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April 29, 2019 by Dr. Joan R Cartwright
Throughout the years, several people and organizations have felt me worthy of being honored. Those moments are documented here.
Priscilla Dames (right) of Wingspan Seminars in Miami, FL nominated
Joan Cartwright for the 2011 Pea'ce Award.
Thanks to Howard Mandel and Laurie Dapice for honoring me as a 2019 Jazz Journalist Association (JJA) Jazz Hero.
Thanks to Brian Zimmerman, Digital Editor of Jazziz Magazine for presenting the award. Thanks to Marika Guyton for organizing the award ceremony. Photos: Gregory Reed
Thanks to Old Dillard Foundation for partnering with Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. for this program
The universe provides. Last week I got the news that the Speech class I taught for 3 years is moving online, leaving me without income in June-July. I cried. I felt helpless. However, as things always go, I have the opportunity to teach 3 classes at PBSC in Palm Beach Gardens, starting May 15, through the summer.
Subscribe, today!
https://musicwomanmagazine.wordpress.com
www.wijsf.org
Posted in adjunct, blues, Business, composer, doctorate, Education, instrumentalist, lecture, Marketing, Media, Music, organization, Speech Communication, vocalist, women, Writing	| Tagged award, employment, JJA, journalist | Leave a comment
December 19, 2017 by Dr. Joan R Cartwright
Now, this!
By Dr. Joan Cartwright
Jazz journalist Lara Pellegrinelli's recent article Women in Jazz: Blues and The Objectifying Truth (2017), commiserated on the marginalization of women musicians in the Jazz/Blues genre, stating that the cultural assumption is that women are merely the passive vessels for male sounds (Pellegrinelli, 2017).
In response to Pellegrinelli, Terri Lynn Carrington said: When I started teaching and hearing the stories of the young women at the college, . . . I realized just because my experience was not the same as theirs, I am a part of this community and have to work toward or fight for change in any possible way that I can. I feel great ownership in this art form and know that I belong here, and want my female students to feel the same way.
In a Huffington Post article, Carrington wrote, "On issues of racism and sexism, there can be impatience from progressives, expecting that after all this time everyone should just know better and stand on the correct side of consciousness" (Carrington, 2017). She continued with, "feminizing or masculinizing music can be counter-productive. The studying, composing, and performing of music should be gender neutral, and I think the greatest musicians are musically 'gender fluid'."
I do not agree with Carrington's statement because I have found few Jazz musicians, and certainly even fewer Classical musicians, who are willing to push forward music composed by women musicians. My fortune was that Freddie Hubbard recorded my composition Sweet Return in 1983 on Atlantic Records. Even though his half-German wife, the publisher, did everything in her power to stop the progress of this album because she felt there was something romantic between Freddie and me, which there was not, that composition made it into the Freddie Hubbard Song Book, much to my surprise. Since then, I have had no other opportunities to get my music performed or recorded by any gender fluid musician, even though I have gifted several male musicians, band leaders, and arrangers with my song book.
In Black Nationalism and the Revolution in Music (1970), Frank Kofsky expounded on the words of Professor Archie Shepp, an articulate spokesperson for African-Americans. Shepp said, "the United States is culturally backward because white Americans have been unwilling to give credit to African-Americans as innovators of jazz, which he refers to as American realty – total reality." Shepp contends that whites "think they have a right to jazz instead of being grateful for jazz as a gift that the Negro has given." He said even white Americans in the jazz world "deny that jazz is first and foremost a black art created and nurtured by black people in this country out of the wealth of their historical experience" (Cartwright, 2009, p. 56).
For three centuries or more, white men have used the physical and cultural production of Africans in America to enrich themselves and their families while white women reaped the benefits in silence. White men raped African women, continually, producing a whole new group of people who were sold regardless of their relationship to their white fathers. The transition from cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane to jazz and blues as a money-making venture was as smooth as Smooth Jazz! Festivals and clubs around the world raked in millions of dollars while disowning the very people that the music came from. White musicians and educators dot the halls of conservatories and universities where jazz is taught by rote just like the classical music that issued from European concert halls.
Now, this – white women are complaining that they are marginalized in the world of Jazz. What a surprise. These same white women and their foremothers never found it odd that the music that spoke of freedom for Africans enslaved in America has become the popular music of today, without the input of African musicians. A survey of jazz educators will result in a very low number of African professors at universities with Jazz Departments. Professor Archie Shepp at Amherst, Dr. Larry Ridley at Rutgers, Dr. Karlton Hester at UCLA San Diego, Dr. Linda Williams at Southern University, and the handful of African-descent professors at Berklee – Terri Lynn Carrington, Patrice Rushen, and the late Geri Allen do not comprise a long list of instructors that teach the music that actually came out of their communities.
Do white people have a right to perform and teach Jazz and Blues music? This question is moot since white people believe they have a right to appropriate EVERYTHING FROM EVERYBODY and that no one should ever say anything about it in the negative. Well, my book A History of African-American Jazz and Blues (Cartwright, 2009) discusses how The Music was appropriated, packaged, commercialized, and serendipitously stolen from its originators. Besides the theft of the publishing royalties of great composers like Duke Ellington by publishers like Irving Mills, who managed Duke's band for 13 years because African musicians could not belong to ASCAP or manage themselves outside of TOBA, Jazz and Blues musicians of African-descent were exploited in every way possible.
Of course, like cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane crops, Jazz and Blues were new crops that white men felt entitled to exploit to their personal benefit. Musicians of African descent had no choice because they were barred from owning anything that they produced in the United States. Most prolific musicians died pennilessly and their families rarely benefitted from their cultural production. The following excerpt attests to that fact.
The financial pressures were exacerbated by another familiar pressure which had afflicted jazz musicians right from the start of the music – their reliance on the largely white businessmen who ran the clubs, record companies, management and booking agencies, and, most significantly, music publishing. The shaving of bands' fees by clubowners and agents, and the practice of managers and agents adding their names to the publishing rights of tunes – and thereby claiming a share of their often lucrative proceeds – had begun early in jazz (Duke Ellington's manager, Irving Mills, is a famous example, and while Ellington himself was never slow to claim a co-credit on works instigated by his sidemen, at least he had a musical hand in them) and, according to Dizzy, had grown no better by the time of the bebop era.
People with enough bucks and foresight to invest in bebop made some money. I mean more than just a little bit. All the big money went to the guys who owned the music, not to the guys who played it. The businessmen made much more than the musicians, because without the money to invest in producing their own music, and sometimes managing poorly what they earned, the modern jazz musicians fell victim to the forces of the market. Somehow, the jazz businessman always became the owner and got back more than his fair share, usually at the player's expense. More was stolen from us during the bebop era than in the entire history of jazz . . . (Mathieson, 1999).
So, for white women to declare that they are barred, unfairly, from making a living in the Jazz scene is ludicrous. White men have maintained control over the cultural production of Africans and they have no intention of relinquishing that control. The rub is that African men will embrace white women musicians far more readily than they will women of African descent with a few exceptions like Dexter Gordon and Melba Liston. However, Regina Carter and Teri Lynn Carrington managed to eke out a place in The Music for themselves and their art.
But most women of African descent who appeared on the Jazz scene, until recently, were shoved in a corner, rarely to be heard from. Some of the most profound of those women were Vi Redd, Jeannie Cheatham, Dorothy Donegan, and Trudy Pitts. Other talented musicians, like Shirley Scott and Hazel Scott, found favor because they had notable husbands – Shirley and Stanley Turrentine and Hazel and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Today, Mimi Jones, Shirazette Tinnin, Lakecia Benjamin, Camille Thurman, Jazmin Ghent, Gail Jhonson, Karen Briggs, and Esperanza Spaulding are making some headway.
Meanwhile, white women are courted by musicians of African descent with valor and pleasure. For instance, Christian McBride partnered with Diana Krall and Prince endorsed Candy Dulfer (and the two white women in his band). Perhaps, white women can pay to gain credibility by recording and performing with African-American musicians, while women of African descent cannot make that monetary layout.
As far as sexual harassment is concerned, what is it that white women do not understand about the sexual energy of white men who raped African women during slavery, while their white wives languished in plantation mansions? Today, white men are being called out in great numbers for sexually harassing women in the workplace. This is their modus operandi. Is that to say that African men do not rape and sexually harass? Heaven's no. It is the nature of man to hunt women like prey.
My career as a Jazz/Blues vocalist and composer spanned 50 years. I remember several instances when I was targeted by male musicians. However, I was able to extricate myself from the situation or rationalize why that happened. One white man told me to take my clothing off. When I refused, he told me I would never be anything but a secretary. I asked him to call me a cab and went on to have a charmed career, performing in 20 countries on five continents, without ever taking my clothes off for one single opportunity to perform or record.
Maybe I am a very strong woman with principles that do not allow me to cave into the taunting of males. One of my band members suggested that I engage in fellatio with him in a closet at a New Years' Eve gig that I hired him for. I did not speak to him for two years after that and I never hired him again. Women have recourse. Sniveling about sexual harassment without speaking out about it means nothing. It's a man's world only because women allow it to be that.
Women fail to create camaraderie amongst themselves. For 10 years, I have been the director of a non-profit organization that promotes and advocates for women musicians. It is like pulling teeth to get women to support this organization. They think that supporting Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. detracts from who they are. Women are not joiners or supporters unless they think they will get something from an organization. They expect me to be their agent, to get them gigs, to promote them even though they refuse to pay $50 dues per year. That's insane.
I spent the last six years writing my dissertation Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing. My research showed that women lack sufficient business skills to succeed in the monstrously competitive world of Jazz. Most women musicians resign themselves to teaching rather than concentrating on branding, networking, teamwork, negotiation, and accounting. Few are adept at writing grant proposals to win financial awards to produce and perform original music.
Then, there are those that know my organization exists but minimalize it because I am not a white woman. Well, Blues and Jazz came from the experience of African women and men in America, and just because white musicians think they own it, they never will. They may play all the riffs and copy all the solos of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Marylou Williams, Hazel Scott, Melba Liston, and other prolific Jazzwomen but they will never understand the burden that led to the expression of the Blues and, subsequently, Jazz.
White people harm each other – yes – but the harm they did to Africans in America was counteracted by the Blues and Jazz and they can never understand the full meaning of that because they are unwilling to give credit to African-Americans as innovators of jazz, which [Shepp referred] to as 'American realty – total reality.' As Shepp contended, whites 'think they have a right to jazz' instead of being grateful for jazz as a 'gift that the Negro has given.' He said even white Americans in the jazz world 'deny that jazz is first and foremost a black art created and nurtured by black people in this country out of the wealth of their historical experience' (Mathieson, 1999).
Carrington, T.L. (2017). Sexism in jazz: Being agents of change. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sexism-in-jazz-agents-of-change_us_58ebfab1e4b0ca64d9187879
Cartwright, J. (2009). A history of African-American jazz and blues. FYI Communications, Inc. (www.lulu.com/spotlight/divajc)
Cartwright, J. (2017). Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing. FYI Communications, Inc. (www.lulu.com/spotlight/divajc)
Mathieson, K. (1999). Giant steps: Bebop and the creators of modern jazz, 1945-65. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books
Pelligrinelli, L. (2017). Women in jazz: Blues and the objectifying truth. Retrieved from https://nationalsawdust.org/thelog/2017/12/12/women-in-jazz-blues-and-the-objectifying-truth/#comment-5707
