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Garner, Erroll (Piano)
Concert By The Sea
Компания звукозаписи : Columbia
Музыкальный стиль : Mainstream Jazz, Bop, Swing
Код CD : COL 451042 2
CD, стоящие на полке рядом : Jazz (Piano)
Recorded September 19, 1955, Live in Carmel. California.
Concert by the Sea was arguably the finest record pianist Erroll Garner ever made, and he made many - a few outstanding - good recordings. But this live recording (September 19, 1955) with his trio (Eddie Calhoun, bass; Denzil Best, drums) presented a typical Garner program; it was a mixture of originals, show biz, and pop standards delivered with his unique delivery and enthusiasm. The rhythms and brilliant use of tension and release were perfectly captured. And while for many jazz listeners, Garner's deliberate structures were too orchestrated, there was an equal spontaneity in the propulsion of these orchestrations that swung as well as anything.
========= from the cover ==========
Erroll Garner was a natural, a phenomenon. He never learned to read music, but he could create more of it spontaneously than the most schooled musicians in his field. He recognized the source of his gift in a characteristically modest statement: "The good Lord gave it to me and I'm trying to develop it." And he did that in his own unique fashion until he was the most popular piano player in the world. With a Manhattan telephone directory (or its foreign equivalent) adding height to the piano stool, the elfin Garner became an international star comparable to Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.
Like Ellington, he was a good listener with good ears and a good memory. He absorbed what he liked from all that he heard, thus constantly nourishing his melodic imagination. And it was undoubtedly his emphasis on melody and rhythm that endeared him to millions. Contrary to concepts prevalent as he rose to fame, he esteemed his audience and always sought to please or entertain it. Writing in 1971, Melvin Maddocks aptly described him as the Happy Entertainer, and at that time bitterness and anger were very much the vogue artistically. Going his own way, then as always, Garner was subconsciously linked to an earlier jazz tradition.
For all the originality of his style, the pianists whom he referred to as his basic influences were Fats Waller, Art Tatum and Earl Hines. Significantly, both Hines and Garner came out of Pittsburgh, and when producer George Avakian began to work with the latter at Columbia he had decided Garner "was the greatest thing to come along on the piano since Earl Hines." Each of these artists broke stylistically with contemporary modes and each was endlessly inventive, yet neither one saw anything demeaning in the notion of entertaining those who paid to hear him. Although communication was certainly at issue, it could be achieved with minimal compromise.
Born in 1921, Garner had begun to play piano when he was three by imitating phonograph records. He was playing publicly when he was seven and later even worked on the Allegheny riverboats before setting out for New York in 1944. There he quickly found a place for himself among the swarming jazz talents on 52nd Street, and there his prolific recording career began almost immediately. By the time he signed with Columbia in 1950 he had recorded as an unaccompanied soloist, in trios, with alto saxophonists Benny Carter and Charlie Parker, with tenor saxophonists Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins, Wardell Gray, Lucky Thompson and Teddy Edwards, with Howard McGhee, Charlie Shavers and Vic Diekenson, not to mention the orchestras of Georgie Auld and Boyd Raeburn. These achievements were a triumph of both ability and personality. Musicians liked this quiet, unassuming guy who could constantly surprise them with his keyboard fantasies.
Garner's style was essentially orchestral, unlike the horn-like, single-note style of the fashionable beboppers. His left hand laid down a firm beat like that of the rhythm guitarists in the big bands. Against it, with the right hand's phrasing lagging slightly behind, he improvised a rich tapestry of sound, one full of dynamic contrasts like those of the Ellington and Lunceford bands, where solos contrasted with brilliant ensembles and where the ensembles themselves were notable for carefully nuanced shading. Like those of such bands, too, his programs were knowingly devised to give audiences a stimulating variety of music at different tempos and in different moods. The impact of his lushly romantic versions of ballads, for example, was heightened by that of his driving interpretations of rhythmic numbers, and vice versa. In either vein, the sheer pleasure he manifested in playing reached out and enchanted listeners.
When this album, Concert By The Sea, was recorded at Carmel in California in 1955, his reputation was established and his popularity immense. The area's coastline was beautiful, the acoustics in an auditorium that had formerly been a church were perfect, and the audience was warmly appreciative, all of which undoubtedly helped inspire Garner, bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best that night. Yet when Garner's manager, Martha Glaser, brought a tape of the performance to Geoi'ge Avakian, he was at first daunted by its technical deficiencies. The spirit of the music was such, however, that he devoted two weeks to making "a good-sounding master out of it," as he explained in James M. Doran's revealing book, Enroll Garner: Tire Most Happy Piano (Scarecrow Press). "The rest, as they say, is history-still the all-time biggest selling jazz piano album of them all."
The opening, "I'll Remember April," is a perfect introduction to both the album and Garner's style. It begins with a typical preliminary passage that intrigues and mystifies, the tune and direction to follow not being indicated at all. It is as though the pianist were winding himself up, for suddenly he is released as by a spring into the melody, swinging buoyantly with a compelling beat. The listener relaxes happily until brought short by dramatic bass emphases which would appear to herald some stormy development. But, no, the treble streams fleetly away again, the momentum and swing being maintained intoxicat-ingly for chorus after chorus.
'Teach Me Tonight" is a short but telling performance at an insinuating, slower tempo. Bluesy tremolos give it meaningful intensity, and the value of lions of rhythmic numbers, and vice versa. In either vein, the sheer pleasure he manifested in playing reached out and enchanted listeners.
When this album, Concert By The Sea, was recorded at Carmel in California in 1955, his reputation was established and his popularity immense. The area's coastline was beautiful, the acoustics in an auditorium that had formerly been a church were perfect, and the audience was warmly appreciative, all of which undoubtedly helped inspire Garner, bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best that night. Yet when Garner's manager, Martha Glaser, brought a tape of the performance to George Avakian, he was at first daunted by its technical deficiencies. The spirit of the music was such, however, that he devoted two weeks to making "a good-sounding master out of it," as he explained in James M. Dorans revealing book, Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano (Scarecrow Press). "The rest, as they say, is history-still the all-time biggest selling jazz piano album of them all."
Denzil Best (Drums)
Eddie Calhoun (Bass)
1 I'll Remember April 0:04:20 DePaul, Johnston, Raye
2 Teach Me Tonight 0:03:43 Cahn, DePaul
3 Mambo Carmel 0:03:53 Garner
4 Autumn Leaves T 0:06:31 Kosma, Mercer, Prevert
5 It's All Right With Me 0:03:30 Porter
6 Red Top 0:03:22 Hampton, Kynard
7 April In Paris T 0:04:55 Duke, Harburg
8 They Can't Take That Away From Me T 0:04:15 Gershwin, Gershwin
9 How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me 0:04:13 Glenn, Roberts
10 Where Or When T 0:03:11 Hart, Rodgers
11 Erroll's Theme 0:01:46 Garner


