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ARCELIA
Reviews/Press Kit
.".....here is songwriting and singing of the very highest order..." 9/10 Americana UK
FATEA Magazine
ROCK SOCIETY MAGAZINE REVIEW
RnR Magazine review
MOJO Magazine
BUILDING ON THE LAND
WOW Magazine *****
Kent-based Arcelia have been quietly building a discerning national following since their debut album, 'Wrap Your Bones' came out in 2014. There's a solidity to their craft as songsmiths and singers, as each has honed their skills for years before finding themselves in a holy trinity of harmony in this band.
There is a maturity to Gavin Alexander's lyrics which puts him in the same league as Eddi Reader and Roddy Frame as a songwriter – something which has been picked up by Squeeze's Chris Difford, who has been somewhat of a mentor and tour buddy in recent years. There is an ease and simplicity to his words – a gentle observing and a keen knowingness – which wrap up hope, longing, melancholy and experience into balm for wearied souls.
Simon Foster's life as a blues and soul singer is evident on 'The Old Farrier' – a folk-titled song which peels back into the intimate domestic life of an elderly couple, with all the passion of years of deep connection roaring out of Foster's honeyed volcano of a voice. 'Yellow Soup', a pacey trip through night time walks and everyone they pass hangs similarly on his tone. He is a storyteller, and you believe him.
The smoky, late night vulnerability of 'Into The Dark' is a perfect showcase for Teresa Gallagher's delicate voice. Vocal tone is a massive part of Arcelia's draw. Musicality matters to them. The harmonies in the chorus evoke Crosby, Stills and Nash, as Perry White's piano laps smoothly round them like water.
There's so much beauty in this album. Such a range of ideas across the songs – heartbreak, missed opportunities, memories, progress, history – but all come pretty much back to the same thing: connection, intimacy, harmony. The things that really enrich life. These are songs to make you smile, and cry, and to make you reconsider and be thankful for the people around you. This album will enrich your life.
Anna Morell
AMERICANA UK MAGAZINE 9/10 *****
In Old Spanish, Arcelia means "treasure chest" which is a good way of describing the outstanding musicianship and variety of this album. Arcelia are a trio consisting of Gavin Alexander on guitar and vocals; Teresa Gallager on vocals; and Simon Foster on keys, cajon and vocals. They are supported, mostly, by Perry White on piano and Martin Elliott on bass. The first track, 'Fallen,' written by Gavin Alexander and Cat Bloomfield, with whom he has penned many songs, sets the tone perfectly for the collection. The implied depth of meaning "Fallen, fallen, but got up again" has a sustaining force, maintained by its harmonies.
As the lyrics say in 'Turn Out The Light' (also written by Gavin and Cat), "Slow burning inside, Keeping me /warm.." The promise of the album is maintained in a musically eloquent solo from Teresa. As an important but relevant aside, just listen to her voice, reading, as Esther, in the audio download of Bleak House!
So it is with all the songs here: They're not just memorable but moving too. Prepare to be drawn into the story of "The Old Farrier." Rather than simply dwell on the decline of old country crafts, Gavin concentrates on the farrier's wife and her loving support for her husband as he grows old. This is realised in the words, "She said." Gavin and Theresa in louder unison give their audience a sit up, listen, and think a moment. "She said I'll be there right with you now/ In the shadow of first light." Here is songwriting and singing of the very highest order.
One is aware of the care taken throughout; for instance with the writing of Track 11. Here is the story of Victorian poor relief in the village of Gressenhall in Norfolk. A young mother, recently widowed, with two little boys, is forced to seek help in the workhouse, where she is separated from them everyday. Her fears are captured in her words; "Don't take my sons now/ They are young and all I have./ Please have mercy." Simple lyrics can be very moving.
A measure of Arcelia's standing in the world of music, is shown here in that they have been able to gather around them a recognised collection of well known and valued musicians. Richard Rozze, for instance, plays on three tracks. Notice his mandolin playing on "Far and Away." Notice also James Shears' bass on "My Wife." How it plays with the background harmonies. A typical and outstanding track. Or "Heart" which gives a glimpse again of the range of Gavin's full voice. He co-wrote the song with Perry White, who plays piano. "I remember the way you looked at me." It is the quality of phrasing and arrangement that makes the track, and the album, stand out.
ARTREE MUSIC - BUILDING ON THE LAND
'This is acoustic mood music of the highest order'
It's not often I start reviews with a tag line – but, looking back at what I'd previously written about Arcelia the above still seemed completely relevant (and gave me a self appreciation moment at the same time!).
It was back in early 2013 that we first received the debut three track EP from the Kent based trio – full of optimism and excitement that a new act brings to the table, and to say we were blown away then was an understatement.
Fast forward 5 years, and after an excellent full album release in 2014 – 'Wrap Your Bones', the band are back with their second full length offering which provides the listener both the tried and tested soulful folk formula seen on their previous releases, alongside the odd curve-ball that shows a maturity and confidence of an act evidently very comfortable with their set-up and sound.
Arcelia have forged a reputation for their watertight harmonies and these are in abundance on this record. All three members of the band, Gavin Alexander, Teresa Gallagher and Simon Foster are so in tune with their voices as a unit it is borderline perfection. It is this lush soulful sound that for the most part cements the songs on this album. The vast majority gliding pleasantly along – well crafted songwriting backed by solid yet not overpowering accompaniment on guitar, piano and percussion in the main – and those voices sitting atop, each taking turns on lead vocal duty with the three part backing decorating the tracks where required.
Listen to the track 'Fallen' here
As I said though, there are signs on this record that the band are not resting on the tried and trusted formula – and new musical ideas have been introduced – most notably on the song Yellow Soup which embraces a slightly rockier feel – harder drum groove, chunkier chords – however of course the vocal work is as tight and together as in any other. Think of the moment Crosby, Stills and Nash added the raw power of Neil Young to their sound and this'll give you an idea of the effect and impact this song has on the Building on the Land record – you're not quite expecting it, but when you hear it a couple of times, it actually fits in really well. Clever.
Another standout is the poignant Far & Away. A song about loss from the point of view of a family having fled the nest. It's subtle acoustic and slide guitar accompaniment perfect as a platform for the lyrics.
You need this record for relaxing, on a summers day while sitting in the garden – this record will chill you out. This band will chill you out. Acoustic mood music of the highest order it most definitely is, and worth your time should you choose to invest. - Phil Daniels
Fatea Magazine - WRAP YOUR BONES
Taking their name for 'treasure chest' in Spanish (for those of us who are non-speakers), the trio who make up Arcelia have been described as having soulful voices which go together better than the three Musketeers. Whilst trying to avoid any further tenuous French/Spanish analogies, Gavin Alexander, Teresa Gallagher and Simon Foster have created a relaxing and tranquil set of songs based around their shared vocals and low key but effective instrumental skills. The less is more mantra is fully in operation here. 'Wrap Your Bones' is a pleasant departure for all three members to take a break from their day jobs - in the case of Gavin and Simon, meaning ongoing commitments to The Flying Pickets while Teresa 's call is to provide voices for several TV characters and radio plays.
However, in their own right, they are gigging regularly and supporting the likes of Chris Difford whilst this album gives them a chance to set down some of their material for posterity. The overall feel and mood of the songs are laid back and calm yet with lyrics which speak of lost loves and longing are predominant. For those who like a label, there's an acoustic base to the songs which don't go too far down the road to be folk or pop or country and it would be unfair to label them as easy listening but there's an air of melancholy and singer songwriter-ness about them. Think Paul Simon, James Taylor and you're in the same ballpark.
Of the songs themselves, '45 Seconds' is a bright and attention grabbing opening track, Gavin Alexander's vocals setting the scene for what's to come. They haven't been afraid to serve up some quite stark arrangements - you'll hear on the very gentle 'Busking Birds' and 'Blossom', Simon's vocal placed simply against Gavin's picked guitar notes and 'Lovely Bones' is essentially a solo performance by Gavin and guitar. On the other side of the coin 'Another Song' has a much bigger arrangement and more of a band feel and 'Heaven' has a bluesy Winwood quality where Simon flexes his vocal muscles in an almost gospel like ending.
Glancing through the album credits, Gavin Alexander comes across as the main songwriter although a non-original bonus track appears in the form of Jake Bugg's 'Broken' co-written by Crispin Hunt and Jake Bugg, and it's actually a really enjoyable delivery and allows Teresa's voice to sign off the album in style. In addition to the three, there are various guests who provide additional instrumentation, most notably the cello and piano of Ben Trigg and Perry White, yet as a trio on 'Wrap Your Bones', Arcelia convey a deceptively simple and unassuming yet fulfilling soundtrack to the Summer of 2014.
Mike Ainscoe - FATEA
ARTREE FOLK & ROOTS MUSIC NEWS, REVIEWS & PROMOTIONS
Album Review: Arcelia – Wrap Your Bones
Sometimes you can stumble across an album that makes itself very difficult to verbalise. Arcelia's debut album Wrap your Bones is exactly such an album as there is only so much justice that a review can do without getting the chance to hear it for yourself.
Since we first heard their incredible debut EP This Time we have been expecting great things from Arcelia and after what seemed like an eternity we were rewarded when those great things were brought to form. Wrap your Bones combines everything that we have come to love about Arcelia from their astounding live shows. It is a soft and tender album, music that's able to whisk you away on a summer's breeze, even in the middle of a bitter winter.
Their music is subtle, sometimes understated and charmingly minimalistic, combining predominantly their deft and soothing guitar medleys with the gentle beats of the cajon with the barest flicker of a cello on the occasional track. What makes them so incredibly special however are their phenomenal vocal skills which are frankly on the borderline of indescribable. All three members of the band carry with them a unique and thrilling set of vocals which they apply at every perfect point. Indeed Simon Foster has one of the most powerful, awe-inspiring vocals that we have ever heard but so too do Gavin Alexander and Teresa Gallagher. Separate, their voices are tender, tranquil and soulful but combined they tap into a rich musical vein creating harmonies that could make a songbird green with envy.
The harmonious styling's of the trio are soothing and rousing at the same time they breathe a fresh breath of life into even the dullest of days. Songs such as 45 Seconds and Another Song are the kind of upbeat melodies that you could play over and over and still find that each and every chord puts another spring in your step. The album winds its way through a delicate selection of songs that range from sweet, bouncing melodies to more tranquil and sombre ballads such as Save your Soul, a stunning and strangely uplifting song.
Arcelia drew a line with their debut EP which they have far surpassed with their beautiful, compassionate and pure album. It's a perfectly selected collection of songs that can give you a boost or bring a tear to your eye in equal measure. It is a perfect blend of melancholy and magic mixed with a dash of soul. ..... Joe Knipe
WHISPERIN & hOLLERIN
Arcelia means treasure chest in old Spanish. That's exactly what fans of the folk and soul genre will find in this new album 'Wrap Your Bones'.
Gavin Alexander, Teresa Gallagher and Simon Foster form the musical trio from East Kent, and together they blend their vocal harmonies to create moments of melodic genius, apparant first in second tune 'Long Man' where the lead howls 'I can't hide'.
There's a 'pass the microphone round' feeling to this collection of songs which allows each of the trio to shine when they're brought to the forefront, and it's nice to see they're all willing to let one another take the lead.
This paints a very unique picture to most albums that come from groups, which focus on one singer and their backup vocalists or 'band'. There are even moments here where some of the group aren't present on one or two tracks. It's a different approach and turns out to work very much in their favour.
Feeling like a very honest record created out of a passion for music rather than just for the sake of making a quick buck, listeners will be pleased to be met at the closing of each track with a fresh sound on the next.
Charming ballads, noteably 'Busking Birds' manage to be relaxing and soothing whilst packing a punch and making an impact at the same time.
It's a clever little collection that has the ability to make a fan out of you within just a few moments."
reflective Sunday afternoon. Christopher Nosnibor WHISPERIN&HOLLERIN
FOLKWORDS - ALBUM of the MONTH
WRAP YOUR BONES - Arcelia - lushness and understated opulence
Arcelia's combination of voices creates a subtle, soulful folk-tinted sound filled with a richness and intensity you can almost feel. They deliver songs with a lushness and an understated opulence that you'll want to experience. On first-listen their debut album 'Wrap Your Bones' has a nonchalant feel that evokes a faintly remembered awareness. The warmth of the vocals, softly mixed instrumentation, expressive lyrics and relaxed informality combine to give this album an intimate expression that's easy to absorb. Even if you haven't heard this before it feels as though you have – it's that personal.
From the lead track, '45 Seconds', a warm opening adorned with instrumental accents, you're into the lyrical vocal expanse of 'Long Man' or soft intensity of 'Cupid' – this is soothing chill-out music. The tranquillity continues through the soporific simplicity of 'Busking Birds', Teresa's evocative vocals on 'She's Not Lost' and the understated sorrow of'Blossom'. There's something of a mood-change with 'Another Song', which definitely falls into the 'surely I've heard this before' bracket but that's not criticism, it's simply a reflection of the special touch and character of this album.
Arcelia are Gavin Alexander (vocals, guitar, ukelele) Teresa Gallagher (vocals, percussion) and Simon Foster (vocals, cajon) with Jeff Alexander (banjo, dobro) James Dean (electric guitar) Phil Mulford (double bass) James Shears (bass, percussion) Ben Trigg (cello) and Perry White (piano).
Arcelia – Wrap Your Bones – Album Review - SOUND OF SUMMER
I confess that I am something of an odd-ball where music is concerned. My oldest friend will tell you that even as a young man I would go into record stores and come out with tapes, CD's or records often of bands I had never heard of. This is a trait I have maintained through my life and is the primary reason that I love festivals so much. I always come away with new favourite bands.
I have a very eclectic musical taste and love to explore new music. I do have a habit of spending ages listening to new albums over and over again, often trying to put my finger on what the music reminds me of. What has all of this got to do with reviewing Arcadia's album though? Well hopefully that will become clear.
Arcelia got together in 2012 and judging by the number of gigs the play in and around Kent I guess they are based in that area. The core trio of Arcelia is Gavin Alexander, Teresa Gallagher & Simon Foster, though the trio is supplemented by a number of musicians on the album.
As is my wont I like to put new music onto my iPod so that i can give it my undivided attention and that's exactly what I did with Arcelia's debut album, Wrap Your Bones.
The first thing I would say about the album is that attempts to draw a comparison with another artist is a frustrating and ultimately fruitless task. The reason for this becomes apparent when you listen to the album in its entirety. I think what shines through is a sense of uniqueness, probably fuelled by the fact that all three of the trio take the lead vocal on various tracks.
When Gavin takes the lead in the early tracks I hear echoes of Paul Simon. When Teresa's first lead comes in on third track Petal I was reminded of Eddi Reader. It was no surprise to discover later that Arcelia had worked with Eddi's erstwhile Fairground Attraction partner Mark Nevin. When Simon takes lead vocal I thought there were echoes of James Taylor and in a couple of the closing tracks I drew comparisons with Soul legend Sam Cook.
I think by now that you will have realised that this is an album that refuses to be pigeon-holed and it is all the better for that. Clearly Arcelia draw from a number of different wells, the range of influence is broad indeed. The sense of a broad church is reinforced by the variety of instruments that dip in and out of the album.
The opening track 45 seconds features what I thought was a pedal steel guitar but I later learned that this was in fact a dobro resonator played with a slide. On Track 4 Cupid there is a duel between a double bass and cello to run the bass line. The result is simply gorgeous.
As a piece this album is beautiful, the songs are beautifully written, the vocals are quite lovely and the three part harmonies wash over you like a gentle caress. The songs progress from folk style stories underpinned by finger style guitar to soul standards and as a piece it is interesting engaging and enjoyable. This is an album that washes over you like a warm summer breeze, it draws you in and relaxes you and repeated listens bring endless rewards. It gives variety, quirky instrumentation, beautiful vocals and delightful lyrics and not a duff track. It is soulful, subtle, rich and rewarding. A delight from the first note to the last.
If like me you like to categorise your music, don't! Pop it into your CD player, sit back relax and let the album take you on a musical journey. Trust me, it is worth the ride. ............ The Sound of Summer
Contact Arcelia
tree@arcelia.co.uk
jj@bpa-live.com
© 2014 by Arcelia