Dr. Joan Cartwright is a Jazz/Blues vocalist, composer, and author of books on Jazz and Blues and Women in Jazz and Blues. She is the founder of Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes and advocates for women musicians, globally! www.wijsf.org
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June 16, 2014 by Dr. Joan R Cartwright
Conscious Inclusion of Women Musicians
This is an important issue but too many women are totally unaware of the problem. What do you know about women musicians and the inequity of income they earn compared to what male musicians earn?
Published at Versita: Conscious Inclusion of Women Musicians
Dr. Diva JC - Scholar . Teacher . Author
[THIS PAPER IS PUBLISHED at Versita]
The paper was presented at the British and American Studies Conference, in 2012, and is posted on the website of Fondazione Adkins-Chiti: Donne in Musica
By Joan Cartwright, M.A.
Music, the sound of the spheres, begins in the womb! ~ Diva JC
This paper discusses the vast divide between performance opportunities and income earned by male and female musicians. Although female singers are quite visible on the world's stages, few female instrumentalists are employed on a regular basis and even fewer women composers have their music commissioned for programs or films funded by private and public monies. Several proficient female jazz musicians are identified, and how and why women are omitted from performance is discussed. The need for everyone – producers, promoters, funders, and bandleaders – to consciously choose to include women musicians in programming…
Posted in Arts, composer, instrumentalist, Music, women, Writing	| Tagged composer, entertainment, inclusion, music, paper, women | Leave a comment
May 31, 2014 by Dr. Joan R Cartwright
Leaning In re Women in Arts
My life has been inundated with music performance, since I was four years old. By 27, I had borne and raised two children and was on my second divorce. I had the opportunity to finish my Bachelor's Degree in Music and Communications, in Philadelphia, where I also embarked on my professional career as a vocalist and composer. That was in 1977. By 1990, I owned a small business that placed legal secretaries in law firms. I was doing well but an opportunity arose for me to go to Europe. My children were engrossed in their own families and I was free to go on the road. I began touring in Europe, where I moved in 1994, after completing my Master's Degree in Communications, in Florida. For eight years, I lived a charmed life touring from country to country, singing Jazz and Blues. In 1996, I moved back to Florida, where I knew I would be challenged to earn the living I earned in Europe. I developed a program to teach K-12 students about women in Jazz. Through grants, I was able to deliver 10 to 20 presentations a year with piano accompaniment. The presentation evolved into a book entitled Amazing Musicwomen.
In 2007, I realized that since 1977, I had worked predominantly with male musicians. I was the bandleader and had only worked with a handful of female musicians in the U.S. and only two women in Europe. I decided to lean in and focus on identifying women musicians whom I could hire. There were few in Florida. I incorporated a non-profit organization Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) that supports women musicians, globally. In seven years, the membership grew to 271 with 144 musicians and 51 men. I wrote several grant proposals and many of them were awarded to WIJSF for musical presentations. Many friends suggested that I should concentrate on my own career rather than spend time promoting other women in music. I disagreed. It was my passion to connect as many women instrumentalists and composers as I could.
In July 2014, my members and friends donated $3,645 for me to travel to Fiuggi, Italy for the WIMUST Conference, Women in Music Using Strategies for Talent, presented by Fondazione Adkins-Chiti: Donne in Musica. I was the ONLY composer from the U.S.A. and the only woman of color to participate in this conference of 40 women composers from the European Union. Since 2010, we have produced four compilation CDs of the original music of 34 women composers and the last one just won the first award for Best Compilation CD produced by a Black Woman. I have been vigilant about making people aware of the importance of consciously including women musicians in their programming.
The statistics are eye-opening, since women pay 53% of the taxes on the planet but benefit from less than 10% of public funding for the arts. Paintings of nude women by men hang on the walls of noted art museums but only 5% of the artwork on the walls is by women. Women writers, architects, painters, and musicians are terribly marginalized in the billion-dollar art world and few people even realize this disparity, particularly women. My goal is to continue to speak out about the marginalization of women in the arts primarily because a nation is only as strong as its cultural producers and the messages in women's art is paramount to the enlightenment of all people.
I have called for a Symposium on Women in Arts at The White House in July 2015, and started a petition on Change.org, which 269 people have signed since April. The purpose of the Symposium is to bring together women from all artistic disciplines to strategize about increasing the profile and earning capacity of women in the arts. I will continue to lean in on this platform until people awaken to the importance of valuing the messages in women's art to society-at-large. The messages people receive are predominately male – aggression, competition, violence, fear, and dominance will preponderate, until people awaken to the messages in women's art. Likewise, the earning power of women in music, art, literature, architecture, filmmaking, and other arts must increase for the betterment of society. Women hold up more than half of the sky but down here on the ground women continue to be devalued as second class citizens specifically because the messages in their artistic production are not getting through to adults and children. This paradigm must shift.
Please LIKE this page: Symposium for Women in Arts on Facebook
Please Sign and Share this Petition
Join WIJSF, today!
Joan Cartwright, M.A.
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Near the end of my 11th Doctoral course for Business Marketing, I am closer to graduation than ever before. As I look back over the past two years, much progress has been made. I'm not situated in Atlanta, GA, where I live with my daughter, Mimi Johnson, CEO of www.mjtvnetwork.info, which has several shows in production. On May 21, I will co-host one of three shows in a series entitled Amazing Musicwomen with vocal musician Sandi Blair.
Meanwhile, we are calling for a Symposium on Women in Arts. Please LIKE this page at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/symposiumonwomeninarts) and sign and share this petition: http://tinyurl.com/ks5byvs
On May 2, at the Ferst Center in Atlanta, GA, I will be named the first
Lady Jazz Master by Black Women in Jazz & Fine Arts Awards among other astute women in music.
Finally, we encourage everyone to nominate a woman musician/composer for the prestigious NEA Jazz Master Award for 2015. You can do this at http://arts.gov/honors/jazz
Visit my website at www.joancartwright.com
Posted in Business, composer, conductor, instrumentalist, Marketing, Media, Music, organization, producer, vocalist, women, Writing	| Tagged advocate, awards, cartwright, composer, diva jc, joan, musician, vocalist | Leave a comment
November 15, 2012 by Dr. Joan R Cartwright
This paper discusses the vast divide between performance opportunities and income earned by male and female musicians. Although female singers are quite visible on the world's stages, few female instrumentalists are employed on a regular basis and even fewer women composers have their music commissioned for programs or films funded by private and public monies. Several proficient female jazz musicians are identified, and how and why women are omitted from performance is discussed. The need for everyone – producers, promoters, funders, and bandleaders – to consciously choose to include women musicians in programming, especially where public funding is involved, is emphasized.
Keywords: musicians, women, men, composer, performance, inequity, inclusion, jazz, classical
Music, the sound of the spheres, begins in the womb!~ Diva JC
People first experience music is in the womb. The sound of blood rushing through the mother's veins is like the sound of strings. The heartbeat is the drum, while mother is singing and humming. However, out of the womb, women instrumentalists are omitted, particularly in Jazz. Although women comprise only 35% of classical orchestras because "culturally constructed differences between women and men have always been present, typically restricting women's music-making while preserving the most profitable musical careers for men" (Phelps 14), women are employed by symphonic orchestras on strings and woodwinds, while but few are in big bands. The National Endowment for the Arts study entitled Changing the Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz Musicians examined the lives of jazz musicians in New York, Detroit, San Francisco and New Orleans found that 84.1% of jazz musicians were male (Jeffri 2). For decades, big bands neglected to engage women, except for singers, and the occasional pianist. Sarah Vaughn worked in Billy Eckstein's band and Marylou Williams arranged for Duke Ellington and worked with the Andy Kirk and the Twelve Clouds of Joy.
The Lincoln Center Big Band led by Wynton Marsalis has no women. The Carnegie Hall Big Band led by Jon Faddis is defunct but only one woman performed in that band, trombonist Janice Robinson, who performed and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Taylor, Marian McPartland, Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis, Slide Hampton, The Jazzmobile All Star Big Band, Gil Evans, McCoy Tyner, George Gruntz and Mercer Ellington. Her seat was not filled by another woman, when she became pregnant.
Trombonist Melba Liston led a 16-piece all-female band in the 1970s. She was an important jazz arranger in a field dominated by men. She recorded with classmate Dexter Gordon in 1947. When Gerald Wilson disbanded his orchestra on the east coast, Melba joined Gillespie's big band. She toured with Billie Holiday in 1949, but disliked the rigors of touring. She took a clerical job, supplementing her income as an extra in Hollywood, where she appeared in "The Prodigal" and "The Ten Commandments." Liston toured with Gillespie for the U.S. State Department to Europe, the Middle East and Latin America in 1956 and 1957, and her best known solo is recorded on Gillespie's "Cool Breeze" at Newport Jazz Festival. She formed an all-women quintet in 1958, and toured Europe with the theatre production "Free and Easy" in 1959, then worked with the show's musical director, Quincy Jones. In the 1960s, Liston worked with Milt Jackson and Johnny Griffin, and began her long association with pianist Randy Weston. For four decades, Liston arranged and performed Weston, whose song "Mischievous Lady" was composed for her. In 1973, she taught in the West Indies at the Jamaica School of Music. Upon her return in 1979, she formed Melba Liston and Company.
Tenor saxophonist Kit McClure led a 19-member band but few venues could pay a big band. Her five-piece ensemble with Leticia Benjamin on alto sax, Jill McCarron on piano, Kim Clarke on bass and Bernice Brooks on drums performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and JVC Jazz Festival in New York. McClure's big band did a tribute to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an all-female big band formed in Mississippi, in 1937, and renowned by 1940. American Legacy Magazine (Summer 2008) featured the Sweethearts in an article entitled The Ladies Who Swung The Band, along with the Diva Jazz Orchestra. Nat Hentoff wrote, "From the earliest days of jazz, women were excluded from the all-male club. But somehow they kept on swinging, and today we celebrate their names." Bassist Carline Ray (81) still performs in New York City, long after the demise of the Sweethearts that was comprised of highly talented females who remain obscure.
Organizations like International Women in Jazz in New York, Fondazione Adkins Chiti: Donne in Musica in Rome, Italy, and Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. struggle to present female musicians and composers. Revealing statistics on the disparity of music programming of women's music in Europe reported that, "Only 1% of [women's] music (traditional, popular, classical, and contemporary) is programmed by public funded institutions; and 89% of public arts and culture institutions are directed by men. Throughout Europe, [women] composers are unable to earn a living only from their musical compositions and performing." (WIMUST 3)
Women in Jazz in Texas and Instrumental Women in California presented several talented females like violinist Karen Briggs, guitarist Lois McMorris (Lady Mac) and bassist Nedra Wheeler. Each of these organizations suffer from budget cuts for the arts in the US.
In 2008, drummer Alvin Queen, who lives in Geneva, Switzerland, led a band designated as Jazz Ambassadors to the United Nations. Queen defended his choice to not have women in his band. I thought it was important to have at least one woman in a band that represented the United Nations. But Queen did not agree. How can this omission by male band leaders of women instrumentalists in the field of jazz be rectified? It takes a conscious effort on the part of all musicians to understand the importance of including women instrumentalists. Even female musicians will not work with other women. One singer said she would never hire women, again, when a female drummer took another gig, after agreeing to perform with the singer. The drummer said she would help the singer out but did not consider the date a real job. A female horn player said she does not work with female musicians at all!
