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Tag: break-in
Adeeb and Mahloof in Twitter spat after allegations of threats and bribery
Former ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof has claimed a group of ten men attempted to break in to his apartment last night after Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb threatened him over the phone.
In a tweet at 10:15 pm on March 15, Mahloof claimed the group tried to forcefully enter his home around 9:30 pm.
After a warning phone call from Adheeb a gang of 10 approached to enter my apartment around 21:30
— Ahmed Mahloof (@AhmedMahloof) March 15, 2015
The Maldives Police Services confirmed they are investigating a case where "a suspicious group of people knocked on Henveiru East Light before taking off."
Adeeb has denied the allegations, claiming Mahloof was getting paid or bribed to defame him and President Abdulla Yameen.
Adeeb shared a screenshot of an alleged text conversation between Mahloof and Adeeb, where Mahloof appeared to threaten him saying "things would get ugly tonight" and that he could ruin the tourism minister's name with "only one tweet."
@AhmedMahloof I wonder how much Reload you got for this Tweet, & How much Reloads r waiting for u to defame me & HEP pic.twitter.com/YzS59sxJZA — Ahmed Adeeb (@Ahmed_Adeeb) March 15, 2015
Reload in the tweet refers to a local term for topping up credit on mobile phones.
Mahloof in a subsequent tweet claimed the screenshot of the text messages were fabricated. He also shared a recording of the phone call in which he claims Adeeb threatened him.
Alhugandu boluga ilzaameh alhuvaa alhugandah 5M dhinkamah bune @Ahmed_Adeeb inzaarudhin phone call https://t.co/BZJRHGcBq3
In the recording, which appears slightly edited, Adeeb said he had called Mahloof back because the MP had said he would pay Adeeb back.
"I don't have to pay you, I would only have to pay back if I'd taken money from you. I don't have to pay back campaign money. Why are you speaking so much of me, my wife, of stabbings and drugs? We don't have to go to that level," Mahloof said.
"I don't talk. I'm not one to talk, if I wanted to do something, I act," Adeeb replied.
When Mahloof maintained he did not owe any money, Adeeb says: "Yeah OK, hold on then. Let's see if you dare to remain that way."
Adeeb has called the recording fake and said it indicated the Galholu South MP was getting "desperate."
@AhmedMahloof A fake phone call edit proves that your incoming Reloads are ever increasing or decreasing & desperate. Good luck with Reloads — Ahmed Adeeb (@Ahmed_Adeeb) March 16, 2015
Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has meanwhile condemned the attempted break in at Mahloof's house, and accused Speaker Abdulla Maseeh and the government of negligence in affording parliamentarians security.
The MDP noted threats against opposition MPs had caused the Inter-Parliamentary Union to classify the Maldives as one of the most dangerous countries to be an MP.
At today's People's Majilis sitting, Mahloof went up to Speaker Abdulla Maseeh's desk and demanded that he be provided protection before he was "murdered."
Alhugandu maraalumuge kurin security foarukohdhevvaa pic.twitter.com/1B2wIOQISl
He also tweeted last night saying telecom provider Dhiraagu had called him to inform him that an individual pretending to be Mahloof had requested his mobile number be disconnected. The caller had told Dhiraagu Mahloof's mobile phone had been lost.
Mahloof was recently expelled from the PPM for allegedly defaming President Abdulla Yameen.
PPM accused Mahloof of making statements that could undermine public confidence in President Yameen as well as misleading the public regarding the arrest of former Defense Minister Colonel (Retired) Mohamed Nazim.
Speaking to Minivan News at the time, Mahloof said: "I was removed from the party just like how the Auditor General and Supreme Court Justices were removed. In haste, without due process."
Last week, Home Minister Umar Naseer alleged that a man armed with a knife and a hammer broke into his apartment building.
"A person broke the window and entered the adjacent apartment with a knife. He escaped when a woman screamed. Left a knife and a hammer," read a tweet from the home minister the following morning.
The break-in came amidst shocking allegations of rifts within President Abdulla Yameen's cabinet. Dismissed Defence Minister Nazim last week accused Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb of using rogue police officers to plant a pistol and three bullets in his apartment.
Nazim is currently in police custody standing trial for smuggling illegal weapons.
Nazim's lawyers told the Criminal Court Adeeb threatened to "destroy" Nazim during a conference call with Naseer. The home minister had informed President Yameen of the threat at the time, he claimed.
Adeeb told Minivan News he was "shocked" by Nazim's lawyer's "lies."
PPM disciplinary committee decides to expel MP Mahloof
Man armed with knife, hammer breaks into home minister's apartment building
Ex-defence minister "plotted to attack" president, police chief, tourism minister
Adeeb framed Nazim after fallout over Malé City's Areca palms, lawyers claim
35 percent of Asian MPs' human rights cases from Maldives, says IPU
Posted on March 16, 2015 March 16, 2015 Author Ismail Humaam HamidCategories PoliticsTags Adeeb, break-in, criminal court, gang members, Mahloof, maldives news, mohamed nazim, ppm, president yameen1 Comment on Adeeb and Mahloof in Twitter spat after allegations of threats and bribery
Vandals attack campaign offices of Majlis speaker
Speaker of the People's Majlis and MP for Keyodhoo constituency Abdulla Shahid has today condemned an attack on his office, following the news that two campaign offices had been vandalised in the early hours of the morning.
"It was more than damage, it was an attempt to intimidate," Shahid told Minivan News, declaring that he "would not back down" in the face of "intimidation".
Police have confirmed that two attacks that took place in the early hours of this morning (March 13).
Speaking with Minivan News, Shahid confirmed that he was awoken at around 4am by supporters saying that there had "been some damage to the office".
"It looked like it had been a big piece of rock damaging the class panel, and caused considerable damage," explained Shahid.
A police statement reveals that as well as vandalism carried out at Shahid's campaign hall, the campaign offices of Machchangoalhi Dhekunu constituency candidate Hassan Mamdhooh.
Shahid is campaigning for the 18th Majlis on a Maldivian Democratic Party ticket, while Mamdhooh is running as an independent.
The police said they are investigating the matter, but that no suspects have been arrested.
Shahid suggested that the perpetrators were intending to "intimidate the public. They want to send a message to the people that politics is violent, politics is not safe, a message to the public to lay off politics."
Earlier this week, Shahid's name appeared on a letter sent to the chief justice and attorney general, stating that the recent dismissal of the president and vice president of the Elections Commission (EC) was contrary to the constitutional procedures which reserved such powers for the Majlis.
The letter – also signed by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim – was based on legal advice from the parliament's consul general after an analysis of the Supreme Court's verdict.
Currently, the vacant seats in the EC are being filled in an effort to keep the parliamentary elections timely. So far, parliament has approved Ismail Habeeb Abdul Raheem to replace former commission member Ibrahim 'Ogaru' Waheed.
When asked about the parliamentary elections, Shahid remarked: "I'm hoping against hope that it will happen," adding that any more delays in the elections "will destroy the democratic process of the country".
He finished by stating that the political system will only work when there is a "peaceful environment" in which it can flourish.
Posted on March 13, 2014 March 13, 2014 Author Lucy LovellCategories Crime, Politics, Society & CultureTags Abdulla Shahid, break-in, campaign office, criminals, EC, elections, elections commission, maldives, male, minivan news, MP, vandals1 Comment on Vandals attack campaign offices of Majlis speaker
Young Indian teacher hospitalised in "very serious condition" after alleged rape
A young Indian teacher working on the island of Dhangethi in Alif Dhaal Atoll has been hospitalised after a group of people broke into her home on Sunday night and allegedly raped her.
The 25 year-old woman is in a "very serious condition" following the attack, said the Island Council President Azim Adam.
"They broke in [to her house] around 2:15am. I came to know about it at 4:00am and I instantly reported it to the police. The girl is now in the atoll hospital in a very serious condition," Adam said.
A source close to the victim said she was in the hospital's intensive care unit but was "bleeding uncontrollably."
"We have put seven pints of blood into her but she is still bleeding. It is a very serious issue. We are planning to send her to India, there is not much more we are able to do here," the source said, adding that her brother had arrived in the Maldives and was on the island.
The Indian High Commission in the capital Male' said it had been informed of the incident and had received the woman's details from the police.
Maldives Police Service (MPS) Spokesperson Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef said specialist teams were investigating the incident. He could not confirm whether any arrests had been made, but said further details would be released to the media at a later stage.
Local media reported that the woman was teaching a private computer course on the island.
Island Council President Adam said the young woman had been working on the island for less than a month, and described her as a "very kind person who was very friendly towards the local islanders".
Dhangethi is the third largest populated island of Alif Dhaal Atoll, with a population of around 1200 people.
An official from the Indian High Commission noted that a similar case had occurred in 2011 involving an Indian nurse working on an island in the Maldives.
"I told the police that [in 2011] there was a rape case like this whereby a nurse was raped on one of the islands. However in that instance all of the suspects were later acquitted in court," the official added.
Posted on February 11, 2013 February 11, 2013 Author Luke PowellCategories Society & CultureTags Alif Dhaal atoll, attack, break-in, crime, Dhangethi, female, india, indian, maldives, maldives news, media, minivan, minivan news, police, rape, rape case, sex, sexual assault, teacher, woman, young44 Comments on Young Indian teacher hospitalised in "very serious condition" after alleged rape
Police play down political motivation for burglaries, dhoni fire
Politicians and public figures linked to both government-aligned parties and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have raised concerns about a spate of potentially politically motivated crimes, though police urge caution in drawing early conclusions.
Early this morning, the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) confirmed that its fire team put out a blaze that badly damaged a dhoni based in the waters around Hulhumale'. The vessel has since been confirmed to belong to high-profile Jumhooee Party (JP) member Mohamed 'Inthi' Imthiyaz, who recently left the MDP.
Both the MNDF and the Maldives Police Service confirmed to Minivan News that they were currently investigating the cause of the blaze, stressing it was too early to tell if the incident was being treated as arson or an accident.
The fire, which saw a man hospitalised with severe burns, is the third incident involving prominent political figures to be investigated by police during the last three days.
Police have confirmed they are also looking into break-ins that occurred Saturday morning at offices belonging to Vice-President designate Waheed Deen and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Interim Chairperson 'Reeko' Moosa Manik. Both offices are based in the same building in the capital of Male'.
Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that forensic analysis of both these crime scenes and the dhoni fire were under way, but said that it was not yet possible to ascertain if there was any link between the incidents. Sub-Inspector Haneef added that findings from the cases would be cross referenced, but he did not wish to speculate if a common motivation existed between the incidents before ongoing investigations were concluded.
Dhoni fire
Addressing the dhoni fire today, vessel owner Mohamed Imthiyaz said that he was also unsure if his boat was destroyed intentionally or by an accidental fire.
However, Imthiyaz claimed that the blaze occurred after he had received threatening messages from alleged MDP supporters after making a public speech two days ago criticising the party. Imthiyaz was himself previously a member of the MDP before joining the JP, which is part of the coalition government of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.
"I have received [SMS] threats from people I know are MDP supporters and I have passed on their numbers to police," he added.
Imthiyaz said he believed that public figures needed to be "careful" about their security in the current political climate, particularly considering the potential involvement of organised crime in attacks and vandalism.
A spokesperson for MDP MP Reeko Moosa Manik's Heavy Load company was in no doubt that the enterprise had itself been the target of a political attack over the weekend.
The company's headquarters, based in Male's Jazeera building, was broken into early Saturday morning along with the offices of the Six Senses resort group and Vice President Deen's Bandos Island Resort – all situated at the same address.
"[The break in] was definitely politically motivated. The intruders broke in to damage and vandalise equipment like computers that could have been taken for profit. They also wrote threats all over the walls of the office," the Heavy Duty spokesperson said.
Following the break in at Heavy Load, local media reported yesterday that several messages were left for Moosa Manik across the office. These messages reportedly read, "Moosa, you may have escaped this time but you will be killed," and "We will vote for you next time if you put some cash next time".
A number of attacks and cases of vandalism against political figures has been making headlines recently.
Late last month, three former ministers who served in the government of former President Mohamed Nasheed were reportedly attacked along with their wives on the street's of Male', leading to condemnation of the crime by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan.
The president has also criticised MDP supporters on his Twitter account following reports of attacks on police officers and the car of Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hassan's during the same month.
"Violence by Nasheed's supporters keeps increasing," the president wrote at the time.
The MDP itself moved to issue a statement following these incidents condemning attacks on police officers and calling for supporters to mantain peaceful protests against the government it alleges has come to power in a "coup d'etat" In February.
The offices of broadcaster Villa TV (VTV) were also heavily damaged in March during clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces .
VTV is owned by MP 'Burma' Gasim Ibrahim, the leader of the Jumhoory Party (JP) – part of Dr Waheed's government coalition.
Posted on April 8, 2012 Author Neil MerrettCategories Politics, Society & CultureTags attacks, break-in, Dhoni, fire, jp, maldives, maldives news, Maldives Police Service, Mohamed Nasheed, politically motivated crime, President Moahmed Waheed Hassan, security forces, VTV4 Comments on Police play down political motivation for burglaries, dhoni fire


