Legacy Legend Maya Angelou of the USA – No hiding under my shadow!
On January 20, 1993, a few hundred distinguished personalities and an impressive crowd coming from the four corners of the country gathered in Washington DC for a historic event. Amongst them, a black woman unknown to the general public, quietly waiting for the protocol to call upon her.
When the time came, she stood up with grace, walked over to the man who was honoured that day, bowed respectfully before taking position before the stand. She was wrapped in a dark-coloured cardigan with gold buttons, a red scarlet ribbon pinned on her chest, a symbol of her solidarity with the victims of AIDS.
Despite the harsh cold of this Eastern American winter morning, she did not wear a hat as did many women in the audience. It was as if she had decided to showcase her natural hair as a defiant statement to History that had never allowed anyone looking like her to stand there. We might even infer, knowing her pride and sense of derision, that she let it float in the air as a snub to the insolent white children of the South who used to tell her that her hair was nappy and hideous.
Nothing in her showed any fear or anguish. She had come forward to the microphones in a poised and deliberate manner, displaying such confidence, you might think she had done this her whole life. Yet, she couldn't have, as rarely any writer or person of colour had ever spoken in these auspicious ceremonies.
As soon as she began speaking, everyone in the audience, whether they knew her or not, stopped talking to intently listen to her, almost religiously, as she recited her prose.
Her poem 'On the Pulse of Morning', was written by her expressly for the inauguration of the 42nd President of the United States. In a few verses, she brilliantly retraced the history of America, taking the trees, rivers and rocks for witnesses of all these generations that lived before, and the tragedies that tore apart the children of this land.
Her name was Maya Angelou, a name reminiscent of her African heritage and her refusal to remain anonymous in the crowd.
Aside from the fact that this was the official start of the first term of Bill Clinton, a native of Arkansas where she had spent part of her childhood, this opportunity was auspicious in more ways than one. First, Maya Angelou was the second poet ever to be invited to speak at a presidential inauguration. The first was Robert Frost – author of the poem 'The Road Not Taken' – and this dated back to the inauguration of JFK in 1961. More importantly, she was the first black American, man or woman, to receive this honour in the more than two hundred years since such events were organized.
In the history of the United States, only one black person had addressed such a crowd before, in this park that stretches for nearly two miles from the US Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. It was this young idealistic pastor from Alabama who had dared to share his impossible dream with the world some thirty years before.
Although it was at this moment that the whole world discovered the voice that had already thrilled many Americans, it was only a few years later that her voice, her words and her story made an impact on the young refugee from Rwanda that I was then.
It must have been in 1997, I was new to Canada and I was discovering with delight the meandering of the English language. I remember seeing her in a television show, this septuagenarian with a timeless voice, reading her most famous poem in front of a public as fascinated by her as was the one at Clinton's inauguration.
I was overtaken by powerful emotions, I never felt this way! I was like that person in Roberta Flack's song 'Killing me Softly' - famously reprised by Lauren Hill and the Fugees – that person who went to a listen to a musician she had heard but never met, yet all his songs gave her the impression he knew her whole life.
And it wasn't just the words, it was the voice, an extraordinary voice and unique, low and captivating, an acapella that resonated and amplified the simplest words more than any microphone could have done.
Her voice was like the blues, not a sorrowful blues but an exhilarating and joyful blues. It gave the impression that she had gone through time without taking a wrinkle, unscathed and unharmed by the tragedies she most likely endured to be able to feel the world the way she did.
Rarely has a poem touched me like 'Still I Rise' did. I looked for it at the library, memorised it and it became my own personal anthem. Until this day!
And what can I say about 'Phenomenal Woman', this celebration of Women and womanhood in the most glorious way?
"I say, it's in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips.
I say, it's the fire in my eyes, and the flash of my teeth, the swing in my waist, and the joy in my feet.
I say, it's in the arch of my back, the sun of my smile, the ride of my breasts, the grace of my style.
I say, it's in the click of my heels, the bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, the need for my care.
She had the innate ability to bring to the surface the emotions buried deep inside of us, and give them a new, happier colour, helping us to accept circumstances that were far from light. I am also sure that many women found themselves silently reciting the words of 'Phenomenal Woman' before a job interview, an important meeting at work, when shopping, using public transport or parking her car, or any occasion a simple unfriendly look or comment can undermine us and make us feel like we are worthless.
It is one of those phenomenal women among my friends who sent me on the trail of the person behind this voice and her legendary texts.
And as every time my writings are solicited, I feel humble and somewhat anxious at the idea that perhaps I will not be able to accurately portray a person who touched so many and elevated our spirits in times we felt let down.
I usually start by reading articles and watching interviews online, but in her case, I wanted her to tell me her own story in her own voice.
Are you wondering if I am about to admit that a cartomancer or a medium turned tables for me and awakened Maya from the dead, just for a few moments? Or that I made an impromptu trip to the village to seek help contact this ancestor?
No, I won't admit to any such thing. Not that I think of them as 'pagan' rituals, no. The digital era has given me other more practical options than those my ascendants used. I'll let you guess how I did it. A bit of mystery never hurt anyone.
And what did I learn from my digital invocations?
Her life began on April 4, 1928 in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. When she was born, her parents Bailey and Vivian Johnson named her Marguerite Annie.
Vivian and Bailey Johnson divorced when she was three and soon after, Marguerite and her brother Bailey Jr, who was one year older then her, were sent to live with their maternal grandmother in a small town called Stamps in Arkansas.
They hadn't been alone the whole trip. Their father entrusted them with another passenger, but he got out somewhere along the way, leaving the two children with their handwritten note. Their father had moved to California while their Mother stayed in St. Louis and moved in with her mother. It was going to be several years before the children could see one another.
Grandmother demanded that everyone call her Momma, which suited them as she was to become their surrogate mother for many years to come. Momma Annie was a kind but austere woman who run the house with an iron fist. She got up every day at four in the morning, prayed and then woke up the children so they can accompany her to her store.
And yes, her store. It was the rallying point of the neighbourhood; the whole community shopped there, black and whites alike. It was a kind of grocery store, with all the products you can imagine. In the eyes of the children, the shop was very big. However, their grandmother was by no means a rich woman. She could probably have been better off, but most of her clients were blacks who worked in the mines and in the nearby cotton fields and very often, too often, she let them carry credit but pressure them to repay their debt.
Stamps was very different from St Louis. Not only was it a small town, but the children would quickly realize that it was segregated, with whites living on one side and blacks on the other. It was the reality of many southern US cities in the 1930s and beyond. Negroes were also denied many of their rights, but at that age the children were not aware of them.
The whites in the neighbourhood were mostly poor farmers, but that did not prevent them from being haughty and rude to the blacks. Even towards Momma Annie. Marguerite and Bailey, kids born in a large northern town, were offended when they saw how they spoke to her as if she were their servant. The white children, even the youngest ones, had the audacity to address her by her first name Annie-this and Annie-that as though she were their age. Their grandmother's reaction, or rather lack of reaction, was as disconcerting as the attitude of these people; she did not snap at their rudeness. On the contrary, she called them Madam, Miss and Mister, and always thanked them for coming.
Momma Annie did not shrink or behave any differently with them that she would do with everyone else, but she seemed completely impervious to their insolence, as though she barricaded herself inwardly each time they appeared before her.
Marguerite remembers a day when she saw some of the little rascals, she often saw at the store walk towards their house. Their family lived on a farmland that belonged to her grandmother. They found Momma standing on her porch and start acting all crazy in front of her, pretending to imitate her grand-mother, exaggerating her expressions and making faces and derogatory hand gestures. One of the girls even showed her naked behind, but Momma Annie was standing still, quietly humming, her eyes set on the horizon. The children finally got tired and went away, shouting her name.
Marguerite was on the brink of exploding, but the glare of Momma Annie forbade her to even utter a single word.
She never explained to the kids why she acted like that. It was simply the way her grandmother and other Southern black folks had found to survive. Marguerite was too young to understand.
"Momma did not agree with the idea that we could answer the whites, because we risked her life by doing so. And certainly, they should not talk to them with impudence, even in their absence. "
The Johnson siblings were as close as you can get, of that kind of unbreakable bond of children who felt abandoned by their parents. Marguerite adored her brother. When he was young, Bailey stuttered and could not pronounce her name, and even when he was trying to say, 'my sister', he only stopped at the word 'my'. Marguerite decided that her name would be Maya, a name easier to pronounce for her brother.
Their lives were quiet and carefree, a life of two little children discovering a bizarre adult world and making a mockery of everything. Sunday was dedicated to church. Their grandmother forced them to sit on the front row of the church so she could keep an eye on them and make sure they would not let any distractions stray them from the path of Christianity.
She had put them in school and insisted on the importance of studies in life. Their uncle Willy, their father's brother, who had an accident in his childhood and was disabled, watched them while they were doing their homework. His accident had distorted his face and reduced mobility on the left side, but despite his disability, he was still able to catch them with his right hand to call them to order when he asked questions and saw them hesitating in their answers.
In the evening, Momma Annie sat in the living room and cut clothes she received from the whites folks to sew clothes for the children. She looked sad and faraway at times, but Maya had no idea why.
Maya and Bailey rarely heard any news from their parents. Sometimes their father and mother sent gifts, especially for Christmas, but these gifts made them sad rather than happy, making them wonder time and again what they had done for their parents to relegate them so far away.
Their father came to visit one day without any prior notice, some four years after sending them to live with his mother. Maya was then eight years old. He was a tall man with large shoulders, and very flamboyant with a brand-new car and tailor-made suits. He had one of these extroverted personalities, always in a good mood and telling jokes. She was in awe at the way he spoke 'so correctly', rolling the 'R's. The only person she knew who spoke like that was the school director.
The children were happy to see him. They were convinced that he had made a fortune in California and they were eager to see how their neighbours will be so jealous of him. It was not until she was in her teens that she learned that he was a doorman in a big building in California and lived a trailer. Like many people who visit 'the village' he had put on his best to impress those he had left behind.
However happy, his visit had triggered a new question, one they were afraid of the answer: had he come to fetch them or was going to leave without them?
At the end of the visit, their father announced that they were going to leave together and like that, without warning, he put them in his car and took the road. The children were eager to discover California and the 'palace' where they imagined their father was living, but to their surprise, he told them that he was taking them to their mother's home in St. Louis.
The news filled them with anguish. They had become accustomed to the presence of this eccentric father, but they knew nothing of what awaited them at their mother's house. What if she had remarried and had other children and would never care for them?
"I felt we were being taken to hell, and my father was the evil angel who took us there," she thought.
We can say that young Maya was already very melodramatic!
Their mother was beautiful and elegant, wearing makeup, all that Momma Annie had told them that a woman should not do. Maya was uncomfortable in her presence, but her brother was immediately at fond of her.
In fact, the girl felt self-conscious, she did not feel beautiful, and often wondered how two parents as beautiful as Vivian and Bailey could have given birth.
The children stayed with their grandmother, Mrs. Baxter, until their mother found a home. Their maternal grandmother was the opposite of Momma Annie. She was a light-skinned mixed-race woman, a nurse who worked in a large hospital in the city and lived in a big over furnished house. It was from her that their mother drew her beauty and elegance, thought Maya. The only thing she might have had in common with their maternal grandmother is that Mrs. Baxter was also a woman who commanded respect.
The grandmother and Uncle Willy's strict discipline had prepared them for life in the city and for their new school. Toussaint Louverture Elementary School was larger than their school in Stamps, but their schoolmates were unruly and the teachers very rude to the children. The two children had read so many books and spent times doing the store's accounting that they her much smarter than the other children in school. The school decided to put them in a higher class.
They called their 'Madea' (Mother Dear), a name that had the advantage of not confusing them as they kept referring to their grandmother as their Momma. Madea announced one day that it was time to move.
She took them to their new house, a house that they would she shared with her boyfriend, a man called Freeman.
Like their grandmother, their mother had trained as a nurse, but at the time she did not want to work in a hospital at all. She preferred to work as a waitress in a bar called 'Louie's'. She would sometimes take the children there and bring them in from the back entrance. They would stay there watching the movements of the crowd and look at their mother move about. Sometimes she would start dancing, always on her own, which apparently delighted the patrons.
Bailey and their mother continued to grow close, but Maya stayed reserved. She however made efforts to please her and try to get closer as her brother was. She went to the extent of letting her mother cut her hair very short like hers, although she felt a little ashamed to know that strangers could see her naked neck as she walks down the street.
Remember that Maya thought she was going to hell when her father took her to live in St. Louis? Well, she was somehow right, except that her mother wasn't the one who was going to hurt her. She was going to meet the devil, in the form of a man, M Freeman, his mother's boyfriend.
Mr. Freeman worked in a train company and made a good living. He took care of his darling, Vivian, whom everyone called Bibbie and her kids.