Since 1984, I've worked as a leader with bassists Carline Ray and Kim Clarke, Bertha Hope on piano, and Paula Hampton and Bernice Brooks on drums in New York; pianists Tina Schneider and Mariette Otten in Europe; and in Florida with pianists Melody Cole and Alison Weiner, bassist Te'ja Veal, Rochelle Frederick on tenor sax and Renée Fiallos on flute. An adept jazz pianist Joanne Brackeen was with Freddie Hubbard and the Kool Jazz All-Stars of 1983, when they recorded my composition Sweet Return on Atlantic Records. Brackeen scored the tune for the quintet, brilliantly! But there are no adult, female drummers or bassists in Florida, so my own band Jazz Hotline is comprised of men because they know my music and are happy to work with me.
Many women instrumentalists do not know standard songs like men do. Distracted by studying, teaching, mothering, homemaking, working a job or volunteering in the community, women have less time to practice. Women resist rehearsal and may be argumentative and unprofessional, when following another woman. Even though men omit them from the "good ole boy" club, women contradict the authority of woman leaders. Pianist Melody Cole had a tough time with men, who worked against her. Yet, she resisted me, when I paid her. Mistrust, resistance and contrariness are reasons for omitting women from the playing field. Still, there should be conscious inclusion of women musicians to counter the all-male musical environment.
The middle school jazz band I volunteer with has seven girls in the saxophone section. They are 13, and have less enthusiasm than the boys. The two female bassists are into the music because they play throughout the score. But the saxophones sit out on many measures. Some are there only to fulfill a requirement. Encouraging girls to play hard, practice and care about performance is what community musicians can do at schools.
Legendary blues pianist and vocalist Jeannie Cheatham (84) was the first woman to induct anyone into the Smithsonian Jazz Hall of Fame. Her friend pianist Dorothy Donegan was that musician. Cheatham said it is a choice to be a musician. "Professional musicians, men and women must be conscientious about their decision to live that lifestyle. They must promote, book, schedule, rehearse, do the accounting and take responsibility for their career," said Cheatham. Each member of Cheatham's Sweet Baby Blues Band had their own band and worked with musicians they liked. Cheatham worked with trumpeter Clora Bryant from Texas, saxophonist Vi Redd in Los Angeles and drummer Patty Patton in San Diego, where she resides.
Besides being co-leader with her husband Jimmy Cheatham of Ellington Band fame, Jeannie accompanied Cab Calloway, whose sister Blanche had her own big band in the early 20th century. "Sidemen want to be called, hired, have fun and go home," said Cheatham. "Agents may like to book all-female bands. But most touring bands do not hire women because of rooming arrangements. Since it is easier to sleep four men to a room, a woman in the band means an extra room must be arranged," said Cheatham, who believes women have it much easier, today. "When I was young, a woman had to put a man's name on her music to get it played." Cheatham insisted that women who choose to be professional musicians must work just as hard as men and have equal success, if they apply themselves.
For Kim Clarke, "women musicians must be tenacious and cultivate a following, unless they're with a major record company that builds their fan base." Men have no problem being sidemen but women must have what Clarkes calls, "The look – the right age and the right size." If she's not good looking, she accepts gigs men will not take or she's a Diva, throwing her weight around." Clarke said gay women work more often in the gay arena. Clarke worked with Kit McClure in a wedding band for several years, until McClure tired of that kind of gig. Also, Clarke works with Bertha Hope on piano and Paula Hampton on drums in Jazzberry Jam, a dynamic group whose spectacular ability to communicate with each other produces the best in musical improvisation, and informs the audience of their humor and humanity. Clarke said, "Grace Kelly is a Korean alto saxophonist whose father owns a candy factory. Grace works the big festivals because her father pays to promote her. But without a sponsor, most female musicians are on their own, and club owners are about the money. You must hustle to get people interested in your music."
Vocalist and composer Beverly Lewis lives in Italy and said, "You do not find female musicians on the level we have here." She said there are no female drummers in Italy because "there are no drumming schools in Europe, except in Amsterdam and at the Swiss Jazz School in Berne, Switzerland. Women drummers are rare and in such demand that they usually work with famous singers, making them unavailable for gigs with local artists. The biggest problem for Lewis is that "musicians are not acting out of authenticity but out of a program. They will go where the money is rather than be loyal to a musical genre." However, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston and Cindy Blackman Santana is at the top of the charts in the jazz world, along with Brazilian bassist Esperanza Spaulding.
In New York City, where pay-to-play is policy, women musicians stay away. Cheatham said musicians must meet people and let other musicians and club owners know they are musicians. "If you're not willing to socialize, you will not work," she insisted.
When pianist/vocalist LaVelle lived in Paris, she was grossly under-appreciated. In Switzerland, she's a big fish in a little pond. She performs in Russia, France, Switzerland and other European countries with organist Rhoda Scott. The two make a dynamic duo and enjoy working with each other.
Online social media helps musicians expose their music to a wider audience. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, CDBaby, YouTube, iTunes and Reverbnation are sites for music promotion. The world consists of men and women. So, the jazz scene should consist of men and women. However, women are left out so often that it is "normal" to omit them. What are some of the reasons women musicians are overlooked?
Women do not get to work in ensemble as men do, so their "chops" are weaker. They are soloists because they only get to play solo. Women's menstrual cycle results in mood shifts, body pains and ailments that make them irritable. They may be untrusting, insecure, critical and selfish, wanting to be the headliner rather than accompany a singer or horn player, while males do not mind being sidemen. Women do not support each other the way men do. Men are better team players. This is based on the fact that, in secondary school and college, boys work with each other in sports, while girls learn run households, where they are in charge. Boys engage in teamwork, while girls learn to clean, cooking and sew, all solitary endeavors.
Dr. Malcolm Black, 20-year big band leader at Broward College said girls who play instruments in middle and high school drop music in college because "their priorities change to fashion, romance and other studies. This is proliferated by the belief that music is traditionally a male field. Lugging a saxophone or contrabass is a male thing and does not fit in with the girl's outfit," said Black. Bassist Kim Clarke said, "Girls believe it is fashionable to wear make-up, weaves, high heels, short skirts and hate on other women. So, it is boys versus music. If her boyfriend is insecure and does not like her to be in the band with other boys, she drops the instrument, abandoning music. Women quit sooner than men, if they feel threatened by competition."
Recently retired vocal instructor Lorna Lesperance said, "Girls take up an instrument at performing arts schools to get credit for that class. But they're interested in singing, dancing or theater. Once the class is finished, they forget about the instrument." Peer pressure dictates that, if a girl's friends are not interested in music, she discontinues music studies to be with her friends, even if she has talent. Parents, teachers and community mentors must encourage girls to stick with music and groom them for music careers. Girls must transcend the stigma that musicians are not respected like teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers and other professionals. Although most musicians study from an early age, they are said to be playing. Parents do not encourage children to be musicians, fearing they will not be able to provide for themselves and their families in the future. Other deterrents in the music industry are drug abuse and alcoholism, especially in Jazz and Rock.
But women musicians excel and are leaders in their own right.
• Renowned pianist Junior Mance told this author that, "Melba Liston is one of the best jazz musicians, not just one of the best women in jazz."
• Pianist, composer, and educator Gerald Price told this author that, "Organist Trudy Pitts handled herself formidably in an arena of musicians made up mostly of men."
• Pianist Tania Maria "The Lady from Brazil" was an attorney in her homeland. She suffered from omission in that field to the point that she left Brazil and came to the United States, where she pursued a musical career that brought her great notoriety.
If there is no female bassist, pianist or drummer, a band leader can invite a woman to join as a singer, percussionist or woodwind player. Since women pay taxes, it's only fair that women are represented, globally, on the Jazz Scene, especially when bands are funded through federal, state and local grants. Wanda Wright, President of Bethune Cookman's Alumni Marching Band said, "People just do not want to change the all male tradition of the marching band." Perhaps, that is across the board. But, in this high-tech world, where information is disseminated, rapidly, inequities like this can be rectified, rapidly. For five years, our grant awards have funded concerts, featuring women musicians at least twice a year. We engage students and adults to perform original compositions of members of both genders.
Jeffri, Joan. Changing the Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz Musicians. Volume II:
American Federation of Musicians: Survey Results. NEA Research Division Report #43. 2003.Phelps, Amy L. Beyond auditions: Gender discrimination in America's top orchestras. University of Iowa. 2010.WIMUST. Women in Music Uniting Strategies for Talent. Fondazione Adkins Chiti: Donne in Music.
Retrieved from http://www.donneinmusica.org/wordpress/wimust/pdf/e-book-wimust/e-book-WIMUST-2012.pdf. 2012.
Other Resources:Changing the Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz Musicians
This study examines the worklife of jazz musicians in New York, Detroit, San Francisco and New Orleans. Information from jazz artists using 2 different survey sampling methodologies – respondent-driven-sampling and a random sample of musician union members – are analyzed and discussed. The 3 volume study is available in PDF. 2003
Changing the Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz MusiciansVOLUME II: AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS: SURVEY RESULTS
A Study by Joan Jeffri
➔ The top instruments played by jazz musicians are piano/keyboard, trumpet and drums.
➔ 58.4 percent of the respondents earned their major income as musicians in the last 12 months and 53 percent earned all their income from their music. On average, 43.9 percent of this income came from work as a jazz musician. For Detroit, only 35.3 percent came from jazz work and in New Orleans, 57 percent.
➔ 36.3 percent have a college degree and another 28.7 percent have a graduate degree.
➔ 64.7 percent think they should be paid for people downloading their music on the Internet.
➔ 74.9 percent received music-related training in the city or region where they now reside. This is highest in Detroit (80.3 percent).
➔ 89 percent have health coverage; this is highest in Detroit at 92.1 percent. Only 18 percent obtained it from the musicians union, only 7.8 percent in Detroit.
➔ 63.1 percent have life insurance, a high of 80.3 percent in Detroit and a low of 52.3 percent in San Francisco.
➔ 77.3 percent have a retirement plan; 82.3 percent of San Francisco musicians have such a plan.
➔ 61.0 percent earned $40,000 or less as a musician in 2001. 7 percent earned over $100,000.
➔ 31.7 percent played over sixteen jobs a month and 40.7 percent play with more than four different groups.
➔ 84.1 percent are male; 71.9 percent are white.
[Source: http://www.nea.gov/research/JazzII.pdf]
Volume I: Executive Summary | Volume II: American Federation of Musicians Survey Results | Volume III: Respondent-Driven Sampling.
WIMUST: WOMEN IN MUSIC UNITING STRATEGIES FOR TALENT
The status of women composers is dramatic. In most countries, they are equal in number to male composers, and in some countries more, however, only 1% of their music (traditional, popular, classical, contemporary) is programmed by public funded institutions 2 and 89% of public arts and culture institutions are directed by men. Throughout Europe, composers are unable to earn a living only from their musical compositions and performing rights. In many countries, the music-generated income is well below national poverty level. Few countries give creativity sabbaticals, stipends, worthwhile commissions, guaranteed number of performances of new works, finance for research, recording, promotion and production, leaving skills and talents unexploited, damaging artistic dynamism, influence and economic development. [Source]
Why WIJSF?
Joan Cartwright, M.A. is a vocalist, composer, producer, author, and educator. She has toured five continents and published several books, including a memoir, three books of poetry, the Joan Cartwright Song Book, Songs for My Children, Amazing Musicwomen, A History of African American Jazz and Blues, and So, You Want To Be A Singer? Joan is a doctoral candidate in Business/Marketing at Northcentral University. In 2007, Joan founded the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. that promotes women musicians, globally. Since 2008, she has hosted over 140 Internet radio interviews of women composers and instrumentalists on her weekly BlogTalkRadio show Musicwoman. In 2013, WIJSF will host the first MUSICWOMAN Conference and Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visit these websites: www.wijsf.org and www.joancartwright.com
Posted in Business, composer, conductor, Education, instrumentalist, Literature, Marketing, Media, Music, organization, producer, vocalist, women, Writing	| Tagged wijsf, women in jazz | 10 Comments