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Manmohan's dinner diplomacy a hit with Obama
In which the Obamas get to find out who's who in Delhi …
Any doubts Barack Obama might have had about the political pecking order in India is likely to have been settled by the seating arrangement at the private dinner Prime Minister Manmohan Singh threw for the visiting U.S. President at his residence on Race Course Road on Sunday night.
The 50 Indian and 20 American invitees were sprinkled across 10 tables arranged under a high-domed, open tent on the lawns just outside the bungalow once known as "7 RCR" that serves as the Prime Minister's residential camp office.
Among the high-profile invitees were Ministers, politicians, film stars, captains of industry, bureaucrats and the odd academic, environmentalist and even journalist. And at the head table, alongside the two principals and their spouses, pride of place was given to three politicians whose importance for the current and future state of the government is just a notch below that of Dr. Singh: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and the member of Parliament from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi.
If Ms. Gandhi's place at the high table needs no explanation or comment, Mr. Mukherjee's presence there — especially when his American counterpart, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, was seated elsewhere — sent a clear message about his status as the primus inter pares of senior Ministers, several of whom (S.M. Krishna, A.K. Antony, P. Chidambaram) were also present at the dinner . As for Mr. Gandhi's slot on the high table, Mr. Obama could be forgiven for thinking this was part of some sort of grooming exercise. If I win a second term as U.S. President, he must surely have asked himself, is this the man I might be dealing with in India in 2014?
Whatever the future portends, however, Mr. Obama knows Dr. Singh is the man who calls the shots on the bilateral front for now. The two leaders spent nearly an hour closeted together in a meeting without aides or note-takers, giving the assembled guests a chance to freely mingle over endless glasses of pomegranate and mousambi juice. What they discussed is not known. Shortly after 8 p.m., everyone was asked to get into a U-shaped line by the SPG chief, B.V. Wanchoo. The Prime Minister and the U.S. President then walked in with their spouses. Mr. and Mrs. Obama proceeded to shake hands and exchange a few words with each of those present.
No one from the Left parties appears to have been invited. But the Prime Minister did invite Arun Jaitley and L.K. Advani from the Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as the former National Security Adviser, Brajesh Mishra. The other Ministers present were Sharad Pawar, Kapil Sibal, Salman Khursheed, Anand Sharma and Prithviraj Chavan.
The tables at which guests were seated were named after prominent Indian-Americans or American individuals with a strong India link like Dalip Singh Saund (the first and only Indian to be elected to the U.S. Congress) and Norman Borlaug of the Green Revolution. Live entertainment was provided by the Navy band and the BSF's camel band.
Apart from Mr. Gandhi, the Prime Minister invited several young MPs to the dinner including Meenakshi Natarajan, Priya Dutt, Harsimrat Kaur and Kanimozhi. The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, suggested Mr. Obama take the time to visit his State, an invitation the U.S. President said he would take up when he was able to find time to travel a bit more in the region. Among the film personalities present were Aamir Khan and Shabana Azmi. Chess wizard Viswanathan Anand was also there, as were atomic energy stalwarts Anil Kakodkar and Srikumar Banerjee. The industrialists present included Anu Agha of Thermax, Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Swati Piramal and N.R. Narayana Murthy. Top bureaucrats included National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister T.K.A. Nair, Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Media Adviser to Prime Minister Harish Khare and Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar.
This entry was posted on November 8, 2010 by Siddharth Varadarajan in Indian Politics, U.S. Policy in South Asia.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Billboard Cover: A Candid Conversation With Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas on Surviving Disney, Their Huge New Tour and Pop Stardom on Their Own Terms
These two Disney child-star survivors have overcome cocaine (Demi) and boy band pigeonholing (not Demi) to score recent No. 2 albums and, now, mount a massive co-headlining tour.
By Chris Martins
Chris Martins
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Jonas and Lovato photographed June 1 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Styling by Jeff Kim. Jonas wears a Givenchy suit and shirt and Dior shoes. Lovato wears an Adrienne Landau coat, Tom Ford corset, Wolford tights, Louis Vuitton heels, Eva Fehren earrings and AUrate, Effy Jewelry, Sydney Evan and Jacquie Aiche bracelets. Austin Hargrave
Though it's only a little after 9 a.m., Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas are already bickering. They're seated on the terrace at the ritzy Wynn brunchery Tableau on a hot Las Vegas summer morning, and Lovato has asked Jonas to tack fries onto his meal so she can "have one and not feel bad about myself." When the server arrives, Jonas requests an off-menu egg white omelet — then casually adds, "You know what? These fries look so good, I might just get them." But Lovato has already changed her mind. "No, no. He's not going to get the fries. I'm watching what he eats. You're welcome, honey." She rests a patronizing hand on his shoulder. Jonas shakes his head. "You threw me right under the bus."
Jonas and Lovato, both 23, were Disney Channel charges who started working before they were tweens and have been singing and acting ever since. Each has been, in his and her own way, through the ringer. Jonas' experience with pubescent pop-rockers the Jonas Brothers left him "bruised and a little jaded," says his and Lovato's manager, Phil McIntyre. And Lovato just marked four years of sobriety after a hard-fought battle with mental illness and addiction. But both are now midstride into a second act that, like the first, they're experiencing together — but this time on their own terms. (And no, they are not, nor have they ever been, romantically entangled.)
See Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas' Stunning Billboard Cover Shoot
"You'd think they're siblings, sometimes more than Nick and I," says Joe Jonas, who briefly dated Lovato in 2010. "I'm so proud of him, man. I'll be honest, I was a bit envious when I saw him catapult into this personal success. And today she's the best version of herself I've ever known." Says Brad Paisley, who recently released the duet "Without a Fight" with Lovato: "Nick and Demi both are great examples of child stars coming of age, becoming really legit, respected musicians. As we all know, not everybody makes that transition."
THIS COVER STORY FIRST APPEARED IN BILLBOARD MAGAZINE GET THIS WEEK'S ISSUE HERE OR SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD HERE
In May 2015, Lovato and Jonas partnered with McIntyre to launch Safehouse Records with help from Island. Their first release: Lovato's fifth album, Confident, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, launched the coy I-kissed-a-girl anthem "Cool for the Summer" and led to grown-woman fare like her new song, "Body Say." The latest release, from June: Jonas' second post-boy-band LP, Last Year Was Complicated, which also notched a No. 2 peak, led by the surging R&B of "Close." On June 29, the pair — her an established celebrity aiming to stay fresh, him striving to prove men can be pop megastars too — kicked off a 44-city co-headlining arena tour, Future Now, a "seamless night of music," says Jonas, where they take turns in the spotlight and sometimes back each other up.
It's not their first time together on the road. Lovato recalls getting mad at her straight-laced pal while playing their favorite card game on tour in 2008 and 2009: "He'd only say 'BS.' I'd be like, 'Bullshit?! Is that what you mean?'" She also teases Jonas' "little 'fro" on the poster for Disney's Camp Rock, the filming of which solidified their best-friend status almost a decade ago. Today, Lovato, who lives in North Hollywood, is outspoken on social media, candidly discussing her past struggles but also beefing with Taylor Swift over feminist bona fides and incurring the wrath of Mariah Carey's lambs by riding for Ariana Grande. Meanwhile, Jonas, who lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif., explores the complexities of modern masculinity, both as a glammy top 40 singer and an actor. He plays a gay MMA fighter in the cable drama Kingdom and an aggro fraternity brother in 2016 Sundance success Goat, alongside James Franco.
Demi Lovato photographed on June 1, 2016 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Austin Hargrave
These days the two enjoy cigars and espresso shots, nerd out over conspiracy theories, watch dumb comedies (but don't really read: "No books," says Jonas) and call each other with any personal crisis. Lovato demurs on the subject of her breakup with Wilmer Valderrama, until June her boyfriend of six years, but says Jonas has been there for her and that they've been making music together on the bus. "I work with him on being more vulnerable," says Lovato. "He's doing an awesome job." Replies Jonas: "Thanks."
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Demi, you left the 2010 Jonas tour early after an infamous incident in which you punched your dancer. Had you opened up to Nick about your struggles?
LOVATO I distanced myself as I was getting involved with self-destructive things. After treatment, I had to have some time sober before I wasn't embarrassed to talk to him. Nick says I sent text messages, but I don't remember shit. The first time we saw each other since that tour was my [2012 Los Angeles] concert at The Greek. We caught up right before the show, then performed. It was an emotional reunion — I got one of my best friends back.
Jonas wears Dsquared jacket and pants and a Dolce & Gabbana shirt. Austin Hargrave
Nick, what did you think when that happened?
JONAS That we were going to get sued. I mean, it was bad. On top of losing a friend, we have seven dates left, it's a big production, people are expecting to see Demi and that's not going to happen. I was angry, because a week before I pleaded with her to confide in me. We talked on the plane for two hours.
How Well Do Friends (and Toumates) Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas Really Know Each Other? Find Out
LOVATO Really? To be totally honest, I don't remember that. It's unfortunate I had to go through that stuff in order to appreciate what I have in front of me.
Now Nick drinks and you don't.
JONAS She gave me the right to have a drink around her, but I'm never, ever drunk around Demi.
LOVATO Although I want to see him drunk.
JONAS (Firmly.) No, you don't.
Lovato, who was to be Iggy Azalea's bridesmaid, performed with the rapper at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for MTV
How do you help one another if you're having a bad day on tour?
JONAS My first instinct is to be like, let's get out of the shit, let's pull ourselves out of the rough. Demi can sit there a little longer.
LOVATO Women are more emotional and sometimes I just want to be heard. So to have him listen is very helpful.
JONAS I'm in a bizarre time in my life where I'm single, but that has been tricky. And she likes drama, so I'm able to talk about my dating shit without feeling bad.
LOVATO I'm like, "Soooo, what's the gossip? Who is it? Tell me everything!"
Fan Army Face-Off: Ariana Grande's Arianators vs. Demi Lovato's Lovatics
Nick, what do you mean by "tricky"?
LOVATO (Interrupting.) He's a guy in his 20s and he's famous and he likes to have a lot of fun. Listen, even when he was in a relationship, I was like, "Get out of that. You could f– anybody that you want right now, so have fun and do that."
JONAS The tricky thing is, from what I've heard, I'm a bit emotionally unavailable.
LOVATO (Sighs.) I give him a lot of advice. He doesn't always take it.
Nick, your breakup with model-actress Olivia Culpo is a big part of your new album's narrative…
JONAS It is. I'm in such agony. I'm dying inside! (Laughs.)
When that happened, did you call Demi?
JONAS I internalize things, so we have this rule that we never want to hear about it in a tweet or something. She'd read me the riot act, so she's the third person I call — my dad, Joe, then Demi. She was like, "Just go, create and be free." She also said some other things…
LOVATO (Laughs.) I go, "Honestly, I didn't like her anyway." It's not because she's mean or anything, but he has such a great sense of humor and I want him to be with someone that makes him laugh. I can tell if something's up because he'll close off.
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Demi, you're single now. Is it too soon to think about dating?
LOVATO It's not on my mind, but I welcome anything. I'll have fun. But a relationship … I won't want that for a long time.
Tell me about your friendship early on, when you were filming Camp Rock.
JONAS Well, for a couple of years there was the Joe and Demi romantic thing, so I'd be this emotional bridge for them. But she and I were productive — we'd write songs about it. We became even closer because it was never going to be [romantic].
LOVATO There's a song on my first album called "Gonna Get Caught" about how I thought Joe was a player. I remember we were on the bus writing the bridge, and Joe is like, "I think it should have a happy ending." I'm like, "No, I don't think it should." And poor Nick is sitting there like, "What are we actually deciding here?"
Did you know how odd your lives were?
LOVATO We joked around that it was Disney High, except we all were shooting shows and really overworking. I joke that I sometimes have PTSD after leaving the channel, because if my schedule starts to get too busy, I rebel and I get bitchy…
JONAS (Mockingly.) No!
LOVATO F– off. (Laughs.)
Jonas, Lovato, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas (from left) at the London premiere of Camp Rock in 2008. Richard Young/REX/Shutterstock
Did you feel pushed by adults in your life?
LOVATO Not by my family, but when you're on set, you work like an adult. I always wanted to be the next Shirley Temple, to be the youngest person to ever win a Grammy and an Oscar. It didn't turn out that way. I don't regret it, but I probably won't allow my kids to get into the industry unless it's on their terms.
JONAS I have really musical parents, and my dad was always encouraging, but the desire to get onstage and perform really did come from me. I'd never push my future children.
Nick Jonas' Stylist Dishes on How Late French Legend Serge Gainsbourg Is Influencing Today's Male Stars
Let's talk politics. You're both yuuuuge Trump supporters, right?
JONAS (Laughs.) I keep my political views to myself. We both come from conservative households with a religious backbone, but we've both evolved quite a bit in the way we see the world. (To Lovato.) Um, don't you want to tell us about Hillary Clinton?
LOVATO When I went through my shit, I realized it was for a reason — to make a difference. I can share my story a million times, but it's not as tangible as going to Capitol Hill. Hillary is in support of mental health care and, yeah, I'm a Democrat.
You've had your share of Twitter drama, but Nick seems to live drama-free. Any advice for your friend, Nick?
LOVATO Keep my mouth shut?
You recently stood up for Ariana Grande at Mariah Carey's expense. Did you hear from Mariah or her people?
LOVATO No. (Laughs.) I'm sure she's sitting on diamond records not giving a f– what I have to say. That's fine. I don't even give a f– what I have to say. That's why I just say it.
Jonas onstage with drag queens at London nightclub G-A-Y in 2015. Rob Cable/REX/Shutterstock
You're visible LGBTQ allies, but some have suggested you're stringing the community along for a fan base. Is that unfair?
JONAS Of course. Think about my past and where my love for performance comes from — musical theater. And playing this gay fighter in a very macho world for Kingdom, it requires me digging really deep, and I do it with respect and honor.
LOVATO For me, it's a little personal. It's obvious what my ["Cool for the Summer"] lyrics are about. Just because I never said anything bluntly [about experiences with women] doesn't mean I'm exploiting it.
How Well Do Friends (and Tourmates) Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas Know Each Other? Find Out
Nick, you spoke at the Stonewall vigil after the Orlando tragedy and got backlash.
JONAS I wouldn't change a thing. That's a moment — and in general the time we're in in this country — where unity, support and raising our hand and saying we can make change is what's important, so it's a shame when people make it about something else.
Nick, you go to college in Goat, but neither of you did in real life. If you went now, would you be dorm mates?
LOVATO That would be weird. I don't want to see him f– other people.
JONAS No, after Goat, I'd make it my mission to have an apartment off campus.
LOVATO I wanted to get my own apartment when I was 5 and my mom said no.
JONAS I wonder why.
LOVATO Even then I wanted my own place, so I don't think a dorm would be good for me to share with anybody.
A version of this article originally appeared in the July 30 issue of Billboard.
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In conversations with friends, one thought the current political scene was like the prelude to WWII. Another said WWI.
Tuesday evening I struck up a conversation with "Max", a friend that I frequently see at a Tuesday karaoke bar.
Max is not a reader of my website, so it stuck me when he stated events today remind him of the prelude to WWII. Max is aware of Trump's trade policies and disputes with Canada and Mexico, but he was not aware of immigration problems in Italy.
Wednesday afternoon, I mentioned that conversation in a podcast with Peak Prosperity's Chris Martenson. Chris said Max's comment was quite appropriate but the setup was more like WWI.
Chris is correct. The parallels to WWI are quite amazing.
After the podcast with Chris, a bit of digging led me to 7 Causes of the First World War.
It was point number 7 that caught my attention.
Canadian historian Margaret Macmillan has published a major book, The War That Ended Peace (2013), which presents a synthesis of many different factors: alliances and power politics; reckless diplomacy; ethnic nationalism; and, most of all, the personal character and relationships of the almost uncountable number of historical figures who had a hand in the coming of war.
The above snip led me to the PDF synopsis on The War That Ended Peace.
So you would have thought that increased trade between Britain and Germany would have fostered that sense of having something in common. In fact, it didn't. What common trade did sometimes was to create fears in both countries that the other was jealous, or that the other was cutting into natural markets.
Nationalism increasingly became a way in which people identified themselves. It was helped by the spread of communications – it was much easier to feel you were part of something called the British nation or the French nation if in your morning newspaper you could read news from all over that nation.
The growth of public opinion was of course fuelled by the spread of communications and literacy, and by the growth of the mass media that made available cheap books and newspapers.
When Italy invaded Libya in 1911, Italians socialists rejected criticism of their government's "civilising mission".
We should be warned that with all the best will in the world, clever people, people in positions of power, can make really stupid mistakes. We shouldn't think we are cleverer than people then, and we shouldn't think that we can avoid catastrophes. One hundred years later, we should be reminded that people in 1914 thought they'd have a nice short war and could settle things – and didn't.
Germany Points Finger at "Moochers of Rome"
Trump Considers 25% Tariffs on All Auto Imports as Matter of "National Security"
President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a testy phone call on May 25 over new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration targeting steel and aluminum imports coming from Canada, including one moment during the conversation in which Trump made an erroneous historical reference, sources familiar with the discussion told CNN.
In the prelude to WWI every European nation thought war could be prevented if every nation was prepared for it. They were all prepared.
On March 8, in a direct reference to Germany, US President Donald Trump says NATO members that do not meet defense-spending targets will be "dealt with."
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker expressed his desire for a European Army in a State of the Union address.
I have watched with dismay the circular nature of Mideast allies.
The US has friendly relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the Iraqi Kurds, most of which are fighting with each other or are in tense relationships at best.
To top it off, Russia has a friendly relationship with Turkey but the EU relationship with Turkey is fading fast.
Note that Turkey is a NATO ally and US missiles are based in Turkey. Meanwhile the EU and Turkey are in a huge feud over immigration and judicial rights.
It's ironic that Margaret Macmillan noted the role of increased communication as a factor in WWI.
Look at all the allegations regarding Russia, Facebook, False News, Google, CNN etc., currently circulating.
Flashback July 23, 1914: Austria-Hungary Issues Ultimatum to Serbia.
At six o'clock in the evening on July 23, 1914, nearly one month after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by a young Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Baron Giesl von Gieslingen, ambassador of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Serbia, delivers an ultimatum to the Serbian foreign ministry.
According to the terms of the ultimatum delivered on July 23, the Serbian government would have to accept an Austro-Hungarian inquiry into the assassination, notwithstanding its claim that it was already conducting its own internal investigation. Serbia was also to suppress all anti-Austrian propaganda and to take steps to root out and eliminate terrorist organizations within its borders—one such organization, the Black Hand, was believed to have aided and abetted the archduke's killer, Gavrilo Princip, and his cohorts, providing weapons and safe passage from Belgrade to Sarajevo.
Three days later, on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning the First World War.
The allies were set. Russia intervened on behalf of Serbia, Germany on behalf of Austria-Hungary, France was an ally of Russia, etc.
The US, which had no business in the fight at all, actually prolonged the war by entering it. It is unclear if the US and UK even entered on the right side.
Actually, there was no right side, it was none of our business. By medling, we created the ideal backdrop for WWII.
David Stockman laments If only the U.S. had stayed out of WWI.
Had President Woodrow Wilson not misled the U.S. on a messianic crusade, Europe's Great War would have ended in mutual exhaustion in 1917.
Both sides would have gone home battered and bankrupt — but would not have presented any danger to the rest of mankind.
Indeed, absent Wilson's crusade, there would have been no allied victory, no punitive peace — and no war reparations. Nor would there have been a Leninist coup in Petrograd — or later on, the emergence of Stalin's barbaric regime.
Likewise, there would have been no Hitler, no Nazi dystopia, no Munich, no Sudetenland and Danzig corridor crises, no need for a British war to save Poland, no final solution and Holocaust, no global war against Germany and Japan — and, finally, no incineration of 200,000 civilians at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
We do not know what would have happened. But nothing good ever happens from ridiculous wars.
How many times do we have to prove this?
One might have thought that WWI, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Syria would be proof enough.
Trump is itching for a war with Iran and a trade war with the whole world.
Trade wars and nationalism are a prelude to real wars. Historically speaking, this is 1913 déjà vu.
That is only an observation, not a prediction. But as with 1914, we better take a different path than the one we are on.


