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Wren's Week: Scott Morrison seeks distractions from bushfire aftermath
By John Wren | 14 December 2019, 7:00am | comments
It would appear that Scott Morrison's "thoughts and prayers" strategy isn't doing enough (Image by Dan Jensen)
A thick blanket of smoke from the bushfires has covered Sydney while the leader of our nation seems to have no idea how to deal with the situation, writes John Wren.
WHAT A WEEK. As Sydney is blanketed with bushfire smoke with no sign of it abating, Australians still wait on its political leadership, such as it is, to act or say something positive. It's an absolute political nightmare for Scott Morrison. Weeks ago, when the fires started, he made a few minor appearances and then as the fires grew, he went into hiding. Why would a nation's leader act in such a cowardly manner?
It is true that Australia has always had bushfires. Many of our trees have evolved to cope with fire, some even need fire for their seeds to germinate. But we've never seen fires of this magnitude before. The reality is the fires in Australia, like those raging similarly in Africa and South America, have been exacerbated by climate change. Climate change has changed rainfall patterns, drying out the forests far more than normal and as the fires rage, there has been no subsequent rainfall to dampen or extinguish them as would normally happen.
Even as I type this, the Bureau of Meteorology is not forecasting any significant rain for months yet in the fire zones. It is quite possible that when the fires do eventually die down (they'll run out of fuel at some point) the forests may not be able to recover as they have in the past due to the lack of rainfall. It's desertification in action. It's not a drought.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, assailed by critics for his inaction on climate change, acknowledged Friday that the smoke plaguing Sydney "has been very distressing to people." He recommended downloading an app that tracks the bush fires. https://t.co/vapqPgB448
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) December 6, 2019
Morrison's regressive coalition is packed to the rafters with coal lobbyists and climate change deniers. Having famously brought a lump of coal into Parliament, he is arguably both. The fires are a clear challenge to his ideology. With humans, when long-held beliefs are challenged, cognitive dissonance sets in — often the first sign of this is outright denial. We are seeing this now across the regressive side of politics. The shock jocks and National Party MPs like Deputy PM Michael McCormack are blaming arsonists for the fires, not climate change.
Like bushfires themselves, Australia has also always had arsonists. Even pre-European settlement, Aboriginals deliberately set fire to the land to clear it for wildlife and initiate fresh growth. It was a form of landcare and farming. These regressives will do and say anything to avoid acknowledging climate change.
When it became obvious the fires were much bigger than normal, Morrison's PR team must have decided to play the fires as though they are routine. Keep Morrison's head down until the fires fizzled out, then business as normal. Bad call. It hasn't happened. Weeks later, the fires are still raging and Sydney is now blanketed in smoke. Schools and businesses are closing down, people's health is suffering, wildlife is being decimated and tourism is affected. The cost to the economy is profound.
The smoke is keeping it front and centre in people's minds. They can't go out their front doors without being assailed by it. And the people are angry. It's now gone on so long Morrison cannot go out and show leadership as it will highlight how late in the piece he's left it. If he makes a public statement he will be associated with the fires and thus the ravages of climate change that he continues to deny.
Morrison is now desperate for a distraction from the bushfires. On Monday, he thought he had it. New Zealand's White Island (Whakaari) suddenly erupted violently while 50 or more tourists were on the Island. Many Australians were amongst them, many have been killed, many more are in critical condition and, unfortunately, may not survive. The NZ authorities have been superb, evacuating the victims to burns units across the country. As some of the Australians are stabilised, they will be flown on to Australian hospitals' burn units.
Our hearts go out to those caught up in the Whakaari/White Island volcano tragedy. Today we activated a repatriation plan to bring a number of the Australians injured home for specialist medical care ⬇ pic.twitter.com/FJbEmM5kTT
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) December 11, 2019
It has been reminiscent of the Australian response to the Bali bombing, with burns victims airlifted to hospitals across Australia. NZ PM Jacinda Ardern has shown her characteristic compassion and leadership through the crisis. Morrison sent out three tweets in an hour expressing condolences and promising support to both the NZ authorities and the families of victims. It was more than he has mentioned of the catastrophic fires in his own country.
Australians were not fooled by it. They are now used to the Coalition's media cycle of blunders, scandal, distraction then the next mess.
On Wednesday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the smoke-filled streets of Sydney to demand the Government take action on climate change. The protests will get bigger, will spread to other cities and become more disruptive as the Government's inaction continues. The fires have brought home the reality of climate change to many who may have been sitting on the fence. Morrison needs to find a circuit-breaker or it could bring his government down. With the Liberal Party now largely composed of deniers and funded by fossil-fuel donations, it's unlikely he'll come up with one.
This morning, obviously under huge pressure to be seen to be doing something, Morrison announced a further $11 million would be spent on aerial firefighting equipment. To put this into context, this will pay for about 1/3 of an aerial water bomber. It's a paltry sum. This is a typical response from Morrison — talk in millions of dollars because to the average punter that sounds a lot. John and Jane voter really have no idea how expensive water bombers are and how expensive they are to keep in the air, but it sounds like a lot, doesn't it?
But wait, it gets worse. Back in March, former fire chiefs publicly warned that Australia needed its own firebombing aircraft fleet. In past years, Australia has leased aircraft (remember Elvis?) for our fire season. However, with climate change, fires are burning across the planet and those aircraft are not available this year. What do you think the Morrison Government's response was in March?
'...purchasing a national firefighting air fleet would be too expensive and current leasing arrangements are working.'
Morrison also tried another distraction. He released the second draft of his pointless Religious Freedom Bill. But more on that next week.
You can sign the petition to have John Wren reinstated on Twitter here.
Scott #Smoko Morrison got stuck on 20th floor of Fed Govt's Sydney office for 30 mins after giving a speech on the religious discrimination bill, because smoke triggered alarms that shut down the lifts. #SydneyIsChoking https://t.co/rK3nQZqiUt
— Not a Canberra Bubbler 🌲🌏🌲 (@MSMWatchdog2013) December 11, 2019
POLITICS ENVIRONMENT
Scott Morrison bushfires Sydney smoke #auspol Bureau of Meteorology Michael McCormack school closures business closures White Island
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Home Business NCC Senate, Minister Fight over NCC Budget
Senate, Minister Fight over NCC Budget
By Adedeji Adeyemi Fakorede
Vice chairman Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola has faulted moves by Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, minister of Finance, to approve the budget of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
According to Senator Adeola, the proposal of the minister to vet the income and expenditure of NCC was a breach of Section 25(2) of the NCC Act.
Nigerian Communications Commission is the independent National Regulatory Authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.
Senator Adeola said that the Minister was wrong on her submission that the NCC, among other revenue generating agencies should submit their "budgets for approval", adding that any attempt by the minister of Finance and the supervising minister to approve the budget of NCC in particular would amount to a breach of the law and an encroachment on the function and power of the national legislature.
Reacting to the briefing of the minister after the first Federal Executive Council meeting in the year, Senator Adeola noted that under the NCC Act, only the National Assembly was empowered to consider and approve the budget of NCC.
He said, "I am surprised that the minister was quoted as including NCC among other agencies required to submit budgets for her and other supervising ministers to approve. As well intentioned as this may seem in the effort to generate revenue and block leakages, it is a flagrant contravention of the NCC Act as well as usurping the power of the National Assembly to approve the budget of NCC."
The vice chairman of Senate Committee on Communications who referred the minister to Sections 17-21 of the NCC Act that dwells on the financial provisions for NCC, said that the only fund NCC was mandated to pay to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation is "all monies accruing from the sale of spectrum" as contained in Section 17(3).
Mrs Kemi Adeosun
Nigeria Senate
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Home/Tech/This former Social Capital partner is betting that early-stage biotech startups have been misunderstood for too long, and she's joining CRV to change that
This former Social Capital partner is betting that early-stage biotech startups have been misunderstood for too long, and she's joining CRV to change that
Admin August 3, 2019 Tech, Technology 8 Views
Kristin Baker Spohn joined CRV as an investing partner on Wednesday to lead the firm's investments in biotechnology startups.
Spohn was most recently an angel investor in health technology companies, and was a partner at the troubled Social Capital prior to striking it on her own.
Spohn told Business Insider that the key to nailing successful deals in health tech is in an investor's ability to see how the industry has historically functioned without shying away from big ideas for how to transform it.
Spohn also said artificial intelligence is one of the biggest areas of improvement for health tech, but is usually the most overhyped.
Click here for more BI Prime stories.
If you ask Kristin Baker Spohn, the golden age of health tech hasn't even really started.
All the rage a few years ago, health tech startups have recently been more associated with unattainable valuations, eccentric founders, and in some instances, allegations of outright fraud. And Spohn wants to bring the industry back from the brink with a little help from one of the oldest venture firms.
On Wednesday, Spohn announced that she was joining CRV to lead its biotech division as an investing partner. The former Social Capital partner had been angel investing in a range of health tech startups, but wanted to make a bigger dent in the massive industry.
"There's a massive amount of innovation, and you're seeing some really phenomenal outcomes," Spohn told Business Insider. "There's a lot of money pouring into this area, and you need folks that have the depth of understanding of the market but also see how it could be to pick the right outcomes."
Read More: Startups with women founders are on track to see record venture investment in 2019
According to Spohn, she has the privilege of having both those perspectives. She previously led business development at Castlight Health through its public debut before jumping back to another early-stage health tech startup called Collective Health. She points to Series A-stage startups as the sweet spot for her skills.
"It's a wonderful intersection of intellectual and tactical work," Spohn said. "I love when you've got the sense of the product and just really open to the big strategic questions on how you're building the company."
"Just because you have AI doesn't actually make it a company"
Instead of continually building companies only to jump ship years later, Spohn moved to Social Capital, the now defunct venture fund that chose not to raise new funding after leadership missteps by founder Chamath Palihapitiya. After the firm closed, Spohn decided to become a full time angel investor.
At CRV, Spohn is already looking at startups with potential, specifically those using artificial intelligence in medical imaging like MRI and X-ray. At the same time, she cautions against investing in just any AI startup.
"You are seeing a ton of companies that are saying they have AI for this or AI for that, but when you dig in you see that just because you have AI doesn't actually make it a company," Spohn said.
According to Spohn, those mistakes come when investors with strict technology backgrounds try to break into health tech investing. They don't understand how the industry functions and how different consumers are affected at different steps along the way.
"There's four key stakeholders in any product or area: who uses it, who benefits from it, who decides to use it, and who pays for it," Spohn said. "In a consumer company, those four are the same. But in healthcare, there are sometimes four different people or four different companies at each stage. I look for founders that really understand how this affects their go-to-market strategy and delights all those stakeholders."
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Secret Signals
A Star-Munching Pac Man in the Southern Sky
If you've ever looked up at the southern sky, you've probably noticed an object with a recognizable shape. It's a remnant of an ancient supernova. It's called N 63A, and it's located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 163,000 light years away from Earth. The star's shape was accidental, but it resembles the iconic game character.
The video game Pac-Man was created by a nine-person team and released in 1980. Originally called Puck-Man, the character has since grossed $14 billion and been referenced in a number of other media. It's also become such a cultural icon that Google has turned it into a playable Google Doodle.
Despite this, there have been some changes to the character. In the 1990s, the character had a smaller nose. And in 2010, his eyes were changed. In this way, he resembles the original. Even more, he's now the star of a cartoon series in the southern sky.
Strange Signals Found
Whats Making All These Mysterious Space Signals?
A Weird Signal Hails From the Milky Way
Interesting Radio Signals From Distant Stars
Hidden Pattern Discovered in Repeating Radio Signal From Space
Unexpected Signals Detected in Deep Space
Most Important Questions
How Do Galaxies Form?
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?
Are Cosmic Rays Getting Worse?
Is Our Solar System Unique?
Where Are Black Hole Located?
Unexplained Alien Phenomena
House Intelligence Committee Holds Hearing on Unexplained Aerial Phenomena
Pentagon UFO Study Led by brillant Researcher Who Believes in the Supernatural
NASA's UFO Study Finds Out That They Are Not Really Looking For Space Aliens
The CIA's Role in the Study of Unexplained UFOs Incidents is Coming to Light
FBI Records Vault Shows Unexplained Phenomenon and How It Affects the USA
Unusual Space Items
A Helix-Shaped Black Hole Energy Cannon
An Invisible Barrier Shielding the Galaxy's Center
The Twisted Magnetic Tunnel That Surrounds Our Solar System
A 500-Light-Year-Wide Cavity in the Milky Way
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THE TENTH ARCHIVES | VOLUME FIVE
WHAT'S NOT IN MY BOOK ON BARTHÉ
MARGARET ROSE VENDRYES