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Home / Money / Two Reasons Why Fuel Rates Are Soaring
Two Reasons Why Fuel Rates Are Soaring
Jamie Singh April 12, 2021 Money Leave a comment 1 Views
U.S. nationwide average gasoline costs have been rising in many weeks up until now this year, and are expected to reach the highest summer prices considering that 2018.
Most of the boost has been the result of rallying crude oil prices, the element with the highest weight in the way costs are determined. Rising gasoline demand compared to the March and April lows of 2020 is likewise driving costs higher as more Americans take a trip with the warmer weather and vaccination rollouts.
Another essential part of the U.S. gasoline rate– the expense of producing the fuel– is likewise at play this year, as it has been for most of the previous two decades. The switch from winter season to summer-grade fuel drives gasoline costs higher. Summer season fuel is more expensive to produce than winter-grade fuel since of a longer production procedure and more pricey mixing elements than the fuel sold in the winter.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that fuel costs in the United States have been increasing this year. Normally, prices are increasing ahead of the refineries' switch to summer-grade gas, Robert Rapier, a chemical engineer in the energy market, writes in Forbes. In around 90 percent of previous years, fuel rates in America increased in between January and May, Rapier said, keeping in mind the exception from in 2015, when the pandemic and the collapse in prices caused substantial declines in fuel rates.
Yet, the production of summer-grade fuel is just one of the reasons for higher gasoline costs. The biggest figuring out aspect of U.S. fuel rates is the pattern in crude oil rates, whose rally has actually risen fuel costs more than in previous years.
Fuel prices in the U.S. are mainly driven by 4 elements: petroleum rates, refining expenses, retail circulation and marketing expenses, and taxes. Considering that taxes and retail distribution expenses are generally steady, the most significant factors in gasoline price patterns are changes in oil prices and refining costs, the EIA says.
Related: Italian Oil Heiress Apprehended In Major Mafia Bust
At the end of March, U.S. gas rates had increased for 17 successive weeks– the longest streak of increasing national typical gasoline rates considering that 1994, according to EIA's surveys.
On March 29, the U.S. routine retail gasoline costs averaged $2.85 per gallon, when it dropped two cents compared to the previous week for the first weekly decrease since November 2020. It was in November that crude oil prices began to rise following the very first good news about vaccine prospects.
This summertime, U.S. gas prices are expected to be the highest since the summer of 2018, according to the latest quotes of the Energy Info Administration.
" More vaccinations combined with the U.S. financial stimulus need to support continuing financial healing, which will drive petroleum need growth," the EIA said in its Summer season Fuels Outlook.
This year's summer season fuel intake will balance nearly 8.8 million bpd, up by 1.0 million bpd, or 13 percent, compared to 2020. Need, however, will still be 700,000 bpd, or 7 percent, down compared to the pre-pandemic summer of 2019.
Recently, typical U.S. gas rates were at a "stubbornly high" $2.87 a gallon, despite the current pullback in oil prices. Gas costs are now up by $1.01/ gal from last year, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, stated on Thursday.
On Sunday, April 11, the nationwide average was little changed, at $2.864/ gal, as per AAA quotes.
Despite those higher rates than in the past few years, specifically compared to in 2015's lows, monthly typical gas costs are set to drop from an April peak of $2.86/ gal to an average of $2.78/ gal in July and $2.62/ gal by September, the EIA projections in the Summertime Fuels Outlook. That's regardless of higher gas usage than in 2015 since current expectations are that refinery output will grow through the summer, as will petroleum supply on the marketplace from the OPEC+ group and from U.S. shale.
" We expect that development in refinery output and increasing crude oil supply from OPEC+ and U.S. tight oil manufacturers will start to put down pressure on retail gas costs over the summertime, in spite of an anticipated rise in gasoline need," the EIA stated.
The nationwide average might not hit $3/gal this summer season, however increasing petroleum costs and the switch to summer-grade fuels have actually integrated to potentially press U.S. summer gas rates to the greatest because 2018.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
More Leading Reads From Oilprice.com:
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SUNY Maritime to honor First Data's Tom Higgins, astronaut Scott Kelly
(THROGGS NECK, N.Y.) — SUNY Maritime College will host its annual Admiral's Scholarship Dinner on May 3. This year's event, organizers say, will be "out of this world."
Tom Higgins, class of 1980, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of First Data, a global payment technology solutions company based in Atlanta, will be the event honoree. NASA astronaut Capt. Scott Kelly, class of 1987, who spent the last year in space aboard the International Space Station, will receive special recognition at the event's pre-dinner reception
"Our alumni and other friends of the college contribute greatly to making a SUNY Maritime degree affordable for hundreds of students," said Rear Adm. Michael A. Alfultis, college president. "Again this year, we expect the dinner to be a great success that it will go a long way to helping our students. We are also excited to celebrate two of Maritime's outstanding alumni, Tom Higgins and Scott Kelly."
Higgins leads First Data's division responsible for cyber security, physical security, business resiliency and crisis management. He also manages its global sourcing, general services, aviation and real estate functions. Higgins is the driving force behind First Data's military and veterans affairs efforts as well. Before he joined First Data, Higgins was head of operational control at JP Morgan Chase & Co. and managed the company's military and veterans initiatives. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he had a 24-year career with the federal government, working in national security and foreign policy.
After Higgins graduated from SUNY Maritime, he attended the Naval War College and the JFK School of Government at Harvard's program on leadership for senior executives.
Kelly joined NASA as an astronaut in 1996 and is best known for being the American to spend the longest time in space on one mission; he spent nearly a year in space, about half of that time as the commander of the International Space Station. He returned to Earth in March. This record-setting trip will help NASA scientists understand how the human body copes with long space voyages in preparation for a future manned mission to Mars. Having traveled in space a total of four times, Kelly announced his retirement after his latest return from the International Space Station.
After Kelly graduated from SUNY Maritime, he earned a master's degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. He was designated a naval aviator in 1989 and worked as a fighter pilot and, later, a test pilot. He has logged more than 8,000 hours in more than 40 different aircraft and spacecraft and has more than 250 aircraft carrier landings.
The Admiral's Scholarship Dinner is the college's primary vehicle to raise funds for student scholarships. Each year, nearly $1 million in scholarships is awarded to academically strong students who demonstrate financial need. Last year, more than $600,000 was raised at the event.
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I am so proud of you! Folks don't spend time on things when they don't feel benefit or value. I proud that you have the ability to demonstrate value in your mission. I love you very much and keep up the good work! You have wanted to change the world since you were very little…and you are!
Angelina, it sounds like all your thoughtfulness, planning, and working to connect person-to-person is yielding great results. Congratulations on receiving the grant! I also loved reading about the trials, errors, and successes of the training process. I came across photos of our Billy goat trail hike and felt very wistful that I'm not part of your team. You go, girl!


