text:
The African Union as a security actor: African solutions to African problems?
Møller, Bjørn (2009) The African Union as a security actor: African solutions to African problems? Crisis States Research Centre working papers series 2 (57). Crisis States Research Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.
This paper focuses on the problem-solving capacity of the African Union (AU) and its predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). It forms a companion paper to WP56.2 which looks specifically at the ability of African sub-regional organisations to play their part in dealing with Africa's conflicts and security issues. Both papers examine the hypothesis that a regional hegemon, and a measure of shared values and norms, are necessary requirements for an effective regional security organisation. The paper commences with a brief account of the concept of hegemony, followed by an analysis of the empirical question as to whether there are any potential hegemons in Africa. The author goes on to analyse the OAU's record in dealing with conflict and traces the genesis of the AU, its ambitions, organisational structure and actual accomplishments in the realm of peace and security.
http://www.crisisstates.com/Publications/publicati...
© 2009 B. Møller
D History General and Old World > DT Africa
Departments > International Development
Research centres and groups > Crisis States Research Centre


MS: Dr. Amit Goswami, it's really wonderful to have you here on Enrichment.com. Welcome.
MS: You are an adherent to the view that it's neither random evolution as Darwin posited, nor so-called Creationism minus Evolution, but Evolution guided by Consciousness or Intelligent Design. Is that right?
AG: Yes that is right. In fact, I point out that data, if looked upon objectively without emotion, without attachment to particular theory, has been pointing to this direction for quite some time. There are the fossil gaps, there is the absolutely indisputable biological era of time from simplicity to complexity. You just mentioned two pieces of data which cannot be understood in any other way but intelligent design through quantum evolution. For in the past, you've had epochs of evolution in which quantum leaps of creativity took place.
MS: I see. Doctor, do these two words, Consciousness and Intelligence, carry the same meaning for you?
AG: In my usage, I don't make much distinction because of the following reason. When this phrase, so-called artificial intelligence was coined a long time ago in the '50's, the idea was that intelligence is a characteristic of the mind which can be reciprocated by machines. The belief was probably one of the most pressing beliefs of materialism; and materialists wanted to show this and once and for all prove that the human mind is nothing more than a machine. But it turns out that in 30 years, not only that the machinists have not made much progress towards producing real intelligent machines, but the word intelligence has become clear to us. Mental intelligence has two aspects. One is of course to provide very articulate content. Machines could provide this articulate content. Artificial intelligence programmers could provide us with programs where a machine could easily fool you to think it is a sophisticated highly trained professional. For example there was a number in Canada you could call, and you would think you were talking to a California psychotherapist, only to find out after the hour that you had spoken with a machine!
But then the philosopher Don Ferrell started complaining and he pointed out with very good argument that computers cannot process meaning. Mind…mental thought…has two components. One is the content. But any amount of sophistication in the content - does that translate into the ability to process meaning? And it isn't that subtle. Because meaning is another level – a different logical category than content. And then this was proven by Roger Penrose, the physicist/mathematician at Oxford University, with very very "kosher" mathematics – a mystery by itself called Cordell's Theorum - that Penrose used to establish the fact on mathematical ground that meaning cannot be processed by a computer. Computers are symbol processing machines that can make representations of mental meaning, but that's it.
MS: Let me become the visitor to this site to ask you some questions that may be in the mind of a non-scientist, okay? Intelligent Design. Are you saying that this intelligence permeates the Universe, underlies all Matter, is the ground of all Being – and actually spawned the Universe…the physical Universe?
AG: Yes. Underlies…hints at the correct word, which is a little more sophisticated and technical, but we'll have to use it. The right word is transcendence…transcends. This intelligent consciousness which can process symbols, meaning and beyond. It also has archetypes of meaning that we're only beginning to investigate with human intelligence developed so far. So this enormously intelligent consciousness, which not only has mental intelligence but also archetypal intelligence – this consciousness is the ground of all Being in such a way that it both transcends us and also is immanent in the world as we experience it. That's the correct statement.
Now the words transcendence and immanence, agreed, is complicated, but I'll simplify it. Quantum physics allows us to simplify it. Transcendence has two components. One applies in space and time. This is the component where interactions occur through the exchange of signals. I'm talking to you now with local signals of sound passing from me to you and you to me. But another kind of communications exists in the world which in quantum physics is called non-local. Communication without signals.
MS: Does that also mean outside of space and time?
AG: Yes, it also means outside of space and time, but you have to put the word outside within quotes because if you just say "outside" the materialists can say well we can always enlarge space and time to include the outside because – so it's "outside" meaning it's really outside the premise of space and time, and trans-space and time. It's outside the premise because in space and time all interactions, as Einstein proved long ago, must occur through the intermediary of signals. But it is without signals, so it is outside of the very premise in which space and time occurs.
MS: Yes. Tell me, is intention a characteristic of consciousness?
AG: Intention is a fundamental characteristic of consciousness. It is through intention that evolution goes on…evolution starts and goes on until that intention is manifested. That intention is for consciousness to see itself in manifestation.
MS: I would assume you would adhere to the current view that the Universe was spawned in an instantaneous flash called The Big Bang?
AG: Well The Big Bang fits within this model but there are some interesting twists. What we say in quantum physics is that The Big Bang first begins, or is anchored, as possibility. In other words, the Universe of quantum possibilities must exist before the self-aware Beings develop.
MS: Does that mean a propensity to actualize?
MS: My curiosity is aroused. I'd like to ask you…regarding the arrangement of that molecularization that made the possibility likely…even that…was there a purposiveness behind that do you think?
AG: Of course. It is the sole purpose of that original intention.
MS: So it was not an accident that the molecularization arrangement occurred?
AG: There is no accident in the new view. In the new view, Evolution has to proceed in kind, because the rules are that the entire game will take place within the strict rules of the game that we call Science. So it's a game that this time around Consciousness plays within laws that we call Science, and it is that which makes it so fascinating this time.
AG: And so subject to misinterpretation, and that is to be expected.
MS: Let me ask you, Doctor, would it be correct to presuppose that Intelligence, this high extraordinary Intelligence, preceded The Big Bang? That whatever there was prior to The Big Bang – there was this Intelligence already existent?
AG: Of course. Notice that this solves a fundamental paradox that will always confront you if you don't solve it this way. And the paradox is…I've got to tell you this story about Augustine, St. Augustine. He always used to teach about God and Heaven and Hell and all that. So one day, it is said, a parishioner, a back bencher, a heckler, started heckling him, saying, "Hey Augustine, you're always talking about God and how He created heaven and hell. What was God doing before He created Heaven and Earth? Augustine was taken aback for a moment, but only a moment, saying "He was creating Hell but only for people who ask such questions!" (Laughs).
AG: But be that as it may, the question remains, what existed before The Big Bang? You can always ask that. And today we have theories of the inflationary Universe that lamely gives us a scenario – but again we can ask what existed before the inflation?
If we recognize that Consciousness as the Ground of Being is an Eternity in which all possibilities past, present and future simultaneously co-exist, we easily recognize that in that reality there is no Time. Because Past-Present-Future, all possibilities co-exist, so there is no movement and there is no Time. And this is what philosophers, especially spiritual philosophers mean by Eternity. Nothing happens. Nothing ever happens. Literally. And this Eternity is always present. It was present before The Big Bang. It was present at the moment of The Big Bang. It is present now. And what we have, how we experience the world as we see it in Space and Time, is created moment to moment, by transforming quantum possibilities into actual events of experience.
MS: And do you believe…well first let me backtrack…the so-called String Theory which gives some evidence or plausality to the possibility that there are multiple Universes and Dimensions. Do you feel that is a possibility?
AG: I don't think that is not a possibility but I don't think that is relevant in this context.
Because these other dimensions of Space and Time are ( ) anyway. And we're still talking about the manifest Universe. I'm talking about the unmanifest.
MS: That's right. Now you were reared in the sacred Hindu tradition. Did the Hindu religion and culture inform your later scientific findings and views?
AG: They did but at a later stage. In the initial stage, I must confess, I became a complete materialist following the enormous power of the materialist view.
MS: So you almost rebelled against the spiritual view?
MS: I'm curious. Did your spiritual view really come initially as the result of your later findings in physics?
AG: My spiritual view took place as a sort of a discontent that I was living a very unhappy life as a physicist of the old paradigm of scientific materialism. Because I could not find any happiness there, and because my inherent belief, my intuitive belief was that it is possible to integrate life between science and everyday living, and until that integration happens there will be no happiness for me.
MS: So it all came together for you, so to speak?
AG: It all came together for me in that recognition that Consciousness is the ground of all Being.
MS: Doctor, this Consciousness, this Intelligence, am I correct in stating that it is a supra-intelligence, that in some spiritual circles we would call Divine Mind or God?
AG: Yes, it is a super Intelligence that is indeed called Divine Mind and God, but a lot of misconceptions exist. For example, as soon as you have used the word "super" it will ring warning bells in the mind of a materialist who will immediately say that you are talking about super Nature, not about Nature. The word "super" has to be used with extreme caution. There is no super Nature in the new view, because quantum physics is already suggesting that quantum possibilities reside transcending ordinary Space-Time. This is just ordinary physics. Even Heisenberg said that. Heisenberg introduced the concept of Potentia, in which these possibility waves of quantum objects reside. And that is outside of "Space-Time" in the way I explained before.
MS: Yes. Now on planet Earth, where we see the manifestation of Life, my own simple layman's observation is…which is becoming more acute…that all life carries intelligence, all life is intelligent.
AG: Yes. All life carries intelligence, though if you define intelligence as mental intelligence, the ability to discern and process meaning – the meaning processing capacity develops at a much later stage.
MS: Yes, I see. Right.
MS: Feelings, but also a certain awareness.
AG: Yes, a certain basic awareness.
AG: A basic ability to cognate. This was recognized in fact, without using quantum physics. This was intuitive by the great Chilean biologist, Umberto Maturana.
MS: I read in your book your reference to Jung's comment that the purpose of life is to move from unconsciousness to consciousness. Are you also saying that the intelligence in Intelligent Design has an unconscious aspect to it? We just spoke about Supra Intelligence, but is there an unconscious aspect to Intelligent Design?
AG: Absolutely. This word "unconscious" is a little bit confusing because psychologists use it in a slightly different sense than we tend to use it in quantum physics. In quantum physics "unconscious" is whenever awareness - subject object awareness - is not present. In that sense, the unmanifest is unconscious. In psychology, there is a tendency to use it in slightly different form in the sense that it must be connected with memory. So in Freud's philosophy it comes from personal memory. In Jung's philosophy, it comes from collective memory. And so Jung's collective unconscious is much more general than Freud's and is very compatible with what spiritual traditions say.
But in physics, the word "unconscious" means even more generally a place where possibilities interact with possibilities, but no collapse of the possibilities into actual events of experience takes place. So that includes then the kind of unconscious processing that is a precursor to the creative experience of insight.