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Sting, Peter Gabriel kickstart Rock, Paper, Scissors tour in Columbus, Ohio...
Sting, Peter Gabriel kickstart Rock, Paper, Scissors tour in Columbus, Ohio
It's cool enough just to have one rock and roll icon playing your town on a Tuesday night.
Put two legends together on the same stage and it's, well…magic.
Sting and Peter Gabriel kicked off their joint Rock, Paper, Scissors tour last night with a three-hour show at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, each man playing a solo set peppered with his own hits before joining forces for an unforgettable musical matchup..
Renowned for their work fronting two of rock's most successful - not to mention influential - bands, the Englishmen seemed in good spirits (and excellent health).
Gabriel rose to fame in the '70s as the costume-and-makeup-wearing mouthpiece for the art-rock quintet Genesis (1967-74). His first four eponymously-titled solo albums established him as a socially-conscious visionary with a gift for exotic rhythms and menacing verses. Gabriel metamorphosed into an MTV superstar in the mid-'80s, while the '90s found the Real World guru reinventing himself as a divorced father at middle age.
Sting combined elements of pop, punk, and reggae as singer / bassist for The Police (1977-1985). His solo debut The Dream of the Blue Turtles was a hit despite its jazz leanings. Subsequent releases Nothing Like the Sun, Soul Cages, and Ten Summoner's Tales cemented his status as a hit-making philanthropist who'd do whatever he wanted - including a lute-centric album and Police reunion tour - with whoever he wanted, wherever he chose to do it.
So two of England's favorite sons landed in the Buckeye State on the first full day of summer, accompanied by a coterie of brilliant musicians who've all logged time with one or the other. The multicultural ensemble of men and women included two keyboardists, two percussionists, a violin player, two background singers, a guitarist…and Chapman stick player Tony Levin.
Gabriel also played keys when not wandering the stage with a headset mic. Sting played one of his battered electric basses.
Gabriel started first with "Rhythm of the Heat" and "No Self Control," during which Sting strode into view, bass at the ready for "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You."
"Invisible Sun" was the first of several Police cuts on offer. Indeed, Sting as many of those ("Message in a Bottle," "Roxanne," etc.) as he did solo selections.
Sting joked that the evening would unfold like a "battle of the bands" between himself and Gabriel, but in truth both employed the same hybrid band - which minimized the need for set changes and technical adjustments. Crowding the expanse of the dramatically lit stage (with a dozen or so vertical LCD banners), the Rock, Paper, Scissors symphony shuffled between Sting / Police and Gabriel / Genesis fare with practiced ease.
"We've been here rehearsing all week," Sting reported early on.
"Yes, I guess that makes us honorary Columbians!" quipped Peter.
Gabriel dusted off So and Us smashes like "Red Rain," "Sledgehammer," "Don't Give Up," and "Kiss That Frog." Further removed from his old band than Sting from The Police, Gabriel only teased vintage Genesis (with Sting chiming in on a couple verses). But classic '70s songs "Solsbury Hill" and "Games Without Frontiers" more than made up the difference between old and, ah…older PG.
Gabriel issued the new single "I'm Amazing" last week but sang the even newer (and more topical) "Love Can Heal" for the intrigued Ohio crowd.
But just because this was a musical match made in heaven didn't mean either headliner skimped on his set. On the contrary, both Gabriel and Sting brought about fifteen songs apiece to the affair. And they all came off great.
So nobody went home shortchanged.
The pair first toured together in the late '80s (with Bruce Springsteen) for the Human Rights Now benefit concerts for Amnesty International.
Tonight, they sounded telepathic and tight whether guesting on one another's tunes or receding into the band as just another player, letting the other guy take over.
The tour continues through the end of July.
(c) The Examiner by Pete Roche
Check out more reviews from the opening show of the tour at http://www.sting.com/columbus where you can also leave your thoughts about the show, post your photos etc. Also remember to check and use the hashtag #RockPaperScissors on Twitter!
Countdown to Rock Paper Scissors!
Rock Paper Scissors – the summer tour featuring two of the world's most iconic artists, Sting and Peter Gabriel – starts its trek across North America tonight at Columbus, Ohio's Nationwide Arena! Both Sting.com and PeterGabriel.com will keep you up to date with news, reviews and photos from the tour and there are several ways you can help!
David Sancious: playing 'Rock Paper Scissors' with Sting and Peter Gabriel...
When David Sancious was 6 years old, his family moved from Asbury Park to Belmar, New Jersey. A piano was included with the new house and the instant he heard his mother play, music became the most beautiful thing in the world to David. Many years later, after studying – and absorbing – everything from Chopin to Coltrane, Sancious sat in on a jam session that some guy he met at the entrance of a club had organized. Shortly after, "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band" was born...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag Archives: Noriaki Yuasa
Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
April 14, 2014 David DeMoss 1 Comment
"As you can see here, there's a flaw built right into the heart of this series…"
This, the sixth Gamera film, (released in the U.S. as Gamera vs. Monster X) is really the third part in a Pentalogy that ends the series, all following the same basic outline. A New Monster arises, Gamera loses his first fight, and spends half the movie down for the count as the Military/Scientific/Industrial Complex fails to combat the latest kaiju threat. A pair of Annoying Kids (one Japanese, on Token Anglo), Designated as Our Duel Protagonists, take it upon themselves to deal with a human-sized problem, and their plucky spirits rouse Gamera, Friend to All Children, from his mid-movie stupor. He wins the Climactic Battle as the Kids watch from Minimum Safe Distance, ruining the fun for everyone with their high-pitched color commentary. Cue credits.
With this one, I can't even escape the opening credits without deducting points for stock-footage. Someone's mom obviously told them to "put their best foot forward," but I doubt "reuse fight scenes from the previous five films" is what she really meant. In fairness, the is the last we'll see of previous battles…though not, as I'll discuss later, the last time we'll see stock footage. However, Gamera vs. Jiger can still boast the least amount of stock footage in any Gamera film since Gamera vs. Gaos. Marvel at that for a moment. It's almost as if Team Gamera enjoyed a budget increase after their success with vs. Viras and vs. Guiron. If so, it only accelerated Daiei Studios collapse into bankruptcy. But we've one more film before that happens. Continue reading Gamera vs. Jiger (1970) →
DaikaijuGameraJunko YashiroKatherine MurphyKelly VarisKon OmuraNisan TakahashiNoriaki YuasaRyô HayamiTsutomu Takakuwa
Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
May 23, 2012 David DeMoss 5 Comments
Continue reading Gamera vs. Viras (1968) →
Alien InvasionsCarl CraigDaieiDaikaijuGameraKojiro HongoNisan TakahashiNoriaki YuasaTeruo AragakiToru Takatsuka
Gamera vs. Gaos (1967)
March 9, 2012 David DeMoss 2 Comments
Insert indigestion joke here.
This is the exact midpoint of Gamera's original (or "Showa Era") film series. Not chronologically, or in any other terms material, but in terms of tone. This is the point where everyone at Gamera's home studio, Daiei Film, gave up on the daikaiju genre as anything other than a cash cow. You can barely blame them. By 1967, the writing was on the wall and it said, "the only people stupid enough to abandon their TVs and visit some run-down, overcrowded, food-and-drink-stained movie theater are children." Film as a whole suffered, but few suffered more than our favorite flying turtle, who would go on to star in some of the most notoriously bad films in daikaiju eiga as the seventies rose up to choke us all down with mediocrity, bad music, and even worse clothing.
Things didn't have to be this way, but the makers of mid-60s Japanese cinema made the same mistake their American counterparts so often make and assumed (A) kids were the only ones watching their films and (B) kids were stupid. But there's a difference between being stupid and not being able to articulate why you like something. My ten-year-old self knew Gamera was awesome on a molecular level but my current self still struggles to articulate why that is. Why do you think I'm writing these things in the first place? To finally pull back the curtain and figure out why, whenever someone goes, "Gamera? Really?" I always go "Fuck yeah, Gamera! He's awesome."
Pictured: awesomeness
His movies, on the other hand, stopped being the "unbelievable, imaginatively cool" kind of "awesome" and started being the "incredibly cheap and incredibly crappy" kind of "awesome" right in the middle of this film. I can even show you where it happens: it's the scene where Our Kenny – an incredibly annoying little snot named Eiichi (Naoyuki Abe) – takes a joyride on Gamera's back. Continue reading Gamera vs. Gaos (1967) →
DaieiDaikaijuGameraHidemasa NagataKojiro HongoNaoyuki AbeNisan TakahashiNoriaki YuasaTeruo AragakiYoshiro Kitahara
Gammera the Invincible (1965)
November 14, 1999 David DeMoss Leave a comment
Though he began life as a humble Godzilla rip-off in a land and time glutted with them, Gamera would come to symbolize everything that went so horribly wrong with the Golden Age of daikaiju cinema. But let us not tell sad stories about the death of kings just yet…like his more famous cousin/industrial competitor, Gamera began life as a serious apotheosis of the paranoia and insecurity of his age. But even here, at the beginning, we can see his creators at Daiei Studios sowing the seeds of their creation's destruction.
And speaking of destruction…it's 1965 again, and despite rising tensions between the Superpowers, someone's still managed to scare up the funding for an Arctic expedition (chasing that fabled Northwest Passage, no less). As the film opens, the expedition's official zoologist, Dr. Hidaka (Eiji Funakoshi), his typically hot assistant, Kyoke (Harumi Kiritachi), and your standard news hound, Aoyagi (Junichiro Yamashiko), stop by an Eskimo hut to warm up and quiz the natives. A formation of toy planes interrupts their welcome. "Russian planes," Hidaka says. {More}
DaieiDaikaijuGameraNisan TakahashiNoriaki YuasaSandy Frank


Download: Comics in Translation (Zanettin 2008).
Comics are a pervasive art form and an intrinsic part of the cultural fabric of most countries. And yet, relatively little has been written on the translation of comics. Comics in Translation attempts to address this gap in the literature and to offer the first and most comprehensive account of various aspects of a diverse range of social practices subsumed under the label 'comics'.
Focusing on the role played by translation in shaping graphic narratives that appear in various formats, different contributors examine various aspects of this popular phenomenon. Topics covered include the impact of globalization and localization processes on the ways in which translated comics are embedded in cultures; the import of editorial and publishing practices; textual strategies adopted in translating comics, including the translation of culture- and language-specific features; and the interplay between visual and verbal messages. Comics in translation examines comics that originate in different cultures, belong to quite different genres, and are aimed at readers of different age groups and cultural backgrounds, from Disney comics to Art Spiegelman's Maus, from Katsuhiro Ōtomo's Akira to Goscinny and Uderzo's Astérix. The contributions are based on first-hand research and exemplify a wide range of approaches. Languages covered include English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, French, German, Japanese and Inuit.
The volume features illustrations from the works discussed and an extensive annotated bibliography.
Contributors include: Raffaella Baccolini, Nadine Celotti, Adele D'Arcangelo, Catherine Delesse, Elena Di Giovanni, Heike Elisabeth Jüngst, Valerio Rota, Carmen Valero-Garcés, Federico Zanettin and Jehan Zitawi.
Federico Zanettin is Associate Professor of English Language and Translation at the University of Perugia. In addition to comics in translation, his research interests include corpus-based translation studies and intercultural communication. He has published widely in these areas, and is co-editor of Corpora in Translator Education (2002), and of the periodicals Translation Studies Abstracts and the Bibliography of Translation Studies and inTRAlinea, an online journal of translation studies.


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Q: How to get AsyncImage url path from url with SwiftUI My SwiftUI app displays images from an external url properly using
            LazyVGrid(columns: columns, alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
                ForEach(0..<14) { i in
                    AsyncImage(url: url) { image in
                        VStack {
                            image
                                .resizable()
                                .scaledToFill()
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fill)
                                .frame(minWidth: 0, maxWidth: .infinity)
                                .cornerRadius(10)
                                .onTapGesture {
                                    selectedItem = ImageSelection(name: url!.path)
                                    print(selectedItem?.name as Any)
                                 }
                             }
                        }
            .sheet(item: $selectedItem) { item in
                    Image(item.name)

            }

But the sheet that comes up from the .onTapGesture is blank. How can I properly get the url path so the image displays on the new sheet? Thanks!
EDIT
Ultimately this view is displaying images from https://picsum.photos. I'm trying to determine the actual URL of the displayed images.