text:
Maryland Route 478 (MD 478) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland.  Known as Knoxville Road, the state highway runs  from MD 180 in Knoxville east to Florida Avenue in Brunswick.  MD 478 was constructed as MD 70 in the late 1920s.  In 1950, MD 70 was replaced with an extended MD 464.  MD 478 was assigned to Knoxville Road after MD 464 was rerouted to its present terminus in 1968.

Route description

MD 478 begins at an intersection with MD 180 (Jefferson Pike) in Knoxville.  Westbound MD 180 provides access to westbound US 340 toward Harpers Ferry and Charles Town.  MD 478 heads east as a two-lane undivided highway through a forested area parallel to the Potomac River, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and CSX's Metropolitan Subdivision railroad line.  The state highway crosses several streams that flow into the Potomac River.  After passing through the community of New Addition, MD 478 enters the town of Brunswick, where the state highway ends at Florida Avenue.  The roadway continues east as Potomac Street, the main street of Brunswick that passes through the Brunswick Historic District.  Potomac Street leads to Maple Street, which heads south to the historic Brunswick station on MARC's Brunswick Line.

All of MD 478, Potomac Street east from MD 478 to Maple Street, and Maple Street south to the train station are part of the National Highway System as an intermodal connector.

History

MD 478 was originally constructed as MD 70 starting in 1926.  The highway was paved from Brunswick halfway to Knoxville in 1927 and completed in 1928.  The MD 70 designation was removed in 1950 when MD 464 was extended through Brunswick to Knoxville; MD 70 was reused for Roscoe Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis starting in 1954.  MD 464 was removed from Knoxville Road in 1968 when the state highway was rerouted on Souder Road to its present terminus at MD 17 and MD 79.  MD 478 was assigned to Knoxville Road by 1971.

Junction list

See also

References

External links

MDRoads: MD 478

478
Maryland Route 478

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
O Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino de 2013, mais conhecido como Torneio Internacional de Brasília, é a quinta edição da competição de seleções nacionais de futebol feminino, sendo organizado pela Confederação Brasileira de Futebol e Federação Brasiliense de Futebol.

Contou com as seleções do Brasil, Escócia, Canadá e Chile e foi disputado entre 12 e 22 de dezembro. Pela primeira vez desde a primeira disputa em 2009, o torneio foi disputado fora da cidade de São Paulo. A disputa ocorreu em Brasília.

O Brasil goleou o Chile por 5 a 0 na grande final e conquistou o título do torneio pela quarta vez. Campeã do torneio em 2010 o Canadá derrotou a Escócia por 1 a 0 no jogo preliminar e ficou com o terceiro lugar.

Regulamento
Na primeira fase, as equipes jogam entre si, dentro do grupo em turno único, classificando-se para a próxima fase as duas equipes com o maior número de pontos ganhos no respectivo grupo.

Na fase final, a primeira e a segunda colocada do grupo 1 jogam uma partida única, sagrando-se campeã a equipe com o maior número de pontos ganhos, considerando-se os resultados obtidos exclusivamente nesta fase.

A terceira e a quarta colocadas do grupo jogam em partida única, sagrando-se terceira colocada do torneio a equipe com o maior número de pontos ganhos, considerando-se os resultados obtidos exclusivamente nesta fase.

Critérios de desempate

Em caso de igualdade em pontos ganhos entre duas equipes, poderiam ser aplicados sucessivamente os seguintes critérios técnicos de desempate:
 Maior número de vitórias;
 Maior saldo de gols;
 Maior número de gols marcados;
 Menor número de cartões vermelhos;
 Menor número de cartões amarelos;
 Sorteio público.