MS: You know, Doctor, I've always had this kind of intuition that indeed Consciousness was the ground of Being, and that it preceded materiality; that indeed, it made sense to me that materiality emerges out of Consciousness. I've always felt that way.
The person who launched me on my own spiritual path – and you mention him in your book – is Teilhard de Chardin and his book, The Phenomenon of Man.
MS: I found the book, even though I didn't agree with all the theology, very appealing in that it posited the idea that there was an intersection between Science and Spirituality.
AG: It is a great book.
MS: And he was a great man, wasn't he? Truly great.
AG: Yes, he was a great man. Along with Sri Aurobindo of India, who in the last century already had the idea of creative evolution taking us towards the supramental intelligence. Long before quantum physics interpreted it this way. Quantum physics was already around when they were alive. But the importance of quantum physics was not investigated properly. World War II stopped the progression of quantum physics towards this interpretation that came into vogue only in the 1 990s. And that is so unfortunate. Materialism evolved in the 1950s because we needed materialistic knowledge to come out of all the problems that were created.
MS: What was very appealing to me about Teilhard and his book was when he developed a cosmology that referred to the Intelligent Design, obviously in Evolution, that he called the geosphere, out of which rose the biosphere, out of which rose the noosphere, or thought or human existence – and that it is going somewhere towards what he calls a convergence towards an Omega Point. How do you feel about that kind of cosmology?
AG: I feel just fine. Except I don't think the Omega Point will be a point. I think when we develop the capacity of making direct representations of the supramental archetypes in matter…this word sounds so vague today because of our limited evolution up until now…but the point is that why can't I love you because you are you and I am me because of that? We are two fellow human beings.
The reason is this: I cannot love you because I don't have the capacity of making the representation of the intution of love that I do occasionally have. I make a mental representation and then I try to live my mental representation but that representation is going to be limited. It does not allow me to love any person just like that. It allows me to love only if you satisfy certain criteria. So it's a conditional love.
So this intuition of unconditional love…until that comes to us as a direct experience as oneness with you…I cannot truly love you. And this is of course what divides us into fractions because only if you agree with me it is easier to love you.
MS: The non-egoic kind of love…the altruistic love.
AG: The non-egoic kind of love which depends on a direct experience of the archetypes in a way that human beings rarely do.
MS: And all the primary great Realized Masters, whether it was Buddha, or Jesus, or Krishna – they existed asthe founders of the great Wisdom Religions - they all spoke to this kind of love, right?
AG: They all spoke to it, and they showed how to live like that.
AG: But we can't because we don't have the capacity of living like them, and really evolutionarily speaking, we don't have capacity of directly representing the supramental archetypes in matter. Which they didn't have either, but they bypassed that requirement by developing a way of living that took them directly to experience and bring that experience to manifestation in every moment of their life. Which requires an enormous capacity of surrendering the ego that no ordinary mortal – myself included – can really aspire.
MS: Doctor, don't you see though, the beginnings of a critical mass where you can see the yearning for this?
AG: I envision it. And I certainly have a yearning for it. And if our practices ever reach a critical mass, and that is what I have proposed in Creative Evolution. In truth, the amount of practice that we have to do, not only in a personal way, but in a collective way, still boggles my mind. I aspire to it. I've begun a movement called Quantum Activism to move towards it, but it still completely awes me to ever think about how we can become like that. But we might.
MS: Won't it happen organically out of the evolutionary process?
AG: It has to happen. It's got to boggle your mind. It's amazing that we can be born with the capacity of balancing our negative emotions.
MS: Here on planet Earth you see so much complexity and so many diversionary tracks; but one of these tracks seems to be – and of course the opposite exists sadly enough – the rise of compassion for, for example, the poor in the developing world.
MS: I've worked for various humanitarian organizations, some of which are Christian, which are very involved in this arena. Isn't this the laying of track of that compassionate vision that you see?
AG: Well, yes and no. It is of course a great phenomenon that is taking place. Celebrities really feeling compassionate, and really devoting their time and effort into removing world hunger. Very worthwhile.
MS: Yes. Celebrities like Bono and Angelina Jolie and her husband Brad Pitt.
AG: Exactly. One problem that people still face is not only to have the compassion in that way – which is great already – but even greater it would be if the compassion transferred as brain circuits. So that that kind of love could always manifest whenever needed, to balance all the negativity that also is present in their lives.
all people, not just the poor people…not just the hungry. All people.
AG: Then not only will they be transformed, but they will start a revolution in the world where the forms which biologist Rupert Sheldrake called morphic fields, which is prior to our access groupings for biological form – the modifications in that world, that subtle world – is essential. Because it is that modification that quantum physics shows is non-local; and because of the non-local nature, it can propagate beyond space and time to future generations and help create a future generation of people with automically transformed brain circuits.
MS: And that's how you conclude your book, isn't it?
AG: That's how I conclude my book.
MS: Tell me, just to take a step back for a moment on this…and this is all fascinating and wonderful…the word "soul" – and you adhere to a certain view of reincarnation, do you not?
MS: The word "soul" – obviously when our physical form dies – I say "obviously"…I believe this, and I think you posit this…the consciousness survives.
AG: Yes, absolutely. That is obvious, because consciousness is the ground of Being. Where would it go?
MS: Yes. And that consciousness – and I'm talking now about the individual consciousness - is the soul?
AG: Individual consciousness has aspects of it which correspond to the propensities that this individual consciousness develops. Not the content. There's also a lot of content of consciousness that comes up. Like you are so and so, you were born there, and you grew up like this, you married so and so…this is content.
MS: In my own life, Doctor, I'm born Jewish, I'm the son of Holocaust survivors, but ever since I was a little boy I've been very attracted to statues of St. Francis. And I have statues in my home of St. Francis. And St. Francis, who was a lover of animals – I am that too. Now I'm not saying I was St. Francis but in my own…I had a regression where I saw that I was a Franciscan priest in my prior life. And interestingly I was a Franciscan priest who may have saved Jews on the way to the camps. And it resonates for me because of this fascination and feeling of comfort I've had with the image of St. Francis since I was a little boy. And also here I am born Jewish.
So there is some content that survives.
AG: But the content was not present in your mind. You remembered it because…there is of course…we have the non-local capacity of remembering memories when we were born. At that point, which can be theorized, we do remember all lives simultaneously. A lot of memories that have stored in the brain very early on in our lives.
MS: I'm curious about your viewpoint. In between physical lifetimes, where are we?
AG: Impossibility. We are in the transcendent Potentia.
MS: It is a no-local place. It is not a place?
AG: Right. It's non-local. It's everywhere and nowhere. Another paradoxical way of thinking about it.
MS: In human evolution, I assume that you would think that the moral evolution of the soul is in a way part of the purpose of human existence?
MS: So reincarnation – the progression of the soul towards enlightenment if you want to say – is the trajectory of the human experience?
AG: It seems to be the trajectory of human experience at this stage of our evolution. At the next level of evolution, it might be a different trajectory. We will have the capacity of what we aspire towards today as those archetypes – love, beauty, justice, truth and goodness – to manifest them in our lives. But when we have the capacity of manifesting them and to present them in matter, in some sort of super brain, then that part of the journey will be much easier. Just as today, processing of meaning, that part of the journey we do more or less automatically.
MS: Do you see an ultimate, and of course this would be in the far distant future, an ultimate end to physical human form?
AG: I don't and I do. Sometimes I think maybe this human form is all that is necessary. All we need to do is develop a neo-cortex or something. But sometimes I feel these archetypes are so refined, that to make representations of them we'll need more refined matter than we have today.
MS: Do you have any intuition that there are other intelligent life forms on other planets, elsewhere within the Universe that are morally advanced of us?
AG: I did speculate once. This is in an appendix of my book, Physics of the Soul, that the phenomenon that sometimes is grossly misunderstood and misinterpreted, namely these UFOs – Unidentified Flying Objects – might have a component including these extremely intelligent Beings that may leave another planet who come to visit us to check upon us – because they're not bound by the rules of Space-Time travel. Mainly that you have to travel below the speed of light in which case they could visit us from a distant galaxy. Right now that's science fiction and science doesn't yet allow that. But it may be possible once we develop an Omega Phase. In that phase, when you have the capacity of making direct representations for the supramental, we may be able to suspend the laws of physics locally. If we can, of course we'll be able to travel to galaxies.
MS: Do you think it's possible that there exists some kind of Intergallactic Club right now waiting for us to grow up, so to speak?
AG: You know, I was so influenced by science fiction at one stage in my life. I wrote a book on it. Yes, that's a science fiction dream, and I still have a soft spot for such dreams.
MS: In Evolution, we're still kind of being birthed, aren't we? I mean birthing into something else?
AG: Yes, we're always birthing into something else. Right now my vision is, which I expressed in Creative Evolution, is that we're birthing into a new phase of human mind, which is called the Intuitive Mind. Mind will turn to study the intuitive aspects of our lives – love, beauty, truth, justice, goodness – those are the major ones. And I sure see myself only fascinated today by the possibility of this Intuitive Mind – the mind engaging with love. How can I appreciate beauty more than I do now? These are the questions that turn me on, and I'm hoping that with the movement of Quantum Activism, I can meet people and inspire people to join me in this quest of the Intuitive Mind.
This has happened, because without this we are stuck in a phase of Evolution where we are constantly faced by the negative emotions which we are helpless to handle. And that cannot stand. I just cannot stand the idea anymore of why intelligent people like me have occasional, even though occasional, bad stuff – negative emotions like anger, sorrow, sadness, negativity – why should I succumb to this?
MS: Well my father Owen, may he rest in Peace, he was a survivor of Nazism and the Holocaust…you know I give him credit that he survived it, and he was pretty much an optimist, but every now and then his memory kicked in. His mother was bayoneted and killed in the street. And it's very difficult, isn't it, to overcome that kind of experience. It's challenging.
AG: The way he did it, your father, I'm just assuming it, had brain circuits that he created, nourished, into positivity.
MS: I think absolutely you're right, and that he made a conscious decision that if we're to build a better world, we must move away from cruelty and intolerance of other people.
AG: Isn't that the most interesting thing of such cataclysmic events like the Holocaust? People who survived ended up to be transformed people.
MS: And kind people. Are you hopeful about the future? We have a lot of problems on the planet right now.
MS: Do you think we may be experiencing a breakdown in order to have a breakthrough?
AG: I think so. I think that the breakdown…you know, Evolution has a very interesting aspect not often talked about because it goes against the grain of Darwinism, which is that geological catastrophes have substantially contributed towards Evolution.
MS: Yes I read that in your book.
AG: I do believe that 2012, the end of the Mayan Calendar, is a metaphor for these catastrophes, or semi-catastrophes. My vision is that we will avoid the catastrophe, but it will be a near catastrophe that will bring us to the awakening and give us this new worldview.
MS: Well Doctor. This has been wonderful and fascinating. I want to thank you so much for your time.
MS: Thank you so much. This has really been great. You are truly terrific.
MS: All the best to you.
AG: All the best to you Mike.


