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"Look at Yourselves – It's Very Abnormal": Thando Mgqolozana Quits South Africa's "White Literary System"
by Jennifer on May 18th, 2015 Tweet
It's perhaps a reflection of the nature of South African literary festivals that Thando Mgqolozana could upstage Kenny Kunene at the Franschhoek Literary Festival this year – who in his session called Julius Malema a "mixture of Hitler, Idi Amin and Mobutu Sese Seko". Mgqolozana's intentions – to opt out of literary festivals forever – caused quite a buzz, and by Sunday were even being discussed at events that did not feature him.
At one point, during an event chaired by Eusebius McKaiser, an audience member shouted out "bullshit!" while Mgqolozana was speaking, and a minor ruckus ensued. Later on that audience member stood up in tears and spoke at length about being tired of experiencing white guilt.
On the other hand, during an event on Sunday afternoon, when Imraan Coovadia asked Mgqolozana about his plans, another author on the panel, Alex van Tonder, said "I feel like I'm on the wrong panel! I feel like we came here to discuss how we found our voice" – which was the title of the event – and some members of the audience agreed vehemently.
.@projectjennifer it was less me wanting to talk about it & more feeling we owed to it the audience that had paid for that topic #flf2015
— Alex van Tonder (@alex_vantonder) May 17, 2015
Perhaps as reports and opinion pieces begin to emerge this week the importance of Mgqolozana's stand – whether you agree with it or not – will begin to register.
Thando Mgqolozana Outlines 21 Suggestions for the Decolonisation of the South African Literary Scene
Siphiwo Mahala and Eusebius McKaiser Comment on Thando Mgqolozana's Decision to Opt Out of South African Literary Festivals
Karabo Kgoleng Weighs in on the "White Literary System" Debate: "We are Lazy with Our Analysis of this Issue"
The origins of Mgqolozana's discontent date from the year he was first published – 2009 – but came to a head last year at the Open Book Festival in a panel discussion entitled Writer's Rage, with Zukiswa Wanner and festival organiser Mervyn Sloman.
Listen to a podcast of that event here:
Podcast: Writer's Rage – Why Thando Mgqolozana and Zukiswa Wanner are Seriously Pissed Off
Mgqolozana, the author of three books, the most recent being a campus novel, Unimportance, reiterated his position at the Time of the Writer Festival in Durban, and in a recent interview with The Daily Vox:
I feel that I'm there to perform for an audience that does not treat me as a literary talent, but as an anthropological subject – as though those people are here to confirm their suspicions that somehow I am inferior to them.
The author says he would rather concentrate on his writing, and attempt to right the wrongs that exist at an infrastructural level through his work.
During the Finding Your Voice session, featuring Van Tonder, Nthikeng Mohlele and chaired by Imraan Coovadia, Mgqolozana said: "An assumption must not be made that we haven't made attempts to change this system. A lot of us writers talk about it all the time and we try to do things.
"I'm part of a group of writers that started Read SA with Ben Williams, Zukiswa [Wanner] and others, which was because we want to encourage South Africans, especially black South Africans, to read, and particularly to read South African literature.
We come from a history where black writers were banned and the stories that would most resonate with a black audience were suppressed. There have never been as many black writers as we have now, there has never been as much diversity in terms of voices and stories.
"But that campaign fell off because the literary infrastructure at the moment is in the cities, in white set-ups, like here, for example. It systematically excludes black people. So what is needed is the establishment of that infrastructure. That's what we need. Not just campaigns. We need to get libraries in the black communities. There are some now, built by the democratic government, but they are fake libraries. The ones that are functioning there are functioning because they are sponsored by Canadians and Australians, and they bring books from there. For example, I went to Harare Library in Khayelitsha [for a conversation with Cyril Ramaphosa about a national book club - ed.] and it's sponsored by Carnegie. We need libraries and bookstores with relevant, affordable books in the black community.
"I don't think private individuals can fund the kind of infrastructure that's needed. We need the government to step up. Between festivals we need other literary activities, book launches and all the kind of things we have here. And that is a massive project, but I would rather be focusing on that than come here and say the kinds of things that I'm saying, 'please change, please change'. I don't think it's going to work. We've tried to do it. My greatest focus is going to be writing, and I'm going to try to make this kind of change through my writing."
Mohlele believes the problem is just one part of a much larger issue: "I don't think it's a problem of literary festivals, and what have you. The problems and the faultlines are much more fundamental than that."
He illustrated his point with a story about being asked by a doctor at the emergency room at a private hospital why he hadn't gone to the township hospital. "For me, the situation of festivals and so on are a problem, but it's a very shallow reflection on society and its general imperfections," he said.
An audience member asked Mgqolozana if he had considered whether a more sustained critique would be more effective than a once-off protest.
"This is not the first time," Mgqolozana replied. "It's the kind of thing we have been talking about for a long time.
But I don't want this literary festival to change any more. I feel that it was wrong for me to ask of it to change in the first place.
"It's the same argument as the Rhodes Must Fall kids are making at UCT. They are not asking the university to change, because that would mean tweaking a few things and it remains the same, fundamentally. So now they are talking about the complete decolonisation, and that means a demolishing of the entire system, which would provide us with an opportunity to imagine something new, something different. For me, that's what I wish and hope will happen to this system. Changing this and that would still not be comfortable for any black writer, I think.
That's like asking to be integrated into a fire.
"What I'm talking about is not just literary festivals. It's not just literature. I'm talking about this society, the way it is. But in order to do that I focused on this small point of literary festivals, in order to be able to say: what this society needs is a complete decolonisation."
Earlier that day, Mgqolozana took part in a panel discussion entitled Is Anger Underrated, which was a deliberate continuation of the Open Book event in 2014.
Chaired by McKaiser, and featuring award winning author Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and journalist and author Marianne Thamm, this event seemed to cause the most discomfort of the festival.
Thando Mgqolozana has the mainly white audience shuffling their feet and muttering angrily. He's taking no prisoners. #FLF15
— Wamuwi Mbao (@WamuwiM) May 17, 2015
Mgqolozana began by outlining his plans, for those who had not yet heard the rumblings on the Franschhoek grapevine.
I'm quitting what I call the white literary system in South Africa.
"I was first published in 2009," he said, "and since me and other black writers have been begging to be integrated into this white literary system in a more comfortable way, and it hasn't happened. Whatever changes we called for has not taken place. It is upsetting for me to jump out of literary festivals like this, and I'm upset that I've had to make this kind of decision, but I think it's a necessity, because I want to be able to sleep at night, I want to be able to honour myself and stick to those principles."
Addressing the audience, in which there were just two black faces, Mgqolozana said:
You can just turn around and look at yourselves – it looks very abnormal. In this country, it should never be like this.
Audience enthralled. #FLF15 pic.twitter.com/JsFcS4eUCH
— Jennifer Malecówna (@projectjennifer) May 17, 2015
Eusebius asked where Mgqolozana's anger was directed, "at these wonderful people in the audience or the black people who are not here?"
"I'm very proud of the black people who are not here," he replied, "because I don't see why they should come here. I'm angry with the people who think this is normal. Who think the Franschhoek Literary Festival is normal, that the Open Book Festival is normal. Most people who are in charge of those things are our friends – nice people – but they think this is okay. I'm angry at those people. There is very little I can do about it, but I can remove myself.
"In this country there are certain conversations that we should be having and we are not having. One of them is this one. I don't think it's accidental that we have things like Rhodes Must Fall or the EFF popping up. Time has come. The black people in this country have realised, after 20 or so years, that, fuck it; we need to talk about these things. We need to be angry at Nelson Mandela. I don't think black people are angry enough at Nelson Mandela.
I think in this country there is a moment that we missed; we should have unleashed our anger, which had been accumulating for centuries, and we didn't.
"There were many things that we could have done but we chose to go through a Truth and Reconciliation process that didn't work, which basically postponed the anger that people had and now they are starting to unleash. What black people are missing is that moment of victory. We didn't have it. The elections in 1994 were not that."
McKaiser asked: "Describe to me an alternative. Drive them into the sea?" This got a loud laugh from the audience, but Mgqolozana's answer restored the uncomfortable silence pretty quickly.
"One of the things could have happened, which I think many of the people who got into the negotiations thought was going to happen, was that the white people in South Africa would realise 'this was horrible, and we benefited from this'. And once they realised and made this admission, would say: 'Okay, maybe I shouldn't have this house. Maybe my father or my husband or me should be the last person, the last generation, to own this farm. Because I don't really own this farm, it was theft'. And you can donate it to the next random black person that you meet. So that's one of the things white people in South Africa could have done, and they didn't.
"What could black people have done? I don't know. In that moment of anger, it's difficult to know what you can do when you're angry."
Mgqolozana's next remarks were too much for certain members of the audience to take.
"One of the things I advise – when young white people come to me and say 'what can I do' – the first thing you can do is stop the charity work you are doing in Khayelitsha, it's not helping anyone. Just stop it. Stop the soup kitchens and donating blankets. It's just making people more angry, it doesn't change anything."
At this point an audience member shouted out "bullshit!"
Mgqolozana continued: "The problem is not the poverty that you see …"
But another audience member shouted: "That's bullshit too!", with others responding with: "He's speaking", and "Let him speak!" One woman then said firmly: "Please wait your turn" and to Mgqolozana, "We are listening, please continue". It may be worth mentioning that this woman was of the few black people present, and mentioned in the Q&A session later that she had been politically active "in the trenches" in Durban during apartheid.
Clarifying his statement, Mgqolozana said: "The problem is not in the shacks. It's a problem with whiteness. So if there's anything that a young white person want to do because he/she is saying 'I was not there'. The thing that I would advise them to do is go home – when racism is taking place there in conversations over tea or dinner, that's your responsibility. There's very little black people can do to stop this racism. We've tried for centuries. That's what the Struggle was about. The people who can do something about it are people who belong to the same race – especially young people.
"Stop the charity work. It's not welcome. Go home and deal with it there, at university, among your friends."
Eusebius asked: "Do you think those are mutually exclusive? Me working privately on my damaged and stained white self, and me helping to reduce inequality?"
Mgqolozana replied: "There's no point in doing charity work when we are not dealing with the main issues. I wouldn't mind if a person was doing the kind of work I was referring to and at the same time doing all these other things. What I'm completely against is when you think being nice is making the world better. It's not."
McKaiser, referring to Rhodes academic Samantha Vice's advice that white South Africans "work on their private selves", said: "Even if you are not a perpetrator yourself, if you have unearned privileges – and I have them too, just because I have a penis – you need to reflect, morally, on what it means to be a beneficiary or privileges that you did not, through merit, earn. That is not done enough. But at the same time we recognise that, quite apart from what each of us need to do on a personal level, there are real macro-economic factors that correlate with the anger. We've got to simultaneously urge more South Africans, black and white, to work on their damaged private selves, but not to stop cross-class solidarity."
His remarks got an enthusiastic round of applause.
Gobodo-Madikizela moderated Mgqolozana's assertion slightly, saying:
I agree with you that these processes have to run alongside one another. And the idea of, as Thando says, feeding people in the townships as a way of cleansing one's guilt, that has its role. And it serves an important purpose because people are hungry. But if it's to cleanse guilt rather than to restore some dignity among people, then it becomes a challenge.
Shifting perspective slightly, Thamm asked the audience to consider what the conversation would be like if the focus was on gender rather than race.
I keep on having this image conjured in my head, imagining what it would be like as a woman to have a whole lot of empowered, possibly white, men coming to me and saying 'we're here to help you, we want to give you tools to unpack your life and the disadvantages you've encountered in your career, and I would just want to say 'fuck off!' That's I think why women sometimes have spaces where they don't want men to be, and I think that's what black South Africans are asking us: 'Butt out. Go work on yourself.'
"Rick Turner did this, understood that, and Steve Biko, back then. Unfortunately they've kind of been erased from the landscape in terms of what we need to engage with, which is not to receive Thando's anger and dismiss it. Because it takes a lot to face yourself in the mirror as a white person. It's not easy. In the end, you sleep with yourself at night. And as you head off towards infinity, you must make peace with yourself. Do not be afraid of it. And to be a white person standing here telling you not to be afraid of a black man's anger is ridiculous, all of it, but it's part of the process."
During the Q&A session the women who had shouted out "bullshit" stood up, and said, through tears:
I don't know when I can stop feeling guilty for being born with this skin.
She continued to explain how she had studied medicine and specialised in HIV, works at an NGO, how she would rather give money to a black beggar than a white beggar.
"But," she added, "I need black people to understand that I'm so tired of feeling guilty. Yes, I might have inherited things that I don't deserve, but from the age of seven in 1977, when I remember those Soweto riots, and hiding under the bed and thinking 'this is so wrong', and my parents thought I was wacko, being at Wits and fighting against racism, I just need to know that there is a place for me in this country where I am sometimes giving out blankets and clothes."
Mgqolozana's next statement stressed the importance of how the Rhodes Must Fall movement had "completely refused to be infiltrated to older people" who "come with experience and say they learnt to deal with anger", adding: "We need urgent interventions. It's urgent."
As the audience began murmuring again, McKaiser interjected that Mgqolozana was responding to an earlier question about intergenerational difference in responses to anger, but even if this was Mgqolozana's intention his response was perhaps deliberately provocative.
Mgqolozana recalled the situation during the transition in the early 1990s, when the ANC Youth League consisted of "older" people like Jackie Selebi and Peter Mokaba – "something was missing".
Gobodo-Madikizela agreed, saying: "There's a sense in which young people expressing raw emotion does change the poles."
McKaiser then said he wanted to respond personally to the tearful audience member:
"I cannot speak for all black South Africans, but I my response is that I totally feel you, don't stop doing the amazing work that you do. I have family who live in poverty, I feel the burden of what I call 'black tax', I can't develop wealth and get out of that poverty myself. Like many black professionals, including the few who are here, we are actually secretly indebted – we're not genuinely middle class – your work is very important. But I have two points.
"There's a difference between guilt and reflective awareness of unearned privileges. You are not Verwoerd; you should not feel guilty because guilt presupposes you did something wrong directly. You didn't. What you are exhibiting is not resting with guilt. You are reflectively aware as a white person of your unearned privileges and you're not being challenged on it.
But in acknowledging your story and affirming the amazing work that you do, let's not pretend that your story generalises across our society. If every white South African was like you, this conversation wouldn't happen.
DA MP Michael Cardo was next to stand up, saying: "I was glad that the previous speaker shouted out 'bullshit' in the middle of a session, because I think she was exactly right, I think a lot of this discourse around white privilege and self-flagellating discourse is exactly that. It's the basest form of racial identity politics." Cardo also asked McKaiser, who has written a book about the opposition party entitled Could I Vote DA? A Voter's Dilemma, about his "flip flop" on the work of Samantha Vice, which he had previously been critical of.
"My answer to you is very simple," McKaiser replied. "I'm allowed to change my mind. I read Samantha Vice differently after Rhodes Must Fall than before. You call it flip flop, I call it intellectual development.
"Number two, I say it's bullshit – yes, I'm emoting now – to pretend that because in the DA's future you might have to be colourblind that there's something fundamentally amiss in Thando self-identifying racially and experiencing a space like this painfully and racially. I think you need to hear him differently.
