This course will introduce students to key problems in the study of Ancient Greece. The course will begin with the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations of the late Bronze Age and will end with the Hellenistic kingdoms that emerged after the death of Alexander the Great, and will consider select topics in political, social, and cultural history. Considerable attention will be devoted to questions of method: how do we answer questions about the Greek past? All sources will be read in English translation.
In this course, we will survey some of the major problems in Roman History, with particular emphasis on the period between the third century BCE and the second century CE (that is, the period in which the city of Rome became the capital of an expanding and multicultural empire). We will explore how the development and articulation of Roman imperial power during this period affected not only the ancient world's political life, but also its demography, its economy, and its culture. Considerable attention will be devoted to questions of method: how do we answer questions about the Roman past?
This course provides an introduction to the study of history through an investigation of "the long twelfth century" in France, using both primary and secondary source materials, discussion, analytic reading and good practice of the writing of history.
DANTE'S "DIVINE COMEDY": A JOURNEY FROM INFERNO TO PARADISE, PART I. "INFERNO" AND "PURGATORIO"
This introductory survey course will focus on the process of colonization that indigenous societies of the Western Hemisphere experienced from the initial period of contact with Iberians like Columbus, Cortés, and Cabral, to the Latin American independence movements. We will explore how indigenous populations, and arriving Europeans, Africans and Asians negotiated their political, social and economic identities and environments. Despite Latin America's resulting cultural mixture, diversity, and vibrant societies, the colonial period was also rife with exploitation and inequality. In addition to accounts of the conquest and exploration, indigenous documents and other primary sources, each student will develop an avatar over the course of the semester to better understand the period's dominant trends and transitions. Come explore this exciting period of Latin American history.
While the socioeconomic and political situation in Cuba has changed considerably since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the process of normalizing relations with the United States is in progress, Cuba has been for many decades a communist country just 90 miles away from American shores. This course traces the complex historical developments which gave rise to this situation and discusses the grave repercussions. The course examines the evolution of socioeconomic and political interest groups in colonial Spanish Cuba and the subsequent American entanglement in the internal historical processes in Cuba, with far-reaching unintended consequences, particularly, the ultimate involvement of the Soviet Union, which brought Cuba to the center of the Cold War between the super powers.
This course is an examination of the development of American politics, society, and culture between the onset of the Great Depression and the Watergate scandal. It focuses on the creation and consolidation of the New Deal—a liberal political economy centered on a constrained corporate capitalism, a modest welfare state, and a national security apparatus designed to wage the Cold War and extend American power abroad.
This interdisciplinary seminar—literature, history, digital humanities, environment and sustainability—puts the class in motion reading, journaling, walking, computer-game playing, and social networking in an engagement with three of Henry David Thoreau's major literary works and with the man himself. Thoreau, the father of American environmentalism and nature writing, will be our model and our foil for what we would call mindfulness and what he called "deliberative" thought, reading, and communing with nature.
The course will focus on the cultural process of "Americanization" as Africans became African Americans; their struggle for self-expression and full freedom—family stability, education, economic, political and social rights. Using several African-American autobiographies, the course goal is to produce an accurate account of black life in America.
The peoples of Southern Africa liberated themselves from settler and European colonialism through the barrel of the gun. This seminar explores the conditions that created the revolutionary movements, the ways the guerillas and government forces clashed in the air and in the jungles, and how these battles reshaped the region's position in the global economy after the Cold War.
Main aim of the course is to give a basic of the relationship between "identity" and "nationalism" in its historical development since late 18th century. Focusing especially on the modern Central Europe (territories of former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Austro-Hungarian Empire) class will deal with fundamental concepts of a nation and nationalism. Using different approaches and theories (modernism, ethno-symbolism, ethnic and civic nationalism), it aims at applying them to both historical and contemporary reality. Beginning with pre-modern forms of national identity ("noble nation"), the course will focus on the processes of formation modern nations in Central Europe and their consequences for the history of the region in 20th century. The class could have a mixed-form of a seminar and lecture, with students' presentations on selected topic and readings, and discussions on theoretical and historical issues.
This course is an introduction to the history of Europe before, during, and after the First World War. Beyond studying the details of the conflict itself, we will be concerned mainly with the effect of the war on European culture, politics, society, and consciousness. Class sessions will include some lectures, films, and regular seminar discussions. Readings will include a wide variety of memoirs, letters, diaries, novels, and poems by those who experienced the war and its traumatic aftermath first hand.
Hear UR is a history-oriented podcast that takes on a subject related to the environmental history of Rochester. Over the course of this semester, this class researches, develops, and produces one season of episodes for Hear UR. Students divide into teams of three, where they take on the roles of "Producer," "Lead Researcher," or "Engineer." Together they develop the subject matter of the season and episodes; locate primary sources to interpret; identify a body of secondary literature; draft and re-draft podcast scripts; master the use of microphones, recording studios, and audio editing software; create a website to host each episode, where they post a written article on the same topic, provide primary source images, additional links, and script; finally they organize and execute a public roll out of the season, using social and traditional media platforms, local public radio and television, and University communications.
The South China Sea sits dead center in a battle for influence between China, Southeast Asia, and the United States. The sea is subject to territorial disputes and even deadly clashes between six countries (China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan R.O.C.), with other major trading nations like the U.S., Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia watching warily over a waterway that carries over $5 trillion commercially each year. This course traces the history of traditional Asian seaborne trade & piracy, the Sea's commercial entrepots and role in cultural diffusion across Southeast Asia, and how European imperial rivalries redrew the political map. We will ponder the controversies over China's "Nine-Dash Line," the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), battles over fisheries prospecting, the "freedom-of-navigation ops" of the U.S. Navy, and more recent alarms over China's military buildup of a blue-water navy and a "Great Wall of Sand" in the Spratly Islands.,"
The central theme of American history is the problem of race. At the heart of the race problem in America is the white supremacy ideology. Pre-modern concepts of human distinctions typically rested on group membership and coalesced around notable differences such as religion, ethnicity, military prowess, and color, but without anything resembling an articulated racial ideology. In the United States, the historically constructed ideology of White Supremacy provided an intellectual foundation for a social and political system based on white privilege and entitlement.
In this course, students will learn how to research historical sites, create digital versions of them, and then author curated or interactive "scenescapes" that impart historical knowledge in dynamic new ways. Using sites in Bermuda, Ghana, and locally, the course adopts a hands-on experimental approach to digital history by creating visualizations that use diverse documentary and visual sources and presenting the past to the public through new digital media.


