text:
December 4, 2018 · 11:23
Those we needlessly fear
All others pay cash! Yes, that was direct, was it not? We have seen millions of articles fly by, all given the very same announcement: 'Fear Saudi Arabia', as well as 'MBS is a monster'. Yet, what evidence was given? What actual evidence did we get?
Turkey played its innuendo game, we can also accept that the US is playing a protective game for Saudi Arabia and that too should be highlighted, yet NO ONE has taken an academic look at those so called tapes as have given the audience the rundown, what was there, what was proven. Is there even enough evidence that Jamal Khashoggi is on the tapes? Journalists are in their own corrupt little world of satisfying the shareholders, the stake holders and the advertisers and they all want Saudi Arabia to look like they are all guilty, all to the very top. In addition we see the G20 Argentina game that France played with their 'confrontation', conveniently enough staged to be caught on CNN. He was not that amateur like when he had to have a few words with someone high up at Crédit Agricole, was he? Where have they got that leaked conversation?
I see it as a simple operational premise to counter the fear that they have. It gets worse, at present the vultures are circling and we get to see more fallout. News dot com dot au are giving us (at https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/saudi-friend-of-jamal-khashoggi-sues-israeli-surveillance-firm/news-story/b0bf9d501332df9ad31bede7de904b6c) 'Saudi friend of Jamal Khashoggi sues Israeli surveillance firm' gives us 'A Saudi dissident', as well as 'Omar Abdulaziz, said he was friends with Khashoggi'. Now people make all kinds of claims, I can make the claim that I am the lover of Scarlett Johansson; she just does not know it yet. Anyone in the media can contact frukan Johansson and verify that fact (or prove it to be wrong), we can't in the case of Khashoggi, can we? Was there corroborating evidence that they were actual friends? If so, why was that not added? The news site makes no real effort to substantiate that friendship and that is not what this is about. You see, it is the claim 'a lawsuit against an Israeli surveillance company, claiming its sophisticated spyware targeted him and helped lead to the killing of his friend'. We have two problems here. In the first, is there any evidence to back that up? In the second, Jamal Khashoggi was an unknown person to 93% of the planet, yet he was a journalist for the Washington Post, and as such he was a lot more visible than most others. Also, the entire filing matter in Istanbul gave rise that plenty of people knew where he was, so the spyware seems redundant. If there was quality spyware in place he could have been killed anywhere and leave the optional involvement of Saudi Arabia almost completely out of it. Does that not make sense?
The last paragraph is the killer here: "citing news reports and other sources claiming that NSO Group sold Saudi Arabia the technology in 2017 for $US55 million ($A75 million)". The first thing here is to look at those news reports; I wonder how much innuendo is in there. Then we get the stage that technology worth $55 million was bought when JK was very much alone, giving rise to the reason of purchase, last by not least is the investigation on the NSO group and their software and that is what I believe was the foundation, it does not matter where and how the NSO group software was used. I believe that Omar Abdulaziz got wind of a 2016 article not unlike those on Vice (at https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3da5qj/government-hackers-iphone-hacking-jailbreak-nso-group), and saw 'Government Hackers Caught Using Unprecedented iPhone Spy Tool'. so when we see (or saw) "Ahmed Mansoor, a 46-year-old human rights activist from the United Arab Emirates, received a strange text message from a number he did not recognize on his iPhone", the brain of Omar Abdulaziz optionally went 'ka-chink' and his pupils turned to dollar signs, It was optionally his opportunity of a lifetime.
I am telling you right now that all I am writing from my opposition is pure speculation, yet is it less of more believable? Is the NSO group real? Yes they are and they have something that every nation on the planet with a decent technology level requires. Any government have people they want to keep tabs on, and that is what this solution optionally provides for. It is not a killing tool, and at $55 million it is not some tool you use for simply ending someone's life, there are more convenient and more elegant ways to facilitate to punch out someone time clock of life. When you stage a $55 million solution when $50K in an account does it, that solution does not make sense.
Still, we cannot ignore the NSO group software and it might have been used to keep tabs on JK, that is optionally a reality we face, yet we all face that optional for a number of reasons and there we have the crux, knowing where a person is does not mean that their life has to be ended, the fact that we have tools, does not imply that we have to use other tools. The audience factor is trying to give us that idea, an emotional driven premise of events to set the stage of intentional international execution. There has been, and unlikely will be any evidence showing that. Not by some eager frog (an unnamed France governmental executive) stating to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman 'I am really worried!' worried about what? Conversations eagerly and 'unintentionally' leaked right in full view of the CNN camera, are people truly stupid enough to go for that bait?
Then we get claims in papers like the Sydney Morning Herald trying to up their game, yet at present I am not certain if the Saudi government would lose if a defamation case was brought to court and that is me merely contemplating two of the JK articles that I have read in the last two days.
In addition, the article has the claim 'and helped lead to the killing of his friend', which is actually very clever as in this way stated we have a problem, or do we? Is there any evidence that the solution was or was not used? If there is a way to check the usage of that software then Omar Abdulaziz opened an interesting door. You see at that point, under the US freedom of information act, close to two dozen claims can be made regarding the NSA (the San Antonio location) on how they have been keeping tabs on people. In the January case of Sherretta Shaunte Washington, her attorney might optionally (with properly applied intelligence) be able to overturn any given sentence against her. There has been the rumour that the NSA assisted in keeping tabs on a dozen burner phones. You see, it is not the sim card; it is the mobile imei number on EVERY phone that is the issue. The NSO group seemingly figured out the algorithm to take this to the races and that advantage is worth well over $55 million. That is exactly why the Mexicans wanted the solution too. Most Mexicans are still believing that without the sim it is nothing, yet one call gave away the imei number and that number is a lot more useful than most consider.
And in the end it is Forbes who gives us the missing diamond going all the way back to August 2016. Here we are treated to: "looking at the domains registered by NSO, they determined Pegasus could have been used across Turkey, Israel, Thailand, Qatar, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Mozambique, Morocco, Yemen, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Bahrain, though there was no clear evidence", in all this the one logical step, the one thought that no one has been willing to voice for a number of reasons. Turkey is on that list. So what if this was Turkey all along from beginning to end? Turkey, who had the solution to keep tabs on thousands of journalists, reporters and bloggers, and jailing hundreds of journalists, do you actually think that they are beyond killing a journalist? I mentioned a few yesterday, so you there is evidence all over the field and so far no actual and factual evidence has been given on any involvement of the Saudi Royal family, yet everyone is playing that card as often as possible.
I am not in denial, I am not stating that they are innocent, I am merely looking and hoping to see real evidence, and so far the absence of that investigation has been astounding. There is enough evidence on the involvement of Saudi's in all this, yet the proper vetting of Turkish evidence by the media has seemingly been lacking. The press (and the media as a whole) merely pushed that same button again and again and it makes me wonder on the premise in which other ways we are (seemingly) being deceived. That is the clear consequence of orchestration, it makes us all doubt all the other evidence, and in light of the USA playing their silver briefcase WMD game in regards to Iraq, that has made us distrust a lot of other evidence, evidence that might have been valid, but we are in a stage where we no longer trust the messengers in all that and as the media and newspapers lose more and more credibility, we have started to treat most news as fake news.
That is the price of orchestration and the players remain in denial that it is happening. That is the part we see form a source called Foreign Policy dot com. The article (at https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/12/03/how-an-internet-impostor-exposed-the-underbelly-of-the-czech-media/), gives us: 'How an Internet Impostor Exposed the Underbelly of the Czech Media. When politicians own the press, trolls have the last laugh', the article by Tim Gosling gives us: "Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis—and expose just how easily disinformation can slip into the mainstream press, especially when politicians control it." It is a mere introduction to: "In September, the Czech broadsheet Lidove Noviny published an op-ed by Horakova expressing support for Babis's refusal to offer asylum to 50 Syrian orphans, as was proposed by an opposition member of parliament. Playing up to his populist pledge not to allow "a single refugee" into the Czech Republic, the prime minister said the country had its own orphans to care for". It merely gives us parts to ponder, the amount of pondering increases with: "In tapes released by unknown sources onto the internet last year, for instance, he was heard discussing stories damaging to his political rivals with a reporter from Mlada fronta Dnes, which alongside Lidove Noviny is controlled by Agrofert—the agrochemicals conglomerate that is the centerpiece of Babis's business empire."
I have written again and again against the media facilitation for the shareholders, the stakeholders and the advertisers, here we see the impact when the media and the shareholder are one and the same. That article from a freelance reporter who seemingly contributed to Foreign Policy, The Telegraph, Politico Europe, Deutsche Welle, World Politics et al. He shows that there is a much larger issue and that the difference between those bringing the news and fake news bringers is almost indistinguishable. We might give passage to the LA Times, the Washington Post, New York Times, the Times, the Guardian and several others, yet after that the mess becomes no longer trusted, mostly because the source is too unknown to us. The media did this to themselves through facilitation and until that changes fake news will have too many options to gain traction with the people influencing a populist political nation on a near global scale.
It is one of the reasons why I refuse to merely accept the view of people blaming Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for it all. There are too many intelligence gaps, too many parts of merely insinuated conjecture whilst the intelligence was not properly vetted and it happened for the most in Turkey (the consulate is Saudi ground). We might never ever get the answer of what truly happened, and to a very large extent it is because of the games that the media played from the very beginning. A game staged in innuendo, unnamed sources and people talking on the promise of anonymity. It is not the fact that these elements exist, it is because to a much larger extent too many of them were used at the same time, pressing the same directional button, most of it not scrutinised to the degree that was essential, and when contra dictionary evidence was found, those issues were ignored by the largest extent by all the media, that too is the foundation of fake news, we merely chose to ignore it, it is our emotional side and that is the bigger issue. People are no longer adhering to innocent until guilty, the media has become a 'guilty until proven innocent machine' and that drives the populist agenda more than anything else, so I oppose them all by stating: 'The Saudi government is one we needlessly fear, until we have conclusive evidence of their action that is the only way we should be'. We have become puppets in a world where tyrants (Robert Mugabe), alleged mass murderers (Slobodan Milošević), criminals (shooters who were granted indemnity from prosecution) and paedophiles (Catholic clergy) get more consideration than any Muslim ever had, how sad has our world become?
Filed under Law, Media, Military, Politics
Tagged as Agrofert, Ahmed Mansoor, Andrej Babis, Bahrain, CNN, Crédit Agricole, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Czech Republic, Deutsche Welle, Forbes, Foreign Policy, G20 Argentina, Horakova, Hungary, imei number, Israel, Jamal Khashoggi, Kenya, Lidove Noviny, MBS, Mexico, Mlada fronta Dnes, Morocco, Mozambique, News, news.com.au, Nigeria, NSA, NSO group, Omar Abdulaziz, Pegasus, Politico Europe, Qatar, Robert Mugabe, San-Antonio, Saudi Arabia, Scarlett Johansson, Sherretta Shaunte Washington, Slobodan Milošević, Sydney Morning Herald, Thailand, The Telegraph, Tim Gosling, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vice, Washington Post, World Politics, Yemen
November 24, 2016 · 19:11
The cost of free trade
There is a side in me that is a little beyond angry. When I see these politicians whine like little bitches on how good 'Free Trade' is, on how it is so good for all. I wonder if they remember the days when slavery was an actual solution for commerce. How these people look and praise Chiwetel Ejiofor (aka Baron Mordo) for playing a slave in '12 years a slave'. When we see "Mexico, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore aim to continue with TPP with or without the United States, Mexico's economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, said on Friday" (Source: SBS), we need to wonder on how the TPP is seen as anything but evil, a mere apparatus of convenience for large corporations to keep a stranglehold on those around them and to minimise the number of opportunities for smaller businesses.
The Evidence?
The Economic Policy Institute gives us: "This paper does not include an exhaustive review but cites as an example Capaldo, Izurieta, and Sundaram (2016), who noted that studies claiming that the TPP would have a positive impact on the U.S. and global economy are based on unrealistic assumptions, including no change in the U.S. trade balance with the TPP countries and full employment", which is only the top of the iceberg. You see, in addition we have "Currency manipulation is the most important cause of the large and growing U.S. goods trade deficit with the group of countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Coupled with the fact that the United States is the largest and most reliable trading partner for many of the TPP countries, this is a recipe for U.S. pain at others' gain". This is not the USA, it would also hit Australia in other ways, not the people who secretly arranged all that they get top dollar in a few other ways. Yet, before we move on, let's take one more part, because that will have connecting issues. The quote "Many members of the proposed TPP, including Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan, are known currency manipulators. Others, namely Vietnam, appear to be following the lead of currency manipulators by, for example, acquiring excess foreign exchange reserves to depress the value of their currency. Currency manipulation explains a substantial share of the large, persistent U.S. trade deficit with the 11 other TPP countries that has not only cost millions of U.S. jobs but also increased income inequality and put downward pressure on American wages", and although this paper focuses on US consequences, it will in addition have a speculative negative impact on Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
The Dutch Financial Times (at https://fd.nl/economie-politiek/1176922/tpp-opzegging-holt-voorbeeldfunctievs-uit) gives us: "Donald Trump heeft de wereld deze week een belangrijke boodschap gegeven. Door te stellen dat hij de Verenigde Staten op de eerste dag van zijn presidentschap terug zal trekken uit het Pacifische vrijhandelsverdrag TPP, geeft hij het signaal af dat hij de relaties met andere landen puur vanuit de blik van een zakenman zal zien. Hij wil bilateraal met landen gaan onderhandelen 'over eerlijke handelsafspraken die ertoe leiden dat banen en industrieën terugkeren naar Amerika'. Internationale relaties moeten voordelig zijn; anders hoeft het niet", which paraphrased gives us: "Donald Trump will be withdrawing from the TPP on day one of his presidency. He will be looking at relationships with other countries from a business point of view, international relations need to be advantageous, or need not be". Is that a bad thing? You see for exploiters it is, which gives us the Malayan Times (at http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/tpp-aint-over-till-its-over-firdaos-rosli). Last week they had the headline 'TPP ain't over till it's over', the article is a decent legal view of getting the TPP ratified, which only gives additional cause for concern in a few ways, yet that is not the issue for now. The one quote at the end that matters is "The government must proceed with its top-down reforms agenda and these are direly required to make Malaysia great again" This is fair enough on one side, Malayans are there to make Malaysia strong, there is no cause more just, yet in what ways are they doing this?