"Of course a white person should be an active citizen; you pay taxes, you're a citizen of the country. Samantha's basic advice was be humble and be silent and don't perform in the public space. I think she spoke badly as a good philosopher, and that's why we re-read her. If we take her literally, she's wrong, and I've written a paper on it in the South African Journal of Philosophy. But the generous reading of what she says – which I now hear because I hear people like Thando differently to how I heard them before, as a liberal – what Samantha intended to say but used poor language, even as an academic, is don't be so arrogant as to assume you have the monopoly on truth and only your understanding of the phenomenology of race is morally the most appropriate way of thinking about race and living racially.
"What she should not have implied and I acknowledge that she did, and this bit I do not agree with, is that as a white person you must literally shut up, not participate, not run for political office. And that cannot be right, not only because you're entitled to those things as a white person and a citizen, but also because if I have an inferiority complex as a black person, it's not going to help me to practice confidence speaking to Thando, who's also black. I need to learn how to slam-dunk Michael the white person, and I can only do that if Michael and I are in dialogue publicly and not trying to live apart in terms of apartheid geography. But I think what Samantha is calling on you to do is put aside the normativity of whiteness."
Later that day, Cardo tweeted:
Looking forward to the day when panelists don't berate paying audiences for their skin colour #donetodeath #FLF15
— Michael Cardo (@michaelcardo) May 17, 2015
Check out Twitter timelines from the events:
The 2015 Franschhoek Literary Festival was covered on Books LIVE by editor Jennifer Malec (@projectjennifer), deputy editor Helené Prinsloo (@helenayp), assistant editors Erin Devenish (@ErinDevenish811) and Annetjie van Wynegaard (@Annetjievw) and Jennifer Platt (@Jenniferdplatt) of the Sunday Times.
Have a look at our Facebook page (Facebook.com/BooksLIVESA) and our Twitter profile (@BooksLIVESA) for more information and pictures!
Keep an eye on Books LIVE for write-ups of the best events this week (including the panel discussion featuring Kenny Kunene).
Unimportance by Thando Mgqolozana
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Could I Vote DA?: A Voter's Dilemma by Eusebius McKaiser
Rusty Bell by Nthikeng Mohlele
This One Time by Alex van Tonder
Tales of the Metric System by Imraan Coovadia
Here I Am by PJ Powers, Marianne Thamm
Dare We Hope?: Facing our Past to find a New Future by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
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tiah
May 18th, 2015 @15:56 #
Very curious to see where this goes. Anger and / or a desire for change can spark amazing things:
Ben Williams saw a hole and created Books Live.
Kwani? began after people, such as Wanjiru Kinyanjui, faced the question, 'Are Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Meja Mwangi the only writers Kenyan publishers are interested in?'
Colleen Higgs felt there were gaps in the publishing world and started Modjaji.
Mary Karooro Okurut led a group of women into forming Femrite.
Rachel Zadok saw a need and founded Short Story Day Africa.
Bwesigye bwa Mwesigire saw a gap in the writing world and co-founded Centre for African Cultural Excellence (CACE), the organisation behind Writivism.
And more and more...people are building, creating.
Interesting times.
clark1
I think he is right to challenge the portion of society that I am part of. He echo's many of my frustrations as I engage with others (read whites) or their 'business as normal' attitude. We cannot keep agreeing with each other at dinner parties and the like to keep the peace. There is no time left for that - we do not have the luxury for that. We need to reflect deeply on how we are showing up and how it is contributing to black anger.
Rachel Zadok
I hear Thando, and agree to a large extent with what he is saying. There is an inherent problem with racism in our society, and that extends beyond whiteness. I know he does not believe this, but these heated conversations do take place around the table in the homes of white people, at least in the homes of white people I know - and these people are trying to raise their children into a different society. But not all, and probably a very small percentage. I can't say I understand, because this experience is not mine to understand, but I can say that I hear you, and it's fucking depressing. And I'm sorry I said to you, Thando, let's do something. I am deeply sorry, because I wasn't hearing you. I guess I was too much of an optimist believing we have the power to make the change. The problem is beyond the individual, other than in their own home, as you say. Up until now, up until this, I believed in civil politics because all I see is the failure of government politics - not only here, but beyond our shores too. One thing that has not been mentioned in your anger, is how our government of the past 20 odd years has propped this up. Is collusive in propping up this system of whiteness, as you call it. Politicians getting into bed with rich business men, they too are benefiting from the Apartheid system. Our political systems are corrupt, not all, but at the top, yes, so asking the government to change it is just as foolhardy as expecting people to hand over their homes and turn their children out onto the street because they benefited from Apartheid.
I did, until now, believe in civil politics. In the civilian's responsibility to be the change, to work on the ground, to remake the world. Not talking about charity, as I don't believe in aid work or charity work because, as you say, you steal dignity. It's why I started SSDA. It's why I sit on the board of the Observatory Community Centre. You've made me rethink that. I don't believe in government political institutions either. So where to now?
(As a weird aside, my husband works for the Western Cape Health department, not because he feels (white) guilty, but because looking a middle class tonsils is as boring job a job as can be, and he believes in the health system our government is currently working to put in place, in our current health minister, and in many of the people working in that system. I know many state doctors who do. I don't know why I put this in, but maybe because I want to say not everything in our country is hopeless. And he says, if any of our family are in an accident late at night, we should go to Groote Schuur, not Medi Clinic if you want to live.)
Also, in response to Tiah's comment. This is an problem in South Africa, not all of Africa. So Kwani and Writivism and Femrite are not relevant in this change. And probably neither is SSDA.
I would have given A LOT to be present for this. Such an NB conversation, such NB things to hear. And can we please agree that making black South Africans listen to protestations of white guilt/defensiveness must stop here and now? I think how the "not all men" response to feminist activism makes my teeth grind in rage -- I always want to say "I have an IQ in 3 figures DO YOU REALLY THINK I HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT YET? Stop interrupting what I need to say to insist that I kow-tow in yr direction to reassure you that you aren't that bad" We (and I include myself in that we) need to shut up and listen. Really listen.
MsLee
As Thando Mgqolozana was a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, I find his position on so-called "white colonialist literary festivals" spectacular in its hypocrisy. If he's so offended by the colonial legacy in South Africa, why did he accept the scholarship and why is he only taking this position now?
More pertinently, while I'm not a fan of literary festivals myself, I'm offended that Mgqolozana's opposition to them is positioned as a racial issue. I'm equally offended that white people feel they need to stand up and tearfully beg for their place at the table in what is supposed to be a non-racial democracy. No-one of conscience denies the legacy of the past, but I believe this kind of opportunistic racism needs to be challenged for what it is.
I don't think my point has been understood.
The book industry is full of many different problems and challenges. My brief list hit a smattering of people who, across the African book world, saw a something they were either unhappy with or felt that there was a need for, then started to try to do something about it. Colleen, for example, believes (amongst many things) that poetry should be published. She now publishes it. She hasn't solved the dearth of poetry being published, but she is actively working to keep poetry alive.
I, in no way, stated that any of those organisations tackled the issues Thando addressed. Thando has done a fine job articulating what is wrong without my needing to repeat it. It is an issue he has spoken passionately about before, too. What I am curious about is - what happens next? There is a problem, what will grow out of it?
@MsLee, whether Thando received the Rhodes scholarship or not is totally irrelevant to whether his feelings about the FLF are worth hearing.
Besides, your standards for living a non-hypocritical life are unreasonable and impractical (and probably also hypocritical). If you ideologically disagree with the policies and management of the South African government do you also boycott / refuse government services? I imagine not. If you ideologically reject the notion of having to pay bank fees, do you also boycott the use of financial institutions and keep all your money under your mattress? I doubt it.
Unfortunately we live in the kind of world where many black scholars cannot afford the luxury and privilege of turning down scholarships despite how painful it is to carry the name of Rhodes in order to obtain it. Your charge or 'hypocrisy' is the sort of lack of understanding that's precisely part of the problem here. According to that sort of thinking, students who disliked the presence of Rhodes' statue at UCT are hypocrites if they didn't drop out of UCT in protest.
We should be ashamed and aggrieved that the best available education comes tinged in racist legacy, not claim it as some kind of intellectual failure that many people are forced to make compromises in order to get by in a world that discredits them at every opportunity.
On Sunday, I was one of the few young white attendees at this talk named "Is Anger underrated". I came alone and sat between a middle aged white woman and a slightly younger Indian woman and we rustled about before the discussion commenced. It began with humour and ascended into a reality check which has since resulted in many moments of introspection, untampered emotion and conversation.
During the talk Thando was encouraged to speak his mind by Eusebius and his fellow forum speakers, which, as outlined above, created multiple stirs in a relatively uncomfortable and frustrated audience. The talk was about anger, the role of emotion and how it is disregarded in conversation as it is considered 'irrational' or unworthy of discussion until it is in well and truly rationalised, repressed or dispelled. Yes this is a product of a certain system put in place, possibly related to some idea of power and behaviour, possibly instilled by years of ideology: rationalism, liberalism, etc.
Pumla provided insights into complex issues and gave us the tools to understanding Thando's perspective in a way I feel has been somewhat disregarded. Listening to her way of unpacking deeply set reactions (which were rapidly manifesting in the room), I realised she was speaking to us about years and years of experiencing exactly what Thando was saying and showing us so humbly what it means to feel, unpack and feel again.
Thando's way of speaking is quiet and the audience became outraged when he tried to defend himself in this quiet, considered manner - probably also defeated by the murmuring and displeasure at his perspective. Full circle?
I was deeply frustrated by the woman sitting to my left who thought it necessary to tell her husband that he is wrong, she wants to leave the room. Hadn't Pumla given her enough reason to stay and introspect on that exact reaction?
I grew up as a middle-class (upper middle class?) South African white girl. I happened to choose to study history, art, and whatnot, in school and then onto an array of humanities subjects at university, majoring in politics and philosophy. I happened upon these decisions by way of interest and choice, but as I've realised so many of my peers do not understand these themes in ways that is so necessary to give us the tools to listen. I'm not saying I'm better than them, rather seeing such urgency in my generation and peers to adopt a far deeper understanding and articulation of our history and political environment than they are currently aware of. The Rhodes Must Fall movement has pushed the topic to the front of the social-awareness agenda and finally I see people outside of the humanities arena engaging in very deep and important topics. Indeed, this way of thinking and understanding the themes upon which Thando articulated himself almost by virtue of an education which in some ways touches on ideas of 'self-determination' and 'political, social and economic transformation' which, in my opinion, is what he was so quietly, yet desperately, trying to articulate. Unfortunately for him he was talking to a crowd that was not yet hearing the depths of his thinking or connecting the themes of his conversation to a much larger discourse of decolonisation. And he is right about the failure of the TRC to deal with anger. The prioritisation of forgiveness and (conditional) amnesty overwhelmed what was (and is) a natural urge to celebrate victory of the Struggle, quell centuries-old frustrations, understand "justice".
Personally, and for many of people my age, I was too young to articulate this TRC thing, and by the time I was at school the history books were adapted to encompass this idea of 'rainbow nation' and 'reconciliation' - to us it was normal and we didn't question the state of the nation. I think a similar acceptance was drilled into the post-apartheid, god-fearing white population (who stayed), thinking yes it's fine, it's fine, it's fine (but also fok, fok, fok). No time for introspection because we were not exposed to the deeply routed anger and subliminal violence of our society. Then on Sunday the emerging cracks ruptured our cosy environment of apathy or even denial about the attitude of the black mindset against the white supremacy in everything around us. It's not about the soup kitchen or about charity work. It is in fact a tuning-in to the reality of the system. This is something that came up in Mark Gevisser's discussion of his book "Lost and Found in Johannesburg" through his description of the mapbook he used to page as a young boy. On page 75, Alexandra. On page 77, Sandton. 75 knew how to get to 77, but 77 had no way of getting to 75. The boundaries are subliminal and tangible. We need to see them both and acknowledge pain and speak about it and articulate it.
I know I am young and there is so much to learn, but there is also a new way of seeing things, and thanks to this talk and the highlighting of themes such as black consciousness that the synapses are flying and conversations are moving forward. So I am reading and listening and talking about it. This is the first time I've ever written on a public forum about my thoughts on the topic and I am afraid of commenting and opinion sharing, but perhaps this is a product of my position in society - again, time to introspect and reflect - these conversations are happening and cannot be avoided by simply walking out of the Old School Hall. I just hope the men and women who mumbled discontent at Thando's opinion can learn to understand their fears and his anger through the tools Pumla provided, if anything.
Thank you for your well articulated thoughts, kvg. Take a leaf out of Thando's book, where he said: You can troll but it will mean nothing to me. ;-)
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The Guide to Modern Employee Recognition Why is Employee Recognition Important?
Disengaged employees cost businesses an estimated $550 billion dollars last year in the United States alone.
Organizations across the world see the need to improve engagement, but there is little consensus on which methods and strategies are most effective.
In their attempt to overcome poor employee engagement, many organizations expend resources on tools and strategies that fail to make an impact on the source of the issue.
Funding ineffective solutions simply compounds the losses associated with disengaged employees.
Staff recognition is a highly effective and proven strategy for improving employee engagement. A well-implemented staff appreciation program has the power to impact many aspects of business from morale, to productivity, engagement, and even retention.
A non-existent, poorly-designed, or poorly-implemented employee recognition program can have the opposite effect, decreasing motivation, and even pushing good employees away.
Employee turnover is an extraordinarily costly business expense that is often underestimated and underrepresented.
It's possible to calculate many static elements of employee turnover's cost, but there are such a vast number of cost variables associated with employee turnover, the cost is almost always larger than expected.
You can use our cost of employee turnover calculator to establish a cost baseline, but it's important to remember that like an iceberg, much of the cost associated with turnover is hidden.
Employees whose work is recognized and appreciated are more likely to stick around.
Frequent staff recognition often improves productivity. It's really fairly simple math: you do some great work, you're recognized and rewarded for that great work, you're incentivized and motivated to do more great work.
The benefits don't stop there. Recognizing great work can help teams produce work at a higher level.
Frequent recognition supplies employees with the constructive feedback they need in order to know which of their efforts are most appreciated. Armed with that information, they're able to direct their newly-inspired motivation toward work that will make the greatest possible impact on their organization.
Employee morale is a crucial element of any operation. With low morale, nearly every aspect of an employee's contributions will suffer. High morale, on the other hand, tends to inspire greater productivity, creativity, and overall satisfaction.
Showing appreciation for an employee's valuable contributions is a great way to boost morale. This employee morale boosting effect is intensified in a group setting.
Building a culture and environment based on employee appreciation improves each of these important areas, but it's crucial to understand how the foundation fits together before starting to build the rest.
Recognizing employee performance increases engagement by almost 60%.
Companies with a recognition-rich culture had 31% lower turnover.
Download your free copy of the Employee Engagement Handbook.


