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Úvodní stránka » RECORDS » RECORDS II » The Horn the Hunt
The Horn the Hunt — Wovo
≡ Emerging from a winter spent in Greenland, THTH formed out of a burning desire to make challenging pop music. Currently based in Leeds, UK, the duo of Clare Carter and Joseph Osborne are performing live with a full band featuring heavy synths, desert guitars, bass, drums and powerful vocals.
Location: Yorkshire Villages ~~ Leeds, England, UK
Album release: 2nd of March 2015
Record Label: Gpig Records
01. Watching the Waves 5:15
02. The Ocean's Breath 4:19
03. Wovo 2:49
04. Solar Flare Off My Heart 4:49
05. Seashell 3:21
06. Albatross 3:57
07. Be the Prey 3:53
08. Snake Charmer 4:41
09. My Face in Your Eyes 3:12
10. Life Is Movement 4:19
11. The Lonely Ray — Lanzarote 6:49
≡ 12" Vinyl LP with artwork by Clare Carter.
≡ Clare Carter
≡ Joseph Osborne
≡ Live: Matthew Colmer: guitar/synth
≡ Ian Smart: bass
≡ Conor Lawrence: drums
≡ The Horn The Hunt are Clare Carter and Joseph Osborne
≡ Written, performed and produced by The Horn the Hunt during 2014
≡ All drums performed by Conor Lawrence
≡ All songs recorded by Joe Osborne at Ouse studios, Leeds except
≡ 'My Face In your Eyes' recorded in a room in Cragg Vale
≡ 'Lanzarote' recorded at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
≡ Mixed and mastered by Joe Osborne
≡ Photography, artwork, font, and design by The Horn the Hunt
≡ P&© the horn the hunt 2015
≡ "Terrafidella was about finding myself alone in an empty, brutal landscape, whereas Wovo is about leaving the familiarity of land and heading underwater, volunteering to get lost. Personally, it's a response to not fitting in anywhere, not feeling like you have a home or a tribe and trying to accept that for once. I always let ideas arrive when they want, and for some reason all the new songs I'd written had a connection to the ocean… then after a while it made sense to me. I was getting ready to leave my current life and head into the unknown." — Clare Carter
By Andrew Darley, 21 April 2015; Score: 7.5/10
≡ It's a fine feeling to hear artists develop with every release. Each of The Horn The Hunt's records have expanded and cultivated the initial sound found on their debut album. In the five years since, Clare Carter and Joseph Osborne appear to have followed their songwriting, not according to their musical preferences but to life's circumstances. On their third album, Terrafidella, the songs fought with solitude, self–doubt and being haunted by the past. The pair strode into a realm of their own creation and asserted themselves as stronger songwriters.
≡ Clare, who is the band's principle lyricist, explained in an interview with The 405 how each album is a document of her life and outlook at that time: "The world is terrifying to me, day–to–day existence is intolerable without creative outlets. It's always about expressing these feelings and constructing new worlds to escape deathly stillness, wherever that may be." Their new album, Wovo, enters with a self-assured sense of quality. While previous albums featured unrelenting moments of angst and adrenaline with bold instrumentation, this album is more focused on finding the beauty in the calm. Many of the songs are made of soft, swirling synthesizers and gentle percussion. Almost unrecognizable to their early work, Clare's voice has developed into one which she effortlessly projects.
≡ In many ways, Wovo acts as an accompanying piece to Terrafidella — it moves away from the struggle under loneliness to a place of seeking clarity. The serene opener 'Watching the Waves' fixates on the movement of water to find comfort from chaos ("I'm watching the waves to find the pattern"). While the uplifting 'Solar Flare Off My Heart' and 'My Face In Your Eyes' celebrate the joy of companionship and togetherness, in spite of adversity. As their tight production maximizes the minimal elements they've incorporated, the lyrics also instil succinct description of emotions. ≡ They speak of a desire to transcend the things which confine us, while finding a means to think our way through. The meandering penultimate song 'Life Is Movement' echoes, almost answers, the opening song as it realizes that we must bend with the shapes that life moves in.
≡ The Horn The Hunt's Wovo furthers their own remit with an album that is reflective and soothing in texture. Acknowledging that their previous records fought with feelings of loneliness and burden, Wovo examines how to live with them. As their music wrangles with rock, pop and electronic influences, they are conversely a band tapped into a creative pulse in which they follow where the music must go. The feeling of this record is that although life is unpredictable, challenging and perplexing, it can also be beautiful with a shift in perspective. :: http://www.thefourohfive.com/
Review; Score: ****
≡ The two records converge at a point where land meets sea. But whereas Terrafidella was inspired by the wide–open spaces of an often inhospitable landscape, Wovo seeks out water as its companion, guiding light and ultimate source of salvation. ≡ Clare Carter speaks of her strong connection to the ocean and from the record's cover that captures her totally submerged in its elements to the gentle sound of the sea at Runswick Bay on the North Yorkshire coast as it percolates through both the album's opening and closing tracks, there are constant reminders of its presence.
≡ The natural environment is key to the very essence of The Horn The Hunt sound. ≡ Its existence influences the organic nature of their music, free as it is of any artifice, any programming and one in which they first lay down a firm foundation stone of bass, guitar and drums — the latter courtesy of the band's live drummer Conor Lawrence — over which they then add layer upon layer of monophonic analogue synthesiser and Clare Carter's remarkable voice.
≡ Carter's phrasing recalls that of Björk as she glides up and down the musical scale; compelling, passionate and a sheer natural force, it vacillates between a breathy whisper and a volcanic explosion without ever lapsing into any of the bombast that can impact upon some of the Icelandic singer's work. There is also some of the more brittle texture of a young Kate Bush in Carter's voice as she reflects the vulnerability of the natural surroundings into which her words have taken her.
≡ Yet for all that Carter's voice remains the focal point of The Horn The Hunt, it is Osborne's accompaniment that is the music's life breath and heartbeat. The two central elements fuse together quite perfectly. On the record's sublime opening song 'Watching The Waves' they manage to somehow conjoin the otherworldliness of the Cocteau Twins with 80's synth pop and make it sound like something you have never heard before. And then on 'Solar Flare Off My Heart', Osborne's glorious chiming guitar parts form a perfect union with Carter's message to love as they once more combine to craft the most gorgeous of pop melodies.