This is where the other side gets to show us the dangers. You see the headline 'Malaysia workers speak of their despair: 'Samsung only knows how to take'' (at https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/nov/21/malaysia-workers-speak-of-their-despair-samsung-only-knows-how-to-take), shows that large corporations are at the heart of the problem. Tax shelters, exploitation and what cannot be seen as anything else than intentional slavery are at the heart of the matter. The Samsung Port Klang factory as mentioned shows how Samsung is growing its business by massively reducing costs whilst maximising customer exploitation at almost the same time.
When we see "In total, Bhandari says he paid £750 to secure his job in Malaysia – more than the average annual salary in his home district" as well as "There are an estimated 2.1 million documented migrant workers like Bhandari in Malaysia, many of them hired through third-party labour supply companies who recruit foreign workers from Nepal, Indonesia, India and Bangladesh to drive Malaysia's industrial boom". Implying that Samsung has no HR to speak of, it is arranged through third party affairs that are buttering their bread on both sides of the isle with a labour population in slavery. So when we rethink the Malayan Times with 'TPP ain't over till it's over', we get that they (those making the profits) need the TPP, because slaves tend to be free (read: really cheap) and too many people seem to be filling their pockets in a few ways. So when you see "Now he's in Malaysia, Bhandari's recruitment debt – and the 60% interest loan he took to pay it – has a stranglehold on the teenager", you know that this is how slavery is created and how it is maintained. Not through shackles that bind you, but debts that stop you from moving and breathing. I reckon that the old southern 'solution' was a lot more humane. At least you knew that there was slavery, now the boat load of governments remain in denial and the large corporations can claim to remain negligently unaware. Which of the two is the larger hypocrite remains to be seen. The fact that Australia signed this, whilst they had to be aware that this was happening to some degree is an issue on many fronts, not just the slavery part, but the fact that the TPP has the largest option of being a negative influence. You see, those who had walked away wanted to do so via the TPP, there is absolutely no guarantee that whilst in the TPP jobs are not lost to areas where labour laws are a lot more flexible.
Consider the quote "Many of the group now want to leave, if only they could. They say their passports were all confiscated on arrival in the country, an illegal but pervasive practice, and they have been told they will have to pay £740 if they want to go – the equivalent of four months' basic salary", which translates to a little over 4 weeks of Australian welfare. Which in light of "A Samsung statement said: "As a committed member of the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), we comply fully with the EICC's Code of Conduct and have found no evidence of violations in the hiring process of migrant workers hired directly by our manufacturing facility in Malaysia. Once there is any complaint, we take swift actions to investigate" as well as "When asked whether Samsung had repaid any worker debts at the factory, one man employed directly by Samsung instead of through a labour supply company says he hasn't received any compensation. "Samsung doesn't know how to give," he says. "It only knows how to take."" which to some degree shows that not only is Samsung not doing too much about it, it is also intent towards reaping the benefit of these trade deals for as long as they can. More important, even though Samsung is the visible one, the fact that from several sources we see "Malaysia's trade volume is booming", implies that there are other brands exploiting this way of cutting costs. So from that part, the evidence that Slave labour is again a 'valid' form of cost cutting towards commerce is given.
Should any government object that I reckon it is time that clear labour requirements are added to the TPP, I wonder how many would suddenly oppose such actions, because as I see it it is clear that Japan and USA, the two direct requirements for the TPP would not oppose it, unless Sony decides that their margins would dwindle, but that is just pure speculation from my side.
Well, I do not think it is too far-fetched that those linked to these unacceptable labour practices are required to have a specific import license for their good, which is at a price, FTA or not! I wonder what will happen when Samsung gets a 23% surcharge on slave labour goods import. Will that suddenly make them see the light? I do not mind if they decide to make them in Malaysia, but I reckon we all agree that these workers are due decent pay and no slave labour conditions. At that point, when the margins are hit, how good was the TPP and how beneficial were factories in Asia? I do not proclaim to have the answer, I am merely asking the question. When slavery is dealt with, we will suddenly see that there is no benefit in some of these places and that other places like Argentina, Texas, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the UK and Belgium are decent places where goods can be produced whilst the company still has a margin. And perhaps there is no need for a $229 Samsung Microwave when a $129 Sharp version would suffice. So, a $100 more expensive whilst 'depending' on slave labour (to at least some degree), seems odd doesn't it?
Consider: "it promised only £268 a month, including overtime", whilst "a payslip seen by the Guardian shows Bhandari worked 29 out of 30 days in September, including 65 hours of overtime", so we get 65 hours a slave every month and an income of £9.20 a day, which amounts to 25% of what you get in Australian Centrelink and the cost of living in Sydney is actually high. So the next time you see those Samsung advertisements, consider that they can afford these billboards thanks to slave labour. Look at your Samsung phone and admire how you got that great deal, if you are lucky only one person literally worked himself/herself to death to make you one. Feel better now?
It is also important to realise that Samsung is not alone here, one firm does not make for "Malaysia's trade volume is booming", it takes a lot more than one firm and if only Samsung was involved, those people would apply for every other place on day two of their arrival. This makes the issue a lot larger and this also makes the unbalanced use of what we now laughingly call 'Free Trade Agreements'. So when we get another load of Bill Shorten and how the TPP isn't costing jobs, we see a clear case that the man needed to be tarred, feathered and walked through George Street whilst a person behind him clanks the bell shouting 'Shame!' It might be a little too much Game of Thrones, yet in that place they are only now abolishing slavery on the East side of that place (read: Essos), in addition, Malcom Turnbull is not free of any moral harm either. The fact that the TPP was supposed to implement stronger protections and the fact that Malaysia is still very much on the TPP ball, whilst as the Guardian shows, that what amounts to Slave labour is still going strong to me implies that those involved have either loop holes in place or that there are alternative options for those enjoying the fruits of their exploitation.
You see, the TPP Labour summary gives us: "In addition to commitments by Parties to eliminate forced labor in their own countries, the Labor chapter includes commitments to discourage importation of goods that are produced by forced labor or that contain inputs produced by forced labor, regardless of whether the source country is a TPP country", this implies that those involved at Samsung have either a Chinese wall in place or a system of deniability. The fact that The Guardian received evidence (payslips) and had testimonials of multiple workers should suffice as evidence.
The fact that Huawei has the option to expose issues with Samsung, whilst not seeming to act, gives also pause for concern. China is not part of the TPP, it is trying to seal its own trade agreement. Even though we have no evidence on how China works in certain matters, the existence of China's State Owned Enterprise's (SOE) is another circle of issues and it will be so for both Australia and New Zealand, yet to what extent cannot be stated by me (read: ignorant of such levels of government rules). In that regard Huawei might have an unfair advantage (read: when compared to Samsung) and of course, Huawei could impact the booming Mobile business Australia has (read: Exchange rate of sarcasm towards giggles). As many see that China has been non-enthusiastic when it comes to dealing with corruption, the shown evidence gives us that several other nations aren't that much better and corporate greed tends to trump government requirements. So there!
No matter how we slice it, the trade agreements only truly benefit large corporations and no one else, which is an issue on a few fronts and in that President Elect Donald Trump might be the clearest American patriot when he states "international relations need to be advantageous, or need not be", for the simple truth is that for the most and agreement signed that was not advantageous was an agreement best not signed at all.
Filed under Finance, Law, Media, Politics
Tagged as 12 years a Slave, Argentina, Australia, Australian Centrelink, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Capaldo, China, Chinese wall, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Trump, Economic Policy Institute, EICC, Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition, Free Trade Agreements, Huawei, Ildefonso Guajardo, India, Indonesia, Izurieta, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Port Klang factory, President Elect Donald Trump, Samsung, Singapore, SOE, State Owned Enterprise, Sundaram, Texas, TPP, UK, US, USA
March 19, 2014 · 23:00
Any sport implies corruption!
Yes, I agree that this statement is over the top, but at present, I have had it with sports. Whenever we hear about any sport, we are likely to hear doping, corruption or treason. When was the last time you watched your favourite sport and one of these three elements were not in play? Even if this is the case, when you Google your sport with the keywords 'crime', 'corruption' or 'investigation' you will see a list of events that is tainting your favourite sport.
I am originally Dutch, which means that cycling, skating and Soccer make the list for most Dutch people. I (being a statistical outlier in all this) do not really care about those three. If I am at such an event I will enjoy watching it, but I usually do not really bother watching it on TV, unless it is a special event (like a semi-final or final for a world cup or something like that).
So, when I saw on TV that Qatar had won the World Cup host for 2022, I was just happy for Qatar. I was happy, because a thoroughly European sport would go to the Middle East, hopefully inspiring more people and more nations to take up the sport, which is always a good thing. I also considered that the location would show the 'smaller' nations had an opportunity to host the 'big' boys in soccer and show them that they too can wield the torch of hosting pride. I had no negative thoughts at all. Although I realised that this was a very warm place, it would be nice for other teams like Qatar, Cameroon and Mexico get to play with home field weather advantage, which was pretty much it for me.
So when I got the news this morning that another corruption scandal had hit FIFA, I pretty much lost it on the spot. I remember the Final games of the 1978 world cup. It was NOT the final that was fixed; it was the match before that. What I still consider today as a match-fixed battle between Argentina and Peru, where the hosts needed to win by four goals to reach the final when they slaughtered Peru with a score of 6-0. I saw how Argentina passed on the left, passed on the right and the Peruvian team played frozen, like zombies in a Haitian Dance festival. In my personal view Argentina made it to the finals on false grounds. Yes, the finals were in my view honestly won, but they did not get there honestly and as such the Dutch were robbed of their final victory.
So when I see sports and corruption I tend to go slightly mad. The allegations against Qatar can best be found at http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/oct/03/world-cup-2022-fifa-qatar.
In my view the hosting game needs to get changed. I am so sick of these corruption events. In my view the following needs to happen. When a person is found guilty of corruption, those nations, in this case Brazil, Paraguay and Cameroon are barred from getting officials into FIFA and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) for a term no less than 16 years, furthermore, they cannot become a host nation for that same amount of time. For the first upcoming World Cup, those three nations are then prevented from entering. There is of course a small chance that their families will slightly suffer when Soccer fans go a little nuts at that point, but who gives a fuck? (Pretty please pardon my 'French' here.)
I have seen too much corruption and treason and it had too often got settled with a 'reprimand'. These two transgressions are now often seen as legalised gambling. You have no risk, you get money and perhaps a fee and a slap on the wrists if you get caught. It would be nice to see these people run for their lives. I foresee that sport corruption could take a steep dive towards a 0% sport crime rate, which is good for sports overall.
To be quite honest, until the article in the Guardian, I was willing to ignore the stories. In my personal view, the Telegraph tends to be a less then academic levelled source of information (they usually lay it on a little too thick). I even contemplated the option that all this were false allegations through media giants as the timing and temperatures might result in a shift in dates to play, which could result in a loss of advertisement coinage no less than 1 Billion Euro on a global scale, not to mention the merchandising that might make a sizzler, all that because the Qatarian time zone could shift the games to less civil times for many of the European TV viewers.
Yet the Guardian shows another story. The one passage I do have a slight problem with is "Mohamed bin Hammam, from Qatar, at the time the challenger to Blatter's presidency, was found by the court of arbitration for sport last year to 'more likely than not' have brought cash to two meetings in May 2011 which was then handed to FIFA delegates"
The more likely than not is a bit of an issue for me. It is more likely than not that I do not have the purest of thoughts when I see Olivia Wilde (or Laura Vandervoort, Leslie Bibb, Natasha McElhone or Olivia Munn for that matter). That is a sentence that holds ground (not grammatically). In regards to funds it does not really hold any ground (unless there is a better quality of tangible evidence).
I desire a woman? (Yes and it is not illegal!), I desire money? (To some extent, a definite yes if it gives me access to desire group number one and again it is not illegal), Will I be corrupt for it? Very less likely, however I might be willing to falsify my medical records if it gets me access to my initial group one. The last would actually be illegal and it is covered in Criminal Law, so I am definitely not willing to pursue that avenue.
Why the previous rant? It is about evidence and 'more likely than not', just does not cut it in my book when it comes to these levels of corruption. Even though it is a Civil Court requirement and has been in UK courts since Miller v. Minister of Pensions [1947] 2 All ER 372, which was stated by Lord Denning, former Lord Justice of Appeal and former member of the House of Lords and Master of the Rolls as "more probable than not", yet when we regard the world as it is today, more probable then not is in my personal view no longer a valid reasoning when it comes to larger amounts of money. It is too easy to frame a person; in the electronic age it is too likely to be falsely processed and when you consider the Bitcoin issue of February 2014, was it stolen or actually lost? More likely than not is very probable to imply involved parties in acts of fraud and theft and less likely that a data files were corrupted and through this misplaced into nothingness.
So there we have it! Is there guilt? I am not sure whether this can be easily proven. If certain people are missing out on a billion in revenue and securing it would require blaming three people of taking a few million, is framing three people so far-fetched? I personally think that this is not the case, or stated under the legal premise 'it is more likely than not that three people were falsely set in an illegal light so that several unnamed persons could walk away with many hundreds of millions of Euros'. This is a lot easier to sell in many civil courts.
So which scenario is correct?
I honestly do not know, but it still bothers me that no matter what the truth ends up being, and in hindsight when we look at FIFA, the IOC as well as groups that offer global events had to be revamped in several ways for well over two decades. Consider the 'old boys' brigade as it was in the UK between WW1 and WW2. In today's global setting of fast paced events, where this approach just does not cut it.
Filed under Gaming, Law, Politics
Tagged as 2022, Bitcoin, Cameroon, corruption, FIFA, IOC, Laura Vandervoort, Leslie Bibb, Lord Denning, Mexico, Miller v. Minister of Pensions [1947] 2 All ER 372, Natasha McElhone, Olivia Munn, Olivia Wilde, Qatar, Qatar 2022, Soccer, the Guardian


