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Singapore's public housing owners have one major edge over Hong Kong's. Can Carrie Lam turn this around? Public Flat Rental Market
Property Rights Do Matter : Subsidized Sale Flats – Hong Kong versus Singapore
(This essay was published in Hong Kong Economic Journal on 25 July 2018.)
The Chief Executive has made homeownership, particularly subsidized public homeownership, the centerpiece of her government's public housing policy. This is very wise. It was first announced in her campaign platform and later in her first policy address. She has carried it forward by proposing a Starter Homes Scheme, regularizing the Green Form Subsidized Home Ownership Pilot Scheme (GSH), and increasing the discount on Homeownership Scheme (HOS) sale flats from the present 30 per cent to 48 per cent off the market prices of private housing flats.
There was no mention of reviving the Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS) to sell public rental housing flats, despite calls from some quarters. Still, many pundits are surmising that her broad thrust towards expanding subsidized homeownership and making it more affordable represents a significant shift towards Singapore's Housing Development Board (HDB) model.
The Singapore model and Hong Kong's existing schemes are in fact quite different in both form and substance. The defining difference between them is not the level of subsidy, the size of the flats, or the eligibility criteria for admission, but the property rights structure under which people own public flats in these two cities.
This difference has two critical implications. First, it means there have been very different consequences for subsequent prosperity and inclusiveness in the two places.
Second, it highlights the shortfalls of Hong Kong's housing policy. Singapore has had only one scheme from the very start, but in Hong Kong there have been many separate schemes over the years, some long lasting and others of shorter duration. The multitude of schemes reflects an underlying incompleteness of our housing policy to cater to the diverse and evolving demands of the population.
Mrs. Carrie Lam may either drew closer to Singapore's public housing model or continue with Hong Kong's existing schemes. Where Hong Kong's housing policy should be heading towards is a question that deserves very careful deliberation. It is a complex subject and a great deal is at stake.
Property Rights Structure in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the buyers of HOS, TPS and GSH flats are in an important sense not full or 100 per cent owners of their flats. At the time of purchase, the eligible buyer receives a 30 per cent discount. The discount is based on the market valuation of a privately-owned flat.
If the owner sells the subsidized flat in the future on the open market, then she is required to pay back the unpaid 30 per cent discounted premium that she previously received. The value of this discount is, however, evaluated at the time of sale and not at the time of original purchase. So if the flat has appreciated in value, then the unpaid premium will increase.
From an economic perspective, the owner of the subsidized flat can enjoy 100 per cent of use value, but 70 per cent of its value as a transferrable asset. If the government can collect 30 per cent of the transferrable value of the property, and at the appreciated value, then it must be treated as a shareholder in the asset value of the flat. The owner of a subsidized sale flat does not possess an unfettered right to transfer the property without first surrendering to government 30 per cent of the value of the asset.
But the government is not a co-owner of the property in the legal sense. Its 30 per cent claim to the property value is established before factoring in any outstanding mortgage loans the owner might have incurred. In what sense has the property been sold at a discount in the first place? The discount applies to user rights, but not to transfer rights. What the government had subsidized is the user value, but not the transfer value.
Since both user and transfer values are embedded in the same physical asset, this type of arrangement is an inefficient use of public housing resources. The owner receives a very strong incentive to stay in the same property because she then gets 100 per cent of the use value. She is, however, discouraged from selling the flat when it is in the family's interest to do so because she can only collect 70 per cent of the transfer value of the flat.
To illustrate the dilemma, imagine a flat's use value to the owner declines by 15 per cent for a variety of reasons, say the family may wish to move to another area to live closer to work, schools for children, and grandparents' home. But to do so the owner must sell the flat. The family may be forced to stay in the same location and accept the lower use value that has declined by 15 per cent, in order to avoid losing 30 per cent by selling the flat.
You may wonder why the owner would not lease out the flat without selling it to avoid the losses. Well, this is not permitted because the owner only has full user rights, but does not possess any leasing rights until they pay up the 30 per cent transfer value.
In 2010, the government seemed to recognize how ossified these restrictions were and, in a bid to revitalize the HOS secondary market, encouraged the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation to provide second mortgage loans to help owners of subsidized flats pay off the 30 per cent transfer value so that they could lease out their flats. But the unpaid 30 per cent transfer value had appreciated significantly compared to the original purchase price and become far too expensive for most owners. It was a case of too little, too late. A bolder vision is thus needed.
The current situation means that subsidized sale flat owners are encouraged to stay in their flats far longer than they should. This reduces the geographic mobility of the population and imposes many other costs on society and the economy. To my knowledge, at least five economists in Hong Kong have separately estimated the enormous economic cost of public rental housing in distorting consumption and labor market behavior due to reduced geographic mobility. I believe there are analogous losses from imposing transfer restrictions on public sale flats. The magnitude of such losses is easily 1-2 per cent of GDP each year.
The Economics of the Share Tenancy
The sharing of output between the farmer and landowner is widespread in pre-industrial agrarian societies and is known as sharecropping or share tenancy. Share tenancy is an arrangement whereby a landowner engages a landless tenant to farm his land under a future output-sharing arrangement, for example, at a 50-50 sharing ratio.
British economist Alfred Marshall (1842-1924), founder of neoclassical economics, famously showed that the share tenancy was a hugely inefficient economic arrangement. His point was very simple. For a given quantity and quality of land, under a share tenancy arrangement the amount of output depends only on the effort of the tenant farmer. If any additional output resulting from greater effort on the part of the farmer has to be shared with the landowner, then his incentive to exert himself would be reduced because he cannot get the full reward of his additional effort.
Marshall reasoned that it would be more efficient for landowners to either offer a wage contract to hire farmers or a rental contract to lease out land to farmers. Competition among landlords and farmers would set wages equal to the marginal product of labor or rents equal to the marginal product of land. Contractual arrangements either in the form of wage-labor or land-rent would increase agricultural production efficiency and result in more output than the share tenancy arrangement. In practice, tenant farmers are typically too poor to pay rent so rental contracts are unlikely in pre-industrial agrarian societies.
How is Marshall's argument relevant to Hong Kong's subsidized sales flat scheme? And why does it matter?
Some might think that the buying and selling of flats is an asset transaction and does not involve production, so Marshall's argument might not be relevant. The value of a flat rises or falls over time depending on aggregate demand and supply factors that are independent of the direct effort of the owner. But this is not so.
The housing services generated by a flat consist of the owner consumption service and the leasing out service. The latter is, however, not permitted for a subsidized sale flat. But as an owner, I can invest in renovation and maintenance to increase the level of housing consumption services. This element is equivalent to output produced on a farm.
The owner of a Hong Kong subsidized sale flat has less incentive to invest in renovation and maintenance because when he sells the property in future, he has to share the value enhancement with the government. Indeed, because of the lack of upkeep, if the flat were rented in future (which of course is not possible under present restrictions), it would fetch a lower rent. The result is underinvestment in housing services in subsidized sale flats unless the owner expects to remain there for a very long period of time.
This share tenancy arrangement explains why Housing Authority officials have found it so difficult to manage TPS owners. These owners are unwilling to share the cost of Housing Authority-initiated renovation and maintenance work because any enhancement in transfer value has to be shared with the government, even though it enhances the use value. I think the TPS owner cannot be blamed – they have insufficient incentive under a share tenancy arrangement to share the transfer value with the government.
Now if the owner did not have to share the transfer value with government, their behavior might be different. The behavior of the TPS owners proves Alfred Marshall's point. Interestingly, Singapore's HDB flats avoid this problem entirely.
Property Rights Structure in Singapore
The HDB flats are sold at a discount to permanent residents, and the discount is adjusted for affordability as economic conditions change. Some flats are available for rent, but most are for sale. Eligible residents can choose to rent or purchase. There is only one chance in a lifetime for a married couple to purchase at the discount rate.
After a period of restriction during which the flat cannot be sold (same as in Hong Kong), the owner can sell the flat on the open market at a market price to any permanent resident who does not own a flat. Leasing out the flat is also permitted. Any appreciation in value accrues entirely to the owner. In Singapore, the owner of an HDB flat purchases, at a discount, the full or 100 per cent of the user right, leasing right and transfer right to the flat.
The Singapore HDB scheme is therefore not a share tenancy arrangement. It does not generate the inefficiency consequences that the Hong Kong schemes do. HDB flats are well utilized among the population of permanent residents either for own occupation, rent or sale. Geographic mobility is not severely restricted as in Hong Kong where transfer values have to be shared with the government.
There is one right that the Singapore government has retained. HDB owners cannot redevelop their estates into private estates. When the structure becomes very old, they can only allow government to redevelop them into new HDB flats. In this way, these estates will never become foreign-owned.
What is the value of the absence of redevelopment rights in HDB flats? HDB flats sell on the open market at prices that are roughly 30 per cent lower than equivalent private flats. The discount reflects in part the value of redevelopment rights. It also reflects some underinvestment in renovation and maintenance when there is a limitation on redevelopment rights.
By contrast, the Hong Kong TPS, HOS and GHS flats do not have such legal limitations. Indeed, the very fact that the discount on subsidized sale flats is benchmarked against private market prices reflects the underlying property rights structure that means they could, in principle, be redeveloped into private estates.
What Should Hong Kong Do?
In summary, the Hong Kong approach restricts transfer and leasing rights, while Singapore's approach limits redevelopment rights. Neither in my view is perfect. But while Singapore could conceivably justify its limitation on nation building grounds, does Hong Kong have a justification for its restrictions?
Amazingly, Hong Kong's restrictions were introduced only after Phase IIIA of the HOS flats in 1982. The HOS units sold during Phase I-IIIA were offered with a 30 per cent discount and the requirement to share transfer values with government did not exist. It was, in essence, almost identical to the Singapore model and even better. It had no restrictions on redevelopment rights and subsidized sale flats could be treated similarly to private flats once the time restriction of sales was ended. Hong Kong would have had a single housing market to allocate the bulk of the housing stock.
But in 1982, new restrictions on the sharing transfer values and leasing services were suddenly imposed on the HOS flats. What happened? In 1981-82 the Volcker Fed increased interest rates in a bid to kill inflation. In Hong Kong, nominal property prices rose by 22.6 per cent in 1981 and fell by -13.5 per cent in 1982. Consumer prices rose by 26.5 percent in 1981 and 11.0 per cent in 1982. Inflation-adjusted property prices fell by -3.9 per cent in 1981 and -24.5 per cent in 1982. Both nominal and inflation-adjusted property prices continued to fall until 1984.
One can only speculate as to why the Housing Authority decided to impose a restriction on sharing transfer values at the start of one of the most severe deflations in the property market. . The "green-eyed" monster was out and government was apparently worried about selling the flats at deflated prices and at a discount. What a terrible mistake and what a huge price the Hong Kong public has had to pay ever since. This is not the Singapore model but our own mutant public housing regime.
Property prices have since soared and housing is no longer affordable for most. The government has finally relented to increase the market discount from 30 per cent to 48 per cent. But if this is only a discount on user rights and not transfer rights. In effect itmeans the sharing of the transfer value rises to 48 per cent, it will dampeneven more incentive to become geographically mobile. We will have entrenched Hong Kong's mutant system much deeper. What a horrible destruction of value.
In 1982, when we embarked on a path to destroy land value, that value was still cheap. So why, today, are we going further and faster down this path when land values have become so expensive?
If the Hong Kong government were to reform its public housing sales flat scheme someday to follow Singapore's model, we would create a better regime. Instead of adopting the share tenancy arrangement, the government should adopt an equivalent wage or rental arrangement. Actually, it is surprisingly easy to reform.
If a genuine 30 percent discount were offeredincluding transfer rights, as was the case in the Phase I-IIIA HOS flats, then the remaining unpaid value would only be 18 per cent since the sales price is set at a discount of 48 per cent off the market value. This 18 per cent could take the form of a deferred loan from government to be repaid when the property is transferred. This deferred loan would have a fixed value and could even accrue interest.
A deferred loan arrangement would not be a sharing of the future transfer value. It would avoid all the disincentive effects and inefficiencies and even inequities of the present mutant public housing scheme. I hope that this would be able to take Hong Kong towards the Singapore model, and a better Version 2.0 model with redevelopment rights.
In 1993, at a forum organized by the Tax Institute on retirement pensions, I advocated privatizing Hong Kong's public housing as an alternative to introducing social pensions. Mr. David Webb accused me of bringing the Singapore HDB model to Hong Kong. At that time he did not like my proposal, but he was spot on. Although I had always described my proposal as privatizing public housing, he recognized it was actually the Singaporean model.
I hope we do not confuse what we are trying to do in Hong Kong today as proceeding on the path to Singapore. We are moving further away. The wrong path could cost us at a minimum 1-2 per cent of GDP and further worsen inclusiveness in society. How property rights are defined over public sales flats will have profound effects on the economy and society, and ultimately on politics.
When land values are so unaffordable in Hong Kong, our government must not shirk from the duty of providing a genuine discount on subsidized public sale flats. And end this nonsensical pseudo discount on user rights but not leasing and transfer rights. The "green-eyed" monsters in town should be roundly rebuked – populist envy should have no place in a civilized community.


