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Tag: prostitution
Justin Trudeau is not a feminist superhero.
Justin Trudeau is a feminist. We all know this since he says it every single time he's interviewed. The media is obsessed with this narrative and Trudeau is regularly accused of 'trolling the internet' for posting pictures which revel in hyper-masculinity.
Much of Trudeau's appeal is that he is a conventionally attractive white male who does yoga, charity boxing and loves kids. Almost as much as Barack Obama does. This is not 'trolling the internet'. It is part of a deliberate campaign of image management – just like every other politician on the planet. David Cameron taking up yoga would not make him a better prime minister – nothing can compensate for the destructive and deeply misogynistic and racist policies that the Tory party has developed. Likewise, an attractive prime minister who enjoys a photo opportunities with babies – of the human and panda varieties – does not automatically guarantee good policies or even a commitment to feminism.
It is a failing of our culture and lack if critical consumption of media that we are infatuated with a prime minister who is under the age of 60 and has all his hair. We've learned nothing from the debacle of Tony Blair and 'Blair's Babes'.
Trudeau grew up in the public eye. He knows the value of a carefully cultivated media construction, which is both serious and playful. It's clear he is willing to be silly in the public eye but posing in a pool with his family isn't a policy document. Before he gets acclaimed as the greatest prime minister ever, it's best to have a passing acquaintance with his policies before we repeat the embarrassment of Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize for promising nuclear non-proliferation only 9 months after being inaugurated – what with Obama's record of military intervention in the following years not being exactly on the side of ensuring World Peace. At the rate the media is going with it's coverage of Trudeau: Feminist Superhero, he'll win Women of the Year 2016, which is only slightly less embarrassing than Glamour voting Caitlyn Jenner despite the fact that Jenner is a republican who does not support a single right of women, including reproductive justice, and the feting of Kellie Maloney erasing pesky issues like homophobia, racism and domestic violence (it's worth noting here that attempted strangulation is a huge risk factor for fatal intimate partner violence).
The fact that a Trudeau has gone on record claiming to be a feminist is a good thing. It is essential that world leaders understand that women are oppressed as a class, but saying the words 'I'm a feminist' aren't enough. They have to be followed through with actions and Justin Trudeau has simply not done enough for women for him to celebrated yet. A commitment to access to abortion for all women should be a basic requirement in a politician – not a cause for celebration. I have yet to read any statements from Trudeau on reproductive justice – something Aboriginal women are consistently denied.
His tax breaks are currently aimed at middle class families with a commitment to increasing contributions from the wealthy 1% and not those living in poverty, which isn't exactly a Brave New World in political promises. The 2014 Liberal conference pledged to research a basic minimum income for all residents with the promise of Ontario trialling it. There are also promises around prescription charges, which are incredibly expensive particularly if you have disabilities or a long-term illness and no health insurance. This is all under discussion with some of Trudeau's tax reforms conflicting with the research proposals on a universal basic income. A universal basic income is an inherently feminist policy. If Trudeau's government follows through with these recommendations it will have an immediate impact on poverty, which disproportionately impacts women and all Aboriginal Peoples (First Nation, Inuit, and Metis).
Aboriginal communities across Canada experience systemic poverty and the consequences of Colonial practises which continue to this day, with the final residential school not closing until 1996. Access to healthcare, education, employment, and support services are sub-standard in many communities. Aboriginal women experience domestic and sexual violence and abuse at much higher rates than other Canadian women – including that perpetrated by white men. Aboriginal women are more likely to have their children taken into foster care if they exhibit trauma-symptoms caused by male violence. They are less likely to be given access to support services and are far more likely to be blamed for their experiences of violence.
Substance use is common in Aboriginal communities and is directly linked to trauma and poverty. Many communities have taken extreme measures to support young people, particularly alcohol consumption and huffing. It's not unusual to hear of RCMP officers stationed in remote communities dealing in illegal substances, including alcohol in those where it is banned. Racist and misogynistic violence against Aboriginal peoples by police is common at the national, provincial and local levels. "Starlight tours", the practise of dumping Aboriginal peoples outside of the city limits by Saskatoon police was common in the 1990s – there is little documented evidence of it happening at other times but even the chief of police in Saskatoon believes it happened(s). These "starlight tours" resulted in the deaths by hypothermia of a number of people including Rodney Naistus, Lawrence Wegner and Neil Stonechild. I've yet to have heard any policies from Trudeau which will deal with these issues.
One promise Trudeau has already instituted is holding an inquiry into the missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Estimates suggest more than 4000 women disappeared during the last 30 years – the police, of course, have a lower number of 1200. The police of Canada aren't exactly trustworthy when it comes to recording crimes against Aboriginal people – and aren't exactly free of perpetrators either. This inquiry is absolutely essential to address Canada's current racist and misogynist polices which have resulted in the abuse, trauma, disappearance and murder of Aboriginal women. However, this is not Trudeau's policy but the consequence of decades of activism by Aboriginal women and their families culminating in a very distressing report written by Human Rights Watch on the disappearance and murder of Aboriginal women along highway 16, or Highway of Tears, in British Columbia.
If this inquiry is undertaken appropriately, and avoids the incompetence and possibilities of corruption seen in the UK's Chilcot Inquiry into the war in Iraq, it will fundamentally change the way we understand Canada both historically and currently. However, Trudeau announcing that an inquiry will take place is not a sign of his commitment to feminism. His commitment will be demonstrated by ensuring that the voices of Aboriginal peoples are given priority during it and when any recommendations are put into place.
The inquiry will also need to address the disproportionate number of Aboriginal women forced into prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation due to poverty, misogyny and racism. Trudeau supports the decriminalisation of the 'sex industry'. This is not just the women, children and men forced into selling their bodies but includes decriminalising those who profit from the sexual exploitation of women. There is nothing feminist about decriminalising pimps and there is nothing feminist about ignoring the fact that many of the missing and murdered Aboriginal women were vulnerable because they had no options other than prostitution. A decriminalisation policy which ignores systemic racism and misogyny within Canada is not feminist.
Before lauding Trudeau a feminist superhero, we need to see the following:
immediate investment in education and healthcare
a real commitment to reproductive justice ensuring that abortion and birth control are easily available across Canada, as well as recognition that poverty and racism impact on how women access reproductive justice. This requires an overhaul of the welfare system, foster care, and access to free prescriptions, dental, eyesore etc for all who need it.
Federal control over child maintenance so that it is not a lottery sweepstakes for mothers
Fundamental overhaul of child contact to recognise the ways in which abusive fathers harm their children and former partners through contact starting with recognising that a man who abuses his partner is committing child abuse.
massive investment in women's services including refuges, homeless accommodation, and rape crisis centres
Exiting services
massive investment in housing, particularly on reservations some of which still do not have access to appropriate clean water and energy.
Ensuring that his commitment to action on climate change recognises how it disproportionately impacts Aboriginal communities and that support for the Keystone XL pipeline does not address this.
As it stands, Trudeau has the potential to be a transformative prime minister dedicated to instituting feminist policies, but he isn't there yet and the obsession with his looks is simply demeaning to us all.
"Those Who Take Us Away: Abusive Policing and Failures in Protection of Indigenous Women and Girls in Northern British Columbia, Canada," – Human Rights Watch
Red River Women – BBC
No more Stolen Sisters – Amnesty Canada
Missing and Murder Aboriginal Girls and Women – Native Women's Association of Canada
Canada's Missing: Thousands of Murdered or Missing Women – Al Jazeera
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Image 1: Justin Trudeau – twitter
Image 2: Bespoke Films/ Daily Mail
Image 3: Rachel J./Twitter
Image 4: Maude Chauvin
Posted on April 12, 2016 Categories blogTags classism, feminism, prostitution, racism, rape culture1 Comment on Justin Trudeau is not a feminist superhero.
No woman deserves to be raped. Ever.
(originally published on Everyday Victim Blaming)
No woman deserves to be raped is a statement that should need no qualifier. Every day we see excuses made for perpetrators and women, children and men blamed for their experiences of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. We highlight inappropriate, offensive or misleading language presented by the media. Despite our daily experiences of victim blaming, there are still days when we are shocked by the depth of hatred for women.
This article appeared in the Chicago-Sun Times. We have reproduced the entire document as it exemplifies everything wrong with rape culture:
Contrary to author Mary Mitchell's opinion, women involved in prostitution are still women.
Being held at gun point is a crime. One that charges around unlawful confinement should be applied.
Women involved in prostitution have the right to say no to a client – especially one who has a gun.
The police are legally mandated to investigate all crimes. Raping a prostituted woman is rape, therefore it is a crime. Insinuating that women involved in prostitution have no right to report their rape to the police is victim blaming.
The police should arrest any man they believe has committed rape.
Claiming that you don't believe rape victims are at fault and then stating that a prostituted woman is not an "innocent victim" are contradictory statements. Your victim blaming and hypocrisy are evident when you make such statements.
The innocent/good victim narrative is rape culture.
"misled some randy guy into thinking it's his lucky night" is victim blaming. You may say you don't believe women are responsible for rape but that type of statement is pretty clear that you do believe *some* women are at fault.
The phrase "off the streets" implies that March only views women raped by strangers at night as true victims of rape. This theory erases the experiences of sexual violence by the vast majority of victims who are targeted by men they know – many of whom are raped in their own homes by fathers, brothers, cousins, uncles and grandfathers.
There are many reasons women are involved in prostitution. None of these reasons make it acceptable to commit rape.
Inserting your penis into the body of a woman without consent is rape. Women's bodies are not object. It is not "theft of services". Theft of services is walking out of a restaurant without paying your bill. Inserting your penis without consent is rape.
Charging a rapist with a criminal offence does not minimise the act of rape. It makes it clear that any sexual activity without consent is a criminal act.
Mary Mitchell has made it very clear that she does not view women in prostitution as real women. It is also abundantly clear that Mitchell has no understanding of rape culture or victim blaming culture.
The Chicago-Sun Times must remove the article immediately and issue a full apology. We suggest Mitchell undergo specialist training before being allowed to comment on rape cases again.
No woman deserves to be raped is not a difficult concept. It's time the media be held accountable for erasing perpetrator's responsibility for their crimes and for pretending that some women don't count.
Posted on December 7, 2015 Categories blogTags male violence, prostitution, rape culture, victim blaming, war on womenLeave a comment on No woman deserves to be raped. Ever.
Standing up for all women by WAPOW
I was not involved in the writing or research of this post. I am cross-posting it on my blog because I support the questions asked in this document.
Standing up for All Women:
Statement in response to London Young Labour Summer Conference
1. This statement has been written by a group of feminist women – including academics, activists and practitioners working directly with women who experience male sexual violence. We share an understanding that inequality between men and women is more than a matter of women needing "choices" – a profoundly conservative approach – but is instead about power; specifically the deep and structural power imbalance women face in a society still dominated by regressive notions of gender. In other words, we believe feminism should be as radical as socialism in seeking to end this imbalance, instead of treating women's inequality, and some men's exploitation of it, as inevitable.
2. We support the decriminalisation of those who sell sex; we recognise the variety of reasons why people, overwhelmingly women, would do this. By contrast, however, we do not support the decriminalisation of those, overwhelmingly men, who buy. Their entirely different motivations and attitudes, and crucially the risk that they pose to the women, manifestly mean that their role in the sex industry must be treated separately. We consider moves to conflate the two and decriminalise both to be an effort to legitimise the sex industry, instead of acknowledging that it is both a cause and a symptom of deeply-rooted, systemic normalisation of men's sexual entitlement.
