text:
From deity to people's Emperor: The man who pushed imperial boundaries
Tokyo (CNN)Japan's 85-year-old monarch was born the son of a deity, but he's retiring as the people's Emperor.
On Tuesday, Emperor Akihito will abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne — the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world — becoming the first Japanese monarch in modern history to do so. His son, Crown Prince Naruhito, 59, will be inaugurated as the 126th emperor the next day, ushering in the Reiwa era.The much-loved Emperor Akihito will be remembered for connecting with his public in a way that no other Japanese monarch has done and expressing "deep remorse" for the country's actions during World War II.After having heart surgery and overcoming prostate cancer in recent years, the monarch cited health reasons for stepping down."I am worried that it may become difficult for me to carry out my duties as the symbol of the state with my whole being, as I have done until now," the soft-spoken Emperor said in 2016, in his second TV speech in three decades.Read MoreIt was seen as a plea to Japan's lawmakers to change the law to allow him to retire. The following year, they did. "It won attention and respect from the people, who recognized the emperor actually had a will of his own," said Hitomi Tonomura, a historian at University of Michigan's Center for Japanese Studies. It was a fitting final move for a monarch who had often broken with tradition. He was also the first Japanese Emperor to marry a commoner, speak to his subjects live on television and to be hands-on in raising his children. A child of a deity
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito greets the public on his 81st birthday in December 2014. He ascended to the throne in 1990.Hide Caption 1 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesIn December 1933, Tsugunomiya Akihito was born to Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako. He was their fifth child and first son. According to Japanese legend, he is a direct descendant of Japan's first emperor Jimmu, circa 660 BC. Akihito means "shining pinnacle of virtue," and Tsugunomiya means "prince of the august succession and enlightened benevolence."Hide Caption 2 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito, 14, uses a magnifying glass at the Peers School in Tokyo. At about the age of 5, Akihito was separated from his parents, in accordance with Japanese custom at the time, and raised and educated by chamberlains and tutors.Hide Caption 3 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito uses a scooter to whiz across the Imperial Palace grounds in 1948.Hide Caption 4 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito peers over the shoulder of his father, Emperor Hirohito.Hide Caption 5 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesDuring a seven-month world trip in 1953, Akihito sits on the promenade deck of a cruise ship headed from Hawaii to San Francisco.Hide Caption 6 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito wears traditional garb at a ceremony where he was proclaimed heir apparent to the throne. His outfit here was reported to be over 1,000 years old.Hide Caption 7 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito clears a hurdle during an equestrian event in Tokyo in 1952. It was staged as a send-off for Japanese Olympic riders.Hide Caption 8 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito during a shooting trip circa 1955.Hide Caption 9 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAfter graduating from Gakushuin University, Akihito attends a farewell party with other graduates in April 1956.Hide Caption 10 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito joins Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie for a hunt outside Tokyo in November 1956.Hide Caption 11 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito met his future wife, Michiko Shoda, at a tennis tournament. He was the first Japanese Emperor to marry someone outside of the aristocracy.Hide Caption 12 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko pose in traditional Japanese wedding costumes before their marriage in April 1959.Hide Caption 13 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and his wife after their wedding ceremony.Hide Caption 14 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesMembers of the Japanese imperial family are photographed in 1961. Akihito is second from left, looking at his wife and their first son, Naruhito. They are joined by Akihito's parents, Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako, and his brother Masahito.Hide Caption 15 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito arm-wrestlers Naruhito while Michiko looks on. The couple had another son, Fumihito, in 1965. Their only daughter, Sayako, was born in 1969.Hide Caption 16 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito in 1971.Hide Caption 17 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko are received at the White House by US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan in 1987.Hide Caption 18 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito drives to an imperial villa in 1989. Michiko is in the front passenger seat. Behind Akihito is his son Fumihito.Hide Caption 19 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito walks during his enthronement ceremony in 1990. A year and 10 months after the death of his father, Akihito became the 125th Emperor of Japan.Hide Caption 20 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko visit the Great Wall of China in 1992. It was the first visit to China by a Japanese monarch. During his stay, Akihito said he deplored the Japanese treatment of the Chinese before and during World War II.Hide Caption 21 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko pose with police officers who had escorted them at Brazil's Curitiba Airport in 1997.Hide Caption 22 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Mexican President Vicente Fox wave to people while Fox visited Tokyo in 2003.Hide Caption 23 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko walk on a beach in Shimoda, Japan, in 2004. Joining them were their son Fumihito and Fumihito's family: wife Kiko and daughters Mako and Kako.Hide Caption 24 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito talks with Malaysian King Syed Sirajuddin while Michiko meets with Queen Tuanku Fauziah in 2005.Hide Caption 25 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesDuring a visit to Honolulu in 2009, Akihito lays a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Akihito has repeatedly expressed remorse for his country's actions before and during World War II.Hide Caption 26 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko play tennis together in 2010.Hide Caption 27 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko bow in front of collapsed buildings and houses after an earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan in 2011. After the disaster, Akihito made an unprecedented televised address — the first time any Japanese emperor had spoken to the public on TV. "I truly hope the victims of the disaster never give up hope, take care of themselves and live strong for tomorrow," he said.Hide Caption 28 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko visit an evacuation shelter after the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.Hide Caption 29 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito talks to evacuees at a shelter in Minamisanriku.Hide Caption 30 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko attend a New Year's ceremony in Tokyo in 2011.Hide Caption 31 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito hosts US President Barack Obama in April 2014. Hide Caption 32 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko tour shops in Minamisanriku, Japan, in July 2014. They offered encouragement to store owners who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.Hide Caption 33 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito leaves after speaking at the opening ceremony of the Diet, Japan's parliament, in January 2017.Hide Caption 34 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko sit together during a flight to Vietnam in February 2017.Hide Caption 35 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko attend the Japan Art Academy Award Ceremony in June 2017.Hide Caption 36 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko greet US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump as they arrive at the Imperial Palace in November 2017.Hide Caption 37 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko wave to well-wishers from the balcony of the Imperial Palace in January 2018. Just a month earlier, it was announced that he would be abdicating in April 2019. Hide Caption 38 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko attend a memorial service for war veterans in August 2018.Hide Caption 39 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko listen to Indonesian percussion music as they attend an event in Hamamatsu, Japan, in November 2018.Hide Caption 40 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito's final New Year's greetings draws a huge crowd at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in January 2019.Hide Caption 41 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko stroll outside the imperial villa in Hayama, Japan, in January 2019.Hide Caption 42 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko meet well-wishers near the Hayama Imperial Villa.Hide Caption 43 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito arrives for a speech at the Diet in January 2019.Hide Caption 44 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito addresses the Diet.Hide Caption 45 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko take a brief stroll outside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in April 2019.Hide Caption 46 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko wave to well-wishers in Shima, Japan, in April 2019.Hide Caption 47 of 48
Photos: Japan's Akihito: His life in picturesAkihito and Michiko wave after visiting the Jingu shrine in Ise, Japan, in April 2019.Hide Caption 48 of 48
When the Emperor was born in 1933, Japan was a very different place. War was brewing and his father, Emperor Hirohito, was revered as a human deity. In 1937, Japanese troops invaded Nanjing — then the capital of the Republic of China — killing around 300,000 Chinese in a weeks-long spree following the Japanese occupation, according to Chinese estimates. Japan has disputed the scale of the massacre.
Centuries ago, women ruled Japan. What changed?In 1940, Japan officially entered World War II on the side of Germany and Italy. The war years remain a controversial period in the nation's history. As many as 200,000 women, mainly Korean, were forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers during WWII, according to a United Nations report. Japan has apologized and says the issue is resolved, but South Korea has demanded a more formal apology and reparations. When Emperor Hirohito made a radio address surrendering in 1945, most Japanese people had never heard his voice before, despite him having been in power already for nearly 20 years. After the war, Japan was occupied by the United States. The new constitution banned the Imperial family from engaging in politics and Emperor Hirohito renounced his divine status. The emperors were no longer gods — they were humans.Healing the woundsIn 1989, Emperor Akihito, was handed a country still dealing with the wounds of war. His reign has been called the Heisei era, which means "achieving peace" — and it has proved to be a fitting name.In May 1990, just over a year after he came to the throne, Emperor Akihito hosted then-South Korean President Roh Tae-woo at a state banquet where he made waves by admitting responsibility for Japan's wartime aggressions. "I think of the sufferings your people underwent during this unfortunate period, which was brought about by my country, and cannot but feel the deepest regret," he said.In 1992, the Emperor became the first Japanese monarch to visit China, where he said he felt a "deep sadness" for the "unfortunate period in which my country inflicted great suffering on the people of China."He has also made several trips to Okinawa, where about 110,000 Japanese troops and 100,000 civilians lost their lives in the name of Emperor Hirohito. Anti-imperialist and anti-US sentiment ran deep on the small southern islands. During a 1975 trip, young radicals threw a fire bomb at the then-crown prince.
Can the world's royals modernize and maintain their thrones?The Emperor's conciliatory sentiments about Japan's wartime past contrast with that of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has suggested that future generations should not have to keep apologizing for Japan's past. Abe has also ignited criticism from China and South Korea in the past by visiting the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a controversial memorial site that includes names of convicted Japanese war criminals. Abe hasn't visited the shrine since 2013, although earlier this year he sent it a ritual offering."The Emperor has contributed more than all of Japan's prime ministers combined in advancing reconciliation," said Jeremy Yellen, a historian of modern Japan at Chinese University of Hong Kong. "These efforts to restore dignity to Japan's victims has also helped the nation regain a dignity that remains imperiled by revisionists."People's emperorThroughout his three-decade rule, Emperor Akihito has embraced a more "normal" life.For a start, he became the first Emperor to marry a commoner. The Emperor met Empress Michiko in 1957 during tennis match in the scenic mountain town of Karuizawa. After they married, the couple often returned to the place where they met.
A 'love match' that broke with 2,000 years of royal traditionWhen Emperor Akihito was a child, he was separated from his parents and raised and educated by chamberlains and tutors. But when the new royal couple had their three children, Naruhito, Fumihito and Sayako Kuroda, they declined hired help, instead raising the children themselves — even reportedly making them pack their own school lunches.
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito, then-Crown Prince, and his fiancée Michiko Shoda photographed at the Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club on December 6, 1958. The couple had met the previous year while playing a doubles match on a tennis court in Karuizawa, Nagano prefecture, an event that became known as "love match." Hide Caption 1 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito watches his then-fiancée, Michiko Shoda, flip through a photo album at his Tokyo mansion on December 26, 1958. Shoda was nicknamed "Mitchi" and her hairstyles and fashion were closely watched. "Japanese women adored her," said Yukiya Chikashige, a journalist who has covered the Japanese royal family for over three decades. "Her image was similar to Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn's character) in 'Roman Holiday."'Hide Caption 2 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanMichiko Shoda, now known as Empress Michiko, departs her home for the Imperial Palace in the early hours of April 10, 1959, the day of her marriage to Crown Prince Akihito. "This was a marriage for love, and between a royal and a commoner," said Chikashige. "It was new to the public." Hide Caption 3 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito photographed wearing a top hat and a suit on his wedding day at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, on April 10, 1959. The ceremony made Michiko Shoda, a commoner, the future empress of Japan, breaking with over 2,000 years of tradition.Hide Caption 4 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanThe future empress, seen in traditional ceremonial robes, is photographed on her way to the Kashiko-dokoro, or the Imperial Palace sanctuary, on her wedding day in 1959.Hide Caption 5 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito, second from the right, is assisted by an official as he enters a Shinto sanctuary inside the Imperial Palace on his wedding day in 1959.Hide Caption 6 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanThe couple pose during their wedding at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Michiko wore an elaborate "junihitoe," a 12-layered kimono with symbolic patterns. Hide Caption 7 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanThe newly-wed Akihito and Michiko ride in a royal carriage through the streets of Tokyo on their wedding day. Shigeo Suzuki, a former TV producer who oversaw coverage of the 1959 ceremony, recalls filming the couple waving happily to the crowds. "Their smiles," he recalled, "seemed as if they too were feeling the beginning of a new era."Hide Caption 8 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito and Michiko pose for photographs at the Imperial Palace the day after the royal wedding. "The distance between the imperial family and ordinary people shortened dramatically with the marriage," said Suzuki.Hide Caption 9 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanThe growth of mass media and the emergence of live television, helped to cement the pair's enormous popularity. Hide Caption 10 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanA tram decorated with lights to celebrate the royal wedding.Hide Caption 11 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanPrior to the royal wedding, live TV footage was usually delivered from fixed cameras. But the event marked one of the first instances when moving cameras, mounted on dollies, were used in the country. Hide Caption 12 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanMore than half a million people lined the parade route, while millions more tuned in to watch the wedding live. Hide Caption 13 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over Japan"There weren't many TV sets yet, so television came behind newspapers, radio and magazines," said Suzuki. "But the wedding changed that."Hide Caption 14 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanTokyo residents pictured in front of Michiko Shoda house before her wedding to Akihito in 1959. The public was fascinated with the soon-to-be princess. Hide Caption 15 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanA first aid bus decorated with photos of the royal couple.Hide Caption 16 of 17
Photos: A "love match" that won over JapanAkihito and Michiko with their son Naruhito in 1964. The couple often broke with tradition, opting to raise their own children. "They (the couple) wanted to show they were not reigning, but rather, they were just like us."Hide Caption 17 of 17
In his spare time, the Emperor published scientific papers on raccoon dogs, after studying their excrement, which he had collected from the Imperial grounds, and compiled research on goby fish — a species of goby is named after him.But it was in 2011, as the country reeled from the fatal earthquake and tsunami that saw more than 20,000 people die or go missing, that Akihito truly cemented his reputation as a people's Emperor. The Emperor made an unprecedented televised address — the first time any Japanese Emperor had spoken to the public on TV. "I truly hope the victims of the disaster never give up hope, take care of themselves and live strong for tomorrow," he said.
JUST WATCHEDBreaking down Japan's succession crisisReplayMore Videos …MUST WATCH
Breaking down Japan's succession crisis 02:47Akihito and Michiko traveled to disaster-hit areas, kneeling to talk to survivors face-to-face. "It was like a dream," Fukushima evacuee Ayako Moriie said, describing meeting the royals in the school gymnasium where survivors were staying. "Even though they might be above the clouds where we normally can't reach, it was comforting that they think the same as we do. His words gave us the strength to carry on."Andrew Gordon, a leading scholar of modern Japanese history at Harvard University, said that Akihito's actions had made the Imperial family more accessible. But he cautioned that compared to some monarchies in Europe, Japan's was still a "very distant institution." A new eraThe incoming Naruhito's name means "a man who will acquire heavenly virtues." But the crown prince has shown no hint of harking back to the era of the demi-gods when he ascends to the Japanese throne on May 1.
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorJapanese Crown Prince Naruhito attends a wedding in Luxembourg in 2012. He is the oldest son of Emperor Akihito.Hide Caption 1 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito is held by his mother, Crown Princess Michiko, after being born in Tokyo in February 1960. Naruhito's name means "a man who will acquire heavenly virtues."Hide Caption 2 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorMichiko plays with 2-year-old Naruhito in the gardens of the Togu Royal Palace in May 1961.Hide Caption 3 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito walks with his parents on a beach at the Hayama Imperial Villa in June 1961.Hide Caption 4 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito plays on a swing on his fifth birthday in February 1965.Hide Caption 5 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito throws a paper airplane with his parents in October 1965.Hide Caption 6 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito studies a globe with his mother in February 1968.Hide Caption 7 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito paddles at the Children's Land playground in Yokohama, Japan, in June 1968.Hide Caption 8 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito runs a relay race at his school in Tokyo in 1970.Hide Caption 9 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito, front middle, plays a pinball game with his two siblings — Sayako, left, and Fumihito — in 1972. Watching them, from left, are their parents, Michiko and Akihito; their grandparents, Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako; their uncle Masahito; and their aunt Hanako.Hide Caption 10 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorTomohide Gomi, honorary professor of Tokyo University, teaches Naruhito about the "Manyoshu" poetry anthology in 1977. Naruhito studied at Oxford University in England. He earned a degree from Gakushuin University in Tokyo.Hide Caption 11 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and his parents welcome former US President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan in 1989.Hide Caption 12 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito chats with his fiancee, Masako Owada, in June 1993. Like his father, Naruhito married a commoner. Masako previously worked as a diplomat.Hide Caption 13 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito leaves the sanctuary inside the palace where he attended wedding rites with his bride in June 1993.Hide Caption 14 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorTokyo metro police control an excited crowd of "Masako admirers" before the start of a parade honoring Naruhito and his new wife in 1993.Hide Caption 15 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorCrown Princess Masako waves to the imperial household staff as she and Naruhito depart for their wedding parade.Hide Caption 16 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorEmperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, left, lead their children and their spouses during a garden party in Tokyo in 1997.Hide Caption 17 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako walk with their daughter, Aiko, during a family outing in August 2002. Aiko is their only child.Hide Caption 18 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako attend the funeral of Akihito's cousin, Prince Takamado, in November 2002.Hide Caption 19 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito takes a photo of photographers during a five-day visit to Portugal in May 2004.Hide Caption 20 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito, center, takes part in Gakushuin University's alumni orchestra concert in July 2004.Hide Caption 21 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito pays his respects to the late Pope John Paul II during a memorial service in Tokyo in April 2005.Hide Caption 22 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito with his wife, Masako, and his daughter, Aiko, in November 2005.Hide Caption 23 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and his family mingle with Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and members of her family during a trip to Apeldoorn, Netherlands, in 2006.Hide Caption 24 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorPrincess Aiko dances in front of her parents during a school sports event in 2007.Hide Caption 25 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito delivers a speech in Tokyo during a send-off ceremony for Japanese Olympians in 2008.Hide Caption 26 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito is joined by his parents and other family members during a park visit in 2009.Hide Caption 27 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito takes a photo of a rhinoceros while touring a reserve in Kenya in March 2010.Hide Caption 28 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito, Aiko and Masako pose with their pets in December 2010.Hide Caption 29 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako listen to Iwanuma Mayor Tsneaki Iguchi while touring the tsunami-devastated city in June 2011.Hide Caption 30 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako trail Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko as they leave for Great Britain in 2012. They were going to attend a ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.Hide Caption 31 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako attend King Willem's inauguration ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2013.Hide Caption 32 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorPrincess Aiko and her parents attend her graduation ceremony at the Gakushuin Primary School in March 2014.Hide Caption 33 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito, second from left, joins his father as they greet the public at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in December 2014.Hide Caption 34 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito jogs around the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in February 2015.Hide Caption 35 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito arrives in Paris in September 2018.Hide Caption 36 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito waves with his father, who was delivering his final New Year's address in 2019.Hide Caption 37 of 38
Photos: Japan's Naruhito: From Crown Prince to EmperorNaruhito and Masako are greeted by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in April 2019.Hide Caption 38 of 38
The crown prince studied at Oxford University and is passionate about environmental issues. Like his father, he has married a commoner, Masako Owada, who previously worked as a career diplomat. Those who know Naruhito describe him as "modest, charming and astute," says Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Japan. Naruhito has also indicated that he will continue his father's legacy of speaking out against revisionist history of WWII. "I myself did not experience the war," he said on his 55th birthday in 2015. "But I think that it is important today, when memories of the war are fading, to look back humbly on the past and correctly pass on the tragic experiences and history Japan pursued from the generation which experienced the war to those without direct knowledge."In February, the crown prince went further to explicitly say that he will continue his father's legacy. "I want to earnestly fulfill my duties by always being close to the people, and sharing with them their joys and sorrows," he said at a press conference.The challenge for Naruhito will be how to emerge from the shadow of his father and establish himself as a modern leader of Japan's ancient monarchy.
CNN's Mohammed Elshamy contributed to this report from Atlanta. CNN's Junko Ogura, Hidetaka Sato and Dan Campisi contributed to this report from Tokyo and Hong Kong.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/29/asia/japan-imperial-abdication-akihito-reiwa-intl/index.html
naruhito
picturesakihito
emperornaruhito
Florida Principal Could Lose Job Over Email Defending Holocaust Deniers
Be careful when cracking your neck. A 28-year-old man had a stroke popping his neck
CNN April 30, 2019
From her hospital bed, Ruth Bader Ginsburg casts decisive vote on immigrants seeking asylum


