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Fr. 'Edu' Gariguez is an 'environmental hero'
Posted by Ted Alcuitas | Mar 23, 2016 | Canada News, Philippine News | 0
Priest -turned activist wins award for environmental work
By Ted Alcuitas
Long before Laudato Si, Pope Francis' encyclical on The Care of Creation and the Climate Change movement, an obscure priest from the island of Mindoro in the southern Philippines was waging his own battle against environmental degradation.
Fr. Edwin 'Edu' Gariguez received an "environmental hero" award from the Jesuit-run Xavier University for his sustained and significant efforts to protect the environment and indigenous peoples.
Gariguez has been in Canada twice as the solidarity visitor for Development & Peace – Caritas Canada. He was in the Atlantic in 2012 and the west coast in 2015.
Gariguez, now executive secretary of Caritas-Philippines, became a prominent figure against mining in the country when he led an 11-day hunger strike to stop operations of the Norwegian mining company Intex in 2009.
His battle to preserve the culture of the Mangyan tribe – the indigenous people of Mindoro, won him the Goldman Environmental Prize, the world's largest award for grassroots environmental activists in 2012.
But it also endangered his life when he was put in the 'hit list' by the notorious Gen. Jovito Palparan, the so-called 'butcher' of the Philippine military now facing criminal charges for murder. Gariguez had to flee the island and transfer to Manila.
Fr. Roberto Yap, university president, said Gariguez's ministry is an inspiring response to Pope Francis challenge "to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." The award, a Doctor in Humanities honoris causa , was given at convocation ceremonies March 17 in Cagayan de Oro City.
25-year moratorium
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources indefinitely revoked Intex's permit and stopped mining operations after Gariguez's campaign.
But in 2015 however, the DENR reinstated the environmental compliance certificate for Intex to mine ore in Mindoro after six years of suspension.
Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina, said a 25-year moratorium against large-scale mining issued by the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro in 2010 is stalling Intex's operations.
"They can't explore because there is a need to secure an endorsement from the local and provincial governments," Garganera said.
And even with the ECC, he said the mining firm still needs to negotiate with the Mangyans and other stakeholders to get consent.
Calapan Bishop Warlito Cajandig has vowed to oppose the ECC for Intex and called on the faithful to keep their vigilance against attempts by Intex to operate again in their province.
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Past Events | International Tournament in Germany
International Tournament in Germany
Date: 2-3 October 2010
Place: Germany, Stuttgart
Host: MTV Stuttgart 1843 e.V.
From 2nd to 3rd October there was an international tournament of blind footballers in Stuttgart and selected Czech players' team participated there too, with financial support from the Czech Union for Visually Impaired Sportsmen, the Czech-Moravian Football Association and the Masaryk University. French team from Metz didn't arrive, so except the Czech team there were three German clubs – MTV Stuttgart, LFC Berlin and Chemnitzer FC.
The Czech group consisted of eight players: Matěj Plch, Jan Hegr, Jiří Fenz a Katka Lingová from Avoy MU Brno team and Lukáš Valer, Petra Schejbalová, Zdeněk Barlok a Jiří Sedláček from FC Prague. Except them there were four coaches-assistants, Martin Jelínek (goalkeeper), Jitka Graclíková, Petra Paďourová (guides) and Milan Duda, who was the leader of the team and the head coach.
The opening ceremony was warm and the Czech Republic blind football deputies received an ovation for the fact, they were able to build the national team after nearly two years. At the first match they played against Chemnitzer FC who was the last but one team of the German Bundesleague without scoring a single goal. At this tournament, however Chemnitz borrowed one of the best shooters in the league, the Wirzburg team player. The first half ended 1-1, while Lukas Valer scored for the Czech team. In the second half the same player added two more goals and the completed his hattrick. Chemnitz was able to reduce the score difference to a single goal, the Czechs managed to win the match also thanks to the excellent saves of the goalie Martin Jelínek. The match ended 3-2 for the Czech players who could enjoy their first win. Then the host team from Stuttgart beat Berlin 4-0 although the defeated team's defense was very tough.
Czechs played its second match against MTV Stuttgart and Jan Hegr fouled an opponent in the penalty area during the first minute. Germans scored and started to "produce" another goals – the score stopped to 0-6 against Czechs in the first half. Although there were some changes in the Czech line-up during the second half, they were not able to do anything with the result. MTV Stuttgart, which was the first team of the German Bundesleague for last four years, shot ten goals during the game and the match ended 0-10 against Czechs. In the following match there was a square battle between LFC Berlin and Chemnitzer FC. The Berlin team won 2-1. In the evening, all the tournament's participants gathered for a dinner at a local Greek restaurant, and after a brief stop at the hotel the Czech team attended a meeting with German players at the school for visually impaired students. There was a talk with Alexander Fangmann (MTV Stuttgart team player and one of the organizers of the tournament) about the next friendly match between the Czech Republic and Germany which is planned for spring 2011. Both sides also discussed the idea of two Czech clubs' participation in the Bundesleague since 2012.
On Sunday 3rd, there were the last two games. The Czech Republic team played against LFC Berlin, which ended third in the Bundesleague last season. Unfortunately during the first half the Czechs did not play very well because the Berliners have come up with an aggressive and offensive tactics, which the Czechs did not expect and lost the first part of the game 0-3. After the break, the line-up was changed and Lukas Valer hit a post at first and then did not even score from a penalty. On the other side Berlin added one more goal from the breakaway and the Czechs were defeated 0-4. In the last match of the tournament the host from Stuttgart beat his opponent only 4-1 due to the fact the Chemnitz team received a help from another Stuttgart team players, who are not the members of the Stuttgart line-up in regular.
At the closing ceremony, the Czech Republic won the bronze medal, the fair play award and Lukas Valer was introduced as the best player of the tournament. The weekend in Stuttgart ended very positively for the Czech blind football. But a lot of work has to be done to make our team prepared for the matches against the teams participating in the European Championships. Another blind football camp is needed to build the national team, so the players can get used to each other and the line-up could be finalised. The main goal is to participate in the European Championship next year.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Adventures in Preemie-sitting: A New Pastor?
Hi I am new to your blog and do not have one yet myself. However I also am a mom to a micro-preemie (25 weeker) who will turn 2 7/7/07!! Minus 3 (21 months). I(we) struggle with reflux, weight gain. My little peanut has just now hit 19LBS, we to have to deal with the (threat) if you will! of feeding tubes and such. We are on pediasure also with extra extra cals. He has been getting sick 1 a month since March with diarrhea/vomitting so I think he would have been 20LBS plus had that not been the issue. Well ramble ramble, it is nice to share your story with you thank you for that. I wondered though where you purchase your duocal/polycal, we have not yet tried that we are on something similar just wondered. I live in Arizona, my email is baby.james.mom@hotmail.com I would love to chit chat. Take care and keep up the good work.
I love this post. What a different place we stand now as parents of preemies. Even if this pastor is not THE pastor from the hospital, he will see you made the right decision.
We were also faced with a decision to end support, it never got to an ethics meeting, thank goodness. You are so brave to have underwent that, and isn't it so amazing to see your child proving people wrong!?!


