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John Gittelsohn and Karen Gullo
Wednesday, 20 August 2014 04:06 PM
After visiting more than 80 properties in the Los Angeles area with an agent from Coldwell Banker, Horiike paid $12.25 million in cash for a four-bedroom, six-bath Tuscan-style mansion with a swimming pool, spa and guest house on 5.1 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
There was just one catch. After settling in, Horiike found the Malibu home had a third less living space than he'd been told. It had 9,434 square feet instead of the 15,000 square feet shown in marketing brochures from the seller's agent, who also worked with Coldwell Banker.
Horiike, who also goes by his native Chinese name Peng Hong Ling after adopting a Japanese name as an adult, claimed he was cheated and sued the agent and the brokerage. He won a state appeals court ruling that sellers' agents have a fiduciary duty to protect buyers' interests, not just those of their clients, when there's only one brokerage involved in a deal.
If left standing, the decision could compel disclosure of confidential client information or force brokerages to drop out of transactions where they represent both buyers and sellers, threatening commissions on tens of thousands of deals.
'Luxurious Problem'
"This luxurious problem of a mansion that wasn't big enough has become an industry's potential nightmare," said Dana Tsubota, an attorney in Oakland, California, who represents real estate developers and investors and isn't involved in Horiike's case. "The decision takes a large step away from what is current practice, and it would surprise me if brokers continue to have 'dual agency' deals if the ruling isn't struck down."
The issue of dual agency arises when the agents for both a home's seller and its buyer work for the same brokerage. Florida, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming are the only states that prohibit dual agency in real estate transactions, while most states require disclosures by agents, according to the National Association of Realtors.
California Governor Jerry Brown last week signed a bill into law that extends dual agency disclosure requirements to commercial real estate deals.
Increasingly Common
Dual-sided transactions are becoming increasingly common as home brokerage companies such as Coldwell Banker's parent, Realogy Holdings Corp., and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices take bigger shares of the market. The practice is especially frequent among agents who deal in multimillion-dollar properties.
Horiike sued Coldwell Banker and Chris Cortazzo, the Malibu mansion's selling agent, in state court in Los Angeles in 2010, alleging false advertising, unfair business practices and breach of fiduciary duty. He claimed he overpaid as much as $5 million and demanded punitive compensation for misrepresentation of the home's size.
Horiike, 56, lost a jury trial in 2012. That verdict was overturned in April by the appeals court, which ordered a retrial, saying that the jury received incorrect instructions. Coldwell Banker and Cortazzo then appealed to the California Supreme Court. It agreed last month to hear the request to reverse the appeals court's decision.
New Disclosures
Coldwell Banker's lawyers argue that agents will be forced to disclose information that buyers and sellers typically keep quiet, such as a homeowner needing a quick sale because of financial problems.
"The buyer's or seller's only options are to 1) agree to this nightmare; 2) forgo the sale or purchase they wanted to consummate; or 3) fire their sales person," Coldwell Banker's attorneys said in a court filing.
In California, licensed real estate agents must work for brokers, who have more credentials and are responsible for the agents' actions. Coldwell Banker, the broker, and Cortazzo, its No. 1 selling agent in Malibu, are scheduled to file their opening arguments with the California Supreme Court by Sept. 15. The court may rule on the matter next year.
"I want justice," Horiike, said in an interview at the Malibu mansion last month. "I don't want anybody to be cheated by a real estate agent."
Cortazzo declined to comment and referred questions to his attorney, Neil Gunny, who also declined to comment because the case is still pending. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Co., the California affiliate named in the complaint, doesn't comment on pending litigation, said Holly Taylor, a spokeswoman for the brokerage with Rogers & Cowan.
Billionaires' Beach
Cortazzo said in court filings and testimony that a Malibu ordinance allows for more of a property's space to be counted in its square footage, and that he explained to potential buyers, including Horiike, why he used the larger size in his brochure.
Malibu is a Los Angeles getaway for Hollywood celebrities, business barons and international investors. Pacific Coast Highway slices between a string of waterfront enclaves with names such as Paradise Cove and hills that are home to villas with ocean vistas. Property owners on Malibu's Carbon Beach, nicknamed Billionaires' Beach, include Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison and entertainment mogul David Geffen.
Cortazzo, a native of Malibu and real estate agent since 1994, "has attracted some of the biggest names in entertainment and business," according to his website. He closed deals totaling $325.5 million last year, the seventh-highest volume of any U.S. agent, according to Real Trends Inc., a Castle Rock, Colorado-based consulting service.
'Have Integrity'
"The secret is to work hard and have integrity," he said on his website. "I am proof that you can reach the top without sacrificing your values."
When he was a boy, Horiike's four-member family lived in a 200-square-foot attic in Shanghai, where his father worked as a book editor and film critic. The family couldn't afford an electric fan to get through the summer heat, he said. After earning a degree in Japanese at Shanghai University's School of Foreign Languages, he moved to Japan, where he married, changed his name and became a Japanese passport holder.
He founded Large Horse International Group, a holding company headquartered in Hong Kong with about 2,000 employees that invests in energy deals and manufactures electric appliances and parts sold to customers including Whirlpool Corp. He retired in 2002, at age 44, with plans to buy a California mansion larger than anything he could find in Asia.
"In Hong Kong or Japan, it's impossible, because the land is very small," he said. "Only here in America, I can find my dream house."
Foreign Buyers
The case has implications for the growing number of cash- bearing foreigners, who may make quick deals dependent upon agent advice. International buyers spent $92 billion on American houses in the 12 months through March, led by a record $22 billion from Greater China, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, where Horiike resides much of the year. About 60 percent of the foreign buyers paid cash, according to a July report by the National Association of Realtors.
"At the end of the day, I think they trust America more than China," Sam Van Horebeek, director of East-West Property Advisors, a Hong Kong-based firm that advises Chinese investors on U.S. real estate deals, said in a telephone interview.
Horiike started his Los Angeles search in 2005, guided by Coldwell Banker agent Chizuko Namba, who spent more than two years showing him dozens of homes in Beverly Hills and Bel Air, communities Horiike said he liked for their luxurious reputations. Nothing met his criteria.
Too Old
"Everything big was old," Horiike said. "I wanted new, because I didn't want to spend time to remodel."
In November 2007, Namba took Horiike to Malibu to see the house shown by Cortazzo, who told Horiike it was built in 2002, before Malibu imposed a size limit on new homes, according to court filings.
"I said that this property cannot be duplicated," Cortazzo testified in September 2012, according to a trial transcript.
"My heart was moved by his words," Horiike said in last month's interview.
After viewing the house in the afternoon, Horiike returned in the evening to see the property, which climbs a hill overlooking Pacific Coast Highway and the ocean. He negotiated the price after taking a flight to Hong Kong, according to a court filing.
Cash Buyer
A full appraisal wasn't necessary because Horiike was paying with cash and didn't need to qualify for a mortgage. While the house was in escrow, Horiike ordered inspections of the utilities and foundation. He didn't ask to measure the square footage or obtain a copy of the architect's blueprints, according to court filings. Los Angeles County property records list the size of the living area as 9,434 square feet.
Horiike learned of the size discrepancy only in 2009, when he sought a city permit to remodel a sun room. Cortazzo said that the larger size he used is valid when the lower level, garage and patio areas are included, according to court filings. Cortazzo said county records of the house size didn't reflect Malibu's "post-2005 formula for allowable square footage," which would add the basement and other spaces to the total area, and that he relied on the home's architect for the 15,000-square-foot figure.
Single Meeting
He also said that he was never asked nor agreed to represent Horiike. The two met only the day Horiike visited the Malibu house, and his limited English made it hard for them to talk directly, Cortazzo said in court filings. A trial court jury, acting on the judge's instructions, found that Cortazzo as the listing salesperson had no fiduciary duty to the buyer.
Namba, Horiike's agent, declined to comment on the case. She wasn't named in the complaint because she didn't misrepresent the size of the house and "to sue Coldwell Banker is to sue her," Horiike said in an e-mail.
Horiike appealed and a state appeals court panel in Los Angeles last year ordered a new trial. It cited closing documents required under state law establishing that Coldwell Banker, as broker for both the buyer's and seller's agents, had "a fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty and loyalty" that extended to Cortazzo as well. Coldwell Banker appealed that ruling before a second trial could be held.
The appeals court also said that Cortazzo told shoppers who had looked at the home earlier that the architect put the living space at 15,000 square feet and they should hire a specialist to verify that. Cortazzo's lawyers said in court filings that he removed the square footage from the official listing and put it at zero so he could personally explain to a potential buyer his rationale for using 15,000 square feet in the sales brochure, which he said he did with Horiike.
No Intent
A judge or jury "could conclude that Cortazzo was aware of material information that he failed to provide Horiike, even though he did not have a fraudulent intent," the appeals court said. No court has found Cortazzo or Coldwell Banker liable, with the appeals court and California Supreme Court examining only the law, not the actions of the agent or brokerage.
"If the appellate court decision is upheld, the fact that there was no misrepresentation is still the same, but it would change the landscape of consumers choosing their own professional, as Mr. Horiike did, instead of having fiduciary relationships foisted on parties with persons they have not selected and may not ever even meet," Lotus Lou, a California Association of Realtors spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today.
Horiike, who's divorced and wears his red-tinted hair down to his collar, spends about 100 days a year at the Malibu home, which he shares with three of his 10 dogs. He rejected offers to resolve his complaint against Coldwell Banker and Cortazzo through arbitration. He said he wants the outcome to be public.
"This case isn't just for me," Horiike said. "It's about justice for people."
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What happened for the first time in 1859, attracts about one-third the total population of Minnesota, and is held once a year, starting in late August?