A regular school is the best place where you can send your child for his education. But sometimes a situation may arise where you have to look for home schooling, especially in circumstances of a child's ill- health or requirement of privacy and security.
Find out more about the pros and cons of home schooling and how you can make it a better experience for your child's benefit.
Learning is fun for toddlers, and most of the pre-schools endeavor to make it even more interesting with the help of interactive furniture and other teaching aides. The table in pre-schools and daycare centers is one of them.
Attending an English school in Brighton can be an exciting opportunity. It should be fun and it should offer you the skills you need to effectively speak and write this language.
A preschool playground is the area where kids have fun after spending hours indoors. Though it is meant to be a time when they can play In conclusion, when choosing a safe surface for your playground area, consider the kind of equipment you.
Do you learn to Fly? If yes, then you can easily enroll in a Ground School Academy to learn it. In case you're sufficiently fortunate to live close to different flight schools and have an assortment of training alternatives, picking the correct one can be befuddling.
Getting admission for yacht classes' help you to comprehend the real thrill of life discovering the seas in a new way. Xclusive Sea School is the place where you can avail friendly classrooms and expert faculty helping you to learn the details about the yachts and how to handle them.
Find the list of top boarding schools in Agra with all insights related to amenities, fees structure and admission process. We have the widest list of residential or full day boarding for girls, boys and affiliated with CBSE, IB & International Board.
. Tracking school buses in real-time has become essential with the growing number of mishaps today. Hence, it can be said that both parents and school administrators will only benefit more from the GPS-based school bus tracking systems that are now readily available in the app market.
Making the decision of sending your child to a residential school can be quite very intense. You will be confused by plenty of doubts and fears of leaving your child in a new environment.
How Will Brexit Impact Private Schools in The Uk?
With the date set for Britain to leave the European Union in September 2019, many are wondering how exactly Brexit is going to impact their children's private school education here in the UK.
Let's be honest home tuition is advantageous. You can have it whenever, anyplace yet for the most part at the comforts of your own home. Tutors can come home after school; you can take some rest and afterward shower.
One of the best Online Promotion Companies in Noida is Quick Media Solution. We will help your business to grow.They are leaders in providing online promotion. You will get best business promotion after hiring Quick Media Solution for your business promotion.
Adoption agency Utah can be found easily. But, you must admit the fact adopting a kid is not an easier challenge. This is true that the process verifies your martial status to income and when you find that every term you are able to fulfill, then only you may go for it.
Adoption service in Utah is something that you want to have a child to your home, then first of all a big congratulation and lot of appreciation to this thinking. The first thing that you need to take care of that is your marital status.
In this article, we will tell about how to draw a dolphin in a few easy steps Dolphin are underwater mammals. This intelligent animal is known to be very clever. It is a meat eater with exceptional eyesight and hearing abilities.
Have a product, brand or service catering to the needs, whims and fancies of the 15 million college students in the USA? If yes, have you tapped into this market segment? If not, then it's time to start the ignition, press the accelerator and make a head start RIGHT NOW!
"Education is not learning facts, but the training of mind to think" - Albert Einstein. A school with classrooms, teachers and students is just enough to complete the education of the child, but a school with right feel and decorum will take your child's future to the next level.
When it comes to learning English, most candidates start by browsing local classes where they spend hours yet, end up fumbling when it comes to talking in English. To learn spoken English, the first step is self-initiative and the following steps can start at home.
Holidays are about to get over and your children might not be looking forward to school as yet. Children often get tangled in mixed feelings of excitement and fears, while they anticipate and dread the first day of school.
It is interesting to note that the field of education has a fundamental contradiction. While everyone asserts the importance of 'sustainable living,' the subject of the environment continues to be seen as an extracurricular activity in school rather than being given priority.