3. For this reason, although we support the decriminalisation of women who sell sex, we do not support this motion. Despite the title's claim to be about the decriminalisation of selling sex, in reality the focus is much more on opposing the criminalisation of buying (also known as the Nordic model). We believe that committing London Young Labour to oppose the Nordic model, and thus to support the legitimacy of men buying sex, is the true intent of the motion, and that it is misleading and disingenuous.
4. We further believe there are significant flaws in the logic and evidence used to support this end, and we draw attention to these below.
5. Clause 1: "Sex work refers to escorting, lap dancing, stripping, pole dancing, pornography, webcaming, adult modelling, phone sex, and selling sex (on and off the street)."
6. It should be noted that despite this opening, the rest of the resolution refers, and brings evidence that pertains only to, prostitution – i.e. the so called "full service", or full access to women's bodies for the purposes of men's sexual gratification. Women who sell sex in person are also the group most at risk of men's violence, and the documented physical and mental health risks that ensue. It is disingenuous to have such a wide definition yet in fact only discuss one aspect of it.
7. Clause 2: In Clause 2, the motion concedes that "Selling sex is not illegal in the UK". However, it continues: "but it is criminalised. Almost everything that sex workers do to stay safe is illegal."
8. Firstly, this is a hyperbolic and generalised statement. As in all other prostitution regimes, it is local implementation that matters, and this varies depending on the prostitution politics in cities and regions. Furthermore, there is no country where there is no regulation, nor where there are no local variations in practices of police and other agencies.
9. The footnote to this statement reads: "Similar laws operate in Scotland, Wales & England. Prostitution (the exchange of sexual services for money) is not illegal, but associated activities (soliciting in a public place, kerb crawling, operating a brothel) are. The main laws around sex work in the UK are: the Vagrancy Act of 1824; the Sexual Offences Act of 1956 and the Street Offences Act of 1959 (England and Wales); the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act of 1892 and the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act of 1976, Sexual Offences Act 2003, Policing and Crime Act 2009, Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Anti Social Behaviour Act 2002, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002."
10. It is unclear from the text of the motion which specific provisions of this long list of legislation are to be repealed in order to achieve decriminalisation. A brief review of some of these laws reveals that:
The Vagrancy Act 1824 is almost entirely repealed and it is not clear which remaining clauses are meant.
The Sexual Offences Act 1956 criminalises abduction, incest, "unnatural acts" (repealed), living off the proceeds of prostitution and causing or encouraging prostitution of mentally disabled persons (in the language of the Act, "defectives"). One assumes that these are not things women do to "stay safe" in prostitution and therefore cannot be targeted by the motion.
The Act also criminalises the keeping of brothels and permitting premises to be used as brothels, which we infer is what the motion intends to criticise. It is however a debatable claim that indoor prostitution, or women working in parlours and brothels, is necessarily safer than outdoor or single-woman prostitution. Research conducted by Ulla Bjørndahl in Norway in 2012 has shown that women working indoors are seriously sexually assaulted and robbed by their clients more frequently than street workers (Bjørndahl, 2012, table 11). Indoor workers also reported higher incidence of abuse from a pimp (ibid, p. 15).
The Policing and Crime Act 2009 mostly deals with police procedure or co-operation, but among other things criminalises purchase of sex from persons subjected to force; again, this provision is surely not the target of repeal under decriminalisation, and more specific information is needed to support the assertion that "Almost everything that sex workers do to stay safe is illegal".
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 mostly deals with sexual offences such as rape, incest and child abuse. There is a section criminalising trafficking and a section criminalising the solicitation by a person seeking to purchase sex from another in a public place. This provision does not criminalise women engaged in prostitution. The Act also elaborates in a minor way on the criminalisation of brothel keeping in the 1956 Act.
11. It is outside the scope of this document to conduct a thorough review of the law pertaining to prostitution; however even the partial examination above casts serious doubt on the idea that the effect of the legislation cited is to prevent activities designed to keep women "safe". The only potential example that does emerge is brothel-keeping, but, as Bjørndahl's research reveals, and as has been reported by exited campaigners such as Rachel Moran and Fiona Broadfoot from personal experience, brothels are not a reliable means of increasing women's safety.
12. Clause 3: In Clause 3 the motion states that "Financial reasons, and any criminal record gain due to the criminalisation of sex work, are usually cited as the main reason for staying in sex work."
13. This assertion is supported by a reference to research undertaken by the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland in 2014. However, careful review of the findings does not support the claim implicit in this clause: that acute financial necessity is what leads women to sell sex, and that they are devoid of other options. From the DOJ report: "The need to earn money to survive (22%), the need to support the family financially (18%), to finance their own education (14%), to pay off debt (10%) and having no other way to earn a living (7%) were stated reasons for respondents to engage in prostitution." Only the last of these implies that selling sex is the only available option.
14. Financial reasons to engage in any form of paid work should be considered as normal; abolitionists fully support the self determination of all women and there is no reason to expect them to make their decisions in any other way than rationally. But from the evidence above, there is no reason to suppose that more undue hardship would come to them as a result of a reduction in trade than would from being made redundant from any other job in the course of normal capitalist dynamics.
15. Furthermore, the New Zealand based research additionally cited as support for this claim states only that: "around 93% of sex workers surveyed… cited money as a reason for both entering and staying in the sex industry." No further detail was available and, despite what is implied by this clause, it is not possible to come to the conclusion that women in prostitution are experiencing unique financial hardship, from which selling sex is their only way out.
16. In addition to this inaccurate use of evidence, we suggest this clause lacks both logic and an alignment with Labour values. The mission of the Labour Party cannot and should not be only to keep people in jobs under any circumstance: zero hour contracts, and unsafe or degrading jobs, are rightly considered a focus for a labour movement with a conscience. Therefore it is surely not a sufficient or satisfying argument for the mainstreaming of the sex industry to say that some people might otherwise lose their jobs.
17. Clauses 4 and 5: The implicit appeal to the vulnerability of women is made more explicit in clause 4, which reads: "There are a disproportionate number of disabled people, migrants, especially undocumented or semi-documented migrants, LGBT people and single parents (the vast majority of whom are women) involved in sex work."
18. Clause 5 elaborates: "The financial cost of being disabled, the cost of childcare, the cost of medical transition and hormones, racism in the workplace, the vulnerability of undocumented migrants to exploitation in other forms of work and the prejudice faced by LGBT and disabled people undoubtedly contribute to this overrepresentation."
19. The footnote citation for Clause 4 is "Safety First Coalition" only, without any link or reference to any relevant research that would verify this claim. Clause 5 is not referenced and cannot be verified. However, the Northern Ireland (NI) research done by the DOJ, which the motion cites (and which it can therefore be assumed that those moving it consider reliable), found that only 4% of non-EU nationals had an illegal immigration status: the majority of those selling sex in NI were UK and Irish nationals, followed by Romanian and Hungarian nationals who are EU citizens, and of the remaining minority most were on legal visas.
20. Analysis of family status showed that 52% in the NI sample were in relationships and/or married; and 42% had children. No detail is provided as to the number in the sample who both have children and are not in a relationship (single mothers). Irish and UK nationals were more likely than foreign women to be in relationships and to have children.
21. Regarding the gender identity, disability and sexuality (except in respect to a very small minority of men who have sex with men), the research provides no information. The claims here cannot therefore be substantiated based on the sources provided. While there is a widespread belief among both the general public and advocates of decriminalisation that women engaged in prostitution substantially belong to marginalised groups, the DOJ report in fact reflects high levels of secondary and tertiary education among its respondents.
22. Clause 6: This gets to what we think is the real impetus behind the motion: protecting the rights of men who buy sex. It states: "The criminalisation of sex workers' clients… was recently passed in the Northern Irish Assembly, despite government-commissioned research showing that 98% of sex workers working in Northern Ireland did not want this introduced."
23. This is a misrepresentation. The research does state that only 2% of those currently selling sex who were surveyed thought the criminalisation of clients was a good idea. However, it does not give the number of undecided respondents or those who did not respond to the question, making this a poor and tendentious use of research. Additionally the wording of the question is misrepresented: whether or not criminalisation is a good idea is not the same as whether the respondents wanted it or not.
24. What's more, when the scope of questioning is expanded to those who have sold sex in the past, the landscape of responses changes considerably. As was found in the consultation by Rhoda Grant MSP exploring the introduction of a "Nordic Model" style law in Scotland: "[it] was clear that the majority of those who have already exited prostitution were in favour of legislation, while those currently involved were fearful of the impact on them" (Grant, p. 51). In addition, only a small proportion of respondents to this consultation objected to the law, and the majority of those were organisations explicitly dedicated to legalisation. Supporters of the proposal included social and health services, women's organisations, local councils, the White Ribbon campaign to end men's violence against women and so on. The full list is available here.
25. This aspect of the motion, the silencing of exited women, is particularly disingenuous and disturbing. In considering the regulation and/or normalisation of any other industry, we would not dream of demanding that only those currently employed in it have a valid view on its management or social impact. It would have been unthinkable, for example to set the terms of the Leveson inquiry in such a way that only current tabloid journalists were seen to have a valid opinion on widespread culture and conduct. The focus on testimonies and perspectives of those currently involved in the sex industry only is unique to advocacy for the decriminalisation of the sex trade, and is ethically baffling.
26 Clause 7: "Organisations that support the decriminalisation of sex work include the World Health Organisation, UN Women, the Global Commission on HIV and the Law, the National Union of Students and NUS Women's Campaign, and the Royal College of Nurses."
27. This is in fact a list of organisations which support the full decriminalisation of both selling and buying sex, since they all oppose the Nordic model. Organisations which support the Nordic model by definition also support the decriminalisation of women, but oppose the decriminalisation of sex buying, as well as pimping and those who exploit the prostitution of others. As well as those listed above (paragraph 24) supporting the proposed criminalisation of demand in Scotland, these include:
TUC Women's Committee, Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Unison, Ashiana, the Centre for Gender & Violence Research at the University of Bristol, Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University, Durham University Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse, Eaves, the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Equality Now, European Women's Lobby, the Fawcett Society, National Alliance of Women's Organisations, nia, Northern Refugee Centre, SafeLives, St Mungo's Broadway, Welsh Women's Aid, Women's Aid Federation of England, and Women's Aid Federation of Northern Ireland.
28. Clause 8: In Clause 8, the Motion attacks the efficacy of the Nordic model: "The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women opposes introducing criminal penalties against the clients of sex workers. Their research found that criminalising clients does not reduce sex work or trafficking, but infringes on sex workers' rights & obstructs anti-trafficking efforts."
29. This is a claim which is contested by many others, and is not supported by actual data on the introduction and implementation of the law in Sweden and Norway. It has certainly decreased street prostitution – which few prostitution regimes do not regulate or even make illegal – in both countries, and the law is considered by police and prosecutors in Sweden as the most effective measure they have in their anti-trafficking efforts. This has been recognised by the Council of Europe (COE, 2014, p. 10).
30. Clause 10: "The criminalisation of sex workers' clients has been proven to lead to further distrust of the police amongst sex workers, a willingness of sex workers to engage in more risky behaviour/safety procedures out of desperation, and does not reduce overall levels of prostitution."