His whole life seemed to be centred around Bibbie. When he returned home from work, he would take his meal and seat in the living room to wait for her to come home. The children were busy reading books, but he did not read anything. He did not even listen to the radio. He was sitting and watching the door, waiting for his wife to come in. When she arrived, his face lit up.
It would have never crossed the mind of the eight-year-old girl that he had secret desires for her, so she was not suspicious of him.
Like a panther watching his prey, Mr. Freeman got closer to the little girl, little by little. One day, taking advantage of the fact that her mother had gone out and her brother was playing outside, the man took her by force, making her experience a pain she had never known before and left her in a state of shock, both physical and psychological.
After this infamous act, Mr. Freeman threatened to kill his beloved brother if she told anyone about what happened. She did not understand what was happening to her, and why he wanted to hurt Bailey.
The pain was so strong that the little girl went to hide in her room and swore she would never go out again. Her mother thought she was sick and told her that if it went on, she would have to take her to the hospital.
One day, while trying to change the sheets of his sister's bed, his brother saw her underwear covered with blood and despite his young age – he was only nine years old – he understood immediately what had happened to his little sister.
"Tell me who did this to you, otherwise this man will hurt another little girl. "
She finally decided to tell him her terrible secret, and he began to cry. She had not cried till then, but her brother's tears prompted her to let her tears flow. They stayed there together, two children lost in a hell that they did not understand.
The little boy showed extraordinary courage: he decided to go and see their grandmother and tell her what had happened. She was horrified and immediately called the police. Mr Freeman was arrested and sent to prison to await trial.
The girl was taken to the hospital and stayed there for days. It had become, by force of circumstances, her refuge from the house. Her family visited her every day, her mother and grandmother brought flowers and sweets and her uncles watched over her to prevent anyone from hurting her again.
Bailey brought books from the library and read them for hours, trying as best as he could to make her forget this episode, but she could not recover the innocence of her stolen childhood.
And even if she had wanted to forget, she could not have done it: the little girl was forced to appear in court and testify against Freeman, enduring embarrassing and intrusive questions in front of a wide audience, some who had come to support the family, and many more nosy acquaintances and strangers alike who had nothing better to do. It was in 1936 and the courts had not yet understood that exposing a child to public questioning was another form of violence against her.
Freeman was convicted and sentenced to one-year imprisonment, but he was only in prison for one day before he was released.
Four days after his release, the police came to see his grandmother to tell her that the man had been found dead after being beaten, but that no one knew who had done it.
It was too much to bare for the child! Not only had she kept the secret of what had happened to her for a long time, but when she had spoken, it had resulted in the death of a man.
In her subconscious of an eight-year-old girl, she had associated talking and death, and it was completely beyond her.
At first, his family believed that her muteness was temporary, that it was just due to post-traumatic shock, but they ended up seeing that it had become permanent. When she refused to answer questions or failed to behave as before, instead of understanding her, adults would conclude that she was doing it on purpose. They even said she was insolent, and it often happened that an adult gave her a whipping or slapped her.
But the girl had made her decision and no mistreatment, no matter how brutal, could make her change her mind.
You surely think that it is not possible, that it is not the same Maya that we knew. How could a little mute girl ever become this extraordinary woman we are celebrating today, this woman whose voice still echoes from the distance?
Bare with me, we will get there!
Finally, in desperation, her grandmother decided to send the kids back to Stamps at Momma Annie's, hoping that at least there, the girl would speak again.
She found herself once again in a train heading south, alone with a brother who was grumbling about having to leave their Mother Dear but happy nevertheless not to be separated from his little sister bruised by life.
Although she was happy to be back in the country, away from the permanent noise pollution of the big city, she continued to be silent, whether at home, at school, as church or at the store. People ended up saying that she was putting on an attitude, snubbing people because she was coming back from the big city.
Maya was going to be silent for five years! So much so that everyone around her finally accepted that she would never speak again and stopped insisting.
Correction: not everyone. It is a friend of her grandmother, Mrs Flowers, who would take her out of her shell and bring her little by little back to normal, and so, in a very subtle way.
Mrs. Bertha Flowers was an educated black woman who spoke all the words perfectly, at least that's how Maya remembers her.
Maya cannot tell when or why the woman noticed her, but one day she asked her grandmother if Marguerite – that's what she called him, never Maya – could accompany her to help her carry her shopping bags.
Her grandmother nodded a little too quickly, which suggested to Maya that she was up to something with her friend. The girl followed her anyway, intrigued because she had never made such a request, she usually carried her baskets herself.
Her house was a real paradise for a little bookworm like her: there were more books than she had ever seen in her life. Mrs. Flowers invited the girl to sit with her and keep her company. She took a book and read it out loud. In the end, she turned to the girl and asked her if she liked it.
The words had come naturally but she did not regret talking. She felt secure in this house, and it was the first time in her life that anyone saw her for herself and not as Bailey's sister, or Momma Annie's child or Mrs Baxter's grand-daughter. She felt visible, appreciated and loved.
Mrs. Flowers handed her a book and asked her to memorize it and to come and tell her aloud the next time she saw it.
She insisted that voice is the best way to communicate between human beings and that reading words was not enough, you had to read them out loud if you wanted to give them a real life. Mrs. Flowers introduced her to books written by great names in American literature at the time, writers who would be her first influences the day she began to write.
Race relations were a topic high on Maya and Bailey's mind as they were growing up in the segregated south. The authorities who came to speak at their school – all whites – consistently suggested that blacks should learn to stay in their place and that dreams only belonged to whites.
However, despite these demagogic speeches, Maya and her brother were convinced deep inside that only blacks themselves should determine what they can become.
Bailey witnessed a scene that would haunt him for years. The fifteen years old had seen the corpse of black pulled out of the river. The man had been killed by whites before being thrown into the water. White men were standing around his body and one of them pushed him with his boot to turn him over and see his face.
Bailey could not believe a man had been killed just because he was black, and even in death he was kicked like something you do not want to touch. The sheriff called the children and asked them to lift the body and bring it to the prison. He did not even want to tire himself to carry it, he preferred to leave children traumatized by the sight of this dead person, to lift him in his place! And all the while, the sheriff was joking with his friends, laughing loudly as if nothing had happened! How can people be denied dignity in life as in death?
In 1940, shortly after they completed their studies, their mother asked them to return to live with her. Their grandfather had passed away and their grandmother had decided to move her entire family to the city of Oakland, California.
They stayed there for a while, very happy to live with their loving grandmother Baxter once again.
Their mother remarried with an affluent black businessman – he owned several properties – and the little family moved to San Francisco, leaving their grandmother behind.
Maya was awarded a scholarship and continued her studies at a vocational school. The streets of San Francisco were also a great school for her. In the street, she learned the realities of life. And to her great delight, she learned black-spoken dialect and was happy to talk outside of school and back to a more formal English when she was in school.
Her brother and mother also encouraged her to take drama and dance classes, but she hesitated for a long time. She was still self-conscious about her physical appearance and thought the class would make fun of her. But her brother insisted, and she finally accepted.
She was amazed to see that no one cared about her demeanour and she could work on her movements without any shame. Finally, the experience was extraordinarily liberating! It was the beginning of a long love affair with dance and performances that would one day take her to stages all over the world.
Came the sad day where the siblings had to separate for the first time of their life: his beloved older brother, who was 17 years old , had decided to enlist in the navy.
In her last year of school, Maya became pregnant and decided to hide her pregnancy so that her mother would not force her to leave school. His son was born three months after graduation, when the girl was 17 years old.
She did not like the child's father and never thought of asking him to marry her. She looked for work to take care of her son on her own.
In 1952, she married a European man, a Greek sailor. His name was Anastasios Angelopoulos and he dreamed of becoming a singer. At the time race marriages were strongly disapproved by society but she was in love and cared little about what people thought. Unfortunately, their marriage lasted less than three years.
After the failure of her marriage, she decided to embark on dance and music, and after a time singing in nightclubs, she was recruited by a performing art company and began an international career. Over the years, she would perform with several famous troupes and even appear in television shows.
She abandoned the name Marguerite Johnson and adopted the name of Maya Angelou (diminutive of Angelopoulos), a name she found more mysterious and better suited to a career on stage.
As she travelled around the world, she learned the languages spoken in the countries where the troupe performed. She continued her training in modern dance under the guidance of renowned choreographers.
In 1957, this multi-talented artist recorded a musical album, the first of her career, 'Calypso Lady'.
But since childhood, her mind was set on becoming a poet, and she finally decided to move and settle in New York where prominent black writers of the time converged, so she too could become a 'real writer'. She enrolled in the Writers' Guild and it was long before she published her first poems.
It was at this time that she met a South African anti-apartheid activist, Vusumzi Make, and in 1960, she followed him to Egypt where he lived in exile.
She stayed there for a while, working as an editor for a local weekly newspaper. Their love affair was short-lived, but instead of returning to the United States, Maya decided to stay in the diaspora and continue to discover the continent of her ancestors.
She found a job in Liberia, but on her way there, she stopped in Ghana and fell in love with Kwame Nkrumah's country. Like many other black Americans searching for their roots, she decided to stay and raise her son there.
"I cried out for my ancestors. Everything started here. The lynchings of America. The evils of my country, the eyes laden with white hatred, the hateful rejections based on the colour of the skin, the mockeries, the rights flouted, the lamentations and the loud moans inspired by the loss of a world, the inaccessible security. This long and terrible journey to misery, which was still going on, had begun here. I pressed my lips together to weld them to each other. The only manifestation of my distress was the burning tears that, like honey, slid down my cheeks. "
She started working at the School of Music and Theatre of the University of Ghana as Teacher and Administrative Assistant. She was also an editor for The African Review and during her stay in Ghana, she published articles for the Ghana Times and the National Broadcasting Company. She immersed herself so much in the life of this beautiful country of the Gulf of Guinea that she ended up speaking its main language.
In 1964, she decided it was time for her to return to the United States to participate in the civil rights movement. At the time, Malcolm X was one of the most prominent civil rights leaders, and his idea of creating an organization for blacks was getting momentum.
Unfortunately, Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965, just a few months after Maya's return home, taking with him his grand dream of uniting blacks.
Maya decided to turn to Martin Luther King's peaceful resistance movement. She assisted the movement in their communication, and, at the request of Reverend King, she served as one of the coordinators of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
In a tragic twist of fate, Martin Luther King was also to be murdered on April 4, 1968, on Maya's fortieth birthday. She was devastated! Since that unforgettable day, Maya has decided to never celebrate her birthday again.
These near-miss encounters with death convinced her that it was time to pursue her passion and become a full-time writer. With the encouragement of her friends, she began to write the story of her life, daring to put on paper the odious crime she had been victim of at the tender age of eight.
'I know why the Caged Bird Sings' was an immediate literary success from its publication in 1969 until this day. Her biography inspired a movie by the same name and in 2011, Random House Publishing House published a magnificent audio version of the book, read by the author herself. That same year, Time magazine included it in its list of the 100 most influential English books since 1923.
Since the publication of her first autobiography, Maya Angelou has become a recognized and permanent feature in the American and international literary and academic circles.
However, it is impossible to reduce Maya to one single category. She was a jack of all trades, a gifted person who was not afraid to explore all the talents God had given her.
In 1972, one of her screenplays was made into a movie, 'Georgia, Georgia'. It was the first African American woman to have her screenplay turned into a film.
She did not stop there. In 1977, Maya played a role in the televised adaptation of Alex Haley's 'Roots', and in the 1990s, she appeared in hit movies such as 'Poetic Justice' and 'How to Make an American Quilt' . In 1998, Maya Angelou directed her debut film, 'Down in the Delta'.
Her many awards include the world's most exclusive literary prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and a Presidential Freedom Medal she received in2010 from the hands of no other than the United States first African American head of state.
And hold on, that's not all. Maya Angelou won a Grammy Award for her poem 'On the Pulse of the Morning'! I bet you did not know that a poem can get that kind of price? Well, yeah !
It is hard to believe that Maya Angelou has never attended University. It was her talent, and only her talent, that propelled her to the top of the American academic world, and she stayed there for several decades. Her charisma and perfect mastery of the English language in all its nuances earned her more than thirty honorary doctorates.
Since 1981, Maya has settled in North Carolina, where she held an Emeritus Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University.
She remained in her adopted state until her death in May 2014.
The last poem she wrote and published was 'His Day Is Done', a tribute to the memory of her long-time friend Nelson Mandela whom she first met in the years before his imprisonment on Robben Island.
"The news arrived on the wings of a wind, unwilling to bear its burden," she says in this heartfelt eulogy.
Life is a circle that never stops turning.
Maya, phenomenal woman, we will forever be grateful for elevating our minds and souls and allowing us to stand on your giant's shoulders as we look forward to the future.


