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text:
Man Who Climbed White House Fence Sentenced to Time Served
Dominic Adesanya, whose father said has mental health problems, got onto the restricted North Lawn before he was tackled by security officers Oct. 22.
Fence Jumpers Beware: Sharp Metal Points Installed at White House
July 1, 201500:32
July 3, 2015, 12:14 AM UTC / Updated July 3, 2015, 12:18 AM UTC
By Phil Helsel
A Maryland man who jumped over a White House fence and was subdued after kicking two guard dogs on the north Lawn in October on Thursday was sentenced to time served and a year of supervised release, the Justice Department said.
Dominic Adesanya, 23, reportedly has mental health problems. He shouted he was a "targeted individual" and needed help at a court hearing in March.
Adesanya, formerly of Bel Air, Maryland, on April 17 pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and he has already served about six months in jail.
On Thursday a judge ordered him to submit to a follow-up interview with the Secret Service and to stay away from facilities under the Secret Service's protection, including the White House.
Adesanya climbed a fence to enter the North Lawn at 7:16 p.m. on Oct. 22, and he was tackled and apprehended by security officers about 20 yards past the fence. Adesanya's father told The Associated Press his son has been having mental health problems for a year, but refused help.
The unauthorized entry to the lawn occurred a little more than a month after another man, Omar Gonzalez, breached the grounds and made it all the way inside the White House, in an incident that drew sharp criticism of security procedures and led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Julia Pierson.
Gonzalez was sentenced to nearly 1 1/2 years in prison in June. Spikes were added to the fence that surrounds the White House grounds this week in a bid to deter intruders.
White House fence jumper Dominic AdesanyaArt Lien
Phil Helsel
Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Gary replied to this same post on the Citizenship Taxation Facebook Group. .
Gary Clueit In the example of the Covered Expat inheritance 40% tax on heirs I gave during the interview, I misstated that there was no credit available for any foreign estate tax or IHT paid, giving the UK as an example. Apparently, the amount due to the IRS can be offset by any amount paid to a foreign country. It makes no difference in my case, since my domicile is a country that has no estate or inheritance tax.
Also, only 4 OECD countries (Japan, South Korea, France, UK) have an estate tax equal to or more than the US. Every other country either has none (including 15 OECD countries), or is at a lower rate than the US. Which means, unless you are domiciled in one of the very few high tax countries, your heirs will still lose a significant portion of their inheritance.
It is one thing to pay death taxes where you are living/domiciled. It is an entirely different matter to have to pay anything to somewhere you once lived, left and paid an exit tax on ALL unrealized gains at the time. And zero credit for any increase in wealth since you departed.
The Internal Revenue Code of the United States imposes worldwide income taxation on ALL individuals who are U.S. citizens or who are otherwise defined as "residents" under the Internal Revenue Code. "Residents" includes those who have a visa for "permanent residence" (commonly referred to as a Green Card).
In the same way that U.S. citizens are subject to taxation on their worldwide income even if they don't reside in the United States, "permanent residents" will continue to be subject to taxation on their worldwide income until they take specific steps to sever tax residency in the United States. In certain circumstances Green Card holders living outside the United States can avoid filing some of the "forms" that are required of U.S. citizens living abroad.
The steps to sever tax residency are found in S. 7701(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Those wishing to explore this further are invited to read my earlier posts about Gerd Topsnik: Topsnik 1 and Topsnik 2. Those "permanent residents" who qualify as "long term residents" will be subject to the S. 877A Exit Tax rules if they try to sever tax residency with the United States. It's probably easier to secure a "permanent residence visa" for immigration purposes, than it is to sever tax residency for income tax purposes.
On September 5, 2018 I had the opportunity to participate in a conversation with Mr. Gary Clueit who has been a permanent resident of the United States for 34 years. The following tweet links to the podcast of the conversation. Anybody considering moving to the United States as a "permanent resident" should listen to this podcast.
Mr. Clueit has previously written on how the S. 877A Exit Tax affects his situation. The following two tweets link to posts which capture his writing.
As a long-term GC holder with no way to escape "covered expatriate" status, the article doesn't really cover all the insidious side-effects. For example, determining the $2M net worth threshold does not cover any assets you might have had before moving to the US, or assets due to bequests from relatives that have never set foot in the US. Even after paying the exit tax on the "deemed sale" of everything you own worldwide, you will have to pay actual capital gains when you do actually sell. And every penny of any bequest or gift you make to someone resident in the US (i.e. a child or grandchild, even if they are not US citizens) is then further taxed at 40% (that they have to pay) with no limit. So, for example, if your net worth is $2.5M on the date of expatriation (i.e. covered expat), you pay the exit tax. Say your wealth increases to $250M AFTER you leave the US – if your heirs live in the US (again, whether citizens or not) and you leave that wealth to them, the entire $250M estate will be taxable to them at 40% regardless of the fact that 99% of your wealth at the time of death was created outside the US.
US citizen spouses can transfer or gift an unlimited amount between each other. If you are the spouse of a GC holder the maximum transfer is $149,000 annually.
Upon death, a citizen can leave an unlimited amount to their spouse. If your spouse is a GC holder, the max is just over $5M. If you spouse is a nonresident alien, the maximum is $60,000. Amounts above that are subject to 40% estate tax.
There is also the possibility of being caught up in double estate tax issues when you die.
This is the ultimate in taxation without representation – one of the founding principles behind the creation of the US. Tea parties were held!
I am posting this comment of Gary Clueit that appeared on the Robert Wood article couple of days ago. Over the past few months, we have "met" Gary on FB, Twitter etc. Especially the Wednesday Tweet Rally- A group that just keeps on giving!!
I am not and never have been American. I don't live in the USA and I have no financial connections to the USA.
However, many years ago I got a green card when I married an American. We lived in the so-called, Land of the "Free", until we decided to move permanently to my home country to care for my elderly parents.
A year or so after my return to my home country my green card expired, became null and void, but I didn't know I was supposed to return it to USCIS along with an I-407 form. (Green cards don't come with a set of disposal instructions.) Years later when I found out about this I searched for days to find that old green card and then I sent it away. It was received (according to the mail trace) but never officially acknowledged and there were no replies to my follow-up inquiries.
This left me trapped in a perpetual state of deemed US "personhood" which comes with onerous US tax filing and now highly intrusive FATCA reporting too. The threatened penalties for not filing FBAR (FinCEN114) forms are staggering. They would exceed my life savings (mostly a modest inheritance from my non-American parents). If I lose my life savings to the IRS I could end up on welfare and that would not be fair to taxpayers here in my home country.
What did I take from the USA when I left? I took savings of less than $5K and a gain of less than $75K from the sale of the house we built with our own labour and paid for entirely from the savings I brought with me from my home country (no mortgage on that house). All of this was reported to the IRS and taxed appropriately.
What do I get from the USA? Absolutely nothing – NO right to return to the USA to live or work; NO US Social Security because I have never had US income; NO rescue by US marines in a disaster; NO US vote; NO representation in the US Congress; and since I haven't visited the USA in almost 20 years (and never will again), NO benefit from the USA's infrastructure. I do not want any of those things anyway.
What do I want from the USA? I want to be left alone so that I can lead a normal life without the stigma of being called a "US person for tax purposes" (and ONLY tax purposes).
What's the biggest irony of my whole situation? Well, my husband is no longer American since he recently relinquished his US citizenship. He now has a priceless piece of paper called a CLN (Certificate of Loss of Nationality) which means he can open and retain bank accounts here with no intrusive FATCA reporting.
Meanwhile I, who never was American, will have to live with uncertainty for the rest of my life. If my bank finds out about my past connection and failed disconnection to the USA, it will report me and my accounts to my country's tax agency which will forward that information to the IRS. And then … well I shudder to think.
Some Americans may hate me for saying this but I have no love or respect for what the USA is doing with its irrational citizenship-based tax system and now its FATCA overreach. These same Americans might even laugh and gloat about how I became trapped as a "US person for tax purposes" but at least my husband, an upstanding citizen, has escaped the clutches of the USA. He did so with no regrets and when his CLN finally arrived he felt nothing but relief. I and my country are proud and pleased to have him. His warm and welcoming citizenship ceremony here in my, now OUR, country was one of the best days of both of our lives.
Neither of us is "un-American" but we are "non-American" and we cannot fathom why the USA will not graciously let its people go.
Topsnik may or may not be a bad guy. But even "bad guys" are entitled to have the law properly applied to their facts. It would be very interesting to know how the court would have responded if Topsnik had been paying tax (a nice taxpayer) in Germany as a German resident.
This is the second of the two Topsnik posts. Topsnik 1 focused on the tax residence of Green Card Holders.
Once again, the case confirms that one does NOT abandon the Green Card simply by moving from the United States. The Green must be either taken away by the Government, abandoned by the Green Card Holder, or be the result of a treaty election.
Tax Residence: The case confirms that the U.S. Germany Tax Treaty (as is true of all other treaties) requires that one be a tax resident, as defined by the treaty, to get any benefits of a treaty.
Topsnik was not a tax resident of Germany as defined by the U.S. Germany tax treaty.
Abandoning the Green Card by filing the I-407 is an expatriating act. Because, Topsnik was NOT a tax resident of Germany as defined by the tax treaty, he could NOT argue that he was NOT a long term resident (within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code 877(e)(2). As a result, Mr. Topsnik's (1) expatriating by abandoning his Green Card, coupled with (2) the fact that he was a long term resident, meant that he could prevent the S. 877A Exit Tax ONLY if he was NOT a covered expatriate.
Subparagraph (C) provides that a person is a covered expatriate if such individual fails to certify under penalty of perjury that he has met the requirements of this title for the 5 preceding taxable years or fails to submit such evidence of such compliance as the Secretary may require.
All of the property that he owned on his date of expatriation was deemed to have been sold on the day before his expatriation. This resulted in an Exit Tax payable to the IRS.
Section 877A(i) provides that the Secretary shall prescribe regulations as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of the section. Such regulations have not been yet been provided. Instead, the IRS has promulgated guidance regarding this section in Notice 2009-85, 2009-45 I.R.B. 598. We are not bound by Notice 2009-85, supra, see Compaq Computer Corp. v. Commissioner, 113 T.C. 363, 372 (1999), but it is an official statement of the Commissioner position and we may let it persuade us, see Nationalist Movement v. Commissioner, 102 T.C. 558, 583 (1994), 37 F.3d 216 (5th Cir.1994).
Furthermore the case reminds us that the S. 877A Exit Tax is real, alive, well and brutal confiscatory.