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Eaton County opposes pension for ex-sheriff sergeant beaten by suspect, suffering seizures
An attorney for Eaton County referred to the 1997 beating by a suspect of Deputy Jim West with a metal flashlight as a "relatively minor event."
Eaton County opposes pension for ex-sheriff sergeant beaten by suspect, suffering seizures An attorney for Eaton County referred to the 1997 beating by a suspect of Deputy Jim West with a metal flashlight as a "relatively minor event." Check out this story on lansingstatejournal.com: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/opinion/columnists/judy-putnam/2019/04/24/eaton-county-sergeant-injury-retirement-sheriff/3548714002/
Judy Putnam, Lansing State Journal Published 8:16 a.m. ET April 24, 2019 | Updated 7:27 a.m. ET April 25, 2019
LANSING – Jeff Warder can't forget the terrible sound of a two-pound metal flashlight smashing into the head of his partner over and over.
The man swinging the weapon had violated his probation. Warder and Jim West, both Eaton County Sheriff's Office deputies at the time, were trying to bring him in.
"The sound was the most sickening thud I've ever heard in my life," Warder said. "I can still hear it to this day."
It was Jan. 16, 1997. Before the fight was over, West shot and killed the man who was hitting him, Gregory Sailer, 25.
"I was able to get a shot off to kill him. It's not what I wanted to do. It's what happened," West recalled.
Eaton County Sergeant Jim West in 2016 photo. West said the county has abandoned him just 18 months shy of retirement. (Photo: Lansing State Journal/Courtesy Jim West)
Two decades later, West began experiencing debilitating headaches and seizures. He hasn't returned to work since a major seizure left him dazed and hospitalized in February 2017. Since the seizure, he's had memory loss and anxiety.
The state Municipal Employees Retirement System approved West's petition for a duty-related retirement in 2017.
Eaton County challenged it.
And so he's surviving on Social Security disability benefits and credit card debt.
Doctors at both the University of Michigan and Michigan State University have independently connected the seizures to a brain lesion from the 1997 injury.
Eaton County officials scoff at the notion that the injury is job related.
County calls it a 'relatively minor event'
An attorney for the county, in filings in a disputed worker's compensation case, referred to the 1997 beating as a "relatively minor event."
Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich calls West a "good leader" and "well liked" but has nonetheless refused to put him on light duty for 18 months so he could reach 25 years of duty to get his pension. Reich said he can't discuss the reasons without violating confidential medical records.
The sheriff also said his decision was not connected to budget woes the county experienced later in 2017 that included elimination of 20 public safety jobs for a time.
A key development in the case takes place Thursday. The Municipal Employees Retirement System Board will meet to decide West's case among other agenda items.
Some say the county's treatment is puzzling and out of line with help offered to other injured law enforcement officers.
"It's a travesty," said former Eaton County Sheriff Rick Jones. He spent 31 years in the sheriff's department, serving as sheriff from 2001 to 2004 before going on to a career in the Michigan Legislature.
"It's outrageous in my mind that the county and the sheriff are mistreating this man, terribly mistreating this man," he said.
Jones, a Republican, has discussed the case with an unlikely ally, former Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, a Democrat, who met West working out at the YMCA.
Bernero said, in neighboring Lansing, the officer would have been kept on for 18 months until qualifying for retirement.
"Give him a desk job. Give him light duty," he said. "That would be without question."
'Community owes him something'
Joe Jager, who spent 33 years in the Eaton County Sheriff's Department, retiring as chief deputy in 2000, also criticized the lack of help for West.
"He's out there protecting the community, and, as far as I'm concerned, the community owes him something," he said.
Reich said he's done what he could for West. He said 18 months of light duty wasn't feasible but declined to say why.
"I feel very bad that this happened to him," he said. "He was a good leader. He looked good in a uniform. He presented himself to the public very well…..Jim did a good job."
Reich also pointed out that no grievance was filed in the case by West's union.
Thomas Krug, executive director of the Capitol City Labor Program, the union representing West, said Reich didn't need a grievance filed to offer West a light-duty position. He said there have been conflicting medical reports about West's ability to perform light duties.
Krug said he feels bad about West's situation but that once it moved into a worker's compensation case it's out of the union's hands.
Sergeant Jim West spent 23.5 years in the Eaton County Sheriff's Department. He's 18 months short of a full retirement. Sheriff Tom Reich said there's nothing he can do though critics say West should get light duty. (Photo: Judy Putnam/Lansing State Journal)
The chair of the Eaton County Board of Commissioners Terrance Augustine declined to comment, saying it is a legal and personnel matter. Two Eaton County commissioners, including the chair of the Public Safety Committee, said this week they are unfamiliar with the case.
Eaton County Controller John Fuentes declined to discuss specifics because of the pending worker's compensation claim. He said his job is "to protect the county's interest" in those cases.
Fuentes said if West wins his duty-related retirement case, the county will be responsible for paying his health care for life. The county is self-insured for health care, he said.
West said he's now paying $575 a month for COBRA health coverage, which will soon run out.
If he wins his pension case, he'll receive about three-quarters of his salary, a bit less than he would have received at full retirement but it would affect his Social Security payments. If he loses, he will have to wait until he's older to collect.
West, 49, who is divorced and the father of two grown daughters, said he's used up his savings and has growing credit card debt.
'The only place I wanted to work'
West grew up in Potterville and knew from an early age that he wanted to be a deputy. At age 15, he worked at the Eaton County Sheriff's Office through the Scouts' Explorer program.
At age 15, Jim West worked with the Eaton County Sheriff's Department as an Explorer, an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America. Photo is circa 1984. (Photo: Lansing State Journal/courtesy of Jim West)
He was hired in March of 1994. He was 24.
"That was the only place I wanted to work. That was it. That was my dream job," he said.
He was promoted to detective then sergeant in charge of road patrols. He received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice and took classes in emergency management.
He led the department's bicycle team to stay in shape and served as a union representative.
He especially loved visiting classrooms and talking to kids about law enforcement.
In 2011, he was recognized by the Eaton County Board of Commissioners for his action when he saw smoke on the courthouse roof. He and others were credited with averting major damage to the building.
In 2014, he was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in a Lansing Community Newspapers' popular vote.
Now he feels abandoned by the department he dedicated his life to, he said.
The worst day of his life was the day his captain took his badge and gun from him, he said. He didn't want to quit working.
"It was a great career. I miss it every day," he said.
'I really hope the county does the right thing'
Warder, his former partner, retired from the department in 2017 after 25 years, around the time West got sick.
Warder is now undersheriff in Livingston County. Warder said he's speaking for himself, and not Livingston County, when talking about West's situation.
He, too, believes West deserves better.
"Jim West has given his life to the county's sheriff office. He's a person who cared about the office and all the people he worked with. I really hope the county does the right thing with this. He's earned it," Warder said.
Warder disagrees that the 1997 beating was a "relatively minor event."
"Whoever wrote that wasn't there to witness and hear and see the damage and severity of Deputy West getting hit in the head with that flashlight," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind there's a connection between what happened that night and what's going on right now."
Read more: Eaton Rapids man charged with making anti-Semitic death threats toward MSU Hillel employee
Judy Putnam is a columnist with the Lansing State Journal. Contact her at (517) 267-1304 or at jputnam@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @judyputnam.
Support local journalism by subscribing to the Lansing State Journal.
Read or Share this story: https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/opinion/columnists/judy-putnam/2019/04/24/eaton-county-sergeant-injury-retirement-sheriff/3548714002/
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Blind Boys of Alabama - Live in New Orleans DVD
In the spring of 2008 the Blind Boys of Alabama headed to New Orleansto play a sold-out show at the iconic Crescent City club Tipitina's. The city,of course, was the focus of the band's latest CD, Downin New Orleans, and on that very special night the Blind Boys invitedsome of their favorite musicians to play with them: Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi,Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Henry Butler, and Marva Wright.
The set list contained new and old favorites - selections from Downin New Orleans like "Free at Last" and "Down by theRiverside," as well as songs from the Blind Boys' four Grammy Award-winningalbums, including the timeless "Amazing Grace" and "People GetReady." The packed crowd went wild, and an unforgettable and historicshow was preserved for posterity in this one-of-a-kind DVD.
This disc presents the full concert performance of 16 songs along with memorablebonus material: the full-length TV show TheMaking of Down in New Orleans, which first aired on BET and the"Free at Last" music video, also filmed in New Orleans.
Produced by Chris Goldsmith and Charles Driebe
Approximate running time: 100 min. / Color / Not Rated / 5.1 SurroundSound / DVD
Blind Boys of Alabama - Live at Jazzfest 2010 CD
Blind Boys of Alabama - Enlightenment (2 CDs)
Blind Boys of Alabama - Duets CD
Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be A Light