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Het curling voor de vrouwen op de Olympische Winterspelen 2018 in het Zuid-Koreaanse Pyeongchang vond plaats van 14 tot en met 25 februari 2018. Er namen in totaal tien landen aan deel waaronder titelverdediger Canada en gastheer Zuid-Korea. De wedstrijden werden gespeeld in het Gangneung Curling Centre in het Olympisch Park.

Olympisch kampioen Curling 2018 werd Zweden. Zij versloegen Zuid-Korea met 8-3 in de finale. Het brons ging naar Japan dat van Groot-Brittannië won.

Groepsfase

Stand

Wedstrijden

Play-offs

Halvefinales
Vrijdag 23 februari 2018, 20:05 uur

3e/4e plaats
Zaterdag 24 februari 2018, 20:05 uur

Finale
Zondag 25 februari 2018, 09:05 uur

Eindstand

Vrouwen

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Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a major blow to one of the bedrocks of a criminal suspect's rights. In Salinas v. Texas, the court made clear that a suspect's silence can be used against the suspect in instances when the silence is only exercised passively. 133 S. Ct. 2174 (2013).
In Salinas, the suspect was voluntarily speaking to the police about a murder. Id. at 2175. He was not in custody and had not been given a Miranda warning. Id. He answered some preliminary questions, but "fell silent" when officers pressed him about whether shotgun shells found at the scene would match the shotgun that he owned. Id. at 2175-2176. At his trial, over Salinas' objection, the prosecutor argued that his silence in the face of that question was evidence of his guilt. Id. at 2176. The court found that this evidence and argument did not violate Salinas' Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.
1. A suspect must speak up to remain silent.
When asked about the shotgun shells, Salinas said nothing. Id. at 2178. Instead, he "[l]ooked down at the floor, shuffled his feet, bit his bottom lip, cl[e]nched his hands in his lap, [and] began to tighten up." Id. Moments later, Salinas resumed answering questions. Id. Salinas' attorney argued that his client's silence in response to the question was most likely due to his assertion of his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. The court rejected the argument and found that there were several reasons Salinas could have been silent, and that if he intended to exercise his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent he needed to say so. Id. at 2177. The court concluded that a suspect's privilege against self-incrimination is not self-enforcing and he or she must now affirmatively "plead the Fifth" in response to an incriminating question he or she does not want to answer.
In other words, a suspect must speak up to remain silent. This seems counterintuitive, and the court's ruling is one that many attorneys may not have predicted. In fact, four justices of our highest court disagreed that this should be the law. How does this translate to real life? Do most criminal suspects, innocent or not, know that they must "plead the Fifth" to assert their constitutional rights? On the day they are questioned, will they remember this lesson from civics class? Likely not. The practical reality is that many suspects who wish to remain silent and assert their constitutional rights will not properly do so, and their silence will be used against them.
2. The details of a suspect's silence will now be litigated.
In a post-Salinas world, a prosecutor can comment on a suspect's non-answer to a question. An issue in Salinas was why the suspect was silent, and the prosecutor in that case likely argued that the suspect's biting of his lip instead of giving an exculpatory answer to the question demonstrated that he was guilty. If a prosecutor can comment on such things, can he or she also comment on whether a defendant stutters or pauses prior to expressly invoking his or her right to remain silent? Will such comments then force a defendant to testify at a trial when he or she would not otherwise do so in order to solely explain a speech pattern or the intent of his or her silence? Would that testimony open the door to cross-examination about the actual facts of the case? Time will tell. One thing is clear: In the future, silence and the reasons for it will be litigated and commented upon in court.
3. What's my line, anyway? It is difficult to know.
This is a complex area of constitutional litigation that turns on narrow facts involving custodial versus non-custodial interrogations and whether an answer is incriminating or innocuous. The Salinas decision spawned an outcry from lawyers with vested interests on both sides of the issue. The opinion itself is a 5-4 decision, with the majority split 3-2. Lawyers will continue to debate the intricacies and impact of the decision in courtrooms throughout the country for years to come.
James J. Bell and K. Michael Gaerte are attorneys with Bingham Greenebaum Doll LLP. They assist lawyers and judges with professional liability and legal ethics issues. They also practice in criminal defense and are regular speakers on criminal defense and ethics topics. They can be reached via email at jbell@bgdlegal.com or mgaerte@bgdlegal.com. The opinions expressed are those of the authors.


The City of San Francisco has thankfully decided to postpone its decision regarding Supervisor Aaron Peskin's proposed radical cuts to the arts budget until midway through next year. If Peskin's proposal had gone through earlier this week, key organizations like San Francisco Opera, SF Ballet and SF Symphony would have seen their civic contributions fall by as much as 50%.
In the meantime, as I talk to many local theatre companies about how the economic downturn is affecting their operations, it's been interesting to hear how small outfits -- those who don't get much if any city funding so don't have to worry so much about the aforementioned cuts -- are weathering the storm.
I don't want to go into too much detail here as my article on this subject will appear in SF Weekly on December 31. But one thing which small theatre makers are doing to keep going in tough times is banding together to share resources, audiences and staging concepts. The difficult economy is encouraging companies to look for co-productions and co-marketing opportunities with their peers. Examples include the SOMA Cultural Coalition (a group of arts organizations based in the South of Market area of town about which I devoted a blog post in October) and the Bay Area Professional Small Theatres group (BAPST), an organization run under the auspices of Theatre Bay Area which aims to create "an environment of professionalism for small theatre companies to thrive in." Meanwhile, some companies are entering into individual relationships with fellow arts makers. For example, The Climate Theatre is a member of the SOMA Cultural Coalition, but is simultaneously making separate coproduction plans with other companies such as Encore and The Clown Conservatory.
These small companies are being pretty smart by taking the old axiom of "safety in numbers" to heart. Won't it be ironic if the behemoths of the theatre world end up coming off worse as a result of the downturn than the minnows?