≡ 'Albatross' is rife with uncertainty, the song's loping rhythm and the poignancy of the melodica's refrain pointing towards a different perspective of The Horn The Hunt's metaphysical landscape as they gradually retreat from the world of the popular song. ≡ It is something that the ominous presence of 'Be The Prey' reinforces as the lament in Carter's voice slowly begins to unravel before us. Here they have encountered the darkness that exists on the other side.
≡ It seems strangely fitting to learn that the album's closing song 'Lanzarote' was recorded at the Henry Moore Institute in the band's home town of Leeds, an exhibition space that celebrates the work of a man who did so much in his sculptures to get back to nature. On Wovo and through the power, diversity and continual exploration of their music, The Horn The Hunt have undertaken a similar journey. It is one that marks their coming of age. :: http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/
Website: http://www.thehornthehunt.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehornthehunt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehornthehunt
Bandcamp: https://thehornthehunt.bandcamp.com/


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Trader faces theft of friend's N6m charge
By Agency reporter On May 18, 2017
A 40-year-old trader, Adesina Adefoyekun, who allegedly stole N600,000 being part of the proceeds from the sale of his friend's van, was on Thursday in Lagos granted N600,000 bail on the orders of an Ikeja Magistrates' Court.
The Magistrate, Mr T.O. Shomade , who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties as part of the bail conditions.
Shomade said the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years' tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The accused pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of stealing and breach of peace.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Raji Akeem told the court that the accused, who resides at Thomas Salako Street, Ogba in Ikeja, committed the offences sometime in November 2016 at Odunsanmi Street, Ogba.
NCC uncovers 'virus' attacking organisations
Inflation rate rises to 15.63 per cent
Akeem said the complainant, Mr Taiwo Akinwale, had kept his van at the accused's place before he travelled and told him not to sell it.
"But by the time the complainant came back, the accused had sold the van and converted the proceeds to personal use.
"Akinwale, who claimed that his van was worth N1.85 million, demanded the proceeds from Adefoyekun, but he could only produce N1. 25 million."
He noted that the offenses contravened the provisions of Sections 168 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. (Revised)
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 prescribes a three-year jail term for stealing.
The case was adjourned until May 22 for mention.
News Agency of NigeriaRaji AkeemT.O. Shomade
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Shonekan: The making of a tragic illusion January 18, 2022

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: SqlConnection DBConnection Windowsce I'm writing this piece of code in Compact Framework 3.5 under Windows CE 5.0 to handle two different databases:
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Data.SqlServerCe;
using System.Data.Common;

public myClass
{
    private DbConnection dbCn;
    private DbCommand dbCmd;
    public void myClass(bool ce)
    {
        if (ce)
        {
            dbCn = new SqlCeConnection();
            dbCmd = new SqlCeCommand();
        }
        else
        {
            dbCn = new SqlConnection(); // COMPILER ERROR Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection' to 'System.Data.Common.DbConnection'
            dbCmd = new SqlCommand();// COMPILER ERROR Cannot implicitly convert type 'System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand' to 'System.Data.Common.DbCommand'
        }
    }

Why it cannot convert SqlXX to DbXX ??? from MSDN SqlXX are children of DbXX! Btw, no problem with SqlCeXX.
I can not use DbPoviderfactory that is missing from cf.
Thanks

A: What you are trying to do is Covariance and Contravariance in Generics, but that did not come out until .NET 4.0.
[Update] It appears that casting from [DbConnection] to [SqlConnection] could leave out a few parameters, so Microsoft does not allow simple casts.
If you really want to get it done, check out this thread on SO with some good How To code:
C# DbConnection cast to SqlConnection

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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COMMUNITY FEATURES - The Michener House
Grants given out for work completed on heritage buildings
Lacombe has five buildings that have been designated under this status
The City of Lacombe's Heritage Resources Committee has awarded two grants for work completed this year as part of the Municipal Heritage Program.
St. Andrew's United Church and the Michener House Museum were each awarded $5,000 to cover the costs of recent architectural upgrade projects.
These were the first projects to receive funding allocation under this grant program.
"Grant funding is an important method for the City to support the maintenance and conservation of our Municipal Historic Resources," said City Planner Jennifer Kirchner.
"This funding helps heritage property owners maintain the unique architectural elements of their buildings, so that future generations are able to truly enjoy these structures."
All buildings in Lacombe that are designated as Municipal Historic Resources are eligible to apply for grant funding to help with their maintenance and conservation by contacting Kirchner at the City.
All buildings over 50 years old are eligible for historical designation status, meaning treasured homes and workplaces might be able to get a leg up on architectural projects that protect the integral design of the facility.
"We have some criteria about what types of projects count. The projects must protect the important elements of the building that makes them unique or be projects that help protect the structure itself.
"In this case, with Michener House, there were renovations to the roof and with St. Andrew's United Church there were a variety of things being done including repainting the woodwork, replacing the roof and replacing the protective glass that encases the stained glass windows."
Kirchner said these are the types of projects that help to maintain the beloved historical buildings within the City.
She gave a few examples of other projects that could be eligible, including wood-paneling projects that take time to prepare with prepping the wood or replacing electrical systems in a historic building that are no longer up to safety codes.
"Lots of people who think of Lacombe and what sets us apart from other communities point to our heritage buildings and care for our history. It's something that is definitely a unique characteristic about our community, and it's something that people from other areas recognize," Kirchner said.
She added it's an important part of Lacombe's tourism to be able to preserve and maintain the heritage buildings.
"When you protect those historical structures, you're not only protecting it for the City but they are being protected for future generations and for visitors who come to enjoy the City," she said.
Kirchner encourages people who reside in or work in buildings over the 50-year mark to apply for the Municipal Heritage Resource status.
Lacombe currently has five buildings that have been designated under this status that include the Michener House, the Kent house, St. Andrew's United Church, the Young Residence and the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop.