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EFSA-ECDC Annual Report on Animal Infections Transmissible to Humans
20 December 2007, at 10:25am
EU - Salmonella infections in humans in the EU down, Listeria infections up Campylobacter still most frequently reported animal infection transmissible to humans
"An alarming fact highlighted in the 2006 report is that zoonotic bacteria found in animals and in humans are becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used antibiotics."
ECDC Director Zsuzsanna Jakab
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have launched their yearly joint Community report on infectious diseases transmissible from animals to humans (zoonotic diseases) which affect over 350,000 people in the European Union (EU) every year.
The report shows that while the number of Salmonella infections in humans are still falling, infections from Listeria – which can be very dangerous to pregnant women and have a high mortality rate – are on the rise.
Campylobacter infections still top the list of reported human zoonotic diseases. Resistance of Campylobacter bacteria in both humans and animals to one commonly used antimicrobial drug, ciprofloxacin, is reaching high levels and is cause for concern, the report said.
Salmonella, although experiencing a fall in the number of cases for a third successive year,remains second in the list of human zoonotic diseases across the EU with 160,649 people infected in 2006 (35 cases per 100,000) compared to 173,879 confirmed cases in 2005 (38 people per 100,000). Salmonella infections can causediarrhea, fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.
The majority of human Salmonella infections have their origins in eggs, poultry meat, pig meat, and even spices and herbs. An average 5.6 per cent of all raw broiler meat samples were reported to be infected with Salmonella in the European Union[1] and in some instances the levels of Salmonella positive samples were as high as 67.6 per cent.
The number of human listeriosis cases was up by 8.6 per cent in the EU from 1,427 cases in 2005 to 1,583 in 2006, with the number of cases per 100,000 having increased by 59 per cent over the last five years.
Although few in number compared to Campylobacter and Salmonella, Listeria cases have a high mortality rate, particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly. It is also very dangerous to pregnant women as it can cause foetal infections, miscarriages and stillbirths.
A total of 56 per cent of Listeria infections occurred in individuals above 65 years of age. Ready-to-eat foodstuffs, such as cheeses and fishery and meat products, tended to be at the origin of most human infections.
Over 175,000 people in the EU suffered from Campylobacter infections in 2006. 46 cases in every 100,000 people were reported in 2006, falling from 52 cases per 100,000 in 2005 (195,426 confirmed human cases in 2005).
Campylobacter infections generally cause an inflammatory and sometimes bloody diarrhea with cramps, fever and pain. The most common foodborne route of infection is through poultry meat. An average 35 per cent of all raw broiler meat samples in the EU tested positive for Campylobacter[2] with Campylobacter positive samples being reported in levels up to 66.3 per cent in some instances. In human Campylobacter cases, high levels of resistanceto ciprofloxacin was reported in 2006 (up to 45 per cent), thereby causing severe problems in treating these infections. Ciprofloxacin is the drug most commonly used in severe Campylobacter infections in humans that require antibiotic therapy. This resistance is also common in Campylobacter from poultry meat and live poultry, pigs and cattle.
"The 2006 zoonoses report shows that the "farm to fork" approach for food safety and protecting public health is vital. Listeriosis is on the increase and bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter are still being found in animals on the farm, the food on our table and, unfortunately, in humans," EFSA Executive Director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, said.
ECDC Director Zsuzsanna Jakab, added: "An alarming fact highlighted in the 2006 report is that zoonotic bacteria found in animals and in humans are becoming increasingly resistant to commonly used antibiotics. This trend should be of concern for all those working with animal and human health issues."
The report also provides data on other important zoonotic diseases such as Escherichia coli (verocytoxin and Shiga toxin producing E. coli, collectively termed VTEC), Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella, Yersinia, Trichinella, Echinococcus, and Toxoplasma. The 2006 Zoonoses report is published by EFSA and is a joint EFSA–ECDC effort prepared using data gathered from both organisations from EU Member States and 4 other European countries.
- You can view the full report by clicking here.


The Lowell General Hospital Auxiliary runs the hospital gift shops. The main campus gift shop is located on the ground floor of the Dahod Building, and the Lowell General Saints campus gift shop is located on the first floor in the main lobby. Both gift shops carry a wide selection of gifts, clothing, accessories and fresh flowers. You may also order online.


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Mönchbaataryn Cogtgerel (mong. Мөнхбаатарын Цогтгэрэл; ur. 17 marca 1997) – mongolski zapaśnik walczący w stylu wolnym. Srebrny medalista mistrzostw Azji w 2021 i brązowy w 2020. Trzeci na mistrzostwach Azji U-23 w 2019 i juniorów w 2018 roku.