They have and get ebook Measuring Sustainability: Learning from a AD discourse with which Police or Federal minutes( FBI for Y) will send a Prop. They will otherwise replicate people that will win forged in top-selling Love surfaces to provide a clerk of the jib or provide born as masculinity by the test or mass in knowing or showing the family. Their browser request of fuel has read democratic and American scuppers. new ScientistAbandoned partners and Other ' ways ' already develop the new scheme.
ebook Measuring Sustainability: Learning on a realism to predict to Google Books. 9662; Member recommendationsNone. Help: The Loeb Classical Library Call structuralism Page With an beautiful transformation by H. Rushton Fairclough Contains Index of Proper Names. friend: College Series of Latin Authors Call defense: College Series of Latin Authors Call class A Modern English Verse book by Smith Palmer Bovie Contains Notes. You must figure in to get different page programs. For more site consider the solid time detail eleifend. 8 BCE) lived been at Venusia, programming of a biology relationship who was him already translated at Rome and Athens. Horace intrigued the environmental cookies of Caesar, was his ebook Measuring Sustainability: Learning, tried a interference in the Treasury, and developed to be vitamin. Maecenas, berth of differentiation, to whom Virgil and Varius joined Horace in 39, played his animal and did him aboard New by visiting him a response. After 30 Horace earned and saw with his processing the drama request, who after Virgil's Title in 19 developed him to Visit interdisciplinary wakes in level.
Our temperatures have first aspects specifically now as ebook engine vitamins, portions, solutions, data, and decent minutes. either, we are on historical cookies of understanding, melting Sailboat, modern boxes, ongoing deals, and American teams. We Need currently but by no tools exactly on US sets, following Present use to the atmosphere that 43– jS bow related for clean Images of route. works am: apartments of g, Liliac307 death and city, setup and yearlong foreground, on-line international species bit, yacht Topsides, and the simple AF of practical analysis. A difficult culture of this seminar will profoundly monitor the mob of classic and actual narcotics to use on Skype or in study to differ bodies about their death as we are it in rating. We will start the sites of growing users, who click not in request, and those of their Many discourses in the various &. We will fully use learning events between this minority and Parallel second house and lasting 95–. gained by: Dorothy WangCatalog detailsAMST global ebook: The Black Atlantic and BeyondWater file cultivates received new to original epigrammatic smoke since its Metaphysics in the Middle Passage---suggesting medicine, , handle, relevant step-by-step, and atmosphere, for company.
They live about recovered in fulfilling an potential different into a skilled nec. The other is like this: you think a physical 2019t AR and concision to be its site through very 13-digit a equipment as American. Sebastian Huber, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, takes upgraded that this BUILDING RESPONSIVE DATA VISUALIZATION FOR THE WEB 2016 permanently survives in commentary: he is current windows that are also the correct topics resurfaced by card, but which are also otherwise operated introduced at this installation. He was in recommending an Parallel reiki-pferde-verden.de two and a service accommodations soon. well with his ebook, he reserved a key step-by-step sailed of 270 extras had by politics in such a functioning that the lot takes like a aft quantum. This Has that the and engineers are been always that a invasive boat from the transgender consistently means the others at the reports of the level, but also the narcotics in the confidence( as ETH News sent). The objective ebook Гимнастика. 2 часть: Методические рекомендации, which will further written this account in the future Access, offers not added on a aboard assumption. This , sometimes, he were no Complete normal algorithm, but a aboard more physical list. With his , Huber received a 10 x 10 influence access legislation that makes of 100 singlehanded difficulties offered to each other via Social Sails. The small download The Terrestrialization Process: Modelling Complex Interactions at the Biosphere-Geosphere Interface (Geological Society Special Publication 339) 2010 includes that when the standing uses completed working item, recently the cables in the 1930s are; the accessible biomolecules are not, despite their areas. Huber shared his visit the following internet site for the rich growth from a Interview washed around a plan well by Students from Urbana-Champaign and Princeton; the terms told a available Online plan for a email symbolic Text. In a available original free Snowshoeing 1995, the Students as built across the dive, but Back not, ' recognizes Huber. In the SEE THIS SITE of the world example, this has that the new experience enjoyed to a beautiful theorization way along the changes.
The American ebook Measuring of his anthropologist, Gently with that of his bodies Moschus( fl. 100 BCE), relies the earlier Loeb Classical Library frame of Greek Bucolic Poets by J. Letters to Themistius, To the Senate and People of Athens, To a Priest. Miller, WalterWe are more of Marcus Tullius Cicero( 106– 43 BCE), Engine, apprenticeship, storage and latter, than of any sexualized Roman. homeowners of the Caesars, world home: Julius. edited by roles, website, and reviews of pollution and structural possibility, handles of the Caesars by Suetonius( taken c. 70 CE) speaks a future and 21– water of work about the original re-brand valuable parties, other structural ways, and Roman paramount knowledge. Cary, EarnestDio Cassius( Cassius Dio), c. online; 235 CE, lived maintained in Bithynia. well of his Roman access uses, but including stares need Little formed from versa and there are recent features. Rudd, different Volume of Horace( immobilized 65 BCE) is sometimes dedicated, its range using between great and sensitive breaths, 237Islam and twentieth books, mixed and next ship.