31. This is a contentious and contested claim, and none of the references provided are links to the three evaluations of the law in Sweden (see SOU, 2010 for the most recent). Those studies suggest that precisely because the law decriminalises those who sell sex different, more open relationships have been possible with police and social workers. There is also very little evidence supporting the claim that it has made selling sex more dangerous: the last woman to be killed in prostitution in Sweden was in 1986. Support for this claim also often cites a Norwegian study after their law reform in 2009, which did show those reporting having experienced violence in prostitution increased from 52% to 59% (Bjørndahl, 2012). However, closer examination of the data shows that the definition of violence in the post-2009 study was wider, including name calling, hair pulling and being spat at. It is these behaviours which account for the increase, whilst rape, physical assaults by regular customers/pimps and in a car with an unfamiliar customer actually decreased by half or more in the same period (Berg, 2013).
32. Those moving the motion now set out a number of beliefs to support the call for decriminalising sex work, or to put it more honestly, against the introduction of the Nordic model which decriminalises women and criminalises men who buy.
33. Belief 1: "Sex work is work. Sex work is the exchange of money for labour, like any other job. It is different because it is currently criminalised and stigmatised."
34. We fundamentally disagree. Sex work is not identical to other forms of labour. Firstly, unlike other labour, sex is an activity which the majority of people engage in freely without remuneration. In this context, it is not labour, but an activity motivated by mutual desire. So, in the buying and selling of sex, what is effectively paid for is the waiving of this requirement of mutual desire. It is emphatically not the exchange of money for labour; it is the exchange of money for consent.
35. Framing the debate as an issue of labour rights thus rests on obscuring the fact that the sex industry involves financial coercion of consent, not an exchange of labour for money. And that, moreover, this takes place in the context of a society in which women have less social and economic power than men, and are hence particularly vulnerable to financial coercion. And as the legal strictures around paid organ donation indicate, there is significant potential harm to coercing an individual's consent to transgressions of their bodily integrity. Since the sex industry relies on this coercion, it should therefore be seen in the same way.
36. Furthermore, there are practical barriers to treating the selling of sex (again, this motion seems to refer only to "full service" sex – i.e. intercourse, oral sex, anal sex and associated activities) as other jobs are treated under the law. One key difficulty is around health and safety (H&S) legislation. While abolitionists and supporters of decriminalisation both agree that the safety of the women engaging in sex work should be a paramount concern of any proposed policy, the latter have not been able to give an account of how, for example, bodily liquids would be treated under H&S law with regard to prostitution. In other professions when contact with potential body fluids such as saliva, blood, semen or urine is likely, protective equipment such as face masks, latex gloves (double latex gloves in the case of nurses working in the presence of blood or semen), plastic aprons etc. are recommended or in some cases mandated, for the protection of the workers. It is difficult to imagine how the provision of full intercourse could function while complying with such regulation, and we are left to imagine that supporters of this motion would in fact exclude women from being fully bound by such regulation, treating them very much as not professionals doing "any other job", but as a special case, worthy of reduced protection.
37. Similar difficulties arise when looking at legislation touching on sexual harassment at work and other hard-won legislation which functions to protect workers and structures what is legally considered an appropriate work environment. It would be irresponsible in the extreme for people belonging to the Labour movement to hide behind a glib assertion of "sex work is work" while abandoning the workers in question to be excluded from the protections available to others.
38. Belief 3: "The right of consenting adults to engage in sexual relations is of no business to anyone but the people involved."
39. Consent to sex and equality in sex are not the same, as students will know from the fact that sexual relationships between students and teaching staff are prohibited, even where they are consensual. This is a highly contestable statement of opinion which does not reflect society's growing awareness of socialised male privilege and sexual entitlement.
40. As set out above, in selling sex, one person is in reality paid by the other to waive the usual expectation of mutual desire and equal power that applies in non-paid consensual sexual encounters. "Consent" in this context refers to the kind of temporary relinquishment of rights that happens when patients sign consent forms for medical procedures: "I grant you my consent to temporarily have the right to do something to me (for example cut me in a surgery, or have intercourse with me) which I would normally consider harmful and which it would be an offence for you to do to me without this form." However the patient signing away bodily integrity is doing so out of a medical necessity, whereas the woman is doing so purely out of financial interest and not because of any reciprocity of benefit.
41. Belief 4: "The moral panic around sex work and prostitution echoes the moral panic that was present when homosexuality was in the process of being decriminalised. It is no coincidence that many who argue for harsh anti-prostitution laws under the guise of feminism also voted against equal marriage and similar civil rights measures."
42. While some voices may oppose both the sex industry and equal marriage for religious reasons, it is profoundly misleading to ignore feminist organisations and individuals such as those listed above, who oppose the former and support the latter.
43. Belief 6: "Regardless of their reasons for entering into sex work, all sex workers deserve to have their rights protected and to be able to do their jobs safely. This includes sex workers who do not find their job 'empowering'. Whether or not you enjoy a job should have no bearing on the rights you deserve while you do it."
44. By definition, the Nordic model would not deny women this protection, since it too would decriminalise them. This being the case, it is not clear how this motion would better ensure that women can "do their jobs safely", when its very distinguishing feature is that it protects the "rights" of those responsible for the threat to women's safety in the first place: men who buy.
45. Belief 9: "Tim Barnett was correct in asserting that "prostitution is inevitable, and no country has succeeded in legislating it out of existence". Sweden cannot show a reduction in the number of sex workers."
46. In the DOJ research cited in the motion, it is estimated that only 3% of men currently regularly pay for sex. If the numbers did decrease in the wake of criminalising demand, then the proportion of men paying for sex would shrink to the point of being insignificant.
47. No undesirable social behaviour has yet been eradicated completely – which is why we have laws and courts punishing those who commit murder or theft, despite the fact that they are illegal. To argue that, because it is impossible to prevent 100% of offences, we should not have laws making them offences in the first place is a bizarre for a political organisation, and not particularly coherent in terms of the wellbeing of the women involved in the sex trade. Our concern, as a society, for their welfare should not be predicated on the willingness or otherwise of men to change their behaviour.
48. Conclusion: This motion is based on selective and tendentious readings of the research and on assumptions and myths about the nature of prostitution and those who engage in it. It also seems to set out actively to misrepresent the Nordic model and those who support it. It engages in the strange sophistry of defending women as fully self-determined agents operating from purely rational and free motives on the one hand – whilst simultaneously claiming that it is driven primarily by the needs of vulnerable people who have no alternative. And in both these arguments, the interests of the men who fuel the demand are completely absent, suggesting that the industry somehow operates solely to the benefit of the labour force- an odd position for a Labour movement to find itself in. Where it does make any fleeting reference to the role of buyers, it relies on the deeply ingrained belief that male sexual exploitation of women is immutable and can never be eradicated as an argument for normalising it.
49. By contrast, as feminists we believe that women who sell sex are fellow human beings who operate under the constraints and limitations of all human life. Most of them are neither superior, sexually liberated entrepreneurs, nor weak and defenceless victims. They are responding to the demand created by men and catered to by pimps and traffickers (among others), a demand which can and should be delegitimised through the introduction of legislation that signals that sexual exploitation is not an acceptable "service" to purchase, even if the money exchanging hands seems to make it a "free" transaction on behalf of the class of people thus being exploited. The protection of those who sell should not be conflated with the legitimisation of those who buy. Those within the Labour movement who fail to distinguish or even acknowledge these two very different constituent elements of the sex industry, and who do not identify which holds the power, should explain their position better and more honestly than they have done in this motion.
WAPOW (Women Assessing Policy on Women)
Berg, S. (2013) New research shows violence decreases under Nordic model: Why the radio silence? Feminist Current, January 22, available at: http://feministcurrent.com/7038/new-research-shows-violence-decreases-under-nordic-model-why-the-radio-silence/.
Bjørndahl, U. 2012 "Dangerous Liaisons: A report on the violence women in prostitution in Oslo are exposed to" Accessed at https://humboldt1982.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/dangerous-liaisons.pdf on June 2nd 2015
Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, 2014, "Prostitution, trafficking and modern slavery in Europe". Accessed at http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=20559HYPERLINK "http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=20559&Language=en"&HYPERLINK "http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=20559&Language=en"Language=en on June 2nd 2015
Department of Justice, 2014, "Research into Prostitution in Northern Ireland". Accessed at http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/publications/publication-categories/pubs-criminaljustice/prostitution-report-nov-update.pdf HYPERLINK "http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/publications/publication-categories/pubs-criminaljustice/prostitution-report-nov-update.pdf%20on%20June%202nd%202015″on June 2nd 2015
Grant, R., "Proposed Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex: Summary of Consultation Responses". Accessed at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_MembersBills/FINAL_consultation_summary_Criminalisation_of_Purchase_of_Sex.pdfHYPERLINK "http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_MembersBills/FINAL_consultation_summary_Criminalisation_of_Purchase_of_Sex.pdf%20on%20June%202nd%202015" on June 2nd 2015
SOU (2010) Selected extracts of the Swedish Government report SOU 2010:49: Prohibition of the purchase of sexual services. An evaluation 1999-2008.
Posted on June 3, 2015 Categories blogTags commercial sexual exploitation, commodification, male violence, prostitutionLeave a comment on Standing up for all women by WAPOW
Why Legalising Prostitution Does NOT Protect Women: Greece Arrests and Publicly Shames HIV+ Prostitutes
I first heard of this case via @AlexpolisTigers. Frankly, it's exactly why I think "legalising" prostitution is nothing more than a pretence at caring about women and is really just about protecting men's rights and access to women's bodies whenever and wherever they want. This particular case covers the whole gamut of abuse of women's bodily autonomy, right to privacy and basic human rights. These 17 women have been accused of "intentionally causing serious bodily harm;" 12 of these women suffered the further indignity of having their names and photographs published on the Greek Police website. What is that if not a disbelief in the basic humanity of women? It is not yet clear that these women even knew they were HIV+ before being arrested. It's also pretty clear that this "crackdown" on the possible transmission sources due to the increase in HIV infection in Greece is only targeting the "bad": that would be female prostitutes and IV drug users. Who, precisely, the Athens police think are infecting these women with HIV is clearly open to debate since it's obviously not the misogynists who believe they are entitled to purchase women's bodies to abuse. It's also not in the least bit surprising that the women being arrested are women from Eastern Europe, most of whom will have been victims of sex trafficking [no doubt by the same criminal organisation responsible for the availability of illegal narcotics]. It's that lovely combination of race, sex and class rearing its head. Again.
I am not sure what we can do to help these particular women but this is precisely why we need to fight against the normalisation and legalisation of prostitution. Legalisation does not "help" the women involved; it does not increase their protection and, frankly, it just ignores the structural inequalities of poverty, physical and sexual abuse, substance misuse and mental health problems that result in women ending up prostitution. After all, prostitution is legal in Greece and these 17 women were all arrested working in "illegal brothels" which far outweigh the number of "legal brothels". If we gave a shit about these women, we wouldn't be legalising prostitution. We would be building a real safety net to protect all vulnerable people: like the one the lying, despicable ConDems have just eradicated.
Prostitution is torture and we need to stop pretending it isn't.
UPDATE: PETITION FOR GREEK PRIME MINISTER
Some resources on the harm caused by prostitution:
Rebecca Mott: The Men Inside of Me
Not For Sale: Survivors in Revolt Blog
Our Voices Matter Blog
Feminism in London Website
Helena Kennedy: Eve Was Framed's Women and British Justice [2005, 1992]
Christine Stark & Rebecca Whisnant's Not For Sale: Feminists Resisting Prostitution and Pornography [2004]
Trine Rogg Korsvik & Ane Sto's The Nordic Approach [2011]
Posted on May 6, 2012 Categories blogTags prostitution, war on women2 Comments on Why Legalising Prostitution Does NOT Protect Women: Greece Arrests and Publicly Shames HIV+ Prostitutes