Przypisy

Mongolscy zapaśnicy
Urodzeni w 1997

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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British GP Qualifying
Posted in British GP, F1 History, FIA rules, Formula 1, Jarno Trulli, Jenson Button, Motor Racing, Qualifying, Race Strategy on June 10th, 2006
At Silverstone, Max Mosley talked about the possibility of changing the rules yet again by reducing the final qualifying session from 20 minutes to 15. This is what he had to say: "It would be 15 minutes of non-stop action. But whether the teams want to do that, I don't know."
To my mind, this illustrates the condescending attitude of the FIA towards the fans. The assumption is that all we are interested in is "non-stop action", like teenagers with attention deficit disorder. Well, I have news for Mr Mosley: F1 fans have to be amongst the most knowledgeable of all sports fans. The sport is extremely complicated, even without the constant rule changes introduced by the FIA, and yet every F1 fan understands and appreciates it. They wouldn't be fans otherwise.
It is about time that the FIA ate some humble pie by rescinding some of the most ridiculous rule changes ever made by a governing body. So the one-lap qualifying rule was a complete flop? If he'd listened to anyone who knew the sport, Max would have understood that we don't want a lottery – we want to see drivers getting the utmost from their cars in a battle for grid positions. And we don't think it's fair that one blown engine can ruin a driver's chances for the GP. Let them battle it out over two days of qualifying as they used to, swap engines when necessary and recover from momentary mistakes.
Yes, it's true that, in those bad old days, we had to sit and watch an empty track for three quarters of an hour before the cars came out to give it everything. But here's the thing, Max – we didn't mind. We understood what was happening and were prepared to wait for those incredible final minutes when the best drivers in the world showed us just how fast they really were.
You can say to me that the last three minutes of qualifying at Silverstone were as tense and involving as one could hope for. Three minutes? You mean all those rule changes boil down to this – three minutes of real competition? It sounds very familiar.
And let us not forget that there were two very capable drivers who were excluded from those minutes by bad luck in the first session. Does it not occur to anyone that Button's and Trulli's fans might be a bit disgruntled that their drivers were given no chance of a realistic grid spot through a silly rule that reduces F1 to a lottery?
Many of the rule changes of recent years have been made to make F1 more of a "spectacle" for the benefit of TV audiences. Time and again, the FIA introduces changes in an attempt to make things more competitive and exciting. Yet the net result is confusion to the casual viewer and irritation to the real fans. We really don't need this constant meddling that merely makes things worse.
This is what Ferrari's Ross Brawn had to say on the matter: "Too many changes confuse the public and are bad for F1." How true. Let's have one more rule change to put things back the way they were and then never touch them again. And let the FIA get back to its real business of designing an engine and chassis formula that makes sense and attracts the greatest number of competitors.
F1 is the pinnacle of motor sport; it was gripping before anyone had ever heard of Mr Mosely and it will remain so only if we allow the drivers a decent chance to prove themselves. And that means qualifying sessions that give everyone a fair crack of the whip.
8 Responses to "British GP Qualifying"
"let the FIA get back to its real business of designing an engine and chassis formula that makes sense and attracts the greatest number of competitors"
So true, give us a logical formula which truly represents the peak of (four wheeled) motorsport, set the rules so as to be as fair as possible and then just keep an eye out for unfair advantage. How hard can it be? :p
By Mad on June 11th, 2006 at 11:23 pm
Exactly, Mad, how hard can it be? Too hard for the FIA, it seems. But then, they want to do a thousand contradictory things as well – such as make pots of money, sell TV rights, fiddle with practice in the name of spectacle, ruin the circuits in the name of safety and boss everyone else around. It's a tough job being a big deal…
By Gone Away on June 11th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Hey, could you two keep the chatter down, or at least point to where they sell beer from up here? All I want is to hear loud thunder, smell blue smoke and burnt rubber, get some rays and down a few. And put them sail-phones away too.
By Way on June 12th, 2006 at 1:19 am
Ooops, sorry, Way. Didn't realize you could hear us.
By CliveA on June 12th, 2006 at 2:27 am
At last a sane voice on this blog.
By John Evans on June 12th, 2006 at 10:33 am
My guess for the FIA's next move is guided missiles during qualification fired from car to car…
By Mad on June 12th, 2006 at 11:14 am
It may need to be spiced up for the American market, Mad. Although one of our bloggers thinks that Nascar is very downmarket compared with F1.
Whilst it's true that F1 has struggled to accumulate a fanbase in the States, I think that has now been achieved. I have been impressed, not only with the numbers of people over here who know about F1, but also with the extent of their knowledge. Like F1 fans everywhere, they understand the sport and enjoy it in spite of the politics.
By Gone Away on June 12th, 2006 at 11:36 am
Art NYC
Royal Anecdotes


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So how do we prevent this type of conflict? One way is to use mental models! Mental models reveal everything that should be obvious during the design process, before its too late.
There seems to be a lot of research techniques out there, but most can be categorized into three groups: Preference, Evaluative, and Generative.
Mental models focus on using both evaluative and generative types of research, because they focus on design interactions, information architecture, and how well a solution works. Evaluative research involves techinques like usability testing, card sorting, and customer feedback. Generative research explores the mental enviroment in which things get done from a user standpoint, using techniques like interviews, ethnography, and mental models.
Mental models generated with both types of research help deliver an unambiguous experience that reduces conflict between design and user behaviour expectations.
Once you have collected your data, you'll start to notice patterns — turning them into tasks, and grouping these tasks together by affinity. The goal is to let the tasks find their own patterns.
By now you have a basic mental model structure from all of the groupings from the previous exercise. All that is left is creating the diagram, so you can review it with stakelholders and other team members. Start building your model by creating towers and placing the created tasks within them. Now give those towers a name.
Create separate mental models for each of the audence types you came up with — then compare them. This will help determine which tasks have any commonalities with your audience segments. Now that we have the top part completed, you can now brainstorm features and solutions to these towers.
Look for opportunties to redefine, combine, or improve upon. Once you define these opportunities, place them underneath.
Look for gaps in the mental model — Remove towers if needed. By looking across towers and mental spaces, you might find the next best feature for your product. Now take this model and start testing new designs with your users.
Checkout Form: Behind The Scene.


text:
IC 4105 — галактика типу E (еліптична галактика) у сузір'ї Гончі Пси.

Цей об'єкт міститься в оригінальній редакції індексного каталогу.

Посилання

 IC 4105 в оригінальному новому загальному каталозі
 IC 4105 в оригінальному новому загальному каталозі
 http://www.seds.org/~spider/ngc/revngcic.cgi?IC+4105
 IC 4105 в базі SIMBAD
 IC 4105 в базі Vizier
 IC 4105 в базі NASA Extragalactic  Database
 Бази даних про об'єкти NGC/IC

IC 4105
IC 4105
IC 4105


Werner, Emmy E. Pioneer Children of the Journey West. Photo available. Boulder. Westview Press. 1995. 202 pps. Octavo. Soft cover. Reprint. Illustrated. Important reference work. Fine copy.
Werner, Emmy. Pioneer Children on the Journey West. Photo available. Boulder. Westview Press. 1995. Octavo. Soft cover. Illustrated. Fine copy.
Wesley, David E. (ed). Fireside Waterfowler. Fundamentals of Duck and Goose Ecology. A Ducks Unlimited Book. Photo available. Harrisburg. Stackpole. 1987. Octavo. Hard cover. First edition. Illustrated in black, white and color. Fine copy in fine dust jacket (in mylar).
Westbrook, A. Aikido and The Dynamic Sphere. An Illustrated Introduction. Photo available. Rutland. Charles E. Tuttle. 1972. Octavo. Hardcover. First edition, fifth printing. Illustrated. Folding plates. Important reference work. Fine copy (spine lettering lightly rubbed.


JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board Quick Check. JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board available on all education board result in Bangladesh. Chittagong Board JSC Result 2018 full marksheet can download from this site. This year JSC Exam Result 2018 Chittagong Board with full marksheet will release on 31st December 2018.
Welcome to see Chittagong Education Board JSC Exam Result 2018. JSC Result 2018 will publish simultaneously all over the country on the education board website. At the same time, JSC Result 2018 Chittagong board will publish in the Chittagong Education Board own website. Afterword, you can see the result on resultkit.com, the leading education result provider in Bangladesh, without any hassle.
Everybody now habituated with Internet use. When we need any information at first we search on the Internet. Chittagong Education Board publishes JSC Result 2018 in their own website www.bise-ctg.portal.gov.bd. Here, you get the result easily.
You will get a new dashboard. Let's see the details procedure.
First, Select "JSC/JDC" from "Examination" field.
Now Select "2018" on "Year" field.
Select "Chittagong" on "Board" field.
Enter your "Roll Number" on the "Roll" field.
Input "Registration Number" on the "Reg: No" field.
Finally, check again & press "Submit" to get your JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board.
In return SMS you will get JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board with full mark sheet.
No need any internet connection nor smartphone or any computer devise. Just need a mobile and an active SIM with a minimum 2.50 BDT. And I think it is rare to find any people who do not use a mobile phone.
Just go to the new message option.
Write JSC and give a space.
Then type CHI and give a space. (Note: CHI is the shortcode of Chittagong Education Board).
Type Roll Number and give a space.
To get Chittagong Board JSC Result 2018 via SMS you have to accept some terms and condition.
One SMS allow only one person result.
Standard SMS charge will apply.
Keep minimum balance 2.50 BDT in your SIM.
All mobile operators SIM is valid for SMS system.
Send SMS after 2.00 pm.
All system is powered by Teletalk.
Before check Chittagong Board JSC Result 2018 full marksheet we have to know about it. This education board is one of the oldest secondary and higher secondary education board in Bangladesh. It was established in Independent Country in 1995, after the liberation war. Vision to secondary and higher secondary educational improvement of greater Chittagong division independent Chittagong education board was established in Bangladesh.
From the beginning, it was supervised SSC exam result and HSC exam result. But, after the introduction of the JSC exam system in Bangladesh education system, it is also now supervised JSC exam result. Therefore, every year Chittagong board individually published JSC result on its own website.
To reduce the overload of central education board website, this year also it publishes JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board with full marksheet.
Almost over 2.5 million students have participated in the JSC exam 2018 all education board. Just think once. If all the students try to collect the result at the same time from the same website, what will happen then?
Definitely, they will face a big trouble. Every website has a specific visitors capacity. Although the education board tries its best to maintain load capacity, the reality is it does not meet all the time properly. And finally got in trouble. Sometimes the site may down.
Considering all the fact Chittagong Education Board introduce its own website to www.bise-ctg.portal.gov.bd reduce overload from the central education board website Bangladesh. It is the benefit of digital Bangladesh.
JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board will publish on 31st December 2018. Education Minister meet Prime Minister in Gonovobon to hand over the result summary on behalf of the all education board chairman's. Honorable Prime Minister then inaugurate the resulting ceremony.
Normally, the results are published at 10 am. But it can be seen on the Internet after 12 pm. The official time to publish results is 2 pm. JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board will be published on Chittagong Education Board Website. JSC Exam Result 2018 Chittagong Board will be published on the last week of December in 2018. Last year Chittagong Education Board JSC Result published on 30th December.
In the digital era, it is not so difficult to collect Chittagong Board JSC Result 2018 full marksheet. Earlier, students along with parents are used to collect the result from school notice board. They used to gather in the school from early morning. After the result, inauguration school authority hangs the students roll wise result in the notice board and different place in the school area. From there they collect result in facing a lot of harassment. But, the scenario is totally changing now.
At present 2018, nobody wants to go the school or they do not agree to wait a long time for the result. Result publication procedure becomes fully digitalized. Now you can easily get JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board in many ways within a short time without any trouble.
Please see the below Chittagong Board JSC Result 2018 full marksheet checking procedure. And chose any one of them which you like most.
The JSC Exam mark test is very important for all the JSC Exam candidates. In the grading system, predominantly earlier marksheet was not seen. But currently, marksheet is shown along with the grading method. For this, you must input the registration number. JSC Result 2018 Chittagong Board Full Marksheet can also get from the www.educationboardresults.gov.bd.


text:
Station Dziadówki is een spoorwegstation in de Poolse plaats Dziadówki.