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INTERVIEW: My mistakes, wanting to quit music birthed Red Velvet, says Waje
By Stephen Charles Kenechukwu
Being a prominent Nigerian vocalist whose artistic potential has severally spoken for itself in the studio albums and collaborative projects she has put out, Aituaje Iruobe, better known as Waje, had undoubtedly given fans the shocker when she broke news she was quitting music.
In the wake of public outcry from fans who had taken to social media to share in her pains, Waje resorted to staging her first-ever owned concert named after her last studio album in a night of serial stage performances that rejuvenated her brand.
Following the sold-out concert, the 39-year-old R&B songstress talks with TheCable Lifestyle on how events of the past few months caused a change in perspective and birthed her renewed vision of changing the unpleasant narratives in Nigeria's music industry for emerging talents.
How was the experience of organizing a concert as grandiose as 'Red Velvet'?
Amazing! From the initial pressure to seeing everything come together piece by piece, it was intense. Trying to get sponsors, getting the word out there, connecting with fans, and making sure that the media stays abreast of what we're up to involved lots of effort.
There were days my manager and I would get home at 1 am and still wake first thing in the morning because I'll have band rehearsals and then dance rehearsals in the evening. We underwent the grueling routine of knocking on the doors of our sponsors and granting a series of interviews. It was hectic, yet, I loved the pressure.
What impression did you set out to make with 'Red Velvet'?
Music has been a part of me, something I knew I've always wanted doing. After I stated I was quitting music, I thought to leverage on a platform where I can artistically express myself without attention being taken away. I've always been appreciative of other gigs but I wasn't going to rely on them to achieve that feat. I needed to reconnect with my fans and remind them of the Waje they love. That's why staged the Red Velvet.
Waje says many artistes pay too much emphasis on being popular than making intentional efforts to build a bankable brand.
You stated that Red Velvet marks a pivotal point that would see you transition your brand and bring alternative music to the mainstream. Can you speak on that?
I feel we're all under the umbrella of Afrobeats but there are other genres that are also deserving of prominence. There's also a deluge of other indigenous artistes aside from those of Afrobeats that need the spotlight to showcase their potentials. Having a concert that would grow to attain international recognition and have Nigerian artiste showcase themselves is ideal.
This is because I do see lots of young artistes making the same mistake I made at the onset. Too much emphasis on being popular than making intentional efforts to build a bankable brand. Since I don't have a record label to sign all of them, I can have a show that speaks for them. That's what that is about.
What were your early days in the music industry like?
It was tough because I was still trying to discover myself and had no knowledge of the business side of music-making. I knew the stage and studio were two places I enjoyed spending more time but made the mistake of prioritizing popularity over being bankable as a brand. I also didn't quite understand what sound I should go with. That's why I can now do reggae, R&B, Highlife, name it. With this, you start wondering what genre I'm up for unlike what obtains with record labels where it's dictated to you.
When you said you were quitting music, you had registered your frustrations about investing much and not getting the perks befitting of your efforts. What followed after that?
The bottom line was that I was disconnected from my fans. They didn't know what I was doing. In the music industry, there are procedural chains. There's the video making; the PR; the marketing. From the production of the song to the point where it gets to the listeners, there are different people in position to make things happen.
Waje says at one point in time, she wanted quitting music because she felt disconnected from her fans.
But sometimes, in the struggle to stay relevant and keep your name afloat, you just release without proper planning. There's pressure in the industry and all these were the things I was going through at the time and thought that, perhaps, I should leave the industry while the applause is still loud. It was a scary time and I didn't want to be known as a failed artiste. Fans simply didn't know what I was doing and that is what we're trying to repair.
The response I got from that video ('Udue') showed how people really cared. Quite a number were unhappy, especially the media. Like 'how can Waje say this? We write about her!' I sincerely apologize that creatives like us can be trapped in our feelings. I now realize—thanks to my new management—that more effort is needed to stay consistent. It's not just about content but also making sure that the music gets to listeners.
What do you say to the cliché that female artistes in the Nigerian music space are not doing enough to help each other grow?
I try to understand what it means to help every time I hear that. The truth about this is that, if females in the industry are successful, that's enough help because there's power in numbers. I don't think that anyone is obligated to post when another releases an album or appear in their shows especially if they're busy. When you do so, it's out of your own volition.
People unfairly put too much pressure on the females just because we're females. I see the male artistes and there's nothing they're doing any different. In my own opinion, when you have more people excel in an industry, it's enough help because you open doors for upcoming talents.
Take for example everything that has been going on with Afrobeats over the past few years. The only reason why Nigerian musicians are being recognized is that D'Banj took the step he took. That alone is enough help because, tomorrow, I can travel with my EPK, drop it in an office and tell somebody I'm an artiste from Nigeria. And, next you hear is that I've gotten international management. That's enough.
We've seen cases where indigenous artistes are undervalued back home only for their big break to come after gaining recognition in the international scene. How do you intend handling this challenge?
To be honest, I'm hoping that I also dominate the global scene. Not just for myself but to aid younger artistes with the platform. I believe I've been blessed with a gift that could live longer than some people because my voice and personality is what makes me. Things like that never fizzle out. The goal for me is to tour, introduce myself to new markets, and do a lot more festivals.
Launching Hermanes Media alongside Omawumi in March, how does this play into the narrative?
Waje hopes to dominate the global scene very soon
Where we intend carving a niche for ourselves is in bringing our music experience into the creation of movies that tell our stories since music is a huge part of movie-making. We've had people who have won Grammys based on film scores. We're looking into that in relation to our niche. Also, I want the same for the company as I do for myself: to give young talents a platform to leverage on.
Are there major project of yours fans should look out for?
Definitely! I'm working on a festival for December and we're going to commence promotion for it in the coming weeks. I have an EP with a great producer called Leriq. It's titled 'Replay'. I have merchandise. I have a perfume line that would be coming out as well and lots of other things I'm working on.
What else would you like to say to fans?
A big thank you to each and every one of them. Truth is that I've lasted this long because of people that love my brand and music; those that support me, including the media. Red Velvet was a success because people came out to watch it. You could plan all you want but, if there's nobody there, you're going nowhere.
Aituaje Iruobe
Nigerian music industry
quitting music
Khafi evicted from BBNaija
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Ayo Jay features Chris Brown on second remix of 'Your Number'
Mercy Aigbe breaks silence, says she was constantly abused for years
On Simi's upcoming album, Adekunle Gold is the 'only guest' allowed
'Nigerian youths are creative' — EFCC hails Twitter user who redesigned its logo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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CIVIQ
A speaker series honoring Robert Taylor
CIVIQ is a quarterly event which introduces and humanizes national and international movements in urban design by showcasing visionary work being done by practitioners in other cities.
With each free and public event, we aim to position Chattanoogans of all stripes to leave inspired, informed, and activated. More than a lecture, each event is intended to equip the city to think differently about challenges faced in our community.
Upcoming Speakers
Stay tuned for information about future speakers!
watch "toward an urban ecology"
GENA WIRTH: TOWARD AN URBAN ECOLOGY
Gena is a Registered Landscape Architect and the Design Principal at SCAPE. Trained in landscape architecture, urban planning and horticulture, Gena draws from her interdisciplinary training to create ecologically rich and culturally relevant landscapes from the infrastructural scale to the site level. Gena leads the design on several significant projects in the office.
Gena holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Planning with Distinction from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from the University of Delaware.
Watch "The Art of Street Design"
Victor dover: the art of street design
Victor Dover serves as principal-in-charge for many of the firm's design and planning projects. He has led more than 150 charrettes. Victor lectures widely around the nation on the topics of livable communities and sustainable development, and was national chair of the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) from 2010 to 2012. He recently coauthored, with John Massengale, the bestselling book Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns (Wiley 2014). Victor has been awarded the John Nolen Medal for contributions to urbanism, and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami.
florence williams: the nature fix
Florence Williams is a journalist, bestselling author, podcaster and public speaker. She is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine and a freelance writer for the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Review of Books, Slate, Mother Jones and numerous other publications. She is also the writer and host of the new Audible Original series, Breasts Unbound, as well as Outside Magazine's Double-X Factor podcast. Her public speaking includes keynotes at Google, the Smithsonian, the Seattle Zoo, the Aspen Ideas Festival and many other corporate, academic and nonprofit venues.
watch "people-centric planning"
Veronica o. Davis: people-centric planning
Veronica has experience in both urban planning and civil engineering. She is a transportation guru who uses her knowledge to spark progressive social change. As Co-owner and Principal of Nspiregreen, she is also responsible for the management of the major urban planning functions such as transportation planning, policy development, master planning, sustainability analysis, and long range planning. She is a registered professional engineer in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia.
In July 2012, Veronica was recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House for her professional accomplishments and community advocacy, which includes co-founding Black Women Bike.
watch "neighborhoods first"
Chuck Marohn: neighborhoods first
Charles Marohn - known as "Chuck" to friends and colleagues - is a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the State of Minnesota and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He is the Founder and President of Strong Towns.
Marohn has a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota's Institute of Technology and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.
Marohn is the lead author of Thoughts on Building Strong Towns — Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 — as well as the author of A World Class Transportation System. He hosts the Strong Towns Podcast and is a primary writer for Strong Towns' web content. He has presented Strong Towns concepts in hundreds of cities and towns across North America and in 2017 was named one of the 10 Most Influential Urbanists of all time by Planetizen.
watch "where we want to live"
ryan gravel: where we want to live
Ryan Gravel, AICP, LEED AP, is an urban planner, designer, and author working on site design, infrastructure, concept development, and public policy as the founding principal at Sixpitch. His master's thesis in 1999 was the original vision for the Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile transit greenway that with fifteen years of progress, is changing both the physical form of his city and the decisions people make about living there. Now a $4 billion public-private investment in the early stages of implementation, the project's health and economic benefits are already evident through record-breaking use of its first section of mainline trail and $3.1 billion of private sector redevelopment since 2005.
watch "transit truths"
Jarrett walker: transit truths
Named as one of Planetizen's "100 Most Influential Urbanists," Jarrett Walker is an internationally recognized guru in transit design. As a consultant, he is challenged to seek efficiency among a complex and ever-changing network of constraints faced by municipal transit systems. As an urbanist, he sees transit as a tool enrich communities.
About Robert Taylor
Rob Taylor was an inaugural staff member of the Chattanooga Urban Design Studio established in 1981, where he worked as an urban designer. In 1998 he established CityScape, a consulting firm offering project management services as owner's representative for institutional and governmental clients for coordination of real estate development projects. Rob served as Director of Urban Planning and Development for River City Company from 1990-1998. He is also a former Board Chair of the Lyndhurst Foundation. CIVIQ was established to honor Mr. Taylor's commitment to using urban design to make Chattanooga a great city for all.
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In Case You Missed It, This Hasn't Happened in the Solar Industry in 16 Years
The solar industry has been on a growth tear, but that may soon come to an end. Is this disaster or a short lull for the solar industry?
Travis Hoium
(TMFFlushDraw)
Feb 11, 2017 at 10:17AM
Travis Hoium has been writing for fool.com since July 2010 and covers the solar industry, renewable energy, and gaming stocks among other things. Follow @TravisHoium
The solar industry has been on a growth streak for the past 16 years and is now a formidable force in energy. But this year may finally see the growth streak come to an end.
According to GTM Research, 2017 is expected to see a 7% decline in installations, from 74 GW to 69 GW. This would be a significant downturn after years of growth, but it's not all that surprising to industry observers. First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR), Canadian Solar (NASDAQ:CSIQ), and even shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) in SolarCity were all hammered by this decline before the calendar turned to 2017.
While this year may be bad for solar energy, it may be the calm before a wave of installations hits starting in 2018. And if you look out on the horizon, the solar future looks to be getting brighter everyday.
Solar installations like this one have become more and more common around the world in the past decade. Image source: Getty Images.
The decline in installations in 2017 will be driven by a number of negative events all hitting at once. There was an urgency that drove a boom in installations in 2016 when the investment tax credit (ITC) in the U.S. was set to expire, but the extension in late 2015 took away any urgency for utilities to sign solar contracts for 2017. Long-term, the extension will lead to more solar installations, but not until the 2018-2021 timeframe.
China will also be a drag after installing a record 34.2 GW of solar (enough to power 5.6 million U.S. homes) in 2016 according to the Chinese National Energy Administration. No one quite knows how much solar will be installed in China in 2017, but the NEA only plans to average 27.5 GW of installations over the next four years so it's safe to say installations will be down.
Japan is another country where the solar industry is in for a rough year. According to GTM Research, an estimated 10.2 GW of solar was installed in Japan in 2016, but that will drop to 8.8 GW in 2017 as feed-in tariff reductions hit. Japan is a high potential solar market, but public policy hasn't kept up with potential and that will keep a cap on growth short-term.
Why growth is on the horizon
While these factors in the U.S., China, and Japan will drive a decline in solar installations in 2017, that doesn't mean the industry is heading into a dark chapter. Solar energy has never been cheaper and bids for new power plants are coming in under 4 cents per kWh in some locations, a price that would beat any new fossil fuel or nuclear plant on a cost basis.
Image source: SunPower.
Emerging markets like Chile, Mexico, Argentina, India, and the Middle East are starting to see the potential of solar as well. Mexico's recent auction resulted in clean energy contracts with an average price of 3.3 cents per kWh and given the low cost many countries are following with their own reverse auctions in 2017. Nearly four dozen countries could have energy auctions this year and that would lead to a boom in demand in 2018 and beyond.
Solar energy is cost effective today, but energy projects have this lag between when people decide to go solar and when projects are in the ground. That's the lull the market is in today. Leading developers like First Solar, SunPower, and Canadian Solar could will their backlog in 2018 and 2019, despite having a down year in 2017.
Solar energy is still the future of energy
Over the past decade alone, solar energy has grown from a 2 GW industry that could install enough power generation to power 368,000 homes per year to an industry giant that installed 74 GW, or enough to power 12.1 million homes, in the last year alone. And growth was driven by a whopping 90% drop in solar panel costs as technology improves across the industry.
2017 may be a down year for the solar industry for a variety of reasons, but it doesn't fundamentally change the fact that solar energy is the most abundant energy source in the world and the cost to generate solar power is now lower than fossil fuels in most of the world.
Like it or not, the solar boom is really just beginning and 2017 will be a calm before what could be another 16 years of consecutive growth for solar energy.
First Solar, Inc.
NASDAQ:FSLR
SPWR
SunPower Corporation
NASDAQ:SPWR
CSIQ
Canadian Solar Inc.
NASDAQ:CSIQ
In Case You Missed It, This Hasn't Happened in the Solar Industry in 16 Years @themotleyfool #stocks $TSLA $FSLR $SPWR $CSIQ Next Article