If you answered the Minnesota State Fair, go directly to the front of the line for a pork chop-on-a-stick. Just save one for me!
Running from Thursday, Aug. 23 to Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day), the 2012 Minnesota State Fair will likely attract more than 1.7 million attendees. It is the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily
Did you know that more than half-a-million people take the bus to the Fair? Why? It makes dollars and sense! With gas prices creeping toward $4 a gallon and parking in State Fair lots at $12, you can easily spend a wallet of cash
before you even get into the fairgrounds. And that's not even counting the cost of your time waiting in a long line of cars simply to get in and out of parking.
Metro Transit makes it easy to ride a bus to the Fair, with special shuttles from 19 locations around the metro (the fare is $5 round trip) as well as regular routes (fares are $1.75-$3.00 each way). Route 3 goes from downtown
Minneapolis along Como Avenue to the Fairgrounds; Route 83 goes from the 46th Street station in south Minneapolis then takes Snelling Avenue to the Fair; and Route 960 goes from Nicollet Mall to the Fair in about 15 minutes.
There also are several free shuttles from around the metro — see Metro Transit's website for details.
An increasing number of fairgoers are also getting to the "Great Minnesota Get-Together" on bike or on foot. Consider this: If you're 3 miles from the fairgrounds — from the East Bank of the University of Minnesota campus, or from
Grand Avenue in St. Paul — you can easily get there in about 20 minutes by bike. Walking would take a little less than an hour (if that makes you balk, think about your total driving time).
If you ride a bicycle to the State Fair, parking is free! Take it to one of three free bike corrals, right on the fairgrounds:
Como-Snelling Gate (#6) — for those arriving from the south or east
Hoyt-Snelling Gate (#2)— from the north or east
Commonwealth-West Dan Patch (#15)— from the west
You can also bicycle to several of the free bus shuttles around the metro — lock your bike and get on the bus. These free bike and shuttle lots include Roseville Area High School, the Minnesota Department of Education building, and
the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. On weekends and on Labor Day, there is also bike parking at Bandana Square in Saint Paul.
Note that neither the Fair's on-site bike corrals nor the designated Park & Ride lots provide secure storage for bike helmets. Plan to bring a backpack or bag and carry your helmet with you.
And what's the other big payoff of riding your bicycle or walking? Not only money saved, but also calories burned! The calories you spend getting to the Fair can be spent instead on the crazy number of Fair food options. Yes, you'll
shed some calories by walking around the Fair itself, but likely nowhere near the amount needed to offset a hefty diet of State Fair staples. Check out these calorie counts of some favorite Fair foods:
Pronto Pup — 350 calories
Cheese Curds — 759 calories
Giant Turkey Leg — 1,136 calories
According to mayoclinic.com, a 160-pound person who spends one hour walking to the Fair would burn 204-314 calories (walking 2 mph burns fewer calories than 3.5 mph). If you bicycle to get there, you'll burn 292 calories per hour
(at a 10 mph pace). Or to put this into State Fair terminology, a 160-pounder would need to moderately walk nearly four straight hours just to burn off a single serving of deep-fried cheese curds!
By bicycling or walking to the Fair, you get a head-start on your daily calorie-burning needs — and have a good reason to reward yourself with a State Fair treat! I hear they now also have lamb chops on a stick!
If you'd like to bike or walk to the State Fair, use Google Maps to find an ideal route. Simply enter in your origin and destination, click on the bike or walk icon, and Google Maps will find a route for you. Another option for bicycle
directions is Cyclopath.org, a geowiki site.
Hilary Reeves is communications director for Bike Walk Twin Cities.


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This week, we look the science of habit formation and how retailers and other businesses are using that data to fine tune their marketing focus. Also at how Google bypassed privacy settings in Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Internet Explorer to track users web browsing.
See the full post at Geeks of Doom!
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There are no dictionaries of sustainability's Newspeak. Its mavens rely less on new words than on perverting or reversing the meaning of old ones.
William Ruger
Capacious liberalism is the prerequisite for successful, empirically based social reform and the rule of law.
Let 2020 be the year America rediscovers the reverent art of Thanksgiving in the midst of troubled times.
The authority to proclaim a Thanksgiving might seem trivial to us. But it is, in fact, fraught with meaning.
If intersectionality is not defeated, Americans will learn the truth that power, not freedom, is truly irresistible.
Pirates are still piratical. And just reprisals are still a lawful way to bring them to justice.
Section 230 has not kept pace with the times and now presides over a very different internet from the one it was designed to govern.
Previously unnoticed evidence provides new support for the proposition that the Second Amendment articulates an individual right to personal safety.
A newsletter worth reading.
Policy inertia means that the Republican Party of 2024 will share more with the Republican Party of 1924 than that of more recent decades.
Three contributors discuss Joshua Mitchell's new book and the trajectory of identity politics.
A gathering at George Mason University to remember the late, great judge.
Our health experts seek perfect safety when it comes to Covid mitigation without careful consideration of the harm their policies may inflict.
If the Court decides rightly in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, mootness will no longer serve as a shield for the erosion of constitutional rights.
Contrary to the numbers games of today's majoritarians, America's federal republic reflects not a trace of national, numerical democracy.


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W. B. Worthen is Professor and Chair of the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at the University of California, BerkeleyWorthen, W. B. is the author of 'Wadsworth Anthology of Drama ', published 2006 under ISBN 9781413029185 and ISBN 1413029183.[read more]
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Sunday, April 21, 2013
Today I pleaded with Ke Akua, Iesu, the 'aumakua, ʻĀnela kiaʻi, 'uhane alaka'i, 'uhane kako'o and kupuna i hala for assistance. They listened. I waited all day. Right when I had given up all hope. They responded. Moved me to tears in gratitude. Kiha was successfully brought into the inner circle of Spiritual blessings. When we came home tonight, the mo'o scurried across our floor and sought shelter in the kihei wrappings of the Pōhaku Wānana o Pai'ea. A beautiful Hōʻailona. Mahalo Ke Akua...
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2020-11-19 USFWS and USDA charges brought by DOJ against Jeff Lowe, Lauren Lowe and Tiger King Park. 2020-11-19 US vs Lowe complaint
2020-08-17 Jeff Lowe's USDA License Suspended at GW Zoo
USDA letter to Jeff Lowe restricting him from moving animals during his suspension.
USDA vs Jeff Lowe 2020 Complaint
After USDA suspended Jeff Lowe's license and published this inspection report dated 07-08-2020 he announced on Facebook that the GW Zoo has been closed immediately and he plans to turn Thackerville into a movie set and not seek apparently not seek USDA permits there.
Jeff Lowe's 2020 Run in w/ USDA
2020-06-22 USDA inspection report
Joe Exotic Convicted for Murder for Hire & 17 Wildlife Trafficking Violations Sentenced to 22 Years in the Federal Pen!
Since the arrest of Joe Exotic in September 2018 the GW Zoo has been run by Jeff Lowe and Lauren Lowe.
1/22/20 – See the sentencing statement for Joe Exotic at https://bigcatrescue.org/sentencing-statement/
4/2/2019 – I am grateful that justice was served and Joe Schreibvogel-Maldonado-Passage hopefully will serve time in prison and no longer present a threat either to me or to his former big cats. While media attention regarding this trial has primarily focused on the murder for hire charges, there is a much larger significance to the wildlife charges. For years, a network of big cat owners like Passage who have engaged in cruel cub petting schemes and the exhibition of big cats have also been engaging in the illegal sale of tigers and other animals back and forth among themselves simply by checking the box on the USDA transfer form that says "donated" instead of "sale" and quietly paying cash for the animals. During the trial, several big cat owners were specifically mentioned as people Passage had sold tigers to. We believe this illegal practice is common among cub breeders and exhibitors; Bhagavan Antle, Tim Stark, Bill Meadows, Mario Tabraue, Kathy Stearns, Robert Engesser, Jeff Lowe, and Omar Villareal are some of the most notorious. I hope that the detailed evidence of these illegal transfers developed for this trial will lead to more prosecutions to protect captive big cats in this country from this illegal trade.
~ Carole Baskin, Founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue
9/7/18 Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado-Passage, aka "Joe Exotic," was arrested after being indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on two counts of "murder for hire" for seeking to hire someone to murder Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue. Read more at https://bigcatrescue.org/joe-exotic-arrested-murder-hire/
If Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado has contacted you with slanderous allegations against Big Cat Rescue, check out this million dollar settlement Joe Schreibvogel consented to in favor of Big Cat Rescue.
Researched and written by Howard Baskin JD, MBA, Advisory Board Chairman of Big Cat Rescue
Joe Schreibvogel says that he and his parents started G.W. Exotic Memorial Animal Park in memory of a brother who loved animals.
On December 10, 2010 Joe wrote on Facebook
"…another employee quit today without so much as a phone call. …all I get is a text message that reads… My brother (g.w.) would be ashamed of what I have become"
If Joe's brother was indeed a lover of animals, this is likely to be an understatement.
As detailed below, Joe has become one of the most notorious breeders and exploiters of tiger cubs in the world.
Below you will read about how Joe treats tiger cubs and some of his deceptions. One telling example of his dishonesty that is not cat related is his claim to be a country western singer. It is hard to imagine how anyone who hears his nasal speaking voice could believe that the voice on hi music videos is really his. But the people he has duped into believing his nonsense seem to. In actual fact, informant information indicates he has paid singers/songwriters Vince Johnson and/or Danny Clinton to sing some if not all of the songs. Then Joe makes a video lip syncing the song and claims it is him singing.
You can hear his speaking voice on his Facebook page.