Home Perspectives Arab American Reflections on terrorism on the anniversary of 9/11 Leaders?
As you read the title of this piece, did you already have a view of "Arab Americans"? Do you already have a sense of what an Arab American would feel and say? If so, please do not read further because it is rather unlikely that this short assay will shine any new light to your existing thought process.
For those staying with me, I want to start with a story a friend sent me recently via email. A wise mother asked her son to place some eggs, carrots, and a few coffee beans in three pots with water, bring to a boil, and then report on the changes. The mother, having heard the descriptions then said that there are different kinds of people in the world. There are those who are like carrots- when faced with adversity, wilt and become soft, and lose a lot of their essence. There are those who are like an egg- when faced with heat and stress, look the same on the outside but are hardened in their hearts and toughened in their souls. The mother told her son that she hoped she raised him to be like the coffee beans- the hotter and rougher it gets, the more flavor and good essence is released changing the surroundings to something good and wonderful.
I thought of this story as I reflected on how different individuals reacted to the horror of the violence of 9/11, the violence before 9/11, and the violence after. In the two vigils I attended on 9/11, we collectively and individually reflected on seeing the faces of goodness and heroism as well as the faces of murder and evil. What happened in the year that followed really tested us in ways we have never been tested before.
– over 250 Israelis (by Palestinian suicide and other bombings) – some three to five thousand Afghans, tens of thousands of Iraqis (due to the sanctions/blockade led by the US) – over 1,200 Palestinians (by the Israeli occupation forces funded by our tax money) – perhaps up to hundreds in Columbia (killed in a civil war in which the US is heavily backing the government) – tens of thousands from AIDS and from treatable diseases in Africa – and the list goes on.
Polls revealed that most Americans now believe the threat of terrorism has not diminished since 9/11. No one is even able to tell us where Mr. Bin Laden or his top lieutenants are now (we don't even know the whereabouts of the previous leader of Afghanistan, Mullah Omar). Now over 100,000 US troops have amassed near Iraq, and over 100 British and American jets have just launched a massive air-strike who some believe is the opening salvo of the war on Iraq. Ironically, 100,000 is also the number of US troops believed suffering from Gulf War syndrome acquired in the last major attack in 1990-1991. And by the way, the war on Iraq has been going on for years. According to UN statistics, the sanctions/blockade on Iraq over the past 11 years after the defeat of Iraqi forces have killed over half a million Iraqi children. This is not counting tens of thousands who died due to exposure to depleted uranium from shells used in bombing civilian areas. Cancer rate among children in some areas of Iraq is many folds what it used to be before the Gulf war. Yes, Saddam and Bin Laden are bad guys but are we punishing them or punishing the people of the countries were they reside. Scott Ritter, the tough weapons inspector now states that Iraqi leadership is not a threat to anyone, and that the US was more interested in using his inspection team to spy on Iraq rather than ensure a successful weapons inspection program. He, like many others, is questioning the motivation for going to war on Iraq.
The motivation for our wars in the Middle East is three fold. First, domestic political pressure to continue to support the Israeli apartheid regime has a powerful grip on our government. AIPAC and the hundreds of tax-exempt groups for whom Israel is an essential cause care little about US public interests. The defeat of outspoken congressional representatives like Earl Hilliard and Cynthia McKinney in recent elections testifies to the power of money and resources in defeating anyone who speaks out against tax dollars used to fund Israeli aggression. Second, the Arms industry in the US has become very powerful. Lucrative government money circulates through companies like Boeing, McDonald Douglas, and Sikorsky Helicopters, and some of it finds its way to politicians ranging from Senator Lieberman to Vice President Cheney. Fully 60% of our arms exports goes to the Middle East, whether paid for by those countries or funded by US taxpayers (e.g. grants to Egypt and Israel). Finally, the oil industry maintains a powerful grip on our politicians, ensuring that the US is becoming a pariah in the international community for refusing to consider alternative energy and to cut green house emissions. These three groups have clearly colluded and cooperated to ensure that the public remains in the dark about the real dangers to us. These dangers include the spreading world poverty (the widening gap between rich and poor), epidemics (like AIDS), and environmental devastation led by the US which consumes 35% of the worlds natural resources and emits much of its Green House causing pollutants. If you think these are all problems of other people, just review your 401k plan. If you think dumping billions more on "security" will make us any more secure, as a biologist I would merely remind you that anyone can develop a biological weapon, carry it on their body, and target large masses of people in any urban setting. If we think terrorists are attacking us for our values of freedom and democracy, perhaps we should remember that the "Patriot" act and the power it granted Attorney General Ashcroft's stripped many freedoms and set back our democracy according to most legal experts. Further, France and Italy have freedoms and democracy and no terrorist has targeted the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Piza!
To really make this a safer planet, we must understand the genesis of special interests, their strong grip on our governments (and many in our corporate-owned media) and the ramifications of all this to the rest of the world. Questioning whether such interests take us away from the ideals at the core of the foundation of this great country is patriotic. Those who work towards a more peaceful world and engage in building rather than destroying are patriotic. They are not passive but active – true patriots – and are vastly more productive and constructive than the many who practice what I call shallow patriotism. Let us pray that those in positions of power wake up and at least smell the coffee.