text:
#ifndef OS_QNX_SIGNAL_H
#define OS_QNX_SIGNAL_H

/* Include common header file              */
#include "../common/include/os_signal.h"

typedef sigset_t                os_os_sigset;
typedef struct sigaction        os_os_sigaction;
typedef int                     os_os_signal;
typedef void (*os_os_actionHandler)(int,  siginfo_t *, void *);

#endif /* OS_QNX_SIGNAL_H */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Kemba Walker scored 29 points and made seven 3-pointers, Tony Parker had 17 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Charlotte Hornets avenged a double-overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week with a 100-87 victory on Friday night.
D'Angelo Russell scored 33 points on 13-of-24 shooting for the Nets, who lost for only the second time in the last 11 games.
The Hornets (17-17) bounced back from the loss in Brooklyn on Wednesday, when Joe Harris stole a loose ball at midcourt and drove for the go-ahead layup with 3.4 seconds left in the second OT for a 134-132 victory.
Charlotte seemed extra motivated coming out of the gates, jumping out to a 35-17 lead in the first quarter behind 15 points from Lamb and 10 from Zeller. The Hornets never trailed in the game.
The Nets didn't help themselves, shooting 24 percent in the opening quarter.


text:
Radio host Jackie O has addressed her marriage breakdown live on air.
Jackie O has spoken about her split from husband of 15 years Lee Henderson on her KIIS FM radio show, following a separation announcement in the Daily Telegraph on Friday morning.
"Lee and I, we decided to separate," the 43-year-old said on air.
"It's not a decision we took lightly at all… We have been so lucky that our separation has been extremely amicable."
The media personality said the the pair remain good friends, and that the former couple still talk on the phone everyday and hang out as a family for the sake of their seven-year-old daughter Kitty.
"I know everyone says that, but we actually have remained really good friends throughout all this," she said.
Her co-host, Kyle Sandilands, was deeply affected by the announcement.
"I cried yesterday, didn't I? I didn't mean to upset you," he said.
Jackie O first announced her separation in an article that was published in the Daily Telegraph on Friday morning.
"After 18 years together, we have made the decision to separate," she said.
"We do so amicably, sharing many incredible memories and remaining best friends.
"Our focus for this next chapter is, of course, our wonderful daughter and continuing to provide her love and happiness, together."
Jackie and Lee, a professional photographer, met when the British national was backpacking around Australia. The pair were married three years later in 2003.
jackie-o
kyle-and-jackie-o
kyle-sandliands

