and Trump is no longer the "winner" of the E.C. which requires 270 votes.
I have shared my Open Letter to Electors on the DailyKos, Twitter, #HamiltonElectors, AsktheElectors site, and even Fbook (where puppies and peeps rule.) Seriously, this is our only hope. If you care about our country, PLEASE focus on this issue every day until the Electors vote!!!
If you know any of the Republican Electors (especially in states like Florida, NY, CA) that can be persuaded to save the planet and life as we know it, PLEASE contact them. You can use my logic (about financial violations and UN-constitutional foreign influences) or any other way to reason with them. We only have a few days left, but the possibility is more promising than ever. It's a HOT trending topic!
And for those who call say switching would make them "faithless Electors", well think again. Lawyers and even some judges have come to their defense with The Elector's Trust and Hamilton Defenders. Read more about why we call them FAITHful Electors!
NOW IS THE TIME! Save US!
Social Pontification#Election, #ElectoralCollege, 2016 Election, vote
Last Chance to #StopTrump
December 3, 2016 1zenwoman1 Comment
(Click banner to READ)
My last post was too rambling. Let me get right to the point. We have ONE last chance to #StopTrump. That is NOW before the Electoral College takes its final vote December 19. Why? Trump is in violation of the Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution.
"No Person holding any Office… shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind… from a foreign State."
It is crystal clear that Trump would be in violation of this Constitutional clause the moment he takes the Oath given his debt to foreign nations and undisclosed business dealings in over 25 foreign countries. Trump boasts that he "can't have a conflict of interest" BUT Harvard professors and the former Bush administration ethics attorney claim he will be in violation of the Emoluments Clause IF he takes the Oath of Office.
Therefore, no Elector– not even "Republican loyalists"– can vote for someone whose election is a violation of the Constitution!
Seems to me that the Electors should go with the popular vote and the candidate who has been CLEARED of all wrong-doing! But, that's for them to wrestle…what they cannot do is elect Trump!
Trump is NOT the "President-Elect." The election has not been "certified" as some Trump surrogates claim. News organizations should NOT call him "President-Elect." The Electoral College vote is set for December 19.
Trump claims he will reveal on Dec 15 how he "plans" to "divest" himself of his business holdings. But, we have no idea what he will actually do, and after Dec 19 it will be TOO late.
The Time is NOW to #StopTrump and protect our Constitutional rights.
Tump has also PLEDGED to destroy our First Amendment rights. He's threatened Free Speech, the media, and especially print newspapers claiming he will "open up" libel laws in the United States so he can sue news organizations. Just as importantly, he has openly threatened our religious freedom with claims of banning Muslims and has openly expressed his desire to make this a "Christian Country again." America was NEVER a "Christian" country! The original revolt from England had everything to do with FREEDOM to speak, worship in our own way, and to avoid oppression.
The Founding Fathers and framers of the Constitution were careful to protect our "inalienable rights" which include equality for ALL Americans, no restrictions on religious freedom or upon speech. Trump continues to threaten our rights and freedom. His choices for various cabinet and "at will" positions makes it clear he intends to repeal or restrict Civil Rights and social programs. He only seems concerned with protecting Amendment "two", as he might call it, and doesn't truly understand even that one.
So if you CARE about your rights and future, you MUST lobby the Electors of your state– particularly Republicans who think they are bound to Trump. They are bound to the Constitution!
Below are more resources and detailed information, but the easiest way to locate members of the Electoral College for your state is to simply contact your Secretary of State's Office.
National Secretaries of State info
More on Electoral College Process including specific reference to "My State" process
Video about Petition at Change.org
Hamilton Electors on Twitter
A scholarly report on problems with electronic voting machines
An important article written by "the Atlantic" writer Peter Beinart who argues that the Electoral College was established to PREVENT someone like Trump from taking power: (Beinart also quotes Michael Signer and his book…) worth quoting here, too:
"A demagogue is a tyrant who owes his initial rise to the democratic support of the masses. Huey Long, Hugo Chavez, and Moqtada al-Sadr are all clear examples of this dangerous byproduct of democracy. This compelling narrative (by Michael Signer) weaves stories about some of history's most notorious figures, including Adolf Hitler, Senator Joe McCarthy, and General Douglas Macarthur, and explains how humanity's urge for liberty can give rise to dark forces that threaten that very freedom."
#StopTrump NOW before it's too late!
Social Pontification2016 Election, Politics, vote
Tweaking the Vote: the Electoral College & Recounts
November 24, 2016 1zenwoman1 Comment
Before I get to tweaking, let me say a word about the Twits (that I recently called out online.) Who are they and why do I call them Twits? They SHOUT with capital letters, usually inane, frustrated, meaningless comments or like a recent Texas Twit told me, "close your account." They rarely offer any useful comments or info. I should use Buddhist logic and see these folks as an opportunity to practice patience. In fact, no excuses going forward, I must do that or actually get off social media if I can't. (This is called Grappling, the topic of my next book.)
As for the Electoral College, it's obsolete and should have been discontinued after the 2000 election fiasco. While I like this Atlantic article by Peter Beinart (whom I've seen several times on cable news), the E.C. was actually designed to give white male property owners the final choice for President.
Back then women and slaves were chattel and men who did not own land or chattel were considered "lesser" and not worthy of a say on such lofty matters as who should be President. As for the "states" argument, in this day and age of instantaneous info and mobility, geography should not determine the Presidency either. The Electoral system is outdated, offensive and should be eliminated.
That said, research shows Electors are free to vote for whoever they want. Any restrictions placed on them by a state is unconstitutional. Since we still have this antiquated system, this is the time, as Peter argues, to use it to the fullest and in his words:
"prevent an irresponsible demagogue from taking office."
That's why I have repeatedly posted #DisqualifyTrump and urged Electors to support the popular vote when your state participates in the "college." Votes will be tallied on December 19. That is when we will know the "official" 2016 Presidential election outcome (unless recount challenges turn up fraud. More on that below.)