Originally we had a link here to one of his songs. But after we revealed how he had misled everyone, including his own followers, he took down most of his music videos from YouTube and in one of his Facebook video rants basically admitted his deceit by saying "who cares" as if it does not matter that he lied to everyone for years. It matters because it shows his true character, or lack thereof, and apparent desperate need for attention, in our view.
Joe pretended to sing this song:
Click here for songs by The Vince Johnson Band to compare the voice.
If Joe lies about this, duping his own friends and followers, how can one believe anything he says?
Feds Cite Big-Cat Exhibitor Over Transport of Infant Tiger Cub
Joe Schreibvogel operates a roadside zoo in Oklahoma with 1400 animals, including over 150 tigers, on sixteen acres, that has a history of serious animal abuse (see below). He generates revenue by constantly breeding tiger cubs, ripping them from their mothers shortly after birth, and abusing them by carting them around from mall to mall charging people to pet them alongside a magic show he performs. USDA rules prohibit using the cubs for this purpose after they reach 12 weeks old. When he can no longer use them to make money, he "donates" (or by some reports sells) them, or brings to his zoo. In most cases these animals will at best spend their entire lives in small, prison-like cells. Current USDA regulations permit keeping an adult tiger in a cage smaller than a parking spot. Many of his cats are sent to places with a history of animal abuse violations.
What is life like for these poor cubs dragged around from mall to mall for the early weeks of their lives? Videos of the mall exhibit reveal what they endure.
In the video below, you can see that the cub has diarrhea. Witnesses report this was true of at least three of the cubs. Instead of taking the cubs off display, the attendant follows the cub with a rag. First Beth Corley wipes the floor, then she wipes the cub's bottom with the same rag. The cub's bottom is likely raw and sore from the diarrhea. You can hear the cub scream. You can see the video under "Sick Cubs at Mall" below.
Malls who allow Joe to exhibit are supporting this abuse. If venues would not allow acts like this, the breeding and suffering would stop. Fortunately, more and more responsible venues are making the right decision. For instance, after a cub display at one of their stores, Petsmart recently issued a policy that there would be no exotic animal displays at their U.S. and Canada stores. In doing so they showed that they truly care about animals.
Joe claims that he has to breed cubs and take them out on the traveling show in order to support the animals at his zoo. He acknowledges that this is wrong when he says in a Facebook post that he does not want to do this but is "forced to" in order to make money to support the animals at the zoo. Joe is only forced to do this as a result of his own bad decisions and lack of caring for animals.
Joe's latest argument to justify his rampant breeding (which he calls "selective") is that he is doing a public service because by supplying a cub to every zoo and exhibitor who wants a tiger, he is putting out of business the "back yard breeders." This is a little bit like John Dillinger claiming he was doing public service by putting other bank robbers out of business because he had robbed all the banks. It does not matter who is breeding tigers to make money from cubs and then discarding them to a life of misery. It is just wrong.
The fact is that real sanctuaries all around the country are able to support their rescue and animal care work without adding to the problem by breeding and without abusing animals to make money. They do that by operating facilities that have excellent animal care that donors appreciate and want to support. They also do that by being financially responsible and not taking in more animals than they can support.
The fact that true sanctuaries all of over the country do support their animals without tormenting innocent cubs proves that it can be done. If Joe cannot do the right thing for the animals, he should not be collecting them. If real sanctuaries around the county are capable of doing this, why can't Joe?
Joe's website says his zoo was started in 1999 as a way to honor his deceased brother, who reportedly loved animals. Joe could have done exactly that. He could have built a real sanctuary by taking in animals and giving them the kind of care that would have touched the hearts of donors who would have supported him like other real sanctuaries have done. He says on his website that in 2005 he "grew away from the word 'Sanctuary' … because everyone wanted to dictate how you run a business as a sanctuary, but no one wanted to help pay the bills."
Regarding having others "dictate", yes, to be a real sanctuary, you have to meet certain standards of animal care. The animal abuse documented in USDA violations from 2000 to 2015, discussed below, shows he never was a sanctuary. He could have invested time in learning the skills needed to run a true sanctuary, including how to run the financial side of a nonprofit. He could have built a place that would have been a true tribute to a deceased animal lover. He did not.
Young Children Bitten at GW Park
Before going into the details about Joe's exploitation and lies, below are three videos taken in September 2011 by visitors to GW Park. According to a USDA Fact Sheet, cubs under 8 weeks old should not be petted because their immune systems have not sufficiently developed to prevent disease. Separately, USDA guidance forbids petting cubs over 12 weeks of age because they are dangerous. (See 2010 in the Palazzo case upholding USDA position established in 2004).
In these three short videos you see GWPark employees blatantly violating these USDA policies and endangering the cubs and the public. In the videos the handlers acknowledge that the cubs are 14, 15, 16, 19 or 20 weeks old. In one video you hear the handlers laughing about a child being bitten by one of the overage cubs and being taken in to see under age cubs to appease the family. Remarkably, just one week later, with a handler lying by saying "we have never had an incident," the video shows a young child jumped on and bitten by a 20 week old cub. After that, even though in both videos the handlers talk about the smaller cubs having weak immune systems which makes public contact dangerous for them, the park manager brings out a tiny two week old cub to appease the crowd. He allows two and three people to grope at the cub at a time. He only stops when the poor cub, who is so young that its eyes are not even open yet, starts squealing loudly and desperately tries to climb away to avoid the petting.
As a practical matter, USDA inspectors are never going to see the animals mistreated or see animals that are too young or too old being used this way. The inspectors do not do undercover work, they announce themselves on arrival. An individual who worked at GW Park tells us that when the inspector arrives, someone at the park announces "USDA on the property" and some individuals are assigned to delay the inspectors while others run around filling water bowls and stop any behavior that could result in citation. As you watch the tiny cub squealing in discomfort and fear in the third video, knowing that each of the hands you see groping at him is a threat to his infant weak immune system, and as you hear the handlers in the first video chuckle about a child being bitten, and as you see Schreibvogel in the video at the top of this page strike a tiny cub with a pole and say "just pop 'em in the ass," ask yourself if you think Joe Schreibvogel is someone who loves animals. Does someone who loves animals torment tiny cubs to make money? And if you are a venue that permits his traveling exhibit to set up in your mall or fair, aside from the potential liability, is this kind of treatment of animals what you want to support?
Underage Cubs Used to Appease Crowd After Child Bitten
Sick Cubs at Mall
Joe Schreibvogel Exposed by Inside Edition
Instead of creating a sanctuary, Joe created a facility that in its early years, 2000 – 2004, was cited repeatedly by USDA for serious violations of the minimum standards of the Animal Welfare Act. USDA has limited enforcement resources. They can only take a few animal abusers to court, so they reserve that for only the most blatant cases. Typically they will issue citations for years, giving the licensee every opportunity to correct the out of compliance conditions before they consider filing a lawsuit. After years of citations they finally sued Joe. In April 2005 the agency filed a 20-page complaint against Joe with numerous charges, including the following:
* Failure to provide adequate veterinary care
* Failure to handle animals so that there was minimal risk of harm to the animal and to the public
* An incident in which a tiger escaped from his enclosure and attacked and seriously wounded a camel
* Transportation of 15 tigers and lions in a manner that allowed urine, feces, or both to contaminate the animals caged below
* Lack of potable water for 18 lions, 23 tigers, 15 bears, 20 cougars, three leopards, and a pig
* Lack of employees present to provide care to 80 large, dangerous cats
* Lack of knowledge by employees about how often the animals were fed
* Filthy, wet, unsafe, and dilapidated enclosures
* Failure to handle animals in a manner that does not cause trauma, behavioral stress, physical harm, or unnecessary discomfort
* Failure to provide animals with minimum space
* Exposed live, bare wires in tiger nursery play area
In July 25, 2017 USDA licensees (We believe Beth Corley is just another alias for Joe because she hasn't been reported at this facility since about 2011) at this facility were cited for failure to keep accurate acquisition and disposal records on the animals, including a lack of reporting who and where animals came from or went, and failure to keep an accurate census. Read the USDA violation.
On May 15, 2017 a tiger escaped her enclosure and was noticed wandering the grounds at feeding time. The tiger was reportedly shot to death by Joe. Read the USDA violation.
On October 19, 2016 licensees were cited for injury to a tiger due to feeding a large group of tigers in a single pen by throwing meat into the frenzy. They were also cited for rancid meat left to rot on top of the shade stands from the same practice. Reach the USDA violation.
On May 19, 2016 licensees were cited for failing to throw out medication that was two years passed the expiry date. A live mouse was seen on the floor of the lemur cage and a half eaten mouse was in the capuchin cage in the medical building. The report states there is no professional vermin control measure in practice. Instead they said they put out poison…poison that could be consumed by the rats and then by the primates. Read the USDA violations.
On February 1, 2016 Joe Maldonado was cited for failure to provide sufficient barriers between the public and adult lions and tigers. He was also cited for rusting metal panels in the baboon enclosure that had sharp edges around the hole that could harm the primates. Read his USDA violations.
On the same day, Feb. 1, 2016 Beth Corley (We believe Beth Corley is just another alias for Joe because she hasn't been reported at this facility since about 2011) was blamed for not including 14 tigers in the census that came from Serenity Springs on 12/18/15. Read that USDA violation.
In November 2015 Schreibvogel / Maldonado was cited for dangerous conditions for his cubs who were being raised in a room with "live, bare electrical wires" and glass window panes within reach of the cubs that could provide both injury or a way of escape. He was also cited for improper handling of food for the animals. Records indicate 99 tigers at this time. Read the USDA violation.
