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There is a Compendium for this document: GSTR 2001/8EC .
1. This Ruling explains how you can identify whether a supply includes taxable and non-taxable parts under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (the GST Act).
2. This Ruling describes the characteristics of a supply that contains taxable and non-taxable parts. It refers to such a supply as a 'mixed supply'. This Ruling also describes the characteristics of a supply that appears to have more than one part but is essentially a supply of one thing. This type of supply is referred to as a 'composite supply'.
3. This Ruling provides methods and examples that you may use to help you work out how to apportion the consideration for a supply that contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts. This means that you can identify the consideration for the taxable part of the supply. The Ruling explains that you do not need to apportion the consideration for a composite supply.
4. The Ruling also discusses how you can work out the value of the taxable part of a mixed supply under sections 9-75 and 9-80 of the GST Act.
5. This Ruling also applies to the valuation of the separate parts of a mixed supply that includes food. Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 explains the circumstances where a supply of food packaging is GST-free. If both the rule stated in paragraph 7 of Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 and the approach given in paragraph 21 of this Ruling apply to a supply that you make, then you may choose either approach.
5A. This Ruling does not deal with the question of whether, when more than one thing is supplied in a single transaction, the transaction should be characterised as a single supply or multiple supplies.
6. This Ruling does not deal with the apportionment of input tax credits. Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2006/4 is about determining the extent of creditable purpose for claiming input tax credits and for making adjustments in the extent of creditable purpose. It also explains several possible methods for determining the extent of creditable purpose.
7. Unless otherwise stated, all legislative references in this Ruling are to the GST Act.
8. This Ruling applies both before and after its date of issue. However, this Ruling will not apply to taxpayers to the extent that it conflicts with the terms of a settlement of a dispute agreed to before the date of issue of this Ruling (see paragraphs 75 and 76 of Taxation Ruling TR 2006/10).
it does not meet the taxable supply requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d).
In this Ruling, we refer to a supply (or part of a supply) that is not taxable as being non-taxable.
10. It may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether it wholly or partly meets the requirements of section 9-5 or a provision that makes it non-taxable.
11. Where you make a supply that is identifiable as having more than one part and each part is taxable, you do not need to apportion the consideration for the supply. This is because GST is payable on the whole supply. Similarly, if all of the parts of a supply are identifiable as being non-taxable, GST is not payable on any part of the supply.
12. However, where you make a supply that is a combination of separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts, you need to identify the taxable part of the supply. Then you can apportion the consideration for the supply and work out the GST payable on the taxable part of the supply.
13. A supply that may at first appear to be one thing may contain taxable and non-taxable parts on closer analysis. For example, a supply by way of a lease of goods, or a supply of rights or services used or consumed partly in Australia (taxable) and partly outside Australia (GST-free) may be regarded as having more than one part.
14. On the other hand, a supply that may at first appear to be a combination of taxable and non-taxable parts is not such a combination if it is given a specific treatment under the GST Act. For example, a supply consisting of a combination of foods that comes within paragraph 38-3(1)(c) is not a mixed supply (that is, a combination of taxable and GST-free parts) because the whole supply is treated as food that is not GST-free.
15. This ruling uses the terms 'mixed supply' and 'composite supply' which are not found in the GST Act. However, these terms are used to identify whether a supply has taxable and non-taxable components which, in turn, informs the extent to which a supply may be a taxable supply.
16. In this Ruling the term 'mixed supply' is used to describe a supply that has to be separated or unbundled as it contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts that need to be individually recognised.
16A Paragraphs 45 to 54C of this Ruling explain how to identify whether a supply has separately identifiable parts.
17. In this Ruling, the term 'composite supply' is used to describe a supply that contains a dominant part and includes something that is integral, ancillary or incidental to that part. You treat a composite supply as a supply of a single thing. Paragraphs 55 to 63 explain what are integral, ancillary or incidental parts.
18. A composite supply is either taxable or non-taxable. It may also be a part of a larger mixed supply.
18A. You need to consider all of the circumstances of a supply to work out whether the supply is mixed or composite. GST is only payable on the taxable part of a mixed supply. If a composite supply is taxable, then GST is payable on the whole supply. If a composite supply is non-taxable, then no GST is payable on the supply.
19. Where a transaction comprises a bundle of features and acts, it may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether a particular provision applies in whole or in part. The characterisation should be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the object of the particular statutory provision in issue. For example, if a provision specifically requires different treatment of two components of a transaction, this will mean that the two components must necessarily be separately recognised. However, that does not mean that the two components need to be separately recognised for all purposes of the GST Act.
19B. Having regard to the essential character and with regard to the statutory provision in issue, you can then determine whether the transaction is a mixed supply because it has separately identifiable parts that the GST Act treats as taxable and non-taxable, or whether it is a composite supply because one part of the supply should be regarded as being the dominant part, with the other parts being integral, ancillary or incidental to that dominant part.
20. The distinction between parts that are separately identifiable and things that are integral, ancillary or incidental, is a question of fact and degree. In deciding whether a supply consists of more than one part we take the view that you adopt a commonsense approach.
20% of the consideration for the total supply.
22. If you choose not to apply this approach, then you need to make an objective assessment about whether the thing is integral, ancillary or incidental.
23. You cannot use this approach where a provision of the GST Act specifically requires you to treat a part of a supply in a particular way, regardless of its scale or connection with the supply. For example, the supply of food as part of an excursion or field trip may otherwise be considered to be integral, ancillary or incidental to the supply of the excursion or field trip, but paragraph 38-90(2)(b) specifies that such food will not be GST-free. This means that the consideration for the field trip requires apportionment.
24. A part of a supply may, on an objective assessment, be something that forms an integral, ancillary or incidental part of the supply even if the consideration for it would exceed the lesser of $3.00 or 20% of the consideration for the total supply.
25. GST is payable on a mixed supply that you make, but only to the extent that the supply is taxable. You need to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply between the taxable and non-taxable parts to find the consideration for the taxable part.
26. Apportionment must be undertaken as a matter of practical commonsense. You can use any reasonable basis to apportion the consideration. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the supply, a direct or indirect method may be an appropriate basis upon which to apportion the consideration and ascertain the value of the taxable part of the supply. The basis you choose must be supportable in the particular circumstances.
27. You should keep records that explain the basis used to apportion the consideration between the taxable and non-taxable parts of a supply.
28. The amount of GST payable on a taxable supply is 10% of the value of the taxable supply. The application of sections 9-70, 9-75 and 9-80 to a mixed supply gives an amount of GST payable of 10% of the value of the taxable part of the mixed supply.
29. To work out the value of the taxable part of a supply you identify the parts of the supply and apportion the consideration to each of the parts on some reasonable basis. The value of the taxable part of a supply that does not have GST-free or input taxed parts is determined under section 9-75. The value of the taxable part of the supply is 10/11 of the consideration for the taxable part, and the GST payable is equivalent to 1/11 of that consideration.
30. In the case of a mixed supply that has non-taxable parts that are GST-free or input taxed, the value of the taxable part is determined in accordance with section 9-80. To determine the value of the taxable part it is necessary to calculate the taxable proportion, that is, the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable part represents.
30A. Following the Full Federal Court decision in Commissioner of Taxation v Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd FCAFC 20; 2011 ATC 20-243; (2011) 79 ATR 768 (Luxottica) that proportion is calculated by the decision maker drawing a conclusion on the facts as to the value of the taxable part and the relationship that value has with the price of the actual supply.
30B. Paragraphs 114 to 118 of this Ruling explain how you calculate the GST payable on the taxable part of a mixed supply, and illustrate that, once the GST-exclusive value of the taxable part of the supply is determined, the GST payable is simply 10% of that value. Alternatively the GST payable on the taxable part is 1/11 of the GST-inclusive value of the taxable part of the supply.
31. GST is structured around the concept of supply. An analysis of the character of a supply may be necessary to determine how a particular provision of the Act applies to the supply.
31A. In Commissioner of Taxation v. Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas) HCA 41, S 47 2012, the High Court considered whether there could only be a 'supply for consideration' within the meaning of sub-section 9-5(a) of the GST Act in circumstances where the 'essence or purpose' of the transaction was fulfilled (paragraphs and ). The majority implicitly rejected such a proposition (paragraphs and ).
31B. While the decision of the High Court in Qantas does not disturb the approach to mixed and composite supplies established by prior court decisions, it illustrates that it is not necessary to always characterise a supply on the basis of the 'mixed' or 'composite' analysis. Rather, the mixed/composite analysis is only relevant where it is necessary to determine whether (and to what extent) the supply meets the description in a particular statutory provision that may be in issue. Even then, the High Court decision illustrates the importance of undertaking the mixed/composite analysis in a manner that is consistent with the object and purpose of the provision.
32. The scheme of the GST Act depends on a clear distinction being made between taxable and non-taxable supplies. The GST Act provides that a taxable supply comes within its ambit, but not to the extent that it contains any non-taxable parts. Parts may be non-taxable if they are GST-free, input taxed, otherwise made non-taxable by a provision of the GST Act, or if they do not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d).
you are registered, or required to be registered.
34. Also, the meaning of taxable supply is affected by other provisions of the GST Act. Appendix A includes things that the GST Act specifies are not a taxable supply or are to be treated as if they were not a taxable supply. This means that a supply that might otherwise meet the criteria required of a taxable supply will not be taxable.
35. Subdivision 9-C states how you work out the GST payable on a taxable supply. The amount of GST is 10% of the value of the taxable supply. You work out the value of a taxable supply from the price of the supply. Where the consideration for the supply is expressed as an amount of money, the price is the amount payable on the supply. If the consideration (or part of it) is not expressed as an amount of money, the price is (or includes) the GST inclusive market value of the consideration.
36. Section 9-80 deals with supplies that are partly taxable, and partly GST-free or input taxed. It describes how you work out the value of the part of such a supply that is a taxable supply.
37. If all of the parts in a supply have the same GST treatment, then there is no requirement to separately identify each part. That is, if all of the parts are taxable, then apportionment of the consideration is not necessary as GST is payable on the total value of the supply. Similarly, if all of the parts are non-taxable, then no GST is payable on the supply and apportionment is not necessary.
39. However, other supplies are more complex and contain (or may appear to contain) more than one part. In these cases, you need to further analyse the supply to determine its character and GST treatment.
40. Where a transaction comprises a bundle of features and acts, it may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether a particular provision applies in whole or in part. The characterisation should be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the object of the particular statutory provision in issue. For example, if a provision specifically requires different treatment of two components of a transaction, this will mean that the two components must necessarily be separately recognised. However, that does not mean that the two components need to be separately recognised for all purposes of the GST Act.
40A. An identification of the essential character of what is supplied may inform whether a particular transaction falls within the terms of a specific statutory provision, and whether it does so wholly or only to some extent. You must consider all of the circumstances of the transaction to ascertain its essential character. However, that does not mean that an economic substance over legal form approach is endorsed for working out the essential character of what is supplied. For more guidance on how to characterise a supply, go to paragraphs 222 to 246 of Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2006/9.
41. By having regard to the essential character or features of the transaction it can be ascertained whether a supply contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts or is a composite supply of one thing. It is a composite supply of one thing if one part of the supply should be regarded as being the dominant part, with the other parts being integral, ancillary or incidental to that dominant part.
42. In this Ruling, we use the words integral, ancillary and incidental to assist in determining whether or not a part of a supply needs to be individually recognised or separately identified.
43. A mixed supply is a single supply made up of separately identifiable parts, where one or more of the parts is taxable and one or more of the parts is non-taxable, and these parts are not integral, ancillary or incidental in relation to a dominant part of the supply. On the other hand, a composite supply is a single supply made up of one dominant part and other parts that are not treated as having a separate identity as they are integral, ancillary or incidental to the dominant part of the supply.
44. In working out whether you are making a mixed or composite supply, the key question is whether the supply should be regarded as having more than one separately identifiable part, or whether it is essentially a supply of one dominant part with one or more integral, ancillary or incidental parts.
44A. In Saga Holidays v Commissioner of Taxation (Saga Holidays),[20A] Stone J focussed on the 'social and economic reality' of the supply and found that the accommodation component that included a number of components in addition to the right to occupy a room is a single supply which is properly characterised as a supply of real property. This is an example of a composite supply.
44B. In Westley Nominees Pty Ltd v Coles Supermarkets Pty Ltd (Westley Nominees)[20B] Ryan, Heerey and Edmonds JJ made an assessment of what the expenditure was calculated to effect from a practical and business point of view. In so doing it was concluded that there was a single supply of a lease and the other benefits were ancillary to that supply.
44C. In Luxottica, taking a commonsense and practical approach, the supply was characterised as the supply of one thing, namely spectacles. However, the supply was a mixed supply because of the effect of a particular provision of the GST Act. The supply of lenses for prescription spectacles is GST-free under section 38-45 and Item 155 of Schedule 3.
45A. In Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation (Food Supplier),[21A] promotional items packaged with food had intrinsic value, would not be consumed with the food and were mostly unconnected with the food. This was so even when, for example, the main item was a jar of coffee and the promotional item was a mug in which coffee might be served. In these circumstances the Tribunal found that the supply of the promotional items packaged with the food items was a mixed supply. [21B] In such a case, it could not be said that the food component was the dominant part of the supply and the promotional item was ancillary or incidental to the supply of the food.
45B. Various overseas cases have considered whether the elements of a transaction are separately identifiable or ancillary, integral or incidental to a dominant part of the transaction. Some of these cases are discussed below to illustrate that the question is one of fact and degree. However, while illustrative, it is important to recognise the different legislative context. [21C] Under the United Kingdom and European VAT systems, this question is asked in determining whether there is a single supply or multiple supplies. The concept of a single supply with separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts is not found in the United Kingdom or European VAT law. In particular, there is no equivalent to Australia's mixed supply and section 9-80.
45C. In the United Kingdom case of Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (Sea Containers), day train excursions were provided together with elaborate 'fine wining and dining'. [21D] Advertising for the excursions placed significant emphasis on the food, wine and attentive service provided.
47. Sea Containers can be contrasted with British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (British Airways), another United Kingdom case. In this case, the question was whether British Airways was to be taken as making supplies of air transport and of catering services, or a single supply of air transport with the catering services being merely integral or ancillary (a composite supply).
49. The Court was also influenced by the fact that no separate charge was made for the in-flight catering, and the price of the air ticket did not vary, regardless of the type of meal provided or whether or not meals were provided. It was not part of the contractual obligation of the airline to supply meals, even if meals were expected as part of the service. Customers could not obtain a refund if a meal was not served on their flight.
50. Sea Containers and British Airways show that different conclusions may be reached after taking into account the relevant facts of cases that are similar.
Millett LJ also found that courts need to ask whether one part is connected with the other, or whether the two parts are 'physically and economically dissociable'.
52. The Commissioner's view is that a supply has separately identifiable parts where the parts require individual recognition and retention as separate parts, due to their relative significance in the supply. This view applies where the supply is comprised of a mix of separate things, such as various combinations of goods and services, including the provision of advice.
54. Any of the separately identifiable parts that comprise a mixed supply may themselves be composite, being comprised of a dominant part and an integral, ancillary or incidental part. Example 8 in paragraph 76 is a mixed supply with composite parts.
54A. Further, separately identifiable parts of a supply may not be individually recognised because of the effect of a specific provision of the GST Act. For example, a supply to an eligible disabled person of a car part and labour services in fitting that part may be considered to have separately identifiable parts due to their relative significance in the supply. However, in subsections 38-505(4) and 38-510(4), the expression a 'supply of car parts' includes the labour services in fitting the car parts to the car of an eligible disabled person. There is a single GST-free 'supply of car parts'.
54B. The inclusion of labour services gives effect to the legislative purpose, as identified by reference to Subdivision 38-P and section 38-45, that a functioning car for suitable transportation is to be supplied to an eligible disabled person GST-free.
54C. A supply is GST-free under subsections 38-505(4) and 38-510(4) only if the supply is a 'supply of car parts'. Car parts supplied as an integral, ancillary or incidental component of a car service are not a supply of car parts under either of those subsections. For example, spark plugs supplied in the course of a routine service of a car are not a supply of car parts. Those car parts are only an incidental part of a supply that is properly regarded as a supply of services, not a supply of car parts.
55. Some supplies include parts that do not need to be separately recognised for GST purposes. We refer to these parts of a supply as being integral, ancillary or incidental. In a composite supply, the dominant part of the supply has subordinate parts that complement the dominant part. If such a supply is analysed in a commonsense way, it can be seen that the supply is essentially the provision of one thing. It need not be broken down, unbundled or dissected any further. For this reason, a composite supply may appear, at first, to have more than one part, but is treated as if it is the supply of one thing.
55B. In Saga Holidays Stone J focussed on the 'social and economic reality' of the supply and found that there was a single supply of accommodation and the adjuncts to that supply (including the use of the furniture and facilities within each room, cleaning and linen services, access to common areas and facilities such as pools and gymnasiums and various other hotel services such as porterage and concierge) were incidental and ancillary to the accommodation part of the supply.
55C. In Westley Nominees the Full Federal Court considered what the expenditure was calculated to effect from a practical and business point of view in characterising the supply as a single supply.
58. You will need to consider all of the facts to determine whether the supply that you make has any parts that are integral, ancillary or incidental.
it contributes to the proper performance of the contract to supply the dominant part.
59A. The factors listed in paragraph 59 of this Ruling are not necessarily the only ones that may be taken into account in properly characterising a supply. In any given case there may be other particular circumstances that are relevant. It may also be necessary to weigh up those factors which may point to part of a supply being integral, ancillary or incidental against the relative significance of the parts in the supply and therefore consider whether the parts should be recognised as separate parts. It is a question of fact and degree whether a supply is mixed or composite.
20% of the consideration of the total supply.
61. You may use this approach to treat a supply as a composite supply, although it might otherwise be considered as a mixed supply. However, if the consideration for a part exceeds the lesser of $3.00 or 20% of the consideration for the total supply, it does not necessarily mean that the part is not integral, ancillary or incidental.
62. Smartwheat supplies a packet of cereal that contains a sheet of 4 stickers, for $4.20. Of this consideration, 20 cents is for the set of stickers and $4.00 is for the cereal. Because the consideration for the stickers is less than $3.00 and is also less than 20% of the total consideration, Smartwheat may treat the stickers as being incidental. The supply is treated as being a supply of GST-free cereal.
63. However, in some cases, no matter how insignificant a part may be, that part is recognised as being a part in its own right where a provision of the GST Act specifically requires you to recognise it, regardless of its scale and connection with the supply. For example, certain education excursions or field trips are GST-free under section 38-90. However, paragraph 38-90(2)(b) specifically provides that the supply of food as part of the excursion or field trip is not GST-free under this provision. Therefore, a supply of food cannot be regarded as an incidental part of the supply of the excursion or field trip.
64. Many transactions consist of a variety of things packaged for a single consideration. Particularly in a promotional package, the supply of one part often depends in some way on the supply of the other parts. The parts do not have to be physically packaged together to constitute a package deal.
65. For example, goods are often offered together in one promotion for a single price, such as buy one and get one free, buy two for the price of one, or buy three for the price of two.
66. Whether you characterise a package deal as being mixed or composite depends on the factors discussed at paragraphs 40 to 63 of this Ruling. The package deal may be a composite or a mixed supply, depending on all of the circumstances.
67. An example of a package deal that is a composite supply is where you supply a 250 millilitre bottle of sunscreen (GST-free) with a 10 gram bonus sachet of moisturiser (taxable). The consideration is not apportioned as the whole of the supply is GST-free.
a coffee plunger (taxable) and a 200 gram jar of premium coffee (GST-free) that are sold together at a single discount price.
69. The terms of a promotion and their relevance to determining the value of the taxable part of the supply are discussed further at paragraphs 81U to 81ZG of this Ruling.
70. Roberto owns a building comprising both residential and commercial premises. He leases the building to Lawrence who operates a small recruitment agency from the commercial premises and lives in the residential part. The supply of the residential part is input taxed. The supply of the commercial part is taxable. Roberto is making a mixed supply that is partly taxable and partly input taxed.
71. A natural therapies college allows students to select four individual units from both GST-free and taxable courses. Students with good grades are permitted to undertake a fifth unit for no extra charge. Barbara takes advantage of this offer and selects both taxable and GST-free units. Barbara's packaged course is a mixed supply. The part of the consideration that is for the taxable parts needs to be worked out, with the fees charged to be apportioned between the five units.
72. Rory is a student who lodges in a university's residential college. The college provides full board by way of a furnished room and meals. The college charges an all-inclusive fee for the board. The furnishing merely forms part of the amenity of the room and is integral to its supply. However, neither the room nor meals are integral, ancillary or incidental to each other. This is a mixed supply of input taxed residential premises and meals that are taxable. The college needs to work out its liability for the taxable part of the supply by apportioning the fee between the room and the meals.
73. Terrence supplies a promotional pack that consists of 'Toff's Tea' and a china cup and saucer. The tea is GST-free, and the cup and saucer are taxable. Each part of the supply has significant value. This is a mixed supply because the tea, and the cup and saucer are separately identifiable, and each would not be considered merely incidental or ancillary to the other.
74. A private health fund offers six months gym membership with every purchase of its premium cover package. Both the health cover and the gym membership are, in this case, each of significant value when viewed as a part of the total package, such that it can not be said that the essential character of the supply is of one part and not the other part of the supply. This is a mixed supply.
75. Harry sells assorted hampers. The 'Deluxe Picnic Hamper' includes food and beverage items (bread rolls, cheese, fruit, chocolate and fruit juice), and a silver handled knife which are packaged with a wooden bread board. The supply of the chocolate, knife and bread board is taxable. The other items are GST-free. Each of the parts of the supply are significant. The sale of the 'Deluxe Picnic Hamper' is a mixed supply and Harry needs to apportion the consideration for the hamper.
76. An Australian research company grants an Australian resident the right to manufacture and sell a new product that the Australian research company has designed. The agreement is made in Australia. The right is for use in Australia and Pacific rim countries. The right will enable the resident to generate significant sales in Australia and other countries. As part of the agreement, the Australian research company will also provide insignificant technical support for the manufacturing process. The technical support is integral, ancillary or incidental to the grant of the right and is not regarded as a separate part. The supply is a mixed supply because it is comprised of a taxable part (the right to the extent it is for use in Australia) and a GST-free part (the right to the extent it is for use outside Australia).
77. A customer of 'Net-it-out' places an order for GST-free food through the internet. Net-it-out supplies the goods to the customer's doorstep for the price listed on its internet site. In this case, Net-it-out is making a supply of delivered GST-free goods, and has no liability to account for GST on the delivery of them. In this case, delivery is an integral, ancillary or incidental part of a supply as the supply is of delivered goods.
78. The Restless Traveller Hotel supplies guests with a picnic box that consists of bread rolls, tomatoes, a packet of cheese slices and bananas. All of these items are GST-free and are packed in a disposable cardboard box. Also included in the picnic box are some paper serviettes and a plastic knife, that are ordinarily taxable, but in this case they are insignificant in terms of scale and connection with the food. The serviettes and knife merely contribute to the better enjoyment of the dominant parts of the supply (the food). They are integral, ancillary or incidental to the supply. The consideration for the picnic box does not need to be apportioned.
79. The Heart Hospital provides GST-free hospital treatment. During hospital stays, patients are provided with the use of newspapers and television sets. No extra charges are made for the provision of these goods. They are merely incidental and ancillary to the composite supply of hospital treatment.
80. A hearing aid is supplied with a small brush that is used as an accessory to clean the hearing aid so that it performs properly. Compared to the value of the hearing aid, the brush represents a small proportion of the value of the total package. In this case, from a commonsense and objective approach, a customer who purchases the package is acquiring a hearing aid. The supply of the brush is not regarded as a part, but is merely ancillary to the supply of the hearing aid. This is a composite supply.
81. Justine sells tyres for a price that includes fitting and balancing. The GST Act makes no relevant distinction between the provision of the goods, being tyres, and the service, being the fitting and balancing. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to characterise the supply to determine whether it is a mixed or composite supply.
81A. For supplies that are partly taxable and partly GST-free or input taxed the value of the taxable part is calculated under section 9-80. That section requires an apportionment. It is necessary to determine the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable part represents.
81B. Subsection 9-80(1) defines the value of the taxable part of the supply upon which GST is payable. The value of the taxable part is defined s the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable supply represents.
81E. In Luxottica the Full Federal Court found that the proportion in section 9-80 could not be determined in accordance with the formula in subsection 9-80(2) because the method for calculation prescribed in that section involved 2 unknowns, the value of the actual supply and the proportion.
81G. Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd (Luxottica) ran various promotions the terms of which were that spectacle frames were offered at a discount from the normal selling price (and the discounts took various forms such as 25% off or $100 off the normal selling price of the frames) but on condition that the customers purchased a complete pair of spectacles. What was held out to a customer who wished to take advantage of one of these promotions was that the frame was being sold to the customer at a discount, the lenses were sold without any discount, and the price of the complete pair of spectacles was the aggregate of these two amounts.
81H. Frames had increasingly become fashion accessories and not just the means of holding lenses in place. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) at first instance found as fact that this commercial significance provided context for Luxottica's sales approach to frames, as opposed to lenses, including the giving of discounts on frames. Customers returned to buy new frames even though their prescription needs had not altered.
there was nothing contrived or artificial about the pricing methodology adopted by the Applicant in its promotional arrangements.
81J. The proportion was the fraction that the discounted selling price of the taxable frames (less GST) bore to the actual selling price of the spectacles (less GST).
81K. The Tribunal added that the fact that the discounted price was conditional on the purchase of the lenses 'does not undermine the reasonableness of te calculation of the taxable proportion in this way'.
81L. The Full Federal Court considered that the above showed that the Tribunal made a considered decision as to the value of the taxable supply based on findings of fact that it was entitled to make.
81M. To work out the taxable proportion following the Full Federal Court decision, the value of the taxable part of the supply has to be determined by having regard to the facts and circumstances and taking a practical, commonsense approach. The question to be answered is what is a fair and reasonable measure of the value of the taxable part?
81N. The value of the taxable part of a supply may be >synonymous with the selling price of that part as in Luxottica or, as in Food Supplier, where there was no market for the taxable promotion item, it may be necessary to consider other practical, commonsense means of fixing value such as cost plus a margin.
81O. Once that value is determined the proportion is the fraction that value (excluding GST) bears to the consideration for the actual supply (excluding GST).
81P. Examples illustrating the calculation of the taxable proportion under section 9-80 are found at paragraphs 97A to 108A of this Ruling.
81Q Depending on the facts and circumstances in any particular case a direct or indirect method may be appropriate to determine the value of the taxable part for the purposes of calculating the taxable proportion. This is discussed at paragraphs 97 to 111 of this Ruling.
81R At paragraphs 92 to 113 of this Ruling guidance is provided as to what is a fair and reasonable measure of value of the taxable part of the supply in different factual situations.
81S. The value should be based on a consideration of all the facts and circumstances including the relationship that component of the supply has with the price of the actual supply and not because it gives you a particular result (see paragraph 95 of this Ruling).
81U. In Food Supplier the applicant sold GST-free food products like instant coffee. Sometimes the food product was packaged with a non-food product such as a mug, alarm clock, radio or cricket ball and the package was sold for a single consideration. The promotional items were described on the package as 'free'.
The promotion items could only be acquired in packages with the food products. The taxpayer would not supply them free of charge alone. That suggests to me that there was consideration for the supply of the packaged product as a whole, including the promotion item. The consideration for the supply of the two items was the single price paid for the two of them. The purchaser makes a payment 'in connection with' the supply as a whole (s 9-15(1)(a)). Words such as 'in connection with' have a wide meaning HP Mercantile Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation 2005 ATC 4571; (2005) 143 FCR 553 at 563). Alternatively, payment is made 'in response to or for the inducement of' the supply (s 9-15(1)(b)).
81X. There is a view that the decision in Food Supplier is inconsistent with this statement. It is said that the terms of the promotion in Food Supplier were that the promotional item was supplied 'free' and therefore the value of that item must be zero. However, the decision in Luxottica does not stand for the proposition that the terms of a promotion are always determinative of the value of the taxable part of the supply. In Luxottica, other factors were taken into account in determining the value of the taxable frames.
81Y. Critical to the decision in Food Supplier was the finding as a matter of fact that the consideration was paid for the package comprising both the food and promotional items. That is, the consideration was an undissected price[44G] in connection with all parts of the package. In the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal found that some part of the consideration must be apportioned to the taxable item. This requires a conclusion regarding the value of the taxable item.
In Food Supplier there were two items sold for one composite price. The distinction between Food Supplier and this case is that in this case there were two items or components and in respect of each of those components there was an agreed price which was in no way artificial or contrived. By contrast, in Food Supplier there was one undissected price in respect of the supply of two items. It follows that Food Supplier is distinguishable.
81ZB. The Commissioner takes the view that Food Supplier and Luxottica are distinguishable. The Commissioner also takes the view that Food Supplier and Luxottica were each determined based on their own specific facts and circumstances, and neither case is determinative of every possible situation. While the Full Federal Court said in Luxottica that how a promotion is structured is a matter for the commercial judgment of the seller, it is still necessary to determine the connection between the consideration and the things supplied.
81ZC. For example, consider a situation where the taxable part of a mixed supply is reduced by a dollar discount amount to nil consideration. If, on the facts, the consideration for the actual supply is properly found to be only in connection with the GST-free part of the supply, section 9-80 does not apply. There is only a GST-free supply for consideration.
81ZD. However, if on a proper consideration of the terms and the surrounding circumstances apportionment of the discount wholly to the taxable component is merely a contrivance to reduce the GST otherwise payable, and does not reflect the true commercial position, that would not be a practical, commonsense basis of apportionment. In those circumstances, it would not be accepted that the value of the taxable item is zero. That value would not be a fair and reasonable measure of the value of the taxable part. Section 9-80 applies to determine the value of the taxable part of the supply.
During the course of the hearing mention was made of 'loss leading'. Assume by way of example that a store has an excess of clocks of a certain make. It advertises that it will sell those clocks at a substantial discount (compared to its previously advertised price) to anyone who will purchase other goods costing not less than $100. We can see no reason why, absent tax avoidance or sham, the price for the other goods and also the price for the clock is not for GST purposes the discounted price for the clock and the list prices for the other items purchased.
81ZF. This reasoning could in particular circumstances extend to cases where something was given away for free as part of a promotional package, perhaps as a genuine loss leader or goodwill promotional gesture.
81ZG. A shop owner has a surplus of a particular type of confectionery which normally sells for $7 per block but which is nearing its 'use-by' date. Rather than have the goods lose their value, he advertises, as a 'one-off' promotion, that he will give away blocks of this confectionery to the first 100 customers that buy at least $30 worth of other food items. For the sales in question, the business owner apportions all the consideration to the other food items, and nil consideration to the confectionery. In the particular circumstances, this may be considered a reasonable apportionment of the consideration. There are sound commercial reasons for this one-off promotion and no evidence to suggest that it is contrived to reduce the GST otherwise payable.
During the hearing there was considerable discussion of an example posed by the Tribunal. Assume that a car supplier supplies a car which in the ordinary way will cost $40,000 but advertises that it will sell the car for $5 if the customer buys a bottle of water for $39,995. In the opinion of the Tribunal such a transaction will quite clearly be contrived and will not be given credence by a court.
81ZI. Felicity is a registered medical practitioner who provides cosmetic medical procedures using certain drugs. She provides a cosmetic procedure using a drug that is GST-free but the supply of the medical service is taxable. The procedure usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes to carry out. Felicity invoices the patient but only applies consideration to the GST-free supply of the drug. The medical service is not considered to be incidental to the supply of the drug because it is an important part of the cosmetic procedure and it has considerable value because of the level of professional skill and time involved. The supply by Felicity is a mixed supply and the consideration is in respect of both parts. It is unreasonable in these circumstances that no consideration relates to the medical service. There is no commercial reason for Felicity to not apply any of the consideration to the taxable medical supply.
81ZJ. Section 9-80 only prescribes a statutory method for calculating the value of a taxable supply that is part of an actual supply that has GST-free or input taxed parts. For other kinds of mixed supplies[44K] the calculation of the value of the taxable part must be made under section 9-75.
81ZL. Subsection 9-75(1) provides that the price is the sum of the monetary consideration[44L] and the non monetary consideration.[44M] Price is therefore the total consideration for the supply. The value of the taxable supply is the consideration less GST.
82. The GST Act includes a number of specific provisions which state that certain supplies are not a taxable supply. For example, subsection 66-45(1) provides that, in some circumstances, a supply of goods that were part of an acquisition of second-hand goods divided for re-supply, is not a taxable supply. This means that these supplies are not taxable supplies, regardless of whether they meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). Similarly, any other supply that does not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d) is not a taxable supply. In other cases, it may be argued that the statutory context allows a particular provision to be read as requiring apportionment.
83. Where non-taxable supplies are made separately, no further issue arises. However, where there are non-taxable parts of a mixed supply that also contains taxable parts, the value of which is determined under section 9-75 (and not section 9-80), the question arises whether the GST Act requires you to apportion the consideration for the supply in the absence of a specific apportionment rule.
84. The establishment of a sufficient nexus between a supply and the monetary (and non-monetary) payment received for that supply is central and essential to the proper operation of the GST Act. Establishment of this nexus indicates that there is consideration for the supply.
85. Apportionment also enables the proper operation of the GST Act, that is, to tax only that which is taxable. This would be prevented if the consideration for a supply that includes a non-taxable part could not be apportioned in the same manner as if the supplies had been made separately.
86. This point is demonstrated by a simple example. A registered sole trader supplies two cars for a single price. One car (a 'business' car) has been used exclusively in the sole trader's enterprise and the other (a 'private' car) exclusively for private purposes. If each car is supplied separately, then GST is correctly payable only on the supply of the business car. The supply of the private car attracts no GST. It would be anomalous if either GST was payable on the whole amount (including the supply of the private car), or not payable at all, simply because the two cars are sold together for the one price.
87. Furthermore, it would not be logical or equitable to deny an input tax credit to a registered recipient of a mixed supply that includes a non-taxable part, merely for the reason that no part of the payment for the supply can be apportioned to the taxable part.
the exclusion from a taxable supply to the extent that the supply is GST-free or input taxed in section 9-5, does not contain words which similarly exclude other non-taxable supplies (but things that the GST Act specifically states are not a taxable supply and things that do not meet one or more of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d) do not need such legislative treatment).
91. We are of the view that the GST Act inherently requires that the parts of a mixed supply be identified and that the consideration be apportioned where a sufficient nexus between the supply and its consideration is established. This approach gives practical effect to the intention of the GST Act and is consistent with a commonsense and equitable outcome.
93. What is a reasonable method of apportioning the consideration for a mixed supply depends on the circumstances of each case. In some cases, there will be only one reasonable method you may use.
94. Depending on your circumstances, you may use a direct or indirect method when apportioning the consideration for a mixed supply.
95. The method you choose should be based on a consideration of all the circumstances and not because it gives you a particular result. You may need to use different methods, or a combination of methods, for different supplies to ensure the appropriate amount of GST is payable. You need to keep records that explain all transactions and other acts you engage in that are relevant to supplies you make, including supplies that are GST-free and input taxed.
96. Where consideration is apportioned in a manner that cannot be justified in terms of reasonableness, the general anti-avoidance provisions of the GST Act may have application.
the relative floor area in a supply of property (see paragraphs 106 to 108 of this Ruling).
97A. Depending on the facts and circumstances of a mixed supply, the price allocated to the taxable component may be regarded as the most appropriate measure of value of the taxable part of the supply.
97B. Eye Specs sells prescription spectacles. Harry purchases a particular brand of frames for $165 and prescription lenses for $89.
97C. The price of the frames is a reasonable measure of value upon which to determine the taxable proportion. The price of the frames is their ordinary selling price and the price of the lenses is determined by the complexity of the optical prescription.
97D. The price of the spectacles is the aggregate of the price of the frames and the price of the lenses.
97E. The selling price of the frames is $165 and of the spectacles is $254. The GST payable is $15.
97F. Ocean Parks and Vans sells memberships which offer discounts for short term stays at their caravan parks. They offer a membership gift package which includes a 1 year membership and a $100 voucher for short term stays. The package is sold for $155. A 1 year membership normally sells for $55.
97H. The value of the taxable supply is calculated under section 9-75. The value of the taxable part is $50 (that is, the price of the membership, $55 x 10/11). The GST payable is $5.
97I. In many cases, you may make a mixed supply that involves a discount promotion. The value of the taxable part must be determined as a matter of practical commonsense having regard to the relevant facts and circumstances of the supply and the relationship that the value of the taxable part has with the price of the actual supply.
97J. Melissa sells prescription spectacles. She normally sells a particular brand of frames for $160 and prescription lenses for $89. The frames are an old style and not selling well so Melissa runs a promotion offering an aggregate price of $199 for the frames and lenses. The $50 discount is applied to these particular frames but only if they are purchased with a pair of prescription lenses to be fitted into the frames. The discount was not available if frames only were purchased.
97K. The discounted price of the frames is a reasonable measure of value upon which to determine the taxable proportion. There are sound commercial reasons for discounting the frames (older style of frames that were not selling well). The frames were a key part of the promotion and this was the offer made to and accepted by the customer.
97L. The price of the spectacles is the aggregate of the discounted price of the frames and the undiscounted price of the lenses.