Improving your home's energy efficiency with energy star can help to lower high energy bills, improve comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions learn about the many ways to save in your home and track your progress with "my energy star" - your new dashboard to savings. We are fully insured heating and cooling professionals! Joule navitas in-roof solar kits combine quality components required to make a complete in-roof ... In addition to our emergency boiler repair in bournemouth, we provide gas fire servicing and landlord gas safety inspections if you need multiple services during one visit, the team can give discounts, please telephone for more information. If you're thinking of installing solar water heating, it's worth noting that many combi boilers are not compatible with this heating system or cannot use it so effectively. Our cameras include tractor crawler systems that can travel up to 250 metres along large sewers and culvers from a single access manhole at the other end of the scale we have flexible cameras that can negotiate bends and gully traps all our cctv systems use the market leading equipment that delivers high quality cctv video with excellent resolution quality to identify every drainage defect down to even hairline cracks.
We also shared our findings with the gas safe register and the hse (which oversees gas safe) both said they would investigate further but the hse said that overall gas safe 'performed well and was above target'. The h&v news awards celebrate excellence, innovation and achievement within the building services industry help-link were honoured to be named "domestic heating contractor of the year" for 2017. No job is ever too big or too small for the plumbing experts that we work with and we guarantee that our clients will be satisfied with the work performed to correct their plumbing problems. They can come in various shapes and sizes, but in all electric boilers, you'll see water running through the system to be heated by a heating element – similar to the way a kettle works. The server encountered an error. Call the gas company; select the "gas smell emergency" prompt on their menu. Collect+ from a local shop from tomorrow.
Having a drain back up is never a fun experience in fact for many people it becomes an emergency that leaves the them feeling panicked here at major drain we understand this and treat every job as if it was us experiencing the problem many times we are able to arrive within an hour of getting contacted. If you forgo a gas safe registered engineer and try installing the boiler on your own, you still need a certified and competent professional to test, accept, and sign it however, a reliable engineer will likely be hesitant to commission a boiler that they have integratori per massa muscolar forum not personally fitted. Buyers are often left in the dark about the condition of drains which are often out of sight, out of mind and can often be in a very poor condition. Our experienced and helpful staff will always be happy to assist you. For best results, use a drain cleaner monthly to prevent clogs and keep drains smelling fresh for stubborn clogs, use a mechanical snake. Potentially significant hazards to health or the environment.
We offer you the highest quality workmanship and services for. Slide the compression nut and ring onto the pipe push the pipe into the fitting and tighten the nut. The screen is versatile with different idle screens, a day and night mode and touch screen control available as add on products are the smart radiator valves, underfloor heating control and individual zone thermostats. When you can send a camera down the line to locate a problem, and then know exactly where the problem is, and where to dig if necessary, that is progress," logan says "having something to show the customer, too, is also a plus.". Our call center is open around the clock, and will dispatch the closest available technician team, for fast and on-time service when you need us. Spring time ac tune up special! call us to schedule a service call today! please mention "$125 spring time ac tune up special web deal" when you call (303) 233-7007 to receive the discount.*limited availability, some restrictions apply. Electric heating - economical, 100% efficient and safe all energy input is converted to heat, without any lost in waste gases. E-tec plus is our newest combi boiler range with 7 year warranty as standard. Includes annual boiler service & safety check). Still have a question? ask your own! No matter the age of your boiler it's possible to invest in controls that'll programme times for your heating and hot water to switch on savings can be significant too and for a three-bedroomed semi detached property, there's the possibility of reducing bills between £70 and £150 a year. Fixed price plumbing and heating services no hourly rate, no callout charge, just one fixed price.
A small house, flat or apartment would typically require a combi boiler output between 24 & 27kw. Atmospheric, open-combustion furnaces and boilers, as well as fan-assisted furnaces and boilers, should be vented into masonry chimneys, metal double-wall chimneys, or another type of manufactured chimney masonry chimneys should have a fireclay, masonry liner or a retrofitted metal flue liner. Fantastic! communicated with us throughout the day until the plumber arrived he was efficient and knowledgable best of all -- he fixed the problem! seamless and easy thank you! The baxi solo he boiler provides a heat only service which makes it an extremely efficient and environmentally friendly boiler to have the baxi solo he design is sleek and contemporary, making it a great choice for properties with limited space our customers around epsom and reigate have had the baxi solo he boiler installed in order to help reduce their fuel bills and introduce a practical, easy to use and reliable heating system in their home holland plumbing and heating offer their complete range of boilers to all customers in south london, and surrey should you require a boiler service, repair, cleaning, or a completely new installation, look no further than holland heating & plumbing for comprehensive cover.
Want to know how much you're saving (or wasting) based solely on your boiler's afue rating? then follow this pattern. Highly efficient, compact and lightweight boilers ideal for new build properties. Sign up for the hgtv inspiration newsletter. Ductless mini split systems are the ideal cooling and heating solution for installations where adding ductwork is impractical or too expensive, or a high efficiency system is preferred. If you notice a problem with one of these please report it to us by completing our online form the form will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
You'll get a free tado smart thermostat and installation worth £249, so you can control your heating from your smartphone. Sulfuric acid at high concentrations in drain openers also. In line with the change, we are writing to advise that you need to update/change your current web browser if you wish to continue shopping from nisbets online. The jury is still out on boiler insurance cover a basic policy can be as cheap as £5 a month for the first year, and if you don't have savings to pay for repairs when you need them, it might be a worthwhile investment. Installing a new boiler can be a big decision we can help by offering a professional service and expert advice. If circumstances beyond our control cause our plumber to arrive late, we'll pay your $5 per minute (up to $300) until we get there call us today to have your plumbing emergency fixed as soon as possible! All manufacturers of boilers installed and worked on including to name a few. Domestic and commercial work undertaken.
Ideal boilers with 5 year guarantee supplied and fitted from £950 fitted with magnaclean, scale reducer and full system powerflush gas safe qualified plumbers with 2 million pounds public liability insurance gas checks £30, boiler service from. The plumberâ program will train you to plan, install and service plumbing systems, fixtures, piping equipment and controls these piping systems may be used to transport water, waste, gases or hot liquids plumbing is one of the major pipe trades careers. However, we service all makes/models of heating & air equipment. Common searches that clients find ways to find us are from searching 24 hour boiler city city, boiler technician repair 24 hours, faulty boiler aberdeen, boiler repair emergency there are many ways to find us via our articles. You turn on a tap or shower, and nothing happens at best, you'll notice it only gets luke-warm, and that's with the heating on. Dear mcs, i am writing to express my absolute delight at the superb level of care my family received from one of your engineers he was called out to attend to our boiler on two occasions, the second of which proved to be extremely tricky, time consuming and a frustrating problem. That's why we offer a survey service using our cctv drain inspection equipment this allows us to look at the condition of the pipe work and give you an accurate diagnosis of any problems and provide a one-off fixed price quotation detailing our plan of action and letting you know how much it will cost to have the problem resolved. The electric boiler has, shall we say, a mixed reputation the main criticism of them as a home heating system is that electricity is more expensive, so in terms of running costs they just aren't winners however, for millions of homes across the uk without access to the gas network they are a viable heating alternative and bring with them several other less talked about benefits. Thank you for registering for our newsletter.
Moving pipes will add around £200 to £300 to the cost very old systems may require a mechanical flush before installation - this costs around £510. The award-winning baxi brand has been using innovation technology to make their boilers a leading brand all of the baxi boilers are manufactured using unique, quality, genuine baxi parts these specific parts used have been approved for use in baxi products these parts are guaranteed for quality, safety and reliability this attention to detail and quality makes baxi one of the best boiler manufacturers. Regardless of the time, when you need us the most, there is always a technician available to help you, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with upfront pricing that guarantees that you know the price before we begin the work and a warranty that covers labor and material for one year from the time of installation call us now for a quote at 239-332-2750 or visit our contact page. Contractors who would like to take part in our furnace and boiler replacement program can receive a $50 incentive for each approved customer application. Let us help you find the goodway product that works best for your specific needs just choose the product line you are interested in. Working order, good condition, pick it up or i can deliver, bedminster, please text message. A cold shower is only good for a few things when that water goes from lukewarm to freezing, waterwork should be your first call if a replacement is necessary, we can help you pick the right water heater for your home and install it for you. A serious leak has the potential to cause widespread property damage due to water loss that you can't easily contain small leaks that can be controlled by placing a bucket or other receptacle under the area may not be emergencies, but large leaks that cause flooding or are located in areas you can't access—such as in the pipes running through your walls or your floors—are urgent situations that your emergency plumber can address especially if you need to turn off your home's incoming water to manage the leakage caused by a broken pipe or drain, it's time to request emergency. Hex tile in varying shades of brown is used for the shower floor in the guest bath. A home buyer's drain survey is applicable to new builds as well as older properties never assume a new home's drains sit in a good condition this assumption has cost many a homebuyer dearly! new homes may have had drains laid incorrectly problems in drain design lead to blockage, something costing many thousands of pounds to put right please be aware many new builds are sold with a guarantee on the drainage system you purchase check the terms to see if a guarantee is provided. If it is not selected, the preheat is on and there will be a "quicker response to a hot water demand", say worcester.