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With a unique No Bull (100%) Satisfaction Guarantee, Freddy Diamonds is one of the topmost diamond engagement ring sellers online for couples looking for an affordable buy. The guarantee covers all dissatisfactions, size issues and other 100% refund validity on the items bought from FD, online or offline. Apart from the fact that all promises and policies of Freddy Diamonds are 'No Questions Asked' to the customer, you will have an everlasting wedding purchase when you shop with Freddy Diamonds.
An iron-clad guarantee that covers all dissatisfaction on the customer's side when returned within 30 days of purchase, this money-back policy is strictly a no-bull guarantee. Make sure to include your original sales receipt as well as the item in its original packaging when you return a Freddy Diamonds online purchase.
The jewelers' also processes the exchange option, if refund is not the choice of the customer.
Freddy Diamonds truly understands that a wedding ring purchase should be everlasting, both emotionally and financially. The company provides a limited Lifetime warranty on all its products, under which every product of Freddy Diamonds are covered under the warranty for manufacturing defects for a lifetime. FD also offers free of cost ring re-sizing at any point after the purchase for the same owner.
Commonly known as Clarity Enhanced Diamonds, these diamonds are also 100% real or natural as any other conflict-free diamond. However, the catch is that these are repaired to diminish the inclusions to make a bigger diamond that is 40%-50% lesser than the usual cost. FD uses laser and glass filling technology to keep the diamond secure, safe and invincible. Unlike the silicone fillers that expand with heat, laser filled inclusions are unmarred and untraceable!
Apart from the shocking affordability of the diamond prices, all Freddy Diamonds jewelry is also liable for free of cost shipping. Unlike most diamond sellers who give multiple shipping option and never even a free standard shipping, Freddy Diamonds is all about benefitting the customer.
When you shop with Freddy Diamonds, the payment options are plenty and convenient. You can conduct your diamond purchase payment of FD with online payment portals like PayPal, or via eCheck or credit cards like Discover, American Express, Mastercard and VISA.
All the products from Freddy Diamonds are provide with a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Graduate Appraiser. This reports the accurate grading, value, weight, inclusions and cuts on your diamond engagement ring from FD.
Began in 2005 by Freddy, Freddy Diamonds today is a global diamond seller with clients, both exorbitantly rich and poor. Offering around 50% discount in diamond rings and valuable gems, like no other diamond geezer, Freddy Diamonds is surely a catch!
One of the trustworthy and honest diamond sellers online, buying from Freddy Diamonds has been positive and stunning a deal for 90% of the online engagement ring buyers. FD provides gems that are bigger in size, owing to its discounted diamond price. Hence, customers could for the first time, opt for a bigger and hefty looking diamond, with the cost of diamonds half its price.
An established diamond seller since more than a decade, Freddy Diamonds has an 100% satisfied customer support. Most of the verified reviews that we found online report that FD offer a generous customer service apart from its honest deals.
At Freddy Diamonds, the artisans are highly skilled to provide for bigger diamonds with flaws that are invisible even to a 10x magnifying glass of another diamond geezer! The enhanced diamonds from FD are filled efficiently with laser or glass, unlike cheap diamond fillers that use silicon, which expands under high heat.
When purchasing from Freddy there is a 100% risk protection as well as money back guarantee with 100% refund when returned within 30 days of purchase. The risk free shipping that is also free of cost is also a unique badge of trust when you shop with FD. Most customers exclaimed that, unlike Standard Shipping option with most diamond wedding ring sellers online, Freddy Diamonds offers a speedy shipment and delivery. With multiple payment options with PayPal as well as varied credit cards, finding your dream engagement ring to pop the question is a plain-sail!
Given that the diamonds are bigger in size; your mate will jump with joy and an 'I Do' as soon as he or she sees the ring!
If you're worried whether your lover would truly love the precious ring, you can rest assured that Freddy Diamonds also offers free resizing as well as 100% refunds and easy returns. This highly affordable and cost-efficient diamond seller is renowned for its efficient and direct service. Most customers were overwhelmed when shopping with FD as talking directly to Freddy was guaranteed. If you're worried about anything about your treasured diamond purchase, feel free to contact Freddy Diamonds at the toll free number- (212) 265-1915.
An unaccredited company on Better Business Bureau, unlike the usual unaccredited diamond geezers, Freddy Diamonds also has null complaints registered on BBB for the past three years. As for other trustworthy sites like Yelp, Wedding Wire and Trustpilot, 99% of the customers had 5-Star ratings and honest referrals for FD.
Is Freddy Diamonds a Fraud?
Not. Freddy Diamonds is a trustworthy online diamond seller who is transparent about everything that their diamonds are and aren't. In this age, when diamond sellers try to con the customers selling wrong and exaggerated facts about their origin, history and products, Freddy Diamonds is the ideal example of a genuine seller.
According to our diamond experts and their unbiased opinion, we recommend Freddy Diamond Jewelers to all those who are looking for cheaper 100% real diamonds that are enhanced with an added assurance from the manufacturer.
Freddy Diamonds sells original and genuine diamonds that are enhanced with laser or glass fillings to mask the inclusions, flawlessly. Additionally, FD also provides 100% refunds and exchanges for the products sold, apart from its Graduate Appraiser certification from GIA, which is provided alongside the purchase.
An easy to navigate website with information organized responsibly and transparently, we loved shopping on the Freddy Diamonds Official Site. Shopping is easy as the online portal provides detailed ring customization including, weight, stone type, diamond type, cost and settings of the diamond.
The picture provided are not blurred, crystal clear and responsibly displayed in bright setting to provide an in-depth look on the diamond.
With over thousands of customized and established designs, Freddy Diamond offers a wide variety of high-quality diamonds with inclusions. For exclusively, Wedding Jewelry shoppers, there are high-priced enormous diamond rings to petite and elegant tiny ones for extravagant to vagrant rates!
FD also gives diamond giveaway offers like, Diamond engagement rings costing more than $1000 at FD are subject to another 20% discount!
The website offers a prompt shopping support with a pop up 'Contact Us' window apart from the email contact form. When we requested shopping support, we were responded within 24 hours from Freddy Diamonds from a staff.
Our subsequent order placement and shopping experience was stellar as the FD staff helped us pick the perfect product that we had in mind, additional to the great expert advice we were given by the qualified staff!
Payment options are varied, when you shop at Freddy Diamonds. You can pay via PayPal or Credit Cards like American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA as well as e-Check. All shipping charges are provided free of cost for Freddy Diamonds purchases and each item is individually insured by FD.
Freddy Diamonds also ensures 100% refund upon returning the product within 30 days of purchase as well as lifetime limited warranty and free re-sizing options for repair and services on defects of craftsmanship.
I have met and worked with Freddy in the past.
He knows more about diamonds than just about anyone I know. He is upfront that his diamonds are a lower grade. That's also why his prices are lower. His customers can get 2 to 3 more carat size for the same price as a higher grade 1/2 carat. He honors his customers with 100% satisfaction guarantee.
TLDR; You would go to Freddy because you want a big rock at a cheap price. You know what you're getting with Freddy.


Brighten up any room with some team spirit with the Michigan Art Glass Night Light. Each nightlight features the Michigan colors and logo, a great way to light any hallway, bathroom, or bedroom! Makes the perfect gift for any Michigan fan!


In a pan heat oil.. add panch phoron and saute onion till golden. Now add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes off.
Now add chicken. Reserve the marinate. Fry the chicken well. Now add achar masala. Mix and coat the chicken well.
Add the marinate and keep cooking. Till the marinate starts thickening. Add salt. Give a mix .
Cover and cook for 25 min on medium flame.


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Let These Immersive Art Experiences Transform You
A cloud of kites. Bill Cunningham's notebooks. An empty Met. Go hang with these summertime works of wonder and beauty.
Get Cultured
Coney Island Art Walls. / Photo by Martha Cooper
Written by Secret Culinary Insider
Our Secret Culinary Insider has the scoop on more than just food. This undercover art expert (food is simply very tasty art, after all) picks the interactive, immersive, and just-plain-incredible exhibitions, happenings, and experiences that will be all over your social media feed this summer. Get in on the arty action!
1. Float in a Cloud of Kites
One of the season's most exciting installations is on Governors Island. Jacob Hashimoto's first major public art exhibition in the city features two pieces: The Eclipse envelops viewers in a fog of thousands of rice-paper kites in St. Cornelius Chapel, while Never Comes Tomorrow is a scattering of more than 100 wood cubes and steel funnels in the Liggett Hall archway. Other things to do while you're on Governors Island: ice-skating, mini golf, a movie in the park, and slurping waterfront oysters. Through October 31
2. Instagram the Heck Out of Coney Island
Coney Island Art Walls returns for another season of delivering curated, cool street art to the sunburned masses. The annual exhibition started as a lemons-into-lemonade situation: After the successful "Art in the Streets" show at Los Angeles's Museum of Contemporary Art in 2011, Jeffrey Deitch, the museum's former director, was looking to bring the idea to the Brooklyn Museum. After the museum sunsetted the project, Deitch turned to Coney Island as his plan B. Each year has featured a new crew of artists, selected by Deitch, and 2018 is no different. Walk through the maze of walls, snapping selfies and playing hide-and-seek (at least that's what we do). Bonus: There are food trucks! Through September
Photo by Martha Cooper
3. Explore the Wild Femininity of "Girl Pictures"
Photographer Justine Kurland was 27 years old and an M.F.A. candidate at Yale when she learned to drive. The same year, she set out on a cross-country road trip that would result in her renowned photo series, "Girl Pictures, 1997-2002." The staged portraits present girls as wandering, runaway, and woodsy in milieus revered (an Arcadian meadow) to desolate (a landfill). To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the project, the exhibition—featuring 60 (!) large-format, saturated prints—is on display at Mitchell-Innes & Nash, bringing the wilds of the West indoors. Through June 29
4. Listen to the Philharmonic Under the Stars
Each summer since 1965, New Yorkers have been dazzled by the New York Philharmonic taking to the parks and gracing the masses with its music. This summer's (free) shows take place in four boroughs, so bring your picnic and a blanket and settle in for a night of classical music under the stars. For that picture-perfect ending, each concert will conclude with fireworks. Through June 17
Philharmonic Under the Stars at Central Park
5. Flip Through the Diaries of Bill Cunningham
Venerable New York icon and style fortune-teller Bill Cunningham is the star of his own show at the New-York Historical Society for three months. "Celebrating Bill Cunningham" features not just a large collection of the late photographer's incredible pictures—he shot New York high society and street life for more than half a century—but also his personal scrapbooks, thick with hat ideas (he was also a milliner), newspaper clippings, and style inspiration, which visitors can actually thumb through and feel. It's like discovering your older brother's diary under the bed. Thrilling! Through September 9
Suzette Cimino, 1974. / Photo by Bill Cunningham
6. Hear Your Fortune and Learn Parlor Tricks
The New-York Historical Society hosts another see-feel-do exhibition, "Summer of Magic." This three-month-long wonderland for kids of all ages will feature shows with David Copperfield, escape artists, fortune-tellers, and mind readers, as well as items from Copperfield's personal collection of magic memorabilia, including Houdini's famed "metamorphosis trunk." Prepare to be shocked and awed. June 15–September 16
Photo by John Huntington
7. Bask in Near Solitude at the Empty Met Tour
This is as close as you'll get to having the Metropolitan Museum of Art all to yourself, without school groups and selfies. On Monday, Friday, and weekend mornings before the museum opens, you and just 25 others can meander from gallery to gallery and take in each piece without some guy in headphones blocking your view. If you're going on Friday, have breakfast at Flora Bar in the Met Breuer afterward, take a stroll through Central Park, and wish every weekday morning could start like this. $175 per person; tours are booked through Viatour
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
8. See and Taste the Art of Oaxaca
Get inspired by the women artists and entrepreneurs of Oaxaca, Mexico, who have put the city on the map as an epicenter of art, design, and dining. Pocoapoco, a research-based residency in Oaxaca, and the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York are bringing six Oaxacans to NYC for a four-day dinner-and-conversation series, Las Mujeres Oaxaquenas, focused on creative land use, female identity, and community involvement. Then try not to book a flight to Oaxaca. June 26–29
Want even more immersive experiences? Try our mobile app. New York, curated just for you.