Exactly one year ago, I received an unexpected call from my manager just as I was finishing a week of paternity leave following the birth of my daughter. She asked me to lead an "absolutely urgent" project and said she was cutting her summer break short to return to the office. That project was on Ebola response. We had monitored Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone over the previous months with growing concern, but now the World Bank was mobilizing its first emergency funding commitment to help the three affected countries contain the disease's spread and help communities cope with the economic fallout.
We've learned a lot in the last year. As the Bank's financing commitment for Ebola response grew to the current level of $1.62 billion, Bank staff and our many partners faced unprecedented challenges and discovered solutions that have stretched the boundaries of what and how we can deliver services to countries in crisis. We had to get it right for all affected by this terrible disease, which has, to date, taken more than 11,000 lives and infected more than 27,000.
Two challenges in particular illustrate how close collaboration and creative thinking led to positive results.
Our first challenge was how to respond with speed and flexibility. As of August 2014, the Ebola outbreak was escalating, and yet no one had been able to deliver a substantial amount of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and essential medicines to the three hardest hit countries. In order for the Bank to disburse fully our initial $123 million in 45 days, from scratch, and enable the countries to start full-fledged responses, we formed a 100-member team across seven different sectors (e.g., health, social protection, governance, IT, finance and markets); deployed our senior health specialists to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as to WHO headquarters; and worked as a team with the governments, UN agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and bilateral partners.
We asked: "What needs to be done urgently, and who can do it fastest in the most efficient way?" We fully disbursed our initial funds to 15 implementers in the three countries, including the governments and UN agencies. We also took informed risks, together with the governments and partners. UNICEF, for example, secured a large batch of PPEs and essential medicines and delivered it to Ebola treatment centers even before the Bank's Ebola emergency response project had been approved by our Board of Directors, using our reimbursement mechanisms. As a result, Bank funds catalyzed the Ebola response in all three countries.
A second major challenge arose when we needed to make key decisions without sufficient information. Providing hazard pay to Ebola response workers in the three hard-hit countries, for example, was initially daunting. In Sierra Leone and Liberia, we started with a dearth of information on such workers: many on the beneficiary list had no titles, no clear assurance that they actually worked, no identification, and no information to allow any automated payment.
It was professionally rewarding for me to see how different partners can work together efficiently, under the leadership of the government, to turn such situations around. In Sierra Leone, the government hired an accounting firm to strengthen fiduciary management. Internal auditors and anti-corruption agencies, together with UNDP and an IT firm, provided oversight on cash payments to workers, while verifying the work they do, collecting payment information, and later issuing IDs and contracts to "formalize" workers.
A national hazard payment policy for Sierra Leone, outlining rates for different cadres, worker verification and a payment process, was literally written together with all front-line agencies and managers, pillar leads from the Ministry of Health, National Ebola Response Center staff, UNMEER and U.K. government coordinators, and UNDP, African Development Bank, and World Bank staff, by projecting the draft on a wall. The government, UNDP and an IT firm created an online database, and a consortium of telecom providers developed an e-payment system. Having tried, earlier in my career, to set up an e-payment system in Nigeria, I was skeptical that we could pay workers in rural areas of Sierra Leone through e-payment, but the system started covering most of the affected health workers within 1-2 months of its launch.
These are just a few examples of how the Bank and our partners challenged ourselves to support Ebola-affected countries effectively. For sure, we experienced shortfalls and bitter lessons learned, too. The absolute sense of urgency and threat that the Ebola outbreak created, however, encouraged each stakeholder to focus on solutions and results, collaborate as a team openly under the government's leadership, and be innovative in solving problems.
It is good to see that this "new tradition" of collaboration continues in each country as we now transition to recovery of essential health services and rebuilding of resilient health systems, with a sense of trust built through the joint Ebola response.
We should take it as a collective challenge to build on the assets of the Ebola response, as we refine development and partnership approaches in the post-2015 era. The Bank remains fully committed to provide rapid, flexible and effective support to help Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone get to and remain at zero Ebola cases. We will also continue to stretch ourselves, to improve our effectiveness as we work toward recovery and rebuilding of the health sector in the three countries.
Excellent article and most of all congratulations for the Ebola Response which actually shows that coordination/collaboration with multiple stakeholders is feasible in emergency. I hope we can translate the same effectiveness in non-emergency situations fighting the other crises such as extreme poverty, youth unemployment in Africa. I look forward to the full report on lessons learnt and remaining challenges.