97M. The selling price of the frames and lenses is $199. The taxable proportion is 52.9% (the GST-exclusive price of the frames (that is, $100) divided by the GST-exclusive selling price of the spectacles (that is, $189)). The GST payable is $10.
98. Where it is possible to determine the price for which each part would have been supplied if it was supplied separately (for example, the general retail market price for which the goods are sold), then an apportionment on this basis may be reasonable. If you use this basis, the GST you pay is the same as if you supplied the taxable parts separately in the same market.
98A. A teapot is sold together with 100g of tea for $25. The teapot is also sold separately for $15 and the tea for $10. It is reasonable in this case to apportion the $25 based on the normal selling price of the teapot.
98B. The value of the teapot (the taxable component) is commensurate with its normal selling price of $15. The GST payable is $1.36.
99. Where you cannot establish an appropriate market price for which particular goods are sold, then it may be reasonable for you to use a relevant market price for a similar supply (or an industry standard), to determine the appropriate price of the particular goods.
100. In many cases, you may make a mixed supply for a package price. The package price for the mixed supply may involve a discount promotion. Apportionment of the consideration must be undertaken as a matter of practical commonsense. This is illustrated in the following examples.
100A. Example 13C can be contrasted with the following examples.
101. Michael sells prescription spectacles. He runs a promotion offering $100 off the price of full priced spectacles. John selects a pair of frames that are priced at $230 and has prescription lenses fitted which cost $320. The total price of the spectacles after the discount is $450.
101A. Michael apportions the discount on a proportionate basis resulting in a price of $188 ($230 divided by $550 multiplied by $450) for the frames and $262 ($320 divided by $550 multiplied by $450) for the lenses. The GST payable is one-eleventh of $188 or $17.10.
102. Pierre signs up for a college course at a discounted package price. There are four units in Pierre's course - two that are GST-free and two that are taxable. The college usually charges $500 for each of the GST-free units and $825 for each of the taxable units. Pierre would normally pay $2,650 for the course, but after a discount of 20%, he pays $2,120.
103. To reasonably apportion the consideration for the course, the college discounts each of the units by 20%. The consideration for each of the GST-free units is $400 (that is, $500 less 20%), and for each of the taxable units, the consideration is $660 (that is, $825 less 20%).
103A. The value of the taxable part is commensurate with the discounted price of each course, that is, $600 (excluding GST. The GST payable is $120.
103B. If in example 14, the teapot and the tea are sold for a single discounted price of $20, it would, in the absence of any other more appropriate measure of value, be reasonable to apportion the $20 based on the normal selling price of the teapot.
103C. To work out the taxable proportion the discount of $5 is apportioned on a proportionate basis resulting in a price of $12 for the teapot and $8 for the tea.
103D. The GST payable is $1.09.
103E. Sometimes it may be appropriate to ascertain the value of a taxable part of the supply having regard to rental returns.
103F. Hilary is registered for GST. She sells a property that consists of commercial premises and residential premises. The property is on a single title and is currently untenanted, although the commercial part was recently rented for $1,000 per week and the residential part for $500 per week.[55A] Hilary may reasonably apportion two thirds of the consideration for the sale (the same proportion the rent for the commercial premises bears to the total rent of $1500) to the commercial part and one third to the residential part to ascertain the value of the taxable part.
104. Where you supply services and charge them out on a time basis (for example, at an hourly rate), it may be reasonable to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply based on the time taken to perform the relevant taxable and non-taxable parts of the supply. This method may be suitable where you make mixed supplies of professional or trade services.
105. Under direction from a doctor, Gilda provides home care to a privately funded client in the client's own home.[55B] She charges a flat hourly rate for her services that include helping to feed and dress her client. These services are GST-free under section 38-30. Gilda also tidies her client's house and garden. These latter services are taxable. Gilda apportions the consideration for her services on the number of hours it takes for her to perform the services. This is a reasonable method of apportionment to ascertain the value of the taxable part of the supply.
106. In some cases, it is reasonable for you to allocate the consideration for a mixed supply by reference to the relative floor area of the property being supplied. To make an allocation on this basis, you also need to consider the relative price of different types of floor space (for example, floor space in residential, retail and industrial property are often priced differently). That is, you may simply work out the proportionate floor area if the value per square metre does not vary. However, if the value per square metre is variable, then you can reasonably apportion on a basis of each area and its relative value. You may also need to take into account external features, such as the value of recreational areas.
107. Warren rents out a property to Josef for $2,000 per month. The property is comprised of residential and commercial premises. The floor area of the residential part is 160 square metres and the commercial part is 80 square metres. In the locality, the rental of commercial space is worth twice as much as residential space.
108. It would be reasonable for Warren to base the taxable proportion of the supply on the floor area of the commercial part as a proportion of the combined floor area of the commercial and residential parts. However, he also needs to take into account the difference in the relative value of the commercial and residential floor space. Warren may reasonably apportion the consideration equally between the commercial and the residential parts.
108A. The taxable proportion is therefore 50%. Applying the formula in section 9-80, the taxable value of the actual supply is calculated as ($2000 x 10)/(10 + 0.5). The value of the taxable part is $952.38 and the GST payable is $95.23.
109. You may decide that it is appropriate that you use an indirect method to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply you make. For example, you may use a reasonable method that includes the addition of an appropriate mark-up to reflect your profit margin relative to the market you supply.
110. Another example is where an arm's length wholesaler or manufacturer makes a mixed supply to you of things that have been packaged in the form in which you will market them. In this case, you may adopt the apportionment ratio worked out by your supplier. On the other hand, if your supplier characterises a supply to you as a composite supply, you will not necessarily be able to adopt the same characterisation. This is because your supplier may have used the approach provided at paragraph 21 which may not be applicable to your particular circumstances because of your profit mark-up.
111. Byron manufactures cosmetics including perfume, shampoo and SPF 30+ sunscreen. Perfume and shampoo are taxable, and the sunscreen is GST-free. Byron supplies one bottle of each item in a clear plastic package to wholesalers. He chooses to use an indirect method based on the cost and usual profit margin of each item to apportion the consideration for the supply. This method is reasonable in the circumstances.
112. Some methods may not result in a reasonable basis of apportionment of the consideration for a mixed supply. For example, in some cases, it may not be reasonable to apportion the consideration solely on the basis of the cost of the supply to you. This would be the case if your mark-up varies from part to part. Variations in mark-ups prevent this method from being a reasonable apportionment of the consideration for the supply.
113. Also, in some circumstances it may not be reasonable to apportion consideration using 'historical cost' and 'residual value' methods. These amounts often are used for accounting purposes and may not reflect an appropriate apportionment of the consideration for a supply.
114. GST is calculated as 10% of the value of the taxable supply. Section 9-75 links the value of the taxable supply to its price so that the value of a supply is 10/11 of its price. This also means that the GST payable on a taxable supply is equivalent to 1/11 of the price (or consideration) of the supply.
115. The value of a taxable supply has the meaning given by section 9-75 and 9-80.[57A] Section 9-75 links the value of the taxable supply to its price so that the value of a supply is 10/11 of its price (or consideration). This also means that the GST payable on a taxable supply is equivalent to 1/11 of the price (or consideration) of the supply. In section 9-80 the value of the taxable supply is a proportion of the value of the actual supply which is similarly linked to the price of the actual supply. However, as the actual supply includes GST-free or input taxed parts the value of the actual supply is not 10/11 of its price. The denominator must be greater than 10 but less than 11.
1/11 of the price (or consideration) for the taxable part.
117. Section 9-80 provides the method for working out the value of the taxable part of a mixed supply that consists only of taxable and GST-free or input taxed parts. The section refers to such a supply as the actual supply.
1/11 of the GST inclusive value for the taxable part.
119. Section 9-75 applies to work out the value of the taxable part of a supply consisting of taxable and non-taxable parts that are either dealt with in specific provisions of the GST Act or do not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). The consideration that is allocated to the taxable part is the price of the taxable part referred to in section 9-75. The value of that part is simply calculated as 10/11 of its price (or consideration).
120. Subsection 29-70(1) specifies the information to be contained in a tax invoice.
the amount of GST payable.
122. If you use a simplified accounting method to account for GST on your Business Activity Statement, you may still have to issue a tax invoice within 28 days of a request by the recipient of the supply.
this section only applies to GST payable on a *taxable importation made, by a member of the GST group other than the *representative member, if the GST on the importation is payable at a time when GST on *taxable supplies is normally payable by the representative member.
[Subsection 49-30(1)] A supply that a *member of a *GST religious group makes to another member of the same GST religious group is treated as if it were not a *taxable supply.
the participant acquired the thing supplied for consumption, use or supply in the course of activities for which the joint venture was entered into.
your *total Subdivision 66-B GST amount.
Note: This section will not apply unless the record keeping requirements of section 66-55 are met.
[Subsection 78-25(1)] A supply that an insurer makes in settlement of a claim under an *insurance policy is not a *taxable supply.
[Subsection 78-60(1)] A supply of goods is not a *taxable supply if it is solely a supply made under an *insurance policy to an insurer in the course of settling a claim under the policy.
it is not treated as *consideration for a supply made to the operator by the entity to whom the supply was made; to the extent that the supply is a *CTP compensation or ancillary payment or supply.
[Subsection 79-85(1)] A supply of goods is not a *taxable supply if it is solely a supply made under a *compulsory third party scheme to an *operator of the scheme in the course of settling a claim for compensation made under the scheme.
becoming a party to a deed created by or under a *State law or a *Territory law establishing a *compulsory third party scheme, that provides for an insurance policy settlement sharing arrangement.
becoming a party to a deed created by or under a *State law or a *Territory law establishing a compulsory third party scheme, that provides for a nominal defendant settlement sharing arrangement to which this Subdivision applies.
[Subsection 90-5(1)] A supply made by an *amalgamating company to an *amalgamated company in the course of *amalgamation is not a *taxable supply if, immediately after the amalgamation, the amalgamated company is *registered or *required to be registered.
the *consideration for supply of the voucher does not exceed the stated monetary value of the voucher.
[Subsection 100-18(2)] If, under the arrangement, the supplier pays, or is liable to pay, an amount, as a commission or similar payment, to the other entity for the other entity's supply, the supply by the other entity to the supplier, to which the supplier's payment or liability relates, is treated as if it were not a *taxable supply.
if you cannot obtain such a notice - you believe on the basis of reasonable information that the supply would not be a taxable supply if the debtor were to make it.
the transfer of a *net capital loss in accordance with Subdivision 170-B of the ITAA 1997.
Part 3-90 of the Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997.
[Subsection 110-20(2)] The supply is not a *taxable supply to the extent that it relates to the fact that the agreement satisfies those requirements.
Example: The obligation could be a contractual obligation created by the agreement under which the contribution amount was determined.
the TSA contributing member has, for the purposes of subsection 721-30(3) of the *ITAA 1997, left the group clear of the group liability.
Note: See section 721-35 of the ITAA 1997 for when a TSA contributing member has left a group clear of the group liability.
[Subsection 110-30(2)] The supply is not a *taxable supply to the extent that it relates to the fact that the agreement deals with the distribution mentioned in paragraph (1)(b).
the acquisition, by that entity, of what you supply under the arrangement would be a *creditable acquisition (and not *partly creditable) if the supply were a *taxable supply.
Paragraph 7 of Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 provides a rule to use so that where GST-free food is contained in packaging that might not otherwise be normal and necessary, the packaging may be treated as if it were normal and necessary and, therefore, GST-free. This rule only applies to packaging. It does not apply to promotional items accompanying the food and packaging or to items that are usually supplied separately.
Subsection 7-1(1) and section 9-40.
Section 9-5 gives effect to subsection 9-30(1) and Division 38 to the extent that a supply is GST-free.
Section 9-5 gives effect to subsection 9-30(2) and Division 40 to the extent that a supply is input taxed.
See Appendix A for examples.
Paragraph 9-10(2)(h) provides that a supply may include a combination of things.
See section 38-187 and subsection 38-190(1).
It may be that the transaction is properly characterised as involving a number of separate supplies, rather than a single supply (whether mixed or composite). As mentioned at paragraph 5A, this Ruling does not directly consider that question.
Paragraph 382-5(1)(a) in Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953.
Subsection 9-75(1) provides that the value of a taxable supply is 10/11 of the price of the supply.
Section 195-1 states that taxable supply has the meaning given by sections 9-5, 78-50, 84-5 and 105-5. Note: This meaning is also affected by sections 49-30, 66-45, 72-5, 78-25, 78-60, 78-65, 78-70, 79-60, 79-85,80-10, 80-50, 81-10, 90-5, 100-5, 100-18, 110-5, 110-15, 110-20, 110-25, 110-30 and 113-5.
Commissioner of Taxation v. Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd (2011) 79 ATR 768; 2011 ATC 20,243 at .
For example, the supply of spectacles may appear to be the supply of one thing, but in fact, it is comprised of a taxable part (the frames) and a GST-free part (lenses) as a result of a provision of the GST Act that treats lenses for prescription spectacles as GST-free (section 38-45(1)). Examples 2 to 8 and 13A to 18 provide further instances of mixed supplies. Examples 9 to 13 provide instances of composite supplies.
Again, it may be that such a transaction is properly characterised as involving a number of separate supplies, rather than a single supply (whether mixed or composite). However, this Ruling does not consider that question.
See Card Protection Plan Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 155 at 177.
The word 'incidental' has a specific meaning when used with 'financial supplies'. See A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Regulations 1999, regulation 40-5.10. However, in this Ruling we use the term 'incidental' in its ordinary sense, in the same way as used in the overseas cases.
Saga Holidays v. Commissioner of Taxation 2006 ATC 4841; (2006) 64 ATR 602.
Westley Nominees Pty Ltd v. Coles Supermarkets Pty Ltd FCAFC 115; 2006 ATC 4363; (2006) 62 ATR 682.
Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation AATA 1550; 2007 ATC 157; (2007) 66 ATR 938.
Food Supplier at paragraph .
Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 60.
Under British VAT legislation, transport is 'zero-rated' and catering is 'standard-rated'.
Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 60 at 67.
British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (1990) 5 BVC 97.
British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (1990) 5 BVC 97 at 102-103.
Customs and Excise Commissioners v. Wellington Private Hospital Ltd BVC 251 at 266.
Section 38-187 provides that a supply of goods by way of lease is GST free if the goods are used outside Australia. Where the goods are used partly in Australia and partly outside Australia, section 9-5 applies to ensure that the supply is taxable, but only to the extent that the goods are used in Australia. Similarly a supply, other than a supply of goods or real property, for consumption outside Australia will have more than one part where section 38-190 applies to some extent.
Paragraph 18 states that a composite supply can be a part of a mixed supply.
Customs and Excise Commissioners v. Madgett & Anor (t/a Howden Court Hotel) BVC 458 at 464.
Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306 at 312.
See Lord Hope of Craighead in Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306 at 314.
Paragraphs 92 to 111 explain the methods you may use to reasonably apportion the consideration for the parts of a mixed supply.
The breakfast cereal in this example is GST-free under section 38-2. It does not fit any of the categories of food that is not GST-free under section 38-3.
The food may, however, be GST-free under section 38-2.
Whether you make a supply for a single consideration will depend on the facts.
Section 40-35. Paragraph 5.164 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the GST Act refers to a similar example. See Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2012/5 Goods and services tax: residential premises at paragraphs 40 to 45.
Under section 38-250, a supply of the accommodation and/or meals may be GST-free if provided by a charitable institution, a gift deductible entity or a government school.
The hamper in this example is not a combination of foods under paragraph 38-3(1)(c).
Item 4 of subsection 38-190(1) provides that in this case the supply of rights for use outside Australia is GST-free. Section 9-5 ensures that the supply is not taxable, to the extent that it is GST-free.
See where the Court came to a similar conclusion in Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306. In other cases the facts may indicate that a delivery charge is a separately identifiable part of a supply.
The picnic box in this example is not a supply of food for consumption on the premises under paragraphs 38-3(1)(a).
This is in contrast to Example 7 where the knife and bread board are regarded as significant even though they contribute to the better enjoyment of the food.
In contrast, the balancing of previously fitted tyres is a supply in its own right.
As explained by the Full Federal Court in Luxottica 'it is necessary to ensure that the non taxable supplies of the bundled supply do not contribute to the value [of the actual supply]. It is for this purpose that the concept of Proportion is utilised.' The Court commented that section 9-80 as originally enacted failed to differentiate between the taxable element of the actual supply and the non taxable elements and stripped out the GST from the total consideration for the actual supply (that is, the price of the actual supply). This of course distorted the value of the actual supply.
IAC (Finance) Pty Limited v. Courtenay (1963) 110 CLR 550.
Paragraph 382-5(1)(a) in Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 provides rules for keeping records of indirect tax transactions.
See also the decision of the Tribunal in Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd v. FC of T AATA 22; (2010) 75 ATR 169; 2010 ATC 10,119, at , reproduced at paragraph 81ZA of this Ruling.
Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation AATA 1550; 2007 ATC 157; (2007) 66 ATR 938 at .
Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd v. FC of T AATA 22; (2010) 75 ATR 169; (2010) 2010 ATC 10,119.
For example, a supply may have a taxable part and a non taxable part that is not GST free or input taxed. This may be because a specific provision of the GST Act applies to make the non taxable part not a taxable supply (see Appendix A for a list of relevant provisions), or the non taxable part may not meet any of the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to 9-5(d).
Consideration expressed as an amount of money' is consideration that finds expression in money. The distinction between paragraphs 9-75(1)(a) and 9-75(1)(b) is essentially between monetary consideration and what can be broadly described as 'in kind' consideration. See paragraph 32 of GSTR 2001/6.
However, in some limited instances, determining the GST inclusive market value of the supply may be an acceptable method for working out the GST inclusive market value of the consideration. Refer to paragraphs 138 to 158 of GSTR 2001/6 for a discussion of this issue.
For a discussion of examples of such provisions, see Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2000/31, which is about supplies connected with Australia.
Given that the conditions of Division 11 are met.
Allsop v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1965) 113 CLR 341; McLaurin v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1961) 104 CLR 381; National Mutual Life Association of Australasia v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1959) 102 CLR 29; and Commissioner of Taxation v. CSR Ltd FCA 1513.
McLaurin v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1961) 104 CLR 381 at 391.
For example, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada.
The principles of reasonableness used in Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2000/15, which is about determining the extent of creditable purpose for claiming input tax credits and for making adjustments for changes in the extent of creditable purpose, also apply in this Ruling.
The supply of the voucher is not a taxable supply under section 105-5.
The sale of commercial premises is taxable. The sale of residential premises is input taxed under section 40-65.
Gilda's client is not a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Therefore the supplies made by Gilda to the client are not GST-free under section 38-38.
In Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2001/6, Goods and services tax: non-monetary consideration, we also state that 'historical cost' or 'residual value' may not be acceptable methods for determining the market value of consideration.
The Commissioner has published a booklet titled 'Simplified GST Accounting Methods for Food Retailers'. This information is available from the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au. | 2019-04-21T14:22:16Z | https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/document?LocID=%22GST%2FGSTR20018%2FNAT%2FATO%22&PiT=99991231235958 |
Domain registrations, Virtual Dedicated Servers.
DavidH (no link provided) rated Register1 0.5 stars.
My experiences with register1 have been entirely negative, and as a result my company is about to switch to a new provider. Whilst the support is fast, the responses are often nonsense and the actual servers appear very slow.
Mark Tuma (norwichyfc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
We’ve been using Register1 for more than six years now, and they’ve been consistently reliable and generally excellent.
Steve (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent service. I’ve used these guys for the last 7-8 years with absolutely no issues. Even when arranging upgrade work with then, it’s been painless and super quick, especially on weekends. Highly recommended.
G Sudron (mark54.org.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent service – very very quick turn-around with support tickets, even out of hours. Highly recommended for a painless sign-up process and for them being general all round good chaps.
James Moreton (raptorcare.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent customer service on resolving technical issues with installing drupal.
Jon (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Fast, friendly and very quick to respond to any questions I had and emails that I sent.
Tom Petch (computersupportgroup.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Adrian (Register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Needed hosting in a hurry – and I am a web numpty.
Via support tickets entire process resolved within 20 minutes.
Would recommend to anyone of any knwledge level.
escargot (colvertgroup.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I’ve used Register1 for a number of years now, for various personal and professional projects. I’ve always found the price & customer service to be top notch. The web interface for server management is incredibly simple to use and any issues (normally my own fault) are dealt with supremely quickly and with the utmost professionalism. More importantly however, the CTO isn’t afraid to buy a round of champers!
Daniel James Minto (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Tool less than a week to buy the hosting site, upload the website and be up and running. No glitches, no problems. Can’t recommend enough.
John C (drivedata.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
I have used two other well-known dedicated server companies before switching to Register1 earlier this year. So far, I can’t fault the service they give and the performance and reliability I’ve had from the server is excellent. What you really need from a hosting/server company is someone to respond and help when you have a problem and they do just that!
Andy (http://andrewnicholl.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Fast speeds and never once have I had downtime! Customer support are lighting fast and solve my query every time.
Ian Mackean (literature-study-online.com/) rated Register1 5 stars.
I have given Register 1 10/10 in two earlier reviews, on 3rd May 2006 and 25th Feb 2008, and I am just coming back now to say that I have been with them for over three and a half years and their service has been excellent throughout that time. I agree with all the other positive things people have said about them. They seem totally dedicated to giving their customers the best possible service.
S Oldfield (rathernice.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Superb hosting, we’ve used them for years with our critical e-commerce site hosting and the service is second to none. Support is simply the best with replies in minutes and help always on hand.
Karen Waite (ktectraining.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Callum Smith (minis4monkeys.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Customer Service; Fast & Efficent Service!
tatty (tattydevine.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Always quick to respond to problems, always helpful and solve problems, fabulous hosting, can’t think of any difficulties we’ve ever had in about 5 years with Register1!
Tobes (http://gameordie.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Taken domains out with Register1 for 6 years and never had a problem. Lightening fast and excellent service.
Phil Shotton (richmond-racing.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent customer service, clients always made to feel valued.
Jordan McClements (jmcwd.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Reliable servers, and very helpful support!
Simon (justlaptops.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Reliability second to none, very quick responses (and helpful) to support tickets. Take a little while getting used to the admin though when you migratefrom ‘cpanel’ style hosts.
John Warton (armengineers.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Superb customer support, delivered exceptionally quick. Very helpful even to non Techies.
jeremy gibson (v2mc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Fantastic! it just dose everything i want it to do and dose it well!
Geoff Hunter (http://lemming.org) rated Register1 5 stars.
Thomas Wiggins (thomaswiggins.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I’ve been with several web hosts over the last 8 years and quite simply Register1 has been the best so far. Their prices are reasonable for the bandwidth and disk space they offer but their best feature is the customer service they offer. Every support ticket I have sent has been responded to within 5-10 minutes of submission. I’ve only been with them since August but I think I will definitely be staying with them for the long term. 10/10!
David Rowley (montecristoglass.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Register1 was recommended to me over three years ago and i now wouldn’t dream about going anywhere else.
First rate support and service from a first class company.
Matt Bennett (clublupo.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Been with Register1 for 4 years now. I can’t remember any downtime, support is very quick in dealing with requests and being based in London, site speeds are fantastic.
All in all, fantastically impressed – already recommended to friends who are equally as pleased.
Lee (thecheshirewhites.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
I chose Register 1 based on reviews from other members of Pistonheads.
They have been great, the back end software phpbb etc is all great and their service is top notch.
Ed (haslersystems.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Normally low price doesn’t equate to good quality service, however Register1 is the exception to the rule. For price alone, they are very good, however when you add in quality hosting and very quick and effective customer support you can’t go wrong.
Gef (northernbuzz.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Only been with them for a few months and joined on the strength of other good reviews and I have to say that they have not been wrong. The support is excellant and has proved invaluable for a newbie like myself for this kind of thing.
Scott Lawson (flat4online.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I was looking for a new host after my US shared host ran into problems when they migrated their servers to a new location. I spent days looking through Google at all the uk hosting company options. I decided on Register 1 after reading all the reviews I found here and on the forums. I prefer web based support to phones, calls are expensive and time consuming so it was a real pleasure to fine a company who not only offer web based support but the help response times are simply unmatched to any company I have used before. Its almost like a computer script is generating the replys, they realy are that fast! I doubt you will find this kind of service anywhere else.
The only time the server is down, is when I request a reboot. Ive not experienced any downtime at all in over 1 year which is another strong point for using Regsiter 1. I would even recommend switching to Register 1 if your not happy with your host for whatever reason (just like you would do with your gas supplier). Im now hosting videos and Ive not saw any decline is server performance or speed.
Paul Grimsley (thesearethedays.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Bought the VDS Pro package just over a year ago from Register1 – and setup my first website, primarily to share photos with friends and family.
Setup was quick and easy, and where i did have questions they were answered quickly and effeciently (within minutes – on a sunday evening!).
Prices are sensible, the service and support are excellent – I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Register1.
Paul Hadley (http://rhubarbradio.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Top service levels, friendly & knowledgeable support & sales staff. By far the best value for money we’ve found…..couldn’t ask for more really. Needless to say, Register1- highly recommended.
Pigeon (lucy-pinder.tv/) rated Register1 5 stars.
I have various domains registered with register1.net. Superb service, both knowledgeable and fast even in the middle of the night. Orders complete extremely quickly. Domain control panel is comprehensive and easy to use. Prices are very good and there is the option of payment by cheque as well as by card. I have recommended this company to many people.
Silent1 (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Mark H (http://nis-limited.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I’ve already reviewed R1 back in February but I thought I’d drop back here to give them much earned priase. I ran a piece of script on my hosting space and it caused major problems, do much so it completely wiped out the site I’m working on. After raising a support ticket and explaining thie issue, the admin guy’s had this sorted and running again in no time at all – these guy’s are the best. Go elsewhere at your peril – use REGISTER1!
Thomas Lees (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Quick to sign up to, the pricing was good for the service I received. Took about 10 minutes to get my site up and running. Interface for the administrator is easy to understand, help file is easy to follow. I managed to password a section of my site within a few minutes.
Highly recommended, just go with this company they will not disappoint!
Colin (tiledistributor.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Amazing helpdesk service. Usefull responses normally within 2 minutes or less.
I have tried the rest, these guys are the best!
Steve (register1.net) rated Register1 4.5 stars.
I joined Register1 after receiving patchy service from a couple of very popular hosting companies and haven’t looked back since. I suffered my first troubles recently as my site popularity grew, but with the help of the support guys it was quickly remedied. Only wish they did phone support.
searbe (aicr.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars.
Absolutely fantastic web host. I have recieved support today (Sunday) at 11:40pm, within 3 minutes of submitting my ticket, and two days ago I recieved support at 4:00am. You cannot match that. It is simply unbelievable how much this company care for their customers! I am extremely glad I recommended this webhost to my client.
Dan Carter (digitalphilosophy.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I initially signed up with R1 on the basis of the glowing reviews from this site and since that time I have been nothing short of staggered by the quality of their service. No problem is too large, no request too stupid for them to look into it immediately and get back to you with an answer. Since signing up they’ve bettered almost every aspect of the original service, including more storage space and larger data-transfer allowances. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
mitch (http://subtech.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
not often I give 10 out of 10 but these guys really deserved it and had me and my company up and running in no time.
1st class service and would reccommend !!
Steve Dietz (dietzie.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I now only use Register1 for all my hosting & domains. They’ve been unsurpassed with their support, always helpful, with feedback in minutes!
Site uptime & speed has always been fantastic.
I’d quite happily recommend Register1 to everyone!
Andy Gray (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Just renewed my VDS Pro for another 3 years – these guys can’t put a foot wrong. From excellent value for money right through to the fastest (sometimes instant) support, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.
Guy Hulse (guyhulse.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Great service and fantastic support. They were recommended through OcUk and have been with them for over a year now.
James Skinner (binaryimage.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Always excellent service, superb support, very reliable and cheap as well.
Rob Brookbanks (networkingsupportservices.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Silent1 (silent1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Colin Middleton (cmkm.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Top quality service seem to be order of the day at Register1, and they dont disappoint.
Massive storage space and bandwidth limits offer value for money and excellent support make them a pleasure to deal with.
Mark Klincewicz (holy-trinity-school.org.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
zak (carfolio.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Brilliant, cheap & reliable, with easy access to support.
paulm (isub-education.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I was recommended to Register 1 by a friend, when our previous hosts were being rubbish. I can honestly say Register 1 has been 100% reliable. Even helped me with proactive suggestions when my broadband supplier (Orange) had issues and wouldn’t help me!
Register 1 exceeded my expectations… and gave us a free anniversary upgrade!
Jeremyc (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Does exactly what is says on the tin. Really easy, no fuss way to get up and running.
Highly reliable, very quick response to any problems.
The Excession (http://no.for.your.eyes/) rated Register1 5 stars.
I can only echo everything that’s been said before.
Superb service – highly recommended.
Alan Lockhart (ajl959.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Cannot recommend Register1 more, brilliant reliability, great service and a whole host of upgrades over the last few years which just make it even better value.
Mark (firebrush.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Been with R1 for a year now and used their services on a number of projects. Support is excellent – raise a support ticket and you’ll have an answer in 5 minutes or less!
Can highly recommend and they have just upgraded my service for free!!!!
David Harvey (sc-power.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I have been with Register 1 for a year almost to the day now and can honestly say their service is fantastic.
You have a problem or a question then fire of a email and you will have a reply before you have finished your cup of tea.
David Dwyer (northern-loop.tv) rated Register1 5 stars.
What I can say about Register 1 other than it’s simply the best hosting I’ve ever had! The service is second to none. I’ve had technical support questions fixed within 5 minutes at 2AM! I would highly recommend Register1 to anyone who is thinking about hosting any website/forums etc.
And now they have to upgraded my VDS Pro account 150% 10GB of Disk space and 0.5TB (500GB) Monthly Transfer.
Robert Harpham (innovative-rc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
i dont normaly leave reviews but register1 deserves it all 10/10. i have a VSD Pro account with them for over 2 years now we just renewed for a full 3 more years with out realy thinking thats how good these guys are. they may be alittle more than some cheaper alternatives we have tryed most but what pay for is what you get, with R1 you get even more for your moneys worth.
the online help is very quick and profesional delt with the utmost confidence. uptime on sites is excellent what more can we say, if you want a host that delivers here they are.
and talk about there new anniversay upgrades, 10GB space and 500gb month data WOW!
In my review below I accidentally ticked ’1 out of 10′. That should have been 10 out of 10! and I’d be grateful if the webmaster could delete the one below.
I have now been with them 2 years and have four domains with them. Their service continues to be excellent and their support system is super-fast. Highly recommended.
Green Gecko (thegreengecko.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Register1 are totally amazing, they ofter plenty of space and bandwidth with their standard VDS package (what I have) for a very reasonable price, and they just upgraded from 2GB space and 80GB bandwidth or so to 4GB space and 200GB because it was their anniversary and they have been able to grow their server farm. The most important thing about Register1 is their support which is blindingly amazing. They have answered all my queries within an hour if not minutes, and I literaly mean 2 or 3 minutes sometimes! I was getting loads of spam so I asked them how to block 22 IPs from my domain and they added them all to their firewall in the morning (I asked them at 6am). You couldn’t ask for more, these people evidently care about providing a great service and if that matters to you there is no point looking elsewhere.
Nick Lambert (http://minossolutions.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Great service, very reliable and easy to work with. Couldn’t be happier. I would gladly recommend without hesitation.
Boony (http://anon) rated Register1 5 stars.
This company takes customer support to a new level. No matter what the problem, nor time of day, there is always someone there to respond immediately to any issues.
Having tried 3 or 4 other hosting companies, it really was a god send to find Register1.
ehasler (edwardhaslerphotography.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
I recently took out several VDS Pro packages to host several websites with Register1 after reading many positive reviews. At first, I was a bit wary as I’m a firm believer in getting what you pay for, however so far my experiences have been very good.
Initial queries about moving several domains over to them were answered very quickly, and a couple of problems I later had (caused by me forgetting to complete the transfer on a couple of domains) were dealy with within minutes by the support team via email.
So, in brief – excellent service at a great price!
Flynn (http://halsteadroadrunners.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
I recently migrated my vBulletin based website onto Register 1′s VDS Pro hosting package and have been stunned with the high level of support and performance.
They continue to far surpass my expectation.
Philthy (skidvd.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Recommended to me 18 months ago. I knew my site was going to grow, and needed a level of service that I wasn’t getting with my old hosts (1and1). Their service and support has been absolutely excellent, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Several friends have moved hosts on the strength of my experience. They have been impressed!
I will be shortly upgrading to a dedicated server with them, as my site is growing much faster than I ever expected.
snow patrol (mathofbirds.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Splendid hosting company. Whenever i’ve had a question they’ve been extremely helpful and friendly and have always managed to resolve things.
WTD (akachanwear.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
I took a long time choosing my first dedicated server hosting company, and the pre-sales support was fantastic, Register1 were always very quick and professional in answering my queries.
After I signed on the dotted line, I was apprehensive as to whether or not the great support would continue, and boy, I was NOT disapointed!
Really pleased to have selected Register1 as their support guys work 24 hours a day, so when I have a problem (always my own doing) they are there to help me out with a solution, usually within 5 minutes.
Very impressed, would reccomend them to anyone looking for a solid, reliable and friendly host.
Thanks very much Jamie at Register1!
Brett (http://spreadbetcheck.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
I’ve been using Register1 for many years, and have to say I’m thoroughly impressed with their support, uptime and overall customer service.
I’ve not had a single second of un-notified downtime, and when I ask the occasional support query, even at 3am, it’s answered within minutes, and with an answer that actually helps.
I really can’t recommend Register1 highly enough..
furnace (http://anon) rated Register1 5 stars.
furnace (http://anon) rated Register1 4.5 stars.
I’ll start first by saying their server is great and their customer support is unmatched by any other company.
My gripe is the control panel. I don’t know what control panel it is, but it’s sure as hell ugly and not nice (or straight forward) to use. I can’t help but think that their service would be *infinitely* improved by using something like cPanel.
In this control panel you get to MYSQL via domain.com/siteadmin/ then services, then click the edit button next to mysql.
To create a database, you have to first set an admin password. The admin username is pre-set and unchangeable from what I can see. The username/password is always the same for each database – so you can’t have different users with different permissions! There’s no seperate username/password (entirely different databases use the same username/password as each other too). PhpMyAdmin also uses this username/password combo.
Yeah so I don’t like that and I think cPanel could help there.
It’s a shame really because I do think this does ruin what would otherwise be the perfect web host and I think other customers would only agree if the control panel was changed to something better. Even adding email addresses isn’t as straight forward as it should be.
ilumos (ilumos.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars.
A truly excellent host. I originally bought their VDS pro package (which was very good, but didn’t fit my needs) but then downgraded to their basic package, (which was flawless, was refunded the money very quickly).
I’m sure most hosting companies wouldn’t let you do this without a fight (bearing in mind I’d already paid for the full hosting, and tinkered with it for a few days) so the staff are definitely dedicated to pleasing the customers.
I might add that all of my support questions regarding the above were posted late at night (11pm and later) and were all replied to and dealt with within minutes, and clearly the person who was answering my support questions knew what they were doing, and was able to directly solve (or help me solve) problems.
I moved from hosting my website in my attic (far from perfect) to a professional hosting company (register1), and it’s been a slightly bumpy ride, but ultimatley good. The only thing I miss is having more control, but I’ve managed to tweak things to how I want them on the most part.
I’ve been with them for about a week, I’ll post another review a little later to give more detail, but so far they’re definetly very good.
Truly top notch, very good features for the price (£33/year which works out as £2.75/month if you go for their basic package for 3 years) and excellent support. I have a working website purely because of the quality of their support.
You probably wont find a host who is as reliable, offers good support and is such good value anywhere.
Oh and I remember reading this huge page of reviews and wondering how many were register1 reviewing themselves 10/10, but everything I’ve read on here I can vouch for. Part of the problem choosing a host is reading reviews and trying to find the ones that are bogus.
jordanmcclements (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
I moved to them after having an awful experience with dataflame.co.uk (their servers were in the US, and their support was in India as far as I could tell)..
Register1′s support has been excellent. Not only are they very fast – but there responses are helpful as well! (in stark contrast to dataflame).
zinc (veeto.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Very good Value for money and brilliant user interface for site administration!
fran@4u2-rent (4u2-rent.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
When I found Register1 they looked too good to be true, but they have exceeded my expectations. Competively priced, they have never failed to deliver, their connections are fast and reliable and they have bent over backwards to accommodate us. I recommend them without reservation.
Burn (http://Various) rated Register1 5 stars.
Register 1 are the by far the best host I have ever used, prices are good, hosting is reliable and fast.
Most importantly, the Tech Support is truly first rate, you get answers within minutes, nothing is too much trouble for them, patient and helpful.
foxcomputers (foxcomputers.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Had to to raise a support call for email forwarding issue and service was absolutely second to none, very quick response, and knowledgeable as well, brilliant serrvice can’t recommend them enough.
JonRohan (netcoms.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
I’ve recently migrated quite a number of domains to register1 after testing a number of other domain registrars.
Support and communication are excellent. I highly recommend register1.
robturner (evotech-performance.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Recently set up a second VDS account with these guys and have been moving in domains, changing records etc. Controlling domains and getting them out was a struggle with other ISPs but what a refreshing change when you land at Register1. The technical support is superb and incredibly fast. The VDS service ‘does what it says on the tin’ … the support … simply the best I’ve come accross on the web!
sa_20v (register1.net/) rated Register1 5 stars.
