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Chilean transition to democracy
History of Chile
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The Chilean transition to democracy began when a Constitution establishing a transition itinerary was approved in a plebiscite. From March 11, 1981 to March 11, 1990, several organic constitutional laws were approved leading to the final restoration of democracy. After the 1988 plebiscite, the 1980 Constitution, still in force today, was amended to ease provisions for future amendments to the constitution, create more seats in the senate, diminish the role of the National Security Council and equalize the number of civilian and military members (four members each).
Aylwin served from 1990 to 1994 and was succeeded by another Christian Democrat, Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (son of Frei-Montalva), leading the same coalition, for a 6-year term. Ricardo Lagos Escobar of the Socialist Party and the Party for Democracy led the Concertacion to a narrower victory in the 2000 presidential elections. His term ended on March 11, 2006, when Michelle Bachelet, of the Socialist Party, took office.[1] Center-right investor and businessman Sebastián Piñera, of the National Renewal, assumed the presidency on March 11, 2010, after Bachelet's term expired.
1 The 1988 plebiscite and the reform of the Constitution
1.1 Context and causes of Pinochet's decision to follow the Constitution
2 Aylwin administration
3 Frei Ruiz-Tagle administration
4 Arrest and trial of Pinochet and Lagos administration
4.1 2005 reform of the 1980 Constitution
5 Bachelet administration
The 1988 plebiscite and the reform of the Constitution
Passed under tight military control in 1980, the Chilean constitution's legal dispositions were designed to lead to the convocation of all citizens to a plebiscite during which the Chilean people would ratify a candidate, proposed by the Chief of Staff of the Chilean Armed Forces and by the General Director of the Carabineros, the national police force, and who would become the President of Chile for an eight-year term. In 1980, this meant that the Chilean people were supposed to approve Augusto Pinochet's candidacy, assuring him popular legitimacy and the sanction of a vote. Should the people refuse the junta' chosen candidate, the military would relinquish political control to the civilians, convoking the following year presidential and parliamentary democratic elections, and thus putting an end to the military government. In 1987, Pinochet's government passed a law allowing the creation of political parties and another law allowing the opening of national registers of voters. If the majority of the people voted "yes" to Pinochet's plebiscite, he would have remained in power for the next eight years, but Congress would have been elected and installed on March 11, 1990, as in fact happened.
Context and causes of Pinochet's decision to follow the Constitution
Among various causes to Pinochet's decision to resume this procedure, the situation in the Soviet Union, where Mikhail Gorbachev had initiated the glasnost and the perestroika democratic reforms, which would finally lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and to the official end of the Cold War, is clearly an important factor. The Cold War had important consequences in South America, considered by the United States to be a full part of the Western Bloc, called "free world", in contrast with the Eastern Bloc, a division born with the end of World War II and the Yalta Conference. Following the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the local implementation in several countries of Che Guevara's foco theory, the US waged a war in South America against the "Communists subversives," leading to support in Chile of the right-wing, which would culminate with Pinochet's coup in 1973 in Chile. In a few years, all of South America was covered by similar military dictatorships, called juntas. In Paraguay, Alfredo Stroessner was in power since 1954; in Brazil, left-wing President João Goulart was overthrown by a military coup in 1964; in Bolivia, General Hugo Banzer overthrew leftist General Juan José Torres in 1971; in Uruguay, considered the "Switzerland" of South America, Juan María Bordaberry seized power in the June 27, 1973 coup. A "Dirty War" was waged all over the continent, culminating with Operation Condor, an agreement between security services of the Southern Cone and other South American countries to repress and assassinate political opponents. Militaries also took power in Argentina in 1976, and then supported the 1980 "Cocaine Coup" of Luis García Meza Tejada in Bolivia, before training the Contras in Nicaragua where the Sandinista National Liberation Front, headed by Daniel Ortega, had taken power in 1979, as well as militaries in Guatemala and in El Salvador. In the 1980s, however, the situation progressively evolved in the world as in South America, despite a renewal of the Cold War from 1979 to 1985, the year during which Gorbatchev replaced Konstantin Chernenko as leader of the USSR.
Another alleged reason of Pinochet's decision to call for elections was the April 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II to Chile, during which he visited Santiago, Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Temuco, Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt and Antofagasta. Before the pontiff's pilgrimage to Latin America, during a meeting with reporters, he criticized Pinochet's regime as "dictatorial." In the words of the New York Times, he was "using unusually strong language" to criticize Pinochet and asserted the journalists that the Church in Chile must not only pray, but actively fight for the restoration of democracy in Chile.[2] During his 1987 Chilean visit, the Polish pope asked Chile's 31 Catholic bishops to campaign for free elections in the country.[3] According to George Weigel, he held a meeting with Pinochet during which they treated of the theme of the return to democracy. John Paul II would have allegedly pushed Pinochet to accept a democratic opening of the regime, and would even have called for his resignation.[4] During his visit to Chile, John Paul II supported the Vicariate of Solidarity, the Church-led pro-democracy, anti-Pinochet organization. John Paul II visited the Vicariate of Solidarity's offices, spoke with its workers, and "called upon them to continue their work, emphasizing that the Gospel consistently urges respect for human rights."[5] Some have erroneously accused John Paul II of affirming Pinochet's regime by appearing with the Chilean ruler in his balcony. However, Cardinal Roberto Tucci, the organizer of John Paul II's pilgrimages revealed that Pinochet tricked the pontiff by telling him he would take him to his living room, while in reality he took him to his balcony. Tucci claims that the pontiff was "furious."[6]
Whatever the case, political advertisement was legalized on September 5, 1987, and became a key element of the campaign for the "NO" to the referendum, which countered the official campaign which presaged a return to a Popular Unity government in case of a defeat of Pinochet. Finally, the "NO" to Pinochet won with 55,99% of the votes, against 44,01% of the votes. Thus presidential and legislative elections were called for the next year.
Furthermore, in July 1989, a constitutional referendum took place after long negotiations between the government and the opposition. If approved, 54 constitutional reforms were to be implemented, among which the reform of the way that the Constitution itself could be reformed, the restriction of state of emergency dispositions, the affirmation of political pluralism, the strengthening of constitutional rights as well as of the democratic principle and participation to the political life. All parties in the political spectrum supported the reforms, with the exception of the small right-wing Avanzada Nacional, and the reforms were passed with 91.25% of the vote
Aylwin administration
Representing the Concertación coalition which supported the return to democracy, gathering the Christian Democrat Party (PDC), the Socialist Party (PS), the Party for Democracy (PPD) and the Social Democrat Radical Party (PRSD), Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin won a sweeping victory in the first democratic elections, in December 1989, since the 1970 election won by Salvador Allende. Patricio Aylwin had gathered around him 3,850,023 votes (55.17%), while the center-right supermarket tycoon Francisco Javier Errázuriz Talavera, who represented the UCCP party, managed to take 15.05% of the vote, which had as main effects to lower right-wing candidate Hernán Büchi's score to 29.40% (approximately 2 millions votes, almost half than Patricio Aylwin).
The Concertación coalition would dominate Chilean politics for the next two decades, with its most recent victory being the 2006 election of Socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet. It established in February 1991 the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation, which released in February 1991 the Rettig Report on human rights violations during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. This report, contested by human rights NGOs and associations of political prisoners, counted 2,279 cases of "disappearances" which could be proved and registered. Of course, the very nature of "disappearances" made such investigations very difficult, while many victims were still intimidated by the authorities, and did not dare go to the local police center register themselves on lists, since the police officers were the same than during the dictatorship.
The same problem arose, several years later, for the Valech Report, released in 2004 and which counted almost 30,000 victims of torture, among testimonies from 35,000 persons. However, the Rettig Report did list important detention and torture centers, such as the Esmeralda ship, the Víctor Jara Stadium, Villa Grimaldi, etc. The registering of victims of the dictatorship, and then, in the 2000s, trials of military personnel guilty of human rights violations, would dominate the struggle for the recognition of crimes committed during the dictatorship by human rights NGOs and associations of political prisoners, whom many resided in exile.
Beside implementing the Rettig Commission, Aylwin's government established a Comisión Especial de Pueblos indígenas (Special Commission of Indigenous People), whose report provided the intellectual framework of the "Indigenous Law" (ley indígena) or law n° 19 253, promulgated on September 28, 1993 [7], which recognized in particular the Mapuche people as inherent part of the Chilean nation. Other indigenous people officially recognized included Aymaras, Atacameñas, Collas, Quechuas, Rapa-Nui, Yámanas and Kawashkars. Despite this state proclamation of indigenous rights, conflicts brought by land-occupations and Mapuche's claims led to state repression and the use of the anti-terrorist law against Mapuche activists, a law voted by the military junta.
Frei Ruiz-Tagle administration
Main article: Chilean presidential election, 1993
Preparing for the 1993 election, the Concertación held primaries in May 1993, opposing on its left-wing Ricardo Lagos (PPD) to Christian-Democrat Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, (PDC), the son of former President Eduardo Frei Montalva (1911–1982, President from 1964 to 1970). Eduardo Frei won these primaries by a large majority of 63%.
The right-wing, grouped in the Alliance for Chile, also held primaries opposing Sebastián Piñera (National Renewal, RN, the largest right-wing party at the time), who had supported the "NO" during the 1988 plebiscite on the return to civilian rule, to Arturo Alessandri Besa, former member of the National Party (PN, opposed to Eduardo Frei in the 1970 presidential election) and currently representant of the Independent Democrat Union (UDI). Alessandri won those, and thus represented the Alliance for Chile against the Concertación.
Others candidates included José Piñera, former Minister in the early 1980s who had implemented the law granting property of copper to the Chilean Armed Forces, who presented himself as an independent (6%); ecologist Manfred Max-Neef (5,55%), representative of the Left-Wing Democratic Alternative (which gathered the Communist Party (PCC), MAPU (part of the Popular Unity coalition of Allende) and the Christian Left Party); Eugenio Pizarro Poblete (less than 5%); and finally Cristián Reitze Campos of the left-wing Humanist Party (1,1%).
On 28 May 1993, the Boinazo took place, during which paratroopers surrounded the Chilean Army headquarters located close-by to the Palacio de la Moneda [8]. The motive of the military uprising was the opening of investigations concerning the "Pinocheques", or checks received by Pinochet for a total amount of $3 million in the frame of kickbacks from an arms deal [9]. But, unnoticed at the time, a few days before, Jorge Schaulsohn, President of the Chamber of Deputies, had also denounced irregularities during arms trade committed by the Chilean Army through the intermediary of the FAMAE (Factories and Arsenals of the Army of Chile) — much later connected to the Gerardo Huber case, who was assassinated the year before [9].
Frei Ruiz-Tagle finally won the election in the first turn, held in December 1993, with an absolute majority of almost 58%, and more than 4 millions votes against Arturo Allesandri who gathered around 1,700 000 votes (24.4%). Eduardo Frei took office in March 1994 and presided for a 6-year term, until 2000. During his term, it was not possible to judge any military for his role during the dictatorship, while large sectors of the Chilean society remained Pinochetista.
Arrest and trial of Pinochet and Lagos administration
Further information: Augusto Pinochet's arrest and trial and Chilean presidential election, 1999-2000
Pinochet funeral.
Following an agreement between Pinochet and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín, president of the Senate, the latter voted to abolish the date of 11 September as a National Holiday which celebrated the 1973 coup. Supporters of Pinochet had blocked until then any such attempt.[10] The same year, Pinochet traveled to London for an operation. Once there, he was arrested on the orders of Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, provoking worldwide attention, not only because of the past history of Chile and South America, but also because this was one of the first arrest of a dictator based on the universal jurisdiction principle. Pinochet tried to defend himself by referring to the State Immunity Act of 1978, an argument rejected by British judicial system. However, UK Home Secretary Jack Straw took the responsibility to release him on medical grounds, and refused to extradite him to Spain. Pinochet returned to Chile in March 2000. Upon descending the plane on his wheelchair, he quickly stood up and saluted the cheering crowd of supporters, including an army band playing his favorite military march tunes, which was awaiting him at the airport in Santiago. President Ricardo Lagos, who had just been sworn in on March 11, said the retired general's televised arrival had damaged the image of Chile, while thousands demonstrated against him.[11]
Representing the Concertación coalition for democracy, Ricardo Lagos had won the election just a few months before, by a very tight score of less than 200,000 votes (51,32%) against Joaquín Lavín (less than 49%), who represented the right-wing Alliance for Chile. None of the six candidates had obtained an absolute majority on the first turn held on December 12, 1999. Lagos was sworn in March 11, 2000, for a 6-year term.
In June 2000, the Congress voted a new law which granted anonymity to members of the armed forces who provide information on the desaparecidos [12].
In 2002 Chile signed an association agreement with the European Union (comprising FTA, political and cultural agreements), in 2003, an extensive free trade agreement with the United States, and in 2004 with South Korea, expecting a boom in import and export of local produce and becoming a regional trade-hub.