Equipes participantes

Primeira fase

Rodada 1

Rodada 2

Rodada 3

Segunda fase

Disputa do terceiro lugar

Final

Artilharia

 3 gols (2)
  Débinha
  Marta
 1 gol (16)
  Cristiane
  Darlene
  Formiga
  Thaisa

 1 gol (continuação)
  Adriana Leon
  Christine Sinclair
  Sophie Schmidt
  Camila Sáez
  Fernanda Araya
  Francisca Lara
  María José Rojas

 1 gol (continuação)
  Yanara Aedo
  Christie Murray
  Hayley Lauder
  Jane Ross
  Sarah Crilly
|}

Premiação

Ligações externas

2013
Futebol de 2013 no Brasil


No one has added a helpful site for this 2009 Cube problem yet. Be the first!
The transmission started to have and intermittent problem with power from take off. If I turned the car off and back on again it would usually correct the problem. Took it to the dealer and they felt what I was talking about and gave me a loaner and replaced the transmission. Very pleased with the service and all the folks at Nissan.
So here I am again a year letter getting yet another transmission. And my cube was second in line for the other cube getting a new transmission.
Bought a new car in hopes of no problems but that didn't work out. One minute I was driving and the next minute I wasn't. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with the nearest Nissan 150 miles away.
Needed a new transmission with in a year..not much else to say..they covered it under warranty but the dealership I have to use that I bought it from is horrible. Worst customer service I have ever received.


North Yemen (in orange) and South Yemen (in blue) before 1990.
Unlike East and West Germany, North and South Korea, or North and South Vietnam, the two Yemens were not formed by a civil war or occupation. North Yemen became a state after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in November 1918, whereas South Yemen at that time had been a British colony; a South Yemeni insurgency led by two nationalist parties revolted, causing the United Kingdom to withdraw from its former colony.
Following the North Yemen Civil War, the north established a republican government that included tribal representatives. It enjoyed modest oil revenues and remittances from its citizens working in the oil-rich Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Its population in the 1980s was estimated at 12 million as opposed to 3 million in South Yemen.
South Yemen developed as a Marxist, mostly secular society ruled first by the National Liberation Front, which later morphed into the ruling Yemen Socialist Party. The only avowedly Marxist nation in the Middle East, South Yemen received significant foreign aid and other assistance from the USSR.
In October 1972, fighting erupted between north and south; North Yemen supplied by Saudi Arabia and South Yemen by the USSR. Fighting was short-lived and the conflict led to the October 28, 1972 Cairo Agreement, which set forth a plan to unify the two countries.
Fighting broke out again in February and March 1979, with South Yemen allegedly supplying aid to rebels in the north through the National Democratic Front and crossing the border. Southern forces made it as far as the city of Taizz before withdrawing. This conflict was also short-lived.
In the late 1980s, oil exploration near the border between the two nations, Ma'rib in North Yemen and the Shabwah Governorate in the South, spurred interest in developing agreements to exploit resources there and lift both nations' economies. In May 1988, the two governments came to an understanding that considerably reduced tensions, including agreements to renew discussions concerning unification, to establish a joint oil exploration area along their undefined border, now called the Joint Investment Area, by the Hunt Oil Company and Exxon. The same month, they formed the Yemeni Company for Investment in Mineral and Oil Resources (YCIMOR). In November 1989, Ali Abdullah Saleh of North Yemen and Ali Salim al-Beidh of South Yemen jointly accepted a draft unity constitution originally drawn up in 1981, which included a demilitarized border and border passage by Yemenis on the sole basis of a national identification card, as well as a capital city in Sana'a.
The Republic of Yemen was declared on 22 May 1990. Ali Abdullah Saleh of the north became Head of State, and Ali Salim al-Beidh became Head of Government. A 30-month transitional period for completing the unification of the two political and economic systems was set. A presidential council was jointly elected by the 26-member Yemen Arab Republic advisory council and the 17-member People's Democratic Republic of Yemen presidium. The presidential council appointed a Prime Minister, who formed a Cabinet. There was also a 301-seat provisional unified parliament, consisting of 159 members from the north, 111 members from the south, and 31 independent members appointed by the chairman of the council.
A unity constitution was agreed upon in May 1990 and ratified by the populace in May 1991. It affirmed Yemen's commitment to free elections, a multiparty political system, the right to own private property, equality under the law, and respect of basic human rights. Parliamentary elections were held on April 27, 1993. International groups assisted in the organization of the elections and observed actual balloting. The resulting Parliament included 143 General People's Congress, 69 Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), 63 Islaah (the nation's largest Islamist party), 6 Ba'athists, 3 Nasserist Unionist People's Organisation, 2 Al Haq, and 15 independents. The new parliament represented the North strongly. The YSP, though it had won the most seats in voting in the less-populated south, was considered a minor part of the new coalition government. The head of Islaah, Abdullah ibn Husayn al-Ahmar, became the speaker of Parliament. Islaah was invited into the ruling coalition, and the presidential council was altered to include one Islaah member.
As a new oil field was brought online in the Hadhramaut Governorate in the south, southerners began to feel that their land, home to the majority of the country's oil reserves, was illegally appropriated as part of a planned conspiracy by the rulers of North Yemen.
Finally, the newly unified nation faced political crisis when an estimated 800,000 Yemeni nationals and overseas workers were sent home by Saudi Arabia following Yemen's decision not to support Coalition forces in the Gulf War. Remittances from these workers, an important part of the economy, were slashed and many Yemenis were placed in refugee camps while the government decided where to house them and how to re-integrate them into the workforce. The repatriation of these Yemenis immediately increased the nation's population by 7%.
Conflicts within the coalition resulted in the self-imposed exile of Vice President Ali Salim Al-Beidh to Aden beginning in August 1993 and a deterioration in the general security situation as political rivals settled scores and tribal elements took advantage of the unsettled situation. Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, the former Southern Prime Minister continued to serve as the Yemen's Prime Minister, but his government was ineffective due to political infighting. Continuous negotiations between northern and southern leaders resulted in the signing of the document of pledge and accord in Amman, Jordan on February 20, 1994. Despite this, clashes intensified until civil war broke out in early May 1994. Significantly, one of the institutions that had not yet unified was the military arms of both nations.
Southern leaders seceded and established the Democratic Republic of Yemen (DRY) on 21 May 1994, but the new state was not recognized by the international community. Ali Nasir Muhammad, the exiled South Yemen leader, assisted military operations against the secessionists.
Aden was captured on 7 July 1994. Other resistance quickly collapsed and thousands of southern leaders and military went into exile.
In the aftermath of the civil war, Yemeni Socialist Party leaders within Yemen reorganized the party and elected a new politburo in July 1994. However, the party remained disheartened and without its former influence. Islaah held a party convention in September 1994. The General People's Congress did the same in June 1995.
In 1994, amendments to the unity constitution eliminated the presidential council. President Ali Abdallah Saleh was elected by Parliament on 1 October 1994 to a 5-year term. The constitution provided that henceforth the President is to be elected by popular vote from at least two candidates selected by the legislature.
Yemen held its first direct presidential elections in September 1999, electing President Ali Abdallah Salih to a 5-year term in what were generally considered free and fair elections. Yemen held its second multiparty parliamentary elections in April 1997. Constitutional amendments adopted in the summer of 2000 extended the presidential term by 2 years, thus moving the next presidential elections to 2006. The amendments also extended the parliamentary term of office to a 6-year term, thus moving elections for these seats to 2003. On 20 February 2001, a new constitutional amendment created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats; members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives (301 seats; members elected by popular vote). Yemen is now a dominant-party system with the General People's Congress in power.
As of the year 2010, friction and troubles still continue. Elements in the south perceive unfair treatment by the north.
This has given birth to a popular movement called the South Yemen Movement which calls for the return of an independent southern state.
The North Yemeni rial and the South Yemeni dinar remained legal tender during a transitional period. In 1991, the dinar was withdrawn from circulation, with 26 rial exchanged for one dinar. In 1993, the first coins were issued for the Republic of Yemen called Yemeni rials.
The capital of the Republic of Yemen is North's old capital, Sana'a.
The South's "United Republic" became the country's national anthem.
September 26 and October 14 are both celebrated as Revolution Day, with the former celebrating the North's revolution against the imams and the latter celebrating the South's revolution against the British Empire.
November 30 is celebrated as Independence Day, as it is the day the South gained independence from the British, as opposed to November 1, which was celebrated in the north as Independence Day from the Ottoman Empire.
The Republic of Yemen kept the North's United Nations name, Yemen, as opposed to the South's Democratic Yemen.
The Republic of Yemen accepts responsibility for all treaties and debts of its predecessors.
The Republic of Yemen kept the South's system of Governorates (Muhafazah), and split the North's liwa (provinces) into smaller governorates, leaving the current Governorates of Yemen.
The Republic of Yemen uses the North's calling code, +967, as opposed to the South's +969.
The Republic of Yemen uses the North's ISO 3166-1 alphabetic codes (alpha-2: YE, alpha-3: YEM), as opposed to the South's (alpha-2: YD, alpha-3: YMD); a new numeric code was assigned for the unified country (887) to replace the old numeric codes (North: 886; South: 720), as is the custom for any merging of countries.
↑ Haley Edwards, "In south of Yemen, talk of rebellion is rife" in Los Angeles Times (May 18, 2010) at page 3.


