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Joint Secretary, Political Department, Government of Meghalaya, Main Secretariat, Shillong Vs. High Court of Meghalaya through its Registrar, Shillong
[Civil Appeal No. 2987 of 2016 @ Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 6825 of 2016]
1. New York Times, in the Editorial, "The Frankfurter Legacy," on September 2, 1962, while stating about the greatness of Felix Frankfurter, chose the following expression:- "History will find greatness in Felix Frankfurter as a justice, not because of the results he reached but because of his attitude toward the process of decision. His guilding lights were detachment, rigorous integrity in dealing with the facts of a case, refusal to resort to unworthy means, no matter how noble the end, and dedication to the Court as an institution. Because he was human, Justice Frankfurter did not always live up to his own ideal. But he taught us the lesson that there is importance in the process."
2. Almost two decades and two years back, the Court in Tata Cellular v. Union of India[1] referred, with approval, the following passage from Neely, C.J.[2] :-
"82. ... 'I have very few illusions about my own limitations as a Judge and from those limitations I generalise to the inherent limitations of all appellate courts reviewing rate cases. It must be remembered that this Court sees approximately 1262 cases a year with five Judges. I am not an accountant, electrical engineer, financier, banker, stock broker, or systems management analyst. It is the height of folly to expect Judges intelligently to review a 5000 page record addressing the intricacies of public utility operation.' "
3. Regard being had to the directions issued by the High Court, this Court in Census Commissioner and others v. R. Krishnamurthy[3] commenced the judgment in the following manner:-
"The present appeal depicts and, in a way, sculpts the non-acceptance of conceptual limitation in every human sphere including that of adjudication. No adjudicator or a Judge can conceive the idea that the sky is the limit or for that matter there is no barrier or fetters in one's individual perception, for judicial vision should not be allowed to be imprisoned and have the potentiality to cover celestial zones.
Be it ingeminated, refrain and restrain are the essential virtues in the arena of adjudication because they guard as sentinel so that virtuousness is constantly sustained. Not for nothing, centuries back Francis Bacon [4] had to say thus:
"Judges ought to be more learned than witty, more reverend than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue. ... Let the Judges also remember that Solomon's throne was supported by lions on both sides: let them be lions, but yet lions under the throne."
4. The necessity has arisen again for reiteration of the fundamental principle to be adhered to by a Judge. It is because the order impugned herein presents a sad sad scenario, definitely and absolutely an impermissible and unacceptable one.
5. Presently, to the facts of the case. A writ petition forming the subject matter of Writ Petition (Civil) No. 319 of 2015 was registered under the caption "Suo motu cognizance of appointment of Lokayukta and failure to constitute Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission".
By the impugned order dated 14.12.2015, the High Court referred to clause (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2014 (for brevity, "the Act") and proceeded to deal with the same. In that context, it has passed the following order:-
"The provision providing such eligibility criterion requires judicial scrutiny; for: the same eligibility cannot be provided for the Chairperson and for a Member other than the Judicial Member of the Lokayukta. Besides, the Central Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013 does not prescribe any eligibility criteria for Lokayukta and Up-Lokayukta. That apart, other States including State of Karnataka and State of Madhya Pradesh, looking to adjudicatory nature of work, has provided the eligibility criteria like a former Judge of Supreme Court; a Chief Justice of High Court or a Judge of High Court, whereas, the eligibility criteria provided in the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2014, inter alia includes a criterion whereby an eligible non-Judicial person can also be appointed as the Chairperson. Hence, issue notice.
During the pendency of this writ petition, the portion of clause (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 3, which reads as "... or an eminent person who fulfills the eligibility specified in clause (b) of sub-section (3)"; and consequently, "Sub-clause (b) of Sub-section (3) of Section 3" insofar as it provides for the offending criterion for the appointment of the Chairperson is hereby stayed."
6. After passing the said order, the High Court has proceeded to deal with the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission. Dealing with the said facet, it had directed as follows:- "Now, coming to the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Meghalaya State Human Rights Commission, Hon'ble the Apex Court has, vide order dated 24.7.2015 in Crl.M.P. No. 16086 of 1997 in Crl.M.P. No. 4201 of 1997 (Shri Dilip K. Basu v. State of West Bengal and Ors) has directed various States including the State of Meghalaya to set up the State Human Rights Commission within six months and to fill up the vacancy of Chairperson and Members of State Human Rights Commission within 3 (three) months from the date of order.
As towards compliance of the aforesaid directions of Hon'ble the Apex Court, the State of Meghalaya has not initiated the process of appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the State Human Rights Commission, we direct the Chief Secretary, State of Meghalaya, to file affidavit showing the status of processing of the file for the appointment of the Chairperson and other Members of the State Human Rights Commission on the next date of hearing. Besides, we also make it clear, that the State shall specify the name of Hon'ble former Judge of Supreme Court and Hon'ble former Chief Justice of High Court, who have been offered the appointment as Chairperson.
The State shall also clearly indicate as to who are the Judges of High Court and other non-Judicial persons who have been offered the appointment as the Chairperson/Members of the Commission. This information is required to maintain transparency in the process of appointment on the posts as aforesaid."
7. Be it noted, the Division Bench has appointed two counsel as Amicus Curiae and directed the Registrar General to settle their professional fee to be paid by the Department of Law, Government of Meghalaya.
8. Mr. Ranjan Mukherjee learned counsel appearing for the appellant has submitted that the State has no cavil over the directions relating to constitution of the State Human Rights Commission by appointment of Chairperson and Members. In course of hearing, the learned counsel has submitted that the State shall appoint the Chairperson and Members of the State Human Rights Commission as per law by end of June, 2016. That being the concession by Mr. Mukherjee on behalf of the State which, we think, is absolutely fair, there is no need to advert to the said aspect.
It is also urged by Mr. Mukherjee that the State would not have challenged the said part of the order as it understands its responsibility and further when the High Court has issued the direction, the State is obliged to respect the same as it is in consonance with the legal position. The cavil, Mr. Mukherjee would put it, pertains to the observations made by the High Court and the stay order passed in respect of the provision relating to eligibility prescribed under the Act. It is urged by him that there had been no assail to the constitutional validity of the said provision and, therefore, the High Court could not have suo motu taken up the same, especially when the language employed is also similar to the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 passed by the Parliament.
9. To appreciate the submission, it is necessary to note that Chapter II of the Act deals with Establishment of Lokayukta. Sections 3 reads as follows:-
"Section 3. Establishment of Lokayukta.-
(1) As soon as after the commencement of this Act, there shall be established, by notification in the Official Gazette, a body to be called the "Lokayukta".
(2) The Lokayukta shall consist of-
(a) a Chairperson, who is or has been a Chief Justice of the High Court or a Judge of the High Court or an eminent person who fulfils the eligibility specified in clause (b) of sub-section (3); and
(b) such number of members, not exceeding four out of whom fifty percent shall be Judicial Members.
(3) A person shall be eligible to be appointed,-
(a) as a Judicial Member if he is or has been a Judge of the High Court or is eligible to be a Judge of the High Court; (b) as a Member other than a Judicial Member, if he is a person of impeccable integrity, outstanding ability having special knowledge and expertise of not less than twenty-five years in the matters relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance including insurance and banking, law, and management.
(4) The Chairperson or a Member shall not be -
(i) a member of Parliament or a member of the Legislature of any State or Union territory;
(ii) a person convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude;
(iii) a person of less than forty-five years of age, on the date of assuming office as Chairperson or Member, as the case may be;
(iv) a member of any Panchayat or Municipality or District Council;
(v) a person who has been removed or dismissed from service of the Union or a State, and shall not hold any office of trust or profit (other than his office as the Chairperson or a Member) or be connected with any political party or carry on any business or practice any profession and accordingly, before he enters upon his office, a person appointed as the Chairperson or a Member, as the case may be, shall, if -
(a) he holds any office of trust or profit, resign from such office; or
(b) he is carrying on any business, sever his connection with the conduct and management of such business; or
(c) he is practicing any profession, cease to practice such profession."
10. Section 4 deals with appointment of Chairperson or Members on recommendation of Selection Committee; and other provisions of the Act dwell upon various other facets which we need not refer to. Submission of Mr. Mukherjee is that the High Court could not have suo motu proceeded to deal with the appointment of Lokayukta and, in any case, could not have directed stay of the provision.
11. There can be no doubt, the court can initiate suo motu proceedings in respect of certain issues which come within the domain of public interest. In Budhadev Karmaskar (1) v. State of W.B.[5] the Court, while dismissing an appeal, observed thus:-
"14. Although we have dismissed this appeal, we strongly feel that the Central and the State Governments through Social Welfare Boards should prepare schemes for rehabilitation all over the country for physically and sexually abused women commonly known as the 'prostitutes' as we are of the view that the prostitutes also have a right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India since they are also human beings and their problems also need to be addressed.
15. As already observed by us, a woman is compelled to indulge in prostitution not for pleasure but because of abject poverty. If such a woman is granted opportunity to avail some technical or vocational training, she would be able to earn her livelihood by such vocational training and skill instead of by selling her body.
16. Hence, we direct the Central and the State Governments to prepare schemes for giving technical/vocational training to sex workers and sexually abused women in all cities in India. The schemes should mention in detail who will give the technical/vocational training and in what manner they can be rehabilitated and settled by offering them employment. For instance, if a technical training is for some craft like sewing garments, etc. then some arrangements should also be made for providing a market for such garments, otherwise they will remain unsold and unused, and consequently the woman will not be able to feed herself."
The purpose of the initiation in the aforesaid case is self-evident.