text:
Podophyllum peltatum
< Horticulture
Mayapple
Binomial: Podophyllum peltatum
Family: Berberidaceae
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Light requirements: Sun to shade
Bloom season: Mid-spring
Weediness: Can be weedy
Pollination: Insects
Seed Dispersal: Fruits attractive to tortoises and small mammals
Toxicity and edibility: Highlt toxic to humans and livestock.
The Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to the eastern part of North America. Other common names include Devil's apple, Hogapple, Indian apple, Umbrella plant (for the shape of the leaves), Wild lemon (for the flavor of the fruit), Wild mandrake, and American mandrake (for the shape of rhizomes).
Description[edit]
The stems grow to 20-40 cm tall, with palmately lobed leaves up to 20-30 cm diameter with 5-9 deeply cut lobes. The plant produces two growth forms. The form with a single umbrella-like leaf does not produce any flower or fruit. Stems having a twin leaf (rarely three-leaf) structure, however, bear a single white flower 3-5 cm diameter with six (rarely up to nine) petals, between the two leaves; this matures into a yellow-greenish fruit 2-5 cm long. The plant appears in colonies in open woodlands. Individual shoots are often connected by systems of thick tubers and rhizomes. [1]
Growing Conditions[edit]
Varieties[edit]
Uses[edit]
The rhizome of the mayapple has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, originally by Native Americans and later by other settlers. [1]
All the parts of the plant, excepting the fruit, are poisonous. This plant can kill humans within 24 hours. Even the fruit, though not dangerously poisonous, can cause unpleasant red/yellow diarrhea. The plant contains podophyllotoxin [2], which is used as a cytostatic and topically in the treatment of genital warts.
Maintenance[edit]
Propagation[edit]
Harvest[edit]
Pests and Diseases[edit]
↑ a b Fondren, Brian T. "Mayapple". Ethnobotanical leaflets. http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/mayapple.htm. Retrieved 2006-06-03.
↑ Moraes, R.M., H. Lata, E. Bedir, M. Maqbool, and K. Cushman. 2002. On American Mayapple as practical source of podophyllotoxin p. 527–532. In: J. Janick and A. Whipkey (eds.), Trends in new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA.
Neltje Blanchan (2002). Wild Flowers: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Podophyllum peltatum
Retrieved from "https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Horticulture/Podophyllum_peltatum&oldid=3451800"
Book:Horticulture/Finder/Taxonomy/Undefined


Recipient of the Outstanding & Dedicated Services award for volunteering in the Parent Aide Program for Teen Parents.
I chose this career partly due to my mother and because I enjoy helping people and families. After getting my advance degree, I chose to work in the community of urban areas where the need is greater. And finally as a woman of color, I wanted to bring back my knowledge & expertise to women of the community.


text:
Shocking style of Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky's movies are unlikely to be popular among the masses. Even many movie lovers are critical of his works and claim that his films are hard to watch. However, the inconsistency of his work suggests that it is an art that has a message, and today we will try to figure it out.
Alex Shkurny - 28 June, 2021 - 7 min read
Darren Aronofsky's movies are unlikely to be popular among the masses. Even many movie lovers are critical of his works and claim that his films are hard to watch. Aronofsky is engaged in the deconstruction of personality, his images deeply sink into the subconscious and haunt the entire film. However, the inconsistency of his work suggests that it is an art that has a particular message. Idea, theory, assumption, opinion. Art does not have to express what is convenient - and Aronofsky takes advantage of it. His audiovisual style is as shocking as the stories themselves. Moreover, it is his style that makes the narrative incredibly expressive. Therefore, today we will plunge into the methods of filming and editing of the director in order to understand why someone loves him and someone hates him.
Art by @nadi_bulochka
Visual style
Aronofsky has two prestigious universities under his belt, one of which is Harvard, and the second is the American Film Institute. He spent almost 8 years studying film and directing. He directed his first film in 1990 as a term paper at Harvard. And while studying at the American Film Institute, he periodically participated in independent festivals, and in 1993 received a Master of Fine Arts degree.
All these academic achievements indicate that Aronovsky understands cinema and is in constant search of his own style. So in this "chapter", we will try to reveal some of his interesting findings.
Editing: manipulating space and time
Starting from the very first movie - "Pi" - Aronofsky has been developing his approach to movie-making. Especially, it is noticeable in the montage and if I name one particular movie, "Requiem for a Dream", you would probably understand what is this type of editing. But if you haven't seen it, you are welcome to watch the following video.
As you can see, Aronofsky uses rapid, dizzying editing. The director himself called it a "hip-hop" montage: close-ups and detailed shots are edited with great speed. This technique has become a kind of business card of the director. In "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream" it is the main way to depict the inner state of the heroes, which is close to obsession. The editing takes the point of view of the heroes of the film, it only highlights what the protagonists are obsessed with. So in "Pi", it is math, and in "Requiem for a Dream" - drugs. Our gaze is lost, perception explodes from the number and rhythm of changing pictures. The director puts the viewer in the same state in which his characters are.
In many ways, it is this feature of the director's films that makes them difficult to watch. Obsession with details symbolises the inability to break free from the clutches of obsession and addiction. Discomfort, hopelessness, and claustrophobia - that's what the audience feels.
One more side of Aranofsky's montage is that he skips time. In other words, he manipulates time to isolate characters from the fiction world via such post-production features, as rapid and time-lapse. I guess, everyone understands what a time-lapse is, so I will reveal in more detail only the meaning of rapid.
Rapid is fast shooting, shooting in the range of 30 to 240 frames per second (fps), which allows on the stage of editing to slow down the image by up to 90%. Simply put, this is what we call slow motion in movies.
Thus, Aronofsky turns hours into minutes and moments into eternity. For example, the famous cleaning scene in "Requiem for a Dream" is only 25 seconds long, but in reality, we understand that at least a few hours have passed. He uses time-lapse to represent the significance of certain substances for the heroes, and their addiction.
Another remarkable technique in Aronofsky's editing is a split-screen image. The director is rather selective in observing the spatial rules of editing in his, probably, most famous film "Requiem for a Dream". In one scene, everything is done correctly, and in another, he neglects the classic scheme of editing dialogues by just adding both frames to the screen. This is how the director separates the characters, emphasizes their detachment from others. Sometimes Aronofsky uses a split-screen image in those scenes where the characters are literally lying on the same bed - this is such a strong technique.
Split screen montage
And summing up, it is worth saying, of course, that Aronofsky's early work - "Pi" and "Requiem for a Dream" - was a new word in cinema, primarily visually. In Hollywood, there is a standard for editing films, which is called the deductive approach. Its essence lies in the fact that each scene should be set up with an establishing shot, which is usually a long shot, introducing the place where actions would take place. Aronofsky didn't follow this traditional structure, so his approach is inductive editing, meaning to start with a shot that doesn't respond to anything, that confuses. The simplest example is the sequence after the opening credits of "Requiem for a Dream".
The first shot of the sequence is a close-up: the audience have no clue what is going on
Then - an ordinal establishing shot
The first work of the director is a riot of form. With the help of montage, Aronofsky tells his stories in a very expressive and unique way. Of course, in his later films, as he himself admitted, the director came to the conclusion that the audience does not care about the form - they want stories. However, this does not mean at all that his paintings became uninteresting - on the contrary, they are much better because Aronofsky never stood still. Therefore, his visual style is worth studying.
Cinematography of obsession
In this part we are going to take a look at how particularly his films are shot from the point of view of camerawork.
First of all, Aronofsky uses simple techniques such as a handheld camera. simple techniques such as a handheld camera. But their application ranges from the simple need to achieve the documentary effect (which allows the eyes to take a break from hip-hop editing) to rigging the camera on the body of actors, to make the audience closer to the mental states of heroes.
Usually, such a setup is supplemented by a wide-angled lens, which plunges us into the personal space of the character so that we empathize. If you want to discover how a particular lens affects the image, you could check our blog about lenses as an artist's instrument.
Wide-angle adds distortion in the form of elongated geometry. it confuses the viewer: people and objects seem equally far away and equally close.
Another feature of wide-angle is that it helps to achieve a freaking vibe. Especially, it is obvious while shooting on ultra-wide lenses, i.e fish eye.
After Aronofsky has introduced us to the characters intimately enough and given us the opportunity to empathize with them, the director forces us to abstract, to look with an objective eye, which is expressed via top shots. In other words, these shots are projected as if "from God's point of view," which literally forces the viewer to evaluate the characters and their condition. It is an opportunity to feel like better human beings than the protagonists. The perspective of the top camera represents the power of our judging gaze.
Some of the top shots from "Requiem for a dream"
Audio style
From the point of working with the sound, Aranofsky is also a remarkable director. If you rewatch the fragment of the "hip-hop" montage, you could catch yourself that sound design is a half (if not more) of the flashing effect. Aronofsky takes a lot of ordinary sounds and combines them into a "hip-hop" montage rhythm so a huge variety of sounds creates a cacophony, which also represents obsession.
From the very first film, Aronofsky has collaborated with one composer, Clint Mansell. He created all the most famous compositions, including the now-classic "Lux Aeterna", from the "Requiem for a dream". He combined motifs from classical requiems, electronic music, and intersound, resulting in the following masterpiece.
You can like or dislike Aronofsky's films, but you can't stay indifferent. I hope our little analysis of his work on the example of "Requiem for a Dream" has inspired you to familiarise yourself with the director's filmography. He has shown himself not only as a director of good visual taste but also as a master of storytelling. His plots are dramatic and his shooting is expressive. His films are contradictory and meaningful. I guess that's what makes an ordinary director - a creator.
All we do is promote the love of art and try to inspire you to take your camera and make a short film. So if you wanna be like Darren Aronofsky, leave the boring pre-production routine to the Filmustage - automatic script breakdown - and focus on your creativity!
After a long time of hard work we are happy to announce the beta-testing of the new scheduling feature in the Filmustage software. Be one of the first to test the new functionality - click here for more detailed information.
Don't forget to capture the best moments. Take care of yourself and see ya next week.
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text:
from typing import Any, Dict, Generator, List, Tuple
from unittest.mock import Mock

