text:
There's Still Profit Potential in Your Low-Profit Customers
They can amount to 50–80% of customers — and consume about 40–60% of a company's costs.
Jonathan Byrnes
John Wass
Juan Moyano/Stocksy
Profit desert customers — small, low-profit customers often numbering in the tens of thousands — are an important business segment in most companies. They often amount to about 50–80% of customers and consume about 40–60% of the company's costs. In some companies, they're assigned to territory reps as low-revenue "C" accounts, which distracts the reps from selling more lucrative business. In all companies, they create costly complexity in functions ranging from order-taking to fulfilment to after-sales service and returns because these customers are numerous and often inexperienced. The best way to manage your profit desert customers is to cluster them under a unified management structure — a profit desert customer team — rather than having them scattered in sales reps' portfolios throughout the company. This team should be composed of specialized sales and marketing managers who are solely focused on this customer segment. The author presents three steps these managers should take to bring latent profits to the bottom line.
In most companies, the long tail of profit desert customers — small, low-profit customers often numbering in the tens of thousands — has surprisingly important latent profit opportunities. The key to success is clustering these customers into segments by profitability and development potential, then crafting an appropriate management plan for each segment.
Profit desert customers are an important business segment in most companies. They often amount to about 50–80% of customers and consume about 40–60% of the company's costs. In some companies, they're assigned to territory reps as low-revenue "C" accounts, which distracts the reps from selling more lucrative business. In all companies, they create costly complexity in functions ranging from order-taking to fulfilment to after-sales service and returns because these customers are numerous and often inexperienced.
The best way to manage your profit desert customers is to cluster them under a unified management structure — a profit desert customer team — rather than having them scattered in sales reps' portfolios throughout the company. This team should be composed of specialized sales and marketing managers who are solely focused on this customer segment. These managers should oversee all of the following steps of the profit desert customer management process.
Micro-target your profit desert
Enterprise profit management, which utilizes transaction-level profit analytics, provides the basis for micro-segmenting your profit deserts and creating a management plan that fits each segment. We've described these transaction-level profit metrics in previous HBR articles. When companies use these metrics (creating an all-in P&L for every invoice line), they quickly see that their customers fall into three broad profit segments:
Profit peaks — Their high-revenue, high-profit customers (typically about 20% of the customers that generate 150% of their profits)
Profit drains — Their high-revenue, low-profit/loss customers (typically about 30% of the customers that erode about 50% of these profits)
Profit deserts — Their low-revenue, low-profit customers that produce minimal profit
While the profit desert customers, in aggregate, produce minimal profits, a close analysis shows that some segments of these customers are in fact important profit contributors, while other segments are significant profit drains. Although individual customers make only tiny profit contributions or cause only tiny losses, there are so many customers in each segment that the total impact is significant. With micro-targeting and digital systems capabilities, these profit desert customer segments are very manageable. However, they require a much different approach to management than the larger and fewer profit peak and profit drain customers.
The following figure profiles a typical company's profit peak and profit desert customers. Each category is divided into profit-based quartiles (ordered by net profits in descending order, with an equal number of customers in each quartile).
See more HBR charts in Data & Visuals
Each profit peak customer quartile has about 2,800 customers, and together, these high-profit customers produce $189 million in net profits. In contrast, each profit desert quartile has about 62,000 customers, and in aggregate, the profit desert customers produce $25 million in net profits.
While the profit peak customers produce $5,000 to $44,000 in profits per customer, the profit desert customers produce profits per customer ranging from $900 to losses of $600.
There are stark profitability differences among the profit desert quartiles:
The top profit desert quartile produces a strong $58 million in profits, with a mere $900 in profits per customer.
The upper quartile produces only $5 million in profits, with an inconsequential amount per customer.
The lower quartile produces a loss of $1 million, with an inconsequential amount per customer.
The bottom quartile causes $37 million in losses, with a mere $600 loss per customer.
This figure shows that 1) the profit desert customers require a much lower-cost business model than the profit peak customers (or profit drain customers) due to their small size, and 2) given the large differences in profit performance among the profit desert quartiles, the business model needs to be even more differentiated. These are the two cornerstone components of mining the latent profit in your profit deserts.
Differentiate your business model
The most important way to differentiate the business model for your profit desert customers is to focus your digital transformation initiatives on this group. It's imperative to have a website with electronic ordering, but it's not enough. It's critical to automate the entire profit desert customer purchasing cycle.
Effective profit desert customer portals have a comprehensive set of capabilities, including:
Pricing and promotions — Pricing and promotional capabilities that can be micro-targeted to the customers in specific profit desert quartiles.
Product search — A catalogue with sophisticated search capabilities and alternative stock keeping units (SKU)s within a product (e.g., 12 brands of wrap-around safety glasses), shown in descending order by their net profitability.
Product selection — Customer reviews, along with Q&As populated by customers and the company.
Product ordering — Intuitive, easy-to-use e-commerce capabilities supplemented by upsell and cross-sell suggestions generated by machine learning algorithms. When a product is unavailable or on backorder, it should offer suggestions for substitutes.
Product tracking — Notifications or posting of product shipment progress.
Returns management — System that analyzes whether to have the customer send the product back or keep it. The company should also monitor the volume and nature of returns to identify both customers abusing the return policy and systematic deficiencies in the selling or product support process (e.g., faulty instructions).
Target your profit improvement measures
Each profit desert quartile is different from the others, and each needs a distinct program of profitability improvement.
Top quartile profit desert accounts
This group of customers is significantly profitable in aggregate, but it is not economical to engage each customer individually. The first step is to profile each customer in order to prospect for candidates you can develop into profit peaks. The prime candidates are small companies that are growing fast, and large companies where you make up a small portion of spending.
Once you've identified these prime prospects, you can probe their buyer behavior by sending them surveys or inquiring through telesales calls. One particularly astute distributor used follow-up calls to classify its development prospects by whether they were primarily seeking:
Broad assortments
In the initial call, the telesales rep confirmed the account's potential and gauged its likely buyer behavior. The account was then moved to an "onboarding" telesales team specializing in one or another of the buyer behavior categories.
Similarly, you can use surveys to profile the buyer behavior of the remaining accounts in the top quartile of your profit desert customers and build a set of targeted marketing programs based on their buyer behavior categories.
In addition, the profit desert customer team should constantly be in touch with a select sample of top quartile customers to probe for opportunities to create product modifications and extended products (a set of products and services that meet a specific customer need). For example, an auto parts company found that repair shops installing its brakes needed instructions tailored to the make and model of the car. They added a section to their website with this information, and sales skyrocketed.
Once the customer team has developed profiles of the top profit desert customers, it can use them as the basis for prospecting for new top accounts. For example, one savvy retailer determined that its most profitable customers were referred by friends and family. The company built a successful marketing program around this, featuring events like evening friends and family wine and cheese parties.
Bottom quartile profit desert accounts
The objective of managing these customers is to restore them to at least minimal profitability, or decline to continue to do business with them (by charging a compensatory price).
One major distributor was shocked to find that the company's new transaction-level profit metrics showed that over 80% of its customers were profit deserts, and a high proportion of these were bottom quartile profit desert accounts.
The company tightened its policies for the bottom quartile through several measures:
Absolutely no discounting or couponing
Minimum order size to avoid add-on charges
No free shipping (the company had offered free shipping for large customers to match a competitor, and simply applied the policy to bottom quartile profit desert accounts as well)
No free ancillary services (e.g., expediting)
A restocking fee for returns
The company also lengthened its order cycle time for these customers so it could source from a replenishment warehouse if the local distribution center was low on stock.
Sales reps were allowed to override these restrictions, but the company carefully tracked these overrides and held the reps accountable for excessive overrides. (Note that these measures were modified for the top quartile customers that were development/growth prospects.)
In this process, it's important to consider the lifetime value of the account. For example, a customer like a job-shop manufacturer may have legitimately sporadic needs. A customer may even be a profit peak for a few years when it has a particular project, then the next year be between projects with only minimal purchases (and return to profit peak status following that). It is reasonable for the customer to expect that the "extras" it received in its profit peak years would be extended during its year of minimal purchases, and this should be accommodated.
Upper and lower quartile profit desert customers
These customers consume a significant amount of resources and produce only minimal profits, if any.
The first priority is to probe these customers to identify any that have the potential to grow into a profit peak account, either through internal growth or increased spending with you. These customers should be included in the high-potential top quartile customer development program.
Upper and lower quartile profit desert customers are good candidates for using machine learning algorithms to search out upsell and cross-sell opportunities. However, you should supplement this with measures similar to the bottom quartile program described above to tighten up the cost to serve.
It is important that the profit desert management team continually probe these customers through surveys, email, or calls to discover whether there are new or emerging needs or innovations that you could profitably meet.
Profit desert customers are numerous and diverse, yet they have important latent profits to contribute. The key to success is to deploy a dedicated, multicapability profit desert management team that uses enterprise profit management metrics to micro-target the best profit opportunities, and create highly focused programs that bring your latent profits to your bottom line.
Read more on Accounting or related topics Financial analysis and Customer service
Jonathan Byrnes is a senior lecturer at MIT and founder and chairman of Profit Isle, a SaaS profit analytics software company. Jonathan is coauthor of the recently published book, Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive.
John Wass is CEO of Profit Isle and former SVP of Staples. John is coauthor of the recently published book, Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive.


text:
Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 (2009) er en officiel, computeranimeret Star Wars-kortfilm instrueret af Peder Pedersen og produceret af det danske firma M2Film for Lego og Cartoon Network i samarbejde med Lucasfilm. Det var den første officielle, danskproducerede Star Wars-film!