Georgia Tech is planning on showing Kansas how much so when they meet the Jayhawks today at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.
It was a little over a year ago — 359 days, exactly — that Kansas upended Georgia Tech, 28-25, in Lawrence, in Week Two of the 2010 season.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 49-21 thrashing of Middle Tennessee State at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. As with their opening day win, the Jackets scored on their first offensive play from scrimmage — this one about 70 yards further away — and blew out to a 42-7 lead before cruising home.
Kansas had a tougher time in getting to 2-0, scoring on a six-yard pass play on fourth-and-goal, with nine seconds remaining to escape upset-minded Northern Illinois. The Jayhawks produced 534 yards of offense, the most since Nov. 28, 2009, a 41-39 win over Missouri.
If you can't get to the game, you can watch it on the ACC Network (FS South and other cable outlets in the Southeast), with Rich Waltz and Keith Jones calling the action and Jenn Hildreth reporting from the sidelines, or listen on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network, with Wes Durham and Rick Strom calling the action. The game can also be heard on Sirius channel 212 or XM channel 191. Fans can log onto RamblinWreck.com to get live stats.
Here are some numerical nuggets to get you ready for today's game.
1 – The number of wins each team has in the series. Tech won the first meeting between the schools. The 10th-ranked Yellow Jackets topped No. 12 Kansas 20-14 in the Orange Bowl, on Jan. 1, 1948.
2/2/3 – Georgia Tech's national ranking in scoring offense, total offense, and rushing offense.
5 – The number of Yellow Jackets players who already have their degrees. They are Roddy Jones, Tyler Melton, Jason Peters, Michael Peterson and Logan Walls.
6 – The number of years since Georgia Tech started a year 3-0. the Jackets opened the 2005 season winning at No. 16/15 Auburn, 23-14, beat North Carolina, 27-21, then topped Connecticut, 28-13.
6 – The number of games it took the 2010 Georgia Tech team to pass 579 passing yards. The '11 Jackets have 579 yards entering play today.
9 – The number of wins for Tech in 14 games against teams currently residing in the Big 12.
10 – The number of wins by Georgia Tech in 12 games under Paul Johnson when throwing 10 or fewer passes.
14 – The number of touchdowns out of the 16 not scored by seniors.
15 – The number of career starts by redshirt junior offensive lineman Omoregie Uzzi. That's tops on the team and is more than Jay Finch, Ray Beno, Tyler Kidney and Nick McRae combined. Phil Smith, who will be back in action today is next with 12. Will Jackson has 11.
19:06 – The combined time of possession Georgia Tech used in scoring two touchdowns against MTSU. The second drive of the game lasted 9:25, and was a 17-play, 98-yard drive, capped off by a Tevin Washington two-yard run. The other drive was the final drive of the game. It lasted 9:41 and went 73 yards in 16 plays. Synjyn Days capped it off with a 1-yard run. The final drive was only 54 seconds behind the longest drive in school history, a 10:47 march on Oct. 24, 2009. The drives are the third- and fourth-longest in the Paul Johnson era.
23 – The number of wins under Paul Johnson in 24 games when leading after three quarters.
49 – The number of points Georgia Tech has scored in the first quarter. Tech has outscored its opponents 49-0 in the first 15 minutes in its first two games.
9 – Kansas' current road losing streak. The Jayhawks were 0-5 on the road last season, scoring a total of 49 points and never more than 16 points.
9.5 – The number of tackles for loss from junior Buck linebacker/DE Toben Opurum and sophomore linebacker Darius Willis. The team has 14 for minus-37 yards.
23.6 – Beshear's kickoff return average in 12 tries. He has a long of 51 yards.
71 – The number of underclassmen on the Jayhawks roster. That includes 20 players who made their inaugural college action thus far this season.
130 – The number of home runs Fred McGriff hit in his five years as first baseman with the Atlanta Braves. Fred's son, Erick McGriff, is a sophomore wide receiver for the Jayhawks, wearing jersey No. 88.