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Sunday, October 18, 2020 | History
5 edition of Public higher education in California found in the catalog.
Public higher education in California
Published 1974 by University of CaliforniaPress in Berkeley, London .
Statement edited by Neil J. Smelser and Gabriel Almond.
Contributions Smelser, Neil J. 1930-, Almond, Gabriel A. 1911-
Education We've been to school. We know how education works. Right? In fact, many aspects of learning — in homes, at schools, at work and elsewhere — are evolving rapidly, along with our. Investing in Higher Education Beginning with the Master Plan in , California's approach to higher education has been to heavily subsidize the public segments and keep costs low for university students and even lower for community college students. Despite significant increases over the.
California for assistance in editing and producing both this report and those of the Technical Committees. In addition, the team is most appreciative of the fine co-operation on the part of administrators and staff of both public and private institutions of higher education in the state, members of the Legislature, other departments of the. The California Higher Education Policy Center ( - ) was a nonprofit, independent, nonpartisan organization created to stimulate public discussion and debate concerning the purposes, goals and organization of higher education in California.
The State of Higher Education in CaliforniaLatino eport 5 California is the most populous state in the country with an estimated million residents.4 It is also home to the largest number of Latinos in the country—more than Laws. The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) is a quasi-judicial agency which oversees public sector collective bargaining in California. PERB administers the collective bargaining statutes, ensures their consistent implementation and application, and adjudicates disputes between the parties subject to .
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Public higher education in California Download PDF EPUB FB2
Jul 21, · The California Idea and American Higher Education: to the Master Plan [John Aubrey Douglass] on novarekabet.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Throughout the twentieth century, public universities were established across the United States at a dizzying paceCited by: California Department of Education.
We oversee the state's diverse public school system, which is responsible for the education of more than six million children and young adults in more than 10, schools withteachers. We are in charge of enforcing education law and regulations and continuing to reform and improve public school programs.
California's world-class public colleges and universities provide an educated workforce and spark the industries that make our economy one of the largest and most vibrant in the world. California Coalition for Public Higher Education Political Action Committee and California Coalition for Public Higher Education Issues Committee.
Obtain access to educational data, statistics, and information about California's students and schools. Offers educators, policy makers, the Legislature, parents, and the public quick access to timely and comprehensive data about K education in California.
California's higher education system is composed of colleges and universities. Of these, are public institutions, are nonprofit private schools, and are for-profit private novarekabet.com Hancock College: Two-year. The People's University: A History of the California State University [Donald R.
Gerth] on novarekabet.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Since its founding as a single institution in San Francisco in the years after the Gold Rush, the California State University has grown into a system of 23 campuses that enroll more than Cited by: 4.
Throughout the twentieth century, public universities were established across the United States at a dizzying pace, transforming the scope and purpose of American higher education. Leading the way was California, with its internationally renowned network of public colleges and universities.
This book is the first comprehensive history of California's pioneering efforts to create an expansive. Note: Citations are based on reference standards. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied.
Purpose. The California Coalition for Public Higher Education is dedicated to advancing California's future by restoring investment in the University of California, the California State University system and our community colleges as a top priority.
President, California Faculty Association Philosophy and Public Affairs & Administration, CSU East Bay For so many years, people around the California Faculty Association have talked about and carried banners declaring that everyone should have access to quality public higher education and.
Get this from a library. Chicanos and public higher education in California. [Ronald W Lopez; Darryl D Enos; California. Legislature. Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education.]. Aug 28, · The book, Why Public Higher Education Should Be Free: How to Decrease Costs and Increase Quality at American Universities (Rutgers University Press), offers a relatively simple if audacious proposal: redirect government higher ed spending so some 11 million students can attend public two and four-year institutions free of charge.
That's the. State education departments and agencies, state accountability plans, state contacts, and other state information. Jul 20, · The Higher Education Policy Institute is the nonprofit corporation established in that sponsored the California Higher Education Policy Center from toand the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education from through June 30, Public higher education was often free when a very small percentage of students attended, said Roger L.
Geiger, education professor at Penn State and author of The History of American Higher. The book represents an extraordinary blending of social science, legal, and policy perspectives. It illustrates a skillful use of administrative data by an impressive array of scholars and day-to-day practitioners.
There are important lessons here, not only for higher education but for the broader American public. disparities in higher education access and success.
It also is essential that California continues to invest in our higher education system. Unless we reverse course and begin to invest adequate funding in public higher education, the educational future of Asian Americans and.
Jan 24, · All California students deserve the opportunity to get a high-quality four-year college education. But that promise is being broken every day because California's system for financing its public universities is not working on behalf of students.
to improve their knowledge and skills at the state's higher education institutions. More are connected to the system as employees, contractors, patients, and community members. California's system of higher education consists of three public segments: • The University of California (UC) educates approximatelyundergraduate and.
Jul 24, · "Until California establishes such a process for out-of-state public and nonprofit institutions or enters into an appropriate reciprocity agreement, those institutions will be unable to comply with the now-effective regulation if they provide distance education or correspondence courses to students residing in California," the Education.
Nov 18, · In his book The Price of Civilization, Jeffrey Sachs argues that the cost of making all public higher education free in America would be between fifteen and thirty billion novarekabet.com this may sound like a large sum, it could actually save money.
First of all, the government is currently spending billions of dollars on for-profit schools and other colleges and universities that have very low Author: Bob Samuels.The educational system in California consists of public, NPS, and private schools in the U.S.
state of California, A marked change and a shift from the California Master Plan for Higher Education began in with the CSU gaining the ability to grant doctoral level degrees in education (Ed.D.).Flexner had popularized this approach to higher education in his book, The American College, in which he criticized the elitist classical education of the old world and proposed that U.S.
education be more experience and application based. He envisioned a pedagogical model that allowed students "time to stop, read, work and think.".
novarekabet.com - Public higher education in California book © 2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sacha Baron Cohen has a new movie, and a brand-new outlandish character to introduce to the world, but it's been a long while since Ali G and Borat took America by storm. (Sorry, Bruno.) So what's the best way to make sure Americans pay attention to the publicity blitz for The Brothers Grimsby, which opens next week? Involve the one thing Americans can't stop paying attention to even if they tried: Donald Trump.
But that's not the only way Trump is getting involved, whether he likes it or not, with The Brothers Grimsby. Through a convoluted series of events, the end of the film shows Trump—played by a double, naturally—getting infected with HIV, a scene that's been met with "loud cheering" at at least one U.K. premiere. According to a report in The Huffington Post the scene has U.S. distributor Sony so concerned about backlash that they're under-promoting the movie, and they asked Cohen to cut the scene, a request he denied. A Sony spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the claim that Cohen was asked to remove the scene is "absolutely ridiculous," but the finished film does come with a disclaimer at the end making it clear that the real Trump isn't involved and that The Brothers Grimsby is, in fact, a comedy. (Given the current state of American politics, we don't blame them for worrying moviegoers don't know the difference).
A studio that was hacked by North Korea and lived to tell the tale, Sony seems like the last place that would quiver in their boots at the thought of an unlikely to succeed Trump lawsuit—and having the guy condemn the movie from the campaign trail would probably be better marketing than all of Cohen's other stunts combined. If anything, we're guessing that rumor of the scene being "too hot for Sony" is, like the Trump endorsement itself, just one more building block in the campaign to get eyes on this movie. This article is the evidence it succeeded. Well played, Sacha.