text:
India is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and accounts for over 17% of the global population. UrbanShift works in five Indian cities: Chennai, Pune and Surat, as well as Agra and the Puducherry Union Territory.
The UrbanShift project in India is implemented by UNEP and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDL), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The second most populous country on the planet, India boasts a rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, from the snow-capped Himalayas in the north to dense rainforests in the south. The South Asian nation is also home to 8% of all known species, including the endangered Ganges shark, the Himalayan brown bear, and the Bengal tiger.
Urbanization in India has been on the rise since the country's independence in 1947. In 2020, cities made up 35% of India's population and produced two-thirds of the $2.6 trillion national GDP. India has also made important advances in poverty reduction: by introducing some of the world's most far-reaching rights-based legislation, the country has been able to lift around 273 million people out of multidimensional poverty between 2005-6 and 2015-16.
1.38 billion
ECONOMIC DRIVERS
Agriculture, Industry & IT
Indian cities are expected to generate 70% of the country's future employment; at the same time, India will add 416 million people to urban areas between 2018 and 2050, effectively doubling the urban population. Building the infrastructure required to absorb this massive increase is proving to be an enormous challenge, especially since 35% of the country's urban inhabitants already reside in informal settlements.
Additionally, India's per capita CO2 emissions, though significantly lower than the world average, have been steadily growing over the past decade, with urban sectors such as transport, industry, buildings and waste accounting for nearly 44% of total national emissions.
India is also extremely vulnerable to climate events – from urban floods and the heat island effect to increased water stress and frequent cyclones – ranking seven on the Global Climate Risk Index (2021). Improving the quality of life for current and projected urban residents and delivering equitable urban services are development priorities for the country, together with reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Rooftops of Chennai. Aotaro / PxHere.
Chennai, the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu and the fourth largest metropolis in India, has come a long way since its beginnings as a cluster of fishing villages in the 16th century. Chennai's thriving automobile and IT industries are the major contributors to the city's estimated $58 billion GDP, making it a key player in the regional and national economy.
Chennai has been witnessing extraordinary physical expansion and economic growth over recent years; the population of the Chennai metropolis currently stands at around 11 million. However, climate change, unsustainable land-use patterns, fragmented urban planning, overlapping jurisdictions and limited capacity, among other challenges, have hampered the city's efforts to advance resilient urban development. Chennai also grapples with frequent floods, drought, air and water pollution and urban encroachment.
URBANSHIFT'S INTERVENTION
In Chennai, the work led by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will focus on the demonstration of a nature-based approach to the restoration and conservation of Kadapakkam Lake, a key water body within the Kosasthalaiyar Basin. This intervention will deliver improved urban flood protection and resilience as well as biodiversity benefits, given that the lake serves as a habitat for many species of flora and fauna. The Kadapakkam Lake model will be scaled up and replicated in other water bodies in the city.
Pune streets. Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay / Wikimedia Commons.
Located in the central-western state of Maharashtra, Pune is the seventh most populous city in India. It has historically been considered a center of higher learning and is also an important hub for the country's software, automobile and electronics industries. Pune was judged the second most livable city in India on the Ministry of Housing Urban Affairs' "Ease of Living Index 2020."
With a population of about 6.5 million, the city is presently facing rapid urban sprawl; between 2000 to 2015, almost half of all major urban development in Pune took place near peripheral areas. This development pattern has aggravated issues of congestion and air quality in the city, while parks and vital green spaces have been dwindling.
In Pune, UrbanShift will support demonstration of compact urban growth through the creation of an integrated, low-emission TSA (Transit-Oriented Development Station Area) plan, identifying solutions to improve the accessibility of public transport across the city. The project will include the advancement of green corridors as well as electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, with the goal of ameliorating issues of urban sprawl, air quality, traffic congestion and declining green spaces in the city.
Dumas Beach, Surat. Marwada / Wikimedia Commons.
Surat, located on the banks of the Tapi River in the western state of Gujrat, has been a prosperous seaport for most of its history. Today, the city is an economic powerhouse, with a well-established diamond and textile industry, and is projected to be the world's fastest growing city between 2019-2035.
Surat has a population of approximately 7 million, half of which comprises migrants from various parts of Gujrat and other Indian states. The city has witnessed unprecedented growth, expanding about 40 times in area between 1961 and 2009 and resulting in encroachment into coastal zones.
These recently expanded built areas are highly susceptible to flooding, both from increased rainfall as well as sea level rise. Further, growing tourism in the coastal zones is likely to impact the local ecosystems, aggravating climate change-related vulnerabilities.
In Surat, UrbanShift will support the demonstration of integrated and climate-resilient coastal zone development to ensure coastal ecosystems are protected and enhanced to provide economic and environmental benefits. This will also include upgrading the Dumas Seafront recreational areas through low-emission mobility strategies - such as public bike sharing - and nature-based solutions, including permeable pavements and bioswales to augment natural and storm drainage.
In the northern city of Agra, famed for the historic Taj Mahal, UrbanShift is focused on improving mobility, especially through the public transport network. The program will support the city to develop green, low-emission transit corridors, based on previous experience in Pune, with the aim of increasing the accessibility of public transport and reducing the impacts of urban sprawl.
Puducherry Union Territory
Located on the southern Indian coast, the Puducherry Union Territory is a fast-growing urban center and tourist destination. UrbanShift's priority is to provide technical support to the Union Territory for the preparation of a Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) for Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, based on similar work in Surat. The objective of this intervention is to anchor the principles of carbon neutrality in the CDP, increasing the Puducherry region's coastal resilience and protecting coastal ecosystems through nature-based solutions.
GEF Grant: $17.2 million
Co-financing: $499 million
For more information about UrbanShift's activities in India, please contact:
Sudhir Sharma, Programme Management Officer, Climate Change Mitigation, UNEP
Arunkumar Samuel Abraham, Senior Environment Specialist (Consultant), Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, ADB
Akira Matsunaga, Senior Urban Development Specialist, South Asia Urban and Water Division, ADB
Implementing Agencies
The UrbanShift project in India is implemented by UNEP and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDL), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).
Country Coordinator
Bhaskar Padigala coordinates UrbanShift's capacity-building activities in India.
Padigala
UrbanShift Country Coordinator for India
UrbanShift Annual Report
UrbanShift's inaugural annual report serves as an inspiring portfolio of the program's first year in action as well as a handbook for our strategy to achieve sustainable, low-carbon growth in more than 23 cities across three continents.
City Spotlight
Transforming Pune, one neighborhood at a time
Pune's Chief Knowledge Officer talks about some of the inspiring initiatives – from electric buses to urban farms – that the Pune Smart City Corporation is implementing to make the city smarter, greener and more resilient.
Reflections from International Youth Day
UrbanShift's Youth Day webinar highlighted inspiring youth and city led sustainability initiatives from China, India, Indonesia and Sierra Leone, with speakers reiterating the importance of meaningfully engaging young people in climate action.
MAINSTREAMING GENDER INTO URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN
The design of a city defines, to a great extent, the activities that take place within it. A lack of gender expertise in urban planning can therefore lead to serious disadvantages for women, children and gender minorities.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Catalysis Science & Technology
Oxidative depolymerization of Kraft lignin to high-value aromatics using a homogeneous vanadium–copper catalyst†
Florian Walch, a Omar Y. Abdelaziz, b Sebastian Meier, c Saša Bjelić, d Christian P. Hulteberg b and Anders Riisager *a
a Centre for Catalysis and Sustainable Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 207, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
E-mail: ar@kemi.dtu.dk
b Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Naturvetarvägen 14, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
c Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 207, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
d Laboratory for Bioenergy and Catalysis, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Lignin, the world's most abundant biopolymer with high aromaticity, has huge potential as a renewable feedstock replacing petroleum for the production of chemicals, fuels and functional materials. The enhanced utilization of lignin would improve the economic viability of existing pulp and paper mills, as well as lignocellulosic biorefineries, where lignin is highly available, but mostly incinerated for energy recovery. Catalysis could be of crucial importance to improve current depolymerization strategies, and hence contribute to a more sustainable and responsible use of terrestrial resources. In the present study, the impact of different homogeneous transition-metal catalysts on the oxidative depolymerization of a technical softwood Kraft lignin was investigated. The reactions were carried out using molecular oxygen under rather mild operating conditions and the produced aromatic monomers included, among others, vanillin, vanillic acid and acetovanillone. The best performing system incorporated a VO(acac)2–Cu(OAc)2 (V–Cu) catalyst, resulting in a bio-oil yield of approximately 50% and a total increase in aromatic monomers of 27%, on a weight basis. Moreover, a favorable combined effect between VO(acac)2 and Cu(OAc)2 was suggested by NMR spectroscopy. UHPLC-HRMS and corresponding statistical analysis revealed a more than 30-fold increase in two aromatic molecules with an oxoacetic functionality and oxalic acid as well as a focusing effect on selected molecules, when employing the V–Cu catalyst. The findings of this study indicate that the V–Cu catalyst system is promising for the efficient conversion of technical lignin into value-added aromatic chemicals. However, catalyst recycling and reuse must be demonstrated, for successful implementation under industrial conditions.
Supplementary information PDF (1669K)
https://doi.org/10.1039/D0CY02158J
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2021,11, 1843-1853
Oxidative depolymerization of Kraft lignin to high-value aromatics using a homogeneous vanadium–copper catalyst
F. Walch, O. Y. Abdelaziz, S. Meier, S. Bjelić, C. P. Hulteberg and A. Riisager, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2021, 11, 1843 DOI: 10.1039/D0CY02158J
Florian Walch
Omar Y. Abdelaziz
Sebastian Meier
Saša Bjelić
Christian P. Hulteberg
Anders Riisager