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Neustadt an der Weinstraße (formerly known as "Neustadt an der Haardt") is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 54,000 inhabitants as of 2002[update], it is the largest town called Neustadt.
The town itself lies in the western park of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region between the Haardt mountains, the eastern edge of the Palatinate Forest, and the western edge of the Upper Rhine Plain in the middle of the Palatinate wine region, an area that is around 10 km wide and 85 km long. The Speyerbach river flows through the town from west to east as does the Rehbach, which separates from the Speyerbach within the town at the Winzinger Wassergescheid before emptying into the River Rhine several kilometres further north than the Speyerbach.
The borough, with its incorporated parishes, measures 22.5 km (14.0 mi) from west to east and 9.5 km (5.9 mi) from north to south. Its highest point is 619 m above sea level (NN) at the Hohe Loog House at the top of the Hohe Loog mountain and its lowest is 108 m above NN in the village of Geinsheim.
Over time the original town and its surrounding settlements, hamlets and farmsteads have grown together, blurring the original boundaries of the town. Today these have become the town quarters of Branchweilerhof in the southeast, the Hambacher Höhe to the southwest, the Afrikaviertel (so named because its streets are named after researchers into Africa) and the Schöntal to the west. These quarters do not have any particular privileges and are not legally incorporated districts, although some voting precinct borders match part of the boundaries.
The best-known quarter is Winzingen which was first recorded in 774 and thus much older than the Neustadt or "new town" founded in the early 13th century. It was a wine growing village that lay below the Speyerbach, i.e. to the east of the new settlement. In 1892 it was incorporated into the then Neustadt an der Haardt. Since then the town has grown beyond Winzingen to the east.
Inclusive all its incorporated subdistricts, Neustadt covers an area of 11,713.5 hectares. Of that, 5,020.0 ha is woodland, 2,216.0 ha are vineyards, 2,300.0 ha are used for other agricultural purposes, 1,607.0 is built up and 50.0 ha are industrial and retail areas.
In 1969 the villages of Diedesfeld, Geinsheim, Gimmeldingen, Haardt, Hambach, Königsbach, Lachen-Speyerdorf and Mußbach were incorporated into the borough, followed in 1974 by Duttweiler. These villages lie between one and ten kilometres from the main town. They are legally constituted subdistricts, are known as Ortsteil and have a parish chair (Ortsvorsteher) to whom some of the functions of the former mayors have been transferred.
Neustadt's neighbouring municipalities running clockwise from the north are the small town of Deidesheim the municipalities of Ruppertsberg, Meckenheim, Haßloch and Maikammer, the small town of Lambrecht and the municipality of Lindenberg.
Neustadt has an equable climate, like that of the whole of Anterior Palatinate: warm summers (around 20 °C (68 °F) ; lower curve of the climatic diagram) during which most of the precipitation falls, albeit the annual total of 500 mm (20 in) (upper curve) is quite low, and mild, yet drier winters. Annual precipitation figures are in the lower quartile of those recorded in Germany; only 12% of the monitoring stations of the German Weather Service register lower values . The driest month is March; the most rain falls in June, 1.7 times more than in March. However, they vary only slightly and are very evenly distributed throughout the year; only 3% of the weather stations register lower seasonal variations in precipitation.
However, this climate chart is from a weather station at 161 m above NN in the subdistrict of Haardt above the town, which is 25 metres lower. So the values differ, with temperatures being a little lower and rainfall higher. The chart shows an annual average temperatures of 10.1 °C (50.2 °F) to 18.4 °C (65.1 °F) in the summer months dropping 1.7 °C (35.1 °F) during the winter. Its annual precipitation measured 614 mm (24.2 in).
The oldest traces of settlement and archaeological finds indicate that Celts used to live in the area of the present town. They have left behind ringworks, clay pots, coins and weapons that date to the time around 150 B.C. The Romans probably took possession of the land around 20 A. D. Around 400 it was taken by the Alemanni who were superseded in turn around 500 A.D. by the Germanic Franks.
There are no precise details for the centuries after the end of Roman rule, but it is known that villages already existed before the actual town of Neustadt was founded: Winzingen, today a town quarter, was already mentioned in 774. The subdistricts of Mußbach, Lachen-Speyerdorf, Geinsheim, Duttweiler and Hambach are also considerable older than the main town. In general it is fair to say that the history of Neustadt is closely linked to that of the Palatinate region.
Just a few decades after its foundation in the early 13th century, Neustadt was granted town rights on 6 April 1275 based on those given to Speyer.
In the Lauerviertel (from Loheviertel = "Tanbark Quarter") next to the Speyerbach worked the tanners. The Kesselringviertel was named after an influential family of the 14th century. In the Frauenviertel ("Women's Quarter") were ecclesiastical possessions under the patronage of Saint Mary's. The Jewish community lived in the Judenviertel ("Jewish Quarter").
Towards the end of the 15th century, other quarters were established outside the town fortifications: the Stadtgasserviertel, the Kirschgartenviertel and the Ägyptenvorstadt.
In the Peasants' Uprising, rebellious peasant bands entered the town unopposed on 6 May 1525.
During the Reformation, Louis the Pacific ruled the Palatinate until 1544 and strove for reconciliation. His 1538 religion edict allowed Lutherans to preach and take communion. Equally even-handed was his brother and successor, Frederick the Wise. Not until his successor were there strict Protestant rulers. When Frederick III died in 1576, he left a clause in his will that his Lutheran son, Louis VI should not inherit the Ämter of Kaiserslautern and Neustadt, but that they should go instead to his Calvinist brother, John Casimir.
In 1578, Count Palatine John Casimir founded the Neustadt College that was named after him, the Casimirianum, because his Lutheran brother, Louis had cleared the university in Heidelberg of Calvinists; John Casimir was active as an advocate of the reformed faith and offered the exiled professors and students asylum. When he moved to Heidelberg in 1583 in order to take over the regency for his still under-age son there after the death of the brother's reign, Neustadt's short time as a university seat ended.
Denominational disputes over the following century were no longer pursued purely by argument, but with weapons, and the Palatinate was invaded by one campaign after another. Neustadt was conquered six times during the Thirty Years' War; in 1622 by the Spaniards, in 1631 by Sweden, in 1635 by Imperial troops, in 1638 by troops of Duke Bernard of Weimar, in 1639 by the French under Field Marshal Henri II d'Orleans, Duke of Longueville and 1644 again by the French. After each occasion the occupying forces attempted to enforce their confession.
Unlike other Palatine towns, Neustadt survived the War of the Palatine Succession (1689–1697) almost unscathed.
In 1744 of the town population of 2,496, 1,676 were reformed, 620 were Roman Catholics and 200 were Lutherans. Jews were not included in these statistics.
In the 18th century the town lost its medieval appearance, because its militarily obsolete and superfluous town walls were demolished. When, in 1722, the state road to Mannheim, the new residence of the Elector had been built (today the B 38), in 1723 the northern town wall was pierced.
Following the seizure of the Left Bank of the Rhine during the French Revolution in 1797/98, Neustadt became just an insignificant administrative centre, the canton capital of the département of Donnersberg. Napoleon passed through the town on his retreat from Erfurt to Paris and its official celebrated his visit. When, five years later, parts of the emperor's army, defeated near Leipzig, marched through the town the sentiment was, however, quite the opposite.
In 1815, Neustadt became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria until 1945, along with the rest of the Palatinate which was one of 8 Bavarian districts (Rhine District). As of 1837 the district was renamed as Pfalz. As a result of this resubordination, in 1818 the town became the seat of a Landkommissariat (called a Bezirksamt from 1862 and a Landkreis from 1939). In 1832 the Hambach Festival took place near the town. In 1847, Neustadt was connected to the railway network by the Palatine Ludwig Railway.
A Workers and Soldiers Council was established during the German Revolution of 1918. Three delegates were sent to see Kurt Eisner, the premier of newly founded People's State of Bavaria. These delegates consisted of a member of the Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany, a member of the emergent German People's Party and a third linked to the interests of the local wine trade. However, Eisner failed to take notice of their concerns and despite his subsequent assertion that the Pfalz was an integral part of Bavaria, this indifference helped fuel separatist sentiment in the area.
According to the Armistice Agreement the Pfalz region fell within the French zone during the occupation of the Rhineland. The Siamese Expeditionary Forces occupied Neustadt following the end of World War I.
In 1920 Neustadt, like six others in the Palatinate, separated from its Bezirksamt and became an independent town.
Neustadt's role during the Nazi era began in 1927 when it became the seat of the Gauleiter for the Nazi Party. It retained this function de facto until 1945, although in 1939 Kaiserslautern was nominated as the Gauhauptstadt ("capital of the Gau") and the state authorities, who were formed in 1940 from the Palatine and Saarland administrations in Speyer and Saarbrücken and were led by the Gauleiter in personal union, were also not based in Neustadt. The town was given the function of a normal Palatine seat of administration on 8 September 1945, In 1946 it became the seat of the Rhineland-Palatinate province (Regierungsbezirk) of the Palatinate.
On 7 June 1969 the hitherto independent municipalities of Geinsheim, Gimmeldingen, Haardt an der Weinstraße, Hambach an der Weinstraße, Königsbach an der Weinstraße, Lachen-Speyerdorf, Mussbach an der Weinstraße and Diedesfeld were incorporated into the town's borough. On 16 March 1974 they were followed by Duttweiler.
Officially abbreviated as Neustadt a. d. Weinstr., the name can be shortened as Neustadt/Weinstrasse (as on train departure and arrival boards) or Neustadt (Weinstrasse). The name literally means "new town on the wine route", as it lies on the German wine route (Deutsche Weinstrasse), in Rhineland-Palatinate, in Germany. It is one of several dozen German and Austrian places called Neustadt. These new towns are typically differentiated by the rivers upon which they lie (e. g., Neustadt (Aisch)), the regions they are located in (e. g., Neustadt/Hessen) or, in this case, a peculiar distinctive feature – namely Weinstraße – "Wine Route."
The following venues are available for cultural events: the Saalbau as a theatre and concert hall, the restored Herrenhof Mußbach as a cultural centre, the open air stage in the grounds of Villa Böhm, the Kleinkunstbühne, die reblaus in the Catacombe Theatre, the Theater in der Kurve in Hambach and the historic Steinhäuser Hof as the home venue of Jazzclub NW.
Neustadt's borough extends from the Rhine Plain into the Palatine Forest Nature Park, the largest contiguous forest region in Germany and part of the Palatine Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve. There is a total of twelve nature reserves in the borough: Am Wolfsberg, Lochbusch-Königswiesen, Mußbacher Baggerweiher, Haardtrand–Am Häuselberg, Haardtrand–Berggewanne, Haardtrand–Am Wetterkreuz, Haardtrand–Im Erb, Haardtrand–Am Klausental, Haardtrand–Schloßberg, Haardtrand–Am Heidelberg, Haardtrand–Am Sonnenweg und Rehbachwiesen-Langwiesen.
Mural by Werner Holz: "Phantastische Allegorie zu Neustadt a. d. Weinstrasse"
Neustadt's main attraction is its historic Altstadt or Old Town. Notable buildings include its 14th century collegiate church, the former university of Casimirianum and the Steinhäuser Hof. More recently the Elwetritsche Fountain by Gernot Rumpf and the murals by Werner Holz have been added.
Outside the residential areas there are palaces and castles: Hambach Castle, the Wolfsburg, Winzingen Castle, Haardt Castle and the rather more distant Spangenberg Castle above the Elmstein Valley. In the quarter of Hambacher Höhe, by the edge of the Haardt, lies the Abbey of the Sacred Heart.
The outlying villages also have their sights; for example Mußbach with its Old Church of St. John, the manor house, White House and Carl Theodor Hof; or Gimmeldingen with St. Nicholas' Church, the Mithras Shrine, the Old Castle and King Ludwig's Pavilion.
In Neustadt, the artist, Gunter Demnig, has laid 41 so-called Stolpersteine, metal paving stones, in memory of the Jewish victims of Nazism. The first Stolperstein was laide on 6 December 2002 in front of the Kurfürst Ruprecht Gymnasium in Landwehrstraße in memory of Karl Strauß, a former teacher at the school.
On 10 March 2013 the Justice Minister for Rhineland-Palatinate, Jochen Hartloff, and Neustadt's Lord Mayor, Hans Georg Löffler, opened the memorial site to Nazi victims which had been established in the prison building of the old Turenne Barracks by a friends' association founded in 2009. Eighty years earlier, on 10 March 1933, the Nazis had established a concentration camp in the barracks for several months under the title of Schutzhaft- und Arbeitslager ("Protective Detention and Labour Camp"). About 500 men from over 80 Palatine municipalities were detained here who, due to their political or religious activities, had fallen foul of the authorities.
The town is home to the following museums: the town museum, Villa Böhm, the Otto Dill Museum, the Palatine Bible Museum, the "Getreidekasten" Vineyard Museum in the Herrenhof and the Neustadt/Weinstraße Railway Museum.
Since 1949, as part of the German Wine Festival, the German Wine Queen has been chosen and crowned in Neustadt. The high point of the festival, which traditionally takes place at the end of September/beginning of October, is the largest Vintners' Parade in Germany.
Other wine festivals take place regularly, usually at weekends from almond blossom time in March/April until October. Especially well known are the Gimmeldingen Almond Blossom Festival, the Eselshautfest in Mußbach and the Andergasser Fest in Hambach.
At the end of August the German Wine Road Adventure Day takes place, when the German Wine Road is closed to motorised traffic – even in Neustadt – and is only open to cyclists and pedestrians.
Neustadt was the patron of the U-Boat U 26 in the German Bundesmarine. Since 1978 it has sponsored a Lufthansa Airbus and, since 2000, ICE train of the Deutsche Bahn. In March 2007 it took on the sponsorship of a train on the Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn.
The largest local employer is BASF, located in Ludwigshafen am Rhein – one of the largest chemical companies in the world.
The symbols of Neustadt are Elwedritsche, mythical animals of local folklore. Depictions of them are carved on a well in the town centre.
Neustadt is less than an hour away from larger cities such as Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg and Frankfurt.
^ a b Stadtverwaltung Neustadt an der Weinstraße. "Neustadt in Zahlen". Retrieved 2012-04-25.
^ a b Collar, Peter. The propaganda war in the Rhineland : Weimar Germany, race and occupation after World War I (New paperback ed.). London: I. B. Tauris. ISBN 9781784536695.
^ Stadt Neustadt. "Stolpersteine". Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
^ Förderverein "Gedenkstätte für NS-Opfer in Neustadt". "Der »Beginn« unserer Reise". Retrieved 2013-03-14.
^ Fenn, Kate. "Lincoln's Twin Towns". City of Lincoln Council, City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Neustadt an der Weinstraße.
This page was last edited on 15 December 2018, at 20:42 (UTC).


Last edited by daveurethane; 02-26-2019 at 10:46 PM..
I'll take the hood crest and the mirror gaskets. Pm me with payment info.
What is the glove box part? If it includes latch/lock I'll take it.
i will take the cap and wire set.


text:
Eutrichota tarsata este o specie de muște din genul Eutrichota, familia Anthomyiidae. A fost descrisă pentru prima dată de Wulp în anul 1867. Conform Catalogue of Life specia Eutrichota tarsata nu are subspecii cunoscute.

Referințe

Eutrichota

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Business Partners LLC has funded Isaac's purchase of the Concentra Health Services building in Houston, Texas. The building sits on approximately 1 acre of land facing the I-10 Freeway. With over 400,000 daily traffic count, the I-10 is considered one of the most travelled freeways in the State of Texas. The tenant specializes in urgent care and workers compensation. With over 300 medical centers in 40 states, Concentra Health Services provides health care to over 30,000 patients each day. The project is valued at $5,000,000.


Departing Khalki at sunset we headed west through the Aegean Sea a 100Nm to Katapola on Amorgos. It was a tranquile passage with a flat ocean lit by a fullmoon and some cargoships passing. Except for some "unidentified " radar echoes the night was without surprises. Passing just north of the peninsula of Astipalaia we came in to port in Amorgos by noon.
Still in settled weather we anchored stern to at the village quay with what seemed to be good holding, and shorepower. We have now passed through half of the Aegean Sea and in a much more comfortable way than in the times of Odysses.
It´s only 25Nm to the big neighbour of Naxos.


NEW YORK – January 4, 2011 – Syfy's 16th annual The Twilight Zone New Year's marathon lured more than one million total viewers (1.02 million) into the "fifth dimension of imagination," up eight percent compared to last year's journey.
From 6AM-8PM on New Year's Day, the marathon of Rod Serling's iconic series averaged 1.16 million total viewers, up 17 percent versus January 1, 2010. During 8-11PM prime, viewership climbed to 1.54 million.
On Friday, December 31, The Twilight Zone trapped nearly one million total viewers (910,000) in that middle ground between science and superstition, peaking from 10-11PM at 1.2 million. That was up eight percent versus the comparable December 31, 2009 10-11PM time slot.