Just excellent, first class pre-sales care (their advice saved me a lot of money), quick setup and bulletproof service!
Photo (islepac.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
We have been with Register1 for about 6 months now and are very happy with them. They have great Tech support as well as fast servers and good prices.
Overall we are very glad we chose Register1 for our server.
binaryimage (binaryimage.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent service, fast servers, good pricing.
none (philh.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Fantastic service received. Excellent price. Cheers J.
s27 (http://tvr-owners-wales.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
starscream (geko-online.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Migrated my domains to Register1. Speed is fantastic and the support is excellent. All my tickets were answered in minutes including one about migrating a mysql database that didn’t want to import properly, so the staff obviously know their stuff.
docevi1 (stefancarlton.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
Virtually no downtime, cheap, fast and informative tech-support. I host my site using their service and recommend Register1.net to friends, family and customers!
Oggs (http://dwo.me.uk) rated Register1 5 stars.
Best service that I have ever had. And a joy to deal with.
Fatboydw (t2communication.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Excellent Service, brilliant value for money – Highly recommended – if you want quality and value for money, you simply can’t do better than Register1.net.
sybaseian (http://ian-smillie.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
Being in the trade, I expect excellence from my hosting provider. Any issues receive a very fast responce and resolve time.
stuppy (phaze1.net) rated Register1 5 stars.
I have only been with Register1 for a few days but I feel so strongly about this that I thought I should post.
The level of service from Register1 is absolutely amazing. I have raised 3 tickets so far, each of them was picked up and someone started dealing with it within 15minutes.
richieboy (http://richl.com) rated Register1 5 stars.
What can i say. Register1 are ultimately the best web host i have dealt with since i started producing sites 7 years ago. I have found their service to be outstanding – with pleasent responses that answer my question in less than 5 minutes on a bank holiday Monday!
I admit, the control panel took me a little bit of getting used to, but i quickly settled in and now find it much easier to control every aspect of my site compared to other hosts.
Highly recommended to anyone, i shall be moving all of my domains to these guys as soon as possible. Outstanding.
Celia (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
ukflames (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
Very easy to set up and register my domain,very quickto answer my questions on email forwarding, brilliant service to date.
Universal (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
First domain bought from them. Replied to my emails very fast and answered any questions I had. Planning on changing my hosting to them.
Ian Mackean (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
I joined Register1 on the strength of the reviews here. I’ve been with them 2 months now and I can endorse everything others have said. Online help is good and clear, meaning that a relative newcomer like me could get up and running easily. The price is affordable and when I have needed support it has been fast, intelligent, and friendly. I am planning to set up more domains with them.
Dried Graze (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
Not only were Register1 incomprehensively affordable but the response time to my first query was 3 minutes and 24 seconds!!! Haven’t they got anything better to do than sit on their backsides and answer customer queries in such an alarmingly prompt and professional manner? Thankfully for the customer, no!
blade007 (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars.
Top marks go to register1.net for their support and speed. Can’t speak highly enough of them.
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killsta (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. | 2019-04-19T04:24:15Z | http://www.ochostreview.co.uk/reviews/register1/ |
The first book of Benedict XVI’s formidable oeuvre on the life of Jesus of Nazareth deals explicitly with the political life of Christ, or what Benedict in the preface modestly terms His “public activity.” Although not explicitly terming Christ’s activity as political, Benedict XVI does tell us that he regards this “public activity” as the more “urgent” activity, in contradistinction to the childhood of Christ. What Benedict XVI initially and modestly calls Christ’s “public activity” is eventually unveiled as political activity and treated as such for the duration of this considerably difficult tome. This essay review will aim to validate the latter claim, elaborate it and explore Benedict XVI’s political teaching to the extent that it is made visible in the first part of his biographical rumination on Jesus Christ.
Before proceeding, it is necessary to elucidate certain presuppositions which form the groundwork of this essay, in order to avoid misunderstanding. First and foremost, this essay does not make the audacious claim to concern its self with the political philosophy of Jesus Christ, nor with the political philosophy of Benedict XVI. Rather, the aim herein is to extrapolate what appears to be a rather esoteric teaching on political philosophy encapsulated in a broader work; Jesus of Nazareth. Benedict XVI’s book on Christ eludes, as a whole, any easy categorization. It is a work of history while also being a work of theology. The two are linked by a thread of philology. Within the work, there appear all the virtues of mythology, poetry, and philosophy. Methodological political philosophy appears nowhere explicitly; political science is absent. Their absence in any methodological or scientific sense portends their presence in common sense, as befits classical liberal arts. The book is, in short, a classical text written in modern times. It thus transcends modern categorization. To those unfamiliar with classical scholarship, the book may appear inadequate rather than transcendent.
Turning to this possible inadequacy, in the spirit of Thomistic disputation; a modern critique of the book may well go something like this: Though it pretends to history, it is not methodological enough to be accurate history. Though it pretends to theology, it relies too heavily on historical fact. Though it pretends to academic scholarship, it condenses too much in the name of popular evangelization. In other words: because it cannot be compartmentalized to fit the narrow confines of the modern social sciences, and at the same time cannot be said to be authentically “classical” as it was written recently, it is therefore worthless. For even if we were to grant that it is stylistically and organizationally “classical”, the modern social sciences seldom admit of the notion that classical texts are important beyond their historical value as “old” texts, or windows into the past.
By way of analogy, one of the best examples of this phenomenon is the treatment of The Beowulf as described by J.R.R Tolkien in his 1936 lecture, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.”. The modern social sciences, incapable of allowing that pre-scientific civilization had anything of value to teach us about ourselves, presumed (according to Tolkien) to treat The Beowulf as at best a historical account testifying to particular cultural traits of Germanic tribal society. Likewise, had Benedict XVI written his book on Jesus five hundred years ago, it may have historical value now. As such, being a contemporary work executed in the classical style, it may border on irrelevance in the view of modern social sciences. Benedict XVI himself does not think his book irrelevant. In fact, he feels the “public activity” of Jesus, which according to the Pope commenced with His baptism, of “urgent” importance for modern audiences. By demonstrating this relevance, Benedict XVI not only defends the political relevance of Christianity, but of the classical liberal arts as a means of seeking for and presenting wisdom.
Finally, it would be the height of folly—particularly for Catholics—to treat this book as if it were written by a mere academic. It is written by the Pope. Benedict XVI addresses this matter esoterically when he tells us in his preface that the book is not to be treated as a statement of dogma ex catedra, but rather is the result of his path towards the face of God. We as readers, the Pope tells us, are free to disagree—he asks only for a bit of sympathy “without which understanding is impossible.” This exoteric liberal magnanimity has an esoteric undercurrent to it: if the Pope, who is the political authority for the Catholic Church and who aspires to be a moral authority for the lay, having the powers he has, decides not to dictate dogma, but rather invites disagreement, asking only sympathy, then those who aspire to abide by his example as Catholics ought to comport themselves likewise towards their fellow men. If the Pope refuses to exercise the authority of his station, preferring instead to share his personal path and ask for sympathy in an attempt to understand—what Catholic can approach the subject of Christ in a manner less charitable to eventual disagreement than this? The Pope, with his modesty and academic openness has in a sense limited the acceptable range of deliberation to modest academic openness. No room has been left for narrow dogmatism or appeals to the authority of station over the authority of argument and—above all—of dialogue. When we consider that the Pope, for Catholics, is Christ’s vicar on Earth, we realize that his political comportment in this matter is also a prelude to the political philosophy of his entire oeuvre; of Jesus of Nazareth.
The political philosophy of the oeuvre can be seen implicitly in a great many portions, but there are three explicitly political points of reference which somewhat anchor said political philosophy. The first of these is Benedict’s enumeration of the ”contradictory” partisan factions constituting the political environment into which Jesus ventures (aged around 30, which is the age when a man ”gains the right to public”, ergo political, “activity”). Benedict identifies these factions as Caesar on one end, Christ on the other, and between them the Zealots, the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Qumran. Benedict takes care to note that the contradictory opposites find their way ultimately to Jesus, as Christians eventually would spring from all of these partisan backgrounds. The partisans identified by Benedict do not represent a unique or melodramatic archetype in human affairs. Caesar is the epitome of the good and evil of the human political arts, the Zealots are in strict opposition to these arts as a (universally) human thing in favor of the political arts as a Jewish thing, or in the service of Judaism. Where the Zealots are romantic and populist, the Sadducees are realistic and pragmatic, as are the Pharisees. The Qumran, whom Benedict describes as ”essentialist” (I,26) and who consider themselves The Authentic Israel (IV,78) are somewhat akin to Epicureans or, to use a more contemporary comparison, to the private life of the spirit. All of these factions are not melodramatic nor unique; their corresponding archetype can be located wherever politics can be located, which is to say wherever Man can be located. The only unique and melodramatic element in this mix is Jesus. Yet even this melodramatic presence is not limited to a moment in time, since if Jesus is indeed God, then He is present eternally, and thus eternally abreast the essentially permanent constitution of political natures inherent in humankind. As such, Jesus is in Benedicts view a pure historical phenomenon—pure, in the sense that He is God, historical in the sense of being located in a particular time, and phenomenological in the sense of the combination of Godhood and historical location resulting in a transformation of the nature of History. The incarnation is thus, in many ways, akin to a recreation of the World, of History itself.
” and an “internal unity…from the first moment of his life to the Cross and the resurrection”. (I,26-35) It is worth noting here that Benedict explicitly takes care to go beyond the juxtaposition between Caesar and God, and the question of rendering unto each what is owed. While Benedict does acknowledge the natural harmony between the two, disturbed only when Caesar usurps Godhood, he focuses our attention away from this lofty political generalization towards a broader appreciation of the partisanship of Jesus’ day—and subsequently partisanship in all times as it relates to the historical dialectic of “contradictory” oppositions in a tension that moves them towards the Absolute and Universal.
Autobasileia appears to us as one of the many interpretations of the meaning of the Kingdom of God that has arisen in Church history. As this history of interpretations moved closer to our times, the interpretation itself moved significantly away from autobasileia towards something approximating a worldly Kingdom, until finally in what Benedict characterizes as liberal theological thought, it became a kingdom rather than thekingdom of God. Both of these interpretations are, in Benedicts estimation, inadequate: ”The new closeness of the Kingdom of which Jesus speaks and the proclamation of which constitutes a specific moment in His rhetoric, is He Himself. Through His presence and His actions, God in a completely new way here and now enters history.” (III,66) In Benedicts estimation, this view of the life, death and resurrection of Christ as unique in human history forms the basis for understanding the kingdom of God. It is neither an internal ordering of the soul, nor an external ordering of the commonwealth; it is the historical fact of God intervening in the affairs of mankind through the Person of Jesus Christ. If the kingdom is this novel form of Divine intervention, what implication does that have for political philosophy?
To answer this question, it is worthwhile to step back and look upon the three pillars of Benedict’s political philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth as a whole. In summary, these pillars are the explicit entrance of Jesus into a partisan political arena, the basic choice given to mankind between the true and the false messiah, and the notion of the Kingdom of God as a real historical event; a unique and amazing phenomenon: the life, death and resurrection of Christ. One can immediately see from the resolution into the Absolute Christian life of the contradictory partisan oppositions from the first pillar an excellent illustration of the third pillar: the Kingdom of God. For Benedict described the resolution of the partisan political struggle surrounding Christ in a manner similarly confounding to Christs own proclamation of the Kingdom of God: Benedict calls the crucifixion of Christ contrary to the programs of the zealots (II,26). We may add that the resurrection was contrary to the program of the Pharisees and the Romans as well. That is to say: the entire historical event, as it was played out, ended by confounding all political expectations. Christ did not, in the manner of the Qumran, isolate himself from the politics like the Epicureans, but rather like Socrates the Philosopher went down to the Piraeus, into the City; into the political. Once there, he did not, in the manner of the Zealots, make Israel the aim of His political activity, merely the means (I,33). Contrary to the Sadducees and Pharisees, He proclaimed Himself the Messiah, but did not challenge their earthly rule; as no challenge was necessary (just as it was not necessary to challenge Pilate). ”You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”, Jesus tells Pilate; and in effect, told His Jewish masters. To vie for earthly power is not beneath Jesus on account of His distaste for Earthly glory or a preference for things of the spirit: it is a function of the fact that He is the ruler of the Universe, and therefore has no need to meet the challenge of the gauntlet thrown at his feet by the Pharisees, Pilate or even the Devil in the second temptation.
This entire point may appear bland for two types of person: the fundamentalist believer with access to what Leo Strauss often identified as wisdom stemming from revelation and to the fundamentalist unbeliever who, given that there is no God, is not impressed by a political philosophy at the core of which is the radical novelty that God exists and acts in history. The first type of person will be unmoved by what he would likely consider Benedicts tautological platitudes. The second type of person will be equally unmoved by what he would likely consider an unverifiable, improbable claim that renders the statement absurd. What type of person, then, would possibly be moved by this teaching? It would have to be the person of faith in contradistinction to the people with access to Divine revelation or the people who are recalcitrant and thus closed to the grace of God.
Since Jesus cannot merely be one of many interpreters of the Tora, Rabbi Neusner realizes that His claims must be taken seriously, that piety towards God demands a serious consideration of the teaching of Christ. Without entering into the specifics of the dialogue Benedict concocts between himself and the Rabbi, it must be said that the dialogue itself as literary form is, much like Platos dialogues, an indication of the political philosophy of Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth. For in this dialogue, one sees the pious Jew and the pious Christian taking one another seriously without resorting to persecution or relativism. Persecution is a vice not unrecognizable to the modern liberal, but relativism is a more subtle and often unrecognized vice. Benedict’s dialogue with Rabbi Neusner is deadly serious without being deadly. It concerns the most fundamental questions of human existence without endangering said existence. It is religion par excellence: the ideal example of true multiplicity of cultures rather than the faux tolerance and multiculturalism of our present age. Benedict does not tolerate Neusner; he engages him. He does so because Neusner, as a Jew, does not tolerate Christ; he engages Him. This is, like Abraham wrestling with God, the proper comportment of the true man of faith and it indicates a preference for a politics where freedom exists as a means towards serious spiritual reflection and action, not merely as an end in and of itself, let alone as a synonym of tolerance.
There is of course a school of thought, or a mode of thinking, likewise considered serious, perhaps too serious for its own good, which confounds our triumvirate of the wise man through revelation, the wise skeptic and the man of faith: namely the man who is ”beyond good and evil”. In treating him, Benedict alludes directly to Nietzsche and takes up the central Nietzschean critique of Christianity as slave morality, rooted in a psychology of resentment. In doing so, Benedict goes beyond Max Schiller’s earlier critique of Nietzsche in Resentment & Morality, where the esteemed German phenomenologist elaborated on the novel, unique nature of Christian agape contra Nietzsches presumptions. Benedict instead makes a political argument against Nietzsche, pointing out that the Nietzschean presumption that weakness, poverty and suffering are vices which ought to be remedied by philosophical will to power is a presumption that is shattered in the face of mass suffering under totalitarianism and total war.
. The term Son of God severs all links to the sphere of political rule and becomes a statement of a special kind of unity with God, embodied by the Cross and the Resurrection.
By analogy, it may at first appear that we can come to comprehend the political philosophy of Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth as Socratic insofar as Socrates refused rescue in the Phaedo, exemplifying the virtues demanded by Romans 13,1-7 while at the same time refusing to love the City when the City did not love God, as exemplified by Plato’s Apology. This paradox, or apparent contradiction of a religion and a political philosophy that holds as a moral virtue the simultaneous adherence to earthly Law and to Nature and Nature’s God, even when the two conflict, is made comprehensible to Man not by faith, but by philosophy. Benedict acknowledges as much when noting the “sole philosophical word that entered the credo”—homoousios. (X,280). This resort to philosophy was necessary to ground the Holy Trinity, and subsequently the paradox of God and Man, of Natural and conventional law in a concept within the grasp of Human Reason, in accordance to the Evangelist’s proclamation that upon gifting to them the Holy Spirit, Jesus “enlightened” their “minds.” And yet this is not tantamount to regarding Christianity as a mythology inspired by Hellenistic thought (a subject Cardinal Ratzinger elaborates in a much earlier essay). For Benedict contends for Hellenistic philosophy to be of assistance in helping us understand, there must first be a historical event—a fact of history—calling out for understanding. The fact of history that is the life of Jesus, Benedict tells us, quoting C.S. Lewis, “.… is strange. This whole story of a dying god appears to have in fact really happened at some point in time.” (VIII,240) It is, Benedict concludes—as Cardinal Ratzinger had done in an earlier and shorter work on Hellenism and Christianity—the amazing, unique and novel historical fact of the life of Jesus which is itself the key. For political philosophy, this suggests that Natural Right and History are not opposed, as Leo Strauss feared. For if History is above all the amazing transformation of the biosphere into what Jesuit paleontologist Pierre Teilhard De Chardin termed the nousphere by the life and death of Christ, then the philosophical question of Natural right lies at the core of History itself. Scientific history cannot be properly scientific without spiritual reflection on the life and death of Christ. This is a profound teaching which suggests that if the life of Christ has indeed transformed History from material to ethical—it can also transform politics this way.
The author has used the Polish version of Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth, thus all page references and quotes may not be accurate to the English-language counterpart. The quotes were originally translated from German to Polish, and then from Polish to English. | 2019-04-25T00:09:44Z | https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2013/08/the-political-teaching-of-benedict-xvis-jesus-of-nazareth.html |
How about love? Measure in love...seasons of love.
That really does sum up how I will "measure" my year...the moments that involved love and joy and care. Those times that I shared in loving and caring and laughing with family and friends. Those times I witnessed others caring and sharing their time, energy, love and lives with others in our world.
When I think back to the times this year when I was not only happier but actually healthier, they inevitably involve lots of joy filled activities with family and friends...times when I was NOT isolated or alone thinking of my illness and the difficulties associated with RA.
Don't misunderstand what I mean here....I am not suggesting that we in any way stop being vigilant about the management of this disease. It remains absolutely critical that we attend to the demands of RA. That said there MUST be a balance between meeting our health needs and letting our every waking moment be centered around it.
Without that balance I believe we will succumb to the disease. Without that balance the challenges that are such a part of RA will become more than we can tackle. Without that balance, our lives will spin out of our control and we will fall into a state characterized by pain and depression.
This may seem like an exaggeration but it is not. Studies have proven again and again that when you focus "outside of yourself" you are healthier both physically and mentally. I have the honor of working with hundreds of elders who are volunteers in our community and so I see first hand how much better off they are than their contemporaries who are less engaged in life. They seem to have struck that perfect balance that I aim to duplicate!
So as I reflect on this past year and look towards the upcoming one I want to strive to find that perfect balance between successfully managing RA and resolving to not focus so intensely on the disease that it defines and controls my every waking moment. That is a tough balancing act to be sure!
I am certain that I will "fall off the wagon" in the new year but I hope that I can look back on this past year and recall that those times when I was feeling my best and successfully managing RA, were those times I was also the most engaged in life outside myself!
May 2012 bring all of us with RA new treatments, new tools to manage our disease, new friendships, close and lasting ties with our family and friends and maybe just maybe a cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis!
My dog is a miracle with paws!
Now it may seem odd to do a blog about RA that pays tribute to Leah, my Bichon Frise, but it will all make sense in a minute.
As you can see, she is adorable! What you cannot see (sounds like RA, no?) is that she is deaf, has been since birth. She also has lots of allergies which manifest in red patches on her coat and red eyes which you can see in the photo. She is also a bit heavy (can you say chunky) for her breed. Bichon's are normally 12-15 pounds tops...Leah is 24 pounds! She looked big from the moment I saw her and over the years she has maintained the weight so I guess this is the size she was intended to be.
She loves people and would like to come to my office (that is her "chair" above) everyday but it just is not practical and once she comes on any kind of a regular basis there is no living with her afterward as she makes this horrific wailing sound when I leave if I don't bring her! She does not bark in the traditional sense (well every now and then she does, but rarely) most likely because of being deaf.
When we first figured out she was deaf (and it takes a surprisingly long time) I was devastated at the thought that she would not be able to hear our voices and the sounds of the world around her, including those that warn her of impending trouble, like car horns, a growling animal, etc. Our vet calmed me down considerably however when he explained to me that dogs don't "understand" language in the traditional sense but hear "blah, blah, blah". They learn tones, etc. to differentiate sounds. That said he did caution me that she must NEVER be left off the leash or even in a yard with an invisible fence as that would keep her in but not predators out and with her inability to hear she would be very vulnerable.
She is the most tactile, affectionate dog EVER! If you come to my house be prepared because within minutes she will not only greet you but be in your lap nestled up demanding you pet her or "presenting" you with one of her toys to play tug of war with her. I am blessed with a dear friend who "dog sits" for us when we travel and so Leah actually has 2 moms - a very fortunate animal indeed!
I truly believe that God gave this very special animal to me for a reason...we are both handling our own challenges and by allowing me to witness how beautifully and perfectly Leah moves through her life without complaint or any signs of distress over the "cards she was dealt" I can witness how I should view my life. When I feel sorry for myself I can simply gaze at my little Leah and see that no matter the obstacles, we can find joy and love and happiness in our lives.
Last year, our vet suspected Leah had an enlarged heart and that she was in serious danger. We took her to a specialist and found out it was not anything serious and she is fine...around the same time I was mis-diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer and for 3 hellish weeks did not know my fate.... and so our mutual saga continues! It really is amazing how many parallels we have. When my hands are especially tender or in pain I find that gently petting Leah's soft coat brings me relief and keeps my fingers from locking up. And since she simply loves to be petted it is a win/win for us both!
I truly believe God sent her my way for a purpose...and she has served me well...I only hope I can bring her half the joy and comfort she brings to my life.
So the holiday season has arrived and for a change I had planned far enough ahead that everything was running smoothly and my life in the fast lane was going at a pace I could manage....until one of life's unexpected events happened...my wonderful mother-in-law passed away the night before my husband and I were leaving for a week long trip to DC to celebrate my youngest son's graduation from Georgetown University and my middle son's swearing in as an attorney for the State of Maryland in Annapolis, MD. Through the grief we adjusted our trip to include the services in Pittsburgh for three days where all of the family and friends converged to pay tribute and celebrate my mother-in-law's 88 years on this earth and deep abiding faith.
At first thought this seems sad to consider. But then I began to reflect that in today's world where families are scattered to all the corners of the world it really is not surprising and since there is little we can do that will change that we best make the most of our times together and find additional ways to connect. In our family many of us are on Facebook and are in the Family Group so we can share with one another there via updates, photos, etc.
We talk on the phone several times a week, email and Skype as well. Although this may not be nearly as good as the in person contact, it does help to keep us connected. I find that staying it touch, no matter the vehicle, is the key here.
And so our trip was really one of highs and lows for our family but through it all we chose to celebrate the milestones of life...some just beginning, some closing one chapter and starting another but all with an eye to the wonder of life and love and family. It really drives home (in that fast lane) the true importance of valuing every moment you have together no matter the reason for the gathering...relish it, embrace it, and find joy in every moment you are with one another.
Take the time this Christmas season to reflect on the importance of family gatherings to your own well being and as always its importance in managing your RA!
Without a doubt, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. There are lots of reasons all wrapped up in gratitude and love. This is a holiday that along with all of its bountiful food and family gatherings is also known for generating thoughts of appreciation.
We have a tradition that is very special and dear to my heart. Pieces of paper are laid beside a bowl along with a pen. Throughout the day while the turkey is roasting, people wander over to the bowl, and put pen to paper to express what they are thankful for over the past year.
Then, after dinner, we pass the bowl and and read them aloud. If you select your own you can toss it back in and select another. We have been doing this for many years now and although we often have some of the same sentiments expressed around loving one another and thanking our hosts (my brother and Dave who open their home to my entire family every year!) I never tire of hearing them expressed! Every year there are several new ones or funny ones or just cleverly worded ones that make it fun and sweet and special year after year. I cannot wait till I have little ones at the table to contribute their thankful thoughts. I believe that saying aloud how grateful we are for the many blessings life has given us is a simple yet profound reminder of how wonderfully fortunate we are. I have written at length in a previous post of my deepest gratitude for those in my life who are so precious - http://livingwithra-nan.blogspot.com/2011/07/thanksreally-you-bet.html - so there is no need to re-post it here...suffice it to say that all of those sentiments are still felt with the deepest love.
The other part of this holiday I love is that our family gathers for no other reason than to be together - not for a wedding or a concert or a graduation or birthday, etc. As nice as those all are, this holiday is all about spending time together....in our case we eat, watch lots of football, play football in the annual Turkey Bowl, shop, play games, watch movies and just hang out and laugh and share and hug...oh yes..lots of hugs.
One of the things I miss the most about my sons not living nearby are the hugs that a mom likes to give to her children every day. It is amazing how important touch is to the feelings of love, security, contentment, etc. that we all crave. And for a mother, those hugs are given and received from the moment of birth and so I naturally enjoy when my sons are home and I can hug them often! If you have your children near you, hug them often and with joy and abandon! I am lucky to have a spouse and a brother who are also huggers and I treasure their hugs too.
So, relative to our RA there is much to learn from Thanksgiving. One tough lesson for me is around how much I do with regard to the cooking and other chores associated with the day itself. I was feeling pretty good this year and despite the fact that my brother insisted on cooking literally every meal (the man is a saint) I thought I would at least do the side dishes....well here is what I have figured out (DUH!).
When I am feeling good, I assume that nothing will change so I go ahead and do things that I know from past experience will likely lead to joint discomfort. Why? Well, think about your life prior to RA. If you knee was not hurting you would not hesitate to run if you wanted. If your hands were strong and feeling fine you would go right ahead and knit if you chose to. But - if your knees hurt you would stop running and if your hands hurt you would surely not take up knitting. Well, so it is with RA...with a big difference...we have to ANTICIPATE the pain and discomfort. Our hands may start out just fine....but after stirring or chopping food those same hands have now become swollen and painful. I find it very difficult to sit by with hands that AT THAT MOMENT feel fine while other do the tasks that I used to be able to do without thinking. So it was this year....as I write this I have my compression gloves on thanks to once again (Dear God when will I learn?) doing more than I should have. I really am not sure that will ever change. I honestly believe that I will probably push the envelope till the end of my time on earth because I just cannot sit around and let others do everything for me...just is not in my make-up. I try to do it...God knows I try...and I have given up doing cooking at home for the most part...but the guilt over doing so is still there no matter how much I joke that I love not cooking. I hear about friends who cook wonderful meals for their family and friends and I feel that I should do it too...but then reality sets in and I step back...usually. When I don't I pay the price....a very high price filled with pain and discomfort.
I can clearly recall times when I chose not to ride that bike or take that walk when I physically could have with no problem and that at times haunts me to this day. What I would give to have some of those times back. But I am not a person the looks to the past with regret. Rather I like to look to the future having learned from the past and with an eye to finding joy in each moment I am here and with my loved ones. And so it is with a grateful heart that I have to thank RA just a bit for making me so keenly aware of how precious each day is.
Remember to reflect during this season of gratitude and kindness on the joy of being.
I almost hesitate to say this for fear I will jinx it, but the changes I had decided to implement following my rather difficult spring and summer have really paid off and I feel like "my gears" are running smoothly.
What had concerned me as it does so many folks with RA is whether I was 1) making enough changes or 2) making too many changes or 3) making the wrong changes.
No question that when faced with change, particularly when it comes to health related change, most of us would rather maintain the status quo then make changes that may or may not prove successful in our quest to manage RA. It is really quite natural to want things to stay the same. That, however, can prove disastrous for people with RA. The long term consequences of not making positive changes are life altering for RA patients.
In my conversations and online communications with RA folks a common theme is the "wish" that many express that they had "done that sooner". Been there myself. Where the problem comes in with RA, is that delaying a necessary change can impact our health for years into the future. Whether it is a new medication, a new doctor or other health professional, a new job, a new relationship, a new locale - all of these and many more will have a distinct effect on those of us with chronic disease. Sometimes you simply have to take the plunge.
This is, of course, easier said than done. I have come to embrace change over the years and I guess I can "thank" RA for that since it has literally compelled me to do that in many areas of my life from treatment choices to exercise options to vacation and trip choices.
I recall that to get started with the process of change I had to take them one at at time. I tend to move at the speed of light so this in itself was tough for me. In this case, though, having some patience paid off and continues to reap dividends. One step, one change at a time, can make it much less intimidating. And the difference can be monumental!
Now not all changes afford you the luxury of taking time to consider them. Case in point, my issues with my stomach this past summer. When you are feeling ill week after week, delaying is not wise. I should probably have had an endoscopy 15 years ago but had put that one off due to my fear of the procedure. Unfounded I might add as it was painless and because I was "out" I did not experience the claustrophobia I was terrified of. Although it may not have changed the end result I would have had the peace of mind of knowing that a hiatal hernia was at the root of it all! Peace of mind can be a valid reward for change!
I have to admit that there are times when the sheer quantity of changes we have to make in managing RA can be overwhelming and that can be paralyzing in itself. Never mind the fact that the change itself may be difficult to accomplish. We have all been in that place where there is simply too many things going on at once...job changes, family dynamics changing, friendships changing and on and on. It can be beyond daunting to the point you are completely stuck!
I think it is important to also point out that the "changeable" nature of RA itself can make embracing change almost counter intuitive. RA by its very nature can "change" from hour to hour, day to day. That constant unsettling state makes accepting change almost abhorrent to us. So it is with fists clenched (figuratively speaking) and mixed emotions that we must continue our path to change!
The best way to counter the avalanche of change we seem to face is too prioritize those that need your immediate attention and those that can be put off a bit. Literally list them on a piece of paper and decide what needs addressed now and then carefully weigh your options. Develop a priority checklist and then follow it! It is really satisfying to go through a list and check them off. That will make the notion of change a bit more palatable!
Another way to approach change is to fully understand the value of each change you make. As I have so often encouraged on my blog, learn and research all you can about the decisions you are making. You must be your own best advocate whether it is about change or some other aspect of RA.
We can be our own best advisers if we stop and carefully consider all the knowledge and advice we gather. You will find that doing that will boost your confidence in the choice itself as well as the results realized from the changes you are adopting.
Sometimes we are simply forced to change. No options, no way out but to make that change. I really do not like those kind and I try to avoid them at all costs but to be honest those of us with RA face them now and again and to be aware of that type of change may just help you to handle it when the time comes.
By forced change I mean the ones that you are essentially required to make or the result would be worse than the change itself....not always easy to sort out. In the end you really have to come to the understanding that it is for the best and adopt an attitude of belief in adopting the change.
Otherwise you will always be second guessing yourself and that is not a healthy way to adopt change.
Listening to another person's perspective on a change you are considering can prove to be invaluable in your decision making process. There were certainly times (and there still are) when I am either too tired, too sick, too overwhelmed or too close to the situation to have an objective view of what to do. Those are the times when the wisdom of my "support team" is very welcomed! I gather their input and then make my decision based on both my instincts and their collective wisdom.
Another strategy is to take some time and reflect on past changes you may or may not have made and consider why and what the outcomes of those decisions were to you.
Ask yourself if you could do it over how might you "change" your course of action? How might it have made an impact on your RA? These are crucial considerations and by going through this exercise with yourself you may just discover that change is actually just what you need!
It may be easier in the short term to "stay put" but just as in nature, seasons change, so in our lives the long term impact of change may just be what you need to successfully manage your RA! | 2019-04-24T10:44:54Z | http://livingwithra-nan.blogspot.com/2011/ |
With clashing swords and combat to first blood or death, trial by combat, whether criminal or civil, was not an uncommon way to settle disputes in England in the Middle Ages. In fact, the issue arose in 1818 when someone demanded to settle a dispute in such a manner.
Yes, indeed, it was still on the books, though hadn’t been used for hundreds of years.
By the Regency, England’s courts had evolved from the days of trial by ordeal or combat or simple pronouncements from on high. They had become a complex and loosely jointed system of magistrates, justices of the peace, and circuit judges for the assizes.
How the system evolved from the days of Anglo-Saxon rule until the Regency is a complex system on which entire books have been written. This is a brief description of the duties of the men who handled around ninety-five per cent of England’s criminal cases during our time period. It changed again in 1830, and then again in 1971, and we don’t need to fret about those because this is its own era.
Who were justices of the peace and magistrates? They were usually gentlemen who sat in the various offices in London, hearing criminal trials brought to them from various sources. Coroners for murder, for example. Bow Street is the most famous of these offices, and possibly the most famous of the Bow Street magistrates is Sir John Fielding, brother to the eighteenth century author and also a Bow Street magistrate.
Fielding, Sir John, was called the Blind Beak of Bow Street. A “beak” in street cant, was a respected man. Sir John was blinded serving in the royal Navy, but legend has it that he recognized the voices of 3,000 criminals.
Outside of London, we had justices of the peace. These were gentlemen, but not peers. If a peer was a justice of the peace before gaining a peerage, he could keep the post, and peers did not take on the role. JPs performed the same duties of hearing cases as did magistrates. They were simply outside of London. Both sent serious criminal cases up the chain to higher judges.
On a side note here, neither magistrates nor justices of the peace could perform weddings at this time. That fell solely under the jurisdiction of the Church of England.
Outside of London, circuit judges traveled around the country and held trials at the assizes. Assizes occurred twice a year. That meant an innocent man accused of murder could languish in prison for up to six months until the next meeting of the assizes.
Inside London, serious crimes such as murder were heard by the Court of the King’s Bench.
Sadly, corruption, taking of bribes, and other forms of misconduct by judges was not uncommon. In some eras, though I haven’t found much evidence of it during the Regency, judges were removed and even sentenced to death for corrupt practices.
Regardless of these slips into sin, a trial before a judge and jury proved far more effective than trial by combat or ordeal.
Veteran Regency author Regency Regina Scott joins us again to tell us a little more about her writing, as well as her love for Regencies. Regina’s first published book was The Unflappable Miss Fairchild in 1998, with Zebra Regency Romance. Since then she has published continuously, with 19 novels and four novellas to her credit. In the last couple of years, she has turned to writing Regencies with a Christian tone. These have found a home with Love Inspired Historicals. Her fifth Christian Regency, The Rake’s Redemption, is out this month.
1. Last time you were here, you told us about how you fell in love with the Regency time period. What can you tell us about the setting of this new book?
This story is set entirely in London during the Season, but my hero is on the fringes of Society by his own choice, so there’s only a couple balls and most of the action takes place out of doors—driving in the forgotten corners of Hyde Park, meeting in secret at Vauxhall Gardens, dueling on Primrose Hill.
2. Was there any fun fact about the Regency period that you stumbled across in your research for this book that really fired up your imagination? Any little tidbit that prompted a plot point or a cool character moment?
I stumbled across an article written just after the Regency that laid out the specific rules for duels, contrasting them to those of the French. Because my hero, Vaughn Everard, has a reputation as a duelist, knowing some of the rules he could choose to keep or break really helped me write the main dueling scene in the book and keep it in his character. I learned to fence when I was in college, so I really wanted to get that scene right!
3. Does your new book, “The Rake’s Redemption”, continue the story of any of the characters from your last book, “The Captain’s Courtship”? What did you enjoy about writing a linked story? Was there anything about that connection that made writing “The Rake’s Redemption” more difficult?
The Rake’s Redemption is the third book in the Everard Legacy miniseries, starting up shortly after The Captain’s Courtship left off. This book tells the story of how Vaughn Everard finally finds the man responsible for killing his beloved uncle, and his cousin Samantha’s continued attempts to fulfill the requirements of her father’s will.
I love writing linked stories because they give you a bigger canvas on which to lay out an adventure. But they’re also hard, because if you decide later that it would have been better for the hero of book 1 to have done something to set you up for book 3, it’s too late!
4. Tell me a little bit about your hero, Vaughn Everard.
Vaughn is the quintessential warrior poet—literally! He grew up before the Regency began, so he tends to have more of the swashbuckling attitude of the previous era—lace at his cuffs, sword at his side. That puts him in direct contrast with his more elegant, refined peers. And he writes moving, romantic poetry that sets all the ladies’ hearts a-flutter. Can you tell he’s my personal favorite of the three Everard gentlemen?
5. Tell me a little bit about your heroine, Lady Imogene Devary.
Lady Imogene grew up sheltered, the apple of her father’s eye. But she’s noticed her father behaving oddly lately, and she cannot figure out why. The problems seemed to start when a certain poet began calling, demanding a moment with her father. So Lady Imogene sets out to discover what’s going on. Between her own natural charm and her father’s position as the Marquess of Widmore, she’d never had anyone refuse her least request. But then, she’s never met anyone like Vaughn before.
6. What can we look forward to next from you?
Next March, the final book in the Everard Legacy comes out: The Heiress’s Homecoming. That’s Samantha’s story, set 8 years after the other three books, where we how the legacy plays out in her life. She’s only sixteen in the books out this year, so I wanted to give a little time to come into her own.
7. Where else on the web can our readers find you?
Readers can find me at my webpage at www.reginascott.com, the blog I share with young adult author Marissa Doyle at NineteenTeen, Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/reginascott or the Love Inspired Historical Group at http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/24770-love-inspired-historicals.
Thanks for visiting us today, Regina!