Veterans' Voices of Canada an important initiative
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The utter joy that I find in a song is one of life's pleasures that I will recall on my deathbed, I embrace each song that I love as though it's a physical entity and give it the love it deserves. The beauty of music is that the plethora of emotions are endless in the gifts they contain within and with Conor Wards new song Hope you get more than what the title suggests.
The video was shot by the award winning Crude Media in conjunction with Limerick Suicide Watch to raise awareness for mental health and those suffering in silence. To coincide with the release of the song and video, Ward will play three headline shows (Whelan's, Dolan's and Garbo's) in October with all the proceeds going to Pieta House and Limerick Suicide Watch. They are gigs that Conor is very much looking to after been busy gigging the length and breadth of Ireland along with being offered support slots for Hermitage Green, The Stunning as well headlining a show of his own in the iconic Whelan's.
"Hope", deals with themes of mental health, anxiety and depression. However, the ultimate message of the song is one of finding hope. Recorded and produced by the excellent Dave Skelton, the result is a poignant yet infectiously catchy indie pop song.
Speaking about the release Conor remarked the importance of it to him personally saying, "I feel when I'm writing, if I'm passionate about the topic, the material flows naturally. At the core of the song is a hope for open dialogue about mental health and breaking the stigma associated with it. The ultimate message is one of hope".
But as I said at the start of this review, when a message is so beautifully delivered you can't help but feel love for the song and songwriter and the world certainly needs more love right now.


Multiple viewings and hours of sober reflection have led us both to believe that Con Air is a bad movie. The plot is contrived, the accents are awful, and it's perhaps the least "Cagey" performance in Cage's entire career. And yet, maybe based on star-power alone, it remains a classic which simply must be watched.
A shocking discovery was made as we attempted to rewrite the cheesy classic, Con Air: It's actually way harder than you think to fix this movie. Does that mean that the plot is actually better thought-out than we first assumed? Or is the fundamental idea so flawed that it's simply impossible to film if you respect your audience? Or perhaps it's simply a lack of imagination on our part? Any way you view it, we had to get real silly to make this one work, but we had a lot of fun in the process.
We kicked off the back half of Season of the Cage with perhaps his most mainstream film of all time, Con Air. Does that mean it's inoffensive? No. Is it one of Cage's more impressive acting jobs? Also, no. Is it even a good film? Again, no. But that also doesn't mean it's not a fun movie to watch. Jim loves it, A.Ron probably doesn't, but you should decide for yourself as you listen to us make jokes over it.
Jim and A.Ron have a split decision on the forth episode of Amazon's The Romanoffs, "Expectations". A.Ron found it pointless and borderline unwatchable, where Jim was drawn into the human element of Amanda Peet's Julia struggling to deal with a secret that has been weighing on her conscience for 20 years. Regardless, the episode does feature engaging performances from very likable stars (the previously mentioned Peet, and John Slattery). What did you think? Tell us using the contact info below!
Jim and A.Ron offer their takes on Netflix's Stranger Things episode, "The Body". We're undertaking a rewatch and podcast for every episode of season one to get pumped up for season two, which premiers on October 27, 2017! We'll be doing a season two preview this Friday, October 20th. Got feedback? Send it in using the contacts below! We'll be covering the entirety of season two the weekend beginning Oct 27th! Come marathon Stranger Things with us!
Jim, A.Ron and Cecily are back with another papal powerhouse podcast, talking about the very strange and yet strangely entertaining fourth episode of HBO's The Young Pope. The Pope deals with the three stages of life; conception, birth, and death, in a decidely Young Popeish kind of way; intense prayer, disdain, and screaming at nuns. Sorry about the tardiness of our coverage this week, our plan going forward is to cover both Sunday and Monday episodes in a single Bald Move TV podcast on Tuesday. See you then!
Another intriguing and informative episode of HBO's Westworld is in the books, and we continue to have a lot to discuss. In "Dissonance Theory", we learn that Ford has god-like control of the park, that the robots are largely made of "meat", that Maeve is coming dangerously close to unraveling the illusion of her life, and that Bernard is intentionally steering Dolores towards the mysterious end-game of Westworld, the maze.


This is a question I get asked or accused of occasionally. How do I afford to travel around in a caravan?
The biggest concern with starting this lifestyle is how to earn money while travelling - well, for people who aren't retired anyway. I'll admit, I still haven't got the perfect set-up, but I'm getting there.
I'm a graphic designer and turns out this is a great career for travel. It honestly didn't cross my mind when I start my university course. I've now been workings for over 10 years and was able to still do this job in London and Melbourne as the same software is used worldwide.
Bachelor of Art & Design (Graphics) at Auckland University of Technology.
Wentworth Distributors is a New Zealand yarn company that distributes it's brand "Naturally". Design projects included refreshing their overall brand look, printed brochures, website, yarn labels and press ads.
Y&R Advertising with clients from Bank of New Zealand, Farmlands farm retail store. Design projects included layout of magazines, booklets, press ads, online banners, mailers, forms, brochures, DLs, billboards.
Through recruitment agencies who place me in a company. These jobs range from 2 days to 6 months. London: GPJ international events company, Mitie strategic outsourcing company, City Index financial markets company, Jack Wills clothing store, Hogan Lovells law firm and Action for Children charity. Auckland: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, Villa Maria Winery, Special Advertising, Hyde Advertising, Radio Network, SkyCity, KPMG and Auckland Council.
Clients were Legal & General insurance company, Bagel Street food retail, D'lish food retail, The Belfast Airport Foodcourt, The Who Cares Trust charity and Specsavers opticians. Design projects included magazines, multi-paged leaflets, food packaging, food court design, press ads, posters, newsletters and exhibition stands.
Connective is a corporate company who are the middleman between banks/lenders and mortgage brokers. Design projects included refreshing their overall brand look, WordPress websites, emails, sale brochures, direct mail campaigns, stationery, banners, online and print ads, expo events and videos.
Flight Centre is a worldwide retail travel company with over 17,000 employees and 30 brands across 11 countries. Design projects included After Effects digital screens for the retail stores, website banners eDM's Flash banners, campaign posters, press, DM's, videos, travel expos, pull-up banners and other print material.