In August 2015 Schreibvogel / Maldonado was cited for displaying a 19 day old liger cub at the Mississippi State Fair. Read the USDA violation.
In July 2015 Schreibvogel / Maldonado was cited for fly infestation, filthy food bowls, inadequate methods of temperature control for primates, unsafe fencing and more. Read the USDA violations.
In March 2015 Schreibvogel / Maldonado was cited for a "trail of rodent droppings" on the rails between cages, food stored on the floors, dirty food receptacles, rotting meat on top of the cages, where keepers had apparently tried to throw it into the cages and failed, a decomposing rat that was intended as food, no shade for a tiger named Batista and more. Read the USDA violations.
In August 2014 Schreibvogel was cited for standing water, food and waste in an open ditch next to the primates, described by the inspector as "an open sewer," unsafe caging, "numerous wasps" in the primate shed, tigers being kept in a cage where the gate hinge had "rusted through", "significant" rust in a support pole, no water and no water bowls in the grizzly cage, rancid meat on the floor of the tiger cage that was covered in maggots, numerous ants and food stuck in the feed chutes that was covered in ants. At this time records show 100 tigers. Twenty one more tigers than just 5 months ago. Read the USDA violations.
In April 2014 Schreibvogel was cited because a bear, named Crybaby, had been injured on April 2, resulting in a 4-8 inch long laceration. The vet was said to have stitched up the bear, but the wound was reopened 3 days later. Apparently Joe re stitched the bear, without the vet, but on April 14 workers reported that the wound was open. The vet came on April 15 and euthanized the bear. He was cited for failing to have the vet care for the injured bear between April 5 and April 15.
In March 2014 Schreibvogel was cited for inadequate vet care, rusty cages with sharp, protruding edges, a missing plank in the tiger's walkway and exposed screw. At this time Joe claimed to own 79 tigers, which is 15 fewer tigers than this same time last year. Read the USDA violations.
In March 2013 Schreibvogel was cited for fencing and a gate that was leaning and sagging and could provide a means of escape, a broken roof in a tiger's enclosure, inadequate shade. At this time records indicated 94 tigers. Read the USDA violations.
In January 2006 Schreibvogel consented to a $25,000 fine and a probation period. Based on inspections since, hopefully conditions have improved. But, for over five years before USDA forced changes, the animals Joe "rescued" were subjected to the horrible conditions USDA cited.
In September 2009 USDA issued a warning notice for alleged violations of the AWA handling requirements stemming from separate incidents that occurred in 2007 and 2008, one involving a customer injured by a lion cub.
On September 13, 2011 Schreibvogel was cited by USDA for failing to provide veterinary care to two animals.
On December 1, 2011 Schreibvogel was cited by USDA for improper handling related to an incident in September 2011 at GW Park where young boy was injured by a tiger cub.
Schreibvogel is currently under investigation by USDA for the deaths of 23 tiger cubs and separately for other possible violations of the AWA. The cubs died between April 2009 and May 2010 according to what Joe's people reported to the FDA. Any responsible facility would have done necropsies on the initial deaths. Joe finally did necropsies on one or two of the last cubs to die and called in FDA to test the formula. The necropsies indicated curdled milk formula in the stomachs of the cubs. So, Joe insists that the cubs were killed by "bad formula." But, the FDA testing of the samples Joe provided and of samples from the manufacturer found nothing wrong with the formula. This formula must be stored, handled, mixed and administered properly. Since FDA found nothing wrong with the formula itself, if the cubs did die from the formula, the most logical conclusion is that it was because Joe's staff did not do one or more of these activities properly.
Between February and June 2006, a PETA investigator working at GW Exotics kept a log documenting a pattern of abuse. These included animals seriously injured from fighting, food dishes teeming with maggots, hungry animals who went without food, animals who were abused and beaten by staff. For instance, here are two examples from http://www.peta.org/features/gw-the-animals.aspx:
On his first day on the job, PETA's investigator met Julie, a three-legged lioness, who had a bloody, raw, and gaping hole where her right front leg used to be. Julie had been attacked by two tigers who literally chewed and tore her leg off and then ate it. The remaining stump of her leg had to be amputated and when she pulled out the stitches, Julie's open wound went untreated.Though she moaned and whimpered for days, she was given nothing for pain. Julie languished in a small and barren indoor cage on a concrete floor with nothing more than a small towel for comfort. Although she was bred and born at the zoo, [J1] tells people that he "rescued" Julie and that she was injured before coming to the zoo.
GW's Holiday 2005 newsletter reported that the Fercos Bros., a Siegfried & Roy wannabe magic act in Las Vegas, gave the park two male tigers who had "outgrown" the stage. Two days after PETA's investigator started working at the park, the "Vegas tigers," as they were called, were killed by lethal injection because staff decided they were "mean."
Reportedly, the tigers' teeth were cut out, and one was decapitated and his head given to the veterinarian's husband to be mounted. When the Fercos came to visit the tigers in June, they were told that the cats were killed when lightning struck their cage during a storm.
Below is a video by the investigator showing a dying horse left suffering, workers beating animals with tools, and a worker explaining how they forge the feeding log to say animals were fed that were not because USDA had no way to prove otherwise.
According to one report "PETA activists took their recordings to law enforcement, but no charges were filed after authorities said no criminal activity occurred in the videos they viewed. Federal agents inspected the park twice after the videos were released and found no violations. Schreibvogel claimed the PETA videos took out of context what was going on, but did admit he had fired four of the employees featured in the investigation." Although authorities decided not to file criminal charges, it is hard to imagine the behavior in this video not being animal abuse no matter what the "context."
For more on PeTA's investigation visit http://www.peta.org/features/gw.aspx
Allowing animals to suffer horrible conditions for years until USDA forced him to correct them clearly contradicts Joe's claim to be a lover of animals. His current argument that he should be allowed to abuse cubs and subject a steady stream of them to lifelong misery in order to support those he has collected raises further doubts. He accepts animals from places known for animal abuse without regard for the fact that these places continue to operate and abuse more animals. Is that a rescuer, or someone just building the "world's largest" big cat zoo to satisfy his ego?
To get an insight into Joe's character, let's look at a few examples of his behavior.
Photos of PETA and BCR effigies being killed. One of his responses to criticism from PETA and BIG CAT RESCUE was to post photos on his Facebook page showing figures labeled PETA and BCR with guns to their heads, hangman's nooses around their necks, and a bow and arrow pointed at them.
If you are a manager of a mall reading this, is this the kind of person you want to be associated with?
Photo shooting polar bear cub. One mall executive found out how professional Joe is when his company decided they did not want to be associated with Joe's abuse. Joe, using one of his "stage names" Aarron Alex, accused the management company online of "supporting the killing of animals" and posted a photo with his proposed boycott of their properties showing a polar bear plush toy with a handgun to its head and the title "If Mama Don't Want It Don't Nobody Want It."
If you were a mall owner or manager, is this the kind of vendor you want?
Registering URLs in Name of Dead Person. Another rather bizarre behavior is that in recent years Joe has been in the habit of registering new internet URL's using the name Brian Rhyne, who the GW website said died in 2001. What kind of person uses a dead man's name to register their websites? Recently Joe has been changing some of these, perhaps as a result of this strange behavior being commented upon online.
Crude, sexually oriented comments and lies. Joe and a small band of cronies, most of whom are people who support subjecting exotic animals to the unsuitable condition of being pets, constantly post blatant lies, sometimes sexually oriented, about his critics. Some of the Facebook identities making these comments are fake identities set up by Joe or this group. For instance, it is hard to imagine that his Facebook supporter "Carole Backsins" is anything more than a shallow and childish alteration of the name of Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue.
Joe Schreibvogel Maldonado-Passage is or has also known individually as:
Joe Exotic
Aarron Alex
Cody Ryan
And doing business as:
5 Continent Productions
Garold Wayne Interactive Zoo
G.W. Exotic Animal Foundation
G.W. Exotic Animal Park
G.W. Exotic Memorial Animal Foundation
G.W. Exotic Memorial Animal Park
Alex Productions
Awakening Productions
Awakening Rescue
Big Cat Rescue Entertainment Group
Corley's Exotics
Mystical Magic of the Endangered
Tigers in Need
Welch's Entertainment Group
Welch's Tiger Experience
Welch's Great Cat Adventure
World Magic
and others.
What about all those company names listed above? One of the most basic principles in marketing is to develop a consistent brand image. The problem for Joe is that his brand is tainted by his animal abuse, so he keeps making up new names. He really went to town in 2010 adding at least four of the names listed above.
He says he uses different names to avoid the "animal activists." Joe is not fooling any of the people who fight to protect animals and want him to stop abusing the cubs. They find him no matter what entity name he uses. The only people he can fool this way are the members of the public. One individual, Aaron Wissner, whose posts indicate he simply was concerned at what he saw at a mall and wanted to find out who "Tigers in Need" was, spent what had to be hours researching. Some of his information came from prior versions of this page, but much he obtained elsewhere. A URL to his research appears at the bottom of this page.
Joe's Names. In addition to using his own name, Joe has performed his magic act using Joe Exotic, Aarron Alex, and Cody Ryan. Cody Ryan frequently performs as a duo with a man named Aaron Stone. Joe posts disparaging remarks about his critics under both his own name and Aarron Alex, and Aaron Stone has shown up with similar comments as a "volunteer" on at least one post.
Joe's Accomplices. Joe has two accomplices in the subterfuge of his entity "name game." One is Beth Corley. Joe has one USDA license. Beth Corley has her own license, registered at the same address as Joe's, i.e. the G.W. Animal Park address. The other accomplice is Vicky Welch, spelled with a "y" in news reports, but with an "i" when Joe uses her name to register URL's for the new names he makes up for the magic act and cub display. She travels with the show and has been referred to in the press as "road manager and animal caretaker" for Awakening Productions.