Any Regency aficionado knows that many of our stories are set in the years 1811-1820 when George IV, Prince of Wales was made the Prince Regent. In the Regency Act of 1811 Parliament determined that King George III was unfit to rule. But what do we know of King George III, what is the legacy he left behind during the longest reign of a king up to that point in history?
Personally, he married Charlotte of Mechlenberg-Streltitz and bore fifteen children. It says much about the time that, though his popularity waned over his reign,England’s populace was always proud of him for being faithful to his wife of 59 years!
Side note: Queen Charlotte is noted to have African ancestry, from Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman part of the black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. English Royal painter captured her appearance without softening her features which was called mulatto in nature.
His two eldest sons, George IV (later Prince Regent) and William IV left him constantly faced with their excessive extravagance, dissolute lifestyles and profligate ways. Both of those sons eventually wore the crown, but died without surviving legitimate children.
That began the reign of Queen Victoria, the last monarch of the House of Hanover.
As king, war was the one constant of King George III’s reign. He oversaw the defeat of France in the Seven Year’s War, and was subsequently nicknamed “The King Who Lost America” from the constant battle with the Colonies’ War of Independence. But with the defeat of France in the Napoleonic War,Britain emerged the world’s leading power, though King George III was not in power when it ended.
In Parliament, bad choices in the men he kept around him, and detesting those he had no choice in appointing, made government stability rare and created a volatile atmosphere with his Prime Ministers and in the House of Commons.
But he was also the first British Monarch to study science, chemistry, physics, astronomy and mathematics. He learned French and Latin, geography, commerce, agriculture and constitutional law. And despite the loss of the Americas, there was great expansion of the empire and trade. The population almost doubled and there were great strides in agricultural methods and advances in technology. The tide of moral and religious improvement which began in the days of John Wesley, kept the popularity of a King whose religious education was wholly Anglican.
Unfortunately, he was far from well during the last twenty years of his life. He had three different bouts with mental illness, but in October 1810 he had a major mental breakdown; even to the point of being restrained in a straight jacked and tied into chairs. He was renamed “The Mad King” and he spent the last years of his life completely blind and deaf but lovingly cared for by his wife and doctors.
It is sad to think that the people finally saw him as an object of sympathy once George IV, was made the Prince Regent. Britain’s people watched and compared him to his son as the Prince Regent squandered the already low coffers of England and kept the dissolute lifestyle his father had hated.
What rank would you be?
Imagine you were transported back to Regency England. What would you want to be? A commoner? Peerage? Royalty? Why?
I would want to be what I am today in my own era: a romance writer. I’ve been researching the popular novels of the Regency, and it seems that women authors were quite numerous and prolific. The “Minerva novels” were gobbled up by women readers. They specialized in inexpensive romances and gothic novels, which reader could purchase or take out from “circulating” libraries. Mary Russel Mitford and Fanny Burney were two popular authors who made their living writing romantic novels.
I’m gonna have to go with the peerage, or at least gentry, on this one, for several reason. One, I’m lazy. The idea that someone else would cook my meals and do my laundry has a certain appeal, I must confess. But also, with a higher rank you had the power, time, and money to change things. I would like to have the influence and ability to run a charity or work with the underprivileged. The glitzy parties wouldn’t be bad either.
I am not sure I would have been a proper member of the peerage (or royalty, for that matter) in Regency England. I find too much pleasure in the vocation of writing, I enjoy the modern comforts of jeans and coffee shops, and I value the rights women have to cote and pursue our dreams in modern society. I also wouldn’t know the first thing about having a service staff attend to my every whim, so I’d have been a poor member of the aristocracy. I’d rather have been a commoner with some means (so I wouldn’t have to stress about where the next meal is coming from), perhaps a friend that was invited into Jane Austen’s parlor from time to time, so we could write our next novel together? I know one thing for sure – I’d adore the clothes more than anything!
Given the choice, I’d like to be a peeress in my own right like Diana in the Malloren series by Jo Beverley. It was rare and it did happen. The woman had lots of freedom and power other women did not enjoy, even after they married.
I’d have to be peerage or have enough rank and wealth to assure my family’s position and a suitable match for my daughter. A house in the country and a townhouse in the city, large enough to host a ball.
I’d prefer to be a commoner. It’s a hard choice to make, because when I think of peerage, they had such a posh life full of luxuries, beautiful clothes, and the best that money could afford them. But so very little of their wealth was earned. Most of it was handed down generation to generation. Plus the upper class wielded so much power on the back of regular, every day people. I couldn’t live with the guilt of spending a year’s salary on a dress. So I pick commoner. Boring and ordinary, yes. Harder style of living, yes. But they were still the backbone of the country.
What about you? What would you want to be?
Voting and distribution of representation by elected officials is a vital and fascinating topic today as it was during the Regency.
We can now watch legislative sessions live-streamed, or follow issues of interest via the internet, but the doings of the government during the Regency were communicated by way of a journal that was sold by a publisher. In 1806 Thomas Hansard began producing reports of parliamentary debates in a journal published by William Cobbett called Parliamentary Debates. Hansard bought out Cobbett in 1811 and continued to publish the debates. This constituted a watchdog system of sorts.
The set-up of the voting system was ripe for reform. In the early 19th century there were two types of constituency, country areas and towns or boroughs. In the countryside only the landowners could vote. In boroughs the level of enfranchisement varied but was usually limited. The constituencies had not been changed for centuries and no longer reflected the distribution of the population. Industrial towns like Birmingham and Manchester did not have MPs of their own. On the other hand some settlements had died out but they were still represented in parliament! In ‘rotten’ or ‘pocket’ boroughs there might be only one or two voters! And we think red-lining is bad!
The early 19th century saw increasing demand for reforms. Most people wanted constituencies distributed more fairly and they also wanted enfranchisement extended, but Wellington’s party, the Tories, resisted.
The Whigs formed a government in 1830 and tried to introduce reform. The House of Commons eventually voted for a reform bill but the House of Lords rejected it. King William IV warned that he would create more peers, who favored the bill, unless the Lords agreed to accept it. Eventually the House of Lords backed down and passed the Great Reform Bill. It received the royal assent on June 7, 1832.
The franchise to vote was only extended slightly but more importantly the new industrial towns were now represented in parliament. Before 1832 Britain was ruled by an oligarchy of landowners. After 1832 the urban middle class had an increasing say.
Today Regency Reflections welcomes Dina Sleiman. Dina is stopping by to show just how much influence the Regency era had beyond the shores of England.
Although my new historical romance, Love in Three-Quarter Time, is set near the American frontier, it is also set during what would be considered the Regency period in England. And because American culture was so influenced by Britain, I think any Regency fan will enjoy reading about those influences in my book. Most of my characters come from an English background. In fact, several minor characters are directly from England. And my heroine, little trouble maker that she is at times, decides to fake a Yorkshire accent to try to impress her potential employers with her European background. The story takes place in Charlottesville, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson and many other members of the “planter elite class,” which gives it a sophisticated touch reminiscent of Regency England. But it’s also situated not far from the Shenandoah mountain range, which was still considered the frontier in 1817.
Let’s look at some of the elements associated with Regency culture that are seen in my book.
Fashionable Americans wore the same styles as their European counterparts, and made every effort to keep up with the latest trends. In 1817, for ladies this meant higher waists than ever before and sculpted bodices. Hemlines were also higher than ever and skirts were wider and more frilled than during other times in the Regency Era. I especially give a close up look at the ball gowns of that day since my heroine’s mother is a seamstress. You’ll also see plenty of the hats, gloves, and fans that this era is known for. In men’s fashion the style had moved to trousers rather than breeches, and Hessian boots had grown passé. Although, you’ll still see these boots on some of my less fashion conscious characters.
Of course scientific advances are the same in both the United States and England. The US could boast several impressive universities at that time, and plans for building the University of Virginia in Charlottesville were already underway. Let’s not forget that Benjamin Franklin had been an American innovator in science not long ago. My heroine’s sister, Patience Cavendish, has a love for science and a penchant for discussing the latest theories of heat and sound. Like her former president, Thomas Jefferson, she is very influenced by Enlightenment thinking.
Both England and America were still recovering from the War of 1812. In addition, the abolitionist movement was active in both countries. Britain had abolished all slave trade at this time, although not slavery itself. America had recently abolished international slave trade but not domestic. Of course, my abolitionist characters hope that America will keep the momentum moving toward freedom, but I’m concerned that unlike in England, it will take drastic measures to put an end to slavery in the American South.
Both countries were still recovering from the devastating effects of the “Year without a Summer” of 1816, which was reportedly caused by a volcano in Indonesia. Virginia itself was far enough south to escape the worst of the famine, but it did affect the economy throughout the US and earned several mentions in my book. It comes into play as my hero, Robert Montgomery, makes some important business decisions about his plantation.
The Romantic Movement was fashionable in art at this time throughout Europe and the US. My artistic character, Felicity Cavendish, is a fan of this movement. In architecture the style was called “Regency” in England and “Federalist” in America, but both were heavily influenced by the Neo-classical style. This can be seen in Jefferson’s Greek Revival architecture at Monticello and my own fictional creation, White Willow Hall.
While Americans enjoyed the same cultured composers as their British counterparts, they each had their own unique folk music as well. For high society balls, the dances were nearly identical at this time. England beat us to the “scandalous” waltz, however, when the Prince Regent introduced it in 1816. The waltz coming to America is a primary focus of my book, so you’ll get to enjoy many details of the waltz and other ballroom dances, as well as a peek at the world of ballet. In fact, my heroine Constance Cavendish, turned to teaching dance to support her family after her father died, leaving them destitute. Since men were highly sought as dance masters at the time, Constance must move to the frontier in search of better employment.
A few weeks ago Reagan Walker shared an in depth article on this blog about the religion of this time in England. I loved this quote she shared from an Anglican minister about other Anglican ministers of this time. “[With few exceptions] the clergy held and taught a negative and cold Protestantism deadening to the imagination, studiously repressive to the emotions, and based on principles which found little sanction either in reason or in history. The laity willingly accepted it, as it made so little demand upon their conscience, so little claim upon their life.” My heroine’s spiritual journey is moving from this type of thinking to a warm and vibrant evangelical sort of faith, also typical of this time, thanks to my handsome circuit riding preacher, Lorimer.
Naturally, some elements in the book are purely American including Thomas Jefferson, the Monacan Indians, the tobacco plantations, and the frontiersmen in buckskin clothing, but I think you’ll find plenty of European influence to please even the most Regency-loving soul. In fact, my characters enjoy a good Austen novel as well as anyone, although the author is still anonymous at this time. I call this my “Scarlett O’Hara meets Jane Austen novel,” and I included plenty of Austen-like twist and turns for a fun, romantic read you’ll be sure to enjoy.
With this Ring… in Gretna Green?
When my husband and I were married some twelve years ago, there were few impediments for us to reach the altar as soon as we wished to. He knelt down on one knee to ask me, I gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” and almost immediately afterwards, we began making our joyful plans.
Besides the all important wedding gown, the perfect candlelit venue and the explosion of decisions that had to be made, we focused little on what the government required for our union and more on how we would put our personal mark on the day we’d pledge our future lives to each other. In fact, we lived in a location that had minimal government restrictions – we were citizens of the country and were of legal age so we had but to file with the county official’s office and in turn, would have been required to wait only 24 hours before making our walk down the aisle.
In researching Regency Era marriage for a recent book project, it was fascinating to learn how different our options would have been had we lived in England some 200 years ago.
Of course the differences in how an eligible young lady would have made her social debut, how a young man and woman would meet and how courting would commence is in stark contrast to what we know today. But as for government, it’s interesting to find that there is just as much government restriction on the act of marriage (and just as much dodging of said restrictions) as there would have been in force during the Regency Era.
The first of these restrictions involved the literal “Las Vegas” of the day – or Gretna Green, Scotland. It was to this elopement location that many couples embarked upon a journey along the Great North Road from London in order to quickly exchange their vows. Similar to the little wedding chapels that one might find along Nevada’s famous neon strip, the tiny village of Gretna Green became the virtual Vegas of its day.
It lies just over the border to Scotland and at the time, became a famous spot for couples escaping the 1754 Lord Hardwicke Marriage Act that was still in effect in the Regency years. The British government dictated that a couple must have parental consent to marry if under twenty-one years of age. In contrast, Scotland’s age for eligible marriage was just sixteen. This led to many couples fleeing up the road on a days-long journey to traverse the border and become a Mr. and Mrs. both quickly and legally.
Another practice for a couple wishing to be married in the Church of England was the reading of the banns of marriage (also known as “banns”). This proclamation of marriage was announced publicly within the church for three weeks in succession prior to a marriage taking place (mainly so that anyone citing a credible reason that the marriage should not take place would have adequate notice to make such a stand against the union). Today, a couple may be required to participate in marriage counseling or take classes to satisfy the requirements of a particular church or denomination, but the requirement would be independent of government decree. In addition, couples may declare their intent to marry by proclaiming their engagement in a public announcement, newspaper article or engagement party, though these practices are social in nature and are not dictated as a requirement by the government. For those traveling to Gretna Green, no such proclamation was expected or required.
It is interesting to note that now more than 200 years after the time of these original runaway marriages, Gretna Green remains an extremely popular wedding venue. In fact, it is estimated that one in six Scottish marriages occur in the small village made famous for its take on marriage minus the control of government.
Today, a wedding ring is a must. The making of a marriage promise is still a lifelong commitment. And whether or not we travel to Gretna Green to exchange the all important vows or whether we follow the requirements of the government in the locale where we live, we still say “with this ring…” with as much heart as those couples would have all those years ago.
May we find joy in the union just as they did.
These days, “the sword” of the government is usually jail time or fines or community service, and only occasionally the death penalty. But in the Regency, it was different.
Criminals were still sent to prisons then. But in the Regency, prisons weren’t nearly as regulated as they are now. Some prisons didn’t provide enough of food or other necessities for the prisoners. Some were workhouses. Worst of all, some were “hulks”: old ships moored in the Thames, where hundreds of men were locked below deck, in the dark, doomed to fight and starve and probably die long before they were granted the dubious opportunity of transportation to the colonies.
And it wasn’t just men in the prisons or hulks: children convicted of crimes were sent there, too. While men and women were generally separated in prison, adults and children were not. You can just imagine the fate of those children.
If you weren’t sent to prison, you might be sent off to the colonies, on the theory that if you couldn’t commit any more crimes in England if . . . well, if you weren’t in England anymore.
But perhaps the biggest difference between the way our government punishes crime and the way crime was punished by the government of Regency England was the death penalty. We still have it, yes, but it’s rarely used, and generally only for very serious and violent crimes. Moreover, these days, attempts are made to administer it humanely. But in the Regency, not only were hundreds of crimes were punishable by death, if you were sentenced to death, you were going to die publicly and probably not painlessly, by hanging.
However, reform of the penal code was beginning – and ongoing – in the Regency. According to Donald Low in his book The Regency Underworld, in 1816 Sir Samuel Romilly succeeded in getting pickpocketing to be no longer punishable by the death penalty. In a time when over two hundred crimes could be punished by death, this was a notable success. Other reformers began trying to implement corrective programs in the prisons or, at the very least, to separate serious criminals from the less serious, instead of having them all mill about together, the worse corrupting the better (see Peel’s Prison Act of 1823).
This post isn’t anywhere near exhaustive – the people of the Regency were inventive, and the nuances of the penal code numerous and arcane. It’s a rich field for research, but one that requires a strong stomach.
But even with all these differences between then and now, prison still isn’t a good place to be, and not even always a safe place. The spirit of the reform work and the concern for prisoners that began in the Regency are still carried out today by ministries like Prison Fellowship. And then as now, children still feel the pain imposed by the penal system. With Christmas coming, Angel Tree is a great place to start if you feel a call to ministering to the children of those in prison in this day and age. And just about every city has a prison with people in it who can use visitors and books and Bibles. Things might be better now, but they’re far from perfect. The light of Christ still needs to be taken to the darkest of places.
Tories, Whigs, Foxite-Whigs, Oh My. What shall become of us, Lord?
The government is not stable, barely lasting two years. My fears of invasion, a total loss of the country I know and love, fills my heart.
How can Providence allow such upheavals?
Why change from Pitt, to Grenville, to Portland? Is the title of Prime Minister difficult to hold?
I know I am just a woman. I should contend myself to my needlework. Surely, there are enough ribbons to be added to little Mary’s gown to make my mind numb to fear.
Yet, how can I even think of my girl coming of age in times like these. My heart aches at seeing her cast into this society where dissension reigns. She cannot be a war bride. No! Not her.
My thumb has turned painful. I yank the needle freeing it from the swelling flesh. I’ve pricked finger and stained the satin hem.
Is this coursing of rouge a sign to come? Don’t our enemies in France lay in wait for our weakness? This turmoil is the proper time to strike.
I dispatch my maid for fresh muslin. I will not ruin anymore ribbons with my wringing of hands. Doubt will not save my country.
As I swaddle my hands in the soft cloth, my palms meet. A peace settles on my shoulders. The churning of my stomach quiets. I remember Your words.
So Pitt, Grenville and now Portland… You ordained them to be Prime Minister, in such a time as these?
I slump in my chair. The very thought of this contention being God’s will disheartens me. Yet, the soft words of the passage sing in my soul.
6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Now my heart is pricked. For I have not given tribute to the governing, just gossip and trepidation. I repent of that Lord. I uncover my hands, slapping flesh to flesh, and pay tribute. I pray for Providence’s guidance and mercy to fall upon my leaders. It is the best offering I can render.
Laurie Allice Eakes (LA) invites you into an Interview with Cheryl Bolen (CB), author of Marriage of Inconvenience from Love Inspired Historical.
LA: What drew you to write about the Regency Time Period?
CB: My World War II book—the fourth complete book I’d written but not found a publishing home for—won a lot of contests, but publishers kept saying it didn’t fit into a genre. The final editor judge in one contest told me if I wrote a historical romance that took place before 1900 she would like to look at it. The only period I liked was the Regency England Georgette Heyer had introduced me to. I hadn’t read many of the contemporary writers of Regency because I found some of them not understanding the era as well as I thought I did. That’s when I had a light bulb moment. I can write that! I began A DUKE DECEIVED, and months later that senior editor at Harlequin Historical bought it.
LA: Tell us what year your book is set in and why you chose that particular time.
LA: What’s your favorite, unique Regency aspect of the novel, something you wouldn’t be able to include in a novel set in another place or time?
CB: Definitely the clothes—both men’s and women’s. Love the elegant, feminine lines of women’s but especially love that the men wore knee breeches, neckcloths—and unlike men later in the century, they were clean shaven!
LA: What are the biggest challenges to writing in the Regency Period?
CB: Some vocabulary is peculiar to the Regency, and you want to use it in a context that won’t confuse readers.
LA: Why did you choose to write Regencies for Love Inspired?
CB: I was honored that the senior editor of Love Inspired Historical came to me and asked me to write for her. I was thrilled because I’d developed a love of inspirational romances. Deeanne Gist is a friend of mine, and I love her award-winning books.
LA: What is your favorite Regency Food, aspect of dress, and/or expression?
CB: I don’t get into food a lot in my books because I don’t think modern readers would like to read about the excessive gluttony of the period! I love the wonderful formality and manners of the upper classes in their speech of the period. I really don’t like it when I read a book where an earl says, “Call me John.” This simply wasn’t done. Ladies were always Miss Lastname even to their closest friends.
LA: What is your favorite Regency setting; e.g., London, country house, small village?
CB: For my own books, I like a mix of the two. I’ve been to London many times and like to describe it as I believe it looked in the Regency, but there’s nothing like those grand country estates, and I like my readers to get a taste for that, too.
LA: What makes your hero and heroine uniquely Regency?
CB: In my newest book, the hero is in Parliament, and it plays a particular role in my book. They both favored reforms to benefit the lower classes.
LA: Tell us about your book.
CB: It’s actually sort of funny that in the same month I’ve got two new releases, and both of them are G-rated. As an ebook only, I’ve got CHRISTMAS BRIDES: 3 REGENCY NOVELLAS.
Marriage of Inconvenience, Love Inspired Historical: Proposing to the Earl of Aynsley seems a sensible—if unconventional—solution to Miss Rebecca Peabody’s predicament. As a married woman, she will be free to keep writing her essays on civil reform. Meanwhile, the distinguished widower will gain a stepmother for his seven children and a caretaker for his vast estate.
But the earl wants more than a convenient bride. He craves a true partner, a woman he can cherish. To his surprise, the bookish Miss Peabody appears to have every quality he desires…except the willingness to trust her new husband. Yet despite his family’s interference, and her steadfast independence, time and faith could make theirs a true marriage of hearts.
Cheryl Bolen’s Bio: A former journalist who admits to a fascination with dead Englishwomen, Cheryl is a regular contributor to The Regency Plume, The Regency Reader, and The Quizzing Glass. Many of her articles can found on her website, www.CherylBolen.com, and more recent ones on her blog, www.CherylsRegencyRamblings.wordpress.com. Readers are welcomed at both places. | 2019-04-18T22:55:03Z | https://vanessariley.com/blog/2012/11/ |
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) can occur when a fetus inherits a paternal Human Platelet Antigen (HPA) that differs from the maternal antigen. Due to the fetal-maternal mixing of platelets, a specific antibody is formed that crosses the placenta, which may result in severe fetal thrombocytopenia.
Incidence varies based on ethnicity, with the highest at 0.2-1.0 of every 1,000 live births. Unlike Rhesus disease, the antibodies can cause severe fetal thrombocytopenia even in the first affected pregnancy. Though several polymorphic, diallelic platelet antigens exist, the severity of NAIT depends on the antigen involved.
The HPA-1a antigen, which accounts for the majority of cases, is responsible for 75-90% of cases in Caucasians. Although 1 in 42 pregnancies is incompatible for HPA-1a, the disorder can remain subclinical, as there appears to be a need for an immunologic susceptibility to HPA-1a sensitization. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II determinant can modulate the severity of the disease and may be required for the development of antibodies against HPA-1a.
The spectrum of the disease in both the fetus and newborn varies widely, from asymptomatic mild thrombocytopenia to severe thrombocytopenia with spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. In a typical affected pregnancy, the mother is generally healthy, has a normal platelet count, and the pregnancy, labor, and delivery are usually without incident. However, the affected neonate can either be born with evidence of profound thrombocytopenia or manifest generalized petechia or ecchymoses within hours after birth.
The most severe consequence is intracranial hemorrhage, occurring in 10-20% of cases, which may result in intrauterine or neonatal demise or survival with lifelong disability. In a published case series examining 123 neonates with untreated NAIT, clinical presentation included superficial bleeding in 47%, intracerebral hemorrhage in 14%, bleeding within another major organ in 2%, and no signs in 34%. The platelet count at birth will typically drop in the first few days of life and then rise over the next 1-4 weeks as the level of maternal antibodies decline in the neonate. Fetal intracranial hemorrhage can also occur with detection of a hematoma, porencephalic cysts, or obstructive hydrocephalus on ultrasound.
The differential diagnosis for fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia includes idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Similar to NAIT, maternal IgG antiplatelet antibodies are transported into the fetal circulation, occasionally resulting in fetal or neonatal thrombocytopenia. This can cause minor clinical bleeding, such as purpura, ecchymoses, hematuria, or melena, but rarely results in fetal or intracranial hemorrhage. The best predictor of fetal or neonatal thrombocytopenia for a woman with ITP is an affected neonate in a prior pregnancy.
The goal of obstetric management is to identify pregnancies at risk for NAIT and to prevent intracranial hemorrhage. Although screening for HPA-1a antibodies would detect all at-risk pregnancies, it is not cost effective due to the low prevalence of this disorder. Maternal platelet antigen testing is recommended if a maternal sister had a pregnancy with diagnosed NAIT, or if the mother or her sister have had an obstetrical history suggesting NAIT, a fetal intracranial hemorrhage observed sonographically, or neonatal thrombocytopenia of <50,000/ml3, regardless of the presumed etiology.
A diagnosis of NAIT is made by testing the blood of both parents and confirming a suspected diagnosis with fetal or neonatal blood. If a platelet antigen incompatibility exists in the couple, screening for maternal anti-HPA antibodies specific for paternal or neonatal platelet antigens should be performed. Antibody titers are poorly predictive and are therefore not necessary. The recurrence risk in subsequent pregnancies is 100% if the father is homozygous for the responsible HPA. If the father is heterozygous for the antigen, fetal HPA typing can be obtained by amniocentesis. Chorionic villus sampling should be avoided, as it may exacerbate the alloimmune reaction.
In contrast to Rh alloimmunization, NAIT will often develop in the first pregnancy with worsening thrombocytopenia as the pregnancy progresses. With each subsequent pregnancy, thrombocytopenia can occur earlier in gestation and tends to be more severe, with a history of antenatal intracranial hemorrhage in a prior pregnancy being most predictive of early-onset disease in the next pregnancy. In one study of 107 fetuses identified due to an affected older sibling, the initial platelet count at the time of fetal blood sampling was less than 20,000/ml3 in 50%, including many that were sampled prior to 24 weeks’ gestation. Since thrombocytopenia uniformly worsens in untreated fetuses, and the majority of intracranial hemorrhages occur in utero, treatment should be initiated antenatally rather than simply avoiding labor or waiting to treat the disorder until after birth.
Antenatal treatment has evolved over the past 25 years based on published case series detailing the outcomes of different regimens. Initial treatment included weekly in utero platelet transfusions, requiring serial cordocenteses. This approach has been largely abandoned because of the risk of fetal morbidity from repeated invasive procedures.
The administration of IVIG directly to the fetus has also been attempted but it has not consistently raised fetal platelet counts and carries a risk of pregnancy loss or significant fetal morbidity similar to that of serial platelet transfusions. Subsequent studies have focused on maternal medical management as a safer alternative. Currently, the mainstay of therapy includes maternal administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), with or without steroids.
Intravenous human immunoglobulin (IVIG) has proven to be the most successful treatment for fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Its mechanism of action is unclear, but it may suppress maternal antibody production and/or reduce the placental transfer of antibodies. The dosage of this pooled blood product is 1 gm/kg/week, infused over 4-5 hours once or twice a week.
Studies have clearly shown that IVIG is effective in reducing the risk of intracranial hemorrhage when compared to cases not treated in utero. The most common side effect reported is mild to severe headache. Other side effects include fatigue, flushing, back pain, myalgia, nausea, fever/chills, and hypotension. Premedication with acetaminophen, diphenhydramine, and in refractory cases, methylprednisolone, will decrease adverse events. Rare side effects include aseptic meningitis, acute kidney injury, thrombosis, hemolytic anemia, and stroke. Anaphylactic reactions are uncommon; however, it is recommended that the first infusion be performed in a hospital or medical office for close monitoring.
Corticosteroids can be administered in conjunction with IVIG. Low-dose dexamethasone has been studied, but it failed to improve platelet counts beyond the effect achieved with IVIG alone. Oral prednisone is now recommended in doses between 0.5-1mg/kg/day. Side effects include hyperglycemia, acne, hypertension, emotional lability, immunosuppression, fluid retention, and osteoporosis. Due to these common side effects, patients treated with long-term steroids should be repeatedly screened for gestational diabetes and supplemented with calcium and vitamin D. This medication is not effective in treating AIT when given alone, and, whenever possible, should be administered in association with IVIG.
A parallel-group randomized trial stratified patients based on risk for severe thrombocytopenia and ICH. Forty women who had previously had an infant with peripartum ICH or who currently carried a fetus with a platelet count less than 20,000 ml3 were randomized to receive either IVIG alone or in combination with prednisone. In the group that received both therapies, the mean platelet count increased by 67,000 ml3, compared with 17,300 ml3 in those receiving only IVIG.
In utero salvage therapy for NAIT was initially recommended in cases that failed to respond to treatment as determined at the time of follow-up fetal blood sampling. An adequate response was defined in one study as a platelet increase of 10,000 ml3 compared with the first cordocentesis, or a subsequent platelet count of greater than 30,000 ml3. If this was not achieved with the initial therapy, additional interventions were employed, including increasing the initial IVIG dose or adding prednisone. Follow up studies have proposed empiric use of salvage therapy based on risk category.
Previous treatment plans recommended serial cordocentesis to determine the fetal platelet count prior to initial IVIG therapy, after several weeks of IVIG therapy in order to assess response, and before deciding on the mode of delivery. However, fetal blood sampling is not without risk, and serious complications have been reported in 1-8% of cases. The risk of complications associated with fetal blood sampling is higher in NAIT than in other disorders due to the risk of exsanguination from the cord puncture site in severely thrombocytopenic fetuses.
Most recently, a management algorithm was published that recommends stratification of risk with modification of treatment based on stratum. This will minimize overall cost and significant side effects, while reserving cordocentesis for those patients that desire a trial of labor.
Low risk – History of a prior fetus or newborn with thrombocytopenia or intracranial hemorrhage of unknown etiology without evidence of an anti-HPA antibody in the maternal circulation.
Although paternal incompatibility for human platelet antigens may be present in this group, a specific anti-HPA antibody is not. As a maternal antibody has not been detected, the fetus is probably not affected with NAIT, but is at risk for developing the disorder as the pregnancy continues if a parental HPA discordance exists. These women do not need empiric treatment, but should be followed with maternal anti-HPA antibody screening along with cross-matching with the father of the fetus’ platelets at 12, 24, and 32 weeks of gestation. This will ensure that rare platelet antigens are detected as well. If the studies remain negative, the fetus is very unlikely to be affected and no therapy is needed during the pregnancy. If anti-HPA antibodies are subsequently detected in the maternal serum, the pregnancy must be stratified in the medium-risk category.
In cases where there is no incompatibility with the father’s HPA antigens, there may be a risk of a rare HPA antigen incompatibility that is not detected by the current screening methods. For that reason, a single antibody screen involving cross-matching of maternal and paternal platelets is recommended at 30 weeks’ gestation in this group. If that remains negative, no further testing or treatment is needed.
Medium risk – History of a previous fetus or newborn with serologically confirmed fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia having only thrombocytopenia; i.e., no evidence of an intracranial hemorrhage.
Once the diagnosis is serologically confirmed, therapy should be empirically started at 20 weeks’ gestation with either IVIG 1 gm/kg/week and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/day or IVIG 2 gm/kg/week. This regimen should be continued until 32 weeks’ gestation, when IVIG should be empirically increased to 2 gm/kg/week with prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/day until delivery.
High risk – History of serologically confirmed fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia AND previous fetus/newborn with intracranial hemorrhage after 28 weeks’ gestation.
Empiric therapy should begin at 12 weeks’ gestation with IVIG 1 gm/kg/week. At 20 weeks’ gestation, either the IVIG should be increased to 2 gm/kg/week, or treatment should continue with 1 gm/kg/week and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/day should be added to the regimen. At 28 weeks’ gestation, therapy should be increased to IVIG 2 gm/kg/week and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/ day until delivery.
A previously published series reported intracranial hemorrhage in 2 of 12 patients whose prior infant had an ICH after 28 weeks and who started treatment at 20 weeks. In a follow up study of the patients who started IVIG at 12 weeks’ gestation, all neonates did well and had platelet counts > 50,000/ml3 at birth.
Extreme high risk -History of serologically confirmed fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia AND previous fetus with intracranial hemorrhage at <28 weeks.
This group represents the highest risk category, as a previous pregnancy involved a severely affected infant prior to 28 weeks’ gestation. High dose IVIG at 2 gm/kg/week is recommended at 12 weeks’ gestation. At 20 weeks’ gestation, prednisone 1 mg/kg/day should be added, and both medications continued until delivery.
Of 8 women previously treated using this approach, there was 1 intracranial hemorrhage that occurred at 19 weeks’ gestation, but that patient had only been receiving IVIG 1 gm/kg/week since 12 weeks. In the remaining 7 patients that received the full protocol recommended above, all the neonates had platelet counts >50,000/ml3 and normal postnatal cranial ultrasounds.
Delivery by elective cesarean section is generally recommended and should occur between 37-38 weeks gestation for those in the medium-risk category or between 35-36 weeks for those in the high-risk or extreme high-risk categories. Antenatal betamethasone administration is recommended prior to indicated delivery in the late preterm period under 37 weeks’ gestational age. Amniocentesis should not be considered as a routine component of decision-making for the timing of delivery in affected pregnancies.
In patients highly motivated for a trial of labor, fetal blood sampling could be performed within a few days prior to planned delivery. With a fetal platelet count greater than 80,000 ml3, labor induction is reasonable. If the fetal platelet count is between 30,000 and 80,000 ml3, the patient should consider caesarean delivery. Alternatively, immediate induction of labor after fetal transfusion of antigen-negative platelets is an option for those rare patients who remain resistant to caesarean delivery. Cesarean delivery is recommended for platelet counts under 30,000 ml3.
The mother can serve as a platelet donor for the fetus or neonate and should donate platelets 3 days prior to planned delivery or fetal blood sampling. If the mother is used as a donor, however, her platelets must be appropriately prepared prior to administration in order to remove or greatly reduce the anti-HPA antibodies in her circulation. Alternatively, donor platelets that are negative for the offending HPA antigen can be used. In either case, platelets should be ready at the time of delivery for those neonates who have demonstrated unacceptable platelet counts by cordocentesis.
Follow-up of children treated with IVIG or with serial platelet transfusions suggest normal neurological and physical development. Those who receive antenatal IVIG appear to have normal immunological development. When compared to older siblings not treated antenatally, children who received treatment in utero, with either IVIG alone or in conjunction with corticosteroids, have better long-term developmental and behavioral outcomes.
Although fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is rare, it can be a devastating disorder. The appropriate identification of at-risk women and timely implementation of therapy can prevent intracranial hemorrhage in the vast majority of patients. Treatment should be based on risk stratification, and the algorithms presented in this chapter reflect a shift from invasive to noninvasive strategies. This approach reduces the risk of fetal morbidity and mortality, maximizing therapy for those most affected while minimizing cost and exposure to lower risk patients.
Bussel, JB, Zabusky, MR, Berkowitz, RL, McFarland, JG. “Fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia”. N Engl J Med. vol. 337. 1997. pp. 22-26.
Pacheco, LD, Berkowitz, RL, Moise, KJ, Bussel, JB, MacFarland, JG, Saade, G.. “Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia: A management algorithm based on risk stratification”. Obstet and Gynecol.. vol. 118. 2011. pp. 1157-11632.
Overton, TG, Duncan, KR, Jolley, M. “Serial platelet transfusion for fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia: Platelet dynamics and perinatal outcome”. Am J Obstet Gynecol. vol. 186. 2002. pp. 826-831.
Berkowitz, RL, Kolb, A, McFarland, JG. “Parallel randomized trials of risk-based therapy for fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia”. Obstet Gynecol. vol. 107. 2006. pp. 91-6.
Berkowitz, RL, Lesser, ML, McFarland, JG. “Antepartum treatment without early cordocentesis for standard-risk alloimmune thrombocytopenia”. Obstet Gynecol.. vol. 110. 2007. pp. 249-255.
Gyamfi-Bannerman, C, Thom, EA, Blackwell, SC. “Antenatal betamethasone for women at risk for late preterm delivery”. NEJM. vol. 374. 2016. pp. 1311-20. | 2019-04-22T12:53:44Z | https://www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/home/decision-support-in-medicine/obstetrics-and-gynecology/neonatal-alloimmune-thrombocytopenia-nait/ |
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Make a point to look at our Local's Guide on Where to Stay in London for some awesome thoughts!
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The least expensive approach to go around is by means of the Megabus, where tolls begin around $1.50 USD. You'll have to book somewhere around multi month ahead of time on well known courses to get the extraordinary charge.
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Esteem included assessment (VAT) is charged on buys, for example, suppers at eateries, shopping costs, and lodging housing. On the off chance that you are an inhabitant of a non-European Union nation, you can get a discount of this expense in certain partaking shops. For more data on VAT discounts, click here.
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Rain outfit – the United Kingdom is prestigious for its rain, anyway by and by it once in a while rains more than 2 or 3 hours on end. By and by, dependably be set up for rain and make a point to bear a little umbrella or a rain coat just on the off chance that the climate out of the blue changes.
Exemplary Basic things – You don't should be a fashionista to mix in. The key is in grasping impartial conditioned things that can be blended and coordinated effortlessly. Stay away from logos, baseball tops, shorts, hoodies, flip-flounders and running shoes as these things shout vacationer!
Layers – notwithstanding amid the late spring months it is suggested that voyagers bring along a sweater or even a coat or hoodie.
Creepy crawly Repellent – on the off chance that you are going to Scotland or Northern Wales in the late spring make a point to stock up as the midges can be a bad dream!
Individual Safety items – Certain zones in London are known as pickpocket hotspots. Prior to leaving for your outing, make a point to pack some close to home security items, similar to cash belts and bolts, with the goal that you can protect your assets on your outing.
Going in extravagance and style isn't just about cash, says Charles MacPherson, creator of "The Pocket Butler's Guide to Travel" ($14.95, Penguin Random House). Rather, it's the means by which the experience makes you feel. "I've been to numerous brilliant places the world over," says MacPherson, who runs North America's solitary steward school. "It wasn't tied in with being the most costly. It wasn't tied in with being the least expensive. It was about the spots that made me feel extremely extraordinary." The creator, who shows up on Canadian TV and radio as "Charles the Butler," shares some most loved spots with USA TODAY.
MacPherson educated of this boutique lodging when his boss had him sort out a birthday party there. It's reliably evaluated as London's best for administration. "It's private, discrete and calm. It's not the Savoy with an enormous room. However, they present to you the exceptionally conventional evening tea. It's the most lavish."