Bangladesh Tariqat Federation is planning to form a new political alliance consisting of the political parties that are based on Qawmi madrasas. Leaders of the parties that are trying to form the alliance said the higher authorities of the government are positive about the new political alliance. Several Qawmi leaders have also reached a consensus on the formation of the alliance. Tariqat Federation Secretary General MA Awal MP is leading the process of floating the alliance, sources said. Awal in recent months held meetings with several leaders of Islami Oikya Jote, Zafrullah Khan-led Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Imam-Ulama Parishad, and Faraizi Andolon regarding the alliance. "I had been trying to form the alliance for a long time. I have talked with several political leaders and they have responded positively," Awal said. However, Tariqat Federation is yet to fix an agenda whether the alliance will work eyeing the next general election or will carry forward with political programmes. According to a source from the party, Tariqat Chairman Syed Najibul Bashar Maijbhandari is opposing the plan of the alliance. Najibul could not be reached for a comment on the matter. Tariqat Federation had earlier formed an alliance, Progatishil Islami Jote, but it broke off within months after being floated. According to a source from an Intelligence agency, the government is interested in the alliance but its format or agenda is yet to be fixed. The higher authorities of the government want Qawmi madrasa-based political parties to join two separate alliances – one led by Islami Oikya Jote and another under Tariqat Federation's leadership. It is believed that the new alliance could announce effective programmes against Jammat-e-Islami. It has been learnt that Khelafat Andolon is willing to join the new alliance. Khelafat Andolon Ameer Maolana Zafrullah Khan said: "We will join the alliance if the party leaders and activists want the same. But the decision has not been finalised yet." A new political party is going to be floated led by Imam-Ulama Parishad chief Ruhul Amin Sadi who could also join the alliance. "I am yet to formally announce my party. It cannot be said right now whether or not we will join the new alliance," Sadi said.


Prosecutors at the Bristol District Attorney's office say people have been convicted of similar crimes in the past, including one case in 1961 where after telling her he was going to file for... Most churches are full of "forgiven" adulterers, alcoholics, drug addicts, abusers, homosexuals, thieves, liars, people who have had abortions, people who thought about or even attempted suicide, people who thought their lives were worthless, people who at one time thought they were too bad of a sinner for God to love and forgive.
Suicide What Will Happen To You When You Ask For Help?
Most people who commit suicide generally tell somebody about their plans; they give some kind of warning sign. People who are filled with lost hope and despair, including teens, could attempt suicide. These are not people who are simply going through a rough patch. These are people who suffer for weeks and months. how to get management experience outside of work Supporting someone who feels suicidal. Explains how to support someone who feels suicidal, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.
Should you go to jail for telling someone to commit suicide?
Prosecutors at the Bristol District Attorney's office say people have been convicted of similar crimes in the past, including one case in 1961 where after telling her he was going to file for how to tell if a cut is healing It�s strange to think I am answering to a person that may already be dead. Part of me really hopes you don�t go through with it. But I have been thinking seriously about suicide myself for over 6 years now and I think I�ll be going through with it.
29/03/2011�� If you have encountered a direct threat of suicide on Facebook or another social media site, we recommend you encourage the user to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
My grandfather committed suicide and my sister attempted suicide. I also have contemplated suicide in order to rid myself of depression. However, Jesus keeps telling me not to do it and things will get better. I have to have faith in that, or I will be lost.
There was a time when I was considering going in to save myself from eminent suicide. My family got together (without me) to discuss this option for me at one point. They all know me in different ways and offered different points of view to come up with perhaps a better plan of action than just one family member on their own.
Today, I�m just going to talk about the afterlife and answer this one question about what happens to people in the afterlife when they have committed suicide and gone into the Spirit world. The simple answer is that the same thing that happens to the rest of us is what happens to people who commit suicide.


Do you admire stylish collars? Let your favourite Amstaff enjoy wearing such collars on! Get this impressive leather dog collar with studs from FDT Artisan. This accessory is made for those who just love fashion collars. In this extraordinary collar, your Amstaff will have more severe, but stylish look. Your lovable dog will get the finest treatment when wearing this FDT Artisan collar. Genuine leather is flexible and absolutely safe.
Chrome plated D-ring will hold out even the strongest Amstaff tension. Charming studs are chrome plated and have luxury look. Give emphasis to your dog's individuality, buy this FDT Artisan fashionable full grain leather supply!
Natural leather was selected to achieve total comfort and safety while wearing. The material is carefully oiled that keeps it from cracking. Among the best features of full grain leather are perfect adjustability, tear-resistance and strength. The layer of leather is thick enough that prevents the tool breaking. It allows you to walk even big and strong dog safely. Rounded and smooth edges of the tool are non-cutting and don't irritate the dog's skin. Besides, genuine leather doesn't include any harmful elements being totally safe.
Look at the decorations, they are magnificent! Catchy studs are put along the leather strap. These embellishments are chrome plated and, thus shine with stunning glittering. The elaborate design of this collar is matchless and unique. Due to these adornments, this full grain leather dog collar has a spark. That means your dog will have his individual and exquisite style .
As for the hardware of this studded full grain natural leather tool, it is chrome plated. It matches amazingly with the adornments. This covering provides additional protection for the details as it prevents rust. The set of hardware consists of a classic elegant buckle and reliable D-ring for leash attachment. These fittings are easy to use and reliable in service they provide. Add more zest to your four-legged friend's outlook, buy this elegant leather supply!
When ordering this studded dog collar, you will get a gift package along with it! Don't miss your chance to praise your beautiful pet with fine quality collar made of full grain leather. This is an unique offer available for our customers! A gift package makes your purchase look like a present for the four-legged friend.