Living Room — This living room, is one of the 21 designs published under the gallery: Chic Look With Bookshelves For Living Room. In the next page, we have the delectable design ideas using rectangle glass tables and rectangular black rugs also with rectangular black wooden shelves [ ... ]. While in	the previous page, we have the interesting decorating ideas using round brown standing lamps and rectangular brown fur rugs also with rectangular brown wooden shelves [ ... ].


text:
#include "Generator.h"

namespace ax_gen {
class Generator_makefile : public Generator {
public:
	void onInit		() override;
	void onGenerate	() override;
	void onBuild	() override;

private:
	void gen_workspace();
	void gen_project(Project& proj);
	void gen_project_config(String& o, Config& config);

	void gen_helper_batch_file();
	void gen_common_var(String& o);

	String get_obj_file(Config& config, FileEntry& f);

	String escapeString	(const StrView& v);
	String quotePath	(const StrView& v);

	String	pch_suffix;
};

} //namespace

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Legislative Issues - The Second Amendment
By: William P. Flinn
I wanted to kick off this 2018 legislative season by weighing in on some possible issues that may come up, or have already been introduced, both at the state and federal legislative levels, with regards to Second Amendment rights and gun control. But in order to fully understand the issues to be discussed in this article series, however, it is important to understand the very amendment in the U.S. Constitution that protects the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms. That's right, I said PROTECTS! Contrary to the belief of some misguided folks in political office, the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution does not grant rights (nor was it meant to), but rather protects them. In other words, the Bill of Rights spells out that upon which the government cannot infringe or take away. And when our politicians are elected to office, they take an oath to preserve and defend this document, and all of the intents spelled out therein. I feel that it is because of this misunderstanding of the amendment's intent (and as we will discuss in future articles in this series), a misunderstanding of terminology, or even forgetfulness (or wanton disregard?) of the oath taken by those in office, that some rather bad pieces of legislation are introduced, and some good ones are voted down. Man, I wish those people would read the darn thing they took an oath to defend. I have some spare shirt-pocket-sized copies if anyone's interested.
The majority of the gun control issues that come up this year will no doubt be born of a complete misunderstanding of what the Second Amendment is all about, and just exactly what our founders envisioned when that amendment was written. The Second Amendment is not about duck hunting, collecting firearms, or even our practice of shooting at paper targets. It is not about only being able to own a certain type of firearm, or firearms with certain cosmetic attributes. I have even heard some poor folk out there argue that even in our modern times, with our modern technology, if we want to meet the original intent of the Second Amendment, that we can only own flint-lock muskets. Again – I have spare copies if any wish, I can send you one. I didn't see anything in the amendment that even alluded to such things.
The Second Amendment is about self-defense, and a citizen's right to defend against tyranny. Law abiding and decent citizens have a right (and an OBLIGATION) to defend their families and their properties from ANYTHING or ANYONE that would take away our rights to life, liberties, and the pursuit of happiness. Have you been reading the news lately? On one hand, we have an economy out of control and violent crime caused by desperate people abounds. On the other, there are those who wish to transform us into a Utopian, socialist society. And then (I ran out of hands) there are those who hate us and wish to kill us in the name of Allah and make us adhere to their religion. Our country was founded not on socialism or the strict adherence to the dogmas of any particular religion, but rather it was built on freedom, liberty, and God-given natural rights. And the Second Amendment is what protects a United States Citizen's ability to protect those rights.
A while back, Dr. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, in her testimony before the U.S. Congress (see video below), gave a very succinct statement of what the Second Amendment is about. She and her family were among the victims of the 1991 Lubby's Café massacre in Killeen Texas that left twenty four people dead. Dr. Hupp survived, but her parents were tragically killed in that massacre. Ironically, these deaths could have been avoided if not for a Texas law that disallowed her from carrying her concealed handgun in her purse while in a restaurant. Look at events such as that which took place at Virginia Tech. A so-called "gun-free zone," in which students were killed because a mentally deranged person came on campus and began shooting. Again, ironically, in the many minutes it took law enforcement to arrive, a well-trained student with a firearm could have possibly made a difference. In contrast, take the case of the shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, December 2007. A concealed carrying member of the church took down a heavily armed gunman before he was able to inflict mass casualties on a church full of innocents. Only two innocents died, and the gunman was shot before he could continue his rampage. In all of these cases, the severity of the loss, or the saving of innocents, was contingent on whether or not a right was being grossly infringed or allowed to be exercised.
A few states have already enacted legislation to allow their law abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearm for the purpose of self-defense without needing a special permission slip (the CCW permit). This has popularly become termed as "Constitutional Carry," and is enjoyed by Alaska, Vermont, and most recently Arizona and Wyoming. What this means is that a law abiding citizen who lives in these states, who is eligible to possess a firearm, is allowed to carry a concealed firearm while in his/her own state of residence. They can still obtain a state permit for the purpose of carrying their concealed firearm in another state, as long as that state recognizes the permit (this is known as "reciprocity"). Hopefully, a few more states will be able to pass similar legislation, and this trend will turn into the same wave of acceptance enjoyed by the so-called "shall-issue" concealed carry permits. The notion of the "streets flowing red with blood" if law abiding people are allowed to carry concealed firearms never came to pass. Crime rates in areas that allowed concealed carry went down. And the rates of concealed carry permit holders who later commit crimes is well below the percentage of non-permit carrying holders who commit crimes. Remember – criminals do not apply for permits, only the law abiding do. But regardless of the fact that this issue is about self-defense, our politicians somehow think that it is about protecting society. And since Colorado Democrats have already shot our version of this legislation down again so early this year, I will have much more to say about this in the next article in this series.
Still further pieces of legislation will possibly be introduced that attempt to ban a certain type of firearm solely based on the way it looks. Those "evil, black guns" out there, for example, were once banned because they looked a certain way, or had certain cosmetic features. No regard was given to how the firearm actually operates, or of its capabilities (or lack thereof). Only that it looks "evil" and is somehow perceived as being capable of rendering massive damage and mayhem all on its own. Or how about banning magazines that have a capacity exceeding a certain number of rounds of ammunition? With complete disregard for the fact that law abiding citizens in possession of these evil guns or high capacity magazines are not the ones who commit the crimes, instead of going after the true criminals, our legislators choose to punish the law abiding. This particular topic will be discussed much more in-depth in a later article in this series, but the point here being again that misguided fear and a complete misinformed perception will, in many cases, drive our legislative actions towards becoming potentially draconian laws. The innocent will be punished, and the criminals will be further enabled, all in an attempt for our government to show us that only THEY can protect us, or that they are trying to do something to "show" us how much they care. And they will do so even if that "something" is empty and meaningless, and only results in further harm to our natural rights.
So what do all of these issues have in common? Misunderstanding and misinformation, for one thing, will be the primary factor in bad legislation being introduced. The lust for control and the belief that only the government, instead of our citizens, is capable of protecting society from harm will also be a factor to be sure. And largely, I think that far too many of these bad pieces of legislation, or the turning away of good legislation, will be directed towards an inanimate object (the firearm) instead of being directed towards the behavior of the people who use them. Instead of enforcing existing laws to punish existing criminals, we will try to enact more and more laws that further infringes on a protected right by law abiding citizen. If we all understood what the Second Amendment is all about, perhaps we would not blindly vote for politicians with misguided ambitions. If our politicians would read the document that they swore an oath to protect, perhaps they would save themselves a lot of unnecessary "mental gymnastics" (again – I have spare copies if you need them sent to you). Instead of infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens, how about for once punishing criminal behavior? The Second Amendment is not about duck hunting. It is about a citizen's right to self-defense and defense against tyranny. The sooner our politicians (and engaged citizens) remember that, the sooner we will have meaningful legislation in our country.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home News Tesco sees market share rise over Christmas while all bar Ocado see sales slip and Britons splash out £62m on mince pies
Tesco sees market share rise over Christmas while all bar Ocado see sales slip and Britons splash out £62m on mince pies
Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket group, outperformed its major rivals during the key Christmas period, achieving its highest grocery market share since January 2018, fresh data published today reveals.
Market researcher Kantar said Tesco's grocery sales over the 12 weeks to 26 December slipped by 0.9 per cent against the same period in 2020, but on a two-year basis its sales were up 10.1 per cent, and its market share increased by 0.6 percentage points to 27.9 per cent.
In October, Tesco raised its full year earnings forecast and some analysts believe it could hike its outlook again when it publishes a trading update on 13 January.
Market share: Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket group, outperformed its major rivals during the key Christmas period, achieving its highest grocery market share since January 2018
Tesco's biggest rivals, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons saw their sales slip by 4.4 per cent, 3.9 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively over the 12-week period compared with 2020.
On a store-by-store basis, all major grocery businesses failed to increase sales during the 12-week period to Boxing Day compared with a year ago – when restrictions were in place that saw the hospitality sector and non-essential retailers closed.
On a sales basis, Aldi performed best, with flat sales, followed by Lidl which saw a 0.3 per cent fall; although both saw their market share slip.
The worst-performers front a sales perspective were Co-op, down 6.6 per cent, and Morrisons and Iceland, which were down 6.5 per cent and 6.1 per cent respectively; but all three saw market share increase.
Online operator Ocado was the only grocer to grow its sales year-on-year, likely benefiting from progress on its joint venture with Marks & Spencer.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'We should find out how this translates into financial performance when the supermarkets start updating the market themselves next week.'
Total UK grocery sales came in at £31.7billion over the crucial 12-week period, down 3 per cent on levels seen in 2020, but up 8 per cent on 2019 levels.
Sales hit £11.7 billion in December, down just 0.2 per cent on the record-breaking same month a year ago when strict restrictions were in place.
Sales: Ocado was the only grocer to grow its sales year-on-year, likely benefiting from progress on its joint venture with Marks & Spencer
Fraser McKevitt, Kantar's head of retail and consumer insight, said: 'The data suggests that while there weren't formal Covid-19 rules in place across the UK this year, many people celebrated at home again due to Omicron.'
Sales of mince pies across all supermarkets hit £62million, up 7 per cent on 2020, and £61million was spent on Christmas chocolates, representing a 21 per cent increase on the year before.
Managing all that extra food also led to an 8 per cent jump in sales of indigestion remedies.
Some traditional products were shunned, however, with sprout sales down 3 per cent, Kantar added.
There was also a shift towards more vegetarian Christmases, with chilled vegetarian ranges increasing in sales by 6 per cent and frozen equivalents up 4 per cent.
Tasty: Britons splashed out £62m on mince pies at supermarkets over the festive period
Sparkling and still wine sales grew 22 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, while sales of crisps swelled by 31 per cent.
Premium own-label sales broke records this Christmas with shoppers spending £627million on supermarkets' own upmarket lines over the month to 26 December, marking an increase of 6.8 per cent on 2020 levels.
Mr McKevitt said: 'Tesco's Finest and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference are easily the largest premium own-label ranges, but we saw the fastest growth from other ranges such as Asda Extra Special and Iceland Luxury.'
Kantar said grocery price inflation reached 3.5 per cent in December, its highest level since spring 2020, adding nearly £15 to shoppers' average monthly grocery bills.
It found that prices were rising fastest in markets like fresh beef, savoury snacks and skincare, while falling in fresh bacon, bath and shower products and spirits.
Last month, the Bank of England revised up its inflation forecast to predict consumer price inflation would peak at a 30-year high of around 6 per cent in April.
Despite the rise of the Omicron variant, in-store shopping remained popular, with the biggest number of in-store visits since before the pandemic in December.
Mr McKevitt said: 'Shoppers clearly trusted that supermarket shelves would remain well stocked and they didn't feel the need to rush out much earlier to get their favourite festive treats.'
Online sales fell by 3.7 per cent in December compared to levels seen in 2020, and accounting for 12.2 per cent of sales.
Tesco sees market share rise over Christmas while all bar Ocado see sales slip and Britons splash out £62m on mince pies Reviewed by free heip on January 05, 2022 Rating: 5