In case you're on the market for a data sciencey type job, there were a number of them posted to the forums this past week, along with some other schtuff.
Interaction Designer — Do you believe, in a freshman-year kind of way, that design just might save the world?
P.S. I changed the "Finding a Job" forum to "Job Board" since that's basically what it's used for. Are you an employer looking for a qualified data person? Post it to the board. It's free.


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Un cardumen es un conjunto de peces similares, no necesariamente de especies comerciales, como atún o sardina. Y puede no ser tampoco específica a una especie. Se reserva el término cardumen nadando en una alta sincronización y de manera polarizada.

Es un comportamiento de agregación de animales de similar tamaño y orientación, generalmente cruzándose en la misma dirección. Estas conductas les traen beneficios, incluyendo la defensa contra predadores (mejorando su detección y diluyendo la posibilidad de captura), perfecciona el éxito de depredación y mejora la manera de encontrar compañeros. Otra medida beneficiosa de la agrupación en cardúmenes es el incremento de la eficiencia hidrodinámica.

Un rasgo de un cardumen es la fuerte semejanza entre sus miembros. Los peces usan muchas triquiñuelas para elegir compañeros de cardumen: tamaño del cardumen, tipo de especies, tamaño corporal, salud de los miembros del cardumen y afinidad o parentesco.

Los peces a menudo eligen estar en un cardumen que consiste en individuos similares en su apariencia; el "efecto de pares" posibilita que cualquier miembro del cardumen coincidente en semejanza no será  preferido como blanco de los predadores. Este efecto "de pares" finalmente consigue homogeneizar cardúmenes.

Un aspecto del rompecabezas de la selección por cardumen, que hace cada pez individual para unirse a uno de similar apariencia, es que ellos no perciben su propio color. Los experimentos con Danio rerio, pez cebra, muestran que la preferencia por tal cardumen es una habilidad aprendida, no innata. Un pez cebra tiende a asociarse con cardúmenes que parezcan similares a los que ya participó (lo que resulta en una forma de impronta).

Otras cuestiones abiertas de las conductas de cardúmenes incluyen la determinación de la dirección y el sentido de sus movimientos. En el caso de movimientos migratorios, muchos miembros de un cardumen parece que supieran a donde ir, pero el comportamiento depredador es más problemático de entender. El etólogo animal Stephan G. Reebs, escribiendo en la revista  "Animal Behaviour", argumenta que los cardúmenes de Notemigonus crysoleucas (una forma de Cyprinidae) son liderados por un pequeño número de individuos más experimentados.

Véase también
 Comportamiento de bandada

Galería de imágenes

Referencias

Bibliografía

 Boinski S and Garber PA (2000) On the Move: How and why Animals Travel in Groups University of Chicago Press.

 Childress S (1981) Mechanics of Swimming and Flying Cambridge University Press.
 Camazine S, Deneubourg JL, Franks NR, Sneyd J, Theraulaz G and Bonabeau E (2003) Self-Organization in Biological Systems. Princeton University Press.  – especially Chapter 11

 Gautrais, J., Jost, C. & Theraulaz, G. (2008) Key behavioural factors in a self-organised fish school model. Annales Zoologici Fennici 45: 415–428.
 Godin, JJ (1997) Behavioural Ecology of Teleost Fishes Oxford University Press.
 Ghosh S and Ramamoorthy CV (2004) Algorithm Design for Networked Information Technology Systems Springer.

 Inada Y (2001) "Steering mechanism of fish schools" Complexity International, Vol 8, Paper ID Download

 Kato N and Ayers J (2004) Bio-mechanisms of Swimming and Flying Springer.
 Kennedy J, Eberhart, RC and Shi Y (2001) Swarm Intelligence Morgan Kaufmann.
 Krause, J (2005) Living in Groups Oxford University Press.

 Lurton X (2003) Underwater Acoustics Springer.
 Moyle PB and Van Dyck CM (1995) Fish: An Enthusiast's Guide University of California Press.
 Parrish JK and Hamner WM (1997) Animal Groups in Three Dimensions: How Species Aggregate Cambridge University Press.