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December 2010 Activity -- Book Binding
Our finished books!
Introduction to Book Binding
The Soundry
http://www.soundry.net/
Sunday, December 12th, 1:00pm-4:00pm
$35/person (class & supply fee)
Need to bring two 12"x12" decorative paper sheets to cover our album
The Dilettantes are going to learn how to make their very own books! The Soundry will teach us the ancient saddle stitch bookbinding technique, how to make books on our own, and will send us home with our very first handmade book. (Perfect, since Dilettante Amy just got a Kindle!)
Posted by Brutalism at 10:45 AM No comments:
November 2010 Activity -- Civil War Thanksgiving Reenactment
Cost: $2/person suggested donation
Cherry Hill Farmhouse
Prior to going to this reenactment, we met for lunch and drinks at the Mad Fox in Falls Church. Thankfully, we had fortified ourselves with a few Orange Whip beers (and yes, we did order them by saying to our waiter, "Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip? Three orange whips) and an order of frickles (we love frickles) before walking into the farmhouse and seeing this portrait.
Holy Mother of God, why would anyone want to go back to a time where they not only didn't lock child demons like that in a basement, but also painted portraits of them so that they could attempt to steal your souls more than a hundred years later?
When we walked into the dining room, the reenactors were just finishing dessert at the table, in what was supposed to be 1863. One gentleman greeted us and gave us some information about the house and the participants. Another gentleman asked us how we had arrived that day, and of course, we had no idea whether to answer as ourselves or to give the Civil War-era answer. Dilettante Amanda handled this by responding, "in a hybrid carriage."
After touring the house, we asked if we could try on some of the bonnets on the hat rack (which we assumed were props, but were actually hats that the reenactors had worn there that day).
We are a bunch of rubes.
On our way through the kitchen, we asked the young girl sitting there a few questions about what she was doing and her response led us to believe that she had been dragged there against her (corseted) will. To wit:
Dilettante Amy: What do you have there?
Unhappy, Uninterested Girl: (Picks up basket full of knitting, lifts yarn to reveal random pieces of colored wood, and says in a completely flat voice). Toys.
Dilettante Amy: Oh, how nice!
UUG: >crickets<
Dilettante Kathleen (looking at giant mound of crystallized something): Is that salt or sugar?
UUG (staring at floor, NOT at said pile): errrr... I dunno.
We headed back to the hybrid carriage, which then headed back to the Mad Fox for another round of orange whips. (And caused the hostess to say, "When I told you to come back soon...I didn't necessarily mean in an hour.")
We actually did learn something...and that is that the house was owned by the Blaisdells who voted with the Union, and therefore were in a bit of a pickle (frickle?) when it came to maintaining the safety of their persons and property. Mr. Blaisdell noted that someone even had to stay at home while the rest of the family went to church to guard the possessions.
(Note to self: I have a new excuse if my mother-in-law asks me to go to church on Christmas Eve. Thanks, Reenactors!)
Posted by Brutalism at 12:50 PM 2 comments:
October 2010 Activity -- Rallying to Restore Sanity
10:30am-3:00pm - ish
Posted by Brutalism at 2:50 PM No comments:
September 2010 Activity -- Fly Fishing
Lake Audubon
2070 Twin Branches
$20/person (half price through Groupon)
http://www.robsnowhite.com/
Here's a little free advice: If you ever go camping with a Dilettante, have a Plan B when it comes to dinner if Plan A is "we'll eat what we catch."
After two hours of fly fishing, none of the Dilettantes (or Guest Dilettante Chris) had caught anything. Other than twigs. And probably poison sumac.
This was no reflection on our instructor - a character (in the best possible sense) named Rob Snowhite. (Who upon his first cast into the water, promptly landed a large-mouth bass.)
We had no idea what to make of this guy at first…a young guy who likened himself to Brad Pitt (though we all thought more Luke Wilson) who told us that he had been a biology teacher, worked for a big consulting firm and was now fly fishing as a full time job. And that his wife was a spy. And that he lived in his car at one point in South Park, Colorado, where he was almost eaten by a mountain lion. And in order to remember important things, he simply rolled up a pant leg and jotted notes on his skin with a Sharpie. Added to this were the fact that he liked good beer and the fact that he used the term "Nantucket Sleighride." (Which sounded like an Urban Dictionary entry to us. He used it to mean catching a fish so large that it can actually pull your boat, though to our credit...there are some alternate and more amusing definitions in Urban Dictionary.)
We began our two-hour fly fishing instruction by learning the equipment. He showed us a 10-foot rod (snicker) and its butt (snicker). Rob also showed us and explained the many different types of flies and the types of fishing for which they are used. Some of these he had made, and some he had bought (meaning, they were made by Sri Lankan children).
After our tutorial, we all spaced out along the shoreline (literally and figuratively) and began casting. Guest Dilettante Chris came close to landing a fish (though she and our instructor had different opinions of how large the fish actually was). Dilettante Amanda succeeded in catching her sweatshirt (which will be delightful mounted above her fireplace).
Dilettante Amy succeeded in getting bored at the 50-minute mark (her trademark), though she stuck it out to the bitter end.
It was a gorgeous day and we really enjoyed ourselves even though nothing was biting (yes...that's it. Nothing was biting). There was a lot less nonsense than usual since we had to stand so far apart. (I guess our elementary school teachers knew what they were doing when they separated the troublemakers.)
Lunch at Jackson's Mighty Fine Food in the Reston Town Center followed, where we were met by Dilettante Nicole and her baby, Lucas.
Posted by Brutalism at 10:51 AM 5 comments:
August 2010 Activity -- Beading
Joy of Beading
5903 Lee Highway, Arlington
Cost: $30.
Materials are provided for in class instruction. If you want to make something you can take with you, you should arrive a little earlier to select and pay for materials.
Dilettante Amanda's younger sister, Megan who was visiting from Colorado, joined us as a guest Dilettante on this activity. (Aside: Megan's middle name is Alexis. This is because Amanda was five when Megan was born and her parents gave their rather precocious child some input into naming her sister. Which she loved --promptly naming her after her favorite movie character at the time -- Alexis in the timeless classic "Ice Castles.") (Megan is so thankful that Alexis is a pretty name. Megan Robby Benson would have been a little harder to deal with...)
[For what it's worth...this post has been written in draft format for a couple of weeks while I've tried to weave together some puns including: pearls of wisdom, beads of perspiration, stringing us along,
pendant-ic and many other gems (heh). Good news? I still have the day job.]
Beading, it turns out, involves basic math, listening skills and an ability to follow simple instruction. All areas in which Dilettante Kathleen promptly received an "F". We learned how to knot and close bracelets and necklaces, the different types of clasps, materials used for clasps and stringing, which tools were used in the process, and how to measure the appropriate length of string or wire for our projects. Our instructor, Aga, was charming and patient (and very talented -- she was recently featured in a beading periodical for an original necklace design).
The hour and a half long class was all hands-on and we actually felt like we had somewhat developed a skill when we left.
Our de-brief took place at the restaurant next door...which was once a pizza hut, then the Tap and Vine and now an Asian place. The service was a little spotty. Amanda asked for a water, and they forgot it...she asked again and they came back with a straw for her sister and still no water for her. Amy and Megan ordered crab rangoon appetizers. They were delivered at the end of the meal and we were charged for three. I'm just realizing as I write this that I never got my jasmine tea. Sheesh. With an attention span and listening skills like that, our waitress should think about taking a beading class.
July 2010 Activity -- Bartending
"Cocktail Creations": A Hands-On Amateur Bartending Class
Bartender of America Bartending School
9651 Baltimore Avenue
$25/person
The Bartender of America Bartending School is on Baltimore Avenue. A fact that was drilled into my brain as I was driving there with Dilettante Amy and we had the following Rain Man/Who's on First discussion:
Amy: What is the address of the place?
Me: Baltimore Avenue
Amy: Right, but what is the street address?
Amy: (to her credit, very patiently) The street address.
Me: (emphatically) Baltimore Avenue!
Amy: (resignedly) Is there a building number on Baltimore Avenue?
Me: (sheepishly) Oh...9651
Dilettante Amanda was smart and just met us there. She came from a baby shower that had been held at a home with no air conditioning. On a day that the temperature reached almost 115 degrees. Holy boob sweat, Batman.
The Dilettantes made up the majority of this one hour class that focused on how to properly mix and serve different types of martinis. Our classroom was set up to look like a commercial bar with glassware, cocktail shakers, garnishes and even a soda gun at each station. And although the alcohol bottles lined up on the shelves behind us were real, they were all filled with colored water.
Party poopers.
For the most part, we used the correct bottles of alcohol for whatever cocktail we were mixing (for a dash of realism), though, occasionally, we amused ourselves by putting together the grossest combination of booze we could think of (Dilettante Amanda's jagermeister and creme de menthe creation with a cocktail onion and cherry garnish comes to mind).
We went through exercises of counting out the proper pour and then measuring our results to see how accurate we were (a two-count is about half an ounce), practiced using a shaker, a strainer and making cocktails straight up or on the rocks, and then adding the proper garnish and setting the finished cocktail on the bar in front of us. As with anything, the pros make this look so much easier than it is. We had early visions of coming away being able to do Tom Cruise's "Cocktail" moves and realized quickly that we'd be lucky to count the pour without moving our lips.
We then spent the rest of the class focused on the valuable bartending skill of interpreting slur.
I wish.
At the end of the hour, our almost impossibly good looking and very fun instructor, Mia, gave us a copy of the cocktail recipes we had practiced and tried to sell us a bunch of barware.
We followed up with lunch at the Hard Times Cafe in College Park. Unadventurously, drinking only beer.
By the way, during the entire class, we were being photographed and videotaped for the Bartender of America web site. Let us know if you see us there.
June 2010 Activity -- Flamenco Dancing
Flamenco Dancing (with castanets!)
http://www.born2dancestudio.com/
I'll be honest with you -- the studio name was almost a deal breaker for me, being no fan of text message-ese. (Truly, seeing someone write "R U" in lieu of "are you" causes me physical pain.)
Getting past that, I was very excited to try flamenco and get back to my Spanish roots. (You know, since my husband's grandfather came straight from the Old Country I am now Spanish-by-association and am launching a campaign to get the tilde back in our last name. Let's all say it together: Can-YAY-doh.)
Walking into the Andalusia ballroom (that the man who checked me in pronounced as "An-da-loo-SEE-ah" -- god, I love that accent) in the Born 2 Dance Studio, we saw about 10 other women of all ages ready to flamenco. We found out that most had just begun taking lessons, yet most already had their own castanets and special dance shoes. With our castanets borrowed from the teacher, we began a series of warm up exercises that included a lot of wrist movement and hand positioning. Then, we spent a lot of time on castanets...putting them on and clacking out different beat patterns. Castanets rock.