import pytest
from _pytest.monkeypatch import MonkeyPatch
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
from flask import template_rendered
from flask.testing import FlaskClient
from google.appengine.ext import ndb
from jinja2 import Template

from backend.common import auth
from backend.common.models.account import Account
from backend.common.models.user import User

@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
def auto_add_ndb_stub(ndb_stub) -> None:
    # prevent global state from leaking
    ndb.get_context().clear_cache()

@pytest.fixture
def web_client(gae_testbed) -> FlaskClient:
    from backend.web.main import app

    # Disable CSRF protection for unit testing
    app.config["WTF_CSRF_CHECK_DEFAULT"] = False

    return app.test_client()

@pytest.fixture
def login_user(ndb_stub, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch):
    account = Account(
        email="test@tba.com",
        registered=True,
    )
    account_key = account.put()

    mock_user = Mock(spec=User)
    mock_user.is_registered = True
    mock_user.is_admin = False
    mock_user.api_read_keys = []
    mock_user.api_write_keys = []
    mock_user.mobile_clients = []
    mock_user.permissions = []
    mock_user.account_key = account_key

    def mock_current_user():
        return mock_user

    monkeypatch.setattr(auth, "_current_user", mock_current_user)
    return mock_user

@pytest.fixture
def login_admin(login_user):
    login_user.is_admin = True
    return login_user

CapturedTemplate = Tuple[Template, Dict[str, Any]]  # (template, context)

@pytest.fixture
def captured_templates() -> Generator[List[CapturedTemplate], None, None]:
    from backend.web.main import app

    recorded = []

    def record(sender, template, context, **extra):
        recorded.append((template, context))

    template_rendered.connect(record, app)
    try:
        yield recorded
    finally:
        template_rendered.disconnect(record, app)

def get_inputs_from_form(soup: BeautifulSoup) -> Dict:
    fields = {}
    for input in soup.findAll("input"):
        # ignore submit/image with no name attribute
        if input["type"] in ["submit", "image"] and "name" not in input:
            continue

        # single element nome/value fields
        if input["type"] in ["text", "hidden", "password", "submit", "image"]:
            value = ""
            if input.has_attr("value"):
                value = input["value"]
            fields[input["name"]] = value
            continue

        # checkboxes and radios
        if input["type"] in ("checkbox", "radio"):
            value = ""
            if input.has_attr("checked"):
                if input.has_attr("value"):
                    value = input["value"]
                else:
                    value = "on"
            if input.has_attr("name") and value:
                fields[input["name"]] = value

            if not input.has_attr("name"):
                fields[input["name"]] = value

            continue

        assert False, "input type %s not supported" % input["type"]

    # textareas
    for textarea in soup.findAll("textarea"):
        fields[textarea["name"]] = textarea.string or ""

    # select fields
    for select in soup.findAll("select"):
        value = ""
        options = select.findAll("option")
        is_multiple = select.has_attr("multiple")
        selected_options = [option for option in options if option.has_attr("selected")]

        # If no select options, go with the first one
        if not selected_options and options:
            selected_options = [options[0]]

        if not is_multiple:
            assert len(selected_options) < 2
            if len(selected_options) == 1:
                value = selected_options[0]["value"]
        else:
            value = [option["value"] for option in selected_options]

        fields[select["name"]] = value

    return fields

@pytest.fixture
def setup_full_team(test_data_importer) -> None:
    test_data_importer.import_team(__file__, "tests/data/frc148.json")
    test_data_importer.import_event_list(
        __file__, "tests/data/frc148_events_2019.json", "frc148"
    )
    test_data_importer.import_match_list(
        __file__, "tests/data/frc148_matches_2019.json"
    )
    test_data_importer.import_media_list(
        __file__, "tests/data/frc148_media_2019.json", 2019, "frc148"
    )
    test_data_importer.import_media_list(
        __file__, "tests/data/frc148_social_media.json", team_key="frc148"
    )
    test_data_importer.import_award_list(__file__, "tests/data/frc148_awards_2019.json")
    test_data_importer.import_district_list(
        __file__, "tests/data/frc148_districts.json", "frc148"
    )
    test_data_importer.import_robot_list(__file__, "tests/data/frc148_robots.json")

@pytest.fixture
def setup_full_event(test_data_importer):
    # So we can import different event keys, return a function

    def import_event(event_key) -> None:
        test_data_importer.import_event(__file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}.json")
        test_data_importer.import_match_list(
            __file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}_matches.json"
        )
        test_data_importer.import_event_alliances(
            __file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}_alliances.json", event_key
        )
        test_data_importer.import_event_teams(
            __file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}_teams.json", event_key
        )

    return import_event

@pytest.fixture
def setup_event_preductions(test_data_importer):
    # So we can import different event keys, return a function

    def import_event(event_key) -> None:
        test_data_importer.import_event_predictions(
            __file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}_predictions.json", event_key
        )

    return import_event

@pytest.fixture
def setup_full_match(test_data_importer):
    def import_match(match_key) -> None:
        event_key = match_key.split("_")[0]
        test_data_importer.import_event(__file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}.json")
        test_data_importer.import_match(__file__, f"tests/data/{match_key}.json")

    return import_match

@pytest.fixture
def setup_full_year_events(test_data_importer) -> None:
    test_data_importer.import_event_list(__file__, "tests/data/all_events_2019.json")

@pytest.fixture
def setup_hof_awards(test_data_importer) -> None:
    def import_event(event_key, team_keys) -> None:
        for team_key in team_keys:
            test_data_importer.import_team(__file__, f"tests/data/{team_key}.json")

        test_data_importer.import_event(__file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}.json")
        test_data_importer.import_award_list(
            __file__, f"tests/data/{event_key}_awards.json"
        )

    return import_event

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Gallery: Inside the Christening Party of 75 Metre Feadship Superyacht Arrow
1 - Inside the Christening Party of ArrowInside the Christening Party of Arrow
Images courtesy of Feadship
Arrow's official christening ceremony took place on Friday, January 10 at the Feadship yard and was attended by guests, Feadship employees and the owner.
Arrow was dramatically lit up in multi-coloured lights during the evening. The ceremony culminated in the owner smashing a bottle of champagne against the hull.
Speaking at the event, Feadship director Henk de Vries described Arrow as "a trailblazer for a new and ground-breaking line of super-luxurious boats in this length." He added: "She is also an exceptional personal family yacht, quite possibly the best we have ever completed. Arrow is the perfect way for Feadship to launch into a new decade with a cutting-edge design that is very much the face of this period of the 21st century."
Speaking at the event, Feadship director Henk de Vries described Arrow as "a trailblazer for a new and ground-breaking line of super-luxurious boats in this length."
He added: "She is also an exceptional personal family yacht, quite possibly the best we have ever completed. Arrow is the perfect way for Feadship to launch into a new decade with a cutting-edge design that is very much the face of this period of the 21st century."
The owner used the event as an opportunity to thank Feadship, his build representative and the design team led by Jonny Horsfield at H2 Yacht Design. "Although I had a ten-foot dingy as a child, this is actually my first real boat. I have, however, seen many other people's superyachts in my life and have to say that Arrow is the most beautiful and amazingly executed of them all," he said.
The owner used the event as an opportunity to thank Feadship, his build representative and the design team led by Jonny Horsfield at H2 Yacht Design.
"Although I had a ten-foot dingy as a child, this is actually my first real boat. I have, however, seen many other people's superyachts in my life and have to say that Arrow is the most beautiful and amazingly executed of them all," he said.
The owner added: "Working together with Henk and the whole team at Feadship has been an absolute pleasure since the day we agreed the contract. The way everyone seamlessly cooperated to blend the exterior with the interior was an unrivalled experience for me. Having now seen the end result there is no doubt in my mind: the best car is a Rolls-Royce and the equivalent in the superyacht world is definitely a Feadship."
The christening event was the first time Arrow was seen with her lighting and exterior outfitting completed.
Arrow will now undergo sea trials.
1 of 7 1/7
Inside the Christening Party of Arrow