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A Message from Earth
by Phillip July 13, 2019
John Perkins, Guest
"We were never conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors," the Kogi shaman/teacher ("Mamo" in his language) tells us. "Our forefathers fled from their homes on the Caribbean coast. More recently, we were threatened by violence from the narcotraffickers and paramilitaries; so, we migrated to the land of the glaciers. Always higher into these mountains. It was tough, but we learned things about life on this planet that no one else seems to know. Now that we are returning to our ancestral lands, we invite you to join us so we can teach you to love our Great Mother, Earth."
I had made my way to this remote part of Colombia, along with 9 other people, specifically to visit the Kogi. We were all sitting among the mammoth stones of an ancient Kogi sacred site in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the only mainland mountains in the world where snow-capped peaks soar directly from the ocean (in this case the warm Caribbean) to more than 18,000 feet. Much of the area has been designated as a national park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is ranked as one of the most irreplaceable regions on the planet.
We had just hiked or ridden horses through splendid rain forests, with spectacular views of the Caribbean, up to the Mamo's traditional village where the peaked thatched-roofed houses are built to reflect the grandeur of the surrounding mountains. The Mamo had led us to this place where the Kogi have practiced their earth-honoring ceremonies for hundreds – perhaps thousands – of years.
"Some of us have visited your cities," the Mamo continued. "We've seen hungry people and pollution. We have watched what you call 'civilization' devastate the land and cause the glaciers to melt around us. Mamos are trained by spending years inside caves, listening to the Great Mother. She told us that we are the 'Elder Siblings,' here to teach the 'Younger Siblings,' to honor, love and protect her." He glanced at each of us. "We are here to teach you, the Younger Siblings." He later explained that our culture is much younger than theirs.
My Ecuadorian friend and professional guide, Daniel Koupermann, and I were invited by the Kogi to lead small groups to learn from them in 2014. "Bring special people," they told us. "Those who understand the problems and are committed to change." Deeply moved by the sincerity of the first group in 2015, they opened their sacred sites to the people we've taken every December since. We limit our groups to no more than 15 participants. "These are places," the Kogi told us, "that have never before been seen by outsiders."
When asked about climate change, the Mamo responded, "It will result in many crises. But, it's important to recognize that climate change is not the real problem. It's like a wound. Something caused it."
"It's a symptom," one of our women said.
He nodded. "Yes. When a child cuts himself with a knife, the wound forms a scab and heals. Does the child blame the scab? Is that the problem?" He looked around.
People shook their heads. There was a chorus of "No's".
"The child learns a lesson," he continued, "to handle the knife with respect. Today, it's the same, on a much bigger level. The Great Mother is healing from the wounds of droughts, fires, and hurricanes that get worse every year. She's telling the Younger Siblings that you must change the way you live. You must honor the Great Mother, show her respect. Love her."
Later, we gathered with him and other Kogis, including children, in another ancient sacred site to perform ceremonies. In these Pagamentos (payments) we did exactly what he described. We made offerings to the soil, the water, and the air. We were transported into altered states, a profound awareness of and respect for our relationship to the earth. Although we did not ingest anything, the experience reminded me of consciousness-raising ones I've had in the Amazon on ayahuasca, and in Central America during Mayan fire ceremonies.
One of our group asked how people in cities can honor nature.
"Recognize," another Mamo answered, "that everything is part of nature. Your buildings are made from wood, steel, and cement that come from the earth. You can do these same pagamentos inside your buildings. Then go outside, find a tree, a little dirt, some water, breathe the air and make an offering – a kernel of corn, a seed, a nut. . . Most of all, feel your gratitude and commit to helping others understand that we humans are part of a sacred whole."
Colombia itself is an exceptional country. Known as the "keystone" to Latin America, it is a nation that interweaves ancient traditions with modern art, literature and music. The colonial walled city where we begin our journeys, Cartagena, one of the most beautiful and historical in the Americas, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is where I, as an Economic Hit Man in the 1970s, began to be convinced that I should leave that profession and devote the rest of my life to changing the destructive world created by profit-maximizing economics. Although the country still suffers from a reputation for the violence it experienced in the past, today it is, as I tell people, "a lot safer than driving on the interstate to the Seattle airport."
While we in the US prepare for the next presidential election, as we hear debates over policies and promises about new programs, the message of the Elder Siblings reaches new levels of importance. This message that issues from the earth herself tells us that survival as we know it on this planet is about more than finding new technologies to replace fossil fuels and building rockets to send us to other parts of the universe. It is about more than recycling and downsizing our homes. Our salvation requires that we embrace awareness of our connection to the greater whole. The Kogi's message, like that of the Maya in Central America (another culture our groups visit every year) is about raising consciousness. Ours. It is about recognizing that we are part of – not apart from – the planet we call home. It is about feeling that connection and honoring it. It is about respecting this gift of life we've been giving on this amazing planet. Every day.
John Perkins is the author of The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler, 2016).
earth consciousnessenvironmental damageplanet earthwe are one
Are You and I from Outer Space?
Congressman Proposes Legislation to Force All Elected Officials to be Drug Tested