Stewards may feel comfortable around champagne and caviar, yet that doesn't mean they can't value a decent frank. MacPherson went to a steward's tradition in Los Angeles, when one of his partners welcomed him out to eat. "I figured it would be some cheeky eatery, yet it was a dumb little stand serving a brilliantly flavorful oily frank." He was stunned to see film stars and big names reveling also.
While whatever is left of the world tweets and messages, MacPherson still trusts in the intensity of penmanship. "The rich celebrated still do compose pen notes on paper," he says. That is the reason he adores this stationary emporium in Tokyo. "It resembles a retail establishment, a few stories, that is about pens and paper," he says. The first occasion when he visited, he purchased a wellspring pen that he had engraved with the date of his buy, and recalls his visit each time he utilizes it.
Extravagance can be found anyplace on the planet, MacPherson says. He found this lodging and eatery while on business in Africa, and it has turned out to be one of his top picks. "The proprietor served this green plate of mixed greens with the greatest, most excellent marinated shrimp. The straightforwardness made it so great. I had it four times."
While this upscale shoe store may appear to be distant for most customers, MacPherson says it's justified regardless of a binge spend to get a couple of their shoes, which have wooden soles and heels, and can be had for $125 marked down. "They're the most agreeable you've at any point worn. The rich and celebrated wear them around town. You can look cool and hip."
It's not elusive great sustenance in Rome, but rather MacPherson swears by the cacio e pepe (cheddar and pepper) pasta served at this lodging close to the Vatican. He speculated it was a decent place when he ended up situated close German Chancellor Angela Merkel, yet was sold when he had his first taste. "I had it consistently for three evenings in succession."
Great sustenance doesn't need to be extravagant, MacPherson says. He refers to the $18 egg plate of mixed greens sandwich served at this bistro and takeout spot on Madison Avenue. "I thought at that cost it better be the most mind boggling egg serving of mixed greens sandwich I've ever had." It was. "Right up 'til today, I've never had one so great. Each time I go to New York, I get one for take-away."
This great lodging on Lake Geneva gets a handle on straight of the 1920s, or, in other words discovers it so magnificent. "There's a workmanship Dec telephone stall. They convey silver platters to the table to serve you. It's stuck in time, similar to an Agatha Christie novel."
Canada's eastern region of Newfoundland isn't for the most part thought about a culinary capital, yet MacPherson says he has customers that will travel to the nation's Atlantic drift only for supper at this privately sourced eatery. The memorable building, set in an old angling port, offers a modern interpretation of provincial dishes. "They make you feel unique. The nourishment is simply out of this world."
The Windy City has trendier eateries, however MacPherson suggests the steaks at this well-known rib house, which as of late moved close Navy Pier. "The steak and nourishment are so great. It's extremely well-known, yet it's realistic. They don't make you learn about of place, they make you feel good."
Summer is the most mainstream time to visit yet can be awkwardly sweltering and sticky. Spring and fall are more lovely, with less guests (and shorter lines at significant traveler destinations). Winter can be an incredible time to visit on the off chance that you can overcome the cool and sodden; lodging costs drop drastically, and under a shroud of mist or snow the agonizing city feels particularly sentimental; a teahouse around each corner makes it simple to pursue away the chills.
Buy a reloadable Istanbulkart from a büfe (comfort store-like slows down found around the city and outside ship terminals), which gives you a chance to ride—and get a good deal on—the city's immense system of cable cars, funiculars, metros, transports, and ships. Cabs are copious, yet be careful: drivers can be on the surly side.
July is the most blazing month, with a day by day normal of 74°F; February is the coldest, with a normal of 42°F. The January is the rainiest month.
Be careful cover dealers in the Old City and the Grand Bazaar, who will draw you in with the guarantee that you can "simply look" and offer glasses of tea before laying on the hard offer (recall: you are not committed to purchase, regardless of whether you drink that tea). Store little bills, particularly in the event that you intend to utilize taxicabs to get around; drivers seldom convey much change. Istanbul local people are unfathomably affable; don't be shocked if an immaculate more unusual offers you a glass of tea at a teahouse. A couple of expressions of Turkish (merhaba for "hi," kolay gelsin for "relax," and tessekur ederim for "thank you") will smooth experiences.
Turkish, however English-talking help can frequently be found in visitor overwhelming zones like Sultanahmet (the Old City), at historical centers, and in numerous shops, eateries, and bars.
The race among the successful students to secure a seat for themselves in the higher ranked institute has begun. Here is a good list of top colleges, the list is based on the rankings issued by the admissioinfo recently, that may help them to choose a better ranked college. | 2019-04-23T00:38:34Z | https://eu-forums.com/portal.php?page=5 |
Is it the best time to live with Rheumatoid Arthritis pt 2: quantity of life?
This is the second post in a series which addresses the question, “Is this the best time in history to have Rheumatoid Arthritis?” Yesterday, we looked at “quality” of life. Today we look at “quantity” of life, or longevity.
This might be depressing, so, I’ll try to make it brief. I have read some pretty ugly statistics about RA lately. And some of them are about life expectancy.
What is a mortality gap?
“Excess mortality” is consistently associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Some research shows that the mortality risk for RA-ers is about 38% greater than for the general population. It was even worse for women who have a 55% increased risk compared to women without Rheumatoid Arthritis. And no miracles of modern medicine have changed that.
In fact, when compared with the general population, the mortality gap has actually been widening. That’s right. Rheumatoid Arthritis patients are not experiencing the same improvements in survival rates as their peers without RA.
At least half of deaths of those with Rheumatoid Arthritis are cardiovascular related. Although modern cardiovascular interventions have improved life expectancy for the general population, the same is not true for people with RA. They say more research is needed to look for the reasons.
1) Recent improvements in cardiovascular disease mortality are related to improved medication, diet, and advanced surgical procedures. Maybe people with RA do not get cardiovascular disease for the same reasons that others do. So the treatments do not adequately tackle the heart disease of rheumatoid disease.
(3) Heart disease in people with RA is less treated because it is not diagnosed as frequently or as early.
How should we respond to the Mortality gap? Next time, in part 3, we look at how research can aim to make this a better time in history for those who do have Rheumatoid Arthritis.
I wonder if the heart issues are related to the constant use of NSAIDs? I've been taking Celebrex since it first came on the market. Kinda scary and yes, depressing.
I wonder if the use of biologics and DMARDS as aggressively as they have been uses lately are part of this cause. It is now usually standard to attack RA aggressively at the early stages, but yet the mortality rate is no better, in fact worse??? Hm!!!
Yea, we definately have not found the answer yet.
These studies look back over 40 years, so it's likely not the new drugs to blame.
Jenny: I am pretty sure that "regular" heart patients use NSAIDs a lot too.
Jamie: It's not that our mortality rate is worse; but that of the general population is improving and ours is not – so the gap widens.
It's eye-opening for me, because I never think of myself in terms of heart disease. Still have that childlike feeling: that could never happen to me.
Heart disease usually signals swelling or inflammation. Could it be the same cause of our joint swelling might also be the actual cause of heart disease? There could be a link between heart disease and RA which could mean the cure for both could be a result from both. Where is all the money being spent for cures or preventions? Just a case in point, I have RA and high cholestrol= inflammation indicators!
I don’t mean to sound morbid, but when it’s your time to go … it’s your time to go. I don’t think RA, or any disease, can alter a person’s time on earth. It can and does influence quality of life, but — by faith — I do not accept that it has the ability to shorten my life. That said, I am focusing on my treatment, eating healthier, etc. I am focused on my “quality” of life. I don’t know how long I have, only God knows that, but I want to be able to enjoy every minute to its fullest. That’s what “Living” is all about!
Sometimes, I see RA’ers debate quantity & quality of life. Whichever one someone picks, it seems that fighting the disease is still the best bet.
This post was a report about the current state of affairs. It’s been a goal of researchers to find ways to help those with RA live longer. They have not had much success yet.
I do believe in God’s sovereignty. My days are in his hands. I know he gives medicine & science the ability to heal & I’d love to live longer than my grandfather that had RA did.
Hi Kelly Thanks for your reply to my methotrexate queries Seems like after looking at the all the comments there is more for it than against Mt daughter works in a chemist and she said all the peop;le who are on their prescription lists for metho are doing very well none hav had any bad symptoms and shes very glad im on it Surely if it has anti inflammatory effects then it must help the circulatory system excess fluid affects the heart soive convinced myself that with healthy living and the right attitude I stand a pretty good chance of at least making 80ish and as im nearly 70 thatll do for me Think Positive guys it helps!!!
Over the course of having RA for 25 years, I have seen several rheumatologists. Not one of them has ever asked me about my family history of cardiovascular disease. Not one of them has suggested or done any evaluations for cardiovascular disease. I have been seen at major teaching medical centers so, I don’t think that it is just the quality of physicians I have seen. I think they are just not trained to focus on this aspect of our care, even though it is well documented to be the leading cause of death for RA patients. If no one is monitoring for this disease process occurring concurrent with RA, it follows that we are not receiving treatment for this complication until it is too late. We as patients and our physicians can get so focused on what is happening with our joints and our pain that we forget to broaden our lens and see there are more things going on.
For me, it is so overwhelming just to deal with what I have to, that adding another problem to the list is too much. But in this case, I’m not sure ignorance really is bliss.
I can remember since I was 14 having heart palpatations getting dizzy, fainting, seeing stars and having doctors laugh at me and ask me which stars are you seeing. Laughing all the time. I grew up with weak ankles and tired all of the time. Doctors told my mom that I was anemic. I would get cold sores when or just before I would get sick. I had all the childhood problems. I got married had four daughters and all through this I caught plursery, pnemiona, and cronic colds and heart palpatations and when I was 26 they started to listen to me and I was diagonised with several things and given meds that didn’t help and would take myself off and hear from the doctors what an ingreatful pateint I was. Mean things said on my chart. I finally went to a naturalpath and he found in that one visit that I had RA. He told me to go back to my cardioligist tell him to send me to a RA specilists. I did this and then was told it would be not until July 26th and this was April 4th. I let it ride but contacted the naturalpath and then before I hung up the RA office called me and within the next week I was in. I am now doing clinical research. During this time of waiting I did Bromelin, Turmeic, Catsclaw, fish oil (liquid) and ibprofen (lots) then took myself down to 1200 mg aday.
Good luck with the clinical trial Margie. I’d love to hear how that goes.
I have been ignored many times by doctors who look at me and decide I’m not a candidate for heart disease,5’2, 120 lbs. I have morbidly high blood pressure at times, rapid pulse, and I am on two heart medications daily. I have off the chart high cholesterol, which has now been deemed genetic.I have severe carotid artery thickening. I was diagnosed with FM in 1997, and finally an RA diagnosis in 2009. But the pain, rashes, swellings have been going on my whole life. I went through the standard stress test and echo cardiogram, but even though I am told there is nothing wrong, I still have chest pains. I believe that I will die before a doctor realizes I have something wrong with my heart. This problem will persist until doctors agree that they do NOT know everything going on with auto immune disease.
You are so right – but I hope that at least you are getting good care now that it sounds like there is plenty of proof to show the dr. I think this problem is ignored frequently by docs as you describe & it costs lives.
hi there,i found this article very intresting indeed! i have had R A now for 4 yrs,on methotrexate as i could not walk, i slowly got worse again eg,tumour on ankle,inflamed veins,chest pains,wrist supports, knee pain,malaise really bad, fatigue,morning stiffness,depression, weight gain 3 st,feeling im going out of my mind!!!!!!!!!!!and then to know that mortality rate is high! i stopped taking metho,as ive had pneumonia twice and TB,i find a few brandies every night ,relaxes me,helps with the pain in fact it goes! makes me more relaxed,makes and me cope better with life,i laugh a lot with my friends every night having a few drinks and i can be in the sun!that,s my recommendation for a good life when you have R A if i get liver problems re drink /if i get liver problems re methotrexate intake ,i know which one i shall follow !!!!!!!!!Cheers.i would love to be studied on!
I told my dr. Concerning the Rituxian treatments- I wonder how many yrs I’m taking off my life by getting them and she responded have you ever thought how many yrs you might be adding to your life? It stumped me as it’s hard not to think negative when your almost overwhelmed with depression 24/7!!! Just thought I’d share that!!!
Thanks. Your doc is right! I like her. Untreated RA definitely steals years; some studies are showing treatment may help us w/that battle.
Being newly diagnosed with a fairly aggressive case of RA I could not help but notice how quickly my doc said, “this will reduce your lifespan by 10 to 15 years” and changed the subject. I guess he hoped I wouldn’t ask any questions or better yet I didn’t hear him. Being 60 my first thought was well I won’t have to live with this as long as some have.
There are going to have to be some major lifestyle changes that should keep my occupied for a while. Tends to put things in perspective doesn’t it.
Thanks for all the good info it’s pretty new to me, so I have a lot to learn.
Yes it does put things in perspective Connie. But when your doc said that I wish he also mentioned that it might not be as true when it starts after age 60. It tends to be more of an aggressive systemic disease when it attacks at a younger age. Of course there is no way to know, and hopefully, you’ll find a treatment that quiets the disease and have many productive years left. Good luck!
Just thought I’d mention costachondritis – a technical term for inflamation of the joints in the rib cage, especially where the ribs join the breastbone and the spine. It causes some pretty nasty chest pain. I get stabs going from between my shoulder blades into a breast and my whole rib cage hurts if I take a deep breath. It’s easy to start worrying about heart problems with this. It certainly feels dangerous but it is just part of the joys of RA. So don’t get philosophical about your number being up. See a Doctor. It may just be costachondritis.
I’ve had RA since I was 26, since then I’ve been on almost every therapy I’ve ever heard of and if there is a shortened lifespan because of RA then I guess my family will be the one to notice. Since being diagnosed I finished my LE career. There were many years I was lucky I was behind the desk and not in the field. But there were also a few years on patrol that I probably shouldn’t have been. Luckily I worked in a suburban/rural agency that wasn’t busy all the time. I’d go into work, take 15 aspirin and wait for it to take effect. I’m now 47, out on disability pension (ironically not from RA but from getting hit by a car on duty). It’s now when I start thinking about the shortened life span b/c of RA, I still have 3 kids under 11 and it’s for them I worry, not myself.
The posts about RA and mortality are very interesting to me. I have had RA since the tender age of 7 (I am now about to turn 37). It’s been a domino affect since then.
Recently (last year between August and October 2013), I was admitted to the hospital 4 separate times for Euro-sepsis, which also included CHF and A fib with rapid heart beat. Being diagnosed with the heart issues is fairly new to me and it scares me!
I stopped going to rheumatologists a long while ago because in about 2003 I was admitted to my first of 4 different nursing homes over a period of about 7 years. My ability to walk to been stolen from me very suddenly. I had a couple of seizures that ended up contracting my joints so badly that I could no longer stand or walk. While living in the nursing homes there were no “young people” doctors, just Geriatric doctors. I still saw my regular PCP from time to time but specialty services were few and far between.
I have since, and FINALLY been released from the prison that was nursing home life in February 2011. I live with my fiance, whom I met at one of the nursing homes I lived in. I have yet to start being seen by another rheumatologist and it’s now February 2014. My reasons for not going are this….
I have been on EVERY and I mean EVERY medication there is for RA. All of the real serious medications like DMARDS and steroids have adversely effected my health and added nothing but complications. I figured what else can they REALLY do for me? I can’t take this drug and that drug for this and that reason. Nobody can help me walk again. Why should I even bother?
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not depressed and I’m not giving up. I am an advocate for myself, others with arthritic conditions and even nursing home residents and their families (I run a Facebook page called Surviving Nursing Home Life). I just don’t see the point (for me personally)! All the doctors ever say is we can’t do this and we can’t try that because of your past history. I keep myself educated by being members of sites like this and reading things about RA online and in health magazines.
Now that I have these new diagnosis’ and complications I’m thinking of seriously starting back just for the advice and input a rheumatologist can provide. I see so many different kinds of doctors nowadays. My PCP, Addiction Medicine (Yes, I became heavily addicted to my pain meds and abused them for over 20 years), Urologist, Pulmonologist, and now a Cardiologist as well. The doctors believe my heart issues are connected to my RA (which everything usually is). My stress level has been so high lately that I started smoking cigarettes again after almost 4 years clean!
I have a wonderfully understanding, caring and loving man in my life for the first time since I was able to walk over 10-12 years ago and I don’t want him to see me in a coffin any sooner than I should be. I think finding this site was an omen of sorts. Reading the article about people that have RA dying young scared me! I’ve come so close so many times over the past decade.
I want to thank you for taking the time to share your wealth of knowledge with everyone. Like me, Kelly, you are a warrior and you’re fighting the good fight by helping others with your stories and insight. Sometimes it seems that helping others is the only reason to get out of bed on those real bad days! You know what I mean….
I have liked and subscribed to this page and I can’t wait to start getting emails about your newsletter and website. I consider the internet my savior because when I got real sick and lost the ability to walk I lost a lot of friends. The internet isn’t my only means of meeting people but during the Winter it helps a lot to be able to keep in touch with friends on FB and other social networking sites (I live in Buffalo NY and I’m sure it’s Winter reputation precedes itself).
because of some of the articles I have read today on this page, I am going to schedule a Rheumatology appointment as soon as I can. Keep up the good work Kelly! I can honest;y tell you that this blog and the time you have put into it may have saved my life!
Kelly, I am grateful for everything you are doing! Thank you!
My history of RA started 40 years ago at age 16. I have been on every drug known for treatment and doing ok on Humira. I just wanted to add on a positive note that I recently was able to buy a life insurance policy worth 4 times my income. This has never happened before!!! I was denied health/ life insurance many times. I find this to be hopeful. | 2019-04-20T16:45:45Z | http://rawarrior.com/mortality-and-rheumatoid-arthritis/ |
"This Sunday, people in Cyprus will be praying for rain..." Listen to the BBC Radio 4 piece and Photis Photiou doing a Eurovision intro here once you scroll to 53:37 of the hour-long radio show.
Our thanks to Stravaraland's minister of culture and agnostic affairs, who alerted us to the broadcast.
Last October, we mentioned how pathetically stupid Da Flag on Da Mountain looks like to any neutral observer. This year, in the anniversary of "TRNC Independence", we are told that flags of the size of 11 football pitches were placed on Pentadaktylos. So big were the flags that apparently they could be seen (with the help of non-linear vision) from Turkey. Now, my T/C friends, we had our share of "Makarios ZH" mountaintops until we grew up. It took us a few painful decades. The question is, when will you grow up?
Yet another example of alarmist journalism on behalf of the state broadcaster that raises the following questions. If, as the report states, the CyCentral Intelligence Agency has evidence of livestock being smuggled from the north, why have they not detained anyone for questioning?
If, as the report states, FMD may have been transmitted to the south by these animals, then why has there been no testing for the disease in the north?
What, if anything, are these journalists in the public employ doing to secure evidence to back up these unsubstantiated reports?
Maybe it's a matter of the intelligence agency always being right.
Of course one could be fickle and wonder how a confidential report was leaked to a broadcaster.
The CyBC-related petition as mentioned by Apodimos Kypreos in the previous post) was sparked off by that proverbial straw that broke a camel's back - in this case a story that was presented by the state broadcaster over 3 weeks after over a dozen bloggers in Cyprus voiced their solidarity in support of Neşe Yaşın, the Turkish Cypriot poet and author, who has recently been harassed by extremists within the Turkish Cypriot community.
The evening news presented the story in its usual alarmist tone under the headline "Neşe Yaşın reveals to the CyBC how her life is threatened by the Talat regime. They call her a traitor and a whore". The anchor, Emilia Kenevezou also made a blanket claim that 'Talat regime' also exercises 'cultural terrorism'. At the same time, however, it becomes apparent that those who harass are supporters of Rauf Denktash and an assortment of nationalists and the media who support them.
"We, the undersigned, strongly protest against the unbridled disinformation and propaganda as served up by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), while they claim to be "reliable and objective" in their presentation of the news. We hereby charge CyBC with willfully skewing reality when it comes to news concerning the Turkish Cypriot community, thus creating an atmosphere of mistrust within the Greek Cypriot community.
We feel that the state broadcaster merely bolsters opinions held by extremists who claim that we have nothing in common with the turkish cypriot community and that no good can come of any contact with the 'other' side. CyBC, along with other media which blindly support the establishment, maintain and reinforce a negative climate between the two communities on the island.
It is obvious that this unrelenting propaganda aims to maintain an atmosphere of animosity and rivalry, thus widen the rift between the two communities in order to convince people that they cannot live with each other..."
But this time not the UK PM's office, but your very own Agency for Objective News, The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
The following letter to the editor appeared today in the Cyprus Mail.
I was bemused by your article on the naming of lokoumi. It’s not very often I do, but on this point I have to take the side of the Turks over this issue. I think the Greek Cypriots are being childish and pathetic over the whole thing. Why can't we just call it Turkish Delight like the rest of the world does? Or at least Turkish Delight made in Yeroskipou.
Every time I visit Cyprus, I feel embarrassed at the childish way we call it Cyprus Delights. Do you really think the tourists are so stupid that they will not know it’s just out of pathetic grudges that we have changed the name? And the ones that don't know anything about the political situation in Cyprus simply won't buy it because they will not know that it is Turkish Delights. We would probably sell more if it was called by its proper name. The same product is also manufactured here in Britain but the manufacturers do not call it British Delights. Nobody here has ever heard of lokoumi or Cyprus Delights.
I'm sure if it was say the Italians, Armenians, French or some other friend of ours who invented the product we would not have a problem using their national name, provided they allowed it.
It’s just because its got the word Turkish in it, that’s why we call it differently from what the rest of the world. How pathetic.
Strange attitude for a people who are supposed to be wanting to get back to living with the Turkish Cypriots.
Of course, the answer could be that the attitude is just about right if you really do not want to get back to living with the other community. Especially if you live in Pafos, and you are one of the Last of the Mohicans.
We are told that last week a 64-year old Greek Cypriot died in a T/C jail. The official diagnosis talked about a combination of pneumonia and cancer, that were exacerbated in prison. I am not a doctor but, like me, you probably don’t believe a single bit of this excuse. If 15 G/C policemen can beat two G/C students during Christmas in the middle of the road (OK, it was midnight) without any fear, I can only imagine what the T/C police can do to a G/C “dealing in antiquities” in a T/C prison. Police brutality is rife on both sides of the divide, but if I had to choose a prison, I would pick one depending on my ethnic roots. I also think this would be the choice of most Cypriots on the island.
How has this point been reached? If one could somehow measure trust, do we have any doubt that trust between the two communities has been going down over time? Is it not the case that a minimum amount of trust is necessary to live in peace? Note, I am not talking about building a “bizonal, bicommunal federation,” or a “confederation”. I am talking about being able to live in good, orderly, neighborly and civilized fashion, without fear of being gunned down on the pretext of some ethnic-struggle ideal, by someone who might otherwise have been unfit to be free in society, (a "hero" for some, if you prefer).
Is either government (administration?) on each side of the divide doing anything to stop the accelerating animosity between the two communities? Does either government care about this increased animosity? Will future generations live to regret the distrust being resown on both sides of the divide? If Tassos were on talking terms with Mehmet Ali Talat, could not Tassos have secured the release (or have prevented the death) of the said G/C? What have the administrations on both sides of the divide done to reduce the deep prejudices of their peoples? Had it not been for the Fulbright program, would there have been any contact between the G/C and T/C between 1974 and 2004? Why do the governments on both sides intentionally strive to eliminate all contact between ordinary T/C and G/C? Has the Denktas mentality finally resurfaced gloriously victorious? Who gains from maintaining and encouraging conflict? Who gains from following a strategy of conflict? And what will, in 200 years, be the end result from following a strategy of conflict?
Το θαύμα είναι που υπάρχουν μερικές συντάκτριες στην εν λόγω εφημερίδα που ίσως μας αναγκάσουν να αναθεωρήσουμε τη γνώμη μας ότι ο Φιλελεύθερος συνεχίζει να παραμένει η Εφημερίδα της κάθε Κυβέρνησης.
The man who brought us killer tomatoes, dangerous onions, pseudo-Bulgarian lamb, rogue potatoes and who, at one stage, hinted at Foot and Mouth Disease having originated in the pseudoNorth is out to defend the fishermen of Stravaraland who have their knickers in a twist over the fact that the new Green Line regulations now allow for fish to cross the demarcation line.
The local fishermen and their preposterous claims have the full backing of the minister who never did a thing about desalination. The fishermen were going on about the 'low quality' of fish and even suggested that some of them came from Turkey.
Turkey, as you may well know, has a completely different sea than ours. We are surrounded by the Greek Cypriot Mediterranean, while the pseudonortheners and the Turks fish from the occupied, pseudo-northern Mediterranean.
Millions of tourists are duped every year into eating fish in Turkey which in many cases leads to instant death due to the extremely low quality of their highly toxic fish. This of course is covered up on an ongoing basis by the evil angloamericans.
But the fishermen have come up with a cunning plan. The fish ought to come with certificates that will indicate the name of the fisherman and the area in which the fish were caught. Yes, exactly the same information that is available to all consumers at all fish markets in Stravaraland where every bozo who sells fish insists it is fresh and hails from Latchi. Some of them even suggested that the fish be stamped like, say, sides of beef. What a brilliant idea! How do you stamp marides, re koumpare?
Surely, though, when Photis suggests that fish coming from the geographical north ought to be identified as 'imported' he is implicitly recognising the TRNC!
Mega acquired exclusive video images of a 12 year old schoolgirl being pushed around and roughed up by older bullygirls in what appears to be a school yard. The clip in question was uploaded to YouTube by cncminustv. As the blog quite rightly points out, the TV station has hit a new low. This time all they've done to the images of these underage girls is to invert the colours, the sound has in no way been altered. Invert them again and all those appearing in it become recognisable.
Mega, of course, is the same TV station that, in a fit of sensitivity, blurred the images of culled sheep in Dromolaxia as the carcasses were being dumped into a truck.
Since April 2004 we have not seen any attempt by the incumbent to use the internet to explain why the G/C voted NO. We have not seen any one-page advertisments in the FT, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Time or Newsweek to explain why the G/C could not trust Turkey to stand by its side of the bargain.
Not only that, when the foreign press was in Stravaraland, the President himself wondered aloud, in front of the foreign press, whether a "cold reception in Dublin meant that the waiter will not serve him"!?
Now, a few months before the Presidential Elections, the net has been discovered! To publicise our Third World mentality. Yes. Tassos Papadopoulos has his own webpage now. Moreover, throught this website, you can sign up to go to Stravaraland and vote for free (because us apodimoi are not allowed to vote at our local embassy or consulate). I guess if you have the money it makes more sense to invest it on Cyprus Airways, and get the credit for saving the national airline as well.
It's truly shocking that TeePee's new website features this capture from a video of Da Man slapping a poor child. Shameful, indeed, but the best bits are the rip-roaring, hysterical adulations poured upon the leader in the "comments" of the blog section.
What is interesting, though are the Facebook links. With over 18,600 people in the Cyprus network on the social networking site, it does seem like a smart move.
Of course there's a YouTube link as well, which is bound keep people entertained especially in view of the fact that one can't find any South Park clips any more. Now there's an idea for a debate - Cartman moderating the presidential candidates debating at CyBC. Kareklas can play the role of Kenny.
OK, now go off and have some fun. Don't forget to follow the link above and check out all those erudite comments.
I want to argue that we owe to AKEL and Jimmy the most interesting elections in Cyprus politics. AKEL decided in 1988 to support George Vassileiou and against all odds (there must have been an ambient atmosphere back then from the DIKO establishment), managed to get George elected. George was like a sea of fresh air since, unlike every other politician at the time, he had not been directly involved in politics since 1960. In fact, he was not part of the first generation EOKA fighters, and he did not even try to associate himself with them! He appointed young upstarts with promising credentials (George Lillikas), started a university against all advice to the contrary, put in an application to an organisation known as the European Community, and even claimed that he wanted to solve Da Stravaraland problem YESTERDAY. Big words. Which he lived to pay in 1993 when the establishment hit back with Glafkos. Back then, in 1993, even Tassos would support Glafkos over the upstart Vassileiou, right?
Moreover, AKEL (under Jimmy by now) stood to its guns, both in 1993 and 1998, and again we had the most close elections since 1988. AKEL lost but still, democracy became more entrenched as the final result was never disputed and it was not so clear who the winner would be (unlike pre-1988 elections). Well, to some extent. The point is that the 95% days of Makarios, or the withdraw-your-candidacy-because-Achilleas-is-abducted or even the support-me-or-foreign-agents-will-Captain-Nemo-us days of Spiros, were gone for ever.
And we come to this election campaign. Which might actually prove quite interesting. Contrary to the attempts of the new establishment (Lillikas etc) to bring back the 2004 atmosphere without any ideas or proposals about what the future holds or should hold, people are beginning to question the value a 1960s EOKA man can offer to the country post 2008. People wonder. Is there really a vision for the future beyond the goal of securing another election victory? One reads even in the state-newspaper, Big Phil, articles questioning the idea that discussing the dead-and-buried Annan Plan is productive in any real sense. One begins to ask whether the emperor has any clothes. And for that questioning to have been made possible, you have no-one else to thank but Jimmy. Yes, whether you like it or not, whether you like his post 2004 behavior, you have to thank Jimmy for taking a stand when he could do something about it, namely NOW. Given the political system and the political situation, he waited to strike at the right moment, still with substantial risk, to give us the best show in terms of elections since independence. For that alone, you have to be grateful to him.
Omikron magazine is running a TV poll. There are a number of categories which we conveniently skipped, in order to proceed to the only question of any interest which is the "sexiest female TV presenter". Our choice is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, none other than Stavriani Constantinou. You can vote for her by going straight to question 21 and ticking the fourth box.
Our thanks to the OffSite daily e-mail newspaper for bringing this Stavriani related item to our attention.
I object to people telling me that I should stop watching CyBC. To its theoretical credit, the taxpayer-funded broadcaster is the only station to carry a current affairs programme during the day. It varies in quality and hysterics. I like the smiling man who asks good questions and am usually amused by the other guy who asks interminable questions and is always interrupting or interjecting (yes, he did refer to the sheep farmers as being uneducated on Wednesday).
But the highlight of "Apo Mera se Mera" is the delectable Stavriani Constantinou, who was recently voted Best Female News Presenter in a TV Mania poll. More importantly than that, though, Stavriani was also voted the most beautiful woman in Stravaraland in our own babe poll with 170 votes cast so far.
However, as one of the presidential candidates rightly pointed out, the programme features a slew of politicians during the recent foot and mouth fiasco, and not enough epidemiologists. It would have been much more useful for the editors to find someone who could give people a rundown of what the disease entails, instead of having Photis going on and on about how impressed the EU seems to be by our brilliant handling of the situation. Strangely enough, however the minister of killer tomatoes played down the ubiquitous Turkish Cypriot factor. Maybe Marcos in Brussels asked him to tone it down a bit.
The other thing journalists seem to avoid is asking questions. This, of course, would take too much valuabe time better spent on getting hysterical and pathetic. Instead of asking what the hell cars are being sprayed with when going back and forth between contaminated zones and the rest of planet Stravaraland, they'd rather encourage the suffering farmers to tell the how they viewed the livestock as being their children and grandchildren. Maybe occasionally sending one's offspring to an abattoir is considered as perfectly acceptble in certain cultures, so I won't argue this point.
One CyBC reporteroid even went as far as to tell us that this catastrophe was tantamount to farmers being made refugees a second time over and carried on bleating "...having saved their flocks in 1974 they find themselves facing yet another disaster in 2007".
The fact that a lot of the stricken farmers happen to be refugees ought not to be used to conjure up ludicrous images of people fleeing with a sheep strapped to their backs. Let's get real and ask real questions here, shall we.
...what your country can do for you.
"I spoke to Marcos and....."
Stravaraland's minister of agriculture, natural resources and the environment has yet to resign, despite leading the ministry from one gaffe to the next. His numbers never add up, his excuses are lame and racist, and the island is already facing and acute water shortage.
Over the last few years, Photis has tried to blame everything on the Turkish Cypriots. So far we've had to endure a number of preposterous allegations which included a tomato scare (remember what an alarmist fuss was made over the possibility of National Guardsmen consuming tomatoes from the north?) followed by a rogue potato flood, which turned out to be potatoes going from south to north. Then we had onions invading the republic.
But the minister's proudest moment came when he started championing Cyprus lamb and went as far as to imply that if we were to consume bulgarian lamb masquerading as Greek (both members of the EU and foot and mouth free) we would end up in purgatory, die or both.
Then came the foot and mouth "scare". One accusation that was flung about was that this came...from the north. This allegation was later played down.
But the math is incredible. A 10 km exclusion zone around the infected farm may, according to the minister who is unable to do anything about either desalination or forest fires, will affect up to 150,000 head of livestock which may have to be culled.
Who comes up with these numbers? What is being done about the primitive state of these farms? What happened to Marcos Kyprianou's efforts to save the island's goats and sheep? How much will this cost? What are the real number of infected animals? How can we skim off the the compensation that has already been promised?
How come this minister hasn't resigned yet? | 2019-04-25T10:48:42Z | http://stravara.blogspot.com/2007/11/ |
I’ve received a lot of questions about how to do meditation. The other day a student brought up such a question and I realized why people have so much trouble with meditation. They miss or misunderstand the basic principle. It is the same problem students have with some types of chi-gung practice.
My student’s question was, “Should I pay attention to breathing or not pay attention to breathing”? The basic purpose of the meditation aspects of Tai-chi is to strengthen the consciousness (the attention) of the body. We have all invested so much consciousness in the thinking mind, that the energy of consciousness has been drained from the body and we are only dimly aware of it. This is a very unbalanced and unhealthy way to be.
So I explained to my student that he has come to believe in a story that was told to him. It is the story itself that is the problem. The story is that there is this character called, “I” that either does things or doesn’t do things. We think that this is the central character in our lives and that his doings or not-doings are what will help us progress in our meditation and Tai-chi practice.
I explained that our practice is not about the doings or not-doings of “I”. It is about re-building the strength of the consciousness of the body. The Tai-chi forms, Zookinesis exercises, Push Hands and other such practices (as well as such practices as Yoga and Pilates) help to bring back the feeling-awareness of the body. Our practice is also about allowing that consciousness to regain its connection to the consciousness of the rest of nature so that we no longer feel isolated.
Those students who practice such chi-gung exercises as moving energy around the body in particular ways, generally wind up moving even more attention to their thinking minds. This is because they have the attitude that this character, “I”, is pushing and shoving around energy in “correct” paths. This approach is still a way of “I” ordering the body around.
My teachers taught a gentle approach. Strengthen what is weak and calm what is too intense – the basis of Oriental medicine. In this approach you balance internal energy (“chi”) and consciousness so that it evenly fills the whole body and your surroundings.
But, you may ask, “If there is no real ‘I’, then who is doing the balancing”? As you do your practice, you will find that the body’s consciousness strengthens just as plants grow in the spring. There is no one who goes around ordering the seeds to sprout. There is an internal sense of balance which allows all your parts to work together efficiently.
This natural sense is called, “The Elixir of Immortality”. It is the elixir which cures the deadness of the body and even allows the thinking mind to become more connected to reality. When you feel your body and are intimately aware of the world around you, your thoughts are more grounded. You feel more comfortable in your body and therefore more sensuous.
“Mixing” the elixir really means doing your practice. Each time you do your exercise, the elixir (sense of energy balance) strengthens each muscle, nerve, bone, etc. Gradually the awareness of the interconnectedness of all your parts and your connection to nature and to other people becomes the central character in your life, rather than “I” being the central character. It is a more relaxed and vibrant way of life and certainly more fulfilling.
While the student can legitimately ask about the techniques of his practice, it is important to point out that techniques should not be used to prop up the “I” feeling and order the body around. Wisdom comes from Body-Mind (the consciousness of the body) and its connection to nature. Allow that wisdom to bubble up to the thinking mind so that it can be expressed in words, but don’t forget the source of the wisdom.
The thinking mind can toss ideas around like juggling balls, but only the Body-Mind, connected to the rest of nature, is creative. Body-Mind is like the inventor who comes up with a new idea and the thinking mind is like the technician who designs the product. Both are intelligent in a sense, but it is the inventor who creates the new idea. If you try to invent from the thinking mind, your source of inspiration will soon dry up. Rather – live and experience to churn up the Body-Mind. So either pay attention to your breath or don’t pay attention to your breath, but in any case – feel!
If we could only understand how our memory works, we could access deep memories, even those before birth. The study of Zookinesis and Tai-chi explains the mechanics of memory and teaches us how to access these deep memories. Natural memory, or what is called, “sacred memory” is the biological way memories are stored. It is the memory of feeling states, which includes how your body feels, skills you have acquired, and how your interaction with the world around you, changes your internal state.
This type of memory is not related to time but to maintaining an optimal internal state of health, and an optimal connection to your natural environment. You do not lay down memories in a time-line. Rather, this type of memory is cyclic, sometimes moving away from optimal condition and sometimes returning to it.
At a certain point in life, you learn about time and your life begins to revolve around time. You are taught to lay down memories using time as a reference. Time, rather than health, is the reference point of a memory. You dissociate yourself from inner feeling and the feeling of health so that you can become part of the “time culture” we have invented. Your behavior no longer binds you to health but to time.