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Organic Design and Straw Bale
Just what is "Organic" Architecture? Well, the term "organic" was coined historically by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 19th century to describe an architecture that is as individual as the people who experience it, one that looks to nature as a model for design, and one that is appropriate for both the client and the site, and in nearly every instance, improves both. A building or space should provide more than just shelter and protection from the elements. Additionally, it should inspire and provide identity and awareness about who we are. In this, I feel that architecture embodies the human condition; it truly is a metaphor for where we are as human beings.
Presently around the world, there are numerous obvious displays of a lack of respect for one another, and perhaps more locally, for the natural environment. In the last 50 years and especially the past two decades, much of our natural landscape has been systematically infiltrated by "urban sprawl". Quite like a virus, this relentless syndrome has overtaken much of our healthy and beautiful landscapes. It has then transformed them into polluted and energy intensive habitations that are utterly dependant upon nonrenewable resources for their survival. Much of this is a product of the fast-paced lifestyle and narrow paradigm that pervades throughout our culture, yet I see it more as a deficiency of a "true identity", as a people.
Much of modern architecture and design has come to the point of just slapping a "style" on a building, packaging it, and marketing it to the masses. Choosing a "style" in order to bring control or appeal to a building may create an aesthetically pleasing facade, but it also acts to disconnect the building from the "essence" of the inhabitants and the surroundings. By that I mean, the Parthenon in Greece, which is still widely copied, is a truly magnificent work of architecture, yet it does not relate quite as much to the culture in Greece or the world for that matter, today, as it did when it was constructed. Organic Architecture is not just about creating buildings, it is about creating space; space to inspire, space to enhance your senses, and space to bring awareness. Think about the last time you were in a truly great building. How did it feel different from a building designed merely for occupation or shelter? How did everything relate to everything else? What feelings and emotions were stirred?
In the 21st century, we as human beings are at a crossroads. In the next fifty years, our population will likely double. The field of architecture and design will play a monumental role in determining the impact that will be thrust upon the planet. Our current dependency on nonrenewable resources is simply not sustainable. We must realize that we are just a small part of this nature thing, and all that we contribute will have drastic effects on future generations. These effects can further deteriorate our current situation, or they can also manifest healing and bounty. Utilizing renewable resources in building, such as straw bales-coupled with thoughtful design that seeks to enhance and respect the local landscape and environment, can become the catalyst that reconnects us to our true identity as integral pieces upon this beautiful spherical puzzle.
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Where do I start with these two beautiful souls? I felt like I've known them all my life. My first time ever meeting them was at the start of our session together back in October. Pam and Jeff flew into Miami for the weekend to celebrate 15 years of Marriage and I'm happy they chose me to capture their milestone. Despite the crazy weather we were having that weekend (the beginning of Hurricane Matthew), I tried keeping the energy alive. And it all turned out well because we definitely had a ball on the beach!
From our initial greeting, I felt like Pam and I connected. She was beyond excited for our session, after looking through my portfolio. To feel appreciated and "worth it" is an amazing feeling, but with that feeling comes the stress of not letting that client down. We didn't have a theme in mind, so she granted me all creative control. I chose not to do a theme. I just wanted them to enjoy each other. Capturing the ways they looked at each other and how they interacted with one another made me all bubbly inside!
Thank you for welcoming me into your life. I truly enjoyed getting to know you, two, even though it was fairly brief. You two give me hope that committed love doesn't have to be a boring love. I think that why so many young people stray away from it. The way you two still play, laugh and joke like teenagers is heart-warming. I hope these photos remind you of the time you first met; when your love was fresh and new. I hope these photos make you fall in love time and time, again! I know I have. I love you guys! I hope our first session together won't be our last!