A: as @Asperi mentioned, you could use another AsyncImage to again download the image. Try the following code, which
fixes some of the inconsistencies in your code and also loops over
the url id (as per your latest thought) to download each different ones:
struct ImageSelection: Identifiable {
    let id = UUID()
    var url: URL?  // <-- note
}

struct ContentView: View {
    let columns:[GridItem] = Array(repeating: .init(.flexible(), spacing: 5), count: 3)

    @State var selectedItem: ImageSelection?

    var body: some View {
        ScrollView {
            LazyVGrid(columns: columns, alignment: .center, spacing: 10) {
                ForEach(0..<14) { i in
                    let url = URL(string: "https://picsum.photos/id/\(i)/200")
                    AsyncImage(url: url) { phase in
                        if let image = phase.image {
                            image
                                .resizable()
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fill)
                                .frame(minWidth: 0, maxWidth: .infinity)
                                .cornerRadius(10)
                                .onTapGesture {
                                    selectedItem = ImageSelection(url: url)
                                }
                        }
                        else {
                            Image(systemName: "smiley")
                                .resizable()
                                .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fit)
                                .clipShape(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 50))
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            .sheet(item: $selectedItem) { item in
                AsyncImage(url: item.url)
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Host Mike Seate takes viewers around the world in search of the fastest classic motorcycles in the third series of Cafe Racer TV. Ride along as the team attempts to take a Royal Enfield single to 100MPH, Ben and Eric Bostrom revamp a modern Kawasaki 100 into a retro racer and we build a Vincent Black Shadow special. Plays in all countries.


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Miacorella leucocraspedontis is een vlinder uit de familie van de Houtboorders (Cossidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst gepubliceerd in 1954 door B. Zukowsky.

De soort komt voor in Peru, Bolivia en Argentinië.

Houtboorders
Dier uit het Neotropisch gebied

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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'Destined for great things': Low-income students ask educators to believe they can succeed
Credit: Jane Meredith Adams/EdSource Today
Stephanie Alexandre, a student at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland, is part of the Student Voice campaign to close the "belief gap."
"I am a leader." "I am not ghetto." "I am not incapable of being interested in mathematics and the sciences." "I am destined for great things." As part of a new school reform campaign, a statewide coalition of students from low-income families is posting statements on Twitter and Facebook that are both poignant and backed by research about system change: If you want schools to improve, they say, believe in us.
The student statements are one element of a campaign to upend stereotypes, support teachers who work with students from diverse backgrounds and urge schools to create communities where it is understood that all students can succeed. The campaign, organized by the advocacy group Californians for Justice and its Student Voice project, was launched at a kickoff event at Roosevelt Middle School in Oakland this month that included a keynote address by Lupita Cortez Alcalá, California's deputy superintendent, and a panel discussion with Gordon Jackson, director of student services for the California Department of Education. A Long Beach launch event is scheduled for Nov. 19.
Student Voice, which currently has 328 active members in the districts of Long Beach Unified, Fresno Unified, Oakland Unified and East Side Union High School, last year mobilized 3,000 students and advocates, the group said, and successfully lobbied the State Board of Education to require districts to include students in the creation of school spending plans known as Local Control and Accountability Plans.
Now their goal is to eliminate the "belief gap," a term they define as a lack of belief among some educators in the potential of students from low-income families and students of color. Negative stereotypes often go unnoticed and unquestioned in schools, they say, and contribute to a second belief gap in society – a disbelief in the value of investing in teachers and schools. "What's keeping us from providing staff with the resources they need?" the campaign asked in its research report, Growing Connections, Transforming Beliefs.
Credit: Californians for Justice
Jonny, a Fresno Unified student, posted this message on social media as part of the Student Voice campaign.
The campaign, which includes new student survey data as well as its report, comes as schools across California and the nation are under pressure from the U.S. Department of Education to rethink the way staff and students interact and reduce the number of student suspensions. Social and emotional skill building – including rewarding positive behavior, offering counseling as needed and providing opportunities for students to make amends through restorative justice practices – is a solution, the report concludes.
"Building meaningful connections of mutual respect, support and high expectations is the foundation for closing the belief gap," said Taryn Ishida, executive director of Californians for Justice.
According to Student Voice and Californians for Justice, the concept of a belief gap emerged after they conducted research on how to improve low-performing schools. The research included surveying 2,000 students, 98 percent of whom identified as low-income, about their interactions with staff in four districts – Long Beach Unified, Fresno Unified, Oakland Unified and East Side Union High School. In addition, the research team convened focus groups with 57 students, interviewed more than 150 educators, parents and policy experts, and reviewed 80 scholarly reports about the impact of a positive school culture.
"I have a very similar story," said Lupita Cortez Alcalá, California deputy superintendent. "I believe in you and I believe in this cause."
When asked to identify the top three resources needed to graduate and be prepared for college or a career, 80 percent of the students surveyed selected "quality teachers" as the most important. That choice was followed by tutoring and after-school programs, chosen by 48 percent of students, and "challenging classes," chosen by 46 percent of students.
But the report acknowledged that California teachers often don't have the time they need to connect with students, in part because of high student-to-teacher ratios at schools. According to California Common Sense, a Mountain View-based nonprofit policy organization, in 2012-13, the most recent data available, California had a student-to-teacher ratio of 25 to 1, the highest in the nation and well above the 15-to-1 national average.
"The system is extremely under-resourced – when you lack resources you are demoralized and you start to believe you're set up for failure," said Trish Gorham, president of the Oakland Education Association union, in the report.
On the positive side, the survey found that 55 percent of students agreed with the statement, "Adults in my school make me feel like I matter." But 25 percent disagreed and 20 percent said they didn't know.
Sixty-five percent of students agreed with the statement, "Teachers believe every student can be a success," with 20 percent disagreeing and 15 percent saying they didn't know.
Students want more say in district accountability plan process
In focus group meetings, students defined an effective teacher as one who is willing to talk after class, expresses compassion and offers encouragement.
Cliff Hong, principal of Roosevelt Middle School, said that having adults at his school who are committed to getting to know the students has made a difference. "The teachers that we've brought on have done a great job of connecting with the kids," he said.
In the last year, he said, suspension rates have dropped by 80 percent, aided by a full-time staff member for restorative justice, which is a method of conflict resolution that allows students to make amends, and a full-time staff member for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, which is a framework of various interventions that offer tiers of rewards and services to encourage healthy social interactions.
Positive relationships benefit everyone on campus, Hong said. A staff survey showed that 95 percent of teachers feel acknowledged and supported, he said.
In the classroom, Roosevelt English teacher Jeremy Crouthamel said he tries to pause before reacting to a frustrated student "to see if there's something behind it," and then starts by asking if a student has slept, has had something to eat and is feeling OK.
"I try to make grace the center of the classroom," he said.
Stephanie Alexandre, a 7th-grader, said that before she came to Roosevelt she had thought that middle school "was going to be scary." But her teachers "made sure the classrooms were safe," she said. How? "If there were kids distracting other kids from learning, the teacher would stop and check in with them," she said. Also, she said, the classroom looked good. "They made the classroom colorful," she said.
Raul Montellano, a student at Fresno High School who was part of the panel discussion, said that two weeks earlier he had felt so overwhelmed by stress that he had skipped classes. "A teacher from 6th period saw me and she said, 'Where were you? Why weren't you at class?'" He appreciated her interest. "I knew somebody cared about me," he said.
Later, he said, he talked to the teacher about the pressures he felt. "She made me feel welcome and that everything was going to be OK," he said.
Alcalá told the students in the Roosevelt Middle School auditorium to push to have their voices heard. "I have a very similar story," she said.
At 3 years old, she emigrated with her family from Tijuana, Mexico, to Poway, she said, and later failed kindergarten because her English was poor. Her older brother was called names, her sister had a teacher who pulled her hair and they all floundered academically in elementary school, she said.
But she said she found an ally. "Like many of you," she said, "I had that one teacher, Mrs. Margaret Peterson, that made me feel special and supported; she always called on me when I raised my hand and I trusted her."
In 6th grade, while studying Spanish, she said she finally grasped grammar and composition in both Spanish and English. Her grades soared. She graduated from UC San Diego and earned a master's degree in Planning Administration and Social Policy from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard.
"I believe in you," Alcalá told the students, "and I believe in this cause."
Jane Meredith Adams covers social and emotional learning and student wellbeing.
Follow @janeadams
DisciplinePolicy & FinanceHigh-Needs StudentsLocal Control Funding FormulaState Education PolicyStudent HealthTeacher EffectivenessStudent WellbeingParent InvolvementReformsSocial and Emotional LearningCalifornians for JusticeFeaturedLocal Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)Oakland Unified School DistrictSchool ClimateSchool DisciplineSuspensions and Expulsions
Linda 3 years ago3 years ago
Many years ago, in high school, I was medically ill and out of school for several months. Also, we lived in "housing" - not the elite to be sure. When I returned to school, I attempted to catch up and none of my teachers would help me. One handed me a foreign language book and said, finish the questions at the end - same with my algebra teacher. After a struggle, … Read More
Many years ago, in high school, I was medically ill and out of school for several months. Also, we lived in "housing" – not the elite to be sure. When I returned to school, I attempted to catch up and none of my teachers would help me. One handed me a foreign language book and said, finish the questions at the end – same with my algebra teacher. After a struggle, I dropped out and got my GED (91%). After years of struggle, I now have 2 Master's degrees and a wonderful profession. Still all these years later, I am softly angry that these teachers made assumptions about me and didn't help me. Also I interviewed at a prestigious secretarial school (every girl should become a secretary"!!) and was promptly dismissed when I said I read 1-3 books a week. They all assumed. I had the fire to get out of my circumstances and the intellect but….. Teachers cannot determine who is "worthy" of their time. The least can become the best and unusual (Check out Albert Einstein's school reviews)
Gary Ravani 4 years ago4 years ago
Though the quality of the personal relationships of individual teachers and individual students is of vital importance, it is of greater importance to look at the system's capacity to have a quality relationship with the students in the system, as that article notes in the quote from the article: "But the report acknowledged that California teachers often don't have the time they need to connect with students, in part because of high student-to-teacher ratios … Read More
Though the quality of the personal relationships of individual teachers and individual students is of vital importance, it is of greater importance to look at the system's capacity to have a quality relationship with the students in the system, as that article notes in the quote from the article:
It's hard to be a "great," connected, teacher (or counselor or administrator), when you have the largest class sizes in the nation. The recent Ed Week Quality Counts report indicates California is now 46th in the nation, in dollars adjusted for cost-of-living, for spending per child for education. This is up from the 49th place of a few years ago, but remains an abysmal commitment to children. As school spending is already 50 percent of total state spending, it is obvious that California needs to increase its revenue stream if it is to successfully carry out all of the necessary programs that are part of a contemporary state government.
The California Budget and Policy Center, in a recent report on California's rank in a number of key educational metrics, points out low levels of support. California is 51st (including the District of Colombia) in students per teacher. It is 51st in the number of counselors per student, 51st in the number of librarians per student and 47th in the number of administrators per student. The report gives CA's funding per student a ranking of 42nd, slightly different than the Ed Week (46th) report using somewhat different metrics. California ranks last, or next to last, in the number of school staff overall to the number of students.
Looking at cost-of-living as a metric puts Califorina second in the nation behind only Hawaii, but at 36th in the nation for K-12 spending as a share of the state economy. This shows California spends relatively little on education when looked at as a share of personal income, and this shows CA's lack of capacity to do all that is necessary to support all of its students in that way it should and could.
Bill Painter 4 years ago4 years ago
The more connections we (administrators, teachers, advisors) can have with our students, the more productive the outcome.
Having served as a student services administrator at four separate colleges in Arizona, Utah, Alaska and Oklahoma for 30+ years, I would submit the following as a strategy that is worth further examination:
http://gettingsmart.com/2015/11/flipping-the-college-decision-making-paradigm/
My hope is that this link will be shared with the appropriate education decision-makers in our efforts to increase those connections.
Kelvin Lee 4 years ago4 years ago
I am one of the students written about in this article. I am Korean and came to Sacramento, California from Hawaii just after the Korean War. Our family lived in a low wealth part of the county and we were the only Asian family in the area. It was initially difficult to be a part of the community. Several key public school teachers encouraged and inspired me. I eventually became an educator earned a … Read More
I am one of the students written about in this article. I am Korean and came to Sacramento, California from Hawaii just after the Korean War. Our family lived in a low wealth part of the county and we were the only Asian family in the area. It was initially difficult to be a part of the community. Several key public school teachers encouraged and inspired me. I eventually became an educator earned a doctorate and served as school district superintendent for almost 3 decades. My parents encourage me to explore my opportunities and my teachers gave me courage to challenge them. I have the greatest respect and gratitude for those special teachers.
Barbara 4 years ago4 years ago
The problem is that success comes mostly from students and families. Success takes effort and sacrifices more than it takes magical teachers. Just an hour ago, a student who had been absent today showed up to say that he would not be here tomorrow - Thursday – or Friday even though the school district gave students all of next week off for Thanksgiving break to avoid these types of absences. There is no emergency involved; … Read More
The problem is that success comes mostly from students and families. Success takes effort and sacrifices more than it takes magical teachers.
Just an hour ago, a student who had been absent today showed up to say that he would not be here tomorrow – Thursday – or Friday even though the school district gave students all of next week off for Thanksgiving break to avoid these types of absences. There is no emergency involved; they are going to visit family in another state. He demanded "his work" and I refused to give it to him because it is a non-authorized school absence. I explained that our district gives kids much more time off than other districts including three weeks instead of two for winter break and a slew of "unassigned days."
I called his parent and left a message on the answering machine stating the above. We'll see if he shows tomorrow. "Believing in someone" is not half as important as the sheer effort and work students are willing to put into their assignments.
richard 4 years ago4 years ago
How about "I deserve a quality school library."
Resources often don't match rhetoric for restorative justice in California schools