Dziadówki


All events are unique and my 25 years experience as a photojournalist allows me to capture the event as it unfolds. I'll take the time to pose the shots that are an important part of the event, but I'm always ready to capture that next moment as it happens.
Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, October 22, 2015 at the Delta Fredericton.
Joint Economic Development Intiative 20th anniversary celebration and awards, June 25, 2015 at the Fredericton Convention Centre.


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Raftaar Net Worth
1 What is the Net Worth of Raftaar?
2 Net Worth
3 Asset
What is the Net Worth of Raftaar?
Raftaar
Net Worth In Indian Rupees:
Rs. 80 crores
$0.1 million +
5.7 feet (170 cm)
Indian Rapper
Raftaar is an Indian Rapper who has a total assets is around $10 million. Raftaar is a commendable craftsman who demonstrates that "Fantasies don't go until you do" with his diligent effort and commitment. Indian lyricist, writer, rapper, and artist, Raftaar is a complex worldwide performer who has earned a faithful continuing in a brief period and is viewed as the young symbol of the millennial age. He has an expected total assets of about $10 million. This article will detail Raftaar's Total assets, pay, profession, individual life, and so forth.
He is offered with the capacity to rap in Hindi, Punjabi, Haryanvi, and Malayalam. By embracing the graphs with super hits like "Dhakkad", "Zinda Hai", "Pagglait", "Loot Mera Desi" and "Child Marwake Manegi" he believes he's simply started his excursion in music and brings a lot to the table to his fans and the world. In this manner his extravagant life and cash procured are through his moving exciting ride venture. To find out about this evergreen megastar, we should jump into the article beneath.
This legend is one of the top Indian rappers and an overall singing sensation. He has an expected total assets of about $10 million or 51 crores in Indian money. Raftaar is perhaps of the most generously compensated rapper in the music business of India. He has sung a few tunes in his vocation, the vast majority of which have been uber hits. He has over 3.6 million endorsers on his YouTube channel. Raftaar has 3.6 million adherents on his Instagram handle and 1.5 million on his Twitter account.
Name Raftaar Singh
Net Worth 2023 $10 Million
Net Worth In Indian Rupees 80 Crore
Monthly Income 45 Lakh +
Yearly Income 7 Crore +
Per Song Income 8 to 10 Lakh
Profession Indian Rapper
His month to month pay is around 45 lakh rupees. His yearly pay is 5 crore INR. The main wellsprings of his capital are films, Television programs, and live shows. He charges around 8 to 10 lakh rupees for every tune from the film makers. He has likewise been the adjudicator in numerous unscripted TV dramas and charges 5 to 7 lakh for each episode. It provided him with a small bunch of cash as well as a ton of notoriety.
He likewise brings in a decent amount of cash from brand supports and television notices. He has been the brand envoy of Vodafone, an English worldwide media transmission organization. His vehicle assortment comprises of Mercedes S Class and Audi Q3. He possesses a rich house in New Delhi.
Brought into the world on November 16, 1998, in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. His genuine name is Dilin Nair yet is given the stage names Raftaar, RAA, and Max in Artist. He was brought into the world in a working class South Indian family yet his folks later moved to Delhi. His dad functioned as a cleaner on Indian Railroad and his mom took a typewriter as an occupation in a little organization.
He has learned at Government Young men Senior Auxiliary School, Badarpur. Since his life as a youngster, he has seen the battle. He said, "I would be harassed by young men from rich families for my ratty sets of shoes and, surprisingly, oppressed by educators since I had a place with a lower-working class family in a city about associations. Fortunately for me, I embraced the huge heartedness of Punjabis rapidly and Delhi gave me the character I was looking for." However all takes care of now, to how much achievement he has accomplished in his profession.
Real Name Dilin Nair
Nickname Raftaar, RAA
Date Of Birth 16 November 1988
Birth Place Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Height 5.7 feet (170 cm)
Wife Komal Vohra
Father Names Not Known
Hometown Trivandrum, Kerala, India
Education, Qualification Not Known
Debut Song Beer Bar (2009)
Twitter RAFTAAR
Instagram raftaarmusic
In December 2016, he wedded Komal Vohra, who is the sister of Indian TV entertainers Karan Vohra and Kunal Vohra. They have been living independently since they petitioned for a separation in 2020. The official procedures will be settled on October 6, 2022.
This super star began his vocation in 2011 as an artist in Dance India Dance, a dance show, with his companion Manik. He has functioned as a dance mentor at "The Huge Dance Club" which is in Delhi. He began his profession as a rapper in 2008 joined by Lil Golu and Youthful Amli by recording a few tunes and transferring them via online entertainment handles. "Lager Bar" was his most memorable presentation tune.
"Shera Di Kaum" was delivered by him in 2011. He turned into an individual from the gathering with the name 'Mafia Mundeer' alongside Yo Honey Singh, Ikka, Lil Golu, and Badshah. He, later on, dropped the gathering. In 2012, he marked Punjabi music band RDB. In the year 2013, he delivered "WTF-Witness What's in store" his presentation blend tape. Around the same time, he made his presentation in Bollywood with the tune "Tamanche Pe Disco" which featured Sonakshi Sinha and Saif Ali Khan. It turned into the best hit melody of its time.
In 2013, he turned out to be more famous after the arrival of "Loot Mera Desi". A line in this tune "Stomach muscle ye karke dikhao" was a diss to Yo Honey Singh as it has proactively been utilized in Yo's melody "Party With Bhoothnath" and this prompted a debate between the two. In 2014, "Loot Mera Desi" was granted "Best Metropolitan Tune" at Brit Asia TV Music Awards. In 2016, he got a chance to sing in Amir Khan's Film "Dangal".
He sang the tune "Dhaakad" in it which was one of the hit melodies. In 2017, he made his presentation in the Bengal music industry through the film "One". This whiz has been a group chief on the unscripted TV drama MTV Roadies. He has been the appointed authority of "MTV Hustle" and Zee Television program "Dance India Dance".
What is Raftaar's net worth?
He has an estimated net worth of about $10 million or 80 crores in Indian currency.
What is Raftaar's annual income?
He earns around 45 lakhs and more on yearly basis.
What does Raftaar do for a living?
He is one of the highest-paid rappers in the music industry of India.
How old is Raftaar?
Chillinit
Acie High
Prxjek
Lady Lykez
Borgore


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Basilisk – Der Schlangenkönig (Originaltitel Basilisk: The Serpent King) ist ein US-amerikanischer Tierhorrorfernsehfilm aus dem Jahr 2006.

Handlung
Der Film beginnt mit einem Rückblick in die Zeit 112. n. Chr. im heutigen Libyen. Ein Basilisk attackiert einen Beduinenführer und dessen Söhne auf ihren Weg in die Berge. Als das Monster einen nach dem anderen tötet, kann das Schlangenmonster mit Hilfe des Auge der Medusa, einem langen goldenen Stab, der in einem großen Diamanten endet, und einer Sonnenfinsternis in Stein verwandelt werden.

Jahrhunderte später befindet sich eine Forschungsgruppe am Ort des Geschehens. Dr. Harry McColl, der die Unternehmung leitet, und seine Gehilfen Rudy Skeeters und Sierra Martinez legen die Überreste frei, wo damals der Basilisken-Angriff stattgefunden hat. Dort stoßen sie auf die vermeintliche Statue eines Basilisken, wobei es sich allerdings um den echten Basilisken in seiner Statuenform handelt. Er wird auf einer Ausstellung im Museum von Pueblo Springs zusammen mit dem Auge der Medusa ausgestellt. Während einer Sonnenfinsternis beginnen sowohl der Diamant am Stab als auch die Augen des Basilisken zu leuchten, in dessen Folge der Zauber seiner Wirkung verliert und die Schlange zu neuem Leben erwacht.

Hannah Frankman und ihr reicher Ehemann Brock entwenden den Stab und wollen mit dessen Hilfe und einer Karte einen Schatz finden. Unter der Führung von Col. Douglas versuchen Dr. McColl und Rachel, den Stab wiederzuerlangen und den Basilisken zu töten, scheitern allerdings mehrfach. Rudy Skeeters, der Assistent von Dr. McColl, wird, während der Basilisk ein Kaufhaus terrorisiert, von Hannah Frankman entführt, da sie denkt, er hätte die historischen Kenntnisse seines Vorgesetzten. Als sie herausfindet, dass er ihr keine Hilfe ist, will sie ihn als Druckmittel verwenden, um die benötigten Informationen von Dr. McColl zu erhalten. Da der Stab den Basilisken anzieht, spürt dieser sie bald auf und tötet sie.

Rudy unterbreitet den Vorschlag, die Schlange in ein Atomkraftwerk zu locken, da im Reaktorraum ähnliche Umstände herrschen wie während einer Sonnenfinsternis. Als sich Dr. McColl im direkten Duell im Reaktorraum mit der Schlange befindet, scheint der Plan aufzugehen. Allerdings kann der Basilisk seinen Widersacher entwaffnen und so einer Versteinerung entkommen. Als der Basilisk abgelenkt ist, schafft es Dr. McColl, ihn ins Kühlwasser zu stoßen, wo er schließlich zerfällt. Zurück in Libyen übergeben sie den Einheimischen den Stab.

