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OPINION: The Dollars and Cents of America's Wild Horses
By R.T. Fitch on February 6, 2021 • ( 5 Comments )
By William E. Simpson as published on The Pagosa Daily Post
"Only a tiny minority of Americans want to see American wild horses sent to slaughter to make room for more livestock grazing on public lands."
BLM Victims of Antelope Complex Stampede ~ photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Obviously, we don't see most Americans giving up their hamburgers and steaks, so the demands for beef, lamb and pork are slowly increasing. But do we need to kill wild horses in slaughter houses?
And is this even a wise use of these publicly-owned wild horses?
The Questions of Value Arise
Are wild horses more valuable in a pet food can and/or sitting in exile, wasting away in a Bureau of Land Management off-range corral costing American taxpayers nearly $100-million per year? Is there a much higher value proposition that's been overlooked?
What about the undeniable billion-dollar economics of using wild horses in a wildfire fuel abatement role — protecting human lives, assets, forest and timber resources, as well as other tertiary benefits?
Since the codification of the 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Burro and Horse Protection Act five decades ago, there have been many profound breakthroughs and discoveries in science. For instance, modern paleontology informs us that wild horses have successfully maintained habitats in virtually every biome on the planet ranging from sub-arctic to tropical.
We also now know that wild horses survived the Ice Age in forests, as we read here in Cosmos magazine.
Given recently discovered facts, as far as equine genetics (including epigenetics), paleontological ecology (habitats and ranges of wild equids based-on fossil records), and through the cultural archaeology of native Americans and their horses, which arguably pre-date the Columbian Period, would planners today draw the same lines on maps defining areas for wild horses under any new law for their protection?
I seriously doubt it. Comparing what we know today, to what we knew in the 1960s and in early 1971, it's clear we knew very little about wild horses, as well as their history and ecology.
And even by today's standards, we still have much to learn in many areas. Scant funding is provided for the study of American wild horses in comparison to studies related to livestock.
In a world where we have more people than ever wanting more resources than ever before, financial considerations must not be discounted.
What is the real value of an American wild horse?
I would respond, to those with love in their hearts; the sum is beyond quantification.
To those who render meat? An 800-pound horse is worth about $160.00 (20-cents per pound wholesale).
To those who have knowledge of recent scientific facts and vision; each wild horse is worth at least $72,000.00.
Why Each American Wild Horse Is Worth About $72,000
Each wild horse deployed into and around remote forest and wilderness areas with depleted deer populations can abate 5.5 tons of wildfire fuels (grass and brush) annually — about 30 pounds/day/horse.
As an evolved North American native species, wild horses are quite at-home in and around forests and areas that are virtually inaccessible, especially wilderness areas.
For comparison, on average, deer consume about 7 pounds of grass and brush per day, per animal. Many remote wilderness areas are poorly suited to commercial livestock grazing due to the extensive predation of calves and lambs, and logistics cost related to poor accessibility and very difficult terrain.
These and other factors significantly reduce profitability to livestock producers who use public lands grazing permits. Losing calves and lambs is not an option of livestock production.
And at least in wilderness areas, depleting all of the Apex Predators is unwise, and is what has led to the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease.
Apex predators have evolved with unique skills that allow them to quickly cull and sick or genetically weak animals from the populations of large and small herbivores. Their predation as it turns-out is vital in preventing deer sick with Chronic Wasting Disease from remaining among populations of healthy deer and spreading the disease. Predators quickly cull diseased deer and elk and that helps to prevent the spread of that deadly disease.
Western forests are depleted of deer due to poor wildlife management. California and Oregon are down over 2 million deer over the past five decades even as Chronic Wasting Disease is spreading, and is now in at least 27 states. These now missing deer had been abating nearly 3 million tons of grass and brush. It will take decades to correct our depleted deer populations.
A re-wilded American wild horse, which is resistant to Chronic Wasting Disease, will abate about 5.5 tons of prodigious grass and brush annually in and around forests. 5.5 tons of grass and brush equals roughly 5-7 acres of grass and brush (varies with area), which can easily be maintained by wild horses year-round at nominal levels without any human intervention or the added risk of man-caused wildfires, especially during summer…(CONTINUED)
Tagged as: BLM, Equine, Horse, Horse Meat, Horse Slaughter, Wild Horse, Wild Mustang, William Simpson
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Pingback: OPINION: The Dollars and Cents of America's Wild Horses — Straight from the Horse's Heart – Pershspective
This is an enlightened and fiscally sound proposal that also would save a lot of wild horses from the inhumane and inexcusable treatment they currently get from our federal government agencies that ignore federal laws and mandates to protect them.
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Candy Sullivan says:
I hope and pray that the power brokers in President Biden's cabinet and in the congress read and understand this very valuable info re OUR WILD HORSES. PROTECT our public lands and STOP the BRUTAL ABUSE that the BLM wild horse roundups truly are. And the massive millions it costs taxpayers to accomplish nothing. Leave wild horses on THEIR wild public lands! No roundups. No horse jails. No privately owned cattle ruining our public lands. Save tax dollars.
Win Win !
Some good points here, but a few things worth pointing out:
1. The science is still "out" on whether equids can become infected on repeated exposure to prion diseases. Some published research shows mammals once thought to be immune in fact succumb on repeated exposure.
2. Prions persist in the environment and though it makes ecological sense to keep apex predators in place, they are not a "cure" for CWD prion transmission as they can spread it themselves. Here's one source on that (and where I live it is disconcerting since our wild deer and elk tend to winter with domestic livestock to avoid hunters and eat at the hay buffet ranchers put out):
https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/diseases/chronic-wasting-disease.html#:~:text=Predators%20and%20scavengers%20can%20also%20transmit%20and%20spread,environment%20after%20consuming%20infectious%20parts%20of%20CWD-infected%20cervids.
"How does CWD spread?
Infected individuals shed CWD prions in urine, feces, saliva, and eye fluids. CWD is likely transmitted by direct contact with infected individuals, or by contact with contaminated soil, leaves, bedding, feed, or water. In mule deer, scientists have found that CWD is transmitted from does to fawns.
When deer have frequent, close contact with each other, such around feeding stations or in fenced enclosures, their risk of CWD transmission rises. Contact between wild and fenced cervids along fence lines can also spread CWD (in either direction).
Sites where CWD-infected cervids died (or were placed) may also become contaminated as tissues decompose. Predators and scavengers can also transmit and spread CWD prions around the environment after consuming infectious parts of CWD-infected cervids. CWD prions are not easily destroyed by environmental factors, heat, or disinfection solutions and can persist outside of a host for many years; and recent research has shown that plants can uptake the disease agent and become a potential disease vector."
And this, indicating there is not yet sufficient data to claim wolf predation limits CWD at all, but wolves are a key part of hydatid transmission:
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious and fatal neurological disease found in deer, elk, and moose in Colorado. Selective predation by wolves on sick and diseased animals may help limit CWD in big game, but no field study has tested this prediction.
Hydatid disease is caused by the Echinococcus tapeworm. Canines such as wolves, coyotes, foxes, and domestic dogs are the definitive host, and ungulates such as deer, elk, moose, and domestic livestock are intermediate hosts. In rare circumstances humans may be infected by accidently ingesting eggs, but direct human infection from wolves is extremely unlikely.
Dogs and wolves are closely related and also can share many of the same parasites and diseases. Dogs are much more likely to infect wolves than vice-versa."
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/people-predators/wolves-and-disease-8-006
3. "Losing calves and lambs is not an option of livestock production." This is simply untrue, any livestock operation hopes to have no losses but they are inevitable, and inescapable despite the best precautions. That domestic livestock are released onto public lands with minimal supervision makes them vulnerable to all sorts of losses from weather, lightning, various diseases, accidental injuries, wildfires, and various predators. We regularly compensate livestock producers for losses on public lands.
4. While horses and other grazers can mitigate tons of growing grasses, by definition they will grow back if grazing is properly managed. While this may mitigate some wildfires, the author seems to imply wild horses should be removed from their currently legal areas and relocated into higher and dryer areas – those which are generally not the rich grassy lowlands and plains grazers prefer. Another factor is that dung of all grazers does indeed burn and thus the mitigation of fire fuels has to be reconsidered. It isn't as simple as grass in and taken to be deposited elsewhere, unless the grazers are forcibly kept moving some distances quite regularly, their dung remains close to its source. One positive is that grazers can (if correctly managed) prevent grasses from bulking up and drying out, keeping them more or less "mowed" so the growth is kept new and green most of a growing season. Again, less true in higher elevations though, where grasses erupt late — after snowmelt — then the native grasses go dormant again in fall. So for this plan to work human intervention must still be in the mix at more or less intensive levels based on the particulars of each grazed area.
5. While I appreciate the author's attempt to create a dollar value of a wild horse — it makes a great talking point — these animals were not protected 50 years ago with an eye towards making them pay their way. They are not and were never intended to be a sort of "cash cow" in that sense; they were protected as part of their natural ecosystems and were to be kept that way, using the "minimal feasible" introduction of management. Attempting to make them pay for their keep also opens the door to the opposite argument, that being that if they are not worth anything then they deserve to be killed off. And fiscal responsibility has never been a hallmark of any decisions taken by the BLM or USFS wild horse programs, rather the opposite is the history. Budgets continue to rise, horses and burros continue to be removed, and population numbers are perpetually disputed as either way too large or way too small. One need only consider that the population target now is evidently aiming to match that of 1971… yet how many millions of dollars have been spent in the past 50 years to get us exactly… where we started?
6. The way the 1971 Act is written, wild horses and burros simply cannot be moved into places other than "where then found" at that time. To take large numbers and drop them off into designated wilderness areas may have some merit but would necessitate changing the law, and then untangling the legal mess inherent in introducing any animals into designated wilderness areas, one by one. While I fully believe wild horses to be native to this continent, our official government policy remains that they are considered "invasive" and therefore introducing them into a wildnerness area would meet some substantial pushback, in my opinion. In the eyes of many they would be no different than domestic cattle or sheep being dumped into what some consider "pristine" protected areas.
7. One thing not mentioned is valuation of tourism opportunities, which the author clearly enjoys by being able to live near a wildnerness area that includes wild horses. For those less fortunate, the appeal remains but the data is sparse. Can the value of these inspiring wild creatures somehow also include calculating this? For example, I just got information that a single county in Colorado (my home), outdoor recreation of all sorts exceeded $30 million dollars… in 2008! Wild horse tourism should be a subset of this sort of toursim financial fact finding, I expect if we don't lose what's left of our herds the dollar value returned to local communities will far exceed other financial benefits, especially since this sort of tourism often includes international travelers (pre Covid at least).
8. It seems to me the Fire Brigade idea has enough merit to pursue a pilot project which could provide better data to inform the value of taking it further. A location should be carefully selected and documented ahead of introductions, then studiously monitored for a number of years, perhaps with some university involvement?
9. Keep those innovative ideas coming, folks! We sure need more, and more quickly. In the meantime contact your elected representatives to request a moratorium on roundups and removals to allow time to avoid making yet more irreversible and deadly decisions.