Den blev produceret i anledning af tiårsjubilæet for LEGO Star Wars, som opfølger til samme instruktørs kortfilm Lego Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Brick (2008), og havde verdenspremiere på den amerikanske tv-kanal Cartoon Network den 27. august 2009. Handlingen, hvor R2-D2 bliver borte under en dramatisk flugt, følger personerne fra tv-serien Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008).

Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 blev efterfulgt af LEGO Star Wars: Bombad Bounty (2010).

Eksterne henvisninger
 Lego Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2 på YouTube.
 M2Film officiel hjemmeside
 Legos pressemeddelelse
 Cartoon Network hjemmeside
 Gimmick Vfx officiel hjemmeside  (lighting/rendering/vfx)
 AnimationInvasion officiel hjemmeside  (animation)

Kilder

Danske film fra 2009
Computeranimationsfilm
Komediefilm fra Danmark
Star Wars
Star Wars: The Quest for R2-D2
Science fiction-film fra Danmark
Engelsksprogede film
Film fra Danmark (administrationskategori)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


EASY TO USE! – FREE Lake Tahoe Coupon Book – We're the little yellow coupon book!
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For questions or any support needs, please fill out our FREE Lake Tahoe Coupon Book contact form below.
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text:
Q: How do i use an array to represent a form, to show and hide forms in VB I want to use a array to help me switch between forms in a quiz that i have to create for a school assignment. When a question is correct it shows the correct form. I am using one button to go to the next form. There are 20 questions each with its own form. This is what i need:
   Private Sub btnNext_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnNext.Click
    Me.Hide()
    arrayforms(count).Show()

Thanks

A: First Collect all of your questionary forms into Array. Name your questionary forms as "Questionary1", "Questionary2" something like that, or set tag to you forms. Then find your form by index and create an instance and ShowDialog, that's it. Try following code.
Public Class Form1
    Private forms(20) As Type

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim yourFormIndex = 3
        Dim frm As Form = Activator.CreateInstance(forms(yourFormIndex))
        frm.ShowDialog()
    End Sub

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Dim myAssembly As System.Reflection.Assembly = System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly()
        Dim types As Type() = myAssembly.GetTypes()
        Dim index As Integer = 1

        For Each myType As Object In types

            If myType.BaseType.FullName.ToString.ToUpper = "SYSTEM.WINDOWS.FORMS.FORM" Then
                If (myType.Name.ToString.StartsWith("Questionary")) Then
                    forms(index) = myType
                    index = index + 1
                End If
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
End Class

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Idmon distanti es una especie de mariposa, de la familia de los hespéridos.

Distribución

Idmon distanti está distribuida entre la región indomalaya y Australasia y ha sido reportada en al menos 11 países o regiones diferentes.

Plantas hospederas
No se conocen las plantas hospederas de I. distanti.

Referencias

Hesperiinae


text:
REPORT: HATTERS 0 WALSALL 1
Saddlers strike 22 seconds into second half to win 1-0
Luton Town 0
Walsall 1
Jackson 46
Att: 1,651 (87 from Walsall)
The Hatters' sixth and final friendly of the pre-season campaign ended exactly the same way as 12 months ago – a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Sky Bet League One club Walsall.
Manager Nathan Jones could take many positives from how the Town dominated possession for long periods and, in the first half especially, created several goalscoring opportunities in what proved another tough fitness test ahead of the 2016-17 opener at Plymouth next Saturday.
But ultimately, Simeon Jackson's goal after a defensive error 22 seconds into the second half, settled the game.
After fielding a youthful side at Woking on Tuesday night, Jones started with just one player who kicked off that one – Jordan Cook lining up against the side he left this summer, building up his game time after joining the Hatters a week into the pre-season programme.
The ex-Saddler lined up to the left of the midfield diamond, with Olly Lee in the holding role with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu to his right and Cameron McGeehan at the tip behind Danny Hylton and Jack Marriott.
In a fairly even start, the Hatters created a couple of openings with Cook seeing a ninth minute shot blocked after excellent hold-up play and lay-off by Hylton, who then earned a round of applause for his first attempt on goal, although it finished well wide.
In the 16th minute Marriott called Saddlers keeper Neil Etheridge into action for the first time, Alan Sheehan – not for the first time – making fine progress down the left and playing the ball inside to the in-form striker, who shot low from 20 yards.
Six minutes later some excellent link-play almost created an opening to get Hylton into the box, and the Hatters were starting to dominate possession, at one stage stringing around 15 passes together and then pressing to win it back as soon as the move broke down.
Once the ball was back in the Town's control, Sheehan swept a lovely ball out wide to O'Donnell, and the right-back plays Mpanzu to the byline and his cut-back finds Cook, but the midfielder's side-footed effort goes over.
Marriott was looking razor sharp up front and moments after drawing huge applause for riding four challenges and keeping possession, the striker combined with McGeehan down the left and played the latter in to fire another shot at goal, too high on this occasion.
Sheehan's left foot had been one of the half's delights, and his whipped in delivery from the right was well claimed by Walsall keeper Etheridge, before more intricate build-up play to edge of the area – Sheehan to Cook and onto Mpanzu – almost got Hylton in, but the final pass was just too far ahead of him and it remained goalless at the break.
Twenty-two seconds after the restart, it was 1-0 to Walsall – Simeon Jackson capitalising on a short back-header by O'Donnell to profit, despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Christian Walton.
The Hatters responded well, and a promising move – that started with the defence knocking it back to Walton who spread it out right first time to O'Donnell – ended with Mpanzu playing Marriott through, but the forward's shot was dragged wide.
Marriott was proving a real menace for the visitors' defenders, and after looking like he'd escaped the attentions of James O'Connor down the right flank, he went down for treatment for the second time – this time after receiving a blow to his chest as the defender cleared the danger.
Just before the hour mark, Hylton made space for a shot from well outside the area, and a deflection off Jason McCarthy's heel had keeper Etheridge scrambling across his six-yard box to gratefully get his hands on the ball.
And in the 61st minute, summer signing Hylton – who was having an impressive game up top for the Hatters – had the ball in the back of the Saddlers' net, but the assistant's flag was raised to rule it out for offside.
Marriott, who'd been moving gingerly since going down five minutes earlier, was soon replaced by Jonathan Smith, who slotted into midfield with the versatile Cook moved up front.
Glen Rea came on for Olly Lee in midfield in the 67th minute, just after a decent bit of pressure from the Town had ended with Dan Potts turning Mpanzu's deep cross back into the danger area, but Walsall defended well.
Scott Cuthbert and Josh McQuoid came on for former Oxford duo Mullins and Hylton, and in the 78th minute, an inviting delivery from O'Donnell on the right, after good work by McQuoid and McGeehan, had James O'Connor at full stretch to clear.
Then Sheehan's corner from the left found Cuthbert eight yards out, but the defender couldn't direct his stabbed effort on goal.
In the 83rd minute, Zane Banton and Isaac Vassell - making his Kenilworth Road debut after signing a contract a week ago – came on for McGehan and Cook.
Five minutes later, Walton, who hadn't had a deal to do other than picking the ball out of his net, had to be on his guard to keep out Oztumer's 30-yard effort and the Town were soon pressing at the other end again, O'Donnell crossing from the left for Rea to head at goal.
The final chance for an equaliser passed the Hatters by in injury-time when Sheehan's cross once again found Cuthbert, and the Scot's header back across goal reached McQuoid, whose header in turn was comfortably collected by Etheridge.
Town: Walton, O'Donnell, Mullins (Cuthbert 77), Sheehan (C), Potts, Lee (Rea 67), Mpanzu, McGeehan, Cook, Hylton (McQuoid 77), Marriott (Smith 62). Subs: Vassell, Justin, Famewo, McJannett, Banton, Bakinson, King (GK)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Eugene H. Peterson was a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. For many years he was the James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He wrote over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language .