MANILA, Philippines – The December 2017 Dental Technologist board exam results (written and practical phase) together with the list of passers, top 10 examinees, top performing schools and related announcements are available at this website as PRC officially released the results online two (2) working days after the last day of board examination. As announced, 52 out of 63 examinees passed.
The licensure exams are administered by PRC Board of Dentistry headed by the Officer-in-Charge, Dr. Rannier F. Reyes and its members, Dr. Gloria M. Bumanlag, Dr. Steve Mark G. Gan and Dr. Melinda L. Garcia on December 6-8, 2016 at PRC testing center in Manila.
According to the Commission's Resolution No. 2015-948 series of 2015 entitled "Schedule of Licensure Examination for Year 201", the target release date for the results of December 2016 Dental Technologist board exams will be on December 18, 2017 (Monday). However, results may be released earlier or later without prior notice.
On the same exam conducted by PRC on December 2016, results were released after two (2) working days while during December 2015 results were out after four (4) working days working days.
The schedule of online appointment for issuance of Professional ID and Certificate of Registration will be from December 28-29, 2017.
Dental Technologist is one of the board exams with less number of examinees being administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.
During December 2016 Dental Technologist exams, 41 out of 48 examinees passed.
On December 2015 of the same exams, 9 out of 41 examinees passed. No top examinees nor top performing schools are announced.
To receive up-to-date news about December 2017 Dental Technologist results, we advise our visitors to bookmark this page, visit PRC official website or follow us at our social media pages via Facebook and Twitter.


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If your pain is preventing you from enjoying the quality life that you deserve please consider Middlesex Orthopedic Surgeons when you're looking for help. It is our privilege to provide care to you. Click here to submit an appointment request form.
Occupational injuries can be categorized in many ways such as injuries by nature of job, injuries related to various organs, and injuries based on severity. Injuries at work place may affect any part of the body and at times at multiple locations.
Other services include: Pre-operative evaluations and instructions, Sports performance and enhancement, and treatment of a wide range of general orthopedic conditions.
This is a partial list of services, please call (860) 685-8940 for more information.


"The Lord Knows." Psalm 103:14 on this week's Word of Grace Devotion with Pastor Joe Marquez.
Psalm 103:14- "For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust."
Beloved, there is One who knows everything about everything and everyone. Of course I'm not talking about Google but about Almighty God! God is omniscient, knowing everything about everything and everyone. He knows it all.
In His Omniscience, He knows the worst about us. In fact, it was while we were at our worst that he sent His Son to save us as Romans 5:8 says, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God knows all about the skeletons in our closet and He's not shocked. Psalm 103 says, "God knows our frame and He remembers that we are dust." I must tell you something: God doesn't have a high expectation of dust.
God also knows us at our best. He knows what other people don't know. They might know about one little thing you did wrong, one problem you had, but they don't know about all the other good stuff you've done and they certainly don't know the motivation of your heart. God does. In First John it says, "If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts and He knows all things." He knows the worst about you; He knows the best about you.
And, since He knows everything, He knows what He's going to make out of you in the future. He knows that. When He looks at you, He doesn't just see the imperfections in you; He also sees the finished product. The Bible says, "We are His workmanship." He sees the finished work of art.
Beloved, God knows it all! He knows the worst about us. He knows the best about us. And He knows what He is going to make out of us! The only He requires of us is that we be a willing vessel. Lord, make us a willing vessel!
I pray that you will have a blessed week! Remember that you are His workmanship created unto good works! I love you and I will be praying for you!


text:
Frank Gant (* 26. Mai 1931 in Detroit; † 19. Juli 2021 in der Bronx, New York City) war ein US-amerikanischer Schlagzeuger des Modern Jazz.

Leben und Wirken
Gant hatte bei Konzertbesuchen in Detroit von Art Blakey gelernt und mit ihm gesprochen. Erste Auftritte hatte er mit Billy Mitchell und Pepper Adams; nachdem er mit Little John Wilson und seinen Merry Men im Madison Ballroom gearbeitet hatte, wo er gelegentlich Billie Holiday begleitete, schloss er sich Alvin Jackson an.

1955 wirkte Gant beim Debütalbum des Trompeters Donald Byrd mit (First Flight), 1958 dem von Barry Harris. Ende der 1950er Jahre arbeitete er in der Band von Yusef Lateef (Cry! Tender). Um 1970 war er Mitglied im Trio des Pianisten Ahmad Jamal, als dieser für Impulse! Records die Alben At the Top - Poinciana Revisited, The Awakening und Freeflight aufnahm. 1992 spielte er im Trio von Ronnie Mathews (Lament for Love). Außerdem arbeitete Gant mit Red Garland, Monty Alexander/Ernestine Anderson und Al Haig (1977) zusammen. Zwischen 1955 und 2001 wirkte er an den Aufnahmen für 53 Alben mit.

Lexikalischer Eintrag
 Richard Cook, Brian Morton: The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP and Cassette. 2. Auflage. Penguin, London 1994, ISBN 0-14-017949-6.
 Richard Cook, Brian Morton: The Penguin Guide of Jazz on CD. 6. Auflage. Penguin, London 2002, ISBN 0-14-051521-6.

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Jazz-Schlagzeuger
US-Amerikaner
Geboren 1931
Gestorben 2021
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Our Baby Footprint Lollipops come with 12 lollipops on your choice of stick. Available in blue (raspberry), pink (watermelon), purple (grape), yellow (banana) or an assortment of all four colors. Also available in barley. Each lollipop is hand-poured; slight variations will occur.