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Meet Callum Sirker - the Wasps winger in a hurry to seize his chance
Winger who lit up the Premiership 7s two years running could be in line for first senior Wasps appearance against Saracens at the Ricoh Arena
Bobby BridgeReporter
If you've watched Callum Sirker play rugby, it's perhaps no surprise that the Wasps winger likes to do things quickly.
Type his name into YouTube and a highlights reel of searing Nitrous Oxide-like speed surges roll on for more than five minutes as defenders were left in his dust at the 2018 Premiership 7s. The guy's got wheels.
But can he transfer that ability to terrorise defences into the 15-a-side version of the game?
Towards the end of his first season back at Wasps having spent time on the England Sevens programme, the 21-year-old was let loose on a block of four Premiership Shield fixtures with the club's A-team.
Across four games he registered a staggering nine tries including a fabulous four against Leicester Tigers at Broadstreet RFC.
Sirker's starring role in that quartet of victories prompted may supporters to call for his inclusion in a senior squad towards the tail of the 2018/19 campaign. Dai Young understandably exercised caution and trusted the experienced duo of Josh Bassett and Marcus Watson to man the wings and steer Wasps away from troubled waters.
However, the former Harrow School pupil's efforts earned him a first senior contract this summer, which he celebrated by scoring eight tries during the 2019 Premiership 7s as Wasps were pipped in the final by Saracens for a second successive season.
On display at the home of Northampton Saints for all to see was Sirker's searing speed, his unique selling point, a point of difference. A trait that runs in the family.
Father's fast footsteps and Olympian's help
"My dad would like to say he takes the credit for it I think I've always just, you know, liked to do everything quickly," said Sirker, whose father Amit featured on the wing for London Welsh in the 1980s.
While blessed with the gift of pace, it's a skill that requires the same attention to detail as fly-half and his goalkicking, a hooker's lineout throwing or a scrum-half's spin pass. Practice makes perfect.
Wasps injury update ahead of Saracens' visit to Ricoh Arena
Callum Sirker pictured with his father Amit celebrating England age group honours
At Wasps he can call upon the expertise of three-time Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton who focuses on running techniques and athletic performance. She was in the crowd at Franklin's Gardens last weekend to watch Sirker and team-mates Ben Vellacott, Paolo Odogwu and Will Porter exhibit speed that would forge a formidable 4x100m relay team.
"You need to work on it, it's a skill you are given it but you have to work on it to improve it," explained Sirker, who has also benefited from specialist help from Jonas Dodoo and Tom Farrow.
Kelly Sotherton (Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
"You can't be fast every day and people forget that you can't you can't come in and be high speed with top GPS scores every day, hitting high-speed personal bests.
"Kelly's job with me, she does a great job of it, is knowing when we've got to do our speed training when you feel good because when you feel good that's when you get the best results out of your speed. If you're not feeling good then you work on the drills work, the technical stuff. When you're feeling good that's when you do the high-speed stuff."
'He's hit a few people running' - Wasps' Sione Vailanu bounces back from Rugby World Cup omission
Guys like the pressure
Having scored 17 tries across the last six days he's pulled on Black and Gold for Wasps, the club he first joined aged 11, the next challenge for a man in a hurry is on tantalisingly on the horizon.
Sirker has a strong chance of being involved against Saracens at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday when the first of four Premiership Cup rounds is played prior to the Gallagher Premiership's return on the third weekend in October.
Callum Sirker of Wasps (Image: Pinnacle Photo Agency Ltd)
If selected, it will give Sirker a first chance to showcase his talents in senior action for Wasps and exact some revenge on the side that prevented him from Premiership 7s glory two years running.
"It still stings now, hopefully we can go to the Ricoh, our home ground and do our best to get a W. Sarries are always good, they know how to win a game, that is for sure, I'm really looking forward to it.
More of our Wasps Rugby stories
Our live coverage
From uni 5th team to Wasps
Premiership players at the World Cup
2003 hero's Cipriani view
He added: "It's my responsibility, if I get given that opportunity from Dai, it is my responsibility to take it. If I don't, then that's on me. I do like that, I thrive on that, and I feel like when I do get that opportunity, I'll back myself to take it.
"I don't think you can be in this position, in this job, if you don't like the pressure. All these guys like the pressure, the big crowds, the big spectacles, I am pretty excited for the opportunity when it does come.
If given the nod by his director of rugby, don't be surprised if Sirker flies out of the blocks to seize his chance.
Do you think Callum Sirker should get his chance against Saracens?
Yes, and from the start, he lit up the 7s and was rampant for the A team
Yes, but from the bench, Saracens will be a big step up
No - Paolo Odogwu and Zach Kibirige are the men I want to see let loose at the Ricoh Arena
Are you following us on social media? Twitter users, if you want to stay on top of all the breaking Wasps news and chat, make sure you have followed our @waspsrugbylive account as well as our Wasps correspondent @bobby_bridge
Facebook users, you can like our Wasps - Coventry Live page and Bobby Bridge's Rugby Journalist page
Ricoh Arena
dai young

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Aside from Ernesto, there are no other noteworthy disturbances in the Atlantic basin, and additional tropical system formation is not anticipated through the end of this week.
Ernesto is the fifth named storm of the US Atlantic hurricane season.
Meanwhile, the Pacific's Tropical Storm Lane is 1,285 miles (2,065 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and is heading west at 13 mph (20 kph). It will be over warm sea surface temperatures for the next 24 hours, where some strengthening could occur. A faster northeastward motion is forecast to occur on Thursday and Friday.
The system is not a threat to land, forecasters say. Dvorak estimates range from 30 to 40 kt, and with the increased organization since the last advisory, the initial wind speed is set to 35 kt.
Tropical Depression Five is likely to become a tropical storm later today.
In addition to Melbourne in the second spot, both Sydney and Adelaide also ranked in the top 10 (in fifth and 10th, respectively). This is Copenhagen in Denmark, in 9th place, after its score increased by 3.3 percentage points since the last survey cycle.
Still, Khamenei doesn't see an Iranian-US war coming down the pike anytime soon. Renewed U.S. sanctions on Iran took effect on Tuesday.
If named this week, it could be the fourth Subtropical Storm of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
If you haven't yet, join Kim on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .
Musk added he had agreed not to tweet again about taking the firm private unless he had discussed it with the board. Plus, the eccentric billionaire is the head of at least two other companies, including the rocket company Space X.
Revenue from Tencent's online advertising business grew 39 percent to CNY14 billion in the second quarter, from a year earlier. The company owns Riot Games, producers of League of Legends , a popular game in America and around the world .
Herd immunity is achieved when at least 95% of the total population of a country gets the recommended two doses of vaccine. A person with measles is considered infectious four days before the rash breaks out and four days after the rash.
Conventional wisdom tells you Kizer is the front-runner, due in part because Brett Hundley would demand more on the trade market. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played one series in Thursday night's preseason game, and did everything he wanted to do.
In the statement, the officials call the move "unprecedented" and caution against using security clearances as a political tool. A good leader sets the example for others to follow. "I could go into conflict after conflict", Trump said. "We did nothing.
Erdogan thanked the emir and the people of Qatar for "standing by Turkey", the official Anadolu news agency reported. Other emerging market currencies, such as Russia's ruble and Mexico's peso, also rose.
Grande and The Roots performed a tribute on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon , singing Franklin's 1967 hit Natural Woman . Politicians and activists - along with numerous gospel superstars of the day - were a fixture in the family home.
Omarosa Manigualt Newman waits to promote her new book "Unhinged" on the 'Today Show.' Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images. Manigault-Newman is friendly with Clyburn's daughter, former Federal Communications Commission head Mignon Clyburn.
Aretha's family have released a statement through her publicist Gwendolyn Quinn upon the event of her death today. She received our nation's greatest honor in 2005 when she was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
You know, he's probably the greatest player to ever play the game, and to have the comeback that he's having-it's incredible". I think that's always great to have the support of fans and as many people as you can behind you, and I try to do that.
We are playing with this personality and we need to improve this personality with better performances on the pitch. We only have three players: Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina and Joel Campbell, with the possibility to leave".
During the signing ceremony, Trump quoted one of General George Patton's famous addresses to the troops in World War II. Each year, Congress passes a new National Defense Authorization Act to set military spending levels for the year ahead.
He said the RBI has spent about $23 billion so far to intervene in the market. Rupee recovered from initial dip against United States dollar.
But Manigault Newman was defiant, telling the Associated Press on Tuesday, "I will not be silenced". She refused, and Kelly was forced to fire her, unnamed White House aides told Politico .
Iran has maintained close ties to Iraq's government since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, Tehran's archenemy. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has canceled a visit to Iran , his press office said Sunday.