text:
Gays of our Lives: I'm Back! Did You Miss Me?
Anthony D. Langford @http://twitter.com/adlangford February 8, 2016 / 8:24 AM July 3, 2018 6
HTF- Season 3, Ep. 3
I'm sure there are those who are wondering, what is this column all about? Some of you might know my work from the gay oriented websites the much lamented AfterElton.com/The Backlot and later NewNowNext where I wrote about television shows, airing all over the world, featuring gay characters in prominent storylines. And now I've been given the opportunity to continue that work here at TVSource Magazine.
Each and every Monday in Gays of Our Lives you will find links to the clips of the shows, my thoughts on the stories and the characters, spoilers and teasers and even some news from time to time.
But why? Well, so many viewers such as myself are hungry to see the lives of gay characters reflected in such a powerful entertainment medium such as television. Despite all the progression that gays have made over the years that need hasn't changed. Perhaps it's even stronger.
There's nothing I love more than introducing folks to an interesting gay themed story or a relevant character that they didn't know about. I am committed to providing a place to find — and discuss — those much needed stories. And it gives me a chance to do some writing when I'm not working that unpublished novel I might finish once day.
So without future ado, the first edition of GAYS OF OUR LIVES.
PICKS AND PANS
American Crime (U.S.)
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you're not watching this show, you should be. The acting across the board is flawless, the writing is tough and unflinching, tackling subjects you rarely see anywhere, much less on a weekly television program.
This past week was no different. The powerful opening sequence, with Taylor giving a statement about the night of the alleged rape, was probably the strongest of the hour as Connor Jessup gave a painful, heartbreaking performance.
There were plenty of other solid scenes. Felicity Huffman's character is soulless, evil and heartless, but you cannot stop watching her. The scene of her in the meeting with other school officials while she callously planned to use Eric's being forced out of the closet to place a smoke screen over the rape scandal had me gasping in shock at how truly odious she was.
Regina King was fierce (again) when the police told her that Kevin wasn't going to be charged with anything, but the case wasn't going to be dropped. And Mama Terri simply wasn't having it.
In addition to the earlier scenes where he recounted the rape, Jessup further showed how talented he is when Taylor was confronted by his girlfriend Evi and was forced to deal with her very pointed questions about why he'd always wanted rough sex with her and if he had picked her because was boyish. Yipes!
Eric had it rough too. Home from his suicide attempt, no one in his family wanted to talk about his being gay when he clearly desperately needed to discuss it. He had my sympathy even if, as the police noticed, he showed no regret or sorrow over what happened with Taylor.
The question of whether Taylor was raped or not is still a question yet to be answered, but I have a feeling there's so much more to be revealed. Kevin and the other players are obviously hiding something.
Another highlight? Taylor's near kiss with the cute blonde in the bathroom. That was kinda hot. And judging by the look of temptation on Taylor's face when he later thought about it after getting a text from the guy he thought so too.
But what was with Taylor gazing at that violent picture on the wall when he thought about his near hook up? Does that tie into his need for rough sex? Hmm….
Next week we've got Lili Taylor and Regina King squaring off face to face? I'm there.
Emmerdale (U.K.)
I think whoever makes these decisions needs to just give Danny Miller all the awards because I can't imagine any UK actor giving the kind of performances that he's giving during this childhood rape storyline. I think this might be the best I've ever seen him and I've watched Miller through out his entire career on show during some pretty intense stories.
But while I loved the scene where Aaron detailed his father's sexual abuse to his mother Chas, I thought the earlier scenes of Aaron and Chas at the beach, thinking about better times were really well done. Danny Miller and Lucy Pargeter are such a believable mother and son duo and no better in scenes like that.
Chas confronting Gordon were terrific scenes as well, with Gordon spinning a very believable tale of what really happened until the mask fell away and Gordon admitted what he'd done. And while Gary Mavers was chilling in those moments, I not only have a problem with Gordon confessing, I have a problem with Gordon in general. His character makes little sense to me and is really more a plot device for Aaron's angst rather than a fully fleshed out character.
I still don't understand why Gordon would come back after all this time with this secret hanging over his head and not expect it to come out. Sure, Chas explained what she thought, but her spun out of whole cloth theory doesn't have much credulity. I also found Cain's role in the story to be unnecessary because we've seen Cain do this so many times. Kidnap, bully and threaten to kill someone. It's dull because he'll never follow through and it'll be much ado about nothing.
It would have been more powerful would have been Chas deciding to exact vengeance and Aaron stopping her. But then I'd guess we'd miss out on Cain the bully, which this show seems to enjoy depicting a few times a year. Oh joy.
Additional Scenes:
(430) Aaron & Robert 4th February 2016
Hit The Floor (U.S.)
Wowza. That sex in a closet scene between Jude and Zero was pretty hot. We haven't seen anything like that on a mainstream TV program in like… awhile. It's nice when a show treats gay sex scenes just like the het ones. Actually we saw more of Jude and Zero's steamy moments than the other straight romantic scenes in that particular episode. Yay!
But, didn't take long for reality to crash in on them when Jude realized he was still Zero's secret and he got angry. I do kinda think that Jude is being hard on Zero though. Yes, much has changed for gays, but I still think coming out would probably be the end of Zero's career and it's a lot expect Zero to give all that up. Jude used to be a sports agent so he should be able to appreciate Zero's position. I think it's kind of selfish that Jude doesn't seem to get it.
As much as I enjoyed Zero and Jude making out, watching Zero scheme and plot his way to gain more power and control on the team was just as fun. Nothing I like more than a bad boy being bad. And Zero is so good at it.
Overall this is fun show and I love it, not just for the entertaining gay storyline and the other sudsy stories, but that the cast is mostly people of color, another thing television could use more of.
River City (Scotland)
I spent most of this episode being really annoyed with Robbie, first of all for judging Angel for her affair with Alex given his own history of infidelity. I'm glad Angel reminded Robbie that he had cheated on Will.
Of course Robbie went on being as hypocritical as ever, blabbing about Alex and Angel's affair to Kelley-Marie's family. He was totally out of line and completely inappropriate. I'm no fan of Alex, but he should have tossed Robbie and his big mouth out.
But at least Robbie reflected on things and realized he made his life a big of a disaster as Kelly-Marie had and that like her, he had to get his act back together in the wake of a relationship falling apart, even though he had no idea how to do it.
Given all that Robbie went through with Will, not knowing how to move on without him is a realistic situation to be in. When this plot arc startled, I couldn't help but think this is Robbie's exit story. I still believe that in part because I think the character is past his shelf life and it's time to move on. He's just not that interesting to me anymore. And we've got Patrick now, who'd I much rather watch.
Shades of Blue (U.S.)
I had no intention of watching this show even though it looked interesting. I love cop shows but it's hard for me to add anything new with all the other stuff I watch for fun and for my 'work'.
But when I heard that the show had revealed that one of the leading characters was bisexual, I had to tune in. I forced myself to binge watch all the aired episodes and I'm glad I did. It's a pretty good cop show.
I know Jennifer Lopez has done lots of movies, but I've never seen her in anything before. She's actually a pretty good actress. I was surprised at how well she handles the lead role and how believable she is as a bad ass cop.
Ray Liotta is excellent as Woz. But this is the kind of actor who can do this kind of sleazy, despicable role in his sleep. And I love, love, love that he's bisexual. I know some are griping because the bad guy likes dudes, there's nothing wrong with a villain who is queer, especially since his sexuality has nothing to do with him being a crooked cop.
Gay/bisexual characters don't have to always be likable. Though was the show sending a mixed message of Woz saying he wasn't ashamed of his sexual tastes even as he had a rival forcibly raped in order to keep his own secret? That did give me pause.
The supporting cast is solid as well, especially Gino Anthony Pesi as Harlee's sexy D.A. lover and Warren Kohl as Robert, the FBI agent who's just a little too fixated on Harlee. BTW, that scene of Robert answering the door in a towel and his assistant openly gaping at his delicious body was gratuitous. But I wasn't complaining.
However, I don't care much about Tess' marital problems though, especially since her cheating husband remains off screen, taking a lot out of the story.
And while I'm enjoying the show, I'm not sure how I feel about it's being renewed for a second season. Shades of Blue strikes me as a single season series and I don't see how they're going to squeeze an ongoing show out of the premise, which while compelling, is limited in scope.
I hope that they don't start coming up with silly plot twists and turns to keep the show going. They're already doing that with Woz suspecting someone different as being the mole every week only to find out he's wrong. Sometimes I wish US shows took the British model of telling one story, one season and moving on.
Shadowhunters (U.S)
This was a tough hour to sit through. I nearly turned the show off during the climactic battle with the memory demon. It was terrible. I don't mind some cheesy plotting and less than spectacular special effects. As a huge fan of the genre, I've watched a lot of sci-fi/fantasy over the years and you get used to it.
But I need to see some better performances out of these young actors. There's a lot of green here and a lot of struggling to get through the heavy exposition in many of the scenes. The actor doing his best and in the process making his character the most appealing is Alberto Rosende as cute nerd Simon. He's the only character I'm truly invested in. I really loved last week's episode about Simon's being kidnapped by the vampire clan and I definitely want to know more about about his sudden yen for blood.
As for the gay storyline, I guess Magnus (Harry Shum Jr.) and Alec (Matthew Daddario) are going to have a star crossed romance with the conflict being Alec's being repressed about his sexuality and Magnus' hedonism. Not to mention Alec's unrequited feelings for Jace (Dominic Sherwood).
But there's a couple of problems here: the show repeatedly tells us about Alec and Jace's tight (platonic) bond, but the actors have no chemistry and there's no real warmth or heart in their scenes together. For example, Clary went on about how intimate the spell the guys cast together was, but none of that came across in the performances.
I'm also not buying Magnus' sudden attraction to Alec. Alec might be cute, but he's such a boring stiff (the acting doesn't help), I'm not seeing why someone as dynamic and flamboyant as Magnus would give Alec the time of day.
Hopefully as we get further into the storyline that will change. But I do find it funny though that in world of vampires, demon hunters and magicians, Alec can't handle being gay. Seriously?
The Haves and The Have Nots (U.S.)
This show has the tendency to play out stories for so long that you sometimes forget who knows what and that it actually still matters. Like Candace finding out that Wyatt had been driving the car that nearly killed Benny and that Jeffery knew about it the whole time.
This is a storyline that has been playing out for over 2 years now. And because of that the reveal fell flat because it had been hanging out there for so long.
Besides, Candace didn't seem too upset at Jeffery (or at Wyatt for that matter), but I did like her reminding Jeffery who his real friends are and telling that she has always been there for him in a way that no one else has.
I agree that eventually Wyatt will show his true colors in regards to Jeffery and he'll go running back to her. Wyatt has always used Jeffery; this is no different. i just hope that next time, Jeffery cuts ties with Wyatt for good.
I'm glad that Jeffery hasn't changed his mind about making sure Veronica never gets out of jail, though I have no doubt she'll get out somehow and exact revenge on him.
Veronica always puts herself first, shown in that scene where she told David not to worry about Jeffery but to get her out of jail. Mother Love, that one.
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Tagged: American Crime Danny Miller EastEnders Emmerdale Felicity Huffman Gays of our Lives Hit the Floor holby city jennifer lopez lili taylor ray liota regina king river city Ryan Hawley secret lives shades of blue shadowhunters Soaps The Fosters The Haves and the Have Nots UK Soaps	Share
Anthony D. Langford
I watch a lot of television, probably too much. But can you really watch too much TV? I've yet to find out. Anyway, I especially love TV when they give us positive portrayals of gays, something that has gotten better but we're still fighting for. I've written about gays in television for many years first at the much missed After Elton, then New Now Next and now at TV Source. It's kind of a passion of mine and I look forward to sharing it with you.
@http://twitter.com/adlangford
'The Bold and the Beautiful' Week in Review: Smack My Brooke Up
'The Young and the Restless' Spoilers: January 20-24, 2020
Days of our Lives Spoilers: January 20-24, 2020
'The Bold and Beautiful' Week in Review: Wild Things and Bridge over Troubled Water
The Young and the Restless Spoilers: January 13-17, 2020
I'm glad to follow you over Anthony. I will disagree slightly about Woz' sexuality having nothing to do with him being a crooked cop. The impression I got, especially from them showing those black and white scenes from when Woz recruited Harley and what's happening with the rookie that shot the unarmed man – this unit seems to be made up of people who tried to start out as good cops and got compromised. Harley by framing someone for murder and the rookie by shooting someone unarmed which left them vulnerable.
Even though Woz seems to be okay with himself, he also doesn't appear to be out to his crew even though he keeps calling them his family. It makes me think that someone found out about his sexuality when he was a younger cop and used that as leverage to ease him into the life of a dirty cop. I doubt if the drug dealer had seen him kissing a woman in the movie theater, the rest of the story would have played out quite so brutally.
Maybe Magnus likes a challenge? For me it's just nice to see Harry Shum get to do more. As much as I enjoyed his dancing on Glee, it's nice to see him doing something else.
pent234 says:
Count me among those thrilled that your column hasn't disappeared into the ether, Anthony!
donks09 says:
I'm sad to see another piece of theBacklot gone. But I'm glad you didn't disappear but merely moved.
Glad you've found a new home Anthony – and I'm glad to have found it so I can keep in touch via your always perceptive coverage of the soaps here and abroad.
Josh Campbell says:
Agree with Ryan, glad you're still here.
I wondered about Jude and the new kids in The Fosters too.
Adds on Johnny rocks up and Paul ends up with him.
Emmer dale has been cracking.
Loving HTF.
But sorry Ryan, I'm all for Robron!
I'm glad that your column didn't disappear.
AC: My guess is that Kevin spiked Taylor's drink in order to embarrass him. Eric then went ahead with his plans with Taylor either not noticing or not caring that Taylor was more out of it than could be explained by a few beers.
ED: The juxtaposition between the happy day at the beach and the tearful confession was powerful. More shows need to learn that characters need moments of happiness to create a feeling of loss when the sad parts come.
The only explanation that I have for Gordon is hubris: he thought that he had gotten away with the rapes and could safely try to rebuild his failed marriage.
I don't care how "genuine" Robert's feelings are. He's not what Aaron needs in a partner.
EE: I'm glad that Johnny will be coming back. It's always awkward when a character leaves under circumstances that don't prevent them from coming back to visit for important events.
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They lift up their head, your eyes meet, and then you furiously pretend to be looking at the poster behind them.
Maybe you wobble a bit to this side, then lean over to that side, as if they're in the way and you're trying to see past them.
I was in a cab, we were stuck at the traffic lights, and I was busy people-watching.
My attention was on this woman at the bus stop.
Not quite old yet, not middle-aged anymore, steadily heading into grandmother territory.
She lifted her head up. Our eyes met.
Before I could look away, she smiled at me and waved. And I found myself smiling back.
It was such a small gesture. A fleeting connection. But it had a domino effect on the rest of my day.
It put a little sprint in my step. I walked into the gym with a little more gusto, and complimented someone on my way in.
Maybe I was less irritable even.
Before that moment, I was caught in the bustle of the day.
You know what it's like. We're all human after all, and we know what a joy and terror THAT is.
Deadlines to meet. Employees to pay. Calls to make.
The unexpected smile interrupted the pattern.
That's what I want these daily posts to be for you.
A smile that interrupts your day.
I can't think of a better way to spend 10 minutes of my life than crafting words into smiles.
When I sit down to write one of these posts, I like to imagine moments going out into the world.
10,000 smiles on people's faces before noon.
I stare at the screen on this end now.
A few hours later you look up on that end.
As the Fitzgerald song goes, you're my funny valentine.
It's a privilege being on your screen. Thank you for your gift of attention.