At the No-Gi Pan 2010, Pablo Popovitch was king, crowned after winning his weight and the open weight divisions. But the event also featured stellar showings from Caio Terra, Henrique Costa, Jonathan Torres, Lucas Lepri, Diego Gamonal, Marcus Vinícius Oliveira, and Victor Costa, among others. Furthermore, the blue to brown belt athletes put on comely performances in New York.
Between the teams in the contest, Renzo Gracie took top spot, followed by CheckMat and Alliance. Also noteworthy was the participation of team Marcelo Garcia, winning the female, masters and seniors divisions.
Next post Jacaré Souza: "I want to be the number one".
Previous post Souza wants more money with WLPJJ titles.


During the whole summer poor little Tiny lived quite alone in the wide forest. She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it up under a broad leaf, to protect herself from the rain. She sucked the honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew from their leaves every morning. So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter,— the long, cold winter. All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly were flown away, and the trees and the flowers had withered.
version of Thumbelina's adventures in the wood.


Why did People's Light exhume this largely forgotten play from its well-deserved obscurity?
Larry Shue's 1979 farce has seen better days.
Fallacies and facts concerning male-female relations are explored within a farcical framework.
Damon Bonetti returns to Hedgerow Theatre for another summer farce.
THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR (IRC): Corruption!
A production that forefronts Gogol's surprising, desperate, hypnotizing dialogue. Illustration by Mike Jackson.
SHIPWRECKED! goes to the heart of storytelling. It doesn't matter whether a tale is true or false as long as it engages and even thrills.


The ION Cheer® line, offered in stock and ready to ship to you directly from Omni Cheer, combines the star quality of cheerleaders and the affordability of 10 oz double knit polyester uniforms to create an affordable option for all cheerleading teams. Whether your team is Pop Warner®, pee wee, elementary, middle, or high school, we have the sideline look you want at the prices you need.
The ION Cheer collection features cheerleading shell tops and skirts that come with the ION Cheer logo embroidered on the uniform pieces for no extra cost, giving your look that little extra shine that showcases their spirit. Match the uniform itself to metallic youth poms or plastic standard size pom poms, knee high socks, and sky-high bows to complete the look. Add a team name or initials to the front of the cheerleading uniform top to give your uniform an even more custom look while still staying within your budget. Better yet, if you have at least 6 squad members on your cheer team, you can add even more value to your purchase by choosing an Ion Cheer package. With affordable, high-quality performance ion cheer uniforms from Omni Cheer, you can be sure to keep your team focused on their performance!


Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a watery fluid that circulates through the brain's ventricles and around the surface of the brain and spinal cord. A CSF leak is an escape of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid. It results when there is a tear or hole in the membranes surrounding the brain or spinal cord. The causes for the hole or tear may include head injury and brain or sinus surgery. CSF leaks may also occur after lumbar puncture (spinal tap or spinal anesthesia). Sometimes, spontaneous CSF leaks can also occur for an unknown reason.
CSF leaks can be segregated into two groups.
Spontaneous leaks: occur without any known cause.
Traumatic leaks: These are most commonly related to a history of head injury, surgery, or tumors.
Diagnosis generally begins with physical examination and understanding your medical history. Often, the doctor will examine the nose with an endoscope. Diagnosing a CSF leak includes an analysis of the nasal fluid for a protein called beta-2 transferrin which is most only found in cerebrospinal fluid. CT and MRI scans may be required for determining the location and severity of the leakage.
Pledget Study : It includes placing small cotton pads (called "pledgets") into the nose. It is used to confirm the presence of a CSF leak, although it cannot determine the exact location of the leak.
Coronal CT Cisternogram : It involves using a contrast injected into the spinal fluid through a spinal tap and then performing CT scans. It is used to determine the exact location of the leak.
The patient's physician also may order tests to examine the condition of the brain and spinal cord. To find out whether the hole or tear is in the cranial area or the spine, the physician may ask for imaging tests to determine the exact location of the leak.
Though many CSF leaks heal on their own and require only a period of bed rest, patients with symptoms of the condition should still visit their physician because of the increased risk of meningitis. Usually, endonasal endoscopic surgery is recommended.
A surgery may be necessary to repair the leak where cranial CSF leaks do not respond to conservative treatments and bed rest. If high-pressure hydrocephalus is causing the CSF leak, the condition may reoccur until shunts are used to help drain the excess fluid.
Why Choose BSR Hospital for CSF Leaks?
BSR ENT Hospital is one of the renowned ENT Specialist Hospitals in Hyderabad and Secunderabad with a team of expert and experienced surgeons who ensures the best quality treatment to patients. The 40+ years of experience in ENT Care, explains our expertise in our accurate diagnosis and treatment solutions we offer for various disorders and mishap conditions.
Highly qualified, experienced and trained ENT specialists like Dr.B. Shanker Rao, MS, DLO, FICS and Dr.B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, MS ENT /Head and Neck Surgeon, are proficient at delivering best in treatment solutions for all ENT disorders. BSR applies latest technologies to simplify complex surgeries and provide best treatment outcomes.
Our in-house Clinical and Biochemical Laboratory/Radiology help in quick diagnosis and treatment making it convenient for our patients. We at BSR hospital offer cost effective treatment for our patients with the finest quality.


Jacob Carpenter Aug. 9, 2018 Updated: Aug. 9, 2018 9:42 p.m.
Most Houston ISD teachers will receive modest salary raises in 2018-19 after district trustees rebuffed administrators' proposal Thursday to freeze educator pay amid a budget crunch.
Trustees voted 5-4 to maintain the district's current teacher salary plan, which will result in most educators receiving raises ranging from about $200 to $2,200 as a reward for completing an extra year in the classroom. A small percentage will not receive raises based on their level of experience.
The money was not specifically included in the district's 2018-19 budget approved by trustees in June. As a result, HISD administrators likely will have to cut elsewhere from the district's operating budget, though language included in Thursday's proposal mandates that HISD employees cannot be laid off and salaries cannot be cut to pay for the additional spending.
HISD administrators said the district could not afford teacher raises after trustees approved a 2018-19 budget in June that included $84 million in cuts, $13.5 million more in special education services spending and $10 million to keep employee health insurance premiums flat. Administrators said awarding "step" raises would cost about $5 million.
Prior to the vote Thursday, district leaders did not commit to how they would trim $5 million. Trustees who voted against the pay increase expressed concern about spending money without specific ideas for cuts.
District officials were expecting Thursday's vote on teacher salary plan would be pro forma when June's budget was approved. Throughout the budget creation process, which lasted several months, administrators and trustees never discussed allocating money for teacher raises, district officials said.
However, the Houston Federation of Teachers, a union representing the largest number of educators in the region, and many teachers believed the 2018-19 budget included "step" increases. Those pay bumps would reward educators for completing an additional year of experience, with most teachers receiving an additional $200 to $900.
The miscommunication was exacerbated by the fact that HISD did not produce a proposed salary schedule until last week. Teachers have already signed their 2018-19 contracts prior to Thursday's vote.
HISD teachers are among the lowest-paid in the Houston area compared to educators of the same experience level. The annual salary difference between HISD educators and those at the region's highest-paying district is about $2,000 to $5,000, depending on years of experience.
District teachers received raises ranging from 2 percent to 4 percent in 2017-18 under a budget that pulled about $100 million from the district's rainy-day fund.
Trustees Santos, Flynn Vilaseca, Diana Dávila, Sergio Lira and Anne Sung voted in favor of the pay increases.


The Sacrament of Confirmation is conferred at The Church of St. Bernard on two separate occasions every year. The first occasion is during the Confirmation Liturgy, which is celebrated at the end of the Religious Education academic year. Students completing their 8th year of religious education instruction receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from a New York Auxiliary Bishop. The second occasion is during the Easter Vigil liturgy when our Parish Priests confer the Sacrament on the adult Candidates in our Rite of Christian Initiation Program (RCIA). To learn more about our RCIA program click here.
Confirmation is one of three sacraments of Christian initiation; the other two are Baptism and Eucharist. The reception of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of Baptismal grace. Like Baptism, which it completes, it is given only once, for it too imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the "character", which is the sign that Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of His Spirit by clothing him or her with power from on high so that he or she may be His witness (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1304).
Christ himself declared that He was marked with his Father's seal. Christians are also marked with a seal:"It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee (2 Cor 1:21-22)." The seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in His service forever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great escatological trial (CCC 1296).