Milk & Sticks is a new company with some impressive clients. They are Keep New Zealand Beautiful, Fingermark - a technology company and New Zealand Broadcasting. Design projects include website design and build, logo design, brochures, booklets, posters, social media banners, t-shirt design and more.
How have I earned money while living in the caravan?
When I decided to buy a caravan I'd been saving for a house before deciding that this was never going to happen in Auckland. I switched my aim towards a caravan instead and saved for another 6 months working at my permanent Auckland job.
I then quit and went on a roadtrip to find the caravan and bought one in Nelson in the South island of New Zealand. I had grand plans of starting an online business that would support me. Turns out 3 months is definitely not enough time to succeed and I didn't particularly enjoy the direction I was going anyway.
After 3 months, I ran out of money and made my way back to Auckland where I freelanced over winter - doing small trips away in the caravan to the Waikato and the Coromandel. I learnt that it's hard to live in a caravan in a city if you don't have friends or family with land for you to stay on. After a few false starts, I found the best campground option in Northcote.
In spring, an old workmate asked if I wanted to work part-time for her new graphic design agency in Hawkes Bay. I was desperate to get out of Auckland as living in the city wasn't what I wanted - especially while living in a caravan. I've been at Milk & Sticks for over 6 months now and it's worked well. I've ended up going into the office ⅔ of the time and travelling and working online ⅓ of the time. Working part-time has also enabled me to focus more on TravellingK.
Unfortunately the contract has gone quiet lately and this last week I've been worrying about money - which is never fun. I've learnt that I can live on 2 days a week of work, and save a little if I work 3 days a week. In the last month there's been a few times when I've worked less than 2 days a week which means I've dipped into my tiny savings. And there have been some big caravan expenses lately - from things breaking to getting ready for winter.
So if you know of anyone after a graphic designer let me know! The ideal client would be a small to medium sized business who is happy for me to work remotely. I'm keen to have another day of work a week.
Does TravellingK make any money?
I started TravellingK over 1.5 years ago and have been spending money instead of making money. It's definitely been a passion project. Web hosting for this website costs money, the website template to make it look nicer cost money, my monthly bill for the programs to edit the videos cost money. I'd hate to find out the grand total I've spent and add up all the hours of work.
In the last couple of months - basically since I reached 1000 subscribers on YouTube, there has be a change. I had been making $5 a month through those annoying YouTube banners that sit on the videos. When I reached 1000 subscribers it jumped to $10 a month - this is also probably because of the change to YouTube with needing more subscribers and view to monetisation your channel. Now I'm over 2000 subscribers and earning $17 a month! I'm hoping it just keeps growing.
Also, I can't touch this money until I reach NZ$130. But the good news is I'm so close to reaching that amount! Soon, very soon.
Have you seen my channel? Click here to see it.
I finally started Patreon which now seems to be the main way a YouTuber can make a living.
You can pay as little as $1 a month and have access to a whole lot more. I am more open on this platform as it feels safer for a solo female than on a public platform like YouTube or Facebook. I share some of the graphics I've designed (although I've been a little slack and only posted 1 so far, but more are coming!). I share more up to date news and the little wins for TravellingK.
The $5 and $20 a month tier also have a group monthly Skype chat with me.
The $20 tier gets a personal thank you message in my videos!
I think this is the best way for me to make any money for TravellingK at my 2000 subscribers level. I think this is the level YouTubers need support. It's a tricky balance to keep growing the channel but earn enough to live off. Once I get to a certain level, then I should hopefully have more time to make other sellable products and be more self-sufficent. There are days where I wonder why I'm spending so many hours doing this. So, if you would like to help, please consider becoming my patron.
I've also started designing RV and kiwiana designs that a company called RedBubble print and post out to people. I've sold 3 products so far and plan to keep adding more designs. Well, when I find the time. I do have plenty of ideas for this.
Click here to see what designs I've created so far.
I've also started designing stickers. Some small ones to add to journals or walls and also larger stickers for on caravans and motorhomes. Again, this is an area I'm expanding and will keep updating!
Click here to see the latest stickers.
As a graphic designer, I've regularly bought images from Shutterstock but it's interesting being on the other side - contributing the photos. It's not the fastest way to make money as I've sold 1 photo and only made 25c. I'll keep adding photos and see how it goes.
So that's it - this is how I afford this caravan lifestyle.
I have been worrying this last week about money with the contract job going quieter. I really really don't want to end up back in Auckland as I'd be back to full-time freelancing with less time for the videos and they'd surely become very dull too.
If you need any graphic design work done - please contact me. The ideal client would be a small to medium sized business who are happy for me to work remotely. I'm keen to have another day of work a week.
Become a patron! Even $1 a month means the world to me and really motivates me to keep making these videos!
Just keep watching, commenting and sharing my videos. This all helps me grow and the more I grow the more I can earn through YouTube advertising. A big thank you to all of you who have helped me reach this stage.
There's definitely less certainty to a permanent 9-5 job but there's no way I want to go back to full time in an office. I'm curious to learn if you have any other ideas for me to earn money? I'd be keen to hear.


The Libyan National Army (LNA) has permitted medical supplies to enter the besieged town of Derna following growing criticism of a humanitarian crisis looming from the blockade, the army has said.
According to the spokesman, ambulances were being allowed out to refuel as well as oxygen cylinders and medical supplies allowed into the town. Residents may leave the town but no one is allowed to enter it.
The statement came after the Presidency Council (PC) denounced the blockade calling it "unacceptable".
a PC statement said. It called on LNA forces to separate the needs of the citizen from the conflict and for humanitarian corridors to be opened into the town to allow for urgent supplies.
Supplies have slowly been allowed into the town following the reports that food stocks are running low and that hundreds of families are desperately trying to leave the town as a result.
Derna's local council has appealed to new UN special envoy to Libya Ghassan Salamé to take action against the blockade.
However, despite the trickle of medical supplies, the LNA is reportedly determined to prevent any other supplies entering the town.