I must say how fascinating that Trump supporters so quickly embraced the complicated Electoral College. You know if Trump had received TWO MILLION votes more than Hillary, but had lost the EC, they would be screaming in ALL CAPS about the RIGGED system. That brings us to the need for a recount… a full AUDIT would be even better!
Good for Jill Stein to take the lead and raise millions (overnight) for a recount. It's not for her campaign. She is doing this so we can resolve the many complaints and questions about irregularities with electronic machines, voter suppression techniques, like provisional ballots and purges (that primarily affected minority groups), and alleged hacking by various groups.
Purging registered voters ahead of the election, by the THOUSANDS, is a particularly "dirty trick" employed by Republican-led states and election officials who then give the voter a provisional ballot that often is never included in the vote totals– especially in the unofficial "election night" totals. This is possible because Republicans have spent the last several years gerrymandering districts to their benefit so they can exert more control at the local level. They use their power to reduce voting sites in minority areas which resulted in HUGE lines that disenfranchised many who simply had to get back to work and could not wait all day. Terrible and unconstitutional in my opinion.
Finally, electronic voting machines that do not have a paper trail should be carefully audited. These type of machines have been investigated since the 1980s when in my state (New Mexico) election officials were accused of programming the machines prior to elections so that regardless of what choices were made, the votes would go to a certain party. I immediately recognized the machines a couple of days ago, when I saw one (on TV) with its large green "vote" button. An official was pointing to it and saying that machine could not be hacked because it's not linked to the internet. That's right. But they sure could be, and WERE, programmed for desired outcomes in the past and have since been banned in many states. New Mexico is back to paper ballots that are fed into scanners to tabulate the votes. Sadly, I still worry because any electronic data can be hacked or manipulated, and probably has been somewhere in the US. That's why if there is any suspicion in Wisconsin, Michigan or any state, especially any state that used those type of machines, we should have a recount and analysis of data and paper ballots with plenty of bipartisan monitoring.
So, yes, let's have a recount (for states "too close to call" or where irregularities have been found) and Electors, DO THE RIGHT THING! Let's elect whoever has won the official popular vote.
My First Protest
November 16, 2016 1zenwomanLeave a comment
selfie with my neon NO DAPL Permits sign
Sounds like something a 15 year old would write. I actually DID protest, kind of, during the 1972 election when McGovern tried to defeat Nixon. I was in high school and my boyfriend (later first husband) and I drove around with NO MORE WAR and McGOVERN painted on his muscle car windows. But, I wasn't out walking in the street. I was Tuesday! I had to support the #NoDAPL — NO Dakota Access Pipeline (project) that I've been railing against on Twitter. It was not only my duty to join millions in supporting our original Native Americans and protecting THEIR sacred land, but also a minor miracle that I could raise my right arm (after my recent bout with partial paralysis) so I did! (Let's not forget it was a Native American Sobadora who healed me!) Also, as a former journalist, news reporter, and government flack (spokesperson), I could not participate in protests for over 35 years. I'm a private citizen now.
It was scary (in this current political climate) but I'm so glad that participated.
This pipeline project is horrifying on many levels. 1) That a profit-making "energy" company is exploiting tribal land, 2) that the Obama Administration did not already totally deny the permits, and 3) the ungodly attacks on Native Americans with pepper spray and GUNS! I feel we MUST stand with the Standing Rock Sioux to protect their land and also protest further drilling in the Dakota Badlands. Not everyone agrees. Watch this CNN video and read the article about the project.
What IS certain is that our so-called President-Elect* Trump can't wait to allow the project to proceed. He will grant the wishes of Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren who donated $100 hundred thousand to his campaign. (Warren admits to this and claims it's "100% certain" they can proceed come January.) Trump is also said to have invested between 500K and a MILLION dollars to Warren's company. (I wonder about this since Trump isn't a "stock picking" investor. His money is mostly in real estate and a few mutual funds.) Trump also has big plans to deregulate the EPA along with many other Federal checks and balances against such devastating projects.
Here in Albuquerque I was proud to see nearly 500 people show up for a peaceful demonstration and hear Native speakers. The Army Corps District Office here is the only one within over 400 miles so many people drove long distances to participate. It would have been perfect except for two things: 1) local cops had blocked all roads and access to the Army Corps office, so we had to park far away. (It didn't slow down anyone. We just marched our way carrying our signs and chanting. 2) I overhead a cop telling a security guard, "It's the highest concentration of Prius driver's in New Mexico." They both laughed. I wanted to reply, "and fuzz explosion." (Of course, I didn't.) Instead, I survived to write this!
*Footnote: Trump is NOT yet President-Elect. The vote is still being canvassed and the Electoral College is not final until the meeting Dec. 19. I remain hopeful we can disqualify him then! PLEASE contribute Elector info and ideas on Twitter using hash tag #DisqualifyTrump.
Social Pontification2016 Election, climate, Politics, vote
Note to Millennials
After screaming, crying and going through the various stages of grief (about the 2016 election), here's the bottom line: it was all over in 2000.
Credit to photographer Michael Shank
When America ended up with Halliburtin's Dick Chaney and "W" Bush over Al Gore (in an election that was "rigged" and stolen, IMHO), we missed our last opportunity to make real progress on climate change. The "Inconvenient Truth" was more than a movie, it was also a political metaphor. America took the dark path of propping up the "war machine" (the military–industrial complex, an unholy alliance of the U.S. military and defense industry.)
It had been "peace time" under President Clinton and America would have been not only peaceful and prosperous under Al Gore, but climate concerns were at the top of his agenda.
Why this history lesson? Because you can't really grok what's at stake until you look in the review mirror and see how we got to this point. I'm not blaming young or first-time voters (for protest votes or sitting it out) because you have to live through some of the horrors and consequences to really understand what's at stake. Trust me, if we make it through the current national nightmare, you'll know what I mean.