Meanwhile, the trials concerning human rights violations during the dictatorship continued. Pinochet was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in August 2000 by the Supreme Court, and indicted by judge Juan Guzmán Tapia. Tapia had ordered in 1999 the arrest of five military mem, including General Pedro Espinoza Bravo of the DINA, for their role in the Caravan of Death following the 11 September coup. Arguing that the bodies of the "disappeared" were still missing, he made jurisprudence which had as effect to lift any prescription on the crimes committed by the military. Pinochet's trial continued until his death on December 10, 2006, with an alternance (badword) of indictments for specific cases, lifting of immunities by the Supreme Court or to the contrary immunity from prosecution, with his health a main argument for, or against, his prosecution. The Supreme Court affirmed in March 2005 Pinochet's immunity concerning the 1974 assassination of General Carlos Prats in Buenos Aires, which had taken place in the frame of Operation Condor. However, he was deemed fit to stand trial for Operation Colombo, during which 119 political opponents were "disappeared" in Argentina. The Chilean justice also lifted his immunity on the Villa Grimaldi case, a detention and torture center in the outskirts of Santiago. Pinochet, who still benefited from a reputation of righteousness from his supporters, lost legitimacy when he was put under house arrest on tax fraud and passport forgery, following the publication by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of a report concerning the Riggs Bank in July 2004. The report was a consequence of investigations on financial fundings of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US. The bank controlled between USD $4 million and $8 million of Pinochet's assets, who lived in Santiago in a modest house, dissimulating his wealth. According to the report, Riggs participated in money laundering for Pinochet, setting up offshore shell corporations (referring to Pinochet as only "a former public official"), and hiding his accounts from regulatory agencies. Related to Pinochet's and his family secret bank accounts in United States and in Caraïbs islands, this tax fraud filing for an amount of 27 million dollars shocked the conservative sectors who still supported him. Ninety percent of these funds would have been raised between 1990 and 1998, when Pinochet was chief of the Chilean armies, and would essentially have come from weapons traffic (when purchasing Belgian 'Mirage' air-fighters in 1994, Dutch 'Léopard' tanks, Swiss 'Mowag' tanks or by illegal sales of weapons to Croatia, in the middle of the Balkans war.) His wife, Lucía Hiriart, and his son, Marco Antonio Pinochet, were also sued for complicity. For the fourth time in seven years, Pinochet was indicted by the Chilean justice.[13]
The Chilean authorities took control in August 2005 of the Colonia Dignidad concentration camp, directed by ex-Nazi Paul Schäfer.
President Ricardo Lagos signed in 2005 the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership free trade agreement with Brunei, New Zealand and Singapore. This P4 agreement has entered into force in May 2006. All country members are part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
2005 reform of the 1980 Constitution
Over 50 reforms to Pinochet's Constitution were approved in 2005, which eliminated some of the remaining undemocratic areas of the text, such as the existence of non-elected Senators (institutional senators, or senators for life) and the inability of the President to remove the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. These reforms led the President to controversially declare Chile's transition to democracy as complete. However, the anti-terrorist measures of it remained in force, and have been used against the Mapuches. Furthermore, the military still received money from the copper industry.
Bachelet administration
In 2006, the Concertación again won the presidential election: Michelle Bachelet, Chile's first woman president, beat Sebastián Piñera (Alliance for Chile), with more than 53% of the votes. Bachelet's first political crisis occurred with massive student protests, who were demanding free bus fare and the waiving of the university admissions test (PSU) fee, while the longer term demands included: the abolition of the Organic Constitutional Law on Teaching (LOCE), the end to municipalization of subsidized education, a reform to the Full-time School Day policy (JEC) and a quality education for all. The protests peaked on May 30, 2006 when 790,000 students adhered to strikes and marches throughout the country, becoming Chile's largest student demonstration of the past three decades, a sure sign of the progress of the Chilean transition to democracy.[14].
The 2006–2007 Chilean corruption scandals are a series of events in which the Chilean governing Concertación has been under investigations of corruption.
In June 2007, General Raúl Iturriaga, the former deputy director of the DINA, condemned to a five year sentence for the abduction of Luis Dagoberto San Martin in 1974, rebelled from the Chilean justice and entered clandestinity. He was finally caught and detained in August 2007 [15].
The CUT trade-union federation called for demonstrations in August 2007. These went on during the night, and at least 670 people were arrested (including journalists and a mayor [16], and 33 carabineros injured [17]. The protest were aimed against Bachelet's government free market policies. The Socialist Senator Alejandro Navarro was injured by the police during the demonstrations [18], although it later emerged that he had hit and kicked police and is currently under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee [19]. Senators from the opposition have requested that Navarro and other congressmen which participated in the protest be removed from Congress for violating the constitutional article which bans congressmen from participating demonstrations which "violate the peace" [20].
According to the correspondent of the BBC, Horacio Brum, about three million workers, roughly half the workforce, earn the minimum wage of $260 (£130) a month [18]. Arturo Martínez , general secretary of the CUT, requested explanations from the government, and accused it of having stirred up the tension [21]. Politicians from the center-right Alianza and even from the governing center-left Concertación have in turn criticized the CUT for the violence of the protest.
The protests of September 11, 2007, were even more violent. One policeman and father of two, Cristián Vera, was shot and killed by one of the protesters. Both the center-right Alianza and the governing center-left Concertación decried the violence and the government introduced new measures to combact street gangs which it accused of exacerbating the violence. Then potential presidential candidate, now president, Sebastián Piñera criticized the participants of both protests for their use of guns and molotov cocktails, calling their actions "almost terrorist" [22].
^ "Background note". Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1981.htm.
^ Pope, on Latin Trip, Attacks Pinochet Regime New York Times, April 1, 1987
^ Pope Tells Chile's Bishops To Press for Free Elections; Pontiff Joins Pinochet on Palace Balcony The Washington Post, April 3, 1987
^ George Weigel, Biografía de Juan Pablo II - Testigo de Esperanza, Editorial Plaza & Janés (2003), ISBN 8401013046
^ Timmerman, Jacobo Chile: Death in the South, p. 114, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1987 ISBN 978-0517029022
^ Dlaczego Jan Paweł II wyszedł z Pinochetem na balkon Gazeta Wyborcza, December 24, 2009
^ LEY Nº 19.253 - LEY INDÍGENA (Spanish)
^ Chile: Illicit Croatia Arms Sale Case in Final Stage, The Santiago Times, 4 September 2007 (English)
^ a b El verdadero objetivo del "boinazo" de Pinochet, Diario Siete, 25 September 2005 (Spanish)
^ Chile abolishes coup holiday, BBC News, August 20, 1998
^ Thousands march against Pinochet, BBC, March 4, 2000
^ Soldier confirms Chile stadium killings, BBC, 27 June 2000 (English)
^ U.S. sends back Pinochet daughter, CNN, January 28, 2006
^ Manuel Riesco, "Is Pinochet dead?", New Left Review n°47, September–October 2007 (English and Spanish)
^ Claudia Lagos and Patrick J. McDonneln Pinochet-era general is caught, Los Angeles Times, August 3, 2007 (English)
^ Affrontements violents lors des manifestations anti-Bachelet, RFI, 30 August 2007 (French)
^ "Ultimo balance cifra en 670 los detenidos en jornada de protesta", Radio Cooperativa, 30 August 2007 (Spanish)
^ a b Clashes erupt at Chilean protests, BBC, 30 August 2007 (English)
^ R. Vergara and P. Lazaeta, "Navarro admite que golpeó dos veces "la mano" del carabinero", El Mercurio, 5 Septiember 2007
^ Hernán Cisternas, "Alianza analiza pedir inhabilidad de Navarro, Aguiló y Enríquez-Ominami", El Mercurio 31 August 2007
^ "Arturo Martínez acusó al Gobierno de generar clima de violencia", Radio Cooperativa, 30 August 2007 (Spanish)
^ Sebastián Piñera, "Entre la violencia y el sueño del bicentenario", El Mercurio 16 September 2007
2006 student protests in Chile
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text:
Marble Herms
by Gary Todd
Marble herms.
Athens Stone Sculpture Gallery, National Archaeological Museum of Greece, Athens.
This image was first published on Flickr. Original image by Gary Todd. Uploaded by Ibolya Horvath, published on 01 March 2021. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
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text:
Imperfect Glass
Learning from both failure and success in the world of storytelling. (Updated every Tuesday, Thursday, and whenever inspiration strikes.)
What we can learn from: 'Half-Life 2: Breen's Redemption'
November 27, 2018 December 9, 2018 / Imperfect Glass
Valve's 2004 game, 'Half-Life 2' is rightfully regarded as one of the greatest first person shooters ever released, featuring (for its time) unparalleled physics, a gripping story, and one of the most oppressive atmospheres ever encountered in a video game. Playing as silent scientist Gordon Freeman, the player fights to free humanity from the Combine, an inter-dimensional alien empire that has conquered Earth (instead of, as you might think, a race of sentient grain harvesters).
Throughout the game, the player often hears from Wallace Breen, a human who has allied himself with the Combine as humanity's 'administrator'. Though he presents a friendly, almost grandfatherly face to the public, complete with speeches explaining why humanity should work with the Combine, it eventually becomes clear that Breen is not a nice guy. But is he truly a villain?
In-game, we're told that, during humanity's hopeless, seven-hour war against the Combine, Breen intervened and managed to negotiate a surrender, where, in exchange for not being wiped out by the Combine, humanity is allowed to exist, but as a subservient race who has to endure a life of nonstop oppression and helplessness. But did Breen do this to save the human race, or to gain power for himself? We're never told, leaving it up to the player to come to their own conclusions. I like to think that Breen did want to save humanity, and hates the Combine, but he also wants power, and realized that working with the Combine was the way to get it. But in the end, it was all for naught, and he met his end falling to his death from the top of the Combine tower.
But what if he had lived?
'Half-Life 2: Breen's Redemption', by Youtube user Crunchy Soap, examines what might have happened had Breen survived the events of Half-Life 2. The result is a hauntingly beautiful look at a man who realizes the misery his actions has caused, and a prime example on how to redemption a villain:
How to redeem a villain
1. Have the villain lose everything they gained from becoming evil:
Breen loses his position of power with the Combine and becomes an ordinary person with nothing to his name.
2. Have the villain reach their lowest point:
Breen is injured and alone, and knows that he'll probably be shot on sight by the Resistance, or any member of humanity with a gun.
3. Have the villain face the consequences of what he/she has done
Unlike other stories, Breen doesn't face imprisonment or execution for his actions: instead, he comes face to face with the suffering his alliance with the Combine has caused, regardless of any good intentions he might have had when he made said alliance.
4. Have the villain turn against the organization he/she created
Even though he's an older man and past his physical prime, Breen takes on the Combine elite with nothing but a pipe to save the lives of two Resistance members, and later, three of them with only a submachine gun. In doing so, he reaches a point of no return: by killing members of his organization, he cements his decision to change sides, for good or ill.
5. Have the villain help his former enemies/work to restore what he/she has destroyed
Breen saves the lives of two Resistance members, then a child, and then becomes a full-fledged member of the Resistance, joining their fight to save Earth from the Combine. By doing so, he now does what he can to undo the damage he caused on behalf of the Combine.
While there are deeper villain redemption stories out there, 'Breen's Redemption' is a short, effective tale that's told without any dialogue(outside of the opening). While he probably would not be given a chance of redemption based on how much the in-game characters despise him, I like seeing him get a chance to turn back, making this video a personal favorite… but if you'd rather see Breen get his comeuppance in hilarious ways, this should help scratch that itch:
fan video, Half life 2, heel face turn, redemption, Villains, Wallace Breen, what if?
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Whether creating decorative architectural items, custom lightweight fixtures or heat exchanges, unbelievable accuracy and precision is needed in customized sheet metal fabrication in order for quality results to be produced. A system for CNC Laser Cutting job work is important equipment for sheet metal retailers that focus on meticulous jobs on a vary of different thicknesses and metals. If utilised properly, CNC Laser Cutting services will increase the standard, speed and accuracy of the results. Apart from these benefits, creating use of this level of technology will amplify the specialization and variety of the pieces that are created.
From aluminum to chrome steel, wood to titanium, completely different techniques for forming and cutting are needed for different materials. Laser cutters with the capacity of handling a good assortment of materials at various degrees of thickness enable you to undertake several types of job, which will increase the capabilities your look and improve your overall business. Regardless of what kind of sheet metal fabrication is needed by the customer, you'll have the capability to come up with professional results.
Accuracy and speed are provided by CNC Laser Cutting services when customized metal parts are made, this allows amplified productivity and a look that is additional economical. For example, a machine that has dual pallets provides staff with the capability of multitasking, by using the laser on one pallet whereas reloading and unloading materials and elements on the other. CNC Laser Cutting services which are equipped with features that have the capacity to correct mistakes before they take place are helpful in escalating productivity likewise, in read of the very fact that a lot of precise components are created and inaccuracies are kept at a minimum.
With the spot-on accuracy and meticulous precision that's produced by advanced CNC Laser Cutting services, your customers will be provided with detailed, intricate and quality results. The final results will be more securely fitted and if you're work on a replacement piece, the prevailing materials will be even more compatible with it. The capacity to be in control of the facility of the laser allows results that are consistent, while sleek edges are ensured by the enhanced pulsing techniques. By using CNC Laser Cutting job works effectively, the margin of error in the cuts will be reduced, which will lead to a finished merchandise that functions, fits and looks better.
The range one priority ought to be safety a when individuals are making sheet metal fabrication while operating with powerful lasers. The safety options with which CNC Laser Cutting services include automatic lubrication systems, fume blowers that takes fumes far from the world where CNC Laser Cutting is going on and safety mats and lights.
CNC Laser Cutting Job works in Ahmedabad is quicker and a lot of efficient than the old strategies of cutting metal and can be used in cutting or etching different materials furthermore.