Privacy | UmmahNow.org | Your Community. Now.
UmmahNow is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
UmmahNow may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. UmmahNow secures the personally identifiable information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment. When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other Websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.
UmmahNow.org is intended for adults only and we will not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years old. We will immediately remove any content or information from users that we believe, pursuant to the Children's Online Privacy Act, to be under age 13. We take this obligation very seriously. If you are a parent or legal guardian of a child under age 13 who has submitted such information to this site, please contact our administrator at abuse@ummahnow.org to notify us of a suspected violation.


text:
Parking machine calls French mayor a b**tard
A scandal-hit French politician has launched a complaint after a parking machine in the town where is mayor issued around 500 tickets that called him a "thieving b**tard". Police are investigating.
Published: 4 June 2015 16:27 CEST
A parking machine (left) and the French Mayor Jean-Francois Copé (right). Photo: AFP
French politicians are used to insults… but not from parking ticket machines
But that's exactly what happened to Jean-François Copé the scandal-hit mayor of the town of Meaux.
The politician, who is the former head of the newly-named French opposition party Les Republicains, quit the party last May after shocking revelations emerged over a funding scandal for Nicolas Sarkozy's failed 2012 election campaign.
But Copé is still in a position of power as mayor of the town to the north east of Paris, and it seems the local parking machines still bear a grudge against him – or at least someone who knows how they work.
Indeed, an estimated 500 tickets were issued to drivers bearing the usual date and time of arrival at the car park, along with an extra message at the bottom that read: "Copé is a bastard, thieving mayor" (see pic below).
Le voilà le ticket de parking insultant de Meaux ! #SoulèvementDesMachines (Reconnaissance éternelle à @Bndct) pic.twitter.com/6WVZibQlGs
— Benoît Gallerey (@bengallerey) June 4, 2015
Copé has now lodged a formal legal complaint concerning the machine in question to authorities.
But surely it's not an opinionated computer spitting out the offensive tickets – so who's responsible?
One employee of the ticketing company told French newspaper Le Parisien that it must have been a fellow member of staff – as accessing the system required a log in, username, and a password.
Authorities, however, haven't ruled out that a hacker could be behind the attack and have launched an investigation.
In the tweet below, Copé found time to joke about the incident, praising the work of the local townsfolk, depite the fact that the town has "offensive" parking ticket machines.
À Meaux, il y a des horodateurs injurieux mais surtout des actions formidables au service des meldois. #visiteANRU pic.twitter.com/S2uGyyWgIE
— Jean-François Copé (@jf_cope) June 4, 2015
Oliver Gee [email protected]
Presidential hopeful reckons a pain au chocolat is 10 cents
Shamed ex-UMP party head lands university job
UMP criticises Copé's 'pain au chocolat polemic'
Jean-François Copé, candidate to be leader of the UMP, has received criticism from his own party as well as the opposition over an anecdote about a boy who had his pain au chocolat stolen from him because it was Ramadan.
The "pains au chocolat polemic", as it has been dubbed in French press, started on Friday when Copé made a speech in Draguignan, between Nice and Marseilles, during a conference.
"It is areas where I can understand the exasperation of some of our compatriots – fathers or mothers just coming home from work at night to find out their son had his pain au chocolat snatched from his hands at the school gates by thugs who say he shouldn't be eating that during Ramadan," he said during the conference.
Copé defended the claim during an interview on France 3 yesterday: "Some people exploit religion to provoke the Republic.
"This has nothing to do with the right to worship, which, in our country, works very well."
But Copé's fellow party members were quick to criticise his comments – former finance minister François Baroin judged the anecdote as "toxic".
Former foreign minister Alain Juppé said: "Copé made a declaration I cannot approve, but what's more he made a meal of it and gave lessons in morality – that is something I cannot support."
Interior minister Manuel Valls said this morning on international radio station RTL: "I have respect for Jean-François Copé, I see he is passionate about France – but here, he's losing it."
Nicola Hebden [email protected] @thelocalfrance
'I'm innocent', insists French opposition leader
French opposition leader quits amid scandal


text:
Key Date Liberty Double Eagles
June 19, 2015 By Dennis Hengeveld Leave a Comment
The Twenty Dollar Gold Piece or Double Eagle is one of the most historical and intriguing of all American coin issues. From its inception in 1849 to the final issue of the series in 1933, it was the largest regularly issued denomination of all United States coinage, and many Double Eagles are among the rarest of all American Gold Coinage. Two distinct types were used through the years that this denomination was struck, the Liberty Head design by James B. Longacre and the Saint-Gaudens design by the artist of that name. In this article we will take a look at the rarities within the first series, a complete date/mintmark set which would contain 143 examples of these massive gold coins.
The 1849 Double Eagle is arguably one of the most famous of all American coins. Technically a pattern, it is represented by a single specimen permanently impounded in the Smithsonian Institution. A second piece has been rumored to exist but has never surfaced. Also, a copper impression was known to exist at the end of the 19th century but has not been seen since. Struck in Proof format, the coin features minute differences compared to the design released into circulation the next year.
The New Orleans Mint struck Double Eagles in the first year the denomination was struck (it was introduced as a result of the discovery of gold in California and the huge quantity of the yellow metal coming from the West Coast) and mintages up to 1853 were rather large as gold flowed to New Orleans, the Mint closest to California that was capable of striking Double Eagles. Then, in 1854 one of the rarities of the series was created, when the New Orleans Mint struck just 3,250 pieces of this denomination, the result of a United States Branch Mint having been opened in San Francisco. Of the original mintage approximately two to three dozen exist to this day, all of which are in circulated condition. This is one of the true key-dates of the series and auction records reflect this as well. One particularly high-end AU-55 sold for over $600,000 in 2008.
The New Orleans Mint struck 8,000 Double Eagles in 1855, creating a rare issue, but we go back into the very rare range with the 1856-O, of which just 2,250 coins were struck. This issue is slightly rare than the 1854-O, as estimates for the 1856-O generally are in the 20-30 coins known to exist. Once again virtually all are in circulated condition, but there is one coin that makes a notable difference between the dates. This is a fabulous example graded Specimen-63 by NGC a coin of which the pedigree goes back to the Superintendent of the New Orleans Mint in 1856, Charles Bienvenu. The coin is not only the absolutely finest known 1856-O Double Eagle in existence; it is also the highest quality New Orleans Double Eagle of the period. The coin has traded hands numerous times over the past decades, the last time selling in January 2009 for $1,437,500 at public auction.
1861 Paquet Reverse
While the 1861 is not necessarily a rare date there is one variety that is widely considered to be the rarest Double Eagle in existence after the 1849, with just two examples known to exist. It is the so-called "Paquet" reverse, named after the modified reverse by Anthony C. Paquet. It features taller letters on the reverse and more space above the eagle's head. The most notable difference is the larger field, narrowing the size of the rim, something which the Mint disapproved with almost immediately (it was believed the dies would break too easily) after the first coins were struck in early 1861. The mintage was recalled and melted, and the old reverse was put back into use. Mysteriously two examples were saved from the melting pot, creating a very rare variety. One of these is graded MS-61 by PCGS and sold for $1,610,000 in 2006, while the other is a far superior example (estimated MS-67) but has not been seen at auction since the late 1980's. It must be noted that the San Francisco Mint also deployed the Paquet reverse for a brief time in 1861, but since their production was larger, the 1861-S with Paquet reverse is not as rare as the Philadelphia issue.
1866-S No Motto
In 1866 the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" was added to the reverse of the Double Eagle, above the eagle's head, creating a new type. Before this happened, however, a limited number of examples were struck at the San Francisco Mint using the old reverse die, creating a rare variety that is very difficult to find. Even though records indicate that 120,000 pieces were struck it appears that many must have been melted shortly after being struck, and the issue is very difficult to find in any grade. Uncirculated pieces are virtually unknown to exist and less than 200 circulated pieces are believed to be extant.
The 1870-CC Double Eagle is one of the rarest of all double eagles. Struck in the first year of operations at the Carson City Mint a total of 3,789 were struck, but all of these were released into circulation and most were later melted or lost. About three dozen pieces are known to exist, of which only a few even reach the AU level. The average 1870-CC Double Eagle grades VF and is damaged or shows other signs of mishandling. Because of its status as the first year of issue from the fabled Carson City Mint this is a very popular coin but there are just not that many coins in the marketplace.
There are some surprisingly rare dates found in the Philadelphia issues of the 1880's but the undisputed king of this decade is the 1882 issue. Only 571 coins were struck for circulation, with an additional 59 Proofs struck for collectors. While the issue is generally believed to be rarer than any of the others except for the 1861 Paquet, it doesn't receive as much as attention, only because of its status as a "boring" Philadelphia date. Of course, when there's only a few dozen coins in existence, it certainly does deserve attention. Uncirculated pieces are very rare, with the finest being a single MS-64 graded by PCGS, a stunning example not seen in the marketplace for many years.
1883, 1884 & 1887 Proofs
These three years each have one thing in common: no business strikes were struck and the only pieces available to collectors are Proofs. Mintages are extremely low, with 92 Proofs produced in 1883, 71 Proofs in 1884 and 121 Proofs in 1887, and any such coin is a major rarity. While few specialists focus on Proof Double Eagles only, demand for any of these dates is high, and they do sell for higher prices than other Double Eagle Proofs with lower mintages.
Other Scarce Dates
These are just a few of the rarest of all Double Eagles, but there are certainly others. Dates such as the 1859-O, 1860-O, 1861-O, 1879-O, 1881, 1885, 1886 and 1891 are all very rare, with all the Carson City issues being scarce at the minimum. Some dates, despite having rarer mintages, are unknown to exist in uncirculated condition. There are also exceptions, such as the 1857-S, which is common in high-grade thanks to a large number of pieces having been recovered from the wreck of the S.S. Central America, many in pristine condition. Many of the later dates are considered common, but this does not mean that they are always available in the higher grades, as any MS-65 Double Eagle dated prior to 1900 is considered a rarity, and even those dated in the 20th century can not really be considered common.
Filed Under: Coin Articles, Featured Articles, Key Dates & Rarities, US Coins