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VH1 Rocks Sin City At First Annual 'VH1 Rock Honors'
Rock royalty received the ultimate form of flattery as some of today's hottest rock acts honored legendary bands KISS, QUEEN, DEF LEPPARD and JUDAS PRIEST at VH1's first annual "VH1 Rock Honors" Thursday night (May 25).
Taped at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, "VH1 Rock Honors", which premieres Wednesday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m., saluted the ground-breaking bands of rock, the once-in-a-lifetime events and the influential people who made a lasting mark on the history of hard rock.
The night opened with rock royalty as the FOO FIGHTERS joined QUEEN's Brian May and Roger Taylor for an explosive performance of "Tie Your Mother Down". QUEEN and Paul Rodgers proved why they are the champions of rock as they performed a medley of QUEEN's hit songs "Under Pressure", "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions".
GODSMACK delivered the ultimate rock smack-down with their rendition of JUDAS PRIEST's "Hell Bent For Leather", "Metal Gods", "The Hellion", "Electric Eye" and "Victim Of Changes". As JUDAS PRIEST took the stage, the crowd chanted their name and head-banged their way through the outlaw classic "Breaking The Law". They went wild when front man Rob Halford, on a motorcycle, showed the crowd why "You've Got Another Thing Coming".
THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS fired up the stage with their rendition of the DEF LEPPARD hit "Photograph". DEF LEPPARD had the crowd roaring with "Rock of Ages" and "Rocket".
The final performance of the night featured an all-star band tribute to KISS with surprise guest Ace Frehley, Tommy Lee, Slash, Scott Ian, Gilby Clarke and Rob Zombie performing KISS' "God Of Thunder". KISS ended the night by taking the stage in full make-up with a no holds barred performance of their ferocious hit "Detroit Rock City" and "Love Gun".
The show also included appearances by Kiefer Sutherland, Gina Gershon, Jaime Kennedy, Jim Breuer, Natasha Henstridge, Brittany Snow and Penn Jillette.
MHD: Music High-Definition channel, MTV Networks new High Definition Television channel will air "VH1 Rock Honors" on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m., during its first-ever simulcast. VH1 Classic will also air "VH1 Rock Honors" beginning the week of June 5.
Beginning Tuesday, May 30, VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel will offer exclusive performances from "VH1 Rock Honors" honorees and tribute bands that will not be seen during the show's television broadcast. Additional VSPOT content will include exclusive interviews with "VH1 Rock Honors" honorees, presenters and performers and "Air to the Throne" air guitar performances from the red carpet. Check it all out on VSPOT at vspot.vh1.com.
On Memorial Day weekend, The VH1 Radio Network will present a "VH1 Rock Honors Special: QUEEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DEF LEPPARD and KISS Get Honors". Hosted by VH1 Classic personality Eddie Trunk, the one-hour radio special will feature music and exclusive interviews from the bands being saluted at "VH1 Rock Honors" and from musicians the honorees have inspired to rock!
The VH1 Radio Network will present a live simulcast of "VH1 Rock Honors" on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:00 p.m.
Check out pictures from the show:
Film Magic:
Backstage & Audience
Wire Image:
Getty Images:
After-Party
Slash & Ace
Scott Ian, Slash & Tommy Lee
Scott Ian & Tommy Lee
Slash & Gilby
Ace #1


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What is Girdling?
Trees Willow
Girdling
Girdling Trees
Stump Remover
How To Trim A Tree
Removing Trees
The term "girdling" can refer to a number of things, including a gem cutting technique and the wearing of shaping garments by women. In this particular wiseGEEK article, "girdling" is being used in the sense of a horticultural practice which involves trees. Tree girdling occurs when a strip of bark around a tree's circumference is removed. This practice will ultimately cause death for the tree, and it is not generally recommended.
Girdling can often lead to the death of a tree, which is why it's a practice that's not recommended.
Trees use their bark to transport nutrients. When a strip of bark is removed, the tree cannot move certain nutrients up and down, and it will slowly die off. Death is prolonged because the trunk of the tree can be used to transport some nutrients, so the tree will survive until deficiencies in sugars start to set in. Tree girdling usually happens by accident, although it is sometimes utilized in forestry management.
Tree girdling is sometimes used in forest management.
Some trees become girdled when they are tethered to supportive stakes as they grow. The tether eventually pulls tight against the trunk of the tree, killing off the bark. Girdling can also occur when fencing and other materials become embedded in the bark, or when people accidentally damage a tree with lawn mowers, weed eaters, and other gardening tools. To prevent mechanical damage to trees, mulching the area around a tree can be a good idea, preventing the need to run weed-trimming equipment right up against the trunk of a tree.
Insect damage can also result in girdling. In these instances, beetles and other pests eat away at the bark from underneath, eventually forcing a strip to pull away and girdling the tree. Animals such as bears have also been known to girdle trees by accident. People sometimes inadvertently cause girdling when they wrap trees to protect them from pests or mechanical equipment.
Tree bark removal can also be done deliberately with the intent of causing tree death. Girdling is sometimes used in forestry management where traditional felling techniques would be disruptive. Some cultures have also used girdling as a felling technique historically, allowing the tree to die and dry out while standing upright so that it can be easily harvested and transported. However, many trees rot after being girdled, so this practice is not advised. Dead trees can also fall in unpredictable ways during storms, potentially causing damage on their way down.
In orchards, girdling is sometimes used to manage fruit size and sugar content. By girdling specific branches, farmers can force a tree to produce especially large fruits with a high sugar content.
What is Chestnut Blight?
What are the Different Types of Forestry Tools?
What is Crown Rot?
What is a Stump Grinder?
What is Air Layering?
What is a Cottonwood Tree?
Girdling crabapple trees is an excellent way to control how much fruit they produce. My grandfather actually had a technique he used that would limit the amount of crabapples produced, and how much fruit they would dump on our lawn.
While my family liked the crabapple tree, it wasn't very much fun picking up rotted fruit. Choosing branches to girdle actually really helped reduce our workload. I suppose I feel a bit bad about choking off the nutrients to certain parts of the tree, but it just seems cheaper than removing a tree. Also, I know there is free tree removal in some cities, but I don't think we're that lucky.
letshearit
When we bought our home we made the mistake of putting in a new fence too close to our tree and part of the fence actually ended up embedded in the bark. We had no idea that girdling a tree by accident would damage it, and we felt terrible over the damage to our willow tree.
Unfortunately it turned out the cost to remove tree roots and then removing the tree was cheaper than taking down the fence we had in place. My wife was pretty mad though that her little willow tree ended up biting the dust. I guess I will have to make it up to her by planting a new willow tree in a safe spot.


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CSU mandates vaccines for students, staff, faculty by Sept. 30
The California State University system is requiring students, staff, and faculty of its 23 campuses to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to gain access to campus this Fall.
The California State University system is requiring students, staff, and faculty of its 23 campuses to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in order to gain access to campus for the upcoming fall term, the university announced Tuesday.
While vaccine certification dates vary depending on status and campus, the university system said all vaccine certifications must be completed by Sept. 30.
"The current surge in COVID cases due to the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant is an alarming new factor that we must consider as we look to maintain the health and well-being of students, employees and visitors to our campuses this fall," CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said in a statement.
The university said that students opting to not get vaccinated, or choose to continue distance learning, will have "a more expansive offering of virtual courses as compared to before the pandemic." But, the university notes that it does not guarantee a full slate of offerings for every student type.
The vaccine mandate does include exemptions for medical and religious reasons, the university announced.
Alex Tavlian
Alex Tavlian is the Executive Editor of The San Joaquin Valley Sun and Executive Director of Valley Future Foundation. You can reach Alex at alex.tavlian@sjvsun.com.
Bredefeld: Shady accounting, $10mil demand by Frazier leaves "stench"
A $10 million claim of damages by a Fresno developer has opened a chasm at Fresno's City Hall, Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld announced.
In rare move, Newsom taps CSU Bakersfield student for powerful Calif. State University board
The appointment by Gov. Gavin Newsom is one of two California State University students on the board that oversees the university system.
Newsom touts 'light at the end of the tunnel' as COVID-19 cases, vaccine shipments pick up
With the arrival of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to the state, California can see a light at the end of the tunnel, but Gov. Gavin Newsom said this is a sober moment.
From a drag racing job offer to City Manager, Rudd delivered with trained eyes of a mechanic
Bruce Rudd climbed from transit mechanic to City Manager in a 41-year career with the City of Fresno.


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Ryoanji Records
A new label for experimental and electroacoustic music. Founded 2021.
We are delighted to announce that, at the end of last year, we were awarded Arts Council England funding to commission and release a series of new albums of electroacoustic/acousmatic music. In keeping with our Keychange Pledge (below), half of these commissions are dedicated to the release and promotion of work by women, female identifying and gender minority composers. The other half are open to all. The first call was made at the end of November and closed at the end of December. We had an incredible number and range of submissions from all over the world, and the decision making process was more difficult than we could have envisaged. After a great deal of deliberation the panel decided upon a proposal by Ingrid Plum, who will be creating an album of new music inspired by and responding to that of Lily Greenham (1924-2001). Greenham was a leading proponent of both concrete and sound poetry, and the inventor of 'lingual music'. She was a contemporary of Daphne Oram, Annea Lockwood and Delia Derbyshire, but is frequently overlooked in writing on composers associated with The BBC Radiophonic Lab. Ingrid will be working with the Lily Greenham archive to realise her new work.
Ingrid Plum
Our second call for works is open until the 17th of January and can be found here: https://www.artsjobs.org.uk/arts-job/post/call-for-electroacousticacousmatic-music-works-2nd-call/
We have just signed the Keychange Pledge, promising to ensure that at least 50% of all artists on our rosta are women and gender minorities. There is a vast historic and continuing gender disparity within the music industry which seems to be even more pronounced in the experimental/electroacoustic music making genres. We aim to demonstrate, promote and disseminate the huge wealth of talent that exists and to create more opportunities for women and gender minorities in our corner of the music industry. We hope to have news on new commissioning opportunities very soon, so please keep an eye on this page.
You can now pre-order our first release, Bill Vine's 'northsong', from our Bandcamp page: https://ryoanjirecords.bandcamp.com/releases