What do you think is Scientology's involvement with MLM?
Anonymous - This is a 'chicken and egg' question. However, the original blame the victim 'MLM income opportunity' racket, 'Nutrilite, Mytinger and Casselberry/ Amway,' appeared at almost exactly the same time as the blame the victim 'Dianetics/ Scientology' racket, and it was designed to ensnare exactly the same type of person.
Indeed, the same FDA prosecutors who investigated, 'Nutrilite,' also investigated 'Dianetics.' They even drew the same conclusions.
1950-1954, Before the author of the 'Scientology' lie, L. Ron Hubbard, changed his racket's camouflage to that of 'religion,' he hid behind 'pseudo-medical' jargon.
Hubbard began peddling ''Dianetics Courses' to the public for $500, which were based on his plagiarism of psychology/psychiatry - as contained in his comic-book, 'Dianetics the Science of Modern Mental Health.' For added credibilty, Hubbard persuaded a qualified Medical Doctor to write the foreword to his book simply by offering him money. By the time this Doctor realized he'd been dupedby a deluded charlatan, it was too late.
In this way, millions of dollars were quickly generated by 'The Hubbard Dianetics Foundation Inc.', even though Hubbard himself was generally ridiculed as a 'quack' by the mainstream media.
By the use of deluded shills labelled 'Clears', 'Dianetics' adherents were deceived into believing that they could duplicate Hubbard's system, and transform into superior beings (happier, healthier, wealthy, more sexually-attractive, etc).
Hubbard also persuaded his adherents to subject themselves to potentially dangerous procedures (including: fasting, intense programs of sauna baths, injestion of benzadrine, etc.). Faced with investigation and prosecution for the illegal practise of medicine, in the early 1950s, Hubbard suddenly modified the jargon in his racket and re-registered his main corporate front as a 'Church.' The so-called 'Dianetics Auditors' became 'Ministers of the Church of Scientology.' They even wore dark suits and white collars just like traditional Protestant Ministers.
Since that time, Hubbard and his successors, continued run and expand the above racket, but they also introduced various other frauds; including Ponzi schemes. 'Scientologists' have also been active on Wall St.
It stands to reason that the bosses of 'Scientology' would have recognized how 'MLM' racketeering functions, and would have wanted to infiltrate existing 'MLM income opportunity' rackets, and/or instigate their own 'MLM' rackets.
Do you think Arriix is part of Scientology?
'ARIIX' is a spin-off of 'USANA' - yet another 'MLM income opportunity' racket that was instigated by 'Mormons' and which has been used to pass cash, and intelligence, back to the centrally-controlled 'Mormon' organization.
Thus, Tim Sales is a man who has accepted the Utopian 'Scientology' fiction as fact, but currently he's been peddling the Utopian 'Ariix' fiction as fact, and also been attacking persons challenging the authenticity of the Utopian 'Herbalife' fiction.
Nothing that core-'Scientologists' do is independent of their group, in the sense that their model of reality is conrolled by their group's comic-book Utopian fiction 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Core-Scientologists are persons who have been conditionsed to believe that they alone are engaged in a never-ending war against evil extra-terrestrials. This paranoid narcissistic fantasy has been peddled to persons like Tim Sales as reality/certainty, and in turn, they attempt to peddle it to others as reality/certainty.
Thus, anything which core- 'Scientology' adherents do (including lying and cheating in order to finance their imaginary secret war against evil extra terrestrials) has been falsely-justified by a comic-book fiction which systematically paints 'Scientologists' as superior noble heroes and everyone else as inferior evil villains.
There is little evidence on the Net of Scientologists being involved with MLM!
Anonymous - My article contains evidence that a signficant number of 'Scientologists' were involved with the initial spread of 'Herbalife' in Europe in the 1990s, and that 20 years later, Mr. Tim Sales (a notorious American 'MLM' shill) has 'Scientology' connections.
However, virtually all ex-Scientologists recognise the remarkable similarities between 'Scientology' and 'MLM' frauds.
That said, the ex-'Scientologists' who participated in forum debates and who witnessed the presence of 'MLM' frauds, do not believe that 'Scientology' was itself running 'MLM' frauds, but they do believe that 'Scientology' was prepared to tolerate its adherents' involvement in 'MLM' frauds, provided 'Scientology' itself was getting some financial benefit.
There is no way that 'Scientology' itself would want to be seen running 'MLM' rackets. The classic tactic of criminogenic groups like 'Scientology,' has been to hide behind labyrinths of legally-registered (apparently independent) corporate structures ostensibly run by its adherents.
Does she consider selling herbalife "economic opportunity for all"? The United States is introducing mlm's all over the world and she speaks of a nation with ideals? Clearly Madeleine Albright hasn't examined the herbalife business model in even the most cursory fashion.
Barbara Delaney - To date, Ms. Albright (or rather corporate structures controlled by Ms. Albright), have received in excess of 10 millions stolen dollars from the 'Herbalife' racketeers. Indeed, the USA does lead the world (when it comes to cultic racketeering).
Ms. Albright again proves the validity of the ancient Chinese maxim that sometimes it's better to remain silent and appear to be a fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt.
putting its citizens in prison?
using its imprisoned citizens as slave labour?
... then she is living in a narcissistic fantasy.
Sadly Ms. Albright is far from being alone.
I have read this blog post over several times and took the time to watch all the videos. I think this is one of your best posts ever. This Tim Sales is a real tool. His arrogant defense of Herbalife and MLM by disparaging Robert Fitzpatrick and Bill Ackman shows just how desperate Herbalife's situation is. An indictment of Herbalife is an indictment against the whole of MLM.
Sale's connection to Scientology says it all. What a lot of reality inverting cultists they are! They prey on the same psychologically impaired victims as MLM all while peddling their own snake oil 'technology' to believers. It wouldn't surprise me if Scientologists have infiltrated offices of the U.S. Government in a continued 'snow white' type operation. Possibly they have infiltrated the Federal Trade Commission offices as well. The FTC seems to operate as if the lunatics have taken over their asylum?
Regardless, the FTC has come face to face with their mishandling of the Amway question in Herbalife. They must reap what they've sown.
There are certain things concerning Mr. Sales' recent abusive activities that I'm not prepared to post at the moment, but which are truly sickening.
If you want to contact me off-line please send your current e-mail address as a comment (this will not be posted).
The one US government Dept. which the authors of the pernicious 'Scientology' fairy story have definitely held influence over, has been the State Dept.
Various dunces with diplomas at the US State Dept have issued report after report criticizing the democratically elected governments of European nations, like France and Germany, for their harsh anti-human-rights policies towards 'minority religions' (particularly 'Scientology).
The the dunces with diplomas at the FTC, have taken essentially the same eyes wide shut attitude towards 'MLM' rackets dissimulated as 'direct selling income opportunities.' For decades, they have failed to look beyond the ends of their noses.
Any corporate stucture legally-registered in the UK automatically enjoys the protection of the 'Companies Act', which could almost have been drawn up by racketeers (and it probably was).
Owner - The answer to your first question is - No, because if I did, that would break a confidence.
The answer to your second question is - Now why on Earth should I do that ?
Anonymous - Well you've certainly now seen how 'MLM racketeering' functions, very clearly. You have also understood that 'MLM' racketeering is merely a reflection of the shameful, and shameless, depths to which the USA has lately sunk.
The so-called 'land of the free and the home of the brave,' has become a de facto kleptocracy.
State and federal officials, and agencies, which are financed by the people (supposedly, to protect the people), have been ignoring, and/or protecting, and or promoting, racketeers.
'MLM' racketeers have been coopting state and federal officials, for decades; particularly, in Utah.
Mainstream journalists have also refused to look beyond the ends of their noses.
A flock of dunces with diplomas have completely failed to spot that, in countless copy-cat 'MLM' rackets, the products and services might as well not exist, because the hidden function of this effectively-unsaleable wampum, has been to launder unlawful investment payments (made in the false expectation of future reward) into a dissimulated closed-market swindle or pyramid scheme.
I can only hope that you will be filing well-informed complaints with the FTC and with your State Attorney General. I would also advise you to complain to the FBI and to your political Representative.
Hopefully you will encounter officials who have not yet been coopted by 'MLM' racketeers..
"Living the Dream" of USANA was amazing but I think should be "Living a Dream" or "Living in a Dream". Just not "Living a Reality"
I do think Mary Kay and Avon are Okay, not great, but Okay as there prices are similar to stuff you see at Macys, JC Penny's etc. Pampered Chef has a few items I cannot find easily, they have a great juice mixing container, better than Rubbermaid one.
As for 'Avon' (a company which traces its roots back to the beginning of the 20th century), this was a traditional direct selling business until quite recently. Unfortunately, doorstep selling of consumer goods has virtually died out, so 'Avon' was gradually going bankrupt. The management of 'Avon' have lately been obliged to introduce a form of multi-level commission payment plan into their business, but this isn't working either.
Any so-called 'direct selling business' without significant, or sustainable, retail sales to the general public (based on value and demand), is a dissimulated closed market swindle or pyramid scheme.
Anonymous - Gosh, do you expect me to give you a round of applause for that?, because if you do, you are sadly mistaken.
Judging by your lack of empathy combined with a strong sense of self-entitlement, manifest in your narcissistic boasts to be making money thanks to a complete lack of morality, I presume you must be an attorney, a corrupt regulator/ banker/ accountant/ financial analyst, etc.
You might even be one of the many mainstream financial journalists, incapable of looking beyond the end of your nose.
What a shame. Ignorance mixed with arrogance and just being close minded. It's clear that you don't have a clue how MLM really works. Hahahahahaha.
the impressive-sounding made-up jargon term, 'MLM,' is therefore, the misleading title for an enticing structured-scenario of control which has been developed, and constantly acted out as reality, by the instigators, and associates, of various copy-cat, major and minor, ongoing organised crime groups (hiding behind labyrinths of legally-registered corporate structures) to shut-down the critical, and evaluative, faculties of victims, and of casual observers, in order to perpetrate, and dissimulate, a series of blame-the-victim 'Long Cons' - comprising self-perpetuating rigged-market swindles, a.k.a. pyramid scams (dressed up as 'legitimate direct selling income opportunites') and related advance-fee frauds (dressed up as 'legitimate: training and motivation, self-betterment, programs, recruitment leads, lead generation systems,' etc.).
Conrade Nyandoro - I take it you are someone who has been lured into an 'MLM' Long Con and whose ego currently prevents you from facing that embarrassing reality.
If ever you decide to face up to reality, please feel free to contact me.


