A rooftop farm was a natural fit for Boston Medical Center, a hospital with both a steadfast commitment to a green campus and an integrative approach to health. The rooftop farm absorbs stormwater and reduces the building's carbon footprint at the same time as it provides thousands of pounds of fresh, healthy produce for patients and the hospital's Preventative Food Pantry.
Recover designed the farm to provide maximum growth potential for the size and scale of the roof and installed the system on Earth Day 2017. The BMC Rooftop Farm system is our most efficient farming system to date—a modular raised-bed system complete with organic Vermont Compost media, remote-monitored smart drip irrigation, and durable roof membrane protection.
The farm grows a wide variety of organic vegetables and herbs and houses two beehives painted by youth patients at the hospital. All farm management is provided by Higher Ground Farm.
Learn more about the farm on the BMC's website.
Planting Layout, Boston Medical Center.


text:
RELEASE: Resources for Cutting Poverty and Expanding Opportunity in the United States
Press Release Apr 14, 2016
Liz Bartolomeo
Advancing Racial Equity and Justice, Building an Economy for All, Strengthening Health and Ending the Pandemic, Poverty+1 More
Washington, D.C. — With House Democrats holding a hearing today on policies that lift struggling families out of poverty, the Center for American Progress offers a series of new resources and analyses on what is at stake in Congress. CAP is introducing a blueprint for cutting poverty and expanding opportunity that House Republicans should consider if they are indeed serious about tackling poverty and paving a pathway to the middle class for all.
"While Speaker Ryan often talks about his commitment to cut poverty, the current House budget actually generates three-fifths of its spending cuts from programs that help low- and moderate-income Americans," said Melissa Boteach, Vice President of the Poverty to Prosperity program at CAP. "These proposed cuts would not only compromise the life chances of today's children, they would also affect the vast majority of Americans at some point during their lives. If House Republicans were serious about cutting poverty, they would embrace policies such as raising the minimum wage, investing in early childhood education, and enacting paid family and sick leave."
"House leaders say they want to protect our children from the national debt, but their budget advocates massive cuts to programs that make those children healthier. A truly pro-growth budget would invest in childhood health," said Harry Stein, Director of Fiscal Policy at CAP. "Economists have shown time and again that environmental, health care, and nutrition programs make children healthier and help them grow up to be more productive and prosperous adults, but the House budget cuts all three of these sectors."
Half of all Americans will face at least one year of poverty or teeter on the brink of poverty during their working years, and four in five Americans will experience at least one year of significant economic hardship. Child poverty alone costs the United States an estimated $672 billion every year, or nearly 4 percent of the gross domestic product.
CAP released the following today:
A Blueprint for Cutting Poverty and Expanding Opportunity in America by Rebecca Vallas and Melissa Boteach
This piece outlines the policies House Republicans must embrace if they are serious about tackling poverty and paving pathways to the middle class, such as raising the minimum wage, building a 21st-century social insurance system, and adopting work-family policies.
Yes, America Can Afford to Dramatically Reduce Poverty and Increase Opportunity by Rachel West
The price tags for many poverty-reducing investments pale in comparison to the billions of dollars in tax breaks that benefit primarily wealthy individuals and corporations. CAP's analysis underscores that the United States can afford to provide adequate nutrition, increase access to high-quality child care, reduce homelessness, and invest in low-income children and workers with the right budget priorities.
House Budget Cuts Would Weaken the Economy for Future Generations by Harry Stein and Brendan Duke
Cuts to environmental, health care, and nutrition programs undermine children's health and the economy they will inherit. CAP's Economic Policy team examines how the recent House budget resolution—similar to earlier House budgets authored by Republican leaders—would burden America's children and grandchildren with slower economic growth.
Supporting Women's Health and Rights to Address Economic Inequality by Maggie Jo Buchanan
Until Congress acknowledges the reality that women's reproductive lives do not exist in a different world from the economy, any approach to ending poverty will fall woefully short. In order to achieve broad economic security and help women exit and stay out of poverty, policymakers must ensure that women have meaningful access to comprehensive health care—not the limited coverage that is the current House Republican agenda.
CAP experts are available to discuss these papers, as well as policies being considered by Congress. The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing begins at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be live streamed at this link.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Liz Bartolomeo at lbartolomeo@americanprogress.org or 202.481.8151.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This trip was the first time that I've been to the Abruzzo and what a joy it proved to be. The mountains, in particular, seem wilder and more contrasting than I expected, the beaches much more attractive than the heavily-built tourist land that I anticipated.
This Pecorino delivers an extra edge of flavour too. Produced by the de Fermo family from a biodynamic vineyard at circa 270m asl, this gives more depth to what is an oft-neutral variety. Fermented wild with no temperature control and matured for 10 months in used oak, this unfined and unfiltered white gives up edges of lemon curd, a passing whiff of oxidative hints before a briney palate that focuses on gentle, citrus restraint, the finish crisp and clean.
Thirst-quenching white this, and was the opening to what ended up as a lock-in with a bunch of Vasto restaurateurs keen for post-service birra. God I love Italy!
Best drinking: 2017-2019. 13%, circa €26 on a list. 17.5/20, 91/100.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Mutations in the genes PRKN and LRRK2 are the most frequent known genetic lesions among Parkinson's disease patients. We have previously reported that in the Portuguese population the LRRK2 c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation has one of the highest frequencies in Europe.
Here, we follow up on those results, screening not only LRRK2, but also PRKN, SNCA and PINK1 in a cohort of early-onset and late-onset familial Portuguese Parkinson disease patients. This series comprises 66 patients selected from a consecutive series of 132 patients. This selection was made in order to include only early onset patients (age at onset below 50 years) or late-onset patients with a positive family history (at least one affected relative). All genes were sequenced bi-directionally, and, additionally, SNCA, PRKN and PINK1 were subjected to gene dosage analysis.
We found mutations both in LRRK2 and PRKN, while the remaining genes yielded no mutations. Seven of the studied patients showed pathogenic mutations, in homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for PRKN, and heterozygosity for LRRK2.
Mutations are common in Portuguese patients with Parkinson's disease, and these results clearly have implications not only for the genetic diagnosis, but also for the genetic counseling of these patients.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is clinically characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability . The gold standard of PD diagnosis remains a pathological one. Pathological hallmarks include cell loss in pigmented nuclei and the formation of eosinophilic intra-cytoplasmic inclusions, termed Lewy bodies, particularly in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta [2, 3]. So far, mutations in SNCA (Alpha-synuclein; OMIM#163890), PRKN (Parkin OMIM#602544), DJ1 (Oncogene DJ1 OMIM#602533), PINK1 (PTEN-Induced Putative Kinase 1 OMIM#608309) and LRRK2 (Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 OMIM#609007) have been implicated as causes of monogenic PD [4–9].
A missense mutation within SNCA encoding the protein alpha-synuclein was the first identified genetic cause of PD  and copy number mutations at this locus have also been shown to cause familial PD . Mutations in PRKN are a common cause of autosomal recessive early-onset parkinsonism [11, 7], however mutations in PINK1 and DJ-1 have also been reported as associated with this type of parkinsonism, although only five causative mutations have been described in the latter [12–14]. Mutations in the gene LRRK2 are a common cause of autosomal dominant and apparently sporadic PD. The LRRK2 mutation c.6055G > A; p.G2019S, accounts for 1–2% of typical sporadic PD in the North American and Northern European white population, with higher prevalence in Portuguese (6%), Ashkenazi Jewish (18.3%) and North African Arab populations (39%) [15–18].
We had previously shown that the c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation in LRRK2 is common in Portuguese PD patients . Here we extend upon this study to search for additional LRRK2, SNCA, PRKN and PINK1 mutations in a clinic-based cohort of patients, mainly from the central region of Portugal.
After obtaining informed consent, 132 PD patients underwent a standardized neurological examination by a movement disorder specialist. The diagnosis of PD was based on the UK Brain Bank diagnostic criteria (family history was not used as an exclusion criterion) and those published by Gelb et. al. [2, 19]. Family history was considered positive if parkinsonism was reported in at least a first- or second-degree relative. Collection of these 132 patients was performed at the Movement Disorder Clinics of both the University of Coimbra Hospital and the Lisbon Hospital Center – Center Region EPE in Lisbon, in a consecutive manner, all patients consent to participate. This cohort is identical to that previously described by us except for the inclusion of 4 additional PD patients . From this series of 132 subjects we have selected 66 unrelated patients to include only those with a positive family history for parkinsonism, or early-onset disease (age at onset <50 years of age). The remaining 66 patients failed to meet either of these criteria, were related to a proband already included or had previously been found to carry the LRRK2 c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation (n = 11). This selection led to the inclusion of 39 patients with positive family history and 46 patients with early-onset PD; 19 patients presented with both an early-onset phenotype and a positive family history, thus the net number of patients from both inclusion groups is 66 (Table 1).
Features of patients studied, where more than one affected member was identified in a family only the presenting affected member (proband) is included.
Additionally we have included a control group comprised of 126 healthy subjects as previously described . Briefly, this control group consisted primarily of spouses accompanying patients to the clinic (~80%); the remaining controls were recruited from non-neurology outpatient clinics, after observation by the movement disorders specialist. This series presented a mean age of 60.5 ± 23.1 years. Apart from the spouses of the patients, no other familiarity with movement disorders patients was found. All individuals are Caucasian and of apparent Portuguese ancestry.
Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood using standard methods. We screened the genes SNCA, PRKN, PINK1 and LRRK2 for sequence variants and, with the exception of LRRK2, for genomic copy number variants. The reference sequence used for the PRKN gene throughout this paper is based on the accession number NM_004562 and codon counting starts from the first ATG.
For SNCA, PRKN and PINK1, all exons were polymerase chain reaction-amplified and sequenced in both directions using BigDye chemistry (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) on an ABI 3100 Genetic Analyzer as previously described [7, 20, 21]. While for the LRRK2 gene, only exon 41 was screened for mutations, using conditions previously described .
Gene dosage analysis was performed using the ABI 7900 Sequence Detection System. Exons 1,2, 4–9 and 11–12 of PRKN and exons 1 and 2 of SNCA, as well as the complete coding region of PINK1 were individually co-amplified with β-globin, which served as an endogenous reference gene. Each plate contained six replicates of every genomic DNA sample, control DNA, and a no-template water control. The cycle in the log phase of PCR amplification at which a significant fluorescence threshold was reached (Ct) was used to quantify each exon relative to β-globin. The dosage of each exon relative to β-globin and normalized to control DNA was determined using the 2-ΔΔCt method (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA).
Analysis of both sequence and copy number yielded several parkin mutations in our subset of patients. The positive results found are represented in Table 2, and the electropherograms corresponding to point mutations are shown in Figure 1. We found four patients in whom both alleles were mutated; three of these patients had the same homozygous mutation (c.154delA; p.N52fsX80), a single base pair deletion that inserts a premature stop codon downstream; one patient showed deletion of exon 2 and duplication of exon 5; analysis of a sixth sample (S4) showed data consistent with a homozygous c.1183G > T; p.E395X mutation and a duplication of exon 9; because the co-occurrence of 3 mutations in the same gene is unlikely we designed an additional forward primer that flanked the E395X mutation as close as possible on the 5' side; sequencing of the PCR product generated by amplification with this new primer and primer PRKNexon11R showed the E395X in a heterozygote state, suggesting that the duplication of exon 9 (and presumably exon 10, which we were unable to assay) interfered with the original PCR and sequencing reaction. Thus in Table 2 this mutation is denoted as a compound heterozygous E395X/exon 9 duplication mutation.
Electropherograms of the pathogenic point mutations found. image of the four pathogenic variants discovered in our series. A) chromatogram of the homozygous 154delA in PRKN exon 2, predicted to cause the N52fsX80 aminoacid change; B) chromatogram of the new mutation G1183T in PRKN exon 11, apparently homozygous, predicted to cause a premature stop codon at position 395; C) chromatogram of the heterozygous G6055A in LRRK2 exon 41, predicted to cause the G2019S change; D) chromatogram of the heterozygous C719T variant in PRKN exon 6, predicted to cause the T240M change.
Homo: Homozygosity; Het: heterozygosity; * previously undescribed mutation; # Variants of unknown significance e.g pathogenicity not confirmed herein. AAO: Age at onset.
Two samples tested positive for the LRRK2 c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation, sample S12 and sample S7. Notably, analysis of sample S7 also showed a heterozygous duplication of PRKN exon 9. Screening of variants E395X, G2019S and 154delA in 252 control chromosomes failed to reveal any control subjects harboring these mutations.
Additionally, we have identified three patients with heterozygous mutations in PRKN: one harboring the T240M variant; another with a deletion of exons 8 through 11 and one with an exon 8 duplication. Furthermore, we have found one patient with two heterozygous dosage variants: an exon 2 deletion and an exon 5 duplication.
No mutations were found in SNCA or PINK1.
We present in this study a detailed mutation analysis of PRKN, PINK1, SNCA and LRRK2. We have included PD patients with a positive family history (n = 19 age at onset <50 years, n = 20 age at onset ≥ 50 years), or early-onset sporadic disease (n = 27) in order to maximize our chances of identifying mutations. This approach has led us to find 6 subjects (9.1%) with pathogenic mutations in LRRK2 or PRKN, in addition to 4 variants of unknown significance in 4 patients.
In our previous report  we showed that the c.6055G > A; p.G2019S LRRK2 mutation underlies about 6% of late-onset PD in the Portuguese population. While we did not find any c.6055G > A; p.G2019S carriers in the 20 late-onset patients studied here, we did identify c.6055G > A; p.G2019S in 2 of 46 early-onset cases. One of these individuals also carried a heterozygous duplication of PRKN exon 9 consistent with the notion of digenic parkinsonism, as previously described . This patient presented no family history consistent with PD, while the other LRRK2 patient had positive family history. Taking into account the removal of samples previously found to carry the c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation we calculate that this mutation is present in 9 probands out of the entire series of 132 patients; this represents 2 of 46 early-onset patients, counting only sporadic cases and a single proband from each family (4.3%) and 7 of 76 late-onset patients counting only sporadic cases and a single proband from each family (9.2%).
We found several PRKN mutations as either homozygous or compound heterozygous loss of function changes. The N52fsX80 variant was the most frequent mutation identified in PRKN. It was present as a homozygous mutation in three unrelated young onset patients (of 46, 6.5%). Analysis of relatives of these patients failed to show any heterozygous carriers of this mutation with parkinsonism. We identified a heterozygous deletion of exon 2 and a duplication of exon 5 in PRKN in one early-onset patient with positive family history. The only affected family member that was available for testing was the sibling of S10 who presented with the same two variants, albeit with a remarkably different age at onset (50 years vs 35 years of patient S10) (Figure 2). While parsimony suggests that these mutations are in trans we were unable to unequivocally establish phase as DNA was unavailable from other family members. We also identified a heterozygous deletion of exons 8 through 11 in a female patient with an age at onset of 32 years. Additional family members were unavailable, so we were unable to determine whether this mutation represented a single contiguous mutation or two mutations existing in trans and thus the pathogenicity of the observed changes remains unknown. We identified a novel mutation in PRKN exon 11 (E395X) as a heterozygous alteration. This patient also possessed a heterozygous duplication of exon 9. The pathogeneicity of the new E395X mutation is clear since it is a nonsense mutation that occurs upstream of a functional domain of the protein. Of these patients presenting either homozygous or clear compound heterozygous mutations in PRKN, four (80%) have an age at onset below 40 years. Only one (patient S4) presents late-onset disease (53 years).
Dosage plots. Dosage plot of the variants found in PRKN in sample S10 and its sibling here denoted as S9. Represented are exons 1, 2, 4–9, 11 and 12. Each exon was compared with the beta-globin gene and normalized to a control DNA.
In addition we identified several PRKN variants of unknown significance. The T240M alteration, an exon 8 deletion and an exon 8 duplication were each identified as heterozygous mutations in single patients. In the absence of additional mutations in PRKN in these subjects, we have not considered these as disease causing variants in these patients. We make this statement with caution, since we cannot rule out copy number mutations in exons 3 or 10, which we were unable to assay effectively.
It is now clear that genetics plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PD. Specifically, in the Portuguese population, we have found a reasonable number of mutations: the frequency of the c.6055G > A; p.G2019S is one of the highest in Europe, and in the present paper we have found that 8.7% (4 out of 46 cases) of early-onset cases are attributable to PRKN mutations. Similar to other reports we found PINK1 and SNCA mutations to be a rare cause of disease in our families . Taken as a whole these results have implications mainly for clinicians in Portugal; in particular showing that genetic screening may aid the diagnosis of PD in this population. However, even with the combination of gene dosage and sequencing, a significant proportion of mutations might remain undetected, probably due to the size and the complexity of the PRKN gene. In this way, negative results should be interpreted with caution, as well as heterozygous mutations in this gene.
We thank the patients for taking part in this research. This work was supported in part by the Intramural program of the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services and FCT grants (SFRH/BD/29647/2006) and (SFRH/BD/27442/2006).
JMB and RJG performed the genotyping, and drafted the manuscript. MHR, CJ, AM, MD, AC and CS contributed to collecting materials. CRO, JH, and AS participated in the study design and coordination, together with drafting the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