It's not a "coincidence" that the 9/11 attack happened soon after Bush took office. Elections have consequences. Big Daddy Bush ("41") wasn't all points of light and kumbaya, as he's often portrayed. He was the former CIA director and a Texas oil man. More importantly he invaded Iraq with our U.S. military and literally "bombed the shit" out of the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) with thousands of rapid air strikes, then left quickly leaving a wake of death and destruction that created tremendous hatred. So when America elected "Son of Bush" President in 2000, vengeance was definitely on the mind of the Middle East. (I'll come back to that concept.)
The current refugee crisis and ISIS can be traced directly to our long involvement in Middle East (which of course dates back to the 1950s) and our need for cheap oil, at ANY cost. It's been an OUTRAGEOUS cost in lives lost and Trillions of tax dollars (taxes that DJT has not participated in, but that's another topic.) Vengeance is at the root of all our problems, especially war. But, it's also the reason Trump ran for office. He wanted to "get even" with President Obama for roasting him during the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner. (Unbelievable, but true!)
Many blame Obama for continuing the wars. I guess DJT will soon learn if he can end them. I'm just sick. When I hear that creeps like Jeff Sessions and retired general Flynn (who claims Trump "crushed the debates") will be in charge of our military operations I'm NOT hopeful. This isn't a game, our lives are at stake– particularly YOURS. I can retreat to a monastic life and leave Samsara (cyclical life) behind, but you millennials are stuck with war, our dying oceans, lack of water and food, and Donald Trump. If you survive, you will remember and want to warn others to vote for sanity and reason next time.
Social Pontification2016 Election, climate, future, Politics, vote


Many people like solar energy because it is simple, clean and renewable. Especially when you are building outdoor projects, solar energy is one of the best solutions for power supply. Depending on the project you are going to build, there are many different sizes of solar panel to choose, If you are looking for a portable solar panel, why not look at this small solar panel that we are going to introduce today-----0.5W Solar Panel 55x77.
0.5W Solar Panel 55x77 is monocrystalline silicon solar panel, which is the main trend in the future. Comparing to polycrystalline silicon solar panel and thin-film solar panel, monocrystalline silicon solar panel performs higher conversion rate that up to 17%. The surface is covered by fine resin which makes it waterproof, together with a very sturdy back, it is really suitable for outdoor environment.
Depending on light intensity, the typical open circuit voltage is 5V. If you take it to a summer day with bright sunshine and no cloud in the sky, the peal OC voltage can be up to 10V. Because the voltage range is relatively wide, if you are going to use boards that require narrow range of input voltage, such as Lipo Rider, to prevent any damage, please check whether the OC voltage is acceptable for the board before any connection.
To begin with, we recommend you to choose some of the solar panel compatible board produced by Seeed such as Seeeduino microcontroller series, Lipo Rider charging board series and Xbee Carrier WSN products series. Since A 2mm JST connector is attached to the panel, it is perfect to team up with the boards that recommended above.
Despite all the goof features, it is really a very cheap solar panel among solar panel kits. Again, if you are looking for portable solar panels for sale, 0.5W Solar Panel 55x77 is the best choice!
What is "Maximum load voltage"? Is it the required solar cell voltage for maximum output power (Vmp)?
Hi there, the max output voltage is 5.5v with load, the current is 90ma and the power is 5.5v. If without load, the max voltage is 6.3v. thanks.
Do you have the exact parameters of its equivalent circuit or characteristic line graph ?
Sorry, we can't get this from our supplier.


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Minister Obua to be Sent to Japan to "Smoke Out" Missing Athlete Ssekitoleko
by Steven Nuwagira
The government of Uganda has announced that the Minister of State for Sports Hon. Hamson Obua will travel to Japan to "co-ordinate" the search for missing Ugandan athlete Julius Ssekitoleko.
Mr. Ssekitoleko travelled with the Ugandan team to participate in the Olympic Games but was reported missing from the training camp a few days ago.
According to our sources in the Ugandan camp in Japan, the weight lifter left behind a note apologizing for absconding from the team and explained that he wished to live and work in Japan.
His country of choice, Japan and that of his origin, Uganda have however concerted efforts to track him down and smoke him out of his hideout.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Okello Oryem condemned Ssekitoleko's decision to illegally try to relocate to Japan. Oryem said that both the Japan and Uganda governments are working closely to ensure that the athlete is returned home.
Minister Oryem made these remarks while addressing the press shortly after his closed door meeting with HE Fukuzawa Hidemoto, the ambassador of Japan to Uganda.
"The Minister of State for Education in charge of Sports Hamson Obua will be travelling to Japan to coordinate investigations in the search, we are working closely with the government of Japan," Minister Oryem said.
READ ALSO: Uganda Cranes Ranked 84th in Latest FIFA Rankings
According to a statement from the host city Izumisano, authorities became concerned when Ssekitoleko failed to show up for a coronavirus test and was not in his hotel room.
Ugandan sports officials said on Friday that the athlete had recently found out he would not be able to compete at the Games because of a quota system.
Amb. Hidemoto acknowledged the regrets expressed by the Minister on behalf of government of Uganda on the missing athlete and appreciated the efforts so far in addressing this matter.
Hidemoto assured the Ugandan government that the matter would be handled to its logical conclusion.
Minister Oryem re-affirmed the commitment of Uganda's athletes to adhere to the requirements put in place by the Japanese Government to successfully host the Olympics Games despite the disruptions presented by the COVID – 19 pandemic.
Tags: Ministry of EducationSportWire
Steven Nuwagira
"You don't like the way a sausage is made? Close your eyes when you eat it."