12. Suo motu public interest litigation can be initiated to ameliorate the conditions of a class of persons whose constitutional or otherwise lawful rights are affected or not adequately looked into. The Court has adopted the said tool so that persons in disadvantaged situation because of certain reasons - social, economic or socio-economic - are in a position to have access to the Court. The Court appoints Amicus Curiae to assist the Court and also expects the executive to respond keeping in view the laudable exercise.
13. In Ramlila Maidan Incident, In Re[6], suo motu probe of incident was ordered by the Court against imposition of prohibitory order at night and hasty and forcible evacuation of public on the basis of media reports and CCTV camera footage.
In Nirmal Singh Kahlon v. State of Punjab & others[7], the Court has held:- "The High Court while entertaining the writ petition formed a prima facie opinion as regards the systematic commission of fraud.
While dismissing the writ petition filed by the selected candidates, it initiated a suo motu public interest litigation. It was entitled to do so. The nature of jurisdiction exercised by the High Court, as is well known, in a private interest litigation and in a public interest litigation is different. Whereas in the latter it is inquisitorial in nature, in the former it is adversarial. In a public interest litigation, the court need not strictly follow the ordinary procedure. It may not only appoint committees but also issue directions upon the State from time to time. (See Indian Bank v. Godhara Nagrik Coop. Credit Society Ltd. & another[8] and Raju Ramsing Vasave v. Mahesh Deorao Bhivapurkar[9].)"
14. In Raju Ramsing Vasave (supra), the Court has observed that when a question is raised, this Court can take cognizance of a matter of such grave importance suo motu. It may not treat the special leave petition as a public interest litigation, but, as a public law litigation. It is, in a proceeding of that nature, permissible for the Court to make a detailed enquiry with regard to the broader aspects of the matter although it was initiated at the instance of a person having a private interest. A deeper scrutiny can be made so as to enable the Court to find out as to whether a party to a lis is guilty of commission of fraud on the Constitution. If such an enquiry subserves the greater public interest and has a far- reaching effect on the society the Court will not shirk its responsibilities from doing so.
15. Be it noted, the constitutional courts can entertain letter petitions and deal with them as writ petitions. But it will depend upon the nature of the issue sought to be advanced. There cannot be uncontrolled or unguided exercise of epistolary jurisdiction.
16. In the instant case, as is evident, the High Court has compared the provisions pertaining to appointment of Chairperson and Members under the Act with the provisions of other Acts enacted by different legislatures. The legislature has passed the legislation in its wisdom. There was no challenge to the constitutional validity of the provisions of the Act. The suo motu petition was registered for giving effect to the Act by bringing the institutions into existence.
This may be thought of in very rare circumstances depending on the nature of legislation and the collective benefit but in that arena also the Court cannot raise the issue relating to any particular provision and seek explanation in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution. In the case at hand, as is manifest, the Division Bench of the High Court has, with an erroneous understanding of fundamental principle of law, scanned the anatomy of the provision and passed an order in relation to it as if it is obnoxious or falls foul of any constitutional provision. The same is clearly impermissible. A person aggrieved or with expanded concept of locus standi some one could have assailed the provisions. But in that event there are certain requirements and need for certain compliances.
17. In State of Uttar Pradesh v. Kartar Singh[10], while dealing with the constitutional validity of Rule 5 of the Food Adulteration Rules, 1955, it has been opined as follows:- "..... if the rule has to be struck down as imposing unreasonable or discriminatory standards, it could not be done merely on any a priori reasoning but only as a result of materials placed before the Court by way of scientific analysis. It is obvious that this can be done only when the party invoking the protection of Art. 14 makes averments with details to sustain such a plea and leads evidence to establish his allegations. That where a party seeks to impeach the validity of a rule made by a competent authority on the ground that the rules offend Art. 14 the burden is on him to plead and prove the infirmity is too well established to need elaboration."
18. In State of Andhra Pradesh and another v. K. Jayaraman and others[11], it has been ruled thus:- "It is clear that, if there had been an averment, on behalf of the petitioners, that the rule was invalid for violating Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, relevant facts showing how it was discriminatory ought to have been set out."
19. In Union of India v. E.I.D. Parry (India) Ltd.[12], a two- Judge Bench of this Court has expressed thus:- "... There was no pleading that the Rule upon which the reliance was placed by the respondent was ultra vires the Railways Act, 1890. In the absence of the pleading to that effect, the trial Court did not frame any issue on that question. The High Court of its own proceeded to consider the validity of the Rule and ultimately held that it was not in consonance with the relevant provisions of the Railways Act, 1890 and consequently held that it was ultra vires.
This view is contrary to the settled law..."
20. In State of Haryana v. State of Punjab & another[13], the Court emphasizing on the facet of pleading, has opined that:- "..... It is well established that constitutional invalidity (presumably that is what Punjab means when it uses the word "unsustainable") of a statutory provision can be made either on the basis of legislative incompetence or because the statute is otherwise violative of the provisions of the Constitution. Neither the reason for the particular enactment nor the fact that the reason for the legislation has become redundant, would justify the striking down of the legislation or for holding that a statute or statutory provision is ultra vires.
Yet these are the grounds pleaded in subparagraphs (i), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) to declare Section 14 invalid. Furthermore, merely saying that a particular provision is legislatively incompetent [ground (ii)] or discriminatory [ground (iii)] will not do. At least prima facie acceptable grounds in support have to be pleaded to sustain the challenge. In the absence of any such pleading the challenge to the constitutional validity of a statute or statutory provision is liable to be rejected in limine."
21. This being the position in law, the High Court could not have proceeded as if it was testing the validity of the provision and granted stay. The approach is totally fallacious. Having opined aforesaid, we have no option but to set aside that part of the order which deals with the provisions of the Act. We do not intend to express any opinion with regard to validity of any provision contained in the Act. We also do not think it condign to direct that the establishment under the said Act should become operational within any fixed time.
Suffice to say at present that when the State Legislature has introduced the legislation to take steps as regards the institution, it shall be the endeavour of the executive to see that the office of the Lokayukta is in place. We say no more for the present.
22. In view of the aforesaid analysis, the appeal is partly allowed and the direction pertaining to the stay of the provisions of the Meghalaya Lokayukta Act, 2014 is set aside. It is directed that State Human Rights Commission shall become functional by end of June, 2016. As we have completely dealt with the matter, the writ petition initiated by the High Court shall be deemed to have been disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs.
.................................J. [Dipak Misra]
.................................J. [Shiva Kirti Singh]
[4] Bernard Schwartz in Administrative Law, 2nd Edn., p. 584
[8] Bacon,"Essays: Of Judicature in I The Works of Francis Bacon" (Montague, Basil, Esq ed., Philadelphia: A Hart, late Carey & Hart, 1852), pp. 58-59.
[10] (2011) 11 SCC 538
[12] (2012) 5 SCC 1
[14] (2009) 1 SCC 441
[18] (2008) 9 SCC 54
[20] AIR 1964 SC 1135
[22] (1974) 2 SCC 738 : AIR 1975 SC 633


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« Next Issue: Dec. 7, 2010
Previous Issue: Nov. 23, 2010 »
Volume 12, Issue 48: November 30, 2010
The New Stagflation and the Coming Political Fallout
Americans Need a Nuclear Arms Treaty—If It's Constitutional
Memo to Tea Party Senators
"Is U.S. Justice Broken? Overcoming Government Legal Failure" (Oakland, Calif., 12/9/10)
1) The New Stagflation and the Coming Political Fallout
Is Ben Bernanke in denial about the risk of ever-rising prices? In his recent defense of additional "quantitative easing"—his plan to expand the supply of money and credit by purchasing $600 billion of U.S. Treasury bonds—the Federal Reserve chairman stated that the "core" rate of price inflation was only 0.6 percent over the past year. But according to Independent Institute Senior Fellow Alvaro Vargas Llosa, the concept of "core" inflation is a contrivance—a gimmick invented by the Nixon administration to hide real inflation.
"It does not take into account food and energy," writes Vargas Llosa in his column for the Washington Post Writers Group. "Anyone who has been to the supermarket or the gas station (or to a hospital) knows that inflation is already high."
Investors aren't buying Bernanke's claims—hence their flight to gold, silver, and other hard assets that have been a reliable store of value during inflationary periods. Moreover, their reasonable concerns go beyond the conduct of U.S. monetary policy, which has nearly tripled the size of the Fed's balance sheet since the housing bubble popped. European and Chinese monetary authorities have also amped up their creation of money and credit. The cumulative effect—stagflation across much of the globe—will likely have momentous political implications. "The danger that it will take a messianic, populist and authoritarian form cannot be discarded, given the signs we are already seeing at the ballot box in some European countries where anti-immigration far rights have polled strongly," concludes Vargas Llosa.
"The Return of Stagflation," by Alvaro Vargas Llosa (11/24/10) Spanish Translation
Liberty for Latin America: How to Undo Five Hundred Years of State Oppression, by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
The Che Guevara Myth and the Future of Liberty, by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
Lessons from the Poor: The Triumph of the Entrepreneurial Spirit, edited by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
2) Americans Need a Nuclear Arms Treaty—If It's Constitutional
U.S. National Security would be enhanced—and the lives of the American people would be made more secure—if Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) allowed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to move forward. Whether motivated by a wish to leverage his power to secure more defense pork for key constituents or inspired by a desire to deny the Obama administration a foreign-policy victory, Kyl's obstructionism is irresponsible, according to Ivan Eland, director of the Independent Institute's Center on Peace & Liberty.
The treaty would not drastically reduce nuclear stockpiles of the United States and Russia, but it would open the door for meaningful reductions down the road. More important, the treaty would create an inspections process for the world's two leading nuclear powers. "This transparency is imperative to ameliorate the only existential threat to the United States in its history," writes Eland in his latest op-ed.