PHOTOGRAPHS by BRON MOYI at THE AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER
It was tangential to the story I had permission to tell. At least that was how I settled it in my mind in 1994 when I was given permission and funding to research and write about James Richmond Barthé (1901-1989) and his art. And I did that in the form and using an art historian's methods. I spent three years completing the dissertation, which was lengthy. Like telephones with cords, some of those methods are becoming, or are already, obsolete. The book would be a different project. The book will be a good read for more than academics.
Because it was Barthé, whose story was accessible in survey texts on African-American art (a category that was still emerging when I began), but had not been told in any depth or, as I would discover, with much verifiable information. Those tangential details have haunted me since I placed them in an acid-free box and stored them in the back of my closet. The one box that I did not send to The Amistad Research Center in New Orleans along with the rest of my research files for Barthé, A Life in Sculpture (2008). If you do the math, I had been carrying Barthé around in my head, among other places, for fourteen years. I thought sending my files to accompany Barthé's papers in New Orleans was a fitting way to open the door to others who might want to revisit his life, and undoubtedly revise my research. That's what happened to deceased art stars. Currently, it happens to living ones too.
Barthé, A Life in Sculpture is not a biography. I am not a biographer. If I were, the details I am about to share with you would not have been judged tangential. I am an art historian. I wrote a monograph on James Richmond Barthé. Thank you academia for offering me a genre for the book that avoided the dreaded trappings of biography. In the end, everyone accepted the book as a biography anyway. So, here's what I found out about his life that is missing from the monograph that should bring it, in my estimation, closer to what a biography should reveal. However, I am dispersing with names and illustration details and such to share fact-based information I gather over the years. In this moment, you will have to trust me.
From the start, I found my "read" of Barthé was different from those whose work I read first during my research. Keep in mind, Barthé died before I began learning about him. To be honest, I would have preferred a painter as my subject, but Barthé had all the other characteristics I was after in a topic: African American, figurative work, homosexual, master of his/her craft. Barthé was all of that in a painter who became a sculptor who wanted very much to paint. I think I got that across in my book. To me, Barthé was not naturally modest as others described him. But, the more I read about the literati of his era, the clearer it became that they had no choice but to appear modest. Even a slight show of arrogance was risky for an African American hoping to enter the Euro-American mainstream. When the Black Power movement's mantra "say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud" burst on the scene, Barthé was living abroad. He wrote in 1968, "Black art sounds like voodoo to me." Like many creative people of his generation, black was a color. Being referred to as black made Barthé uncomfortable even though he believed brown-skinned people were beautiful.
Being Negor and gay had its good and less-than-good moments for Barthé. He quickly connected with a network of gays and lesbians shortly after arriving in New York City in 1929. It was not difficult since key figures in the New Negro Arts movement were homosexual. In short order, Harold Jackman wrote to his friend and companion Countee Cullen that "the sculptor from Chicago" was on the scene. Barthé's deep-seated spirituality, and his trust in those able to see into the future, created a life lived in anticipation of events yet to come, but believed to be inevitable. He was a man who made wishes and dreamed out loud with a charismatic demeanor that made those around him want to help him along this journey.
While living in cold-water walkups below Times Square in Manhattan, Barthé used his homemade plaster casts and the occasional small bronze cast in his studio to sell to lovers, friends, and acquaintances to remain solvent for a time. I learned of a large collection of Barthé's sculpture accumulated by a one-time lover and kept by his that lover's partner after he died. And Barthé was lucky, time again opportunities to make money would arrive in time to keep him from heading back to Mississippi penniless. He was also lucky not to hear how some who knew him thought he as an alcoholic. It was true that he liked his bitter Campari, but that he drank in excess is debatable.
The faded photographs of a savvy urban artist and then a bohemian expatriate living in a small village just north of Ocho Rios on the island of Jamaica shows us an adventurous and fun-loving Barthé. He lived with god-fearing, black village people who watched for unusual behavior. Unlike the autonomy he enjoyed in Manhattan, they took note and gossiped. Barthé was a foreigner who had the ability to buy property on the island in 1949. They called him "the white man up so" behind his back and Dr. Barthé to his face. Barthé believed he would eventually be treated as a native because he was brown. This belief he held until Jamaica became an independent nation. Out of many, one people. I was born in Jamaica. Were it not that my parents took us back there in 1969 and I completed two years of high school on the island, I would not be able to say that I knew much about being Jamaican. I can write here with conviction that Barthé was wasting his time waiting for that level. Most of what I learned that is not in the book happened in Jamaica.
Barthé hired help locally to tend his property (he was advised to get some goats so he could claim farm status on his taxes; he got goats), run his errands (he bought a car he called his 'baby', learned to drive, and promptly sold the car), and cook his meals and clean his modest five-room house. The house, handmade of indigenous materials, was already there set back from the unpaved road on the edge of seven acres dotted with fruit trees and flowering plants. Barthé had found his paradise. Expatriates named their estates. Barthé named his Iolaus after Edward Carpenter's 1917 "anthology of friendship." No literate gay man of his generation was unaware of Carpenter's history of homosexuality. This was the one public gesture of coming out Barthé ever made. I saw him a gay man well before finding this information. One clearheaded look at the first nude Barthé exhibited in 1928, Tortured Negro, and the closet door swung wide open for me. But, the male nude is a fine art staple. Not the case for African American artists before civil rights movements broadened their subject matter. Barthé was daring in his overt references to Italian Renaissance nudes, but used them to reference black matters like the prevalence of lynching. Similar to Kara Walker's treatment of slavery, lynching in the years prior to, and after, World War II was a diabolical spectacle. Even so, the few African-American artists who dared to address this travesty in their work received minimal attention from press, curators, or collectors. Tortured Negro is documented by one small photograph; the sculpture itself is lost to us.
Barthé's identity as a person was also lost to us given what was in print prior to my writings. My advisor warned me that Barthé's art did not offer enough evidence to identify him as a homosexual in my dissertation. More substantial, scholarly documentation was required. Mind you, the work could be justifiably described as homoerotic and his life could be rightly characterized as homosocial, but the man could/should not be assumed to be a homosexual. Two years of research made what I instinctually knew was fact. James Richmond Barthé was a homosexual. That is one important detail about him that my book did reveal. Had he been born after Stonewall, I fantasize that he would have appeared in "Paris is Burning." According to eyewitnesses, Barthé could really dance. That, and examples of his attraction to dancing figures are also in my book.
What is not in the book? Barthé was a black romantic. He wrote of his longing for a black partner to Alain Locke while venting his disappointment that his roommate John Rhoden did not love him that way. This was a testament to his trust in Locke as well as how valuable it must have been for a closeted man to freely express such sadness. When I interviewed Rhoden in 1995, he made it clear, before I could ask, that he was not a member of Barthé's social circle; that he was not gay. Further, Rhoden expressed how Barthé's mentorship had little to do with his success as an artist. This is when I realized I had taken ownership of Barthé's story. I was resentful. Clearly, being connected to Barthé during the height of his visibility was valuable to a young sculptor. The problem seemed to be revealing an alignment with a homosexual. Barthé is a passing reference in Rhoden's story. In 1958, Barthé wrote that Rhoden "has hurt me very deeply." It hurt me too, this disparagement of a relationship that existed in a big way for a time. I should have put this in the book.
Everybody knew, nobody knew Barthé was gay. His generation was unwilling to discuss sexuality; however, in urban centers discrete lesbians and gay men were tolerated. Some interested parties that I interviewed were sincere in their belief that an artist's sexual orientation had little to do with their art. Usually it was on me to reveal that I knew he was gay when it was pertinent to our discussion – when whomever I was talking to was dancing around the truth while trying to tell me the truth. They were appreciated, but at times awkward encounters. Then, there were those who knew, assumed I knew, and put Barthé's real story on the record.
I met residents of Colgate in Jamaica who remembered Barthé, but were too young to have been privy to adult conversations about his homosexuality. His was the town celebrity. Their parents suspected that Barthé was what Jamaicans refer to as a 'batty bwoy' like other expatriates who owned property on the island except Barthé was not white or wealthy, which were essential characteristics that kept the others safe. The scrutiny Barthé was under went deeper than say the goings on when gay British author Noel Coward had company at his estate Firefly only a few miles north of Iolaus. Barthé was a black man and when he hired a handsome young local to work on his property people thought nothing of it until Lucian became his favorite model. When the resulting nudes emerged from Barthé's studio, there was the proof, just as it was for me, that Barthé was gay. What would be done about it was unanticipated and unfortunate.
Barthé's mental and physical state was unstable before he permanently moved to Jamaica around 1950. The hope was that Jamaica would be a cure. The stereotype of the moody, unpredictable artist served him well especially within the circle of eccentrics he associated with on the island. He liked his cocktails and at times they were his only company at Iolaus. With all the ink that has been spilled over the value of splendid isolation for artists to create, Barthé was lonely enough to plan travel off the island often. His letters to friends and family are testaments. He wrote inviting everyone to be his guest at Iolaus. It was a remote, inland location that only a few visited. Those who went found Barthé in a charming place with few amenities. He prided himself in being the reason that electrical lines were finally run through town in 1954. Before that watershed moment for Colgate, Barthé lived and worked with the sun. The place was still enchanting after Barthé left and the grounds were subdivided and sold to allow for a poured concrete house to rise within view of Iolaus. While Barthé was in residence, there were no next-door neighbors, but people found ways to know what was going on there.
How Barthé convinced Lucian to pose nude for him will never be known, but pose he did for some of the most successful work made in Jamaica: Inner Music (used for the jacket of my book) and Meditation among them. A photograph taken at an exhibition of Barthé's work includes Barthé, Lucian, and a life-size bust of Lucian was a proud possession of Lucian's nephew. It is the only record of how these two men related to each other. Their fingers are touching on the table. Lucian looks terrified while Barthé was being the poised master artist. He came to Jamaica to reinvent himself and recharge his art. In the process, Barthé made some of the most tellingly homoerotic sculptures of his oeuvre. Lucian had expressed a desire to leave the island. He needed work in the U.S. and a sponsor. Barthé was eventually able to help him leave Jamaica. Lucian disappeared into the ether of the U.S. The bust Barthé made of him is lost to us as well.
Things were never the same after he was beaten. This information came to me via a phone conversation from Florida. This last-minute lead took me by surprise and left me questioning whether this belonged in my book. The informer was reliable. An assistant to the owner of Hills Gallery, Barthé's representative in Kingston. Everything I had heard and read so far left me believing that he had left the island unscathed by the hatred and fear some natives had for homosexuals. Barthé had been physically assaulted and no one else told me about it. Perhaps he successfully kept it from them? I spoke with his closest confidants, people he trusted. Perhaps they did not want this truth to ruin his story, his Jamaican paradise. The sin of omission landed on my shoulders as well.
Question: How you could tell Barthé was a homo? A young Jamaican artist who Barthé hired as a driver answered this question with a performance. He stood before me to strike a contrapposto pose complete with hand, palm up, on the thrusted hip. That is how you can identify a gay man – a batty man. He told me that he would often drive Barthé to the boys juvenile prison in Spanish Town to look for models. It was clear that he did not believe that was what was going on. Once identified as gay, Barthé was instantly a pervert. His willingness to speak with such candor for the record helped me see Barthé in Jamaica with more clarity. What else lay between the lines?
Barthé was very aware that one day someone would take on his story (probably not someone like me) because he was an important artist. Others have written about him: a short article from a biography that never found a publisher and a big self-published picture book full of facsimiles of documents that have yet to be returned to Barthé's papers at The Amistad Research Center. Neither author was able write of Barthé as an African-American artist who happened to be gay even though they knew. The desire, the passion, the meaningful way he treated the male body, especially the black male body, is the reason Barthé's art is so arresting. I am convinced that Barthé made those nude figures to proudly step out of the closet for some viewers and remain respectfully closeted for others.
There you have it. What's not in the book.
is undeniably, unequivocally, indisputably, irrefutably an African Diva – her latest gift, a painting series that merges African masks with commercial images of popular black women soloists. Whilst doing Goddess' work she is currently the Chair of Performing and Fine Arts at York College – City University of New York and a preeminent scholar on both Richmond Barthé and Robert S. Duncanson. Dive here to purchase Vendryes' book, Barthé: A Life in Pictures.
THE AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER
Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, Amistad is committed to collecting, preserving, and providing open access to original materials that reference the social and cultural importance of America's ethnic and racial history, the African Diaspora, human relations, and civil rights.