>> Veteran garage sale hounds will tell you they can find the best bargains in town by purchasing things others don't want anymore. Learn more about the weekend ritual for many Springfield-area buyers and sellers. And then go shopping yourself. Check our interactive map for garage sales near you.


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You are at:Home»News & Features»Former Border Patrol agent and gang unit pioneer at Tustin PD calls it a career after almost 32 years in law enforcement
Retiring Tustin PD Sgt. Mike Lamoreaux shows his Catholic Saint Michael medallion that he wears. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Former Border Patrol agent and gang unit pioneer at Tustin PD calls it a career after almost 32 years in law enforcement
By Greg Hardesty on	 January 2, 2020 News & Features
Jeremy Laurich, a sergeant at the Tustin PD, recalls his final week of training when he was a rookie in 2004.
Laurich's so-called "parent" Field Training Officer (FTO) was Sgt. Mike Lamoureux, who supervised Laurich for the first four weeks and the last four weeks of the training program.
Lamoureux had made a bet with the shift lieutenant that Laurich – "the kid," as he was called — would make an "obs felony" arrest by the end of training.
That meant that Laurich would observe a felony crime and then make an arrest on his own, without Lamoureux's help and without a dispatcher sending him to a call initiated by a member of the public.
Time was running out as the two patrolled the southwest beat off of McFadden Avenue and the 55 Freeway.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux of the Tustin PD has been a pilot since 1989. Here, he is shown with a 1951 Avion in 1994. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
It was the last day of training, it was the middle of the night, it was 40 degrees outside, and there wasn't a car on the road.
Laurich had lost all hope of Lamoureux winning the bet when he spotted the only car on the road in a high-crime area. He pulled the driver over for several vehicle equipment violations.
After conducting an investigation, Laurich arrested the driver for possession of a deadly weapon – and, bingo, Lamoureux won the bet.
"He had showed he had the faith in me as a new officer and future peer to go out and do the job he expected me to do," Laurich says of Lamoureux, who is retiring this month after a storied 25-year career with the TPD.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux, shown here in 1992, also has a license to pilot hot air balloons. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
"Mike was the kind of FTO who would give you a long leash and let you run off until you choked yourself," Laurich adds. "Then he'd reign you back in. That was how you learned back then. You were given opportunities to succeed until you failed. Your failure created a learning opportunity.
"Mike's wide array of knowledge, his motivational attitude, and his courage to do what was right, no matter what, will be missed."
Lamoureux's last day of work was Thursday, Dec. 19. His official retirement day was Dec. 30.
"It's bittersweet," Lamoureux said on a recent weekday in the TPD's Watch Commander office, his home for the last 13 years.
The WC office recently was equipped with large monitors that monitor the TPD and City Hall complex. The city put up 90 cameras in an effort to harden security around the facilities.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux (left) is shown at his swearing-in ceremony at the Tustin PD in October 1994. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
On another monitor, Lamoureux kept track of patrol officers in the field (the shift's second watch commander was on patrol). There were three pending calls and five active calls (welfare check, suspicious person, etc. – nothing major).
The job of WC is a far cry from Lamoureux's first law enforcement job.
In 1987, seven years after graduating from high school, Lamoureux became a federal agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
As a Border Patrol agent, Lamoureux was assigned to the Brown Field Patrol Station, located about midway between the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa Ports of Entry in San Diego.
Back then, the Brown Field Patrol Station's area of 11.6 miles of the international border with Mexico was nothing more than waist-high cable attached to cement posts.
"It's one of those jobs that's not for old guys, that's for sure," Lamoureux says of the Border Patrol. "You're always fighting or running – it's very, very, active, and very physically demanding.
"I liked it."
Lamoureux always had law enforcement in mind as a possible career while growing up. He was 3 when his parents, separated at the time, relocated from Rhode Island to the Yucaipa area.
He played football and wrestled at Aquinas High School, a private Catholic school in San Bernardino. After high school, Lamoureux worked in construction for four years before applying for the Border Patrol.
"I wanted to get out of the area," Lamoureux says.
He spent seven months in the Border Patrol academy at a federal training center in Georgia. In addition to learning what recruits do at most police academies, Lamoureux studied constitutional law, immigration law, and, of course, Spanish.
His fluency in Spanish later would serve him well at the TPD.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux is shown at the Border Patrol Academy in 1985. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
WORKED WITH FATHER
After spending six years as a Border Patrol agent, and before he joined the TPD in 2004, Lamoureux worked for a couple of years with his father, Chuck, who owned an environmental consulting business in Garden Grove.
"I would go around to all these businesses," Lamoureux says, "smaller ones like plating businesses where the county or the state was coming down on them because they were polluting. I would do assessments and reports, and make recommendations on wastewater treatment systems – things like that.
"It was a big change from being a Border Patrol agent."
The tug of law enforcement would return.
Lamoureux was driving by Golden West College when he saw a sign about a police academy about to start. He enrolled on the spot and put himself through the academy.
Lamoureux was in background with the El Cajon PD when an officer there, knowing Lamoureux was living in Huntington Beach, recommended he apply to the Tustin PD.
"I had to pull out my Thomas Brothers (map guide) to find out where Tustin was," Lamoureux says. "I had heard of it, but had never been there."
The TPD hired Lamoureux in October 1995.
The following year, Lamoureux became a member of the TPD's first gang unit.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux is shown after serving a search warrant while on the Gang Unit in 1997. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
Back in 1996, Tustin had a serious gang problem, led by the Deuce Trey Crips, Los Wickeds, and the Watergate Crips.
Lamoureux, fluent in Spanish, was particularly adept at working the Hispanic gangs.
"I have had my most memorable moments of my career working with Mike," says Lt. Manny Arzate, who worked as a detective under Lamoureux when he returned to the gang unit as a sergeant in 2009.
"He let us work investigations to the bitter end," Arzate recalls. "He gave us autonomy to develop our technical skills and knew when to pull in the reins. We achieved great success working as a unit under Mike, such as the arrest of Cambodian gang members for a murder they committed on Myrtle Street to seizing several thousands of dollars of jewelry from robberies committed by northern San Diego gang members."
Under Lamoureux' supervision, the Tustin PD Gang Unit was selected as the Orange County Gang Investigator's Association 2010 Gang Unit of the Year.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux (bottom, second from right) is shown with fellow undercover officers. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
"Mike was always by our side, and I am truly grateful for the time we spent together," Arzate says. "He will be missed."
Lamoureux says the TPD currently has a lot of young officers and thus is facing some growing pains, but agency veterans are up for the challenge.
"Pound for pound," he says, "we could take on any other police agency when it comes to a major case or a major event."
Lamoureux, 57, wears a St. Michael's necklace, a nod to his Catholic faith and a gift from his mother when he graduated from the Border Patrol academy.
He and his wife of 20 years, Mary, an administrator for an outpatient surgery center, live in the Inland Empire and attend church weekly.
They have two daughters, Jillian, 19, a sophomore at Embry-Riddle Aeronautic University in Prescott, Ariz., who is studying to become an aerospace enginee; and Brigid, 18, a junior at Crafton Hills College, a community college in Yucaipa.
Instead of a police officer, Lamoureux almost became a pilot – a passion since childhood.
Sgt. Mike Lamoureux (second from right) is shown with fellows members of the Gang Unit in 2011, when the team was named Gang Unit of the Year. Photo courtesy of Mike Lamoureux
He earned his first private pilot's license in 1989 and since then has become instrument rated. He also has a license to fly helicopters and hot-air balloons.
Lamoureux has flown a total of some 3,400 hours.
"For me, flying is cool," he says. "It's peaceful. It's like I belong up there. It's kind of like me driving around in a police car. I belong there.
"It's liberating. I'm in my element."
For years, Lamoureux also raced sailboats.
He also loves to backpack and hits the Pacific Crest Trail each year for an eight- to nine-day adventure.
Retiring Tustin PD Sgt. Mike Lamoreaux reflects on his career as a law enforcement officer.
Lamoureux says he's ready to retire.
"I'm really happy with everything I've been afforded to do in my career," he says.
Adds Laurich, his former trainee: "I can't thank Mike enough for helping mold me into the officer and sergeant I am today. I'll always look up to him."