 Pitcher TJ and Parish JK (1993) "Functions of shoaling behaviour in teleosts" In: Pitcher TJ (ed) Behaviour of teleost fishes. Chapman and Hall, New York, pp 363–440

 Pitcher TJ (2010) "Fish schooling" In: Steele JH, Thorpe SA and Turekian KK (Eds.) Marine Biology, Academic Press, pages 337–349. .
 Pryor K and Norris KS (1998) Dolphin Societies: Discoveries and Puzzles University of California Press. ,
 Ross DA (2000) The Fisherman's Ocean Stackpole Books.

 Simmonds EJ and MacLennan, DN (2005) Fisheries Acoustics Blackwell Publishing.
 Suppi R, Fernandez D and Luque E (2003) Fish schools: PDES simulation and real-time 3D animation in Parallel Processing and Applied Mathematics: 5th International Conference, PPAM 2003, Springer.

 White TI (2007) In Defense of Dolphins Blackwell Publishing.

 Wootton, RJ (1998) Ecology of Teleost Fishes Springer.

Enlaces externos

Peces
Términos zoológicos
Etología

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Natalie Manley has a professional licensing problem
by W.J. Kennedy | Nov 2, 2018
Alyssia Benford
State Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) has a problem with her repeated claims on the campaign trail that she is a certified public accountant (CPA). She also has a problem with how long she's claiming to have been a CPA.
In reaction to the mayor of Joliet's State of the City address in February, Manley told an interviewer that she had been a CPA for more than 20 years.
Natalie Manley
In March, she told residents of the Carillon retirement community in Plainfield that she had been a CPA for over two decades.
On Oct. 9, in debate with her Republican opponent Alyssia Benford before the Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board, she gave a different version, saying that she had been a CPA since 2004.
The regulatory body overseeing public accountants, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations (IDFPR), tells a different story both about the length of time Manley has been a CPA and her professional status in the eyes of state regulators.
For one, the IDFPR has Manley's CPA license status as "inactive." Second, an employee in the Public Accounting section of IDFPR told the Will County Gazette that Manley was first licensed as a CPA in 2010.
Before that, from 2006 to 2012, she was listed as a registered CPA. (The Department employee couldn't explain how her license was backdated from 2012 to 2010.) There are no records of her before that.
The licensed vs. registered distinction is an important one.
According to the "Licensing & Registration" page of the Illinois CPA Society's website, both registered and licensed CPAs are permitted to "hold themselves out" publicly as CPAs. Both can preform "accountancy activities," but only a licensed CPA can perform financial audits and reviews.
Licensed CPAs, moreover, are required to take 120 hours of continuing education every three years – the courses place a strong emphasis on ethics.
The society's website further says that in 2006 "it became law that in order for anyone to hold themselves out as a CPA to the public in Illinois, they must have an active license or registration with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)."
"Failure to maintain an active registration or license with IDFPR while using the CPA designation in an active manner, may result in IDFPR issuing a 'cease and desist' order, and the person may be found guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and fined."
Class B misdemeanors in Illinois carry a maximum penalty of up to 6 months (180 days) imprisonment in the county jail and a maximum fine of $1,500 plus any mandatory court costs. The defendant may also be placed on a period of court supervision, conditional discharge or probation for a maximum of 2 years
In an Oct. 24 debate with Alyssia Benford at WJOL radio, Manley did not challenge Benford's charge that she (Manley) lied about her CPA status and history surrounding her license. Benford is a licensed CPA.
"She lied to the Sun-Times Editorial Board last week that she has been licensed since 2004," Benford said in the closing statement portion of the debate. "She isn't even currently licensed as a CPA in the state of Illinois. If someone will lie about their profession they will lie about anything."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Database Directive Editorial EU Reform Featured
EU Database Directive: Please answer the consultation now
Copyright is often touted as some kind of compromise between the rights of creators and the rights of the public. The idea is that there is a fair balance between what the two sides obtain from the copyright system. Even assuming that was once true, there's a mechanism that guarantees copyright is no longer fair or balanced. It's what might be called the copyright ratchet – the fact that whenever copyright protection has been changed anywhere around the world, it always tends to get stronger, or longer, or broader. In other words, over the years, copyright has been made more favourable towards the creators, and less favourable to the users. So even if copyright were once some kind of fair and balanced deal between the two sides, it certainly isn't now.
This is not an original observation – it has been evident for many years. And yet as still more copyright laws are proposed and passed, they remain fundamentally biased against the public. That's despite the fact that academics have repeatedly warned that such legislation will only make the playing-field even more tilted towards the copyright industry.
As well as consistently ignoring independent experts who warn beforehand against extending copyright yet further, governments around the world exacerbate the problem by failing to revisit legislation once passed to see if it provides the claimed benefits. To be fair, there is one notable exception to that statement. In 2005, the European Commission published a detailed evaluation of an earlier copyright law, passed in 1996: the Database Directive. CopyBuzz has already explained the background to this slightly unusual protection, which comes in two forms. These are traditional copyright protection for "original" databases, and something called "sui generis" protection for databases which aren't original, but require a certain amount of effort in their compilation from other sources.
The European Commission's evaluation noted: "The 'sui generis' right is a Community creation with no precedent in any international convention. No other jurisdiction makes a distinction between 'original' and 'non-original' databases." The core question the report sought to answer was whether this new form of copyright had achieved its aim, and had encouraged the EU database industry to create more databases than it would have done without the sui generis protection.
The results were clear. The EU evaluation wrote: "the new instrument has had no proven impact on the production of databases," and it admitted that there was no evidence that this copyright extension was "necessary for a thriving database industry". The obvious conclusion would be that the sui generis right should be repealed, since it represented a curtailment of the public's rights to access and use data freely, but without any demonstrable gain in terms of increased database production.
However, the copyright ratchet means that once in place, copyright laws are never reversed. And so it was with the Database Directive. Despite clear evidence that it provided no benefits, the sui generis right was not repealed, and exists to this day as yet another copyright monopoly that has been imposed on society without any corresponding benefit. That disregard for the concerns of the public was compounded by a further act of astonishing EU high-handedness. Article 16.3 of the Database Directive lays down that the European Commission is obliged by law to submit a report every three years on the the working of the Database Directive. And yet none has been presented since that lone example of 2005. A cynic might think that Commission was trying to hide the fact that the sui generis protection it had invented was a harmful flop.
As CopyBuzz reported last month, the European Commission has recently launched a consultation on the Database Directive, with a particular focus on the sui generis protection. It provides the public with a chance not only to express their views on this unnecessary right, but also to strike a blow against the copyright ratchet by calling for the Directive to be rolled back.
The consultation document is only available in English, French and German, but you can answer in any EU language – the closing date is August 30th. Even short replies will show the European Commission that the public cares about copyright's adverse effects, and wants something done about them. One welcome feature of the consultation is that a draft version can be saved: when you do so, a link will be provided that will take you back to your stored answers (this can also be sent in an email.)
Not all parts need be answered, so you can pick and choose those that are of most interest or most relevant to you. A key question is in the "Impact on rightholders and users" section, which asks to what extent the sui generis right has been effective, and whether it achieves a good balance between the rights of database companies and of the public. Another question probes the relationship between the costs and the benefits of this right.
The other main section is entitled "Application of the Database Directive and possible needs of adjustment". The key questions here are numbers 18 and 19, which ask how the Database Directive should be modified. My response for both is as follows: "The sui generis right should be repealed completely. Even though only one EU report was produced – despite a legal requirement for one every three years – it is clear that the sui generis right is unnecessary, and is simply another intellectual monopoly that has been imposed on the public for no benefit." Once you have saved and submitted your responses, you can print or download them. You can read mine in this PDF file, for what they are worth.
The consultation about the sui generis right for databases presents a unique opportunity to loosen, if only slightly, the copyright ratchet that has constrained lawmaking in this area for the last three centuries. Please make the most of it before the 30th August deadline.
Featured image by Richard Avery.
TagscopyrightDatabase DirectiveEuropean Commissionsui generis


So the entrepreneurial bug has bitten you, BEYOND being an independent contractor representative for a direct selling company. You want to own and operate your own direct selling company. Question: Where to incorporate? Answer: It does not matter.
Of course it matters. The answer in this brief article is very narrowly focused to mean: It does not matter with regard to the anti-pyramid laws and other laws specific to multi-level direct selling companies. What may matter to you and the other co-founders of the new company joining with you, are issues of corporate governance, required disclosures and privacy, tax consequences, costs to incorporate, costs to remain in good standing, reporting requirements and possibly other issues I have not thought of. But multi-level marketing specific laws will not be a factor. Where you choose to incorporate, even off-shore, will not change the fact that offering an income opportunity, with a multi-level form of compensation, to US residents subjects you to such laws, regardless of where you are incorporated.
My experience is this (and I do not form corporations for my clients) about half choose to incorporate in the state where their home office is located, and the other half choose to incorporate in Nevada. Over the last few decades Nevada has become the state of choice, over Delaware, for those choosing to incorporate in other than their home state. Wyoming wants some of that Nevada incorporation business, and has emerged lately as another choice to Nevada.
Why Nevada, or a state other than your home state? Two answers, both of which are non-answers. First, I do not know. Legal and financial (both tax and accounting) specialists in corporate structure and corporate governance do know, and stand ready to listen to the goals and needs of the co-founders of the new entity and advise on how a careful choice of the state of incorporation may meet those goals and needs. Second answer, and what I do know: It does not matter from the perspective of laws specific to multi-level direct selling. When you offer an income opportunity with multi-level compensation to the residents of any of our 50 states, the regulators in that state will expect compliance with their laws. They will not care if you are incorporated within their state, or in Nevada or elsewhere, or even off-shore.
My two cents worth on off-shore corporate entities. Such structures can be set up properly and legally in all respects. Such structures can meet the unique goals and needs of the co-founders. But such structures create no immunity from US laws applicable to the activities of offering income opportunities with multi-level compensation to the residents of the United States. From personal experience, if an Attorney General in the heartland does not like what you are doing, you better get in there and fix it. Laying back with an attitude of – "I have made it very difficult for that Agency to serve me a subpoena for documents, because I am in Belize," is NOT recommended. The Agency may turn its guns on the lead distributors in their state, who may be very easy to find and serve. That is not a turn of events that will have a happy ending for anyone.
The decision of where to incorporate a new direct selling venture that will offer a multi-level form of compensation requires careful consideration. But from the perspective of an attorney focused almost solely on the unique laws specific to this business model – the location of incorporation does not matter. So give all the factors that do matter appropriate consideration, and choose, knowing that this multi-level legal expert will not second guess you.