As an employer, you can purchase online access to the resumes of current Georgia Tech students and alumni who have graduated during the past two years, and are active in our Center for Career Discovery and Development database.
PLEASE NOTE: If you are new to our online recruiting system (i.e. CareerBuzz), you must first register your account to receive a personal password to enable you to access the resume book.
You may purchase access to the Georgia Tech Online Resume Book for $500, which includes all majors and showcases most recent information for all undergraduates. If you are interested in recruiting Master's and/or Doctoral level students, you may purchase a Georgia Tech Graduate Student Online Resume Book for $750.
You will receive Resume Book access in CareerBuzz upon payment of fees, and that access will only be valid throughout the semester in which you made the purchase. Please note that processing your Resume Book payment and then providing access can take up to 48 hours. The current Electronic Resume Book is available for purchase.
Use the Advanced Search tab to do a more detailed search through the resumes using graduation date and work authorization.


This week, our favorite writer/illustrator/Twitter hero, Jonny Sun, visited us to talk about Internet, bot theft, and learning pop culture as a child of immigrants.
LOOK HOW HE WARMED OUR HEARTS.
Jonny talked about his amazing Twitter account, and the book he just wrote called "Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too," which made us all cry.
And we're happy to say we have a new edition of "Y'alls Parents Was Nasty."
We're sorry, but also, you're welcome.
Subscribe to Another Round on Apple Podcasts, or listen in your favorite podcast app!
1. Search for 'Another Round' in your podcast app of choice, like Overcast, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Acast, and more.


Spring break is a highly romanticized part of college. According to Hollywood, college spring breaks should be spent on a tropical beach with tons of drunk people and very little clothing. But let's face it, that's not the reality for most of us. Whether you can't afford to fly to Mexico, don't have a desire to get wildly drunk, or you live in a place that does not see the sun in the spring (or all of the above), here are some ideas of alternative things to do with your spring break.
Living in the Pacific Northwest, it is very rare that my spring break is accompanied by fun in the sun. (In fact, this year it will be full of snow!) But the beauty of being in the PNW is that there are so many options for activities that don't require sunny skies. There are plenty of things to keep you busy whether you're in the city, in the mountains, or in your pajamas.
Whether you have a favorite genre you like to read or you want to find something new, wandering around a book store on a rainy day is a great thing to do to pass the time. Almost every city, no matter how small, has a book store of some kind, so go explore new ones or return to your favorite! If you live in Portland, Powell's has five floors of new and used books to get lost in. And if you don't live in Portland, it might be time for a road trip! Or you could always check out your local bookstores. Take someone with you, or go by yourself so you can go at your own pace.
Read the Books You Bought!
After taking a trip to the bookstore, I always want to curl up and read somewhere. If it's gloomy outside, my favorite thing to do is snuggle up by the fire with a cup of tea or hot apple cider and read. And now that you have all those new books, what better to do than dive into them? If it's nice outside, sit in the grass or on the deck (or inside by the window if it's sunny but cold).
If you're burned out from reading so much during the semester, spring break is a great time to just kick back and binge a new TV show (or re-watch an old favorite). If you want something lighthearted and fun, Netflix's show "One Day at a Time" is a great one. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious and socially relevant and conscious at the same time. For something more dramatic and deeply emotional, "The Fosters" is a must-watch (it's on Netflix), and the new spin-off series "Good Trouble" is airing new episodes on Freeform every Tuesday night. You can also keep up with it on Hulu.
If you have snuggly pets, spring break is a great time to curl up with them. My spring break never lines up with my younger brother's so I spend a decent amount of time home alone with my dog. We get in lots of snuggles and fetch and I can pet her while reading or watching a show, making it the perfect relaxing activity.
If you don't want to be a homebody over spring break, take a road trip with some friends. If you're looking for sun, maybe drive down to California. Or if you're okay with cold and want to go somewhere you can party and go to clubs without all being 21, head up to Vancouver, B.C. like my roommate! There are endless places you can go, and belting out your favorite songs with your friends while on your way to a cool destination is an awesome way to spend your spring break.
If you live in a place that gets a lot of snow, embrace the cold weather! You can cross country ski in the woods, or go to a ski resort and do downhill. If you don't live near a mountain, make a road trip out of it! Mt. Bachelor outside of Bend, Oregon is a world-class ski resort. The prices can be pretty steep though and it can get crowded on a good powder day, so check out Hoodoo outside of Sisters, Oregon, or any of the other ski resorts in the PNW. Another fun cold-weather activity is ice skating. It's much cheaper than skiing and can be a fun thing to do with friends, family, or significant others!
This one is probably obvious, but sleeping is one of the best things to do over spring break. By this point in the year it's pretty easy to feel a little (or a lot) burned out, so take some time to rest your body and your brain. Let yourself sleep in and take naps! Even if you don't feel like actually sleeping, doing relaxing activities is a great way to let yourself recharge.
Whatever you decide to do this spring break, there are plenty of options for things to keep you occupied. Early spring in the PNW usually doesn't have the best weather, but there are still lots of fun things you can do without warm, sunny beaches. Embrace the PNW spirit this spring break and bundle up!
I am a sophomore at the University of Portland, studying English with a minor in Spanish. I love to read, particularly fantasy, historical fiction, and romance. Writing is also one of my passions, and I am in the process of writing two novels. My plan after graduation is to become an editor for a publishing company so I can spend my time doing what I love: reading.