Rough Play is a work by Laura Eldret that originated from a series of workshops on play fighting hosted with children between the age of five and sixteen in the spring of 2013 at the South London Gallery as part of the SLG local initiative and in close conversation with the education team at the South London Gallery.
Following her interest in exploring divergent aspects of how groups of people gather she set about exploring play fighting through workshops. The use of workshop format (1) is a strategy that Eldret employs as 'research in action' (2), however that on this account could also be considered as a form of testing ground or raw rehearsal. Opposed to finalizing all details of a project ahead of time the workshop format allows for the participants to feed back and to influence the course of a piece. In advance of the workshops Eldret devised a set of basic elements and rules that outlined the larger objective of the project and that were developed further in response to the results of the individual play fighting workshops. Eldret calls this set of conditions, interventions, employing them to create an environment that is steered by artistic concerns in addition to the larger pedagogical framework of play fighting within play working and education.
The workshops culminated in a session that was staged for camera and whose footage was later cut and edited to devise the film for the projection presented in the installation of Rough Play. The final installation and the workshops scenario are almost identical in set up, the only difference being the large projection of the finished film on the back wall of the space. The basic components of the project consisted of a set of cushions that functioned at once as armory, shields, and pillows, a piece of wall-mounted fabric, which doubles a banner for the project, two large crash mats and a couple of smaller mats. All elements were delineated by a taped outline on the floor dividing the space into three different areas. Each one of the zones prescribed with its own set of rules and behavioral conventions. For example there is no play fighting in the time-out zone, it is a dedicated place for rest and withdrawal, a personal break and breathing space, and respectively the crash matts and the cushion zones are places of action in which the children are allowed to fight each other within the previously agreed parameters of the game. The shape that describes the three zones reappears throughout the project and also adorns both the cushions and the wall-mounted fabric and functions there as embellishment, logo, blue print, instruction drawing and herald of the project(3).
More than just a place for childhood development and play, Eldret's set up invokes a ceremonial space. Similar to tracing boards used in ceremonies of freemasonry the shape employed in the banner and on the floor occupies simultaneously a symbolic and practical function in the ritual (4). It symbolizes the metaphysical change as well as instructing the participants how to partake in the procedure. The ritual sets in motion a form of transformation and although the term transformation may appear heavy-handed in relation to the practice of play fighting, nevertheless it does feel applicable if one considers play as a means of accommodating and assimilating reality. And by observing the work it becomes quickly clear how even assimilated fight and conflict resolution can be a transformative experience in the development of a child.
I am here mainly referring to the theory of play developed by Jean Piaget, especially in regards to his thoughts on rules and their formation through interaction between children and adults as a form of cooperative negotiation(5). The progress of formulating rules, even if just to break them, or to reformulate them at a later point, is essential in Rough Play. Together with the participating children and play workers a scenario is created and each change of the frame/ rule work has a vital influence on the shape and outcome of the resulting artwork. Rulemaking and decision-making are employed as a collaborative process that impacts on both the pedagogy and the artistic strategy.
Another work that was heavily influenced by Piaget's theories is Ericka Beckman's film The Broken Rule, from 1979, marking the second part of her Piaget Trilogy. The experimental film delivers an accomplished look at play and games and their relationship to gender dynamics and the work place. Beckman describes the film as her reaction to the American education system. Learning blocks are portrayed as relay races conducted by male contesters while the girls are bound to function as scores and cheerleaders on the margins of the play field(6). Mike Kelley plays the protagonist who continuously refuses to understand the rules of the relay race, his clumsy attempts to boycott the game and to render himself useless is portrayed as a battle against a system that just like life outside the game functions according to agreed upon rules, levels, scores and rewards.
Although unscripted and not employing actors Eldret's work can be seen as resolving the contradiction between game and reality in a similar manner. The staged fight scenario is presented as a way for the children to explore themselves and the consequences their actions can have in a save and controlled scenario. They can get a sense of their own strength, coordination, and force. Nevertheless the separation between play and fight seems permeable. The film does not reference the workshoped nature of the project; instead it presents the playfighting scenario through long paning shots over a landscape of fighting children. An epic battle scene is presented that appears choreographed despite its chaotic nature. Guided by a couple of lead figures who direct the eye of the viewer and reveal underlying micro narratives in the turmoil of flying limps, cushions, and aimless bodies, the film diffuses the boundaries between reality and imagination, fiction and documentation, acting and play.
The staged scenario of the project is enhanced by the presence of the camera in the workshops, and observers, and props provoke a self-conscious if not subconsciously directed behavior in the children. Nevertheless in the film it becomes apparent that in the heat of the action the artificiality of the game fades away and that the children at times find themselves in actual fight situations, responding instinctively and no longer able to tell the difference between play and reality. These fractions and slippages create a strong tension between the supposedly manmade nature of the game and the reality of the life around it– making it clear that "one person's work is another person's play"(7).
1. The strategy of developing an artwork through workshops with colleagues and/or untrained personnel is a method that was introduced to the art world context by dancer and choreographer Anna Halprin. In 1955, she founded the progressive and highly experimental San Francisco Dancers Workshop, which allowed for public participation and exploration of new types of movement. Her strategy to approach a new work through a series of workshop, coauthoring with colleagues and untrained participants was something that would find its way into the practice of her students such as Robert Morris and Simone Forti, but also playing a significant role in the work of Mike Kelley, Ericka Beckman, and continuing to be practiced by a younger generation of artists such as Edward Thomasson, Lucy Beech and Alice Theobald and others.
4. Rees, Julian: Tracing Boards of Three Degrees in Craft Freemasonry Explained, Addlestone 2009.
5. Piaget, Jean: The Moral Judgment of the Child. New York, 1932.