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South Africa 'is stepping up efforts to tackle corruption'
Simone Rensch
South Africa is stepping up its efforts to "win this battle" against corruption, the chair of the country's upper house of parliament has said.
Thandi Modise, chair of the National Council of Provinces, said anti-corruption laws in South Africa were not enough to combat corruption, speaking at the summit of G20 parliaments in Buenos Aires last week.
She admitted efforts to tackle corruption in the past in South Africa had not been enough and highlighted the need for greater scrutiny of government.
Modise said: "South Africa is taking corruption on and I know we shall win this battle.
"As parliamentarians, we must be relentless in committing to transparency and accountability.
"Integrity is a culture and a weapon we must entrench within our societies - civil society and the media must continue to play the watchdog role to subject government to greater scrutiny," she told the speakers at the summit.
This comes after staff from South Africa's auditor general's office were attacked and threatened, by individuals, who PF International understands were concerned corrupt activity could be exposed.
Corruption "destroys public trust" and weakens state institutions, she said. "By undermining trust and delegitimising institutions, corruption makes it hard to take collective decisions needed to advance the common good."
South Africa's government, which has been led by Cyril Ramaphosa since February, has pledged to tackle corruption. The former president Jacob Zuma faced numerous allegations of corruption and was forced to step down.
South African president also said the country has survived a "dark period" of corruption and is now fighting back last week.
He said: "We are in a new period now, we are no longer in a period of just sliding downward – now we are beginning to deal with corruption."
He described corruption in South Africa has an "amoeba with tentacles all over" and said that to deal with it "you must go to the heart of it and thereafter it then loosens its hold on everything else".
South Africa's criminal justice system will "kick into action" and the time will come when "people are arrested, charged and found guilty and go to jail", Ramaphosa added.
The president also said he intends to testify before the Zondo Commission, which is investigating the corruption under Zuma.
Simone Rensch | Reporter | Public Finance International
Anti-fraud latest
Honduran president says he will fight corruption despite closing transparency watchdog
Dutch and Sudanese auditors collaborate on public finance reform
South Africa 'needs to tackle corruption at local level'
Ramaphosa promises to tackle graft
Fraud action against South Africa's finance minister dropped