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In the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo revealed new NES controllers that will be suited for the Nintendo Switch. As part of Nintendo's Online service, you can now play classic NES games at your pleasure on the service.
Despite what you may think the controllers don't act as Joycons. They can sync and be charged by the Nintendo Switch yet they don't have it's traditional features like a Joycon does.
The controllers will be available for preorder on September 18th, which will cost $59.99 Probably the most expensive NES controller anyone will ever pay for.
Comment below if you're going to preorder the new NES controllers. Below is the Nintendo Direct video to learn more on the controllers and more. If you liked this article why not share it on social media. In other news, Square Enix reveals a list of their classic games coming to the Nintendo Switch soon.


Toying with the idea of setting up a wedding website for your big day? Stop deliberating and get one. Like, now. All brides and grooms to be can benefit massively from investing just a little bit of time putting together a nifty wedding website, from actually saving you money to making life a whole lot easier for you and all of your guests.
Gone are the days of your aunty getting lost on the way to your ceremony and there's no need for anyone to get you gifts that you don't really want. All you need to do is put it all online and direct everyone there – no hassle, no fuss. Something all newlyweds can get behind!
Forget about cost, you can set up a gorgeous wedding website absolutely free! Take a look at this fab wedding website tool on The Knot and start building yours today.
Your wedding website is basically a one-stop-shop for all the information your family and friends need.
It's no fun being asked the same questions again and again, particularly when you've got so much wedding planning to do, so simply pop all the answers on your website and direct your guests there on your invitations. Easy Peasy!
Change of Plan? No Biggie.
Things happen during the wedding planning process and sometimes changes need to be made to your original plan.
This used to spell absolute disaster when the invites with all the info on had already gone out (hello, ten thousand phone-calls!), but with a wedding website, all you'll need to to do is make a few edits at the click of a button! Life (and valuable time) saver.
One website will do for everything! Add your gift registry to your wedding website so that everything can be found in one place.
Making up a wishlist that your guests can easily buy off is a dream for everyone – no presents that you don't want or need and no stress for your family and friends.
A wedding website can really make some of the more demanding aspects of wedding planning admin a whole lot easier and considerably less tedious. The Knot wedding website tool allows you to drag and drop your guestlist or add contacts from your phone, making things like RSVPs and dietary requirements a breeze.
Add all of the addresses, contact numbers and timings to your wedding website to avoid any confusion amongst your guests. With everything in one place being super easy to access, there's much less chance of last minute, panicked phone-calls when you least need them!
You can even go one step further in efficiency and help your guests out by adding details of great, local accommodation, babysitters and taxi ranks.