text:
Jayson Morgan
*Licensed by the State of California
600 Anton Boulevard
Email Jayson
Jayson Morgan is a Tax & Business Services Partner in Costa Mesa, California and serves as partner-in-charge of the Firm's National Service Offering Specialty Groups. He is also the leader of the Firm's National Business Enterprise Tax Services Group (for private entities). Mr. Morgan has over 25 years of experience serving business and individual clients with respect to strategic business planning, transactional assistance, entrepreneurial issues, tax planning and tax compliance. Mr. Morgan is passionate about private businesses and their owners. He has spoken frequently to both internal groups (national and local presentations), and external organizations (Real Estate Conference, Banking Symposium, and Insurance Groups) on business, tax, and planning for private businesses.
Prior to joining Marcum, Mr. Morgan was a Founding Partner of the California firm WilsonMorgan LLP, and served as the Firm's Managing Partner. WilsonMorgan LLP merged with Marcum LLP in July, 2013. Mr. Morgan also has experience from a Big Four accounting firm.
Mr. Morgan is a CPA licensed in the State of California, and holds the CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designation from the AICPA. Mr. Morgan is also a Life Insurance Agent licensed in the State of California.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), CGMA designation, Member
California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA), Member
Regional Board Member, Marcum Foundation
Founding Member, Center for Investment & Wealth Management, UC Irvine / Paul Merage School of Business
High-Net-Worth Individuals
California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Masters in Business Taxation
Forbes quoted Tax Partner Jayson Morgan in an article about how taxpayers can reduce their capital gains taxes.
Under the Trump tax overhaul, effective as of tax year 2018, most of the old tricks to avoid or reduce the capital gains tax bite ....


Enter the username you use to sign in to your HESFB. Your username is usually your email address.
Don't have an HESFB Account?
A free HESFB Account gives you access to HESFB online applications and services, support, events, communities, and more.
Your login session has been expired.


text:
Q: Can I zoom the map with "z" and "a" in Openlayers3? How can I zoom the map in Openlayers3 with "z" and "a" ?
currently I use this function: map.getView().setZoom(map.getView().getZoom()+1).
But I do not know how I can make it work when I press "A" or "Z".

A: You can do it by keyCode.
Of course, you may need to get the focus of the map element.
document.getElementById('map').focus();

The example:

<!DOCTYPE html>

    <title>press 'A'or'Z example</title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://openlayers.org/en/v3.20.1/css/ol.css" type="text/css">

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
London Review of Books From LRB Vol 21, No 6 | cover date 18 March 1999
Letters: Volume 21 Number 6
Sisters at War
Rakiya Omaar and Rachel Sevenzo (LRB, 18 February) take a brave stand
in the face of worldwide concern about the female victims of war, and
its almost universal focus on sexual abuse a consequence, as they
point out, of the revelations of the mass rape of Bosnian women. The
contention that mass rape was a conscious and organised strategy of
war in Bosnia sold a lot of newspapers. I was surprised then, on
arriving in Sarajevo six months after the end of the war, and in the
three years I have spent in Bosnia since then, to find that this
defining characteristic of the war is never mentioned: no
international programmes of any size target the problem and the
expected flood of abandoned babies has not materialised.
The first accounts of mass rape appeared during the Croatian war,
with Serb forces accused of systematic targeting of Croat women in
Eastern Slavonia. This was a bit of off-the-cuff propaganda from
Franjo Tudjman's Government in Zagreb, but it was instantly seized on
by the international press and the feminist movement. And it wasn't
very difficult to find women who had been raped to back it up. The
following year, the beleaguered Bosnian Government repeated the
exercise to even greater effect, as part of the further demonisation
of the Serbs (as if their real activities weren't enough), and again
rape victims were easily found.
But there is no evidence of systematic or strategically targeted mass
rape. Despite this, the 'phenomenon' spawned untold numbers of press
reports, several books and a proliferation of seminars. The objective
of the mass-rape campaign, as reported, was to alter the 'ethnic'
balance through the propagation of little Serbs. Since there is no
ethnic difference between the Serb aggressors and the rape victims,
such a campaign would have led merely to the propagation of little
Croats or little Muslims. This is not to say that rape on a large
scale did not happen. It always does in war, particularly in this
kind of civil war. But it was not the strategy it was made out to be.
Robert Bell, Sarajevo


Police could predict the locations of fatal stabbings, by looking at data on non-fatal attacks from previous years.
Detective Chief Inspector John Massey of the Met's Homicide Squad, went through London knife assault records over a 12-month period, by hand, and found a link with knife attacks the following year.
DCI Massey uncovered 3,506 incidents where people were stabbed or cut but survived in 2016-17, and compared these to the locations of the 97 London homicides that occurred in 2017-18.
The research found 69 per cent of deaths were in areas where at least one person was injured with a blade the year before.
The report says that data could be used to pinpoint risks of homicide in local areas and that extra police resources could be deployed.
"Better data is needed to fight knife homicide," said study author Prof Lawrence Sherman from the University of Cambridge.
He went on to say: "If assault data forecasts that a neighbourhood is more likely to experience knife homicide, police commanders might consider everything from closer monitoring of school exclusions to localised use of stop-and-search."
The research is revealed on the day the Home Secretary made a major announcement on the government's approach to tackling knife crime.


About Jim Donovan — Drum Circle Leadership with Jim Donovan M.Ed.
Jim Donovan M.Ed., Assistant Professor at Saint Francis University, is an inspirational performer and educator who believes in the power of music to bring people together. Over the past three decades, Donovan has performed thousands of concerts and learning events across the US and Europe. As a performer, Donovan writes and records with his Americana-rock band Sun King Warriors. As an educator, he brings his motivating brand of open-hearted, big-energy to every event he leads- whether they be a conference keynote, corporate team building, educational training or wellness retreat.


Please select the criteria for your reseller via the search mask.
certgate is one of the leading IT security providers for secure, mobile communication technologies and a member of the alliance "IT Security Made in Germany" for many years. Internationally leading companies and authorities such as the German Federal Employment Agency and state security authorities in other countries secure their mobile communication through certgate's patented technology and products. certgate already provides sustainable protection for the mobile communication and data for thousands of users daily worldwide today.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES AG (7P) provides innovative IT services related to the digitisation of business models. With its own product 7P MDM, 7P is the leading European provider of Mobile Device Management. Headquartered in Cologne and with numerous branches throughout Germany, the company employs over 500 people.
Since 1985, TIM has been a leading value-added distributor in the selection and implementation of data center solutions. The broad portfolio includes innovative technologies from leading IT manufacturers. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland TIM acts as a service provider with Manufacturer-independent services, which are used in the complete project cycle and thus also secures the decisive competitive advantages for its partners. TIM also supports its partners in the development of new markets and technologies as well as in the solid development of strategic alliances and the sustainable expansion of business. The company has been growing continuously for years and is regularly honored for its achievements by system house partners and manufacturers. Find more information and contact details here.
Liga sells solutions for IT security, digital identity and infrastructure throughout the Nordics via a comprehensive network of resellers. We share news and information on trends, threats, technologies, and products. We offer technical training and actively support our partners in their sales campaigns and in getting deals done.
Liga works with both small and large companies that sell quality products and services in the IT industry.
We are always open to new partners. Contact us if you're interested in hearing more.