To know me is to know that I fawn over deer. Bucks, does, fawns. The majestic antlers, the graceful silhouettes, the little white spots. Beings that I live in Iowa, I see a lot of these creatures. And unfortunately, run into the danger of hitting them when driving. (I hit one in the middle of town!) Also being an Iowan, I admit to eating them. Sorry if I offend anyone, but the difference between deer chilli and regular chilli is immense and delicious. But anyways... mostly I just like to decorate with deer. Deer figurines, deer art, etc.
Tonight I found myself needing a study break from the homework that had piled up. And the Christmas decor on my shelves just seemed to be lacking something... With no time or motivation to make a HobLobs run, I decided to scrounge around my apartment to round up things I could use. I ended up with an old piece of art I'd purchased at Good Will with the intent to make it over, a can of leftover turquoise paint, cosmetic glitter, poster board, and clear coat spray paint. Oh! And when I couldn't find a paint brush or sponge brush, I opted for an old makeup blush brush.
I started out by covering my coffee table with newspaper. Then I proceeded to paint the old Good Will find with turquoise paint using my blush brush. (It painted so smoothly and beautifully! I might have stumbled upon something...) I gave the art several coats. The paint was just basic satin latex wall paint.
While the paint dried, I cut a piece of poster board down to a size similar to the art plaque. I used a pencil to sketch up a deer silhouette. I glanced at a couple examples online and sorta went from there. It didn't need to be perfectly drawn since I was going to cut it up anyway. I considered cutting out the deer and leaving a stencil-like deer cutout in the poster board... but ended up just cutting out the deer instead.
I covered the plaque with a thick, gloppy coat of paint and stuck the deer head onto it. Then I sprinkled glitter over the entire thing---the thought being that the glitter would stick to the paint just as it would glue... but saving time and a whole 'nother set of steps that would require drying, ModPodge, etc. I patted the glitter down with my hands and gave the whole thing a spraying of clear coat spray paint. Then more glitter. (It sticks to the clear spray paint, too.) Then a little more patting. Then I carefully peeled the deer cutout off of the plaque. I touched up a few spots with the brush. And lastly, I gave the entire thing a heavy coating of the clear spray paint.
I knew just where to hang it! The perfectly-sized open spot over my shelves... and conveniently above my lovely little glittery turquoise deer figurine.
I love your Christmas decorations! The gold makes it look so cozy, got to remember this for my decorations.
I am highly impressed with you deer sketching skills. Very impressive. This is a great idea!
What an attraction wall art you have made, it's really looking so attractive, dazzle background has increased the attraction this this canvas, great creativity you have performed. Nice to see work and many thanks for sharing this easy tutorial for making this DIY canvas.