Technical Car Experts Answers everything you need: auto insurance price ?
This insurance is just taking my money.
I don't want any kind of such insurance.
I am a safe driver!!
I have vast experience of this--- this years!!!!!!!
Then may be a complaint will be lodged against you, at that time one thing will be asked you many times, WHERE IS YOUR CAR INSURANCE PAPER?
But i suggest, get the info and detail from your local car insurance agent, get details with more agents.
I WISH YOU SAFE AND HAPPY DRIVING.


text:
By Farin
March 25, 2009 in Fun & Games
andy7
Let's Dance - David Bowie
How D'Ya Like Your Eggs In The Morning? - Dean Martin
Zepfan 473 posts
Brad_M 301 posts
CanAm 201 posts
Zabadak 173 posts
Zepfan
LocationTop of The Golden Triangle
"It Never Entered My Mind" - Frank Sinatra
"Where's That Rainbow?" - Sammy Davis Jr.
Down By The River - Neil Young
Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? - The Ramones
"Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven" - Bryan Adams
"Are You Satisfied?" - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Glad All Over - Dave Clark Five
Ain't That A Shame? - Fats Domino
"Good Question" - Herbie Hancock
"How Am I To Know?" - Miles Davis Quintet
Ask Anyone Who Knows - The Ink Spots
How Come You Do Me Like You Do? - Duke Ellington
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" - George Gershwin
"Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?" - Sam Cooke
Hell Is Living Without You - Alice Cooper
What Manner Of A Man Is This? - The Blind Boys Of Alabama
"Low Down Dirty Mean" - The Allman Brothers Band
"Do I Look Worried?" - Tedeschi Trucks Band
Awful Sad - Duke Ellington
How Does The Grass Grow? - David Bowie
"Stoned, Slow, Rugged" - Rusty Wier
"What Am I Doin' Hangin' Around?" - Michael Martin Murphey
Burning Our Bed - Alice Cooper
What's My Age Again? - Blink-182
"I Never Thought I'd Live To Be A Hundred" - Moody Blues
"What's In It For Me?" - Nazareth
Brad_M
LocationNEPA
"I'll Share My World With You" - George Jones
"What Am I Worth" - George Jones
"It Makes No Difference Now" - Ernest Tubb
"Whatever Happened to Me?" - Merle Haggard
Fade Like A Shadow - KT Tunstall
Would You Fight For My Love? - Jack White
I Won't - Colbie Caillat
Are You A Boy Or A Girl? - Babylon Zoo
"I'm a Man" - Spencer Davis Group
"Are You Ready?" - Thin Lizzy
Time Is Running Out - Muse
Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind? - Tame Impala
"Too Much Time On My Hands" - Styx
"Who Is It?" - Talking Heads
Andy Warhol - David Bowie
Aren't You Glad You're You? - Doris Day
"I'm So Glad" - Cream
"Would You Be My Lady?" - David Allan Coe
Never On Sunday - Petula Clark
Does Your Mother Know? - Abba
"She Knows Me Too Well" - Beach Boys
"How Can I Tell You?" - Cat Stevens


hi, just joined forum. can anyone offer any advice about a intermittent problem on my impreza, hesitant acceleration at low revs, such as pulling away at a junction. seems a bit better when warm,when fault is not present it pulls well at all temperatures. the car is little different to most of the impreza's on here as its a factory standard, original 2.0 gl none turbo, even down to the subaru cassette player and the plastic wheel trims ! its been in the family for 15 years and has covered 104000 miles,so just run in nicely. its recently had a new coil pack and a good quality set of ht leads. there are no fault codes displayed. i wondered if any one could point me in the right direction ? best regards.


text:
COK est un code qui peut faire référence à :
 Îles Cook
 selon la liste des codes pays du CIO ;
 selon la norme ISO 3166-1 (liste des codes pays) ;
 Aéroport international de Cochin, en Inde, selon la liste des codes AITA des aéroports.

Cok peut aussi désigner :
 Cocaïne, de la drogue

Voir aussi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Criminal Law: Restraint Orders
The rise in HMRC investigations and tax-related prosecutions has also seen an increase in the use of Restraint Orders, Provision of Information Orders and a Repatriation Orders.
Following the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, defendants charged with tax evasion and fraud are often charged with money laundering.
Prosecutors are increasingly asking courts to issue Restraint Orders, thereby reducing the risk of dissipation of assets. One issue that often causes confusion is the extent to which a court can restrain company assets.
Companies enjoy their own legal personality separate and distinct from the defendant. In normal circumstances, therefore, assets of a company do not constitute realisable property of the defendant. However, a long line of authorities have established that where a defendant is the controlling mind of the company, and it is a sham and/or has been used to facilitate the criminal conduct complained of, the court may 'pierce the corporate veil' of the company and treat it as the realisable property of the defendant.
The court will not, however, permit the restraint order to operate at the pre-conviction stage is such a way as to preclude the company engaging in legitimate trading activity. The restraint order will need to make provision for company assets to be released to facilitate such activity. In cases of particular complexity, an application for the appointment of a management receiver may be necessary.
In addition to a Restraint Order, a court can also make a Provision of Information Order and a Repatriation Order.
A provision of information order requires the defendant to provide information to the prosecutor in a witness statement, verified by a statement of truth, about the nature, extent and location of all his realisable property. Such an order may be appropriate if the value of the defendant's known assets do not correlate with the value of the property known to have been obtained by him or her.
Repatriation orders are orders requiring a defendant to repatriate to England and Wales assets held overseas. They are most commonly used in relation to funds held in overseas bank accounts which are vulnerable to dissipation before a letter of request can be issued and actioned to secure them.
We act for companies, and many high-net-worth individuals who are currently the subject of HMRC investigations include fraud and money laundering. We have an enviable success rate representing clients charged with serious offences. Whether you are charged with tax-related offences, fraud, money laundering or Cash Seizures, restraint Orders and Confiscation Proceedings contact us for an initial free consultation.
Malcolm Simmons
If you are looking for a proactive approach with clear, strategic advice for the successful conclusion of your case, contact us for a free consultation.
Enquire today 020 7871 4941 Email Malcolm
Significant experience advising clients who are the subject of HMRC investigations and criminal prosecutions for tax-related offences, fraud and money laundering and other offences including:
Serious and Organised Crime
Fraud and Financial Crime
Tax Investigations
Bribery & Corruption
Insider Dealing
Corporate Manslaughter and Health & Safety Law
Cash Seizures, Restraint Orders and Confiscation Proceedings
Former international judge who presided in many complex serious and organised crime cases including tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and asset confiscation cases. Will give clear strategic advice for the successful conclusion of difficult financial crime cases.


A movie that had me rethinking the future of tamil movie..
Am talking about "Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom [NKPK]" . I had heard of this few months ago when my friend announced that her student was doing the music. Few days later, i got to hear the songs in her CD and fell in love with them instantly. The lyrics, the style and the tunes were all so catchy. Esp the Oh Crazy minnal song by Andrea.
And finally, the movie had hit the theaters and was getting good reviews. The only thing that stuck in my head was that none of the reviews mentioned the music, the songs... Anyways, paying no head, few weeks ago, I booked 2 tickets, dragged mom and went for the movie [ we watched it in Sangam cinemas, PH Road].
Enna achchu? Oh, namma cricket vilayidinom..
its ok, athuva sariya poyidum..
This is a dialogue you will hear atleast a million times, well, i exaggerate, but atleast 30-40times through the movie. But, you are not wondering why they are saying the same thing!! You are completely tuned in gasping and watching intently.
Even though i missed the Oh Crazy minnal song, it made sense to have kept it off, the movie dint need songs at all.. The 4 guys stole the show.... Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom was a pleasant surprise, and it is a huge success, even though none of the cast are popular, nor did it have any item numbers or masala. Shows that different genres also work, especially when directed well..
I then began browsing through the shelves looking for a few books i had been wanting to pick up/read, but couldnt find any. And the shelves seemed empty, almost, there were very few books, and most of them were old and seemed like they had been left there to be sold during the sale.
I spent a few more minutes, picked up a few books- one for me, few for friends' kids and none of them had any offer. It was then off to the stationery section, where i picked up the 2 very sad worn out Stamp albums[albums to store stamps], and quite a few VZ India postcards [ which was the highlight of the visit] and headed over to the billing counter.