OsmoBSC is an Open Source BSC (GSM Base Station Controller) with A-bis/IP and A/IP interface. It supports a variety of BTS Vendors/Models, including some Siemens, Nokia, Ericsson and ip.access models. However, main focus during the last 5+ years is OsmoBTS based BTSs.


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A short fifteen-minute ferry ride across the iconic Sydney harbour from the city centre, Manly is a world apart from the hustle of the business district. Lexis Sydney sits right in front of the golden sand of famous Manly Beach.
Manly is the birthplace of Australian surfing, and is still one of the world's best known surfing breaks. With a safe, relaxed beachside lifestyle and easy access to the excitement of Australia's largest city, Manly attracts junior students from all over the world.


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Home / "We need to get on with flood defence works", says AM
"We need to get on with flood defence works", says AM
Rhun ap Iorwerth receives government respose to his recent questions on Anglesey flooding
Ynys Môn AM Rhun ap Iorwerth has now received a reponse from Welsh government following his questions in the chamber regarding flood defence works in Anglesey after several communities on the island were affected by flooding in November.
Rhun said that he is pleased that this work is now being prioritised by NRW, but that it was a pity that it had taken more floods to make them do that and is disappointed that the investigative work still hasn't started..
Responding to the letter from Welsh Government, Rhun ap Iorwerth said:
"Presumably investigative work will be about finding evidence for the need for flood defences. I'd say we saw pretty good evidence in November.
"We need to get on with this work in Llangefni and other parts of the island affected by flooding. Every day's delay is another day of flood victims looking out of the window and wondering if the next rain fall will lead to another flood."
Rhun ap Iorwerth also added that he supports Anglesey Council's efforts to press for immediate action and possibly to increase the direct influence it has in flood defences in Llangefni.
← Video: My 90 second statement today ahead of the Assembly v House of Commons & Lords rubgy match on Saturday to raise awareness of bowel cancer
Rhun ap Iorwerth's Column for the Holyhead and Anglesey Mail 14 02 18 →


Here are some snazzy birthday facts about 28th of September 1970 that no one tells you about. Don't wait a minute longer and jump in using the content links below. Average read time of 10 minutes. Enjoy!
What day was my birthday Sep 28, 1970?
September 28, 1970 was a Monday and it was the 271st day of the year 1970. It was the 39th Monday of that year. The next time you can reuse your old 1970 calendar will be in 2026. Both calendars will be exactly the same! This is assuming you are not interested in the dates for Easter and other irregular holidays that are based on a lunisolar calendar.
There are 160 days left before your next birthday. You will be 49 years old when that day comes. There have been 17,737 days from the day you were born up to today. If you've been sleeping 8 hours daily since birth, then you have slept a total of 5,912 days or 16.19 years. You spent 33% of your life sleeping. Since night and day always follow each other, there were precisely 601 full moons after you were born up to this day. How many of them did you see? The next full moon that you can see will be on May 18 at 21:13:00 GMT – Saturday.
Fun stat: Your first one billion seconds (1,000,000,000) happened sometime on June 6, 2002.
If a dog named Kasch - a Chinook breed, was born on the same date as you then it will be 267 dog years old today. A dog's first human year is equal to 15 dog years. Dogs age differently depending on breed and size. When you reach the age of 6 Kasch will be 45 dog years old. From that point forward a large-sized dog like Kasch will age 5-6 dog years for every human year.
Battle of Mursa Major: The Roman emperor Constantius II defeats the usurper Magnentius.
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser dies of a heart attack in Cairo. Anwar Sadat is named as Nasser's temporary successor, and will later become the permanent successor.
What does my birthday September 28, 1970 mean?
Your birthday numbers 9, 28, and 1970 reveal that your Life Path number is 9. It represents selflessness, forgiveness and creativity. You are the philanthropist, humanitarian, socially conscious, and are deeply concerned about the state of the world.
The following celebrities also have the same life path number: Jackie Paris, Priyanka Chopra, Madge Bellamy, Gerard McLarnon, Vicky Kaya, David Canary, Tracy Nelson, Henrik Sandberg, R. K. Srikantan, Mark Frost.
What is the birthday horoscope for Sep 28, 1970?
The Western zodiac or sun sign of a person born on September 28 is Libra ♎ (The Scales) – a cardinal sign with Air as Western element. The ruling planet is Venus – the planet of love and beauty. According to the ancient art of Chinese astrology (or Eastern zodiac), Dog is the mythical animal and Metal is the Eastern element of a person born on September 28, 1970.
Fun fact: The birth flower for 28th September 1970 is Aster for memory.
What is the Love Match for Sep 28, 1970?
When it comes to love and relationship, you are most compatible with a person born on January 11, 1994. You have a Love Match compatibility score of +214. Imagine being in love with your soul mate. On the negative side, you are most incompatible with a person born on March 9, 1951. Your incompatibility score is -152. You'll be like a cat and a dog on a love-hate relationship. Arf-arf, I want to bite you. Meow-meow, stay away from me!
The number-one hit song in the U.S. at the day of your birth was Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross as compiled by Billboard Hot 100 (October 3, 1970). Ask your parents if they know this popular song.
How many babies were born on September 28, 1970?
Base on the data published by the United Nations Population Division, an estimated 121,504,132 babies were born throughout the world in the year 1970. The estimated number of babies born on 28th September 1970 is 332,888. That's equivalent to 231 babies every minute. Try to imagine if all of them are crying at the same time.
What is the popular baby name on 28 Sep 1970?
Here's a quick list of all the fun birthday facts about September 28, 1970. Celebrities, famous birthdays, historical events, and past life were excluded.
Try another birth date of someone you know or try the birthday of these celebrities: March 31, 1944 – Pascal Danel, French singer-songwriter; October 21, 1959 – Ken Watanabe, Japanese actor and producer; November 22, 1934 – Rita Sakellariou, Greek singer (d. 1999).