Kia ora welcome to the Open Studios Waitākere website.
This year's event will be held on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, 10am - 4pm.
We're thrilled to have over 70 artists involved, and 50 studios from Huia to Henderson Valley, Titirangi to Te Henga.
We've released the 2018 event brochure, and launched the full programme here online. We hope you enjoy choosing which artists and studios visit, as well as the exhibitions, events and workshops to take part in.
From the 13th of November you can visit the Open Studios Preview Exhibition at Lopdell House, Titirangi, featuring artwork from participating artists. We also recommend booking early if you'd like to join one of the Open Studios Bus Tours. These tours are a great way to see a variety of artist's studios. Tours are approximately 5 hours in duration and include a packed lunch. Full details and bookings under 'How to Visit Studios'.
Sign-up to our Open Studios Waitakere Newsletter and join us on Facebook and Instagram.
In the lead up to the event, we'll be sharing a few photo interviews - giving you a sneak preview and introducing you to why the experience of meeting artists in their own creative spaces is so inspiring!
Enjoy planning your Open Studios Weekend.
Open Studios Waitākere is an annual weekend opportunity for artists resident in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area to open their studios to the public. With over 70 artists involved, and 50 studios from Huia to Henderson Valley, Titirangi to Te Henga, it's an inspiring weekend out and about!
The weekend provides the opportunity to meet local artists, see art in action, purchase local artwork and learn about the creative process. Visit some of Waitākere's most celebrated artists including sculptors, painters, jewellers, illustrators, ceramic artists and photographers. Many of the artists will have works for sale, so we recommend having some cash ready!
You can take a self-guided tour at your own pace with our Open Studios Map and mobile App, or jump on an Open Studios Bus Tour. Enjoy a short break from your Open Studios touring and join us at the Lopdell Precinct for Events ranging from creative workshops, a film screening and exhibitions.
To help you get to know some of the talented artists involved in past events, watch our Open Studios VIDEO below, and enjoy our Artist Interviews (see the menu above).
Before the event, you can pick up copy of our brochure at your local library, gallery or cafe, or email openstudioswaitakere@gmail.com to request a brochure by post.