Going back to my post from the 24th, another feature of the old days of the web some of you might remember is about to be closed down. I recall seeing some Geocities personal pages, but as enthusiastic as I was about the web, I never made one. Why you ask? I'm not sure of the exact reason 10-15 years ago, but there are a few that spring to mind. One is that I didn't just want a page of links I frequently visited my then-current resume; that seemed kind of dull. Another is that such pages seemed dedicated to anime such as Sailor Moon or TV shows such as "The X-Files" or "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," things I was never into. Some pages were random collections of old toys or beer cans or were dedicated to people's pets. These were things I did not have. Such pages were often titled "Welcome to My Home Page," or "Sarah's Sailor Moon Page," or "Bob's Beer Page" and were decorated with animated gifs. A mailbox gif with an envelope flying in and out of the box was often used as an e-mail link. A banner saying "Under Construction" was often displayed on these pages. A visitor counter that looked like pre-digital car odometers were often included as well.
At the time I would not have had any clue how to have made such a page or what to put on it, and I don't just mean the content or dedicated subject of the page, but also which animated gifs to put on the page. Or perhaps the idea of making such a page just didn't occur to me there and then. As i said, there could have been any number or reasons. With all these pages about to disappear (some already have), I'm beginning to feel glad I won't have to worry about seeing a bunch of content disappear.
Should I shame myself on not having had a personal page when I was one of the first users of the Internet or should I be glad I won't be losing information, or didn't lose it already? Any Geocities pages I stumbled onto before the closing was announced was last updated in 2001 or 2002. I'm now wondering f I would have been that slothful at maintaining my page.
And you could say I came late into the game on blogging and social networks. I came across Facebook last summer and signed up, but barely looked at the site for a few months until I started receiving friend requests in my e-mails. Then I started my blogpage last December, and finally after months of trying I got onto MySpace this past January. I sometimes feel like I'm the only person older than 15 who signed up for MySpace in 2009. It seems like everyone signed up in 2005 or 2006. I'd heard about MySpace then, but didn't even bother looking at the site. I guess I wasn't sure then what I would have put on my page then. Somehow I must have known that MySpace pages would like the early homepages made on Geocities. Many have said Myspace is Geocities 2.0.
Tripod and Angelfire were also used in the old days of the web to create home pages and such pages were also dedicated to a single subject, probably the reason I never used those either. Both of these are still around, but I have come across links (in old Google Groups postings) to personal sites on these two services and one such link was not found. While doing a search for Sea Wees, a toy I had a child, I came across this Tripod page.
I'm now beginning to think I didn't miss much not having one of these pages, rather I just skipped ahead to their successor MySpace.
Youthful and playful, you love life and the world.
You have a kind spirit, and you bring happiness to everyone you know.
Artistic and bold, you see the world in bright colors.
And you certainly aren't afraid to express everything you see and feel.
You are sentimental, and your emotions are very deep.
You are easily swept away and easily hurt.
You are intensely alive and very passionate.
You are optimistic about the world and about people.
You feel very connected to others, and you tend to be a harmonizing force.
You are vibrant and receptive. You are ready for whatever the world has to offer you.
It's now been nearly 15 years since the Internet became of wide use to people, and I was in my final year of college in 1996-1997 (I'd had my old Macintosh Performa since Christmas 1995 and would have it for 10 more years) since I actually got into the online world. I can say I've done most of what the Interent had to offer in its original days. E-mail, chat (through chatrooms and AIM), and posting on Usenet first through Deja News then through Google Groups, after Google acquired Deja's Usenet archive in early 2001 (am still posting to some of these groups, especially the one for the group Yes).
One of the first sites I discovered was an e-mail directory called WhoWhere. Remember this? It was immediately one of my most visited sites in the early web days of the late 1990s. I put my then-current e-mail address on the site and would often look for random people, sometimes based on interests. I got a few replies. You were allowed to create a profile containing interests, hobbies, etc, and you could also write a personal message. I remember writing such a message in which I asked anyone I knew from school who finds me to send me an e-mail. Unfortunately, the only time this worked was with someone I never wanted to hear from again--can we please just leave at that? He said "I'm writing as you requested." Ugh, I though when I received this e-mail in 1998. About the only other e-mail I recall receiving from someone through this site was around 2001. I don't remember the subject, but the sender informed that he or she had found me in the "Lycos e-mail directory." Lycos had acquired WhoWhere in 1998. Here's what remains of WhoWhere now. I hadn't viewed the site since about 2002, so when I looked it up sometime ago, I was suprised to see the link above, with the logo that on the site when I first discovered it in 1996.
Another e-mail directory from the early Internet days was Four11.com, which Yahoo used for its people search before eventually buying Four11, relaunching it as Yahoo People search and discontinuing the original site. I used that one less frequently, but did include myself on this one as well. I managed to find a few people I knew from school on Yahoo, a few more than I found on WhoWhere.
And I discovered Classmates around 1997 and added myself to that one as well. It wasn't unitl 1999 that I started receiving e-mails form classmates who'd seen me on the site. One from a classmate who's been living in Minnesota (I live in the central coast area of California) whom I had not thought much about until then and and another e-mail form another classmate who informed me and this other classmate of our 10-year high school reunion that year (our 20th is this year).
This was how you found people you knew on the Internet in the days before MySpace and Facebook. Unfortunately e-mail directories did not get all the publicity that Facebook and MySpace would eventually get. Thus the chances of finding classmates on e-mail directories were hit and miss. Whereas today, about half the people in your high-school graduating class are likely to be on Facebook or MySpace, perhaps both. Classmates is amazingly still around, but I have never been able to afford a gold membership and almost never visit it anymore--come to think of it, I'm not sure how often I visited it in the beginning.
What Bathroom Product Are You?
You are expressive and outgoing. You like to experiment with your personal style.
You are imaginative and very visual. You like to look good, and you're attracted to beauty.
You are creative and design oriented. You redecorate often, and you like to make yourself over.
You are inventive and extremely original. You do things differently just because it feels good.
Only three posts last month and this is barely my first one for May. Is something like this just common, or am I just another blog deserter? Or am I just short on ideas to express--I say this is all I am. I check my blog list each day and don't always see others posting anything new. So I guess I am not alone. I'm the kind of person who likes to write but often has trouble coming up with ideas to write about. But every writer has that trouble. I believe at one point I'd wanted to become a writer, but that never happened and now I envy anyone who has become one and gotten published. I believe it's too late for me. I used to write when I was younger and have no clue what happened to all that I'd written. Only recently did I begin reading more than I once did. Perhaps if I tried, I could begin writing again?