Why hassle heading to a gas station and buy some Pick 3 tickets when you can go for Choose three On-line? Sure, you study that correct. Choose 3 Online, the exact same Pick three lottery sport that everyone is crazed upon can now be performed without leaving your personal home. If you have been playing the famous lottery sport for fairly sometime now then heading through the ABC's on how to perform it would just be a squander of time. Maybe some guidelines on how to cling closer to the probabilities of successful may interest you?
To shield her property, this grand lady surfs the web to find legitimate sport sites. When she reaches her gambling restrict, Grandma walks away and picks up her knitting. After all, she requirements to save cash for her bus journeys to nearby betting institutions. While the fast pace of laptop computer betting makes for an fulfilling pastime, she misses the gossip of her senior citizen team.
Sports betting has been around for a lengthy time. People who are passionate about sports enjoy attempting to determine who will get the subsequent game. They are followers of particular groups and like to show their assistance by betting them On-line gambling has made sports activities betting a lot easier. For people who do not live near a casino, Agen Slot is their answer. They can location bets up until the begin of the game and even modify their wager throughout the game. This is extremely convenient when throwing a super bowl celebration. Everyone can wager at once without having to leave the comfort of their chair.
When betting on NBA games, it is also essential to be aware of the element of house court advantage. Teams taking part in at home get a much higher proportion of video games than when they are playing on the road. Fantastic groups get nearly every sport at house whilst beneath typical teams get a majority of their video games at house.
More lately, in 2002, a fantastic offer of push was devoted to the conflict between Augusta Nationwide Chairman Hootie Johnson and Nationwide Council of Ladies's Organizations chairwoman Martha Burk. Burk took issue with Augusta's status as a male-only club, stating that it was sexist. Johnson maintained that they had been working out their legal rights the exact same as any personal club. To this working day, no ladies have been admitted into Augusta.
You can foundation your system on financial ideas like arbitrage and hedging. Arbitrage entails laying a horse at a reduced price but backing it at a higher price. For the beginner, laying indicates betting on some thing not to occur; backing indicates the exact opposite. Hedging entails placing bets on several race outcomes to maximize earnings.
Like I stated prior to, fantastic groups get almost every sport at home. Through the finish of January 2009, the Cleveland Cavaliers have not lost a house sport, successful all 20 they have performed there. The Boston Celtics have protected their home courtroom as well, losing just two times.


text:
Larry Campbell Oct 10, 2001
Also in Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, North American Tour Alyssa Schoeneman
Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company – review Michael Wade Simpson
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater- Program C Suzanne Weiss
Companhia Paulo Ribeiro – Ao Vivo (Alive)
The prospect of seeing a modern dance company from Portugal is like opening a gift from a distant relative. What will it contain? Portugal lies outside the mainstream of European culture. Other than Great Britain, which shares a strong kinship with the U.S., Germany and France are the most visible exponents of modern dance form. Merce Cunningham has been the basis for much of French modern dance; the Germans have their own expressionist heritage. Spain and Belgium have been drawing notice. But Portugal is largely unknown.
The appearance of the Companhia Paulo Ribeiro, performing a one-hour work entitled Ao Vivo (Alive) provides an initial glimpse, and a pleasant one, too. The company of seven dancers (four women, three men) is touring with three jazz musicians. Pianist M�rio Laginha and vocalist Maria Jo�o, who are also responsible for the musical compositions, are augmented by Helge Norbakken on percussion. Jo�o was the most interesting performer of the evening, often moving among the dancers as she sang. She employs a wide range of sounds and voices, some of which sound northern African in their almost nasal wail. She is a lively presence, with moves of her own and an engaging smile. She enjoys what she does and the feeling is infectious. The music has an international sound in that it does not seem specific to any culture, although they did include a tango, sung in Spanish.
Choreographer Ribeiro, who is not one of the performers, has created a dance that is about individuality and display. He favors steps and gestures that happen on the beat and that correspond to the musical notes. He keeps his dancers working in isolation most of the time. Only in two sequences (notably the tango, which had three couples dancing) do the dancers relate to one another. The dancers are all clad in the same black outfits. This neutrality of appearance was matched by an absence of personality. The dancers often repeated the same move in unison. Ribeiro has a satiric edge that he should indulge more frequently.
In a sequence of solo turns, one woman's solo involved elaborate and rapid hand gestures. Was this a reference to the fairy of song in Sleeping Beauty? In another sequence, a woman strode down to the edge of the stage, her eyes clearly communicating with "someone" in the audience. One of the men tried repeatedly to interrupt her, only to be brushed away. This rejected suitor did some capoeira-like moves on his hands in a solo that followed shortly thereafter. Was this an expression of his frustration?
Had the program been any longer, it would have become boring. The brief length suited the limited material. At least there were no overt and ponderous pretensions.
October 11, 2001 – Larry Campbell
Liss Fain Dance San Francisco,
Joanna G. Harris
Forever Tango (2015-2016) San Francisco,
Emily S. Mendel
Paul Taylor Dance Company Arthur Lazere
Stephen Petronio Dance Company – Strange Attractors Larry Campbell


A great little long sleeve blouse inspired by Nautical themes and a love of classic 1940s vintage style, with a roll style collar and loop front. perfect with a pair of high waist trousers and full circle skirt of even a pair of jeans for a casual look with a classic vintage twist .. So versatile and classic.


text:
McCain criticizes Obama's foreign policy
Sen. John McCain addresses the American Legion National Convention on Tuesday in Phoenix. Mary Altaffer / AP
Aug. 26, 2008, 8:06 PM UTC / Source: The Associated Press
Republican presidential candidate John McCain told veterans Tuesday that Democrat Barack Obama's opposition to the Iraq war and preference for collective diplomacy over U.S. leadership would create more trouble and aggression in the world.
"The next president must bring to office a clear-eyed view of our nation's role in the world as the defender of the oppressed and a force for peace," McCain told a convention of the American Legion, a friendly audience for McCain, a former Navy aviator and one-time prisoner of war in Vietnam. Obama is to speak to the group Wednesday.
McCain argued that Obama is too shy about leading America to exert itself in world affairs.
"In the end, confusion about such questions only invites more trouble, violence and aggression," said McCain.
McCain has sought to keep foreign affairs prominent in the campaign debate, because most polls show him with an edge over Obama when voters are asked who is most qualified to be commander in chief. Obama's campaign has increasingly focused on economic issues, which polls indicate is the top issue on voters' minds and an area in which he outdistances McCain.
The two candidates sharply diverge over the Iraq war: Obama opposed the war and wants to withdraw U.S. combat troops within 16 months of taking office; McCain long pressed for more U.S. troops to fight the war and argues that last year's U.S. troop surge demonstrates that victory is possible and American forces should stay until they achieve it without any abstract timetable for withdrawal.
McCain said he drew different conclusions than Obama expressed in his recent Berlin speech when he argued that the Cold War ended because major nations came together.
McCain argued that America led the way to the end of that conflict and he took the opportunity to draw attention to his firsthand experience in conflict.
"Now I missed a few years of the Cold War as a guest of one of our adversaries, but as I recall the world was deeply divided during the Cold War — between the side of freedom and the side of tyranny," said McCain. "The Cold War ended not because the world stood as one but because the great democracies came together, bound together by sustained and decisive American leadership."
McCain also criticized Obama for saying after the Russian invasion of Georgia: "We've got to send a clear message to Russia and unify our allies. They can't charge into other countries. Of course it helps if we are leading by example on that point."
The Arizona senator said he doubted Obama's remark was meant as a criticism of U.S. intervention to depose the Taliban in Afghanistan, which the Illinois Democrat supported, or in Kosovo to end Serbian slaughter of civilians. McCain concluded that Obama's remark must have been a reference to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
"If he really thinks that, by liberating Iraq from a dangerous tyrant, America somehow set a bad example that invited Russia to invade a small, peaceful, and democratic nation, then he should state it outright," McCain said, "because that is a debate I welcome."
In fact, the Russians have been using the U.S. intervention in Kosovo, not the Iraq war, to justify their attack on Georgia.
On Monday President Bush said, "Georgia's territorial integrity and borders must command the same respect as every other nation's, including Russia's."
Russia says the West undermined its own arguments for the sanctity of Georgia's borders by supporting Kosovo's declaration of independence from traditional Russian ally Serbia.