text:
You are here: Home / Blog / Videos /
Paradise War: my review of the 2019 movie about Bruno Manser
October 31, 2019 /0 Comments/in Videos /by Dimitri Burkhard
Unless they have been living under a rock, most Swiss who were around in the 1980's and 1990's are familiar with this name: Bruno Manser.
At the time, this environmental activist from Basel was in national and international news for his peaceful protests against deforestation in Malaysia. And Manser has remained in the news ever since his mysterious disappearance in 2000.
Paradise War: The Story of Bruno Manser
Nearly two decades later, Bruno Manser's story hits the big screen. "Paradise War: The Story of Bruno Manser" was an excellent choice as an opening film for the 15th Zurich Film Festival. For one, it has left a lasting impact with this reviewer. But Manser's quest to go beyond the superficiality of modern life and protect nature's precious resources is more relevant than ever.
Shot on location in the Indonesian part of Borneo (and in Basel), the screenplay puts Bruno Manser in the rain forest from the onset. As we would find out during flashbacks, Manser had decided to leave Switzerland behind in 1984 at the age of thirty.
He would first travel to Bangkok, then onward to the Malaysian part of Borneo in search of the true and simple life. There, he learns about a nomadic tribe in the rainforest of Sarawak. And so he ventures on as this tribe might hold the answer to his inquiry.
Whether true to life or staged by the screenwriter, the movie does a good job at showing the first contact between Manser and the Penan tribe. Both parties are aware of each other's existence, but they did not make an approach right away.
Then, during the darkness of the night, Manser hears someone playing a flute nearby. He takes his own recorder and tunes in, playing the same melody and thus expressing empathy and good will.
In Search of Audrey Hepburn at Tolochenaz
Manser is eventually accepted by the tribe, learning hunting and survival skills while still keeping up his diary. (About 600 of his drawings as well as a hand-drawn map have just been published.)
When the logging companies start rushing into the rainforest, wreaking havoc and destroying the habitat of the Penan, Manser quite literally steps in. In an attempt of peaceful protest, thousands of local tribespeople collaborate, managing to stop deforestation for a while.
At the time, deforestation in Borneo was happening at the pace of 2.7 times the size of Switzerland - annually.
But the government is not happy about the lost revenues due to the Penan roadblocks, putting a bounty of USD 50'000 on Bruno Manser's head: "Dead or Alive." He is arrested but manages to escape from the police car.
After Manser leaves Borneo for Switzerland, he builds a non-profit organization, stages protests and puts pressure on governments around the world. Despite being wanted, he eventually returns to the Penan in May 2000. As of three days into his stay, all traces of Bruno Manser have been lost and he has never been seen again.
About the acting
It is fascinating to follow the physical transformation of the actor as his character befriends the nomadic tribe. A skilled communicator, Manser learns the local dialect during the six years he would spend alongside the tribe.
Evidently, Manser's mastering of the indigenous language turned out to be a major challenge for the actor portraying him. Sven Schelker had to rehearse hundreds of lines of Penan dialect without understanding a word. Being from Manser's hometown of Basel was a plus as Schelker did not have to rehearse that Swiss German pronunciation...)
My verdict
Director Niklaus Hilber, originally from Zürich, has created an epic adventure movie that captured my attention for all 142 minutes. It's a story about globalization and the world's appetite for palm oil, and there is no happy ending to it.
10 Things I Learned at the Locarno Film Festival
I cannot judge how realistic or close to true events this film is. But for the most part, "Paradise War" appears very much believable.
The amateur actors of the Penan tribe add much to the authenticity. And the director has said in an interview that his location scout rode a motorbike for 6000 kilometers across the rainforest. His mission? To find a logging company that couldn't care less whether a Swiss crew filmed a movie about deforestation...
In Swiss theaters on Nov 7, 2019.
About the Zurich Film Festival
The 15th Zurich Film Festival ran from Sept 26 to Oct 6, 2019. It attracted a record 117'000 visitors and crowned this movie's director, Niklaus Hilber, with the Science Film Award. The jury applauded that Paradise War is "a sweeping and urgent topical film about the preservation of forests, biodiversity and the importance of respecting human rights."
Opening Night - World Premiere of BRUNO MANSER - DIE STIMME DES REGENWALDS #zff2019 #openingnight #film #swiss #niklaushilbert #valentingreutert #philipdelaquis #elizabethballang #nickkelesau #svenschelker pic.twitter.com/Dq00RJJs33
— Zurich Film Festival (@zurichfilmfest) September 26, 2019
(Photographs copyright A Film Company/Ascot Elite)
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text:
Masterplanning for the short run | In search of missing pieces
Is anyone else bothered by the increasingly common phenomena of adding the word 'luxury' to new developments or newly renovated architecture: luxury apartments, luxury stores, high-end galleries, etc.? Luxury then becomes a program all on its own, no matter the secondary use it is added to it. Luxury is the program of capital, and if we were to map all the places and spaces that are considered and promoted as such, we would have to think of the city as becoming-luxurious — a luxury to be afforded — thus increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible. Cities are not being diversified at all then, they are just being redeveloped into economic exclusion zones, unified around a sole stimuli, money. As a consequence, the city is increasingly dehumanized.
Cultural assets have fallen prey to capital. Historical neighborhoods are turning into high-end commercial and financial centers. Private money is surely proving to be a better incentive than the polyphonic wellbeing of public heritage. If we were to ask how much a city is worth, we would have to also ask, how little is its past valued? We're just starting to see the quantification of such unfathomable equation (equity/equality) — its value — but it will take a long while to grasp its qualification (quality+fiction) — its weight. How much will it weigh on us? How much will we weigh in it?
As master of a regulatory plan that pretends to decentralize (much of what it takes away), the state-capital system works to internalize the flow of capital — thus normalizing the inequality it is based on and legitimizing the design of a new luxurious class.
Masterplanning, then, as a blueprint and rendered image of redevelopment, becomes a way to reduce and streamline the city's public heritage (both, its public + heritage) — abstracting the time and material history of a hundred(s) year old city — into this flow of capital, which in turn emerges as the manifest of (its) "quantification of power", where "each member profits in his own way." (1)
As it materializes in the city, capital's influence is revealed to be greater than the city's historical, natural, judicial and cultural resources — therein lies its undisputed (yet unchallenged) thus absolute power. Because of this unprecedented acceleration of dominance, capital may in fact be the only (if not truly) autonomous organism (species) of man's progress.
Masterplanning in the age of capital is a strategy of isolation and restriction, which deepens class segregation by isolating access and opportunity as it takes over and deplets shared assets and resources. The masterplan is capital's masterpiece. It is how capital metamorphoses in real space — colonizing bodies, spaces, and psyches, a total embodiment by design instituted by self-serving systems of governance, whose political rigidity reduces governing to policing in order to maintain the hegemony of the status-quo — to ensure their dictatorial genealogy lasts; and, whose aesthetic guard-ism manifests an image of uniformity under the "luxury" moniker.
The masterdesign may promise a one-of-a-kind relationship with capital, though what it actually produces is an endless desire to (over) consume. Meaning: it doesn't matter how luxurious the relationship with capital may be, it still produces a commodity, which makes capital quite a high-maintenance partner. The more access one is given to "consume" another, the more unrequited and all-consuming this relationship becomes. The masterdesign assures an almost immediate consumption of luxury, thus enabling an addiction that needs to be kept up just so one can function. In the end, this addiction is how the human species consumes itself. It reduces life to a basic existence that requires nonsensical constructs of unprecedented realities that the city (and environment in general) simply cannot capacitate and won't ever be able to support if it continues to be looted by the intensity of the addiction to capital. Hence, the uniformity of luxury can be understood as a double-headed form of violence: first, as an exponentially multiplying unity (i.e. colonization) of cannibalistic consumption of (it)self as well as the city's (and all it encompasses); and second, as a guardism (i.e. addiction) that "only reproduces itself when it is reproducing something new". (2)
Luxury is a product of power. It designates how power is seized, distributed and enforced. It is the incentive to re-categorize what at one time or another, but for a long time, was shared by many publics. It is a remastering of the human, its environment, and the master[ed]pieces it has created (as well as its not yet fulfilled potentialities) in a way that maximizes or mastermizes profit. As evidenced thus far, suc
h remastering or reduction is a total (planetary) redesign toward extinction of life as we perceive it, as we understand it, as we live it. We don't have to know it anymore, as long as we consume it and as long as it becomes easily digested and digestible.
What's even more curious is the coupling of the 'luxury' program with pedestrian activity and green spaces, such as these areas are the first to have biking and pedestrian lanes, greenery, maybe a water feature or two, street lights, and so on. It is curious because when do we see a rich person walking? In developing countries, and especially in Albania, they tend to drive some of the most luxurious cars, that is, if they're not chauffeured around. Walking is a practice of the masses; it is how the public processes its independence and individuality in and through the ever-changing city. What, then, does it mean to luxurize the space of walking, if not to transform the individual, the public, the masses into spectral beings? (3)
Such is the dogma of masterplanning for the short run. Short, implies an extinction — while run, implies a blur. It's no secret that I am not a fan of the word "masterplan" and what it currently consists of. I would rather ask how a regulatory plan is and can be mastered. What is it to plan and what does it mean to designate? What is it to design and what does it mean to master the self and the other? I would rather mine a masterplan than interpret it, but it is hard to ask questions when so little is made available prior to (the decision of its) execution.
I read somewhere — can't exactly remember where at this moment, but it said something to this effect — that, we might've sold our souls or even want to do so, but who's buying?
With everything that's happening in the world, I wonder how much (and for how long) we would weigh without one; and if our road to extinction would be heavier or lighter as result. I don't mean soul in a romantic or religious way, but soul as a force of life, essential to its being its essence, or rather what makes human life possible: mind, heart, will, integrity, intelligence, empathy, consciousness, health, language, politics, shared space, etc.
As far as Tirana (or any other such developing city in Albania) is concerned, I cannot imagine what would its architects and urbanists talk about in local or international conferences and seminars on history and preservation. If until now there was a preserved and protected architectural district or building to talk about, from this moment on it would be hypocritical to assert any historical standing. I guess there's always nostalgia to fall back on.
(1) Deleuze & Guattari, On the Line, 1983, Semiotext(e)
(2) ibid.
(3) Arjun Appadurai, Spectral Housing and Urban Cleansing: Notes on Millennial Mumbai
Posted by irsiB at 4:24 PM
Labels: Activism, Albania, albanians, Architecture, Changes, Climate Change, Cultural Property, Design, Gentle Manifest, History, humanities, Informality, Otherness, Politics, Preservation, Public Space, Tirana, Urbanism
Masterplanning for the short run | In search of mi...
Undigested Thoughts | In search of hollow-eve(n)
Gentle Manifest | We've Never Been Public


text:
Holland and Zakrzewski set new records in Race Across Scotland
215 miles of poles, Pot Noodles and power naps get finishers across the line
Ultrarunning legend Adam 'Tango' Holland and GB international Jo Zakrzewski have both set new records in the fifth edition of the 215-mile Race across Scotland.
The international field of ultrarunners had just 100 hours to complete the coast-to-coast journey from Portpatrick in Dumfries & Galloway to Cockburnspath in the Borders along the historic trails of the Southern Upland Way. Over half the participants dropped out before the end of the challenge, which started on Saturday (14 August).
Not Adam 'Tango' Holland, though, who crossed the line Wednesday, after 'just' 60 hours and 14 minutes – 5 hours and 11 minutes inside the course record of 65 hours and 25 minutes set in 2018 by the American Trevor Cichosz. Despite having run for two and a half days, Holland completed his last mile in 7 minutes and 21 seconds, and still had the energy to jump over the line after a sprint finish.
The second runner home and first female finisher was Jo Zakrzewski. The doctor, who was marooned in Australia for much of the pandemic, crossed the line in 62 hours and 20 minutes, crushing fellow GB runner Rosie Bell's 2019 record of 79 hours 46 minutes by nearly a day (17 hours and 26 minutes).
With her efforts Zakrzewski also recorded the fastest known time for a supported trip along the Southern Upland Way, beating the time set by Anna Rutherford last year (62 hours, 34 minutes) by 13 minutes and 48 seconds.
Image: Ultra Great Britain (facebook)
ultrarunning
adam holland
joasia zakrzewski
southern upland way
anna rutherford
OlderLight Up, Light UpMore RecentRecord Reclaimed