Guide Price £325,000 - £350,000. A charming terrace cottage enjoying a central position on the doorstep to the High Street. The property is well presented throughout featuring an open plan kitchen/dining room, two well proportioned bedrooms and a 40' rear garden.
The property is located within walking distance of Brentwood's vibrant High Street with its array of shops, bars and restaurants as well as the mainline station with its fantastic links into London.
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The property features a rear garden measuring approximately 40' in length. Commences with a paved terrace with the remainder laid to lawn with path leading to rear pedestrian access gate.


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Justin Trudeau walks to the podium for his first press conference knowing he'll become Prime Minister of Canada
VIDEO: Trudeau talked ISIL, environment with Barack Obama
The incoming prime minister spoke with the soon-departing American president a day after the Canadian election.
Kolby Solinsky
Oct. 20, 2015 12:00 p.m.
Justin Trudeau held his first press conference knowing he'll become Prime Minister of Canada on Tuesday in Ottawa, a day after his Liberals won 185 seats and a majority government in the 2015 federal election.
Trudeau said he'd spoken with American president Barack Obama, who is closing in on the final year of his second term in the White House, and they discussed ISIL, the environment, and grey hair – "He said that I will probably get some quite soon, just like him," Trudeau said (via CBC).
"We talked about Canada's continued engagement as a strong member of the coalition against ISIL, and I committed that we would continue to engage in a responsible way," Trudeau told reporters. "He understands the commitments I've made around ending the ending mission."
TIMELINE: 'Key moments of the federal election campaign' (October 17, 2015)
Read: 'Trudeau must turn to implementing plan' (October 20, 2015)
In June, Trudeau said an elected Liberal government would end Canada's bombing mission against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and his position was criticized by the ruling Conservatives in the run-up to Monday's election – sometimes, in controversial formats.
On Tuesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the U.S. is hoping for Canada to continue along the path set by Harper's government for both the mission against ISIS in the Middle East, and with the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
"The fact is there are a whole range of issues where the United States and Canada worked effectively together to advance the interests of our two countries," said Earnest, who added that Obama would be calling Harper on Tuesday, as well (files from Canadian Press).
"We certainly are appreciative of Prime Minister Harper's efforts to strengthen that relationship. We look forward to building on that kind of progress when Mr. Trudeau takes over the Prime Minister's Office."
VIDEO: Justin Trudeau, victorious at Ottawa rally
VIDEO: Key moments from Munk Debates on Foreign Policy
ELECTION 2015: Liberal majority reaches into B.C.
B.C. welcomes Trudeau's climate, infrastructure plans