text:
Legal Trends: Cuba LIBERTAD Title III Civil Lawsuits Explained
On April 17, 2019, President Trump effectively constituted the presumed U.S. embargo against Cuba.
By allowing Title III waivers to expire in the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act (alias. LIBERTAD or Helms-Burton Act), President Trump paved a path for U.S. plaintiffs to sue the Cuban Government, foreign businesses and third parties for compensation for use of expropriated properties on the island.
American courts will very shortly hear LIBERTAD Title III civil claims against alien defendants that directly or indirectly trade in Cuba, a course of action the United States Justice Department has never taken on since President Bill Clinton signed the Helms-Burton Act into law in 1996.
Legal hurdles concerning judgment recovery and jurisdiction are in the horizon, and countries such as the European Union (EU) have already objected to President Trump's resolution, asserting the United States federal courts hold no power to impose legal remedies on foreign business that conduct commerce with Cuba.
Still, American law firms are now preparing for the storm of LIBERTAD civil lawsuit filings about to take place despite the obstacles ahead.
To fully understand how this legal trend caught fire, we must set the clock back sixty years to when the United States unofficially introduced an American trade embargo against Cuba.
How Did The U.S. Embargo Against Cuba Lead to the LIBERTAD Act?
Before Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba, the island's political scene embraced capitalism.
U.S. citizens and businesses then purchased good titles to Cuban land, farms and buildings to facilitate their trade endeavors with the Cuban Government, but everything changed after the Cuban revolution occurred.
Post-Revolution Property Seizures in Cuba
Fidel Castro began taking private property in Cuba belonging to Americans in January 1959.
United States citizens residing and working in Cuba fled the island after Cuban political agendas changed overnight from a capitalistic culture to a socialist dictatorship.
For political reasons and afterward to reinforce Cuba's socialist economy, Fidel Castro abruptly expropriated commercial and residential properties in every island district, port and rural area.
The thousands of American citizens who lost their homes, business and farmland reasonably believed they were leaving Cuba with good property titles and never intended to abandon their assets for government sequestrate.
These property owners further assert they evacuated the island with good faith intentions of returning to Cuba as soon as political tensions calmed in the region.
Castro Criminalizes Island Fleeing
Fidel Castro afterward denounced island fleeing as criminal acts and enacted executive proclamations that declared the Cuban Government possessed constitutional rights to make claims and take possession of any property left behind by island fleers, unmindful of the proprietor's citizenship, their prior deed claims or their legal reasoning for abandoning their assets.
Castro's nationalization of U.S. assets sparked a government interest in implementing a trade embargo against Cuba; hence, since the early 60s, every U.S. President has executed an unofficial Cuban trade blockade via issuance of executive order.
Presidential Executive Orders
President Kennedy's executive order of 1962 narrowly defined Cuban trade restrictions in the United States through the suspension of all imports, even if the exporter produced the Cuban good off the island. The President further asked Congress to modify existing laws that would withhold U.S. aid to countries that traded with Cuba.
A second executive order in 1963 similarly prohibited American businesses from exporting goods to Cuba except for certain food and medicine.
The U.S. embargo forced Cuba to turn to the Soviet Union for commercial trading. Such a move likewise drove Castro and the entire Cuban economy to become absolutely dependent on a communist partner.
President Kennedy later imposed travel restrictions for Americans visiting Cuba via executive order in response to Castro allowing the Soviets to install nuclear weapons on the island. Kennedy's executive order further froze all Cuban assets in the United States and reinforced existing laws to establish an administrative embargo that would last for fifteen years.
Lax and Reinstatement of the Cuban Embargo
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter did not renew Kennedy's executive order banning travel to the island; this allowed U.S. citizens and business to buy and sell dollars in Cuba legally. However, President Reagan fully restored the U.S. trade embargo in 1982 with few exceptions.
After the Soviet Union collapsed in the 90s, the Cuban economy plummeted. Cuba's external trade deficit swelled to nearly ninety percent without Russian commerce, and its GDP tanked thirty percent between 1989 and 1993.
Castro was therefore forced to make drastic economic reforms to attract new foreign investment and fresh capital resources.
Lawmakers Take Control
The republican-led Congress took regard to Castro's plans and soon after wrote the Cuban Democracy Act (Torricelli Law) in 1992. This bill paved the way for legislators to make the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo an official law instead of an administrative policy upheld by presidential orders.
Congress debated the Torricelli Law for four years before delivering its cousin, the LIBERTAD Act, to President Clinton's desk for signing and execution in 1996.
Why Did Congress Create the Helms-Burton Act?
Lawmakers wrote the Helms-Burton Act with a resolve to penalize businesses that made profits on illegally confiscated, American-owned land and buildings in Cuba without compensation to the property's rightful owners.
LIBERTAD took four years to overcome senate filibusters but passed congress in March 1996 after a tragedy struck one month prior.
In February 1996, a Miami-based, anti-Castro, humanitarian group sent two private planes on a search and rescue mission in international waters near Cuba to assist Cuban refugees struggling to flee the island.
Consequently, Cuban fighter jets shot down the aircrafts without reason or warning as the rescuers approached the island.
This volatile incident prompted a once hesitant President Clinton to sign the LIBERTAD Act into law just six days after Congress sent the bill to the White House for consideration.
President Clinton believed the Helms-Burton law would place constraints on Cuba's economy which would ultimately drive Castro out of office.
However, LIBERTAD would rapidly turn into a costly domestic policy to uphold and an extremely unpopular law among United States allies and humanitarian groups that would eventually claim the Act infringes on international law and state sovereignty.
What is the LIBERTAD Act?
The LIBERTAD is a distinctive anti-Castro law that holds four titles with many provisions.
Notwithstanding the Act's anti-socialist codifications, lawmakers wrote Helms-Burton with intent "to plan for support of a transition government leading to a democratically elected government and market economy in Cuba," according to the Act's first four written lines.
The following information relates to how the 104th United States Congress presented the LIBERTAD Act to the public and to President Clinton in March 1996:
Helms-Burton provides for U.S. citizens and lawful resident aliens to name the Cuban government and foreign business that trade with Cuba as defendants in civil lawsuits that seek redress for use of confiscated property worth over $50,000 in Cuba in 1959 ($427,000 in 2018 adjusted for inflation).
The Act further empowers the U.S. courts to afford legal and equitable remedies on such claims brought by property owner plaintiffs against foreign companies or private citizen defendants that conducted business in Cuba with use of the plaintiff's assets.
LIBERTAD likewise provides for deportation of resident aliens (and their families), company executives and major U.S. stock holders who trade in Cuba while using property expropriated from U.S. Nationals.
Helms-Burton further proscribes Congress and the President from recognizing any future Cuban government that has not first compensated U.S. property owners on legal claims against confiscated commercial property.
The Act politically positions U.S. policy on Cuba with a resolve for the island entering a "transition government" with "democratically elected" leaders.
LIBERTAD likewise imposes international sanctions against the Cuban Government via U.S. embargo by subjecting foreign companies that conduct business with Cuba to criminal liability in the U.S. justice system. The United States further disallows business owners and executives who violate the Helm Burton Act from entry into the country.
Congress may also apply the above-mentioned sanctions on foreign companies that choose to trade with Cuba alone and not with the United States.
Helms-Burton further prohibits U.S. acceptance of future Cuba governments that include Fidel or Raul Castro leadership.
The Act serves as an explicit opposition against Cuba becoming a member of any International Financial Institution.
LIBERTAD also bans American television broadcasting into Cuba.
What are Titles One Through Four of the Helms-Burton Act?
LIBERTAD embraces four titles that codify U.S. the embargo with Cuba; let's examine each Title in detail.
Title One reinforces and classifies the economic embargo on the island. It first observes the sanctions against Cuba as a subsequent genre of presidential executive orders where solely the Executive Branch had the authority to extend or modify the embargo.
Congress therefore effectively eliminated this presidential power by writing the embargo into enforceable law.
LIBERTAD Title One further expresses America's stance that other nations should not allow Cuba to join international financial institutions and that countries that do commerce with the island should forthwith remove the Cuban Government from banking networks that carry American currencies.
Subsection Ten in Title One also proscribes Cuba from joining the Organization of American States; and it blocks Cuban-made goods from entering the United States. This embargo further includes Cuban products imported from other nations, a measure that indirectly weakens the Cuban sugar industry (the island's main export).
This section first clarifies congressional intent for creating the Helms-Burton Act, and it codifies America's stand towards supporting a free and democratic Cuba.
Title Two further required the President to present Congress with an economic assistance plan that would help Cuba shift from socialism to a capitalist society (of which President Clinton delivered in 1997).
The code likewise empowers the President to suspend the economic embargo referenced in Title One, but only if Congress first officially recognizes the Cuban government as "in transition to democracy."
As a condition to legislators declaring the island to be in transitional status, Cuba must previously
take "appropriate" steps to return assets confiscated in 1959 to U.S. citizens; or,
fairly compensate property owners for unlawfully seized property.
Title Two likewise does not authorize Congress to recognize the Cuban government as officially "in transition" as long as Fidel or Raul Castro are in power on the island.
This controversial section has recently materialized in the news under the Trump Administration. Title Three affords U.S. nationals the right to sue individuals or business that have "trafficked" their Cuban assets for profit.
The Act defines "U.S. nationals" as American companies, U.S. citizens or Cubans who were not U.S. citizens at the time Castro seized their property but have since become naturalized resident aliens.
Title Three sets the LIBERTAD lawsuit filing fees at $6,700 (2019) to make sure that only serious plaintiffs would file claims in U.S. courts.
The President further holds waiver authority under Title III to postpone civil lawsuit filings for a six-month period if he or she finds such suspension is of national interest and will help Cuba transition into a free democracy.
Such waivers likewise require the Executive Branch to provide Congress with a written explanation why the Title III interruption is of "national interest."
Every American president since Clinton has exercised this power and has consecutively renewed Title Three lawsuit waivers before they expired
In 2019, President Trump let waivers expire, which prompted property owners to file the first-ever Title III civil lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Lines via LIBERTAD.
Title Four
Title Four mandates State Department officials to refuse visas for aliens who work for businesses that have "trafficked" confiscated property in Cuba previously claimed by U.S. nationals.
Congressional intent for Title Four serves:
to protect property owner status;
to support future civil lawsuits, and
to impose further Title One sanctions against the Cuban Government.
The State Department monitors economic movement in Cuba for accessing Title IV sanctions against individuals.
Yet, as of 1996, only three business executives from the Canadian mining company, Sherritt International, have received LIBERTAD Title Four exclusion notices and prohibition from entering the United States.
Why Did President Trump Allow LIBERTAD Title III Litigation to Move Forward?
Now that we have a stronger sense of LIBERTAD coding, let's examine Title Three closer and why President Trump's intent to execute this code has ignited recent trends in civil litigation.
To summarize, Title III allows plaintiffs to seek legal remedies in U.S. courts on expropriated property seized by Cuba after 1959.
However, claims are only valid when plaintiffs follow these Helms-Burton requisites:
plaintiffs must be U.S. nationals as defined by the Act;
properties in controversy must have been worth more than $50,000 in 1959;
defendants must have used the subject matter for commercial use;
Cubans or diplomats cannot be dwellers on the seized property; and
litigants must possess the means to pay the $6,700 Title Three filing fee.
Trump Allows Title III Waivers to Expire
President Trump became despondent with Cuba supporting Venezuela and the Maduro dictatorship in 2018. The following year, the President's administration indicated the United States will let the Act's Title III waiver extensions expire in April 2019.
As a result, and for the first time in history, U.S. nationals and American businesses may now seek civil actions against foreign citizens and companies that have trafficked their confiscated Cuban commercial properties for profit.
President Trump further announced the United States would:
halt Cuba's access to dollar-denominated transactions carried out in international financial institutions;
limit previously allowed tourism and business travel to the island;
place restraints on money values sent from the United States to family members living in Cuba; and
deny visas to alien traffickers who exploit confiscated property in Cuba.
Title III Waiver Effective Date
As mentioned above, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama consistently imposed consecutive statutory waivers, every six months to suspend civil lawsuit filings against Cuban traffickers.
President Trump's waiver expiration announced on April 17th became effective on May 2, 2019; this is the date when the US Government effectively lifted the suspension and when the Federal Courts permitted US nationals to file their lawsuits.
How Do Law Firms Tackle Helms-Burton Title III Civil Claims?
Lawyers seeking to file LIBERTAD civil complaints must carefully scrutinize their client's circumstances to discover if they hold a valid prima facie Title III lawsuit.
Plaintiffs and Defendants
Plaintiffs are persons or business organizations that held or now holds present, future, or executory interest in real property of which the Cuban Government confiscated and passed on to individuals or business entities for "trafficking purposes.
LIBERTAD narrowly defines defendants as natural persons, entities, agencies or instrumentalities of foreign states that knowingly and willfully "traffic" a plaintiff's confiscated property.
Trafficking Defined
Trafficking under the Act is the possession, selling, assigning, trading, controlling, brokering, leasing, managing or holding of acquired interest of property confiscated in Cuba after 1959, of which is presently or was subsequently:
used for commercial activity;
receiving benefits from commercial activity; or
engaging in direct or indirect trafficking by third parties for profit.
Unlike larceny, conversion and embezzlement where the tortious act and the property in controversy are tangentially tied, trafficking activity under LIBERTAD is excessively broad.
It encompasses both direct economic activity on expropriated properties and also indirect trafficking by defendants conducting business with other defendants who use the profits from seized properties for trading.
Example: Title III plaintiffs may name persons or entities as trafficker defendants if they sell goods to another who used money earned on confiscated property to pay for the trade.
Some trafficking defendants are exempt from civil liability under the Helms-Burton Act.
Trafficking does not apply to natural persons or business entities who directly or indirectly use confiscated property:
to provide international telecommunications services on or to the island;
to offer lawful travel to and from Cuba; and,
to reside and to exploit for non-commercial purposes (this exemption only applies to Cuba citizens or aliens who have no affiliation with the Cuban Government or its ruling political party).
Civil Liability
LIBERTAD empowers the U.S. Justice Department and the federal courts to impose serious financial consequences on defendants found liable under Title III.
Title III plaintiffs may plead general damages under the statute and calculate their special damages by assessing the confiscated property's present value or by appraising the subject matter's market value when seized with interest added.
Special damage pleadings under Title III may further include court costs and attorney fees along with treble damages for claims that are pre-certified by the Department of Justice's Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (FCSC).
Title III plaintiffs may also plead non-certified FCSC treble damages if litigants serve defendants with an advance notice of their legal claim and said defendants continue to engage in "trafficking" for more than 30 days after service.
What Legal Hurdles Do LIBERTAD Plaintiffs Face?
Statute of Limitation Hurdles
Title III plaintiffs must overcome statute of limitation constraints before imputing liability on defendants who have discontinued trafficking activity.
Although U.S. nationals may sue at any time while defendants profit on their expropriated properties, litigants may only file legal claims up to two years after the trafficking defendant has ceased to conduct business on the property in controversy.
The twenty-four-month statute of limitations starts ticking as soon as the trafficking stops, putting pressure on law firms to identify and name their defendants promptly and gather liability evidence quickly.
Because most foreign defendants reside abroad, the Act's Title III statute of limitations further places burdens on lawyers
process serving lawsuits;
conducting discovery; and
establishing personal jurisdiction in federal court.
Constitutional scholars likewise question whether the Supreme Court should first scrutinize Title III for vagueness and address sovereignty concerns before Title III plaintiffs are allowed to file lawsuits.
Jurisdiction and Recovery Obstacles
Some advocates believe Title Three's definition of "trafficking" is inherently ambiguous and they ask whether the American courts hold sufficient subject matter and personal jurisdiction over trafficking defendants to enforce legal remedies in foreign countries.
Plaintiffs may therefore face recovery barriers in circumstances where foreign trafficking defendants lack assets in the United States to attack. Further, enforcing Title III judgments may be implausible in regions that possess adverse multi-jurisdiction blocking statutes.
Example: A plaintiff obtains a Title III judgment against a defendant trafficker who only owns assets in Turkey. As a member of the European Union (EU), the economic resources of this defendant are protected by EU blocking statutes that expressly state any "judgment" from a "court" or "administrative authority" regarding the Helms-Burton Act "shall not be recognized or be enforceable." This particular plaintiff would therefore face many obstacles in recovering money from the defendant.
Countersuit Hurdles
Helms-Burton Title III lawsuits may further give rise to defendants filing countersuits in their jurisdictions or with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to nullify favorable judgments against them.
On April 20, 2019, one day after President Trump announced his decision to allow Title III waivers to expire, EU government leaders declared the Union would support its citizen's right to file LIBERTAD countersuits with the WTO and would block auspicious judgments via enforcement of the "EU Blocking Statute."