Rally Driver Writes "Letter to God" Over 'Vulgar and Scandalous' Sexy Speed Rally
Olympic Champion Cheptegei Launches 1.7Bn Fundraiser for Training Centre
by Solomon Katushabe
OPINION: The Dangers of Securitizing the COVID-19 Response Strategies
OPINION: "Emperor" Museveni is the Champion of Discrimination Against Places of Worship


BONDPARTNERS SA (BPL) is a Swiss financial services company which was founded in 1972. It is authorized under the law to trade securities and is controlled by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). In addition, BPL is member of the Swiss Bankers Association, member of the International Capital Market Association and reporting member of the Swiss Stock Exchange.
Based in Lausanne, the firm is quoted on the Cantonal Bank of Bern's OTC-X Stock Exchange . BPL mainly performs various dealing and brokerage services on behalf of professional operators and institutional investors, such as banks, portfolio managers, savings and loan institutions, insurance companies, mutual and pension funds, stockbrokers and other financial intermediaries, etc. It is considered to be amongst the important European organizations in this industry.
Despite a sustainable level of activity, it was an ambivalent year, nostro has been undermined by the steep fall-off in financial markets and the strengthening of the Swiss franc. The net income generated a negative result.


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foodpanda SG shifts account to OMD
Rezwana Manjur
Delivery platform foodpanda has moved its media duties from Zenith to OMD Singapore following a pitch. OMD is mandated with the responsibility of managing foodpanda's media planning and strategy across various touchpoints. The appointment is for a period of two years.
According to a statement, the agency won the pitch by "impressing foodpanda with out-of-the-box client-driven ideas" and strategic media planning approaches which taps into OMD's data capabilities and network. Also competing for the account were agencies Zenith, Carat and UM.
"Operating in an increasingly competitive landscape means we need to constantly serve up new and creative ways of engaging with our audience, and it is crucial that we partner an agency that can run at the same pace that we do," said Laura Kantor, marketing and sustainability director, foodpanda Singapore.
"We were impressed by OMD Singapore's ability to effectively combine creativity with feasibility, and we look forward to continue delivering great food, and groceries, and also amazing content," Kantor added.
Sadhan Mishra, managing director, OMD Singapore, commented, "We are thrilled to learn that our strategic media planning approach resonated with foodpanda. Through the pitch process, it was gratifying to see that foodpanda valued a long-term brand building process along with short-term goals that align with the values of our agency."
"With OMD's understanding of the market and experience in the field, we are confident that we will be able to help foodpanda establish their place as a valuable brand in Singapore in addition to fuelling their upcoming offerings. What a way to kickstart our year with such an amazing partnership," he added.
Meanwhile, across the border in Malaysia, foodpanda appointed UM to handle media duties. UM's remit will encompass all media duties including strategy, planning, buying, research, and data and analytics for foodpanda. The pitch was first called in September this year and foodpanda told A+M previously that the appointment is for two years with the option to extend for another. The appointment commences on the first week of December and Carat is the incumbent.
Most recently, foodpanda also promoted Kevin Zagolin to APAC head of virtual brands. In his role, Zagolin is responsible for growing and managing the virtual brands business at foodpanda APAC. He will also be required to improve and manage new virtual brands that reach product-market fit in a short period of time. He was previously APAC head of commercial for virtual brands. Zagolin joined foodpanda in April 2021 as its APAC head commercial of virtual brands and was responsible for developing a high-pace extension strategy across the APAC region, his LinkedIn said. He was also tasked with setting up strategic partnerships with FMCGs and restaurant chains. Before foodpanda, Zagolin was with Burger King for two years as senior manager and led the Australia and New Zealand markets.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary as a food and grocery delivery platform in Asia, foodpanda also introduced a fresh face for the brand called Pau-Pau. The pink panda first made appearances in Japan, Taiwan and Cambodia in December 2021, and is now rolled out in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Laos, before reaching the rest of the foodpanda network. The next phase will see Pau-Pau being introduced in the Philippines, Myanmar, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The introduction of Pau-Pau builds on foodpanda's earlier brand refresh, which saw foodpanda revitalising its look with fresh visuals and a more vibrant colour palette across its design touchpoints, and more friendly user interface as the platform expands beyond just food delivery.
foodpanda's new brand ambassador Pau-Pau gets his own bespoke ice cream flavour
foodpanda unveils new face of brand for 10th anniversary
#MarketingExcellenceAwards 2021 highlight: How foodpanda's data-led creativity led to pandamart's customer growth


text:
University sues Sony, Toshiba over PS2 chip
Gillian Law (IDG News Service) 29 October, 2003 12:23
Midwich
Sony and Toshiba have been sued in a patent dispute with Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the University of Wisconsin-Madison's commercial arm.
WARF filed a patent suit in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on October 20. In its filing, WARF said that the "Emotion Engine" integrated circuit, designed by Toshiba and used in Sony's PlayStation 2 console, infringes U.S. patent 4,630,094.
The patent, issued on December 16, 1986, is titled "Use of metallic glasses for fabrication of structures with submicron dimensions" and covered products including the Emotion Engine and other integrated circuits using copper interconnect technology that were currently being marketed by Toshiba, WARF said.
The technology was first developed by John D. Wiley and John H. Perepezko of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF said.
Sony and Toshiba have 20 days to respond to the filing. Both companies said yesterday that they were unable to comment on the case.
Forget Wi-Fi 5 – it's time to choose the best Wi-Fi 6 for your business
More from Huawei


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RIM to give away server software
Research In Motion is fighting to retain business customers--who are tempted by competing smartphones--with a free version of its enterprise server software.
Marguerite Reardon
February 16, 2010 4:32 AM PST
Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis announces a free version of server software at Mobile World Congress. Marguerite Reardon/CNET
BARCELONA, Spain--BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is trying to hold on to business customers with a free version of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server software.
Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis announced here Tuesday during his keynote address to the Mobile World Congress that the company will offer a free version of BlackBerry Enterprise Server software for small and medium-size business customers, as well as for businesses that want to let employees use their own phones to access corporate e-mail.