Are they all interconnected? It would take too long to give details on each here. We have built an excel spreadsheet sorting out his maze. Some names are registered as Trade Names of G.W. Exotics. Others are separate corporations. And still others are not registered at all with the Oklahoma Secretary of State nor show up on the IRS.gov site as nonprofits even though they claim to be.
Just for example, let's look at one person and one entity.
Beth Corley. As mentioned, Beth has a USDA license registered at Joe's address. Beth is referred to in an online news story posted by Joe as "Director" of Big Cat Rescue Entertainment. She is referred to by a reporter for The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, IN as "Beth Corley, a worker with Big Cat Rescue" (failing to include the "Entertainment"). A report in The Telegraph on the exhibit at the Alton Square Mall in Alton, IL in July 2010 refers to "Beth Corley, co-founder of Welch's Entertainment." The Fremont Tribune from Fremont, NE on 1-28-10 refers to "Corley's Exotics, run by Beth Corley of G.W. Exotic Animal Park."
Tigers In Need. Now, let's take one entity, or one name since it does not actually appear to be an entity, "Tigers In Need". As of this writing, we could not find it registered as a Trade Name nor as a separate Corporation, so it appears to be just a made up name. One advantage, assuming that is intentional, is that it is difficult to know who "owns" it. Below is a list of some of the ways in which Tiger In Need is connected to the other entities and accomplice names:
1) The URL tigersinneed.org was registered 1/30/10. Before 7/29/10 the WHOIS report showed Registrant Name was "Tigers in need" and Registrant Email was email@example.com. On 7-29-10 the registration was changed to show Registrant Name as Vicki Welch and Registrant Email left blank.
2) The tigersinneed.org website has a description that clearly is GW Park. It refers to being started in 1999 in Southern Oklahoma and having over 150 big cats. It says "Please note that we are a non-profit organization and are not affiliated with any other company", when it clearly is the same facility as the GW Exotic zoo.
3) The "Contact Us" link at tigersinneed.org brings up "Florida Office 813-361-9611", the same phone being used by Big Cat Rescue Entertainment.
4) The "Guestbook" link at tigersinneed.org contains comments from visitors to the Alton Mall in July. The Alton, IL newspaper, The Telegraph, reporting on the show at the mall, refers to the cats being "just a few of the 150 or so from the Tigers In Need refuge in Wynnewood, Okla. Welch's Entertainment holds the tours…to raise money for Tigers In Need." It quotes "Beth Corley, co-founder of Welch's Entertainment."
5) The Davis County Clipper 7-27-10 in Bountiful, UT refers to Welch's Tiger Experience also being called Tigers in Need.
6) An event notice on the East Town Mall website was titled Tigers in Need formally (sic – formerly) Awakening Productions.
What kind of person creates a maze of entities like this, and for what legitimate purpose?
Joe and his employee Bobbi Corona have a total disregard for the truth that is remarkable. He says and writes whatever nonsense he decides to make up. PeTA identified statements about his breeding and selling that they show to be false at http://www.peta.org/features/gw-exotic-animal-trade.aspx
Here are some examples where Joe misleads or issues totally false statements:
Tigers In Need Nonprofit and Not Affiliated. His many names and entities and the deception that they foist on the public are discussed above. A number of his entities, like Tigers In Need, have claimed on their websites, literature and press reports to be "nonprofit." They do not show up as registered trade names of a nonprofit, nor on the IRS site under their own names. G.W. Exotic Animal Park is a nonprofit, so maybe Joe thinks that any name he wants to call it by becomes a nonprofit, even when he is denying that the name is associated with GW. The other deception is the idea that these are not related. Tigers In Need, which clearly is just another name for the GW Animal Park, has on its website at this writing "we… are not affiliated with any other company", an obviously false statement. Then, in his depositions in our lawsuit, he did an about face and says that G.W. Exotic Animal Park, Tigers in Need and Big Cat Rescue Entertainment are all the same. He claims he never intended to file Big Cat Rescue Entertainment as a separate company, it should have been a d/b/a. This is in spite of the fact that he first registered it as a d/b/a, then redrew that registration and filed it as a separate corporation.
Howard Baskin cub display video. Howard Baskin, husband of Carole Baskin from Big Cat Rescue, went undercover at a tiger cub exhibit to get video showing the cubs' distress and the exhibitor's lies. He then made a video explaining in detail why these exhibits are abusive and provided details about the particular exhibitor involved and the poor conditions at her facility. The video included the video clip at the top of this page showing Joe's cubs with diarrhea. You can see the 6 minute video at http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
What did Joe do? He issued a "press release" on PRLog claiming that Carole does not know that "her husband has been going behind her back to either pet or play with a baby tiger cub." He quoted the owner of the exhibit, someone who says Joe "donated" a cub to her, as saying "Maybe this is how he gets his kicks since he cant (sic) get them at home…" So, Joe, Howard Baskin goes behind his wife's back to pet tiger cubs, then makes a video and has her post it on the Big Cat Rescue website. Pretty darn sneaky of him. Surely she will never know. Does a truthful person of character post a press release like this?
Joe claims he is no longer the one displaying the cubs. This one is a gem. Joe recently started saying that people concerned about the abuse in the cub exhibit should leave him alone and are lying if they associate him with it because the cub exhibit is under the USDA license of another person. In a Facebook post 11/4/10 Joe says "I DON'T USE CUBS (his caps) anylonger (sic), all I do is Magic shows."
Let's think about that one. The USDA licensee is now not Joe. It is Beth Corley. But her license is registered at the same address as his and she has historically travelled with the show. Her connections to his various entities are detailed above. The proceeds of the show are still advertised as going to Tigers In Need, basically just another made up name for Joe's GW Exotics Animal Park as shown above. So the show still benefits Joe's zoo. But since the cubs are technically registered under his co-worker's license Joe has nothing to do with the cubs show? Sure, Joe.
Breeding "A Select Few". Joe says he breeds "a select few." Were the 23 cubs that died mid 2010 a select few? He is constantly breeding to supply his road show. He can be heard in the PeTA video yelling at the cats to breed because he needed cubs for the road show.
Laws restricting private ownership cause abandonment. The GW Exotic website "About" page claims the laws banning private exotic animal ownership are the cause of the abandonment of exotics that Joe has to rescue. This is utter nonsense. New bans typically grandfather in private owners. But more importantly, it is private ownership that causes the abandonment. If private ownership were banned nationwide, which it should be like it is in many states and many other nations, there would be NO abandonment because no private owners would have them!
The steady increase in legislation banning private ownership represents recognition by our society that private ownership leads to massive abuse. Social values evolve. It took decades to ban slavery in England and for women to win the right to vote in America. Those ideas started out as "radical", held by a small minority. Gradually more and more people understood and agreed until they became a part of our value system that we take for granted today. The same trend is happening with private ownership of exotics. Gradually more and more people are realizing that this simply leads to widespread abuse of these animals. The best evidence of this is the accelerating trend in state laws. Just since 2005 eight more states have passed some level of ban.
GW Exotic is "Accredited". Joe says he is "accredited". He is accredited by United States Zoological Association. Tis is an organization Joe himself created in August 2008. The Registered Agent for USZA in the Oklahoma Secretary of State records is Joe Schreibogel. When he set up the USZA.us website, he used his email address, but listed the Registered Agent as Brian Rhyne, a man who Joe's own website said died in 2001. In one fax Joe claims USZA has "nearly 2 million supporters," another blatant lie.
What kind of organization is it? The USZA website has a page where people can list exotic animals they want to give away, sell or buy. On 11/7/10 the section listing cats for sale offered "baby white tigers" with the notation "great breed stock". The sellers are only listed by a code. This code for this seller was "600 OK". As in Oklahoma. Most likely Joe.
Joe refers to his park as a zoo. The recognized accrediting body in the zoo industry is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Joe is not accredited by AZA. Being accredited implies having been reviewed by some independent organization and found to have met certain standards. Forming your own entity to accredit yourself does not qualify as "accredited."
People Magazine cover. On his Facebook page for "Joe Exotic" Joe shows "Cody Ryan" ( aka Joe) and Aaron Stone on the cover of People Magazine for "September 2010", giving the impression they were actually on that cover. They were not.
Joe is Police Chief. On Examiner.com Joe says he "is a former police chief of the Colony Tx…".
The Colony website http://www.ci.the-colony.tx.us/Depts/pd/PoliceHistory.html contains the list of past and present police chiefs below. The policeman we spoke with by phone at The Colony police department advised that Joe Schreibvogel was never an officer there.
Since The Colony was formed, it has had 6 Chiefs of Police:
Jim Beltran August 1977 to May 1978
John Steinseck July 1978 to September 1979
Nick Ristagno Jan 1980 to April 1990
Ted Gibson December 1990 to February 1992
Bruce Stewart December 1992 to September 1995
Joe Clark April 1996 to Present
Other places Joe mentions being an officer, then Chief, of Eastvale, TX, a small town of about 500 people that years later merged into The Colony.
Disparagement of Big Cat Rescue. Joe has become almost obsessed with disparaging Carole Baskin and Big Cat Rescue. He set up a website for this purpose. The "About" section contains the obvious lie that the site is written by "a group of independent reporters." Sure, Joe.
In March 2010 he visited Big Cat Rescue as a tour guest, took photos, then captioned them with ridiculous lies. In September 2010 he visited again, this time taking a video of the tour. He made nonsensical comments into the microphone during the tour, including childish insults about the hard working volunteers he saw, then added captions with false statements like he did with his photos. He then flew low over the sanctuary for an extended period of time in a helicopter stressing the cats (not the act of someone who loves animals.)