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Family, Lawyer: Egypt Has Rearrested Al-Jazeera Reporter
FILE - A Qatari employee of Al Jazeera Arabic language TV news channel walks past the logo of Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar,
CAIRO - Egyptian authorities rearrested an Al-Jazeera journalist who was ordered released last week after more than two years in detention on accusations of spreading false news, his family and lawyer said Wednesday.
Under Egyptian procedure and following last week's court order, Mahmoud Hussein had been transferred from prison to a police jail to await his release. But his lawyer, Gama Eid, said that instead of being freed, Hussein was apparently ordered detained again in a separate case.
Eid did not know what the new charges against the journalist were, saying authorities did not notify him or Hussein's family.
Hussein's family said in a statement Tuesday the new case dates from last year, when he was already in detention.
Doha-based Al-Jazeera reported the rearrest of Hussein on its website Tuesday, citing his family.
A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees police, did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.
Hussein, an Egyptian working for the Qatar-based satellite network, was detained at the Cairo airport in December 2016, when he arrived on a family vacation from Doha.
Since the 2013 ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi amid mass protests against his one year rule, the Al-Jazeera network has been portrayed as Egypt's national enemy for its sympathy toward Islamists, especially the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
Al-Jazeera's news website has been blocked since 2017, along with dozens of other news sites deemed too critical of the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Since his assent to power, el-Sissi has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, arresting thousands - mostly Islamists but also prominent secular activists and journalists - and rolling back freedoms won after the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Hosni Mubarak.
HRW: Egyptian Security Forces Committed Widespread Abuses in Northern Sinai
The Egyptian military and police forces have committed widespread abuses in the northern Sinai Peninsula, according a new report by Human Rights Watch, which said some of the actions amount to war crimes.The report alleges that Egyptian security forces, who have been conducting military operations against Islamist insurgents in the region, have engaged in unlawful action…
By VOA News
Egypt's President Pardons Hundreds, Including Prominent Journalist
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has pardoned hundreds of prisoners and a prominent journalist who had criticized the country's establishment. Journalist Abdel Halim Qandil was pardoned after receiving a three-year jail sentence following a December 2017 conviction for "insulting the judiciary," the official journal of the Arab Republic of Egypt reported Thursday. Qandil was tried on the same charges with 17 other defendants, including…


In part one of the conversation, longtime friend John Hadden helps Curt Carstensen navigate through his vision, which is to "End the suffering related to race, religion and sexual orientation."
Brothers Curt and Chuck Carstensen talk about their upbringing on the farm, efforts each has made in personal growth, and being wrong. Some of the personal growth has been influenced by working with Michael Bernoff and by being part of Toastmasters.
In the first episode of the podcast, Curt Carstensen tells a story of change and elevation because of his friendship and adventures with George Sirbasku. George gives his philosophies on life and explains what he was wrong about.


The given dataset: hsapiens_gene_ensembl , is not valid. Correct dataset names can be obtained with the listDatasets() function.
Then I tried load a different dataset, still did not work!
It will be really appreciated if anyone can help!
It's always helpful to include the output of sessionInfo() to show people what versions of packages & R you are using.
I still am getting this error above. When I use BiocInstaller::biocLite('biomaRt') it only updates to version 2.38.0. Any ideas on how to get to version 2.43.1?
I think that was a typo, and should have read 2.34.1, and 2.38.0 should be fine.
Note that the BiocInstaller package has been deprecated now, and you should use BiocManager. The installation instructions on https://bioconductor.org/packages/biomaRt/ reflect this.
If the problem remains please start a new post and include both the error message and the output of sessionInfo() so we have some more details about your setup.
The method Mike offered worked perfectly for me! Thank you Mike!