We learned that flamenco music styles are called palos and songs are classified into palos based on a rhythmic pattern. (Our instructor, in her ever-cheerful way, explained that the palos we'd be dancing to had a 12-beat and that we'd be counting by fives on the 12-beat. We quickly realized that 12 is not evenly divisible by five and therefore, were immediately overwhelmed by counting, castanet-ing and stomping all at once.)
She further complicated this by introducing a compas (the rhythmic cycle of a palo) and at first having us stomp on the beat, and then on the contra beat. (It was enough to make our heads feel like they were gonna 'splode, Loo-see.)
Other than a little stomping, we didn't do any actual dancing...it was more about the upper body posture and arm position and castanets. Have I mentioned that castanets rock?
After class, we walked over to Amphora for some food and cervezas. Muy bien!
Posted by Brutalism at 3:12 PM 1 comment:
May 2010 Activity -- Drag Bingo
Tuesday, May 11th
900 U Street
8:00-10:00pm
http://www.nelliessportsbar.com/
Where to even begin? With Eleanor, the lesbian from Dallas? With the woman from Georgia who did not grasp the concept of BINGO and ran up on stage after getting five in-no-way-connected spots on her score card filled? With the huge table full of employees from the Red Robin in Waldorf who seemed to be regulars? (And who lost an over-imbibing member of their group to the restroom for a good portion of the night?) With the vast array of food and beverage that was available in "bucket 'o" quantities?
Or should we begin with the prize table -- which was quite obviously a table of rejected gifts from Christmases past. It included: a leopard print snuggie, an electronic dartboard, a dirt devil vacuum, a Paula Deen hot chocolate maker, a crock pot, a chia pet, a basketball, a waffle maker and some other completely random stuff. (Seeing the chia pet prompted Dilettante Kathleen to exclaim, "Oh my GOD! I have always wanted a chia pet!" A dream sadly unrealized due to the hefty $7.99 price tag, apparently.)
Actually, let's begin with how the two stunning drag hostesses (Shi-Queeta and I-don't-remember-the-other-woman's-name-so-let's-call-her-Mary-Katherine-because-it's-funny) set the tone of the evening by picking on every single person in the (completely full) bar. The banter was totally lewd and uproariously funny. They were absolutely equal-opportunity offenders and made everyone feel like they were part of the party. (If you go...be prepared to discuss your sexual orientation and whether or not you are a "top" or a "bottom"). And be prepared to be challenged on your answers based on some of your bodily features. Whether you are gay/straight/black/white/male/female or anything in between -- you are going to be stereotyped with an unflattering comparison. (In our crowd, there was a "Sumo Wrestler," a "Shrimp Fried Rice," and a "Velma" from Scooby Doo. Frankly, we got off pretty easy, as we were dubbed simply, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey.") A theme our hostesses returned to again and again by saying things like:
"Y'all white women better win this waffle maker!"
"Y'all New Jersey housewives better win this here crock pot!"
"Damn Jersey housewives ain't winnin' shit tonight!"
In addition to the bingo, the ladies mixed things up with a lot of crowd participation and contests. Taking a cue from RuPaul's Drag Race, they did a "lip sync for your life" contest. A really cute gentleman that participated did not perform successfully, so Shi-Queeta said to him, "Go sit down, Bottom, you don't even win nuthin'" Later, she said to another rowdy participant, "I'm a drag queen...I will whup yo ass."
Dilettante Amy was chosen for a dance-off with five other people...and easily won the first round elimination. She tapped out in the second round, however, when her opponent began grinding her butt in a stranger's lap. Amy is nothing if not aware of her personal boundaries...she would simply not go there. Literally or figuratively.
Later in the evening, Dilettante Kathleen was selected for a chug-off with five other people. Having no personal boundaries of which she is aware, she easily downed the beer and won the contest -- and an awesome calendar featuring Shi-Queeta herself.
One bawdy, fun, ridiculous night. Quite a perfect swan song for Nicole...who is now on hiatus from the club until she realizes that a few hours away from her newborn every month will be something she looks forward to and comes back into the fold.
The only down side of the evening was that none of us won bingo. Ever. Also, we ate dinner at Nellie's prior to bingo. The food was good...but the service was awful. We found out later it was our waiter's first night, which probably explained most of that...but jeez. Perhaps we should ask Mary Katherine to whup his ass?
Dilettante Changes and Summer Fun !
Dear Faithful Followers, it is with a heavy heart that we are saying goodbye to one of our original members, Dilettante Nicole. She is having her first baby in June and will be taking some time off to focus on her family
(ha ha ha -- a Dilettante "focusing" -- I kill myself...) We have a ton of great and ridiculous memories and wish her all the best in molding her Dilettante offspring.
We have not yet decided how to fill the void that Nicole will leave. We may have a guest Dilettante every month, we may audition potential new permanent members...we're not sure. What we are sure of is that the Dilettante Club works best with four people and that the fun will continue every month. We have a great lineup of activities planned, starting in May and going through the rest of the year. These include:
Spelling Buzz at the Rock and Roll Hotel
DC Scavenger Hunt
Cupcake Tasting
Sunset horseback trail ride
Posted by Brutalism at 9:55 AM No comments:
April 2010 Activity -- Spy Mission
Spy in the City Mission
The Spy Museum
9:00 - 10:30pm
How could your four Mata Hari wannabes Dilettantes not want to participate in an activity described thusly:
Time is ticking… terrorist operation is unfolding in DC…sleeper agents are ready to activate a device that will bring the city to its knees. Can you find the hidden password to deactivate it before the terrorists launch their attack? In the ultimate intelligence game, you will piece together clues and decipher messages that reveal a world of ruthless terrorists and deadly choices. As a Special Security Division (SSD) agent armed with a Geo-COBRA, the latest high tech device issued to counterintelligence field agents, you prowl the streets of DC uncovering secret messages, tracing hidden signals, scanning for fingerprints, and breaking codes. Can you foil the plot? Only your wits and time will tell…
Being good spies, the Dilettantes did their best to blend in...and by that, I mean that Dilettante Kathleen used her pink ear buds and Dilettante Amanda wore a bright red beret.
Our first order of business was to choose spy names. Nicole went with Pilar, Amanda went with Natasha, Amy went with "The Umbrella Maker" and Kathleen went with Brutalism. We received our briefing on how to use our COBRA devices and off we went into the gorgeously sunny DC day, receiving audio and video messages from our contact and also from special agent "catbird." (Our GPS devices also issued each of us a "special code name" when we first logged in. We found out later that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US was "Tango 009". Not only is that completely not secure and probably what caused us to have an unsuccessful spy mission...it also kinda makes me regret the "Tango 009' tattoo I got.)
The mission was a lot of fun. With the exception of Nicole's GPS device not working after the first five minutes of the activity. That required a call back to HQ to try and get things sorted out, but it was not to be. (Though they did refund her money at the end.) All in all, a fun way to spend an hour an a half on a beautiful sunny day in the city.
Lunch at Teaism followed (after a failed attempt to go to Gordon Biersch -- shocking that so few other people want beer before 11:00am).
March 2010 Activity -- Mosaics
VisArts
155 Gibbs Street, Suite 300
Includes instruction and materials to complete a mosaic lamp, vase or tray
http://www.visartscenter.org/
First of all, "mosaics" might be one of my favorite words to say, so this activity had that going for it right off the bat.
Secondly, due to Washington metro area traffic and rainy weather, each of the four Dilettantes was late to this class and Eileen (the instructor) could not have been more welcoming or empathetic as we made our way into the room. She patiently went over anything she had already discussed, emphasized that whatever approach we wanted to take (more planned out or more free-form) to our mosaic piece was great, and really made us feel welcome and excited to learn about this art form. (She also tried to hunt down a bottle of wine for us, so basically, she is our favorite instructor, ever.)
The class was just the four Dilettantes and one other woman, so we all got a lot of individual instruction and suggestions. Eileen had many containers filled with different types and colors of glass pieces and glass beads from which we could select what we wanted to use for our design. We all got our supplies together and began laying out our designs -- Dilettantes Nicole, Amanda and Kathleen on trays and Dilettante Amy on a picture frame.
After outfitting us with safety goggles and "Mr. Snippies" (glass cutters), Eileen let us create, while a mix of great music played in the studio. She was truly a perfect balance of creative, talented artist and patient, encouraging instructor. As we worked, we all forgot about traffic and stress and just really got into what we were doing.
It took almost an hour and a half to lay out and glue down our designs. Eileen told us how the grouting procedure worked, but we did not do this part ourselves -- this and the firing she was going to do after we left and then we'd pick them up some other time.
We followed up with some excellent food (and a few pisco sours) at the Peruvian restaurant next door.
(Dilettante Nicole will be picking up the completed mosaics pieces in the next few weeks...she'll be in Rockville anyway for a trip to Buy, Buy baby...) [No pressure, Nicole, but "Mosaic" would make a very nice baby name.]
January 2010 Activity -- Knitting
Dilettante Amy's House, Arlington, VA
Cost: $105 for 1 1/2 hours instruction and all materials
(Dilettante Amanda scored a deal on this by betting on the tutorial at a silent auction)
You know how you reach a certain point in your life where you begin to assess where you are and where you've been and wonder what other things you want to try or achieve in this all-too-short time we have on earth?
And then you realize that knitting falls nowhere on that spectrum?
Knitting is one of those things that we know lots of other nice people do, but have never had any interest in doing ourselves. (Kind of like going to church. Or threesomes.) Yet... and this is a big YET...this was a really, really fun activity.
As we've all discussed before, the instructor can totally make or break an activity, and Emmy not only made this one fun, but we also learned enough about knitting that the slightly OCD faction of the Dilettante Club (cough, cough Amanda) is now intent upon knitting until the entire skein of yarn is gone.
Emmy provided each of us a set of new knitting needles and a skein of yarn. (The needles were the training-wheel version of actual knitting needles, which is kind of the next best thing to us wearing helmets while doing an activity.) We learned how to "cast on" to begin knitting a row of stitches, how to "take it from behind" (heh), and how to count stitches, do a purl stitch and take the knitting off the needles when we were finished. Emmy was patient and laid-back and had a way of explaining what was actually some pretty complicated stuff that made it understandable.
Overachiever Amy continued to add stitches throughout the activity...somehow ending up with 26, even though only 12 were requested. (cough, cough teacher's pet)
And get this...Emmy also gave us each a scarf that her mom had knitted. How much do you love that? (And how much enjoyment did we each get out of going home and telling the Dilettante spouses that we knitted those scarves ourselves?)
We followed up the activity with lunch and beer ('cept for Nicole, of course...no beer now that a little Dilettante is on its way) at Dogfish Head.
Posted by Brutalism at 12:56 PM 11 comments:
November 2010 Activity -- Civil War Thanksgiving R...