Some pundits, including former Clinton administration official James Rubin, argue that the treaty is too important to be left to the Senate. Instead of meeting the constitutional requirement that all treaties pass that chamber by a two-thirds vote, they would rather have the treaty be enacted via regular (simple majority) legislation and executive decree. Eland disagrees: "Although New START is important and worthy, circumventing the nation's Constitution to bring it to fruition is not worth it."
�"New START Is Worthy, but Let's Not Violate the Constitution to Save It," by Ivan Eland (11/24/10)
Partitioning for Peace: An Exit Strategy for Iraq, by Ivan Eland
The Empire Has No Clothes: U.S. Foreign Policy Exposed, by Ivan Eland
Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty, by Ivan Eland
3) Memo to Tea Party Senators
If Washington's incoming Republican Senators take the Tea Party message of fiscal responsibility seriously, they must slash spending in the largest and most wasteful agency in the federal bureaucracy, the Defense Department, according to Independent Institute Research Fellow Winslow T. Wheeler and defense-policy writer Sanford Gottleib.
In an open letter to Senators-elect Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Mike Lee (Utah), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Marco Rubio (Florida), and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania), Wheeler and Gottleib note that although defense spending is higher than at any time since the end of World War II, the Pentagon cannot keep track of its spending. This fiscal laxity can only mean that the $700 billion annual defense budget is saturated with pork and other waste.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has proposed closing the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virg., and other programs that contribute to overruns and overstaffing—and as a result has heard loud protests from both sides of the aisle. Another problem: Gates cannot rely on the Pentagon to identify waste because it is a sprawling agency with competing fiefdoms all scrambling for greater influence and dollars. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) has called for freezing defense spending at current levels until the Pentagon can pass comprehensive audits. Wheeler and Gottleib encourage the Tea Party favorite sons to look for additional approaches. "You have your work cut out for you," they write. "We wish you well."
"The Pentagon Budget," by Winslow T. Wheeler and Sanford Gottleib (11/29/10)
Congress, the Defense Budget, and Pork: A Snout-to-Tail Description of Congress' Foremost Concern in National Security Legislation, by Winslow T. Wheeler
Wastrels of Defense: How Congress Sabotages U.S. Security, by Winslow T. Wheeler
Budgeting for Empire: The Effect of Iraq and Afghanistan on Military Forces, Budgets, and Plans, by David Isenberg
Arms, Politics, and the Economy, edited by Robert Higgs
4) "Is U.S. Justice Broken? Overcoming Government Legal Failure" (Oakland, Calif., 12/9/10)
Is the U.S. legal system fraught with injustice, backlogged courts, and billions of dollars in waste? Ask Thomas Lee Goldstein. In August, he was awarded a $7.95 million judgment against the City of Long Beach, Calif., because a court found that policemen engaged in misconduct that led to his imprisonment for 24 years for a crime he didn't commit. Or ask the estimated 4,700 people wrongly convicted of felonies each year due to false positives in fingerprint testing. Or ask the U.S. Justice Department, which recently rescinded a five-year-old policy that forced defendants in federal criminal trials to waive the right to post-conviction DNA testing in exchange for a plea bargain.
Are these examples just the tip of the iceberg? And, what can be done to make the justice system worthy of the name?
To address these and related questions, the Independent Institute is hosting "Is U.S. Justice Broken? Overcoming Government Legal Failure," a public forum featuring economist Edward López (editor of the path-breaking new book, The Pursuit of Justice), David Friedman (Santa Clara University Professor of Law) and Judge Alex Kozinski (Chief Judge for the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals). This event will be held on the evening of Thursday, December 9, at the Independent Institute's conference center in Oakland, Calif.
Read details about the event.
Reserve tickets today.
Read a summary of The Pursuit of Justice: Law and Economics of Legal Institutions, ed. by Edward López.
"9th Circuit Panel to Review Judge Vaughn Walker's Prop 8 Ruling Announced," by Melancton Smith (11/29/10)
"That Portland Terror Plot," by Anthony Gregory (11/27/10)
"If the Government Does X, It Is Called Y," by Robert Higgs (11/27/10)
"Be Patriotic! Cheat! Spend!" by Jonathan Bean (11/27/10)
"He's Back! Bill Ayers, Robert Kennedy's Son – and What This Has to Do with 'Higher' Education," by Jonathan Bean (11/26/10)
"Another Euro-Skeptic Calls for Disintegration of the European Union," by David Theroux (11/26/10)
"Travelers (Especially Men and Children), Beware: Urgent Warning from Scientists on TSA Machines' Radiation," by Mary Theroux (11/23/10)
From MyGovCost Blog:
"Now, What About Those Gold-Plated Benefits?" by Craig Eyermann (11/29/10)
"The Return of Stagflation," by Alvaro Vargas Llosa (11/28/10)
"Ireland's Reality Is Our Reality," by Emily Skarbek (11/24/10)
"Video Visualizes Obama's Proposed $100 Million in Budget Savings," by David Theroux (11/23/10)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Kingswood South Division lies within South Gloucestershire. We are a lively Division and provide lots of additional opportunities for the girls in our units. These events may be sectional or for the whole Division and include day trips, indoor holidays, camps and international trips. In addition to this we try and have a Division event once a year, whether this is a carol service, Thinking Day event or a fun day. We have an excellent Division team who help and support leaders through their leadership qualification, with ideas for the unit meetings, trips outside of the unit meeting place and organising large scale Division events.


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Posts from Jim Hightower
Can "powerless nobodies" fight the corporate powers?
Jim Hightower Author, Commentator, America's Number One Populist
Generations of working class shrimpers, oysterers, and other fishing families on the sparkling bays along the Texas coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, have long shared the waterways with alligators and snakes that also call this place home.
But in the 1980s, a strange and invasive new critter entered Lavaca Bay, and it's been devouring whole species of seafood, along with the livelihoods of local Gulf communities. This was not some monster from the deep, but a massive, 45,000-acre factory owned by Formosa Plastics Corporation, founded by the richest man in Taiwan.
Formosa is not here for seafood. It's the world's second largest fabricator of polyvinyl chloride, the tiny, highly-toxic pebbles and powders used to make gabillions of plastic bags, pipes, bottles, etc. For decades, Formosa has cavalierly been dumping trillions of these poisonous pebbles and tons of the polyvinyl powders into its wastewater – which end up in Lavaca Bay.
That poisonous content then spreads to other bays and into the shrimp, oysters, fish, and other creatures living there. The result has been species vanishing from these waters, creating economic and social devastation for families and communities that rely on nature's bounty.
Wait, isn't this against the law? Of course – but petrochemical behemoths like Formosa have corrupted the law, turning Texas lawmakers and environmental regulators into their puppets. But, when leaders won't lead, The People must, and that's exactly what's happening in this case. A defiant, determined shrimper and a scrappy environmental coalition have combined to win the largest citizen environmental lawsuit in US history, forcing Formosa to stop its gross contamination.
For information on the details and impact of this remarkable people's victory, go to Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid at TLRA.org.
From the Hightower Lowdown
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Posted In: Allied Approaches
What's scaring the bejeezus out of billionaires?
There's a new political army on the march in America: Tromp-tromp-tromp they came, it's the Billionaire Brigade!
It's actually a very small army – only 749 Americans rank as billionaires. But they have a lot of firepower – collectively, they've amassed some $4-trillion in personal wealth and are now grabbing nearly all of the new wealth that our economy generates. In response to the extreme inequality their greed has created, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and other Democratic leaders are proposing a widely-popular wealth tax on the opulence of this tiny group. And oh, what wails of anguish this has generated in the lairs of billionaires! They're indignant that fortunes above $50-million would be assessed a teeny surtax to help fund education, health care, infrastructure, and America's other essential needs.
So, with a rallying cry of Save the Poor Rich, the Billionaire's Brigade seeks your pity: Mark Zuckerberg laments that taxing his gabillions would hurt charities; Michael Bloomberg suggests that the tax could turn America into Venezuela; and Wall Street baron Leon Cooperman actually teared up while wailing that a wealth tax would harm his family. As one money manager said, "These tax proposals are scaring the bejeezus out of people who have accumulated a lot of wealth."
I don't think there's much Jesus in these people! The Biblical Jesus would bless Sanders, Warren, and the majority of Americans who favor a wealth tax to benefit the Common Good. No need to cry for the few hundred haughty families whose love of money would be only slightly dinged by this tax – every one of them would still be fabulously rich. Plus, they'll be privileged to live in a country that's a little more closely aligned with its people's egalitarian values. And that's priceless.
Reposted from Hightower Lowdown
Posted In: Allied Approaches, From Jim Hightower
Why would we trust plutocrats to save us from plutocracy
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote of being leery of a fast-talking huckster who visited his home: "The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons," Emerson exclaimed.
Likewise, today's workaday families should do a mass inventory of their silverware, for the fast-talking CEOs of 181 union-busting, tax-cheating, environment-contaminating, consumer-gouging corporations are asking us to believe that they stand with us in the fight against… well, against them. From Wall Street banksters to Big Oil polluters, these profiteers are suddenly trumpeting their future intentions to serve not just their own greed, but every "stakeholder" (which is what they call employees, customers, supplies, et al).
But vague proclamations are cheap, and it's worth noting that these new champions of the common good propose no specifics – no actual sacrifices by them or benefits for us. A few media observers have mildly objected, saying it's "an open question" whether any of the corporate proclaimers will change how they do business. But it's not an open question at all. They won't. They won't support full collective bargaining power for workers, won't join the public's push to get Medicare for All, won't stop using monopoly power to squeeze out small competitors and gouge consumers, won't support measures to stop climate change, won't back reforms to get their corrupt corporate money out of our politics… won't embrace any of the big structural changes necessary to reverse the raw economic and political inequality that has enthroned their plutocratic rule.