Furthermore the type of time we use as the basis of our culture is separated from the vagaries of nature. Rather than judging time by the flowering of a certain type of plant or the appearance of a certain insect, we use clock time to eliminate any variations. This allows the world around us to appear mechanistic and our lives to become mechanistic.
Taoist teaching teaches us to experience every moment of our lives with our whole selves. Even when a thought comes to us, we not only experience that thought as words, but as internal feelings. Thoughts become complexes of feelings and associations with a short label of words. The words are not the thoughts. The feelings and experiences are the thoughts.
In this way every aspect of life stirs the body, stirs the emotions, and stirs our connection to nature. Life is more vivid, intense and beautiful. It is much easier to access the earliest memories because those complexes of feelings are still present.
When we learn a Tai-chi form, for example, we are concentrating on the feeling of our body’s alignment at each moment. The teacher adjusts our body so that we can feel proper alignment in that pose and feel how energy flows so much more freely when we are aligned.
We concentrate on how each muscle must become alive and have an eagerness to move. At first, the eagerness of the muscle is to remain tight. We learn how to convince the muscle to relax. When the muscle feels the joy of relaxation and its increased competence, it becomes eager to relax and move. We remember the process of developing eagerness in that muscle and apply the same process to other muscles. In this way, memory can be transferred from one muscle to the other.
Each muscle “remembers” how it can interact with other muscles to create the proper flow of movement for the Tai-chi form or Zookinesis exercise. The memories of each muscle interact with the memories of the others, as if they were people sitting around talking about “the old times”.
Those memories of interaction then interact with your creativity so that the muscles can play with their relationships with each other. Using the memory of how they learned to cooperate with each other as a basis, the muscles are also affected by your memory of an eagle flying, or perhaps, a tiger pouncing. The muscles blend their memories of cooperation with the other muscles with the memory of the eagle flying and create a composite. This is how animal forms are developed. Each is based on proper body mechanics for a human yet influenced by the movements of an animal.
This is an example of how we re-ignite the internal dynamics of memory that were the norm before we learned about clock time. We learn to operate with both modes of memory and not sacrifice “sacred memory” for “clock memory”. Sacred memory allows you to live in eternity within each second of clock time. You have access to the memory of your whole body and spirit, and their connection to all of nature. Yet you can still show up to an appointment “on time”.
Your body does not need to degenerate as you get older. In fact, it can continue to get stronger, more flexible and more agile throughout life. The exercise systems of Tai-chi and Zookinesis explain how to keep the body young and avoid aging altogether.
According to Chinese medicine, all the cells and organs of the body communicate with each other through a system of biological energy called, “chi”. They know how to regulate their activities according to the activities of the other cells and organs. This system of chi is not isolated within the body alone, but is connected to this same energy that serves as the basis of life throughout the earth. In this way each cell and organ is aware of the environmental conditions in the area and can adjust its activities according to changes in weather and time of year. In this way the body can stay in the optimum internal condition for health.
The loss of flexibility is another factor associated with aging. Connective tissue (fascia) surrounds each organ, bone, muscle and the body cavities. It provides an interconnected, flexible web that allows the body to act in a rubbery manner. Its looseness, for example, allows the rib cage to expand when you breathe in. If the connective tissue were to lose its elasticity your breathing would become shallow. This would result in a poorer exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen and the cells would be oxygen deprived.
Tighter connective tissue interferes with joint mobility so that your movements become stiff. The proper flow of blood and lymph requires movement of the body. When the body can’t move properly, the blood and lymph cannot do as good a job at getting rid of body wastes such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The body remains constantly filled with waste.
Aging is also the gradual dissociation of the mind and body. As children we relish in movement and using energy. As we get older we move less and think more. Our thinking is not connected with movement (as described in previous articles) and so becomes a world within itself. Gradually we “live” more and more in our thinking and not in our bodies.
The thinking mind becomes the center of the flow of energy and the body is deprived of energy, creating an unbalanced situation. According to Chinese medicine, both an excess and a depletion of energy is harmful. Too much chi burns the mind out. Too little chi allows the body to deteriorate.
Yet if we live in our minds we have no sense of perspective about the balance of energy. Most people cannot even feel chi let alone know how to balance this energy. This is why Zookinesis explains that consciousness itself is another type of energy, which also has dynamics and qualities and which needs to be balanced as well. Only by becoming aware of the dynamics of consciousness (or what I call the “dynamics of attention”) can we ever hope to affect the balance of chi.
Consciousness (attention) is what makes us aware. The unique perspective of Zookinesis is that consciousness is not isolated within the body. It is a universal energy, much like gravity that pervades all things. As it flows through each of us, this energy takes on its unique flavor. The physical stiffness of the body tends to distort the flow of attention and created the imbalance of attention. The exercises reveal this relationship between the tightness of the body and the imbalance of attention so that it becomes obvious.
We can then notice how, with each relaxation of the body, the attention becomes more balanced and more connected to the body.
The result is a complete integration, not only of your attention with your body, but of your attention with the greater flow of consciousness of the world around you. You feel less isolated. You also feel less vulnerable because you now can see this interconnection and can understand how to strengthen yourself and prevent the deterioration of your mind and body.
You can also understand how these factors of deterioration affect other people and cause their behavior patterns. This allows you to be more empathetic to them. A student recently asked me how I can stand to live in this world when I see the destructive behaviors of other people. When you see things from a healer’s perspective, all the anomalies you see are an education. They are not aggravating but are just interesting and educational. Yet, I do feel sad, knowing that healing is so easily available yet so many people will live their lives in misery.
In both Tai-chi and Zookinesis, it is essential to understand and to feel how the connection of your consciousness to the general flow of consciousness around you is essential to prevent aging. It is so easy to see the bad things of the world and to withdraw, not wanting to be connected to this world. You then feel as if it’s you against the world.
The clear flow of consciousness and chi through your body is essential to prevent aging and to keep healthy. The exercise of Push Hands allows you to practice extending your energies into another person and to allow theirs in. It is set up as a battle, each trying to push the other over, so that it duplicates what you perceive as your life situation. You are battling against the world. Yet you learn in Push Hands, to connect the flow of force of the opponent (or partner) into the flow of forces within you so as to end the feeling of battle. If you stiffen up against him, he will easily push you over. If you absorb his force, combine it with your own and flow back towards him, you become more effective.
You learn that by ending the feeling of battle you become effective. Your strength lies in allowing yourself to connect with the rest of the world. You can then enjoy life.
The world will still be the same crazy place it was but you can see the mechanisms behind the behavior of people and cultures and not get trapped in them. Instead of identifying with a particular world culture you identify with the long line of people throughout history who were aware of these mechanisms. They were able to free themselves from the destructive habit patterns of the people around them.
Imagine yourself in a smelly, mucky swamp. You curse having to walk through this mess and concentrate on the smell and the muck. Soon you discover beautiful birds and insects. You feel the warm breeze and smell some flowers. Your attention is gradually drawn to the beauty of the swamp until even the smell and the muck seem an integral part of that beauty. You then enjoy being part of this scene.
In the same way, the world we live in is, to a large extent, the result of what we pay attention to. The news on television calls your attention mostly to the negative and horrifying part of our society. Yet the Public Broadcasting programs call your attention to the beauty. How do you feel after watching the news? How do you feel after watching nature programs? What factors in our society direct your attention to its horror?
The question of aging really is about your power to remain young and healthy. Having control over what you pay attention to is vital to prevent aging. This does not mean that you become oblivious to the problems of our world but that those problems don’t destroy you. You must regain control over the dynamics of your attention and the balance of energy. This is where you start in Tai-chi and Zookinesis.
I know that in modern times Tai-chi has become just memorizing a series of movements and Push Hands has just become a shoving contest. This is true even in China itself. But the movements and the pushing are just the surface level of a very deep and beautiful teaching. The teaching of “immortality”, as it used to be called, is about how to stay young and healthy and thereby actually extend your lifespan. It teaches you how to become connected to the world around you so that your consciousness may remain connected to the world even after your body dies.
Don’t give in to the images of aging. Don’t let those images implant themselves within you and direct your consciousness. Instead look to the agility, strength and beauty of wild animals and of athletes and allow those images to direct your consciousness.
I teach seated Zookinesis exercises to a local senior community. When I began six years ago, they could barely move. Now we are beginning to do seated acrobatic movements. Each time I show them what exercise we are working towards, they laugh, feeling they could never do that. Yet a month or two later, they easily do the exercise. Most of them are over 90 years old. I think Zookinesis has given them a new perspective of what they are capable of. They are now headed in a positive direction – stronger, more flexible, more relaxed and more connected to their bodies. When you live your life in this positive direction, you are already immortal.
The issue of death can lead us to a more powerful way to live our lives. We know what happens to our bodies at death. What happens to our consciousness (or what I call, “attention”)? We fear death as if it were not already part of us. Yet the death of the awareness of our bodies, of the consciousness of each cell and organ, is death we carry with us. The death of our direct awareness to our connection to nature already places us in our graves.
We are like travelers towards the destination of death, carrying our death with us. In this way we bring death to death. Rather, bring life to life.
Strengthen the consciousness of each cell, organ, muscle and bone. Strengthen the connection of that consciousness to the consciousness of the earth herself. Bring life to life and you will be powerful. When you increase the body consciousness (“Body-Mind”), you travel towards life.
We all know how to “thread consciousness” through the eyes of a baby. We talk to the baby and make facial expressions. The baby’s consciousness jumps towards you. It is like threading a needle and pulling the thread through the eye of the needle. We can do this within our own bodies as well.
When you hear beautiful music, the music threads your consciousness through your body into the world of sound. When you fall in love you thread consciousness through each other. We are weavers of consciousness. When others think we die, we know that we have weaved the last of ourselves into the web of life and have become that web.
The issue of life is not the length of life or our wealth but the beauty of the tapestry we weave ourselves into.
We understand that play is a natural behavior of many animals. Puppies and kittens understand that they aren’t really trying to kill each other. They understand make-believe. They also understand reality as when a large animal runs after them, growling loudly. Play is not to be taken literally but is good practice for reality.
Play teaches you to perceive clearly and for your body to react quickly. It develops a lively connection of attention to the body.
Our civilization uses this understanding to trick us. It uses play, not to develop a connection of attention to the actions of the body, but to words. As we become more and more lethargic, ideas replace the body as the arena of action. We live in the world of ideas. This changes the role of the body, and by extension, the whole physical world in our creative process. Lately the new close relationship between our play, or creativity, and words, our thinking process, has changed. The role of the body and then words is being replaced by machinery. When you watch children play video games, to what is their attention connected? It is hardly connected to the body or even to ideas. It is connected to computer screen images.
This slow progression heads in one direction – to disconnect attention from the body and the physical world and to connect it to factors than can be manipulated by other people. It is hard to manipulate someone’s body. It is easier to manipulate their ideas. But if their attention is connected to machinery, you can control the programming even more easily.
The advertiser’s job is to move people’s attention in the direction of more manipulation. The teacher’s job is to move the attention back to ideas and to the physical world.
When you manipulate symbols – a national flag for example – you are trying to control peoples’ behavior. In most cases this manipulation is not for the benefit of that person. It is for the benefit of the manipulator.
There are many human histories. There is the history of wars and politics. There is the history of the condition of the average person. There are labor and social movements. Histories of religion, philosophy, arts and science fill university curriculums. But really, they are all the history of the attempted manipulation of attention to control behavior.
It is the history of storytelling – the story of who we are, where we came from and why we are here. If we feel we belong to one group that is opposed to another group, we have conflict. People can be made to fight other people because of the story of who they are and where they came from.
Zookinesis teaches us how our attention becomes controlled by the stories we are told. It teaches us to understand the dynamics of attention itself so that we can notice when and how it is being controlled and regain that control.
In order to do this it is important to understand what attention is and its relationship to the body and the physical world in general.
Zookinesis considers that what makes each person an individual is the way our creativity “plays” with the energy of attention. It is similar to the way we “play” with the energy of gravity in the way we move. Attention is the consciousness behind the eyes and ears. It is that which is aware of thoughts and emotions.
There are two forces controlling attention. One is the various distractions that we encounter every day. They mold our attention into their shape. The other force is creativity which is the playfulness that makes each of us unique and is part of our biological heritage. Any individual may be more influenced by the distractions or more by creativity.
People with OCD (obsessive, compulsive disorder) are almost completely controlled by their environment. They are drawn to the strongest distraction at each moment. People who are completely controlled by their creativity we may call “airheads”. They are hardly connected to the world around them but only to their ideas and fantasies.
The job of a parent or teacher is to balance these two forces in the child or student. The point of balance between these two forces is called “the gate” in Zookinesis. The goal of the training is to become “the gatekeeper”, that is, to be fully aware of and control the balance of environmental influences and playful creativity on the flow of attention.
The role of a teaching, such as Zookinesis or Tai-chi, is to provide the student with the skills to maintain that balance. To what degree do you allow yourself to be molded by the influences around you and to what degree do you step outside of those influences and “create your own story”?
At the advanced level of any teaching, the student begins to perceive “who” it is that is learning, controlling this balance and creating the story. Religious people would call this “union with God”, meaning that you perceive the source of your own creativity. You understand your uniqueness and yet your complete connection to all other people and forms of life.
You cannot do this by handing over your attention to any particular dogma, whether a philosophy, religion or any teaching. You can use these vehicles to develop the balance of external influences and creative influences on your attention, but you do not allow them to fully mold your perspective. There are many vehicles on the road but in the end you need to step out of the vehicle and get to your destination.
Ancient religions and other teaching were based on “the elements”. This was an early form of psychology. You became aware of the influences of your body, your thinking mind, your will and your emotions and the balance of these factors in each moment of your life. Your goal was to keep the “elements” in balance.
The result was that you became aware of the fifth element – “spirit”. Spirit was the force that connected all life together, or what we would call “chi” in Taoist philosophy. When you achieved the balance of the first four elements it would be as if you were standing in the middle of a spiral staircase and could look all the way up and down the stairs. Spirit is all the activity that you see going on. Each level is a level of life or consciousness. Your next goal in these teachings, was to explore all the floors. The final step of training was to be aware of all the levels of consciousness at the same time so that you are a fully conscious being.
This is the basis of Zookinesis training. You first become aware of the dynamics of your physical body. In order to do this you have to allow your attention to connect to all parts of your body. This requires working on the flow of attention and letting go of any blockage to that attention. You gradually become aware of that part of you that directs the flow of attention (creativity).
Now when you practice the exercises, you are not just shoving your body parts around. You are lightly manipulating the flow of attention in your body and that, in turn, affects the movements. Your efforts and movements become lighter and lighter and yet more effective and powerful.
Through physical exercises, Zookinesis achieves a “spiritual” end, that of true self awareness. You can then examine the “play” of your life to determine in which ways that play is positive or negative. You can create a different play or story for yourself, one which is more healing for you and for others.
It all starts with realizing that consciousness itself is a force that connects you to the rest of nature. It flows through your physical body and animates it. Chi is the biological activity that results. Creativity is the way we play and is a natural behavior of many species. We humans “play” with our attention and create stories. We then build our civilizations on the foundation of those stories.
The physical and mental structures we build seem so solid and everlasting that we forget the “play” behind them. When play, or creativity is no longer a part of each “element” of our lives, then we become deadened and our physical, mental and emotional health suffer. Our “will” gets out of balance and we get angry when we don’t get our way.
That is why I like public broadcasting programs so much. They explain how creative people and cultures changed their world and their ideas. They show how our own present situation is the result of this flow of the history of creativity. Then we can take our part in that history and ask ourselves how we can become more creative. We realize that rather than being just a member of a race, religion or nationality, we are a member of the creative force of life.
All of this training culminates in a single, powerful, all revealing realization that brings power and vibrant health back to your life. You understand the source of your power as a human being and how to channel that power in your life. I will describe this realization and how to use it. The basis is the relationship between consciousness and the physical body. Imagine a glass of water sitting on bone dry earth. Sitting on the earth is a little seed. The glass of water has two eyes painted on its side as if it were looking at the seed. This is the situation most of us are in.
In this situation it is obvious that if the seed ever were to grow into a plant, the water in the glass would have to be spilled so that the earth could absorb it. The desiccated earth is our bodies. The water is our attention (our consciousness). The seed is the aliveness and power inside of us.
We have objectified our attention. We think of it as our eyes looking at something. The whole approach of Zookinesis training (or any Taoist training) is to understand that attention is not the eyes. It is an energy just as gravity or electromagnetism is energy. Our bodies have evolved within the environment of many types of energies and are the result of these influences.
Our bodies are even pressurized with about fifteen pounds per square inch of pressure, to counter the tremendous air pressure around us. In every way, our bodies have evolved as a response to the energies around us. In the same way, our minds have evolved in this environment.
Consciousness (attention) is an energy in which we have evolved. Yet we think of it as our eyes looking at something. We objectify attention as if it were in one place looking at another place or thing.
We know that the water, in the example above, needs to be absorbed by the earth. The water sitting in a glass does not help the seed. The water must lend its very nature and substance to the earth to create life. In the same way attention must be absorbed by the body so that every part of the body can become “moist”. The attention “knows” how to be absorbed by the body. The body “knows” how to absorb the attention. To let the body absorb attention, you must let go of attention rather than holding it rigid. The rigidity of attention makes the body rigid. Rigidity separates attention from the body.
That is why we practice to relax the body and to relax the attention – so that the two can merge.
When attention and the flesh merge, tremendous power and awareness floods a person. At first this may feel threatening. “How could poor little me have such power?” The tendency is to “objectify” the power, to call it God or the Devil or a spirit channeling wisdom through you. We identify our own power as images we have learned just as we originally objectified attention itself by thinking of it as the eyes.
When attention is absorbed by the body you realize your connection to the source of attention. You can perceive the energy of attention in the world around you. While the world you perceive is the same old world, it seems very different, very alive. Your body feels very alive and you feel yourself beginning to heal. You feel each cell like a baby bird desperately calling out to its mother for food. Each cell of the body wants to receive the energy of attention and calls loudly for it. You begin to hear those calls or rather you feel the body trying to absorb attention.
People whose bodies are especially disconnected from their attention will try to absorb the attention of other people and can be very draining to those people. When you hear them talk, they sound like baby birds squawking.
We naturally know how to pull attention from people. This is important to strengthen the attention of babies. In Zookinesis it is called “Threading Attention” as if through the eye of a needle. Everybody tries to get the baby to look at him and respond to him. This strengthens the baby’s attention. The baby connects its attention to our own behavior patterns. We innately know how to do this. It feels good.
But if you are trying to absorb other peoples’ attention because you are internally disconnected, that doesn’t do you or the other person any good.
When people objectify their attention to an unusual degree and are unusually disconnected, their attention will be concentrated directly in front of their faces. They will have a “crazed” look. Some of those people make very good salesmen because the customer is accosted and overwhelmed by the salesman’s energy and they will buy anything to end the assault. This is really a form of violence.
I believe that violent people are very disconnected and their behavior results from a misdirected attempt to reconnect themselves. But since they objectify their feelings they will attempt to connect to other people, often in very inappropriate ways. They are desperate and don’t know how to heal their disconnection. If someone displays a quality they know is missing inside of themselves, they will act almost as if the other person stole this quality from them or they resent that the other person has what they don’t have. The violent person has become lost from himself and doesn’t know his way back.
Zookinesis training is the way back. The exercises are specifically designed to allow the absorption of your attention into your body. (“Spirit Breathing Workouts” DVDs. Catalog #’s HE-24D and HE-25D. “Zookinesis: The Laughing Dragon Exercise” HE-28D). The books, Movements of Magic and Movements of Power explain the whole process.
So the great realization mentioned at the beginning of this lesson is that attention is not located at a specific point such as the eyes. It is an energy that needs to permeate the entire body. When it does, this connects you to the same energy of attention which permeates the entire earth and all of its inhabitants.
How do you use this connection to make your life more powerful? To explain this, remember that when the attention is rigid, this makes the body rigid. Patterns of the attention affect the body. On the other hand, behavior patterns in the body, such as patterns of tension, affect the attention. When they are separate from each other, they are like two sets of patterns fighting against each other. Once they are connected, they are just moist earth – they are organic – and life can begin to grow.
When you are connected to the larger energy of life, then your patterns affect that energy. If your patterns are violent they will have a negative effect. But if you are healed, then you can use the patterns of attention as a rudder, to steer your life in a positive direction. As a simplified example, if you hold the image of what you want your life to be like, you will see your present situation in terms of how to achieve your goal. Your choices will steer your life in the desired direction.
On a deeper level, if you maintain a positive image of what you need in life, that image will resonate in other people and in general in the energy of attention around you. The ability to affect the larger energy of attention to help your life depends on how connected your attention is to your body. This is the great benefit of the Zookinesis exercises. Without that connection, you just struggle. You can’t beat the whole world into submission to accede to your demands. But you can connect with the energy of consciousness (attention) that permeates the world.
Each act of self healing will be magnified by that connection. When you try to heal others, your efforts will likewise be magnified by your connection. Life becomes easier and a lot more effective.
Some people make the mistake of just trying to use what is called, “The Law of Attraction”, that is, to send out those images of what you want, but without first connecting their attention to their bodies. This is utterly useless. It is only when the attention and body merge, when you stop objectifying attention, when you become fully connected to the larger energy of attention, that you can have any effect.
Some deserts only receive a few inches of water every ten years or so. But as soon as it rains and the ground becomes moist, a thick carpet of colorful flowers appear within days and the desert comes to life. It is like a miracle. The Zookinesis training is like this. Before this training, you are like a desert and then soon your life blooms with beautiful colors.
Only a fraction of the human brain is used in modern times. We have moved our focus of attention away from those parts that make us powerful and coordinated physically and which allow us to channel the biological forces of nature through our bodies. This leads to lower vitality and premature old age.
When we practice Tai-chi and Zookinesis, it is essential that we stimulate the entire brain, including what is called the “reptilian brain”, or “primitive brain”. Rather than being primitive it is an essential part of the brain. We gradually enliven all parts of the nervous system which, in turn, enlivens the entire body. The result is that our very perception of the world around us is sharpened. We can perceive deeper levels and finer details of our senses and bring back senses that have been allowed to become dormant.
The process of bringing power back to the brain is most vividly experienced in the Push Hands exercise (a two person exercise in which each person tries to throw the partner off balance. (This has been described in detail in other “weekly lessons”). But you can use the techniques of Push Hands in everyday life in ordinary situations.
As we practice Push Hands we experiment with “seating” our attention in various parts of the brain. As an example, we concentrate on the lower rear part of the brain which is the reptilian brain. As you are about to push the partner you may notice that your attention jumps forward which causes your entire body to lunge forward. This allows your partner to turn to the side and allow you to fall forward.
The dynamics of your attention can pull your own body off balance. An important principle in Push Hands is to keep your attention centered. You generate the force to push the partner through “internal” movements of your body. This consists of moving individual joints and muscles in relationship to each other but not allowing the whole body to lunge back and forth. The result is similar to break dancing moves in which the body undulates, sending waves of force through itself, but the body remains in a centered position.
This can only be achieved when your attention is centered. If your attention is concentrated in only certain parts of the brain, the frontal lobes for example, then it is already off center. You are already off balance as far as your attention is concerned and then your body copies that pattern of poor balance. The body reflects the pattern and quality of your attention. If your attention jumps around a lot, then your body will exhibit excess movement.
You can practice spreading your attention throughout your brain in the Push Hands exercise, your Tai-chi forms, Zookinesis exercises or any other activity. This practice will enable you to keep your attention full and balanced in the brain in your everyday interactions with people. I guarantee that you will amaze yourself with how calm and powerful you feel when you keep the reptilian part of your brain energized in interpersonal interactions.
Rather than paying attention to the reptilian brain from the frontal lobes, try having the reptilian brain as the seat of attention and looking out from it. Make believe that right in front of the reptilian brain there is a window and you are looking out that window. The window is in the middle of the brain (back to front) and at the bottom of the brain. You may feel both your body and your breathing relaxing. You will feel more connected to your surroundings and more secure.
This exercise does not cut off your frontal lobes (the intellectual part of the brain) but includes them. Your attention will feel more centered within the entire nervous system. The quality of your attention will be more relaxed, sharper and stronger. Your body will be able to respond more accurately to the changing condition around you. You can see that energizing the reptilian brain is essential for practicing Push Hands. It is also essential for living a more powerful and effective life.
You begin to look at the dynamics and qualities of attention in other people as if you were a healer diagnosing a patient. Your understanding of these qualities in others gives you a deeper understanding of their resultant behavior which in turn, gives you more options of how to respond to them. If they are off balance, then you own balanced state can help them to become balanced. Their attention responds to the qualities of your attention as one tuning fork vibrates when another one next to it is sounded.
On the other hand, you can avoid having your own attention thrown off balance by the unbalanced state of their attention. You see the underlying mechanisms of the interaction and can avoid the pitfalls.
It’s amazing that simply by bring the focus of your attention to a different part of the brain and “looking out” from there, you can change the whole dynamic of your personal life. It is so easy to try and the results are so obvious.
This is the type of training you would receive in what is called a “mouth to ear” transmission of teaching, such as Zookinesis. This means a tradition that is taught from teacher to student through long term, disciplined training, rather than from books or shallow training. There is a whole world of such training methods.
Once you become comfortable with looking out from the reptilian brain, you then create other foci of attention. Examples – a point on the palm between the third and fourth finger and one inch down, the point on the bottom of the foot at the rear of the ball of the foot and centered between the left and right side, the coccyx bone and the tan-tien (an area just below the navel in the center of the body).
You concentrate on these spots to either energize or relax them as you do Push Hands. The patterns of energizing and relaxing in these areas create different alignments of the body and affect the flow of forces through the body. This allows you to send force out into the partner while keeping the body still. The result is that the partner is thrown back and it doesn’t seem as if you did anything.
If you could not access the reptilian brain then you simply could not create and coordinate these multiple foci of attention because your attention would not be centered. This is part of what is known as “Taoist alchemy” which is the basis of Tai-chi and Zookinesis. Taoist alchemy is the inner work to bring back your mind, body and spirit to full functioning.
From that inner point of view you can perceive sources of energy that are normally invisible to us. You realize that our culture is not built on a foundation of “whole brain experience” or what I call “whole body attention”. Anything outside of our modern cultural perspective is considered to not exist. And so, while we may have perceptions and feelings of these sources of energy, we ignore them in order to feel emotionally secure. We need to feel part of this culture. It is like a child grabbing onto his parent’s leg, fearing to venture too many steps away.
The mouth to ear training allows you to take those steps and to understand the inner experiences which you have ignored up to now. In this way a whole new world is revealed which allows your life to make much more sense. Your culture, which previously caged your perceptions, now is seen in a wider context.
You can begin this training by yourself simply by massaging the rear of your head several times a day to make it easier to pay attention to. Remember that the goal is not to pay attention to the rear of the head from the front of the head. The goal is to “seat” the attention in the rear of the head (as an exercise) and then to eventually fill the entire brain with attention so that the attention is balance.
Paying attention to the rear of the head is only the first (but necessary) step.
I’m sure you will have many questions and comments about this type of training. Feel free to use the “comments” section to the left of this article for your questions and comments.
Most of our lives are dedicated to just getting through the day. Many ancient teachings point to a technique which can be used in daily life, to completely change the results of your efforts. Zookinesis explains that the nature of your identity, your impression you have of who you are, not only determines the results of your efforts but also subconsciously is transmitted to others. The people around you pick up the impression you have of yourself and react to you accordingly.
This means that if your impression of yourself should change, it will change not only in your own mind, but in the mind of those around you.
If your identity is tied to your past experiences you can never change. Your past experiences are the result of your past identity. Your identity determines how you interact with others and with situations. Those situations result from a pattern of your own behavior which is based on your identity. You see how you can be trapped in behavior patterns which then trap you in repeated situations.
The key to this problem, in many ancient teaching systems, is NOT to find out who you are, but to CREATE who you are. Determine who you would like to be. Create a character, as if in a play, and little by little surround yourself with the scenery to enact that play. The scenery may be the décor in your house or it may be a behavior, such as singing during the day as you are working. You might take a few minutes out each day to go outside and just enjoy being alive. It doesn’t take much.
Gradually experiment with what scenery (internal or external) makes you feel good or bad. Realize that you can become whoever you want to be. In fact, one of the goals of life is to play. We often forget about play as we grow older. Play is not only for children practicing to be adults. It is the joy of life. And by “play” I don’t mean competitive sports. I’m talking about playing with what your life is all about.
It’s easy to feel that because the bills keep coming in it’s important to be serious all the time. We have arranged our culture to “feed the economic machine” rather than to maximize the enjoyment of life.
Do you really need all the new gadgets? Or would your money best be spent living simply but not having to worry about the bills? What is it that leads to a more joyful life and what is it that takes joy away?
When our identity is the result of our creativity rather than our past patterns of behavior, we then gain power in our lives. We have to be willing to let go of elements of our old identity to gain new, brighter elements. We have to be willing to release our rear foot from the ground in order to take a step forward.
There is a story I always tell of an old ship which sank in the Hudson River in New York. and was buried under mud. Ships with cranes were hired to lift it but none succeeded. Finally someone suggested that an empty barge be positioned above the boat at low tide. Chains were connected from the buried ship to the barge. When high tide came in the buoyancy of the barge lifted the buried ship.
Your myth is similar to the barge. While your life may seem to be buried under bills and problems, the myth can just sit there. As the tide of time washes in, that myth can lift you up into a new life.
You are not being “false” by living a myth. A myth does not mean that your new identity is not true. It means that your identity is now part of your creative nature. It is alive and adds to your vitality.
When your identity is alive and vital you feel energized and ready for life. Who would you really like to be?
The Zookinesis “art of soaring” is one of its most powerful teachings. A student learns to merge his system of internal energy (chi) and even his consciousness with those of other animals. The effect is to radically transform the student to be able to “enter” the body of a patient, if he is a healer, and examine that patient from the inside. In this way he can effect a much finer healing. I have worked with several of my students to be able to do this and they are always astounded by the improvements in their healing ability.
Perhaps even more importantly, the training of soaring allows you to perceive a part of this world we live in, that remains hidden to most people. We usually don’t realize that our chi and our consciousness (which I call “attention”) is constantly being captured and affected by forces around us.
The student of Zookinesis or other Taoist practices perceives a world filled with attention, flowing in dynamic activity. His own consciousness is completely connected to all others and it is easy to move the focal point of his attention anywhere along the “continuum of consciousness”.
Zookinesis shares this awareness with many other ancient training systems around the world. The goal of these systems is to allow the student to experience this level of perception. In working with live animals, Zookinesis is similar to some South American Indian spiritual systems in which you “journey” with an animal. This means that you place your consciousness inside an animal and let it take your consciousness with it as it travels.
While this may seem a bizarre and primitive mythological belief, it is everyday reality when you perceive on this level. We modern people may look down on this way of experiencing the world around us and pride ourselves in our isolation from nature. But that isolation has led to the deterioration of the body and mind and the lack of inner peace in our times.
The idea that only one way of perceiving the world around us is “correct” is itself, I believe, a very primitive and shallow belief. It deprives us of the fullness of human experience and of the biological vitality which is our birthright as biological beings. It also blinds us to the very real dynamics of attention and the dynamics of internal energy. Our inability to perceive these dynamics makes it impossible to organize our lives to maintain the health of these energy systems.
Our consciousness and chi are pulled, twisted, depleted and damaged every day without our knowing and then we wonder why we are tired at the end of the day.
Many teachers of the modern versions of ancient training are completely unaware of the original purpose of those trainings, that is, to teach students to become aware of this level of perception. That level of perception has been lost for the most part and only the shell of the teachings remain.
Some of those teachers have privately admitted to me that they don’t even understand what they are teaching but they do it to earn a living. I’m afraid that genuine teaching, in all of these systems, is in danger of dying out. The main reason for this is that these teachings have become a form of entertainment. Teachers have to become showmen and emphasize the hype and glitter in order to gain students.
Without advanced students to practice with, their own abilities, which originally may have been genuine, gradually fade away. In each generation, the students put in less and less effort to learn until the teachers have no real abilities or awareness.
The culture stops valuing this awareness, this connection to nature. Yet within each of us beats the heart of our original biological awareness, our original vitality, witnessing its own gradual death. The place this awareness lives within us is a place of despair. At every moment, it calls out to us like a prayer to God. But we don’t answer because we don’t understand what is going on. Our culture denies the existence of our true nature and values us only as pieces of the great machine of the economy.
We live in a rich world of life, filled with conscious energy. Yet when we look at the world the only things we notice are the speeding cars and the exciting television screen. We have lost the ability to see conscious life itself.
We humans are designed to soar, in our own way, as the eagles above us. The choice we have as individuals and as a culture is, what does it mean to be human. You can decide that for your own life. | 2019-04-26T02:35:31Z | http://movementsofmagic.com/blog/tag/hermetic-teachings/page/2/ |
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CS Ah yes, great value at Turner Freeman. They are the sponsors of our Legal Matters segment each Thursday afternoon, at around about 1.30pm and, talking employment law today, David Taylor, welcome again.
DT Hi Chris, how are you?
CS That’s a fairly flash tie for a lawyer. I thought you’re supposed to be very bland and officious.
CS It’s very very loud.
DT It’s quite red isn’t it?
CS Yes, it’s almost…a Magistrate or a Judge might even pick you up with that tie.
DT It’s certainly got pretentious – the greater things later in life.
CS That’s right, it’s not just all about the law. 131873 is the telephone number. It is a unique opportunity to get to talk to a lawyer, free of charge, at any time and you’ve got access to David Taylor right now, who’s an employment law specialist. If you’ve got any drama or upending drama that you think you might have to face in future, this is the time to jump on the telephone right now, 131873 and ask our legal team from Turner Freeman. Now, can I ask you about the election?
CS And aspects of the election which probably cross over into your area, and I’m talking about things like employment law as it relates to 457 visas. Now this is very interesting. We’ve got the union movement, very keen on trying to get local workers better access to various jobs and, yet you know, the reality is, that there are some jobs that Australians won’t do.
DT It’s a really difficult area to work out the best outcome. There’s clearly something odd when we’re importing labour to do things that there are Australians that want to do but there are jobs out there that there aren’t Australians with the skills or the desire to do and so there’s that need to get labour in to actually do that work.
CS I have people sometimes on the open line argue one way, very fiercely, very strongly. And others inside industry arguing the complete opposite.
DT And it’s hard to get a good grip on actually what’s going on. Both sides seem to say that there is a real shortage or, on the other hand, that there’s people out there who want the jobs that just can’t get the job because labour’s being imported. And I think that there’s an issue that comes down to it around wages and conditions and whether or not it’s a question of people doing jobs or a question of wages and conditions.
CS Isn’t it the case where a boss really should be able to prove that he’s tried other methods to employ local labour?
DT Yeah, I think, in terms of our economy, we want to ensure that as many Australians get jobs before we start bringing people in to do those jobs.
DT And so it’s trying to work out what the appropriate threshold is. You know, what should a boss have to do, what needs should have to be demonstrated, before they say well that’s fair enough, you can bring in labour.
CS Yeah, 131873 the telephone number. Sean, you’ve got a question for David, go right ahead.
C1 G’day David, how you going?
DT Hi Sean, how are you?
C1 Good thank you. I’m employed and was employed over 10 years ago by a city-based company. That company was then purchased by an Adelaide-based company and there were a number of people that were offered three year contracts, and I was led to believe that that was under the Adelaide-based system of South Australia rather than New South Wales. That has a big affect in New South Wales in comparison to long-service leave because I think I understand it, in South Australia, long service works out at around 1.3 weeks for every year that you have above 10 years.
DT Yeah, there are different long-service leave acts in operation in different States of the country. So, that’s certainly true and South Australia is quite different to New South Wales in that regard.
C1 So, would…there seems to be a bit of…because it’s 13 years down the track now, and as I said there were three of us that were offered three year contracts, after that three years, those contracts were basically went on to…as part of our normal contractual arrangements to date. So we’re sort of like 13 years down the track. I guess my question is, should I be…am I under that South Australian system or being in New South Wales, am I under the New South Wales legislation?
DT Well, the good news is, other than around long-service leave and a few other things, there’s now no real difference for workers between different States. Since, if you go back to Work Choices, that brought almost everybody together and then Fair Work brought, really, almost everybody together and there’s only a few Government jobs left. In terms of long-service leave, it’s actually where you’re employed, not where your employer is that will determine the relevant thing. So, if you’re working in New South Wales and everything occurs in New South Wales and you’re effectively a New South Wales employee, then the New South Wales law would apply. The fact that the company may be based in South Australia’s a secondary consideration.
CS Ok, thank you very much for the call Sean.
27 minutes to 2 o’clock is the time. Victor, go right ahead.
C2 Hi, Chris. Yeah, my name’s Victor as you know. Look, I started with Australia Post around about 15 odd months ago on a permanent/part-time contractual basis, where every six months they’d look at you and, if you’re performing well, renew your contract. Now, Australia Post has got a freeze on anybody coming from the outside into the organisation now, which means there’s plenty more room for us to expand and become full-time and, you know, get extra hours and that sort of thing. There is a problem arising and I’m just wondering where, not just me, but where we part-timers stand when they’re distributing things such as overtime, preferential treatment which overtime comes into, when they turn around and say to us…oh, it goes to the full-time employees, you part-timers only get whatever’s left, if there’s any left?