BlackBerry Express Server is software that syncs BlackBerry phones with Microsoft Exchange or Windows Small Business servers. Previously, RIM had charged all companies a licensing fee for using this software, which not only provides access to corporate e-mail but also adds security.
Starting in March, RIM will allow customers to use most of the functionality found in the BlackBerry Express Server suite for free. The new version will work with Microsoft Exchange 2010, 2007, and 2003. The free version of the server will include access to e-mail, calendar, contacts, notes, and tasks. It will also allow BlackBerry users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, access files stored on the company network, and use other business applications behind company firewalls.
Lazaridis noted that customers will not have to give up security because the new version of software uses the same security architecture found in the paid version of the software.
The free version will scale down certain features, though. For example, RIM still suggests companies subscribe to BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5 if they require additional security policies, monitoring features, or high availability.
Lazaridis also announced a few features that will be added to the paid version of the BlackBerry server software, including video conferencing, "enterprise-class social networking," and PBX integration.
The company is targeting two markets with the free version of the product. First, it will help small and medium-size businesses that want employees to use BlackBerry's corporate e-mail solutions, but don't require some of the more advanced services offered for larger companies. It's also a good fit for all companies, whether large or small, that want to let employees use their personal BlackBerry devices to access corporate e-mail.
Business customers have been RIM's bread and butter since the company's inception. But competitors, such as Apple's iPhone, are cutting into RIM's customer base, as many companies look for alternatives to RIM. Some companies are seeking to reduce their costs by eliminating server licensing fees. Others are succumbing to pressure from employees who want to use their own devices for their jobs.
Microsoft's announcement Monday of the new version of its mobile operating system, Microsoft Phone 7, could add to the pressure on RIM. Microsoft has also historically served business customers with its mobile software. And if its new operating system becomes a hit, it could help Microsoft steal business customers from RIM.
But by offering a version of the BlackBerry enterprise server software for free, RIM has essentially eliminated a cost barrier.
Lazaridis also demonstrated the company's new WebKit browser, a faster version of the browser that is meant to help the company's smartphones compete against other devices in its class that use the Apple's or Google Android operating system.
RIM's co-CEO demonstrates how Twitter can be accessed from a BlackBerry e-mail in-box. Marguerite Reardon/CNET
Finally, Lazaridis discussed the company's application strategy, which includes emphasis on new "super apps" that integrate applications into core functions people use regularly. For example, Lazaridis demonstrated how users could view and send Twitter messages directly from their BlackBerry e-mail in-boxes. Lazaridis also talked about how BlackBerry users can synchronize eBay applications with the phone's calendar to remind them when auctions are closing.
"There is lots of talk about apps," he said. "But when it comes to apps, what matters is quality and not quantity. You don't need 100,000 apps. All you need are the apps that people love and the ones that are most relevant to the mobile experience."
Correction at 7:10 a.m. PST: The spelling of the RIM co-CEO's last name has been fixed.
iOS 13 comes with new Siri voice, dark mode, privacy features: All the new software Apple will soon deliver to your iPhone.
Mobile BlackBerry Microsoft
Discuss: RIM to give away server software


text:
Desmeocraera pallidimargo is een vlinder uit de familie tandvlinders (Notodontidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van deze soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1962 door Sergius Kiriakoff.

De soort komt voor in tropisch Afrika.

pallidimargo
Dier uit het Afrotropisch gebied


The mogul and other investors of the upstart TV streaming service will have to turn over papers to companies who are suing for copyright infringement.
Barry Diller and other investors of upstart TV streaming service, Aereo, will have to turn over documents to broadcasters who are suing the company for copyright infringement. However, for the moment, these investors won't have to give taped depositions.
A New York federal judge made the ruling after the investors objected to subpoenas that were delivered by e-mail last Friday.
Diller, whose IAC/InterActiveCorp put up $20.5 million in financial backing, and other large investment firms, argued that the documents being sought in connection to their decisions to back Aereo, were "extremely sensitive" and questioned the relevancy. The investors also fought against giving testimony on their involvement with Aereo in advance of a hearing to determine a preliminary injunction.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan has delivered a split verdict on motions to quash the subpoenas, denying the objection to the production of documents and granting the objection on the depositions.
But the judge hasn't ruled out forcing the investors to answer questions at a later time. The broadcasters are being told to submit a one page letter articulating the continuing need for these depositions, and the investors will be allowed an opportunity to object. And in the interim, the parties are being directed to schedule some time for depositions before the end of the money in the event the judge decides to allow it.
All of the major broadcasters sued Aereo in March for allegedly providing unlimited streams of television broadcasts over the Internet in direct competition with their own activity. Aereo defends its $12-a-month service by saying its limited to local markets and that broadcast law and copyright precedent permits a more convenient way to receive local over-the-air programming content.


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Death Notices & Obituaries
Jean Elizabeth Whybrew
WHYBREW Jean Elizabeth On 12th September peacefully in hospital, with her family present, Jean of Frinton-on-Sea, aged 88 years. Much loved Wife to Derrick, dear Mother to Sharon, Paul, Richard and Rosalind, a loving Grandma to Tom, Debbie, Libby, Kate, Lizzie, Victoria and Adam and Great Grandma to Gabriella and William, Sister to John and Sister-in-law to Joan. Funeral Service on Thursday 14th October at Frinton Parish Church at 2pm followed by interment in Kirby Cross Cemetery. Family flowers only please, but donations in memory of Jean may be sent to St. Marys Parish Church, Frinton and Alzheimer's Society c/o P.G. Oxley Ltd., 43/47 High Street, Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, CO14 8BE, Tel. 01255 675549 or online at www.pgoxley.co.uk/donate
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The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (16:22): I move:
That this council—
1 . Supports same-sex marriage equality; and
2. Calls on the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to amend the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961 to provide for same-sex marriage equality.