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HomeCorona Virus and Animal Testing – by Dr Andre Menache
Corona Virus and Animal Testing – by Dr Andre Menache
The Coronavirus pandemic called COVID-19 is an important opportunity to reassess the way we do medical research. Faced with this viral tsunami, scientists have not had time to find one or more animal species to serve as a 'model' to study this disease in the laboratory.
In the case of seasonal flu, doctors have well-known ways to lower rates of infection, such as vaccines and antiviral drugs, which can decrease the severity of symptoms and the duration of the disease. But faced with an emergency situation, researchers decided to test new treatments directly on patients. It should be noted that these are not untested medical drugs but rather drugs used for other diseases, or else different combinations of drugs already on the market.
This kind of human experimentation is called a 'clinical trial'. Its purpose is to assess the efficacy of a treatment following the approval by ethics committees and the informed consent of the patient. A clinical trial is normally preceded by several 'preclinical' steps to assess the toxicity and efficacy of a new treatment. One of these steps is animal testing. This regulatory requirement dates back to the Nuremberg Codes of 1947 and is still the norm in national and international legislation today. Yet, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, out of ten medical drugs that have successfully passed the required tests on animals, nine will fail in clinical trials involving humans (due to lack of efficacy or to side effects not seen in animals). This represents a 90% failure rate or a 10% prediction rate based on animal tests.
It is interesting to note that scientists closely involved in the search for a treatment or a vaccine against COVID-19 also recognise the fact that animal tests are unreliable to predict human reactions. Let us quote some of them. According to Tal Zaks, medical director of Moderna, a successful biotech company in the United States: "I don't think proving this in an animal model is on the critical path to getting this to a clinical trial" (1). Barney Graham, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) also in the United States notes that standard laboratory mice do not catch this new Coronavirus, as humans do (2). Finally, Karen Maschke, editor of the journal Ethics & Human Research, pointed out that animal studies are often poor predictors of what will work in humans (3).
Of course, making a new vaccine is not without risk. This is the reason for using evidence-based technologies, as demonstrated by 'personalised' medicine and vaccines. Indeed, doctors and researchers note that we are not all equal to the risk of infection by this virus. Why are children far less susceptible than the elderly, for example? Crucially, the clinical information that is being collected constitutes the best data to develop personalised treatments and vaccines, more effective and with fewer side effects than conventional treatments.
This is a golden opportunity to get rid of the 'animal model', a concept that belongs to the 20th century, and to focus our efforts on the species in question, namely humans. To try to reproduce a human disease in an animal is a perversion of science, a complete misunderstanding of the complex system that we are and of the different complex systems that make up our organism, such as the immune system. Each animal species is a complex system and therefore cannot serve as a model for another. Even among humans, there are important differences between children and adults, men and women, in terms of susceptibility to COVID-19. Rather than experimenting with ferrets, monkeys or mice, it would be more intelligent – and far more scientific – to invest in high-performance technologies of the 21st century.
One example is the 'MIMIC' (Modular IMmune In vitro Construct). It is an in vitro model of the human immune system (4). "The information you get from this type of test is far and beyond what you'd get out of a mouse study," says Michael Rivard, vice president of corporate development at VaxDesign, "both because it's humans and because you can see the effect across a spectrum of genotypes" (5).
Advanced in vitro technologies (such as MIMIC, 'organs on a chip' and others) must aim for a prediction rate of 85 to 90 % in order to be accepted at the regulatory level, whereas the 'animal model' achieves a prediction rate of only 10% according to the FDA. A testing strategy based on a battery of in vitro tests using human material would be far more relevant than pursuing animal tests. It is time to change the current paradigm in biomedical research if we want to preserve our health in the face of emerging diseases of the 21st century. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic will help us to question some of our outdated scientific practices as well as the obsolete regulations that still impose them.
Researchers rush to test coronavirus vaccine in people without knowing how well it works in animals
https://www.ibtimes.com/coronavirus-update-vaccine-skips-important-animal-testing-phase-straight-human-trials-2941208
https://www.fiercepharma.com/vaccines/vaxdesign-offers-an-alternative-to-animal-studies