Dear compatriots, let me wish you a Happy Independence Anniversary all the same, even though I have never had a more watery Independence Anniversary celebration in my existence as a Nigerian. I would not want to be disinterested in this nation and her politics, as I have come to find out that that is exactly the goal of these political louts that call themselves Nigerian politicians. They are perpetuating a psychological disenfranchisement where the enlightened ones amongst us will develop apathy to politics due to the mishandling of the nation and eventually leave the country, so that the politicians will have a leeway to act indiscriminately without any check. But I have promised myself not to dance to their evil drumbeats, and I urge you to join me by registering, participating, and voting right in the next elections, not forgetting to protect your votes.
Kindly enjoy the following excerpt from A Feminist and Her Son , Societal Fragments.
That was the popular 'Genesis Chapter Two, verse Twenty Four' sermon for a normal wedding ceremony. But his records show that he is currently facing a divorce proceedings from his third marriage.
He is a good friend of the President. He denied any political interest, even though the blindest of the blind knew otherwise. Some even referred to him as the spiritual lord of the President. His wife had caught him pants down many times with other women, married and single, in the name of deliverance, prayer, and counseling; hence, his lack of success at marriage. His current spouse was seeking a divorce as fast as possible.
The ludicrous notion of that thought was: How can one explain the role of a man of God who is at the center of a free-for-all fight by some women who are laying proprietary claim to his love?
"He is mine!" one of his women had shouted.
"I brought you to this church for deliverance and now you are sleeping with him!" Another of his worshippers had bellowed.
None of these women is his wife. Then what should the wife do if they own his love? Yes, she was doing exactly that; seeking divorce.
Even so, many people trooped to his church for his self-acclaimed vast knowledge of the Bible and his grandiloquence in teaching the word of God. He was a powerful dresser, always dangling a necklace of outlandish amounts of gold karats made into a crucifix reaching his torso. That adornment might have sat well with a rappa' too. Lately, some youth called him, Jigga.
A crucifix around his and many other necks had become objects of mere adornment, not remotely an insignia of piety anymore.
Anyway, the couple was admonished to be steadfast in love, and true to one another just as Adam and Eve, who were naked in the Garden of Eden and were not ashamed of one another. This was a message coming from a Reverend who also was the head of the cult of the Knights. An oxymoron perhaps?!
Poverty is such a menace but shameless display of appurtenances, especially ill-gotten wealth by public office holders and 'spiritual leaders,' should be discouraged.
I learnt about Beowulf in a robust Literature class from a colossus in Arts Lecture Theatre in OAU. The last time I saw him was on television where he spoke as a Director for one of the institutes for Black Heritage and Studies. The last thing I heard about him was that he has passed.
May the soul of Prof. Wole Ogundele find peace in his ethereal journey.


Shelling isn't just for kids — it's an activity that gives these beaches international recognition. Over 200 local varieties of mollusks (the animal that lives inside that beautiful mobile home) wash ashore each day, constantly replenishing the supply.
Shelling tours and guides are readily available — one particularly solid option being Captain Bubby's Island Tours. Take their "Down by the Sea" tour to make sure you go home with the best shells. Your friends and family back home will be extremely impressed when you bring back a Strombus alatus, also known as a Florida Fighting Conch — and actually know what it's called.
After the tour, round out your day with a visit to the only shell museum in the continental US. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum takes you from novice shell finder to amateur malacologist in just a few hours. It's a great educational tool, especially for the kids, but the adults will learn plenty, too.
If you spot a fin on these green-blue waters, don't jump to any conclusions — odds are that fin is a friend. The waters of Southwest Florida are home to the bottlenose dolphin, a playful mammal looking for its next fish dinner. It's not unusual to see these animals flooding the Gulf and putting on a show for everyone lucky enough to be around. Often a pod will cruise past the beaches, or you can catch them circling the fishing boats, competing for the fishermen's daily catch.
Pro tip: Stay at one of the four Inns of Sanibel — they're all smack dab on the water, putting you that much closer to your first, second, or 15th dolphin sighting.
For those looking to spend more time in the water than on the beach, this is it. The warm Gulf waters are perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, parasailing, and more — you name the water sport and the Gulf shall provide (in tandem with local businesses that can equip you with gear).
Offshore Sailing School provides US Sailing-certified instructors dedicated to teaching you to take the helm, whether you're new to sailing or seeking to improve your sailing skills. With locations on Captiva Island and Fort Myers Beach, they offer everything from short sailing lessons to advanced racing and cruising courses on state-of-the-art 26' to 48' sailboats. A six-hour "test-the-waters" introduction to sailing course is a great way to get started.
You and the bottlenose dolphins aren't the only ones who like to enjoy these beaches. Slow-moving manatees, neck-stretching blue herons, and about a million tiny little fiddler crabs all scurrying amongst the sandy soil of the mangroves will constantly keep you company.
To ensure it stays that way, The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel protect the animals that inhabit its lush environment via numerous nature preserves and sanctuaries. Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel, and the Matanzas Pass Preserve just down the way from GullWing Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach all offer beautiful and tranquil nature walks with information along the way to teach you just what, or who, is accompanying you on your stroll.
The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel are fairly inexhaustible when it comes to vacation options. But if you're seeking a farther-flung day trip, look south to Key West. It's a six-hour drive, but thanks to the Key West Express ferry you can make it there in about half that time — drink and hot dog in hand.
Ferries leave Fort Myers at 8:30am and return at 6pm, giving you enough time to experience the southernmost point in the continental US, grab a piña colada, and see if you can spot Cuba 90 miles away. But possibly as good? The ferry ride itself. Note: The cheapest rates are on weekdays if you book in advance online.
Greater Fort Myers packs in endless things to do, such that you never have to travel far to get what you're after. This is especially true if you base yourself at the Residence Inn Fort Myers Sanibel.
In less than ten minutes you can be on the Caloosahatchee River — great for boating, kayaking, and freshwater fishing. In just about 20 minutes, you're beachside at Fort Myers Beach taking in the beautiful view of San Carlos Bay. Twenty-five minutes, and you're at Southwest Florida International Airport. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes is the middle of Sanibel Island. Take the drive across Sanibel and you've landed on lush Captiva Island, with time to spare before hitting the hour mark.
Start the day with your morning coffee on a private beach courtesy of the Beach Cottages of Sanibel, and end it with a cold, local brew and a fantastic view of first base. A quick drive from the Gulf waters is the winter home turf of the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins, who train at Jetblue Park and CenturyLink Sports Complex, respectively. Red Sox fans will appreciate the notes taken from Fenway, like the "Green Monster" and the manual scoreboard — though there is a Southwest Florida flair in their winter stadium, too (look for the seashells in the brick foundation).
Each team has tickets available starting in December and they sometimes play several days a week, meaning this is your excuse to go south for the winter and the solution to your holiday gift conundrum.
The Sanibel Island Lighthouse, also known as Point Ybel Light, was one of the first lighthouses erected on Florida's expansive Gulf Coast. It was built in 1884 to direct ships into San Carlos Bay. In 2013, the structure was restored by the City of Sanibel, and it's now a protected historic sight beloved by Sanibel residents and its historic society.
Your room at the West Wind Inn — one of the best places to stay on the island — is a short drive down the curving coast from the lighthouse, and a glimpse into what life was like on Sanibel over a century ago.


Ich habe mal 2 Alte Fanpics von mir Eingescannt....mit Tom und Steiff......wenn du die für die Fanarea haben möchtest würde mich das freuen!!!
here are pic from zagreb metal fest.
Attached a picture with the band in Porto Alegre (South of Brazil).
The show was awesome! And Tom let his blood in the stage – due to a cut in his head during the show!!!!


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The University of Neuchâtel will launch a new project in February to examine the impact of drone usage on civilian life in Switzerland.
Entitled 'Power and Space in the Drone Age', the project is funded to the tune of 440,000 francs over three years by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), the university said in a statement.
The money will fund two doctoral theses on the subject as well as a study group of international academic partners and representatives from the federal civil aviation office (BAZL) and Neuchâtel police.
Considered to be the first of its kind, the research will contribute to the international debate over the advantages and disadvantages of drone usage in civilian life.
It aims to consider issues related to privacy, individual freedom, security, terrorism and the growing digitalization of daily life.
The project will also assess the proliferation of drones in Swiss daily life and the merits and risks of their use by Swiss public services including the Neuchâtel police force and the fire service of north Vaud, as well as private companies active in developing drones.
Drones – or unmanned aerial vehicles – have long been linked to the military, but are increasingly being used in everyday civilian life.
Earlier this year Switzerland's postal service, Swiss Post, said it had begun testing parcel deliveries by drones with a view to launching such a system, potentially in five years.
The move follows the lead of retail giant Amazon, which earlier this year revealed it is testing a drone delivery system in North America.
The Swiss Army and various police forces in Switzerland use drones for surveillance, while a growing number of private individuals are using drones for recreation and to take aerial photos.
In April this year BAZL proposed stricter laws regulating the use of drones in Switzerland, including drone pilot training for larger drones.
At the moment anyone can buy and operate a drone, though some regulations about where small drones can be flown have been in place since last year.
Fears over the security risk posed by drones have led to several temporary bans in recent months.
In March Geneva banned the use of drones during a time when several sensitive international meetings were being held in the city.
Around the same time the canton of Vaud also banned drones around Montreux where meetings were scheduled about the use of nuclear power by Iran.
Away from Switzerland, drones regularly hit the headlines around the world.
Earlier this week The Local Spain reported on drone footage that captured a demonstration by the Saharawi people against surveying and exploratory drilling by the San Leon oil company in Western Sahara.
And on Thursday The Intercept, the website of former Guardian writer Glenn Greenwald, who reported on Edward Snowden's leaked NSA documents, published a series of leaked documents detailing drone use in the US military's assassination programme in Afghanistan and elsewhere.