text:
Igualeja – gmina w Hiszpanii, w prowincji Malaga, w Andaluzji, o powierzchni 43,87 km². W 2011 roku gmina liczyła 871 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Gminy w Andaluzji
Malaga (prowincja)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Chain of Corruption: How the White Helmets Compromised OPCW Investigations in Syria
SYRIA IN CONTEXT, 12 Sep 2022
Aaron Maté | Substack – TRANSCEND Media Service
By enlisting the sectarian insurgent-allied, US-funded White Helmets for chemical weapons probes in Syria, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons abandoned impartiality and broke its fundamental rules for collecting evidence.
Members of the White Helmets' "Chemical Sample Unit" in Saraqib, February 2018. (UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office)
9 Sep 2022 – Before it mired the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in an international cover-up scandal, the April 2018 probe of an alleged gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma achieved a milestone. After numerous claims of chemical weapons use in Syria, Douma marked the first time that an OPCW fact-finding mission (FFM) deployed on-site to conduct its own investigation.
Douma was not the OPCW's first try. Four years earlier, in May 2014, the chemical watchdog sent a team to the town of Kafr Zita. As in Douma, the organization was mandated to scrutinize insurgent-generated claims of a toxic bombing by the Syrian army. But unlike in Douma, the OPCW never reached its destination. After a roadside bomb hit the OPCW's four-vehicle convoy, armed insurgents opened fire and briefly kidnapped the inspectors.
The assault proved fateful. The OPCW abandoned not only the Kafr Zita mission, but all other on-site deployments in Syria going forward. It was not until the Syrian and Russian armies regained control of Douma in April 2018 — and after another violent attack, this time on a UN security team — that the OPCW would get back on the ground.
The four-year period between Kafr Zita and Douma, however, did not put an end to the OPCW's investigations in Syria. No longer sending its own staff into a war zone, the OPCW outsourced its duties to groups still able to operate there. Most of these missions concerned alleged chemical attacks in insurgent-controlled territory, where the Syrian government was always the accused culprit. In such cases, one of the OPCW's main newfound proxies was a group known as the White Helmets.
As an OPCW partner, the White Helmets carried out many of the sidelined scientists' normal tasks. White Helmets members identified sampling locations; collected and tagged the samples; gathered video and photo evidence; and, in some cases, selected witnesses for interview. They then traveled to the neighboring Turkish border and handed material to OPCW staffers operating out of hotels. Some White Helmets members even claimed to be victims or witnesses of chemical attacks, and provided their testimony.
In enlisting the White Helmets, the OPCW pointed to the group's claim to be a neutral organization that conducts rescue missions and other life-saving work. But from the outfit's founding abroad to its activities on the Syrian battlefield, the reality was very different. Far from being impartial, the White Helmets were allies of – and funded by – belligerents in the Syria dirty war. And in the OPCW investigations in which the White Helmets participated, this overlooked conflict of interest shaped the outcome in their side's favor.
OPCW partners with White Helmets, the "hidden soldiers" of Syria's sectarian insurgency
The White Helmets were established in Turkey by the late James Le Mesurier, a British military veteran, and his then-employer, the Western intelligence contractor Analysis, Research, and Knowledge, or ARK. With funding from the State Department and UK Foreign Office, ARK "branded the White Helmets and provided its training and equipment," according to a 2019 report in The Intercept. The US and UK governments have funded the White Helmets to the tune of $70 million since 2014. Millions more have flowed into its coffers from NATO and Gulf allies.
Over the same period, footage and media coverage of the White Helmets – including an Oscar-winning documentary – has been used to drum up Western public support for these same states' multi-billion dollar covert military campaign to overthrow the Syrian government. White Helmets leaders have even lobbied for direct Western military intervention on the insurgents' side.
Inside Syria, the White Helmets have cooperated with insurgent militias and operated exclusively in territory under their control. White Helmets members celebrated Al-Qaeda's 2015 conquest of Idlib province, participated openly in executions carried out by militants, and posed gleefully with the corpses of Syrian soldiers. In 2016, an influential Al-Qaeda cleric said the group is "no different" than Syria's "mujahideen." The following year, a top Al-Qaeda leader in Syria praised the White Helmets as "hidden soldiers." In 2018, the White Helmets collaborated with the Turkish military's ethnic cleansing operation in the majority-Kurdish northern Syrian city of Afrin, drawing local outrage.
Left: A White Helmets member celebrates Al Qaeda's capture of Idlib, March 2015.
Right: White Helmets assist an execution carried out by insurgents in Haritan, May 2015.
The White Helmets' insurgent ties have even unnerved some of their state backers. In 2018, the Netherlands became the first government to suspend funding for the White Helmets, citing inadequate monitoring and the "danger" that money could fall "into the hands of armed groups," including Al Qaeda. The following year, Le Mesurier, the White Helmets founder, died in an apparent suicide days after admitting to pocketing donor money and trying to conceal it.
The White Helmets and its supporters have described the group's insurgent ties as an aberration, a necessary compromise to save lives in areas under Syrian-Russian bombardment, and even "Russian disinformation." But for the OPCW, the White Helmets' foreign sponsorship alone created a conflict of interest that has escaped wide scrutiny.
In partnering with the White Helmets, the OPCW enlisted a group backed by states that armed anti-government insurgents, making them belligerents in the Syria conflict. These same states accused the Syrian government of chemical attacks while funding the White Helmets. The White Helmets were in turn tasked with validating these allegations for the OPCW — in some cases, for allegations that its members had initially spread.
The OPCW-White Helmets arrangement would have been akin to the OPCW subcontracting external organizations founded and funded by the Syrian government's allies, Russia and Iran, to help investigate alleged chemical attacks that they blamed on insurgent foes.
Teaming up with the White Helmets not only required the OPCW to abandon its impartiality, but to also ignore its most fundamental standards for the collection and analysis of evidence.
The OPCW defies its own chain of custody rules
From a distance, the OPCW's enlistment of the White Helmets could be seen as a practical solution to the perilous security climate in Syria. Properly trained, a group with free rein to move through insurgent-held territory without fear of attack could theoretically do the work that OPCW inspectors no longer could after the violent kidnapping in Kafr Zita.