In the new year 2018, Cheemey Team wishing you all the happiness of the holiday season.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful new year filled with blessings.
Thanks for your supporting always, in the new year 2018, we will keep on proving high quality products, make the world clean with solar energy.


they'll be going in the shop soon, but i have to work today, so probably not until tomorrow.
hello, favorite colors. it will be difficult to sell you and not keep you for myself.
headband + frayed rose + fabric + robins egg blue + yellow = accessory love.
cute bows on elastic headbands!
the one in the middle is made from vintage fabric.
let me know what you think! :) i also plan on putting some bows and flowers onto the braided fabric headbands. they look very promising in my head.
i think in the near future i will be doing a giveaway for one of these cuties. stay tuned!
These make me very happy.
super cute kim! love the colors!
when are you putting the bow ones up in the shop like the ones in this post?? love you friend!
hm i need to do that. maybe today!


[large thumbnail url="disturbing-trend-sees-mexican-gray-alpha-wolves-being-picked-off" filename="news" year="2010″ month="07″ day="07″] [thumbnail icon url="disturbing-trend-sees-mexican-gray-alpha-wolves-being-picked-off" filename="news" year="2010″ month="07″ day="07″] Two alpha males have been found dead, one in Arizona the other in New Mexico, and Federal officials are investigating the deaths as suspicious.
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News and tagged Arizona, Mexican Gray Wolves, Mexicanwolves.org, New Mexico on July 7, 2010 by HOWLColorado.
[large thumbnail url="mexican-gray-wolf-one-step-closer-to-separate-protection-under-endangered-species-act" filename="news" year="2010″ month="07″ day="01″] [thumbnail icon url="mexican-gray-wolf-one-step-closer-to-separate-protection-under-endangered-species-act" filename="news" year="2010″ month="07″ day="01″] A news release from Michael Robinson and the Center for Biological Diversity outlines a settlement filed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking recognition of the Mexican Gray wolf as an endangered species distinct from gray wolves, meaning increased protection and new recovery standards.
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News and tagged Endangered Species Act, Mexican gray wolf, michael robinson, USFWS on July 1, 2010 by HOWLColorado.
The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance is offering a limited edition 3×5 version of the first US stamp to feature a conservation message for wolves.
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News and tagged New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, wolf stamp on June 10, 2010 by HOWLColorado.
[large thumbnail url="mexican-wolf-reintroduction-project-news-may-2010″ filename="science" year="2010″ month="06″ day="08″] [thumbnail icon url="mexican-wolf-reintroduction-project-news-may-2010″ filename="science" year="2010″ month="06″ day="08″] The following is a summary of Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project activities in Arizona on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNF) and Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR) and in New Mexico on the Apache National Forest (ANF) and Gila National Forest (GNF).
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News, Science and tagged AZGFD, Mexican gray wolf, mexican wolf on June 8, 2010 by HOWLColorado.
[large thumbnail url="monthly-update-mexican-gray-wolf-reintroduction-project" filename="news" year="2010″ month="05″ day="12″] [thumbnail icon url="monthly-update-mexican-gray-wolf-reintroduction-project" filename="news" year="2010″ month="05″ day="12″] Each month the Arizona Fish and Game Department releases a report for the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program. Here's the report for April 1-30, 2010.
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News, Science and tagged AFGD, Mexican gray wolf, USFWS on May 12, 2010 by HOWLColorado.
One cannot help but noticed the irony that a county named after the well-known native American tribe would be so opposed to the animals which held such a prominent position in native American culture.
This entry was posted in Mexican Gray Wolves, News and tagged Arizona Journal, Mexican gray wolf, Tammy Gray-Searles on April 16, 2010 by HOWLColorado.