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Eyes on the prize: After a Houston boxing gym is burgled, its best fighter steps into the ring
Lomi Kriel Dec. 2, 2019 Updated: Dec. 2, 2019 7:43 p.m.
Eyes on the prize: After a Houston boxing gym is burgled,...
1of38Joseph Rivera, 43, embraces his son Joseph Rivera, 22, after the fighter's boxing match against Ariel Vasquez at Houston's Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 23, 2019,. It was a big moment for the Riveras' 713 Boxing Gym and came after a devastating month in which the club was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies stolen.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
2of38Joseph Rivera, 22, gets his wrists wrapped before a boxing match against Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for the young fighter, with one of his idols, Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, in attendance. It came after a devastating month in which his father's boxing gym was burgled.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
3of38Joseph Rivera, 22, warms up before his boxing match on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for the young fighter, with one of his idols, Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, in attendance. It came after a devastating month in which the boxing gym run by Rivera's father was burgled.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
4of38Coach Joseph Rivera, 43, trains Jaylon Sample, 20, at his boxing gym on Nov. 25, 2019, in Aldine. The club has become a refuge for troubled children and its community was devastated last month after someone broke into the gym, stealing valuable equipment and trophies. Astros' pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. stepped in to help.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
5of38Joseph Rivera, right, 22, fights Ariel Vasquez during a match at the Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for his father's 713 Boxing Gym after a devastating month in which someone broke into the club and stole valuable equipment and trophies.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
6of38"We are all his children here," says Hector Garcia, 22, about his 713 Boxing Gym coach Joseph Rivera on Nov. 25, 2019, in Aldine.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
7of38Boxing mouthguard with Joseph Rivera's boxing name "Tormenta" on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
8of38Joseph Rivera, 22, rests before his fight against Nicaraguan fighter Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
9of38Joseph Rivera, 22, ponders his fight against Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym after a devastating month in which someone broke into the club and stole valuable trophies and equipment.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
10of38Joseph Rivera, 22, rests before his fight against Nicaraguan fighter Ariel Vasquez on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
11of38Joseph Rivera, 22, sits quietly and thoughtful before his boxing match against Ariel Vasquez on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
12of38Joseph Rivera, 43, advises his son Joseph Rivera, 22, before his fight against Ariel Vasquez on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
13of38Joseph Rivera, 43, and his son Joseph Rivera, 22, meet Evander Holyfield at the Arabia Shrine Center before Joseph's boxing match on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
14of38Joseph Rivera, 22, sits quietly and thoughtful before his boxing match with his father Joseph Rivera, 43, by his side on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
15of38Joseph Rivera, right, 22, fights Ariel Vasquez during a match at the Arabia Shrine Center on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston. Rivera won the fight against Vasquez.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
16of38Joseph Rivera, 22, wins a boxing match against Ariel Vasquez at the Arabia Shrine Center on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
17of38Joseph Rivera, 43, embraces his son Joseph Rivera, 22, after the fighter won a boxing match against Ariel Vasquez at the Arabia Shrine Center on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
18of38Joseph Rivera, 22, high fives his family and friends after winning a boxing match against Ariel Vasquez at the Arabia Shrine Center on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
19of38Coach Joseph Rivera, 43, fist bumps Sergio Ballesteros, 10, a few minutes before stating the warming up routine on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019, in Aldine.Photo: Marie De Jesús/Staff photographer
21of38A Houston boxing gym was burgled and equipment and irreplaceable trophies stolen. Then the gym's best fighter, 22-year-old Joseph Rivera, faced a much-hyped fight. Here his father embraces after the match at the Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 24, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
22of38Joseph Rivera, 22, warms up for his boxing fight on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father, Joseph Sr., started when his son didn't enjoy the club where he was training.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
23of38Boxers warm up at the Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 23, 2019 in Houston for a big fight that featured the son of Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, one of boxing's all-time greats. The father was there to see his son Evan, who many laud as the "future of boxing."Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
24of38Rayan Ani, 23, practices his boxing skills at the 713 Boxing Gym. Joseph Rivera Sr. started the club a decade ago and it has since become a refuge for many troubled kids.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
25of38Young 713 Boxing Gym members train at the gym in Aldine. Joseph Rivera Sr. started the 713 Boxing Gym a decade ago after his son, also named Joseph, didn't like the club he was training at. It has since become a refuge for many troubled kids.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
26of38Joseph Rivera, 43, advises his son Joseph Rivera, 22, before his fight against Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father started out of pocket when his son didn't enjoy the club he was at. It followed a devastating few weeks in which someone broke into the gym and stole equipment and irreplaceable trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
27of38Boxing mouth guard with Joseph Rivera's boxing name "La Tormenta," or storm, for both his hurricane-prone hometown of Houston and his fierce jabs in the ring, on Nov. 23, 2019, in Houston.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
28of38Joseph Rivera, 22, rests before his fight against Nicaraguan boxer Ariel "La Guerra" Vasquez on Nov. 23 in Houston. The fight came after the boxing gym owned by Rivera's father was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies stolen. The plight went viral once Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. donated and sent his legions of Twitter followers to the GoFundMe account. Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
29of38Joseph Rivera, 22, sits quietly before his fight against Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23 in Houston. The fight came after the boxing gym owned by Rivera's father was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies stolen. The plight went viral once Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. donated and sent his legions of Twitter followers to the GoFundMe account. Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
30of38Joseph Rivera, 22, rests before his fight against Nicaraguan fighter Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23 in Houston. The fight came after the boxing gym owned by Rivera's father was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies stolen. The plight went viral once Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. donated and sent his legions of Twitter followers to the GoFundMe account. Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
31of38Joseph Rivera, 22, sits quietly with his father Joseph Rivera, 43, before his fight on Nov. 23 in Houston. The fight came after the boxing gym owned by Rivera's father was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies stolen. The plight went viral once Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. donated and sent his legions of Twitter followers to the GoFundMe account. Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
32of38Joseph Rivera, right, 22, fights Ariel Vasquez at the Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 23 in Houston. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father started a decade ago, and followed a devastating few weeks in which someone broke into the gym and stole equipment and irreplaceable trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
34of38Joseph Rivera, 43, embraces his son Joseph Rivera, 22, after the fighter boxing match against Ariel Vasquez at Houston's Arabia Shrine Center. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father started a decade ago, and followed a devastating few weeks in which someone broke into the gym and stole equipment and trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
35of38Coach Joseph Rivera, 43, fist bumps Sergio Ballesteros, 10, a few minutes before stating the warming up routine on Nov. 25 in Aldine. Rivera started the 713 Boxing Gym a decade ago after his son, also named Joseph, didn't like the club he was training at. It has since become a refuge for many troubled kids.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
36of38Young 713 Boxing Gym members train at the gym on Nov. 25. Joseph Rivera Sr. started the club a decade ago and it has since become a refuge for many troubled kids. Rivera was devastated after someone broke into the gym last month, taking valuable equipment and trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
37of38Jaylon Sample, 20, wraps his wrists as he prepares to train at the 713 Boxing Gym. Joseph Rivera Sr. started the club a decade ago and it has since become a refuge for many troubled kids. Rivera was devastated after someone broke into the gym last month, taking valuable equipment and trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
38of38Jaylon Sample, 20, stretches during a warming up session before starting his boxing training at the 713 Boxing Gym in Aldine. Joseph Rivera Sr. started the club a decade ago and it has since become a refuge for many troubled kids. Rivera was devastated after someone broke into the gym last month, taking valuable equipment and trophies.Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Hundreds of eyes trained on Joseph Rivera as he stepped into the ring, donning his trademark black and gold cape, for the eighth professional fight of the 22-year-old's career.
Among the viewers was Jesse Sifuentes, who had recorded a song for Rivera, his friend and idol, to strut into the ring. The two grew up together at the 713 Boxing Gym near Aldine, opened by Rivera's father a decade ago. As Sifuentes' father bounced in and out of prison, he turned to the gym for solace.
"It's like a family," he said.
The crowd at Houston's Arabia Shrine Event Center on Nov. 23 was electrifying, reminiscent of a bygone era before sportswriters began lamenting boxing's decline. It featured the past and future of the so-called sweet science, with up-and-comers including the son of Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, one of boxing's all-time greats. The father was in attendance, his famously maligned ear by Mike Tyson intact. Spectators arrived in limousines, drinks flowed and scantily-clad women flashed pearly whites and other body parts.
It was a big moment for 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father, Joseph Sr., started when his son didn't enjoy the club where he was training. Not only could this fight help cement the young boxer's professional reputation, but it followed a devastating few weeks in which someone broke into the gym and stole valuable equipment and irreplaceable trophies and medals. The plight went viral once Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. donated and sent his legions of Twitter followers to the GoFundMe account.
This night, Rivera was in the coveted closing spot. His opponent, Ariel "La Guerra" Vasquez, was older, stockier and had 44 fights under his belt. From the hardscrabble capital city of Managua, Nicaragua, Vasquez seemed tougher than the baby-faced Rivera, nicknamed "La Tormenta," or storm, for both his hurricane-prone hometown of Houston and his fierce jabs.
Joseph Rivera, 22, sits quietly before his big fight against Ariel Vasquez on Nov. 23, 2019 in Houston. The much-hyped fight came after the boxing gym owned by Rivera's father was broken into and valuable equipment and trophies were stolen.
Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
The much-hyped event had kicked off with a touch of disappointment when Vasquez could not make weight, so instead of the scheduled title fight, the two were competing only for their professional record. But that did not dampen the enthusiasm of Rivera's most devoted fans: the boys and girls of 713 Boxing Gym.
"I've always looked up to him," said Sifuentes, 26, who met Rivera when they both were young teens getting into boxing. Sifuentes' father had been a professional boxer before he landed in prison, and the boy felt drawn to the sport to connect with him in some way.
"I was missing a father figure," he said.
'Off the street'
He found it in Rivera's father, who helped refocus the boy's anger. Sifuentes' mother had him at 14 and raised him and his three siblings alone. Often there were financial problems, but Coach Joseph told Sifuentes not to worry about paying at the gym if he couldn't afford it. When Sifuentes didn't think he would be able to go to prom, the coach and the gym organized fundraisers so Sifuentes could pay for a limousine, tuxedo and a class ring.
"He kept me out of the streets," Sifuentes said. "He pushed me to my fullest potential, to the best version of me."
He and his coach shared another coincidental link.
As a young adult, Rivera Sr. had mixed with a rough crowd in north Houston and in 1996, he was charged with the unauthorized use of a vehicle after police found him and his friends inside a stolen car. He served five months in prison, where he got to know Sifuentes' father.
Their paths diverged after Rivera was released. While Sifuentes' father kept landing back in prison, Rivera changed course. He and his girlfriend became pregnant with Rivera Jr., but she left when he was 4. He raised the boy alone, before marrying his second wife and having three more children.
Rivera Jr. struggled at school. Small and slight, he was always bullied. One day he'd had enough and used what he had learned in boxing to punch out the bully. The surprise defeat scored him social points — and caught the attention of Gina Rigsby, then assistant principal at Reed Academy.
"She started sending troubled kids from the school to our gym because she saw what it had done for Joseph," said his stepmother, 38-year-old Denise Rivera.
Rigsby, now the principal at Aldine High School, said she didn't like boxing before she met Rivera and his father.
"I realized it was much more of a family sport," she said. "Some of my worst-behaved kids under Coach Joe began acting a lot better … not only did boxing affect them as individuals, it also promoted excellence in the classroom."
Some of that had to do with the coach.
"They respect him even more than their dads," Rigsby said. "If they have dads in their lives."
She found that boxing seemed to particularly help children battling rough home lives and other problems.
"When they box in the ring, it helps them get their demons out," she said. "It's something inside of them they have to overcome."
Often called the "poor man's sport," it is a familiar tale embodied by some of the greatest boxers of all time.
"We can't afford to play golf or tennis," "Sugar" Ray Leonard once said. "It's kept so many kids off the street. It kept me off the street."
A sport in decline?
The sport has fallen into a bit of a decline amid outcry over its violent nature and its propensity for concussions, brain injuries and even deaths. Many TV stations stopped airing fights regularly. Still, last year, "Canelo" Álvarez of Mexico signed a staggering 11-fight, five year, $365 million contract with DAZN, a streaming service.
On Saturday, World Boxing Association heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr., who grew up in Imperial, Calif.. will face Britain's Anthony Joshua in a much-anticipated rematch. Ruiz grew up in a club similar to the 713 Boxing Gym as the son of Mexican immigrants in an impoverished part of California.
Joseph Rivera, 43, and his son Joseph Rivera, 22, meet Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, one of boxing's all-time greats, at the Arabia Shrine Center before Rivera Jr.'s fight on Nov. 23.
At Houston's Arabia Shrine Event Center in November, it was as if boxing was still in its prime. Holyfield took interview upon interview and photos with fans in the changing room as he waited for his son, Evan, whom many laud as the "future of boxing," to make his second professional fight.
"The only people that usually box are people from the ghetto, tough people," Holyfield, who was raised in a crime-ridden housing project in Atlanta, said in a brief interview. "They are used to disappointment and pain."
Evan Holyfield's coach and manager, Maurice "Termite" Watkins, grew up the son of fumigators in Houston before turning to boxing, eventually becoming a pro. He said he also had been one of those children who was troubled before he found the sport.
Later, he helped lead the Iraqi boxing team to the 2004 Olympics. Now he heads the Fighter Nation Boxing Gym in Houston, where Evan Holyfield trains.
"A lot of kids get in because they can't afford baseball gloves and bats," Watkins said. "Kids just want to feel part of something, and if we don't give them a place, someone will."
It was Watkins who gave Rivera Sr. a set of foundational tapes that helped him train at his new gym. Watkins has followed the father-and-son boxing team since.
"You won't find anyone more committed," he said. "His kids have a place to go that is safe."
It's that fact that made the burglary so devastating. Rivera started the club with his own money, often going into debt over it. The equipment had been hard fought; the trophies even more so. Rivera has still not figured out who did it; he thinks the door was left open by mistake and someone who knows the gym broke in.
"All we wanted was our medals back," he said. "The kids worked so hard for them."
But the community outpouring of support —fueled by McCullers — was heart-rending.
"It meant so much," Rivera said.
Like so many boxing clubs, his gym is a place where children seem to find refuge from all sorts of pain. Take Gerardo Guardado, who last year discovered his single mother had terminal cancer. The 14-year-old, the second-eldest child in the family, spent weeks sleeping next to her on the floor after that.
He had been diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4. Though doctors prescribed him medication, his mother instead enrolled him at Rivera's gym.
"It gets all his energy out," his mother, Veronica Granados, said. "It helped him with his anger issues."
Joseph Rivera stands victorious at the Arabia Shrine Center on Nov. 23 in Houston. It was a big moment for the 713 Boxing Gym, which Rivera's father started a decade ago, and followed a devastating few weeks in which someone broke into the gym and stole equipment and trophies.
Now the teen hoped to turn professional like the gym's biggest star — "I wanna fight, I wanna be like you," he told Rivera Jr. once.
As his idol strutted into the ring, Guardado watched in anxious anticipation. Both boxers put up a good fight, but Rivera quickly took the lead after he punched Vasquez in the stomach, a maneuver known as the liver shot. The Nicaraguan never quite recovered, and four rounds in, Rivera was declared the winner to resounding cheers.
The coach picked up his son, swinging him around the ring. They might be a ways off from the Holyfield legacy, but this was a step.
"After the lights are turned off and the dust is settled, the team is coming back together hugging and celebrating," Rivera Sr. reflected. "It makes everything worth it. It lets these kids know your dreams can come true."
Dug Begley contributed to this report.
lomi.kriel@chron.com
Lomi Kriel
Follow Lomi on:
https://www.facebook.com/ReporterLomilomikriel
Lomi Kriel is the immigration reporter at the Houston Chronicle, where she was the first to uncover the Trump administration's separation of migrant families at the border in November 2017 -- six months before the policy was officially announced.
She has written on all aspects of immigration, including the tightening of asylum and mass arrests of immigrants under Trump. She has reported on the record backlogged immigration courts, impact of the 2014 influx of Central American children that overwhelmed President Obama's administration, attacks on refugees, and increased militarization of the border. She frequently reports from the border, and has also reported on immigration from El Salvador, Arizona and Washington D.C.
Previously she was a reporter for Reuters in Central America and covered criminal justice for the San Antonio Express-News.
She holds a master of arts in political journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper.
Born and raised in South Africa, she immigrated to Houston in 1998 and speaks Spanish and Afrikaans.
Reach her at lomi.kriel@chron.com or on Twitter @lomikriel
Judge blocks Trump policy allowing states to refuse refugees
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Preliminary development of a VTOL unmanned air vehicle for the close-range mission.
The preliminary development of a full-scale Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) for the Close-Range mission was completed at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The vehicle was based on half-scale ducted-fan investigations performed at the UAV Flight Research Lab. The resulting design is a fixed-duct, tail-sitter UAV with a canard-configured horizontal stabilizer. Major airframe components are used from previous UAVs and include the wings from a U. S. Army Aquila and the ducted fan from the U.S. Marine Corps AROD. Accomplishments include: 1.) the design and fabrication of a carry-through spar and 2.) the design and construction of an engine test stand. The carry-through spar was designed using finite element analysis and constructed from composite materials. The purpose of the test stand is to measure torque, horsepower, and thrust of an entire ducted fan or an individual engine. Completion of this thesis will pave the way for future NPS research into the growing interest in VTOL UAV technology.