A few examples of his false statements:
1) He questions the guide's reference to Big Cat Rescue being accredited with a caption asking by whom. As he knows, the accreditation is by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries whose board is composed of members to the largest animal protection organizations.
2) He claims Carole is getting rich from the sanctuary. Carole has worked for 17 years without any salary or other compensation. In fact she donated the land, some investment properties, and made substantial cash donations. After 9/11 when tourism stopped and donations diminished she was selling her car and personal household belongings to pay for food for the cats.
3) He makes sarcastic, ridiculous comments about cage sizes and cleanliness that anyone who visits would realize are total nonsense. For instance, he shows a small portion of a cage and presents it as the entire cage. Or, he shows a structure made of small logs we built just for the cat's entertainment and claims it is the den and the cat does not have proper shelter, when in fact the real den is nearby and Joe knows it.
Joe, using his alias Aarron Alex, misused the Care2 Petition site to post his photos and start a petition. Martha Hoffman, a person who had visited Big Cat Rescue a number of times, took the time to write to Care2 documenting the false statements. The last sentence of her first paragraph pretty much says it all:
"I am writing in regard to the BCR sanctuary and the accusations lodged by Aarron Alex. My husband and I are residents of Florida, living on the east coast. We have on numerous occasions visited the BCR participating in the different tours offered. Therefore we have walked the premises at different hours and NEVER have we seen anything in the context of what Mr. Aarron Alex has presented. He purposely distorts every single picture."
To read the full text of her post where she explains the distortions in detail click here.
Finally, one of Joe's more absurd posts implies that USDA does not do anything about his bogus complaints because "word has it that she (Carole) has a USDA person living on her property." Sure Joe – and do Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa share a house with the mysterious "USDA person?"
Joe clearly does not have the slightest concern about whether what he says or writes is true. He makes up whatever he thinks will serve his purpose. The strange part is that he makes statements that are so obviously and outrageously not true. He does not even TRY to keep within the bounds of something that would make sense and be believable, except perhaps to his exotic animal owner following.
Credible nonprofits display their financials to proudly show that they are good shepherds of their donors' contributions. At this writing, none of Joe's related entities have financial information on their websites. Some of the entities were formed too recently to have filed the required nonprofit IRS form 990, and the G.W. Exotics 990 for 2009 does not yet appear on Guidestar, so the only financial information available is GW Exotic's 2008 Form 990.
For revenue, the 2008 Form 990 shows $501k in donations and $9k in sales of inventory. Expenses were $447k, with only $3k in salaries and only $48k in animal feed. If food was donated, it is supposed to be recorded as a "noncash" donation and included in the contribution number. So they spent $34/year per animal for food. This is not possible. And salaries of only $3k? Something does not add up. Meantime, Beth Corley is quoted in the press as saying it takes $60k/month to care for their 156 tigers, or $720k/year. They may have had fewer tigers in 2008, but what about the 1200+ other animals?
The 990 shows G.W. Exotic owning about $400k in Land, Buildings, and Equipment. But, this does not include the 16 acres the park sits on. According to county records, Joe owns that personally.
Joe says he displays the cubs to make money to support the park. He recently reported making a record $23,697 in five days. Imagine how many people had to handle these poor cubs in those five days to generate that. Think about how you would feel if that were a human baby. Is it really so much different for a tiger cub that at that age should be spending long hours sleeping just like a human baby?
Others have either done homework on Joe or posted comments that provide additional information.
PeTA. PeTA's webite is referenced above. It mentions documents in which Joe has made false statements. It also provides a list of the other disreputable exotic animal breeders, exhibitors, etc. with whom Joe deals in his rescuing and placing of animals. See http://www.peta.org/features/gw.aspx Joe repeatedly refers to this undercover work as "faked" or a "frame job," which is absolutely absurd.
Joe Schreibvogel is one of the best examples in the nation of why private ownership of big cats should be banned. He has a history of abuse, breeds big cats adding to the number that live a miserable life in small cages, breeds and takes in more than he can financially support, and justifies the current abuse by saying he needs to do it to make money to support the other animals. He shows himself to be totally devoid of integrity and professionalism with his inappropriate photos depicting violence against his critics and by constantly posting material online that he knows is devoid of any semblance of truth.
Venues who host exhibits like this and the public who "pay to play" don't know what goes on behind the scenes. We hope the information on this page helps. The best way to stop this form of abuse is to have venues and the public understand what really happens to these animals and choose not to support the misery Joe and those like him create.
Joe prefers to be a zoo rather than a sanctuary. Two individuals who say they know Joe say he has told them his goal is to be the "world's largest" animal facility. But he could make a different choice. If Joe took all the time he spends online ranting untruths about those who object to his abuse of these cubs and devoted it to trying to learn the skills necessary to operate a real sanctuary, and if he focused on having a number of animals that he could reasonably support instead of being "the world's largest", he might be able to support his animals without having to abuse some to do it. No one who runs a real sanctuary will tell you it is easy, and Joe might not be able to do it. But that is not a reason to let him continue to breed and abuse generation after generation of innocent cubs.
Marsha Hoffman letter to Care2 re Aarron Alex Petition disparaging Big Cat Rescue
TO: Care2
I am writing in regard to the BCR sanctuary and the accusations lodged by Aarron Alex.My husband and I are residents of Florida, living on the east coast. We have on numerous occasions visited the BCR participating in the different tours offered. Therefore we have walked the premises at different hours and NEVER have we seen anything in the context of what Mr. Aarron Alex has presented. He purposely distorts every single picture.
First, I would like to address the various tours / money making claim. To the credit of the BCR their tours are considerably smaller than those of other sanctuaries we have visited. Total number of people for day tours is 20 people. This is done so as not to upset the animals. The price of their tours are very much in line with other sanctuaries .. in some cases less. Public is NOT permitted to wander around outside of the tour as in other sanctuaries. While the tours do provide income, that money is used for the benefit of the inhabitants and the wonderful education provided by BCR in regard to exotic animals. I don't understand this complaint. Seems to me they are just reaching for something that isn't there to try to discredit this sanctuary especially because they charge for their zoo. BCR, like every other sanctuary, need income to provide for the care of the animals. He complains that Carole Baskin did not do the tour – as they are done by volunteers. Ms. Baskin has a sanctuary to run that is why she has volunteers do the tours.
Further Ms.Baskin's only concern/interest is that of the welfare of the animals. The BCR is a true sanctuary. Animals are not exploited, do not do tricks, are not handled by the public etc .. which is in complete contrast to the "sanctuary" zoo Mr. Aarron Alex is associated with. See -http://www.gwpark.org/ – BCR on the other hand, is a quiet, peaceful place for animals to live out their lives as close to their natural habitats as possible.
As far as the pictures go I am appalled at the distortions. Pictures were taken of the animals close up and do not show full enclosures. Yes, several of the enclosures are round, but what Alex neglected to say is how large they are .. ranging from actually one full acre to smaller ones for smaller cats. Pictures of cats resting on rocks, or sitting in a hut/cave are close ups and do not show the background.
Examples of distortion and lies ..
1 – Cat sitting in small cage with water dish … This is the feeding cage. Every animal has it's own cage to go to when their food is distributed. As a matter of fact, if one is at the BCR a half hour or so, before feeding, due to the schedule one would see animals sitting patiently in their feeding cage waiting for the feeding. Animals are given any necessary medications and carefully observed while in these small cages. Also it is at this time that keepers clean out the enclosures.
2 – Wild feral cats roaming around. This is absolutely not true. The domestic cats are all friendly felines who come up to people during tours for belly rubs, ears to be scratched and the treats the various volunteers/staff carry with them. I have never seen a feral cat in the area. If you look at the cat Alex has taken a picture of, you will see a very healthy animal, well groomed and certainly well fed. All domestic cats are taken for their shots and cared for/loved every bit as well as the big cats.
3 – Dead trees …. each year different organizations/stores donate unsold Christmas trees – this is simply to add variety to the enclosures and make them more jungle like. These trees bring new smells for the animals and offer something new to investigate.
4 – Poop in enclosures. We have never ever seen unclean enclosures. The staff is constantly cleaning and maintaining the enclosures. Again a factor for the small feeding cages. These cages lock while the animal is feeding and gives the staff ample time to maintain healthy clean enclosures. See point #1.
5 – There is a picture of a tiger lying by the side of the enclosure, but if you look closely, you will see green grass in the background and a pond. This is the "round" enclosure Alex speaks about ………however, he neglects to say it is one acre in size and has a pond for the tigers to swim in.
6 – Black big cat on a rock …. this is where the animal goes to sun himself – the entire rest of the enclosure is conveniently cut out of the picture. There are trees to climb, grass to roll in and a den to hide in ……..not in the picture though.
7 – He portrays huts/dens as horrible small caves where the animals huddle in. These dens or huts are usually in the middle of an enclosure and true to natural habitats of cats where they sleep, have their cubs and spend a good deal of their time. Once again he has conveniently eliminated the large area that house these huts/dens.
8 – There is a tiger lying down on it's back, with all four legs in the air and belly exposed. What Alex evidently does not understand is that cats, wild or domestic will only take this position if they are truly secure and content. This position makes a cat very vulnerable to attack from a predator. Obviously this tiger is full of trust and totally comfortable in its surroundings.
9 – Three legged Serval. Desiree was rescued from the side of a road in AZ that way. Aarron Alex tries to make the reader believe that this happened to the Serval while it was at BCR ……..a bold faced lie!