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Blawnox es un borough ubicado en el condado de Allegheny en el estado estadounidense de Pensilvania. En el año 2000 tenía una población de 1550 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 1842.3 personas por km².

Geografía
Blawnox se encuentra ubicado en las coordenadas .

Demografía
Según la Oficina del Censo en 2000 los ingresos medios por hogar en la localidad eran de $30 203 y los ingresos medios por familia eran $43 500. Los hombres tenían unos ingresos medios de $31 450 frente a los $26 406 para las mujeres. La renta per cápita para la localidad era de $19 858. Alrededor del 8.7% de la población estaba por debajo del umbral de pobreza.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Boroughs de Pensilvania
Localidades del condado de Allegheny

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/cleveland/news/article/Transportation-Commission-approves-new-cameras-to-9527013.php
Transportation Commission approves new cameras to monitor road conditions, improve signals in the Houston area
Published 10:44 am CST, Thursday, December 26, 2013
The Texas Transportation Commission has approved three new projects in the Houston area aimed at improving mobility through cutting-edge highway monitoring technology and traffic signal upgrades.
The commission awarded a $697 thousand contract to Traf-Tex, Inc. to add close-circuit cameras to a portion of US 59 in Fort Bend County from SH 6 to SH 99 to TxDOT's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) network. The project includes installing electrical conduit, fiber optics, and close-circuit television equipment used to monitor traffic conditions along highways.
The commission also awarded a $244 thousand contract to Florida Traffic Control Devices, Inc. for installation of close-circuit television equipment at various locations throughout Harris County as part of ITS. The additional cameras and camera upgrades in both counties will provide viewers live and real-time traffic conditions and the ability to observe incidents such as accidents, construction or road debris that may be backing up traffic.
ITS has been in continuous deployment on Houston area freeways since the late 1980s. The total extent of the regional system is about 857 directional miles, including 768 directional freeway miles and 89 miles on HOV and Managed Lanes. The system has been key in providing real-time traffic conditions on roads in the Houston area via Houston Transtar.
Houston TranStar, a partnership between TxDOT, the City of Houston, METRO, and Harris County, uses state-of-the-art technologies including more than 660 regional closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs), Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), and synchronized traffic signals, speed sensors, Highway Advisory Radio, ramp meters and other devices to help keep the region's traffic moving.
Traf-Tex, Inc. was also awarded a $1.2 million contract to upgrade and reconstruct traffic signals throughout Harris County at various locations. The contract will last for about a year and half and will be used to repair and replace aging and damaged signals as needed.
"Intelligent Transportation Systems and signal improvements are other ways to get people and goods moving," said Houston District Engineer Mike Alford. "The ITS technology provides ways to monitor our roads especially during emergencies and during times of inclement weather while the signal enhancements allow us the ability to better utilize signals to reduce congestion."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Feed
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
RAAF invests $10 million in UNSW Canberra Space missions
UNSW Canberra and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will develop three Cubesats to be used for maritime surveillance, with the first lifting off in early 2018.


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Discover Your Benefits
WE STAND FOR YOU
Homestyle2023-01-09T10:16:45-06:00
ALFOP Mission & History
The Alabama State Fraternal Order of Police is a fraternal family, supporting law enforcement and our communities. #FOPFamilyFirst
You are the reason we exist. The Alabama State FOP is made up of 62 lodges throughout Alabama and serves full-time municipal, county, state and federal officers. Our organization creates and advocates for improvements in the on and off-duty lives of its members.
Welcome to the Alabama Fraternal Order of Police
ALFOP Vision
DISCOVER HOW MEMBERSHIP IN THE ALABAMA STATE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE CAN BENEFIT YOU
Legislative Representation
Vest Program
National FOP Benefits
Social & Community Engagement
Tiffany2023-01-24T14:27:05-06:00
2023 Fallen Officer Memorial
Tiffany2023-01-24T14:27:05-06:00March 22nd, 2021|
The Alabama State FOP will hold the annual Memorial Service on Friday, May 5, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the State Capitol in Montgomery. We will honor the ultimate sacrifice of Investigator [...]
"It's the brotherhood that cannot be broken and is always there to help."
Mike Cox, Chambers County Lodge 20 | Valley
"It was comforting to have someone protecting me and looking out for my best interests."
Tina Crowe, North Jefferson County Lodge 59 | Birmingham
"The FOP has proven to be one of the best resources for our agency, whether it has been equipment, policy or training."
Marquez N. James, Tuskegee Police Department Chief of Police
"The Alabama fraternal of police has been a brotherhood and a family throughout my life and career. I can never fully describe all the organization has done for me both personally and professionally."
Jay King, T.L. Blakemore Lodge 6 | Huntsville
Discover The Benefits
Members can serve on subcommittees and take on leadership opportunities. Discover how your time and talent can help us succeed.
Learn more about our benefits and how they help you.
Professional development is important to improve the individual proficiency of our members.
YOU STAND FOR JUSTICE.
WE STAND FOR YOU.