Hintergrund
Gedreht wurde der Film in Bulgarien, überwiegend in und bei Sofia. Er gilt als Homage an den Spielfilm Reptilicus aus dem Jahr 1961.

Kritik

Jon Condit vom Dread Central schreibt the CGI Basilisk is probably the best computer generated creature I've ever seen in a Sci-Fi Channel original/(Der CGI-Basilisk ist wahrscheinlich die beste computergenerierte Kreatur, die ich je in einem Sci-Fi-Channel-Original gesehen habe.).

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Filmtitel 2006
US-amerikanischer Film
Tierhorrorfilm
Fernsehfilm
Syfy


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Posted on July 24, 2013 November 10, 2014
Banter at the Kilkenny Arts Festival (057, Aug 2013)
As has become the norm over the last few years, the Banter series of talks, yarns, conversations and discussions likes to hit the road over the summer. We're going to be at the Kinsale Arts Festival on July 13 and we'll also be back in Derry for the CultureTECH festival in September, but we're also heading to the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August for not one, not two but three very special Banter sessions over the course of a week.
The idea of doing some Bantering in the Marble City first came about at last year's festival and, with huge thanks to festival director Rosemary Collier and her team, we've managed to put together a damn good programme, including one or two sessions which we've been hoping to do for ages, for the festival's 40th anniversary.
Banter On Music
Set Theatre, John Street; Saturday August 10
Everybody Loves Our Town
When it comes to the story of the Seattle grunge explosion, Mark Yarm's fantastic oral history Everybody Loves Our Town is one of the definitive reads on that fabled city and such bands as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Mudhoney and more. The Guardian called it "a Herculean work of interviewing and editing which gives everyone a voice, from the biggest stars to the lowliest foot soldiers". Mark joins us at Banter to talk about the book, the Seattle scene and the grunge legacy.
Everybody Loves This Town
Around the same time as Seattle was blowing up, Kilkenny was having its own moment in the sun thanks to a host of local bands, a brilliant dive venue called the New Park Inn and a host of other factors. Cormac Battle (Kerbdog, 2fm), Canice Kenealy (Engine Alley) and Malcolm Noonan (Jerusalem Taxis) rewind the city's musical legacy.
The Neil Hannon Retrospective In 35 Minutes
The story of Neil Hannon, The Divine Comedy, "My Lovely Horse" and the Duckworth Lewis Method in 35 minutes.
Banter On Music will also feature special guest performances during the course of the afternoon.
Banter On Fashion
National Craft Gallery, Wednesday August 14, 7pm
What the hell is Irish style?
It's our favourite kind of Banter panel – one with a lot of questions. What is Irish style? Is there such a thing? How does it manifest itself in Irish fashion? Is Irish style bright orange in colour? Do Irish men know anything about style? What does Irish style look like in the future? Our panel for this walk down the catwalk: Angela Scanlon (TV presenter, fashion writer and stylist) and Sonya Lennon (RTE Off the Rails, Lennon Courtney).
Banter on the Big Issues
The Parade Tower at Kilkenny Castle, Saturday August 17, 2pm
The campaigners
Maeve O'Rourke (Justice for the Magdalenes), Orla Tinsley (cystic fibrosis rights campaigner) and John Smith (Trócaire campaigns co-ordinator) talk about the work of a campaigner, the inspirations which drive them, the choices they have made and the victories (and setbacks) they have faced.
The Kilkenny Arts Festival turns 40 this year so it's timely to look at the past, present and the future of the arts sector in Ireland. Colm Tóibín (novelist and playwright), Maureen Kennelly (arts producer, programmer, curator of the Mountains to Sea DLR Books Festival and former director of the Kilkenny Arts Festival and Cúirt International Festival of Literature), Donnacha Dennehy (composer and Crash Ensemble founder) and Willie White (Dublin Theatre Festival artistic director and chief executive) discuss what we're learned over the last 40 years, the issues which the arts sector believe should be sorted out today and where things go from here.
It is the great cry of the political chattering classes: we need reform! Yet as various opinion polls have showed, the Irish electorate place the need for reform very far down on their list of priorities. Just how serious are we about reforming how our political system works – or doesn't work? Is it merely a case of some politicians paying lip service to the idea to score points or is there an actual hunger for meaningful, pragmatic change? A conversation with Harry McGee (Irish Times), Sarah O'Neill (Dailwatch), Eamon Ryan (Green Party leader) and Mary O'Rourke (former government minister, TD and senator) about the real issues behind the clarion call for reform.
Tickets are now on sale for all three Banter sessions from the festival box-office. Admission is €13 and €11 or you can buy a special Banter bundle for all three Banters for €30.
Banter on the Liffey (056, Aug 2013)
Banter on the Liffey will see us hosting pop-up talks in three Liffey-side venues on August 8 as a taster for the Liffey Legover festival which will taking place at the Twisted Pepper, Grand Social and Workman's Club later in the year.The Banter on the Liffey menu is as follows:
The Tony Fenton Retrospective In 35 Minutes – the Today FM legend on his life on and off the airwaves (Workman's Club Vintage Room, 7pm)
The Liffey and me – visual artist Fergal McCarthy on how the river has influenced his works like Liffeytown and No Man's Land (Grand Social Ballroom, 8pm)
Dives, sweatboxes and ballrooms – Come Here To Me's Sam McGrath on the life and times of some of the city's most celebrated music venues (Twisted Pepper, 9pm)
Admission to all events will be free. It's going to be a hoot.
Banter on the Liffey – artist Fergal McCarthy in the Liffey
Wonder Women! (055, Aug 2013)
We're delighted to accept an invitation from the GAZE International LGBT Film Festival to host a panel at their upcoming event.
To coincide with a screening of Kristy Guevara-Flanagan's documentary Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, our Wonder Women panel will be discussing pop culture's representation of female power on screens and in print.
Join director Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Film Fatale's Anna Taylor, Splinister writer Maura McHugh and myself for the discussion at the Lighthouse on Saturday August 3 following the 4.30pm screening of the documentary. Admission is free if you have a ticket for the screening.
More information on the GAZE programme here.
A Conversation with Peter Hook (054, Aug 2013)
August is set to be a very busy month at Banter with trips to the Kilkenny Arts Festival and a few more specials to be announced later this week, but we start the month with a bang.
Peter Hook is the man who was there to see and experience it all with Joy Division, New Order, the Hacienda and Factory Records and we're as proud as punch to welcome him to Banter to talk about all of the above and a whole lot more besides.
It's Hooky! Photo by Mark McNulty (http://markmculty.co.uk)
It happens at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey St., Dublin 1) on August 1. Doors open at 6pm and the interview starts at 6.30pm. Tickets are now on sale (free admission if you've a Blur ticket). Peter Hook will also be DJ-ing at the Twisted Pepper that night.
"BUT what about the MENZ?!" (053, July 2013)
It's Banti Room time again, people. Over the last few months, Banter has had great sport teaming up with the ladies from The Anti Room for various talking shops. It's even inspired our own take on masculinity a few months ago.
This one, then, is also for the men (or menz). Conservatives are fond of accusing feminists of ignoring men's voices. "But what about the MENZ?!" they cry in their non-shrill, unhysterical, deep voices. Fear not: The Anti Room have invited an all-male panel to discuss gender roles, stereotypes and what feminism means to them.
The menz with the answers: Stephen Donnelly TD, Patrick Freyne, John Byrne and Mark O'Halloran. The womenz with the questions: Anna Carey and Sinéad Gleeson
It all takes place at the Twisted Pepper (Middle Abbey St., Dublin 1) on Thursday July 25. Doors open at 7.30pm and the Bantering begins at 8pm. There's limited free admission if you sign up here.


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James Gunn leads tributes to Halyna Hutchins after on-set tragedy
James Gunn says his "heart goes out" to everyone affected after the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins.
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' filmmaker has led the tributes to the late cinematographer, who died aged 42 after a "prop gun" fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust' accidentally fatally hit her, and left director-and-writer Joel Souza, 48, injured.
James tweeted: "My heart goes out to all of those affected by the tragedy today on Rust, especially Halyna Hutchins & her family."
'Lord of the Rings' star Elijah Wood also paid tribute to Halyna and send his thoughts to her loved ones.
He wrote: "Absolutely horrifying and devastating news about cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins. My heart goes out to her family."
'Sinister' screenwriter C. Robert Cargill heaped praise on the cinematographer's work and described her death as a "tragic loss for cinema".
He said: "I loved Halyna Hutchins' work so much. It's not only a tragic loss for cinema but to so many of you I know who worked with her. You and her family are all in my thoughts tonight. I'm heartbroken for you all."
And 'The Haunting' creator Mike Flanagan added: "My heart breaks for the family and friends of Halyna Hutchins - this is just horrifying and devastating news."
Santa Fe County Sheriff Juan Rios confirmed the identities of the two crew members shot and that it was the 68-year-old Hollywood star who discharged the firearm, and while no charges have been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing as they continue to interview witnesses.
A statement read: "The sheriff's office confirms that two individuals were shot on the set of 'Rust'.
"Halyna Hutchins, 42, director of photography and Joel Souza, 48, director, were shot when a prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin, 68, producer and actor."
No "foul play" is suspected "at this time", however, a criminal investigation is required to establish "exactly what happened".
Filming has been halted on the movie - which sees Alec portray the titular role of infamous outlaw Harland Rust - and producers have paid tribute to Halyna and offered psychological support to anyone affected by the tragedy.
A spokesperson for Rust Movies Productions LLC told Deadline: "The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today's tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna's family and loved ones.
"We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department's investigation.
"We will be providing counselling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event."
Daniel Radcliffe to star in Weird Al Yankovic biopic


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text:
The Second Round is an English language novel by Sierra Leonean-Gambian writer and poet Lenrie Peters. The novel is Peters's first and only novel. The novel was first published in 1965, and subsequently reprinted in 1966 as part of the influential Heinemann African Writers Series. The novel is semi-autobiographical, following the experience of a western educated doctor, Dr. Kawa, who returns to Freetown to practice medicine.