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RemoveDEBRIS: UK Satellite Is The First To Clean Up Space Junk
Brid-Aine Parnell Contributor
A British satellite has become the first ever to clear up some space junk, using its onboard net technology.
The aptly named RemoveDEBRIS satellite, built by a consortium of space companies and research institutions led by the Surrey Space Centre, released a video of its experimental phase of operation today, featuring the first demonstration of active debris removal technology in human history.
"We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the net technology," said Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, Director of the Surrey Space Centre, in a statement.
"While it might sound like a simple idea, the complexity of using a net in space to capture a piece of debris took many years of planning, engineering and coordination between the Surrey Space Centre, Airbus and our partners – but there is more work to be done. These are very exciting times for us all."
The net capture was one of several trials that RemoveDEBRIS will be performing over the coming months. The satellite is also going to be testing a vision-based navigation system that uses cameras and LiDaR tech to analyse and observe potential pieces of debris and the first harpoon capture tech to be used in orbit.
Millions of man-made debris and naturally occurring micrometeoroids orbit in and around Earth's... [+] space environment at hypervelocity speeds averaging 10 km/s (22,000 mph). This "space junk" collides with spacecraft and satellites potentially causing serious damage or catastrophic failure. These collisions can be a life threatening risk to astronauts conducting extra-vehicular activities in space. To minimize the severity of the damage caused by an impact, it is necessary to understand the current orbital debris environment. (Credit: NASA)
Even the test satellite's eventual demise will be an exercise in space clean-up – a drag-sail will bring RemoveDEBRIS into Earth's atmosphere to destroy it, bringing its mission to a close.
For the demonstration, the net and the box it captured (which was deployed by the satellite to act as a target) will be allowed to fall to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere. But eventually, the hope is that nets like these could be tethered to junk-clearing satellites that would tug the rubbish out of the sky.
Governments have become increasingly concerned about the amount of debris that surrounds our planet from old satellites and space missions – usually referred to as space junk.
The US Space Surveillance Network tracks 40,000 objects and it is estimated that there are more than 7,600 tonnes of 'space junk' in and around Earth's orbit. Some of this stuff is large, such as used rocket stages and malfunctioning satellites. But most of it is miniscule dust particles and flecks of paint that can't be tracked, which in space can be as dangerous as tiny bullets.
Space debris represents a very real threat to operational spacecraft and satellites and to spacewalking astronauts. It's also possible that larger debris could be knocked back down to Earth and be big enough to survive re-entry and hit the ground, although so far, no space junk has ever caused significant damage.
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Brid-Aine Parnell
I'm a freelance science and technology journalist. I started my career in the Middle East's growing media sector as a reporter on Arabian Computer News, before putting i...


We work closely with our customers to identify and provide a variety of industrial lighting solutions. At the current time, our company focuses on products for traffic sign illumination as well as general illumination. In the case of traffic lighting, not only does the product have to last, it has to do the job efficiently and effectively. As safety is the prime consideration, factors such as luminous flux are carefully considered to ensure that the signs are highly visible at all times. Keeping these factors and safety issues in mind, Greentop is intent on developing solutions that also take into consideration the reduction of waste and environmental impacts. While the planning process may not always be straightforward, it is our mission to be there every step of the way.
LED Street Name Signs feature the latest advances in LED technology to ensure visibility and legibility in all weather conditions. Designed and manufactured in Canada for Canadian conditions, our LED street name signs are renowned for their build quality and light output.
LED Overhead Pedestrian Crosswalk Signs gives drivers ample warning of an approaching crosswalk. Internally-illuminated, our double-sided LED-illuminated pedestrian graphic draws drivers attention to the presence of pedestrians and gives them time to stop safely. LED down-lighting further enhances safety by illuminating the road itself at night. Designed and manufactured in Canada for Canadian conditions, our overhead crosswalk signs are rugged and long lasting.
LED Down Light are designed to provides the same amount of luminosity as traditional fixtures, while using far less energy. Typically deployed in parks, streets and parking lots, our down lights improve traffic and pedestrian safety while also acting as a deterrent to criminal behaviour.


NanoLock Security and Winbond have collaborated on a joint solution to securely protect and manage IoT devices and will be demonstrating it at Electronica 2018, November 13-16, in Hall B5, Booth 520.
The NanoLock and Winbond end-to-end collaboration will guarantee protection on IoT devices as well as secure data from the cloud. The OS/CPU agnostic solution maintains flash-to-cloud integrity and mutual protection on normal operations and firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) updates. It also ensures protection from the production line through the end of the device's life, taking into account available processor power, energy consumption and the potential of being hacked.
For more information, visit www.nanolocksecurity.com or http://www.winbond.com.


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Enable "atomic swap" of current General channel with a different channel
Teams change over time; the use of channels change over time. While the membership of the General channel may remain useful, its actual use as a "general" channel for a team may become... less than useful. The specific example: a large team is split into multiple teams in different organizations with different management. The former coworkers still have a strong social affinity and chatter away on "General", but the "general" elements of the Team really only apply to the people who remained with the original pre-reorg reporting structure.
The strong popularity of https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public/suggestions/18968953-rename-general-channel is directly relevant here. I understand that the existence of General is mandatory in the current design.
I propose adding the ability to atomically swap the current General channel with some other channel already defined for the team. Suppose I create a channel called "Former Teammates" and add to it just the current members of the team. Atomically swapping that channel with the General channel would leave the "Former Teammates" channel with the full original membership, and all the history, of what was "General"; the new General channel would just have the newly-setup membership.
Jason Zions shared this idea · Jun 18, 2020 · Flag idea as inappropriate…
Public: People