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Hubbard Street Premieres Fluence (preview)
Posted on October 8, 2013 by Vicki
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in Robyn Mineko Williams' "Fluence". Photo by Quinn B Wharton.
This Thursday, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago presents its Fall Series at the Harris Theater. Opening this Thursday and running through Sunday, the program features two returning works from master choreographers Mats Ek and Ohad Naharin, plus the world premiere of Alejandro Cerrudo's Cloudless and the Chicago premiere of Robyn Mineko Williams' new work Fluence, which premiered last month in Minneapolis, MN.
Williams received the news in August that she is the recent recipient of the 2013-2014 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award. "It's bonkers," she said. "I'm still shocked about it, but I'm really excited." The grant money that goes with the award went to fund this new work for nine dancers. As a former Hubbard Street dancer, she knows the dancers well and set to work putting together a creative team. Robert (Robbie) F. Haynes composed an original score, Burke Brown provided his expertise in lighting and fashion designer Hogan McLaughlin created intricate costumes. "My creative team has been so awesome," said Williams. "They're all so open to anything I have to say and they're geniuses on their own. They're cool, laid back people. I think that's why I stayed so calm throughout the process."
According to Williams, the definition of fluence "is a stream of particles crossing a unit area, usually express as the number of particles per second". Another definition references magical/mystical influence. "I thought both were apropos for the work," she said. She was inspired by the ideas of individualism and solitude and the creative team took off from that. "We're still learning how we collaborate," said Williams. "We're kind of going from our guts. It's instinctual."
The fact that her work is being presented along with choreographers like Ek and Naharin, not to mention her colleague Cerrudo, could make a girl nervous, but she is only grateful. "It's cool. I feel really lucky to have this opportunity. If I'm doing anything, I'm just trying to be myself."
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's Fall Series at the Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St., Thursday-Sunday, Oct 10-13. Performance times vary. Tickets are $25-$99; call 312.850.9744 or visit hubbardstreetdance.com/fall.
This entry was posted in Alejandro Cerrudo, arts, contemporary, culture, Glenn Edgerton, Harris Theater, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, HSDC, Hubbard St, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Inspiration, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Preview, Princess Grace Award, Quinn B Wharton, Quinn Wharton, Robyn Mineko Williams by Vicki. Bookmark the permalink.