In the words of the incredible Frank Sinatra, "She's got it." And Jan Daley certainly does! From her success as Miss California to her USO Tours with Bob Hope to her phenomenal recently released smooth jazz albums Jan Daley certainly has what it takes. When Sunny Gets Blue is a rendition of Great American Songbook tunes from the classic days of music. She worked with the late Jack Segal for years to master the smooth jazz music- some of which he wrote. Jan Daley's praise doesn't end here. The great Louis Armstrong described Daley's voice as, "big and beautiful" and as, "one of the best balanced talent blend on the boards," by Variety.
A standout on her smooth jazz album is the title track (When Sunny Gets Blue). Jan Daleys personal interpretation is intricate and reminiscient of the original in an incredibly beautiful way. The years of work and personal connection with Jack Segal are clear. .
You can download the title song from her album "When Sunny Gets Blue" FOR FREE from Noisetrade. To learn more about Daley and to keep up with her latest updates, check out her Facebook and her official website here: www.jandaley.com/.
She's got a, "Great Big Beautiful Voice." These are the words of the legendary Great American Songbook artist Louis Armstrong who thinks incredibly highly of the swooning smooth jazz vocals of Jan Daley. Jan Daley is a seasoned veteran of the smooth jazz music scene and recently released her album, "When Sunny Gets Blue." This album features tunes from the Great American Songbook that are recorded through the immaculate smooth jazz lense of Daley and her experienced accompanists.
Inspired by the great Jack Segal, one of Daley's late mentors and the original writer of "When Sunny Gets Blue," Jan Daley performs these tunes with unmatched vocal prowess. Her phenomenal voice floats above the smooth jazz track of her seasoned players and will impress even the most critical smooth jazz listener.


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General info for B-17E
Vehicle role Heavy Bomber / Long Range Bomber
Mass per sec (shot)
Turret x3: 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun x2 (Ammo: 3000) Reload Time 20s
Turret x3: 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun (Ammo: 1300) Reload Time 20s
Turret: 7.62 mm Browning machine gun (Ammo: 500) Reload Time 15s
500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb x8
Full repair time crew 1d 03h
Full repair cost 14,080€
B-17E / statistics for the last 1 month
Air frags per death 0.4
Wiki info about B-17E
The legendary B-17 American heavy bombers were rightly called Flying Fortresses. This four-engined heavy bomber was an all-metal hero, an extremely durable aircraft that could return to the airfield with just one engine, riddled with bullets. But the early models of the B-17 had a significant blind spot in the rear, so fighter support was required. To solve this problem, the B-17E was produced, and a turret with two 12.7mm machine guns was installed in the tail section of the aircraft. To do this, the fuselage size had to be increased. In addition, to improve control of the plane, the tail was broadened and a larger vertical fin was installed. Although it lost some speed when compared to the B-17D, the new model fared favorably with its new protection and thus became the first truly mass-produced B-17. From September 5, 1941 to May 1942, 512 aircraft were made on the production line, before the development of the B-17F.