text:
The Bust of Louis XIV is a marble portrait by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was created in the year 1665 during Bernini's visit to Paris. This sculptural portrait of Louis XIV of France has been called the "grandest piece of portraiture of the Baroque age". The bust is on display at the Versailles Palace, in the Salon de Diane in the King's Grand Apartment.

Commissioning
Bernini had been invited to Paris as part of a larger diplomatic exchange between the Papacy and France. The ostensible reason for the visit was to create new designs for the Louvre Palace, but the young king Louis XIV had declared he also desired a portrait bust. Bernini's designs for the Louvre did not go down well and were not acted upon; indeed their failure to be accepted was a reflection of the general antagonism between the Italian Bernini and certain members within the French court. However, the portrait bust, which depended upon a more personal relationship between the king and the artist, was completed and largely considered a great success.

Creation
The creation of the bust is incredibly well documented, thanks to efforts of the French diarist Paul Fréart de Chantelou,  a steward at the court of Louis XIV, who befriended Bernini during his time in Paris.

The bust took just over three months to carve. According to Chantelou's diary the process of selecting suitable marble blocks took several days to accomplish. While searching for a suitable block of marble to create the bust there was some discussion with members of the court about whether or not Bernini would make a full body statue or a bust. Once potential blocks of marble had been selected, Bernini began by taking drawings (none of which survive) and small clay models of the king. However, it seems that once he had done this initial work, Bernini chose to work only during sittings with the king.  His pupil, Giulio Cartari, began work on carving down the chosen block of marble (and would later do much of the drapery work), and then Bernini took over, taking forty days to complete the work. He had hoped to have twenty sittings with the king during the final carving process, but in fact there were thirteen of around one hour each. The bust is modeled heavily after an earlier bust that Bernini made almost a decade prior of Francesco d'Este, the duke of Modena, and other than the fact that Louis' cloak was slightly longer horizontally a person would not be able to tell that one was of higher nobility.

Bernini's son and biographer, Domenico Bernini, noted the artistic arguments of his father as to why the King agreed to sit for such a length of time, explaining that the artist preferred to work from Truth (i.e. real life) rather than rely on the unnecessary imaginative extras that would creep into working from sketches. Equally, Bernini wanted to see the king, as he did many of this other sitters, not remaining immobile, but sitting and talking in such as way that Bernini could capture all his  characteristics. Such an approach, with Bernini wishing to capture the figure in physical and psychological motion, was a common element of Bernini's work: "mere resemblance is inadequate. One must express what goes on in the heads of heroes," Bernini is recorded as saying. Bernini also observed the king in other locations - playing tennis, resting after lunch, or simply walking around court.

Filippo Baldinucci (biographer of artists/art historian) records numerous events that advertise Bernini's supposed influence on French culture, including one incident where Bernini's rearranged the King's hair to give greater exposure to the King's brow - the new style was apparently followed by all at the French court, and became known as the Bernini modification. Contemporary art historians are sceptical of this however; Jeanne Zarucchi claims that the alteration was deliberate, altering the shape of the King's head in an unflattering manner.

Conception

Sculpted late in his career, the bust's grand nature, with its dramatic drapery and regal nature can be seen as a continuation of the bust Bernini executed for Francesco I D'Este.

Despite not being an actual military commander, Bernini conceived of Louis in armour, drawing on notions of heroic kings such as Alexander the Great. Though a small man, Louis is figured as a stately character, fusing grandeur with a rich elegance of spirit. The drapery suggests the movement of wind, but also demonstrates the ability of the king to overcome such earthly distractions - he stares in to the distance, perhaps as if giving a military commands, turning his face against the direction the wind is blowing. Bernini may also have explored concept of Louis as the Sun King in the portrait, relating the king's hair to sunbeams and the drapery as passing clouds.

Yet the idealisation of the king as a great emperor was also grounded in reality. It was a feature of Bernini's sculpture that he could combine abstract notions such as grandeur and nobility with precise individual characteristics of the sitter. Bernini paid careful attention to and played with the hair, eyes, nose forehead, and the clothing of Louis making subtle adjustments that allowed Bernini to give the appearance of the individual sitter, being without it being a slavish copy or a lifeless abstraction.