DT That sounds like quite a complicated system. It’s a bit difficult just on what you’ve told me to give you an indication on whether or not there’d be any problem with that sort of thing. Certainly, it’s unlawful to discriminate against workers because of the terms that they’re employed on.
DT And there’s a bit of that in that. But there may be another good reason why it’s happening…or there may be other reasons. It may be the nature of the contract that you’re on and the nature of the contract that the non part-time workers are on, would mean that it would be permitted.
CS But David, why shouldn’t an employer, for reasons purely of expense, be able to decide that my full-timers will get the overtime, not my permanent/part-timers because it will cost me more. Why can’t they make a decision based on how much it’s going to cost?
DT Oh, I think they probably can. I think…that would be an example of where they could. But if there’s no difference in cost to them and the only reason they’re making the distinction is because there’s a preference of, say, full-time over part-time, then that could be problematic in that instance.
C2 Yeah, sorry, if I can just clarify something there about the cost factor. A part-time employee is only employed, all of us, five hours five days a week. Now, if we get an additional two or three hours overtime, that only brings us at a standard rate of pay up to the full-time, you know, where overtime would start. Now the full-timers, when they get offered that overtime, it’s at the time and a half and double time rate so it’s cheaper to employ us. So there’s a lot of….
CS That’s interesting, so it is cheaper to employ you. So if they were making decisions based on cost, you’d get preferential treatment. You should get it.
C2 The only reason I bring this up is that all of a sudden I was…over the last few weeks, I’d been getting quite a bit of overtime and…or additional hours as such, and all of a sudden it’s been taken away from me and all the full-timers are turning to me and saying, geez you’re a great worker but the overtime’s going to us and if there’s any left, we’ll give it to you.
DT It sounds very odd. It doesn’t sound at all rational does it?
CS No, you’re not wrong. Let’s leave Victor there. That is something he should actually see, maybe the union affiliate about, and get a ruling on.
DT I think having a discussion with somebody about working out exactly what’s going on and why Australia Post are doing that would be a sensible thing to do.
CS Yeah, exactly, ok. David Taylor from Turner Freeman, also sponsors of our Legal Matters segment, is in the studio and happy to take your calls on 131873. Since its beginnings back in 1951, Turner Freeman Lawyers has fought and won some of the biggest cases in Australian legal history. Cases that have affected every day people just like you. Turner Freeman goes into battles where people whose lives have been turned upside down through no fault of their own, they’re ready to help. So if you’re struggling because of someone else’s negligence, speak to Turner Freeman and get the compensation you deserve. Your initial consultation is free and ask about their no win, no fee policy. Don’t let your finances and family suffer, call 1800 800 088 or visit turnerfreeman.com.au. Turner Freeman Lawyers, great people, great results, great value.
And our Legal Matters segment brought to you by Turner Freeman. David Taylor, employment expert, in the studio this afternoon. Ben wanted to know whether the Long Service Leave Act was a Federal or State jurisdiction.
DT It’s by and large a State jurisdiction. There are Long Service Leave Acts in every State and the Fair Work Act says that the Long Service Leave Act that applies from the States, applies for workers.
DT Some Federal Awards have long service leave provisions and they override the State Acts.
CS Ok, there’s your answer Ben. Ted, go ahead.
C3 Yeah, David, just a question. My wife works in the child care industry. Now, some time ago, probably five to eight years ago, they were told that they had to sign a form saying that their long service leave would be paid at that current rate, whatever they were on at that time. Now, my question is, is that enforceable and is it legal?
DT No, would be the short answer. The Long Service Leave Act sets the rate of pay that long service leave’s to be paid at and you can’t contract out of that and, indeed, depending on the nature of the employer and the child care, this would be the case, it would be unlawful and it would be, not a criminal offence, but a civil offence under the Fair Work Act to have someone sign a document like that.
CS There you go, that’s interesting. If I’m under certain obligations under a contract with an employer and the company changes ownership, where do I stand?
DT It’s a really interesting and quite a difficult issue. It’s probably both legal and cultural. When the company changes ownership, there’s often a huge culture…and a new owner will come in and will want to do things differently and that can often cause a degree of resentment and difficulty. Legally, a transfer can be done in one of two ways. It can be a transfer of the business so that there’s a transfer…your employer would actually change. You’d go from being employed by Company A to Company B, in which case that’s a more difficult transfer. Or, there’s a transfer of the ownership of the business. The company that owns it, in which case the employer remains the same.
CS Analyse. This is a real curly one. Analyse, go ahead.
C3 Yes, hi. I’m just wanting to know what my rights are. I received a phone call recruiting me for a position. I accepted the position after negotiations, gave notice where I was working, turned up to start my new employment, only to be called in the office and told that the woman that offered me the job was away sick and nobody knew what was going on so to go home and they’d let me know what was going on. I later received a phone call that day telling me that, after restructure of the facilities management, the position was no longer available.
DT The…you’ve probably got legal rights because…and they’re rights under the old Trade Practices Act. There was a representation made to you that you’d have a job and then when you turned up, there wasn’t and so the loss or damage that you suffer around your loss of your old job and the fact that you gave notice and, presumably, you can’t go back to the old job that you left?
C3 I did. They actually accepted me back.
CS Oh, what a nice…you had a good old boss.
DT Well, you were lucky and probably your damage then is pretty limited so your cause of action’s pretty much gone with it. The law generally looks out for you if you’ve suffered loss.
C3 It’s a bit more complicated than that though, because the position that I currently have is a maternity relief position. So, in three months time, I will not have a job and that’s why, I ultimately accepted the other position and the other position was a promotion to what I’m currently doing.
DT The short legal answer would be, you’d want to look at whether there were representations made to you. If those representations were untrue, did you suffer loss or damage as a result of relying on those representations.
CS So, in other words, you have a pretty good case Analyse, by the sound of it.
CS Good on you. 131873 is the telephone number. In the Blue Mountains, Jim, hi.
C4 David, ah yeah. Just a quick question, without going through all the…the whole history. I was hired to work for a company to do commercial cleaning and after, obviously, not a disagreement but not seeing eye to eye, I was texted to say I was…they were going to do the cleaning and I was no longer hired. Now, should they…any company, give you notice of either 24 hours/a week or money in lieu of and because they pay monthly, would you have to wait til the beginning of the next month to get some money?
DT The old rule that the right period of notice as how often you get paid doesn’t really exist anymore.
DT If you’re a casual employee, there’s no prescribed period of notice. If you’re a permanent employee or an employee on a contract, then you either get the notice under your contract or the notice under the Fair Work Act which gets larger over time. So, if you’ve been there for less than a year, you only get a week. If you’ve been there for 10 years, you get four or five weeks depending on how old you are.
C4 Ah right, fair enough. Now, just another, asides that…now seeing as I’m no longer hired and I was asked to leave by text and I texted back to ask for money that was owed to me, could I say, for instance, I finished up on Monday, could I say…well, could I have the money that’s owed to me by Friday? Or would I need to wait until they actually pay when I was messaged back to say, their rules were you get paid at the end of the month and that’s it?
DT I think the obligation on them is to pay you as soon as is reasonable and waiting a month in those sort of circumstances, probably not reasonable. A case like that, I think you’re probably well advised to give the Fair Work Ombudsman a call and they might be able to assist.
CS The Fair Work Ombudsman. Glen, you had the same kind of question, did you?
C5 Yes, I was just wondering if you’re terminated or if you give notice on an off pay week, should you be entitled to your pay on the day that you finish? Or wait until the pay run comes around, whether it be a week or a month?
DT If it’s only a week, it’s probably reasonable to wait until the next pay run. If it’s a month and it’s a day or two into the pay run, I think it’s probably unreasonable to have to wait that long. You’d have to look at the circumstances and as to whether or not it’s reasonable under the period of notice involved.
CS Alright Glenn, thank you for your call. 131873 the telephone number, our Legal Matters segment. We’ve still got a segment to go. We’ll get to that after the break 131873.
131873 is the telephone number. Adam, go right ahead, David’s listening.
C6 Hey, how you going David? You there?
C6 Yeah my question is…I’ve been working for a trucking company for about 12 months now on a casual basis. If I do, say, 15-16 hours a day, do they still pay me the same flat rate of pay?
DT They shouldn’t. There’ll be a modern award that would cover your employment and the modern award would prescribe…the rates of pay would prescribe when you’d go from working on the flat rate or on the normal rate, which would be probably 115% of the normal permanent rate as a casual to penalty rates…you know, time and a half, double time, double time and a half. So, on the assumption that you would be covered by a modern award, that would prescribe when you would move on to penalty rates.
CS Ok, Adam, I’ve got to go quickly to Mark. He’s been waiting online since the beginning. Go ahead Mark.
C7 Yeah, how you going David?
DT Hi Mark, how are you?
C7 I’m well. I’ve got a contract. I’m an account manager, and in the contract it states that if I finish employment, I’m not allowed for a 12 month period, to work for an opposition company or a company that sells similar products to what I’m now selling. Is that a legal contract?
DT It’s certainly a legal contract. The question is whether or not the restraint is void or is it enforceable? There’s a general principle in law that you should be entitled to work and you should be entitled to work where your skills fit. People are able to contract out of those rights and to limit where somebody can move on to and the question becomes whether or not the limitation is just there to protect the employers legitimate interest, or does it go further than that and actually prevent you from being able to earn a living? And it’s quite a judgment call and issues such as the breadth of the restraint. So, is it any competitor or is it just a couple of named competitors, and the length of the restraint would be relevant.
CS But you get recompense for the fact that they have that clause in the termination don’t you?
C7 Not that I’m aware of, no.
DT But the legal argument would be the amount that you’re paid as a salary throughout your employment, in part, compensates you for the fact that this restraint exists in your contract. So, you’re receiving the compensation each week for the restraint going forward. That doesn’t mean necessarily the restraint’s reasonable. There’s a lot of law about when restraints are reasonable and when they’re unreasonable and if you want to look at moving, you need to get some advice because if you move in breach of the restraint, you can leave yourself exposed to really nasty claims against you.
CS Ok, Mark, I’ve got to leave it there and that’s where we leave our segment on Employment Law this afternoon. Sorry to the callers we can’t get to but, as I said earlier, you’ve got to get in early on these very popular topics where people get to “Ask an Expert” and today, David Taylor from Turner Freeman, sponsors of our Legal Matters segment. David, thank you very much for coming in again.
DT Thanks for having me.
CS I love the tie, just pass it…right on the counter there, that’d be fantastic mate, thank you. It’s a beauty! | 2019-04-20T04:40:55Z | https://www.turnerfreeman.com.au/nsw/david-taylor-providing-q-a-on-the-2gb-chris-smith-afternoon-show-discussing-issues-in-relation-to-workplace-employment-law-150813/ |
I wouldn't put too much weight into the comparo. They only tested chips that they were given to trial and the 'winner' is a regular advertiser in their mag (surprise surprise).
Have a look at chip-it performance chips. He sells his units for about $800 and it does the same thing as most of the others and it can be fitted and disconnected in minutes. There are many others out there that a far cheaper the then ones in the comparo and they do the same thing. More power and torque (fuel eco is the issue with these things).
I was going to get one but decided on a double din DVD player with rear camera. AND LOVE IT.
I have a TDC Powerbox for sale for $400. Claimed output is 148kW & 478Nm.
A spill from their website.
The PowerBox CR plus is fully digital and includes a signal variation switch with multiple settings, so there's never a problem finding the setting that's best for your vehicle. You can even turn the PowerBox off while it is still connected.
The CRplus has been programmed for optimal performance. Power gains vary depending on engine and ECU type. CRplus users can expect a power improvement ranging from 25% to 55% greater than the gains achieved with our standard PowerBox CR. Essentially, the power improvement is linear to acceleration; however, a greater boost is provided when there’s an immediate demand for acceleration. This reduces the time required to pass other vehicles, and, in some cases, means less time exposure to oncoming traffic.
The CRplus includes an extended 31" wiring harness to provide greater reach for installation. Each unit comes complete with detailed illustrated instructions and is backed by our 3-year limited warranty.
Timing is a function of the ECU's internal program. When fuel volume changes, so does timing. The PowerBox is an interface that transmits signal variations to the ECU, but these signals are based on those of other parameters that determine speed, engine load, and acceleration demand. When a signal variation is transmitted by the PowerBox, the ECU will adjust the necessary parameters as though there was a greater demand for power. In other words, the unit will provide a signal at an actual speed 40MPH, which indicates that the vehicle is traveling at 50MPH. The ECU's internal program compensates by metering fuel injections for a speed of 50MPH. Combustion is maximized, and the ECU makes the necessary timing adjustments as it normally would at this speed. The PowerBox is programmed to transmit signal variations that remain within the tolerances mapped to the ECU's internal program.
All TDC Technologies’ PowerBoxes are equipped with OEM plugs that are inserted into the wiring loom between the fuel injection system and the electronic control unit (ECU). The PowerBox intercepts the signals that pass back and forth, and modifies them to create an increase in fueling by altering the timing of the injectors, holding them open longer.
A larger amount of fuel injected into a diesel engine creates a significant increase in power and improves overall performance. Unlike the gasoline engine that provides airflow proportionate to acceleration, the diesel engine runs with an excess air flow most of the time, causing it to run well below its maximum combustion capacity. This means that optimal combustion can still be achieved despite the increased fuel injection produced by the PowerBox.
Any advertiser in 4wda seems to do well in comparo's. Go figure.
Thanks for that Merchant and its true on what you say.
I can share with the forum members of the differences between the Chip It Module and our competition.
The Chip It Module will connect to 2 sensors in your existing factory plugs.
Compared to other Chip companies, we are EXTREMELY WELL positioned for these reasons too.
8) CUSTOM TUNING CAPABILITY ... WHICH AGAIN, OTHER MANUFACTURERS DO NOT HAVE.
Let me expand on point 8. When you need a custom tune with all the other Chips, you need to send the Module back to them for re-calibrating. This then is NOT a true custom tune to suit your vehicle as changes are NOT made in real-time. This is NOT so with the Chip It Module. Real-time tuning capabilities are given to every Chip It Custom Tune Dealer and adjustments to tunes are provided via email daily. Chip It “Macro” Tuning Software, provided FREE with every Chip purchase, allows YOU to download tunes to the Module within seconds.
If that is not enough, we also have the capability to run EGT Monitors, which, when coupled to the Chip It Performance Modules, monitor EGT's and re-program the Chip It Module to run factory standard tunes IF the EGT's climb too high. Again, this is unique to Chip it.
This feature is available to those that wish to produce extreme tunes for their vehicle. When left at the Chip It factory pre-set tunes, the EGT's are not an issue.
We also have 5 years warranty and 30 day money back guarantee.
If we were in that comparo there is no way that the mag could have came us with the same winner without people seeing it was OBVIOUSLY biased to the regular advertisers. Or if they chose us as the winner can you imagine the others being happy with the mag that someone that DOES NOT advertise at all win. They would be poking the mag editor for ever in a day!!!
No worries Rob. I'm always happy to push Aussie made stuff. Having said that, the product still needs to be fit for purpose, a good quality product and be competitive in the market.
The thing with these chips is obviously power and torque. I would love one but I put a lot of emphases on fuel economy these days because of the price of diesel in the north of WA. Until someone can guarantee i will save fuel when i tow the 1.5t van i won't seriously look at one.
May i suggest you loan one of your chips to one of the more predominant members of this forum to trial. If your chip does as you suggest then it will help you no end with the members.
From memory i think you are in QLD. I'm sure there's someone up that way who will stick there hand up and then post their views.
158kw on the TD is a bit over the top. But if he can get 158kw i can only imagine the high fuel usage.
remember guys ... you can make dyno numbers say whatever you want. You want 250 kws ... no problems. The real test is back to back tests.
And that is why we gaurantee to have the best tunes (make the most power) than any other cause we tune 2 parameters ... fuel and boost.
Actually, if you ask that mechanic to call me (0412 304030) I WOULD LOVE to let him do try our chips so he gets a feel for them and is then free to give his opinion.
The only troble is that is he (and others) are only chasing big profits then he WONT go for ours 'cause our RETAIL price is only $824.00 delivered. He can charge extra for custom tuning but fitted he will be charging under $1000.00.
I have a steinbauer, I haven't had it dyno'd but it does haul arse!
BTW, I have taken it off for the moment as it went into nissan for a warranty claim, and fuel usage is exactly the same without the chip as it is with the chip set on full power, with all the extra horsepower.
Chip it I have been interested in all of your posts and checked out your website, I am wondering if there are any plans to release anything for the ZD30 Navara. I'm sure there is a big enough market for it, being shared with the patrol aswell.
So are you, and if so when, going to do a chip for the ZD30??????
we are looking into it 100% however we have found that other precommon rail vehicles fitted with chips do not compare when put up against our petrol injection system. So we are not too rushed to get a chip out when the other product does so much better.
i don't know about over the ditch there but here it runs into legal issues, most likely need certification which adds another cost.
it wouldn't really address the problem with the ZD30, which is under fuelling in the low-mid rpm's.
one question on the Chip It modules, can you switch between different tunes on the fly? eg increase fuel when water injection system is running ? or degrease fuel if EGT gets to hot?
extra power and torque are all good, BUT how much extra strain is put on the motor and running gear to get the extra out of it???? remember she's only a 2.5 L. when i look at getting 1 the warranty will be the biggest deciding factor for me.
95% of posts from people with chips say that there was no increase in fuel economy .
So does Gas injection come into the picture. even with the initial out lay after 2-3 yrs you might actually be better off going for the injection system. As i've heard they greatly increase power torque and most importantly fuel economy.
The D40 engine for sale on ebay with melted pistons was enough to scare me off gas injection, it might be a rare thing though.
Tweak'e that's unfair. You are speaking without knowing our product, service, experience, or anything about us.
1) There are zero regulations regarding diesel petrol injection (DPI). It falls into the same category as adding octane booster to your tank. IE ZERO REGS. LPG, different story ... yes it does have the need to be "certified" (which we are certifiers of BTW) because of the pressure vessels being used. We looked into it different products because we didn't like the charges licensed fitters were charging for a day's labour. We as manufactureres had reduced sales because people didn't want the high cost of ownership even though the kit itself was fair and reasonable (sub $1000).
So off we went looking at different things and Petrol came up trumps. You can find it anywhere, doesn't matter what type or brand you use. Didn't suffer from contamination like LPG, no pressure vessel thus no regs, higher calorific value (energy content) than LPG. Cleans the diesel burn like LPG. Customers could use water only (for a 10% boost in power ... and no cost of fuel) or a water methanol mix (or water/ethanol), they could use straight petrol or petrol methanol mix for better power or high octane petrol with a methanol mix. It was just the right product for the job. Then we search (2 years) for parts we liked. What we couldn't find we have made. The end result is 100% customer satisfaction.
Just this week a customer (Darren B from Vic) that had the DPI fitted to his Duramax. He said he couldn't be happier. He has LPG on one of his other cars and he said this was 100 times better. He told us that he is saving 4 litre of diesel for every 100 kms and using only 1 litre of petrol!! (This is 100% fact guys ... no BS).
2) About the under fueled ZD30, this is exactly what the DPI is addressing! Every diesel works with residual air. You can read about it HERE (http://chipit.com.au/) if you scroll down to where it says "USE OF RESIDUAL AIR". Remember diesels are air pumps and the govering of fuel to a MAX charge of air is what determined the power. It is this residual air that allows Chips etc to work!!
3) Yes. The Chip It module does have the ability to swap maps on the fly REAL TIME.
Hope this clears things up. But like I said, its a little unfair for you to call the product dodgy when you havent seen it or know how the process works.
We go to great lengths to make sure all our products are top shelf. 100% customer satisfaction is what we strive for and with a 30 day money back guarantee I think this shows we are serious about this.
If you look around the different forums you will see we we get a HUGE wrap.
What kills an engine is HEAT and REVS.
You can get big power from engines as long as you dont increase the red line. In fact, having more torque down low meand you DO NOT have the rev the crap out of it. You jump on the accelerator and when you are up to speed you take your foot off the load peddle and keep the revs down.
LPG does increase power but petrol injection is better still and better in other aspects as well. Read about it in my post above.
Matt we dont know what caused this but if it was running on LPG it must have been running really high ratios and it would have been outside of the manufacturer's spec ... I gaurantee it.
Yeah I am sure you are right.
When I was 1st told about the gas system I was a little stand offish as I really didn't understand what it was all about , now having driven around with the gas I wouldn't go back.
The Petrol system on the other hand had me thinking well if the gas worked well enough why shouldn't the Petrol system work as long as you didn't go overboard that is , so I installed one to my 4.2L Landcrusier with an aftermarket turbo and 2.5 mandrel system , after experimenting with the boost pressure switch and fuel pressure regulator pressures I'm now at a point where I'm happy with the power and economy gains ,I have set the boost switch to 5psi as I didn't want the system to become active before that, I'm purely hunting for economy and some extra power.
Its amazing what a bit of fuel does. And you're right about the economy ... most common rial vehicles will never see those litres per hundred readings.
Also, how many litres per hundred of diesel would you say you save to how many litres of petrol are you using?
I know a guy with a DMax and he is saving 4 litres/100 of diesel and using 1 litre/100. He too is really please with how it goes.
so have you done a d40 with this fuel injection yet? They just seem so rich from factory as it is and ya start adding diesel (via chip) and then petrol seems to scream dangerous.
Have you taken note of the fuel ratios on em from factory? What sort of figures do you have?
The petrol is still a fuel so your still adding fuel to an already fueled up situation.
Don't get me wrong I am not knocking you just chasing more info that is all.
I was going to get a unichip for my Navara as they can do timing and boost etc but am seriously considering just getting one of yours as the extra cost and headache with the unichip probably wont gain much.
We haven't directly however we have sold them to dealers. Remember the Petrol Injection Kit was made to be a universal fit up kit so dealers can fit to any.
The D40 we accept heaps more fuel (whatever fuel). It is not running rich once on power.
It is running a little rich on initial throttle on but the petrol injection is made to come in a little after that.
BTW, you know if you block off the EGR port the Nissan will not blow smoke? The extra air now keeps the ratios healthier.
That's why when customers buy our DPF Race Pipe we include a FREE EGR Blanking Plate.
The two go hand in hand in our opinion. The Chip is just a great power improvement but we always recommend blocking off the EGR for a better bang.
I am a potential buyer for your chip and DPF pipe.I live in Western Australia and would like to support a local product.
You guys make it very difficult.
I have rung your 1800 number twice and left a message - no response!!!
I have used the "Contact us" form on your website - no response!!!
If I put a chip on and later (out of new car warranty) put on a DPF delete pipe is the program in the chip for this?
Its great on this forum to tell readers how great your product is. But when one of them tries to contact and gets no response you are really letting the business down.
BTW I contacted a diesel place in Redcliffe,spoke to someone straight away and was happy with the info.
It makes me wonder If I cant talk to someone before purchase what sort of response I would get if I had a problem?
I am not trying to start a flaming war here, I am a genuine buyer.
sorry for the late reply, missed your post somehow.
i think the "dodgy" comment is reasonably fair enough.
thats simply because your pouring in a fuel that has a lowish auto-ignition temp. LPG is around 450c which is around compressed cylinder temp so LPG is not going to auto ignite until close to TDC if it auto ignites at all.
however petrol is only ~220c so it will be igniting on the compression stroke and well before diesel is injected. with non intercooled diesel (100-150c intake temps) it can be igniting even earlier.
mixing petrol in diesel is a bit different because its being injected with the diesel so it all burns together and doesn't suffer the same issue.
with water/alcohol injection the water offsets the burning of the alcohol to a fair degree. they only run up to 50% water/meth mix on diesels. they don't live long on 100%.
i could understand petrol injected along side water injection but IMHO injecting straight petrol is risky.
the legals....depends on your local rules. i think here adding a 2nd fuel tank requires certification. understandable as there is a safety issue especially in an accident.
i would be surprised they let you guys have a petrol tank without a enclosed breather system. emission rules in AU are a lot tougher than NZ.
I know we get super busy and you guys can confirm by the late, very late replies I sometimes post here, here this not an excuse. If it helps, I have just ripped someone at the Perth office a new a55 for the let down.
1. Yes, it is. Tune 5.
2. you are 100% correct. In fact, how many people have just gone to the opposition because we failed to answer them? Who know is the correct answer. I just hope is hasn't happened too many times.
this is my mobile. If you dont get through on the 1800 78 48 82 as a last resort please use this: 0412 304030.
Hope we are not too late to be of assistance.
Give it time, and you will see many more.
Unless you test things how can you make comment ?? !!
i remember the LPG/diesel guys saying the same thing and look at how many motors they blew up before they got it right. it got to the stage people where removing the rather expensive lpg installs because of the amount that where blowing up (no subside back then either).
then theres the water/meth guys which has been around a long time and they don't run 100% meth because of problems.
both LPG and meth are far more suited to the task than petrol.
all the theory points to petrol being dodgy.
only saving grace is your using such tiny amounts and fairly accurately.
one thing i would be interested to see is what happens when the engine gets a fair bit of oil ingested (ie via breather or past the rings).
the petrol setting off a decent amount of oil might make things interesting.
YES, OK if someone fits ANY performance parts and winds it up to maximum WITHOUT knowing what they are doing they are prone to go bang. Any moron knows that.
Things need to be tuned ... derrrr.
We have sold LPG kits for over 5 years with ZERO Failures. You know why? because we wirte in big bloody letters DONT MUCH AROUND WITH IT OR YOU'LL BE SORRY. (not the actual words) Guess what. People then respect it and leave it well enough alone. Or, only tuners or people that know what they are doing and measuring, get interested in getting more out of it.
Not issue with LPG is that is burns with a sharp edged carbon crystal (petrol and diesel burn with a round crystal) and it chews out the valve seats. However because the diesel is still there with its rounded edge crystal I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE DEVELOPING ... NOT EVER.
When cars running straight petrol convert to LPG (in the olden days) they needed to add adding cylinder lube, as you will recell. This is because the crysal is doing a great job of filing away the seat.
It is not an issue in diesels AND it is not an issue when you inject petrol into diesels.
Last point you mention: We sell really cool crankcase oil breather catch cans. small and high performing and again at better prices than what the opposition are offering.
Robert I'll give you a call, as I said not into starting a forum flaming war.
the metal crankcase filters look good. looks like remote oil filter?? as long as the internals are big enough to flow the gas without restriction they should be great.
any chance of making a tall skinny version?
i can't remember the exact details of the blown engines. nothing valve seat related. i think just holed pistons. professionally installed to.
what diesel do you use when tuning the engines?
have you tried the ultimate? if so how much difference did the petrol system make compared to the normal diesel?
I was sure you wern't.
The PCV filters are a custom made item which is made for this job. You're right, it looks like a remote oil filter but smaller. Its chambers are made to take large air flow.
Holed pistons are often the result of flaws in the OEM design. IE. Nissan 4.2 blowing number 6 piston. Its a Nissan issue ... not a gas issue. Nissan would sometimes repair under warranty even when it was out of warranty because they knew it was a design issue.
We use standard pump fuel because Ultimate is not always available ... do we even have it in the Eastern States?
When we go for high numers in OUR OWN VEHICLES ... ie 770 nm from our 3.2 Triton, we will always try and run Ultimate when its available.
Hi Robert, seriously considering this. How much is the kit though? I read earlier in this thread under $1000 but your website is advertising at $2000. Any clarification on this?
do they have a filter in them or do they have baffles/chambers in it ?
Both the plastic and metal types have filters.
I have seen people running without filters in the cannisters and just had steel wool in them when the filters finaliy filled up.
Doesnt matter how you try to smooth it over Petrol injection is probably illegal in most states. I dont mind you promoting it but at least be honest and say up front in big letters "For Race Use Only"
I know you got called out on this on another forum and you had to admit it.
I'd suggest people call their local DOT and get the truth about petrol injection. I know for a fact they would not approve a petrol tank fitted to a diesel.
Buyer beware I guess but I'd hate to see someone get in an accident and have their insurance company walk away from them because of something simple like a phone call to their local DOT.
So is changing an air filter.
It is a vehicle modification. It all comes down to ADR complience.
In fact, ANYTHING that you do to your car which is NOT ADR approved is illegal and can be made to remove it. The thing is, stuff is not policed that heavily.
Tyres, snorkle, exhausts, if it didn't come out with it (ie ADR 79 -01) its history.
So you really are talking out of the a55.
I gotta believe you must be selling something else or I ran over your dog in a previous life.
Regarding the dyno runs between chips. You know sh1T. Easy for you the shoot at the hip. But you don't have any facts. We do. Should we tell DH's like you all the secrets.
Talk to people who HAVE our products. They will tell you what we do know what we are talking about and give people all info about how our products work.
You're just full of words and no back up.
I stumbled along this tread while looking for info on the CR Power Box. It was installed in My 08 Diesel D40 Nav manual when I bought it second hand. I was wondering If i should take it out or not. Economy now is around 9-10km/litre. The car is still under warranty but Nissan never commented on it when they saw it.
Does anyone know if they are likely to cause damage to the engine? surely they would have to.
If I take it out will it affect fuel economy?
The car goes like the clappers if I want it to, but I worry I will lose alot of power taking it out. It is only would up a little way (adjustment on the side).
The CR powerbox increases fuel rail pressure. It cant really damage the engine, but it will add strain to the fuel pump. time will only tell if that will cause premature failure. Every engine is different only way to know how much extra power it is providing is to unplug it. less than 5min job.
If you take it out you will be surprised how "slow" the truck is. If it is tuned properly then leave it in.
Problem is, most (nearly all) chips these days are tuned overseas.
Even the ones with aussie names and those in the market a long time are all made and tuned OS.
In fact I do not know of anyone else that is not made OS.
I think I will leave it where it is, probably best. Hope it wont cause any problems for the car. I probably wont extend the warranty though as it may be void with the chip.
The CR powerbox are crap. I have had two sh..t themselves on the D22 CRD. Both went the same way and were both 2 years old when they went fizzz.
I fitted a Chipit to the CRD patrol as I stole the CR powerbox off it to replace the first one that went on the D22. I will be fitting a Chipit to the D22 also when finances allow it.
I did not pay for mine, it was on the car when I bought it.
It certainly wouldn't be my first choice of chip from what I have seen of it's info vs other chips. If it dies then it may be replaced with another chip if I notice a difference in acceleration.
As someone who has previously been quoted saying "You probably have to advertise in the mag to be included in the comparison" (or words to that effect) does the inclusion in the chip review infer some form of payments were made to a mag to get your chip included or do they now include people who don't advertise with them in their articles?
Hi Krafty. Yes ... payments WERE made. As mentioned, you need to advertise with them. Those adverts cost thousands of dollars ... I kid you not.
in fact, they didn't want any extra mods on the car when they did the test. I had to disconnect things that made the car non stock (other than the Chip) so in fairness to the tester, he did the right thing.
Thanks Brad for the positive words. Love it when people take the time to let us know that they're happy for the product.
I have ordered a chipit and Pyrometer for the Pootrol. I'll let you guys know the results.
Robert do use do a chip for the ZD30DDTI non CRD ?
Going by the Pyro intergrated bit yours is the chip I would go.
We have not focused on pre commonrail chips to be honest however there will be one available in about a month if all materials (incl cases etc) make it to production line in time.
Please contact the 1800 number around the middle of March Dave.
Fitted the Chipit on the weekend, all I can say is WOW. Pull Jesus of the cross, the increase in low and mid range torque blows me away. Can't wait to get it on the Dyno to see the power increase.
post your results KC. I would be keen to see them. How's the economy?
Agreed their Chip is amazing. Give some thought to contacting Justin and getting some customised tunes emailed to you. Its amazing what he can do!
I doubt the economy will be ever as good, I'm enjoying the power too much!
So your using a higher tunes than the folder3custom2?
Ill keep it in mind.
Hell yeah! I got Justin to email me some really high tunes. All I need now is a larger intercooler to get more air in as highest tunes just blow too much black smoke.
I am running the highest I can without too much black smoke which gives me 150kW and 530nm on the dyno.
Nice figures. Pootrol would never stop with that much grunt.
Thinking of getting a bigger intercooler. I should get 160kw then.
my chip it is on its way, I also have a 3 inch exhaust on the way too. Im dropping into my house hourly to check the mail to see if its here. Cant wait to try out the different tunes etc. Everyone seems to be happy with them.
I wish!! Those figures are at the flywheel.
No go on a higher tune for the Pootrol, I tried but it developed a flat spot at WOT, full revs. Sounded like the engine was trying to go hydraulic, never mind.
I'm still pretty happy, By seat of the pants dynoing, I think it has better performance then the king cab did and is far more relaxing to drive on and off road.
About 50mm after, You don't want the end to break off and go through the turbo, It's unlikely to happen but better to be safe.
we have a fix for that too KC. Easy mechanical mod = no more flat spot.
Ring the office and ask for the Limiter Disc. You pay freight, we provide part for free.
You sent me one with the chip!. It's installed but I can't get any higher tunes than the folder3 tune2 with out developing problems in the upper rev ranges WOT.
Folder 3 in pretty high. If you send me the tune you are using (by email) I will tweak it down and you can try that.
Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll leave it with the folder3 tune2, Fuel economy still seems ok, no clouds of black smoke, and really good power increase.
I'm still getting the EGR fault code being thrown, any advice on how to stop it? I'm just clearing it with the scanguage, occurs about once a week.
We don't get error codes on Nissans ... even WITHOUT the Chip fitted. If you have tunes from folder 3, I wonder if your MAF sensor is maxing out. Try cleaning the MAF meter with MAF cleaner ... I think you know this trick right? Let me know if you don't.
BTW, what is the code you read?
BTW, you know DP, Rapid, Tuneit and Roo chips all use the same chip ... just rebagded chip from germany that has the variable resistor settings on the front face.
BTW you are not stopping the butterfly from opening are you? This may be where the error code is coming from. You need to blank the pipe near the cooler ... do not stop the valve from operating.
Wouldn't buy any of those mentioned though.
After reading alot of the info on here between you and Northside, I am alot more informed.
Cheers to both of use.
Yep, just blocked at the cooler, throws up the P0401 code. Did some searching, it seems that most of the CRD guy's occasionally get that code.(after blocking egr).
I get it once a fortnight on average, worse in cold weather so I wondr if the code is generated by a temp sender? My trucks hasn't even had it's first service yet if age has anything to do with it.
I ran 2 X TDC Power box as the fist one blew up and then on queue the second one stopped as well. After driving the D22 CRD ute for 18k with one on it I can say that there quoted figures are marketing BS.
I have now purchased the Aussie product Chipit and it is one great product. I bought one for my CRD Patrol and was so impressed that the Nav scored one as well.
This chipit unit has brought the D22 CRD to life and it needed it. Great product Robert.
Thanks for that BradM. ... we really appreciate it when people spend their time to give us a pat on the back.
And yes the D22 really does come alive with a good chip and tune.
GU Patrol .... drill 8mm hole in the middle of the plate for no error codes.
Anyone running the xede from chip torque?
Another wire in jobbie too isn't it?
Similar results to a Unichip.
It is the only other chip I know of that is a proper tuning solution, not just a cheap Diesel Pressure plugin.
Not quite the same level as unichip, as it can also do injector extension as well.
Huge gains in economy and power to be had by adjusting injection timing without the need to even add more fuel or boost.
So how are you adjusting the multiple injector pulses which these common rails have these days?
Aren't the injectors controlled by the ECU and the crank trigger.
By adjusting the injector timing, say opening earlier is like advancing the timing in a petrol engine or advancing the camshaft.
I thought the main thing we all want is more power.
So by injecting the same amount of fuel earlier gives us a power gain?
By creating a earlier or better combustion burn then we need to add more fuel be it deisel and/or petrol engines to get more power.
In petrol engines we add more injector timing(open longer) , ignition timing and boost at selected rpm levels.
In a deisel engine I thought our main priority was more fuel/air but watch the EGT levels as we don't have great control over combustion burning process as in petrol engines.
Also curious as to why a number of members posts have been deleted from the end of this thread?
There was a few serious questions that didnt get answered.
they changed servers so bits and pieces went missing lol!
So mr Chip It! have you got a chip for the zd30 non CRD yet?
I'm hanging out for the good news!
Scrapped the turbo idea as its to much !@#$%^& around and if I blew it. Id be !@#$%^ in the middle of no where waiting for the custom "Bolt on" turbo to arrive.
To many good option's. Northsides Unichip or Chipits chip.
Still no direct answer on if the plug in unichip looms are available IN AUSTRALIA yet.
I know they do exist but have not been made available before.
Unichips are still wire in at the moment are they not?
March has been and gone, and i am sure that i am not the only one on the edge of my seat waiting for your zd30 non crd product to hit the shelves with some info on what it will do better/different to other chips.
This is an interesting thread thanks guys. I am researching chip options for my new patrol and obviously a lot of this stuff is relevant. I'm sure a lot of others are benefiting too. Keep up the good work.
They are 200X harder to produce than a CR chip.
All a CR chip needs is a few variable resistors to lower common rail pressure, and in ChipIts case, another few to up the boost pressure.
To control the Zexel VE pump in a 3.0 Patrol you have to control the high voltage spill valve which is vastly different in design.
The main reason is, the ecu varies the spill valve frequency to control boost and timing, as the injectors are not electronically controlled.
How long has the chipit pre CR 3.0 chip been in development for?