UVic students at their walkout to protest discrimination against Indigenous people in Canada's criminal justice system, image retrieved from http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/at-uvic-hundreds-march-to-protest-built-in-racism-in-justice-system-1.23202181.
Last Wednesday, law students across Canada participated in walkouts, teach-ins and protests to bring awareness to the recent injustices felt by Indigenous peoples in our criminal justice system. Our blog covered the recent acquittal of Gerald Stanley, who was charged with second-degree murder for shooting Colten Boushie, 22. Injustice was further perpetuated in the acquittal of Raymond Cormier, who was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Tina Fontaine, 15. For many Canadians, these decisions solidified the systemic legal issues that Indigenous people continue to experience in the justice system. For Indigenous law students and allies, these protests were an effort to raise awareness of these injustices and to open up a dialogue in the law schools on issues that remained unaddressed.
Although the Indigenous Law Students' Association at the University of Alberta did not participate in the walkouts and teach-ins on March 14th, they marked their support for their fellow law students participating in the protests on their facebook page. In an effort to start a discussion on these issues, the group will be hosting "Indigenous Voices" this Friday, March 23rd. The event will have a panel of speakers from the Faculty of Native Studies, a bundle carrier for MMIWG, as well as Indigenous legal professionals, who will engage in round-table discussions with the law students and faculty members to discuss these injustices and promote awareness within the Faculty of Law.
We thank all the Legal Warriors who are standing up for Indigenous people in this fight for justice. Kinanâskomitin.
 Rhiannon Johnson, "U of T law students walk out of class for teach-in on Colten Boushie, Tina Fontaine cases", CBC News (14 March 2018), online: http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/toronto-law-students-walkout-teach-in-boushie-fontaine-1.4576369.
 Joshua Azizi and Aidan Tong, "Students walk out to protest systemic legal issues facing Indigenous people", The Ubyssey (14 March 2018), online: https://www.ubyssey.ca/news/day-of-action-walk-out/.
 "At UVic, hundreds march to protest 'built-in racism' in justice system", Times Colonist (14 March 2018), online: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/at-uvic-hundreds-march-to-protest-built-in-racism-in-justice-system-1.23202181.
Indigenous children have often been the target of Canada's colonialist policies. The forcible removal of children from their communities and families began with the residential school system, but transitioned to the child welfare system, in a process best known as the "Sixties Scoop." We began our discussions of the Sixties Scoop by looking at how the concept of 'the best interests of the child' was framed to push colonialist regimes. Next, we covered the history of the scoop, and how approximately 20,000 Indigenous children came to be removed from their families and homes. We then looked to the personal effects of the Sixties Scoop on the victims, where stories of abuse and learned hatred for their own cultures were commonplace. For many, these stories of abuse and neglect were shared as an act of resilience, with our following post looking to ways in which survivors used art as a means of resistance and reclamation. We ended with our Friday 'In the Media' post discussing the recent Sixties Scoop Settlement negotiated between Canada and the Sixties Scoop survivors.
The blog then transitioned to the child welfare system, and its impact on Indigenous children. We began by looking at the concept of 'intergenerational injustice,' and a number of factors that should be considered when approaching issues involving Indigenous children in care. Our next post covered Indigenous supports that are currently set up by and for Indigenous people to help address the challenges that result in the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. Jordan's Principle was then analyzed, an "answer" to who should fund services of Indigenous children, and whether or not it is truly being followed. We ended the week discussing Cindy Blackstock's fight for Indigenous children in care before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
As an Indigenous blogger, I believe it is crucial to address these issues that remain prevalent for Indigenous children. To grow up in a world where you are not aware of your culture, your traditions, or your teachings is wrong. We need to help our children find their way back home. I know this is an immense feat to take on, and solutions to these problems may vary from person to person or community to community. However, I personally believe, as a nêhiyaw iskwêw (Cree woman), that Indigenous-led organizations are our best option in addressing this overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. We need to recognize the legitimacy of these organizations. We need to listen to, and support Indigenous perspectives of what is best for the children. I know allies may often believe they have the answers, but sometimes what is needed from allies in reconciliation is to simply stop and listen to those that are often ignored in rhetoric surrounding Indigenous issues - Indigenous people themselves. It is easy to dismiss the ideas of Indigenous people, (I know - I've experienced this many times, even in conversations meant to address reconciliation) but this is contrary to reconciliation. We have a voice. We have answers. Take the time to listen to us - to truly listen, and be willing to learn. This reconcili-action is what I ask you to consider both today, and moving forward.
Kinanâskomitin (thank you) to our followers and happy holidays.
Every Halloween season I feel myself holding my breath, waiting for the latest controversial costume to make its rounds online. The term "cultural appropriation" is quickly becoming a common topic of debate surrounding Halloween costumes. Most of us are familiar with this debate, but as costume shops continue to make money off highly offensive costumes, we are forced to continue the discussion, year after year. As we work towards reconciliation, I believe it is important to continue this discussion, and educate those unaware of the harms associated with wearing culturally offensive costumes this Halloween.
For the most part, those wearing these inappropriate costumes are largely unaware of the deeply-rooted problems behind why, for example, dressing up as an "Indian Princess," is offensive. Our blogging on topics such as Residential Schools and the Sixties Scoop have demonstrated the harms associated with government policies focused on "getting rid of the Indian problem". These policies have led to a disconnect for many from their cultures, languages, and traditional teachings. Aggravating this disconnect are the Halloween "hollywood" versions of Indigenous men as violent warriors, and the overt sexualization of Indigenous women (i.e. Pocahontas as"Poca-hottie"). These costumes strengthen the barriers to reconciliation by continuing harmful stereotypes of Indigenous persons, many who are still recovering from past trauma inflicted by Canada's assimilationist policies.
I will not be one to turn away allies who want to appreciate my culture, but be respectful that my culture is more than a costume. If you truly want to appreciate my culture, come to my community for a round dance or pow wow. Let our elders tell you stories, and teach you the real meaning of our people -- not the "hollywood" version.
 Nadra Kareem Nittle, "Introduction to Cultural Appropriation", ThoughtCo. (11 October 2017), online:<https://www.thoughtco.com/cultural-appropriation-and-why-iits-wrong-2834561>.
 Mark Shrayber, "It's Time We Have A Real Talk About Culture-Based Halloween Costumes," Uproxx (01 October 2017), online: <http://uproxx.com/life/halloween-appropriation/>.
We continue the focus on Indigenous leaders by shifting from leaders during Confederation, to a leader who influenced the signing of the Meech Lake Accord. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation put out a survey in late 2013 asking Canadians, "Which Canadians have inspired you the most over the last 150 years?"1 Nearly 12,000 individuals responded to the survey. CBC analyzed the data and released a "Top 10 Canadian Heroes List" in June of 2014. Topping the list was former premier Pierre Trudeau.
Elijah Harper was born March 3, 1949, in Red Sucker Lake, Manitoba.5 He grew up in an Oji-Cree community roughly 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg, but was forcibly removed from his family to be placed in the residential school system.6 Harper studies at the University of Manitoba and became the elected leader of the Red Sucker Lake First Nation at age 29.7 To add to his impressive resume, Elijah Harper became the first Indigenous MLA in Manitoba in 1981.
While serving as a MLA in Manitoba, Elijah Harper was appointed as minister without portfolio for Native Affairs in 1986, and was promoted to Minister of Northern Affairs the following year.8 Although his political career was one of great triumph and recognition, 1990 would be Harper's most memorable year in office. Harper's political highlight was his historic efforts in blocking Quebec from singing the Meech Lake Accord without consulting Indigenous people first.
In order for Quebec to officially sign on to the new Constitution Act of 1982, both the federal government and all provinces needed to ratify the Meech Lake Accord.9 Gary Filmon, Manitoba's premier at this time, required unanimous consent from all MLA's in order to ratify the Meech Lake Accord.10 Harper and other Indigenous leaders, adamantly opposed the singing of the Accord because it did not guarantee rights to Indigenous individuals.11 Harper refused to consent each time the discussion arose. The ratification deadline passed and he still would not consent, so the Accord was never signed. His refusal and opposition brought attention to issues surrounding both the duty to consult First Nations people and Indigenous rights. Harper spent the remainder of his career working with Indigenous groups to increase support for First Nations rights.
It is unsurprising that Elijah Harper is recognized as an Indigenous hero among his own people, and other groups of Canadians. Shawn Atleo, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, describes Harper's work as helping to "lay a solid foundation" for Indigenous rights; hard work that continues in Canada today. Harper's efforts and others following, do not go unnoticed.
1 The Canadian Press, "Top 10 Canadian heroes list includes Pierre Trudeau, Jack Layton", CBC News (15 June 2014), online: <www.cbc.ca/news/canada/top-10-canadian-heroes-list-includes-pierre-trudeau-jack-layton-1.2676398>.
2 Kim Wheeler, "Top 10 indigenous heroes includes Elijah Harper, Alanis Obomsawin", CBC News (18 June 2014), online: <www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/top-10-indigenous-heroes-includes-elijah-harper-alanis-obomsawin-1.2678637>.
8 Gloria Galloway, "Elijah Harper, First Nations leader who brought down Meech Lake, dies at 64", The Globe and Mail (17 May 2013), online: <www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/elijah-harper-first-nations-leader-who-brought-down-meech-lake-dies-at-64/article11988959/>.
Law School: How Hard can it be, Anyway?
Law schools are notoriously difficult to get into and the challenge increases over time as applications increase. Today's post discusses the change in demographics in law schools since 1867. Only two Canadian law schools existed prior to Confederation; both in Quebec.
However, like other influential women of her time, Martin was persistent. She refused to take no for an answer and introduced a provincial bill to allow women to attend law school and practice law.
In 1893, Martin's conviction changed the legal profession forever.Her bill was passed, allowing women to be admitted to the law society as solicitors.2 Martin was admitted as a law student in the same year and helped pass legislation to allow women to become barristers. In 1897, she became the first female lawyer in the British Empire.
In 1954, William Wuttunee was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from law school in western Canada.4 A Cree man, Wuttunee worked tirelessly to develop Aboriginal law in Saskatchewan and later moved to the national scene.
Today, many law schools in Canada including the U of A have a separate application categories for Aboriginal law applicants. The schools recognize the persisting underrepresentation of Indigenous lawyers, and are working to correct the disparity.
Though Canadian law schools have admitted more women and Aboriginal students since 1867, admission remains difficult. While some schools like the University of Calgary have moved to a more wholistic approach to admission, high grades and LSAT scores remain important.
1Constance Backhouse, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, (University of Torotono/Universite Laval, 2005) sub verbo "Martin, Clara Brett", online: <www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7840>.
2John D. Blackwell, The Canadian Encylopedia, (2008) sub verbo "Clara Brett Martin", online: <www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/clara-brett-martin/>.
3See the University of Alberta Faculty of Law JD Program FAQs, <www.ualberta.ca/law/admissions/juris-doctor/faq#WomenEnrolled>.
4Doug Cuthand, "Remembering William Wuttunee: Cree lawyer was a trailblazer", CBC News (2 November, 2015), online: <www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/remembering-bill-wuttunee-1.3300662>.
5Yolande Cole, "B.C. judge Alfred Scow remembered as "aboriginal pioneer", The Georgia Straight (8 March 2013), online: <www.straight.com/news/360396/bc-judge-alfred-scow-remembered-aboriginal-pioneer>.
6Allison Griner, "Aboriginal lawyers stride in footsteps of legal pioneer" (25 March 2013), online: <thethunderbird.ca/2013/03/25/aboriginal-lawyers-stride-in-footsteps-of-legal-pioneer/>.
7See the University of Alberta Faculty of Law JD Program applicant profile tab, <www.ualberta.ca/law/admissions/juris-doctor/applicant-profile>.
8William P. LaPiana, "A History of the Law School Admission Council and the LSAT", (Keynote Address delivered at the 1998 LSAC Annual Meeting, 28 May 1998) [unpublished], online: www.lsac.org/docs/default-source/publications-(lsac-resources)/history-lsac-lsat.pdf.
9See McGill Faculty of Law's "Our history" webpage, http://www.mcgill.ca/law/about/history.
10See the University of Alberta Faculty of Law JD Program FAQs, <www.ualberta.ca/law/admissions/juris-doctor/faq#AverageScores>.
So You Want to be a Lawyer, Huh?
To continue our education themed week, we explore legal education in Canada. Today we compare the increase in availability of legal education between 1867 and 2017. Legal education has certainly expanded over the last 150 years and we'll provide a small glimpse of just how much.
Prospective students can choose from a wide variety of schools and are able to base their decisions on several factors. Maybe one school is in their hometown? Maybe they are interested in a certain area of law that one school specializes in? Or perhaps they base their choice on reputation? Regardless of what a student is seeking out of their legal education, Canada's law schools offer many options. If we flashback to 1867 a different picture existed.
The first common law school in Canada opened 16 years after Confederation. Dalhousie's Schulich School of Law opened its doors in 1883 and "became the model for law schools across Canada and across the British Commonwealth."5 At the time of Confederation individuals seeking a formal law school education only had McGill as an option. Otherwise, they needed to take classes informally.
The University of Alberta's first class only consisted of 8 students, but by the second year 50 students were registered in the program.10 Although the enrolment numbers increased substantially within a year, they are minuscule compared with the 180 new first-year students the faculty admits currently. Further, when the faculty opened, students were mainly taught through on-the-job articling training right away, and students only took classes part time.11 Now students are expected to take 3 years of full-time academic training before beginning their formal articling experience.
Legal education is increasingly growing in Canada. Every province, excluding Newfoundland and PEI, now houses at least one law school, with future institutions always becoming a possibility. With more locations to study and areas to specialize the possibilities for what legal education can expand into is endless.
1 "Canadian Law School Programs" (2017), Federation of Law Socities of Canada, online: <ww.flsc.ca/national-initiatives/canadian-law-school-programs/>.
3 "History of the McGill Faculty of Law" (2017), McGill Faculty of Law, online: <www.mcgill.ca/law/about/history>.
5 "History & Tradition" (2017), Schulich School of Law, online: <www.dal.ca/faculty/law/about/history-of-schulich-school-of-law.html>.
6 "History of the Faculty of Law" (2017), University of Alberta Faculty of Law, online: <www.ualberta.ca/law/about/history>.
Happy Family Day Readers! As you are enjoying your day off from work, or the beginning of Reading Week for those students out there, we bring you a brief biography of Louis Riel.
In Alberta, we celebrate this statutory holiday "Family Day"; but move a bit more east and Manitoba is celebrating "Louis Riel Day." In honour of this holiday, we bring you a brief introduction into Louis Riel's life and involvement in Confederation.
A few years later Riel began to make his political mark when the Hudson's Bay Company made plans to sell Rupert's Land and the North Western Territory to the Dominion of Canada.7 Metis people in this area were concerned that an influx of Anglo-Protestants would take over their unique social, cultural and political status.8 To protect their culture and interests, the Metis in the area created the Metis National Committee to represent them, with Riel being elected as secretary and eventually president.9 As the Committee's president Riel advocated for the protection of Metis rights to ensure their culture would be protected when Manitoba eventually entered into Confederation.
Today, Louis Riel is officially recognized as the "Founder of Manitoba" by the Canadian government.15 Beginning in 2007, Manitoba recognizes the third Monday in February as Louis Riel Day, to honour his relentless fight to protect Metis and other minority rights.16 Louis Riel embodied many qualities that Canadians pride themselves on, accepting, cooperative, and multi-cultural. Honouring his work during Confederation is worthwhile.
1 Adam Gaudry, "Louis Riel" (22 April 2013), The Canadian Encyclopedia, online: <www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/>.
2 Lewis H Thomas, "Riel, Louis (1844-85)" (1982), online: 11 Dictionary of Canadian Biography, <www.biographi.ca/en/bio/riel_louis_1844_85_11E.html>.
7 Gaudry, supra note 1.
11 "The Execution of Thomas Scott" (2001), CBC Learning, online: <www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP9CH2PA4LE.html>.
12 Gaudry, supra note 1.
14 Thomas, supra note 2.
15 Government of Manitoba, "Journee Louis Riel Day", (2008).
It's National Flag of Canada Day!
The journey to selecting a new flag was not straightforward. There was both passionate support of and staunch opposition to a new flag. Particularly, members of the Royal Canadian Legion did not approve of a design change; they had served Canada under the Red Ensign and considered it an affront to veterans' service.2 At a speech in Winnipeg on May 17, 1964, then Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson spoke to delegates who wore Red Ensign pins as protest to Pearson's proposition for change.3 There was outrage at the suggestion that Canada needed a new flag. This event started the Great Flag Debate.
Pearson stuck to his belief that Canada needed a new flag that represented all Canadians. Until then they had used both the Union Jack and Red Ensign, which connected Canada to its British heritage. In a time with rising Quebec Nationalism, Pearson viewed national unity of the utmost importance.
Hesitantly, Pearson forced a vote on December 15, 1964, using the rules of closure. Parliament voted in favour of the new flag.
The red and white flag was appealing for a few reasons. First, those colours were declared Canada's colors by King George V. Second, since the early 20th century all Canadian Olympic athletes had worn a red and white emblem at the games. Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate, stated, "the flag is the symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion".13 The maple leaf was already a recognized symbol of Canada.
The red and white maple leaf design became the official flag of Canada on February 15th, 1965.
Jumping ahead to the present, the Canadian flag is accepted largely by Canadians as a symbol of the country. All over the world, the maple leaf flag is identifiable as ours.14 Canadians can be seen travelling with maple leafs visible on their belongings, showing their pride for Canada. Though it may not be universally celebrated or accepted, the stark animosity that once surrounded the flag discussions has subsided and is largely replaced by celebration and pride.
1Government of Canada, "National Flag of Canada Day", (25 January 2017), online: <http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1449158599459>.
2Allan Levine, "The Great Flag Debate", Canada's History (15 February 2015), online: <http://www.canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-Extension/Articles/The-Great-Flag-Debate>.
4Lee-Anne Goodman, "Canadian flag, now beloved, came into being amid bitter national brawl", CBC News (12 February 2015), online: <http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-flag-now-beloved-came-into-being-amid-bitter-national-brawl-1.2954433>.
5"The Great Flag Debate", CBC Learning (2001), online: ,http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPISCONTENTSE1EP16CH1PA2LE.html>.
7Government of Canada, "History of the National Flag of Canada", (13 September 2016), online: <http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1444133232512>.
8Diefenbaker Canada Centre Archives, "Pearson's Pennant" (2003), online: <http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/flagdisplay/pearson.htm>.
11Library and Archives Canada, "Alan Beddoe", biography, online: <http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=104827>.; John Mackie, "Obituary: The remarkable life of Patrick Reid", Vancouver Sun (11 December 2015), online: <http://www.vancouversun.com/obituary+remarkable+life+patrick+reid/11583916/story.html>.
12Reid, ibid; History, supra note 7.
15 Paul Luke, "50 years of the Maple Leaf: How Canada's much loved flag initially divided the nation", The Province (15 February 2015), online: <http://www.theprovince.com/news/years+maple+leaf+canada+much+loved+flag+initially+divided+nation/10812716/story.html>.