Maximo Nivel Producciones supported the Corona Sunset Sessions Festival in Medellin, Colombia's Botanical Gardens with a Martin Audio MLA Mini system.
The Corona Sunset Sessions is a global musical festival series that was held recently in Medellin, Colombia's Botanical Gardens and featured a lineup of indie electropop artists from around the world such as Bakermat, Cherub and Miami Horror as well as local acts Mitu and others.
Maximo Nivel Producciones of Antioquia, Colombia provided audio and lighting for the event including a Martin Audio MLA Mini system. The sound system included 12 MLA Mini enclosures with two MSX subs a side and aYamaha M7CL 48 digital mixer.
Asked about providing audio in the large iconic outdoor setting for the 2000 fans attending the event, Carlos Valencia of Maximo Nivel said, "Without a doubt, the main challenge was ensuring consistent coverage in terms of linearity, homogeneity and SPL. Martin Audio helped us solve this problem with the MLA's optimization technology that provided exceptional control and high fidelity both in the mixing position and the rest of the audience area.
"In pre-production, we could perform calculations and analyze the space and number of boxes using Display® software," Carlos continues. "Once the MLA system was set up, VU-NET software proved to be a great tool for the control and monitoring of the system in real time.


text:
Bill Green is a Sydney based portrait and corporate photographer who has spent a large portion of his 30 year career working in the entertainment sector including music, film and television in London, Los Angeles, Sydney and Melbourne.
Photographing what might best be described as celebrity portraiture for magazines, public relations, record, film and tv companies, Bill was in house photographer for Sony Music Entertainment for seven years photographing local and international acts.
Film and tv productions Bill has shot film stills for include Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries in Melbourne and the Channel 4 TV series Indian Summers, starring Julie Walters - shot in Penang, Malaysia.
In sharp contrast to his commercial work which is based around portraiture, Bill's personal photographs of industrial and urban architecture and landscapes show an empty world without the presence people.
Bill also teaches at the Leica Akademie in Sydney.


I bought this car to keep as my everyday runaround….great condition with all the gadgets. Everything worked correctly when I bought it apart from the rattly engine. I have now re-built the engine and it just need fitting. All parts are present to complete. Any questions you can call me on 07971 467478… The interior picture makes the car look worse than it is..it's just been standing so a bit dusty. The car has great leather, great bodywork, great alloy wheels and tyres and has been in my garage for the majority of the time. Everything worked when the car was running. The gearbox was smooth. Body work in very good indeed! I bought this car about 18 months ago. The car had the dreaded Saab 'Death Rattle'…so I thought I would rebuild the engine. However, when we stripped it down we found the crank had warped so I bought another car with a good engine. (120000 miles). I was going to use the car as my everyday car so I sourced the engine carefully….in fact, I drove the donor car home so it had a good test. We put a compression tester on the engine and the pistons and bores are in good shape. I then took the engine to my local garage. the garage rebuilt the bottom end with new main bearings and new piston bearings. They also removed the timing chain cover and found the chain to be worn. A complete timing chain set was installed. All parts from NEO Bros. The engine was then reassembled. So, the engine just needs to be installed. You would then have a great car. It's just too good to break so I really hope someone re fits the engine. I can't as I'm suffering with arthritis so my car restoring days are over. I am selling this in good faith but I offer no warranties. You are welcome to come and inspect. I have lost all the receipts but if I get time I will try and get copies from Neo bros. I have 100% feedback so you can see I am a trustworthy person. Remember you are bidding to win, not to come and have a look. Don't mess me about Good Luck.


text:
Ubisoft Reveals E3 2015 Lineup, Confirms Aisha Tyler's Return
'Big surprises' in store.
By Alex Osborn
Ubisoft has pulled back the curtain on its plans for this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, confirming the return of Aisha Tyler as the host of its media briefing.
The conference, which is set to take place at the Orpheum Theatre, will be held on Monday June 15 at 2:45pm PT, during which the publisher has confirmed it will be announcing "several exciting new games."
Additionally, Ubisoft has announced three games in its upcoming lineup will be playable on the show floor, including Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Tom Clancy's The Division, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.
"E3 is always a very special moment for the entire gaming community because we all come together to share our visions for the future of entertainment and reveal the games into which we've been pouring our energy and passion," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said. "The players' excitement and feedback when they first experience what we're developing is what motivates us the most."
What are you most looking forward to seeing from Ubisoft at this year's E3? Do you think we'll get an announcement for the heavily-rumored Watch Dogs 2? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. Be sure to send him your Ubisoft E3 predictions over on Twitter.


This is a Archive visit archive.cyberguerrilla.org for more.
By Anonymous | November 4, 2013 - 23:58 | Posted in AnonyNews | 8 Comments | Post is random.
Anonymous - We can be Heroes!
Op Golden Dawn - A3 Directorate of Greece MOFA and OSCE massive leak!
nonymous. Whoever you are, we are ungovernable!