Valentine's Day: I love it and I hate it. I'm not the craftiest person in the world, but I do enjoy helping my kids make fun, creative, personal Valentine's to give to all their friends. However, there are a couple of things I DON'T like about the holiday.
For one thing, it's starting to become just another one of those holidays designed to make busy moms feel bad, because they didn't have time to take cute photos or make a fancy cake and matching table setting or arrange a Pinterest-worthy candy bag.
And for another thing, it's kind of weird how we have this one day per year when couples are supposed to be romantic and buy each other gifts and stare longingly into each other's eyes while they eat chocolate together .. .even if they don't give a single thought to any of those things on February 13 or February 15. I mean, being romantic on a day when it's culturally required really doesn't count as romance, does it? Not in my house.
All of this is to say this: Despite being a holiday revolving around love, Valentine's Day kind of makes me cynical. I find myself drawn to, um, less sentimental cards and Valentine's wishes. Like these.
I can't get enough of these Puritan love notes from CollegeHumor.


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Valverde outpowers rivals in Vuelta a Espana summit finish
By Alasdair Fotheringham 30 August 2019
World Champion moves up to third overall with 12th career stage victory
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vuelta a Espana: Valverde wins stage 7
Quintana insists that Valverde is Movistar's Vuelta a Espana leader
Vuelta a Espana: Monster Hydro rider of the day
For the umpteenth time in his career, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) has proved that age is no obstacle for him when it comes to winning as the 39-year-old reigning World Champion captured the 12th Vuelta a España stage victory of his career on Friday.
Nor was it any ordinary stage – rather Valverde out-powered three of the top favourites for overall victory in one of the steepest summit finishes of this year's Vuelta a España no the Alto Mas de La Costa, pushing Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) into second place and even distancing race leader Miguel Ángel López (Astana Pro Team) and teammate Nairo Quintana (Movistar) by six seconds.
In the process, Valverde claimed Movistar's second stage of the 2019 Vuelta, has moved up into third overall and – for now at least – has to be considered a serious favourite for overall victory in Madrid.
The win is the 128th of Valverde's career and his fifth in 2019, as well as being his 12th success at the Vuelta a España.
Now just 16 seconds off the overall lead, Valverde played down his options of winning the Vuelta for a second time in ten years, asking reporters rhetorically, "How is it possible I can win it, if I'm nearly 40? I'm surprising myself."
"I have to be realistic, there's a long way to go, and Roglič is sure to gain time on us in the time trial."
Valverde denied that he had had a problem midway on the final climb at one point when Quintana attacked, saying instead, "I was just going up at my own pace. Did you see Nairo? He was brilliant, spectacular, really aggressive, going for it with dos cojones there."
In a possible sign that Movistar's leadership issues could finally be settled, Valverde personally congratulated Quintana after the finish, telling him "Eres Grande!" – You did great! – and he insisted that both riders have a GC card to play.
Valverde explained that the team's strategy had been for Quintana to try to drop the rest of the field, whilst he waited behind for the finish, in case the Colombian had not gone clear, to then try and take the stage win. Which he duly did.
Quintana's repeated accelerations on the Alto Mas de la Costa enabled the quartet of favourites – López, Roglič, Quintana and Valverde – to distance the rest of his rivals. The race looks increasingly as if it will be disputed between these four, all of whom are still within 30 seconds of each other, with Rafał Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) nearly two minutes further back.
Just as he had been after stage 6, Valverde was adamant that he and Quintana were singing from the same sheet in the battle to win the Vuelta this year.
"We didn't have to shut anybody up, we're fine with what we're doing, "Valverde concluded, "There haven't been and there won't be any problems between us."


Two programs designed to give young people an opportunity to develop life skills will be the beneficiaries of a charity wine tasting from 5:30 to 8 p.m. March 19 in the Community Room at City Hall.
The Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program and the Mystic Bowie Cultural Center will receive funds raised at the event presented by Merritt Wines of Norwalk.
"We have wanted to do something to help Mystic's Center for a long time, and our daughter has already run a school supply drive for him at Fox Run School" says Merritt Wines proprietor Michael Sautkulis. "We're not in a position to write a big check, but we can provide an event that draws attention to the cause, and offers others an opportunity to support these initiatives."
Both the Mystic Bowie Cultural Center and The Mayors' Summer Youth Employment Program provide life skills opportunities for at-risk youth.
The event will feature more than 25 handcrafted and hand-selected wines and light hors d'oeuvres.
There will be an acoustic performance by Mystic Bowie and Karen Johnstone and a small silent auction.
Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 on the day of the event. Guests are also asked to bring a donation of school or art supplies. For tickets contact Michael Sautkulis at (203) 847-1113 or Michael@Merritt Wines.com.