For Americans the Fourth of July is almost upon us, so it got me thinking and I have a question. - General :: sidetaker.
For Americans the Fourth of July is almost upon us, so it got me thinking and I have a question.
The Fourth of July for Americans is a long standing Holiday thought it started out as a simple day that would have long lasting consequences. A group of Men signed a piece of paper that would change the future of many people for years to come.
So wherever you live, what does Independence and Freedom mean for you?


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Coming technology: Fintech developers tell you what to look for and why the fintech revolution arose
Published Thu, Jun 15 20172:55 AM EDT Updated Fri, Jun 16 20179:23 AM EDT
Neil Ainger, special to CNBC.com
David Becker | Getty Images
There are many famous business stories of companies such as Xerox and Kodak that fell from dominant positions due to a failure to understand or implement new technology that was set to disrupt their industry.
Kodak didn't replace film with digital photography despite developing many of the tools for fear of eliminating existing revenues. Xerox allowed Apple and Microsoft to walk away with some of the building blocks of the modern computer revolution after not really supporting the Xerox Alto.
Alto was the world's first true personal computer with an operating system and graphical user interface (GUI) that had icons you clicked, a mouse, ethernet networking, and so on. Ever heard of it?
The Xerox Alto represents what happens when firms don't see future technology or business trends. Leaving developments in the research lab and not moving them to the engineering lab can be as damaging as failing to develop them in the first place.
Banks know this so have turned to financial technology (fintech) firms in recent years to develop solutions for them that they can either buy, license or invest in. Smaller collaborative fintechs are often used as inexpensive external test bed firms so that financial institutions (FIs) can experiment with new mobile, cybersecurity, compliance, processing, data and other end-use applications.
A history of fintech
FIs are also trying to protect themselves against larger fintechs that might try to displace them in future, rather than collaborate as smaller ones do. Banks are wary of what tech giants such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and others that have captured customer attention can do, after seeing how they've disrupted other industries such as publishing.
As return on equity (RoE) has fallen since the 2008 crash and compliance costs increased, banks have had to accept they cannot develop bespoke in-house technology solutions for themselves anymore like they used to in the 1970s and 80s because they do not have non-operational budget anymore. Meanwhile, more nimble tech specialist firms, with no legacy IT or institutionalized staff, can easily meet front-end customer expectations of a fast 24x7, mobile service in comparison to banks that historically have struggled to free themselves from siloed operations.
The rise in customer expectation of better, faster service has coincided with the rise of social and consumer media technology, locational and tracking capabilities, context data and so on. If banks cannot meet the demand, others will. If a UPS can track a parcel, why can't UBS track a payment?
These are the drivers for fintech – cost-cutting, higher customer and regulatory expectations and better external technology and innovative capacity. It has led to a situation where start-up companies that FIs want to collaborate with have effectively become unofficial research and development (R&D) arms.
Longer established fintech core banking and processing firms such as Temenos, which existed before the phrase was a hashtag, are also benefiting from the fintech trend, although they typically focus on back-end processing solutions that offer account ledger and customer updates via Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions in the cloud. These don't have to be installed or supported by banks themselves, further cutting costs and increasing flexibility as new innovations are created.
Coming technology
This is the background to the so-called 'fintech revolution' but what technologies are truly going to disrupt the FI marketplace now that adding a mobile channel, contactless payments or so on, is no longer new? What is on the horizon?
Delegates at this week's FinDERv 2017 trade show on 12-13 June in London, U.K., shared their thoughts with CNBC about what the preeminent coming technologies will be – in the short- and long-term – and how disruptive they might be.
Brian Vella, lead technical architect, Ixaris
"Open data via accessible application programming interfaces (APIs) as mandated in the EU's Payment Services Directive (PSD) 2 regulation and the U.K. Open Banking initiative is the key trend for me.
API standards allow two different pieces of software from different financial institutions (FIs) to interact and exchange data in a secure environment, enabling comparisons and more competition. This will feed into the trend for fintech cooperation and could encourage some more displacement players. It also feeds into the 'big data' analytical capabilities that have been unleashed by cheaper computing power and increases in available contextual data from social media, mobile phones and so on.
"Fragmentation is possible in this environment so integration capabilities will be essential. It'll also help economies-of-scale aggregated processing efficiency," continues Vella, citing the cloud as a connecting force. "Identifying the user, counterparties and so on will also be vital in this more open future where data is less structured, internal and siloed."
Longer-term, "I think the blockchain is over-hyped at present" but Vella adds "there are many applications for its cryptography-based protected protocol and the recording capabilities of distributed ledger technology (DLT)."
"AI is good for digesting lots of data, introducing automation and pattern recognition in data-rich environments."
Scott Totzke, CEO, Isara
"Vast sums have been spent on quantum computing, which doesn't use the 0s and 1s of binary code to compute but quantum physics instead, and I believe it could be the coming technology next decade. We could reach the quantum supremacy by the end of this year when 50 Qbits of processing power are possible, making it a viable operational system for a computer for the first time.
"This will have good consequences in terms of releasing more and different computing power that can be harnessed on AI, better materials design, modeling and so on. But there are also bad consequences," continues Totzke, an ex-Blackberry Canadian technologist who helped found its famously stringent security protocols and bank grade encryption.
"Quantum computing could easily break the public key infrastructure (PKI) verification procedure we've come to reply on for one-time passwords (OTP) to access a bank account, or indeed the cryptography technology that the blockchain relies upon. The RSA public key algorithm that underpins so much of modern finance, identity and cybersecurity work would also be vulnerable and DLT would be dead in the water. As a company we're trying to build the next lock and offer protection when and if it takes off. Changing such a vast infrastructure will take time so FIs and others should be thinking about this now."
Doug McLean, chief operating officer (COO), Trusted Key
"Fintech isn't a new industry as some portray it, but I do expect it to get a boost from the EU PSD2 regulation and further away perhaps from the U.S. fintech charter or state-backed equivalent. For us, as a secure identification and verification firm, the key technologies are mobile phones – as they provide an authenticating end point device – combined with strong cryptography and the blockchain. Integrating them offers numerous multi-factor ID opportunities."
True, but if Isara's fears about quantum computing expressed above come to pass traditional cryptography may not be as strong as it was.
Kedar Samant, CTO, Simility
Samant is chief technology officer (CTO) and co-founder of Simility, a Palo Alto Californian start-up set up by ex-Google employees that raised $7.2m in late 2015 in a Series A fundraising round led by venture capitalists (VC) Accel Partners. It offers a fraud prevention solution that uses AI machine learning to help fight fraud.
"Connecting the dots is what matters these days so the trend is towards establishing a data lake for investigation. AI needs data to be effective, the more the merrier, and the rise of 'big' unstructured data from social media, news and other sources helps this, as does the cloud as a connective layer. More data translates into better insights for anti-fraud or money laundering pattern spotting behavioral systems, financial market surveillance systems and other such applications. These are the key trends and technologies for me."
What you do with the technology is important too. If people, process and technology aren't aligned and embedded in stringent management, risk and governance layers, then the full effectiveness of any new technical development won't be unleashed. People rely on machines and vice versa.