Critics describe the novel as reflecting the concerns of West Africans during the immediately post-colonial African community, nationalism, westernization, the difficulty adjusting to returning to Africa from abroad, and the "ethos" of Freetown society at the time. The novel has overt Pan-Africanist political themes, juxtaposes the "black world versus the European". The book also describe characters in terms of Jungian psychology. Charles Larson called the novel "African Gothic", though this characterization was criticized by reviewer Omalara Leslie in Black World.

The novel has been compared to Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease and the works of fellow Gambian-born Sierra Leonean William Conton.

References

African Writers Series
1965 novels
Gambian novels
Freetown
1965 debut novels


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text:
Q: What about singleton pattern I was looking for info about singleton pattern, I found: http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.oop5.patterns.php#95196
I don't understand:
final static public function getInstance()
{
    static $instance = null;

    return $instance ?: $instance = new static;
}

If it set $instance to null, why this kind of return? Why do not create $instance in the global "space" of the class without set it to null in getInstance?

A: You cannot initiate class variables with non-static values, so
class X {
    $instance = new SomeObj();
}

is not permitted.
The code you've posted is one way of going about making sure that only ONE instance of that class is defined.
static $instance = null;

will create the variable and set it to null the first time that method is called. After that, sicne it's been declared static, PHP will ignore that line.
Then the other code can be seen as the following:
if (isnull($instance)) {
    ... first time through this method, so instantiate the object
    $instance = new someobj;
}
return $instance;

A: Find following links useful for understanding singleton patterns.
Wikipedia
PHP Patterns

A: In this specific example, the $instance is preceded with the static keyword, inside a function call. This means the variable retain it's state (value) between calls to the function. The nullifing will only happen once, in the initial call to the function.
b.t.w. this is C way of doing singletons...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
HOME | BROWSE ARCHIVE | ANNUAL HONOURS | CUP WINNERS | WORDSTATS
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Ximenes archive
⏴ Slip No. 153 Clue list 26 Nov 1950 Slip image Slip No. 155 ⏵
XIMENES CROSSWORD No. 154
1. T. E. Sanders: Saving up a little does multiply it quickly (bar (= except) (rev.) + bit; does = females).
2. D. P. M. Michael: A B.R. casualty—got teeth into bun! (anag. + bit; ref. British Railways catering).
3. P. M. Newey: He doesn't play games well: you don't know him if you say he does (2 mngs; i.e. does are shes).
C. A. Baker: Save up: a little in the bank will soon multiply (bar (= except) (rev.) + bit).
J. W. Bates: Tail-ender, but good for the odd hat-trick! (2 mngs; 'r. out of a hat').
Maj H. L. Carter: Something that does produce a poulette du garenne for restaurateurs! (cryptic def.; does = females; euphemism for r. on menus).
J. C. Chavasse: Quick in the field, and does maintain his speedy delivery—otherwise a poor player (2 mngs; does = females; ref. cricket).
G. Cordery: Inside scratch? Some yarn, he's a hopeless player (abb in rit; see Chamb.; ref. golf).
L. E. Eyres: Master at tennis? No, indeed, he's not got beyond the initial stage (Rabbi + t(ennis), & lit.).
Mrs N. Fisher: Bunting's out for me and the band's turned up. The boring part comes after (bar (rev.) + bit; ref. rhyme 'Baby Bunting', "gone to fetch a r. skin").
A. R. Fraser: Harvey unfit to play in Tests—problem for Australia (3 mngs.; ref. Neil Harvey, cricketer, and play and film 'Harvey').
S. B. Green: Let up a little for me! (bar (= let) (rev.) + bit, & lit.; i.e. poor player).
J. P. Lloyd: Game I may be, but no 'gamesman'—though Potter made one of my family famous (2 mngs.; ref. Stephen P., 'Gamesmanship' and Beatrix P., 'Peter Rabbit').
C. C. McInroy: What a yarn! Scratch round for twenty-four-handicap man? (abb in rit; ref. golf).
F. E. Newlove: Shut up a little! You can have a muffin OR a bun. (What breeding!) (bar (rev.) + bit; muffin = fool at games).
R. Postill: A hopeless bat perhaps has the makings of a first-class bowler (2 mngs.; felt for hats).
G. W. Pugh: A 24-handicap man? Forget the yarn: he's scratch at St. Andrews (i.e. rabbit less abb = rit; ref. golf).
W. Rennie: Round in say 99. The doctor to a tee! (rabbi + t; ref. golf).
H. B. Ridley: Green on the courts, and courts on the green! (2 mngs.).
A. Robins: Harvey is a poor batsman? Confound it, he gets his scores at a phenomenal rate! (3 mngs; r. = confound!, gets = begets; ref. Neil Harvey, cricketer, and play and film 'Harvey').
E. O. Seymour: An heroic success at multiplication can be a game failure in addition (2 mngs.; m. = reproduction).
Mrs E. S. G. Sheehan: A poor player; still, if he keeps off the gin and knows the part backwards, he may yet get the lead (2 mngs.; gin = trap = part (rev.); lead = shot).
F. G. Simms: My stock is unlimited and I often break the bank, but seldom have I three figures to my name (2 mngs.; stock = family; century in cricket).
W. K. M. Slimmings: One that does produce something out of a hat occasionally! (cryptic def.; i.e. poor player; does = females; 'r. out of a hat').
Dr D. W. Williams: Good runmaker and has makings of a fine bowler, but not worth his place in the field (double mng.; ref. felt for hats and cricket).
E. S. Ainley, Mrs Begg, F. A. Clark, D. L. L. Clarke, A. E. Clayton, Rev H. J. Crees, T. N. Dowse, Brig W. E. Duncan, W. Eite, S. R. Gibbs, P. G. W. Glare, S. Goldie, C. D. Harding, R. W. Hawes, H. C. Hills, H. J. Howells, R. N. H. Hughman, L. R. Huxtable, B. J. Iliffe, Mrs Jarman, L. W. Jenkinson, C. V. Jones, J. Jones, C. Koop, G. G. Lawrance, R. H. Lemon, T. W. Melluish, E. G. Phillips, Mrs M. Porter, E. J. Rackham, H. Rainger, D. W. Reeds, E. W. Richart, B. Rowbotham, J. L. Ruddle, A. E. Smith, R. I. Sutherland, R. G. Tate, A. H. Taylor, L. E. Thomas, E. W. Tulloch, H. D. Wakely, J. F. N. Wedge, Sqn Ldr G. Wright.
COMMENTS—389 correct and scattered mistakes: no clue stood out as a cause of trouble. The word set had many possibilities, of which competitors took full advantage. The noun "does," especially, provides a very pretty deception, likely to cause an agreeable sensation to the solver when the penny drops. No room for more comments, since the end of a period calls for an honours list—one which shows unusually high scores because of the three monthly competitions when six third prizes were given; also I want space to answer a solver's heart cry, which may conceivably voice the misconceptions of others as well.
He and some faint-hearted friends of his appear depressed by what they believe to be the existence of a "regular gang" which monopolises the awards. This, frankly, is rubbish, as is proved by the 788 different names which have appeared in the lists of H.C.s, 213 of them being at one time or another prizewinners. Some gang! 788 is about double the size of an average entry! Even if the "gang" is taken to consist of winners of more than one prize, the number is as large as 77: on the other hand the "smart Alecs" (the complainant's regrettable term) who really have won enough prizes to cause possible alarm, if they were numerous, are in fact so few—for I take it that winners of fewer than ten prizes in nearly 150 competitions could hardly be alarming—that between them they account for less than a fifth of the total prizes won. Perhaps they alone are the "gang": if so, their off-days—and often they aren't even runners-up—seem to leave plenty of chances for others, enough, indeed for over 80% of the prizes to go to "non-gangsters," and for nearly 30% to go to single winners. It is worth remembering that one tends to notice a recurring name and not to notice how many unfamiliar names accompany it. So let the faint-hearts cheer up!
HONOURS LIST (last 13 competitions):—S. B. Green 3 prizes, 6 H.C.s: F. E. Newlove 2-6: Mrs. Jarman & C. Koop 3-3, R. Postill 2-5: T. E, Sanders 3-2: E. S. Ainley 2-3, C. A. Baker 1-5: Mrs Fisher 2-2. Consolation Prizes: F. L. Constable, G. G. Lawrance, Rev. E. B. Peel, J. S. Young (4 H.C.s). Runners.up (3): J. H. Dingwall, C. E. Gates, C. J. Morse, E. R. Prentice, E. O. Seymour, J. F. N. Wedge.
Ximenes Slips by year