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Home » Who is Richard Walkden?( Green energy boss, 62, who launched £1.5m lawsuit against Drayton Manor Park over claims ride left him crippled must pay £200,000 in costs after ) Wiki, Bio, Age, Instagram, Twitter & Quick Facts
Who is Richard Walkden?( Green energy boss, 62, who launched £1.5m lawsuit against Drayton Manor Park over claims ride left him crippled must pay £200,000 in costs after ) Wiki, Bio, Age, Instagram, Twitter & Quick Facts
Richard Walkden Wiki
Richard Walkden Biography
Who is Richard Walkden ?
Richard Walkden, 62, sued for the sum of seven figures, alleging that a cable car accident at Drayton Manor Park left him in such severe pain that he was "totally unable to bend his back."
But his claim for damages against the parent company was dismissed after a judge saw photos on social media of him on a rafting expedition with his family.
The footage showed him wearing a life jacket and helmet, sitting on the edge of a raft before he set off down the rapids of the Crocodile River near Pretoria.
A judge found Walkden, who previously worked as a managing director at green energy firm Eartheat Ltd in Leicestershire, 'fundamentally dishonest' and ordered to pay £ 200,000 in lawyer bills, with more to come.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Tipples said the county court judge had the right to find that Mr. Walkden's claim was dishonest as he had exaggerated his injuries.
How old is Richard Walkden ?
He is 62 year old.
Walkden sued for the seven-figure sum, alleging that a cable car accident at Drayton Manor Park
The court heard that the accident occurred when an operator at the Staffordshire theme park started a cable car containing Mr Walkden and his family too fast, causing it to sway.
He suffered a back injury while in an awkward position, trying to protect his young children at the Easter 2014 outing.
In suing for £ 1.5 million, he claimed the accident had left him in chronic pain, ended his career and his fondness for beekeeping.
He was unable to bend his back at all, he claimed, and he, too, had suffered psychiatric injuries in the traumatic event.
Drayton Manor Park Ltd admitted responsibility for the accident, but questioned the size of Mr. Walkden's claim and the extent of his injuries.
Drayton Manor theme park fined £ 1 million for 'systemic …
The heads of Drayton Manor expressed concern about the ride in water rapids …
Evidence showed that he had embarked on a rafting expedition on the Crocodile River, in the western province of South Africa, just eight months after the cable car incident.
Photos on social media showed Walkden sitting on the edge of a raft with rafting gear, while lawyers pointed to other photos that they said showed him going down the river with the rest of his group.
Walkden, who ran a renewable energy company, claimed that he had not participated in all the activity, claiming that he had only joined the party after the rapids, only paddling in calm waters.
But in delivering the original sentence in Leicester County Court in March of last year, Judge Murdoch dismissed his claim.
"I do not accept that he did not make the whole trip, he is equipped to do it, his children are in the picture and yet none of them in the evidence of him say that he did not make the whole trip," he said.
" If I were wrong with that analysis, I would find that in any case, you were still being asked to row even in calm water and that would have been tough physical activity.
'The raft would have to be transported in and out of the water, which again would be tough physical activity. His evidence was not, in my judgment, credible or reliable on this matter. '
The judge found that although Mr Walkden would have been entitled to £ 17,600 for the accident, he had so exaggerated his injuries that the claim was "fundamentally dishonest" and would be dismissed.
In challenging the finding in Superior Court, Mr. Walkden's attorney, Satinder Hunjan QC, argued that the judge had not properly considered all the evidence in Mr. Walkden's favor.
Witnesses said that he had to give up his hobbies of cycling and beekeeping, and the only proper conclusion the judge could have made was that Mr. Walkden had suffered "serious consequences" as a result of the cable car accident.
Rejecting the appeal and confirming Walkden's finding of dishonesty and six-figure bill for the case, Judge Tipples said that Judge Murdoch had not ignored or disregarded the evidence.
The witnesses had only given evidence about their perception of how Mr. Walkden presented his disability to them, she said, and Judge Murdoch had found that Mr. Walkden was not "credible" when it came to self-reported injuries and pain from he.
"The judge had before him a great deal of evidence on these matters from lay witnesses, medical experts, contemporary documents, etc.," he said.
The judge spends most of his trial summarizing and analyzing all this evidence that was presented to him in relation to these issues.
He does so, in my opinion, succinctly and with considerable care and, as a result, he discovered that the appellant was not a credible witness and had exaggerated his injuries.
'It was in this context that the judge rejected the appellant's allegation that he suffered from a chronic pain syndrome. Complainant did not suffer a life-changing injury as a result of the accident, which prevented him from working.
"There was ample evidence before the judge to reach this conclusion, and it is not a finding of fact that cannot be reasonably explained or justified."
He concluded: "There was ample evidence before the judge to conclude that the appellant had been" fundamentally dishonest in relation to the main claim or related claim "and the claim should be dismissed."
The decision means that Mr Walkden has to pay Drayton Manor's costs of defending the claim, with £ 200,000 up front, pending a full assessment of his final invoice.
Lawyers say the final bill is likely to total 'several hundred thousand pounds'.
Evha Jannath was 'propelled' from a boat on the Splash Canyon promenade at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire in May 2017.
Eva, who was visiting the park during an end-of-the-year school trip with friends from the Jameah Girls' Academy in Leicester, then plunged into a 12-foot pool of water where she drowned.
Lawyers for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) filed an indictment against the park for failing to adequately ensure the safety of its guests, saying the operators had monitored "systemic security failures" along the river rapids.
Staff had pointed out safety concerns at an after-hours business meeting 27 days before the fatal incident, the court heard.
He also heard that there were also four incidents where customers were kicked off the trip between 2011 and 2013, including a 10-year-old four-year-old boy who had to be rescued.
Drayton Manor Theme Park Ltd admitted to violating Section 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
But the court heard that the £ 1 million fine will never be paid, because the company that owns the attraction collapsed in administration last year. The park has a new owner.
Judge Spencer described the incident as an "absolutely tragic waste of a young life", sentencing the now-defunct company at Stafford Crown Court today.
Evha, 11, died after being airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital from Drayton Manor theme park on May 9, 2017
At the start of a two-day sentencing hearing yesterday, James Puzey, barrister for the HSE, told the judge the accident happened 'in context of the systemic failures of safety on this ride'.
'The control measures they had been failing every day,' he added.
The court heard from the park's own barrister Richard Matthews QC, who said it was 'a corporate failing'.
Evha was ejected from the boat while standing up out of her seat.
She later fell into 12ft of water after plunging from the conveyor belt which takes vessels to the ride exit.
Evha also suffered significant blunt force injuries, the court heard.
The HSE's lawyers said there was 'inadequate' signage for those on the ride telling them to stay seated, 'inadequate training' for staff, an element of under-staffing and a lack of emergency planning.
Mr Puzey said static ride CCTV only covered 50 per cent of the course and was' not an effective means of monitoring the boats' or their passengers' behavior.
The court heard that although signs warned passengers to stay seated, people still got up – but Mr Puzey said the management of that risk was the ride operator's responsibility.
A technical analysis found that people standing up on the ride was 'relatively frequent' and that on '9 per cent to 16 per cent' of journeys, passenger 'misbehavior' was observed.
Re-watching CCTV of the ride on the day of the accident, experts recorded 70 occasions of people standing up in the boats.
The court also heard that in separate incidents between 2011 and 2013, four people plunged from boats – or ended up being swept – into what was the deepest part of the ride's course, known as the trough, which is where Evha ended up drowning.
Although none of those falling passengers were injured, the court heard details of one involving a 10-year-old boy in August 2013 which bore similarities to the fatal incident.
The boy was ejected from the ride at the same point as Evha and – like her – was not spotted by ride staff, instead being pulled to safety by a quick-thinking member of the public who climbed a safety rail.
After the fatal incident, a review concluded it was 'an essential requirement' that those overseeing the water ride made sure people stayed in seats, and could 'detect and react' to passengers falling in.
'A passenger who is in the water and is in the trough is in immediate danger from a number of immediate hazards which pose risks of death or serious injury,' it said.
The review concluded: 'It appears that the past experience of the defendant of having people go into water but thereafter being rescued were taken as assurance this was not a high-risk situation.
'Such an interpretation would be seriously flawed.'
The court was told how a risk assessment from 2014 was in place but an out-of-hours meeting three weeks before Evha's death had raised concerns over public safety.
Mr Puzey added: 'There are nine CCTV cameras that were in use at the time of this incident at various points around the ride and at the station.
'In total, the coverage by the CCTV cameras covers around 50 per cent but these cameras provide a fixed view and do not have the ability to pan about or zoom.
'There is a camera covering the final bend at which Evha fell from the raft.
Richard Walkden Quicks and Facts
Richard Walkden sued for £1.5m over an injury suffered at Drayton Manor Park
He claimed it left him with pain so bad he was 'totally unable to bend his back'
But his damages claim was thrown out after a judge saw pictures of him on a ride
He was branded 'fundamentally dishonest' and ordered to pay £200k in bills
Who is Elvis Nina Pichardo?(Suspect arrested in horrific attacks on women in NYC park ) Wiki, Bio, Age,Arrested and Charged, Instagram, Twitter & Quick Facts
Who is Andrew Taake?(Texas man is arrested after his Bumble match turns him into the FBI for bragging about taking part in the Capitol riots and claiming ) Wiki, Bio, Age, Instagram, Twitter & Quick Facts


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Home » RESEARCH » Great Lakes » Lake Superior » LAKE SUPERIOR-MM5
LAKE SUPERIOR-MM5
The MM5 Flow Chart
Our previous modeling experiments clearly show that the circulation in Lake Superior is domaintly driven by the wind plus seasonal variation of surface heat flux/short-wave penetration. Uncertainty in the wind data is one of major factors that directly affect the simulation accuracy.
Efforts was made to build a forecast model system for Lake Superior: 1) using meso-scale meteorological model (called MM5) or Weather Research Forcaster (WRF) to provide the 5 days of the wind forecast and 2) using the forecasted wind and heat flux to drive FVCOM to provide 5 days of the 3-D current and water temperature fields. In this system the MM5 was operated using two-way nesting from 3 domain. Horizontal resolutions of these domains are 45, 15, and 5 km, with an output of the wind in a 5 km resolution. All buoys and coastal weather station measurement data are assimilated into MM5 to provide a reasonable wind and heat flux flieds.
An effort has been made to upgrade the MM5 system to WRF. With WRF, we can provide the 1-km resolution wind field with better resolution of meso-scale wind variability.
Nested domains
3 nested computational domain of MM5. This is the original MM5 system we built for KITES. This setup was used to re-build the meso-scale fields of surface wind and heat flux for 1999 based on NCEP output. The updated version of MM5 that has been upgraded to 3 domains with horizontal resolutions of 27, 9 and 3 km.
All NOAA buoys and coastal weather stations are included in the nudging data assimilation. The SST was also nudged into the model for the surface heat flux estimation. The heat flux calculation used in this system was the one modified by Chen et al. (2005).
Click the image on the right to see the full-size image.
An example of MM5 wind animation
The Lake Superior MM5 was set up at UMASS-D and run to provide the 1999 wind field for KITES project. With assimilated buoy winds, MM5 provided a much better wind field than the interpolated wind fields from the coastal weather stations. The animation shown here is just an example.
Click the image on the right to view the animation.
An example of MM5 surface heat flux animation
This animation is just an example showing the ability of MM5 in resolving the meso-scale varability of the surface heat flux in Lake Superior. The updated Lake Superior MM5 has included the satellite-derived SST for the heat budget estimation.
Wind field interpolated from all surrounding weather stations plus NOAA buoys
This is an animation showing the daily distribution of the surface wind interpolated from weather stations around the coast and NOAA buoys in the lake. An empirical relationship between the land and water wind was used to convert the land wind to the water wind.
Click the image on the right to view the animation