To uninstall Mailspring, use the same package manager that you used to install it. If you installed the Debian package for example, you'd run `sudo apt-get remove mailspring`. Note that if you installed the "Snapcraft" release, you need to run `snap remove mailspring`, because Snapcraft has it's own package management system.


We are Ingrid Eklund Holmertz and Pelle Holmertz, a Swedish middle aged couple, who fell in love with Abruzzo and one day just decided to go for it.
Luckily sometimes in life things come together, line up and work for you. Just by the two of us hooking up was the foundation for this. One afternoon in the small city of Guardiagrele, Abruzzo, years back, we saw the same vision.
We aim to offer people a rewarding vacation combined with their favourite activities in a beautiful area of Italy, Abruzzo. And having that facility and capabilities solely tailored for that purpose. Combining the best of it all. Vacation, activities, nature, friends, food and wine. Our unique hotel in located in an olive grove with some Montepulciano grape vines with the view of the Adriatic Sea and the Majella mountains in the background. We live on site we can offer 24/7 attention and we hope our guest will feel that they are very welcomed to a homelike environment in a hotel that is designed especially for groups as opposed to a large tourist hotel.
Prebooked groups of up to 16 participants + coaches and leaders.
These are designed for coaches/instructors/companies/teams that wish to bring their group or clients any time during the year. We set up the week according to the coaches/ instructors wishes for the arrangement. Usually a mix/combo of sport activities including wine tasting and cooking classes.
Contact us and we design the program together with and your wishes. We will decide on the level of challenge according to the level of the group as well as any preferences on food etc. Those prebooked weeks are not advertised since they are for closed groups.
These weeks are advertised on our web site and are open to book. The agenda for the planned open weeks are basically set by us. Here we will try to follow the cycle of the year, which means than we naturally will focus on wine/food in the fall along with the grape and olive harvest. And mix that with lighter activities. The final agenda of the week can be change depending on wishes from the group and weather conditions but we design the weeks mostly from our experience of the seasonal variation in Abruzzo. In the spring we aim for different combos of activities so all northerners can start their season ahead of the weather at home. Such as biking, hiking, swimming, etc. Triathletes can start their outdoor season months earlier. Do you have suggestions for a week – please contact us!
We lead some of the activities and some activities are designated for hired coaches and instructors. Pelle, being an Olympic medalist in swimming focus on swim techniques. Ingrid has a focus on hiking, functional training and qigong. We are both very interested in nutrition and cooking, knowing how vital it is to fuel your body accordingly to your exercise and pleasure of tasty food.
The annual summer hike in Fara San Martino, a party hike of some 5000 hikers! The Abruzzo Alpine club arranges this big event every first Sunday of July. This in no easy hike This is 7-1o hrs walk in quite difficult terrain. Will we to do it again? Absolutely! 3rd time next summer.
"I can't think of anyone knowing more about training or going that extra yard than a former Olympic champion and NCAA champion in swimming. Seriously. Can you?
Pelle is also an excellent cook (he will say "inspired" if you ask him) and with all the fresh ingredients the region is offering I can promise you food heaven! I know, since I live in it everyday.
" Ingrid's background of working within commercial film, IT, marketing and event planning really helps, when we started this great adventure. She is driven and just makes things happen.
Her knowledge of proper nutrition has spilled over to me and we are now learning more about the healthy secrets of the Mediterranean diet. It is an essential part of how we can combine good food with the need of proper intake for physical active people. Trust me – I lost +20 kg in 18 months.
Together we think we are great complements to one another on this adventure. We also acknowledge our responsibility regarding environmental and economic sustainability, for how to care for our guests, how we set this up and our contribution to the region.
We welcome you to Abruzzo, our hotel and fun!
We will love to answer them!


Attractive food products sell better. Attractiveness applies to both the appearance of the food and how it is packaged or displayed. Strive for innovative and appropriate food arrangements. Prepare the product the way you want it to look, and take color photographs. Post these in the processing area so both you and your helpers can achieve a consistent appearance in the product.
Packaging also contributes to the attractiveness of a product, so choose a packaging method that enhances what you sell. Today's customers are concerned about sanitation and safety. Securely wrapped and sealed packages are vital if food is sold through retail outlets. While package appearance can affect how a product sells, packaging and labeling are also regulated by law.
The name, street address, city, state, and zip code of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor.
An accurate statement of the net amount of food in the package in metric as well as English (standard) units.
Common or usual name of the food.
Ingredients in the food in descending order.
A simple statement following the ingredients panel is the best way to notify consumers of allergens in the product.
See the USDA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (CFR 21 Part 101 Subpart A) for comprehensive instructions on food product labeling. Also see the FDA easy-to-read Food Labeling Guide at http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/ GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/LabelingNutrition/ucm2006828.htm.
Low-volume product processors who employ fewer than 100 full-time workers and processors and who sell fewer than 100,000 units of that product in the United States in a year do not have to file for the exemption with the FDA. The processor must file notice of the exemption with the FDA every year.
Retailers with annual gross sales of not more than $50,000 of foods or dietary supplements to consumers are exempt and do not have to file for the exemption with the FDA.
Although a UPC code is not required by the FDA, retail grocery chains may require it if you wish to sell your product through them. This code is a series of black and white lines of varying thickness. The UPC code allows your product to be checked out at the grocery stores' automated cash registers.
You will need a separate code for each type of product and each size container. For example, if you have a hot and a mild barbeque sauce in 12- and 16-ounce containers of each, you will need four UPC codes. There is a price to obtain bar codes. For a membership fee, GS1US, a nonprofit group, assigns identification numbers to bar codes. Other Internet-based companies, such as www. simplybarcodes.net or buyabarcode.com, can resell codes for a lower fee to businesses with fewer products.
Download a PDF of Food Product Label Requirements, FCS-2200.