I would like to invite you to visit http://www.bigcatrescue.org/videos and view the various videos they have about their sanctuary. You will see how it disputes everything presented by this man. Then go to …https://911animalabuse.com/00abusers/GWExotics.htm. Quite a contrast. In Aarron Alex's write up which accompanies the petition he has the audacity to accuse the BCR of exploiting animals for money when his so called "sanctuary" does exactly that. BCR is not a show place – instead it is a true sanctuary for animals to live out their lives in dignity and peace. Enclosures are not done in glittering, elaborate circus like manner – instead they are done in a calm, tranquil, soothing way to exemplify the natural habitat of each animal.
I respectfully request that you remove this petition due to the untruths, deceptions and blatant distortions. Mr. Aarron Alex obviously went to there for the sole purpose of causing trouble. He knew exactly what he was doing and wanted to accomplish. Please don't be a party to this sort of dishonesty.


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Why You Should Take a 20-Minute Nap
Originally aired on 4/08/2015
Dr. Oz shares the simple tricks that can help power up your nap.
Guests: Guiliana Rancic , Tia Brown , Mary Margaret
Television personality Giuliana Rancic talks to Dr. Oz about the criticism she's received about her body and what's causing her to drastically lose weight.
Giuliana Rancic explains the challenges of conceiving biological children and the new options available for IVF.
Giuliana Rancic explains the importance of doing your own research once you've been diagnosed with a medical illness.
Dr. Oz shares the simple tricks that can help power up your nap.
Tia Brown, lifestyle expert and therapist, shares the Oz Shopping Therapy exclusive limited-time deals for a yogurt maker, a personal blender and a fresh herb gift set.
Learn how to calculate the nutrition and calorie count of everything you're eating while on the go.
Viewer Chere shows Dr. Oz how to make her cherry tomato frittata recipe using just one skillet.
Dr. Oz shows you how to make this dish using healthy ingredients like chicken broth, ginger root and mixed vegetables
Dr. Oz demonstrates how the Visualize You app works to help you see what reaching your weight loss goals really looks like.
Dr. Oz has the tools to protect yourself from crooks who are after your money and medical records.Click for more


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Taking money from drunk Red Sox fans and giving it to cancer patients is a cause anyone can get behind (except perhaps liver cancer patients). Meeting with less approbation and more smirking are the names Longball Cellars has been slapping on its athlete-endorsed charity wine bottles. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz debuted their bottles last night at an event emceed by ethically unassailable NESN sideline reporter Heidi Watney. The names of their wines, respectively:
That is clever only to a drunk Red Sox fan. The wines join a sommelier's dream selection of other Red Sox bottles:
Manny Being Merlot
Savignyoouuk Blanc
Mmmmm, Caberknuckle. On the palate it has flavors of baked leather and sock.


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From the collection of John Uy Saulog
In the era of cruiser liners, not only did they get bigger but they also got faster. So they competed not only in amenities and passenger service but also in shorter cruising times and this was valuable not only in the far ports like Davao but also in the likes of Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. With fast cruisers, the travel time to the likes of Davao went down from three-and-a-half days to two-and-a-half days. It also brought down the cruising time to Cebu to less than a day.
The leading shipping company in the local routes Compania Maritima had been the first in fast cruisers with the fielding of "Filipinas" in the 1968 and the "Mindanao" in 1970. Both were capable of 18 knots and that was the reference speed then in that era to be considered "fast". As expected, the two, one after the other. were fielded in the long Davao route.
William Lines followed suit from 1970 when they ordered the brand-new "Misamis Occidental" that was also capable of 18 knots. This was soon followed by the legendary "Cebu City" which was capable of 20.5 knots and this was assigned to the premier Manila-Cebu route. William Lines then followed up with four more fast cruiser liners and they had the biggest number of ships in that category. William Lines fielded their 20.5-knot "Manila City" to the Davao route.
Sweet Lines did not really have a fast cruiser except for the first "Sweet Faith" which they fielded in the prime Manila-Cebu route in a fierce competition with William's "Cebu City". This liner which arrived from Denmark in 1970 was capable of 20 knots. She had the pair "Sweet Home" (the first) which came in 1973 from Europe too. Sweet Lines dubbed the two as the "Inimitable Pair". To be able to compete in the long Davao route, what Sweet Lines did was to use the shorter eastern seaboard on the route to Davao. With this tactic, they were also "fast", so to say.
Negros Navigation also had their share with fast cruiser liners with the "Dona Florentina" and the beautiful "Don Julio". This was capped by their fastest cruiser then, the "Don Juan" which was capable of 19 knots. A later ship, the "Don Claudio" was also fast at 18.5 knots when she was still in Japan. May I note that the Negros Navigation cruiser liners were not really in direct competition with their counterparts as they were just then in the Western Visayas routes.
The fragments of the Go Thong empire was late in fast cruiser liner segment. Maybe they needed to take stock and consolidate after their split in 1972. Sulpicio Lines entered the fast cruiser liner category just in 1975, the last among the majors which competed in this field. It has to be noted that Carlos A. Gothong Lines and Lorenzo Shipping did not follow in this category and neither did Aboitiz Shipping and Escano Lines. Only Compania Maritima, William Lines, Sweet Lines, Negros Navigation and Sulpicio Lines participated in this competition but actually Compania Maritima did not acquire any more liners, fast or not, after acquiring "Mindanao" in 1970 even though they had many hull losses in the succeeding years.
Created by Jon Uy Saulog
Sulpicio Lines acquired the "Himeyuri Maru" from Ryukyu Kaiun KK, more famously known as RKK Line in 1975. This ship was built by Onomichi Zosen in Onomichi yard in Japan in 1963. She measured 93.1 meters by 13.6 meters and her cubic volume was 2,602 gross tons. She was powered by a single Niigata engine of 5,500 horsepower and her top speed was 18 knots. Refitted in the Philippines she had a passenger capacity of 1,424. She was given the name "Don Sulpicio" in honor of the founder and she became the flagship of Sulpicio Lines (this was the second ship to carry that name in the fleet). In 1981, after a fire and refitting she was renamed the "Dona Paz", the second to carry that name in the Sulpicio Lines fleet (the first was an ex-FS ship). A fine ship, she was unfortunately associated with great ignominy later.
In 1976, Sulpicio Lines acquired the sister ship of "Himeyuri Maru" from RKK Lines too, the "Otohime Maru" which was also built by Onomichi Zosen in the same yard in Onomichi, Japan three years later in 1966. She had the same Niigata powerplant of 5,500 horsepower. However, she was rated at 19.5 knots. She was 97.6 meters in length, 13.7 meters in breadth with a cubic volume of 2,991 gross tons. This ship was renamed to "Dona Ana" and together with "Don Sulpicio", Sulpicio Lines called them the "Big Two". They were used by Sulpicio Lines in fighting for their stake in the primary Manila-Cebu route. Later, they extended the route of "Dona Ana" to Davao. In 1980, "Dona Ana" was renamed to "Dona Marilyn". She held the Manila-Iloilo-Zamboanga-Cotabato route of Sulpicio Lines until she was reassigned the Manila-Catbalogan-Tacloban route with the arrival of the "Cotabato Princess". She held that route until her end.
In 1978, as Sulpicio Lines grew stronger, they acquired from RKK Lines again not one but two ships which were actually sister ships too but bigger than the earlier pair from Ryukyu Kaiun KK. These were the "Tokyo Maru" and the "Okinawa Maru" and again both were built by Onomichi Zosen in Onomichi yard in Japan. The first ship was built in 1969 and the second one was built in 1973. The "Tokyo Maru" had dimensions of 112.2 meters by 15.2 meters and she had cubic measurement of 3,510 gross tons. She was powered by a single Hitachi-B&W engine of 6,150 horsepower which gave her a top speed of 18.5 knots. "Okinawa Maru" measured 111.5 meters by 15.2 meters with a cubic volume of 3,800 gross tons. Her engine was a single Mitsubishi-MAN of 7,600 horsepower which gave her a top speed of 19 knots. Incidentally this engine also powered "Cotabato Princess", "Nasipit Princess", "SuperFerry 2", "SuperFerry 5" and "Cagayan Bay 1".
Dipolog Princess and Princess of the Caribbean
"Tokyo Maru" was renamed to "Don Eusebio" and "Okinawa Maru" was renamed to "Don Enrique". When the "Princesses" came into the nomenclature of Sulpicio Lines she became the "Davao Princess" in 1987 because she was actually the Davao specialist. Later, she was renamed to "Iloilo Princess" when she was no longer holding that route ("Filipina Princess" supplanted her in 1993). Her local passenger capacity, as refitted was 1,379. Meanwhile, "Don Eusebio" was renamed to "Dipolog Princess". She was then sailing the Manila-Dumaguete-Dipolog-Cagayan de Oro-Ozamis route. However, she was not actually calling in Dipolog but in Dapitan port. In her refitting here, her passenger capacity increased to 1,261. Later, she held the Manila-Tagbilaran-Dipolog-Iligan-Cebu route of the company until she was stopped from sailing.
The fifth and last cruiser Sulpicio Lines acquired in this period was the "Naha Maru" which also from RKK Line and she came in 1981. She was bigger than the earlier ships from RKK Line. The ship was built by Onomichi Zosen (again!) in Onomichi yard in Japan in 1972. She measured 130.9 meters by 16.8 meters and she had a cubic measurement of 4,957 gross tons. She was powered by a single Hitachi-B&W engine of 9,200 horsepower, the same type powering "Dipolog Princess" but with more cylinders. She had top speed of 20 knots when new. She was called as the "Philippine Princess" and she became the Sulpicio Lines flagship which means she held the Manila-Cebu route. For a long time, she and the William Lines' flagship "Dona Virginia" fought in that route. Refitted here, she had a passenger capacity of 1,633.