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Will Jussie Smollett serve any jail time? | Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla ctm magazine
December 11, 2021 By webfinet In Update	23 Comments
Emily Compagno, co-host of Outnumbered, joins Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla to break down the likelihood of Jussie Smollett serving any jail time after he was found guilty of faking a hate crime.
#FoxNews
Subscribe to Fox News! https://bit.ly/2vBUvAS
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FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. According to a 2020 Brand Keys Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News is the top brand in the country for morning and evening news coverage. A 2019 Suffolk University poll named FOX News as the most trusted source for television news or commentary, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. A 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey also found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News was the top-cited outlet. Owned by FOX Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
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Michael Peters on December 14, 2021
Blaa blaa blaa blaa blaa blaa blaa blaa…..
john meredith on December 14, 2021
If they don't send him to prison they need to put the judge in prison
John Connor on December 14, 2021
I want to see Emily interview Ben Shapiro. And have them do it as fast as they can possibly talk, which is faster than most people can read. And inhale some helium beforehand.
Spanky Harland on December 14, 2021
he'll spend a few minutes in jail and end up doing public services like cleaning the seats at an adult theatre.
Charles Ruffing on December 14, 2021
I cant stand grown men that display children's toys.
He finally talks about Smollett at 5:58
frank miller on December 14, 2021
He better get jail time. Lot's of it.
beselbic on December 15, 2021
Jussie's not spending a day in prison, trust me.
Joe F on December 15, 2021
She's great. Seriously, Smart, educated, articulate, yes and hot as hell!
Estrella Philibosian on December 15, 2021
He should serve jail time to discourage copycats, to prove that America will not cater to
people's crazy ideas who perpetuate further racial division in this very diverse nation and
to prove to the world that each and everybody is free to be who they want to be according
to rights and privileges as citizen of this great country.
VWhart7 on December 15, 2021
Just imagine if Jussie Smollett had the support for his lie that trump has for his lies. trump has insulted the intelligence of the entire GOP!
allan knox on December 16, 2021
If people want hate crimes punished handled legitimately, then they MUST punish Smollett as well.
Armani Kozomara on December 17, 2021
What a dizgusting human being Smolle t is.
BlackThoughtAchieves on December 17, 2021
Hmm, I wonder why Fox isn't covering Michelle Odinet? You can bet that's more than a coincedence.
Joseph Cahoon on December 17, 2021
Is Jussie going to a male or female prison? Seems to me sending him to a male prison would be a bit like sending him to heaven.
KC on December 18, 2021
Jessie should have to pay every Trump supporter reparations for lying and trying to start a race war.
Thu Minh Liên on December 18, 2021
That moon, which hung o'er
Quỳnh Trang Cái on December 18, 2021
Go, then, and dream, etc.
curtis on December 20, 2021
jussie should get prison time, AND APOLOGIZE!!!!!!!
ALL criminals should be treated HORRIBLY in jail, so they NEVER want to go back!!!! FUK giving them rights!!!! criminals dont respect victims rights, so FUK them!!!!! get stricter usa
I typed this on December 20, 2021
6:26 juicy smoothie talk begins
Juicy smoothie ,,, he might not spend a day in jail .. but I bet he will have to repay money ,', who am I kidding ,,, this fkr is gonna get off 🙂 , at the end of the day , I couldn't care less;) he has to live with being a compulsive liar,,, just seems miserable 🙂
Dar A on December 20, 2021
Emily Compagno is an FBI agent 🕵♀
ctm-Texas high school shooting leaves 4 injured | live coverage
Four people were injured after a shooting at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, police said Wednesday. Watch CBSN's live coverage. #livenews #news CBSN is CBS News' 24/7 digital streaming news service featuring live, anchored coverage available for free across all platforms. Launched in November 2014, the service is a premier destination for breaking news […]
Exclusive look at new drone technology ctm magazine
NBC news got an exclusive look at a drone system the U.S. military is already using to protect troops in war zones, and it can operate with very little human involvement. It's powered by artificial intelligence and detects possible incoming threats. source


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Mun Tsai Tong or Moon Tsai Tong () was a harbour located between northeast Tsing Yi Island and Nga Ying Chau in Hong Kong. It was reclaimed for the development of a new town on Tsing Yi Island in 1980s. The harbour became two public housing estates, Cheung On Estate and Cheung Fat Estate.

The harbour once protected the boats of fishermen and boat-people that were affected by the reclamation of Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung areas. They were forced to leave again when reclamation on the harbour started. CARE and Caritas Hong Kong built homes for them in the nearby hill, namely Tsing Yi Fishermen Village () and St. Paul's Village (). Tsing Yi Fishermen's Children's School was established by the Fish Marketing Organisation above the hill nearby on the Tsing Yi Island.

Ports and harbours of Hong Kong
Tsing Yi


In a country as vast and as diverse like India, there are multitudes of aspects which will take a lifetime to approach, and therefore some places remain untouched by the general public. Forget planning for that exotic foreign vacation, for there is still a lot left unexplored in our very own India. Spanning from North to South and from West to East, unravel the enchanting hideouts of the Indian bunch of happiness.
A plateau of flowers! Locally known as the "Valley of flowers", the Kaas Plateau has such picture postcard landscapes that could leave anyone gaping at the magic of nature in awe. The myriad variety of flowers, blooming in a riot of colours, rolling green hill slopes and the cascading waterfalls can give any computerized graphic of a landscape a run for their money. An ideal place for couples, and for shutterbugs, there is an ocean of magnificence to capture.
Situated at a stature of 17,100 ft, Gurudongmar Lake in Sikkim is one of the most astounding lakes on the planet. According to legends, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, on his approach to Tibet, halted here to extinguish his thirst. With his stick, he broke the ice which prompted the arrangement of the lake. It is said that even amid the roughest winter, there is constantly some piece of the lake that remains unfrozen.
Get ready to expand in bewilderment, for Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh has the most picturesque green patches of land in North East India. Lined with an array of pretty little shelters, with a backdrop of the mighty mountain range, all covered with clouds, this place is surreal and utterly tranquil. Set the shutter timer, and pose! Every picture clicked here will be worth boasting around.
A heaven worth heading to! The roads driving upto Maravanthe should be delved into for the sheer ecstasy of the drive (shockingly better in case you're biking). The sea running parallel to the stretch is unquestionably something to do in Maravanthe. It is a virgin shoreline town whose white sand shorelines will encourage that break that you've been needing to take for so long.


Throughout the galleries, there are a number of interactive exhibits suitable for children and adults. Take a virtual tour of the historic Fethaland Fishing Station in the Boat Hall, and explore the buildings and boats around the shore.
Create your own Fair Isle jumper or cardigan design in our textile zone, or put your back into turning the quern in the home and land zone to grind oats.
Dress up activities for children can be found in different areas of the upper gallery. From Victorian costume to dressing as a Viking, with related games and props to really play the part!
A selection of drawing and colouring activities can be found at the naturalists desk in the upper gallery, in addition to a series of activity sheets including scavenger hunts which can be collected from the Foyer to enjoy as you explore the displays. Some of these are also available to download here before your visit (see list on right of page).
Also in the upper gallery are the public access PC's which offer a range of services and activities. Browse the Geopark Shetland app to discover more about the wonderfully diverse geology of our islands, and plan a series of walks throughout the isles to see this firsthand. Enjoy hearing about other visitor experiences on the 'My Favourite Object' screen, or explore some of the more popular images from our photo collection. Take your favourite image home by choosing to purchase a print, available to collect from reception in minutes!


With all this good weather recently it's been the perfect time to procrastinate by getting outside and shooting some looks.
Today we went to get ice cream (yay!) after a little wander around a coastal walk in Larne. We sat and ate our ice cream by one of Larne's landmarks - the lighthouse, or The Pencil as its also known. Doesn't it look so picturesque?
Remember if you want to win a Black Milk voucher head over to my giveaway on Facebook!


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COP15 in Montreal: Can we hit a 'Paris moment' as world leaders talk biodiversity?
"We are treating nature like a toilet," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday at the conference's official opening in Montreal.
By Kate AllenClimate Change Reporter
Tue., Dec. 6, 2022timer3 min. read
As a once-in-a-decade United Nations nature summit kicked off in Montreal, leaders said they're hoping for a "Paris moment" — and warned of dire consequences it isn't achieved.
Tuesday marked the opening ceremonies of the two-week COP15 talks, at which delegates from 196 countries will negotiate a set of goals to stop the steep decline of biodiversity: the planet's natural places and the web of life they sustain. Canada is part of a "high ambition" coalition pressing for a target of protecting 30 per cent of lands and oceans by 2030.
Cementing ambitious goals would elevate the Montreal meeting to the same level of historic importance as the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, participants say — but the consequences of failing to do so would be even more profound.
"We are treating nature like a toilet," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday at the conference's official opening.
"And ultimately, we are committing suicide by proxy. Because the loss of nature and biodiversity comes with a steep human cost."
Guterres' comments followed remarks by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which he pledged a further $350 million for supporting international biodiversity — but only after those remarks were interrupted by protests.
A group of Indigenous youth stopped Trudeau's remarks for more than three minutes, drumming, singing, and chanting what sounded like "Trudeau is a colonizer," according to a video posted to Twitter by Greenpeace Canada.
After he resumed, the prime minister heralded the progress Canada had made in its protected areas, saying that "we're doing all this work in partnership with Indigenous peoples." Observers have said that Indigenous-led conservation will be a major theme at the conference; Indigenous lands make up 20 per cent of the planet's total, but contain 80 per cent of its biodiversity, according to reports.
Trudeau also noted that Canada was among the world's five biggest countries geographically; together they hold half of the world's forests. None of these five countries have yet protected 30 per cent of their territory, he added.
"We don't all have to get there by tomorrow. But by 2030, we really do," Trudeau said.
Earlier in the day, Canada's minister of environment and climate change tied the goals the country is pushing for to the outcome of the Paris Agreement, in which countries agreed in 2015 to drastically curtail emissions in order to limit climate change to an ideal of 1.5 degrees.
"One might argue, and I guess I am, that our 1.5 (degrees) is 30 by 30 — protecting 30 per cent of lands and oceans by 2030," said Steven Guilbeault.
The climate-change treaty and the biodiversity agreement are directly tied to each other, others noted. The acceleration of global warming puts wilderness at even sharper risk: a landmark 2019 report found that up to a million species are at risk of extinction, in part because of climate change. Meanwhile, the protection of natural places, especially forests, acts as a massive buffer against the worst effects of warming.
Even as leaders and delegates expressed high hopes, participants close to the talks warned that the current draft text of the agreement was a mess of tentative clauses, and that a successful outcome would not be possible without "supercharging" negotiations. (None of the last set of goals, set in 2010, were met globally.)
The draft agreement is "far from workable and does not really instill confidence that countries will grab this once-in-a-decade opportunity," Bernadette Fischler Hooper, the World Wildlife Fund U.K.'s head of international advocacy, said at a midday press conference. Those concerns were echoed earlier by the UN's own executive secretary for the Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema.
"Some progress has been made, but not so much as needed or expected. And I have to personally admit that I don't feel the delegates went as far as we had expected," she said.
Still, negotiations don't formally start until Wednesday. Mrema and others said they were still hoping for an ambitious outcome.
COP15 is "not a normal biodiversity conference," Mrema said.
"The scientists have outlined to us that this is our last chance to act … that's the back drop of why we're here."
United Nations, Climate Change