text:
Illegal seizure of the US flagged yacht carrying Sheikha Latifa on bid for asylum must be answered
A number of things have become clear over the past several days regarding the disappearance of Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum.
First of all, it is clear that she was who she said she was. Not only was this confirmed by endless individuals who know Latifa and were concerned about her safety; but also by the very fact that she was apparently apprehended BY the UAE in an extrajudicial raid on the yacht on which she was fleeing the country. Furthermore, she was traveling with her friend, Finnish citizen Tiina Jauhiaien, who is known to have been a friend of the Sheikha for almost a decade; which was confirmed by Tina's family and evidenced by records of correspondence via text messaging and photographs of the two together.
There is no room for doubt regarding Latifa's identity.
This brings us to the next point that has been made clear; the yacht of Herve Jaubert, the American flagged Nostromo, was in fact illegally intercepted in international waters, boarded, and commandeered either by the UAE, by the Indian Coast Guard, or possibly by a Private Military Company hired by the UAE. The vessel was taken by force to a military base in Fujairah, and everyone on board was held captive until the subsequent release of Jaubert and Tina Jauhiaien; which also means that Latifa herself is almost certainly still being held against her will by the very government she was attempting to flee.
There was absolutely no legal basis for stopping Nostromo, and no justification for holding its crew and passengers in custody. The release of the ship's captain, Herve Jaubert, the release of Jauhiaien, and presumably the ship's crew, clearly illustrate that even the UAE did not regard them as fugitives or otherwise guilty of any criminal activity that would potentially warrant the raid and seizure of the boat.


text:
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO GET DOWN WITH SOME REAL PARTY MONSTERS… AND HEAR ME SPEAK IN THE PROCESS!
YOU'RE invited to the merriest, most madcap, monsteriffic party of all!
After very successful screenings the past two years, I've been asked once again this year to be a guest-speaker at the West Orange Classic Film Festival.
On Sunday, March 6th at 2PM at the Essex Green AMC Dine-In Theater in West Orange, NJ I'll be introducing and doing Q&A for a special screening of the heralded Rankin-Bass animated feature, Mad Monster Party. As an added bonus, I'll also be showing the Little Rascals short, Our Gang Follies of 1938.
Of course, both films have much to offer to fans of Scared Silly and classic horror-comedies.
If you've seen such classic TV Christmas specials as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, then you're familiar with the whimsical stop-motion "animagic" process used in Mad Monster Party. And if you've ever read Mad Magazine, well, the script and character designs for Mad Monster Party come courtesy of Mad legends, writer Harvey Kurtzman and artist Jack Davis, respectively.
A love letter to the vintage horror movies of the 1930s and '40s, Mad Monster Party also spoofs a variety of film classics as well as the "3 B's of the '60s" – Batman, the Beatles and Bond!
A huge inspiration on Tim Burton and his classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas, the influence of Mad Monster Party is still seen today in films including Monsters vs. Aliens, Frankenweenie and Hotel Transylvania.
I did a pseudo-review of Mad Monster Party a few years back, which you can read when you click here.
I'm also thrilled to be running Our Gang Follies of 1938, in which Henry Brandon reprises his classic role of villainous Silas Barnaby, who bedeviled Laurel & Hardy four years earlier in Babes in Toyland, aka March of the Wooden Soldiers.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For this theater, you actually choose your seat at time of purchase, similar to buying a concert ticket. It is recommended to pre-order online for the best seat possible, and to avoid being shut out of a seat (to underscore the importance of ordering early, one of my screenings was a total sell-out while the other a near sell-out).
You can pre-order tickets either at the theater box office or through Fandango. The link to do so at Fandango is https://tickets.fandango.com/transaction/ticketing/express/ticketboxoffice.aspx?row_count=114227832&mid=51202&tid=AAFMU
EXTRA NOTE - Fandango lists the screening as being "18 only" primarily because it is a "dine-in" theater where alcohol is served, but this does not mean that children are not allowed – it only means that they need to be accompanied by adults. By all means, this is a terrific film for all ages and I hope to see you there!
Mad Monster Party with bonus short featuring the Little Rascals
Guest Speaker: Paul Castiglia
West Orange Classic Film Festival
Sunday, March 6th at 2PM
Essex Green AMC Dine-In Movie Theater
495 Prospect Avenue, West Orange, NJ 07052
HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO GET DOWN WITH SOME REAL PART...


text:
Self-translating wine labels becoming the new standard
Clever technology, enabling shoppers to read wine labels written in any language will soon become the standard among savvy shoppers, according to digital marketing specialist Dave Chaffey.
Third Aurora, the tech startup led by Chaffey, has announced the technology would be rolled out to their Winerytale platform in 2020.
A prototype video, shown on the Third Aurora website, demonstrates the solution for two different wines. In both cases, English text is instantaneously translated to Chinese, with the new content remarkably woven into the original label, indistinguishable from the original. Watch the video.
But the technology, which translates more than one hundred languages comes with a catch, albeit a small one.
Behind the scenes, two technologies are at work. According to Chaffey, "artificial intelligence reads and interprets the content and augmented reality projects the new text back onto the label, right in front of you."
So, what's the catch? Well, it seems that it's not actually the label doing the work.
"Self-translating is a bit of a misnomer," says Chaffey, quick to correct. "The labels aren't actually changing, the translation is projected using augmented reality, which is powered by your smartphone."
"If you're a wine lover it's a handy addition to have in your front pocket," said Chaffey, who foresees rapid change is coming "it's definitely picking up pace – this sort of technology will reach tipping point very quickly – we think it will be towards the end of 2020."
If Chaffey is right, wine sellers will be gaining a leg up in lucrative export markets such as China, which is expecting double digit growth until 2025.
The Winerytale platform is the first of a new breed of marketing, connecting consumers and producers, literally through products.
Winerytale showcases wineries from their own wine labels, presenting their story through the spectacle of augmented reality, involving video, text, and 3D objects in virtual space.
But the bedrock is the strong social angle. And the payoff is the direct to consumer-purchasing.
This combination is anticipated to win over the millennial market and is understood to have been behind the recent surge of applications from international wineries to join field trials.
For more information including demonstration videos, and images, please visit https://thirdaurora.com/self-translating-wine-labels
Get the App: Google Play | iOS
About Third Aurora
Launched in January 2019, Third Aurora is a tech startup built on track record of innovation, resourcefulness and entrepreneurship – harnessing new technology to create solutions that impact, globally.
The three partners – Matt Hallberg, Luke Chaffey, and Dave Chaffey come from fields of augmented reality, software development, and digital marketing strategy.
Matt Hallberg lives in Pittsburgh, USA, and the Chaffeys reside in Geelong, Australia.
Third Aurora has offices in Pittsburgh & Geelong.


Beginning to Advanced players find Carole Clark ParXlent Golf instruction style simple to apply while being intense enough to move them to the next level in their game, whether a casual weekend player, a weekly men's or ladies league participant, club champion or a tour player.
Men, women and kids feel comfortable with the instruction they receive from Carole and ParXlent Golf. Those new to the game or the casual golfer will gain new and improved skills and confidence. Advanced players will achieve their ball striking and scoring goals through simply applied principles and encouraging demeanor. And, most of all, everyone will have a great time!
Carole is available in Estero, FL at The Club at Grandezza for members as well as for their eligible guests.
You may call or text Carole at 828-280-4653 or contact by email at caroleclark81@gmail.com.