text:
Big Trouble in The Villages (Part 2)
orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-lkritchie-column-villages-0429042909apr29,0,4758757.column
OrlandoSentinel.com
Peeling back layers in Villages bond dispute
Lauren Ritchie
Sunday's column summarized the responses of The Villages government to the Internal Revenue Service, which has been investigating the community's tax-exempt bonds for the last year and has ruled preliminarily that they should be taxed.
In general, the Village Center Community Development District, which sold $64 million worth of recreational revenue bonds in 2003 to buy golf courses, swimming pools and the like, contends that the bonds shouldn't be taxed because it meets all of Florida's guidelines.
The IRS, however, has a different view.
If the early ruling by the agent were to stand, the district could face staggering financial exposure — it has about $700 million in bonds outstanding. Some $214 million of those are recreational revenue bonds and are of the type being audited by the IRS. They are repaid through amenities fees paid monthly by residents.
Let's look at the specific disagreements.
Not 'political subdivision'
The IRS contends that the Village Center district is not qualified to issue tax-exempt bonds because it doesn't meet the agency's test of what constitutes a genuine "political subdivision," such as a city or county. Agent Dominick Servadio Jr. spent 47 pages of his 102-page ruling building the case. To qualify, the district must have substantial sovereign powers, and the Village district doesn't, he contended, because:
•It must be able to levy property taxes. While CDDs in general have that power, this one doesn't because its structure ensures it never will have "qualified electors" to legitimately choose supervisors to make such a decision.
•Its power to seize private land for a public purpose, called eminent domain, is "limited" and "insubstantial," Servadio concluded, not "rising to the level of a political subdivision."
•It does not have the legal right to exercise police power because the Florida law under which the district was created specifically forbids it.
The Villages side
Both Village Center district lawyer Archie Lowry of Mount Dora and Perry Israel, the district's California tax lawyer, said the district is abiding by Florida law in how it chooses a board of supervisors when residents don't live in the district, and it has the right to be considered a political subdivision. The fact that the supervisors all are either employees of the developer or tied to him in some way is not relevant, they contended.
Israel wrote that the district's ability to exercise eminent domain is clear: "The power is substantial within its geographic jurisdiction even if one thought the District was an alter ego of the Developer ..."
It doesn't matter that the district has not yet used that authority. It could, and other districts have done so, he wrote.
Those are strong arguments.
On the test of police power, however, Lowry's logic is bizarre and contradictory. He acknowledged that Chapter 190, the Florida law under which the Villages district was created, specifically bans it from exercising police power.
Then, he goes on to argue that a different section of the law allows the district to operate a fire department, which he claims is police power.
"It would appear obvious that the fire stations, water mains and plugs, fire trucks and other vehicles owned and operated by the District, which is responsible for fire prevention and control, is an exercise of the police power," Lowry wrote.
Obvious? To whom? Now, there's a stretch. Are firefighters carrying guns and handcuffs these days? The district has said that administrator Janet Tutt is the person to answer questions about the tax dispute, but she did not answer a query seeking an explanation of Lowry's contradictory contention.
And that's not all
Servadio said the bonds also failed to meet other IRS requirements, either. Among them:
The transactions didn't benefit the general public — a requirement of tax-free bonds — but instead only the developer who collected the bond money in exchange for both the facilities and the right to collect amenities fees.
The golf courses, for example, are for the "exclusive use of residents of The Villages," he wrote. Nonresidents can play only at the invitation of a resident, and they can't play at all on some courses that are designated for residents only.
Israel argued that many municipally owned golf courses give preferential tee times to golfers who live in the city. In some places, he said, residents get reduced greens fees, for example.
He cited a U.S. Treasury Department regulation about municipal sewer plants and used it to compare the plants to Villages golf courses. Use of such sewer plants isn't available to people who don't live inside the city, he pointed out, but they are still considered a benefit to the general public. And that's how it is with the golf courses, he argued.
Anybody buying that one? Later, he claimed that "the facilities financed are available for use by the general public."
Really? In that case, let's hold an end-of-the-school-year swimming party for 40 busloads of kids from all the north Lake elementaries! For free! All day! After all, young-uns are "general public," too.
Israel's logic is absurd on its face.
Use of The Villages' facilities generally is restricted to invited guests of Villages residents and the residents themselves, who are paying for the facilities. (Some facilities may be rented by outsiders.) Those conditions may meet the IRS rules or may not; you may like them, or you may not, but that's the way it is. To claim anything else is bogus.
Developer overpaid?
The district grossly overpaid Morse by $53 million, according to the IRS. The tangible assets, such as pools, golf courses, mail facilities, golf-ball washers and guardhouses, were worth about $6.9 million. Appraisers the Village district chose weren't qualified under IRS rules, partly because they weren't independent, and they failed to calculate correctly the value of the items purchased, Servadio contended.
The district acknowledged that one of the appraisers "acted as a consultant to both parties in the transaction," but Israel argued that a regulation requiring independent appraisers doesn't apply to a tax-free bond transaction. Even if it did, he wrote, the appraiser was acting as an independent contractor and was "not subject to the District's controls in the same fashion that an employee might be."
In other words, it's all good to hire your buddies help you spend $64 million in public funds. This is Florida, where the rules are different. Go back to your office in the beltway, Revenooer Man.
Documents 'recreated'
And then there's the allegation of overpayment. The district went on a $53 million shopping spree in The Villages for recreational goodies but apparently misplaced its sales slip.
Neither of its supposedly very qualified appraisers could provide a schedule of what each of the tangible properties was worth as opposed to the value of the other portion of the purchase, buying the rights to collect amenity fees.
So, the district stated in a footnote in teeny-tiny type that it asked the two appraisers to "recreate their calculations."
How very entertaining! Where would Richard Nixon be if Rose Mary Woods had "recreated" the 18-minute gap in the tapes of the Watergate scandal?
Of course, the resurrected calculations show that the district paid just the right amount and that it used all the proper methods of figuring it out the value of the amenity-fee rights.
While calculators in The Villages are cooling off from that stressful exercise, let's look at one more claim by the district. This one made 28 pages of tedious reading worth every moment.
Come on in, y'all
Israel made much ado about an IRS assumption that guardhouses and gates at entrances to The Villages are to keep nonresidents out. The IRS conclusion is hardly an outlandish one when a fellow pops out of a little shack at a gate that physically prevents you from driving into the community, and asks where you're going. I've had it happen dozens of times. And these fellows aren't shy about demanding your business.
The truth, however, is that you can tell the nosy gent that you're picking out houses you plan to burglarize next week, and he still has to open that silly gate to let you through. The streets of The Villages are public, and anyone may drive through the development at any time. Putting gates on them is a disgrace and should never have been tolerated. Can you imagine putting gates on U.S. Highway 441 and asking people where they're bound?
The gates are there to keep out the riff-raff and to intimidate gawkers, and for no other reason.
Israel, however, says that's just not the case. The guards don't turn anyone away, he said. The idea is just to slow traffic around golf carts and to "make The Villages a safer place for everyone."
"The guards are there, to provide help, such as with directions, if needed," he wrote.
Yes! They're here to help you! They're here to help the 40 busloads of elementary children get to the swimming pools for use by the general public safely!
Good morning, Security Man. Which way to the Savannah Center pool?
Lauren Ritchie can be reached at Lritchie@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5918. Her blog can be found at orlandosentinel.com/laurenonlake
Posted by Andrew D. Blechman at 11:33 No comments:
Active Adult builders slashing production of new homes
Big trouble in The Villages
orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-lklritchie26042609apr26,0,3608097.column
Can Villages win battle over bonds?
(First of two parts.)
That's the signal for the kickoff of Round No. 2 in a battle between the government behind The Villages and the IRS, which has warned that tax-exempt Villages bonds are in danger of being declared taxable.
The Village Center Community Development District, which runs operations at the massive retirement community of nearly 75,000 people, sold $64 million worth of bonds in 2003 to buy everything from the right to collect future fees from residents to retention ponds, clubhouses, swimming pools, guard shacks and golf courses.
Even more troublesome for the district are Internal Revenue Service hints in the agency's preliminary ruling that similar bonds — $214 million outstanding in all — also could be declared taxable.
Before anything drastic happens, the Villages district has the right to present its argument, and in documents prepared by two lawyers — its local attorney in Mount Dora and a tax-exempt bond expert in California — the district did so last week.
The arguments are technical and sometimes double back on themselves, leaving the reader with a "huh?" expression.
Here is the condensed version of The Villages' argument:
The state says this whole arrangement is just peachy, so who is the IRS to question it?
The documents acknowledge much of the too-cozy arrangement between the district and developer but argue that it's just dandy — or, at any rate, perfectly legal — because Florida sanctioned it all.
The IRS doesn't have any business meddling, for example, in trying to determine whether the district is a bona fide "political subdivision." Florida says it is, so, by golly, it just is.
What the local lawyer has forgotten is that the IRS isn't part of Florida's long-standing good-old-boy system that conspired to make developers rich at the expense of retirees who just want to have fun.
Just because Florida considers the Village Center district an honest-to-goodness government with power to issue tax-free bonds doesn't mean the IRS has to recognize it ... or does it?
This case will be a test.
At one point, Mount Dora lawyer Archie Lowry Jr. remarked that the way the district board is made up is "not favored" by the IRS, even though it complies with state law governing community-development districts such as the Village Center District.
"I am not aware of any federal law which would permit the IRS to change, modify or rewrite Florida statutory law," Lowry wrote.
Yo, Archie, dude! Didn't anybody mention that being snippy with an IRS agent may not be the wisest tactic when $214 million is at stake?
The money from the sale of the recreational revenue bonds went to Villages developer Gary Morse and his family, for whom he holds most of the development in trust.
The deal worked like this: Morse built The Villages and supposedly didn't charge residents in the sale price of their houses for any of the recreational goodies.
Instead, homeowners pay an "amenity fee" that varies, depending when they bought their house. Anyone who buys now pays $135 a month. Those who bought in past years pay less.
The district issued the bonds and repays them with amenity fees. The bond money bought not only the tangible items but also the rights to the collect the fees — and that's where part of this disagreement is rooted. The IRS contends that buying intangibles such as "rights" is improper.
The district expects to collect about $33 million in amenity fees this year and spend about half repaying the bonds that made the Morse family fabulously rich. The rest goes for operations.
But perhaps the biggest battle is the IRS contention that the Villages Center District is not a genuine political subdivision under IRS rules and so can't possibly issue tax-exempt bonds.
If that preliminary ruling were to hold, more than $700 million in various types of outstanding Villages bonds could be at risk.
Now that the backdrop is set, let's look at the specific responses from the Village district on Wednesday.
Lauren Ritchie can be reached at Lritchie@orlandosentinel.com or 352-742-5918. Read her blog at orlandosentinel.com/laurenonlake.
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Reader email
First, let me say, that we are a married couple from upstate NY, are and still working. We have 4 children, all of which have left the nest and are doing well. We stumbled upon The Villages around 5 years ago, in the month of February, when visiting long time friends that had moved there the previous year. Previously we disliked Florida; too much traffic, too hot; nobody was from here and many other things. After spending 4 day's in The Villages with our fiends, we bought a Villa before we left Florida.
We ordered furniture, had it received and placed by our friends and came back in April for a couple of weeks to get it settled. The first night spot we hit after tending to the villa for a couple of days was Katie Bells. We sat down and ordered 2 Absolutes and sodas. The bar maid said $6.50, I said each, she said for both. An older gent sitting next to us said "if you bought those 3 weeks ago they would have been $1.50 cheaper. I said they seem pretty reasonable to me. We looked around to see much older couples dancing. I said to my wife, it's just like the old days when us guy's were out on weekends trying to pick up girls. This is really something I told her. The more I watched, I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry.
Well, its 5 years later and we have moved up to a designer home. We still are working in NY so only get here for about 4 weeks at a time in the winter. We call ourselves snow flakes as opposed to snow birds because we aren't here enough.
I caught the article about your book in the NY Post a couple of months ago and finally bought and read your book. Let me first say, I took some heat from some people here, they were not happy about your book. I read the book and found it to "not to be" what they professed it to be. It is very thought provoking from my point of view. I did report my findings to all those doubters. When I explained it to them, they seemed to be enlightened; "you mean it's not just about Mr. Midnight"? I found your contacts here to be informative and, yes, some very entertaining. One disappointment to me, you never finished your investigation of the wine club.
I now find myself kind of agreeing with you to a point. Is it really impossible for us not to still fulfill all those responsibilities you claim we have to the next generations and still enjoy our final years here? I think we can do both but I applaud you for making the point that it is sort of our duty.
However, I must disagree with your long term thoughts on The Villages. You state age-segregated communities will in the future start to thin out from lack of population, but as with any species, the strong will prevail and so will The Villages. Its shear size and the number of amenities, will keep it the place to go. I am afraid you are right on the other's, being so small, they will have to change there qualifications to survive in the future.
In closing, let me say, I think Leisureville is a great book and I am recommending it to all that will listen to me.
The (MA) adult-community development bubble has burst.
Developers endure a senior slump as over-55 market hits wall
Boston Business Journal - by Michelle Hillman
Ocean Meadow developer Stephen Gillis is offering prospective buyers $15,000 toward the purchase of a unit.
The adult-community development bubble has burst.
Earlier this decade, developers pursued aging boomers with gusto, building hundreds of "active adult" communities across the state. They banked on the assumption that empty-nesters would want to live out their golden years in maintenance-free homes, often complete with clubhouses and golf courses.
Now the 55-plus market is glutted with inventory. Some developments are in foreclosure, others are stalled and prices on some units reflect deep discounts, as the expected rush to adult communities has not materialized. An estimated 15,000 units are permitted or sitting on the market in Massachusetts.
The glut can be attributed to the housing slump and market crash. Boomers struggle to sell their homes and their ravaged retirement accounts make the care-free lifestyle that 55-plus communities promise more elusive. Since 2000, developers have built 311 active adult communities and 19,458 units, according to PrimeTime Communities LLC, which researched the market for its 2009-Prime 50 Plus Report. The report found that sales of units in 25 adult communities slowed from between three and six units per month at the peak of the market in 2006 to 0.5 a month, or one every other month, in 2008.
"The key factor is a decline in pricing, really, for the single-family homes," said Thomas Skahen, a partner at PrimeTime. "People saw their housing values dip 10 to 20 percent and their stocks went down 40 percent."
Stephen Gillis, president of Gillis Homes Inc., is offering prospective buyers a $15,000 "stimulus check" toward a unit at Ocean Meadow at West Newbury. The idea for the check came about after Gillis sold just one unit at in January. The 55-plus project was built in the spring of 2007 "when things were wonderful," said Gillis.
"The big issue is people being able to sell their house," said Gillis.
Developers with parcels permitted for 55-plus development are standing still, said Lynne Sweet, a principal at Needham-based market research firm LDS Consulting Group LLC. Those with land are unable to get financing and those with 55-plus projects permitted are trying to get the age restrictions lifted.
"On top of the fact that these things were incredibly over-permitted and not well thought out," she said.
The developer of Yentile Place in Wilmington can't get the project out of the ground until he can get a loan from a bank, said Bill Wolfe of Wilson Wolfe Real Estate. Wolfe said the bank won't budge without 12 purchase-and-sale agreements in hand. Wolfe has only been able to line up seven at his 76-unit project.
A call to the developer was not returned.
"The longer it sits, the more concerns people have," said Wolfe, adding that the developer has only managed to pour the foundation.
For those who moved ahead with active adult communities, it's a fire sale.
Even with all the bells and whistles retirement living has to offer, the units are selling slowly, if at all. In Stoughton, the owners of the Village at Ames Pond reduced asking prices by $100,000 to about $340,000 last October to spur the sale of the last 11 units at the 40-unit development. The property was finished in 2006 and was expected to sell out in a 12-to-18-month period.
"We pretty much came on the market at the worst time we could've come on," said Christa Griffin of Griffin Realty LLC.
Some developers haven't been able to finish building 55-plus projects because of a lack of sales and financing.
The active adult community in Sharon, Hunter's Ridge, has been quiet for a long time, said Tammy DeWolfe of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. DeWolfe said the property went into foreclosure and the owners, the Charles Mirrione Trust, stopped building when units weren't selling.
However, Charles "Nick" Mirrione, president of Mirrione Realty Corp. of South Easton, said he's found a buyer for the project and expects the sale to close May 11.
"We weren't able to keep up with the project," said Mirrione, who added he'll lose more than $6 million on Hunter's Ridge. "There was no way I was ever going to make any money on it under these conditions."
"For now I think people are just sitting on their hands and it would be very difficult for anyone to get financing in the future because there's so much product sitting out there that's failed," Sweet said.
http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/04/13/story2.html?b=1239595200%5E1809180
Pulte (owner of Del Webb brand) dilutes concentration on Active Adult sector
Pulte-Centex deal prompts hope, wariness
By GRETA GUEST
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
News of the merger of Pulte Homes Inc. and Centex Corp. to create the nation's largest homebuilder was met with optimism and caution Wednesday.
One analyst even saw it as a liquid Pulte coming to a debt-heavy Centex's rescue.
"We view this deal as a necessary and positive step for CTX given its 56% leverage, $1.2 billion debt maturities over the next three years and our expectation for weak cash flow," wrote housing analyst Daniel Oppenheim at Credit Suisse in a note to investors Wednesday.
The combined business has more than $3.4 billion in cash as of March 31, the companies said, and $1.8 billion in debt.
Oppenheim also notes that the combined company would have eight years worth of land based on an estimated 20,000 home sales for both this year.
The two companies had sales of 39,000 homes in 2008 with revenues of $11.6 billion.
Liz Boyd, spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said the merger is great news for the company and the state, particularly as it will stay headquartered in Bloomfield Hills.
"There are a lot of unknowns whenever you have a merger of companies," she said. But to have this company headquartered in Michigan is very important. We have the bragging rights to be home to the nation's largest homebuilder."
The merger fills in some gaps for Bloomfield Hills-based Pulte in the first-time homebuyer market and reduces its exposure to the active adult market, which accounted for 45% of its business last year but will total 29% after the merger, Oppenheim wrote.
Pulte also estimated it would save $350 million a year in expenses after the merger.
Howard Fingeroot, managing partner of Pinnacle Homes of Farmington Hills and former president of Pulte Land Development, said the building industry was in consolidation mode prior to the housing and financial industry meltdowns.
"I think this merger with Pulte and Centex is something to generate optimism. It tells me they are looking forward. It's not just how do we get through today," Fingeroot said. "They are going to be the biggest homebuilder in the country."
Ken Dalto, a Farmington Hills-based turnaround expert, said the homebuilding industry was ripe for a right-sizing similar to what is happening in the automotive and financial industries.
"There is so much inventory of houses, Pulte won't have to build houses for years even when there is a recovery," Dalto said. "There is not going to be a lot of building and the housing industry is going to be a lot slimmer for a number of years."
The company will be named Pulte and be headquartered in Bloomfield Hills with a significant presence in Dallas where Centex is based.
Pulte has battled complaints about quality and working conditions lodged by homeowners and the AFL-CIO in recent years. Last year, a group of protesters clashed with Pulte's board of directors as they arrived for the annual shareholder's meeting.
The company has said it does all it can to address such complaints. Pulte and its Del Webb brand ranked highest in 11 of 34 markets in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates New Home Builder Satisfaction Study.
The merger is subject to shareholder approval at both companies.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090408/BUSINESS06/90408085/1017/BUSINESS/Pulte-Centex+deal+prompts+hope++wariness
Andrew D. Blechman
LEISUREVILLE - Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias
Andrew D. Blechman is an award-winning journalist who has been a reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the Des Moines Register. His work has also appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, and the International Herald Tribune, among others. His first book, Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's most revered and reviled Bird, was widely praised in the media and even featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Pigeons, which is now available in paperback, was recently released in Australia and New Zealand.
Visit the Author's Website
www.andrewblechman.com
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What do you think about age segregation?
Active Adult builders slashing production of new h...
Senior Humor -- Sex, the Daily Show, and adorable ...
The (MA) adult-community development bubble has bu...
Pulte (owner of Del Webb brand) dilutes concentrat...