Below is a look at some of the headlines for companies that made news in the healthcare sector on October 20, 2014.
CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), announced that a paper, titled "A Phase 1b/2 Study of Aldoxorubicin in Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma," has been published online in Cancer, the prestigious, peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
The paper discusses results from CytRx's completed Phase 1b/2 clinical trial where 25 patients were enrolled, including 17 patients (68%) with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Data from the trial demonstrated that aldoxorubicin administered at its maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 350mg/m2 showed a substantial increase in median progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced STS (n=13).
Partial responses (PR) were achieved in 38% of patients and stable disease (SD) was achieved in 46% of patients. Median PFS was 11.25 months and median overall survival (OS) was 21.71 months. Notably, 12 of the 13 patients in the MTD dosing cohort had received prior chemotherapy and had experienced either no response or disease progression while on prior therapy. In addition, patients in this dosing cohort completed a median of 8 dosing cycles, and 9 patients (69%) had a PR or SD lasting ≥4 months.
Aldoxorubicin was generally well tolerated, with no clinically significant cardiotoxicities and no drug-related deaths.
NewLink Genetics Corporation (Nasdaq: NLNK), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel immunotherapeutics to improve treatment options for patients with cancer, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX:RO) (SIX:ROG) (OTCQX:RHHBY), for the development of NLG919, NewLink's IDO pathway inhibitor. The parties also entered into a research collaboration for the discovery of next generation IDO/TDO compounds.
Under the terms of the agreement, NewLink will receive an upfront payment of $150 million. NewLink will be eligible to receive in excess of $1 billion in milestone payments based on achievement of certain predetermined milestones as well as escalating double-digit royalties on potential commercial sales of multiple products by Genentech.
Genentech will fund future research, development, manufacturing and commercialization costs. Genentech will also provide research funding to NewLink for support of the research collaboration. NewLink will continue to pursue development activities associated with NLG919 in combination with its novel HyperAcute vaccine platform.
NewLink will retain the option for co-promotion rights for NLG919 and potential next generation IDO/TDO compounds in the U.S. The completion of the agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.
"This alliance enables us to accelerate and expand development of NLG919 while we continue to advance our other promising clinical and preclinical development programs," said Dr. Charles Link, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NewLink. "Genentech's oncology development expertise, commercial leadership and history of successful strategic alliances make it an ideal collaborator to bring the potential benefits of NLG919 to patients."
"We are intrigued by the biology of the IDO and TDO compounds and are very interested in the potential to combine them with Genentech's portfolio of novel therapies," said James Sabry, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Genentech Partnering. "We are delighted to have initiated this significant partnership with NewLink. We hope this collaboration will lead to new therapies for people with cancer."
Acasti Pharma Inc. (Nasdaq:ACST) (TSX-V:APO), an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of new krill oil-based forms of omega-3 phospholipid therapies for the treatment and prevention of certain cardiometabolic disorders, announces the grant of an aggregate of 180,000 incentive stock options under the Corporation's Stock Option Plan for its senior executive and management team.
Advaxis, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADXS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, today announced that it has appointed David J. Mauro, M.D., Ph.D., as Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer of Advaxis.
Bacterin International Holdings, Inc. (NYSE MKT:BONE), a leader in the development of bone graft material and coatings for medical applications, today announced the launch of a demineralized allograft, 3Demin™ Cortical Fibers.
Cerner (Nasdaq:CERN) will host more than 11,000 health care industry leaders, practitioners and Cerner associates in Kansas City for the 29th annual Cerner Health Conference (CHC).
ChemoCentryx, Inc., (Nasdaq:CCXI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer, today reported data from the Phase III SHIELD 4 clinical trial in Crohn's disease with vercirnon, an inhibitor of the chemokine receptor known as CCR9.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) announced today that the company will be webcasting its presentation at the Credit Suisse 2014 Healthcare Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 8:00 AM Mountain.
Foundation Healthcare Inc. (OTCQB:FDNH), an owner and operator of surgery focused hospitals that facilitate and enhance the surgical experience for surgeons and their patients, announced today it will host an earnings call to discuss the Company's third quarter 2014 financial results at 4:30 p.m. EDT (3:30 p.m. CDT) on Wednesday, October 29, 2014.
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE MKT:HEB), announced that a federal judge in Delaware has dismissed all claims against Hemispherx and the Sage Group brought by Cato Capital in an order and decision dated September 29, 2014.
Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE MKT:HEB), has retained Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) to serve as its global government relations team in an effort to help find additional pathways for testing Hemispherx's flagship experimental anti-viral Ampligen® and approved anti-viral (HPV) Alferon® N against the devastating Ebola virus.
Immunomedics, Inc., (Nasdaq:IMMU) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted orphan drug status for one of the Company's solid-tumor antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), isactuzumab govitecan, or IMMU-132, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. (Nasdaq:IPCM), a leading national hospital medicine and post-acute physician group practice company, announced today that it is continuing its investment in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. with the acquisition of Comprehensive Health Solutions, based in Newtown Square, PA.
K2M Group Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTWO), a global medical device company focused on designing, developing and commercializing innovative and proprietary complex spine technologies, techniques and minimally invasive procedures, today announced plans to release third quarter of fiscal 2014 financial results after market close on October 29th.
Lion Biotechnologies, Inc. (OTCBB:LBIO), a biotechnology company that is developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), today announced that research by chief scientific officer Laszlo Radvanyi, PhD, has been published in the current issue of Journal of Immunotherapy.
Matinas BioPharma Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:MTNB), an emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of omega-3 fatty acid-based prescription therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions, announced today that the Company has submitted an Investigational New Drug application (IND) for MAT9001 to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. (Nasdaq:NEPT) (TSX:NTB), announces the signing of an exclusive world-wide, royalty-bearing, non-transferable, License Agreement with BlueOcean Nutrascience Inc. under Neptune's composition and extraction patents covering the production and sale of marine derived oil products containing phospholipids.
Nuvilex, Inc. (OTCQB:NVLX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cell and gene therapy solutions for the treatment of diseases, announced today that it has entered into a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) with the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria (University).
Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Nasdaq:OHRP), an ophthalmology research and development company, announced today that additional positive clinical data from the IMPACT study were presented at the 2014 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Scientific Meeting, in Chicago, Illinois.
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc., (Nasdaq:PACB) provider of the PacBio® RS II DNA Sequencing System, today announced that its unique Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT®) Sequencing technology will be featured in a number of presentations at the 2014 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) 40th Annual Meeting taking place October 20-24 in Denver, CO.
PetMed Express, Inc. (Nasdaq:PETS) today announced its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2014. Net sales for the quarter ended September 30, 2014 were $57.6 million, compared to $60.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2013, a decrease of 4.8%.
PositiveID Corporation (OTCQB:PSID), a developer of biological detection and diagnostics solutions, today announced that its President, Lyle L. Probst, was featured on Hannity on Fox News on Thursday, October 16, 2014, to discuss the Company's Firefly Dx, a point-of-need system designed to quickly detect pathogens such as Ebola in patients and in the environment.
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company (Nasdaq:RRD) will visit the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square. October 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the RR Donnelley Company by Richard Robert Donnelley in 1864 in Chicago, IL.
SWK Holdings Corporation (SWKH.OB), a life science focused specialty finance company, announced that it established a record date for its rights offering.
Symmetry Medical Inc. (NYSE:SMA), a leading global source of innovative medical device solutions, including surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, and sterilization cases and trays, announced today that it will release third quarter 2014 financial results for the period ending September 27, 2014 before the market opens on Thursday, October 30, 2014. Symmetry Medical will host an accompanying conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 30, 2014.
Therapix Bio (TASE:TRPX) (OTCQB:THXBY) today announced that Jan Turek has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective as of September 22nd, 2014.
TriVascular Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:TRIV) today announced that the Company will release 2014 third quarter financial results after market close on Monday, November 10, 2014.
VG Life Sciences Inc., (OTCQB:VGLS) a biotechnology company, announces today that one of its scientific advisors, Dr. Richard Tobin, PhD, published data demonstrating that when there is traumatic brain injury (TBI), the body inflicts additional neural damage via the immune system.