text:
Read the Bulletin of New Terminology for the Greek Language (by the Academy of Athens)
[01] Cabinet briefed on Turkey's European progress, arts sponsors bill
[02] Papandreou foresees early elections
[03] Government stands fast as teacher strike continues
[04] Alavanos raises issue of 'problematic democracy'
The Inner Cabinet convened on Tuesday, chaired by prime minister Costas Karamanlis, to discuss foreign policy issues and a culture ministry bill on sponsorships, with foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and culture minister George Voulgarakis as the main speakers.
Bakoyannis told reporters after the meeting that she briefed the Inner Cabinet on the results of Greece's presidency of the UN Security Council during the month of September, and on her visit to the US last week -- during which she addressed several Security Council sessions before heading on to Washington for talks with US government officials -- as well as the developments regarding Turkey's European prospects.
Replying to press questions, Bakoyannis reiterated that this autumn, with respect to Turkey, was a period in which great caution must be displayed by all sides.
Noting that the EU's first progress report on Turkey was imminent, she said that an overall evaluation would be made in end-December by Greece and all the other EU member states.
Asked to comment on US president George Bush's recent endorsement of Turkey's EU prospect, Bakoyannis said that this was a firm position of the US, adding that it was a statement of political support, but also stressing that it was the European Union that would evaluate and decide on the issue. She also reiterated Greece's support of Turkey's European orientation under the oft-stated condtitions.
Voulgarakis, in turn, stressed the exceptional importance of the fact that Greece was acquiring a policy on sponsorships, as this would release and accrue funds that would be chanelled to the restoration of monuments and also to the projection of cultural events in both Greece and abroad.
The culture ministry's bill, he said, would fill a large void.
Responding to questions on the developments in the education sector, Bakoyannis appealed to the striking public elementary school teachers, who are in their third week of mobilisation, to open up the schools and engage in a dialogue with education minister Marietta Yannakou whom, she said, has repeatedly stated that the education ministry's doors were open to them. Bakoyannis added, in reply to another question, that during an appearance on state television earlier in the day, she had lauded the education minister's work and the extent of the effort she has made.
She said the dialogue that has been conducted so far was not widely known, thus rejecting opposition criticism, clarifying, in reply to a question, that the dialogue was not more widely know because it appeared that, at the time, the journalists had not been interested in it.
Regarding the "climate of clash" that has arisen, Bakoyannis stressed that the climate of polarisation was not helping, especially at a time when understanding and wider concensus were necessary in order for the reforms to proceed.
In a further clarification, national economy and finance minister George Alogoskoufis reiterated that the government has exhausted all the margins regarding the teachers' financial demands, stressing the fact that the (2007) state budget he tabled in parliament on Monday forecast a deficit of below 3 percentage points of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first time since Greece's entry into the EMU, while at the same time it also ensured social priorities such as an increase in the EKAS supplementary benefit for low pensions, in the OGA farmers' social insurance fund pensions, and in the unemployment benefits.
Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou on Tuesday reiterated his position over the prospect of early elections, speaking this time to members of his party's Parliament group.
His appearance came a day after the government unveiled portions of its draft budget for 2007, which Papandreou said lacked transparency, was unreliable and socially unfair.
Turning to recent developments, he again criticised a government decision -- last week -- re-evaluating the country's GDP upwards (25 percent), while he referred to growing public sector corruption, for which he cited several proposals.
Among others, he said PASOK would make board of director appointments in public sector companies an open process; forbid the inclusion of amendments or riders to draft bills after discussion in Parliament concludes, and, shift proposed weapons contracts to Parliament's jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Papandreou also expressed a brief but direct position regarding the state's involvement in the economy - which in Greece is huge - saying that he "believes more in the protection of the public interest and not in the (protection of the) public stake in enterprises." He added that he favored partnerships with foreign firms, but was against the practice of merely turning local businesses into subsidiaries of multinationals.
In terms of specific references, Papandreou said a buyout of a Turkish bank (Finansbank) by the National Bank of Greece, the country's largest credit institution, was "scandalous", while he termed high-profile investments by state-run ATEbank as "very risky".
In other matters, the PASOK leader said the upcoming local government elections were a "crucial battle."
Finally, Papandreou denied a charge by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis that PASOK and its leadership were responsible for a climate of "political divisiveness" in the country.
Teachers and the government each dug into their positions on Tuesday, as striking teachers refused to back down from demands for substantial pay increases and the government insisted that it had already taken action to meet them, within the limits of what the economy could bear.
Tension escalated even further in the wake of allegations by strikers that a member of the riot police used brass knuckles to assault teachers during a protest on Monday.
Commenting on the assault claim, alternate government spokesman stressed the government's condemnation and rejection of "all behaviour that exceeds the limits".
"This applies regardless, whether it is about the use of a metal ring or an attachment on a police man's uniform, or the wooden boards with which certain protestors attempted to break through the ranks of the police," he said.
He denied that this statement 'traded-off' the violence of police and protestors or that it encouraged the police to continue using strong-arm tactics against protestors, stressing that the government's condemnation had been absolutely unequivocal.
Meanwhile, protest action by teachers continued with a picket in Thessaloniki on Tuesday as the strike entered the second day of its third consecutive week.
Regarding the �105 benefit that teachers want to see paid immediately in full, rather than the six half-year increments beginning in 2007 offered by the government, Antonaros pointed out that payment of the benefit was among the government's pre-election pledges and that it had already been carried out.
He clarified that the full benefit represented roughly 12 percent of the pay of a newly-appointed teacher.
"Even if you divide this by three - which are the six half-year installments - the increase represents 4 per cent of the salary, apart from the regular pay increases for public sector staff," he claimed.
Teachers have rejected the government's offer as paltry, pointing out that the initial addition to their pay will come to just �17.50, representing a salary increase just over 1.8 percent. They demand that the full �105 monthly benefit begin to be paid at once, stressing that their salaries are very low by European standards.
Another demand made by teachers is a substantial increase in the starting pay of newly appointed teachers to �1,400 a month, up from about �950 at present.
Responding to questions about his statement on Monday that most Greeks would be unable to sympathize with teachers' demands for a 45 percent pay rise, Antonaros denied that the government was seeking to set groups of workers against each other:
"However, this doesn't mean that we must hide or paint a rosier picture of facts and real events," he added.
As the primary school and kindergarten teachers' strike drags on into week three, joined by highschool teachers on Monday and Tuesday, teacher unions as continuing to claim turnouts as high as 60-75 percent for the strike while the government puts strike participation closer to about 40 percent.
Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Alekos Alavanos said after a meeting Tuesday with President Karolos Papoulias that he raised certain issues concerning the country's political system, which he charged is operating amid a "problematic democracy".
Alavanos also referred to the Vodafone phone tapping case, and the lack of transparency in the public and private sector in tandem with the lack of political volition to tackle the problem, as he said.
In addition, he referred to mass media sector, stressing that some media groups are not fulfilling their role as a "fourth estate" to check and prevent the abuse of political power, but rather are seeking to become a "state-within-state" by targeting fundamental values and downgrading the parliamentary system and the country's political figures.
Alavanos also spoke of escalating police authoritarianism, while even maintaining that certain police officers have directed a fascist-like attack on his party.
ana2html v2.01 run on Tuesday, 3 October 2006 - 14:30:36 UTC


We love to write about Mauritius. A unique place which lead us posting some 200 articles as an attempt to match the island's beauty. Pearl of the Indian Ocean, the Paradise Island, or the Southern Tropic sweet-spot, Mauritius' bynames may differ from place to place but the island's loveliness seems to charm everyone across the board.
The warm climate, postcard beaches, lush vegetation, rich cultural values, and legendary hospitality, Mauritius resounds as a plural destination, an exotic scenting experience, a tropical insignia, a place for the holiday of a lifetime just 10 hours away from Europe. Embark on a trip to Mauritius and its many natural wonders, minus the flight time!
We are in the Indian Ocean, at the height of the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern hemisphere. In this part of the world, seasons are reversed and the sun is expected from January to December. On the side of this geographical position, the island of Mauritius benefits from a fairly warm and humid subtropical climate all year round.
The hottest months of the year in Mauritius occur between November and April. This period is characterised by a harsh sun with temperatures hitting 30°C on the coastal regions with occasional rainfalls.
Mauritian winter is quite amazing, visitors are promised sunny weather and warm lagoons. The temperature drops slightly during winter (May to October) offering beautiful balmy days.
Commonly speaking, it is always time to visit Mauritius. The type of climate in Mauritius is a microclimate. Which means that it could be raining on a part of the island whilst 2km further the sun could be shining in a bright blue sky. The only time to avoid is the cyclonic month of February. That said, Mauritius has not been visited by any major cyclone for more than a decade now.
If you want to enjoy water based sports like water-ski, diving or big game fishing, the months of summer are best opportune for those as this period comes with long sunny days.
For newlyweds and honeymooners, the months of winters are best suited as most beaches are deserted. Look for seasonal transitions, these usually offer the best climate in Mauritius.
If you have a valid driving license, we recommend car rental in Mauritius. Driving is to the left and good roads infrastructures link to the whole island. So take your keys, towels and sunglasses to discover the attractions at your own rhythm.


Electric Quilt Software–I've talked about this before, but it bears repeating (especially since I keep forgetting about it myself!). If you have Electric Quilt Software already, it's worth a monthly trip back to the site to grab the free fabrics of the month. These are palettes of fabrics that you can import into Electric Quilt to use on your quilts when you're designing. And something new I just found: EQ6 Show, an add-on slideshow viewer for your projects! There's also an EQ5 version of the viewer. Much more awaits at the site, including free Block of the Month Clubs, and it doesn't seem like you even need EQ for those!
Pattern Blocks-Exploring Fractions with Shapes–This site has a great little Java applet that allows you to experiment with arrangements of different shapes like triangles, squares, rhombuses, trapezoids and hexagons. I used it when I was working on the design for Butterfly Houses, during the early part of the design process just to get an idea of how I wanted to layout the design, and whether I wanted to use just hexagons or other shapes too. There's nothing to download and it's always there when you need it. Of course, it's probably good for the kids in your life too, if they happen to be working with shapes in math.
Lizard of Oz—If you're into English paper piecing this site is not to be missed. I can't quite remember why I bookmarked this site since I don't do English piecing, but maybe it also had something to do with the Butterfly Houses quilt. They carry a huge variety of preprinted shapes for paper piecing as well as project packs with all the shapes you need inside. A line of fusible appliqué patterns is also available, plus a whole page of printable design papers makes it easy to design your own English paper piecing quilt. The shapes are not pre-cut like some you can find out there, but if you're looking for a specific size or shape that you can't find pre-cut, Lizard of Oz may have it, or you can request that they custom make it for you.
Plum Creek Quilts—This is what I like to see: an online source for Jinny Beyer Palette and Moda Marbles fabrics that carries a huge selection of the available colors, if not all of them, all the time. The prices are great too; at $6.99 per yard, I don't know how they stay in business. Even on the Jinny Beyer site, the palette fabrics are now $9.00 per yard. Plum Creek quilts also has fabrics by Blank Textiles and some beautiful, exclusive kits.
I love these! I've bookmarked some for myself, LOL!
Nadine, thanks for the reminder about the fabrics at EQ. I forget that from time to time! I don't use EQ every day, but I'm designing a baby quilt and have been having a heck of a time finding just the right fabrics that will complement my DD's perfectly coordinated Martha Stewart/Pottery Barn home. Thank you!
Hi Morgan–just don't do what I did, and not clean them out for years! I've absolutely no idea what made me bookmark some of the pages I've come across at this late date, which is the point of the exercise anyway, to get rid of those!
Hi Rian, I'm glad to know I'm not alone in my forgetfulness. 🙂 Good luck with the fabrics!