An Honest Confession: We were 3 rookies with super low budget, planning a last minute trip to McLeod Ganj. Besides, it was the the time of a long weekend when all of Delhi heads for the hills. Chances of success- scarce.
But we weren't about to let go of the idea that popped in our heads. It was one of those once-in-a-long-time impromptu plans that fills your heart with excitement. In spite of having to consider the above mentioned hurdles and the safety of a girls only outing, we did manage to pull off a refreshing and well managed trip.
Let the exciting journey begin!
The first 15 minutes of my mundane life are spent staring at the hills (on my laptop) every single day. Being a workaholic, a break seemed almost impossible until one fine day I just decided to follow my heart.
All pumped up and set for the trip, I roped in 2 more friends and that's when the HPTDC website flashed – no tickets available! What followed was one scary thought – I won't find a room either. But that was no match for my enthusiasm. The will to 'just go' forced me to find an alternatives!
One of the perks of working in a travel firm was getting leeway on 11th hour (or 59th minute, to be more precise) travel planning. Go bug your colleague a little and Voila! The next thing I know, we were on a surprisingly comfortable journey to McLeodganj.
Tip: HPTDC buses are cheaper. If you plan in advance, you can save!
Traveler friends to the rescue: Even at this peak time, we found us a cozy room and our worst nightmare was over!
Always keep your resourceful traveler friends close.
Getting in touch with a few of our traveler friends, we discovered this quaint place to stay called Shanti Café and Guest House owned by John, an avid traveler and tour guide. He managed to get us a room at his place on a very short notice and saved the day!
Hack: Always keep your resourceful traveler friends closer!
Day 1: Mind you, we went to chill & relax, not to exert. And our trip was just about that!
Stop 1: Food. Views. Weather.
A sudden jerk woke us up to the dazzling sights. Our bus twirled around the winding roads, following the meandering Beas river full-of-pebbles and the sky in hues of gold and mauve. Our bus came to a halt! The weather was just right. We couldn't have asked for more! We reached Mcleodganj, checked into the cozy rooms (just 5 minutes away from the bus stand), freshened up & ordered some delectable breakfast!
What we ate: Omelettes & Coffee!
Stop 2: Next, we decided to chill at Shiva Café enroute Bhagsu falls.
We walked our way to the famous waterfall. It's a tiny hill station and you don't need to get on wheels.
Stop 3: Woeser Bakery & it's Coconut Paradise!
A local we befriended on our way to Mcleodganj had recommended this bakery. While it looks like any other cafe, the delectable options it serves left us wanting for more! Variety (to the power infinity) of teas, mouth watering cookies & brownies, freshly brewed cappuccino – I bet you won't find coffee like this any where else!
Stop 5: What's a trip to the hills without a night spent gazing at the sky?
The tiny little lawn, a lantern, one old monk, a few glasses, the creepy sound amidst the pine trees – our little patio of Shanti Cafe. No network, no light, just a few random old numbers playing on the ipod – that's all we desired – to be cut off from the external world & to dwell in our thoughts under the star lit sky with a cool breeze flowing through our hair amidst the wild.
Tip: John can help you arrange some liquor, if in case you want it!
A way through the woods from the cafe led us to Dharamkot. We had until 5 in our hand to take a quick walk to the village & be back to the cafe for some Kahwa Chai (yes, in Himachal) & chocolate pancakes – they were yummy, especially for the price we paid.
So, all geared up, we stepped out, only to return.
It was near 12 already and we only had a few hours left now. We couldn't just stand there in the shed and wait for the rain to stop. So, we finally walked back to Shanti Cafe which looked totally different now. The hailstones falling in the lawn, the trees swaying in the cold breeze, the drizzle soaking our faces & the smell of delicious food – it was our tiny little utopia! Yeah, we ended up spending the rest of the hours in the cafe hogging on every yummy morsel available – cheese french fries, pancakes, momos, coffee and lemon ginger tea.
Though this was the quickest break we took our guest house made it all the more special for us! And did we mention it was an absolutely safe all girls trip?!
So, come on girls, you now know that a limited budget, safety issues or ticket unavailability can't stop you from taking a break. Head out and go for that long overdue break!


text:
Q: date-fns isSameWeek not working as expected I'm new with date-fns but intuitively, I would expect this to be true:
isSameWeek(new Date(2021, 11, 11), new Date(2021, 11, 12))

But it actually is false
I must be missing something?
It looks like Thursday seems to be the start of the week because this is true:
isSameWeek(new Date(2021, 11, 12), new Date(2021, 11, 18))

EDIT: When I do this
isSameWeek(new Date(2021, 11, 11), new Date(2021, 11, 12), {weekStartsOn: 1})

It now is true... I'm confused.

A: The months start at 0 being January.
So 11 is December.
December 11 is a Saturday, the 12th is Sunday (start of the next week).
So they are not in the same week.
December 12 is Sunday, December 18th is the Saturday of the same week.
So they are in the same week.