text:
Brief architectural description of the manor
OWLPEN MANOR stands in its own hidden valley under the edge of the Cotswold hills, its domain of pasture and meadow land enclosed by an amphitheatre of steeply-rising hills crowned with beech woods. Here the pearl-grey manor house with its enormous yews and attendant outbuildings form a remarkable group, nestling under the lee of the hillside. The Tudor manor house, built and rebuilt organically between about 1450 and 1720, its early formal garden and cluster of traditional buildings, possess a charm, presence and perfection of form and scale which have long been admired as one of the treasures of Cotswold scenery.
The medieval house
The centre of the south front by F.M. Bennett, 1922, framed by the magnificent yew topiary.
Surviving documents suggest there has been a house on the site of the present manor since early medieval times, attracted by the springs which rise under the house. The church is probably built on medieval foundations of the same date as the house.
The existing Cotswold stone manor house is 'sub-medieval', having grown by accretions from east to west over a period of some three centuries, from the fifteenth century to 1616, with minor alterations of the early eighteenth century. Since then, nothing has been done -- or, more remarkably, undone -- except for the sensitive repairs of Norman Jewson in 1926.
East wing: 1539
The east service range, set at the lower end of the hall, has arch-braced (and previously wind-braced) trusses which are dated by dendrochronology to 1539. The roof retains reused timbers, probably from the medieval house, dated about 1294.
The early manor house would have consisted of the usual central hall, with a cross-wing at either end, a plan retained and developed in the complicated sequence of later rebuilding and adaptation.
Central hall: 1525 to 1586
The present hall/great chamber range in the centre was rebuilt in at least three phases in the sixteenth century. There is evidence that it replaces, or is a rebuilding of, an earlier hall, which would have been a single-story structure open to the roof, with an open hearth. The hall has a screens passage entry at the lower end and a compartmental ceiling dated 1522-5. An earlier roof of 1541 was rebuilt in 1584-6.
West parlour solar block: 1616
Watercolour of the west wing, dated 1616, by W.G. Rich, c. 1890
The most recent part of the fabric is the west wing, an extension at the upper end of the hall, the only part of the house with some pretensions to polite 'architecture'. Again, this is probably a remodelling of the earlier solar wing, with its storyed bay window, chimney stack with freestone diagonal-clustered chimneys, and two gables to the west front, dated outside "TD anno 1616". Thomas Daunt's Oak Parlour represents the lord's parlour at the upper end of the hall, with the chamber over at first floor level, confirming the tenacity and continuity of medieval arrangements in the Renaissance period at the manorial level.
The early seventeenth-century manor is of two full stories, with attics over, the characteristic gables to the attics giving them full story height. The manor by then formed a conventional, but squat, H-plan hall house, with cross-wings of unequal length at either end of the hall, a passage at first-floor level connecting them, and twin newel stairs.
These two western bays, containing the Oak Parlour and Hall, seem to be part of a unified extension to the medieval plan, with the hearths and stacks integral and a sixteenth-century door and frame from the Great Chamber opening to the west, suggesting a previous structure on this site. At any rate, the early seventeenth-century additions make for a more symmetrical and formal disposition of the rooms, with the twin staircases and more ordered fenestration, notably to the west, revealing increasing classical influence.
The (earlier) rear elevations are rendered, with random timber windows in a medieval arrangement; while the front is ashlar faced, except for the central section, with stone dressings of the Cotswold vernacular: recessed hollow-moulded mullioned windows, hood-moulds, string courses, and parapet tablings, kneelers and finials.
Kitchen wing: 1620
The kitchen wing (NE) probably dates to the early 17th-century period, or shortly after. Archaeological evidence suggests it incorporates elements of earlier detached outbuildings, set in a planned relationship to the main domestic well (north of the present kitchen). The penthouse (or 'pentice') extension would have been added to the north of the hall (at the end of the screens passage) to give access to the kitchen wing.
Early Georgian improvements: 1719-26
The final phase is one of early eighteenth-century improvements, with an emphasis on increasing classicism and symmetry and the insertion of sash windows, hearths, panelling and partitions in a general remodelling, restricted to the two main floors of the (early) east wing. All these works, by Thomas Daunt V, are well documented from 1719 onwards.
The kitchen courtyard of the east wing is dated about 1450
Repairs by Norman Jewson, 1925-6
The house was abandoned in the early nineteenth century, when a new mansion was built a mile away, at the eastern end of the estate. By 1922 there was concern for its future and it was suggested it should be taken over by the National Turst to save it for the nation.
Norman Jewson was able to acquire the house at auction in 1925, and set about putting the house into repair. His Arts and Crafts repairs of 1925-6 are understated, architecturally an epilogue or afterword, repairing and conserving what was already there. Again there were some small functional improvements (such as to the domestic offices and two staircases) to make the house habitable for modern conditions.
The work of Norman Jewson is described on a separate web page under the "Arts and Crafts" tab.
In 1963-5 the domestic offices were demolished and further minor improvements were made, but essentially the manor is a survival from the early seventeenth century which has been remarkably little altered.
Etching by F.L. Griggs, celebrating the arts and crafts repairs by Norman Jewson in 1925-6
The house as it stands is not unified in the details of its plan or structure, for it is the creation of nearly three centuries of organic growth and adaptation to the needs and fashions of successive generations, illustrating the evolution of English domestic architecture and history, washed by the passing waves, in Ruskin's phrase, of humanity, of erosion and replacement. The architectural historian David Verey commented that it is one of those houses which has "been altered so much at so many different periods that is difficult to say that this is Elizabethan more than anything else".
The front (south) elevation is asymmetrical; haphazard, yet "illogically satisfactory" in its appeal (James Lees-Milne). The three gabled bays of the house contrast in architectural proportion, detail and period, yet they balance and complement one another happily, with what Jewson called "good manners", none asserting its distinctive features over the others. They show the tenacity of the Cotswold vernacular building idiom throughout the centuries of the sub-medieval period.
Today the house is not a show place or museum, but the home of Sir Nicholas and Lady Mander and their family. Every inch of it is lived in and most of it is shown to visitors; tours are by arrangement with the Estate Office.
Painted Cloths
Country Houses of the Cotswolds
Garden Review


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Nadine Shaalan
nshaalan@anthemnews.com
A Detroit native, Shaalan landed in Anthem by way of Philadelphia, Chestertown, Cairo, and New York City.
She studied photography at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and earned a bachelor's degree in advertising at Michigan State University.
Shaalan spent nearly a decade in Cairo, Egypt where she worked for Fotouh Promo 7 ad agency handling promotions for Gillette, Coca-Cola, Carrier and Schlumberger.
She helped create and operate Zeitouna, a publishing company specializing in books on Arab and Egyptian art, architecture and archaeology. Zeitouna also produced annual reports and marketing pieces for multi-national clients including American Express Travel and Sheraton Hotels.
Stateside, she was lucky enough to land a position as designer with the Philadelphia Inquirer where she was honored to spend nine years working alongside supremely talented, dedicated and principled colleagues.
In 2005, Shaalan moved to Arizona with the love of her life, Robert Britt, and the center of her universe, their three beautiful children, to be closer to family and able to see more of the sky.
Meet the rest of our editorial team.