What is it: The toolkit is aimed at people who lead or are interested in leading community arts projects and draws together best practice from Aotearoa and other parts of the world.
- Key to the project is a series of videos of amazing practitioners from around the country – sharing their projects and their knowledge.
What is it: The volunteer management toolkit is intended for use by boards, managers and co-ordinators to help attract, manage and retain volunteers.
What is it: If you are considering running a public event in Tauranga then you will need to familiarise yourself with the rules and regulations as stipulated by the Tauranga City Council.
Why is it useful: The Tauranga City Council website has contact details, resources, guides and templates to make the process easy for you to hold an event on council-owned public open spaces.
What is it: If you are considering running a public event in the Western Bay Of Plenty then this webpage will be useful to you.
Why is it useful: The following page will help you find information designed to help you run a successful event in the Western Bay Of Plenty District.
What is it: CommunityNet Aotearoa is an online hub where you can find and share resources designed to strengthen community organisations.
What is it: What Works helps organisations gather robust data and information to tell a real story about what they are doing and the difference it makes.
Why is it useful: If you need to reflect on your work, demonstrate its effectiveness and keep improving your practice, this site is for you.
What is it: The Audience Connection works alongside cultural organisations to build and engage with their audiences via integrated and effective use of digital channels.
What is it: Creative NZ Video Series on optimising your online marketing.
Why is it useful: Teaching arts organisations to take advantage of the power of online marketing to attract new audiences and increase returns.
What is it: Later.com is an online resource and Instagram scheduling tool.
Why is it useful: Stay on top of the biggest Instagram marketing trends! From how to grow your Instagram following to new tools, latest developments, design and trends.
What is it: Canva.com is an easy to use online tool with drag-and-drop features and professional layouts to design consistently stunning graphics and marketing assets.
Why is it useful: Create professional looking posters, invitations, website or social media banners.
What is it: Online tool allowing anyone to create stunning graphics and videos without requiring any artistic skills.
What is it: HelpTank is New Zealand's first homegrown digital marketplace for skilled volunteering.
Why is it useful: Free to community organisations, HelpTank can help source probono help, such as assistance with strategy, web development, graphic design, business/ marketing planning, HR policy development, impact storytelling, research and a whole range of other projects.
What is it? Comms professionals volunteering their skills and time to help the community sector communicate more effectively.
Ministry for Culture & Heritage research New Zealand and provide rich online resources like Te Ara — the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. They produce books, advise government and look after New Zealand's national treasures.
A directory created by The Big Idea which offers links to media platforms that regularly provide NZ arts coverage online.
The Blumhardt Foundation - studio ceramics, glass, jewellery, metal, fibre work and other 'craft' practices.
The HANDSHAKE project supports emerging New Zealand jewellery artists, allowing them to develop ideas and artworks for a succession of exhibitions with the assistance of a chosen mentor. The HANDSHAKE recipients are presented with additional opportunities to develop their practices through a number of challenges, including masterclasses, collaborations and network opportunities with both national and international exposure.
Providing New Zealand quilters the opportunity to expand horizons, to share work, and to learn. They do this by supporting quilters and textile artists at all levels through offering a variety of classes, exhibitions, regional meetings and professional development opportunities.
Creative Fibre is the New Zealand organisation for all fibre crafts. They bring together spinners, weavers, knitters, dyers, flax workers, felters, crocheters, free form fibre artists and all other people involved in the use of fibre. They have over 3000 members throughout New Zealand and around the world who share a passion for fibre.
The society informs lace makers, collectors and enthusiasts both in New Zealand and around the world about what is happening with the art of lace making in New Zealand.
The Professional Weavers Network of New Zealand Inc. was formed in 1991 by a group of dedicated weavers who met to formalise aims, and plan how the network would promote excellence in the art of weaving and art textiles. PWN aims to ensure textiles are promoted and recognised as a vibrant, exciting and high quality contemporary art form. This is achieved through working co-operatively to share and develop the expertise of the members.
We are an independent government funding agency delivering quality and diverse New Zealand public media. Funded content can be found on television, online and on radio. We aim to strike a balance of content for both general and targeted audiences.
WOW Awards Competition is an internationally renowned design competition that attracts entries from over 40 countries each year. Anything that is wearable art can find a place on the stage, as long as it is original, innovative and well executed.
The Designers Institute of New Zealand exists to serve New Zealand's design community and represent its interests to the wider world. Formed in The institute represent graphic design, interactive design, motion graphics, spatial design, product design, design in business, service design and design education.
To nurture, develop and preserve the techniques and tikanga of Raranga, whatu and taniko in traditional and modern contexts for Māori weavers.
HUIA has made a commitment to produce books and resources allowing an insight into the diversity of Māori and Pacific perspectives, young and old alike.
Helping music creators get paid for their work and give music users easy ways to legally play and copy what they like. Royalties keep the music coming and ensure the industry's future.
APRA AMCOS has 87,000+ members across New Zealand and Australia who are songwriters, composers and music publishers. They license organisations to play, perform, copy, record or make available their members' music, and distribute the royalties to their members.
This Directory is a free directory created by The Incubator Hub to showcase and connect musicians, students with teachers, venues with performers and vice versa.
The Composers Association of New Zealand is the association for all amateur and professional composers in New Zealand. CANZ provides opportunities to composers through the Nelson Composers Workshop, the Asian Composers League and the International Society for Contemporary Music. CANZ also lobbies on behalf of its members to improve the situation for composers in New Zealand.
Independent Music New Zealand (IMNZ) is a non-profit trade association – the New Zealand voice for independent record labels and distributors. Our members release the bulk of New Zealand music, including commercially successful artists as well as niche music genres.
Welcome to MusicHelps! MusicHelps was originally established in 2012 under the name "The New Zealand Music Foundation". To date we have invested in 66 projects with 42 partners from Whangarei to Invercargill, all using the power of music to change the lives of over 60,000 New Zealanders in need. We've also provided emergency assistance to hundreds of kiwi music people experiencing hardship and illness through our Backline suite of services, including a world first professional online, on-the-phone and face-to-face counselling service tailored to people who make live and recorded music possible.
The charity develops & supports a wide range of programmes that use music to help people who are at risk, vulnerable and experiencing health issues. The charity has made projects impacting over 60,000 people possible at youth organisations, hospices, schools, medical charities, rehabilitation centres and more all over New Zealand.
Backline is our suite of services tailored to provide both information and practical, caring support to those who make live or recorded music possible in Aotearoa. Whether you are a performer or songwriter, a production or backroom person, or involved in the corporate or retail aspects of music, we are here when illness distress or hardship are affecting you.
The New Zealand Music Commission Te Reo Reka O Aotearoa is a government funded organisation that promotes music from New Zealand and supports the growth of New Zealand music businesses – both culturally and economically, at home and abroad. The hub of NZ Music Month, the Music Commission also deliver contemporary music programmes in schools, including the Musicians Mentoring in Schools Programme; provides music upskilling tools and resources; and runs the international market development & trade show programme Outward Sound.
The Pacific Arts Association is an international organization devoted to the study of the arts of Oceania.
Tautai not only help Pacific artists to grow and succeed in their chosen contemporary art form, but also in their lives and the positive contributions they can make to their wider Pacific communities.
The Academy of New Zealand Literature / Te Whare Mātātuhi o Aotearoa is a writer-led initiative developed to help our active practitioners sustain themselves – creatively, intellectually, psychically, practically – through a writer's life. Behind the scenes, we're working to connect our community of writers with residencies, festivals, academic networks and other opportunities.
These annual awards offer four principal prizes: the Acorn Foundation Fiction Prize, the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry, the Illustrated Non-Fiction Award and the Royal Society Te Apārangi Award for General Non-Fiction.
From seasoned poets, to total newbies, to the simply-a-bit-curious, participants in National Poetry Day have the opportunity at over 100 events around the country, to be touched by the magic and excitement of poetry, to get involved in the poetry community, and to discover New Zealand poets, share poems and explore and experience what poetry is all about.
Founded in 2011, Young NZ Writers was established to provide writing and publishing opportunities for New Zealand school students outside the school curriculum. Calling on the talents of a dedicated group of writers, the organisation has focussed its efforts on running annual writing competitions and anthologies for students, an after-school writing programme, student writing workshops, as well as ongoing student mentorship and teacher support.
Community Engagement Programme - Our Community Engagement Programme (formerly the Media Programme and Artists and Writers Programme) plays a crucial part in informing and influencing the public's understanding towards the science and operations in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Our aim is to support innovative Community Engagement proposals which align to Antarctica New Zealand's purpose; Inspiring people to connect with Antarctica, through knowledge and collaboration and vision: Valued. Protected. Understood.
At Creative Bay Of Plenty, we believe in the power of inspiration. Our team regularly come across websites, blogs, podcasts and videos which we hope might help you on your creative journey.
What is it: The Creative Independent is a growing resource of emotional and practical guidance for creative people.
Why is it useful: They aim to educate, inspire, and grow the community of people who create or dream of creating.