Effortlessly escape tight lies while playing the Cleveland Launcher HB Hybrid. Cleveland's longest, most forgiving hybrid features a reinvented HiBore crown, which compresses at impact and decompresses at launch, to create incredibly fast ball speeds. Flex-Fin Technology tightens directional dispersion to increase energy transfer, even on heel and toe hits. A Launcher Cup Face increases COR across the face to create a hot face and larger sweet spot for incredible forgiveness.


CERTS is working to accelerate meaningful opportunities for customers to participate voluntarily in competitive electricity markets for the provision of ancillary services. Research focuses on demonstrating advanced demand-response technologies and strategies that will improve the reliability of the grid.
Related research to assess the effects of customer participation on market efficiency is conducted under Reliability and Markets.
This project was designed to study the effects of control algorithms and frequency measurement error on electric system behavior.
CERTS assembled an interdisciplinary team to assess the research needs associated with a range of topics related to the use of load (or demand response) as a system reliability resource, mainly to provide ancillary services.
This project sought to demonstrate of the use of large responsive loads from industrial processes, such as aluminum smelters, and commercial buildings, such as air conditioning systems in hotels, as sources of spinning reserves.
Makarov, Yuri V, Jian Ma, Shuai Lu, and Tony B Nguyen. Assessing the Value of Regulation Resources Based on Their Time Response Characteristics. Richland: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 2008.
Barbose, Galen L, Charles A Goldman, and Bernard Neenan. A Survey of Utility Experience with Real Time Pricing. Berkeley: LBNL, 2004. LBNL-54238.
Kirby, Brendan J, and Moonis R Ally. Spinning Reserves from Controllable Packaged Through the Wall Air Conditioner (PTAC) Units. 2002.
Weller, G.H. A Case Study Review of Technical and Technological Issues for Transition of a Utility Load Management Program to Provide System Reliability Resources in Restructured Electricity Markets. 2001.


Frank Williams wound back the clock with a vintage Pole Position for tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix courtesy of the previously underwhelming Nico Hulkenberg. The German rookie made the most of a drying track to secure fastest lap twice in his last 2 runs. In his wake came the Red Bulls again showing no signs of leaving the front row for 2010. McLaren had a mixed bag with Hamilton doing well to start in 4th whilst Button will start 11th. Championship leader Alonso secured 5th on the grid to give a fighting chance. When the lights go out for tomorrow's race expect some fun from a track which more often than not produces a lively race.


East Hickman is divided into four quadrants by the intersection of highways 100 and 46/7.
Highway 100 to Interstate 840. A high rate of growth is expected along Highway 100 from the county line southward as it intersects with Interstate 840 along the northeast corner of the county.
Highway 7 to Columbia from the Highway 100 & 46 intersection. The East Hickman High School is a community anchor along this route. Manufacturers along this route include Sole Supports and ECI Defense Group.
Highway 100 to Highway 46 & 7. This corridor is a main travel route for commuters from the heart of Hickman County. It passes through the Wrigley and Lyles communities.
Centerville is the county seat located near the center of the county--the area shown in light yellow on the map.
Centerville occurs at the intersections of Highway 100, 50, and 48. The town maintains prime industrial land for companies that do not have to be adjacent to the Interstate Highway system, although it is only about 15 miles to Interstate 40 along Highway 50, a relatively new highway capable of supporting significant truck traffic.
West of Centerville: Bucksnort, Only, and Coble.
Emergency services are critical for growth in both industrial and retail business areas. Accordingly, the county has the following emergency services available.
Volunteer Fire Departments. Teams of trained, volunteer fire fighters are located in Pinewood, Shady Grove, East Hickman, and Pleasantville.
Hickman County Emergency Management. The Hickman County Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the management of all emergency preparedness program areas within the county.
Ambulance Services. Located with other emergency management services, a fleet of ambulances with well-trained staff provide services to the county.
Saint Thomas Hickman Hospital. This local hospital is a critcal care facility, the first hospital in Tennessee to receive this certification.