To strengthen the military grandeur of the bust, Bernini designed a large globe to act as a pedestal for the bust, thus giving the appearance that the entire world was a platform for Louis's majesty. Bernini also intended such a pedestal to raise the overall height of the artwork, so that the artwork would sit above and be out of touch of the spectator. However, this was never completed and the bust was moved from its position in the Louvre palace to the Palace of Versailles in 1680s, where it still remains now.

Immediate Reception
Despite the carping of French critics at the court of Louis XIV, the bust was immediately considered a success, as the number of reproductions testifies. A mould of the bust was made in 1666; by 1669 at least seven plaster casts had been created. An early bronze version was taken to Quebec, Canada but is now lost. The only other early copy in bronze is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

See also
 List of works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini,

References

Further reading
 Rudolf Wittkower, Bernini's Bust of Louis XIV, 1951
 Paul Fréart de Chantelou, Diary of the Cavaliere Bernini's Visit to France, 1985, ed. Anthony Blunt
 Robert T. Petersson, Bernini and the Excesses of Art, 2002
 Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture, ex.cat., 2008, ed. Andea Bacchi, Catherine Hess and Jennifer Montagu
 Bernini Scultore: La Nasciata del Barocco in Casa Borghese, 1998, eds. Anna Coliva and Sebastian Schutze
 Irving Lavin, Visible Spirit - The Art of Gianlorenzo Bernini, Volume 1, 2007, pps 560-574
 Cecil Gould, Bernini in France, 1981
 Bernini and Loui XIV: A Duel of Egos, Source: Notes in the History of Art, Jeanne Morgan Zarucchi, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Winter 2006), pp. 32–38