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Why Bernie Sanders Will Win -- Part 1: Economics
Doc Brown has been to the future--and he knows who will be our next president!
Why Bernie Sanders Will Win – Part 1: Economics
by Joe Brunoli
a.k.a. EuroYankee
The establishment political set and the mainstream media seem to be wholly fixated on writing off Bernie Sanders as an "extreme left" politician from a "small, mostly white state" and a "self-proclaimed socialist." And because of these attributes, he has no chance of winning in the general election – this presumably because America is a "centrist-right" or even a "conservative" country.
They are overlooking some very basic facts of history and socio-economics, as well as politics. It is true that over the past 35 years, "liberal" has been become an epithet, while "conservative" has become an emblem that more and more Americans feel comfortable with. But why is that?
It Started with Reagan
Ronald Reagan embodied a strident, "conservative" persona, rejecting Jimmy Carter's namby-pamby "liberal" identity. The so-called "Reagan Democrats" were drawn to Reagan because he was willing to tell then that they did not have to lower their thermostats, drive smaller cars, or switch to the metric system. America was a "shining city on a hill" whose best days lay ahead. America was perceived as weak in the world, and he, Ronald Reagan, would beef up the military and make America strong again. He played on racial tensions, revving up the "Southern Strategy" that had worked for other Republican candidates since Nixon. And of, course, Reagan was the first one to propose a Constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
"God, Guns and Gays"
Since 1980, the idea of what makes a "conservative" has been framed in mostly non-economic terms. Creationism, Christianity, Abortion, Gay Rights, Gun Control, Affirmative Action – these are the key issues that defined an American as a Conservative. It was never so much about tax cuts and small government, as far as the average voter was concerned. Sure, every conservative would automatically stand for cutting taxes, but that was an auxiliary, second tier issue that did not engender the type of fervor among the electorate.
For thirty years, Republicans won elections by putting gay marriage, abortion rights and other cultural "wedge issues" on the ballot. And they are still using that playbook.
The Democrats, for their part, have also happily played into this game. The Democratic Leadership Council, headed by Bill Clinton, co-opted conservative economic principles and left the Democratic Party only a slim playing field on which to oppose Republicans on cultural issues. "Liberal" billionaire donors like George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer give to Democrats to support cultural, social or environmental issues – not economic ones. These are smart men. After all, they know enough not to go against their own economic interests.
But for just how long can the American voter be asked to vote against his or her own economic interests in order to promote their positions on cultural issues?
Bernie Not Afraid to Speak about the Economy
In Bernie's speech announcing his candidacy, he spent fully 45% of his time speaking about economic issues – more than twice as much as any of the other candidates, and almost three times as much time as Hillary Clinton did. Some Republican candidates didn't even mention economics in their announcement speeches.
Resentment at growing wealth inequality, the disappearance of the middle class, the harsh reality that most people are moving backwards economically compared to their parents – these are all issues that have been percolating, seething below the surface of the superficial political debate in America. But they are important issues, and when people say that Bernie is "touching a nerve" they vastly underestimate the power of his message.
As an Independent who refuses to take PAC money or billionaires' donations, Bernie now occupies a unique position in American political history. I believe history will show that his is the winning ticket.
Bio: Joe Brunoli, a.k.a. The EuroYankee, is a US ex-pat with dual US-EU citizenship. Originally from Connecticut, Joe currently splits his time between his ancestral residence on Lake Como, Italy, and his apartment in Barcelona, Spain. He travels Europe extensively for his work and tries to find time to comment on trends, attitudes, politics and points of interest - especially as they may affect or regard the US.
Have you been hosting debate watch parties, voter registration parties, etc., for Bernie? Have you been inputting them into the national site's event map? Please remember to do so in order to give them an idea just how many events are happening and how many Bernie supporters are out there. #FeeltheBern and keep spreading the word--Bernie Sanders for president in 2016!
Posted by The Revolution Continues at 3:00 AM 2 comments:
Labels: #bernie2016, #Bernie4All, #berniesanders, #women4Bernie, Americans, conservatives, Democratic party, Democratic Socialism, economics, economy, liberals, oligarchs, Republicans, social justice, voters, wedge issues
Striking up the Band for Bernie
There are many ways to protest injustice and to showcase unfairness. Some do it with words and actions--and others through music. Our Bernie supporters this week share their ideas of how you can make a difference in bringing about Bernie Sanders' political revolution.
Let's Strike!
by Sam Franklin
Bernie wants a political revolution but how do we revolt? We can't take up arms or just throw the bums out.
We can protest, but protests rarely seem to produce positive change. Egyptians protested, and their government is no better. Syrians protested and got killed or became refugees. Remember Occupy Wall Street? People get tired of protesting, and they can turn violent.
How about voting the bad guys out of office? The Republicans have gerrymandered districts so successfully the crazies in the Congress are supported by crazies at home. They are not likely to be voted out of office, and if they stay in office, they will continue to block any progress toward justice and equality.
Petitions are popular nowadays. However, do you think our Congress members pay attention to our signatures? Like Bernie says they rather listen to the lobbyists and the wealthy, not to us.
I remember many years ago when Lech Walesa, a dock worker, founded Poland's first trade union--Solidarity. Walesa won a Nobel Peace Prize and eventually became the President of Poland. He did it with a strike.
Bernie is turning out thousands at rallies all over the country, and they will continue to turn out, at least for a while. Suppose, just suppose, these well meaning people picked one day in December or January to stay home from work. That's all--just stay home. You don't have to carry a sign or go to Washington or even go out of the house. It's not inconvenient; it's not dangerous. Some may even want to take to the streets peacefully to call attention to the strike.
If millions participated in a peaceful workers' strike, it might stir the pot. It just might lead to negotiations and meaningful change. If teachers didn't go to school and grocers didn't stock the shelves and gas stations didn't open up and mail carriers "got sick"' and airplanes didn't fly... Congress might listen. And if they didn't, then on the first of the next month the strike would reoccur. And if that didn't work, then in two weeks another strike might go down and then another two weeks after that... Eventually the people might be heard, like they were so many years ago in Poland.
Bio: Sam Franklin describes himself as "an old retired professor, grandpa, author, and friend of fairness."
A Socially Relevant EP
by Tim Nordstrom, LCSW, CCM
timnordstrom.com
The purpose of this album is to support Bernie Sanders by encouraging the questioning of authority and helping to engage citizens in critical thinking about changing our society so that it benefits all individuals.
I have been a social worker for 20 years. The majority of the people that I have worked with cannot compete in this economy, and so they live in some form of poverty. The vast majority of these people suffer from PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, Alcohol and drug dependency, etc. Sexual abuse as a child can change one's life forever, and it happens much more often in these environments. Witnessing domestic violence and being tormented by verbal/emotional abuse can stop positive growth in it's tracks, and it happens much more often in impoverished environments than in middle and upper class environments. Now, not only do they fight the battle of their living environment, they fight the battle of mental illness. The unstable and volatile environment of poverty can leave a person struggling with a mental illness, rendering them incapable of moving forward in a positive direction. These are the things that create our domestic wounded warriors. I use the term "wounded warriors" because it is a constant battle, a struggle every-single-day, and they don't get the same empathetic messages that our soldiers get.
Continuing our laissez-faire mentality with respect to capitalism will only perpetuate victim blaming and further decrease the amount of empathy we as a nation have for these men, women and children. These are the people most adversely effected by greed. The middle class is shrinking. Where is it going? What is happening to them? PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, Alcohol and Drug dependency….
I have never lived in poverty, but I try to imagine what it would be like. I have had the opportunity to work in shelters, day treatment facilities, and extremely low socioeconomic communities, and I will never fully understand. I do know this: judging others and electing our leaders based purely on our own past experiences and current perspectives is wrong. We have to become more empathetic as a nation. We have to bleed the greed.
Free up the money! I would like to make this music free to all who want to let it motivate their passion for this movement. Proceeds from the sale of the full CD will go to the Bernie Sanders campaign: timnordstrom.com
Bio: Tim Nordstrom is a native Montanan, who has lived in Denver Colorado and Nashville Tennessee working in the field of social work, all the while writing and performing his music. Tim has worked with Grammy-winning producers, instrumentalists and is often heard on NPR.
Here's an insight into recent events concerning the recent Democratic Debate.
It Doesn't Matter
by George Oeser
I am afraid that what I am about to write will upset a lot of people, but I think it needs to be said.
It doesn't matter if Bernie won the debate or not. The pundits said he didn't, but pundits aren't terribly reliable. The online polls said he did, but they are terribly unreliable. The people who answer the questions in online polls tend to be the people that are most passionate about the questions being asked. Guess what? Sanders supporters are more passionate than Clinton supporters, and so we participated in the polls in larger numbers. This shows that the online polls are meaningless.
Of course complaining about what the pundits said is also meaningless, at best. It could actually be harmful to Bernie as many will see the onslaught of complaints peppering social media as an indication that Bernie supporters are sore losers or conspiracy nuts. This doesn't just make us look bad, it makes Bernie look bad as well.
Bernie's support is growing, but he is still an underdog, and so we need to help him keep gaining supporters. There are tons of democrats out there who like his ideas and policies but who won't for him because they think he isn't electable. Instead of telling them that he won the debate, tell them about all of the elections he has won while facing extremely tough opponents. Some say they won't vote for him because they don't think he will be able to accomplish much as president. They don't need to hear how the media isn't giving Bernie enough coverage, they need to hear about the times he has worked with political opponents to get things done.
Bernie is currently lacking in support from African-Americans. Maybe instead of seeing us post over and over about a plot against Bernie we should tell them about Bernie's civil rights work, or how Dr. Cornel West is a Sanders supporter, or maybe we should mention that Bernie was the only candidate in the debate who said that black lives do matter and who promised to fight institutional racism.
The Sanders campaign is positive and talks about the issues facing America. Even though we may not have signed up as official volunteers, every time we post about Bernie on Facebook or tweet about him we are acting as the face of Bernie Sanders' campaign for the presidency. Bernie's positive, issue-oriented campaign is undercut when we stray from the real issues or go negative and so we have to try and remember to not let our emotions get the best of us in public. This isn't just a campaign, it is a movement, and we are all part of it, almost as much as Senator Sanders himself. Let's stay on track and help make Bernie Sanders the next president of the United States!
Bio: George Oeser is a photographer, born and raised in Tennessee but currently living in the Netherlands. He spends much of his time thinking about how much he misses good Southern food.
Labels: #bernie2016, #Bernie4All, #berniesanders, Bernie songs, debates, Democratic party, Occupy Wall Street, politics, Protest, protest music, protest songs, pundits, social justice, social programs, strikes, striking
Raise Your Voice--Blog Action Day 2015
Raise Your Voice Before It's Too Late
by Cindy A. Matthews
October 16, 2015 is Blog Action Day, a day when bloggers around the world speak out on one topic. This year's topic is Raise Your Voice. Here at The Bernie Blog we raise our voices a lot--mostly about how great Bernie Sanders is and how much we want to see him elected as president of the U.S.A. But today we're going to take time out and raise our voices about a serious issue that affects all of us, whether or not we're Bernie supporters.