Dealing with deadlines is a key part of the Self Assessment system – and 2017/18 was a record breaker in terms of people getting it right. A massive 93.68% of Self Assessment tax returns for the year were turned in on time – even if over 700,000 of those were last-minute.
There are over 11.5 million people filing tax returns through Self Assessment each year. Of those, the vast majority get it done in good time. For the 2017/18 tax year, that majority hit 10 million people for the first time ever – and HMRC's over the moon about it!
It's not all good news, of course – we're talking about tax here, after all. In total, 731,186 people missed the deadline on the 31st of January. That's £73,118,600 in automatic penalties going out right now – even for people with no actual tax to pay. Things will only go downhill for those people as time drags on, too. After 3 months without filing, they'll start racking up fines of £10 per day, up to £900 total. Another 3 months on, they'll earn themselves another penalty of 5% of the tax they owe – or £300 if that's more. Another 6 months down the line, that same penalty gets applied again. Late payment of what they owe also lands them 5% penalties to cough up at the 30-day, 6-month and 12-month marks.
Of course, some of the 700,000 or so people now choking on those penalties could have perfectly valid reasons why they couldn't hit the deadline. For them, now's the time to make some noise. If you've been facing an honest, unavoidable problem that stopped you from filing your Self Assessment return, you might be able to get the fines cancelled. Don't count on it, though – and don't assume HMRC's going to be lenient without good reason. If you come at them with a weak excuse for missing the deadline, they might not stop at loading you down with penalties. They might well decide to make fun of you on the internet as well!
The taxpayer who was cursed by a witch (who was also their mother-in-law).
The one who had problems with THREE of their maids and just couldn't spare the time.
The person whose fingers were too cold to type.
The one who was too short to reach the post box.
Needless to say, none of these sad cases resulted in a cancelled fine.
So, if you're among the Self Assessment taxpayers currently looking at a £100 penalty, try talking to RIFT. There's a good chance we could limit the damage, and keep you protected in the future. We're also the UK's leading experts at getting the very best from your tax returns. Remember: when it comes to dealing with Self Assessment tax returns, you're better off with RIFT.


It's important to address ants immediately if you find them in or around your pet's cage. Here's some reptile & amphibians safe tips for dealing with ants.
Gold Dust Day Geckos are a medium sized gecko that are easily bred in captivity.
Here are some things to think about as your new pet adjusts to their new home.


Ethically sourced sapphires from Australia. Colors range from fresh olivine green, to soft mint green to a a deeper lake green. There's even a bicolor one with hints of blue. Set with four prongs.
This ring is made for stacking!


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US refuses to address email leaks on Israeli nukes
By Kasim Ileri WASHINGTON (AA) – The State Department on Friday refused to address the existence of Israeli nuclear weapons that were disclosed in emails by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In a message regarding Israeli Prime Minister … Continued
India successfully test-fires nuke-capable missile
NEW DELHI (AA) – India on Monday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni-I missile from an island off the country's eastern Odisha State. Capable of hitting targets at a distance of 700 kilometers, the missile was launched as part of a … Continued
UK: Thousands join anti-nuclear rally
LONDON (AA) – Thousands have gathered in central London at a rally against the renewal of the U.K.'s Trident nuclear weapons system. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also attended the protest organized by the Campaign for … Continued
US, EU lift nuclear-related sanctions on Iran
ANKARA (AA) – The U.S. and EU have announced the lifting of international sanctions on Iran following the announcement of International Atomic Energy Agency that the country is complying with its nuclear-related obligations agreed last summer. International Atomic Energy Agency … Continued
US: Kerry to meet Zarif in Vienna ahead of major announcement
WASHINGTON (AA) – America's top diplomat will meet with his Iranian counterpart and a top EU official in Europe, the State Department announced Friday. The meeting could point to an imminent announcement leading to Iran receiving billions of dollars in … Continued
US: IAEA report 'consistent' with US assessment of Iran
WASHINGTON (AA) — The U.N. nuclear watchdog's recent report on Iranian nuclear activities is consistent with what the U.S. has "long assessed with high confidence", a spokesman said Wednesday. "The IAEA has confirmed that Iran met its commitments to provide responses to … Continued
UK opposition divided over nuclear vote
LONDON (AA) – Divisions in Britain's opposition party were laid bare during a symbolic parliamentary vote on plans to abolish the country's nuclear defences. Fourteen Labour Party lawmakers defied their leader Jeremy Corbyn by voting against the motion, tabled by … Continued
US could potential deploy missiles in Europe to deter Russia
The US is considering deploying missiles in Europe in response to an alleged nuclear treaty violation by Russia. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will meet security officials in Stuttgart Friday ahead of a G7 summit. The United States is mulling … Continued


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Letters for December 19, 2013
Fix Sacto public transit
Re "Back on track" (SN&R Editorial, December 12):
The best investment for California is indeed investment in our infrastructure, including better public transportation that really provides for people's needs and runs to the places people need to go: retail and grocery stores, medical complexes, and frequently visited public buildings like the Department of Motor Vehicles! Here in Sacramento, the air is filthy in the summer and winter, and it's getting worse. People need to get out of their cars, but that won't happen until public transportation is much more user-friendly. We also need more public investment in sustainable-energy sources that provide a healthy return on investment and lower our carbon footprint.
Mary Ann Martorana
Go, Maggy!
Re "Law and reorder" by Nick Miller (SN&R Feature Story, December 12):
I found the article on Maggy Krell fascinating and full of hope, and I am a former law-enforcement officer with four departments and agencies in Central California, but not in Sacramento County. I am now retired. I have spoken to people who have been released from prison since I moved to Sacramento, and I have come away with an extreme disdain for District Attorney Jan Scully's motives and means to obtain her department's high conviction rates, and the cost to those falsely convicted to long sentences, and the ways that these convictions were obtained, are in totally immoral ways of bringing pressure on defendants, in my opinion.
Michael "Glenn" Parker
No, Maggy
Let's start with the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs forum. Everyone I spoke with, even strangers who I exchanged comments with that evening in passing as we were leaving, stated there were two candidates in the district-attorney debate. Todd Leras for the progressives and Anne Marie Schubert for the hard right. Both were seasoned prosecutors with real answers and courtroom presence. Maggy Krell appeared to be a schoolgirl who showed up in her mother's shoes and pearls without an idea of what she was getting into. I don't believe she got applause for a single one of her answers.
As a person who is deeply interested in this race, I have not only been to a few forums where Krell has taken Q-and-A, but have also asked her questions personally. In addition, I have solicited her replies to important topics from interviews she has participated in. This article is written largely by the author and the author's views. These views hardly reflect Krell's views, which are very close to those of Schubert's.
A clue may be her answer stating she'd be charging "more" defendants than we are now. Really? Because our justice system cannot even handle the ones we have going through it now, which definitely shows her lack of experience (about 10 years with almost no trial experience). Finally, it appears the author is blinded by her landslide of endorsements on the Democratic side of the ticket, while failing to recognize most of those came from an "anyone but 'more of the same' bare-bones Republican approach" when Krell got in the race early, and endorsers thought she was their only option. Nick Miller chooses not to mention the incredibly seasoned, experienced and viable other Democrat who has just entered the race in the past month, Leras, who actually does have the platform embracing community solutions and rehabilitation. Watch the sands shift and those pearls and heels get even more oversized for Krell as this campaign moves forward with Leras in the race.
Christine Thomas
Renting body not a crime
Re "Desperately seeking justice" by Scott Thomas Anderson and Raheem F. Hosseini (SN&R Feature Story, December 5):
The real problem is not renting one's body, which is, after all, what every wage slave is doing, but the power difference between the parties to the transaction. Its illegal status simply magnifies the discrepancies of power in our so-called civilization. It would be nice if police, district attorneys and legislators would explain why a financial transaction between consenting adults is a worse crime than a life-threatening assault. A rational explanation, that is, of how they would like to be treated in such a situation.
Muriel Strand
More Opinions » Letters
SN&R's readers chime in on sex workers and justice, McKinley Village, Daniel Barnes' film criticism, and Blue Diamond Almonds.
Letters for December 5, 2013
Our readers chime in on housing in the central city, the Kings arena and homelessness, and Chelsea Manning.
Letters for November 27, 2013
Our readers chime in about housing in the inner city, marijuana and elections, Republicans and their assault on the poor, and Mayor Kevin Johnson and strong mayor.
Readers respond to stories about food-stamps budget cuts, and strong mayor.
Readers respond to Proposition 14 and runoff elections, mental-health care in California prisons, and Republicans hating.