SheaMoisture's Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Multi-Action Leave-In does it all! It absorbs quickly to hydrate, recondition, strengthen and smooth abused hair, as well as preps for easy styling. Protects brittle hair from high heat up to 450 degrees, while reducing breakage up to 87%*. Certified organic Shea Butter, reparative Manuka Honey and yogurt blend together in a lightweight treatment that fortifies hair with strand supporting proteins while fighting frizz. Ideal for hair that is prone to breaking, snapping or splitting.
Generously spray product all over clean, damp hair and comb through. Do not rinse. Blow or air-dry. Style as usual.


Xolair is a relatively new medicine for the treatment of moderate to severe asthma. Xolair has an interesting method of action in that it is an antibody that is injected into the body and blocks the patient's allergic antibody (Immunoglobulin E, or IgE). When IgE is blocked allergic reactions and asthma attacks are significantly reduced. If a patient's asthma is triggered by allergies then Xolair can be extremely effective in preventing asthma symptoms and exacerbations. Note that asthma can also be triggered by other things such as infections, irritants, stress and exercise. While Xolair does not block these triggers it can still have a major impact a since the patient's lungs will be less sensitive overall.
In order to qualify for Xolair, the patient must have asthma that is not well controlled on current standard therapy like a daily inhaled steroid. The patient must be allergic to a year-round trigger such as dust mites, pets, cockroaches or molds. They must also have evidence of an elevated IgE which is checked by a blood test. The Xolair shot is given either once or twice a month and must be done in the doctor's office. Xolair is an expensive medication but is usually well covered if the patient meets all the necessary criteria.
Xolair was initially approved for the treatment of allergic asthma but, several years ago, patients with hives (urticaria) noticed that their hives would disappear when they received their Xolair shot. As a results the medication was investigated for the treatment of hives and, in April 2014, it was approved by the FDA for this purpose.
For a very long time, effective treatments did not exits for patients who suffered from hives. Antihistamines are useful for mild cases but many patients found that these did not provide enough relief from daily itching and welts. Some very strong medications have been tried in the past but with only mild benefit and strong side effects.
The emergence of Xolair has been a life changer for many of our patients. While hives are not usually dangerous they are extremely distressing due to constant itching and unattractive welts. Patients with hives have more social problems, anxiety and depression, poor sleep and other problems due to this difficult condition.
Xolair is given as a once a month injection for hives and, although it is expensive, it is usually covered very well by a combination of insurance and payment assistance programs.
If you have chronic hives and had given up on finding a solution ask about Xolair today!


Anyone fitted electronic ignition to 993cc CB42?
Hi all, I've read elsewhere that some Charades have electronic ignition & it might be possible to swap bits from a scrappy.
Has anyone any knowledge of this or even fitted it to a HiJet? Any ideas welcomed. Thanks, Paul.
Although it is possible to fit electronic ignition to your vehicle, the wiring is quite complicated. Unless you are really determined, I would stick with the points system. These are very reliable if well maintained.
Ok thanks for the advice jetex, I will leave well alone. Paul.


Most bassoons are out of tune thanks to the length of the bore. All too often, well-meaning technicians fall into the trap of trying to make alterations to the bore or tone holes with hopes of solving these pitch issues. Before thinking about making alterations, the technician needs to eliminate leaks from the instrument. That is the purpose of our course: making the tube leak-free. We will clean, level, and seal tone hole facings as well as install and seal pads. We will even stitch pads.
We will also address problems with leaking boot brackets and cracked sockets. Once we have taken care of these (and more) jobs, we can begin to create strategies on alteration of certain tones.
Bring your basic hand tools, a beat-up bassoon (shouldn't be too hard to find), new pad set, preferred pad cement and your questions. Remove the pads and clean the keys prior to arrival.
Oh, the intrigue of the bassoon! It is a complicated beast with great potential for things to go wrong. Michael Dicker should know. He has been playing the bassoon for 50 years. Along the way he studied with L. Hugh Cooper who inspired and taught Michael to service and maintain his own bassoon. As European representative for Fox Products, Michael traveled through western Europe helping bassoon players and dealers solve bassoon issues.
Since returning to the U.S. in 1983, Michael worked for 25 summers at Fox Products as bassoon repair technician. He has remained active working on bassoons in his private business.
Safety glasses are required for all NAPBIRT University courses.
If you do not bring your own, we will provide them.
All registrations are to be completed electronically using this website.
You do not have to be a member of NAPBIRT to register. However, you will need to create an account with us in order to process your registration.
If you are a current member, make sure you are logged into the system. Otherwise, you will end up re-typing a lot of information that would automatically be inserted into the registration form.
If you are a previous member or you have attended a NAPBIRT clinic in the past, your name should already be in our database. Click Here to request your login information.
NOTE: Seating is limited to 6 registrations.
* Scholarships are available for this course. Click Here for details.
By registering for this event, I give my permission for NAPBIRT, Inc. to use, without limitation or obligations, photographs, film footage, or tape recordings which may include my image or voice for the purpose of promoting or interpreting NAPBIRT programs and services.
I waive all claims for damage and/or loss to my person or property which may be caused by an act, or failure to act of NAPBIRT, it's officers, directors, agents, or employees and the hosts and clinicians. I understand that there are inherent dangers in working with tools and repairing instruments and I assume the risk of all dangerous conditions in and about such clinics and waive any and all specific notice of the existence of such conditions.


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The Burrowers (2008)
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It is 1879 in the Dakota Territories, a band of men who set out to find and recover a family of settlers that has mysteriously vanished from their home. Expecting the offenders to be a band of fierce natives, but they soon discover that the real enemy stalks them from below.
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Western
Director: J.T. Petty
Actors: Clancy Brown, Doug Hutchison, Jocelin Donahue, Karl Geary, Laura Leighton, Sean Patrick Thomas, William Mapother
Panic (1982)
A scientist's experiment with a deadly bacteria goes awry and leaves him horribly deformed. The monstrous man then runs amok in his town.
Country: Italy, Spain
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
Mosquito (1994)
An alien starship crashes in a swamp in a U.S. National Park. Some mosquitos begin to feed from the alien's corpses, causing them to grow to the size of a…
The Devil's Rejects (2005)
The sequel to House of 1000 Corpses – the Firefly family are ambushed at their isolated home by Sheriff Wydell and a squad of armed men guns blazing – yet…
Svaha: The Sixth Finger (2019)
Pastor Park is head of a religious investigation center that exposes cults and cult leaders. While looking into a suspicious new religion called 'Deer Mount,' he slowly uncovers clues that…
Apocalypse Rising (2018)
A human girl and her warrior comrades from another world travel to Earth to save humanity from an impending apocalypse.
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction
Eat Locals (2017)
In a quiet countryside farmhouse, Britain's vampires gather for their once-every-fifty-years meeting. Others will be joining them too; Sebastian Crockett, an unwitting Essex boy who thinks he's on a promise…
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
When Kimberly has a violent premonition of a highway pileup she blocks the freeway, keeping a few others meant to die, safe…Or are they? The survivors mysteriously start dying and…
The Collection (2012)
Arkin escapes with his life from the vicious grips of "The Collector" during an entrapment party where he adds beautiful Elena to his "Collection." Instead of recovering from the trauma,…
Critters Attack! (2019)
Follows 20-year-old Drea, who reluctantly takes a job babysitting for a professor of a college she hopes to attend. Struggling to entertain the professor's children Trissy and Jake, along with…
Cooties (2014)
A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the…
Blood Diner (1987)
Two cannibalistic brothers kill various young women to make their flesh part of a new special dish at their rundown restaurant while seeking blood sacrifices to awaken a dormant Egyptian…
Killer Crocodile (1989)
A group of environmentalists arrives at a faraway tropical delta where toxic waste is being dumped. However the water also hides a giant crocodile. The corrupt local officials don't help…
Genre: Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Trailer: The Burrowers (2008)