text:
The EU's proposals for new far-reaching regulation of the digital sector
The biggest shake-up of the digital sector in recent years
The European Commission has announced far-reaching proposals for regulation of digital platforms and online intermediaries. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) will impose on digital platforms that are designated as "gatekeepers" a long list of obligations to refrain from practices that are considered to limit competition or to otherwise be unfair. In contrast, the Digital Services Act (DSA) focuses on regulating the way that providers of online intermediary services interact with their customers and users, and their obligations in respect of harmful or illegal content, in order to create "uniform rules for a safe predictable and trusted online environment".
In combination, the two pieces of proposed legislation will create Europe's most dramatic and interventionist sector-specific regulatory regime in decades, and would require significant changes to the business practices of digital sector players such as Google, Facebook and Apple, but also potentially smaller competitors.
While it is likely to be around two years or more before these proposals result in binding obligations, they are unlikely, in our view, to be significantly watered down during the legislative process.
THE DIGITAL MARKETS ACT
The Commission has concluded that certain digital platforms should be subject to ex-ante regulation because, in its view:
a small number of "gatekeeper" platforms have come to dominate the digital economy, by intermediating a large portion of the access between consumers and businesses, be it for information, services, or goods;
ex-post antitrust enforcement has not been entirely effective in addressing the conduct of these companies, in particular because of the time it takes and the difficulties of devising genuinely effective remedies; and
current EU competition law is not structured in a way that allows certain issues raised by the digital economy to be addressed. For example, existing law provides no means of preventing markets with a large but not yet dominant player from irreversibly tipping in favour of that company.
What activities does the DMA capture?
The DMA is not intended to apply horizontally to the entire digital sector, but only to so-called Core Platform Services (CPS). These are: (i) online intermediation services (e.g., marketplaces, app stores); (ii) online search engines (e.g., Google); (iii) online social networking services (e.g., Facebook); (iv) video sharing platform services (e.g., YouTube); (v) numberindependent interpersonal electronic communication services (e.g., messaging services like WhatsApp, Facetime, videoconferencing apps, email services); (vi) operating systems; (vii) cloud services; and (viii) advertising services (provided by a provider of any of the core platform services listed above).
Which companies are subject to the DMA?
Not all companies active in core platform services would be subject to the DMA – only so-called "gatekeepers" that meet three criteria:
A size that impacts the EU internal market: this would be presumed if the company achieved an annual EEA turnover of €6.5 billion or more in the last three financial years, or where its average market capitalisation or equivalent fair market value amounted to at least €65 billion in the last financial year, and it provides a core platform service in at least three Member States.
The control of an important gateway for business users towards final consumers: this would be presumed if the company operates a core platform service with more than 45 million monthly active EU end users (roughly 10% of the EU's population) and more than 10,000 annual active EU business users in the last financial year;
An (expected) entrenched and durable position: this would be presumed if the criteria in the bullet point above are met in each of the last three financial years.
Platforms that meet the quantitative metrics would only be able to avoid categorisation as a gatekeeper if they demonstrate to the Commission that the three criteria above are not met (despite the quantitative thresholds being satisfied), with reference to factors such as numbers of users, the position of the provider, absence of entry barriers deriving from network effects and datadriven advantages, the degree of user "lock in", and structural market characteristics. Similarly, platforms that do not meet the quantitative criteria could be designated by the Commission as gatekeepers on the basis of a qualitative assessment of those same factors, carried out in the context of a "market investigation" procedure with a nonbinding 12 month timetable. This is intended to allow the Commission to designate as gatekeepers platforms that do not yet have an "entrenched and durable position" but can be expected to obtain one in the future. These "emerging gatekeepers" would be subject to a more limited set of obligations than other gatekeepers.
Market investigations could also be used to identify whether other digital sector services or practices should be brought within the scope of the Regulation (a 12 month process) and to design additional remedies for gatekeepers that systematically infringe their obligations under the DMA (a 24 month process). Systematic infringers could be subject to both behavioural and structural remedies, meaning that the Commission would have powers to break up large platform operators in certain circumstances.
These possibilities for "market investigations" are the last remnants of a much wider and non-sector specific regime that the Commission had proposed earlier this year (under the name "New Competition Tool"), but has now abandoned.
Obligations and prohibitions
The DMA would create a long list of obligations for gatekeepers to refrain from practices that limit contestability of markets or are otherwise unfair. Some would apply without any possibility for further specification or clarification by the Commission, while others would allow for the Commission to further specify what individual gatekeepers must do in order to comply with them.
Obligations that are not subject to further specification are as follows. To:
refrain from combining personal data from core platform services with personal data from other services;
refrain from restricting business users' freedom to freely price products on other platforms, e.g., through "mostfavoured nation" clauses;
allow businesses on the platform to promote and contract with users outside the platform, and, where such off-platform purchases take place, to allow those businesses to provide those products and services through their own software applications;
refrain from restricting business users from complaining to public authorities;
refrain from requiring business users to use, offer or interoperate with an identification service of the gatekeeper;
refrain from making access to any core platform services conditional on users registering or subscribing to any other core platform services;
provide advertisers and publishers to which a platform supplies advertising services with certain information about pricing of those services;
inform the Commission about intended acquisitions of any other digital services before closing their transactions, irrespective of whether the merger control thresholds for EU or national filings are met. This obligation will give the Commission new scope to monitor and control gatekeepers' M&A, when combined with its new policy of accepting EU Merger Regulation jurisdiction over small mergers that are not otherwise notifiable anywhere; and
submit to the Commission an independently audited annual report describing any techniques applied by the gatekeeper for profiling of consumers across its core platform services.
Certain other obligations would apply automatically, but could be further specified by the Commission if it concluded that a gatekeeper's compliance measures were ineffective. In order to obtain clarity on the scope of these obligations, gatekeepers would be able to ask the Commission to carry out a review of its actual or proposed compliance measures. Obligations that could be subject to such further specification are as follows. Obligations to:
refrain from using non-public data from its business users to provide services in competition with these users;
allow uninstallation of preinstalled applications unless technically essential;
allow installation of third-party apps and app stores on its operating systems, to the extent these do not endanger the integrity of hardware or operating systems provided by the gatekeeper;
refrain from preferencing own services and products versus those of third parties in rankings;
refrain from technical restrictions on users switching between (or subscribing to) different software applications and services that are accessed using the gatekeeper's operating system;
provide competing third-party providers of ancillary services non-discriminatory access to interoperability and features of their operating system, hardware or software;
provide advertisers and publishers with access to the performance measuring tools and information that allows them to carry out their own independent verification of ad inventories;
facilitate data portability;
provide business users with access to data generated by their use, and their users' use, of the gatekeeper's core platform services;
provide third party providers of online search engines with fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory access to ranking, query, click and view data generated by users of the gatekeeper's online search engine; and
apply fair and non-discriminatory general conditions of access for business users to its app store. The DMA provides for procedures whereby gatekeepers could obtain exemptions from most of the above obligations on public interest grounds (public morality, public health or public security). Obligations could also be suspended by the Commission if a gatekeeper shows that their application will endanger its economic viability, due to exceptional circumstances beyond its control.
Enforcement would be by the Commission alone (unlike the DSA there is no role for national authorities), although as a directly-applicable Regulation, the legislation would give parties that are harmed by an infringement of the DMA the right to claim damages in national courts. The Commission will have broadly the same investigative and enforcement powers as under the competition rules, including powers to gather information, to carry out dawn raids, to accept commitments and to impose remedies and fines of up to 10% of group worldwide turnover. Infringement decisions would be appealable to the EU Courts.
THE DIGITAL SERVICES ACT
While the DMA focuses on the competitive conduct of digital intermediaries, the DSA will regulate the way that they interact with their customers, and their obligations in respect of harmful or illegal content, in order to create "uniform rules for a safe predictable and trusted online environment".
New obligations for digital intermediaries
Under the DSA, there will be four layers of obligations (various exceptions apply for micro and small enterprises).
The first layer applies to all providers of digital services that connect EU consumers to goods, services, or content (intermediary services). That includes providers located or established outside the EU that have a significant number of EU users, or which target activities towards one or more EU member states.
All providers of intermediary services would be required to have an EU point of contact or (if they do not have an establishment in the EU) a legal representative in the EU for communications with regulators, including the new "Digital Services Coordinators" (DSCs) that each EU member state will be required to designate as their primary national enforcer of the DSA. Providers would also have obligations to provide clear information in their terms and conditions on any service restrictions that apply to their customers' content, including information on content moderation tools and policies, and would have to publish detailed reports at least once a year regarding their content moderation activities.
The second layer applies to a specific type of intermediary service provider: hosting services providers, which store information provided by their customers (e.g., cloud storage providers, online platforms). These would have additional obligations to implement mechanisms to allow third parties to notify them of illegal content and to act on such notifications in a timely, diligent and objective way, with priority accorded to notifications made by "trusted flaggers" that are designated by national authorities. When restricting access to a customer's content, hosting services providers would have to provide the customer with a statement of reasons containing certain information to help customers understand the reasons for the decision and how it was made.
The third layer applies specifically to online platforms, a subset of hosting service providers which disseminate their customers' information to the public, e.g., an online booking or reservation platform. Online platforms would be required to give customers access to mechanisms to resolve disputes relating to decisions to restrict access to their information or to suspend or terminate their service or account, including a user friendly complaints system and out-of-court dispute settlement. They would also have obligations to suspend their services to customers that frequently provide manifestly illegal content and to alert law enforcement or judicial authorities promptly if they become aware of any information giving rise to a suspicion of a serious criminal offence involving a threat to the life or safety of any person. Additional reporting requirements would include information on suspensions imposed, out-of-court dispute settlements, the use of automatic content moderation tools and numbers of average active monthly users.
Business to consumer (B2C) platforms would be required to take certain steps to verify the identity and traceability of traders that use their platforms, and online platforms that display advertising would have to ensure that users can tell that what they are being shown is an advert.
The fourth and final layer applies to "very large online platforms", which are defined as online platforms with 45 million or more average monthly active users in the EU. In addition to all the other obligations described above, very large online platforms would be required to:
assess and mitigate systemic risks, such as dissemination of illegal content, negative effects on the exercise of fundamental rights and intentional manipulation of their services;
submit to external independent audits at least once a year;
appointment at least one compliance officer to monitor compliance with the DSA and provide compliance data to DSCs and the Commission; and
provide more frequent reports than other online platforms, containing additional information on risk assessments carried out, risk mitigation measures implemented and the results of audits.
Very large online platforms that make automated recommendations to users (e.g., as a result of a user's search) would also have to provide in their terms and conditions information on the main parameters used in their "recommender systems" and any options for users to modify or influence those parameters. Those that display advertising would be required to publish (through application programming interfaces) a repository containing specific information about the adverts that they have displayed.
Continued exemption from liability for digital intermediaries
As a corollary to the various obligations imposed, digital intermediaries would continue to enjoy the legislative protections – originally set out in the 2000 e-Commerce Directive - from liability for the information that they transmit and (depending on their role) for their storage of such information, provided that they respect certain conditions. For example, a digital platform can lose its protection if it becomes aware of illegal content on its platform and does not act expeditiously to remove such content. The Commission has designed a broad framework for the definition of illegal content, including illegal hate speech, terrorist content, unlawful discriminatory content, child sexual abuse material, unlawful non-consensual sharing of private images, online stalking, the sale of counterfeit products, and the non-authorised use of copyright protected material.
Providers of intermediary services would also continue to have no general obligation to monitor the information that they transmit or store or to actively seek facts or circumstances indicating illegal activity. In contrast to the current regime, providers of intermediary services would not be deemed ineligible for protection from the exemptions from liability solely because they carry out voluntary owninitiative investigations or other activities aimed at detecting, identifying and removing, or disabling of access to, illegal content, or take the necessary measures to comply. In addition, the DSA would impose obligations to cooperate with member states' judicial or administrative authorities in taking action against specific items of illegal content and responding to requests for information about their users.
Cooperation and enforcement of the Regulation
EU member states would each appoint a DSC with responsibility for all matters relating to the DSA. DSCs would have broadly similar powers of investigation to those enjoyed by the Commission under the DMA, except that maximum fines would be limited to 6% of an intermediary's group worldwide turnover, rather than 10%. Joint investigations by multiple DSCs would be possible.
The DSA Regulation would establish mechanisms for cross-border cooperation between DSCs and the creation of a European Board for Digital Services to assist and coordinate the activities and guidance of DSCs and the Commission. The Commission, for its part, is to have a role in resolving disputes between DSCs regarding investigatory or enforcement measures that should be taken in respect of a particular provider of intermediary services. It would also have its own powers to carry out investigations and impose fines and remedies (broadly the same as the powers available to DSCs) in three circumstances: (i) if a DSC asks the Commission to investigate, (ii) if the Commission considers that a DSC's enforcement or investigatory action is incompatible with the DSA and (iii) where a very large online platform has been found by a DSC to have infringed one of the obligations that are specific to such platforms (i.e. the fourth layer of obligations described above) and the Commission is not satisfied with the platform's efforts to terminate or remedy the infringement following an "enhanced supervision" process.
THE LONG ROAD AHEAD
The decision to make both of these proposals Regulations rather than Directives means the DMA and DSA will be directly applicable. It also avoids the additional time that would have been required for national implementation.
Nevertheless, it is still early days for the two proposals and there is a long road ahead before they become EU law.
The two proposals will now be passed to the European Parliament and Council of the EU for adoption under the ordinary legislative process (formerly known as co-decision). Both the Parliament and member states must jointly agree the final wording of the legislation before it can be formally adopted. The timing is difficult to predict but the earliest we can expect final texts to be agreed and adopted is 18-24 months from now, with a further period of 3-6 months before they would become applicable. So it will be a long time before these additional obligations and prohibitions kick in for digital companies in Europe.
It cannot be excluded that the DMA and the DSA might undergo substantial changes as part of that legislative process. What is clear, however, is that the two proposals have considerable momentum not just at EU level but also among a significant number of EU member states. While there might be a few battlegrounds, such as that between the EU member states and the Commission regarding enforcement competence with respect to the DMA, our view is that the proposals are unlikely to be materially watered down during the legislative process. They might even be further strengthened.
The proposals are also likely to have knock-on effects in other jurisdictions that are considering how to design and implement their own regulatory regimes for the digital sector. Japan has already announced on 16 December that it will look closely at the new European proposals, and we would expect many other countries across the globe to follow suit – including Australia, Brazil, Korea, and Mexico.
In the UK, EU law ceases to apply from 1 January 2021, but the Government has advanced plans for its own regulatory regime for certain digital players, to be enforced by a Digital Markets Unit, as well as new legislation regulating online harms and illegal content. And recent antitrust enforcement action by US antitrust agencies against Facebook and Google show that tech giants are also facing stronger policing on their home turf.
The EU's recent proposals may well be the biggest shake-up of the digital sector in recent years, but they are unlikely to be the last.
Nelson Jung
Stavroula Vryna
Thomas Vinje
Partner, Chairman, Global Antitrust Group
Dieter Paemen
Andrei Mikes