But this seeming workaround violated the OPCW's core protocol for chemical weapons probes. To ensure full confidence in the integrity of samples gathered for chemical analysis, the OPCW requires that physical evidence collection strictly ensure "chain of custody." This means that OPCW inspectors must have full control of samples from the time that they are gathered at the site of an alleged chemical attack until they are delivered to international forensic laboratories for analysis.
The OPCW's documented procedures are unequivocal about this. If a "sample was not under OPCW custody" at any point during a mission, OPCW policy states, it "will not be accepted for OPCW verification purposes." The OPCW's chain of custody requirements are so stringent that any inspector "who is not specifically assigned for evidence-related tasks" is not allowed to "deal with any item linked to an investigation site."
If a "sample was not under OPCW custody," OPCW policy states, it "will not be accepted for OPCW verification purposes." (QDOC/LAB/WI/OSA3)
In early Syria operations, the OPCW adhered to these standards. When Western and Israeli officials began accusing the Syrian government of chemical weapons use – an alleged violation of President Obama's so-called "red line" — the OPCW laid down a red line of its own. "The OPCW would never get involved in testing samples that our own inspectors don't gather in the field, because we need to maintain chain of custody of samples from the field to the lab to ensure their integrity," OPCW spokesperson Michael Luhan said in April 2013.
"We [the OPCW] were really considered the only ones that could go in there with the chain of custody and with that integrity and retrieve true facts that could stand up to scrutiny in larger arenas," Scott Cairns, the OPCW team leader for the OPCW/UN investigation into the 2013 Ghouta sarin attack in Syria, noted that same year.
Accordingly, the OPCW's initial Fact-Finding Missions (FFMs) in Syria rejected samples that OPCW inspectors had not collected themselves. In a December 2014 report on several alleged incidents, including Kafr Zita, team leader Malik Ellahi noted that certain samples "could not be accepted on account of chain of custody issues."
Unbroken chain of custody, therefore, is the standard underpinning the integrity of OPCW investigations. When the OPCW outsourced its evidence collection duties in Syria to third parties starting in 2015, it abandoned this bedrock protocol. Samples that would have previously been disqualified were now welcome.
The OPCW's new sample collectors included the White Helmets.
OPCW adopts insurgent-aligned White Helmets as Syrian field team
An October 2015 report about several alleged chemical weapons incidents in Syria introduced the White Helmets to the OPCW fold.
The report noted "many references to the Syrian Civil Defense (SCD)" — the White Helmets' official name. To apparently vouch for the White Helmets' credibility, the OPCW reproduced a quote from the group's website, in which it claims to "act neutrally, impartially," as "humanitarians."
Beyond visiting the White Helmets' homepage, there is no indication that the OPCW conducted any additional vetting of the organization, or raised any concerns about its new Western-funded, insurgent-allied field team.
When it came to handling the potential evidence from samples gathered by the White Helmets and other external groups, the OPCW at first attempted to portray a cautious approach. The report claimed that evidence from remotely gathered samples would be treated as "tertiary", only to be used as "supporting evidence." As there was no chain of custody, the team had no certainty that the samples had not been contaminated (accidentally or deliberately) before handover to OPCW investigators.
The 2015 report appeared to acknowledge this point:
[t]he entire chain of custody could not be verified, thus the possibility of cross-contamination could not be ruled out. Therefore, although such samples would be considered as primary evidence under optimal circumstances, given the constraints as described, the FFM regarded the samples as tertiary evidence. As such, the results from such analyses were treated more as supporting information than of significant evidential value.
But even in treating such "tertiary" evidence as "supporting evidence," the OPCW distorted its own definition.
Under OPCW protocol, tertiary evidence is defined as "evidence that is still developing as an analysis capability," and that "is merely a useful reconnaissance indicator," – for example, identifying potential locations of interest – "or may be potentially ambiguous." Nowhere is it described as potentially "supporting information." This seemingly cautious approach is also based on a faulty premise: that the White Helmets could be trusted not to have tampered with or provided fake samples in the first place.
When it came to abandoning the OPCW's commitment to a chain of custody in Syria, the "tertiary" category would prove to be just a first step. With time, any trace of skepticism about the integrity of the White Helmets' samples would evaporate.
OPCW upgrades White Helmets' "Chemical Sample Unit"
By 2017, the OPCW gave the White Helmets and the material it collected a full upgrade. FFM reports now referred to White Helmets operatives as the "Chemical Sample Unit." Though no chain of custody had been established, the samples furnished by the White Helmets were suddenly treated as primary evidence.
In April 2017, insurgents in the Al Qaeda-controlled town of Khan Shaykhoun accused the Syrian government of dropping a sarin-filled bomb and killing over 80 people. The White Helmets helped spread the allegation by releasing photos of victims allegedly suffering from nerve agent exposure. Within days, the US endorsed the insurgents' claims and launched airstrikes on Syria.
In the aftermath of the US bombing, the OPCW investigated the incident from neighboring Turkey. Inside Syria, White Helmets members gathered alleged evidence and brought it across the border. According to the BBC's Chloe Hadjimatheou, a self-described journalist with ties to UK-backed intelligence operatives and insurgents in Syria, White Helmets founder James Le Mesurier worked alongside the group and helped select witnesses.
The OPCW FFM's June 2017 report on the incident effectively endorsed the stated pretext for US air strikes by concluding that sarin was "used as a weapon" in Khan Shaykhun. That finding, the OPCW stated, was based on factors including the "analysis of environmental samples."
At the same time, however, the report acknowledged that "the entire chain of custody" for those samples "could not be categorically verified." For the environmental and biological-environmental samples taken at the site of the alleged attack and analyzed by the OPCW's Designated Laboratories, the report stated, "all samples were taken by the chemical sample unit of the SCD [White Helmets]."
Without explanation, samples collected by the White Helmets for the OPCW in Khan Shaykhun were granted full evidentiary status. Subsequent reports likewise treated White Helmets-collected samples no differently than had they been gathered by the organization's own inspectors.