text:
All Top Ten ListsConsumer ServicesHome
Best Home Security Systems for Renters
Apartments are frequently the target of burglary and home invasion because criminals assume that renters are often gone during the day, and do not have any home security in place to protect their valuables. There are fewer dogs to contend with, and neighbors pay little attention to the comings and goings of strangers… even if they are carrying a 65-inch TV!
As a renter, you have a bigger target painted on your front door than you may imagine. Because of this, it's often more important to have a reliable security system in an apartment than it would be to have one in a house.
But there's a problem: most home security companies refuse to service renters. Home security service companies often rely on a 3-year contract to recoup the cost of installation, equipment, and sales commissions. Renters generally do not want to be locked into paying for home security services for 3 years when their rent contract is for 6 months.
Thankfully, there are some security companies that offer special home security systems and services for renters. The following list contains the best home security companies whose services have easy terms, no contract, and even transferable equipment.
This top ten list has been created to help you make an informed decision about protecting your home and family. The rankings, ratings, and opinions expressed on TheTopTens.com are influenced by site visitors and TheTopTens®, and are subject to change. To keep this valuable service free, we may generate advertising revenue from some companies featured in this list.
1 FrontPoint Frontpoint was founded in 2007 to take advantage of new opportunities created by the growth of wireless technology and the introduction of wireless data networks. Traditional home security systems relied on vulnerable land lines that required professional technicians to install. Frontpoint saw the need ...read more. Visit Website
2 Vivint The story of Vivint starts in 1999 with two friends who decided the best way to sell home security systems was the hard way: door to door. They felt that every home had special concerns that truly needed to be understood to get the homeowners the right product for their needs. Their approach worked, ...read more.
These guys don't allow renters - they want the owner of the unit on the contract.
3 ADT ADT is a provider of security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in the United States and Canada. The company is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida and employs approximately 20,000 people at 300 locations. ...read more.
Minimum 2 -3 yr contract. Not renter friendly. 75% early termination fee of it goes to collections in 30 days.
4 Protect America Visit Website
5 Lifeshield
6 Simplisafe SimpliSafe is an award-winning home security system—founded in 2006 by then Harvard Business School students, Chad and Eleanor Laurans. The idea came about after several friends in the Cambridge area had experienced break-ins, but couldn't find a home security product that was designed to help renters. ...read more.
7 SafeMart
BAdd New Item
More Home Lists
Best Home Security System Companies Top 10 Reasons to Get a Home Security System Top Ten Best Things About Having A Home Security System Best Home Security Systems for Renters Top Ten Real Estate Companies of Mumbai Top Ten Residential Locksmiths in the UK Best Locksmith Darlington Best 10 Architects in North Yorkshire Best House Care and Repair Service The Best Movers in Toronto Double Glazing Repair Companies Top 10 Window Repair Services in Darlington
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text:
Home > LOW CARB LISTINGS > ORGANISATIONS
DR DAVID HARPER
Category: ORGANISATIONS and RESEARCHERS/SCIENTISTS
Address: 1030 Denman St
V6G 2M6
Dr David G Harper is an associate professor at the University of Fraser Valley, cancer researcher, nutrition counsellor, and advocate in Canada. Dr Harper is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition that advocates for evidence-based nutritional policy and recommendations and recognizes the therapeutic benefits of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets as one option for improved health. He is author of The BioDiet. For more information, you can call +1.604.669.9194, email david@biodiet.org or visit his website at biodiet.org.
Favorite Pinpoint
Ikon Gems Co., Ltd
Category: ORGANISATIONS
Address: Bangkok 10600, Thailand
Buy gems and stones from best online gemstone store. We offer the best grade lab-created synthetic gemstones, Cubic Zirconia (CZ) loose stones, 100% natural and authentic gemstones for sale at wholesale prices. buy gemstones
LOUISETTE BLIKKENHORST
Category: DIETITIANS/NUTRITIONISTS and ORGANISATIONS
Address: Ketogeen Instituut Nederland, Waterwerk 41
3063 HB
Louisette Blikkenhorst is an orthomolecular therapist, nutritionist and founder of the Ketogeen Instituut Nederland in Holland in 2019. Louisette has completed the Advanced Ketogenic Nutrition course at The American Nutrition Association and professional training in LCHF and Ketogenic Nutrition and Treatment through the Noakes Foundation's Nutrition Network. Her institute offers an accredited training for health professionals – doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapist, dietitians – who want to work with the ketogenic diet as an intervention in their practice and are seeking knowledge on how to apply a ketogenic diet as therapy for their clients. Louisette also offers an online ketogenic lifestyle program for individuals who wish to have a healthier life. If you are looking for keto-professionals to assist you or for more information, you can call +31 (0) 06 2500 8494, email info@ketogeeninstituut.nl or visit her website on www.ketogeeninstituut.nl.
KETO IS GOOD 酮好
Address: Keto Is Good
Neihu District
Keto is Good 酮好 is the largest low carb/ketogenic diet education and support group in Taiwan since 2016. James Sa started the organisation. He now works with doctors and athletes in Taiwan to spread the scientific message about the benefits of low-carb/ketogenic diets. That was after blood sugar/ketone tests showed that he was pre-diabetic. He reversed all symptoms in a few months using dietary change alone. James says that daily, people share their life-changing stories, delicious meals, inspiring recipes on Keto is Good. In 2017 alone, Keto is Good held more than 70 meetups in Taiwan and introduced LCHF to more than 3000 people. For more information, you can email him at james@keto.tw or join the group by visiting the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ketoisgood/
MICHAEL JOSEPH, NUTRITION ADVANCE
Category: COACH/ACTIVISTS and ORGANISATIONS
Address: Nutrition Advance,
Michael Joseph designs and implements nutrition education programs for both private organizations and public groups. On his Nutrition Advance website (nutritionadvance.com) he shares his thoughts on nutrition and the benefits of low-carb eating. His biggest passion is helping people to lead a healthier life. He says the best way to do that is "health optimization through real food and a healthy lifestyle" based on cutting-edge nutrition science.
DR MONA MORSTEIN
Category: DOCTORS, ORGANISATIONS, and RESEARCHERS/SCIENTISTS
Address: 4657 S Lakeshore Dr
Dr Mona Morstein is a naturopathic physician and founder and executive director of the Low Carb Diabetes Association (LCDA) in Tempe, Arizona. LCDA is a nonprofit organization committed to educating patients, caregivers, medical practitioners, businesses and the world-wide community about comprehensive integrative medicine to prevent and successfully treat all types of diabetes, enabling patients to live long, healthy lives without diabetic complications. Dr Morstein's focus is on teaching "The Eight Essentials": diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, intestinal health, detoxification, supplementation and medication. She says these categories of treatment "empower people to overcome the worldwide diabetes crisis and be victors, not victims, of diabetes". Dr Morstein is author of Mastering Diabetes: From Victim To Victor (with publisher). You can email her at contact@lowcarbdiabetes.org, monamnd@gmail.com or telephone 480-284-8115.
DIABETES.CO.UK
Address: Sir William Lyons Rd
CV4 7EZ
Diabetes.co.uk is the world's largest diabetes patient-expert community. By listening to the concerns of the community, Diabetes.co.uk provides health interventions that provide positive health outcomes. Over 200,000 people have taken part in a Diabetes.co.uk health intervention in the last year. The Low- Carb Program leads to a mean weight loss of 14.2 kilos (15%) after 6 months and people are improving their health. Diabetes.co.uk is not working against the advice of doctors . They are enhancing it.
LOW CARB DOWN UNDER
Address: Low Carb Down Under
Low Carb Down Under is about bringing together people with an interest in low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) nutrition, and educating the public on the safety and efficacy of LCHF to treat a variety of serious health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, to name but a few. The group has an extensive collection of YouTube videos, books, news articles, scientific publications and recipes as well as a passionate and informed social media community. They hold regular meetings around Australia, New Zealand and the United States with expert presenters to enhance and promote understanding of optimum nutrition.
PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATION
Address: N/A
The Public Health Collaboration is a non-profit organisation focused on supporting research and investigating pressing health issues concerning the UK in order to help as many people as possible obtain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. A major focus is to deal epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. In the UK 25% of adults are obese, the highest prevalence in Europe, and type 2 diabetes has risen by 65% in the past 10 years with no sign of slowing down. Both cost the NHS £16 billion a year. The PHC advises real food, eating more fat and cutting the cabs.
AUTHORITY NUTRITION
Address: Smáratorg Tower
Kópavogur
Authority Nutrition is a website founded and run by Kris Gunnars, a nutrition researcher who has a Bachelor's degree in medicine, and lives in Iceland. The site is international and posts daily articles on nutrition and health. All information is based on scientific evidence and written by experts. Authority Nutrition is 100% independent – that is, it is not sponsored by any industry or company.
LOW CARB USA
Address: 17199 W Bernardo Dr
Low Carb USA was formed to expose the public to the real scientific research in the field of nutrition. CEO Doug Reynolds says this is achieved by hosting large scientific conferences where this research is presented, and engaging in extensive traditional media and social media campaigns to maximize exposure. The company coordinates coalition efforts to lobby congress for changes in the USDA dietary guidelines, and for changes in the training for doctors and other health professionals on the real consequences of diet on health. A coaching course is available to provide information and mentoring for those who are embracing tlow-carbarb lifestyle.
DR TRUDI DEAKIN
Address: Linden Mill, X-PERT Health,
Dr Trudi Deaken runs X-PERT Health, a registered charity in the UK. It is committed to providing X-PERT Educator courses to healthcare professionals and lay educators to develop their competencies in evidence-based care, enabling them to deliver evidence-based structured patient education to people with, or at risk of, diabetes. Its mission is to ensure that all people at risk of, or diagnosed with, long-term conditions have access to good quality and enjoyable structured education leading to increased skills, knowledge and confidence in the prevention and self-management of their long-term medical conditions.