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Women of the Week
Your Brain
Humans of MM
Live with purpose.
Author Curtis Sittenfeld: "My Writing Identity Is Different From Who I Am in the Rest of My Life"
May 24, 2018 | Filed in: Woman of the Week
Few contemporary novelists have straddled literary cachet and mainstream popularity with the grace of Curtis Sittenfeld, who burst onto the bestseller list with her debut novel, Prep, in 2005. Since then, she has produced a steady stream of smart, culturally incisive work, including 2008's American Wife (a fictionalized take on first lady Laura Bush's life and marriage) and 2016's Eligible (a witty, modern-day version of Pride and Prejudice). Her latest book, You Think It, I'll Say It, is a collection of ten short stories, several of which have also been published in The New Yorker. A graduate of Stanford University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Sittenfeld now lives in St. Louis with her husband and two children. She recently visited the MM offices in New York, where we discussed writing rituals, the role of luck, and the motivating powers of Post-It notes.
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I told people I wanted to be a social worker. Meanwhile, I was an English major, had internships with magazines and newspapers, and wrote for the college literary magazine. I wanted to want to be a social worker, but I didn't really want to be a social worker. I wanted to feel as if I was making the world at least a little better, in a tangible way. That's a hard thing to quantify when you're a fiction writer. It was only in the last five years or so that I stopped occasionally dreaming that I would go to social work school.
AFTER COLLEGE, I GOT A JOB AS A REPORTER at Fast Company, which was then based in Boston. Because it was a fairly young magazine, I had opportunities to write at age 22. If it had been a more established magazine, I probably would have been someone's assistant. My editors knew what I could and couldn't do; they would assign me articles about colorful characters, not nitty-gritty business issues. That job really taught me the importance of meeting a deadline. When it was time to turn it in, you turned it in. I was there for a little less than two years, and then got my MFA.
Curtis wears the Aditi dress in crackle and the Woolf jardigan in black.
I'M PRETTY WEIRD FOR A NORMAL PERSON, but shockingly normal for a writer. I've been a weirdo my entire life, but if you sell enough novels, people will think that you're endearingly eccentric instead of that Debbie Downer friend who's making depressing observations about life and who doesn't like going to parties. It's funny—I do think that my writing identity is different from who I am in the rest of my life. As a writer, I'm very persistent and willing to take chances, but in most other areas, I'm pretty cautious. For example, when I was single, I took dating rejection extremely personally. I think I have more confidence as a writer than as a human being.
I DON'T THINK IT'S UN-FEMINIST OR FALSELY MODEST to say that I have been lucky. The first fact of my luck is that I received an excellent education from the moment I entered preschool to the time I finished graduate school. I was born into a stable family. I did not graduate from college with student loans; my parents paid for my college education. If you graduate deeply in debt, you might choose a professional path that has more stability. It's quite a privileged perspective to think that being a novelist is a viable career.
THAT SAID, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT BEING A NOVELIST would be my full-time job. Writers have to be prepared for writing to not be their primary source of income—unless you're sitting on a vast fortune, which I was not. When I was starting my MFA program with the explicit purpose of finishing a novel, I thought, "Well, I'll teach or I'll be a journalist or something like that." For my first novel, Prep, I signed a contract in 2003 and I got a $40,000 advance. I had spent three and a half years writing it, so you can do the math—I could not have supported myself getting $40,000 every three and half years. But after Prep became a bestseller, I was offered a two-book contract for a certain amount of money that I won't specify, but that I could live on, so writing could be my full-time job. I remember realizing, "I don't need to write freelance articles to subsidize my fiction—my fiction now pays for itself!" But I also do think of myself as two unsuccessful novels away from that not being true. There aren't many guarantees in any field, but there are writers who sell a lot of books in a particular moment, and then six years pass and no one knows who they are.
Curtis wears the Bourgeois blouse in pomegranate, the Foster pant in black, and the Helene necklace.
I ENJOY AND DREAD all aspects of writing a novel. I think the most difficult part is the organizational aspect, where you're dealing with hundreds of pages. Sometimes I think, "Okay, wait. Which version is this? Did I put these changes in?" I'll write part of one section and then get bored and confused so I jump to another section, but then I get bored and confused again; where do I re-enter it? I've learned that when you feel shut out of your own manuscript, sometimes it's not really a content issue—it's an organization issue. It could even be something totally unrelated, like a family member who calls daily at 9:30 a.m., which is the time I plan to start writing. Things like that affect your work, but they're different from problems like, "I don't know what to make this character do."
ON A TYPICAL DAY, I TAKE MY TWO KIDS to their elementary school and then I come back to the house, where I have an office. I sit down and try to write fiction for a few hours before lunch. Then, if I have other stuff like errands or emails or whatever, I do that in the afternoon. Of course, someone could look at my Twitter feed and see that I retweeted something at 10:13 a.m., so clearly my process is not quite as pure as I wish. But my goal, or my default daily structure, is to write fresh material in the morning, when my brain is the sharpest. I might come back later in the afternoon and do more revisions or outlines for things that will happen later in a novel. But writing a new scene is what requires the most concentration.
Curtis wears the Deneuve top in black, the Foster pant in black, and the Helene necklace.
I ALWAYS KEEP A POST-IT NOTE next to my computer, and every day I write the date, the time I start writing, and the page that I am starting from. I might write two pages in a day of work, which feels like nothing, but if I write for five days a week and then I've written 10 pages, that feels like something. So it's a ritual, a way of holding myself accountable—my harsh taskmaster, the Post-It note! It's also proof that, little by little, you move forward.
WHENEVER I START WRITING, I have a general idea of where I'm headed. But I definitely surprise myself along the way, and I'm very willing to deviate from my own outline. That's the fun part. My early drafts are pretty rough and then I go back and smooth them out, over and over. I almost never send a piece of writing to someone before there's a full first draft. There's just a level of messiness that I won't unleash on another person. I also don't bounce ideas off people that much. I just write it and see how it turns out.
PART OF BEING A WRITER IS KNOWING what feedback to accept and what feedback to ignore. An early reader should be somebody who helps you make your work the best version of what it can be, instead of telling you to change it so it's more like their work, or more like their ideal version of a book. They don't need to be similar to you, but they do need to have sensibilities that are compatible with your own. Your early readers are treasures. I always show my books to my two sisters, usually later on in the editing process. They are both intelligent but busy, and they're not huge readers, so they are good barometers for me. If my sister who normally reads two books a year says, "I sat down to read a few pages of your book, and then five hours later I'd finished it," then I think, "Okay. This is a really good sign." Or if she says, "This part seemed kind of boring," I listen to her. Their feedback is helpful partly because they're not deep inside the world of publishing.
I WAS A SOMEWHAT AWKWARD TEENAGER, and at my core, I'm not super-social. But a lot of my angst has just aged out of me, like I got too tired to be so angst-y. I'm more solitary than shy. It's not that being around other people makes me nervous; it's more that I like being by myself. When I'm by myself, I'm almost never bored.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE IMPOSTER SYNDROME, but the version of me that gets introduced at bookstores sounds like she really has her act together, and the version of me that's driving around the suburbs of St. Louis does not always feel that way. In some ways, to me, writing a book is an opportunity to put my best foot forward, and make things neat and tidy. A book is this distilled, packaged object—and life is not. Life is messy.
WRITING FICTION IS THE THING I WAS MEANT TO DO. It engages my brain, and it's the prism through which I see the world. But I do occasionally have underlying anxiety that it's indulgent to sit in a room by myself and make up stories. For example, when I encounter a nurse in a hospital, I think, Wow, that person has really practical skills, and he or she can affect someone else's quality of life in such an important way that I can't. One thing that I sometimes do is look at the bios of people who follow me on Twitter. It might be someone who works in public health in another country, or a pediatrician. And I think, Well, maybe my books provide pleasure for someone who does a job where they actively help other people. That person needs to recharge their batteries and they do it by reading fiction. Similarly, I take a lot of pleasure in other people's books and movies and TV shows. I'm glad that others create art, so I hope that people are glad that I create it too.
Photographs by Rich Gilligan.
Shop Curtis's Looks:
The Aditi Dress—Crackle - $240
The Woolf Jardigan - $195
The Deneuve Top - $145
The Foster Pant - $195
The Bourgeois Blouse - $190
The Helene Necklace - $195
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by Charlotte Cowles
Charlotte Cowles is a New York-based writer and editor. Her work has been published in New York Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and Art in America. She'd always rather be at book club. Read more of Charlotte's posts.
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Actress and Reporter Orelon Sidney: "I'm an Actor With a Damn Good Day Job"
Lawyer Maria Woltjen: "My Work Does Make Me Angry, but That Fuels Me"
Nathalie Rayes, VP of Public Affairs for Grupo Salinas: "I Don't Like Leaving Things to Chance"


Come and enjoy the conveniences this beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home has to offer. This home is well maintained so all you have to do is bring your furniture. Home offers an open dining and living room area, a spacious master suit, and a great space for your home office. Relax in your new large backyard under your private covered porch. You'll appreciate living in this splendid subdivision with NO HOA Dues. The property is only 1 mile or less to Gene Reed Elementary School, Lowery Freshman Center, Allen High, and Reed Park. About 2 miles to Curtis Middle School, Celebration Park, Natatorium Pool, Library, Restaurants, & Shopping. Don't miss out!
This listing 306 Willow Brook Drive, Allen, TX 75002 is a residential listing with 2 full baths, 3 bedrooms and approximately 2,197 square feet on a lot of 8,276 sqft (or 0.19 acres). 306 Willow Brook Drive was built in 1984. 306 Willow Brook Drive is located in Allen and in ZIP Code 75002. It has been listed on our site since 2019-03-16 09:24:48.


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Dar Williams in Portland, ME
Home » Dar Williams in Portland, ME
Discussion: Dar Williams in Portland, ME
Sarah · 19 years, 1 month ago
Just saw a poster about Dar Williams playing at the State Theater in Portland, ME on 11 April. The poster said "with special guests" any clue who? I looked online and couldn't find out. Any fruheads interested in going?
Lisa Kay · 19 years, 1 month ago
I'd love to but I live 3000 miles away...*sigh* damn us having such a big country.
John J. Ryan · 19 years, 1 month ago
But not as big as Canada. :)
Dar is playing in Seattle on Friday, May 9th at the Moore Theater.
ChrisChin is Getting Old · 19 years, 1 month ago
While I won't be able to go, I can tell you that Ben Taylor will be opening for Dar on that date. He's the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. She also will be playing with her band, which includes (among others) Julie Wolff, Ben Butler, and Carole Steele. I saw her with the band at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. It was an amazing show and you're in for a treat. Details and such can be found on http://www.darwilliams.net Hope this helps.
Hopefully she'll bring the band with her to Falcon Ridge this summer.
zil · 19 years ago
*is going to see dar williams at the state*


At 93%, oranges contain one of the highest sources of vitamin C available. (1) They are also a great source of other nutrients and relatively cheap and delicious treat. The liminoids in oranges are known to help fight cancers. Drinking orange juice has been shown to help prevent kidney stones as it affects the pH level of the urine. (2) These are just a few of the health benefits of oranges.
The orange grows on the Citrus sinensis tree.
Orange trees are an evergreen tree that can grow to a range of 18 to 22 feet tall. They have shiny, dark green leaves that are oval in shape and 1.5 to 4 inches long. It has white flowers that are a couple inches in diameter. The fruits can grow to a couple inches in diameter. (3) The outer rinds and inside flesh are orange in color though the pulp on the inside of the rind is white.