Photo credit: Philippine Daily Express and Gorio Belen
As a footnote, much later, when cruiser liners were no longer in vogue, Sulpicio Lines acquired another fast cruiser liner. This was the "Ogasawara Maru" of Tokai Kisen which was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Shimonoseki, Japan in 1979. She measured 110.5 meters by 15.2 meters and 3,553 gross tons. She was powered by two Mitsubishi engines totalling 11,600 horsepower and her top speed when new was 20.5 knots. She was known as the "Princess of the Caribbean" here and she came in 1997.
Like the William Lines fast cruiser liners, many of these Sulpicio fast cruiser liners also met grim fates (but in general they lasted longer and that is why the PSSS — Philippine Ship Spotters Society have still photos of them). Everybody knows the fate of "Dona Paz" which collided with a tanker in Tablas Strait on December 20, 1987 that resulted in great loss of lives.
The "Dona Marilyn", meanwhile, foundered in a typhoon off Biliran on October 24, 1988 on her way to Tacloban from Manila. The "Philippine Princess" was hit by fire while refitting in Cebu on December 5, 1997. She was towed to Manila where she was broken up. The "Iloilo Princess" was hit by another fire while also refitting in Cebu on July 4, 2003. She capsized in port and she was broken up, too.
The "Dipolog Princess" was the only survivor of the five. She was among the Sulpicio Lines ships suspended as a consequence of the capsizing of the "Princess of the Stars" in a typhoon in June of 2008. She never sailed again and she was just anchored in Mactan Channel and later moored at the Sulpicio wharf in Pier 7 in Mandaue, Cebu. Together with the "Princess of the Caribbean" she was sold to China breakers and she was demolished in Xinhui, China by Jiangmen Yinhu Ship Breaking Company on January 2011.
Now, even Sulpicio Lines is no more.


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A city of naughty pleasures
Vail, CO Colorado
Editor's note: This is the third story in a series of travel pieces on Europe. Visit http://www.vaildaily.com to read the first two stories.
Each time I've visited Amsterdam I have seen things that make me do a double take and smile. I'm not sure if it is due to the social freedoms of the city, the legalized marijuana and prostitution or the city's history of creativity and self expression, but a recent visit was no different. My quick two-day stay in this curious city with six friends, including one friend's parents, was a reminder to enjoy being myself and that I should never take myself too seriously.
My friends and I arrived by train from Belgium in the early afternoon. We jumped on a tram and headed straight for Rembrandt Square, where our friends and their parents had rented an apartment for a couple of days. After doing the math, it worked out cheaper for four of them to rent a two-bedroom apartment in the heart of old Amsterdam than get hotel rooms. The area was conveniently located near many tourist attractions, including the Red Light District. And let's face it, tourists love Amsterdam's Red Light District. Whether it is to smoke marijuana legally in a coffee shop, peruse the unique wares of the surrounding shops or just straight up stare at prostitutes at work in their windows, there is something about this city of naughty pleasures that peak most people's curiosity. It's like making it socially acceptable to stare at someone who just tripped and landed on their face. Whether you approve or not, most of us want to know what it's all about, so after finding our friends apartment, we headed out to explore the beautiful city of Amsterdam and its famous Red Light District.
Red Light contradictions
What makes Amsterdam such a unique city for me is its somewhat contradictory feel. Picturesque canals intersect city streets lined with houses of traditional Dutch architecture dating back to the Renaissance period and 19th century neoclassicism with Medieval churches dotted through out. This was the style we saw as we walked through the Red Light District. Beautiful, Renaissance-period Dutch buildings lined the canal, with glass windows that revealed provocatively-posed prostitutes waiting for their next customer. Narrow cobblestone alleyways were lined with smoke shops, traditional Dutch cafes and live sex shows. A medieval church sat next door to a sex store and a high-end chocolate shop; across the street, amazing, thought-provoking graffiti decorated a brick wall. In spite of its name, the area seemed more hip than sleazy.
Walking through the midst of all this we saw a complete cross-section of tourists. Teenagers giggled nervously as they tried to sneak peaks at the working women, while men and women of all walks of life approached the prostitutes, curious about prices. Stoner hippies lounged in coffee shops alongside working professionals. Romantic couples browsed the sex shops alongside creepy looking men and uninhibited women. And all around them, the people of Amsterdam went about their work, business as usual. A young, attractive looking prostitute sat in her window eating a bag of chips like it was a sexual entity for the entertainment of herself and people passing by, while at the next window, another, slightly older, slightly bigger prostitute sat in her window smoking a huge joint and blatantly staring back at tourists as they tried to discreetly stare at her. Meanwhile, on the street, beautiful swans floated down the canals, right past pimps enticing tourists into their sex shows, and all the while, road workers re-cobbled the streets wearing traditional Dutch clogs.
Sex lessons and souvenirs
Amsterdam is also a city of museums, with more than 60 museums specializing in art, such as the Van Gogh and Hermitage Museum, Anne Frank's house, and then the more uniquely themed ones including the liquor museums, marijuana museums and, of course, sex museums. That is what I wanted to see. You'll find art and culture around the world, but where else can you see the world history of sex? So we stepped into a narrow, five-story building with a grumpy cashier (who had maybe seen more sex then she was ever going to get) for an education on sex. This was not just a big sex shop with dildos, dirty magazines and sex swings that made the somewhat modest (like myself) uncomfortable. No, this was a look into sexual art dating back to the middle ages and further. This was a history of some of the most famously sexual cultures in the world, including the Japanese, the Indians and, of course, the Greeks. There were also toys, gadgets and pornography, including pornographic cartoons, which were displayed in an educational setting that made us all feel comfortable gaping at, until we understood what we were looking at.
Amsterdam is famous for many things, but what they really do well, and what showcases their sense of humor perfectly, are the souvenir shops. These are some of the funniest, most creative souvenirs I have seen in a western country. There are the obvious clogs and marijuana paraphernalia. But there are also clog-style fluffy slippers next to really clever T-shirts, trendy bags and undergarments with phrases that you could really only get away with in Amsterdam. I will leave the rest to your imagination, but finish by saying visiting souvenir shops in Amsterdam had me smiling all the way to the counter.
Art in curious places
The next morning, after all my friends had left for their next adventures, I headed out to explore on my own, figuring I would let myself get lost in the city, taking photos by myself before my flight. Imagine my surprise as I wandered towards the outskirts of the Red Light District only to stumble upon a beautiful old church showing the World Press Photographers exhibit. So I spent my final hours in this beautiful city overflowing with creativity, happily wandering through a medieval church admiring the best work from the best in my photojournalism
As I boarded my flight back to the U.S., I smiled as I recalled a couple I had seen in Amsterdam who seemed to epitomize the city's character. As we walked through the city I had noticed two men, one who was black and bald with black-rimmed glasses walking a white dog. His friend was a white man, bald, with black-rimmed glasses walking a black dog. People sitting at a nearby cafe started to sing Michael Jackson's "Black or White": "It don't matter if you're black or white" as they walked by, and the pair smiled, seemingly comfortable and humored by their distinctly unique look and the effect it had on the people they passed. Freedom of expression seemed to bring out the best in this curious city.
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Phyllis Bennis
Author Bio
Fellow Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at IPS. She is also a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam. She has been a writer, analyst, and activist on Middle East and UN issues for many years. In 2001 she helped found and remains on the steering committee of the U.S. Campaign to End Israeli Occupation. She works closely with the United for Peace and Justice anti-war coalition, co-chairs the UN-based International Coordinating Network on Palestine, and since 2002 has played an active role in the growing global peace movement. She continues to serve as an adviser to several top UN officials on Middle East and UN democratization issues.
Phyllis Bennis is the author of eight books:
From Stones to Statehood: The Palestinian Uprising (1990); Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's UN (2000); Before & After: US Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis (2003) [US Policy and the War on Terrorism, 2nd ed.]; Challenging Empire: How People, Governments, and the UN Defy US Power (2006); Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer (2009); Ending the Iraq War: A Primer (2009); Understanding the US-Iran Crisis: A Primer (2009); Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer (2010).
She is also co-editor of Beyond the Storm: A Gulf Crisis Reader (1991) and Altered States: A Reader in the New World Order (1993).
Stay up to date on events in the Middle East with Phyllis Bennis' free newsletter (delivered 1-2x a month).
Content by this author
Mubarak's Defiance
February 11, 2011
Tunisia's Spark and Egypt's Flame: the Middle East is Rising
January 31, 2011
WikiLeaks: War, Diplomacy & Ban ki-Moon's Toothbrush
December 1, 2010
Statement of Phyllis Bennis in advance of President Obama's speech detailing 'the end of the war in Iraq'
August 30, 2010
After the Massacre: The Global Impact of the Gaza Flotilla Crisis
June 7, 2010
Haiti Again?
January 19, 2010
Barely Making the Grade: Obama's First Year
January 14, 2010
Yemen: Deja Vu All Over Again
January 13, 2010
Annotate This! President Obama's Afghanistan Escalation Speech
December 2, 2009


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Officials cite plans to give Syrians lethal aid
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says President Barack Obama approved plans in June to give lethal aid to Syrian rebels, making the decision public for the first time.
Hagel and Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, both referred to the covert aid during a hearing on Obama's request that Congress approve military action against Syria.
Corker said he has been dismayed at the lack of support that has flowed to the rebels despite the promises of lethal aid.
Hagel acknowledged that Obama decided in June to send lethal aid to the rebels. He said the Pentagon has not been directly involved because it is "a covert action."
Officials have spoken quietly about the expected CIA aid but say none has been delivered.