In fact, their empty proclamation is what West Texas cowboys might call "bovine excrement," meant to fend off the actual changes that real reformers are advancing. Corporate elites won't fix inequality for us – they're the ones doing it to us.
Reposted from the Hightower Lowdown
Where can Trump find a good farm policy?
Donald Trump's idea of a good farm program seems to be "Hee Haw." On a recent trip to Wisconsin, he drew guffaws from the state's hard-hit dairy farmers by proclaiming that – thanks to his policies – the farm economy was looking good. "We're over the hump," he gloated.
Perhaps The Donald thought that farmers are rubes, unable to do simple math. But those dairy farmers were painfully aware that it costs them $1.90 to produce a gallon of milk, but the processing giants that control the milk market are paying them only $1.35 a gallon. That 55-cent-a-gallon loss quickly adds up to a huge loss of income, and a devastating loss of farm families – Wisconsin lost 638 dairy farms last year and another 551 so far this year.
Far from "over the hump," farm prices have been further depressed by Trump's tariff clash with China – US dairy sales to China fell by 54 percent in just the first half of this year. Meanwhile, monopoly power is crushing prices – an $8 billion behemoth named Dean Foods now controls 90 percent of Wisconsin's milk market, empowering it to commit daylight robbery, blatantly stealing farmers' product… and farms.
Yet, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue – the one national official who's supposed to stand up for farmers – nonchalantly kissed them off, smugly declaring it natural that the big devour the small. So, he professes, there's nothing he can do for family operators except tell them to "go out" of agriculture.
Perdue and Trump are simply inept stewards of America's farm economy. Time for a change. One who is offering a path to a revitalized, family-farm-based food system that'll break the corporate stranglehold over US agriculture is Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Download a summary of her comprehensive proposal for "A New Farm Economy" at ElizabethWarren.com/Plans/New-Farm-Economy.
Kroger: Don't Lose Local News Audio Player
Like most politicians, corporate executives never do anything wrong. If anything wrong does "happen," it's always someone else's fault.
That's been the gutless ploy of Kroger supermarket honchos who recently yanked all local newsweeklies and community papers out if its stores. When a firestorm of local protests reached all the way to the mega-chain's Ohio headquarters, executives quickly named the villain who banished the papers: The papers themselves! They failed to keep up with the digital age, said Kroger bosses, so shoppers no longer pick up the free papers.
BOVINE EXCREMENT! While it's true that chain-owned daily newspapers are losing readers after shriveling their coverage and jacking up their prices, more readers have turned to free local independent weeklies to fill the print-news gap. In Lansing, Michigan, for example, media audits show that Kroger shoppers alone have nearly tripled the pickup rate of Lansing's alternative weekly since 2012.
Kroger's nationwide edict is a case of corporate conceit at its most stupid. It was issued from Kroger headquarters with no warning and no consultation (much less negotiation) with the papers or communities. It didn't have to be so inept and ugly – and now Kroger's executives have gone into hiding, petulantly refusing to meet or even return phone calls to the people they're hurting, apparently hoping the furor will just go away.
That's truly stupid. Indeed, a group of indy papers has now launched a national campaign to call out Kroger's executives, literally rallying us supporters of independent local news to give them our two-cents-worth. Call toll-free to 1-800-KROGERS (576-4377), then press 3 for "store experience" to speak to a manager – and demand that they restore the free press to all of their stores.
Reposted from Jim Hightower
Who does Trump's farm bailout bail out?
Donald Trump Loooooves farmers. We know this because he says so. "Farmers, I LOVE YOU!" he declared in December.
But he's been "loving" them to death, with policies that are causing farm prices to tumble, miring our ag economy in the ditch and creating a rising tsunami of farm bankruptcies. Then came Trump's doofus of an ag secretary, Sonny Perdue, who publicly insulted farmers by branding them "whiners" for daring to complain about policies causing them to lose income and their farms.
So, as an "I love you" make-up gesture, Trump has been sending big bouquets of money to some of his beloved farmers. Our money. Lots of it – $28 billion so far in what he cynically (and comically) calls a "Market Facilitation Program," otherwise known as a taxpayer bailout.
But TrumpLove turns out to be highly selective, with more than half of the government payments going to the biggest farm owners. The Ag Department initially announced a $125,000 limit on the amount any one farm could get, but every Trump deal seems to have a gimmick in it to give a special break to the slickest operators. The slickum in this deal is that assorted members of a family are allowed to claim that they are owners of the same farm and thus get bailout bucks, even if they do no actual farming and live in New York City! One Missouri farm family, for example, got $2.8 million worth of subsidy love from Trump, and more than 80 families topped half-a-million in payments.
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Meanwhile, the great majority of farmers have gotten zilch from Donald the Dealmaker – and 80 percent of eligible grain farmers (the smaller producers most endangered by his bad policies) have received less than $5,000. So Trump's "Market facilitation" is squeezing the many who are most in need, while helping a few of the largest get even bigger.
Here's the straight skinny on Medicare for All
The British people have been widely admired for their steady demeanor in times of adversity–stiff upper lip and all that. Until Donald Trump, that is.
In June, our presidential popinjay descended on London with a bombastic proposition that caused the upper lips of the entire British population to quiver at once. There as a guest, and treated to the full pomp of a state visit, The Donald blurted out what he hailed as a "phenomenal" gift in the form of a new US-UK trade deal: He was offering to bring in America's healthcare profiteers to start privatizing Britain's National Health Service.
It's possible that Trump was simply ignorant, unaware that Brits love their NHS, since its socialized plan provides quality care to all without families fearing they'll be bankrupted or priced out of treatment by private insurance giants, hospital chains, or Big Pharma. Or possibly, he was hornswoggled by the right-wing pontificators of Fox News (Trump's most trusted policy advisors) and their steady stream of lies about anything with the word "social" in it.
Last year, after seeing (What else?) a Fox News segment reporting that thousands of Brits were marching in protest of their health system, Trump smugly trumpeted that they were fed up with care-for-all socialism. But–oops–the uproar was actually in support of the NHS, demanding that the miserly Tory government strengthen it with "more staff, more beds, more funds."
How to get Congress to reform our broken healthcare system
For $3.5 Trillion a year, shouldn't we Americans have a world-class healthcare system? Yet, while we spend the most of any advanced nation in the world to get care (more than $10,000 a year per person), we get the worst results.
No surprise then, that the "Medicare-for-All" idea is now backed by 85 percent of Democrats, 66 percent of Independents, and (get this) 52 percent of Republicans! So… why isn't Congress responding to this overwhelming public demand for universal coverage?
I suspect that one big reason for Washington's big yawn over the people's plea for sweeping reform is that our lawmakers do not personally feel the financial pain and emotional distress that are inflicted on millions of regular Americans by a system built on private greed. After all, their health needs are met by a double-dose of the socialistic care that they so furiously deny to our families.
First, they are given big taxpayer-subsidies to cover the cost of their insurance with you and me paying about 72 percent of the price. But, second, there's a secretive medical center located right in the US Capitol building that provides a full-blown system of – shhhhh – healthcare socialism to our governing elites.
Let's decode Trump's Afta-Nafta trade deal
In a very weird twist in his chaotic 2016 presidential campaign, Candidate Trump started sounding like a genuine, workaday populist, fuming at his rallies about the devastating effects of Nafta and other international trade deals, and how they've shafted America's blue-collar workers. He was right, and The Donald promised his mad-as-hell working class he would not stand for it. Of course, the pampered son of privilege never meant it. And, sure enough, as president, Trump promptly sold out workaday Americans to his real base: The global corporate elite.
He's now delivered to Congress his New! Improved! Nafta! It is a piece of Trumpscam that he rebranded–Ta-dah!–the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). This issue of The Lowdown is sounding the alarm about the extraordinary level of corporate avarice and malevolence that is baked into it. We're urging all Lowdowners to pay attention, spread the alarm, and act while there is still time to fix it–possibly turning Trump's raw deal into a good deal.
"Keep your eye on the ball" is not only a core principle for baseball players, but also for us commoners trying to assess exactly what the spinmeisters of global trade are hurling at us. Their deals are and always have been large-scale hustles, filled with hypocrisy, deceit, and greed. Promoted as fair and good for all, they're invariably rigged with profiteering schemes that lock into law advantages for corporations over the common good of consumers, the environment, labor, independent businesses, governments, and all other democratic forces.
Trump to Working Class: 'Adios, Chumps'
Congratulations on that nice pay raise you got last year, a 7% hike—wow!
Seven percent might not sound all that big, but after 40 years of stagnant wages, even a small uptick can help cover some of your old credit card bills or get an upgrade on your 10-year-old pickup.
Oh, wait ... You say you didn't get 7%? Oops, my mistake. It was the CEOs of corporate giants who reported to the Associated Press that they enjoyed a median jump of 7% last year. And as their paychecks were already king-size, that uptick amounted to an extra $800,000 in their take-home, for a median yearly income of $12 million each. Bear in mind that "median" means half of the corporate bosses grabbed more than 7%. For example, David Zaslav, honcho of the Discovery television network, had a 207% boost in pay, raising his total take in 2018 to $130 million.
These lavish payouts to top-floor bosses—combined with a miserliness toward rank-and-file employees who actually produce the corporate wealth—is creating an untenable income disparity in corporate America, stretching inequality in our Land of Egalitarianism to the snapping point. The pay gap between aloof CEOs and typical employees nearly doubled last year at a range of corporate giants, from PayPal to CVS Pharmacy, and it tripled at Discovery. AP's recent survey of 340 major corporations found that compensation inequality is now so extreme that a middle-wage employee would have to work 158 years to make as much as his or her chief executive was given last year alone. This separation is widening at warp speed, propelled by the boundless greed and narcissism of so-called leaders like Zaslav. To amass as much pay as he pocketed in 2018, a typical Discovery employee would have to work 989 years.