August 16, 2007 — Swedish women who received cosmetic breast implants had suicide rates that were 3 times higher than other women; the risk appeared 10 years after surgery. Deaths due to drug and alcohol abuse also increased 3-fold in the women who received breast augmentation.
These findings are based on data from a cohort of Swedish women who received breast implants from 1965 to 1993 and were followed for an average of almost 19 years. This study, which has an 8-year longer follow-up than an earlier study of this cohort, is published in the August issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery.
"Women and doctors should be aware that there is a group of women [seeking cosmetic breast implants] who may be suffering from severe psychiatric illness, which may put them at risk later on for suicide or death from drug and alcohol abuse," lead author, Loren Lipworth, ScD, from Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, told Medscape.
The group concludes that "screening for preimplant psychiatric morbidity and postimplant monitoring among women seeking cosmetic breast implants may be warranted."
The researchers explain that 5 previous epidemiologic studies looked at mortality patterns among 5 cohorts of women in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Canada, and the United States who received cosmetic breast implants. These studies all reported an approximately 2- to 3-fold higher rate of suicide in the women who received implants compared with other women.
The current study aimed to gain further insight into the relationship between implants and suicide by looking at a cohort of 3527 Swedish women who had previously been followed for a mean of 11.3 years, extending this follow-up to a mean of 18.7 years (range, 0.1 – 37.8 years).
The women, identified by a national registry of hospital discharges, had undergone cosmetic breast augmentation (mostly silicone gel implants) for the first time from 1965 to 1993. The women had a mean age of 32 at the time of surgery.
Overall, 175 women with implants died during follow-up, vs 133.4 expected deaths based on mortality rates of age-matched Swedish women. A total of 24 women with implants committed suicide, vs 8 expected deaths from suicide (standardized mortality ratio = 3; 95% CI, 1.9 – 4.5). The elevated rate of suicide was seen after 10 years. Suicides were higher in women who were aged 45 years and older at the time of breast augmentation.
An additional 14 women with implants died during follow-up from mental disorders or injuries and accidents related to alcohol and or drug dependence or abuse.
Compared with women in the general population, the women with implants had higher rates of death from lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, largely related to smoking, but they did not have higher rates of breast cancer.
"The large excesses of suicide, as well as alcohol- and drug-dependence-related deaths, suggest that a nontrivial proportion of women undergoing cosmetic breast augmentation may bring with them — or develop later — serious long-term psychiatric morbidity and eventually mortality," the group writes, adding that this might warrant increased screening, counseling, and possibly postimplant monitoring of women seeking this procedure.
Dr. Lipworth explained there were more than 300,000 cosmetic breast implants in the United States in 2006, and it remains to be seen whether that number will increase now that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of silicone breast implants after their removal from the market from 1992 to 2006.
The study was funded by the International Epidemiology Institute, in Rockville, Maryland, which in turn received funds from the Dow Corning Corporation. The Dow Corning Corporation was not involved in any aspect of the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of this manuscript. Corresponding study author Joseph K. McLaughlin, PhD, from the International Epidemiology Institute, had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.


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Q: Zend Auth With Two Identity Columns I am using Zend_Auth to validate user credentials and ran into an issue.  I need to have a dual column identity.  The the two columns are user name and customer identifier.  The identityColumn setting and setIdentity() methods don't allow for this scenario.  I tried to accomplish this by using the credentialTreatment setting, but when I have a duplicate user name for two or more customers, it merely calculates the zend_auth_credential_match as false for the other customers rather than filtering those users out.
Here's a sanitized example of the resulting query executed by Zend Auth:
SELECT `users`.*,
    (CASE
        WHEN `password` = 'password'
            AND active = 1
            AND customer_id = 1
            THEN 1
        ELSE 0
        END) AS `zend_auth_credential_match`
FROM `users`
WHERE (`username` = 'username')

Is it necessary to extend the Zend_Auth module to do this?  Has anyone else done it and can provide an example?
Thanks!

A: I would imagine you will need to write your own subclass of Zend_Auth_Adapter_DbTable to handle this.
Something like:
class My_Auth_Adapter extends Zend_Auth_Adapter_DbTable {
  protected $_customerColumn = 'customer_id';
  protected $_customerId = false;

  public function setCustomerId($id) {
    $this->_customerId = $id;
    return $this;
  }

  public function getCustomerId() {
    return $this->_customerId!==false?$this->_customerId:'';
  }

  public function _authenticateCreateSelect() {
    $select = parent::_authenticateCreateSelect();
    $select->where($this->_zendDb->quoteIdentifier($this->_customerColumn, true)." = ?", $this->getCustomerId());
    return $select;
  }
}

A: Best way to do this would be to write your own Auth adapter. Perhaps even extending Zend_Auth_Adapter_DbTable directly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Q: Ising model as quantum model? I've read in a few papers things that use the fact that the $2D$ Ising model can be interpreted as a $1+1$ quantum spin model. I haven't been able to find this description and would like to read about it. Could anyone recommend a book with this description?

A: Your question, "Ising model as quantum model?", really opens a Pandora's box. Anyway, yes, in general, an $N\text{-dimensional}$ quantum (Ising) model can be mapped to an $N+1$ classical (Ising) model.
For a general start, maybe you could refer this book:

*

*"Quantum Phase Transitions in Transverse Field Spin Models", by A. Dutta et al. (CUP).

You will find your questions addressed in the first chapter.
Also, and this is a bit of a spoiler alert if you want to figure it out by yourself, but the extra dimension in the classical case is time. It is best understood using the path integral formalism.


text: require 'dickens'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
This weekend on Creature Features:
April 1, 2020 creaturefeatures2	1 Comment
"When you die and they lay you to rest, you're gonna go to the place that's the best." But long before doing that, be sure to catch this weekend's show. Our guest will be Norman Greenbaum, who wrote the 1970 mega-hit "Spirit in the Sky." Vince thinks this song has been used in every single movie ever made. And while he's not even close, it is remarkable how many movies have featured this particular song. Norman will tell us how he came up with it, what it was like being a superstar in the 60's and 70's and what he's been up to as of late. We'll also be running 1974's "Scream of the Wolf." We have no idea if this film is any good, but it stars Peter Graves and Clint Walker, so it can't be all that bad. All this and so much more this Saturday night at 10PM PST on KOFY TV20, the YouTube link above, our Roku, AppleTV and FireTV channels and on a howlingly fabulous selection of bracingly good television stations nationwide. Don't miss it!
Previous PostEpisode 171 LettersNext PostCreature Features was mentioned in the New York Times…
One thought on "This weekend on Creature Features:"
Scott Favar says:
The last time I heard Norman Greenbaum was on an interview with Greg Kihn, who was doing a morning DJ gig on KFOX-FM in San Jose. Norman was a cook at that time in the Santa Rosa area. (This was in the late 1990s. Kihn's DJ career lasted a lot longer than his music career, as Kihn was on KFOX for 18 years. FYI, I once met Kihn while at a Dollar Tree in the mid 2000s, he was buying little bottles of shampoo for a KFOX promotion. Great guy!)
The film itself was one of Dan Curtis' made for TV monster films of the 1970s. (Curtis is best known for Dark Shadows, Night Stalker, and Trilogy of Terror. Perhaps you could show Trilogy of Terror one of these days, a great film!)


text:
Dispatches From Doctors at the US/Mexico Border
Immigration/Interview/Texas
by Christine Mann
Dr. Christine Mann has written for Majority 60 before and she is a current Democratic candidate for US Congress in Texas District 31. She is volunteering at a Catholic charity in Laredo, TX and reported back in a series of tweets. What follows is her first-hand report.
I'm here volunteering at an immigrant clinic and shelter [in Laredo, TX] that was set up ad hoc by the local Catholic Church under the auspices of Catholic Charities. They have taken in almost 20,000 people since May.
They were able to convince CBP to bring migrants to the shelter instead of just dropping them at the bus station, which is what they were doing: dropping them off with no money, food, water, phone. The church heard about it and convinced CBP to bring them here.
At this facility, they were given showers, shelter, food, and the ability to call their sponsors in the US to make a plan to travel to them. Human things, ya' know? CBP dropped anywhere from 0-200 a day. The facility would have no advance notice about who or how many were coming.
But they waited and welcomed everyone who arrived, and helped them on their way. There's an amazing group of people here, and I will be sharing their stories soon. But here's the latest, the part I need you to know: This week, it's been eerily quiet. 6 on Monday. 2 yesterday. 3 today. Where are all the migrants?
Yesterday, Dr. Claudia Mercado, the local physician who put the clinic together shared photos of migrants walking back into Mexico, as well as photos from the other side of the border of children sleeping on pizza boxes and people seeking shelter under bridges in Mexico.
We believe it is because of the new policy forcing people to await their asylum cases in Mexico. Here's the problems:
1. These are not Mexican citizens, they come from all over Central America. We are dumping them in a country they do not know with no food, water, money, phone, or shelter. They know NO ONE and are not being taken to shelters. They are walking & ending up in parks & under bridges.
2. They sold everything in their home countries to make this trip. They have no resources at all.
3. The part of Mexico they are being pushed to is very dangerous. This is a major passageway for the drug trade and cartels are everywhere. We are sending vulnerable people with no resources into the hands of these cartels, putting them at risk for rape, torture, and murder.
In addition to this issue, our government is determined to make them as miserable here as possible. The City of Laredo agreed to house migrants on this side of the border in vacant government buildings with air conditioning for $1 for 18 months. The feds said no. Instead, they are building tent cities. In south Texas. In August.
So instead of allowing facilities like this charity shelter to take them in, instead of letting them stay in an air conditioned building, they are sending them into the streets of Mexico and into tents. These tents will be used as courtrooms for migrant asylum hearings instead of using the buildings offered by Laredo. We're going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to erect these tents instead of using nearly free facilities. Wonder who got the contracts?
Photos Provided by @DrChristineMann For More Information on HOW TO HELP-CLICK HERE
Originally posted on Majority60. Re-posted with permission.
Christine Mann
Dr. Christine Mann is running for Congress in Texas-31. She's a family practice physician in Cedar Park, Texas with 30 years of experience training and working in the healthcare industry. She's have been involved in various community service and political activities for two decades, working at the local, state, and federal levels to enact policies that benefit the community as a whole. She is a voter registrar and has worked on several local and state-level campaigns, helping to elect Democrats in her district.
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