My senior year, the Hinkley High School drama class put on a show of Picnic at Hanging Rock. I hung out with them, the usual assortment of misfits and oddballs, though I was never really a part of the drama clique. My closest association with the drama department was as the accompaniment for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and a brief appearance as the black eyelinered Valet in No Exit.
But there was one girl in the drama crew whom I gravitated towards: Neala. She was the embodiment of a free spirit: long red hair, a willowy build, a fiery temperament. She listened to Sarah McLachlan and had full-on Celtic pride completely unrelated to basketball. In Picnic at Hanging Rock, she played Sara, the young girl who falls to her death, possibly murdered by the headmistress.
In the auditorium, the set builders went about constructing a mountain out of 2x4s, chicken wire, painted canvas and papier-mâché. They spray-painted the edifice gray, and it rose almost 10 feet into the air. When lit from above, the mountain cast huge, jagged shadows onto the stage, but from behind, you could see how it was a hollow shell, like a cream puff that's been licked out. A rickety set of steps lead to the top, and it seemed stable enough, until you reached out steady yourself and found the rock crumbling in your hand.
I had a crush on Neala, but whether or not my attraction Neala had a sexual component remains unclear, even to my 30-something gay self today. I want to say no, though I could just as easily say yes. High school was — perhaps still is — a haze of sexual confusion. I want to say that all my attraction to her was sun-dappled and full of warmth, but the more I examine it, the more I revisit it, the more it seems like a mystery that isn't meant to be solved.
I got in touch with Neala about two years ago, during one of those jags where I trawl the Internet in search of old friends, half-remembered names, fleeting acquaintances. I came across Neala's mother, who then put me in touch with her. She finally wrote me an email under an assumed name, because she had been scrubbing her presence off the Internet because of a stalker. I replied, saying how good it was to get back in touch with her, that we should stay connected, that nobody should disappear into thin air. I'm waiting to hear back from her, and until I do, I will imagine her at the top of a hollow mountain, arms outstretched, as if to beckon me closer into the void, into the mystery.


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Trump Taj Mahal Asks Judge to End Union Contract
Or else it may close in November.
By Joel Mathis·	 10/14/2014, 6:29 a.m.
AP reports that the Trump Taj Mahal is asking a bankruptcy judge to end its union contract, or else it will close in November.
Trump Entertainment Resorts said it needs relief from pension and health insurance costs in order to keep the casino open past mid-November. A judge in Delaware was to hear the request Tuesday morning, but it's not clear whether a decision would be made that day.
The company said it needs big union concessions and massive tax breaks from Atlantic City and New Jersey — both of which already have rejected the demand.
Casino union officials say they'd agree to a partial reduction in pension benefits, but won't go further than that. New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney says the state won't offer tax breaks if workers are made to suffer.