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Earth day – forum calls for action on climate change in South east Queensland (APR)
Media Releases 2007
In keeping with the theme for Earth Day 2007, "A call for action on climate change", a
public forum at Indigiscapes in Capalaba Saturday called for a halt to the South East
Queensland Regional Plan until climate change and protection of our natural environment
are factored into the planning process.
Predictions in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, released on
6th April, are that ''ongoing coastal development and population growth in areas such as
Cairns and Southeast Queensland… are projected to exacerbate risks from sea-level rise
and increases in the severity and frequency of storms and coastal flooding by 2050."
Simon Baltais, President of Sustainable Population Australia – South East
Queensland Branch, says that these warnings, together with the state's mapping of
valuable natural areas, are being ignored in the SEQ Plan.
"Impacts of increased bushfire risk and rising sea levels on settlement patterns and
on our natural areas have not adequately been considered in the Plan," said Baltais.
"Less rainfall and increased evaporation are drying up our water supplies, yet we continue
to cram more people into this area."
"The animals and plants of this region will need places to spread if they are to
survive the extremes of increases in temperature and drying and increased intensity of
rainfall and flooding," said Baltais.
The SEQ Regional Plan requires local governments to continue to spread
development in low-lying areas and on steep slopes. It also increases density in those
areas most at risk.
"This Plan is outdated before it's implemented," said Baltais. "It's based on past
poor planning and should not go ahead."
The Forum passed a resolution calling on all levels of government to slow
development and factor in climate change and nature conservation for all future planning
for the area.
For more information about the outcomes of this public meeting:
Simon Baltais, President, SPA-SEQ, Mb: 0412 075 334
Sustainable Population Australia – SEQ Branch, Box 199, Mudgeeraba Qld 4213