External links

Busts by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1660s sculptures
Marble sculptures in France
Louis XIV
Royal monuments
Sculptures of the Palace of Versailles
Busts in France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
SPLM Leadership must prove it is still Holding Firm on SPLM/A Founding Visions and Objectives.
By Koang Tut Jing
August 15, 2006 (Sudan Tribune)
Currently, it is crystal clear that the movement is in fact being torn apart by enormous problems which range from betrayal, tribalism, confusion and ideology. It would be a lie if one can deny the occurrence of those issues in the past. The examples of those could be, the incident between elements of Anya Nya II and SPLA/M at Bilpam in 1983, the numerous issues that involved Kuanyin, Arok leading up to split of SPLA/M in 1991 and others like the one which landed Magar Aciek in the hand of Riek's movement in 1995. However, not all those event when the movement's very existence was physically and psychologically threatened than was 1991 led by current vice president of southern Sudan. This is a typical behaviour of many southern Sudanese since the Sudan got her independent from British. Since then we never ran short of destroyers of their own selves.
Nevertheless, this is not what I would like to convey; the thing I want to highlight here is that the movement is under attack from two fronts which the leadership in Juba seems not aware of it. In fact, the SPLM/A under late Garang has resisted the call to relinquish its visions and objectives from separatists and destructors in the rank and file of it. Once again those evil voices have gain enormous strength since the death of Garang and this cast doubt among ordinary Sudanese who perceive SPLM/A as national movement for all in the country. In other hand, the leadership is being made look like a southern leadership by ideologists in Khartoum. Kiir-Riek's administration will be accountable for this if the movement fail to meet its founding principles.
SPLM/A vision always have been to achieve justice, equality, freedom and democracy for all who yearn for these in the Sudan within the context of the "New Sudan". The Sudan which all are free and equal citizens in regardless of whether they are Africans, Arabs, Christians, Muslims, women/man. However, the SPLM/A's leadership are one step away from destruction by ideologists in Khartoum and confusionists in the south! Our lives are in stake if the leadership in Juba continues it dangerous silence. While we wait the fundamentalists are on offensive against us determine to destroy what the movement is all about because they think the New Sudan vision is a threat against them.
The regime in Khartoum is comfortable in talking about the southern Sudan issue because an issue confined to south Sudan alone cannot question the regime legitimacy. Today, our beloved SPLM has fallen in the hand of separatists, tribalists and commercial men sitting in Juba. This tell me and my likes that the movement used its founding visions and objectives to secure power so that it leaders can exercise their domination over other marginalised communities instead of lifting them up. SPLM/A leadership must stay away from bad guys that make them abandon the cause for short sighted objectives. SPLM/A leadership has a moral duty to show concern for people who have heed their call when they were in wilderness, why not continue this path?
It was yesterday when many from Nuba Mountain died with us in their great numbers, why leave them when they need our hand the most? Statements like this is demoralising as I quote "the people of Nuba mountain have been betrayed by the SPLM/A's leadership despite their undeniable sacrifices to the movement since 1985" (sudaneseonline). There is no doubt the movement has been invaded by infiltrators, the opportunists and trouble-makers whose aim is to hijack the people's movement for their own commercial interest. The leadership could have stand up for all the Sudanese currently facing uphill battles in the hand of NIF instead it becoming another devil. The fact that many from the north have contributed enormously in the CPA is now a contribution for nothing.
For instance when we called upon the people of southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountain they heeded our call and they consistently refused to abandon us, why don't we keep our words and die together with them? This is a movement which fought the war in the name of oppressed which made it possible for the rest outside southern border to heed the call, why are SPLM/A leadership betraying this legitimate cause? Is this the end of our dream? 16 years ago, our Kiir stood as a true nationalist when he said "if we scattered the enemy we are fighting will pick us up one by one". He said that statement to some Intifadha battalions waiting as blockade against the enemy convoys which was from Malakal to Juba in 1990. He told them that because he was emphasising more on how vital the unity of our people was at that moment.
Today, he is the destroyer of the very thing he helped build up, Kiir went as far southern Blue Nile following the footsteps of Late Francis Ngor and Kuanyin Bol which overseen the operations there before him. Was his unity stands a war slogan? If not, why leave our comrades in arm in the freezing weather alone when he supposes to stand up for them? The quitting of Nhial Deng and the abandoning of Nuba people only to be deprived off their right by opportunists who have not done anything during the cause illustrate the character of our "New Administration" in Juba. This underlines the fact how the Nuer people explained such a circumstance as this "ci rol e cam lat ke", thus those who fought and endured the harsh weathers during the cause of struggle won't benefit as opportunists may.
Without the unity between the oppressed in the Sudan, how will the freedom comes by? This fact is concurred in voice of various SPLM/A formations and units. Our fathers who fought the first war went as far as Congo but because the war is fought under limited objective it ended up in disgrace as Monjunun Battalion put it. They proudly claimed the SPLM/A will put this to an end, do we still have a chance of doing so given this current administration inability? We know that the SPLM/A has captivated every one eyes in the Sudan as a national movement for all which was why it is now having supporters even in the north whereas Anya Nya I didn't, why do we want to disappoint those voices? As voice of Muor-muor put it Anya Nya I didn't have a single northerner in it file and rank which is not a case anymore with SPLM/A, why we don't capitalise on this? The voice of seeds at Funyudo by then said it in full pride that "we will never accept Anya Nya III". A fact which I concurred, however with this weakness, betrayal of one's own objectives, tribalism and confused leadership, I doubt the going!
There is no doubt the movement leadership has betrayed the marginalised society in the Sudan. There is no wonder many are currently concern more with gains as it is hard to hear SPLM/A senior member speaking up for the plight of other marginalised. According to Nuba and southern Blue Nile people point of view, the SPLM leadership has sold them out. A point that I sanction 100%. This makes them think of their plight under the system they rebelled against as in this "our women will still be taken like animals to Khartoum to be stoned and to work as slaves in the Arab homes" (Daudi). Thus, if SPLM/A leadership have humanity in them and truly representing national movement for freedom of all Sudanese from all walks, they must heed the cry of people they represent.
Let's remember their corpses and blood which spillage nearly all parts of southern Sudan during the war by remaining committed to the basic principles of the SPLM/A. Please protect the southern Sudanese dignity by staying the cause. The strong bond between us and people of both Nuba Mountain and southern Blue Nile must not be loosen due to selfishness as this may hurt us back in the near future. The bunches in Juba must know that our kins in Nuba Mountain and Blue Nile are still the supply and our communication lines which we must want to adhere with to win the war ahead. To win a war you must have plans, strategy, tactics and how you should execute all these. Our first concern is how we should conceal our supply and communication lines from enemy!
However, the worries for me is not only the possible betrayal of our once time comrades in arms but the resentment against the people of southern Sudan as a result of neglect and selfishness from our leaders. This by no mean won't a laughing matter. If frustration of both areas reaches a boiling point against the leadership in Juba, this is when we shall know that this administration has not only committed atrocities against the southern Sudanese but a wishful dream of independent south Sudan will vanish forever. It is high time to forget of meaningless separation view as this alienation policy won't help our people cross safely. Our hope and success always will depend on the immediate neighbours as those from Nuba Mountain and Southern Blue Nile inhabitants plus others across the country.
As we have seen when the parties to the CPA inked the agreement, ordinary Sudanese welcomed it with ululations and joy. There were no doubt the masses in Sudan especially the marginalised communities entrusted the SPLM as a vehicle of hope. That was evident when the late leader of SPLM/A, Dr. Garang was unprecedented received in Khartoum by all walks in the country. The people of Khartoum who welcomed Garang did not do that out of curiosity or anxiety to see the man who had endured the 21 years war leading the liberation struggle. Nevertheless, they poured out in force to welcome the man who has been championing their cause for years in the bush.
I know it is currently a culture among many southern Sudanese to call someone who voice a genuine criticism as "traitor". During the SPLIT of SPLM/A I was at odd with many and carried endless names because of what I believe in but in the end the very people who stood against my stance eventually joint the SPLM/A they despised me for supporting. History will judge us one by one! Today, with my favourable view of "New Sudan", it becomes a cause of friction between me and some self-proclaimed separatists. Anyhow I don't have to convince dogs!
Apart from the national issues that rocking downs the SPLM/A leaders, we have so many opportunists, tribalists and confused persons who are remote controlling the affairs of the movement in the shadow. This administration becomes where corruption is brewed since it ascending on SPLM/A leadership. I am not sure whether they can really deliver what the Sudanese people expecting from them. These are two leaders whose records in the people's movement isn't helpful, it won't be surprising if we all eventually fall into the hands of those shadow evils leaders behind the scene. The lacks of command, leadership and managerial skills have been rocking them down all these times. It worth noting that the confusion which destroyed the first movement, Anya Nya I is again descending on us, one can wonder if the history is repeating itself?
Why don't we learn from our mistakes? Apparently, the return of Kokora is just some months away. The refusal of Central Equatoria State government to make Yei a new seat for them in favour of Juba should ring the bell louder. Although, I disagree with CES government position it is time to swallow our pride and opt for Ramciel to make it a dream seat of southern Sudan Government. On top of that the Kiir administration still has big issue in hand. The so called other southern groups and some certain tribes in the south baseless accusations against others are case in point to note. Just few days ago a self-proclaimed journalist disguisedly posted an article denouncing the SPLM/A flag. This is a flag millions have perished under. It is not representing Kiir with his corrupt administration but million souls fell in it support. Those evil voices are creating more room for inter-factions fighting among the southern constituencies as they did in 1990s. Kiir and his group must watch out and stand up in protection of this flag.
Apparently, some tribes in the south are writing articles and petitioning against certain communities they dislike. One example is the Anyuak tribe members in the USA meeting with Kiir in which they raised their grievances against Lou Nuer in Akobo. At that meeting they had with the president they claimed they Anyuak have been targeted by Arab regimes in the past for hosting all southern Sudan's movements and the Lou took advantage of this under the cover of Arabs. This is false because no Arabs targeted them nor the Lou killed them through Arabs' support. Every tribe in the south knows that the Lou does not need backing from any organisation to carry out any task they want to do, why is Odola and his group are raising unfounded allegations? The Anyuak went as far as saying they want "solid conclusion for Akobo indigenous Anyuak conflicts with the Lou Nuer settlers", when did the Mor Lou become settlers in the land many of their generations were born? The very settlers seemed to have been the ones liberated Akobo in conjunction with their comrades from other tribes in 1980s, it was hardly to see a single Anyuak man in all the formations and units of SPLM/A that have been deployed in Akobo by then and yet the Anyuak in USA are claiming meaningless loyalty to the SPLM/A.
If we consider the case of Anya Nya I forces in Upper Nile, the Lou were dominant and in SPLA, many sons of Lou from Akobo have lifted the name of Akobo in the various fields of battles, be it within Upper Nile, Equatoria, Bharelgazale, Blue Nile or Nuba Mountain and yet no single Anyuak did become visible as Lou were doing in SPLA. And they further claimed the dispute was imposed by Lou by occupying Akobo forcefully and committing atrocities against innocent Anyuak, when did Anyuak becomes innocents? I escaped two attempts on my life as small boy, I know who they are, and they shouldn't lie to the media. It seems CPA is giving rise to voices that will escalate and igniting the southern crisis further, the case in point is this baseless accusation raised by Anyuak against Lou. Although, they must have real grievances, they should have avoided unfounded accusations who themselves created. I sanction the co-existence of both Anyuak and Nuer but not the way the notorious old men in the USA would like it be.
I raised these issues because the leadership need to know what is to crippled the SPLM/A as a whole in near future. I challenge Kiir to continue facilitating our march for New Sudan until we achieve it. The tribalists, confusion and the rising voice of separatists must not divert our visions and the moral duty we have for others in the Sudan. Let's remain principle by staying the cause that have sent our southern Sudanese members of SPLA to areas outside our borders in 1980s and died there and let's honour our covenant with those who have joint us during the struggle. And it should be clear that southern Sudan freedom lies on how tough we stand on national issues!
God bless the New Sudan and its people!
* Koang is a Sudanese Diaspora living in New Zealand and he can be reached at jkoang@hotmail.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Outside the Box: You can't rely on Social Security to fund your retirement — it's time to rethink your retirement savings strategy
Following a period of record inflation, Social Security's latest cost of living adjustment (COLA) means retirees will see the biggest bump to their benefits checks in 40 years. While this move will provide much-needed relief to struggling retirees — as the price of everything from groceries to gasoline skyrockets — it doesn't necessarily spell good things for the future of Social Security, which has a projected depletion date of 2035 for its trust fund.
Americans are running out of longstanding "safety nets" — without infrastructure like pensions or Social Security, the impetus falls onto the individual to take on more responsibility, now more than ever, for their own retirement security. Yet 2020 data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute found an average retirement savings deficit of $3.68 trillion within U.S. households ages 35-64, meaning countless people are facing an underfunded retirement.
Read: Plan for the worst-case scenario of lower expected Social Security payments by finding income elsewhere
In today's economic environment, it's difficult to convince the average person to commit part of their paycheck toward a retirement fund when facing pressing near-term financial challenges. Financial well-being took a hit in 2022, with people facing increased costs of living despite trailing wage growth — Allianz Life research found that 54% of Americans had to stop or reduce retirement contributions as a result.
In addition to financial barriers, employees need better education on what they realistically have to save to live at the same standard they currently do while in retirement. For example, you might think contributing the typical 7% of your salary is enough — yet more recent guidance says at least 10% to 15% is needed for a financially sound retirement.
Moreover, despite the fact that a 401(k) is considered a baseline benefit, 32% of private sector workers don't have access to one, according to 2021 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This creates an even bigger educational barrier for individuals who have to independently navigate saving for their future.
Read: How to get a guaranteed retirement spending rate of 4.3%
Cannot take funds for granted
Against this backdrop and the very real possibility Social Security will not last forever, two things become clear: the retirement industry needs better regulation in place to help set employers and people up for success, and employers have an increasingly essential role to play by providing education and access to retirement savings mechanisms.
Critical legislation making its way through Washington right now — including the SECURE Act 2.0 and the EARN Act—aims to address some of the blockers standing in the way of saving for retirement, for both businesses and employees. One of the most promising elements is a provision that would require employers to automatically enroll employees into their company retirement plan, rather than making them sign up manually — which can be a complex and easy-to-ignore process during onboarding, particularly for younger employees.
Additionally, many states are adopting mandates which require businesses to offer retirement solutions when they employ a certain number of individuals. These programs are heavily subsidized by the state and also suggest more tax incentives for employers to afford the cost of retirement plans.
Another major barrier that often stands in the way of saving for retirement is student loan debt. Americans are currently facing nearly $1.75 trillion in student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. As the end of the moratorium on repayments nears, many people are likely considering how to balance those payments against retirement contributions and other financial obligations.
New retirement legislation would put an innovative process in place to support both goals, by allowing employers to "match" contributions to employees' student debt — for example, for every $100 an employee contributes to their 401(k), the employer will put $100 toward their student debt.
Actions employers and employees can take now
Regardless of how things play out in Washington, there are actions employers can take now to help employees start saving more. Employers should commit to working hand-in-hand with employees to support their retirement savings goals — this starts by offering a 401(k), but it certainly shouldn't end there.
There's a variety of tech solutions that encourage better retirement savings behaviors — including built-in mechanisms like auto-enrollment and auto-escalation, tools that help employees visualize what their 401(k) "paycheck" will look like in retirement, or how they compare to peers of a similar age and income level to make sure they're on track with contributions.
Companies should also work closely with employees to proactively coach them on best practices for retirement saving. This can include personalized outreach to young employees to help them get started with their 401(k) and understand the value of saving for retirement, regular reminders to encourage employees to increase contributions, and education around difficult financial situations — such as encouraging employees not to panic and withdraw 401(k) funds during times of market volatility, which can lock in losses and incur major fees.
Another key factor is removing intimidation around saving for retirement. While a 10% to 15% contribution rate is ideal, it's not realistic for everyone — stowing away even a tiny portion of your paycheck, especially if you begin saving at a younger age, can still grow into a healthy fund as you grow older thanks to compounding interest.
Not everyone has access to a 401(k). But even those that do should also look into other tax-advantaged vehicles to save as much for retirement as possible. Employers can encourage employees to explore flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), IRAs, and Roth IRAs—taking advantage of these, and maxing out contributions where you can, will put you at a great advantage as you approach retirement and help you get on track if you don't have access to an employer-sponsored account.
We cannot rely on Social Security to fund our retirement. Even if Congress moves to bolster the program, the retirement security gap remains significant, and many will need other funds to create the type of retirement they want. People should take this moment to re-examine their retirement savings strategy — meanwhile, the retirement industry and employers need to recommit to making it easier to get started and stay on track.
Kristen Carlisle is general manager of Betterment at Work.
Next Avenue: From 'coastal grandmother' style to accessible farmhouse furniture, boomers are becoming popular among big brands
Cannabis Watch: Federal judge shuts down New York State cannabis license rollout in some regions