Combat shotgun (Fallout 76) - The Vault Fallout Wiki - Everything you need to know about Fallout 76, Fallout 4, New Vegas and more!
The combat shotgun is a weapon in Fallout 76.
The combat shotgun was a weapon born out of necessity in a world ravaged by war and resource shortages. Instead of lightweight metal alloys used in eg. the Citykiller, it uses wood and stamped metal sheets that greatly reduce manufacturing costs, while its design maximizes durability without sacrificing the firepower provided by standard 12 gauge shotgun shells. Although it might have seemed antiquated, the combination of firepower, ruggedness, and low price tag resulted in widespread adoption by the United States military. Though early models used a combination drum-and-tube magazine (when placed in the magazine well, the drum would fill the tube with shells), standardized, mass-produced versions used a more conventional magazine placement with a variety of magazine types available.
Its widespread use led to the development of a large variety of modifications, allowing for in-depth customization. These include various optics, ranging from simple iron sight rings, through reflex sights, to night vision and recon scopes, bayonets and compensators, as well as adjustable, pistol-grip tactical stocks from lightweight alloys. To capitalize on this, the military introduced the combat rifle: A combat shotgun rechambered for rifle rounds and without the heat shroud protecting the barrel. Everything else was left in place, including the original magazine well with the drum mount. Despite that, the resulting rifle was as cheap, effective, and popular as the combat shotgun.
Its popularity proved enduring, as working units were salvaged after the Great War and pressed into use by wastelanders of all stripes, including merchant guards, adventurers, raiders, slavers, Gunners, and Talon Company mercs.
The combat shotgun is definitely a step above the double-barreled shotgun, in no small part due to its magazine which holds more than just two shells of ammunition. The combat shotgun also has a higher rate of fire, boasts more damage, and supports more modifications which, among other things, increases its damage, rate of fire, accuracy, and ammunition capacity.
However, the automatic version basically only has the same rate of fire as the semi-automatic version, yet it still loses a lot of damage per shot. This makes the automatic version only worth using when specializing in the Commando perk.
The above template is generated from Template:F76 co Weapon Ranged CombatShotgun. For corrections, edit the target template.
Improved rate of fire. Inferior Range.
↑ Differences in design between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
This page was last edited on 18 January 2019, at 14:23.


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text:
<?php

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;

class CreateCharactersHistoryTable extends Migration
{
    /**
     * Run the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function up()
    {
        if(!Schema::hasTable('characters_history')) {
            Schema::create('characters_history', function(Blueprint $table) {
                $table->increments('id');
                $table->integer('character_id');
                $table->integer('revision_sequence');
                $table->dateTime('modified_date');
                $table->integer('vn_id')->nullable();
                $table->string('name_original')->nullable();
                $table->string('name_betsumyou')->nullable();
                $table->string('name_furigana')->nullable();
                $table->smallInteger('birthmonth')->nullable();
                $table->smallInteger('birthday')->nullable();
                $table->integer('age')->nullable();
                $table->integer('height')->nullable();
                $table->integer('weight')->nullable();
                $table->integer('bust')->nullable();
                $table->integer('waist')->nullable();
                $table->integer('hip')->nullable();
                $table->string('blood_type')->nullable();
                $table->string('image')->nullable();
                $table->string('local_image')->nullable();
                $table->string('description', 6000)->nullable();
                $table->integer('vndb_character_id')->nullable();
                $table->integer('record_status')->nullable();
                $table->timestamp('created_at')->useCurrent();
                $table->timestamp('updated_at')->useCurrent();
            });
        }
    }

    /**
     * Reverse the migrations.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function down()
    {
        if(Schema::hasTable('characters_history')) {
            Schema::drop('characters_history');
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


So, I was walking through a local (and importantly, air conditioned) mall this last weekend, and I felt that stress headache creeping in. My husband was pushing our sick one-year-old in a stroller, who was giving "the glare" to anyone who looked his way, while my adorable three-year-old flitted around us like a too-hyper butterfly in a superman shirt and skirt. My husband was talking to me about something, and I was really trying to listen, as he was very excited about the medical thing he was discussing (um, I think maybe the esophagus was involved? Maybe?). Now, when my husband is really excited, he gets really focused – hyperfocused. He can continue talking no matter what is going on around him – no matter the noise, or no matter who else is trying to talk to him.
In this instance, my hyper three year old flitted up to him and started saying, "Daddy, can I have a cupcake? I was good and I listened, and Mommy said I could have a cupcake if I was good and I listened. So can I have a cupcake? Daddy? Daddy? DADDY! DAAAAAAAADDDDDY!!!!" Even when she held his hand and was virtually clinging to him, feet in the air, he was still talking to me, completely unaware of the small body hanging from his hand, screaming "DAAAAAADDDDDDDY!" at the top of her lungs.
And I wonder why I get headaches?
So, we're still learning this whole communication thing. I think I'll learn to bridge the gap a little sooner and let my poor gnat and elephant learn to talk so they both can hear. And I'll find a way to nicely convey that, too.
My goofballs on a pier.


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i like good food , relax , cooking , and sometimes scuba diving.
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22 052 messages and 2 020 likes sent during the past 1 hour and 16 minutes.