On Saturday in the weekend just been, Simon and I went for a massive drive. Over 300 plus kilometres. Yep, petrol was at its highest price too. Clever.
Anyways, one of the stops we made was at the Pine Harbour market which is held every Saturday between 8am and 12pm. The food here all looked delicious and we tried our fair share of it too. Simon also got himself a vintage French fry cutter from one of the stalls that sold old cookware. I likes how all the stalls were matching carts with their names written on the front on a black board – very quaint.


Jailed Jewish American contractor Alan Gross is in "normal" health and is being treated for his chronic conditions, the Cuban government said in a statement.
The Cuban government on Saturday released Gross' medical records in response to accusations by U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland that he could no longer walk on his own even in his small cell.
"The Government of the United States and Mr. Gross' family have been regularly receiving a complete medical report about his health," the statement issued over the weekend said. "Cuban authorities have periodically been meeting with U.S. officials and with Mr. Gross' family in order to share all information about his health.
Gross' family said they would reserve judgment until they had a chance to review the medical records.
"We appreciate the Cuban government today finally releasing Alan's medical records and test results to us," the family said in a statement released through its lawyer, Peter Kahn. "It is unfortunate that it took more than a month for them to do so, despite repeated requests. We will reserve any further comment until after Alan's U.S. doctors have an opportunity to review and analyze the medical documentation the Cubans are providing.
Gross continues to be held at a military hospital, the Cuban government statement said, "to ensure him the best conditions for his recovery," instead of returning him to prison.
Gross, 63, of Potomac, Md., was arrested in 2009 for allegedly bringing satellite phones and computer equipment to members of Cuba's Jewish community. He was sentenced last year to 15 years in prison.
He is being held in a medical facility and has been visited by family, friends and Jewish leaders. Gross is allowed weekly calls to the United States.
This story "Alan Gross in 'Normal' Health: Cuba" was written by JTA.