When you hear corporate chieftains and such corporate cheerleaders as Donald Trump gloat that our economy is "booming," ask yourself: A boom for whom?
There is Dignity in All Work
! 9 t f
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: National Association of Letter Carriers
From the AFL-CIO
Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Name of Union: National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
Mission: To unite fraternally all city letter carriers employed by the U.S. Postal Service for their mutual benefit; to obtain and secure rights as employees of the USPS and to strive at all times to promote the safety and the welfare of every member; to strive for the constant improvement of the Postal Service; and for other purposes. NALC is a single-craft union and is the sole collective-bargaining agent for city letter carriers.
Current Leadership of Union: Fredric V. Rolando serves as president of NALC, after being sworn in as the union's 18th president in 2009. Rolando began his career as a letter carrier in 1978 in South Miami before moving to Sarasota in 1984. He was elected president of Branch 2148 in 1988 and served in that role until 1999. In the ensuing years, he worked in various roles for NALC before winning his election as a national officer in 2002, when he was elected director of city delivery. In 2006, he won election as executive vice president. Rolando was re-elected as NALC president in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Brian Renfroe serves as executive vice president, Lew Drass as vice president, Nicole Rhine as secretary-treasurer, Paul Barner as assistant secretary-treasurer, Christopher Jackson as director of city delivery, Manuel L. Peralta Jr. as director of safety and health, Dan Toth as director of retired members, Stephanie Stewart as director of the Health Benefit Plan and James W. "Jim" Yates as director of life insurance.
Number of Members: 291,000 active and retired letter carriers.
Members Work As: City letter carriers.
Industries Represented: The United States Postal Service.
History: In 1794, the first letter carriers were appointed by Congress as the implementation of the new U.S. Constitution was being put into effect. By the time of the Civil War, free delivery of city mail was established and letter carriers successfully concluded a campaign for the eight-hour workday in 1888. The next year, letter carriers came together in Milwaukee and the National Association of Letter Carriers was formed.
President's Perspective
Thomas M. Conway USW International President
Dying of Despair
OSHA's Inertia
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Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center in Roseville, CA
Nursing Homes California Roseville
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center is a medium-sized nursing home facility in Roseville, California (Placer county). The Nursing Home Site profile for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center includes: Pricing, Visiting / Business Hours, Ratings, Activities, Comparisons, Directions, Surveys, and CMS Reviews.
They have 98 beds and 82 residents (which would leave 16 beds available). Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center participates in Medicare and Medicaid and are classified as a For profit - Corporation ownership. They offer residential councils. They are not located inside a hospital. They do not belong to a continuing care community.
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center received an overall rating from CMS of 5 stars compared to the CA average of 3.6 and a National average of 3.31. Ratings from residents, family members, and visitors to our site are available below. We encourage you to leave one of your own if you are familiar with their services. We also recommend giving them a call to address any additional senior and nursing care questions you may have after reviewing their Nursing Home Site profile.
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center?
Additional Pages about Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center:
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center Profile Overview
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center Llc
600 SUNRISE AVENUE
Profile Links for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center:
They are located at the following address: 600 Sunrise Avenue in Roseville California 95661.
According to our latest records from CMS, the average daily amount billed by Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center to Medicare is $820.19 per day (compared to a California average of $830.34) and Medicare reimbursed them an average of $613.03 per day (after any deductible and coinsurance).
Please note that the pricing above is the average billed to Medicare. Each person and case is unique. (Supplemental Insurance / Medicare Advantage Plans, single or double rooms, etc). If you are interested in this facility you should contact Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center directly for exact pricing and what options are available for you or your loved one's personal care needs.
Medicare and Medicaid participation for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center began on Dec 22, 1969.
Services Provided by Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center include:
Clinical Labs, Dental Care, Dietary, Housekeeping, Mental Health, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physician, Podiatry, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Speech Pathology, Therapeutic Activities, Therapeutic Social Services, Therapeutic Qualified Activities, X-rays
Multi-Facility Name: Core Healthcare
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center provides (per day, per resident) an average of:
Additional Staffing can be viewed below. Each number represents a Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Employee of the type listed above it at Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center. Read how FTE is defined.
Compare these ratings with one of the highest rated nursing homes in Roseville:
Oak Ridge Healthcare Center
See How the Overall Rating is CalculatedView California's Top Lists View All Roseville Nursing Homes Ratings Comparison
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center in ROSEVILLE, California has 98 beds compared to the California average of 98.61 and a National average of 106.16.
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center's star ratings compare as follows:
Averaging the available ratings gives an aggregate star rating of 4.2 for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center versus the CA average of 3.30 and a national average of 3.20.
Visual / Graphical Comparisons for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center
Ownership, Operational, and Management for Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center
Rechnitz Core Gp 5% Or Greater Direct Ownership Interest
Sol Healthcare Llc 5% Or Greater Direct Ownership Interest
Hospitals near Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center
Sutter Roseville Medical Center
One Medical Plaza
Compare Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center
Compare Roseville California Nursing Homes and Facilities
Roseville Point Health & Wellness Center Pine Creek Care Center Roseville Care Center
There are 15 Cities within 30 miles of 95661 Roseville, CA with Skilled Nursing Facilities
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In a train yard in 1989, Maarten, Ivan, and Noah work to successfully bag and tag a liquid man.
Ivan reveals to Noah that a series of eight paintings are in a warehouse near the train yard where they tagged the liquid man.
In 1989, Ivan and Maarten, together with Noah Bennet, are sent to bag and tag a man. With the help of Noah, Maarten is able to trap the victim in a train car, suppressing his power.
...and successfully traps the victim.
This page was last modified on 11 November 2007, at 07:15.


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Song and Album Commentaries
Death Of The Celts
Thread starter Jon
Dentura
This song is great, one that had me hooked from the first listen. I can't get enough of Harris' acoustic/bass intros, very reminiscent of songs like The Clansman, but in a good way. It also gives Bruce a break from the higher end of singing by letting him use his middle range throughout which sounds just as great. When the heavier section starts, Bruce gets buried in the mix which has a tendency to throw me off but it gets better in a bit. I love the middle section when Celtic melodies are employed and the bass gets pushed up in the mix, sounding almost like a fourth guitar. Some lovely synth work to build up a sense of atmosphere as well. It's a really cool song all around.
Kalata said:
The Celtic Rose is considered a symbol of purity of the heart. In general, the Rose has been associated with the Virgin Mary, sometimes called the "Holy Rose". In Celtic mythology, rosettes were associated with the sun and the Celtic solar god. Thus, the rose symbolized both heavenly perfection and earthly passion.
Thanks man! Very interesting
Reactions: Kalata
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
I like how part of the ''Celtic'' melody in the outro (around 9:12) is different to the melodies in the intro - great little melody.
Actually, the intro of this song is one of my favorites in the album (along with the intro in the title track, LIALW, The Parchment and Hell On Earth).
Reactions: frus
srfc
Actually, the intro of this song is one of my favorites in the album (along with the intro in the title track, LIALW and Hell On Earth).
Yep bass sounds fantastic in that intro.
BloodOnTheBassistsHands
This is my attempt at creating a bass tab for "The Death of the Celts". As far as I'm aware, this is the first bass tab anyone has put together for this song. I stand by my previous comments that this is Harris's most interesting and challenging performance since at least 2000. Corrections are welcome (I'm confident I got all the main parts, but I'm sure I missed some subtleties and variations).