Start Using the SCRIP Program!
Scrip is simply gift cards for retailers, restaurant's and services both local and nation-wide. Instead of using cash, checks or your credit card when you purchase goods or services, you use your Scrip gift card. The great thing about Scrip is that you can use it for everyday purchases like groceries, gas, prescriptions, gifts, etc. You won't be spending any more money than you already do. You will be helping to raise funds to support St. Mary Portage Catholic School.
Watch this video to see how SCRIP works.
The SCRIP program allows the school to purchase gift cards and certificates in bulk at a discount. The SCRIP retailers offer discounts varying from 2% to 20%. Parishioners and school families buy SCRIP from St. Mary at face value and the school receives the benefit of the profit. For example, ACE HARDWARE cards are available at a 4% discount - when you purchase a gift card for $100, the parish receives $4. While it doesn't seem like much by itself, purchasing $100 worth of KOHL'S each week for a year generates $208.
We have some of the most popular retailers available for immediate pickup. These cards are available in the church office during regular business hours during the week or after Masses on Saturday and Sunday in the back of the church. After you purchase your cards you can spend them just like cash.
In addition to the retailers available for immediate pickup, there are hundreds of other vendors you can special order for delivery to the parish office within 3 days of when the church office receives the order. Going on a road trip? How about ordering a gift card for the Cracker Barrel Restaurant? Staying in a Hyatt Hotel? How about ordering a gift card for your hotel stay?
If you would like to see the complete listing of SCRIP cards click on the link below.
SCRIP order forms are available at the church office or you can pick one up from the SCRIP table on Saturday or Sunday in the back of the church or download one by clicking on the link below.
If you have special requests add them to the order form and return to the office in an envelope with your check or cash. Special Orders received by Noon on Monday should be available to pick up in the church office late Thursday or Friday during regular business hours of that week or after Masses that weekend.
If you have special requests that we do not carry in our office inventory you can check to see if a retailer is on the main list by clicking here and then add them to the order form and return to the office in an envelope with your check or cash. Special Orders received by Noon on Tuesday should be available to pick up in the church office late Thursday or Friday during regular business hours of that week or after Masses that weekend.
It requires a little planning on your part, but once you get in the habit of using SCRIP for your everyday and special purchases, you will be surprised at how easy it is.
By planning ahead for your SCRIP purchases, it can actually assist you with household budgeting. And even more importantly, the rebates you earn combined with the other parishioners and school families can add up to thousands of dollars for the school. Please see the enrollment form for more specific information.
For the current SCRIP Purchase Agreement FOR FAMILIES REGISTERED AT ST. MARY SCHOOL click on the link below. It will take just a few minutes of your time to complete. Turn in this form with your first order when you visit the office or after Mass on the weekend.
Friends & Family members of St. Mary School registered students can participate in the SCRIP program on their behalf. In order to make sure the school family gets credit for your purchases please click on the link below to download a form. Once it is filled out please return it to the parish office.
There is no registration waiting period, you can start purchasing SCRIP today. SCRIP registration forms are also available at the parish office.
Click here to download the family user guide with information about how to create your account online. You will need to get the St. Mary School organizational code to register, but contacting your SCRIP coordinator. Click here to visit the Contact Us page to email the parish office or call the parish office -608-742-6998.
What is Presto Pay, Reload, Reload Now and Scrip Now?
If you would like to order SCRIP online, you must first establish a Presto Pay account. This is the account you will use to pay for your online SCRIP purchases which will take payment directly from your bank account. To enroll in Presto Pay please click here to be directed to the SHOPWITHSCRIP website. Once you have gone through the sign-up process you will receive a code from the Scrip company.When you receive this code you must relay the code to you SCRIP coordinator so they can enable your Presto Pay account. Please be sure to complete the SCRIP Purchase Agreement and return to the office before you start registering for Presto Pay.
To learn more about Reload and Reload Now you can watch the video below.
To learn about My SCRIP WALLET please watch the video below.


You may recognize him from his time singing on American Idol, from his role as 'Lil Sweet' on the Dr. Pepper commercials, or from your local grocery store aisles. That's because Justin Guarini, when he's not entertaining the world, lives right here in Bucks County with his wife and two sons.
Honestly, there are so many wonderful things about this town that it's hard to nail it down to just one thing! But I will say that there is, for me, a sense of magic about this place. The music history of this town alone (Hammerstein, Sondheim... among others) is so rich, and there have been some major artists that have been inspired by this town to create. I always find that during my travels I have a constant pull back to this place.
Did you know you always wanted to work as a performer?
Yes, I began singing and performing from around four-years-old, and never stopped.
How did life change for you in Bucks County after American Idol?
I spent a lot of time in LA, where I lived for 6 years, but when I came home I always marveled at how normal everyone treated me. They knew me before, and treated me just the same (relatively) afterward.
Do you have a favorite talent: singing, acting, or dancing?
My favorite will always be singing. However, with my years on Broadway, I've been gifted with the ability to sing, act and dance!
What advice would you give to small town people who'd like to follow a career in your footsteps?
Now, more than ever, it's easy to find great teachers and opportunities to learn and hone your craft. They're literally at your fingertips. My biggest pieces of advice to anyone trying to get into the entertainment business is to always remember where you come from, and to know exactly what you want, and how you fit into the business. In other words, if someone handed you a record contract (if that's what you're after) then what kind of music would you make? What kind of style of clothes would you wear? What kind of people (age, ethnicity, etc.) would you want to attract with your music? In essence, what is your BRAND? If you can answer those questions, you're more than halfway there!
Favorite thing to do or places to visit in Bucks County?
High Rocks in Pipersville is definitely one of my favorite places to go hiking with my family. We're so lucky to have beautiful swaths of pristine nature near us, as well as the bustling city just an hour away!
Favorite restaurants or bars you'd recommend to tourists of Bucks County?
M.O.M.'s is one of my favorites, I'm always eating there with the fam or hanging out with friends. If you're looking for upscale and adventurous (and delicious) dining, then try HONEY… it's outstanding!
Because it's a good place filled with good people from all across the socio-economic spectrum.


On December 23, Lotgenoten descends onto Amsterdam's pop temple for the first time: Paradiso with Tiger & Woods, Virginia, Marcus Marr, Tsepo, Max Abysmal, Guy Gravier, Festimi Soundsystem, Soultage, and Pierre August.
For any who don' know, Paradiso has featured timeless artists such as Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Prince & D'Angelo, as well as a who's who of contemporary dance phenomenons – Daft Punk, Richie Hawtin & Ricardo Villalobos and many, many more.
The relationship between artist and audience will be at the center of the night with Lotgenoten realizing a complete sonic adventure throughout the entire building on the start of this winter holiday season.


text:
New College List Stresses Service
By Vaishali Honawar — August 30, 2005 1 min read
According to a new college ranking, what a college does for its students is less important than what it does for the country.
In its September issue, Washington Monthly magazine, a critic of U.S. News & World Report's closely watched system of ranking colleges, presents its own list of the country's best—based on factors such as commitment to national service and access for poorer students.
"It is important for taxpayers to know that their money is being put to good use," the editors write, adding that colleges shape, "in profound and subtle ways, students' ideas about American society and their place in it."
The result is a list top-heavy with public institutions and bearing little resemblance to the perennially Ivy League-dominated Top 10 in U.S. News' list, the latest of which appeared in the Aug. 29 issue.
According to Washington Monthly, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked No. 7 by U.S. News, tops the list, followed by the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Harvard and Yale universities, ranked by U.S. News at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, come in at 15th and 16th on Washington Monthly's list. Princeton University, which shared the top spot on the U.S. News list, is not among the top 30 in Washington Monthly.
Cass Cliatt, a spokeswoman for Princeton, disputed the Monthly's claim that the university had a poor record of national service and social mobility, saying the school's alumni and students are deeply involved in community service and that the school offers financial aid to nearly half its students.
"The schools that topped our list didn't necessarily do so for the reasons you might expect," Washington Monthly said. For instance, MIT earned the top spot not because of its groundbreaking research, but on the basis of its commitment to national service. UCLA excelled in research and had an "astoundingly high graduation rate given its large numbers of lower-income students," the magazine said.
Harvard, on the other hand, ranked lower because it has one of the lowest percentages of Pell Grant recipients in its student body of any school in the country.
Vaishali Honawar
was a staff writer for Education Week.
Education Briefly Stated: February 1, 2023
Education Briefly Stated: January 18, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
Education Letter to the Editor EdWeek's Most-Read Letters of 2022
Here are this year's top five Letters to the Editor.
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Education In Their Own Words Withstanding Trauma, Leading With Honesty, and More: The Education Stories That Stuck With Us
Our journalists highlight why stories on the impact of trauma on schooling and the fallout of the political discourse on race matter to the field.
Kladys Castellón prays during a vigil for the victims of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
Billy Calzada/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Education In Their Own Words Masking, Miscarriages, and Mental Health: The Education Stories That Stuck With Us
Our reporters share the stories they wrote that rose above the fray—and why.
Crystal Curtis and her son, Jordan Curtis, outside their home in Plano, Texas. Crystal, a healthcare professional whose son attends school in Plano talks about the challenges of ensuring quality schooling, her discomfort with the state and district's rollback of mandatory masking, and the complications of raising a Black child in a suburban district as policies shift.
Allison V. Smith for Education Week