This motion is quite a simple one: it calls upon this council to support same-sex marriage equality and upon the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia to amend the Marriage Act 1961 to provide for this to happen. It has followed in the footsteps of a similar motion that has recently passed one of the houses of the Tasmanian parliament. There, the Labor government, in coalition with the Greens, has in fact passed such an in-principle motion in favour of same-sex marriage, preferably at a commonwealth level.
This has been a historic step in what I imagine all members would understand to be quite a pressing issue of the current political scene. I note there that the Liberal opposition has actually moved as a bloc to oppose gay marriage, and I would hope that here that will not happen. I certainly imagine that it would be a good step of leadership to allow for a conscience vote on this issue, but I will get back to that later.
It is obviously going to be a very hot topic later on this year as the December national ALP conference debates this issue. As we saw last year, the state ALP conference certainly moved to support marriage equality—a very fine thing, I think, particularly as our state has such a proud history of having been the first state to decriminalise homosexuality. It is ironic (perhaps in Alanis Morissette's version of the use of that word) that it is Tasmania that is now leading the way, given its more recent history in enabling the human rights of those who are same-sex attracted and gender diverse. I am happy for Tasmania to lead the way, but I would love to see South Australia take a place in that leadership role.
When the Tasmanian parliament debated this, Greens minister McKim did note that there are in fact economic benefits potentially coming to Tasmania because they have in fact indicated that they are prepared to go it alone if, at a commonwealth level, moves for marriage equality do fail. I do believe they will be revisiting this issue. They have certainly had a committee of inquiry and seem to be taking it quite seriously. While he says it is not the only reason to do it, he estimates that there might be about a $100 million economic boost to that state if they in fact did go it alone, in terms of the weddings and the wedding industry and the tourism that would be brought to that state.
However, there are actually much better reasons than simply a financial windfall in tourism and a boost to our economy, and they are put best in the words of South Australians themselves who would be directly affected should our state be part of a move to see commonwealth marriage equality. In words taken from The Potential Wedding Album, which is online, of real South Australians telling real stories, Martine and Zana who live in Adelaide say:
When I moved countries to be with the love of my life , I gave up my right to marry her. My religious home country (Norway), legalised same-sex marriage last year and society as we know it , never came to an end. What are you afraid of?
Holley and Lani, also from Adelaide, say:
Our celebrant read …' Marriage is a supreme sharing of all of life's intimate moments and one of the most significant decisions two people can make—to share the hopes and dreams and to build their future together based on true friendship, love, honesty and respect. Today in the presence of you all—their dearest family and friends—Holley and Lani are publicly expressing their love for each other and celebrating their physical emotion and spiritual bond.' Our love doesn't discriminate, so why does our government?
They had a celebration of love ceremony on 16 October 2010 where over 100 of their supportive family and friends gathered to celebrate that love and commitment that Holley and Lani have for each other. The celebrant read:
Sadly, the love that is shared between two women is not yet legally recognised in Australia, despite the fact that there are many thinking people who passionately believe that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, has the right to publicly proclaim their love for one another and, if they wish, to commit themselves to each other in marriage.
Under the heading, 'Philip and Hugh, Prospect, SA', the entry says:
Philip and Hugh of Prospect have been together for 26 years. Behind them lived Lorna and Tycho. Lorna and Tycho were allowed to get married in Australia because they were a man and woman in love. Tycho became old and sick and Lorna could do everything for him. Philip and Hugh are not allowed to get married because they are 2 men in love. They worry what will happen if one gets sick. They have had to get enduring powers of attorney and guardianship for each other to provide some degree of protection. Neither Philip and Hugh , nor their neighbours understand why any government should oblige some of its citizens to have to do this.
Ian and Stephen from Unley in South Australia were actually married in Montreal in 2006. Ian says:
In 2005, on Australia Day, I was made a Member of the Order of Australia for community services —so I' m recognised as an outstanding citizen . But I' m also a second class citizen because I can't do what a heterosexual m a n can do if he wishes.
Stephen adds that it is really a shame because their families and friends would have loved to have been with them, but that couple was forced to go overseas to get married. Zack and Shannon, also from Adelaide, say:
I 'm [ a female to male ] transgender and despite being able to legally marry my [ girlfriend ] in 2 years once I get the paperwork done, if we could get married now while I was still legally a female that would be the best thing ever.
Imogen and Paige from Somerton Park say:
I ha ve loved Paige from the moment I set eyes on her nine years ago. We are fortunate enough to have a supportive and loving network of family and friends who all demand the recognition for our love which they have for theirs. I want to ask Paige to marry me, not ' civil union me ' , no r ' commitment ceremony me ' . Can it be degenerate in nature if nature inspires it in us … ?
Finally, Jason and Jeff of Adelaide simply say, 'Love doesn't discriminate and neither should the law,' yet here we are as lawmakers in a position where we can take action now to ensure that the law does not discriminate against consenting adult couples who want to get married.
I would add at this point that nobody needs to get married if they do not want to. People will always have the choice not to marry each other; they can always choose to have whatever relationships they want to. But there are some people for whom the dream is to get married, and many Australians have taken to the streets in support of this very simple demand. Last year, in fact, was marked as the National Year of Action for Same-Sex Marriage, and I would say that that year has been an absolute turning point in bringing this debate to the fore.
I do congratulate those many thousands of people who have taken to the streets and those many thousands of people who have participated in the inquiry into Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's bill in the Senate, both the previous incarnation and the current incarnation of that bill. The momentum for this bill is growing and, of course, this motion here today does pay some mind to the fact that that bill sits on the Notice Paper of our Senate.
The momentum is growing and the polls are growing in support. We have seen that the majority of Australians want to see same-sex marriage legalised in Australia. They do not want to see people discriminated against any longer. In fact, most people—probably all of us in this place—do not understand why we are still debating it.