text:
Iraq's Children: Choir of Despair
August 20th, 2005 - by admin
Ghali Hassan / GlobalResearch.ca – 2005-08-20 09:42:34
www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?contextviewArticle&code=HAS20050809&articleId=822
(August 9, 2005) — The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a wide range of specific rights and protection measures to protect children worldwide. It is also the most ratified international human rights treaty ever. It strictly prohibits the abuse and torture of children.
In most Western countries, including the US, the abuse of children is a criminal offensive. However, this is not the case when the crimes are committed against Iraqi children by Western forces. It is part of the destructive policy brought into Iraq by the US Occupation of the country.
Contrary to Western politicians, Western media and Western "progressives" who welcomed the illegal war of aggression against Iraq, the plight of Iraqi children under Occupation is worsening. On all levels – human rights abuse, healthcare, medical, educational, and psychological – the Iraqi children are enduring immense hardship and suffering. It is a cover-up of crimes against humanity.
More than 100 Children Held in Prisons
A recent investigation by Neil Mackay of the Sunday Herald, has revealed that US-British forces are holding more than 100 children in jails such as Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca in the south. Witnesses claim that the detainees – some of the children as young as 8 years old – are also being subjected to rape and torture. The investigation is based on classified UNICEF report written in June titled Children in Conflict with the Law or With Coalition Forces and on reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Many Iraqi children were detained indefinitely without access to their family or to lawyers.
The UNICEF report has not been released, because UNICEF is no longer in the humanitarian business of criticising US power and its criminal practices of torture. UNICEF current Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, a member of the Bush cabal and former US secretary of Agriculture, is not likely to offend the Bush administration by releasing the report.
The Sunday Herald noted that a section of the report reads: 'Information on the number, age, gender and conditions of incarceration is limited. In Basra and Karbala children arrested for alleged activities targeting the occupying forces are reported to be routinely transferred to an internee facility in Um Qasr. The categorisation of these children as 'internees' is worrying since it implies indefinite holding without contact with family, expectation of trial or due process'. Um Qasr is a port city on Iraq's southern border and isolated from the other centres. Further, Reports from Iraq accuse the US Marines of kidnapping children and hold them as hostages.
The ICRC reports in June 2004 that there were 107 children under 18 in six US-run prisons, but did not provide any further information. However, Arlie Hochschield, a professor of Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, noted in the New York Times on 29 June 2005 that, "In communications with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Pentagon has lowered the cut-off to 16. For this reason among others, we don't know exactly how many Iraqi children are in American custody" because "[a]ge is not a determining factor in [US] detention" practices. Since the so-called handover of "sovereignty" in June 2004, the number has risen dramatically. At Abu Ghraib prison, where the US practices the use of torture, "boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. And the worst above all of that is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror. It's going to come out", said investigative reporter Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker.
Sexual Violence, Rape and Torture by US Forces
Indeed, with the exception of Seymour Hersh's investigation in May 2004, crimes of sexual violence, rape and torture by US forces against Iraqi men, women and children are continue to be unreported and remain secret from the public.
The US administration blamed the crimes on a few black sheep and closed the door. Of course this is not true. The policy of torture is part of a secret interrogations program and comes directly from the top of US military, with direct approval of Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the White House. According to Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, formerly in charge of Abu Ghraib prison, most of these detainees and prisoners found to be innocent.
Unfortunately there has been no public outrage in the US or in Europe to condemn these appalling practices against Iraqi men, women and children. This silence and ignorance by Western public have contributed to the normalisation of abuse and torture.
The Bush administration have normalised the use of torture by violating the rules of law, and human rights and decency. According to Karen Greenberg, director of the Centre on Law and Security at the New York University School of Law, editor of 'The Torture Papers', the U.S. government is guilty of a 'systematic decision to alter the use of methods of coercion and torture that lay outside of accepted and legal norms". Sanford Levinson, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Texas Law School, condemned the Bush administration justice for having the power "too close" to that of Nazi Germany.
Advocates of torture and abuse of human rights are not difficult to find, especially among Western elites. Obscure academics used Bush's "war on terror" and the illegal war on Iraq to make their names known. In Australia, one of the new breed of "experts" on terrorism is a certain law professor and a former police officer by the name of Mirko Bagaric. Professor Bagaric twists and turns his case for torture use against presumed to be guilty individuals to 'extract information'. However, professor Bagaric provides no prove or evidence on the reliability of information extracted by their practice of torture and abuse of human rights. "The recently published views of the Deakin University academics have not formed in a vacuum. A disregard for human rights is being encouraged at the highest levels", wrote journalist Bob Briton in the weekly Australian, The Guardian. With these kinds of "experts" the chances of a just world based on the rules of law is getting bleak.
Support for Torture among the West
The support for torture among Westerners reflects the denial of the educated classes and the "progressives" that the US is deeply involved in the gravest of international crimes. The deliberate use of torture and the intention to inflict harm and pain on helpless and defenceless children is illegal, morally wrong and counterproductive. The Bush administration policy of torture which is in use on Iraqi men, women and children has proved to be ineffective and sadistic criminal practices.
It is reported that Norway and Denmark, two members of the insignificant "coalition of the willing" have protested against the abuse and torture of Iraqi children. If the Norwegian and Danish governments are serious about respecting the rights of the Iraqi children, they should withdraw their troops from Iraq and stop participating in war crimes against the Iraqi children.
The healthcare situation for children in Iraq is very serious. According to a 2002 UNICEF survey, the rates of acute malnutrition among children younger than 5 in Iraq have fallen to (4 per cent) the lowest level since they peaked in 1996, at the highest of the genocidal sanctions.
However, two years of US occupation, it shot up to 7.7 per cent in November 2004, according to a study conducted by Iraq's Health Ministry in cooperation with Norway's Institute for Applied International Studies and the U.N. Development Program. The new study reveals that roughly 400,000 Iraqi children suffering from "wasting", a condition characterized by chronic diarrhoea and dangerous deficiencies of protein.
Malnutrition appeared in Iraq for the first time in the early 1990s, as a result of the UN genocidal sanction forced by the US and Britain against the Iraqi people. The surveys suggest the silent human cost being paid across the country as a result of US Occupation.
The Anglo-American war on Iraq since 1991 and the violent policy implemented against the Iraqi children were deliberately designed to destroy Iraq as a nation. On May 12, 1996, Madeline Albright, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, told Lesley Stahl of CBS news program 60 Minutes, when asked to comment on the death of half a million Iraqi children. Albright replied without hesitation: "We think the price is worth it". In addition, the US and Britain have refused to lift the sanctions under any circumstances despite known the full scale of a deliberate atrocity. A generation of Iraqi children is lost. Today, Iraqi children are enduring immense hardship and suffering never before.
Silencing the Cries of Iraqi Children
Report after report by the UN and aid agencies have revealed the scale of the human tragedy orchestrated by US-Britain policy toward Iraq, and particularly the Iraqi children. The tragedy was covered-up by the demonisation of Saddam Hussein in Western media in a deliberate move to silence the Iraqi children's cries. "We find record of not a single significant demonstration protesting the wholesale destruction of Iraqi children", wrote Professor Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado.
In the Arab World, there were no dissenting voices to protest the slaughter of Iraqi children, but long trends of Arab passivity and self-defence bankruptcy. Indeed, the Arab stooges (rulers) benefited immensely from the war and sanctions against the Iraqi people. They are equally complicit in war crimes against Iraq's children
WHO Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on March 1996 that; "Since the onset of sanctions, there has been a six-fold increase in the mortality rate for children under five, and the majority of the country's population has been on a semi-starvation diet". Denis Halliday, UN assistant secretary general and humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, said that sanctions are "undermining the moral credibility of the UN" and their continuation is "in contradiction to the human rights provisions in the UN's own Charter".
In October 1996, UNICEF reported that "4,500 children under the age of 5 are dying each month from hunger and disease…The situation is disastrous for children. Many are living on the very margin of survival". The figure means the death of an Iraqi child every 10 minutes as a result of the US-Britain imposed sanctions. Philippe Heffnick of UNICEF, said; "What we are seeing is a dramatic deterioration in the nutritional well-being of Iraqi children since 1991… It is clear that the children are bearing the brunt of the current economic hardship". "They must be protected from the impact of the sanctions. Otherwise, they will continue to suffer and that we cannot accept", added Mr. Heffnick.
World Food Programme Report
A recent United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) report, found the majority of the Iraqi population lack the required daily calories to survive and remain healthy. Iraqi living condition has worsened, and many Iraqis admit openly that life before the occupation was much better and safer. An estimated 25 percent of Iraqi babies are born with low birth weights and the WHO warned that many of these children will lag in their physical or mental development, leading to long-term health problems.
According to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) study conducted in 2004, infant mortality and malnutrition findings show clearly that, '"the suffering of children due to war and conflict in Iraq is not limited to those directly wounded or killed by military activities", says the UN ILCS study.
With children under the age of 15 make up 39 per cent of the country's total population of 27 million, the ILCS study notes that, "Most Iraqi children today have lived their whole lives under sanctions and war". In other words, most Iraqi children today have lived their lives in constant fear of U.S-British sponsored terrorism against children.
The "current major problems" includes "lack of health personnel, lack of medicines, non-functioning medical equipments and destroyed hospitals and health centres", the ILCS study reveals. It is a U.S-made and a U.S-accelerated tragedy.
No Immunizations or Vaccinations
And as a consequence of the US war, "[h]undreds of thousands of children born since the beginning of the present war have had none of their required vaccinations, and routine immunization services in major areas of the country are all but disrupted. Destruction of refrigeration systems needed to store vaccines have rendered the vaccine supply virtually useless", writes Dr. César Chelala, an international public health consultant. "Even antibiotics of minimal cost are in short supply, increasing the population's risk of dying from common infections. Hospitals are overcrowded, and many hospitals go dark at night for lack of lighting fixtures. The Iraqi minister of health claims that 100 percent of the hospitals in Iraq need rehabilitation", noted César Chelala.
Iraq's School System Devastated
Iraq's education system, one of the best in the Arab World before the war, has also deteriorated by both the sanctions and the war. Again, Iraqi children are hard hit under Occupation.
The literacy rate among Iraqi children between the ages of 15 and 24 is just 74 percent, which is according to the study is only "slightly higher than the literacy rate for the population at large". The figure is lower than that for those 25-34, "indicating that the younger generation lags behind its predecessors on educational performance". According to UNICEF, almost 1 in 4 children has no access to education under the Occupation.
The effects of "the sanctions policy not only reversed previous educational achievements but rendered the Iraqi education system unable to serve the population. The impact of the sanctions will affect future generations of school children and university students", writes Agustin De Santisteban, a Comparative Education specialist with the Faculty of Education at UNED in Madrid.
The highly publicised US propaganda of Iraq's 'reconstruction' proved to be the complete and deliberate destruction of Iraqi education system. The best example is found in the de-development of Iraq's school curriculum, on of the best in the region. Iraq's school curriculum has been replaced by US-crafted curriculum in order to brainwash Iraqi children in the same way as American children are brainwashed.
A large number of Iraqi academics, scientists, doctors, engineers, pharmacologists, officers, and lawyers have been murdered or forced to flee the country. Others are being imprisoned without charges. Iraq is not being constructed; it is suffering from a massive brain drain.
On 30 March 2004, Al-jazeera reported: "More than 1000 leading Iraqi professionals and intellectuals have been assassinated since last April, among them such prominent figures as Dr Muhammad al-Rawi, the president of Baghdad University". The deliberate destruction of Iraq's human resources designed to create a dependent and subordinate colonial dictatorship to serve US interests and US-Zionist hegemony.
Destruction of Infrastructure;
A Legacy of Unexploded Bombs
The nation infrastructure – the country's service networks, like electricity grids, communications, bridges, irrigation, transport, sewage treatment systems and water purification plants – built up by the previous regime was largely destroyed by the US-British indiscriminate terror's bombing began in 1991. The destruction was intentional in order to destroy Iraq's economy and increase the suffering of the Iraqi people. Indeed, all targets were selected to amplify the economic and psychological impact of the sanctions on the Iraqi society for many years to come.
Even after the Anglo-American troops leave Iraq, Iraqi children will continue to suffer. Unexploded cluster bombs, originally dropped by US-British troops on populated areas, continue killing and maiming children, farm animals, and wildlife-any living thing that touches them by accident. The bomblets are deliberately made to look like playing things – yellow bright and look like beer cans – to attract children. Thousands of children have been killed by dormant bomblets in Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Under Article 85 of the Geneva Conventions, it is a war crime to launch "an indiscriminate attack affecting the civilian population in the knowledge that such an attack will cause an excessive loss of life or injury to civilians."
Under the Hague Conventions, Article 22 and 23, 'The right of belligerents to adopt means of injuring the enemy is not unlimited", and "It is especially forbidden to kill treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army".
However, British officials, including Geoff Hoon, the British defence secretary and Adam Ingram, British Armed Forces Minister justified the use of cluster bombs, on military grounds, saying that: "Cluster bombs are not illegal. They are effective weapons. They are used in specific circumstances where there is a threat to our troops". The truth is; cluster bombs are used often on heavily populated areas.
According to Asia Times (10 April 2004), after US (B52s) planes dropped their cluster bombs load, "[a]ll over Baghdad, the city's five main hospitals simply cannot cope with an avalanche of civilian casualties. Doctors can't get to the hospitals because of the bombing. Dr. Osama Saleh Al-Dulaimi at the al-Kindi hospital confirms the absolute majority of patients are women and children, victims of…shrapnel and most of all, fragments of cluster bombs. 'They are all civilians', he said. 'The International Committee of the Red Cross is in a state of almost desperation…casualties arriving at hospitals at a rate of as many as 100 per hour and at least 100 per day'".
In Hilla, south of Baghdad, Reuters reported scenes of children with no limbs and babies cut in half. The majority of the 348 who were killed or wounded by the bombs were women and children.
Washington's Radiological Weapons of Mass Destruction
The use of 'Depleted' Uranium (DU) is another scourge of the Anglo-American war on Iraq. The long term implications of DU on Iraqi children have been documented. DU is a potent radioactive carcinogen and once absorbed by the body, DU can cause cancer in the bones, lungs or kidneys. At high risks are Iraqi children and pregnant women. The rate of Iraqi children developing cancer and born with cancer is significantly high.
Furthermore, the majority of the 100,000 Iraqis killed (conservative estimate) by US-British forces were women and children, reported the reputed and peer-reviewed British medical journal, The Lancet in November 2004. The Iraqiyun Humanitarian Organization (IHO) in Baghdad estimated that 55 per cent of the at least 128,000 Iraqis killed have been women and children aged 12 and under. It is just non-Western lives do not count in the West. Thousands of Iraqi children have lost one or both parents and as a result Iraq is awash with orphaned and homeless children.
The war was an illegal act of aggression in contravention of UN Charter and international law. The normalisation of this big atrocity by Western media is shameful and lacks any moral principle. The torture and killing of innocent Iraqi civilians and the deliberate destruction of Iraqi children can not be justified by countless lies and deception. It is terrorism, not 'fight against terrorism'.
Contrary to Bush-Blair allegations, Iraq had no link to "terrorism" or to the 9/11 attacks on the US. Bush's own 9/11 Commission found there was no link between Saddam and 9/11. Iraq is not a place for "terrorists", as Mr Bush is alleging.
From an Iraqi perspective, the "terrorists" in Iraq are US soldiers and mercenaries from Britain, Italy, Australia, South Korea and Japan, etc. Mr Bush is fabricating another lie to justify the ongoing occupation of Iraq.
The Iraqi people have legitimate right to resist foreign occupation and liberate their country. It is clearly stated that: "International law grants a people fighting an illegal occupation the right to use 'all necessary means at their disposal' to end their occupation and the occupied "are entitled to seek and receive support" in order to resist the occupiers. The Bush-Blair ongoing policy of violence against Iraq is not only endangering the lives of Iraqis, but also the lives of Americans and Britons.
Since 1991, the US and Britain embarked on a vicious policy of dividing Iraq in the same way the colonial Britain divided the Arab Peninsular (into protectorates) and ruled behind a façade of corrupt local gendarmes, kings and emirs. Every step in the war and Occupation was deliberately designed to destroy the Iraqi civil society and provoke divisions and civil strife among Iraqis.
The Occupation Sows Seeds of Division
The Occupation is sowing the seeds for divisions among Iraqis. In order to continue the Occupation and steal Iraq's wealth and oil resources, the US is deliberately orchestrating civil strife. The aim is an imperialist one, the creation of colonial dictatorship to serve US-Israel interests.
The US-created Iraqi "army" and "police" force are ethnic-based militias. They constitute the Mossad-trained Kurdish Peshmerga militia, the Iranian-trained Badr Brigade, and the Chelabi and Allawi thugs. Their loyalties are to their parties and the Occupation, not to the Iraqi people. They are responsible for widespread of crimes and fear among the Iraqi population. The bulk of the violence is directed against Iraqis who appose the Occupation and US imperial agenda.
There is no "democracy" or "freedom" in Iraq. There is no independent government; Iraq is occupied by 200,000 US troops and mercenaries. The current "government" in Iraq is a farce installed by fraudulent elections. This puppet government has betrayed the Iraqi people by failing to ask the occupiers to leave Iraq, and to provide the minimal security to protect the Iraqi people. Its presence and obsequious to the occupying forces shame every Iraqi.
The majority of Iraqis are against the Occupation and its policies of privatization and looting of Iraq's resources and Iraq's economy. The majority of Iraqis blame the presence of US forces for the continuing violence and mayhem. The majority of Iraqis oppose to the US-promoted division and "federalism" in Iraq.
In flagrant violations of UN Conventions and international law, the US-Britain war on Iraq has wrought nothing to Iraqis but destruction, a culture of corruption, sectarianism, murder and mayhem. The most vulnerable people of the Iraqi society, women and children are the largest victim of this atrocity. UNICEF has an obligation to the world community to release the report and uncover US crimes against Iraqi children.
The Occupation is destroying the lives of Iraqi children and increasing the suffering of the Iraqi people. The best peaceful solution for Iraq and for the world is the immediate and full withdrawal of the Anglo-American armies from Iraq. It is immoral to think otherwise.
Ghali Hassan lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization.
The Centre for Research on Globalization. www.globalresearch.ca
© Copyright Ghali Hassan, GlobalResearch.ca, 2005