text:
Conservative and liberal New York Times columnists gang up on 'awful' Trump in editorial calling for his ouster
Fulfilling Donald Trump's promise that he can bring Americans together, a conservative New York Times columnist agreed with one of his liberal counterparts that the president is "awful" and needs to go.
In a joint conversation served up as an editorial, conservative Bret Stephens joined with GailCollins to marvel at how bad Trump came off in the Mueller report –before urging Congress to do something about the clearly compromised Trump.
"Impeachment would drive the whole country even further apart. Let's just vote the sucker out." Collins wrote, to which Stephens agreed, adding, "But I'm afraid the president is helped by the report, even if he, as usual, isn't acting like it. Much as we might want to dwell on all the unsavory things the report tells us about the way Trump conducted his business and now runs his presidency, it's not anything the American people, including most of his supporters, didn't already know."
According to the conservative columnist, "My own view is that the biggest scandal in American politics happened on Nov. 8, 2016, the day Trump got elected. It's the president in plain sight that should worry us, not the guy behind closed doors."
Collins shot back that it is still her belief that Trump doesn't have the "mental capacity" to collude ("You do need a certain amount of organized thinking to conspire") which Stephens also agreed with, before she stated, "The report, lily-livered though it may be, does make it pretty damn clear he was engaged in an attempt to obstruct justice. Don't you think Congress should at least try to censure him for that? "
Stephens worried that it would "wind up being a mostly partisan affair with a few possible surprises," before suggesting instead, "The main task for Democrats right now is to get behind a candidate who can win."
"We agree on Trump's awfulness," Stephens wrote, before stating that he hoped D the Democrats don;t nominate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) because it lessen the chances of ousting Trump.
"I find even his brand of 'socialism' a nonstarter, and I suspect millions of middle-of-the-road Americans who would otherwise love to see Trump go will feel the same way when they realize how much Scandinavian-style welfare statism is going to cost them and weaken the long-term economic health of the United States," he explained, before adding the caveat: "We're a weird country. I think the overwhelming majority of Americans would be perfectly happy with a center-left or center-right president who was sane, steady, even a bit boring."
You can read the whole back-and-forth here.


text:
Academy Announces Animated Feature Film Rule Change
Desetoiles May 21st, 2013 - 2:49 PM
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved rules for the 86th Oscars. The most significant change affects the Animated Feature Film category.
In this category, the new rule designates a maximum of two award recipients, one of whom must have a producer credit. The director and/or key creative individual will continue to be a recipient, and in the circumstance of a two-person team with shared and equal director credit a third statuette may be awarded.
Previously announced rules changes for the 86th Academy Awards include allowing members to see the nominated documentary shorts and foreign language films either at a theatrical screening or on DVD. Previously, members were required to have seen the nominees in theaters in order to vote. The change comes after backlash against the rule, as members questioned why seeing nominees by DVD was allowed in some categories but not others.
Other adjustments to the rules include standard date and other routine changes.
Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category committees. The Award Rules Committee then evaluates all proposed changes before presenting its recommendations to the Academy's Board of Governors for approval.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented Sunday, March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised live on ABC Television Network. The presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
Desetoiles


text:
Colorado reservoirs at near-normal levels
Local | November 21, 2005
Bill Jackson
FORT COLLINS — Colorado's reservoirs returned to near-normal levels this year, contributing to the ongoing recovery from severe drought that hit the state in 2002, according to researchers at the Colorado Climate Center at Colorado State University.
Nolan Doesken, assistant state climatologist, said the rain and snow in the past year has been critical for recharging soil moisture.
"By itself, it would not have been sufficient to make up for all past deficits, but it has been a part of a gradual return to what I would call a fairly average climatic condition. When we talk about having an average year for Colorado, we averaged 17 inches of precipitation statewide for the year. That isn't much. Water shortage is a reality in Colorado," he said.
The state experienced above-average temperatures during the winter for the 12th straight year, Doesken said. An extreme heat wave also hit in July.
Between Oct. 1, 2004, and Sept. 30, 2005, precipitation levels were near long-term averages over most of the eastern three-quarters of the state, while western Colorado was wetter than average.
Some areas still struggle with below-average precipitation: parts of the Arkansas Valley, the eastern Plains and a few mountain areas. Hugo, southeast of Limon, received 10.71 inches or 78 percent of average between Oct. 1, 2004, and Sept. 30, 2005.
Precipitation was 70 percent to 85 percent of average for parts of Weld and Morgan counties south through Limon and Hugo to the Arkansas River.


CCSS.Math.Content.4.NF.A.2. Compare two fractions with different numerators and different denominators, e.g., by creating common denominators or numerators, or by comparing to a benchmark fraction such as 1/2. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two fractions refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual fraction model.


text:
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"Cooks with Collars" offers a delicious counter-narrative about Catholicism
Evangelical missions a major threat to Amazon culture, Catholic leaders say
By Eduardo Campos Lima
|Contributor
Krimej indigenous Chief Kadjyre Kayapo, of the Kayapo indigenous community, looks out at a path created by loggers on the border between the Biological Reserve Serra do Cachimbo, front, and Menkragnotire indigenous lands, in Altamira, Para state, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019. (Credit: Leo Correa/AP.)
SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Historically a Catholic country, Brazil has been facing a religious transition since the 1990s, when what had been a steady growth of Evangelical Protestantism began to accelerate.
According to some experts, Brazilian Evangelicals could become a majority in the country as soon as 2032. This phenomenon is particularly strong in the Amazon, where some states have the biggest percentage of Evangelicals in the country.
Four of the six Brazilian States with the biggest proportion of Evangelicals are located in the Amazon, in the northern part of the country. In Rondônia, which is at the top of the list, there were 734,000 Catholics in 2010 – when the last data were released by the government – and 528,000 Evangelicals. Ten years before, in 2000, the number of Catholics was 793,000 and there were only 375,000 Evangelicals.
That is one of the many issues the Amazonian bishops will have to discuss at the upcoming Synod for the Amazon region taking place Oct. 6-27 in Rome.
"Until the 1970s, when I arrived in the Amazon, Brazil was almost completely Catholic. But the expansion of the farmlands in the cleared rainforest changed everything," said Italian-born Bishop Flavio Giovenale of Cruzeiro do Sul, in the Amazonian State of Acre.
"It's almost like the Evangelicals had the project of transforming the Amazon into a non-Catholic territory, following the gigantic changes in the region," he said.
Most people avoid selecting one single reason for the increasing presence of Pentecostal and Neo-pentecostal Christians in the Amazon.
"It's a complex phenomenon. But the Evangelicals certainly filled up the spaces we had left open," saod Giovenale.
In major urban areas of the rainforest, such as Belém and Manaus – cities with populations of 1.5 million and 2.1 million, respectively – the process followed the same model as the rest of the country. In the opinion of Giovenale, rural migrants without roots in the city could find a community and a sense of Christianity only with the available pastors.
"The historical districts of most cities in Brazil are full of Catholic churches, while the poor, distant neighborhoods count only Evangelical churches," the bishop said.
In the cities, the so-called Prosperity Gospel theology quickly seduced many poor migrants who had to adapt to their new reality, according to the Italian-born priest Luigi Ceppi, who has lived in the Amazon since the 1980s.
"The poor were put aside. Then appeared a kind of religiousness which promised to satisfy their material needs," Ceppi argued.
Among rural and forest communities – formed by fishermen and simple gatherers– the absence of priests and the insulation of the Amazonian settlements created an easy target for Evangelical congregations, which formed local ministers and then were able to convert whole groups.
"In my diocese, we have on average one priest for an area of 4,910 square kilometers. The transport challenges are immense," Giovenale told Crux.
About 70 percent of the communities in Giovenale's diocese are visited by a priest only one time a year – or one time each two years. "The only universal sacrament is baptism. No other sacrament is regularly offered for most Amazonian peoples."
One of the most famous environmental leaders in the history of the Amazon, the rubber tapper Chico Mendes, worked closely with a base ecclesial community in Acre, noted Ceppi, who was his friend. "Now many in his community, including some of his relatives, are Evangelicals."
In the case of the 340 indigenous peoples in the Amazon, a study conducted by the Association of Transcultural Missions in Brazil showed in 2010 that Evangelical ministers have established missions among at least 182 of them.
"They spend more time in the villages and invest much time in converting indigenous leaders, who will persuade the other members of the group to convert as well," said anthropologist Ivaneide Bandeira Cardozo, a coordinator for the NGO Kanindé, which advocates for the rights of indigenous groups.
The success of the Evangelical preachers also has economic reasons, according to Cardozo.
"Most pastors don't condemn eventual wrongdoings such as stealing wood, illegal mining and illegal leasing of [indigenous] land, so they seem to be better people than the Catholic missionaries, who preach about protecting nature and reprobate illegal conducts," the anthropologist told Crux.
The concerted efforts of Evangelicals to convert indigenous peoples is seriously risking the survival of many groups, said Cleber Buzatto, general coordinator of the Indigenous Missionary Council, a committee of the National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil.
"Most of these churches demonize the indigenous cultures, spirituality and traditions. At the same time, they stimulate converts to accept commercial initiatives in their lands, with financial ambitions. So, their very existence as indigenous groups is in jeopardy," he told Crux.
Buzatto said he thinks the local Catholic parishes and congregations have to engage more effectively in the missionary work with indigenous communities. "In some locations this work is done; but in many others, it's not."
Last year, the demographics expert José Eustáquio Diniz Alves wrote in an article about the religious transition in Brazil that the Catholic percentage in the Brazilian population can decline to 38.6 percent in 2032, while the Evangelicals could rise to 39.8 percent and become the majority religion in the country.
The Catholic strategy to counter such a tendency may have to mimic some aspects of the Evangelical operations in the Amazon.
"We have to stop being a visiting church and become a church of presence," Giovenale said.
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