Many homeowners long for more space in their home, but believe they are restricted to their property's size. Yet, they don't have to be. Thankfully, there are a range of ways you can transform the space. Read about the different options to extend your home.
Homeowners often turn to property extensions to expand their home's size and boost the value of their property. Depending on the size, you may have to apply for planning permission to extend your property, which you should discuss with a reputable local builder or architect. Many turn to extensions to enhance a kitchen or dining area, and you can choose between a traditional or modern design.
Do you have a large budget? If so, consider extending both the ground and first floor. It is the ideal solution if you require more space but don't want to move out. You can therefore create a larger home that will provide more freedom within the home, while adding a considerable amount of money onto the property's resale value. Yet, it can be challenging to receive planning permission, which is why you should consult an experienced architect to create a design that will be accepted.
Do you live in a property with rather high ceilings? If so, consider incorporating a mezzanine into your home. The new space could therefore be ideal for a new bedroom, entertainment area or home office. It's often a cheaper solution in comparison to extending a property and you may not require planning permission unless the property is a listed building; however, the construction must comply with building regulations.
Boost space and natural light within your property with a sleek and modern Juliette balcony. You could even take the design to the next level with folding full-height glass doors, which will give the illusion of more space while offering unobstructed views.
Do you have a small back garden? You probably don't want to impose on the garden's size more than necessary. It might therefore be a wise idea to add a side extension onto the home. Many properties often feature a long, narrow area at the side, which will provide next to no benefit. A side extension could therefore be an ideal solution, but you will need to apply for planning permission. It's the perfect option for those wanting to enjoy a seating area or create an open-plan kitchen and dining room.
Do you have a loft that is going to waste? Transform the space into a new bedroom, bathroom or home office that will allow you to enjoy a bigger and better home. An attic extension could be cheaper than moving to a larger property, and it can also increase the property value.
Have you successfully extended your home? Are you set to expand on your property? Share your informative advice and stories in the comment section below.
Brides have so much to worry about on their wedding day, from coordinating the little details of the ceremony to making sure all of their guests are happy. The last thing a bride wants to worry about is whether or not a giant zit is going to appear the morning of her big day.
Though many of us like to believe that acne is something only teenagers go through, it just isn't true. Sometimes, acne will stick around for a very long time. When does acne go away? We hate to say it, but sometimes it never does. Which is why you need to prepare for the worst and do everything in your power to ensure that acne isn't going to rear its ugly head on your special day.
If you want to get the perfect complexion for your wedding, you should start preparing your skin at least three months in advance. This is when you need to start thinking about your skin, what you are putting on it and what you should be putting on it. Heck, you may not even be engaged yet (you may not even have a boyfriend yet), but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't jump on the skincare bandwagon early. If you have any major—or minor—concerns about your skin, address them now by making an appointment to see a dermatologist or an aesthetician. They can help you create the best action plan for your face and even work out a schedule for you to follow.
What you put in your body makes a big difference on your appearance. While there are plenty of myths out there about the connection between eating certain foods and having breakouts (such as greasy foods—unless you're rubbing them on your face, you're probably fine eating that plate of fries), but a lot of the tips out there are completely true. Take water, for instance. You should be drinking tons of water to help your skin stay hydrated. Water will also help with weight loss and clearing toxins from your body, so staying hydrated is a win on many levels.
While we literally just said that eating greasy food won't cause a breakout unless you touch your face, a cleaner diet can still have amazing impacts on your skin. What you eat will have an impact on your hormones, which in turn has an impact on your complexion. Trying your best to eat clean and healthy will only provide positive effects. Try adding more things like almonds, chia seeds, salmon and/or tuna, vegetables (and lots of them) and fruit to your diet.
Just like eating cleaner, exercise is another one of those "good for the entire body" tips that can make a big difference when it comes to your skin. Exercising will not only help regulate your body's glucose, insulin and leptin levels, but it will also release those feel-good chemicals that help combat depression. All of which is definitely needed to help your peace of mind before the big day. Specifically though, going for something like resistance training will help tighten your skin and give you a more youthful look. Even the act of sweating is actually helpful, since it causes your pores to open up and push out all of that trapped dirt and oil. Just be sure to thoroughly shower right after working out, so you can get rid of it all for good.
Facials can do wonders for your complexion, so if you haven't started investing in them now, what is the hold up? With countless types out there that are design to address a wide range of needs and concerns, regular facials can help clear up congested pores, even out skin tone and help with scarring. Facials might even reduce the amount of makeup you have to wear on your big day.
Halloween is the best right? You don't have to stress about finding your family and friends the perfect gifts, there isn't an obligation to visit family that you would rather avoid, and you don't have to worry about cooking the perfect five-course meal. On top of all the things that you do not have to do, the things that you can do are totally awesome, like dress up in a cool costume and eat however much candy as you like.
As amazing as Halloween is, there are people out there who are not a fan of the spooky day, so if you just volunteered to throw the office Halloween party at work, there are some things you should think about before getting started. After all, a successful party is one where all attendees have fun—even Paul from cubicle 10 who hates clowns and cringes every time the subject of a Halloween party comes up.
Parties are meant to be fun, so make sure to set a positive tone for your Halloween office party. Make sure to review the company policy beforehand, especially if the party is to be thrown in the office and not an outside location. You may want to send out an email and/or put up some flyers in shared spaces, like a lounge, to let all of your coworkers know that while they are going to have a blast, they need to also remember that they are still, technically, at work and they need to behave appropriately. Encourage everyone to choose costumes they would have no problem showing up to a work meeting in, which should eliminate anything too inappropriate.
If you are the boss and the party is being thrown at the end of the work day, like two hours before people typically leave, make sure those two hours are paid. And respect the wishes and beliefs of anyone who may request time off on Halloween, since it started as a Christian holiday and was originally called All Saints Day (or All Hallows). You can't just give some employees time off to party and not give employees time off to opt out of the party.
Once the logistics are settled, you better get you decorating hat on. While you don't have to go crazy and hire a professional, you should still put a little effort into decorating for the party. Buy some orange and black balloons, get some Halloween themed party supplies for eating and drinking, find some spooky ghosts and zombies to set around the room, and put up some fake cobwebs (complete with little plastic spiders). It really doesn't take much to set the mood.
Not everyone will have time to go looking for a costume or make their own, so you should have some things at the party for people if they want to join in the costume fun. Grab easy looks to put on, like masks and capes, and put them all in a box that people can go through. You can even throw something simple like Halloween sweaters in there, for those who don't really want to dress like a vampire but who still want to join in on the festive spirit. Trust us, everyone will appreciate the effort you made.
Music can make or break any party, so you had better pull everything out for Halloween. You might want to get started with the music list a month early, as you will want nothing but the best. Mix classic Halloween tunes with music that is not Halloween-based but has the right tone and sound. Invest in a JBL portable speaker so you can take the music wherever the party moves.
If you don't want to offer alcohol at all, that is fine too, but if you are planning on offering booze at the party, set up some sort of system to limit how much people drink. After all, no one wants to be that person who got so drunk that they will be forced to endure videos of what they did the morning after. This is a work function. You can set up a drink ticket system where everyone gets two drink tickets, make sure the supply is low, or avoid hard liquor. Plus, if you offer alcohol, make sure that everyone is drinking responsibly and that no one will be driving home. Set up Uber rides to ensure everyone gets home safe.
Having a theme for your birthday can make planning it much easier allowing you to arrange your decorations and menu according to that. Choose a trendy theme and even go a step ahead and ask your guests to come dressed up according to your theme. Some entertaining birthday party themes include Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Paris, Floral, Sports, Costume, Unicorn, and so on.
Having an idea about the number of guests you would be inviting will be crucial while deciding the venue for your party. For example, you can arrange your birthday party at home if you intend to invite 10 people or less. On the other hand, if you like to invite lots of guests (50+ people), entertaining them at home won't be a wise choice.
Your venue is an important part of the preparation because it will set the mood and atmosphere of your party. The selection of the venue should depend on the number of guests you intend to invite and the time of your party. You can have your birthday at a local club, restaurant, at home, the local park, a bowling alley, and so on.
The food needs to be exquisite for your guests to have a memorable time. The easiest way to serve food is choosing the buffet style.It is cheaper compared to an a la carte style service. Catering in Sydney by Flavours is the perfect option if you are looking for quality service and a variety in menu. Your menu should follow a common theme; for example, making half of the menu Chinese and the rest as Italian would be confusing. Moreover, it is wise to choose at least one vegetarian dish to cater to any vegetarians in your guest list.
For an outdoor party, setup a grill for a cookout or cook food at home and bring that along.
If you are having an indoor party, you can arrange for different games and activities, like Truth or Dare, dancing, charades and so on. For birthdays in restaurants or other similar venues, you need to promote friendly conversation. At an outdoor venue, you can arrange fun games, like football, races and so on.
The birthday cake is always the main attraction because it is what marks it as a birthday party. When choosing your cake, do not just decide on what you prefer, consider what your guests would like the most. Do not choose a strange flavour, liked by you only. If you are good at baking, consider making your own cake instead of ordering it from an expensive bakery. Try your hand at any one of these recipes.
The way you decorate your venue should reflect your theme. If you are aiming for a fun-loving look, use balloons and banners. For a classy look, employ best birthday floral arrangements.
Don't feel distraught if you can't afford medical school; there's a job for everyone in healthcare. The healthcare industry involves more than just doctors and nurses—it encompasses a wide variety of jobs that deal with the human body, medicine, and wellness. Therapists, pharmaceutical salespeople, medical technicians, psychologists, and even hospital administrators are just a few of the many healthcare positions you can explore. Choose a career in healthcare that utilizes your unique skills and experience.
Not every position requires that you have a Ph.D., but you'll probably need some level of formal education. Some professions only request an associate's or bachelor's degree, and other careers want additional certifications. Get a better idea of your job's educational requirements by consulting a site like Monster.com.
Colleges and career schools have tailored programs to help you succeed. Do you want to earn your nursing degree fast? Explore accelerated nursing programs here. Are you already working fulltime? Research night or online programs that help you earn your degree without quitting your job. There are many options that allow you to fulfill your obligations while still working toward your future.
A technical education is important, but interpersonal skills are vital to a healthy work environment. As in every profession, you have to master basic interpersonal skills in order to keep morale high and help the team move forward in the health care industry. Abilities to observe, communicate, listen, compromise, and respect others are all essential tools that help people get along. Your career can become stressful and relations can become strained, but you can diffuse situations and solve problems by implementing these skills.
Things won't always go as planned, so you need to be flexible. Whether you're in the operating room or the front desk, changes will arise that you'll have to be patient with and adapt to.
Written and verbal communication is essential. These abilities help build relationships with coworkers and raise work performance. Clear and direct communication between coworkers and leadership helps prevent mistakes and misunderstandings. Learn how to communicate better through a program like Toastmasters.
Conflict arises at some point in every business. Solving issues between coworkers constructively shows that you're emotionally intelligent and that you want to promote a collaborate workplace.
Everyone has to take on a leadership role at some point, even if you're not a manager. Leadership abilities are about more than promotions; they also help bring people together to support a cause.
Before you complain to your boss, take a moment to reflect and create a solution. If you approach your boss with solutions instead of criticism, they'll take notice.
Success in business rarely happens because of one person; it takes a team of people to work together toward a common goal. If you want to succeed, you have to think outside of yourself and strive for the good of everyone. Learn how to appreciate everyone's talents and lend a hand when coworkers need help.
You have a passion for helping others, but there might be times when that passion becomes a burden. If you work closely with patients, you'll experience the highs and lows of their treatment. Your job allows you to see patients recover and return to healthy lives, but there will also be times when you'll witness their health decline outside of your control. If you work beside patents, you'll soon learn that you can't save everyone, even if it's not your fault. You still have the opportunity to help hundreds of patients throughout your lifetime, and you can cope by confiding in coworkers or joining support groups.
The healthcare industry is rife with diverse career opportunities. Consider these important tips and you'll be on your way to a rewarding healthcare career.
The Basics Of Product Liability Laws: Who's At Fault?
When you buy something from the aisles of your local store, you have the presumption that they are safe. But that is not always the case. In fact, thousands of injuries and deaths result from defective products every year. When something goes wrong with a product, who is at fault? Product liability law is the specific legal area that deals with dangerous or defective products purchased by unwitting consumers. It is different from other areas of law and in how those who are injured are compensated.
In legal terms, product liability is when you hold a seller or manufacturer liable for a defective product and distributing it to consumers. If a product harms or injures a consumer, then it is the manufacturer's responsibility to pay for the injuries, but there is a chain of responsibility that lies with the seller. The law requires that any product that is distributed and sold to the consumer has the expectation that the average user will not be harmed. If the product causes injury to a consumer, then an argument can be made that the consumer's expectation of not being harmed was not met.
Currently, product liability is a state's right issue. There are no legal standards at the federal level. There are theories that states use to guide their product liability specifications, and they are either a breach of warranty, negligence, or strict liability. Each state has their own version of the Uniform Commercial Code which dictates their statues.
If someone wants to initiate a product liability case, then the product in question has to have been in the marketplace for consumers to purchase. It is an unwritten "contract" legally termed "privity of contract" that exists between the injured person and the supplier who sold it to the consumer.
For most states the requirement may no longer exist, and the individual who initiates the product liability suit does not have to be the original purchaser of the product to receive compensation for damages. If someone could have foreseeably been injured by a defective product, then whoever is injured has the right to sue for their damages if the product was sold to anyone, first-, second- or twentieth-hand.
For any person to use the strict liability clause for a product liability case, the sale must have been made in the supplier's course of business. If someone sells the product via a different route like a garage sale, then they will most likely not be held liable for product liability.
Who is responsible for product liability issues?
There is a doctrine in product liability law called "res ipsa loquitur." It means that the burden of product liability cases lies with the defendant. Translated into English, it means "The thing speaks for itself," which means that a defect does not exist unless someone who uses the product is negligent in doing so. In a court of law, the responsibility is not on the product manufacturer to prove that a defect of the product was not the cause of the injury, but rather the plaintiff has to prove that it was a defect that caused their injury.
Product liability follows the justice system in America: innocent until proven guilty. If you are injured by a product defect, it is important to have a professional on your side to plead your case. When it comes to product liability cases, the law of strict liability is typically the precursor. That means that the plaintiff does not have to plead that the manufacturer was negligent in any way, but merely that the product was defective.
When you are hurt by something you bought, then there is a good likelihood that someone along the chain of supply is responsible. Hiring a defective products lawyer is the best way to determine who is responsible for your damages and injuries.
Weddings can be difficult to dress for; the last thing you want to do is offend the newlyweds with your attire, so it's important to find the perfect outfit. There are several different types of weddings, from white tie to beach casual, but the one that is one of the toughest to decode is semi-formal wedding. What does semi-formal mean? There's a lot of room for interpretation, and unless you are close to the bride or groom, you probably don't want to harass them with detailed questions about what to wear. Consider this your cheat sheet for the perfect wedding guest ensemble.
All weddings are considered semi-formal unless the couple says otherwise – meaning that you don't want to show up in a ball gown or tuxedo, but you shouldn't attend in shorts and thong sandals. You should never wear denim, tennis shoes, or revealing clothing.
For the ladies, hemlines should never be shorter than just above the knee. This makes chic cocktail dresses and skirts a popular choice. You can still wear floor length dresses, but they shouldn't be as formal as an evening gown. You should avoid wearing clothing that's too revealing, so save the bandage dress for the night club.
When in doubt, pick one feature you love and show it off. If you love your arms, try a sleeveless dress with a longer hemline. If you love your back, choose a backless dress that has coverage in the front. You might already know that you can't wear white to a wedding, but that doesn't mean your outfit can't stand out. Try on bold colors and patterns to find an outfit you love.
Accessories make the outfit, and what you choose should depend on the clothes you're wearing. Your accessories should enhance your outfit, not distract from it, so choose wisely. If you wear your hair up, consider statement earrings that provide a little extra sparkle. If your dress has bare shoulders or a deep V, try a delicate necklace. Now is the time to wear your heirloom jewelry, so dig into your jewelry box and flash your grandmother's old gemstone ring. If you need to update your jewelry collection, head to BaubleBar and find a new staple piece.
Don't forget the shades. It's still important to blend fashion and function. Whether the wedding is in the blistering summer sun or on a snowy Christmas day, sunglasses help protect your eyes from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It's likely you'll be standing out in the sun while the happy couple takes their wedding photos, so shield your eyes with glasses while you're sipping your champagne. Browse sunglasses for men and women at MVMT for a pair that combines fashion and functionality.
You can go with high heels, cute strappy sandals, or a pair of dressy flats, but keep comfort in mind. If you don't mind dancing barefoot at the end of the night, then a pair of stilettos maybe perfect for you, but if you want to last all night without risking a broken ankle and sore feet, you should consider your options.
If you have a pair of heels you want to wear, make sure you break them in first. Walk around the house in them or wear them out once to make sure you can handle wearing them at the big event.
You have the right to embrace the skin you're in, but there's nothing wrong with a little tan. If you want a tan, a spray tan is the safest option that will keep you from damaging your skin in the sun. It's also an easy way to get an even skin tone. You should visit a salon about a week before the wedding to get the perfect spray tan. This allows the tan to seep into the skin and slough off any extra cells before the big day.
Dressing for a wedding should be fun. Follow these tips and you'll be dressed appropriately for the happy couple's big day.