Deep V neck lined jumpsuit in pleated fabric. Short sleeve with baggy rise.
Fit Commen : Loose fit.
Model is wearing One size.
Due to the customized dyeing process, each product might have a slight color difference.


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Mario Santillán Hernández (born April 22, 1981) is a Paralympic athlete from Mexico competing mainly in category T46 long-distance events. He is missing his right hand.

He competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China.  There he won a gold medal in the men's Marathon - T46 event in world record time. He also won a bronze medal in the men's 5000 metres - T46 event.

As of January 2013, his T46 marathon world record, set in Beijing, remains unbeaten.

Notes

References

External links

1981 births
Living people
Paralympic athletes of Mexico
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic gold medalists for Mexico
Paralympic bronze medalists for Mexico
Mexican male long-distance runners
World record holders in Paralympic athletics
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Medalists at the 2007 Parapan American Games
Medalists at the 2011 Parapan American Games
21st-century Mexican people

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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2021 Year in Review: Breaking Records Again and Again
By World Games 29 December, 2021 16 views
April turned into a record breaking month for a few people, least of all Sony; they hit milestones with both their PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. They weren't the only ones to do so, though, as the Call of Duty franchise had plenty of success of their own.
PlayStation 5 Becomes the Fastest-Selling Console in US History
Despite the console's scarce availability, the PlayStation 5 became the fastest-selling console in the US, both in terms of units and dollar sales. It was the first of many records it would go on to break in 2021. Sony announced their Game and Network Services Division had its best ever year by shipping 7.8 million PS5 consoles worldwide by the end of March 2021. They then went on to sell 10 million PS5 consoles by the end of July, and reached 1 million units sold in Japan and the UK at a speed much quicker than that set by the PS4 console. The PS5 is also estimated to have sold twice as many units as the Xbox Series X|S worldwide.
Sony isn't intending to rest on their laurels anytime soon. They want to create more PlayStation exclusive games on the PS5 than any other console generation before it. The company aims to achieve more than 50% market share in console games revenue with the PS5 by selling more than 23 million consoles during the 2022 financial year. Before that, they want to have a record "year two" for the console by selling more than the 14.8 million units shifted by the PlayStation 4 console in its second year. However, the component shortages will need to be solved if they're to stand any chance of doing that.
PlayStation 4 Sells More Games Than Any Other Console in History
Sony's success wasn't just restricted to the PS5 console. By the end of the fiscal year, there had been 1.577 billion PS4 games sold over its lifetime, beating the previous record set by the PlayStation 2. Nearly 339 million games were sold between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 that same year, an increase of 22% from the year prior. This meant 600,000 games were sold through the PlayStation Store every day throughout the year on average.
Later on in the year, the PlayStation 4 console reached lifetime sales of 116.4 million units worldwide. Despite this, sales of the PS4 console had dropped dramatically with just 500,000 units sold between April and June 2021. This wasn't surprising bearing in mind the release of the PS5 console took a huge chunk of sales away. Sony also discontinued the production of many PS4 models, making them extremely difficult to find by the end of 2021.
Call of Duty Warzone Broke Download and Player Records
Call of Duty's free-to-play offering continued to grow throughout the year. At the very start of the month, the Season Two Reloaded update for Call of Duty: Warzone broke internet service provider traffic records with providers like Virgin Media reporting their biggest day ever for data downloads. While this wasn't the first time the game had done this, it was the first time Warzone surpassed 100 million players.
Activision plans to support the game for years to come, tying it into the yearly premium releases in unique ways. To do this, developer Raven Software has reportedly grown by nearly 50% throughout 2021. Rumors also describe how "virtually every studio at Activision" was involved in the development of the Call of Duty franchise before the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard in November. Whether that has changed now remains to be seen, but Activision is yet to announce any more games in progress at their studios.
PlayStation 5 Gets Its First Major Update
Ok, this isn't one of the most groundbreaking stories, but it was a milestone of a different kind for the console. The first major update brought along new features like the ability to use external USB storage devices, new cross-gen Share Play options, pre-downloadable game updates, and new trophy settings. Later on in the year, a further update enabled players to expand the available internal SSD space in their PS5 consoles, 3D audio through TV speakers, and more changes to trohpy settings. Of course, there were plenty of updates that also simply "improves system performance" but Sony will be wanting to make good on their "interesting, exciting, fantastic" list of ideas for future PS5 updates throughout 2022.
Our Favorite April 2021 Anecdote
There admittedly wasn't a lot of weird and wonderful news in April, but IO Interactive did reveal that their popular Hitman franchise nearly ended up as a free-to-play game. When IO Interactive was about to be dropped by Square Enix after they lost faith in the Hitman franchise, the developer debated whether to become independent or allow themselves to be bought out by another company. During that period, they discussed plans with suitable investors and their visions for the franchise. One of these ideas was to turn Hitman into a free-to-play game.
IO Interactive didn't like that. Instead they moved away from the episodic format with Hitman 2 before ending the World of Assassination trilogy with the hugely successful Hitman 3. The developer is still releasing a lot of free post-launch content for their latter title, having just promised to add a second year of content that will include a new location. Once that's done, they'll be moving away from Agent 47 and starting work on Project 007 and an unannounced multiplayer project.
PSLS Game of April 2021: Returnal
Returnal is an essential PS5 title, now and throughout the console's life. Housemarque took the rogue-like bullet-hell formula and applied it to a AAA experience in a way that creates something exceptionally unique yet wholly familiar. Returnal is an engaging experience in narrative, gameplay, and player discovery, consistently surprising on every level. Utilizing the PS5 technology in a way that most other developers are barely tapping into, Returnal feels like one of the first truly next-gen experiences, letting Housemarque set the stage for the new console. And like Housemarque games before it, it's the kind of game that will withstand the test of time, begging for additional cycles well into the future.
Tune in tomorrow for a recap of the next two months of the year, May and June. We'll have more interesting news stories, anecdotes, and games of the month. In case you've missed them, you can check out previous months below:
2021 Year in Review: January
2021 Year in Review: February
2021 Year in Review: March
The post 2021 Year in Review: Breaking Records Again and Again appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
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Q: How to get or identify unique id or descriptor from Azure devops Profile REST API I'm not getting the "descriptor" in Profile API response. This I need to save in database to identify whether he/she is a returning user on our web portal or a new user.
Did some research on Azure devops REST APIs to find that, there is something called "descriptor" which is a unique id for any user on Azure devops platform.
For that, I tried Profile REST API endpoint - https://app.vssps.visualstudio.com/_apis/profile/profiles/me?api-version=7.0
I need this descriptor or unique id because to identify whether a user is returning user or new user based on which I can create account or simply sign in. In other words, I'm implementing Oauth flow to Signup with Azure devops.
However, I get some "id" in Profile API response but that is not unique across different Azure devops accounts or organizations.
Any ideas on how to get "descriptor"? can we get in Profile API? or any other API?
Thanks in advance

A:
Any ideas on how to get "descriptor"?