We're going to raise our voices about Freedom of Speech and how important it is to protect it for future generations.
This week, Freedom of Speech was abridged for one of our friends, Bernie2016TV.
Bernie2016TV covered the Democratic Debates using a raw feed, showing the debate as it happened. Then their You Tube channel was shut down by CNN who wants only their edited version of what happened at the debate to be seen by the voters. CNN edited out things like the audience's cheers and applause for Bernie, because they wanted to skew the public's perception of how their favorite candidate performed. (Their favorite candidate has received about a half a million dollars from Time Warner, the parent company of CNN. One wonders what sort of "favors" Time Warner will expect if their candidate is elected.) Of course, thousands of protest comments have flooded CNN's Facebook page and Twitter feed and were taken down as fast as possible. What big corporation wants to be seen as a "bully" to the little guys?
CNN took down their poll because it showed Bernie won.
The brave broadcasters of Bernie2016TV once again find themselves marginalized and bullied by the corporate media establishment who want to silence their voices. But they won't give up. They will find a way to broadcast news about the Sanders campaign no matter how tough the odds or what billionaires they tick off. They realize what is at stake for us and for our children and our children's children. If the oligarchs silence us now, we may never regain our rights to speak out. So, Bernie2016TV will continue to raise their voices!
The Revolution may not be televised, but it will happen all the same. Feel the Bern! And raise your voice!
Labels: #BAD2015, #Bernie2016TV, #Bernie4All, #Berniewon, #CallOutCNN, #CorruptCNN, #Oct16, #RaiseYourVoice, #TimeWarner, censorship, CNN, debates, Democratic party, freedom of speech
Let's Exercise Our Brains for Bernie!
Barb's "Bernie Bush"
Are you feelin' the Bern? Don't forget that Tuesday, October 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, is the first Democratic Debate on CNN. "Berners" (Bernie Sanders supporters) are sponsoring Debate Watch Parties all over the country. Go to the national events map and type in your zip code to see where there's a Debate Watch Party near you that you can attend. Can't find one or want to host your own? Even if it's just you and your family, please register your party at the site so Bernie's campaign can see just how many supporters he has. And if you take photos and want to share them with others, feel free to email them to us at thebernieblog2016@gmail.com and we'll post them on The Bernie Blog. Thanks.
This week on The Bernie Blog we hear from a rather unique perspective. A canine perspective...
Buster Brown Town is Professor Emeritus, Department of Odd Human Behavior, Dogville Academy, and Founder of Dogs for Humanity, a not-for-profit with the motto: "We may not be human, but we are humane." We asked Professor Town to tell us why he's supporting Bernie:
"That's easy! I'm a dog. We're Man's Best Friend. We don't care if you're rich or poor. We don't care if you're white or black or brown or yellow or red; we don't care if you're straight or gay or male or female or young or old; we love you all. Also, we're pack animals. We want everyone in our pack to do well because that's how the pack survives. Bernie is the only candidate who thinks like a dog. We refer to him affectionately as Saint Bernard."
By Buster Brown Town
Time to get in shape for the elections! Let's start by exercising some Good Old Yankee Common Sense.
Today's question is: Why do so many everyday working people vote Republican? Why don't they like Bernie Sanders?
Here are some things Republicans voted for in recent years (and Bernie voted against): Tax cuts for the rich. More benefits for multinational corporations. More spending for the military (not to be confused with more spending for vets, which they oppose).
Here are some things Republicans voted against (and Bernie voted for): Paid sick leave, paid vacations, maternity leave, overtime, healthcare, workplace protections, collective bargaining rights, quality education, decent paying jobs, clean air and water, safe food and drugs, veteran benefits, student loan debt relief, voting rights, sensible gun control laws, fair housing, protections from consumer fraud and predatory lenders, freedom of religion, unemployment insurance, retirement benefits, birth control, child care, equal rights.
So unless you're rich, a multinational corporation or a military contractor, why would you vote Republican?
Ever since the robber barons wrote their own script for the American Dream and hired Ronald Reagan to play the role of president, you've been lied to, hoodwinked, bamboozled and bombarded by razzle-dazzle, misinformation, scare tactics and all kinds of brainwashing schemes. All of this is brought to you by the oligarchs who own all the major media, most of the economy and a large number of your so-called "public servants."
So, when someone like Bernie Sanders comes along and lays out a common sense case for getting back to the same policies that made postwar America great, that created a booming economy with a strong middle class, he's accused of being a "commie" or a Soviet-style socialist. Forget about that! He's got two basic ideas:
1. Make the rich pay their fair share of taxes.
2. Invest our tax dollars to help every day, hardworking people like you.
If your answer is "No," you may have a Common Sense deficit. In that event, take Groucho Marx's advice: "A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five."
Or fetch your dog.
Bio: Mr. Town is a professor of odd human behavior at Dogville Academy. Buster blogs for Bernie, bites billionaires and will bark for food. His web site and his Facebook page can be found at the following links: Busterbrowntown.com
https://www.facebook.com/buster.browntown?fref=ts
Labels: #bernie2016, #Bernie4All, #berniesanders, 1%, 2016 election, Buster Brown Town, common sense, debate watch parties, debates, Democratic party, dogs, oligarchs, ordinary Americans, Republicans, workers, working poor
Why I Support Bernie Sanders for President, Part 2
To recap: I have been living in the Netherlands. The time I have spent here has allowed me to see, first hand, what happens when a country takes a different path than America: To see the results of certain policies and programs with my own eyes instead of just watching what one talking head or another with a particular agenda has to say on TV. I have been surprised by many of the things I have seen here, and my mind has changed on several issues. It has affected who I will be voting for. I hope you can find this information valuable to your own decision making process.
People in the Netherlands work hard and take risks, not because of a lack of a safety net but because a strong safety net exists. In America, if you start a new business and it fails, you can lose everything. This prevents many people from starting a new business or trying to turn their ideas into great new inventions. The rewards may be great, but the risks are just too high. In Holland, you know that if your business fails you at least will still be able to feed and house your family and send your kids to college. This makes taking risks much more worthwhile. The entrepreneurial spirit is very much alive and well in Holland.
In Holland, almost everyone speaks English extremely well, along with their native Dutch and often times German and French as well. This allows the Netherlands to be very competitive in the global market. This is only possible because the Dutch place great importance on education. Schools are well funded; teachers are well paid; higher education is kept affordable. All of this allows the Netherlands to be a center of high tech industry and a world leader in innovation.
The Dutch education system is amazing. Children go to schools that are funded by the government but normally run by private organizations. Often times these are religious organizations or civic groups that are required to meet government regulations while at the same time being allowed to bring their own culture into the educational process. Higher education is also funded by the government through a series of exceptionally high quality universities and technical schools. Higher education is not free, but costs are regulated so that everyone can afford to get an education if they choose to.
You need well-educated people to compete and lead in the world today. America is falling behind in this area. Sure, we have of the best paid college presidents and coaches in the world, but many students can't afford college or are forced into crushing debt to attend, and our country has suffered as a consequence.
In Holland, seeing your primary physician never costs you a penny. This means that people are willing to go to the doctor sooner, which means a simple problem can be kept from turning into a serious condition. This also means less sick days and a more productive workforce. Adding to the high productivity levels are a minimum of four weeks paid vacation per year, paid maternity leave, and higher wages that make employees willing to work harder because they don't feel like they are being cheated every time they see one of their pay stubs. This allows more families to have a parent who is able to be at home with the kids at all times, which of course is better for the children who become the next generation of well-educated, well-paid, and highly motivated workers and entrepreneurs.
Workers in the Netherlands are pretty much just as productive as workers in America, but American full time workers put in an average of 46.7 hours a week while Dutch workers average just 29 hours per week. Think about overtime pay and regular pay combined—are American companies really saving money by paying their employees less and offering them fewer benefits?
I know what many of you are thinking: "What about taxes?" It is true that taxes are considerably higher in the Netherlands than in the United States, no doubt about that. But to stop the conversation there wouldn't tell the entire story. You have to compare the cost against the benefits. For example, if someone could move into a city and be closer to work, have more free time and spend less on fuel because of a shorter commute, spend more time with their family, get an extra hour of sleep every day, and generally live a higher quality of life, but they refused to do so because their rent would go up by 10%, something they could easily afford, you would think they were crazy. Americans should think the same way about taxes.
Yes, taxes in the Netherlands are higher, but they result in lower healthcare costs, lower educational costs, lower transportation costs, a higher quality of life, and many other benefits that greatly outweigh the higher tax rates. The problem isn't high taxes—the problem is feeling like you get nothing in return for your taxes. In America, we could lower our taxes by 90%, but if we didn't feel like we were getting anything for our money we would still think our taxes were too high. This is why the higher taxes aren't a big problem in the Netherlands. They feel like quite a bargain.
While the national government of the Netherlands is quite strong, it does not hold all of the power. Local governments, the sections of the government closest to and most connected to the people, have considerable power. The national government may provide funding to local governments that has to be spent on roads or on education or on cultural initiatives, but the municipalities get to determine how those funds are specifically spent in their areas. This allows tax money to be spent in the most effective ways possible so it can benefit the largest number of people.
As I mentioned earlier, I believe that we could learn a tremendous amount from a country like the Netherlands, but so far in the presidential race it only seems one candidate has paid attention to these lessons. Bernie Sanders has stood up for workers and American families. He supports policies that will benefit the middle class and help the poor work their way out of poverty. He is the only candidate who is not being supported by billionaire donors who want to maintain the current policies that are benefiting them in the short term but destroying America over time. This means he is the only candidate who can act on these lessons because he isn't beholden to the 1%.
Bernie Sanders sees the ripple effects of policies. Fight poverty and you can't help but be fighting racism at the exact same time. Increase educational opportunities and you increase business opportunities as well. Creating a better public transportation system creates more jobs and gives people more access to opportunities. All of these things could happen in America. All of these things could benefit everyone in America, even the wealthiest among us. Bernie Sanders wants to combine the best ideas from countries like Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands with the drive and ambition of America so that the United States can work better, be more efficient, and make opportunity available to everyone.
Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who wants to help America live up to its potential, and he is the only candidate who will be able to do anything other than simply serve the desires of the wealthy. Bernie Sanders is the one candidate who really understands and supports the American dream. That's why I support Sanders for president.
Bio: George Oeser is a photographer, born and raised in Tennessee but currently living in the Netherlands. He spends much of his time thinking about how much he misses good Southern food. His web site: George Oeser Photography
Labels: #bernie2016, #Bernie4All, #berniesanders, #feelthebern, college, Democratic Socialism, education, health care, productivity, progressives, taxes, the Netherlands, workers


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