text:
Birmingham: O2 Institute
Buy Tickets I'm going
2020 Grammy nominees The Teskey Brothers have come a very long way in a very short time. The four friends from Melbourne Australia have seen a meteoric rise in popularity in the past 12 months, amassing a legion of fans all around the world with their timeless soulful recordings and stunning live shows.
The Teskey Brothers' latest studio record Run Home Slow (Glassnote Records) has been a global hit with elements of soul, blues, southern rock, Americana, psychedelia, and gospel, and the striking single 'So Caught Up' which made top 5 on the US AAA radio chart and won the AAA category of the International Songwriting Competition. Run Home Slow was nominated for a Best Engineered album at the 2020 Grammys, won three ARIA awards, and scored the band their late night debut on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Cambridge: Junction
Manchester: Albert Hall


text:
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        return $this;
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband (DSGV, ) is the association of German savings banks () and the apex entity of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, the European Union's second-largest financial services group (after BNP Paribas) with 2.4 trillion euros combined assets as of end-2021. Germany's savings banks, owned by local governments, play a major role in the country's economy, together operating some 15,860 branches and employing about 284,800 people.

History

German savings banks started organizing on a regional basis in the 1870s and early 1880s, e.g. the , est. 1881. The first national conference of savings banks () was held in 1882. on , the first national umbrella organization was established as the  in Dortmund. In 1892, it was agreed that the  would be an "association of associations" whose members would not be individual savings banks, but rather regional associations thereof (). By 1911, fifteen such  had been established, covering all the country's savings banks.

on  during World War I, the  was established to coordinate the regional payments clearing houses or  () that had appeared since 1908.

The DSGV was founded in 1924 by the merger of  and , with seat in Berlin. It simultaneously absorbed the , a separate organization in Königsberg.

In 1947, after de facto separation from their Eastern German peers and central organization in East Berlin, the savings banks and regional associations in West Germany formed the  () as their new national organization. In 1953, it was restructured as the , with head office in Bonn. Unlike the prior DSGV in Berlin, it was not a public corporation (, abbreviated as ö.K.) but a non-profit association (, abbreviated e.V.).

Following German reunification, the DSGV relocated from Bonn to Berlin in 1999.

In April 2011, DSGV took control of DekaBank, buying a 50 percent stake from the Landesbanken, public sector banks such as HSH Nordbank, WestLB and  that stumbled badly during the financial crisis. After years of subsidising the activities of the Landesbank sector, savings banks have been more assertive about ending the Wall Street-style ambitions of some of these regional lenders.

Presidents
  (1924-1935)
 Johannes Heintze (1935-1945)
  (1947-1967)
  (1967-1972)
  (1972-1993)
 Horst Köhler (1993-1998)
  (1998-2006)
  (2006-2012)
 Georg Fahrenschon (2012-2017)
  (since 2018)

See also
 Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken

References

External links

 Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband

Banks of Germany
Banking organizations
Government-owned banks