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Royals OF Orlando becomes first Brazilian in World Series
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Paulo Orlando had returned home to Brazil last offseason when he flipped on the television to catch the news, and saw this strange report about the first Brazilian to play in the NFL.
The Royals outfielder was immediately intrigued.
Then he was downright stunned.
Not only did he learn that Cairo Santos was carving out quite a career in a decidedly non-Brazilian sport, just like Orlando was trying to do, he was doing it with the Kansas City Chiefs -- the team that plays just across the parking lot from his own team.
"I said, 'Whoa! He plays in Kansas City!" Orlando recalled. "Then I went to winter ball in Venezuela thinking, 'Wow, if I can make the team, I can meet him one day -- two Brazilian guys in the same city and representing their sports.' How crazy is that?"
About as crazy as this: One year after Santos became the first Brazilian to play in the NFL, Orlando became the first from his country to play in the World Series.
He entered Tuesday night's opener against the New York Mets in the eighth inning, and had a single in the 12th, before the Royals finally persevered for a 5-4 victory in 14 innings.
Santos and Orlando aren't the only sports stars in Kansas City, either. Paulo Nagamura is one of the best players on Sporting Kansas City, which just qualified for the Major League Soccer playoffs.
Not bad for a city with a Brazilian population of roughly 4,000 people.
"It's pretty amazing, when you think about it," Santos told The Associated Press. "It's great that we have this opportunity to represent our country in this way."
Santos and Orlando met for the first time a couple months ago, and along with Nagamura have followed each other's careers through social media. But with the way their seasons overlap, they haven't been able to spend a whole lot of time getting to know each other.
Not that it matters. When they did meet, Santos and Orlando slipped casually into Portuguese, a rare opportunity for both of them to speak their native language.
"It's really rare to see a Brazilian player playing baseball, and American football, too," said Marco Rabello, who along with fellow Brazilian native Christian Maciel opened the "Taste of Brazil" restaurant and shop in the City Market section of Kansas City.
Santos wandered in not long ago. Nagamura stops by a couple times a month.
"I contacted Paulo Orlando through Facebook, and I met his wife when she came from Brazil a couple months ago," said Rabello, a former professional volleyball player who came to the U.S. for college. "For me, it's awesome to have three professional players."
With three very different stories in three entirely different sports.
Nagamura has the least far-fetched, considering soccer is easily the most popular sport in Brazil. He came up through his hometown club in Sao Paulo, spent time with Arsenal's system in the English Premier League, and for the past decade has played for MLS clubs.
He was traded to Sporting KC in 2012, helping the club win the 2013 league championship.
Santos also played soccer growing up, but started booting field goals when the Florida high school he was attending as an exchange student was desperate for a kicker. He parlayed that into a scholarship to Tulane, then won the Chiefs' kicking job in training camp last year.
A couple of weeks ago, Santos kicked a franchise-record seven field goals -- two over 50 yards -- in a loss to Cincinnati. He was one field goal shy of matching the NFL record.
As for Orlando, he also played soccer as a child but was introduced to baseball by a family friend with Japanese roots. He was ultimately discovered by a White Sox scout impressed by his speed on the basepaths, and was traded to the Royals in 2008.
After toiling in the minors, he made Kansas City's Opening Day roster this season.
"Soccer, probably when I was a child, was my first love," Orlando said. "I wanted to play it professionally. I just thought about soccer. But baseball came into my life, and to each their own sport. I wanted to be a professional and baseball gave me everything I have right now."
Orlando became the third Brazilian-born player to reach the major leagues, following in the footsteps of Indians catcher Yan Gomes and Marlins pitcher Andre Rienzo.
But he's the first to have made it into a World Series game.
"I just trusted in what I could do. When they put me on the 40-man roster, I knew I had a shot to make the team, and I just tried to show them what I could do," Orlando said. "Now, I'm just glad to be here, that the Royals gave me an opportunity to play baseball."
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Audiobooks » Great Actors Read Great Books
Browse book recommendations:
Great Actors Read Great Books
Great Audiobooks Narrated by Their Authors
If you enjoy listening to books as audiobooks, it's a great time to be alive. From Rosamund Pike narrating Pride and Prejudice , Jeremy Irons reading Lolita to Meryl Streep narrating Nora Ephron's Heartburn many prominent actors have signed up for performing their favourite books in unabridged versions. Some, like the British actor Timothy West, have narrated almost the entire work of a single author.
Below, some of the books that have been recommended by experts on Five Books that have been performed as audiobooks by well known actors. Please message us if you come across any others that you enjoy and that we've failed to include: editor@fivebooks.com
Buy now Listen now
by J R R Tolkien
BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author Andy Serkis expertly narrates JRR Tolkien's prelude to the Lord of the Rings epic. Andy Serkis is the narrator on all the original LOTR books (in the UK and US). For listeners who have already seen the films, Andy uses the same characterful, evocative voice for Gollum in the audiobooks.
Narrator: Andy Serkis
Listening time: 10 hours and 24 minutes
Read expert recommendations
Hamnet
*** Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2020 ***
Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet, a fictionalised account of the short life of Shakespeare's son, won the 2020 Women's Prize for Fiction. It's also read beautifully as an audiobook by Ell Potter.
Narrator: Ell Potter
"It's a great story, and beautifully told…see how she ensures that Shakespeare's wife and children are never overshadowed by their father. In less skilled hands, not naming Shakespeare would grate and fail. With Maggie O'Farrell, this not-naming seems effortless and natural. As we said in our judge's quote, a bravura performance." Read more...
The Best Historical Fiction: The 2021 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist
Katharine Grant, Historical Novelist
"When a celebrity narrator can disappear into the book, that's when it belongs on that small shelf of truly amazing celebrity narrators. And that's what Tom Hanks does in The Dutch House." Read more...
The 2020 Audie Awards: Audiobook of the Year
The Mirror and the Light
by Hilary Mantel
"His voice is as close as can be to the voice that's in my head as I write" —Hilary Mantel
The print book of The Mirror and the Light has got rave reviews, but award-winning actor Ben Miles does an amazing job narrating the audiobook. As Hilary Mantel has pointed out, the British actor (who also starred in the Crown) has already played Thomas Cromwell for the Royal Shakespeare Company, in London's West End and on Broadway: "Ben understands the main character from the inside. His insights from the rehearsal room helped shape the story. He is familiar with how all the characters grow, from first page to last."
Narrator: Ben Miles
Length: 38 hours and 11 minutes
by Homer and translated by Emily Wilson
The audiobook of Emily Wilson's new translation of the Odyssey is performed by the American actress Claire Danes.
Narrator: Claire Danes
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz
The audiobook version of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is narrated by the legendary Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo, who also won a Tony for her role in West Side Story.
Narrator: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Karen Olivo
Length: 9 hours and 54 minutes
The Remains of The Day
*** Winner of the 1989 Booker Prize***
If you've never read The Remains of the Day, the audiobook version is highly recommended. British actor and director Dominic West gives a pitch-perfect performance as the narrator of Ishiguro's hauntingly beautiful, Booker Prize-winning novel; his Mr Stevens, an ageing butler looking back upon his life in service with mounting regret, a carefully-constructed shell of English restraint, within which tempests rage.
Narrator: Dominic West
Length: 7 hours and 5 minutes
"Remains of the Day is such a fantastically insightful study into the British character. This very British butler who doesn't know what to make of change, being so rigidly adherent to his upbringing and he never gets to realise his true love. It's all done in flashback so that we meet him going to visit her, the woman he loves, and he's excited because finally now, after all this time, they might have the chance to be together, and he's looking back at how he has been hurt by being who he is. And they meet, but there isn't a love interest and nothing happens and he is sitting on a bench by the sea realising that he's facing the remains of his day. It's about missed chances and what the British character does to a person's emotions. There is this brick wall that they can't crack through and after a while a bit of the grout wears away and there is a chink to peer through, but it's too late." Read more...
The best books on Enduring Love
Riz Khan, Journalist
The Long Take
by Robin Robertson
***Winner of the 2019 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction***
The Long Take is the winner of the 2019 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018, this powerful and extraordinary novel follows a D-Day veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder, as he goes in search of freedom and repair in post-war America. The audiobook of The Long Take is narrated by Canadian actor Kerry Shale.
Narrator: Kerry Shale
"Original, innovative and, in our judgement, durable, with writing of such power that you occasionally have to stop to recover. The Long Take is a work of supreme artistry. Walter Scott would have read it and marvelled." Read more...
The Best of Historical Fiction: The 2019 Walter Scott Prize Shortlist
The Order of Time
by Carlo Rovelli
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch expertly narrates physicist Carlo Rovelli's book The Order of Time. Listen to how this book brings together science, philosophy and art to unravel the mysteries of time.
Narrator: Benedict Cumberbatch
Length: 4hrs and 18 minutes
We highly recommend listening to The Bell Jar as an audiobook. Performed by American actress and producer Maggie Gyllenhaal, she captures Esther Greenwood's intense struggle with mental illness in Sylvia Plath's devastating semibiographical novel.
Narrator: Maggie Gyllenhaal
by Nora Ephron
The audiobook of Nora Ephron's Heartburn is narrated by the American actress Meryl Streep.
Narrator: Meryl Streep
If you're new to James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man might be the best place to start. We highly recommend the audiobook. What better way to experience James Joyce's first novel than hearing Colin Farrell, of In Bruges, dive into Joyce's streams of consciousness with all the natural musicality of his Irish accent?
by Virginia Woolf
The audiobook of To the Lighthouse has been performed separately by two great actors: Australian actress Nicole Kidman and British actress Juliet Stevenson. Listening time: 7-8 hours.
by Graham Greene
The audiobook of Graham Greene's 1951 novel about a doomed adulterous affair is read by British actor Colin Firth. It was published to great critical acclaim, with Firth's reading of The End of the Affair winning the Audie Awards not only for the best audiobook of the year in 2013 but also best solo narration.
Listening time: 6 hours and 28 minutes
Narrator: Colin Firth
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Frankenstein (Book)
by Mary Shelley
Frankenstein is fabulous to listen to as an audiobook, performed by the British actor Dan Stevens. Listening time: 8.5 hours.
Collected Ghost Stories
by MR James
MR James's Ghost Stories are available as an audiobook, read by the legendary British actor Sir Derek Jacobi.
We highly recommend the audiobook of To Kill a Mockingbird, read by Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek. Performed in her southern accent (Spacek is from Texas), she gives a warm and emotionally nuanced reading of this poignant American classic.
by Vladimir Nabokov
We highly recommend the audiobook of Lolita. Jeremy Irons gave a brilliant performance as Humbert Humbert in the 1997 film of Nabokov's most controversial work. Here, he reprises the role by narrating the whole novel. Irons' mellifluous voice amplifies the beauty of Nabokov's writing, while his reading renders the all-at-once sinister, deluded, and preposterous qualities of the character. A must.
Narrator: Jeremy Irons
by Charlotte Brontë
The audiobook of Jane Eyre is narrated by the British actress Thandie Newton. Listening time: 19 hours 10 minutes
Barchester Towers
by Anthony Trollope
The audiobook of Barchester Towers is performed by the British actor, Timothy West.
Listening time: 19 hours.
by Bram Stoker
The audiobook of Dracula by Bram Stoker is brilliantly narrated by British actors Greg Wise and Saskia Reeves (listening time: 18 hours)
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
It turns out that the brilliant British actor, Stephen Fry, is a Sherlock Holmes books fan, which means that The Complete Sherlock Holmes is also available as an audiobook. Listening to Fry's introduction and then Conan Doyle's stories is a wonderful experience. Our favourite story remains the incredibly scary and mysterious The Hound of the Baskervilles but apparently, according to Washington Post book critic Michael Dirda, it's important to start with The Study in Scarlet.
Narrator: Stephen Fry
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, set during a hedonistic zenith before the Great Depression.
"Gatsby is a book that is, in some ways, ambivalent about glamour and wealth. It entices us with the glamour of the parties and the wonderful material aspects of Gatsby's life – but it shows that his falling for the false promises of materialism destroys him"—from out interview with Sarah Churchwell on the best books on The Great Gatsby
We also highly recommend the audiobook, in which BAFTA-winning actor Jake Gyllenhaal becomes Nick Carraway, our guide through the glittering yet destructive pull of materialism in pre-Depression New York. He portrays all the ambivalences of Fitzgerald's narrator, thrown into this world of decadence and obsession, while breathing new life into this endlessly re-readable novel.
by Jane Austen
The audiobook of Persuasion by Jane Austen is narrated by actress Greta Scacchi.
The Handmaid's Tale was adapted as a multi-Emmy Award-winning television series starring Elisabeth Moss, who also narrates the audiobook.
Narrators: Elisabeth Moss, Bradley Whitford, Amy Landecker, Ann Dowd
by Irvine Welsh
The Trainspotting audiobook is narrated by the Scottish actor Tam Dean Burn (listening time: 12 hours)
The audiobook of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is narrated by the British actor, Stephen Fry.
by Ian Fleming
"I think it's the best of them, and it's wonderful because it reveals what I think is the essential Bond." Read more...
The best books on Spies
Ben Macintyre, Journalist
Pride and Prejudice (Book)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is available as an audiobook, performed by the English actress Rosamund Pike. Listening time: 11 hours and 35 minutes.
The Thirty-Nine Steps
by John Buchan
Award-winning actor Robert Powell, who also played Richard Hannay in the brilliant 1978 movie adaptation of The 39 Steps, is the narrator of the audiobook of John Buchan's 1915 adventure novel (listening time: just under 4 hours).