0:00 - 0:10 - Riff 1 (acoustic bass)
G|-----9---7---9-------5-7--------------|-----9---7---9-------5-7--------------|
D|---7---7---7---7---5-----5-----7---7--|---7---7---7---7---5-----5-----9---9--|
A|-0---------------------------5---5----|-0---------------------------7---7----|
E|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
0:10 - 0:21 - repeat Riff 1
G|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
D|---10-10-10-10-10-9-5-7----10-10-10-10-10-9-12-|---10-10-10-10-10-9-5-7----10-10-10-10-10-5-7--|
A|-0-----------------------0---------------------|-0-----------------------0---------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
0:51 - 1:13 - repeat Riff 1 twice
|---------------------------(3x)|
G|---9---9-10-9-7---9--9---7-----|----------------------------------|
D|-7---7----------7--7---5---5---|---5---5---5---5-----------7---7--|
A|-------------------------------|-3---3---3---3-----5---5-5---5----|
E|-------------------------------|-----------------3---3------------|
|-------------------------(3x)|
G|---9---9-10-9-7---9--9---7---|----------------------------------|
D|-7---7----------7--7---5--5--|---5---5---5---5-----------7---7--|
A|-----------------------------|-3---3---3---3-----5---5-5---5----|
E|-----------------------------|-----------------3---3------------|
1:41 - 1:54 Riff 4 (acoustic bass)
|------------------------(3x)-|
G|---9-9----9-9-|---7-7--------|----------------------------|
D|-7--7---7--7--|-5--5----7-7--|---5-5---5-5-----------7-7--|
A|--------------|-------5--5---|-3--3---3-3-----5-5--5--5---|
E|--------------|--------------|--------------3--3----------|
1:55 - 2:08 repeat Riff 4
2:22 - 2:34 Riff 5
(The main verse riff - nice and simple)
G|------------------|------------------|------------------|5--------7-------|
D|------------------|------------------|------------------|5--------7-------|
A|-0-000-00-----5-55|-0-000-00-----5-55|-0-000-00-----5-55|3-333-33-5-555---|
E|---------3-33-----|----------3-33----|---------3-33-----|-----------------|
2:49 - 3:01 play Riff 3 (this time on electric bass)
3:01 - 3:26 play Riff 5 twice
3:26 - 3:39 play Riff 3 (again on electric bass)
(Not sure about this one - the bass is pretty low in the mix here)
|---------------------(4x)-|
G|--------------------------|
D|--------55----------------|
A|-0-007-7---3-335-555-320--|
E|--------------------------|
|---------------(3x)-|
G|--------------------|-5---------7----------|
D|--------------------|-5---------7----------|
A|-0-202-320-0-202----|-3-333-333-5-555-555--|
E|----------------353-|----------------------|
4:17 - 4:42 repeat Riff 7 twice
|---------------(3x)-| |---------------(3x)-|
G|--------------------|-5---------7----------|--------------------|-5---------7----------|
D|--------------------|-5---------7----------|--------------------|-5---------7----------|
A|-0-202-320-0-202----|-3-333-333-5-555-555--|-0-202-320-0-202----|-3-333-333-5-555-555--|
E|----------------353-|----------------------|----------------353-|----------------------|
4:42 - 4:58 Riff 8 (play the riff below 4x)
G|-----------------------------------------|
D|---7-91097---7-91097---7-91097---45754---|
A|-7---------7---------7---------5---------|
E|-----------------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
D|---------------777-------------|---------------777-------------|
A|-7-777-999-777-----777-999-540-|-7-777-999-777-----777-9997-57-|
E|-------------------------------|-------------------------------|
5:14 - 5:27 Riff 10 (play the riff below 2x)
G|-------------------11-12-14-|-14-14-14-12-11---12-11-----11------------------|
D|----------11-12-14----------|------------------------14-----14-12--14-12-11--|
A|-12-12-12-------------------|------------------------------------------------| (continued)
E|----------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
G|-------------------11-12-14-|-14-14-14-11-11-11--12-11--------|
D|----------11-12-14----------|--------------------------12-14--|
A|-12-12-12-------------------|---------------------------------|
E|----------------------------|---------------------------------|
G|-------9-----7-----9-----|-------9-----7-----9-|-------9-----7-----9-----|------7-----7--------|
D|---7-9--9-7---9-7----7-9-|---7-9--9-7---9-7----|---7-9--9-7---9-7----7-9-|---5-7--7-5---5---7--|
A|-7-----------------------|-7-------------------|-7-----------------------|-5--------------5----|
E|-------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------|---------------------|
5:58 - 6:11 repeat Riff 10 (play the riff below 2x)
6:12 - 6:25 Riff 12 (repeat 4x)
D|--------------------------|
A|-0-00000-00000-0000-------|
E|-------------------3-333--|
(Not sure of exactly what Harris is playing. It's C and D root notes with some basic ascending & descending fills after)
G|-------------------555-----|---------------777---------|
D|-----------333-555-----555-|-----------777-----777-555-|
A|-3-333-333-----------------|-5-555-555-----------------|
E|---------------------------|---------------------------|
6:40 - 6:54 play Riff 10 (play the riff below 2x)
(A bit faster here, and with more power chords for emphasis)
G|-9-------7---------|-9-------7---------|-9-------7---------|-5---------7----|
D|-9-------7---------|-9-------7---------|-9-------7---------|-5---------7----|
A|-7-777-775-55-0-00-|-7-777-775-55-0-00-|-7-777-775-55-0-00-|-3-333-----555--|
E|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------333------|
7:49 - 8:03 play Riff 11 (repeat 2x)
G|----------------------------9-9-9-9-------------------------|
D|--11-11-11-11-11-11-11-11--7-7-7-7--9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|
A|-9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7--|
E|------------------------------------------------------------|
(Same as above, up three semitones - there may be a variation I'm missing at the end)
G|----------------------------12-12-12-12-------------------------------------|
D|--14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14--10-10-10-10--12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-|
A|-12-12-12-12-12-12-12-12---------------10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
8:47 - 9:03 play Riff 8 (repeat 4x)
(Slow down during the final repetition)
9:06 - 9:28 play Riff 4 (except play the first part 5x instead of 3x)
9:28 - 9:47 play Riff 3 (a bit slower than before)
9:48 - 10:00 play Riff 1 (a bit slower than before)
10:01 - 10:16 play the following variation on Riff 2:
G|------------------------------------------------|
D|---10-10-10-10-10-9-5-7-----10-10-10-10-10-5-7--|
A|-0------------------------0---------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------|
Fade out on the ringing A
Reactions: Pibroch_Whistler, ____no5, Mega and 3 others
Aled666
srfc said:
I think subject matter this feels about 1600 years before William Wallace, as I said above, the lyrics remind me of the sentiment of the Dying Gaul, it definitely feels like it's a fight against the Romans.
It can't be about that period as the song says many times the word "God", they were druids, pagans when the Romans invaded (as were the Romans back then) so it would have been "Gods".
I'm from the last druidic stronghold in the UK, Anglesey so I know quite a bit about that period haha.
So I HOPE it's about the war against the English a thousand years ago or so, a continuation of The Clansman as they're not usually historically inaccurate.
Reactions: srfc
UpTheIrons
It seems likely to me that, if it refers to a specific time period at all, the song is set during the Anglo-Saxon conquest of Britain, where the indigenous Britons were defeated in what would become England, though they remained in power in Wales and Scotland.
The population of Britain after the collapse of the Roman Empire was predominantly Celtic, but Christian which would explain the references to God in a monotheistic sense. The invading Anglo-Saxons on the other hand were pagan at the time, though they would later become Christian.
Reactions: Pibroch_Whistler and Boroking
Ascendingthethrone
I enjoy listening to this song on headphones. The guitar work in the intro is really intricate and Dave is adding a nice harmony part to the bass at one point.
Travis The Dragon
"Here's another fine mess you've gotten me into"
I can't believe this myself, but the verses of this insanely incredible song are now in a 3 way tie for most favorite vocal parts of all time along with the verses in both Aces High and The Red And The Black!
Reactions: ____no5
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Highly derivative, yes. A bit Celtic-stock, yes. A damn good time, yes. 8/10
This will never be a classic in my eyes, but everyone sounds good! The riffs are all nice, even if I feel like I've heard them all before. Bruce does a workmanly job all around. It's a good tune that I wouldn't mind hearing live (and imagine we will since it's a pretty easy one for Bruce).
It could definitely lose a bit of fat, though. And, once again, when not read to the metre, Steve's lyrics are absolutely terrible.
Eliot1988
Pour thy scorn upon the realm
Pity me none at the gates of our hell
For I am but a messenger, one
Sent to do reckoning what must be done"
respect Steve...............
Reactions: MrKnickerbocker and dmort93
dmort93
Eliot1988 said:
great little set of lyrics, there
I may look graphic ... but the lyrics on the last album are very loud! they will accompany me all my life!
I have been "haunted" by the maiden! No matter how many books I read and whatever I do, there are simply no words !!!
I think I'm not the only one who feels that way! I just spend most of my time alone and I think I're the only one who has done so much! but I probably am not!
im from greece and i dont know english... i use the www.lyricstranslate.com !!!
As you scream into the web of silence...
As the sound of the gulls fade from the speakers, we now enter a new territory as Steve's bass leads us through a darkened morning, just before sunrise, on the British Isles, where Celtic warriors prepare for battle. I love how this intro shifts through four sections before Bruce comes in; there's a "Clansman" vibe, sure, but it also feels uniquely its own. Nicko enters slowly as the song builds up until we reach the melody that will lead us into the song proper. Bruce never reaches crescendo here, but that's okay, because this is a song that doesn't require that. "Death of the Celts" moves forward on its own terms. It's arranged more like a poem than a song, with three verse 'sections' back to back right up front.
The first one builds off the intro, a very quiet piece that gets us set up for what's to come. It sounds like a Celtic fighter building himself up before battle. Then the slide in with a heavy, distorted guitar, and now Bruce is giving it what he's got. The battle has begun, the soldiers clash, and the song goes on. I love how the guitars change up between this second section and the third; the melody is the same throughout but these subtle changes mean that it never drags. And when we reach the only thing that reminds of an actual chorus ("Spirits cry for a god from the grave..."), it feels earned. And also pretty bleak. Not all wars can be won. The death toll here is a reminder of that. Yet they will die with honor, and without any tears shed, because the will live evermore beyond this life.
Adrian hits us with a ripping solo just before the song changes up with a little piece that reminds me of both AMOLAD and "Empire of the Clouds". Then we rumble through the battlefield in a glorious anthemic instrumental section that's like a jig of pride in the face of doom. There's also some pretty blatant nods to "Losfer Words" here, but worked in so well that it takes a couple listens to notice. There's some extended playing before we hit up the triple axe attack, this time with Janick leading us with a lengthy solo of his own. It rocks. Davey's is even better, laying on so much fire it's hard not to air guitar along with him. And then H rips through the speakers to wrap things up. This song demonstrates 100% just why we love the three amigos so much. They each have different styles and sounds but work off each other so damn well.
Then things comedown a bit as a mournful yet admiring Bruce comes back to remind us that this is not a song where the heroes win. "Dying, a warrior Celt has no fear... Immortal, for he will live evermore..." Things come to a close as Steve's bass picks up where the intro left off. Bruce's delivery here is so fucking good. He sounds like a dying warrior heading towards the light himself. "Following those who came from Hell, came to witness the death of the Celts," is SUCH a great fucking line to end things on. Steve nailed this song lyrically, constantly building up the narrative, filling it with glory and emotions. So good.