text:
Peter Mandelson Quotes
There are small revolutions going on in the CAP. There is a difference between emphasizing reform and saying that the entire CAP and all its domestic support must be scrapped altogether.
#Reform
after receiving a full report from the security forces and on the advice of the police this morning.
I feel hopeful and confident that the ultimate prize -- stable, inclusive government in Northern Ireland and an unbreakable peace -- will at long last be within our grasp.
I hope we will get an agreement, if we are going to get an agreement at all, before the summit.
#Agreement
I don't think people will complain about that, in particular those who bring some perspective to this matter.
Having made this offer, Europe is in a much stronger position to negotiate and unlock the talks.
The gap is significant. This has been sobering for all the ministers.
#Gap
It was not evident in Hong Kong that other important partners are ready to take the hard decisions, make the offers and the contributions that will be needed if this round is to end on a successful note in a year or more.
#Decisions
I did feel encouraged by what I heard around the table.
We still have a small breathing space to see whether it's possible to find a solution to the crisis we're now facing.
The European Union will match -- and indeed go substantially beyond -- the 60 percent cut in the most trade-distorting support proposed by the U.S.,
#Support
The people of Northern Ireland, whose future depends on these talks, deserve a bit more hope. That's what we're giving them today,
will not advance the trade reform talks as it is.
The responsibility rests squarely with the EU and their ability to come forward with an offer on agriculture.
#Ability
To do it, we need political engagement by all governments and the courage to negotiate - really negotiate - in the realms of the possible rather than hiding behind high-sounding but unrealistic demands.
#Courage
Europe is ready to work for a successful ambitious conclusion
We need to make progress in other areas. We need to address the whole of the agenda if we are to make the progress we want to do,
#Progress
I want proper negotiation to start; that's all I'm asking for, ... does not add up to deal making.
#Negotiation
We must not sacrifice the CAP.
#Sacrifice
I am very glad that we have been able to reach agreement on this important question. The EU has worked hard for this outcome and welcomes that others have moved to make this possible.
There couldn't be any less negotiation.
Well, that is a negotiating ploy.
#Negotiating
There are some very needy developing countries, like for example the cotton producers of west Africa.
#Example
My task in Geneva is to reassure WTO partners that the EU remains firmly committed to this negotiation,
The idea that there are likely to be shortages and shelves going empty is rather far from the truth,
#Truth
I cannot sell a deal in which Europe gives, but gets nothing in return. That is not a negotiation, that is a capitulation. I won't do it, and who would in my place?
I would make it clear to the government of Iran that any boycott of Danish goods is a boycott of the European Union as a whole. I hope that the government (of Iran) will think twice.
Progress does not depend on unilateral moves by particular players but on what everyone can put into the mix together. I have a fairly good idea of where Europe can end up eventually but moving the EU will really depend not just on our red lines, but the overall balance.
There was no major breakthrough [although] we made progress in a number of areas.
China is not yet qualified to receive the recognition of market economy status by Europe. There are technical criteria which China needs to fulfill, in which it's making progress towards fulfilling.


I like to ignore the realities of America now that I don't live there, but it is true that what happens in the US does affect the world.
Brainwashing in the US begins early. Most people don't think of it that way – and even rather anti-American people I meet in Europe sometimes think I am going too far when I describe the US system as a form of slavery (especially if one compares it to actual slavery, which of course is an entirely different, toxic and horrifying institution/monstrosity). It might be better to call it indentured servitude, with the indenture owed to student loan companies and increasingly inhumane workplaces. People are too brainwashed to know that that is the machine they are a part of – indoctrinated into the idea that they are would-be millionaires (as John Steinbeck said, ""Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires") or that "anything is possible" if they work hard enough – and taught from an early age to value material goods over anything else, so that, unless they are actually hit by real hardship, an average American thinks he is prospering because he managed to buy … a new Jeep or something.
I often tell the disembodied and soulless story as one in which you are born and are told from the earliest time that you must get an education, so you go to public school (or whatever form you attend) and basically learn how not to think while a lot of nonsense is hammered into your head and creativity is systematically removed – stay in line, be quiet, color inside the lines, do what everyone else is doing, no that is not the right interpretation of this, there is only one right answer and only one way to get there). Then you are told you have to go to college or else you will not get a job. You go into great debt to do so. Naturally after that your hands are tied by the debt, so you take whatever job you can get rather than whatever job will make you happy – but you are also convinced that you will be happy if you buy the aforementioned Jeep. And of course unquestionably America is the greatest country in the world (and if you question it, get out because you're no patriot!), so it does not matter that you don't have the money or time to travel to see the world. You have a Jeep you can drive around with since you have cheap oil! And since you are stuck wherever you are anyway paying your student debt, you might as well do what everyone else does. Buy a house. Get married. You might start to question whether you are happy in your job, but you know you won't find another one easily anyway … and now you have a kid or two, so you need to stay in your job to keep your healthcare. Then you play the tug-of-war with yourself about whether you can be a good parent, whether you have enough money for their daycare, whether one of the parents should leave their job (if there are two parents, of course) until you enroll your own kid into the same system that produced you just the way you are now and the same story repeats. And repeats and repeats.
This story, even if it differs from individual to individual, is somewhat amazing to incredulous Europeans, who actually don't think of the details and intricacy of how this average American mind is formed/created. They often just imagine that "Americans are dumb" (broad strokes of generalization, of course) but fail to take the whole system into consideration. When I tell this story to the average American, it is equally amazing because the semi-awake one never thinks about the fact that each chain in the link of his life is some spot where he has been further handcuffed into the, shall we say, chain gang? University costs – mostly free in much of Europe – healthcare – largely free in Europe – daycare subsidized by the state – lots of vacation time and maternity/paternity leave … sure, taxes are slightly higher (but honestly not that much) – and most do not feel like they are enslaved by their jobs. You can leave any time without risking health coverage. These too are generalizations, especially in this era of steep austerity cuts and unemployment at unheard of rates in much of mainland Europe (Scandinavia is not quite in the same position).
The general theme here, though, is that there is a tremendous freedom to this and an impetus to then really think. But how could an average American be expected to think with that whole backstory forming and informing his life?
The American lifestyle and system creates a certain kind of constant fear. Fear of losing one's job, fear of violence, fear of being sued, fear of in any way being out of step with the norm. I thought about this one night as I was driving my long-distance commute back home and saw a guy hitchhiking trying to get from a town called Bengtsfors to Årjäng (none of which will be familiar to or mean anything to anyone reading this). It may not be charitable of me not to have offered a ride since I was driving right through Årjäng. But hitchhiking is dangerous territory. I have no idea if this guy posed any danger, and maybe anywhere in the world, it would be foolish to chance it, but even if it were almost a guarantee that it would have been safe, I still would not have done it. You can take an American out of America but not shake the full American paranoia out of them. I have more than my share of this paranoia, assuming that everyone has bad or dangerous intentions and ulterior motives. Being American has taught me never to trust anything.
Maybe it is crazy and sounds like I am looking for the boogieman around every corner, particularly in the working world. Somewhere in me, I find it fun to search and apply for (and interview for, if called) jobs. It did not start as a fun hobby – it was more out of necessity when I searched like mad to find a job (as was always the case in my earlier life – applying for 100 jobs and getting maybe one interview or something). But eventually when I did not need to worry about it anymore and did not need a job, I decided it was partly fun, a bit of a game and one can always use interview practice (and potentially a free trip somewhere). But it was partly this paranoia showing its face – companies go under, companies downsize, industries change – you need to be ready and out there and know what the bloody hell is going on. Be ye ever ready, right? And I am.
Before the big crash of 2008, I was living in Iceland and actually went on a lot of interview trips around Europe… Dublin, Antwerp, Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, London, a few times to Helsinki… cannot complain. While it is not always practical, it usually pays off. I have never once been blindsided. If you are paranoid (and/or American) enough, you will always see the writing on the wall and READ IT.
One of my freelance/side "careers" has ended up being job counselor/life coach/resume-and-interview consultant. Not that I ever wanted to do that. Europeans especially need a bit of coaching in this department because they have never experienced the dog-eat-dog American work culture (and I hope they never reach a point that they experience something quite like that). But Europeans are too soft, and there is no doubt that some things in Europe are slowly moving in a more American direction (although I don't think it will ever go to the extremes). In my last job, there was a huge reorganization a few years ago, and something like one-third of the company was laid off. When this happens, employment laws offer considerable protection, and most decent employers extend protection and assistance beyond what the law requires. Despite the "helping hand" and the clear signs everywhere that change was afoot, those affected by this first reorg (which they euphemistically called "right sizing") were completely blindsided because they have never been taught (how nice for them) to read the signs of what is coming. I think most aware Americans in a corporate environment are always paying attention to little things because paying just a bit of attention may pay dividends one way or another. Of course Europeans might be told pointblank that change is coming but never imagine that it will have any effect on them. Many of them were devastated in the first round of layoffs, even though they were poised to get at least half a year of pay (even if they got a new job the next day, they would still get the full pay). And the Norwegian economy was not affected much at all by the global economic downturn – so most people found jobs immediately. Their sense of panic was almost cute in its "working world naivete". Not that I think it is great that I am so on my toes and ready for anything all the time.
It turned out for the best, of course, when I was sort of part of a later "right sizing" process. I was, as always, prepared. It was rather hilarious when my manager called me to give me the "bad news" – kept saying stuff about how I must feel so devastated and would feel it when the shock wore off. But all these strategies and acute situation awareness enabled an automatic prewarning. I was not shocked; I was not surprised. I was ready.
As we know (or should know), life is not defined by work – or should not be. Somehow, this is where American life and "ideals" derail. Increasingly, people work and work and don't get anywhere and won't be able to afford (in terms of time or money) some way out of the situation they are in (this is probably already the case, and I am just out of touch). When I consider that people who work in the service industry do not come close to earning living wages, I am appalled. But the system is set up this way – to glorify and maximize corporate profit, to supply consumer demand for impossibly cheaper and cheaper goods sold in stores staffed by people who cannot afford to eat.
Lovely. What a happy Thanksgiving, America.


Rhodes thought that Lobengula could cancel the Moffat treaty so he came up with a plan on how to secure Zimbabwe.
He had to secure mining rights hence the need for a concession.
Lobengula promised that no more than ten men would enter his kingdom.
The Whites were supposed dig one hole and go back to South Africa.