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Posted inNew England
COVID-19 vaccinations beginning for Vermonters over 75
by The Associated Press January 27, 2021 January 27, 2021
People wait for their turn to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, right, as public health experts with the Vermont Health Department begin vaccinating people aged 75 and older on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, at the Hazen Union High School in Hardwick, Vt. Credit: Wilson Ring / AP
HARDWICK, Vt. — The COVID-19 vaccination program for Vermonters who are 75 or older began Wednesday at a number of clinics and pharmacies across the state.
Registration opened on Monday for people in the 1B priority group and more than 20,000 people signed up. Wednesday was when the actual vaccinations began.
A clinic held in the gymnasium at Hazen Union High School in Hardwick gave its first inoculation around 9 a.m. There were three vaccination stations and they hope to vaccinate 150 people the first day, said Valerie Valcour, the public health nurse running the clinic.
"We are working through some of the little kinks, but I think it's working smoothly overall,' she said.
There are an estimated 49,000 people in Vermont who are over 75.
State officials are encouraging people to sign up online if they are able, even urging friends and relatives to help them. There is a call center where people can call to make a reservation, but officials warn the wait times could be long.
The first phase of the vaccination program was for health care providers and people in long-term care facilities.
The Vermont Health Department says more than 44,000 people, just under 8 percent of the state population over age 16, have received the first dose of the vaccine. Both vaccines in use require two shots to be fully effective.
Previous Massachusetts residents age 75-plus now eligible for vaccine
Next Janet Mills looks to reverse plan to tax federal business loans as income


Pakistan's NPL to Loans: Banking System: All Bank data was reported at 8.400 % in Dec 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.100 % for Dec 2016. Pakistan's NPL to Loans: Banking System: All Bank data is updated yearly, averaging 13.300 % from Dec 1997 to 2017, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.000 % in 1999 and a record low of 6.900 % in 2006. Pakistan's NPL to Loans: Banking System: All Bank data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio. State Bank of Pakistan provides yearly Non Performing Loans Ratio. Non Performing Loans are defined as loans and advances whose mark-up/interest or principal is overdue by 90 days or more from the due date.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks data was reported at 1.200 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.100 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.910 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.900 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of 0.970 % in Mar 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial data was reported at 0.770 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.560 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.560 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.180 % in Sep 2011 and a record low of 0.560 % in Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Foreign data was reported at -0.310 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.330 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Foreign data is updated quarterly, averaging -0.020 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.920 % in Jun 2015 and a record low of -2.310 % in Sep 2014. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Foreign data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Local Private Banks data was reported at 0.640 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.500 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Local Private Banks data is updated quarterly, averaging 2.050 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.000 % in Mar 2004 and a record low of 0.500 % in Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Local Private Banks data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Public Sector data was reported at 1.370 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.840 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Public Sector data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.495 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.100 % in Sep 2011 and a record low of 0.840 % in Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Commercial: Public Sector data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Specialised data was reported at 22.070 % in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 26.980 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Specialised data is updated quarterly, averaging 13.910 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.200 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of 6.250 % in Mar 2016. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: Banks: Specialised data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: DFIs data was reported at 5.900 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.460 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: DFIs data is updated quarterly, averaging 9.830 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.600 % in Dec 2012 and a record low of 4.200 % in Dec 2005. Pakistan's Net NPL to Net Loans: DFIs data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio.
Pakistan's Net Non Performing Loans (NPL) to Net Loans data was reported at 1.250 % in Sep 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.150 % for Jun 2018. Pakistan's Net Non Performing Loans (NPL) to Net Loans data is updated quarterly, averaging 3.010 % from Dec 2003 to Sep 2018, with 60 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.000 % in Dec 2003 and a record low of 0.250 % in Mar 2008. Pakistan's Net Non Performing Loans (NPL) to Net Loans data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by State Bank of Pakistan. The data is categorized under Global Database's Pakistan – Table PK.KB017: Non Performing Loans to Loans Ratio. Net Non Performing Loan ratio is used.


Andrew Hyatt is the writer and director of the new movie Paul, Apostle of Christ. This movie stars Jim Caviezel from The Passion of the Christ, and James Faulkner from Game of Thrones. In this interview Andrew takes us behind the scenes to discuss what it was like working with these professionals, and how his team was able to bring ancient Rome and Paul's story back to life with a budget of $5 million and only 23 days to shoot. The latest edition of incredibly popular Christian movies, this movie portrays the powerful story of how Luke risks his life to visit Paul, who is held captive in a Roman prison, and how together they struggle against a determined emperor to spread their message about Christ to the world.
Christian Davenport recently released his book "The Space Barons", the story of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and the Quest to colonize the cosmos. Chris has been a staff writer at The Washington Post since 2000 and currently covers the space and defense industries for the financial desk. He is a recipient of the Peabody award for his work on veterans with traumatic brain injury and has been on reporting teams that were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize three times.
Chris' new book "The Space Barons" is out now and available online or at your favorite bookstore. For more information about Chris or to read his other articles, please visit WashingtonPost.com.
Executive producers Kevin Burns and Jon Jashni discuss the reboot of Lost in Space that premiered on April 13, 2018. This Netflix Original series features 10 episodes as it traces the story of the Robinson family as they try to survive in hostile space after their ship is thrown off course. This behind-the-scenes discussion covers the thoughts behind the reboot, including the new robot, the special effects, and the notorious Dr. Smith.
Have you seen the new series yet? Share your comments with us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/onlinecoffeebreak/.
Kari Byron has had an amazingly strong presence in the world of reality-based science television. She is best known as a host on Discovery Channel's Mythbusters, but went on to host and produce other shows including The White Rabbit Project, Thrill Factor and Positive Energy. She's about to release her new book called Crash Test Girl.
In this episode Kari discusses her background with Mythbusters, her inspiration for her new book, her family and even her cameo on an episode of The Orville.
Kari's book Crash Test Girl can be ordered (or preordered before May 8, 2018) at Amazon here.
Kassie Alnwick is a certified personal trainer, nutritional advisor and empowerment speaker, with more than 28 years in the fitness industry. She's had a highly successful career as a top international bodybuilder, finishing as the top U.S. competitor at the Arnold Classic in 2015. A self-described "Hockey mom", Kassie has been running her business called "Produce with a Pro" for the past ten years. Kassie trains not only athletes, but anyone looking to improve their health, wealth and well-being to create a LIFE ON FIRE!
Kassie offers an online coaching program, virtual one-on-one personal training, contest stage presentation, and a workshop entitled "LIFE ON FIRE", a three-part workshop focused on how to think, move and fuel. For more information, you can visit her website at https://kassiealnwick.blog.


We are located on the second floor of the Nash Building at the northwest corner of Lazelle Avenue and Emerson Street in downtown Terrace.
Wheelchair and elevator access is available.
If you have questions or would like to request an estimate, please provide your contact information and we will respond to you as quickly as possible.