This one took some time to grow on me, but wow does it capture the attention once you really 'get' it. Not a typical song structure from Maiden, but it's constantly building, then shifting, then rocking, and by the time it comes to a close you almost want to weep. Steve's closing trio looked risky as hell on paper back when the tracklist was revealed, but he really brought out the big guns for Senjutsu. I think it'll work super well live too, almost like a "Clansman"-meets-"The Red and the Black" affair. What a great song. 10/10
Reactions: BloodOnTheBassistsHands, harrisdevot, MindRuler and 2 others
The Ever Present "It"
Diesel 11 said:
Not all wars can be one.
Randalf
I'm glad this one works so well for you, @Diesel 11! Good write-up - as usual!
As I've expressed in the Senjutsu thread, this one is a bit hard for me. I like a lot of things in it and as I've already expressed so many times, I think it's solid. But somehow, it's still a song that I'd be most fine to kind of... let go of, if I had to. That all being said, I can see where the appeal comes from and I'm absolutely not saying that I wouldn't enjoy it. I just... don't feel with this song that much. Yet anyway?
Then again, I've always been quite fond of a lot of songs some other fans don't enjoy quite as much. It's cool that the new Maiden stuff raises a lot of different opinions; it would be extremely boring if everyone agreed that very specific 1-3 songs on Senjutsu are absolutely mind-blowing and the rest is garbage or whatever.
Reactions: Pibroch_Whistler and Diesel 11
Midnight said:
Won; edited that.
Reactions: Midnight
A pleasant melodic bass-driven intro leads into a peppier Celtic groove for the verses. Bruce struggles a bit on the melody of verse 2. Things get heavier for the second run through the verses, but things still feel a bit rote. The chorus itself is solid, but not great.
A brief interlude leads into a great melodic solo which abruptly cuts into another water-treading interlude, then a much more appealing ascending and descending section with some nice bass runs. These trade off a couple more times before rolling into a more driving instrumental with sweet bass fills. Another round of the ascending/descending bit, then we get a solid but noisy solo followed by a gorgeous, soaring solo and a more aggressive, expressive one.
A return to the earlier interlude then flows into a smoother vocal bridge and some more water treading before reprising the softer verse. The song should have ended there on the title lyric, but Harris can't help himself, so we get an unnecessary reprise of the intro to bookend the song.
This track has a lot of great parts, but also a lot of pointless weaker sections. Nothing here is bad, though, and on balance I think it still manages to be a good song overall. 7/10.
Reactions: Pibroch_Whistler
I don't even remember the solos, but sure sounds like
then we get a solid but noisy solo
followed by a gorgeous, soaring solo
and a more aggressive, expressive one.
Reactions: Boroking and Diesel 11


Our speakers provide insight and analysis and take a closer look at why we do things the way we do in Freemasonry. There's always something to exercise your thinking.
Meet up with friends from other Lodges, share information and good practice and take the opportunity to chat to members of the Executive.
The presentations start at 7.30pm and conclude in an hour with about 15 minutes for Questions and Answers.


Queens Hotel Cheltenham encapsulates all the elegance, heritage and grandeur of the neo-classical era all with the contemporary features you need.
of these iconic cars. After a tour of the factory, you'll take a two seater Morgan for a spin around the beautiful Cotswolds. Park up in your chosen beauty spot and have a picnic or afternoon tea delivered by a personal butler.
For some added excitement, you can also opt for an exhilarating ride with a professional Morgan driver to see what this amazing car can do!
Queens Hotel Cheltenham offers a truly majestic setting with its décor and architecture encapsulating all the elegance, heritage and grandeur of the neo-classical era - complemented by all the contemporary features you need. ..
The Regency Suite, which seats 120 guests, is the perfect setting for weddings and meetings.
Immerse yourself in the history of a town with royal connections. After King George III visited to enjoy its medicinal waters, Cheltenham became a fashionable resort for the wealthy, who flocked there to enjoy its balls, races and sophisticated lifestyle.
Meeting the growing demand for sophisticated lodgings, the Queens Hotel was one of the first purpose-built hotels in Europe. The imposing neo-classical building, modelled on the Temple of Jupiter in Rome, underwent a £5 million refurbishment in 2015.
A perfect blend of heritage and modernity, the hotel offers luxurious accommodation and fine dining. It's the perfect base to explore the historic spa town of Cheltenham and the charming Cotswold villages with their quaint honey-coloured stone cottages.
The Queens invites you to tour the Cotswolds in a classic British-made Morgan. After a private tour of the iconic car factory, a professional Morgan driver will take you for a spin, stopping for a picnic or afternoon tea served by your personal butler.
Via the M5, exit at Junction 11 and follow signs for Cheltenham. Continue along the A40 for 3 miles. When you reach Montpellier (HSBC Bank on the right), take the first exit down past the park on the right. The hotel is on your right, past the row of shops. Take the second right onto Imperial Gardens, the car park entrance is just past the hotel on the right hand side.
Savour the stunning views down the promenade to the Imperial Gardens. Dine al fresco in your private garden. Enjoy a relaxing soak after an enjoyable day of sightseeing. The comfort and elegance of our luxurious suites make your stay truly unforgettable.
26 m², Free High-Speed Internet, 40" TV, Mini Bar, Premium amenities and Walk-in shower. 2 Single Size Beds available on request.
36 m², Free High-Speed Internet, 48" TV, Mini Bar with complimentary soft drinks, Nespresso machine, Premium amenities and Walk-in shower.
48 m², Individually styled with sitting area. Free High-Speed Internet, 48" TV, Mini Bar with complimentary soft drinks, Nespresso machine, Premium amenities, Shower and Bathtub.
Relax and dine in the comfort and privacy of your room. Our tempting 24-hour menu includes British classics such as West Country Bangers & Mash and Fisherman's Pie, as well as a range of sandwiches and shared plates.
Our Restaurant offers the best of traditional and contemporary British cuisine with classic dishes cooked with flair and perfectly complemented by a selection of fine wines from our extensive wine list.
The hotel's ornate bar offers an intimate atmosphere for guests to relax and absorb the peaceful ambience as they recline in one of the luxurious armchairs and admire the listed solid carved wooden bar, a gift from India to Lord Napier.
Sundays are special at Queens with our renowned brunch, served in the Orangery until 5pm.
An eclectic menu prepared using fresh quality produce sourced from local Cotswolds farms.
Our take on this time-honoured tradition is served daily, along with Tiny Tiffin for the kids.
flipchart. The Regency Suite provides a beautiful backdrop for conferences, business banqueting, weddings and social events.
Our beautiful Regency suite accomodates up to 120 guests and with our dedicated wedding co-ordinator we can assure you and your guests sumptuous food, an elegant environment and perfect photographs to remember your unforgettable day.
MGallery hotels offer their guests an entire range of services designed to guarantee optimal comfort. Friendly staff are on hand to tend to your needs throughout your stay.


Crystal and her daughter at the Family Assessment Center.
She's a Coast Guard veteran, a single mom with three kids — and she's homeless. But as the holiday season approaches, Crystal L. says she has hope for the future, thanks to the help she's received from the state's new Family Assessment Center (FAC) in Kaka'ako and her own determination.
The FAC, which opened in September and is managed by Catholic Charities Hawai'i staff, is a one-stop assessment center and short-term shelter for homeless families. Its goal is to move families into permanent housing more quickly using a "Housing First" approach. In fact, the first family who came to the center was housed in 21 days and more families are transitioning to immediate housing.
Adrian Contreras, FAC's program director, credits Crystal's motivation for working with the center's staff to get medical coverage and official documents, enroll her two oldest children in school and work with the VA to find housing. However, Crystal says it was the FAC's hands-on, step-by-step approach in helping families navigate bureaucracies that has made all the difference.


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Tachymenes vulneratus är en stekelart som först beskrevs av Henri Saussure 1855.  Tachymenes vulneratus ingår i släktet Tachymenes och familjen Eumenidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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I'm back tonight with photos of our newly finished basement! This was by far the biggest project we tackled this spring/early summer, with the help of T&E Construction. I can't say enough about the awesome job they did for us. We've really enjoyed hanging out down here this summer. I'll try to source as much as I can under each picture. Hope you enjoy the pics!
Over the past few months we've been slowly updating our master bedroom. I fell in love with this furniture back in November, and we finally upgraded to a king bed. It's still a work in progress, but I feel like it's a big transformation from where we were.Eventually I'll add a couple of comfy chairs or even a small loveseat to the sitting area.
Be warned, there are lots of pictures. I'll source everything at the end.