This CD is in EXCELLENT overall condition.
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Disney UK Release Date: 16 Oct 2006. Disc 1 1 Creation Of TRON 0.48 mins. Disc 1 7 TRON Scherzo 1.46 mins. Disc 1 16 A New TRON And The MCP 5.09 mins. Disc 1 21 Anthem For Keyboard Solo 1.08 mins.
A CD of DISNEY CHANNEL CHRISTMAS HITS 2007.
It is in good condition as barely played.
STARRING: LESLIE CARON; MAURICE CHEVALIER; HERMIONE GINGOLD; ENA GABOR; JACQUES BERGERAC; ISABEL JEANS AND JOHN ABBOTT. IN EXCELLENT CONDITION - PLAYED ONCE.
Ratatouille: What's Cooking? By Various Artists.
Title: Ratatouille: What's Cooking?. Item Condition: used item in a good condition. 3 Southeast and East Asia Breakdown of countries. Are factory sealed and unopened/unused. 0 Multiple Areas Titles can be either NTSC (generally if they originate from the US) or PAL format(EU).
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Virgin EMI Records UK Release Date: 31 Mar 2003. Disc 1 1 Thunderball - Main Title 3.03 mins. Disc 1 7 Thunderball 3.57 mins. Disc 1 9 Bond Below Disco Volante 4.05 mins.
Various Artists : Witch CD (2007)Title: Witch Artist: Various Artists Genre: Childrens|Musical Duration: 54.10 mins Format: CD / Album Type: CD No. of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Disney UK Release Date: 22 Jan 2007.
A View To A Kill - Duran Duran. A View To A Kill: End Title - Duran Duran. Format: CD. Label: Virgin Records. Release Date.
FRANK SINATRA. Monique-Song From 'Kings Go Forth' 3:17. Ces't Magnifique 2:00. All My Tomorrows 3:15. High Hopes 2:42. To Love And Be Loved 3:51. Young At Heart 2:50. Chicago 2:11.
The cd shows signs of age and small crack on the back of jewel case. The cd has been played and listened to before put up for sale.
Artist Various Title Love at the Movies Release Date 1996-11-22 Label: EMI Records Number of Discs 2.
CD SOUNDTRACK - "007 : A VIEW TO A KILL" Original CD Soundtrack CONDITION : Pre-Owned RELEASE YEAR : 1998 COMPOSER : John Barry READ FULL ITEM DESCRIPTION FOR ALL DETAILS AND ITEM CONDITION.
Artist Various Artists Title Best of British TV Music Release Date 1999-08-30 Label: EMI Records Number of Discs 1.
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Disney UK Release Date: 16 Oct 2006. Disc 1 20 A Bug's Life Suite 5.13 mins. Disc 1 2 The Flik Machine 2.54 mins. Disc 1 3 Seed To Tree 1.01 mins. Disc 1 19 Victory 2.32 mins.
THE SMURFS - YOUR CHRISTMAS WISH (CD Single). However, the disc has been tested and it plays perfectly. With picture insert in a slimline case. Your Christmas Wish (Radio Mix). Frosty The Snowman.
Artist: WIZARD OF OZ. Label: TURNER. Year: 1995.
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: EMI Classics UK Release Date: 15 Jun 2009. Disc 1 17 Song of the King. Disc 1 5 Anna and the Royal Wives. Disc 1 3 My Lord and Master. Disc 1 15 Waltz of Anna and Sir Ramsey.
1996 UK CD. This CD Is In Excellent Condition . Talk Show Host - Radiohead. To You I Bestow - Mundy.
CD SOUNDTRACK - "007 : THE BEST OF JAMES BOND 30TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION" Original CD Soundtrack CONDITION : Pre-Owned RELEASE YEAR : 1992 COMPOSER : John Barry, Bill Conti, George Martin, READ FULL ITEM DESCRIPTION FOR ALL DETAILS AND ITEM CONDITION.
Artist Cliff Richard Title Songs From Heathcliff Release Date 1995-11-02 Label: EMI Records Number of Discs 1.
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Disney UK Release Date: 17 Sep 2007. Disc 1 15 Al's Toy Barn 4.00 mins. Disc 1 17 Use Your Head 4.18 mins. Disc 1 5 Wheezy and the Yard Sale 3.11 mins. Disc 1 19 Ride Like the Wind 1.29 mins.
Label: EMI. Artist: LOVE AT THE MOVIES. Year: 1996. Format: DOUBLE CD.
Label: Parlophone. Number of Discs: 1.
VeRO & IP Rights. We promise to do everything possible to put things right for you. OTHER BOOKS. Orders will be fulfilled by our own warehouse or a 3rd party supplier at our discretion. Type: Audio CD.
All of our paper waste is recycled within the UK and turned into corrugated cardboard. We want your experience with World of Books Ltd to be enjoyable and problem free. World of Books Ltd was founded in 2005, recycling books sold to us through charities either directly or indirectly.
Various Artists - Best Of Winnie The Pooh And Friends - Funtime Favourite Songs. Condition is Very Good. Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class Large Letter.
Label: Turner Classics / EMI. Released: 1996. The Jewel case has a couple of light marks caused by shelf storage but no cracks or splits. Country: UK. Artist: Various Artists. Format: CD Album. The front insert is fine and untouched.
Of Discs: 1 disc(s) Studio / Label: Classics For Pleasure UK Release Date: 01 Sep 2008. 1 18 Variation XVIII - Andante cantabile. 1 14 Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. 1 13 Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor: IV.
Excellent Condition CD, Booklet, Inlay. Case in VGC.
White Men Can't Jump. Film Soundtrack. Compact Disc. 1992. Made In The U.S.
Shostakovich. The Gadfly. Film Soundtrack. Compact Disc. 1962. Made In U.K.
Trainspotting. Film Soundtrack. Compact Disc. 1996. Made In Australia.