We think that it is possibly a no-brainer and that we could, in fact, see a conscience vote in our federal parliament and have this debate out in the open, where it should be. Then all of the time and effort that people believe is being paid to this issue that should not be, those people could be happy because, if they allowed for a conscience vote at a federal level—if the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition simply allowed a conscience vote—the cards would fall where they may, but we would know what our parliament thought of this issue in reality, with their conscience—I would hope that their conscience would reflect the conscience of most Australians, but, of course, there is no guarantee of that.
However, the idea that consenting adults should celebrate love and commitment is such a simple principle, yet it is so controversial. What I do not understand is how removing discrimination can be controversial. We hear the same old historical arguments trotted out, that this would somehow diminish marriage as we see it and that somehow marriage is a fixed point in our culture that has never changed. Of course, that is not true, otherwise we would never see divorces in this day and age, and we would see arranged marriages in some cultures perpetuated, which I am pleased to say do not happen as much as they used to.
The history of marriage is somewhat interesting. For those who are interested in the religious arguments about marriage being a religious institution, I have been most intrigued to discover that St Sergius and St Bacchus, who were seventh century icons of the Christian religion and officers of the Roman Army in Syria, were tortured to death for their refusal to worship Roman gods because they were good Christians. Bacchus is thought to have died from severe torture, whilst Sergius suffered the initial torture and was then later beheaded. They were the protectors of the Byzantine army, with a feast day of l7 October—just this past week gone.
Yale historian John Boswell considers the saints to be an example of an early Christian same-sex union, reflective of those tolerant early Christians' attitudes towards homosexuality. He bases this on the icon depicting what some claim is a religious wedding, with Jesus as the best man, in the still surviving writings of artworks that are available.Obviously I cannot table an artwork here today, but I will describe that St Sergius and St Bacchus are here and they certainly do seem to be being united and with Jesus overlooking them.The pairing of the saints, particularly in the early church, apparently was not an unusual thing. The association of these two men in fact was understood to be quite close, and in fact Severus of Antioch in the sixth century explained that we should not separate in speech (that is, Sergius and Bacchus) who were joined in life. More bluntly, in 10th century Greek accounts of their lives, St Sergius is openly described as 'sweet companion and lover of St Bacchus'. In other words, this confirms what the earlier icon that I described before implies; that is, they were a homosexual couple who enjoyed a celebrated gay marriage.
Their orientation and relationship was openly accepted by earlier Christian writers. Furthermore, in an image that to some modern Christian eyes might border on blasphemy, the icon has Christ himself as their pronubus, their best man, overseeing their gay marriage. Professor John Boswell's discovery at first was seen to be somewhat incredible, but he has certainly done his homework here, and he states that, contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ; it has in fact evolved as a concept and a ritual.
The ceremonies that Professor Boswell describes have all the contemporary symbols of what we consider to be a current day marriage: a community was gathered in the church, a blessing of the couple was undertaken before the altar, their right hands were joined as in a heterosexual marriage, they had the participation of a priest, they had the taking of the Eucharist, and they had a wedding banquet afterwards, and no doubt a few drinks were consumed at that wedding banquet.
The Hon. M. PARNELL: Not Bacchus.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Not Bacchus, no. There are many other examples that have been noted. I am getting a lot of this information from a particular paper done by a Yale PhD candidate, so I acknowledge that and hopefully I will find the name of it in a second.
Another example from that particular paper notes that in the 18th century there is a woman-to-woman union recorded in Dalmatia, and certainly they go on and on. There are quite a few examples throughout history and in the Christian religion itself. I did find interesting that it certainly was not their sexual preference that saw Sergius and Bacchus meet an untimely fate, but it was in fact their religion.
On that, when we bring up contemporary Christian religion in this country, certainly we should not assume that all Christians oppose same-sex marriage. In the overwhelming number of responses that were received to Senator Sarah Hanson-Young's bill when it went to committee, I have noted two particular religious groups: one, the Metropolitan Community Church of Brisbane made a statement that:
The Metropolitan Community Church has preached a three-pronged gospel of salvation, community and social justice for 40 years and has worked together to make a real world of justice and equality…We have celebrated more than 6,000 same sex and opposite sex weddings around the globe every year…We celebrate with our sisters and brothers who have already won the right to marry and/or have civil partnerships…Marriage equality is a civil rights and justice issue…Most religions have their own requirements for entering into a valid marriage…The Metropolitan Community Church believes that any person who wishes to enter into a civil marriage should have the right to do so…Religious communities should have the right to decide whether or not it will provide religious services to sancti f y that marriage…We will use our religious voice and our churches to both promote and provide religious services and blessings for lesbian and gay couples who wish to sancti f y their relationship before God…We will use our resources to speak out against the voices that would seek to demonise homosexuality and who are opposed to equal rights for same gender couples and full marriage equality…
Another group who made a submission, who certainly believed that the prohibition on same-sex marriage in this country is an affront to their religion, was the Canberra Quakers. They say in their submission:
On 15 April 2007, Canberra Quakers celebrated the first same sex marriage in an Australian Quaker Meeting (Church). The wedding was like any other—a joyful occasion that brought together family, friends and community to affirm the loving and committed relationship of a couple who wished to spend their lives together.
Before the wedding, the Canberra Quaker Meeting supported the couple through the process of discernment about their desire to get married, as we do for any couple contemplating marriage . This discernment provided not only an opportunity for them to give deep consideration to the joys and responsibilities of marriage, but was also an opportunity for our Meeting to explore the meaning of marriage today.
Since our 17 th Century beginnings, Quakers have recognised marriage as a religious or spiritual commitment as well as a legal relationship. We have also been moved by a strong sense of the equality of all people. Our 'testimony to equality' inspired the first Quakers to recognise the equal place of women in spiritual and secular life. It has also inspired Quakers through history to work for the abolition of slavery, racism, religious intolerance and other forms of discrimination that deny every person's inherent dignity.