text:
GILGIT-AND-HUNZA
NARAN-KAGHAN-SHOGRAN
NEELUM-VALLEY-AJK
NORTHERN-AREAS-OF-PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN-HONEYMOON-TOUR-PACKAGES
PAKISTAN-TOUR
Paramid Guest House Islamabad
PARAMID-3 INTERNATIONAL GUEST HOUSE, proudly offers the most comfortable and yet strategic location in G-7/4 Islamabad.The gu...; More info
Amyl Garden Guest House Islamabad
Amyl Garden Guest house Islamabad Pakistan is at a walk able distance from the city's main attractions, business districts, s...; More info
Islamabad Lodge Guest House Islamabad
Islamabad lodges is a Guest House at G6 Islamabad offering guest house rooms at budget. Book Hotel Guest house in Islamabad. ...; More info
Marina Hotel Islamabad
Located in the heart of Islamabad.Decorated, luxurious air conditioned rooms with modern amenities 15 minutes drive from Isla...; More info
Indus Lodge Guest House Islamabad
Indus lodge is located in F 7/1 sector of Islamabad offering best accommodation services at affordable rates. Book your guest...; More info
Le Royal Guest House F8/4 Islamabad
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Hotel Crown Plaza
Hotel Crown Plaza Islamabad located in blue area is one of the finest hotels in Islamabad. Hotel Crown Plaza offers amazing v...; More info
Holiday in Islamabad The Beautiful (2Days/1Nights)
Islamabad city tour package offer trips to Faisal Mosque, Pakistan Monument, Monal Pir Sohawa, Damn Koh, Lake View Park and S...; More info
Neelum Valley AJK Tour Package (4D/3N)
Neelum valley AJK is an ultimate holiday and honeymoon tour destination of Pakistan. Holiday tour package to Neelum valley of...; More info
Islamabad & Murree Tour Package (5 Days/4 Nights)
5 days Islamabad & Murree Tour Package offers complete sight seeing of Pir Sohawa, Faisal Mosque, Lake View Park Patriata Ayu...; More info
Pakistan Tour Package (7 Days / 6 Nights)
7 days Pakistan tour package covers Lahore Islamabad Murree Nathiagali areas offering blend of natural and historical sight s...; More info
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Enjoy Islamabad Murree Abbottabad & Swat during Pakistan Tour Package. Best Pakistani Tourism offering family holidays & Hone...; More info
Islamabad is the national capital city of Pakistan. Since its foundation, Islamabad has attracted people from all over Pakistan, making it one of the most cosmopolitan and urbanised cities of Pakistan. As the national capital, Islamabad is the seat of Presidential Palace ( Aiwan-e- Sadr) is located here. Islamabad is also home to the Pakistan Monument, which is one of the two national monumnets of Pakistan. Islamabad is known as a clean, calm and green city. It hosts a large number of foreign diplomats, politicians and government employees.The city was built during the 1960s to replace Karachi as Pakistan's capital. Islamabad is a well-organised international city divided into several different sectors and zones The city is home to the Faisal Mosque, the Largest mosque in South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world.
Major Tourist attraction places are
Faisal Mosque
Damn Koh
Pir Sohawa
Shakarparian
Rawal Lake
Pakistan Mounumnet
Lok virsa
Rose and Jasmine Garden
Heritage Museum
Islamabad has a multi-purpose Sports Complex opposite Aabpara. The complex includes Liaquat Gymnasium for indoor games, Mushaf Squash Complex and Jinnah Stadium for outdoor games, which is a venue for regular national and international events. Major sports in the city include Football, Cricket, Squash, Hockey, Table Tennis and Boxing. The Islamabad Golf Club has recently been enlarged to 27 holes. Other golfcourses are the Navy course (18 holes) and the Air Force golf course (9 holes). Modest water sporting facilities are developed at the Rawal Lake.Islamabad also has various rock climbing spots in the Margalla Hills.
Unlike Lahore and Karachi, night life in Islamabad is dull if not dead. You will find some of resturants in F7 F6 and night view from Pir Sohawa
Islamabad is home to many migrants from other regions of Pakistan and has a cultural and religious diversity of considerable antiquity. Due to its location on the Pothohar Plateau, remnants of ancient cultures and civilisations such as Aryan, Soanian, and Indus Valley civilisation can still be found in the region. A 15th-century Gakhar fort, Pharwala Fort, which was built on the remains of a 10th-century Hindu fort, is located near Islamabad. Rawat Fort in the region was built by the Gakhars in 16th century and contains the grave of the Gakhar chief, Sultan Sarang Khan.
Saidpur Village in Islamabad is supposedly named after Said Khan, the son of Sultan Sarang Khan. The 500-year-old village was converted into the a place of Hindu worship by a Mughal commander, Raja Man Singh. He constructed a number of small ponds: Rama kunda, Sita kunda, Lakshaman kunda, and Hanuman kunda.The region is home to many Hindu temples that are preserved, showing the history of Hindu civilisation and architecture in the region.. The shrine of Sufi mystic Pir Meher Ali Shah is located at Golra Sharif, which has a rich cultural heritage of the pre-Islamic period. Archaeological remains of the Buddhist era can also still be found in the region. The shrine of Bari Imam was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Thousands of devotees from across Pakistan attend the annual Urs of Bari Imam. The event is one of the largest religious gatherings in Islamabad. In 2004, the Urs was attended by more than 1.2 million people.
The Lok Virsa Museum in Islamabad preserves a wide variety of expressions of folk and traditional cultural legacy of Pakistan. It is located near the Shakarparian hills and boasts a large display of embroidered costumes, jewellery, musical instruments, woodwork, utensils and folkloristic objects from the region and other parts of Pakistan


text:
Avery had to drop out of college to support his girlfriend Krista and their son Jordan, but he saved his money and is eager to get back in the game. He has returned to the swim meet circuit and is now having the time of his life. One night, after winning a race, he is approached by a college scout. Thrilled, he goes out with his friends Dre and Cashmere to celebrate. A gun used in a drive-by shooting somehow finds its way into Cashmere's car. The cops arrive, and soon the trio land in jail. Cashmere has an easier time adapting to penitentiary life than Dre and Avery, who are more unfamiliar with the gang life that pervades the environment. Avery clings to Krista and Jordan as reasons to hold on, but there is only one man who can, and will, fight on his behalf - Charles, his swimming scout, who believes in his innocence without question. Regardless of the outcome, Avery must learn to hold on to his ideals after the brutality he has witnessed. Written by Sujit R. Varma
Genre: Drama, Thriller,
Lockdown: Women Behind Bars
Genre: Documentary,
Australian Lockdown Comedy Festival
30 min (Per Episode)
A four-part Stan Original comedy series featuring over 20 of Australia's favourite comedians including Dave Hughes, Cal Wilson, Nazeem Hussain, Wil Anderson, and more, performing stand-up comedy from their own homes.
Genre: Comedy,
Paranormal Lockdown (UK
Nick Groff, a paranormal investigator who's "on a mission to discover something new in the paranormal field", and paranormal researcher Katrina Weidman who will both spend 72 hours together locked down in the most haunted locations. They will be staying with the dead at these reportedly haunted places, many of which have never been filmed for a production. And some, they will be investigated for the first time on television. Groff and Weidman believe, that "the longer they stay, the more the spirits will communicate with them and the more information they can gather about the unknown".
Borat's American Lockdown & Debunking Borat
Live the real-life drama of Sacha Baron Cohen, as Borat Sagdivev, where he spends five days at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic with two conspiracy theorists.
The Complex: Lockdown
After being tasked with saving the life of a potential bio-weapons terrorist, two London scientists find themselves in a locked-down laboratory with time - and air - running out.
Genre: Sci-Fi,
Lockdowners
Three friends, frustrated by being forced to stay at home during lockdown, find their love lives under pressure from living in isolation. With human contact only through their phones and computers, they struggle to adapt to a new way of living and loving.
Genre: Drama,
Chaos reigns in Los Angeles when three criminals, led by a psychotic mastermind named McMasters, takes over a police station and threaten to kill everyone in it unless a large ransom is paid. FBI special agent Roger Kinkaid uses his extensive knowledge in a bid to outwit the criminals and save the hostages, but one question remains: even if they get their money, how can they possibly escape?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller,
The Lockdown Hauntings
With the streets now empty, it isn't just nature that is taking advantage of this unprecedented global disaster. Spirits are freer than ever before and the spirit of a notorious serial killer, AKA 'The Locksmith', is back from the dead and he has even more potential victims. Can self-isolating detective George Parker (Angela Dixon) with the guidance of paranormal expert Jordan Myers (Tony Todd), prevent more young women from becoming victims of The Lockdown Hauntings?
Genre: Horror,
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown
Lockdown Follows a police officer who returns to duty after recovering from a gun shot wound to discover incriminating evidence of illegal activities against those closest to him. He quickly finds himself trapped inside his own precinct, hunted and in search of the truth, as the crooked cops stop at nothing to recover the evidence. Written by Jamie Warren
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller,
In the shadows of a highly contagious virus, a normal family seeks shelter in the safety of their own home during a nationwide LOCKDOWN in which MARTIAL LAW is declared. With nowhere to go and danger approaching from outside. The family is forced to confront the evil that terrorizes them from within before it consumes them all.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller,


text:
updated on January 7, 2023 January 7, 2023
Traditional silly walk in Brno on the International Silly Walk Day.
Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, no sugar, bio…let's look at the options and food alternatives in the Czech Republic.
History Culture & Science
updated on December 25, 2022 January 1, 2023
The world doesn't really know the name of Růžena Holubová though it should. Let me tell you something about this Czech-Austrian explorer and ethnographer.
Holidays One day visits Christmas Culture & Science Moravia
updated on December 29, 2022 December 29, 2022
Live Nativity Scene in Rajhrad brings together hundreds of people each year at Christmas.
Christmas Culture & Science Holidays
Vánočka, houska, štědrovka…these are just some of the names of the famous Czech Christmas pastry. Read on if you want to learn more about its history and all the names given to it over the centuries.
Recipes Gastronomy
Loupáčky – Czech Poppy Seed Rolls
Loupáčky, also known as loupáky or makovky, are lightly sweet Czech pasrty. Make some delicious poppy seed rolls for breakfast or snack with this traditional recipe. You can eat them with butter, marmalade, dipped in tea or just like that without anything.
The extraordinary life of Emil Holub
updated on October 7, 2022 October 7, 2022
Did you know that one of the most world-renowned explorers was Czech? His name was Emil Holub and his field of expertise was Africa.
Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia
updated on August 24, 2022 August 21, 2022
August 21, 1968 was the day when the armies of five communist countries invaded Czechoslovakia. This event is known as the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia.
First Czech Beauty Pageant Winner
Her name was Růžena Brožová and she was the first person to win a Czech beauty pageant.
Customs & Traditions Culture & Science
Máje – welcoming the spring with the traditional Maypole (video included)
updated on November 5, 2022 April 30, 2022
Lifting the Maypole is an adventurous Czech spring tradition. The pole has to be lifted, guarded and cut down and should your maypole get stolen, shame will fall upon your village…
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