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He Will Not Divide Us Shia LaBeouf's Trump resistance installation relocates to Albuquerque
By Rusty Rutherford | Albuquerque, NM, USA | February 20, 2017 | Comments: 0
Shia LaBeouf and Rusty Rutherford Friday night at the set-up for HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US in downtown Albuquerque. Photo by Rusty Rutherford.
"HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US"
These are the words painted outside the west wall of the El Rey Theater.
I saw a few people stenciling something onto the building on my way to work. When I got home from work, I read the words and knew instantly who the "He" was referring to. I liked the sentiment and figured it was some passionate street artists out to make a statement.
Then I noticed a plaque next to it which rarely accompanies graffiti. It read:
HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US, 2017–
LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner
You are invited to deliver the words "He will not divide us" into the camera, repeating the mantra as many times, and for as long as you wish.
The live broadcast will be streamed continuously at www.hewillnotdivide.us for four years, or the duration of the current presidency.
I was intrigued, so I went home and went straight to the website, but instead of finding a livestream video I found the following:
I did a little more snooping around and found that the "LaBeouf" on the plaque was none other than controversial actor turned artist/activist Shia LaBeouf. Apparently his plan was to have an ongoing art installation/livestream video outside of the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, New York, but according to the museum's official statement, the installation appeared to be more than they had bargained for.
Statement from Museum of the Moving Image on closure of HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US
The installation resulted in an unexpectedly volatile situation and serious public safety hazards
(NEW YORK, February 10, 2017)—The Museum of the Moving Image has closed HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US, a participatory Internet streaming performance by LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner. The installation created a serious and ongoing public safety hazard for the Museum, its visitors, staff, local residents, and businesses.
The installation had become a flashpoint for violence and was disrupted from its original intent.
While the installation began constructively, it deteriorated markedly after one of the artists was arrested on the site of the installation and ultimately necessitated this action. Over the course of the installation, there have been dozens of threats of violence and numerous arrests, such that police felt compelled to be stationed outside the installation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We take our commitment to the safety of our 200,000 annual visitors and 50,000 school children attending programs at the Museum seriously, along with the safety and security of our staff and community.
We are proud to have launched this engaging and thought-provoking digital art installation which was experienced by millions of online viewers worldwide. Until public safety concerns overrode the intent of the installation, HEWILLNOTDIVIDE.US generated an important conversation allowing interaction among people from many backgrounds and with different viewpoints. However, ending our engagement with the installation is the most prudent path forward to restore public safety to the Museum, its visitors, staff, and the community.
—www.movingimage.us
Photo by Rusty Rutherford.
I suddenly realized how big of a deal this stenciled street art was and without hesitation I rushed outside to snap a photo of the text before someone else beat me to it. As I turned the corner, I noticed a lone man fidgeting with something under the text. As I got closer I realized that lone man was Shia LaBeouf himself. Slightly starstruck I approached him and said, "Hey man, I was just coming down to take a picture of this. This is really cool." Sounding like someone I'd go to Anodyne and grab a beer with he said, "Thanks man, what's your name?" I introduced myself and he humbly said, "My name's Shia."
I told him I liked what he's doing both in the creative world and the social world. I asked how long he was going to be here and he said, "Until that motherfucker's out of office." Then he paused and said that he shouldn't say that, and that Trump is welcome to join him here. I asked if I could get a photo with him and he graciously obliged.
More people gradually trickled by, some getting quick photos with Shia and others digging deeper about what he was working on. One girl asked what brought him to Albuquerque and he told her that the museum in New York had kicked him out and he has since been calling all around the country trying to find a spot to house his installation. He said all the spaces he had contacted had either told him no or left him hanging. He said he reached out to someone he met at El Rey several months ago when he was here for a show and they told him yes right away.
"You're in the right spot," I assured him. "Yeah, I've heard that Albuquerque is full of passionate people," LaBeouf responded.
Stay tuned to hewillnotdivide.us and here at Pyragraph for updates, and visit the installation outside of the El Rey Theater in downtown Albuquerque to have your voice heard across the globe. Remember, love trumps hate and united we stand!
Posted in Art, Community, Design, Film/Stage
About Rusty Rutherford
Rusty Rutherford lives a dual life as a stand-up comedian and a youth advocate, with a dash of digital, visual and performance artist. Rutherford's twisted comedy has "More energy than a high school cheer squad" (Montreal Fringe Festival) and landed him the nod of Albuquerque's best comedian in the Albuquerque Alibi's "Best of Burque 2016."
Rutherford is the cofounder of Duke City Dream Lab, an organization created to help end youth violence and substance abuse by replacing negative traits with positive arts. Rutherford has a Bachelor's of University Studies from the University of New Mexico with a focus in Psychology, Media Arts, Theater and Communication and Journalism.
View all posts by Rusty Rutherford →


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Should Motorcycle Helmets Be Mandatory
Riding a motorcycle is dangerous enough without adding the risk of not wearing a helmet. Motorcycle helmets should be mandatory in order to protect riders from serious head injuries. Head injuries are one of the leading causes of death in motorcycle accidents, and wearing a helmet can greatly reduce the severity of these injuries.
In addition, helmets can also help to prevent other injuries such as facial fractures and eye damage.
Motorcycle helmets are one of the most important pieces of safety gear that a rider can have. But are they really necessary? Some people believe that motorcycle helmets should be mandatory, while others believe that it should be up to the individual rider to decide whether or not to wear one.
There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. On the one hand, wearing a helmet can help protect a rider in the event of an accident. On the other hand, some riders feel that helmets can impede their vision and hearing, and make them feel claustrophobic.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to wear a helmet is a personal one. But there's no denying that helmets can help keep riders safe in the event of an accident. So if you're undecided about whether or not to wear one, err on the side of caution and put one on before heading out for a ride.
Credit: www.theguardian.com
Why Motorcycle Helmets Should Be Mandatory?
Motorcycle helmets are one of the most important pieces of safety gear that a rider can wear. They protect your head in the event of a crash and can help prevent serious injuries or even death. That's why it's so important that all riders wear a helmet every time they get on a motorcycle, no matter how short the ride may be.
Most motorcycle crashes happen at low speeds, but even a minor fall can cause serious head injuries. A helmet is the best way to protect your head in a crash, and it could mean the difference between walking away from an accident unharmed or suffering from a debilitating brain injury. Wearing a helmet also reduces your risk of being killed in a motorcycle accident by 37%.
And for every 100 riders who are killed in motorcycle accidents while not wearing helmets, another 14 lives could have been saved if they had been wearing helmets. There are some states that have mandatory helmet laws for all riders, regardless of their age or experience level. Other states only require riders under the age of 18 to wear helmets.
But even in states where helmet use is not required by law, it's still strongly encouraged. So whether you're riding in a state with a mandatory helmet law or not, always make sure to strap on your helmet before heading out on your motorcycle. It could save your life.
Why Should Helmet Laws Be Mandatory?
The statistics are clear: wearing a helmet while biking, skating or riding a scooter can greatly reduce the risk of head injury. In fact, helmets are estimated to reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85%. But despite these clear benefits, many states do not have laws mandating the use of helmets for all cyclists.
There are a number of reasons why helmet laws should be mandatory. First and foremost, they can save lives. Head injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in bicycle accidents, and wearing a helmet can greatly reduce the severity of these injuries.
Second, helmets can help reduce the cost of medical care associated with bicycle accidents. Head injuries often require extensive and expensive medical treatment, and preventing these injuries can save billions of dollars in health care costs each year. Third, mandatory helmet laws send a strong message that bicycling is a safe activity that should be encouraged.
When cyclists wear helmets, it shows that they take their safety seriously and care about protecting themselves from harm. This helps to create a more positive image of bicycling as a whole, which can encourage more people to ride bikes instead of drive cars (which is good for both public health and the environment). Fourth, mandatory helmet laws help to level the playing field between cyclists and motorists.
Cars are required to have certain safety features (like seat belts and airbags), so it only makes sense that bicycles should be subject to similar regulations. By requiring cyclists to wear helmets, we treat them like any other road user and show that we value their safety just as much as we value the safety of drivers and passengers in cars. Finally, mandatory helmet laws help ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy bicycling without putting their health at risk.
No one should have to choose between being safe on their bike or being able to afford basic necessities like food or housing; by requiring helmets for all cyclists regardless of income level, we make sure that everyone has an equal chance to enjoy this healthy activity without having to worry about suffering serious injury if they happen to fall off their bike.
What Happens If You Don'T Wear a Helmet on a Motorcycle?
If you don't wear a helmet on a motorcycle, you are increasing your risk of sustaining a serious or fatal injury if you are involved in an accident. A helmet protects your head and can help to prevent or reduce the severity of a head injury. without one, you are more likely to suffer a skull fracture or traumatic brain injury.
Wearing a helmet also increases your chances of being seen by other motorists and can help to prevent accidents.
Why Do People Oppose Helmet Laws?
There are a number of reasons why people might oppose helmet laws. Some might argue that such laws infringe on personal freedom, or that they are ineffective in reducing injuries. Others may simply find helmets uncomfortable to wear.
Those who object to helmet laws on the grounds of personal freedom typically argue that adults should be allowed to make their own choices about whether or not to wear a helmet. They may also point out that mandating helmet use could have negative consequences, such as deterring people from riding bicycles altogether. Those who believe that helmet laws are ineffective often cite studies which show that while helmets do reduce the risk of head injury, they do not necessarily prevent all injuries from occurring.
They also point out that many cyclists already wear helmets voluntarily, so a law may not have a significant impact on overall safety levels. Finally, some opponents of helmet laws argue that wearing a helmet can give cyclists a false sense of security and lead them to take more risks than they otherwise would.
Should Motorcycle Helmets Be Required?
Arguments against Motorcycle Helmet Laws
Motorcycle helmet laws are a controversial topic. Some people argue that they should be mandatory, while others believe that riders should have the freedom to choose whether or not to wear one. Here, we'll explore some of the arguments against motorcycle helmet laws.
One argument against motorcycle helmet laws is that they infringe on personal freedom. People should be able to make their own choices about whether or not to wear a helmet, and mandating helmets takes away that freedom. Another argument is that motorcycle helmets can actually be dangerous.
This is because they can restrict vision and hearing, and can also come loose in a crash, causing more harm than good. Finally, some people argue that motorcycle helmet laws are ineffective. They point to studies which show that there is no clear evidence that helmets actually reduce the risk of injury or death in a crash.
So, those are some of the arguments against motorcycle helmet laws. What do you think? Should riders be required by law to wear a helmet?
There are a lot of debates surrounding the topic of whether or not motorcycle helmets should be mandatory. Some people argue that it should be a choice and others say that it should be required by law. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument.
Those who believe that motorcycle helmets should be mandatory argue that it is a safety issue. They point to statistics which show that motorcyclists who wear helmets are much less likely to be killed or seriously injured in an accident than those who do not wear helmets. They also argue that wearing a helmet can help to protect you from other road users, such as drivers who may not see you because you are on a motorcycle.
Those who believe that motorcycle helmets should not be mandatory usually cite personal freedom as their main argument. They argue that people should be free to choose whether or not they want to wear a helmet, and that mandating helmet use would take away this freedom. They also argue thathelmets can actually be dangerous, as they can restrict your vision and hearing and make it more difficult to balance yourself on your bike.
What are Bluetooth Motorcycle Helmets


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