text: Q: How to include two fonts with same name? I have two fonts with the same name (the two fonts have different ascender properties). How can I include both fonts in my project and use them? I am unable to figure out how to change the name of one of the fonts without installing Font Forge, which seems like a day long project. Any ideas?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Barbara Hoyt, née le  à Coeur d'Alene (Idaho) et morte le , est une infirmière américaine connue pour avoir été membre de la "famille Manson", dirigée par Charles Manson.

Liminaire

Barbara Hoyt devait être témoin dans les poursuites engagées par le procureur de district () Vincent Bugliosi contre Manson et ses partisans pour les meurtres de Tate-LaBianca, dans l'un des procès pour meurtre les plus médiatisés de l'histoire.

Biographie

Barbara Hoyt vivait avec la famille Manson au Spahn Ranch près de Chatsworth, à Los Angeles, en Californie.

En 1971, cinq disciples de Manson  sont  accusés de tentative de meurtre après avoir comploté pour l'assassiner et donc de l'empêcher de témoigner lors du procès pour meurtre de Tate / LaBianca.

Moorehouse devait attirer Barbara Hoyt à Honolulu (Hawaï), afin qu'elle ne puisse pas témoigner. Une fois à Hawaï, si Hoyt ne pouvait être convaincue de ne pas témoigner, Moorehouse devait la tuer. Le , alors que Hoyt se préparait à embarquer sur son vol de retour vers la Californie, il a été allégué que Moorehouse a acheté à Hoyt un hamburger et y avait mélangé une multidose de LSD puis l'avait quittée et s'était envolée pour la Californie. Cependant Hoyt a survécu à cette tentative de meurtre.

Share et les autres ont d'abord été accusés de tentative de meurtre ; l'accusation a ensuite été réduite à celle de complot visant à dissuader un témoin de déposer.

Share, Fromme, Rice et Grogan ont purgé une peine de 90 jours dans la prison du comté de Los Angeles. Moorehouse n'a jamais purgé sa peine, car elle n'a pas comparu à l'audience de détermination de la peine.

Références

Liens externes

 Barbara Hoyt

Naissance en décembre 1951
Naissance à Coeur d'Alene (Idaho)
Décès en décembre 2017
Décès à Washington (district de Columbia)
Décès à 65 ans
Mort d'une insuffisance rénale
Personnalité féminine américaine


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CANADA: Canada announces new BSE safety measures
Canada has introduced new safety measures to protect against mad cow disease, something the US said must happen before it considers lifting its ban on imports of beef from Canada.
Canada said brains and spinal cords would be removed during the slaughter of cattle over 30 months old, effective 24 July. Part of the small intestine from all cattle will also be removed and kept out of the food supply, Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief and Health Minister Anne McLellan told a news conference.
The decision is part of Canada's attempts to convince other countries that its beef is safe. The US, Japan and several other countries have banned the import of Canadian beef since the discovery of a single case of mad cow disease in Alberta in May.
Vanclief said he expected to announce other safeguards "in the near future". Those measures would include banning the use of spinal cord and brains in animal feed and monitoring the health of cattle more closely, a source told Reuters.
Vanclief also announced that Canada would reject applications for permits to bring beef products into Canada that are not part of normal North American Free Trade Agreement shipments until borders reopen.
"All applications received after 9 July 2003, for supplemental imports of beef and veal will normally be refused," he was quoted by Reuters as saying. "We are doing this to ensure that our domestic suppliers have every opportunity to meet market demands even in areas they don't usually supply."
Health Joint Stock Company


1960s & 1970s good general success and a few more litters, and export to Japan, but input limited by family commitments, the original bloodlines were allowed to die out.
1987 May launched the international breed magazine Clumber Spaniel Correspondence, renamed in 2003 as CLUMBERS, retired the magazine in 2012 – 25 years of coverage and connection.
1993 CH ERINVEINE REGAL Best in Show at a Gundog Championship Show – first time for a Clumber in Australia.
2017 AUGR&NZCH ERINVEINE NOTTINGHAM LAD'S son GrCh Taniwha Robin Hood became the first Clumber in Australia to gain a RN rally title.


David is a lifelong Northern Kentucky resident having been raised in Ft. Thomas. David graduated from Highlands High School then received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Hanover College. David currently resides in Ft. Thomas with his wife Jill and their daughter Brynn.
David joined Victory Mortgage in May, 2010. He brings over fourteen years of banking experience to Victory Mortgage, eleven of those years in a local community bank serving as Operations Manager. Prior to coming to Victory Mortgage, David worked at Great American Insurance as a product analyst. David's experience and his understanding of customer's needs, will help customers pick the loan or banking product that is right for them.