We cannot get the "descriptor" using the Profiles API.
To get the "descriptor" we can use Users - List - REST API (Azure DevOps Graph)

Alternately, we can use the following REST API for the currently logged in user:
https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/_apis/connectiondata

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Passing additional information in a POST in Rails Let's say I'm in a new action and want to pass some extra information to the create action (for instance, how many times a user has pressed a given button, :clicks).
How should I go about accomplishing the task?

A: Try:
<%= hidden_field_tag 'click_count', 0 %>
<%= submit_tag "Click me!", :type => 'button', :onclick => '$("#click_count").val(parseInt($("#click_count").val())+1)' %>


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Sports Authority
Hadley: 76ers hang by a thread
Greg Hadley | Thursday, December 4, 2014
Stop the presses everyone. The Philadelphia 76ers won a game.
Twenty teams played Wednesday night, and the 76ers generated the second-fewest points of any of them against the NBA's second worst defense, the Minnesota Timberwolves. But that doesn't matter, because they finally found a team that had no answer for the league's worst offense.
With the win, Philadelphia moves to 1-17 on the season and avoids tying the worst start in NBA history. I'm pretty sure that a healthy portion of the 10,463 people in attendance at the Target Center in Minneapolis only showed up in the hope of being part of sports history. But the Sixers would just not be denied.
In all sincerity though, we should give the team credit for not giving up and slouching its way into the record books. When the playoffs are already laughably out of reach, when you're playing in front of dwindling, unenthusiastic crowds, when team management is already looking ahead to next year, or maybe the year after that, it cannot be easy to give a full effort for 82 games.
But still, the 76ers missed out on history. They could have been the gold standard for atrocious, the paragon of pathetic, the epitome of awful. Decades down the road, grandparents would say, "Well, yes, they're bad, but they're nowhere near as bad as the 76ers used to be. Let me tell you … " Instead, the 2014-2015 76ers will be lost in the sea of simply "bad" sports teams.
No, I'm not saying Philadelphia should have lost on purpose. All I'm saying is that, by winning, they lost out on sports immortality. As much as we celebrate the greats of the athletic world, we also don't mind looking back at the all-time worst. Futility is one of the most enduring storylines in sports, and everyone likes to occasionally remember just how bad some teams can be.
Take for example the 2008 Detroit Lions, the only team in NFL history to go 0-16. Perhaps the defining moment of that season was the week six game against the Minnesota Vikings, when quarterback Dan Orlovsky took the snap in the first quarter and ran out of the back of the endzone untouched for a safety. Naturally, the Vikings won, 12-10. At a certain point, the level of incompetence becomes comical.
John McKay certainly understood that. During his time as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the franchise's shambolic early years, he was asked about his team's execution and replied, "I'm all for it."
In 1979, several Kansas City Royals players invented a new term for incompetence when when they joked that Hall-of-Famer George Brett's batting average was getting too close to that of Mario Mendoza, a light-hitting shortstop. The "Mendoza Line" has since become ingrained in baseball as the standard of weak hitting. It's a clubhouse joke gone too far, maybe, but still a great way to describe a batter that just looks hopeless at the plate.
Or to return to basketball, there is a certain cruel irony in acknowledging that Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time and the leader of the best team in NBA history, the 1995-1996 Bulls, was also the owner of the worst team in league annals, the 2011-2012 Charlotte Bobcats. While Jordan watched, the Bobcats stumbled and bumbled through a 23-game losing streak to a 7-59 record and a .106 winning percentage.
A lot of football fans know the score 222-0, the final result between Georgia Tech and Cumberland in 1916 and the most lopsided defeat in college history. Lest you feel too sorry for Cumberland, the story goes that Georgia Tech's legendary coach John Heisman ran up the score to avenge a 22-0 beatdown the Bulldogs laid on the Engineers the previous spring in baseball. Heisman was also Georgia Tech's baseball coach.
In general, good sports teams are fun to watch and bad ones are boring, but on occasion, squads can simply be so grossly inept that it's fun to watch them go down in flames. If you don't believe me, rewatch the infamous Mark Sanchez "butt fumble." It's stupid, and it's kind of sad, but I don't know a non-Jets fan that can help themselves from laughing.
So while I salute the 76ers for avoiding ignominy for now, I will still keep a close eye on them as the season goes on. After all, their winning percentage is only at .059. They're not out of the trash heap of history just yet.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Tags: Philadelphia 76ers, Sports Authority, Worst Sports Team
About Greg Hadley
Greg Hadley is a senior from Rockville, Maryland, majoring in political science with a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. He served as The Observer's Editor-in-Chief for the 2015-2016 term and currently covers Notre Dame baseball and women's basketball.
Contact Greg
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Home / Ceramic Tech Today / Aeronautics & Space / New Mars rover to employ largest heat shield
New Mars rover to employ largest heat shield
Credit: Lockheed Martin
NASA's next Mars rover's massive heat shield is finally ready for the robot. It is the largest heat shield ever built for a spacecraft destined for the red planet. The extra size is needed because this rover – dubbed Curiosity – is about the size of a small car and could endure temperatures up to 3,800 degrees F when it enters the Martian atmosphere.
The thermal protection system is a combination of reinforced carbon-carbon on the wing leading edge, thermal blankets on the fuselage and thermal protective ceramic tiles covering the underside of the vehicle and its nose cap. Curiosity's heat shield is a large aero shell is made of a material called phenolic impregnated carbon ablator, developed at NASA Ames Research Center
The heat shield was manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is claimed to be the largest unit of its kind ever built. It's 4.5 meters wide, including the back shell. That is a dimension larger than the heat shields for the Apollo spacecraft (under 4 meters) and the ones used for the current Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity (2.6 meters).
Uniquely, once Curiosity's vehicle enters the Martian atmosphere, parachutes will first deploy to slow its descent, and it will jettison its heat shield. Then, using thrusters, part of the vehicle becames a "floating crane" that use a cable system to gently lower Curiousity to the surface of Mars. Confused? Watch this brief animation of how the rover will land and all will be clear.
Curiosity (formally known as the Mars Science Laboratory) is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2011. Its mission is to gather scientific data to help determine whether there is or was life on Mars.
Ceramic Tech Today, Aeronautics & Space