In a May 2018 report on an alleged chemical attack in Saraqib three months earlier, the OPCW again noted that "all samples had been taken by the SCD [White Helmets]." These samples played a critical role in the report's conclusion. Endorsing the allegation spread by insurgents, the OPCW declared that chlorine "was likely used as a chemical weapon," in Saraqib.
The factors underpinning this conclusion, the report said, included an "analysis of environmental samples… demonstrating the unusual presence of chlorine in the local environment."
Gone, once again, was not only the foundational OPCW protocol that would have ruled these samples to be inadmissible. The ploy of downgrading them to "tertiary" or "supporting information" was discarded as well.
OPCW relies on White Helmets-supplied witnesses, not evidence
As an OPCW proxy, the White Helmets' duties extended beyond gathering chemical samples.
The OPCW relied on witnesses often supplied by the White Helmets, or who were White Helmets members themselves. Many reports carried a standard caveat that states:
As with other allegations investigated by the FFM, the team was not able to visit a secured site immediately after the alleged incident. [T]he team therefore relied on the testimony of interviewees, samples as made available by the interviewees, and limited hospital records.
Original hospital records were not just limited, but in many cases unavailable. This meant that the outcomes of investigations were decided on samples provided by the White Helmets; on testimony from the White Helmets; and on testimony from other alleged witnesses also provided by the White Helmets or other third parties.
Interviews of alleged witnesses were in fact central to multiple probes where no samples were provided. In Idlib province, captured by Al Qaeda in May 2015 and therefore off-limits to OPCW inspectors, several investigations had no biological or environmental samples at all. The OPCW's report on these incidents noted their evidentiary gaps:
The inability of the team to visit the scene due to significant security issues, however, created several deviations from the ideal. Thus, the team could neither identify their own witnesses nor take their own sample[s].
Along with sample collection, the key investigative pillar of witness testimony — now in many cases the only source of evidence for the alleged attacks — was also in external hands. And it showed.
In one investigation of an alleged May 2018 chemical attack in Saraqib, in Idlib province, said to have caused around 70 victims, six individuals were interviewed. Five of them were "first responders," – most likely White Helmets — and the sixth a member of the local media. The OPCW noted that none of the six were in Saraqib "during the incident," but in the nearby town of Sarmin. The report also noted that the testimony was not "first hand" and that it "could not cross-check this information from different sources such as medical professionals, victims, casualties and direct witnesses." On top of that, no biomedical and environmental samples were "collected or received."
The Saraqib investigation therefore relied entirely on the testimonies of six people whose accounts could not be verified, and whose impartiality could not be assured.
Yet the OPCW's overarching conclusion from the "investigation" of these incidents in Idlib was that:
It can therefore be concluded that the evidence received throughout the interview process gave the team a reasonable degree of confidence that a chemical had affected people in various locations in the Idlib Governorate.
The OPCW judges White Helmets' "consistent" narratives credible, despite zero corroboration
Despite relying so extensively on the testimonies of the White Helmets and other alleged witnesses, the OPCW took a lax approach to assessing their credibility. In multiple reports, the OPCW presumed that because it received a consistent account from different interviewees, their collective narrative must have been reliable. As one report put it:
Interviewees gave a consistent narrative of the incident, the reported medical signs and symptoms and the way samples were collected. The FFM was able to place witnesses at the site at the time and correlate their medical assessment. Based on these factors the FFM determined that at least 16 people displayed symptoms associated with exposure to an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor [nerve agent].
The same argument was used across several reports, substituting only the number of casualties and the chemical to which the victims were allegedly exposed. The consistency in narratives is hardly surprising, considering how many witnesses and sample collectors all came from one organization: the White Helmets.
One of the most telling "consistencies" between testimonies comes from an alleged March 2015 sarin attack at Ltamenah, where witnesses reported seeing what appears to be an improbable scenario. According to the report:
One witness who inspected the first crater described it as being about 1.5 meters in diameter by one meter in depth. Inside, there was a bubbling liquid and metal fragments. Another witness who saw the crater on the first day described the bubbling liquid as similar to water. Days later, the same crater was seen having a black bubbling liquid.
The idea that sarin – a chemical with a boiling point higher than water – would stay bubbling for days in the porous soil is as hard to fathom as pouring boiling water in soil and expecting it to still be bubbling after minutes, let alone days later. Yet somehow, the world's top chemical watchdog saw no cause for skepticism.
With many FFM investigations relying on nothing more than testimonial evidence — where many of the interviewees were members of the insurgent-allied White Helmets — corroborating the credibility of such testimonies should have been vital. In Syria, for some unexplained reason, this never took place. Instead, to validate witness accounts, the OPCW's investigators substituted "corroboration" with "consistency" and presumably hoped that no one would notice.
By enlisting the White Helmets as on-site investigators, the OPCW apparently also hoped that no one would take note of the group's insurgent ties and foreign sponsors.
In doing so, the OPCW abandoned its stated commitment to impartiality and handed its mandate to one side of the Syria proxy war – the very elements that had attacked its inspectors in May 2014.
And by presenting the White Helmets as neutral, objective partners, the OPCW gave the group's insurgent allies and foreign sponsors a backchannel to influence investigations critical to the goals of their decade-long war to overthrow the Syrian government. The allegations that Syria has used chemical weapons against its own people have been used to help justify sustained proxy warfare, sanctions, and, in two consecutive years, US-led military airstrikes.
In the most controversial of such incidents, the alleged Douma chemical attack of April 2018, the OPCW managed to send its own inspectors to the scene. But as the second part of this report will show, the ever-present White Helmets compromised the OPCW's investigation yet again.
Aaron Maté is a journalist with The Grayzone, where he hosts "Pushback." He is also a contributor to Real Clear Investigations and the temporary co-host of "Useful Idiots." In 2019, Maté won the Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media for Russiagate coverage in The Nation.