A young and penniless writer, Kif Kehlmann, is rung in the middle of the night by the notorious con man and corporate criminal, Siegfried Heidl. About to go to trial for defrauding the banks of $700 million, Heidl proposes a deal: $10,000 for Kehlmann to ghost write his memoir in six weeks.
But as the writing gets under way, Kehlmann begins to fear that he is being corrupted by Heidl. As the deadline draws closer, he becomes ever more unsure if he is ghost writing a memoir, or if Heidl is rewriting him-his life, his future. Everything that was certain grows uncertain as he begins to wonder: who is Siegfried Heidl-and who is Kif Kehlmann?
By turns compelling, comic, and chilling, First Person is a haunting journey into the heart of our age.
And What Do You Do, Mr Gable?
A solid and impressive insight into ghost-writing.
The book has all sorts of dramatic ironies, given that it is in part the biography of a failed writer written by someone with a Booker prize. The main theme is carried by the aspiring writer's task to deal with a soon-to-be-jailed con-man with slightly weird and unexplained access to information. The role of a "ghost" writer is sustained in odd ways but includes insights into the rather nasty world of publishers and editors. It dragged a bit in places with digressions more likely to appeal to anyone interested in the details of child-birth. I was much more receptive to the occasional back-handers offered to the insularity of Tasmanian self-identified intellectuals - I abandoned Hobart in 1961 but avoided the dreariness of outer-suburban Melbourne. Overall, money well spent.
A beautifully written book with plenty of wry Australian humour which softened the brutality of the story, but I feel that it was too long. Also, there was a lot of repetition in regard to his feelings for Heidl. family, etc., which I began to find a little tedious.
This book was tedious and slow. I couldnt connect with any of the characters and I only kept reading because Ithought there would be redemption. I guess the author really made me feel the disconnetion that was at the centre of this book but I feel I wasted my time. Totallt unatisfying.
For me, this is not Flannagan's best novel. I've read them all and enjoyed his writing but this one is a bit of a let down given the standard of his other works. However in saying that, I must add that the description of the birth of the twins is excellent. Perhaps the narrative in this one was a bit disappointing for me.
I have never read such a stupid book in my life. The other Richard Flanagan books I have read have been good.


Two conferences, initial and final, are scheduled with the aim to represent opportunities for wider meetings of the European network in the field of thematic related to the project. Substantive inputs, outputs and communication materials will be produced to enhance both the coherency and direction of the whole project and the relevance of these events for high level exchanges among key stakeholders.
The Initial Conference that will be held in Paris in July 2012, organised by the OECD, will constitute a key European contribution to the OECD global process of regional Conferences on Measuring and Fostering the Progress of Societies. This conference is intended to be the launch pad for defining a European dimension on the topic and reaching a common position in preparation of the 4th OECD World Forum planned for Autumn 2012.
The Final Conference, targeted at statisticians, policy makers, journalists, academics and representatives from business and civil society, has been planned with the aim to present the most recent developments and implemented findings, and spread and discuss major project milestones: 1. Stocktaking Report of Measuring Progress and Sustainable Development; 2. Report on the Survey on NSI Practices of Measuring Well-being; 3. Handbook for Measuring Progress; 4. Roadmap for Future Research.
Nine thematic workshops are planned in the e-Frame work plan, besides the conferences, in order to stimulate the debate between members of the project and other target groups on such issues that represent interrelated parts of the complex debate on beyond GDP.


The 1st Haney Beavers, Cubs and Scout Troop went sailing over the weekend of June 2-3 at the Jericho Sailing Centre in Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC.
It was a great experience for our youth. They learned about sailboats, safety in the water, and had a hands on experience navigating their own boat… even the Beavers!


Hinged enamel bracelet in a stunning shade of orange. Click-to-close clasp with guard chain. Equal parts elegant and mod.
Details: Very good condition. Due to the vintage nature of this piece, there are some signs of wear. There are a few minor scratches on the exterior of the bracelet.


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Tyneside Cinema is a thriving social hub and registered charity which aims to enrich people's lives by thinking differently about and through film. The Tyneside Cinema team are passionate about all aspects of film and its potential to nourish, connect, reward, celebrate, educate, and speak for the most marginalised – to speak for us all.
Dedicated to screening the best new releases from the UK and beyond, we're proud to be the home of great film in the North East and the region's leading independent cinema. Stories are fundamental to how we understand the world around us, which is why we're committed to offering the most varied film programme in the North East and providing diverse ways for our communities to learn, share, and explore. Whether you're meeting friends in one of our food and drink venues, organising an event with us, or popping in to see a film, we're delighted to play a role in your story.
As we approach 100 years in our historic Art Deco home in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, we're hugely grateful for the vital support that we receive from our valued guests, members, and stake-holders, which enables us to continue championing the very best stories from established and emerging filmmakers alike.
Change and Going Forward
Like many businesses across the world, we've been working extremely hard over the last few months to equip our beautiful building with everything needed to re-open safely and protect you when you return. This includes the closing down of our physical box office, the implementation of a one way system, a reduction in concession points to facilitate social distancing, and the mandatory wearing of face masks in some areas of the building (unless exempt).
We're extremely touched by the ongoing support that we've received from local residents and the wider film-loving community during this challenging time, and immensely grateful for the generous donations that we continue to receive, without which we wouldn't be where we are today. Thanks to your kindness and support, we're able to welcome you back to the cinema and continue serving the North East with fantastic films, important community projects, and delicious food and drink.
Film Date
Like most sites, we use and collect cookies to improve your experience. For more information on cookies, visit our Cookies page.


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GM Aims to End Sale of Gasoline-Powered Cars, Light Trucks by 2035
FILE - A new sign is unveiled at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, Oct. 16, 2020, in Hamtramck, Michigan. The U.S. automaker now aims to shift production to a variety of all-electric cars, SUVs and light trucks.
General Motors Co said Thursday it was setting a goal to sell all its new cars, SUVS and light pickup trucks with zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a dramatic shift by the largest U.S. automaker away from gasoline and diesel engines.
GM, which also said it plans to become carbon neutral by 2040, made its announcement just over a week after President Joe Biden took office pledging to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and dramatically boost the sales of electric vehicles. GM sold 2.55 million vehicles in the United States last year, only about 20,000 of which were EVs. It said in November it was investing $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles over the next five years, up from $20 billion planned before the coronavirus pandemic.
GM, which was up as much as 7.4% on Thursday, was trading up 3% at midday eastern time.
GM Chief Executive Mary Barra has aggressively pushed the automaker internally to embrace electric vehicles and shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles. She said in a statement the automaker had worked with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), an environmental advocacy group, to "develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035."
In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks starting in 2035. Several states including Massachusetts say they plan to follow suit.
"We're taking actions so that we can eliminate tailpipe emissions by 2035," said Dane Parker, GM's chief sustainability officer, in a briefing with reporters. "Setting a goal for us 15 years from now is absolutely reachable."
EDF President Fred Krupp said in a statement: "with this extraordinary step forward, GM is making it crystal clear that taking action to eliminate pollution from all new light-duty vehicles by 2035 is an essential element of any automaker's business plan."
GM also said it will source 100% renewable energy to power its U.S. sites by 2030 and global sites by 2035, five years ahead of a prior goal.
More than half of GM's capital spending and product development team will be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programs, GM said.
Biden on Monday vowed to replace the U.S. government's fleet of roughly 650,000 vehicles with electric models as the new administration shifts its focus toward clean-energy.
Watchdog Agency: Energy Sector Needs to Decrease Methane Emissions
Pandemic-Constrained US Records Major Drop in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
EU Leaders Agree to Reduce Emissions After All-night Talks
UN Report: Lockdowns Not Abetting Greenhouse Gas Emissions
More Entrepreneurship news
In Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali, Fears Rise Over Losing Duty-Free Access to US Market
North Korea Expands China Trade, But Wider Pandemic Approach Unclear
Biden: Federal Reserve Should 'Recalibrate' Policy as Prices Rise
Biden: 'Not There Yet' on Easing of Tariffs on Chinese Goods


Learn how to cook great Kielbasa and cabbage potatoes . Crecipe.com deliver fine selection of quality Kielbasa and cabbage potatoes recipes equipped with ratings, reviews and mixing tips. Get one of our Kielbasa and cabbage potatoes recipe and prepare delicious and healthy treat for your family or friends. Good appetite!


Failures happen. Accidents occur. By now, the unexpected should be expected. No matter how solid your connectivity is, you need to have a go-to safety plan. But what is that go-to plan? As an ISP, you realize how important it is for you to offer a failover Internet solution. But that solution can't be the same technology you already offer, can it?
Wait, what? You're actually expected to invite a competitor into your clients' world just so you can provide a failover connection? Yes ... and no. Here's what we mean.
Virtually anything could knock down a business's Internet connectivity, from the wrath of Mother Nature, to the error of humans, to even the most common of causes, traffic jams and bumps along the information highway. And while these failures are expected by the masses, they are never tolerated well. Providers that offer a failover safeguard, or a backup Internet connection option, offer businesses a net to fall upon when their primary connection fails. All services, from voice to data, can seamlessly roll over onto the backup Internet, with your clients being none the wiser.
Retailers rely heavily on the constant connectivity that their ISPs can provide. How frequently do consumers leave their house expecting that they don't need anything more in their wallets than plastic? While some people still hold onto cash for emergencies, the vast majority of retail consumers assume that they can get through their regular transactions with their debit card or credit card.
Retailers know this, which is why they expect their ISPs to keep their Point of Sale (POS) systems running smoothly. This is particularly important during the holiday season, where people head to retail stores in droves, and on a mission to get through their shopping ordeal as quickly as possible.


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