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Category: Jessica Benjamin
A happy society?
On September 24, 2020 By ELIJAH EIn Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition4 Comments
The idea of mutual recognition is pretty much a dream if we're being honest. Can anyone actually imagine a world where we avoid conflict and there's no fighting for power? Because I definitely can't. Jessica Benjamin's ideas are incredible. They are truly valuable ideas that would help our society immensely. Everyone would be happier and there would be a focus on truly learning about people and taking them for who they are and what they stand for. But could that ever happen? Our society is centered around power and the dynamics of war, fighting, and conflict when we should be focusing on things like mutual recognition. Thinking about this reminded me of a practice AP test last year about the business of war and violence. The backbone of the United States is conflict, and while it would be nice to move away from conflict, I don't see it happening. The ideas Jessica Benjamin conveys are awesome, but for change to occur they have to taken in small doses. Moving towards a less conflict focused society will take a long time, but could ultimately contribute to making the world a happier place.
Mutual Recognition and Being an Ally
On September 22, 2020 By Estelle S.In Jessica Benjamin4 Comments
The Black Lives Matter movement has been in the spotlight the last couple of months, after the murder of George Floyd. It has sparked waves of activism as seen through the protests and sharing of information on social media platforms that work to battle police brutality and the systemic racism that our country was built upon. It has also served as a time to remind white people of their privilege and how they can acknowledge that privilege to be ally to the black community.
There are many characteristics that come to mind when we talk about being an ally; empathy, support, decentering yourself, and listening. Most of these qualities are required to be a good ally. However, I am going to take an anti-empathy stance.
Empathy is the ability to understand someone else's feelings, understand their situation. In the context of the Black Lives Matter movement, the white population can not possibly understand what it is like to be Black in America. We can educate ourselves, listen to Black voices, and support Black-owned businesses, but we will never truly be able to empathize.
Jessica Benjamin, a psychoanalyst, coined the term mutual recognition. Mutual recognition is recognizing the humanity in another person while they recognize your humanity. Your individualism feeds off of these interactions with others. The theory of mutual recognition can be used to explain how to be a good ally, without claiming to understand.
Recognition does not require understanding. Recognition requires accepting the humanity of the movement and listening to the voices that lead it. We, as white people, are able to check our privilege while recognizing the trauma that Black bodies have faced and are continue to face in our country. We show our support by applying Benjamin's theory, to view the Black Lives Matter movement as a living, breathing, human demand for change.
Mutual Recognition vs. "Dry"
On September 20, 2020 September 28, 2020 By Lily MIn Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition1 Comment
The novel "Dry" by Neil Shusterman takes the reader on a journey following a group of mismatched teenagers through a lengthy and deadly drought in future Southern California. The story begins following two siblings, Alyssa and Garrett, who search for their parents with the help of their geeky neighbor Kelton, after they do not return from scavenging for water. The unlikely friends end up traveling with a dangerous seeming girl, Jacqui, who agrees to take them in her car to Keltons bugout, where they promised water. Immediately after meeting Jacqui, Kelton developed a deep mistrust of her which was rooted in her age superiority and his own insecurities. This mistrust was mirrored by Jacqui as she worked to maintain the upperhand on Kelton and the rest of the crew. Benjamin expressed that mutual recognition can only be achieved after both parties acknowledge that the other has a similar center of experience. This lack of mutual recognition was highlighted after Jacqui forcibly took over the drivers seat from Kelton claiming she was the better driver. Towards the end of the story, as Jacqui is about to make a reckless and impulsive decision, the reader witnesses Keltons internal dialogue where he expresses that he sees Jacqui as one of the group and acknowledges that she is just as scared and lost as the rest. This crucial turning point for Kelton was reciprocated at the end of the novel where we meet Jacqui again and she is kind and respectful towards Kelton and the others, an action the reader had not seen before. The newfound mutual recognition between Kelton and Jacqui was great character development throughout the story and also solved an underlying unresolved conflict.
Reverse Relationships in Emergency Contact
On September 16, 2020 By Mirabella V.In Binaries, Jessica BenjaminLeave a comment
The summer reading book option, Emergency Contact by Mary H.K Choi was about the relationship between a Penny and Sam. But the relationship that I want to write about today is the relationship between Penny Lee and her mother Celeste Yoon. From the start of the book the reader is aware of the strange dynamic between Penny and Celeste. In the first chapter we see how Penny is often embarrassed of her mom and wishes that she could be a "normal mom". They do not have a tight knit relationship, nor do they completely hate each other. They are share a home and have some good moments, but also share a lot of rocky moments. At one point of the book Penny complains to a friend "She's the mom. I'm sick to death of looking out for her and being paranoid she's going to do something dumb." (359) At this part of the book, the reader learns a lot about how Penny thinks and feels about the relationships in her life.
This relationship is an interesting relationship because it has reversed the normal PARENT/child binary. Usually the parents are the ones who have charge over the child, while the child is in the submissive role. And while Penny does not exactly control her mother, her mother was no parent to Penny either. Penny does not feel that she was able to live her life as a kid because she was busy taking care of her mom. You notice the sacrifices that Penny has made in order to ensure that her mom is okay, one being her choosing a college that is close to home despite wanting to go far. Penny accounted that Celeste is a single mom living on her own, so she stayed close for her mom in case she was needed at home.This reverse in the normal binary was a very interesting aspect to the book. It is also seen by noticing that Penny refers to her mom by her first name, Celeste, because she does not feel that "mom" is appropriate given their relationship.
Throughout the book Emergency Contact, Mary H.K Choi wrote about many relationships and connections. Penny's relationship with her mom was one that stood out because she went against the typical binary that we see between a daughter and her mother.
Existentialism: Not an Excuse to Be a Jerk
On October 9, 2019 October 17, 2019 By Josephine DIn Empathy, Existentialism, Jessica Benjamin3 Comments
I don't know about other class periods, but my class has been having a lot of debates about whether Meursault is a perfect existentialist who has achieved radical subjectivity and is free from society's oppressive power structures or is just a bad person. I would like to suggest that the answer is, well, both. Meursault is undoubtedly an existentialist. He has accepted that nothing in life has meaning. However, the answer to the question of what sort of person he is, morally, lies in how he deals with that knowledge.
As a result of the realization that life is meaningless, Meursault is sort of a jerk. He does things that hurt others, such as writing a letter to Raymond's ex-girlfriend that he knows is going to get her into a bad situation and murdering a guy, under the premise that "nothing matters" and these actions are "meaningless." However, that's just wrong. His actions do matter. They matter to the people they affect. Even if Meursault is enlightened and knows that none of our suffering matters in the long run, that doesn't give him the right to inflict unnecessary suffering upon other people, because that is infringing upon their freedom and subjectivity.
Some might say that Meursault's complete apathy and disregard for the things and people around him is the only natural response to existentialism. But I disagree. I believe that there is another way to respond: the idea that because there is nothing but this life, we have to spend it making the most positive impact on the world that we can, reducing the small fraction of the suffering of others that it is actually in our control to reduce. We have to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, fight for the rights of the marginalized, et cetera.
While this idea may initially seem counter to existentialism, it actually fits with it perfectly. Because there is no afterlife that people who suffered on earth will get to enjoy after death, we should make sure that they suffer on earth as little as possible so that the entirety of their existence is not miserable. Sure, it's ultimately meaningless, but it's nice to do anyway. After all, nobody likes to suffer, and it's kind of a jerk move to say to someone, "Well, suffering is inevitable, and everyone eventually dies anyway, so I'm not going to help you out from under that fallen tree that is crushing you lifeless." Because if you were the one suffering, even if you knew it was meaningless, you probably would appreciate if that suffering could be diminished or removed.
What I like about the "helping others" response to existentialism is that it can coexist with mutual recognition. Existentialism, no matter what, allows the existentialist to be a subject. However, if the existentialist realizes that others are subjects as well, their natural response will be to want to help them. In this light, existentialism can be a force for good not only for those who practice it but for the whole world.
Altogether, I would say Meursault offers insight into one way an existentialist life can be lived, but certainly not the only way. Existentialism can make us apathetic, yes, but it also can rouse us to action. After all, life is meaningless, but we have to spend it doing something. Why not spend it doing things that make others a little bit happier?
Mutual Recognition in a Relationship with Domination
On September 25, 2019 September 25, 2019 By Micah DIn Empathy, Jessica Benjamin6 Comments
While reading all of these stories, many of them have interesting power dynamics. The Tlic with the Terran in Bloodchild, the designated mate with the beauty spy in Blackbox, the daughter and the mother from Good County People, the old man and the town's people from the Very Old Man with Enormous Wings and many more. All of those stories contain a relationship between two parties where one is more so dominating the other.
With every story, I was trying to find mutual recognition between them. In Spiderhead was there mutual recognition between the man in charge and the narrator when the narrator had to first say "acknowledge" before anything was done to him? Was there mutual recognition between the narrator's friend and Ms. Moore in The Lesson when the main character's friend accepted the lesson? I'm still not sure. I believe that when a more powerful figure allows their less powerful counterpart a "choice," it is not mutual recognition. I believe is more so them still lording their power over the other. Like saying "I will give a choice to make you feel like you have power," but that way, they're still in power but now only manipulating emotions.
If mutual recognition means that one party sees the other as an equal, I feel like majority of these stories lack that. But if mutual recognition simply means that one party sees the other as an individual with valid feelings and thoughts but still decides to lord power over the other, then the stories do have that. I'm not sure if mutual recognition is up to interpretation, but I believe that if something were to *mutually* recognize another thing, then it would have to see it as an equal being.
Mutual Recognition in "Bloodchild"
On September 24, 2019 September 30, 2019 By Lauren d.In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity4 Comments
Jessica Benjamin explains that people have to recognize everyone as individuals in order to avoid dominance and aggression. People need to build relationships to steer clear of building a hierarchy of dominance. Without building relationships, people will never reach mutual recognition. Benjamin disagrees with Freud's theory because the theory ignores the need to connect with others. It also only allows for women to be submissive players in their own lives. However, both need to realize the power dynamic in order to reach mutual recognition.
This need to recognize that you are in a power dynamic is a bit problematic to me because although people in the submissive side do need to realize they are being oppressed for the relationship to change, more responsibility should be given to the dominant side of the relationship. The dominant side enforces the power dynamic and it ultimately up to them to fix the skewed relationship.
In "Bloodchild" although Gan is ultimately given the choose to decide whether him or his sister should be impregnated, this is not a sign of mutual recognition. The choice is not really his because someone in his family is still going to have to go though this painful process. The terrains do have examples of not completely submitting to the power dynamic. However, the Tilcs are still the ones with the power and will not be willing to give more power to the terrains because then their species would be threatened by not being able to reproduce. The dynamic is very oppressive to the terrains. Gan, since birth, has been brainwashed that it is his duty to be impregnated. When he contemplating not to be impregnated, he was taking some power back but he never reaches mutual recognition. The terrains are seen as a mean to reproduce and not as an individual on the same level as the Tilcs. Mutual recognition would only be achieved if both sides saw each other as equals in all parts of life.
The Old Blog is Dead! Long Live the Old Blog!
On July 12, 2015 October 17, 2019 By Bernie H.In Binaries, Course Stuff, Empathy, George Saunders, Imagination, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity, Short Stories, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Vladimir NabakovLeave a comment
For many years, we used the Blogger platform for the AP Lit blog. Since it is owned by Google, it integrates pretty seamlessly with your Google accounts — which made it easy to use, in some respects — but it is a very limited and bug-ridden platform. So this year, we have decided to construct a new class blog from scratch using the most more powerful and stable WordPress platform.
If you are interested, though, in seeing what past AP Lit students have been thinking and writing about, feel free to wander over to the old blog.


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3 Reasons Snap Investors Should Be Nervous Next Week
Written by The Motley Fool ->
It's time for one of last year's more volatile IPOs (initial public offerings) to step up to the plate. Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) will be reporting its second-quarter results on Tuesday, and there's a lot riding on what Snapchat's parent company will announce.
Analysts see revenue clocking in at $251.2 million for the period, 38.3% ahead of where it was a year earlier. Most companies would kill for that kind of top-line growth, but it will be Snap's weakest showing. Revenue growth has decelerated in six of the past seven quarters, and investors are bracing for another quarterly deficit.
Red ink would be the last of Snap's concerns at this point, as it's what the market's already expecting. Let's go over some of the things that can go wrong for the dot-com sophomore.
1. Earnings week has historically been hazardous
Let's just dive right into the bad news. Owning a piece of Snap as it reports fresh financials is not for the timid: Snap stock has moved following past results, and it's usually not pretty . Let's go over what the stock has done during the week Snap reports earnings in each of its first five quarters as a public company. Impressionable investors may want to shield their eyes through the next few bullet points:
Q1 2017: down 17%
Q4 2017: up 37%
Snap stock has taken a double-digit percentage hit in all but one of its five earnings weeks since going public early last year; this is brutal. We're talking about an 80% chance at a 10% to 24% slide, historically speaking. The silver lining here is the brilliant 37% surge investors experienced two quarters ago.
2. Snap isn't a good judge of what its users want
One of the great things about running a social platform, in theory, is that you know your users. You have boatloads of data on what they're doing, and you can spot trends earlier than envious outsiders. Why, then, did Snap break out a wildly unpopular Snapchat redesign late last year, which it's been trying to recover from in 2018? Why did it just shutter its mobile payments platform ? Why didn't more people buy Spectacles ?
Snapchat had a record average of 191 million daily active users in the first quarter. Whether that figure moves higher, clocks in flat, or shows a net exodus, Snap's failures seem to be too many for a company that supposedly has its finger on the pulse of its youthful audience.
3. The winning quarter's traits are rare
The only time that Snap stock moved higher following a report was the only period in its brief but tumultuous public history that revenue growth actually accelerated. The chances of that happening on Tuesday are slim. Revenue rose 54% in the first quarter, and as we've already gone over, analysts are perched at 38% top-line growth this time around.
Things can also be worse. Analysts were forecasting revenue growth of 63% when Snap came in at 54% three months ago.
Next week doesn't have to go badly. Snap could continue to improve its monetization through direct-response ads and other initiatives. One brave analyst even upgraded the stock last week. However, until it truly bucks the negative trends, investors may want to wait for Snap to prove that it can do better than a big hit following all but one quarterly report.
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