Go to Original – mate.substack.com
Tags: Chemical Weapons, Corruption, False flag, Hoax, Invasion, Middle East, OPCW, Occupation, Official Lies and Narratives, Pentagon, Syria, Terrorism, USA, United Nations, White Helmets
SYRIA IN CONTEXT:
Reason U.S. Stays in Syria Revealed: To Steal Its Oil
Washington Steals over 80 Percent of Syria's Oil Output Per Day


''ECSS 2017 with the central  theme: __Informatics Connects!__  will be held in Lisbon, Portugal,  23-25th October 2017, hosted by the NOVA University of Lisbon.
__Lynda Hardman__talks about Informatics Europe and their current activities and strategy. This would explain the current (permanent) working groups and other temporary initiatives. The membership is departmental based.
The purpose of this meeting is mainly gathering of facts and a better joint understanding of the context in which __AE-I__ operates. After the presentations the __AE-I__ members will continue to discuss our own strategy and plans.
Learn directly from your peers.  Share best practices, common challenges and proven strategies for the management of research and education in Informatics at the popular Pre-Summit Workshop for Deans and Department Heads.
ECSS speakers are always amongst the world`s most distinguished academics, industry leaders and decision makers in the field. The event never fails to inspire and stimulate the audience.
Several of the speakers are members of Academia Europaea: [Kurt Mehlhorn|Member/Mehlhorn_Kurt], [Wendy Hall|Member/Hall_Wendy], [Pierre Dillenbourg|Member/Dillenbourg_Pierre] and [Marie-Paule Cani|Member/Cani_Marie-Paule].
Meet some of the leading decision makers in Informatics research and education, and discuss the critical issues of the discipline. Build valuable relationships with departments heads, deans and other leaders in the field.


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FALL CAMP & FAMILY CAMP
SOYO Fall Camp
MEET OUR 2018 STAFF
Meet the 2018 Staff below. 2019 Staff will be announced soon!
Andrew Hazerjian, Counselor - Andrew is from Walpole, MA and attends St. John's in Dedham. Andrew was on staff at AV in 2015 and taught Morning Program. He graduated from Ithaca College this past May. In his free time Andrew loves to play the guitar and listen to music. He is very excited to sing campfire songs and chant in the church!
Brian Hazerjian, Counselor - Video/Photo - Brian is also from Walpole, MA and attends St. John's in Dedham. Brian is finishing up his last year at Northeastern University where he is planning to earn a degree in Electrical Engineering. Brian was a counselor at AV in 2015 and the Camp Videographer in 2017. He will be capturing some photo's for us this weekend, so if you see him around make sure to smile! Brian's favorite thing about camp are the campers and afternoon program! He is excited to capture all of the wonderful memories we will make at fall camp!
Fr. Joseph Kimmett, Camp Priest and Diocese SOYO Spiritual Advisor - Fr. Joe serves the parish of St. George Church in Norwood, MA, and has been the Spiritual Advisor for our Diocese Teen SOYO for many years.
Nick Kimmett, Counselor - Nick is from Norwood, MA and attends St. George in Norwood. Nick served on staff at AV in 2016 & 2017 as a counselor and as the Administrative Assistant in 2018. Currently, Nick is finishing up his degree at UMASS Amherst. His favorite hobbies include watching football and supporting his favorite team, the New England Patriots. His biggest inspiration Tom Brady will motivate him this weekend to plan a great evening program for Fall Camp!
Lizzie Knudsen, Counselor - Lizzie is from Danbury, CT! Lizzie served on AV Staff 2015 & 2016 where she was a ropes course facilitator! Lizzie graduated from Roanoke College with a degree in Psychology & Art. Lizzie loves baking and painting and will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. She is wicked excited to travel all the way from CT to meet all of you!
Eli Mallouhi, Counselor - Eli is from St. George Little Falls NJ! His favorite hobbies include playing sports, mostly basketball and football, reading books, and hanging out with friends and family. The camping ministry has been a huge part of his life and he is very excited to check out Family Camp & Fall Camp with you all!
Owen Plouffe, Counselor - Owen attends St. George Church in Norwood MA. He was a counselor at the Antiochian Village this past summer. He likes to play football and basketball, and loves to hammock and be outdoors.
Randah Rachmani, Assistant Camp Director - Randah is from Dedham, MA, and attends St. George Church in West Roxbury. She was a counselor at Antiochian Village for 2 years, and 1 year as the Head Female Counselor. This fall, she began a Masters at UMass Lowell in Autism Studies. Her favorite things about camp are the people and the church services!
Kameel Rachmani, Counselor - Kameel is from Dedham, MA and attends St. George in West Roxbury. Kameel was a counselor on AV Staff 2016 & 2018. Kameel attends UMASS Boston with the hopes of becoming a guidance counselor one day! His favorite hobbies include long phone calls, playing tennis, and taking naps. Kameel is most excited to be a counselor again and to go canoeing!
Khalil Samara, Camp Director - Khalil attends St. George Church in West Roxbury where he previously served as the parish Youth Director. He has previously worked at the Antiochian Village (1995-2007), and as the Assistant Chair of the Archdiocese Department of Camping (2003-2013). He is very excited for our 2nd Diocese Family Camp and SOYO Fall Camp!
Theo Smith, Counselor - Theo loves dancing anywhere and everywhere. He's an avid adventurer who hopes to travel the entire globe. His alter ego is a mild mannered engineer who helps people ship life saving medications around the globe. When not engaged in any of the above activities you can probably find him with a good book or watching The Office.
Michael & Marissa Votruba, Counselors - Mike & Marissa attend St. George Church in West Roxbury. Marissa is originally from Johnstown, PA, and they met while both were on staff as counselors at the Antiochian Village. Mike graduated from Northeastern University with a BS and MSA in Accounting, and was a counselor at AV and at Camp St. Thekla in South Carolina. Marissa is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and was a counselor at the Village for 2 summers.
Robert Wehbe, Counselor - Robert is from Worcester, MA and attends St. George Cathedral in Worcester where he is the SOYO advisor. Robert was at Fall Camp last year and enjoyed every second. Robert loves to play cards and solve riddles, so make sure you challenge him with some! Robert is most excited about the fall foliage in NH, real life hungry hungry hippos, and church services!
Want to join our staff for the weekend? Fill out an application.


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