With all the 2013 Black Friday ad leaks and sneak peeks we've unearthed in the past few weeks, this season's shopping extravaganza is looking ripe with deals and discounts for all. But even though many product categories will see new all-time low prices, not everything is at its lowest price on Black Friday. In fact, there are 13 items you definitely shouldn't buy on November 29. This baker's dozen of goods — including toys and brand-name TVs as well as international airfare and digital cameras — will see better discounts in December and the new year.
We've said it many times already, and we'll say it once more: Black Friday is not the best time to buy toys for the holidays. Many will likely see discounts on Black Friday, and it may feel pretty good to get your shopping done early, but you won't love the sinking feeling you'll get when you see the same toys for even less about two weeks before Christmas.
Speaking of toys, if you're looking to buy a video game console this holiday, you'll get more bang for your buck by opting for a console deal that includes a few extras. In years past, the vast majority of Editors' Choice console deals went to holiday bundles that included premium accessories and two or three game titles. These were frequently discounted 30% to 40% off their retail prices.
A note about next-gen consoles: Unfortunately, we don't expect to see any discounts on the new Xbox One or PlayStation 4 this holiday, bundled or not. However, because these consoles are in high demand and will sell out quickly, we consider just finding one at list price — even if it doesn't come bundled with a game or controller — to be a deal.
Black Friday is an excellent time to buy a new TV, as we predict a variety of size categories will hit their lowest price points. But don't expect the best deals to be tagged with name brands. Typically, the rock-bottom prices apply to third-tier manufacturers; brand-name TVs tend to see their best price of the year in late December as manufacturers look to clear stock after the holidays.
There's no shortage of digital camera deals around Black Friday, but premium current-generation cameras are just a few months away from being replaced by a new line of 2014 models. If you're eyeing a brand new digital SLR, we recommend waiting until after CES and into February for 2013 cameras to become "old," and thus receive aggressive discounts from retailers.
On Black Friday, we'll likely see some of the best apparel coupons of the year from a variety of retailers. However, if a new coat or jacket is on your list, it's smarter to hold off until January when winter apparel is added to clearance sales that will receive much deeper base discounts. We will inevitably find additional stacking coupons then too, which make end-of-season sales even better for your wallet.
While not typically on anyone's "To Buy on Black Friday" list, Christmas decor tends to end up in-cart on impulse buys. Sure, that string of lights or holiday wreath might be on sale, but deals on Christmas items get better the closer we get to the holiday itself — and of course the best deals appear after the holiday. Last year, we listed the Musical Charlie Brown Christmas Tree in early November for $19 shipped. On Black Friday it fell to $15 shipped. By Christmas Eve it was available for $9 at Kmart.
For those of you looking to get a leg up on any New Year's Resolutions to get fit, you should resolve to wait to buy any fitness equipment. During Black Friday weekend 2012, we listed just two Editors' Choice fitness deals, while December and January each saw more than five times that amount on a variety of gear including heart rate monitors, ab machines, ellipticals, and yoga equipment.
We're flagging this accessories category "Do Not Buy" for the entire holiday season. Much like Christmas items, there will be lots of sales advertising shiny, metallic objects perfect for him and her. But the discounts on jewelry around the winter holidays are no better than those around Valentine's Day, when baubles are at their most in-demand. Last year, we posted just four Editors' Choice watch deals and three Editors' Choice jewelry deals from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.
The stylish and new iPad mini 2 (with Retina) will set you back the same amount as an iPad 2 — $399 — and if the iPad mini 2 follows the price pattern as its predecessor, it won't see a 10% discount until several months from now. While there's an off-chance that an attention-seeking retailer could offer an iPad mini 2 Black Friday deal, the original, first generation iPad mini is a better buy this holiday season: the Apple Store has already discounted to $299.
For the past two years, no new Kindle Fire HD tablets have seen any significant discounts on Black Friday. But the device has fallen in price: with the addition of the Kindle HDX to the Kindle tablet lineup, Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle Fire HD to $139. However, we still don't anticipate seeing any dollar-off discounts on the Kindle Fire HD because it's already sold at cost. Moreover, the current generation Kindle HDX is also a "don't buy" for Black Friday — unless you find a bundle deal that increases its value.
While we don't know anyone who doesn't appreciate a seasonal throw blanket, we don't recommend giving them as gifts this year unless you've got a stock of them in the closet from last season. Not only does holiday decor get cheaper after the holiday in question (see Christmas Decorations above), but bedding and blankets fall to their lowest prices of the year come January and February during White Sales, which have been a colorful tradition since the 1950s.
Perhaps better received than throw blankets, gift baskets and wine subscriptions are especially popular during the holidays. But as the giver, you'll get a better deal on specialty foods (i.e. Omaha Steak gift bundles, fruit baskets, assorted baked goods) if you wait until December; last year we saw twice as many Editors' Choice deals close to Christmas than around Thanksgiving.
If you have your sights set on a trip California or Florida, by all means purchase airfare around Black Friday and even closer to Christmas. Last year we saw up to 50% off coupons from Frontier, JetBlue, and Virgin America. However, if it's an international getaway you're after, we advise you to hold off on booking your flight until the new year. Last year we saw zero Editors' Choice airfare deals between Thanksgiving and New Year's. But in the first two months of the year, Air Canada offered the lowest base rate we'd seen for flights to Toronto; JetBlue took 80% off select flights to the Caribbean; and Lufthansa offered roundtrip fares to Europe for $471.
While we advise against purchasing the above products around Black Friday, keep in mind that nothing is written in stone, and we may still see some stellar deals within these categories; however, it's more likely that we'll encounter so-so offers, so it's best to temper your expectations.
But enough about what you shouldn't buy on Black Friday! Check out our complete Black Friday predictions to see what's good to purchase around our (and Kentucky's) favorite shopping holiday. Then, consider signing up for an email alert so you know immediately when the items of your choice are listed on dealnews.


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"Eiffel", an exemplary production in terms of applying the sanitary protocol
The film Eiffel by Mathieu Bourboulon and supported by Paris Region is exceptional in more ways than one: Having rebuilt part of the famous architect's tower, this French super production was one of the film productions that had been stopped by the first lockdown and that successfully applied the health protocol developed by the Cinematographic and Audiovisual Health and Safety Committees (CCHSCT) to finalize its filming.
Film Paris Region helped the producer, Vanessa van Zuylen (VVZ Production, L'insensé) during this period.
millions d'euros de budget total
euros were spent on the implementation of the sanitary protocol
days of filming in Paris Region, including 29 outside Paris
Having just completed his collaboration on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel is at the peak of his career. The French government wanted him to create something spectacular for the 1889 Universal Exhibition in Paris, but Eiffel was only interested in the metro project. Everything changed when he ran into his childhood sweetheart once again. Their forbidden relationship inspired him to change the skyline of Paris forever.
Adapting the filming to the sanitary context
The filming of Mathieu Bourboulon's movie came to a halt after 8 weeks in March 2020. The resumption was made possible thanks to the adaptability of all the professions involved: Costumes, make-up, production, all the staff had to reinvent their workstations in order to respect government guidelines: Taking the temperature of the people entering the film area, gloves, masks and hand sanitizer were mandatory, as well as the rotation of the teams during the catering service in the dressing rooms. Cleaning was reinforced and was done daily for props, costumes, and all the film equipment.
Following the recommendations of the CCHSCT and Film Paris Region, the production hired a COVID advisor in order to streamline the work. François Hamel, production manager, estimated the cost of the resumption, which required additional days of preparation, the hiring of additional personnel and the purchase of specific materials, at an average of 300,000 euros.
Take a look behind the scenes of the resumption
L'info en vrai report from March 2020 produced with the help of Film Paris Region
The Château de Vaugien : an exceptional location in the Yvelines
The Château de Vaugien hosted the filming of Eiffel at the time of the first lockdown and during the resumption. Thanks to an experienced and passionate team, this unique location in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse has been hosting productions for almost twenty years.
Manager Jacquelin de La Rochefoucauld explains how the château has reinvented itself:
On April 2, 2004, Patrice Chéreau knocked on the door of the château and asked me if I would agree to direct all of his next film in this place that he found so special and so rich with its many different settings.
The film Gabrielle by Patrice Chéreau, starring Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory, was filmed entirely at the Château de Vaugien and, after being selected for the Venice Film Festival and nominated in various categories of the 2005 Césars, it won the César Award for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
At the end of the filming, I remembered something Patrice Chéreau said:
"If you leave your château the way it is now, you'll get a lot more film productions..."
Thanks to him, the Château de Vaugien began a new life... That of a natural location near Paris (less than 20 km from the Pont de Sèvres) which, over time, has adapted to receive directors and productions with the greatest of ease.
Since 2004, the Château's commercial activities have been entirely geared towards hosting film productions.
At first, this new activity required making the location known among directors, production designers, assistant directors and even production managers.
There are plenty of advantages:
A large number of different sets in the same location (significant savings for staging and production)
The close distance to Paris, whatever the traffic, and the close distance to the RER B train station (savings on the technical teams' expenses)
Easy accommodation and parking for a very large number of technical trucks without prior authorization.
The provision of space for the canteen and all the production.
The provision of a person from the Vaugien estate for the duration of the filming, a person who ensures that everything runs smoothly and who responds to the requests of the production team and the director.
Support for the electronic, machinist and design managers so that they can work on the set with complete peace of mind.
All these provisions have allowed for the reception of all kinds of productions for almost 20 years, from the smallest short films from film schools (EICAR, La FEMIS, ESRA, etc.) to big American or French blockbusters such as The Transporter and Eiffel.
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Air passenger duty (APD) is a levy paid by passengers to depart from UK (and Isle of Man) airports on most aircraft. Onward-bound passengers on connecting flights are not liable, nor those on aircraft weighing under 10 tonnes or with fewer than 20 seats.
It was introduced in 1994 at a rate of £5 per passenger to EEA destinations, and £10 to non-EEA destinations. In 2001 a higher rate for non-economy class seats was introduced. In 2009 EEA and non-EEA bands were replaced with four distance bands (measured from the destination's capital city to London, not the actual flight distance) around thresholds of 2,000, 4,000 and 6,000 miles.
In 2015 the highest two bands were abolished, leaving only two remaining: band A up to 2,000 miles and band B over 2,000 miles. For each band there is a reduced rate (for the lowest class seats), a standard rate and a higher rate (for seats in aircraft of over 20 tonnes equipped for fewer than 19 passengers). Passengers under 16 are exempt.
Flights within the European Economic Area already covered by the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS),[1] meaning that there is practically no emissions-based reason to tax EEA flights. This is because any reduction in emissions from discouraging air travel would simply be replaced by another emitter buying the freed-up permit. The duty is payable per passenger despite there being only a weak link between passenger numbers and CO2 emissions. It takes no regard of the fuel efficiency of the aircraft. So even on non-EEA flights, the environmental case for APD is weak.
APD introduces distortions between air travel and other forms of domestic and EEA transport. There is no equivalent duty on coach or rail passengers. There are consequential losses for suppliers such as airliners, airports and their associated industries together with the welfare loss from those journeys switched.
APD does not remove the distortion between types of consumption liable to VAT (including private transport) and air travel because it is so arbitrary. While purchases of petrol, cars and taxi rides are subject to VAT (if the supplier's revenues are above the VAT threshold), public transport is not.
Abolish APD immediately.
Switch to an air flight duty limited to non-EEA flights based on emissions, not passengers, for flights not covered by the ETS.
Click here for a printable PDF.
[1] European Commission, The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), 2016 https://ec.europa.eu/clima/sites/clima/files/factsheet_ets_en.pdf