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"I was 14 years old hanging out with older kids getting in heaps of trouble with the police. I wasn't really doing anything bad, just doing dumb stuff with the crowd and got banned from going out at night. So I was hanging around town during the day to cause some trouble and heard the sounds of these ropes skipping. I was curious and found this boxing club. I stood in the doorway watching for ages until the coach said, 'Well, you coming in?' and I was like, 'Okay!'"
The seed was planted…
This was the beginning of Tania Reid's boxing career. Growing up in the small town of New Plymouth, New Zealand with little to do and even less guidance, boxing gave Tania everything she was looking for: direction, discipline, a real challenge and a sense of pride. Unfortunately the gym shut down only six months later, and being the only the boxing gym in New Plymouth, Tania's boxing career was postponed. Although it would be another 15 years before a boxing gym opened up in town, these six months planted the seed for Tania Reid to eventually win the Australasian Female Light Title.
Building her foundation…
In 2007, The Box Office opened up in New Plymouth, and Tania was finally able to get back to work. After winning her first amateur competition in front of 1500 people, the local newspapers asked her of her goals to which she replied, "To fight for New Zealand." Little did they know the waves she would be making in the sport years later. With an eight year old son and other obligations, Tania's career again was postponed. This time for two years. When she got back in the gym in 2010, her son started training with her and together they made history as the first mother and son to compete on the same card in New Zealand history.
Tania's dream to "fight for New Zealand" never died, and she was selected to join the New Zealand Team in 2013. Over the next four years, Tania regularly traveled to compete internationally for her country. After roughly 40 amateur fights, Tania decided to go Pro in 2017.
Identifying her obstacles…
Having only competed in her hometown twice, Tania was able to get on the undercard of a huge promotion in New Plymouth for her professional debut. She won by unanimous decision with her opponent later telling her that it was the hardest she'd ever been hit. The next fight was ruled a draw to Tania's surprise. "I felt like I had a slight edge on points, but I didn't quite bring what the judges were looking for. From the amateurs, I had a tendency to fight on my back foot a bit and needed to bring more aggression. I was still making the transition from amateur to pro, and in professional boxing, you need to do some damage to score." She ran into this same issue in the rematch six months later. She thought she had won, her coaches thought she had won, but she didn't quite bring the aggression that the judges were looking for.
"That was the fight that changed everything for me."
She took her next fight a year later in May of 2019; her fourth pro bout to date against New Zealand Champion Baby Nansen. "That was the fight that changed everything for me," says Tania. "I lost that fight, mainly due to my headspace…I was doubting my ability, in the middle of a separation and just not really in the fight. It was a real wake up call. I hadn't fully committed to boxing at that point and was more of a professional hobbyist with one foot in the sport and another in distraction. I knew I lost, but I knew I could have won if I'd applied myself…if I'd actually been focused and 100% committed."
Getting focused…
Two days later, Tania separated from her relationship and within the month, traveled to Thailand to focus on her training. She stayed in Thailand for three months trying different gyms, spending her longest stint at Kombat Group Thailand. After arriving back home to New Zealand, she was offered a fight for the Australasian Title in November. She immediately decided to return to Kombat Group Thailand where she spent another five weeks.
"I was the real underdog for this fight. This girl was 20 years old coming off a 5-0 win streak… kinda the next big thing coming out of Australia. She'd even beat the girl I'd lost to in my third fight. And I was fighting in Australia…on her turf. And here I am…41 years old."
And on November 30th, 2019, Tania Reid took the Australasian Female Light Title with ease. "I knew I'd won every round and beat her to every punch. I'd worked hard, was super focused, had a great build up with my team…everything went just how it should. I had heaps of fun."
After the fight, the doctor was checking Tania and said, "You know, your opponent was 20 years younger than you, right?" Tania's immediate response was, "Not bad for an ol' bitch, eh?"
Sharpening her tools…
Tania recalls judges approaching her after the fight telling her, "You absolutely outworked her, outsmarted her. She had no answer." After asking what she could improve on, the judges replied, "Just keep doing what you're doing, but keep sharpening up. Same tools, just get 'em sharper."
Tania didn't waste time before getting back to work. In January 2020, she returned to Kombat Group Thailand to prepare for her next fight for the New Zealand PBC Female Super Light Title. The bout will take place Saturday, February 29th in Aukland, New Zealand.
What mental barriers have you had to deal with in your career?
"Like I said, my fight last year against Nansen really got my attention. I could see how my mindset was really the only thing standing in the way of my success. I'd never really backed myself over the years. I could be up in a fight and in an instant, start thinking I wasn't good enough, wasn't fast enough…just okay. And a part of that was cultural…no one really encourages you to stand out or be the best where I'm from. After that wake up call, I really started to focus on my headspace. I changed up my environment, eliminated negativity and started reprogramming my thinking."
What are your future goals in the sport?
"I'll be the oldest female title-holder in New Zealand. People say when you're 40, you're old. Screw that. What? You're not allowed to chase your dreams? You're not allowed to do what you want? I want others to see it's possible. But I'm doing this for myself. I want a shot at a World Title, and I want to collect all the belts along the way. I'm here to box and no one's going to get in my way. As long as I'm physically and mentally fit, I don't see why I can't. I'm smart enough that I'll know when it's time to retire. And when the time comes that I'm no longer capable, then I probably won't want to be boxing then anyways. At that point, I'll focus more on coaching. Men and women and children. I currently work with troubled youths and do mentoring back home. It'd be cool to coach kids like me that wanted some guidance, some discipline, a real challenge and a sense of pride."
"I want a shot at a World Title, and I want to collect all the belts along the way. I'm here to box and no one's going to get in my way."
Tags: Success stories (🇬🇧), The Kombat Blog (🇬🇧), Western Boxing (🇬🇧)


This week I've decided to look at Times Higher Education's World Academic Summit, which uses the lovely acronym THEWAS. This was a two-day event taking place at King's College London, and included speakers from universities and related organisations throughout the UK and across the world. This broad mix of topics and attendees should lead to an interesting map – who would command the most influence this time?
For an explanation of how these maps work, you can have a read of last week's post from CEAC17. But essentially, this is a map of people on Twitter who mentioned #THEWAS over the two days of the conference. The larger an account appears, the more interaction they were having with others talking about the event. Closely related accounts are grouped together on the map, and those sharing a colour are usually discussing similar topics or using the same keywords while doing so.
Who's capturing attention at #THEWAS?
As we might expect from a conference hosted by THE, the publication's official account is the most dominant player on the map. That said, there are other accounts that got people talking – Ellie Bothwell and Phil Baty, both THE writers and speakers at the event, were involved in enough conversations to become little hubs in their own right. Other members of the THE team such as Chris Parr and Chris Havergal also feature as influential accounts.
The THE World University Rankings for 2018 were released at the conference and generated a lot of interest – so the official account for the listings occupies a prominent spot in the lower left of the map.
There are – of course – many universities represented on the map by delegates, but some universities accounts appear themselves. King's College London is there as the venue for the event, but others such as UCL, Oxford, and Glasgow are also there, though somewhat less prominent.
Download the full map to explore all the relationships from the event – if you commented during the event you might find yourself.
If you'd like a little more explanation about these maps, or if you've got something similar you'd like us to look at, just let me know.


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'You Treat Evil With Nonviolence:' Remembering Martin Luther King In Song
Published April 4, 2018 at 2:31 PM CDT
Photo courtesy of Dorceal Duckens
The Prairie View A&M choir
From Texas Standard.
Fifty years ago today, on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on a hotel balcony in Memphis. King was the preeminent leader of the American civil rights movement, and advocated nonviolent resistance to discrimination against black Americans. King had gone to Memphis to support sanitation workers who were in a labor dispute with the city.
His murder shocked and saddened the nation, making a particular impact on African-Americans, for whom King was a hero and acted as the conscience of the movement for change.
Bob Duckens was president of the Prairie View A&M choir in 1968. The choir was staying at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was there. They were passing through on a tour. The Prairie View choir performed for King two weeks before the civil rights leader's death.
On Monday night, Duckens' brother, Dorceal Duckens, conducted a choir in Memphis that reenacted that 1968 performance.
Bob Duckens says the Prairie View A&M choir waited to perform for King until after midnight because King had been tied up with meetings until then.
"He was so gracious and so kind. And I will never forget the look on his face, even 50 years later," Bob Duckens says. "It's just unbelievable the glory that was on the man."
Duckens points out that the civil rights movement led by King, a minister, began in black churches.
"This was a spiritual movement that started in the church," Duckens says. "This wasn't just a movement. It was more than that."
Dorceal Duckens says the choir that gathered this week sang the same piece, "Alleluia," by Randall Thompson. Duckens was able to bring six of those who sang for King in 1968 to the reenactment.
"Man, what a fabulous opportunity," he says. "The audience just went crazy. There were people crying in the audience when we sang Monday night. It was just awesome."
Remembering how he felt when he heard the news of King's murder, Bob Duckens says he was angry.
"They had just killed my hero," he says. "This was a man who was willing to give his life for humanity and for people who didn't have a voice."
Dorceal Duckens agrees. Today, as he hears a recording of CBS Evening News Anchor Walter Cronkite's reporting of King's death, he remembers where he was when the news broke.
"I was at Prairie View when we got the news, and the campus just went into an uproar," Duckens says. "It was just horrible. But everybody was angry, hurt, sad. So it created a lot of feelings that you've tried to hold back, or that you've tried to get rid of over the years, because of the treatment. Being a black man in America has not always been the best thing. But thanks be to God, we've survived. We've made it."
In 1968 some white Americans' first reaction to news of King's murder was fear that African-Americans would respond with violence. The Duckens brothers say that they and others who admired and followed King continued to honor him by responding to his credo of nonviolence.
"We remembered Dr. King – because he was extremely strong on never having violence or evil," Bob Duckens says. "You treat evil with nonviolence. And that's what kept this nation together."
"Only love can destroy hatred," Dorceal Duckens says.
The Duckens brothers emphasize that along with preaching a nonviolent response to hatred, King went to Memphis to advocate for economic equity.
"Every time in this country we start thinking and talking about economic equality, then we bring up other social issues to drown that out," Bob Duckens says. "If we had economic equality, it would take care of a lot of social issues that we have today. And the man gave his life for that."
TexasMartin Luther King Jr.MLKAfrican American History
Rhonda joined KUT in late 2013 as producer for the station's new daily news program, Texas Standard. Rhonda will forever be known as the answer to the trivia question, "Who was the first full-time hire for The Texas Standard?" She's an Iowa native who got her start in public radio at WFSU in Tallahassee, while getting her Master's Degree in Library Science at Florida State University. Prior to joining KUT and The Texas Standard, Rhonda was a producer for Wisconsin Public Radio.
See stories by Rhonda Fanning
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