Beyond the obstruction powers discussed in the example above, the EU Blocking Statute further allows EU companies to recover general, special and punitive damages in EU courts against U.S. plaintiffs that attempt to enforce Title III judgments against them.
Canada and Mexico have also allied with the EU on blocking LIBERTAD judgment against its citizens and businesses. In 2019, the Canadian government threatened to sue the United States via the WTO if America sought to attack Canadian assets, and Mexico echoed Canada's response one week later.
How Many Title III Lawsuits Exist Today?
Law firms are now preparing for the massive LIBERTAD civil filings soon to take place. Most civil attorneys believe defendant Title III exemptions are in the minority, given that the FCSC has certified thousands of claims already.
As of May 2019, the FCSC has vetted over 15,000 Helms-Burton Title III civil complaints and has pre-certified over 7,000 legal actions for plaintiffs seeking redress for property confiscated by the Cuban Government.
A U.S. State Department briefing in March 2019 cited both certified and uncertified FCSC claim data when estimating "the total potential Title III claims could number as high as 200,000 this year alone."
Top law firms are now soliciting representation from pre-certified FCSC plaintiffs and are investigating foreign companies that are currently conducting business or have formerly conducted business in Cuba within the last two years.
Lawyers are further targeting third-party LIBERTAD Title III defendants, such as Carnival Cruise Lines, a corporation that indirectly benefited from Cuban traffickers as defined in the Act.
Potential LIBERTAD plaintiffs who believe they hold valid Title Three claims should seek professional counsel before the statute of limitations runs on their cases.
Your attorney will investigate your evidence and inform you if you hold a valid prima facie Helms-Burton civil claim in a jurisdiction where judgment against a Title III trafficking defendant is collectable.
How Can American and Foreign Companies Reduce Title III Risk and Liability?
After President Trump's LIBERTAD announcement, foreign advocates around the globe have encouraged their commercial clients to rethink their Title III liability and to measure any found risk against enforceable civil judgments against them.
Businesses that trade with Cuba and keep inventory on the island should scrutinize their property titles to determine if a U.S. national previously owned the land or building that holds their goods.
Foreign companies should further consider the direct and indirect commercial Cuban trade they engage in and determine if the actors in such commerce had exchanged or received profits gained on properties expropriated by the Cuban Government.
American firms should likewise contract expert Helms-Burton advocates to access their indirect trafficking Title III exposure with third-party foreign commerce players.
Corporate lawyers working for companies that hold American assets and trade with Cuba should further advise their Boards that Title III judgments against them:
may cutoff much-needed access to international financial institutions;
can cause drops in sales from bad publicity; and
may sever ties with business partners who would be afraid that a LIBERTAD plaintiff would name them as a third party trafficker in a Title III lawsuit.
Are There Any Recent Helms-Burton Lawsuit Filings?
LIBERTAD plaintiffs have filed three civil lawsuits immediately after President Trump lifted the Title III suspension.
Carnival Cruise LIBERTAD Lawsuits
Two cause of actions filed in the US District Court in Miami hold that Carnival Cruise Lines had trafficked confiscated property under the Act by profiting from expropriated assets used by third parties without the compensation to the U.S. nationals who hold claim to the property.
These LIBERTAD plaintiffs say the Act's indirect trafficking language allows them to pursue legal remedies against the defendant for participating in commercial activity on the confiscated ports, docks and adjacent land that Castro seized in 1960.
The lawsuit further asks the courts to allow the plaintiffs to adjoin unnamed defendants who may have likewise engaged in or profited from Carnival's operations via "third-party partner liability".
Remember, LIBERTAD allows for two separate lawsuits—claims that the FCSC has certified and claims not reviewed by the Commission.
FCSC certified claims allow litigants to seek full damages and treble damages (or three times the damage award).
Title III plaintiffs who bring uncertified claims within the statute of limitations may only seek damages if they can prove defendants continued trafficking their properties thirty days after receiving processes of service on the LIBERTAD claim.
The two Carnival lawsuits mentioned above include one certified FCSC claim and one uncertified pleading with the later carrying a two-year statute of limitations, running from the date that "the trafficking giving rise to the action had not ceased to occur after notice."
Advocates across the globe are closely monitoring these bellwether Helms-Burton claims hoping to discover how the federal courts will set precedent on Title III lawsuits moving forward.
Attorney Roberto Martinez from Colson Hicks Eidson, a law firm representing LIBERTAD plaintiff, Javier Garcia-Bengochea, asserts the test cases will provide lawyers with "a clearer definition into the Act's disputed meaning and intent," of which may "validate similar lawsuit filings afterward."
Let's examine each Title III Carnival Cruise Corp claim in detail to get a clearer sense of what these bellwether cases entail.
Javier Garcia-Bengochea v. Carnival Corp.
(No. 19-CV-21725)
Filed on May 02, 2019, Dr. Javier Garcia-Bengochea's lawsuit claims his family owned eighty-three percent the of waterfront commercial property in the Port of Santiago Cuba, which the Cuban Government confiscated in 1960.
Garcia-Bengochea asserts he spent years writing to Carnival, asking the defendant to desist "to embark and disembark its passengers" on his family's seized property, but the company ignored his requests.
The FCSC had certified Garcia-Bengochea's complaint before President Trump's Title III announcement, and the plaintiff is now seeking all remedies "authorized by the Commission, plus interest."
A special master at the FCSC accessed Garcia-Bengochea's damages to be the property's fair market value plus interest, multiplied by three to add treble damages.
In May, Garcia-Bengochea claimed in media outlets that Carnival was "the first cruise line to traffic" his family's confiscated properties and that the defendant has made no indication of discontinuing such activity anytime soon.
The LIBERTAD plaintiff further disclosed his lawyers have been working tirelessly with the FCSC for nearly ten years to seek compensation form Carnival; hence, the cruise line deserves the "ignominious distinction" of becoming the first defendant "named and sue[ed] under the act," according to Garcia-Bengochea.
Martinez is no newcomer to suing the Cuban Government; in the late 90s, he successfully attacked frozen Cuban assets to pay judgements for family members of pilots whose aircrafts were illegally shot down by Cuban jet fighters.
"My client's businesses were destroyed and stolen by the Castro government," says Martinez, who claims for years Garcia-Bengochea put Carnival Cruise Corporation on notice of statutory liability for trafficking property, but "they did nothing about it."
According to lead counsel, the defendant "miscalculated" the risk and reward for violating LIBERTAD and for "ignoring the pleas not to use stolen properties," and "now, they have to deal with the consequences."
History of a Stolen Port in Cuba
William Behn legally purchased prime Havana harbor property from the Cuban Government in 1917. Behn incorporated the Havana Docks Corp in 1947 and ran most maritime port activities in Cuba's capital until revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro expropriated the company twenty years later.
In November 1960, two armed guards confiscated Havana Docks' corporate land and assets at gunpoint and ordered the Behns family to vacate the island.
After surrendering their livelihoods, Havana Docks' executive board members followed Castro's orders and fled the island. However, the board continued to pay U.S. taxes, and it met annually in exile hoping to return one day to the island to reclaim their lost assets.
Mickael Behn (William Behn's grandson) took over the position of CEO of Havana Docks from his father, Capt. William Behn, after graduating from college, and he has patiently attended every Havana Docks shareholder meeting despite the port company only existing on paper.
Behn's company is just one of many organizations that currently own "trafficked" port properties in Cuba.
Behn believes President Trump's policy reversal will perhaps signal legal trouble for many maritime corporations like Carnival Cruise Lines that use the island's docks to conduct business for profit.
According to court documents, Carnival Cruise Lines have rejected all requests from Havana Docks for compensation for use of its port property, and the defendant continues to exploit the asset "without any care that it was stolen."
Behn says Carnival Corporation has provided five-day cruises to Cuba from Miami and Fort Lauderdale since the Obama administration eased travel restrictions to the island nation in 2016.
Attorney for the Behns family and LIBERTAD co-counsel, Rodney Margol, further claims to have evidence that proves nearly one million people cruised to Cuba in 2018 aboard many ships, and every vessel had used his client's ports without paying him due compensation.
Carnival has further announced plans to add more voyages to the island from other U.S. ports; hence, these potential LIBERTAD defendants are intentionally "profiting from people who lost their businesses," says Behn.
Havana Docks Corp. v. Carnival Corp.
(No. 19-CV 21724)
Havana Docks Corp, the legal owner of Havana Cruise Port Terminal properties, has filed a second Carnival lawsuit, claiming the defendant "used and continues to use" expropriated corporate property owned by U.S. nationals.
This complaint seeks the same damages as in the Garcia-Bengochea lawsuit, including treble damages; however, the FCSC has not certified the Havana Docks complaint, which Margol served to the defendant on May 02, 2019.
To date, Carnival Cruise Corp continues to embark and disembark its passengers at the Havana Cruise Port Terminal, and Margol believes the defendant will not cease this activity within the next thirty days.
Such disregard to desist by Carnival would keep the Mickael Behn's Helms-Burton lawsuit within the statute of limitations and will allow the company to continue seeking legal and treble damages on trafficked property in June.
In a press conference after filling his lawsuit, Behn asserted the defendant knew very well that his company owned the docks and the surrounding port infrastructure in Havana, but the luxury cruise line proceeded to use the property "for years without consequence to them."
District Judge James Lawrence King will hear motions on Garcia-Bengochea's lawsuit in the months to come and will most likely merge it with the Behn's cause of action when the thirty day LIBERTAD waiting period expires, according to Margol.
Carnival Cruise Line Responds
Roger Frizzell CCO for Cruise Lines International told reporters in May that the company would "continue with their normal cruise schedule to Cuba."
The defendant further contended that cruise line traveling to Cuba is permissible under the Act, which provides for such activity in Title III exemption language; both lawsuits are therefore "inane," according to Frizzell, who affirmed Helms-Burton permits travel to expropriated property in Cuba when the U.S. government expressly sanctions the trip.
In response to Frizzell's statements, Margol claims the CCO contradicts the Trump administration's resolve for allowing LIBERTAD to go into effect.
Attorneys for Behn have cited U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's remarks from mid-April, where the Secretary warned that "any company doing business in Cuba should heed [President Trump's] LIBERTAD announcement" and asserted implementation of Title III in full means comprehensive relief for U.S. nationals "from Fidel Castro and his lackeys [for] seizing property without compensation."
Martinez further added the Carnival Cruise Corporation should take note of the 6,000 FCSC certified LIBERTAD claims on confiscated property of which the Commission estimated to be worth $8 billion in damages with interest and that nearly two hundred thousand potential Title III plaintiffs have yet to file their uncertified lawsuits.
ExxonMobil LIBERTAD Lawsuit
The third LIBERTAD civil lawsuit attacks the Cuban oil industry, a more vulnerable sector of the island's economy.
Exxon Mobil Corp v. Corporation CIMEX and Union CUPET (No. 19-CV 21724)
In a LIBERTAD lawsuit filed on May 2, 2019, Title III plaintiff, ExxonMobil, asserted the Cuban Government seized its assets sixty years ago after the organization refused to oppose the U.S.-Cuba trade embargo by supplying the island with the gas and crude oil products needed to keep Cuba's economy functioning.
ExxonMobil now accuses two Cuban oil companies of land taking and trafficking assets it previously owned on the island before Castro illegitimately nationalized the Cuban oil industry in 1960.
With annual revenues totaling more than $1.3 billion, Cuban Export-Import Corporation (CIMEX) is Cuba's largest corporation, which also provides financial foreign exchange transactions for Americans who wish to travel to Cuba as tourists.
The Cuba Oil Union (CUPET) likewise produces, refines, and distributes petroleum products, and it further operates hundreds of gas stations on the island.
ExxonMobil says theses two Cuban oil companies owe the organization $71.6 million for violating the Helms-Burton Act because both used ExxonMobil island properties and refineries for financial benefit.
Similar to the Carnival Cruise Corp lawsuits, ExxonMobil filed its complaint in the US District Court for the District of Columbia one day after the Trump administration's announcement to lift LIBERTAD waivers.
Attorney Steven Davidson from Steptoe & Johnson says "CIMEX and CUPET have been trafficking ExxonMobil land since it was expropriated." Davidson further claims both defendants intentionally took his clients fixed assets "to refine oil and sell it for profit."
Court documents establish both LIBERTAD defendants have made billions of dollars in earnings last year alone and have reaped other financial perks from partnering countries after trafficking ExxonMobil land without landowner consent.
CIMEX or CUPET never obtained "express or implied consent" to refine crude oil using ExxonMobil confiscated refineries, the Title III plaintiff pleaded, nor has the company allowed the defendant "to produce, transport, sell, or otherwise engage in any commercial activity…involving trading of trafficked petroleum products to third parties," the complaint states.
The FCSC has certified ExxonMobil's LIBERTAD Title III claim, says Davidson, who asserts the Commission has formerly announced his client owns the property in controversy and that the two Cuban state-run oil companies are liable under the Act.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta has scheduled pretrial hearings on the ExxonMobil Helms-Burton lawsuit for June 2019.
What Legal Issues Do The Carnival Cruise Plaintiffs Face?
Advocates in international law assert President Trump's LIBERTAD policy is questionable because the Act's Title III language is inherently ambiguous, meaning Carnival Cruise Corp will most likely contest these bellwether lawsuits vigorously in court.
Counsel for Carnival, George Fowler, says Helms-Burton today is a non-feasible law because U.S.-Cuba relations differ greatly now from where they were fifty years ago. Fowler further hinted his client may argue "a number of defenses and ambiguities" that will reveal the Act is ill-defined to impose legal remedies on international defendants.
According to responding court documents, express language in LIBERTAD Title III law relives "commercial activities related to authorized travel to Cuba" from legal liability claims.
The lead counsel further alleges he worked on the Act in 1995 before President Clinton signed it into law, "If the trip was allowed, Helms-Burton does not apply," says Fowler who affirms congressional intent for writing LIBERTAD was not to impute civil liability on American companies conducting business in Cuba legally.
John S. Kavulich at the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council likewise holds, to prevail in their lawsuits, Carnival Cruise Title III plaintiffs will have the extraordinary burden of proving the Obama administration broke the law (Helms-Burton) when it opened travel to Cuba for Americans.
Example: If the courts find Congress must have first declared the Cuban Government to be "in transition" before the President could allow Americans to sail on luxury cruise liners from the U.S. to Cuba, the travel was illegal and LIBERTAD applies; however, if the tourism was legal, then the defendant would be immune from liability under the Act.
How Has The Cuba Reacted to President Trump's LIBERTAD Announcement?
As mentioned earlier, complete implementation of Title III via waiver expiration materialized suddenly, and the European Union, Canadian and Mexican governments whose companies have billions of dollars invested in Cuba have accosted President Trump's resolve with opposition.
The Cuban Government met with Canada's foreign minister two days after President Trump's Helms-Burton announcement to consider how Title III lawsuits would affect the island and its long-term oil trade relationship with Venezuela.
Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, afterward stated that his government recognizes the legitimate government in Venezuela and its President Nicolas Maduro, and he forewarned the United States from exploiting the LIBERTAD Act as "a weapon to disrespect the sovereignty of each nation, international law and the proclamation of [a peaceful] Latin America and Caribbean region."
Rodriguez further cautioned the U.S. from threatening to impose Helms-Burton legal actions with intent of using Cuba to employ "unilateral coercive measures against Caracas."
Cuban businesses procured new tourist investment and business on the island one week after President Trump's LIBERTAD announcement, a move that seemed to brush off fears of Title III enforcement in Cuba.
Maria Reyes of Havana Tourism says financial and economic concerns via LIBERTAD lawsuits are minimal on the island because Cuban businesses expect the European Union to protect the country's commercial interests through blocking statutes.
Last week, the Cuban Government offered legal guarantees and new business opportunities to over five million European investors who are interested in trading with Cuba despite the recent economic tensions with the United States.
Islanders negotiating with these lenders have gone on record saying the Helms-Burton Act is a "senseless extraterritorial law" that is not enforceable in Cuba.
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text:
Degenerous
Age12 (Foaled 13th April 2008)
TrainerMrs S Dawson
SireGenerous
DamBrescia
04/11/16 4/17 82 HURDLE Down Royal, 2m 6f 50y, Good (Good to Yielding in places) 16/1
20/10/16 F - CHASE Thurles, 2m 6f 0y, Good (Good to Yielding in places) 66/1
08/10/16 3/6 - CHASE Fairyhouse, 2m 5f 0y, Good 25/1
24/09/16 7/25 84 HURDLE Navan, 2m 6f 0y, Yielding 33/1
26/08/16 9/15 87 HURDLE Down Royal, 2m 6f 0y, Good 14/1
27/05/16 13/14 89 HURDLE Down Royal, 3m 0f 0y, Good (Good to Firm in places) 20/1
22/04/16 6/14 96 HURDLE Perth, 2m 4f 35y, Good (Good to Firm in places), C5 16/1
20/04/16 5/12 96 HURDLE Perth, 2m 4f 35y, Good, C4 40/1
24/03/16 10/10 - CHASE Thurles, 2m 2f 0y, Yielding 20/1
28/08/15 1/10 85 HURDLE Down Royal, 2m 6f 0y, Good to Yielding 20/1
03/08/15 14/23 88 HURDLE Cork, 2m 3f 0y, Good 33/1
01/07/15 5/7 98 HURDLE Perth, 2m 7f 207y, Good (Good to Firm in places, Watered), C4 16/1
28/02/15 6/6 98 HURDLE Doncaster, 3m 0f 110y, Good, C1 50/1
11/02/15 4/11 90 HURDLE Down Royal, 2m 4f 0y, Yielding to Soft 33/1
18/01/15 18/18 - HURDLE Leopardstown, 2m 0f 0y, Soft, Yielding to Soft in places 66/1
19/11/14 10/12 - HURDLE Fairyhouse, 2m 0f 0y, Soft to Heavy 100/1
06/11/14 7/11 - HURDLE Thurles, 2m 0f 0y, Good to Yielding 10/1
31/10/14 6/7 - N_H_FLAT Down Royal, 2m 0f 0y, Yielding, Good in places 40/1
29/08/14 PU - HURDLE Down Royal, 2m 0f 0y, Good to Firm, Good in places 25/1
02/05/14 1007/25 - N_H_FLAT Punchestown, 2m 1f 0y, Good to Yielding 33/1
05/03/14 1/8 - N_H_FLAT Catterick, 2m 0f 0y, Good to Soft, Soft in places, C5 16/1
22/01/14 12/15 - N_H_FLAT Fairyhouse, 2m 0f 0y, Soft to Heavy 25/1
16/10/13 11/20 - N_H_FLAT Punchestown, 2m 0f 0y, Good to Firm 50/1
04/10/13 12/20 - N_H_FLAT Gowran Park, 2m 0f 0y, Soft (Yileding in places) 33/1
Last updated 8m