Get all the latest news and offers!
Operating out of its main hub in London's Heathrow Airport, British Airways is the UK's flag carrying airline, offering flights to over 170 destinations in nearly 80 countries. The full service carrier is also the founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance.
For low cost flights from South Africa and other international destinations, book with Checkout Travel.
UK domestic and European shorthaul flights to or from London, don't include a checked baggage allowance. Children and infants on these flights are, however, allowed to check in a fully collapsible stroller or car seat.
The checked baggage allowance on all other international flights work according to weight per piece of baggage and vary according to where in the world you are flying.
• Economy Class – varies from one to two pieces of luggage with a maximum weight varying from 23 kg (51 lb) to 32 kg (70 lb).
• Premium Economy Class – two pieces of luggage with a maximum weight varying from 23 kg (51 lb) and 32 kg (70 lb).
• Business & First Class – varies from two of three pieces of luggage not exceeding 32 kg (70 lb) each.
Visit the British Airways website for baggage allowances for children and infants.
• Your allowance may differ if your journey is partly or wholly with another airline.
• A checked bag's maximum dimensions may not exceed 90 x 75 x 43 cm (35 x 30 x 17 in). Larger items will incur a charge and some may need to be shipped as cargo.
• Some passengers, such as Executive Club Gold and Silver members and oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members are entitled to additional checked-baggage.
• Adult (12 and over) and child (2 - 11) passengers are allowed one cabin and one personal bag each with a maximum weight not exceeding 23 kg (51 lb). Duty free items form part of this allowance.
• Bags exceeding this weight will have to be check in at an additional fee.
• Infants (under 2) are allowed one cabin bag each.
• Some sports goods, such as surfboards and skis, as well as musical instruments are included in the free baggage allowance. Visit the British Airways website for details.
• British Airways allows personal-use mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, free of charge in addition to passengers' free baggage allowance.
There are a number of restricted items and goods considered too dangerous to travel with. Please visit the British Airways website for details.
• LAGs must be stored in 100 ml containers and then packed in a 20 cm x 20 cm transparent, re-sealable plastic bag.
• One bag is allowed per passenger and must be shown at airport security.
• Medication, baby products and special dietary products are exempt, as are some duty free purchases.
Depending on the final destination as well as the departure airport, check in times may vary between 50 and 20 minutes prior to departure. Visit the British Airways website for details.
Online and mobile check in opens 24 hours before and closes 1 hour before departure.
British Airways provides a variety of in flight entertainment options to keep passengers occupied during their journey. From series to movies, and kid's entertainment to shopping, there's something for everyone.
With a huge range of dedicated and partner lounges - including First, Business and Arrivals Lounges – so many of British Airways' premium customers are able to enjoy the thoughtful conveniences on offer. These extend to the Elemis Travel Spa, providing visitors with a choice of exclusive treatments and skin therapies designed to revive and refresh.


Thanks to £20,000 funding from Capital Radio's Help A London Child and Chelsea FC, more than 1,000 young people were able to try out new sports at UK Fitness Network centres this summer. A partnership between five of London's leisure trusts, led by Jubilee Hall Trust, delivered more than 600 hours of free activities during the school holidays.
A range of 26 different sports were offered, including everything from basketball to streetdance, and an incredible 57% of participants were girls, with 54% from black or minority ethnic communities.


text:
NewsFeed Dec. 10, 2007
Breaking: Ibérico, the Mercedes of Hams, Hits U.S. Shores
The Mercedes of ham, at Mercat.haha Photo: Daniel Maurer
Forget the Led Zeppelin reunion — the real news today is the arrival of ibérico ham on our shores. Angelica Intriago, VP at Despaña, the tri-state's only supplier, says that on Friday she got a mere twenty of the 300 "pata negra" (black foot) hams shipped to the United States after Spanish purveyor Fermin finally satisfied USDA* export standards. Her supply has already dwindled to to the point where she is now only selling it by the slice at $99 per pound if sliced by hand and $90 per pound if sliced by machine, which warms the meat up undesirably (it's best if eaten at room temperature). For that you can thank restaurants like Mercat, which is selling it at cost at $14 per plate — a price which will double after a weeklong introductory phase.
Intriago assures us that more hams are on the way, but if you're going to blow money on a pound of the stuff, keep in mind it's the free-range ibérico and not the top-shelf "bellota," which is made from pigs that are fed on acorns for the last four months of their lives. That variety, which we taste-tested a while back, will be available in July of next year.
Update: Commenter Cla Lll points out that Bellota is actually available at Dean and DeLuca at the moment. We checked and they do have thirty USDA-approved hams, guest residents admitted to our shores by the USDA as a preview of hams to come. The price is a cool $75 per pound.
*Correction The original version of this item referred to FDA import regulations. It is instead the U.S. Department of Agriculture that oversees meat and poultry imports, as commenter caphill2320 states below.