The request to celebrate the 2007 marriage was the first we had received from a same sex couple. In considering the request, we recognised that to deny recognition of their committed relationship as a marriage would be inconsistent with our principle of the equality of all people. We decided to celebrate the marriage knowing that it would not be legally recognised.
The lack of legal recognition was not something we chose willingly. If the option had been available, the couple would have sought legal recognition, and we would have fulfilled the requirements for this to happen. It is a source of ongoing disappointment and disquiet to many Quakers that Australian law, i.e. the Marriage Act 1961, requires us to bring inequality and discrimination into our places of worship. Some heterosexual Quaker couples have, in fact, chosen to forgo legal recognition of their relationships because such recognition is not available to Quakers in same sex relationships.
For Australian law to permit us a truly free exercise of religion, it would need to allow us to celebrate same sex marriages exactly as we celebrate heterosexual marriages—including supporting same sex couples through the process of receiving full and equal legal recognition of their marriages.
Quakers across Australia are committed to end discrimination against [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex] people. We note, also, that Quakers overseas celebrate same sex marriages. Most recently, on 31 July 2009, British Quakers affirmed their commitment to equality with a decision to recognise and celebrate same sex marriages in exactly the same way as for heterosexual couples, including seeking legal recognition. The continuing lack of legal recognition in Australia will increasingly present unnecessary complications for Quakers (and others) moving to Australia from jurisdictions where legal recognition is available.
It goes on to say that Canberra Quakers fully support the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009, as it was then, and urge the Senate and the House of Reps to enact it as soon as possible. It states:
Canberra Quakers would also support the introduction of civil unions at the federal level , but not as an alternative to same sex marriage.
They consider same-sex marriage to be a marriage like any other and in no way mimics a marriage, and they recognise that in fact some couples would prefer to seek legal recognition without using the term 'marriage' as they strive to reflect their relationship with integrity, and for this reason they believe that the alternative of civil unions should also be available to heterosexual couples who would choose to do so.
On that note, I would say that there is often a bit of a straw man argument, that is, why can't those people who are same-sex attracted or gay have something that is a little bit different to what the rest of society has? I love the current poster that is doing the rounds of Facebook. It says, 'I don't really want a gay marriage because when I came here I didn't gay park my car, and I certainly don't necessarily want a gay marriage. I parked my car and I want a marriage.' I love that little snapshot poster that is doing the rounds of Facebook because I think it sums it up.Those people who are gender diverse and same-sex attracted have the right to equality—nothing more and nothing less.
I am very heartened to see that our current Premier, in recent days, has put out a statement in support of same-sex marriage. He has called on the commonwealth parliament to change the Marriage Act to allow homosexual couples to marry and enjoy the same full legal rights as heterosexual couples. I welcome that. While it is in his last days of leadership, given that this issue is at a time and place where we know that it will be discussed at the national conference of the ALP and in federal parliament, it is a welcome contribution. I believe the incoming premier seems to be similarly supportive of such a move towards full human rights and equality in our state.
I would urge the Premier to think, 'What would Don Dunstan do?' He has indicated that, at the feet of former prime minister Whitlam and former premier Dunstan, he long ago learnt that discrimination against those people who are same-sex attracted was not something to be tolerated in our society. There is a way to go between simply standing by and letting discrimination happen and actually standing up and changing the laws of this country. I would say that the Premier could allow his political party—as could the premier of next week—a conscience vote on this issue.
That is not to dismiss the fact that the state Labor Party now has a position where they support same-sex marriage equality, so I would welcome a party vote on that as well. I certainly understand that it might be difficult for some members to bring themselves to support a party vote, given the recent history of the Labor Party and, in particular, the SDA in campaigning very strongly against marriage equality. I have been quite disappointed to hear arguments put that marriage is something that is a cultural institution that has never changed and never will change.
As we all know, that is an absolute furphy. We have divorce now and interracial marriages, which three decades ago would have been unheard of. We have people of all cultures and creeds getting married. In our Western society and in our Western tradition we have now developed an institution of marriage based on love. However, as we know, it used to be based on property and certainly the woman was passed from the father to the husband. I am very pleased that that does not happen anymore and that it is certainly not carving up fiefdoms or properties and women are not seen as chattels. Feminism has certainly gone some way to changing that part of our culture. Personally, I think those are welcome things.
Love, and the idea of romantic love, is a relatively recent concept in terms of its application to marriage. Marriage has previously been something that was a little bit more like a business contract. We also hear that apparently marriage is about children and procreation. Again, I see this as a bit of a furphy. If marriage was about children and simply for procreation, then of course people would have to have fertility tests before they got married, and anyone of a certain age who was possibly not fertile would probably be precluded from marriage. Of course we let—and I think it is a wonderful thing—people in the autumn of their life get married and nobody raises a fuss, but they are certainly not going to be having children any time soon. We celebrate their love and that is a fine thing.
People who do not wish to have children get married all the time. They may be fertile, but they may have no intention of ever having children. People who adopt or foster children can also get married and they do not necessarily do so with the express belief that their marriage is in some way going to facilitate the procreation of biologically-owned, if you like, children between that particular couple.
I have been disappointed by the idea, in the political debate of this state, that marriage is about procreation. I would point to the fact that it has not ever been so and will not necessarily be so in many of the marriages that we see in our society.
I note that the Yale Law School Legal Scholarship Repository is to thank for that history of marriage earlier and I thank in particular William N. Eskridge. On that note, I will also be bringing this motion to a vote on 23 November in this place. I recognise—
The PRESIDENT: My wedding anniversary.
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: There you go, the wedding anniversary of the President of this council. What a fitting day. It is also a timely day in that it is a little over a week before the ALP national conference. So, I would dearly love to see our council and this parliament adding to the growing voice in support of true marriage equality and of equal love. With that, I commend the motion to the council.
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