Raising Ducks: Before You Begin!
Raising Ducks 101 for Beginners: The absolute basics about raising ducks for beginner hobbyists.
About Duck Species Behavior and Ecology: All about the duck waterfowl species and general duck information.
Housing Ducks in a Backyard Coop: How to properly house your ducks.
Raising Meat Ducks for Slaughter: One of the major reasons for raising ducks.
Brooding Ducklings: You can choose either natural brooding for your ducklings, or artificial duckling brooding using a chick brooder and a heat lamp.
Raising Baby Ducks: How to start raising ducks by raising baby ducks.
How to Start Raising Ducks: A beginner's guide to raising ducks.
How to Raise Ducks: A quick guide to the basics of duck care.
A Beginner's Guide to Raising Ducks: An article for beginners interested in raising ducks.
Raising Backyard Ducks with Geese: Mixing up the waterfowl species!
Feeding Ducks: Start your hatched baby ducks on unmedicated chick starter, and gradually move to chicken grower and pastures!
Duck Breeds: There are various duck breeds to choose. We can help you find the right duck breed for your backyard duck hobby!
Raising Mallard Ducks: Raise Mallards, one of the most popular types of ducks!
You may also be interested in the Call duck breed, Cayuga duck breed, Crested duck breed, Khaki Campbell duck breed, Muscovy duck breed, Orpington duck breed, Pekin duck breed, Pommeranian duck breed, Rouen duck breed, and the Runner duck breed.