Born in Little Rock in 1887, Florence Beatrice Smith Price became the first African-American female composer to have a composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra. Her classical piece, Symphony in E Minor, was performed by the Chicago Symphony of Orchestra in 1933. It was also performed at the Chicago World's Fair as part of the Century of Progress Exhibition.
She composed more than 300 works in her lifetime, including chamber music, vocal compositions and songs for radio. Her style is a mix of classical European music and black spirituals and rhythms.
Florence was first introduced to music by her mother — a piano teacher and businesswoman — and she published her first original pieces in high school. She finished as a valedictorian in 1903 and attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she graduated with honors in 1906.
She returned to Arkansas to teach music in Arkadelphia, then at Shorter College in North Little Rock, finally landing in Atlanta to head the music department at Clark University. She married in 1912 in Little Rock, and had three children, one who died in infancy. In Little Rock, she opened a music studio, taught piano and continued to compose, but was not allowed to join the Arkansas State Music Teachers Association because of her race.
Segregation and racial discrimination in the South eventually prompted Florence and her family to move to Chicago in 1927 where she had several works accepted for publication, including her Piano Sonata in E Minor. She also won first prize in the Rodman Wanamaker Music Competition for her first symphony. She composed several songs, one sung by Marian Anderson at her famous Lincoln Memorial concert in 1939. Following the 1933 premiere of her Symphony in E Minor, the orchestras of Detroit, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn performed subsequent compositions by Price.
Nearly 10 years after her death in 1953, a Chicago Elementary school took her name as a tribute to her legacy as a black composer. As a teacher in Little Rock, she had immense influence on many of her students.
Manuscripts, books and other papers belonging to Price were discovered in an abandoned Illinois home in 2009, and those works were secured by the University of Arkansas. Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and No 2, contained within the findings, were recorded in Fayetteville. The BBC symphony orchestra performed one of her "lost" compositions in London in March 2018. She's also been the subject of recent articles in the New York Times and the New Yorker. A documentary film about Price's life and music has aired on PBS affiliate stations as well as at film festivals in the United States and in the United Kingdom.


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"THANKS A MILLION FELLAS"… an email from UK Steve Hi Chris, Just a quick, albeit belated, message to say how much I enjoyed my tandem flight on Friday. After all those early morning calls in the preceding days, I have to say it was well worth it!! Although a little apprehensive prior to the flight […]


The RSS and BJP's relentless attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family is quite understandable. After all, the grand old family is the last stumbling block in their historical project – the building of a "Hindu Rashtra".
While it is true that the Nehru-Gandhi family has enjoyed much of the spotlight since independence as they were largely in power, but to claim that, in highlighting this family, the role of others in India's freedom struggle has been ignored or diminished, is untruthful and misleading.
Modi loves to portray that his government has been trying to "correct" history; giving due regard to all national heroes.
In his 20 October speech, Subhash Chandra Bose's name took centre stage. Modi, like the RSS and BJP, tried to appropriate Bose, to the extent that he donned the cap popularized by Bose's Indian National Army (INA). But irony just shot itself in the face.
It is a well-known fact that Netaji was a secular leftist and vehemently opposed communal parties like the Hindu Mahasabha. Bose was so fundamentally against communal politics that he even decried his own party, the Congress's right-wing. Modi and the right-wing elements of the day's appropriation of him is thus, an oxymoron.
The problem with the RSS and their ideological mentors is that they have literally played no role in India's freedom struggle, and do not have leaders in their ranks to match those who won India freedom. To thus compensate, the RSS begs, borrows and 'steals' (external) heroes, and makes it seem as though the Congress has been ignoring these freedom fighters or not giving them their due respect. In this endeavour to appropriate, the RSS has 'robbed' Sardar Patel, Bose and even Ambedkar.
Despite the fact that Ambedkar decried caste, Brahminism and adopted Buddhism with five lakh followers in 1956 at Nagpur, the RSS, since 2014, has continually sought to portray him as a Hindu nationalist.
On 30 December 2014, the then join secretary of the RSS, Krishna Gopal, at a memorial lecture titled 'Ambedkar and his multi-dimensional personality and thoughts', Indian Institute of Public Administration, Delhi, had claimed, that apart from championing the cause of the "untouchables", Ambedkar was a nationalist, a staunch anti-Communist, and had deep conviction in Hinduism.
According to a 2014 Business Standard report, a 52-page pamphlet in Hindi titled 'Rashtra Purush Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar', authored by Krishna Gopal, was circulated at that memorial lecture. The pamphlet highlighted the "deep friendship" of Ambedkar with RSS founder K B Hedgewar, and the former's 'belief in Akhand Bharat' (a united India).
As far RSS and BJP's appropriation of Bose goes, they have revelled in the fact that Bose and Nehru were not the best of friends. However, what they conveniently forget is that despite their rivalry, both Bose and Nehru had a common cause in their hearts: India's independence from British rule. If it is said that Nehru felt threatened by Bose's brilliance and oratory, then it can also be said that Bose could never accept Nehru as his leader.
This being said, Nehru should not be solely blamed for Bose's so-called exclusion from prominence. Gandhi too had serious differences with Bose, especially over the nature of the freedom struggle.
The problem with Modi and the RSS is that, in their proclaimed masculinity, they cannot comprehend the beauty of nuance in human relationships.
No doubt, Bose was an odd man out, but that did not mean Bose, Gandhi and Nehru were enemies. They had three different approaches to their shared goal of India's independence.
Why are the RSS and the BJP selectively quoting history? History should be used as a learning lesson, not as a tool to seek revenge. The hard truth is that, when Bose was raising the INA, the RSS's first chief Hedgewar was asking his cadres to not take part in India's freedom movement. This was the time when Gandhi had initiated the Quit India movement. At the time, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, as the deputy chief minister of Bengal, was writing a letter to the English Governor to crush the Quit India movement in the state.
Where Was RSS During Freedom Struggle?
Now, the same RSS, which had gone against the spirit of our freedom, is talking about Bose – one of our best remembered freedom fighters – and wants to appropriate him. Oh! The irony.