text:
Richard R. Taylor Richard Taylor, 85, of Phoenix, Ore., passed away peacefully at home with his wife by his side on Sunday, August 8, 2010. Richard was born on December 15, 1924, in Henderson, W.Va., to John Taylor and Charlot Shepard Taylor. He grew up in Gallipolis, Ohio. In 1943, he enlisted into the U.S. Army and was a member of Merrill's Marauders, clearing the Burma Road. He was discharged in November 1945, at which time he returned to Gallipolis and married Edna Mae Coulter. Richard worked as a fruniture upholsterer, turning old, worn-out furniture into beautiful new pieces. He later opened his own business, Taylor's Upholstering, and continued to work until becoming disabled at the age of 53 after suffering a heart attack. In 1999, Richard and Mae moved to Phoenix, Ore., to be near his daughters and their families. He enjoyed spending time with his family, hunting, fishing, gardening, and feeding his backyard birds. Richard is survived by his wife of 64 1/2 years, Mae; daughters, Sharon Taylor Snowden, of Sam's Valley and Debbie Taylor Coach, of Tacoma, Wash.; son-in-law Stehen Snowden; brother, Raymond Taylor; sister-in-law, Phyllis Taylor; grandchildren, Sean Clonch, Michael (Ashley), Jonathan (Roni), and Casie Snowden; great-grandchildren, Melanie, Tyler, Taylor and Kyle Snowden; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brothers, Otis and John Taylor. A service will be held Friday, August 13, 2010, at the Eagle Point National Cemetery, in Eagle Point, Ore., at 1:00 p.m. Arrangements are being handled by the Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary in Medford, Ore. www.hillcrestmortuary.com
Richard R. Taylor Richard Taylor, 85, of Phoenix, Ore., passed away peacefully at home with his wife by his side on Sunday, August 8, 2010. Richard was born on December 15, 1924, in Henderson, W.Va., to John Taylor and Charlot Shepard Taylor.... View Obituary & Service Information
The family of Richard Taylor created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories.
Richard R. Taylor
Richard Taylor, 85, of Phoenix, Ore., passed...
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Cabiyarí (Caviyari) is an Arawakan language spoken along the Cananarí River in the Vaupes Region of Colombia in north western South America. The name is also spelled Cabiuarí, Cauyarí, Kauyarí, Cuyare, Kawillary.
^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Cabiyarí". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
This page was last edited on 28 February 2016, at 02:01 (UTC).


The Master Settlement Agreement was an agreement made with the tobacco industry. The funding is meant for cessation and prevention programs like TRU.
In 1998, Pennsylvania and 45 other states entered into a Master Settlement Agreement with the tobacco industry. The Master Settlement Agreement was estimated at a minimum of $206 billion dollars nationwide; Pennsylvania was allotted an estimated $11 billion dollars to be disbursed in the first 25 years of the agreement. Between July 2016 and June 2017, Pennsylvania will receive approximately $354 million in MSA funding.
2001 In 2001, PA passed legislation (ACT 77), allocating 12% of the MSA budget to tobacco cessation and prevention. In the intervening years, that budget has taken several hits as described in these tabs. Tobacco prevention and cessation is now down to less than 5% of the MSA budget.
2005 3% of Tobacco Prevention and Cessation funds used to patch up holes in the state budget.
2010 Tobacco cessation and prevention fund decreased by 45%, forcing the elimination of the majority of tobacco cessation and prevention programs that target youth and the community.
2013 An MSA-Related arbitration panel ruled against PA in a non-participating manufacturer adjustment dispute, reducing the 2014 payment by $169.9 million.
2015 The tobacco cessation and prevention fund remains decreased by a 45% funding cut. The PA Department of Health estimates that $14.2 million will be allocated for tobacco control and prevention programming. This is only 10% of the CDC's recommended spending level of $140 million.
2017 The Pennsylvania legislature floated a bond using MSA funds to balance the state budget. MSA funds no longer support tobacco cessation and prevention programs in Pennsylvania; without a dedicated funding street, future program funding may be vulnerable to budget cuts.
 Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT). Tobacco Control Issues: Master Settlement Agreement. Available: http://pactonline.org/tobacco-control-issues/master-settlement-agreement/.


text:
Q: Scrapy _ How to append / delete text to listing URL I'm new to Python and Scrapy. I'm trying to create a spider to scrape: https://www.festicket.com/festivals/
I've managed to get the spider working, the problem is that some URLs are like so:
https://www.festicket.com/festivals/electric-daisy-carnival-edc-las-vegas/2018/
and some URLS have:    /shop/#ticket       appended to them which is stoping the spider from crawling the listing page.
My question is, is there some way that if the spider finds a URL with /shop/#ticket   it simple deletes the /shop/#ticket     but keeps the rest of the URL???
My code so far is below:
import scrapy

class AuthorsSpider(scrapy.Spider):
    name = "festicket"
    start_urls = ['https://www.festicket.com/festivals/']

    npages = 20

    # This mimics getting the pages using the next button.
    for i in range(2, npages + 2):
        start_urls.append("https://www.festicket.com/festivals/?page=" + str(i) + "")

    #Scrape and follow listings
    def parse(self, response):
        urls = response.xpath(
                "//h3[@class='festival-title heading-3ry notranslate']//@href").extract()
        for url in urls:
            url = response.urljoin(url)
            yield scrapy.Request(url=url, callback=self.parse_details)

    def parse_details(self, response):
        yield {
            'title': response.xpath("//h1[@class='sc-jzJRlG gbLQoU']/text()").extract_first(),
            'festival_url': response.xpath("//meta[@property='og:url']/@content").extract_first(),
            'location': response.xpath("//ul[contains(@class,'styles__StyledList')][1]/li[contains(@class,'styles__DotSeparatorSpan-h0jg7b')][1]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'address': response.xpath("//div[@class='sc-gzVnrw bpJeJY'][2]/section[@class='sc-gZMcBi gDrvBk']/div/p[@class='sc-chPdSV hifsJb']/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'date': response.xpath("//ul[contains(@class,'styles__StyledList')][1]/li[contains(@class,'styles__DotSeparatorSpan-h0jg7b')][2]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'genre1': response.xpath("//ul[contains(@class,'styles__StyledList')][2]/li[contains(@class,'styles__DotSeparatorSpan-h0jg7b')][1]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'genre2': response.xpath("//ul[contains(@class,'styles__StyledList')][2]/li[contains(@class,'styles__DotSeparatorSpan-h0jg7b')][2]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'genre3': response.xpath("//ul[contains(@class,'styles__StyledList')][2]/li[contains(@class,'styles__DotSeparatorSpan-h0jg7b')][3]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'subtitle2': response.xpath( "//span[@class='styles__StyledHtmlWrapper-l0qhyk-0 cUaVYv sc-jAaTju jlDUtI']/p/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'subtitle1': response.xpath("//h2[@class='sc-cSHVUG gCeeYI']/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'para1': response.xpath("//span[@class='styles__StyledHtmlWrapper-s1eywhsl-0 cJBjEA sc-jAaTju jlDUtI']/p[1]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'para2': response.xpath("//span[@class='styles__StyledHtmlWrapper-s1eywhsl-0 cJBjEA sc-jAaTju jlDUtI']/p[2]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'para3': response.xpath("//span[@class='styles__StyledHtmlWrapper-s1eywhsl-0 cJBjEA sc-jAaTju jlDUtI']/p[3]/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'flyer': response.xpath("//img[contains(@class,'styles__Artwork')]/@src").extract_first(),
            'subtitle2': response.xpath("//span[@class='styles__StyledHtmlWrapper-l0qhyk-0 cUaVYv sc-jAaTju jlDUtI']/p/descendant::text()").extract_first(),
            'banner_image_1': response.xpath("//div[@class='styles__PhotoWrapper-s1brd5dy-2 cpnBtx'][1]/div[@class='styles__PhotoInnerWrapper-s1brd5dy-3 gVsbNY']/img[@class='styles__PhotoImage-s1brd5dy-4 cqQHmb']/@src").extract_first(),
            'banner_image_2': response.xpath("//div[@class='styles__PhotoWrapper-s1brd5dy-2 cpnBtx'][2]/div[@class='styles__PhotoInnerWrapper-s1brd5dy-3 gVsbNY']/img[@class='styles__PhotoImage-s1brd5dy-4 cqQHmb']/@src").extract_first(),
            'banner_image_3': response.xpath("//div[@class='styles__PhotoWrapper-s1brd5dy-2 cpnBtx'][3]/div[@class='styles__PhotoInnerWrapper-s1brd5dy-3 gVsbNY']/img[@class='styles__PhotoImage-s1brd5dy-4 cqQHmb']/@src").extract_first(),
        }

A: You need to change this part:
for url in urls:
    url = response.urljoin(url)
    yield scrapy.Request(url=url, callback=self.parse_details)

to:
for url in urls:
    if "/shop/#ticket" in url:
        next
    url = response.urljoin(url)
    yield scrapy.Request(url=url, callback=self.parse_details)

UPDATE
If you want to replace "/shop/#ticket" at the end of an URL:
for url in urls:
    url = re.sub( r'/shop/#ticket$', "", url )
    url = response.urljoin(url)
    yield scrapy.Request(url=url, callback=self.parse_details)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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