Includes the scripts of the episodes of the second season of the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
This second volume of scripts from Season Three comes complete with production notes, inside jokes, and cut dialogue.
Illustrates scenes from the lives of vampire slayers from a variety of historical periods.
Describes the adventures of Buffy after the events covered by the television program, as she faces a mysterious threat called "Twilight," while Giles and Faith deal with a rogue slayer.
The trio return to the bench, with books stacked up and . He dives back into his book as Buffy turns to the window, I'm sorry about your life, how it's been .
Nineteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker faces the temptations of love, violence, betrayal, anger, and the dark side of the Force.
An introduction to gender studies through one of TV's most popular shows.
EPISODE GUIDES. Soul Deep - The Story Of Black EPISODE GUIDES. Soul Deep - The Story of Black Ain't It Funky - Ep 5/6. BBC Two. June 4, 9.00-10.00 .


I've been watching lots of hair tutorials on YouTube lately, and I can't help but notice how many of them use dry shampoo to achieve a bit of added texture and volume for updos. So, a few weeks ago when I was wandering the aisles of Costco a pack of Batiste dry shampoo caught my eye. The ingredients were simple enough—mostly rice starch, and then a lot of things that ended in "-ane". Butane, propane… hold on, don't those things fuel my BBQ? A quick check on Skin Deep confirmed my worries—most of those "-ane" ingredients are pretty harmful with concerns like immunotoxicity, irritation, and organ system toxicity (!). So I made my own natural dry shampoo spray, of course.
I've written before about my super easy, all natural dry shampoo recipe. It's pretty great. It has two ingredients, and that alone is amazing, before you consider that it works. However, it has been brought to my attention that it's not ideal for those with more enthusiastically oily scalps. So I set out to create something better.
This is the easiest way possible to make your hair look clean when it isn't. It's also cheap. And smells like chocolate. What more could you want?
This is best for brunettes and dirty blondes. Just mix equal parts cornstarch and cocoa powder. Apply it to greasy roots with a big, poofy brush (make sure to tap it until there is almost nothing left on the brush). Dust it in thoroughly, and off you go with a scalp that smells like hot cocoa. Yum.
How can I make more or less of this recipe?


text:
118,000 adverse events occur in hospitals each day
A new study in BMJ Quality & Safety finds that nearly 43 million adverse events occur during the 421 million hospitalizations across the globe each year, and those events have a major impact on the lives of patients.
OIG: Only one in seven hospital errors is reported
For the study, Harvard School of Public Health researchers used data from more than 4,000 studies and articles published since 1976, as well as data from the World Health Organization (WHO). They studied seven common adverse events:
Hospital-acquired pneumonia cases;
Catheter-related urinary tract infections;
Bloodstream infections;
Blood clots in veins;
Medication errors;
Patient falls; and
Pressure ulcers.
Of the 42.7 million adverse events that occur each year in hospitals around the world, researchers determined that about 16.8 million occur in high-income countries, while 25.9 million occur in low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries, medication errors were the most-common adverse event, while blood clots are the most common adverse events in low- to middle-income countries.
To assess the impact of the adverse events on patients, researchers used the "disability-adjusted life years" (DALYs) metric, a measure of the years of healthy life lost due to an illness, disability, or early death. They found that adverse events results in 23 million DALYs lost per year.
"These findings are an important sign that we need to invest in improving the quality and safety of health care systems around the globe," lead author David Bates said.
"When patients are sick, they should not be further harmed by unsafe care," the authors wrote, adding that "[t]his should be a major policy emphasis for all nations" (Medical News Today, 9/19; Scutti, Medical Daily, 9/18).
Current Article118,000 adverse events occur in hospitals each day
WSJ: How to recover from an office showdown
Adverse-events-occur-in-hospitals-each-day


Sapphire (Hebrew: ספּיר or Sapir) is a precious gemstone. It is a transparent corundum. Blue good quality stones are generally classified as one of the most valuable gemstones. The blue color is due to "dirty" iron articles which are present in the corundum. Sapphires have been around since time immemorial beloved gems, because of their great beauty and their extraordinary properties. In the past, all the blue stone called "sapphire". Only in the early 19th century they were considered along with rubies as an independent gems within the korundgroep. Sapphires are attributed extraordinary characteristics. Sapphire gives its owner strength, honor and immortality. He was the symbol of wealth and prevented discord and sorrow. Sapphire is one of the "nine gems" in Thai Order of the Nine Gems. Sapphires and leucosaffieren be like since the earliest antiquity found on the island of Sri Lanka. These sites extend over an area of approximately 2000 km². Sometimes even large stones have been found, but these are not always of gem quality. The largest sapphire has allegedly weighing 20 kg. In the year 1974 here sapphires were found of 144 and 300 carats. Sapphires are mainly found in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, China (Shandong), Madagascar (particularly around Ilakaka), East Africa and Myanmar, but also in Australia and in the United States (in Montana). The sapphires from Kashmir cornflower blue and the highly valued. The species from Sri Lanka are paler; which have a metallic sheen in Montana; and the Australian sapphires have a dark shade, which gives them an almost black appearance. Like rubies of similar structure, some sapphires show a hexagonal star when cut into a cabochon (round shape) and are exposed to direct sunlight. Such star sapphires are usually found in Sri Lanka. Synthetic sapphires are created by the merger of aluminum with titanium dioxide as coloring agent is added. Also corundum gemstone quality with a color other than red or blue, they give the name sapphire. Thus, there are next to blue sapphires also colorless sapphires (leukosaffier) and yellow, pink, violet and green sapphires. There are also multi-colored sapphires. Otherwise colored sapphires are usually worth less than blue sapphires. An exception is the orange-pink sapphire (Padparadja), which is very rare and therefore expensive.


text:
Q: How to create a proof environment with a different typeset name in addition to the original proof environment? Picking up on this comment, how can I define a proof environment with a different typeset name than "Proof" (say, "Explanation") in such a way that the new environment coexists rather than supplants the original proof environment?
I currently use the amsthm package to generate proof environments, but if it helps, I don't mind loading another package.

A: You could define a new LaTeX environment called, say, explanation. Entering a LaTeX environment automatically starts a new TeX group. This environment first redefines the macro \proofname and then opens a proof environment. At the end of the explanation environment, the proof environment is closed. This approach "works" because the scope of the  redefinition of the \proofname is confined to the current TeX group and is therefore "forgotten" when the explanation environment ends.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsthm}

\newcommand\explanationname{Explanation} % could be made language-dependent
\newenvironment{explanation}%
   {\renewcommand\proofname\explanationname%
    \begin{proof}}%
   {\end{proof}}

\begin{document}
\begin{explanation} bla bla bla \end{explanation}
\begin{proof} ble ble ble \end{proof}
\begin{explanation} bli bli bli \end{explanation}
\end{document}