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7:00 pm EDT, May 21, 2021
41 Moira Rose quotes from 'Schitt's Creek' that are even better than fruit wine
By Kendra Cleary | 7:00 pm EDT, May 21, 2021
Schitt's Creek may be over, but these Moira Rose quotes are still as iconic as the woman who uttered them.
Catherine O'Hara and a wall of wigs with a personality all their own mixed with a wild unplaceable accent was always going to be a recipe for success, but we never could have predicted just how gif-worthy Moira Rose would prove herself to be. At this point, there are probably more beloved Moira Rose quotes, gifs, and memes than there are episodes of Schitt's Creek!
Whether she's spouting off very thinly veiled insults about Schitt's Creek, providing her extremely unique flavor of parenting, or just being every bit of her fabulous and dramatic self, every word Moira Rose says is laced in golden human hair, and not just when it's adorning her head.
Related: Schitt's Creek series finale: The greatest family story ever told
Of course, not all of the Moira Rose quotes in Schitt's Creek are uproariously over-the-top. As the show progressed, Moira truly came to love and appreciate the town and its citizens, showing genuine affection for her neighbors and her family. Moira Rose had some of the show's best heartfelt lines, always adding just the right dose of humor, and sometimes was even downright inspiring…even if it was often by accident.
Although Moira Rose is one of the most quotable characters on Schitt's Creek (or any other show, for that matter), we've managed to choose 41 of the best Moira Rose quotes that deserve even more acclaim than The Crows Have Eyes III.
Best Moira Rose quotes from 'Schitt's Creek'
"Alexis, what have I told you about putting your body on the internet? Never! Never without proper lighting."
"Gossip is the devil's telephone. Best to just hang up."
"Won't you join me for a little stroll through the slice of paradise I like to call…the town where I currently am?"
"Oh no! I just finally cried myself to sleep."
"This wine is awful. Get me another glass."
"I'm eating egg whites, and hoping the building will collapse."
"That frigid whore."
"Let's all pray we don't wake up."
"Oh, I'd kill for a good coma right now."
"One must champion oneself and say 'I am ready for this!'"
"Whatever you do, rock onwards and upwards."
"I'm positively bedeviled with meetings, etc."
"Alexis, don't be ridiculous. This is exactly the kind of paranoia that makes me wary of spending time with you."
"David, stop acting like a disgruntled pelican."
"Oh! At 9am. It's a little early for character assassination."
"My very soul has been kidnapped. There's no ransom. No one's coming to save me."
"David, your inability to retain information that doesn't directly pertain to you might actually require medical attention."
"I had just had my eyelashes dyed. Everything was cloudy!"
"David, what you did was impulsive, capricious, and melodramatic, but it was also wrong."
"Well, Jocelyn, there are certain things that are just not done: Smoking in a car with a baby, unless you crack a window; tipping before tax; mixing drinks with cola; and giving away a coat that doesn't belong to you."
"Did someone say fine dining? The Café Tropical has certainly been described as 'fine.'"
"David, what does burning smell like?"
"You just fold it in."
"She looked like an aging stewardess from a Latvian airline."
"I will not be held accountable for invoking a coven."
"A baby born in a prison cell does not know that a toilet should not be in the same room as its bed, but we do."
"After a glut of unasinous ideas put forth today, the room is suddenly bombilating with anticipation. Can we feel that? It's almost as though we're building towards some sort of inevitable climax."
"How are we getting around? They don't allow you to drink and drive anymore."
"Allow me to offer you some advice. Take a thousand naked pictures of yourself now. You may currently think 'oh, I'm too spooky' or 'nobody wants to see these tiny boobies' but, believe me, one day you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say "dear god, I was a beautiful thing."
"You are blind to reality and for that I am most proud."
"If airplane safety videos have taught me anything, David, it's that a mother puts her own mask on first."
"It's probably nothing but I think I've killed a man."
"I did a little Ask-Jeevesing."
"What the hell is your secret, Stevie? You just stand your solid ground refusing to be anything but you. Hmmm. Never thought I'd say this about anyone in this town, but you you're very, very cool."
"You realize the bébé is crying? Isn't it scheduled to be dormant by now?"
"Why should I be the only one encumbered with this emotional cargo?"
"Now will you be a doll, and fetch Mummy a knife? Oh, I'm sorry, I think you'll find one lodged in the middle of my back. And when you pull it out of my back, you can plunge it into my heart!"
"Oh Alexis, I think you and I might need to purchase antibiotics. I believe we've just gone viral."
"John, how was I to know you were in peril? You keep everything inside, like a bashful clam!"
"Why must you be so constantly irksome?"
"I'm simply here to inspire."
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BRENNAMAN'S NOT JUST A BASEBALL GUY
By Roger Simmons and Sentinel Columnist
A very hectic Monday was awaiting Fox Sports' Thom Brennaman. He needed to take a relative to the airport, dial into a network conference call and attend the world premiere of the Arizona Diamondbacks' season video. ("It won't be as big as Spy Games," he joked.)
But before he had a chance to get to his other tasks, Brennaman came across another: Dispel the notion that he's a baseball-only kind of guy.
"When you get a label for one thing or another, you're so grateful for a chance to do something different," he said.
And this Sunday he gets that chance. Brennaman teams up with Kenny Smith for ACC Sunday Nite Hoops, a 19-game series of Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games on Sunshine Network. The series is being produced in association with Fox Sports Net, but it is being shown on Sunshine in Florida because of the network's longtime ties with ACC member Florida State.
Brennaman is best known for his baseball announcing work on Fox. He teams with Steve Lyons on most West Coast telecasts, and the pair worked parts of the AL and NL championship series. He's also the play-by-play man for the Diamondbacks, a job that led him to move to Phoenix in 1995 even before the team played its first game.
While baseball consumes a large part of his life, he still has a passion for basketball, and especially ACC hoops.
"I've been a huge ACC basketball fan my whole life -- especially North Carolina basketball," Brennaman said.
So it's fitting that the first game Brennaman calls will be Georgia Tech at North Carolina in Chapel Hill, a place that has special meaning. "Mom and Dad met there, got married there, and that's where I was born," Brennaman said.
"Dad" is Marty Brennaman, perhaps best known as the Cincinnati Reds' longtime announcer. But -- like father, like son -- the senior Brennaman did more than just call baseball. He had lots of basketball announcing gigs, including calling the ACC Game of the Week, a role his son now assumes. "My Dad did this job for many, many years," he said.
If you ask Brennaman for his take on the state of the ACC, his affection for the conference is apparent as he rattles off rapid-fire assessments: "I wasn't surprised Maryland was beat . . . Duke is overwhelmingly the No. 1 team in the country, but they should have lost to Seton Hall . . . Virginia looks good. North Carolina will start winning . . . Jason Williams -- where would Duke be without him this year?"
As for our state's representative in the ACC, Brennaman is generous in his outlook for relative newcomer FSU: "It takes time to catch up, especially to Duke and North Carolina."
He said that's what the football teams of the conference have been doing since the Seminoles joined. But, back to basketball, "I have no doubt Steve Robinson will do it," he said.
And there's no doubt Brennaman will have fun with the Sunday ACC telecasts. To spice things up, Fox is adding ACC alumni guest commentators for each game. This week North Carolina great Phil Ford will be the guest, and that sits well with Brennaman.
"Phil Ford is arguably the best player in ACC history -- based just on college play," he said. "He's somebody you just wanted to watch play."
If you want to watch Brennaman, tune in Sunday at 6 p.m. on Sunshine for the first game of an ACC doubleheader. Following the conclusion of Georgia Tech-North Carolina, Bob Neal and Dan Bonner will call the Clemson-Duke game with former Blue Devil Bobby Hurley as the guest.
Who had a very shiny nose on Saturday night? Depends on what channel you were watching.
On CBS (WKMG-Channel 6) it was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. On ABC (WFTV-Channel 9), it was the Washington Huskies, who had some real shiners courtesy of the Miami Hurricanes.
Across the nation, Rudolph finished with a higher rating (6.6) than college football (4.2). But in Central Florida, where the weather is warmer and Christmas seems a little further off, football was the winner.
The UM blowout averaged a 6.8 rating with a 12 percent share of the TVs turned on, which equates to more than 76,500 homes watching. Rudolph was close behind with a 5.6 rating, 9 share and 63,000 homes.
So both Channel 9 and Channel 6 had something to ho, ho, ho about.
DAY OF THE DOLPHIN
On Sunday, Channel 6 got the Dolphins back -- and their fans, too. The Dolphins-Bills game averaged a 13.2 rating, 27 share and 156,000 households. Last week's Dolphins-Jets game was not shown locally because of NFL rules that required WKMG to show the Jaguars.
Incredible but apparently true: Fox and NBC/TNT had record ratings for NASCAR this season but still lost a ton of money because of the weak advertising market. According to the Sports Business Journal, Fox, NBC and Turner Sports collectively lost more than $100 million during the first year of their six-year $2.4 billion TV contract.
The NBC/Turner joint venture lost close to $50 million. Fox, which paid more for the attractive first half of the season, is thought to have lost a larger amount. "We're a victim of the marketplace, the same way everybody else is," said Turner Sports President Mark Lazarus.
MORE NASCAR
How do you make more money? Find different ways to charge for your product. TV Insite reports that NASCAR is exploring pay-per-view opportunities for some of its races. The move could come as early as next season.
There would still be "free" race coverage on NASCAR's TV partners, but sources speculate that those who buy the pay-per-view telecast would get different camera angles, possibly focusing on just one or two drivers for the whole race.
"We're looking to understand the marketplace and looking into potential business models," said Jeffrey Pollack, NASCAR's marketing director of new media.
CASTING CENTRAL
Fox Sports Net Florida has a new lead anchor for its Florida Sports Tonight and Florida Sports Report news shows. He's Dave Benz, a sports journalist from South Florida.
Benz was an anchor and reporter for the well-received Sportstown show on WAMI-Channel 69 in Miami. He also hosted the pregame and postgame shows for the Marlins and Heat on the station. Benz is a 1992 graduate of Oswego State University. It might be worth watching him just to find out if he mentions where the heck Oswego State is.
CASTING CENTRAL II
Production started Monday on ESPN's first made-for-television movie. Season on the Brink, which chronicled the 1985-86 season of the Indiana Hoosiers and volatile coach Bob Knight, is a teleplay adapted from John Feinstein's best-selling book.
Playing Knight in the movie is Emmy-winning actor Brian Dennehy. "I'm a huge fan of Bobby Knight's," he said. "I fully intend to make this a fair statement about Bobby Knight."
The movie will debut on ESPN on March 10.
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Home / Royal ambience / François I
In 2005 the Loire Valley celebrated 500 years of since the accession to the throne of François I, king, builder and protector of the arts and letters
THE QUALITIES AND FAULTS OF YOUTH
Crowned king of the most populous country in Europe in 1515, François I entered Paris in great finery, throwing coins to a crowd full of the hope of renewal represented by this young king, just 21 years of age, so dashing and handsome. "François I was a young wolf, wearing the values of chivalry on his sleeve. A large man, well over six feet tall in a time when people were of smaller stature, a man of action dedicated to physical exercise" so says Geoffrey Lopez, who regularly plays the king in a historical re-enactment in the town of Romorantin.
Recently crowned and already victorious at the battle of Marignan, the king brought an aura of invincibility to the court. This view of his confidence turned to one of arrogance in the light of later diplomatic disappointments and the military defeats that followed. François was overtaken by Charles V in the race for the Holy Roman Empire, betrayed by Henry VIII, betrayed again by Constable Charles de Bourbon, a prisoner taken at the battle of Pavia. He was courageous but sometimes impulsive and poor strategist. He maintained a ferocious rivalry with Charles V and made controversial alliances with Protestant princes and the Ottoman Empire.
A paragon of youthful exuberance, "the king was also an excellent dancer and organised many court parties, known as Magnificences," says Denis Raisin Dadre, artistic director of Doulce Memoire, a musical ensemble that plays regularly at the music festival of Chambord. One of these magnificences was the famous field of the cloth of gold, a diplomatic meeting with Henry the Eighth. He also welcomed Charles V to Fontainebleau with lavish festivities. François I was a gallant man and a bon vivant, who savoured his pleasure. He collected silks, precious stones, refined earthenware, and often held sumptuous feasts to assert his supremacy.
General view of the Château d'Amboise. © JF Le Scour
The François I stairs of the Château de Blois. © Leonard de Serres
Re-enactment of the battle of Marignan at Clos Lucé. © DR
All-powerful art
At the royal Château d'Amboise, "adored by his mother, adored by his sister", according to the writer Gonzague Saint Bris, François I received the education of a humanist gentleman, who "never went to bed less clever than he got up" and who surrounded himself with literary companions. He acted as sponsor to poets and writers, created a royal library in Blois and established the legal library. Curious and open-minded, he invited Italian artists to Blois, including Leonardo da Vinci, who would become a "Padre" to the king. The court of France thus became a veritable cultural centre.
The châteaux of Chambord, Blois, and Amboise... The ambitions of the builder king were immense, and went beyond aesthetics. "The construction of Chambord is clearly a manifestation of political power, a tool of propaganda," says Luc Forlivesi, director of heritage and chief curator at the château. François I wanted to be recognised as a prince of the Renaissance and the artistic magnificence of the sixteenth century allowed him to assert his power. While some accuse François I of an expensive taste for pomp, "this great king built the France of the Renaissance and invented the notion of international influence through culture," says Gonzague Saint Bris. He bequeathed us an admirable and unique heritage which remains his most important legacy.
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Domaine national de Chambord
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Château Royal de Blois
Château Royal d'Amboise
The road to Santiago de Compostela
One of the routes to Santiago de Compostela leads through Blois, with lots of clues on the buildings and in the streets showing where pilgrims pass
Visits & walks in and around Blois
The historic city of Blois has a wealth of treasures, best discovered by following our marked trails
Enchanting decorations for enchanting castles
The Château de Beauregard and its grounds
Beauregard was the favourite hunting lodge of François I. Today it's a place of relaxation for visitors from around the world
A majestic property that has been in the same family for more than six centuries, the Château de Cheverny is famous for its richly furnished interior
The Château de Fougères-sur-Bièvre
Fougères is distinguished from other great châteaux by a more sober and robust architecture, mixing the styles of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance


Health is wealth and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) certainly prioritizes it, even in the field of motorsports. This as the governing body of motorsports globally is planning to launch a comprehensive and potentially transformational motorsport concussion study.
The project is expected to result in evidenced-based, medical decision-making protocols for track-side evaluation after accidents that result in concussions to drivers, and to properly devise clinical management of motorsports concussion, including the important 'return-to-race' decision.
The project's target is to establish the natural history of symptoms and signs of concussion sustained in motorsport activity.
Based on the article posted in FIA.com, there are possible risks for the racer, the competitors, spectators, and the crew if not addressed properly.
The study will include NKI's innovative I-PAS (I-Portal Portable Assessment System), which is already used in IndyCar; the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB); salivary biomarkers; and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) at 7T.
CARS (Concussion Assessment and Return to motorSport), which will assess a minimum of 20 drivers serially in the acute post-injury period (1-3 weeks).
Primary study support is provided by the FIA's 2018 Sid Watkins Scholar and RESCUE-RACER Study Coordinator, Dr. Naomi Deakin, and is overseen by Prof. Peter Hutchinson, Professor of Neurosurgery at Cambridge University and Chief Medical Officer for the British Grand Prix.
But this would not just benefit those in the motorsports but the public as well as the FIA said that findings could also translate into enhanced care for road traffic accident victims on public roads.


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Gender & Sexuality Resource Center Menu
Gender & Sexuality Resource Center News
UW-Eau Claire named best in state for LGBTQ student support
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018 | Julie Poquette
Gender & Sexuality Resource Center staff includes (back , from left) Evan Andor, Chandler Roberts, Devin Dawson, Ivy Arora, Alyssa Rae Plano, Ben Johnston, Summer Underwood; and (front, from left) Kallie Friede, Savannah Gaines and Christopher Jorgenson.
At UW-Eau Claire, student Chandler Roberts has found something he'd long been searching for: a community where he feels supported in his identities within the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and asexual) community.
"As a Blugold, the university's Gender and Sexuality Resource Center has provided me with a community that I previously lacked," Roberts said. "I have been interning with the resource center for about two years now, and I've made so many connections with a variety of students, faculty and staff who have given me a sense of validation in my identities. It is extremely comforting to see so many support the LGBTQ+ community here on campus."
Recently, that supportive campus environment earned UW-Eau Claire recognition as the best college for LGBTQ students in Wisconsin.
The recognition comes from BestColleges.com, which partnered with Campus Pride in releasing its list of "Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students in Every State." BestColleges.com is a recognized national publisher of college rankings and other student resources, and Campus Pride is the country's leading nonprofit organization working to create more LGBTQ-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities.
UW-Eau Claire's newest LGBTQ-friendly recognition follows a No. 3 national ranking in May on College Choice's 2017 "50 Best Colleges for LGBTQ Students" list.
Campuswide collaboration is key
Dr. Tamara Johnson, UW-Eau Claire's assistant chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion, said these recognitions reflect a UW-Eau Claire campus community that is supportive of efforts to be inclusive of those who have historically been marginalized.
"This is very exciting news and while definitely a reflection of the leadership and vision of Chris Jorgenson in our Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, this distinction is only possible with the support of university community members invested in moving forward together to ensure our campus is welcoming and inclusive for all of our students," Johnson said.
UW-Eau Claire was selected for the recent best-in-Wisconsin honor based on BestColleges.com's academic quality and affordability measures as well as a vetting process by a panel of experts from Campus Pride.
"To have achieved this ranking speaks to the collaborative efforts on the part of faculty, staff, administrators and students to ensure that UW-Eau Claire is a safe and welcoming campus for LGBTQIA+ people," said Jorgenson, the university's Gender and Sexuality Resource Center director.
Kallie Friede, a 2017 UW-Eau Claire graduate, interned in the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center as an undergraduate student and now serves there as a graduate assistant while pursuing a master's degree in student affairs through UW-La Crosse. Her work in the resource center has been as an ally.
"For me, a lot of the support I've received through the center has been in learning about my privilege, deconstructing my worldview and learning how I navigate the world quite differently because of my identities," Friede said. "Chris was incredibly patient with my learning and was consistent in calling me into important conversations when I was exercising my privilege in harmful ways — and still does that for me as a graduate student."
Friede agreed that UW-Eau Claire's successes in providing LGBTQIA+ support have been possible because of Jorgenson's leadership in the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center as well as support from administration and other offices on campus.
"When I talk to students, I think a large part of our success is that our programming and our office isn't an afterthought," she said. "The support for our work allows us to be visible and to do impactful things for students."
The work continues
Jorgenson noted that while UW-Eau Claire's most recent honor for LGBTQIA+ support is cause for celebration, it also serves as a reminder of the work yet to be done.
"The safety and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people is only possible by engaging in anti-racist, trans-positive work, such that all students, faculty and staff succeed at UW-Eau Claire," Jorgenson said. "We are committed to that work and hope to continually live up to this new ranking."
Through connections at UW-Eau Claire, Roberts attended the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference and was able to speak with other LGBTQIA+ college students from around the region. Roberts discovered that many universities lack resource centers like UW-Eau Claire's and struggle to get appropriate funding and support from administration.
"Thankfully, our university is working to find out how to make our campus inclusive for all students by listening to our concerns and needs, and that cannot be taken for granted," said Roberts, who then echoed Jorgenson's caveat about the continued work ahead: "I would add that although we've received this recognition in Wisconsin, that doesn't mean there still isn't room for necessary improvement to further the environment for the LGBTQ+ community here, but I am hopeful UW-Eau Claire will continue to move forward."
Written by Julie Poquette
As part of UW-Eau Claire's Integrated Marketing and Communications team, Julie shares the Blugold story as she writes about the diverse experiences of UW-Eau Claire students, faculty and staff. She also works on internal communications for faculty and staff, chancellor communications support, media relations, and maintaining information related to UW-Eau Claire's "Points of Pride" and the university's Experts Directory.
Chandler Roberts
Tamara Johnson
Christopher Jorgenson
Kallie Friede
Departments + Programs
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Student Affairs
Gender & Sexuality Resource Center
Taking time to lift and celebrate
The month of February at UW-Eau Claire will offer a wide range of events and gatherings for campus and community members aimed at meaningful celebrations of Black History Month.
'Thursdays at the U' opens Feb. 2 with program on foraging for edible plants
Author Martha Wright will share her experiences with gathering wild foods and the benefits of spending time outdoors. The presentation, which will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at UW-Eau Claire – Barron County, is free and open to the public.
New opportunities in the geosciences
GeoPaths — a UW-Eau Claire outreach program — is introducing high school students from underrepresented populations to careers in the geosciences, a career path vital to solving a plethora of societal issues, including climate change and water scarcity.


Join thousands of Capetonians as they gather in Adderley Street and on the Grand Parade in Darling Street in the city centre for Cape Town's biggest, free open-air event – the official switching on of the Adderley Street festive lights on Sunday, 3 December 2017.
There will be a live concert featuring some of the country's biggest names which starts at 4pm so ensure you arrive early enough to secure a good viewing spot.
This is definitely a family affair as there are many things to do, with live music, food trucks and so much more! Make sure you're there to witness the amazing moment when the street lights up and everyone cheers together. And did we mention its Free!!!!