text:
Movie Miscellany: 4
Deadwood: A Dialogue
Kill-Gang Curtain: Night of the Living Dead
"You can neither bate them nor join them"
Our Imaginary Arizonas
Storm Visions: Two Films
Sleepless Nights: Three Films
Green Bottle Bloomers
Nightmaring America: A Love Story
Thirteen Thoughts on Poetry
Shakespeare's Precarious Kingdoms
William Carlos Williams's Medicine
Chambi's World
John Clare's Journey
On Seamus Heaney
Shelley in a Revolutionary World
"Mourn O Ye Angels of the Left Wing!"
Derek Mahon's Red Sails
Radio Station: Harlem
Oak-Talk Radical
Percy Shelley Questionnaire
Smashing the Mirror
Diamond Dilemmas
Shelley's Revolutionary Year
William Carlos Williams in Ireland
Derek Mahon, Poet of the Left
On the Verb 'to be'
Life as We Lived It
Sea Music
Hole in the Wall Blues
The Common Wind
David Graeber, An Appreciation
Socialism and Sinn Fein
Capitalism in the Web of Life
Indigenous Histories
Truth to Power: Interviews
Ronit Lentin
Charlie Kerrigan
David Graeber: An Appreciation
"The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently." David Graeber, 1961-2020.
(First published by www.independentleft.ie)
"Say what you like about nurses, garbage collectors, or mechanics," declared anthropologist David Graeber in 2013,
it's obvious that were they to vanish in a puff of smoke, the results would be immediate and catastrophic. A world without teachers or dock-workers would soon be in trouble, and even one without science fiction writers or ska musicians would clearly be a lesser place. It's not entirely clear how humanity would suffer were all private equity CEOs, lobbyists, PR researchers, actuaries, telemarketers, bailiffs or legal consultants to similarly vanish. (Many suspect it might markedly improve.)
Graeber, who died in Venice on September 2nd, was writing specifically of what he called "Bullshit Jobs", and in the process demonstrated many of those characteristics for which his life and work were already famous, and now are mourned. His dissections of capitalist operations, ideological and material, had a bright-honed clarity and incisiveness: qualities magnified in turn by how intuitively he seemed to offer support, in practice (and in person when possible), to struggles for self-determination, from Seattle in 2001 to the heroic "social revolution" of Rojava in 2014.
Graeber's account of the anti-globalisation campaigns that erupted and expanded at the turn of the 21st century are particularly vivid in this regard, blending self-deprecating literary flair with an incendiary (and infectious) perception of the potential of mass power to derail what he categorised as the ruthless imperialism of Euro-American political and financial elites. "The IMF", Graeber wrote, "was always the arch-villain of the struggle":
It was their job to ensure that no country (no matter how poor) could ever be allowed to default on loans to Western bankers (no matter how foolish). Even if a banker were to offer a corrupt dictator a billion dollar loan, and that dictator placed it directly in his Swiss bank account and fled the country, the IMF would ensure a billion dollars (plus generous interest) would be extracted from his former victims. If a country did default, for any reason, the IMF could impose a credit boycott whose economic effects were roughly comparable to that of a nuclear bomb…. [In] the world of international politics, economic laws are only held to be binding on the poor.
Graeber's versatile irreverence for the institutions and narratives of neoliberal civilization made him one of the most radical (and humane) of anthropological and economic commentators. His writing dances, in furious delight, with the recognition of capitalism not only as a broken system, but one ready to collapse in ruins at the slightest pressure of "the poor", whom he counted as his educators and comrades. There is "no possible way we could have an anti-capitalist revolution", he observed decisively, "while at the same time scrupulously respecting property rights."
In the days since his death, the internet and other outlets have hummed with personal tributes and reminiscences, a vast chorale of grief and celebration, that place Graeber without fail as a voice of warmth, insight and non-didactic solidarity among the internationalist Left. He had a gift for practicing what he preached, but also for avoiding the instructional pretensions that so often accompany the analyses of Euro-American intellectuals, convinced not only of the complicated rottenness of capitalistic civilisation, but of the exclusive expertise undergirding their own pronouncements. If Graeber's concerns were prodigiously far-ranging (from his intricately woven history of debt to his interpretation of "fun" as both an evolutionary and revolutionary phenomenon), his interventions were refreshing, always, for the humour, the air of dishevelled enthusiasm, which accompanied their presentation. His wit, his ability to demystify the reigning economic and political superstitions of our time, is often best encountered in full flow, as here:
[Rather] than allowing a massive reduction of working hours to free the world's population to pursue their own projects, pleasures, visions, and ideas, we have seen the ballooning of not even so much of the 'service' sector as of the administrative sector, up to and including the creation of whole new industries like financial services or telemarketing, or the unprecedented expansion of sectors like corporate law, academic and health administration, human resources, and public relations…. These are what I propose to call 'bullshit jobs'.... It's as if someone were out there making up pointless jobs just for the sake of keeping us all working. And here, precisely, lies the mystery. In capitalism, this is precisely what is not supposed to happen.
In a single stroke, Graeber dissipates the self-delusional fog that passes for capitalist thought, and does so, furthermore, with lightness and lucidity. As a result, and quite understandably, many of the re-prints and obituaries that have emerged since last Wednesday have emphasised the eloquence and egalitarianism that shine across his life and works. No doubt there is some justice in this perspective. Graeber's writing flares with the freshness and powerful urgency of a true student of humanity in action, and rebellion itself: a person accustomed to thinking of themselves as a participant in a community, a part of a larger whole. "Odd though it may seem," he wrote, "the ruling classes live in fear of us. They appear to still be haunted by the possibility that, if average [people] really get wind of what they're up to, they might all end up hanging from trees." "The ultimate, hidden truth of the world," he elaborated elsewhere (once again evidencing his willingness to think in collective categories), "is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently." With such gifts – of expression and vision, faith in the crowd and humility before its might – it's surely no accident that he is credited as an originator (among others, as he often emphasised) of the rallying cry, "We are the 99%".
To give full service to David Graeber's politics, however, it is essential to recognise the self-proclaimed anarchism that informed and motivated his approach. "At their very simplest," he noted, "anarchist beliefs turn on two elementary assumptions":
The first is that human beings are, under ordinary circumstances, about as reasonable and decent as they are allowed to be, and can organize themselves and their communities without needing to be told how. The second is that power corrupts.
It is to Graeber's credit that he applied such principles as readily in his critiques of leftist campaigns and organizations (in America and farther afield) as in his exposés of the violence and distortion inherent in so many of capitalism's most prized practices and presumptions. In contrast to what he termed "Marxist sectarians", for instance, with their "top-down popular front groups" and "old-fashioned activist organizing styles" seemingly designed to generate "steering committees and ideological squabbles", Graeber was clear and characteristically persuasive in his fundamental commitments, declaring himself a glad member of the "horizontalist, direct-action-oriented wing of the planetary movement against neoliberalism". For this branch (or root, perhaps) of "the planetary movement", our chances of surviving and even defeating capitalist hegemony, a project necessarily both local and global in its coordinates, are infinitely greater if the campaigns – along with the modes of self-organisation and mutual aid – we adopt now foster and embody values of transparency, equality, democratic participation as a matter of standard practice. Vitally, for Graeber, such political tenets were neither lofty nor aspirational, but could be discerned over and over, and in concrete terms, throughout human history. "When you can actually test them, most of the usual predictions about what would happen without states or capitalism turn out to be entirely untrue", he wrote, in a passage worth quoting in full:
For thousands of years people lived without governments. In many parts of the world people live outside of the control of governments today. They do not all kill each other. Mostly they just get on about their lives the same as anyone else would. Of course, in a complex, urban, technological society all this would be more complicated: but technology can also make all these problems a lot easier to solve. In fact, we have not even begun to think about what our lives could be like if technology were really marshaled to fit human needs. How many hours would we really need to work in order to maintain a functional society — that is, if we got rid of all the useless or destructive occupations like telemarketers, lawyers, prison guards, financial analysts, public relations experts, bureaucrats and politicians, and turn our best scientific minds away from working on space weaponry or stock market systems to mechanizing away dangerous or annoying tasks like coal mining or cleaning the bathroom, and distribute the remaining work among everyone equally? Five hours a day? Four? Three? Two? Nobody knows because no one is even asking this kind of question. Anarchists think these are the very questions we should be asking.
As is arguably true of anti-capitalists in general, Graeber's radicalism was most manifest, and most valuable, in his urge to frame new questions about the world – including our revolutions within and across it – rather than regurgitating pre-approved answers about the same. His working assumption, moreover, is compelling: that the more vigorously democratic (as opposed to hierarchical) and inclusively action-centred (rather than stage-managed and conciliatory) our radical practice is, the more cohesive, resilient, and effective our struggles will become. Revolutionaries of all stripes would do well to take heed.
Graeber's life and work seem to touch and illuminate so many strands of radical thought and endeavour that the notion of offering a final word on either seems flawed, if not plainly ridiculous. Indeed, the unflagging zest and comradeliness, insight and interconnection, of his approach are such that he seems one of the few figures in the present day whose utopian realism can truly be seen as living on, to be borne out and extended, in the actions of mass resistance and mutual support that flourish beyond his own individual, immediate involvement. No doubt this is at best a complex consolation to the friends, comrades, and shipmates on the voyage of his one life, now closed. But if nothing else, it reminds us that the greatest tribute we can pay to Graeber, and those from whom he himself drew inspiration, is to practice and develop the politics and political culture he exemplified when living.
Ciarán O'Rourke (first published by independentleft.ie) // september 2020
Contact // Newsletter sign up
ragpickerpoetry@gmail.com