Northside at least we DO produce. You just buy stuff in that OTHERS have produced. How do u sit there and have a shot at us for getting our hands dirty and investing the $30 to $40K that it takes to get these to the point of testing? Not the mention the time it takes to prove the product and provide 2 to 5 years warranty and all the backup support infrastructure.
Some people talk the talk ... we walk the walk.
Guys the chips are ready. EGT control if you want to as well.
you beauty! mines a 06 model. so with your chip its 900 the price starts. when you say we can change wat it does. is this via a control in your car? if so is that extra?
I have just had a Chip It chip installed and I am not happy to say the least. I am stranded with friends in a caravan park on the Sunshine Coast on day 2 of a Cape York trip!
Before I had the unit installed, I never had a problem with my 2005 Navara 6 speed manual, 118 k's on the clock. The chap that installed the unit to my vehicle was recommended by Chip It.
I arrived at Caloundra at 9.30am Saturday morning to be advised that my vehicle was booked in 11.00am. My wife and I set up camp at a local caravan park waiting for a call to come and attend.
I attended the Chip It recommended installer at 1.00pm. I was advised that he had a problem with a Toyota Hilux that morning whilst fitting a Chip It unit to it, and that's why he was late to start on my vehicle. Fine I did not have a problem with that.
When he conducted the first dyno test, the result was 96kw and not too much smoke was produced. However, when the chip was installed and an hour of dyno testing later and with severe smoke produced the chip only produced 118kw not the 130+kw Chip It claim on this vehicle.
The car was taken for a test run and the mechanic told me that he was disappointed with the result. He also confided to me that this was the first Navara D40 that he had installed a chip too. I took my car for a run and I could not notice much difference in power. He further advised me that he took a stock standard Navara a few weeks earlier, and thought that the stock vehicle went harder than my car with the Chip It unit installed.
He further advised that I should not go to the Cape due to the high exhaust temperature’s and that I should come back and see him on Monday for further testing, to see why the car is not getting the results that the chip should be producing.
At 3.30pm and 1,300 dollars later ($899 unit and $420 for dyno tune) , I left the premises feeling very depressed and devastated. The installer was in a hurry to take his children to the Nambour show. Fine I did not have a problem with that either. However I am left in the dilemma with how much more is this chip going to cost me to get the alleged results that the company states publically on its web site.
I am absolutely disappointed because I was advised to purchase this product by Chip It and my vehicle was running fine before this chip was installed.
Our trip to Cape York was twelve months in the planning and now it is all on hold due to this chip.
It is possible the boost module was not operating correctly and that is whats giving low power figures and alot of smoke.
I have seen a handfull of d40's with this same problem using chipit's.
They were still running the standard 20psi, not the 28+psi the chipit chips tune them to.
Thus power was down and because the chip has no idea if the boost level is low/spot on/to much, and it provides WAY to much fuel for the standard boost level.
Drop in tomorrow morning and I can sort it out for you mate. Just call ahead on 3481 2982.
I wont charge you a cent to diagnose and fix the problem if I can.
I am very happy to see some one on the forum has come to the aid of a fellow 4wder !!!!!!!!!!
When you went back there he told you he thinks the issue is with your car.
Craig told you that the car was running 14:1 AFT before the chip was installed and it was blowing smoke. At 15PSI it was 14:1. !!! That is very rich.
He even printed it out for you to see the AFR's.
Craig told me he can send me the dyno log to show this.
Then on Monday he told you that he would give you 100% of your money back even though the issue is NOT with what he does and the labour charge is legitimate.
If he is convinced that the vehicle has some issue and I for one believe him. Just like if Northside (with all his experience tells me the car has an issue I would believe him too. Experience in these things counts.
Craig gets super results on all the cars he tunes ... he get over 900 nm on 200 series Cruiser and I don't know ANYONE getting those numbers.
RLI you certainly have stooped a bit here I would think.
Yes $899.00 without EGT control.
With the EGT control it is $1299.00. The EGT limits can be set from inside the vehicle. This will de tune the chip when it get too hot.
LOL! Talk about getting on the defensive!
Members have been asking for MONTHS when they will be ready.
and YOU have the hide to tell me off for this?
30-40K to produce a chip? I do it with $40 worth of bits from jaycar so maybe you should start investing in better staff to design for you then?
Or putting some more time into safeproofing the chips and petrol/LPG kits that are killing enignes through High boost, overfueling and detonation!
Or maybe designing intercooler kits to go with your home grown chips that keep the 200deg intake temps that arise from running 30psi of boost to a reasonable level?
Maybe before you have a go at me next time, you should check out our website to see the kind of products that we develop in house.
Yeah I suppose I do get defensive when someone has a shot at us LOL.
Like now saying we blow up engines. We haven't had one blow up or faulter or fail or whatever other word you would like to use. And we dont over-boost. We add about 4 - 6 PSI ... thats all. This is just spin from you to try to get people off side. But your true colours now are starting to shine through mate.
Our customers know what we produce. Northside must be running scared to try a cheap shot like that. In fact we had many clients that spoke to you already tell us they dont like the way you bag out others. You slander and tell lies about others. You loose out there mate.
Did you let the cat outta the bag there about the stuff you flog to customers cause I know you are not talking about us.
Yes I know you are going to have another cheap shot ... just your style it is sounding like more and more.
We just let our customers give their opinions ... and we leave the rest for the others like you to cry foul!
Leon and yourself have both provided good information and I wouldn't hesitate in buying a chip off either of use.
Do unichips have to be wired in ?
^ You work to hard.
Take a break to NSW and bring the chip and the wiring above and relax for a few days and then fit one to my Nav.
Spoke to you guys at northy's the other day about a chip you can stop off in Kempsey and fot one for me as well , lol . PS some great fishing here.
Hey Northside. How much would it cost for a intercooler package for a D22 3.0 ZD30 sent down to melbourne? just curious, as I'm looking to do this soon. cheers mate.
1. The wiring loom is long enough to mount the chipit computer inside the cab near the firewall above the accelerator pedal, saved having it out in the engine bay where in my case it will see lots of dust and water and mud. The neatest way for wiring to the map sensor is to unbolt the D40 computer and run the cables behind it and the radiator resovoir down to the large grommet at the firewall. I would be surprised if the local nissan mechanics will spot the wiring as it is all hidden and doesnt look out of place.
2. The EGT display can be slotted nicely into the dash, just remove form the box it comes in from Chipit and cut out a small section, nothing to interfere here behind the plastics, it is easiest enough to see when you want to watch it but not bliding in your face and annoying at night time. I did hae to extend the wiring on the pyro sensor about 400mm as the standard wasnt quite long enough for this mounting position.
3. Easiest (and probably most accurate) place to mount the pyro is on the side of the exhaust manifold before it bolts onto the turbo, here you dont have to remove too much stuff to access it and you can use the 1/8tap with a 12 sided 7mm socket to carefully tap into and nothing needs to be modified eslewhere to make it fit.
Thought i would post this info as it would have saved me plently of time working out exaclty how to run cables etc if someone else had done this before me, hopefully this saves time for someone else.
Currently running tune 4 from folder 2 and awesome, yet to do some pyro testing with towing and loads so will do that first on standard tune to get a benchmark.
Sounds like a good install. Can you post some larger photos and include the positioning of the box? I'm looking at getting something similar soon.
Is the Chip-It box easy enough to get to to retune?
Yeah sorry about photos, but i resized the orginals and saved them all too small so thats as big as they get.
Chip-It chip and delete pipe ordered thru Robert. Can't wait to get the thing on and see how it goes. No EGT at this stage. I'll slip that one passed he misses in a few months.
Looking forwarded to installing both. Will post results.
Which grommet did you run the cables for the Chipit and EGT through and on which side? I'm currently part way into the install and am struggling a little. Did you do the fuel restrictor mod as well?
Is it necessary to install the disc for the fuel rail mod if you don't go above tune 8? I found it too difficult to unbolt.
I got the banjo bolt off but gave up on the fuel rail bolt thingy. It was far too tight.
Have you tried it with the ignition on?
I've tried with ignition on and off. Engine on and off. And still can't get it to connect.
I had a bit of trouble installing the driver software for some reason. I would go through the install process and it would seem fine but wouldn't actually install it. I think it was something to do with being a zip file? Not really too good with computers so can't say for sure sorry. Also make sure you select the right com port.
Yep, have selected the right come port and it seems as though the software has installed correctly. The device manager says the driver is up to date and the com launches when the usb is inserted.
I have un-installed, re-installed, changed com ports and still no luck. I class myself as being pretty good with computers. I'll give it another go today sometime.
It is an extra earth that is needed.
Some PCs are just trouble. I tried for 20 mins on a mate lappy with no joy. I gave up and then downloaded a new set of drivers and installed (USB cable NOT connected). Then chose another USB port and bingo, it worked.
Here is the link for the new windows 7 driver.
On ths score though, we are soon going to be releasing a new set of chips that do not require PC connection to change tunes.
I been on hold wanting to compare prices with your chip and that other guys "wonder chip".
Keen to power up for summer though so if you have it ready to go in the coming weeks I'd like more details?
Robert, Will these new chips that dont require a laptop be any better (performance wise) or is it just a cosmetic upgrade with numbered switchs.
Whens the earliest we can order these??
They will come through soon... say 3 weeks.
Dealers will have the first but we will take orders in 2 weeks.
Will the tunes be tailored for certain mods?
Ie, map 1 standard vehicle = very small gains.
map 5 high power = 25+psi + 17:1 afr?
Why? Is yours going to have that?
When is yours coming btw?
As always, our chips will be able to be customised till the cows come home.
Do you have any figures for power/torque & economy on a 6spd 2.5TD D40 running your standard Chip it tune?
Being quite frugal I drive on cruise control everywhere & normally get 9.5 l/100 km with an easy right foot!
By the way any comments on Cetane boosters..the internet is full of confusing info on the difference between octane & cetane boosters..have you come across any consistent performers at a reasonable price? Have you heard of a product called V10?
I don't have these for the standard tune ... just custom and higher state tunes. With regards to the economy figures, not customers report a 5 - 10% fuel savings. However, we do not guarantee fuel savings as this is quite arbitrary. For example, I get 5% fuel savings on my car but Justin gets less because he drives his Triton like he stole it.
Also, we would never recommend a chip fuel savings alone. Think about it ... to save (say) 10% fuel costs you would need to spend $15,000 worth of fuel to save say $1500 worth of chip.
So if you were doing this for the power and would love to be saving fuel as well, then YES that would be very beneficial.
Re octane boosters, any additional boost in octane you will get better performance / efficiency but most people way up the cost versus savings and with this equation you will not come out in front as the cost per litre of the booster is more than the savings per litre.
Concerned!!!! I had the Chip it chip professionally installed a week ago just before i left for my 2 week trip around Tazy, he also did the fuel rail mod and egr block off. I was running quite a good fuel eccon of 800km out of a tank, now i'm flat out getting 650km p/t open highway from adelaide to Melbourne.
At first i thought it was my like for the power but as i've done over 6 tanks through and each one getting less and less right foot heavyness (worst then i was driving before the chip) it's still not getting even close to 800km p/t.
What setting is people finding best on there chip for 2.5 D40 STX manual.
I think he said setting 6 was what he reccomended.
To make it worst is i'm half way around Tazy and no way to change it.
You would have been better off doing some more in depth researching on Chips or actual digital tuning modules like ..............not going to say that here.
Anyone wanting a real tuning module should look for units that have upgradeable mapping and hours of Dyno data to back up their claims , Get my point ??
A diesel chip is basically a simple resistor which increases or decreases the amount of current that the ECU of the car sees from the fuel rail pressure switch. When the ECU sees that the current has changed, it will increase the diesel pressure to the injectors, therefore forcing more diesel into the engine creating more power. The downside to this is that the diesel is being injected at the same time as the standard injection timing is set at. This means that you will not gain any more fuel economy, but will gain power; this is known to be a fact throughout the industry. Because the Injection timing is not being changed as more fuel is being injected there is less time to burn, so fuel is being wasted.
A diesel module is like an ECU, it controls each injector, it can change Injection Timing, Pulse, Width & Current. can increase & decrease the amount of diesel going into the engine by controlling the injector properly as we inject more diesel into the engine, we can change the injection timing, giving the diesel more time to burn it, resulting in more power, we can also optimize the injection timing for factory fuelling resulting in better fuel economy.
Diesel Chips have been around for a long time and are basically just a resistor, Diesel Modules are the future in common rail diesel engines, anyone considering a chip for their common rail engine would be MAD not to investigate the benefits of a module; Modules are far superior and more advanced than any chip on the market today.
The new xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx power module is able to control the Injectors, the fuel pump, boost and they also have a range of defenders that are able to control the engine, these modules are the most advanced on the market and have been developed by xxxxxxxxxx for Australian conditions.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx modules are able to hold four different fuel maps that can be custom tuned to each customer�s individual needs and also include fine tuning of up to 30% +/-.
Why dont the manufactures optimize the engines fuel settings from the factory?
... well, the cars are developed with future performance increases in mind, for example the original humble VW/ Audi 1.9 TDi engine produced 50kw, then 60kw, then 74kw, then 81, then 96kw, then 110kw from the same basic engine. The manufacturers allow for 10 years of development at the design stage, it�s a multimillion dollar project to get a new engine from R&D to production. So at most stages of development, modern diesel engines have unlocked potential.
Why use a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Module vs. any other type of modification?
These plug in tuning systems that are developed are designed for easy and discreet use. The unit can be installed/uninstalled at will.
The engine does not know the system is in use. The unit is downstream of the ECU (electronic control unit) and has no interaction with it. The unit can be adjusted by the end user for overall power gain by adjusting the fuel up or down by upto 30%, it also has four individual maps that can be swapped at will. This gives the ability to have Four modules in one. For example, you can have one map focused on Fuel Economy, one focused on Torque for Towing, one focused on All Out Power and so on, the choice is yours. It can be removed and sold if required, remaps/chips etc have none of those features, and no additional performance either. Yourxxxxxxxxxxxxxx module can be removed from your Hilux and reprogrammed and fitted to your new Pajero, Triton, Prado, Navara etc. This is unique to xxxxxxxxxx giving you the ability to resell the module or fit it to your new car. The system can of course be removed prior to any service or repair work undertaken by your dealer.
Max figures show the power your vehicle can produce when using a higher setting. Power adjustments are easy and optional; this is fully explained in instructions supplied.
The Power Module will be programmed with standard settings for the best mix of performance and fuel ecconomy. This can be easily adjusted and is explained in the instructions.
What is thexxxxxxxxxxx Power Module?
The Power Module increases power and torque by over 40% with an added benefit of an average of 10% fuel saving.
What about warranty if I install xxxxxxxxxxx in my car?
Most car manufacturers and importers don't exactly love module/ chip tuning.
Why did the manufacturer not offer tuning in the first place?
Put simply, your vehicle's intended performance is restricted because car manufacturers have to allow for models variants that often use the same engine mechanicals with adjusted power figures. As well as this many countries around the world relate their tax levels to the power output of a vehicle.
All xxxxxxxxxxxx products carry a 10 year Warranty and 30 Day money-back guarantee.
Its out there you just gota look !!!
No I'm not a dealer for them, but hey I might think about one day.
Hey Marty why don`t you name the module?
I mean every second power up post chipit has been mentioned.
Tell how many chip devices can you get for a D40 , take a stab at it go on , it would be something like 20 odd if not more and they all claim the same thing More Power , better acc less black smoke and on it goes , now think back how many dont up the pump pressure ?
Get a stand alone digital computer in place of any chip and the rewards will be huge , no matter what any chip manufacturer tells you.
It took me a long time to find the module and I can not believe that no one here has made mention of it as there are D40 owners using them , guess its like this if its that good why tell others about it !!!
Marty I still run a steinbauer.I decided on it because it connected to the injectors and did not just up rail pressure.I also have tried a race chip pro that does like all the others and ups the rail pressure.I must say the go pedal feels like it only needs about half the normal pressure to go the same speed.More than likely the higher fuel pressure is the factor there.
Marty I have run 700 deg c post turbo on a stock setup which I`m thinking the D40 must be capable of.I have started a post trying to collect data to understand EGTs.
Dozer you might want to try the fuel re set/re learn if it wasn`t done after the chip install.
As far as chipping goes at the end of the day you get what you pay for .
Some of the text Marty has posted seems familiar to this product.
I thought people were here to help others that aren't so knowledgeable or mechanically minded. Now it's a secret society?
What's the point of not sharing the info?
Is it a case of, your football and no one else can kick it?
The explanation in that link is a bit too alarmist, in my humble opinion.
Even if you lose your mind completely, throw all caution to the wind, and just crank the chip to maximum, the fuel pressure relief valve brings an abrupt end to the party. In fact this is the very reason why results from generic fuel chips haven't been that stellar on the d40.
With thousands of dirtcheap generic eBay chips on the road, and hundreds more on sale every day, we should have seen a wave of pump and injector failures by now, but I haven't come across such a thing in the last four years on the three major d40 forums.
Some chip sellers supply a washer to allow rail pressure to go higher than standard setting before the relief valve opens.Has been mentioned somewhere on the forum about this mod.Does make you wonder why there has,nt been a lot of pump failures reported though.
remember, each injector has its own pressure relief. The one on the rail is just to stop chip tuners from getting higher pressures into the system. not that you would sell something to the end users this way but you can crank up pressures on these to really high levels without leaks or failures.
the CR injection system has the capacity from just off idle to delivery enough pressure to throw open the pressure limiter at the end of the rail. its just that that control valve (suction control valve) will redirect unwanted pressure back to the tank. the CR pump is gear driven off the crank so there is no way to make it spin faster than the manufacturer intended.
There is more than just two chips that control the injectors as well as pump pressure.
Here is a read for anyone interested in how they work.
AWESOME Lindsay, Thank you for your effort and sharing.
I will fix it right now.
Is the incab adjustment a level adjuster? or on/off?
And do sort of need to know if it is able to be adjusted on the fly or only while either stationary or engine off?
Im updating all of the switching comments now as a couple of people have found it not clear enough the way Ive typed it.
Adjust between tunes. On most vehicles adjustment can occur on the fly however 07 -> Hilux definitely need to be done whilst engine is off (Ign ON). We recommend folks to do the change on the side of the road in any case for driver safety concerns.
So, Engine OFF, Ignition ON will stop any fault codes on all vehicles.
Also the EGT control is via LED or LCD display inside cabin. This is also controlled/adjusted inside cabin.
Common rail chips DO NOT make the fuel pump work harder. The pump is gear driven from the crank so no way to make it spin faster or work harder. The CR chips make the factory computer push the Suction control valve further "open" so that it redirects more pressure to the rail rather than sending it back to the tank.
However, if someone is concerned about increased rail pressure and want a steinbauyer style unit then we have them too.
Injector piggy back, plug and drive. Easy fit up and easy to change tunes.
Price is $1349.00 + $25.00 Freight.
Forum discount (till further advised) 10% off the Piggy Back unit.
This is your new product Yeh?
What does it control and how plz?
I didn't look at your site to find out, is info there?
no info out yet officially John.
Dealers are getting first pick.
But the injector chip is exactly the same style as Steinbauyer (SB) ... very easy to fit, no error codes unless you dont push the plugs on correctly and easy to change tunes.
WOW - 18 pages took a while to read but fascinating from many aspects. If anyone is interested in tunes that actually edit the original ECU program drop me a line. Many more parameters to play with equals safer better performing tunes.
Yeah I am interested in this addition... Gotta fix the power steering leak 1st.
I posted on this thread yesterday, a number of times and suddenly nothing there, I also posted new thread that seems to have completely disappeared - des this happen often?
Hi guys, I haven't read through this whole thread so forgive me if this has already been covered. Has anyone had any experience with the RACECHIP Pro chips from Germany? With the Aussie dollar at the current rate they are about $340 delivered. Claimed power and torque for the STX-550 is 219kw and 599nm.
I like what you do (as I am a reflasher also) but the topics are made to discuss certain things, this one being 'Chip's'.
I would recommend a new thread in the general tech with info on reflashing from you though.
And if you wouldnt mind, I have written a very large article regarding 'Diesel Chip Tuning' I have yet to make a subsection regarding reflashing because so few people do it. If you want to contact me regarding this I am more than happy to update it with your info (the thread is on many forums at the moment).
Jase, I am not a fan of chips period so probably the wrong person to ask, you get what you pay for in the end. Whatever the chip or company I recommend the following. Google the name of the product ( and/or company ) followed by problems or issues or faulty etc find out what chances you are taking.
Some people love them and are very happy. At best i believe they fall short on delivering the maximum SAFE performance at worst ...... well google.
Two good acid tests, money back guarantee, less than 30days a joke and do they warrant your engine for damage caused.
its impossible to determine how each car will respond to it.
Timing is also impossible to adjust correctly unless your recording minimum best torque values for that particular setup.
Northside agree factory files are worse than tuning boxes but not sure our blanket comment on Vieuz files is correct. We used Vieuz a while back, directly and they were a good company, every file was customised, we changed supplier for different reasons.
However there are some, like it sounds you have up there that build up a library of files using Vieuz then run around supplying that technology to the market. I have a guy running around here at the moment doing exactly that, so far we have fixed two of his stuff ups. He charges less than I pay for files but they come they go. | 2019-04-18T23:33:02Z | http://www.navara.asia/archive/index.php/t-4767.html |
2006-10-13 Assigned to GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. reassignment GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NEWCOMB, KENNETH, KORLESKI, JOSEPH E. JR., KING, DAVID R., ALPINI, ALFRED A., CAMPBELL, CAREY V., ESKAROS, SHERIF, MANN, JAMES WILLIAM, MCLAUGHLIN, LONZO C., ROEBER, PETER J.
A catheter balloon with integral non-distending regions having a plurality of layers which wind around the balloon material and overlap to form an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees relative to each other upon inflation, and methods of making the non-distending regions are provided.
The present invention relates to balloon catheters and, more particularly, to a non-shortening wrapped balloon configured to expand with essential radial symmetry to a predetermined diameter upon application of a predetermined pressure thereto.
Balloon catheters are well known in the art. Such catheters are employed in a variety of medical procedures, including dilation of narrowed blood vessels, placement of stents and other implants, temporary occlusion of blood vessels, and other vascular uses.
In a typical application, the balloon is advanced to the desired location in the vascular system. The balloon is then pressure-expanded in accordance with a medical procedure. Thereafter, the pressure is removed from the balloon, allowing the balloon to contract and permit removal of the catheter. It is to be appreciated that the balloon is usually formed of an elastomeric material which is readily pressure-expanded, yet will also readily contract upon removal of the inflation pressure.
Procedures such as these are generally considered minimally invasive, and are often performed in a manner which minimizes disruption to the patient's body. As a result, catheters are often inserted from a location remote from the region to be treated. For example, during angioplasty procedures involving coronary vessels, the balloon catheter is typically inserted into the femoral artery in the groin region of the patient, and then advanced through such vessel into the coronary region of the patient. It is also common to have the length of the balloon change during inflation causing placement problems during procedures. Additionally, catheters have been unable to deliver balloons with large diameter expansion capability due to the need for a low profile and sustained pressures.
The present invention provides an improvement in balloon sealing techniques and reduction in seal profiles. Further, it is believed that further improvements in balloon performance can be achieved by modifying the mounting techniques, such as to provide a controlled failure mechanism.
The present invention provides catheter balloons comprising at least one balloon material and at least one integral non-distending region. The non-distending region comprises a plurality of layers which wind around the balloon material at a high angle of between 45 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. The individual layers overlap at an opposing angle of between 45 and 135 degrees to the longitudinal axis upon inflation. The non-distending region is able to shape the balloon or provide an improved region to seal the balloon to a catheter upon inflation.
While the specific angles above are used as a general reference, the angle of the wrap can vary depending upon the desired attributes of the finished balloon. Several different areas of differing wrap angles may exist on one balloon. For instance, a continuous wrap may be utilized which forms a plurality of distensible balloon material passes which wind around the longitudinal axis at a lower angle than the angle observed for non-distending or less distensible regions of the balloon of the present invention. The less distensible regions may impart desired shape to the balloon, while the non-distending regions may be utilized to seal the balloon.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a balloon material layer used to create a non-distensible seal.
FIG. 2 shows a core wire with a fluoropolymer coating used to create a wrapped balloon.
FIG. 3 shows balloon with a non-distending seal present on the exterior of a balloon material layer.
FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of a balloon with a non-distending region formed between balloon layer materials.
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the layer construction of a balloon with multiple non-distending regions formed between balloon layer materials.
FIG. 6 shows an uninflated shaped composite balloon with non-distending regions formed between balloon layer materials.
FIG. 7 shows a catheter balloon at a final diameter with non-distensible regions.
FIG. 8 shows multiple catheter balloons formed in a single structure and separated by non-distensible regions.
The present invention describes a wrapped balloon with distensible and non-distensible regions suited for a seal on a catheter balloon. A catheter balloon of the present invention comprises at least one balloon material and at least one integral non-distending region comprising a plurality of non-distensible layers which wind around the balloon material. The non-distending regions comprise a plurality of layers which are wound around the balloon material at a high angle of between 45 and 90 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis. The individual layers overlap at an opposing angle of between 0 and 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis upon inflation. While the specific angles above are used as a general reference, the angle of the wrap can vary depending upon the desired attributes of the finished balloon. Several different areas of differing wrap angles may exist on one balloon. For instance, a continuous wrap may be utilized which forms a plurality of distensible balloon material layers which wind around the longitudinal axis at a lower angle than the angle observed for non-distending or less distensible regions of the balloon of the present invention. The less distensible regions may impart desired shape to the balloon, while the non-distending regions may be utilized to seal the balloon. The non-distending regions are incorporated or integrated into the surface of the balloon wall, into the balloon wall, or under the outer most surface of the balloon wall. The non-distending regions are in direct continuity with the balloon wall and are virtually indistinguishable in form from the balloon wall in an uninflated state. The non-distending regions are focal regions which are resistant to radial dilatation allowing for the sealing of an inflated balloon to an underlying catheter shaft or the imparting of non-cylindrical shapes to an inflated balloon.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a film used to create an integrated non-distensible seal on a balloon. By the term “non-distensible” it is meant that the material has a structure that is significantly less compliant under distention force than a distensible main body of the balloon and preferably the material will undergo little or no change in dimensions upon introduction of distention force. The balloons are created by wrapping material layers into passes circumferentially about a longitudinal axis. An individual pass is comprised of one or more layers of material which are laid at similar angles in relation to the longitudinal axis of the balloon. A layer is considered to be one thickness of balloon material which may be wrapped, folded, laid or weaved over, around, beside or under another thickness. A longitudinal pass comprises a distinctive layer or series of layers of material which are wound to form a region or area distinct from surrounding or adjoining parts. For instance, a pass may comprise multiple layers of balloon material wrapped at a 90 degree angle relative to the longitudinal axis. This exemplary pass may then be flanked by layers of balloon material wrapped at dissimilar angles in relation to the longitudinal axis, thus defining the boundary of the 90 degree angle wrapped pass. It is important to note that a pass may span the entire length of the balloon or may in certain instances, such as non-distending regions, span only a partial length of the balloon. The balloon material layers in FIG. 1 comprise a composite film 3 which is then wrapped to form the balloon structure. The balloon material layers may comprise a laminate, elastomer, fluoropolymer, low modulus polymer, PEBA, a highly oriented fibrous reinforcing polymer such as PTFE or expanded PTFE (ePTFE), polyolefin, polyester, polyamide, nylon or any other suitable material or combination of materials. The balloon material layer may be wrapped in a manner to incorporate a wrapped or integrated seal into the balloon structure using a continuous strand of a single composite film or material for both the balloon material layer and the at least one integral non-distending region. Alternatively, the balloon material layer may be a different material from the non-distending region wrap material. Suitable non-distensible region wrap materials include fibers, metals, wires, bands, elastomers, or any other suitable non-distensible seal materials or combinations of materials.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the balloon material and the non-distending region wrap material are comprised of the same film. The film is a composite film comprised of a membrane 1 and a coating 2. The membrane may be made in accordance with the general teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,589 or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/334,243. In one preferred embodiment, an ePTFE membrane 1 is longitudinally expanded to a ratio of 80 to 1, and more preferably 55 to 1. The preferred membrane 1 is further transversely expanded to a ratio of 20 to 1 and more preferably 2.25 to 1, to produce a thin strong membrane. Isotropic films may also be employed to create a non-distensible seal. The mass and thickness of the membrane can vary depending upon the desired application. The membrane is coated with a sealing material to imbibe the matrix of the membrane and produce a composite film with an extended sealing material coating on one or both sides of the membrane to form an imbibed ePTFE membrane. In one preferred embodiment the membrane alone exhibits a mass of approximately 2.0 to 6.5 g/m2, preferably 2.7 to 4.5 g/m2 and a tensile strength may vary but is preferably of between 3.9 and 7.6 lbs./inch. In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to have increased tensile strengths exceeding 7.6 lbs./inch. Thickness of the membrane may also range, but is preferably between 2.5 to 10 micrometers.
As shown in FIG. 1 when an imbibed composite film 3 is used, it is desirable that the membrane comprises open spaces throughout the entire membrane, such as an ePTFE membrane, or other material comprising an open matrix. It is also preferable that the sealing material is an elastomer, polyurethane, polymer coating, styrenic block copolymer, adhesives or other suitable material. In one preferred embodiment, the sealing material is a polyurethane. The coated membrane produces a composite film with an amount of a sealing material forming a coating on at least one side of the membrane and the remainder of the sealing material imbibed throughout the membrane. The total polymer weight application may range, but in one preferred embodiment is between 40% to 60% of the total final composite film weight.
FIGS. 2-8 show a core wire 4 which may be coated with a release coating 5 (as shown) and then wrapped with a balloon material layer 6. As shown in FIG. 3, a composite film 3 is slit to a narrow width (i.e., 1-10 mm), and then wrapped around a balloon material layer a plurality of times to result in a non-distensible seal forming a non-distensible region 8. A cross-section of a non-distensible layer 7 is shown in FIG. 4. The core wire 4 is coated with a release coating 5 then wrapped with balloon material layer 6 and non-distensible layer 7. In one embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the non-distensible region 8 is formed by wrapping a discontinuous longitudinal region of balloon with a film a plurality of times at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis over-top of a distensible layer 6 of composite film 3 wrapped at a low angle of between 2 to 45 degrees and preferably of between 4 to 5 degrees from the longitudinal axis. The non-distensible layer 7 of composite film may be sized and/or wrapped to a desired width on the balloon to form the non-distensible regions 8. The non-distensible layer 7 of composite film may be comprised of different widths, thickness or types of film in various disired locations. The film making up the balloon and the film making up the non-distensible layer may be the same material. Shear strength is increased by the use of wider films as balloon material which provides more interfacing surface area. This increased shear strength allows the non-distensible seals to provide an increase in seal strength and consequentially increase balloon catheter pressure capability, as compared to traditional seals. To further increase the shear strength, the non-distensible layers 7 of the non-distensible regions 8 may be oriented between layers of balloon material as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively. The core wire 4 is wrapped with a balloon material layer 6 and non-distensible layer 7 and then repeated. The non-distensible layer(s) also provides homogenous distribution of pressure upon inflation of the balloon. In the event of a rupture, the non-distensible regions manifest a desirable diffused burst pressure and non-catastrophic seal failure. It is further desirable that the balloon and the non-distensible regions are comprised of compatible materials with the same or approximately the same tensile properties or adhesive compatible. The individual non-distending layers of the non-distending region may be askew, at opposing high angles of 45 to 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis, or may be aligned with each other.
If desired, the balloon material with non-distensible regions may be heated to set the angles of film at their wrapped state and fuse the multiple layers together. The above embodiment describes a continuous composite film wrapped at varying angles to form an inflatable balloon with both distensible and non-distensible regions.
Alternatively the non-distensible regions may be comprised of a second material that is not similar to the balloon material. The non-distensible layers which form the non-distensible regions, may be between balloon material layers or alternatively may be in contact with only one balloon material layer.
In another aspect, the catheter shaft may comprise grooves or ridges in either a vertical, horizontal or helical relation to the longitudinal axis. These ridges function to enhance the seal strength of the non-distensible seal by providing increased surface area on shaft for binding. The ridges also enhance the texture of the shaft to increase the surface friction required to initiate movement of the non-distensible areas upon inflation.
The core wire 4 may comprise a release coating 5 over the core wire and both may be removed from the composite balloon construction. As shown in FIG. 6, the shaped composite balloon 11 may be wrapped and then cut on the non-distensible regions 8. The non-distensible regions 8 may then be mounted on a catheter shaft 12 to produce an individual catheter balloon 9 of wrapped balloon shown in the inflated state, in FIG. 7.
The shaped catheter balloon 11 may be formed in the same manner as described above but fashioned so that multiple shaped catheter balloons are formed on a single wire, FIG. 8. The multiple shaped catheter balloons are separated from each other by a non-distensible region 8. The non-distensible regions between the individual balloons may further be cut to produce individual shaped catheter balloons 10 with non-distensible regions 8 at each end as depicted in FIG. 8.
The present invention provides balloon catheters with a non-distending region located between two or more balloon material layers or on the surface of a balloon material. The balloon catheter may have a plurality of non-distending regions present forming a plurality of non-distending layers.
The balloon catheter may further be fashioned to include a plurality of non-distending regions which impart a shape to the balloon material upon inflation. The non-distending regions may impart a form to the balloon that renders the balloon non-cylindrical. It is also possible to incorporate a non-distending region of varying widths and thicknesses. For instance, the non-distending region may be desired to be either wider or narrower than the final diameter of the balloon.
The non-distending regions are described herein as a film. However, the non-distending regions may be made of any suitable non-compliant material including but not limited to metal wire, monofilament fibers, and extruded tubes. In one desired application polytetrafluoroethylene is wrapped in layers so that an angle of between 45 and 90 degrees is achieved upon inflation, thus sealing the balloon. In a preferred embodiment, the non-distending regions comprise an elastomer imbibed polytetrafluoroethylene material suitable to seal the withstand inflation pressures without distending upon balloon inflation.
A continuous integrated seal on an inflatable balloon may be formed by using or providing a first balloon material pass which is configured to form a desired balloon shape. The balloon shape is then wrapped with a wrap pass around said first balloon material pass so that the angle of the wrap changes to wrap at least one pass at an angle sufficient to create a non-distending region over the first balloon material pass. A second balloon material is then wrapped around a non-distending region to increase the bonding surface area of a non-distending region; and form an integrated seal upon inflation. In this manner, it is believed that a non-distending region is located between two balloon materials to increase the bonding surface area and provide a gentle failure mode upon over pressurization of the balloon.
A method is provided for forming a discontinuous non-exposed integrated seal on an inflatable balloon. A balloon material is wrapped in at least two opposing angle passes to form a first wrap. Then at least one pass of a second wrap is wrapped around the first wrap at an angle sufficient to create a non-distending region over a balloon material layer. At least one pass of a third wrap of balloon material is wrapped around the non-distending region to increase the bonding surface area of the non-distending region, and forms an integrated non-distending region in an inflatable balloon. The non-distending region formed may be a seal region or a region which contours the inflated balloon.
A method of forming a discontinuous exposed integrated seal on an inflatable balloon is also provided. A balloon material is wrapped in at least two opposing angle passes to form a first wrap. Then at least one pass of a second wrap is wrapped around the first wrap at an angle sufficient to create a non-distending region over a first balloon material layer, thus forming an integrated seal region on an inflatable balloon.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, the present invention should not be limited to such illustrations and descriptions. It should be apparent that changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied as part of the present invention within the scope of the following claims. Wrapped balloons may be constructed with our without a bladder between the FEP coating 5 and the balloon material 6.
The ePTFE membrane used to make the composite film was made in accordance with the teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,589 to Bacino. Specifically, the ePTFE membrane was longitudinally expanded to a ratio of 55 to 1 and transversely expanded approximately 2.25 to 1, to produce a thin strong membrane with a mass of approximately 3.5 g/m2 and a thickness of approximately 6.5 micrometers.
The composite film was made by using a wire-wound rod coating process whereby a solution of Tecothane TT-1085A polyurethane (Thermedics, Inc, Woburn, Mass.) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) was coated onto an ePTFE membrane. A 3% to 8% by weight solution of Tecothane TT-1085A polyurethane in THF was coated onto the ePTFE membrane to produce a composite film with approximately equal amounts of Tecothane TT-1085A polyurethane as depicted in FIG. 1 on either side and throughout the ePTFE membrane and a total polymer weight application of approximately 40% to 60% of the total final composite film weight.
The composite film was slit to 5 mm wide and wrapped around a 30.5 cm long core wire (Putnam Plastics LLC, Dayville, Conn.) at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire. The core wire was a 0.2 mm diameter silver plated copper wire with a fluoroethylene-propylene (FEP) 5100 coating that resulted in a final wire diameter of with a 0.394 mm. The core wire was then wrapped with the composite film in the opposite direction at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire.
The first balloon material layer was then over-wrapped with a non-distensible layer of composite film slit to 10 mm wide to form the non-distensible regions. The 10 mm wide second wrap layer of composite film was wrapped around the first balloon material layer in two locations, approximately 50 mm apart. The 10 mm wide composite film was wrapped around the first balloon material five times at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis, or around the circumference of the balloon.
The 5 mm wide composite film was then wrapped around the core wire at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire. The core wire was then wrapped with the composite film in the opposite direction at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire. This process was repeated until four passes of low angle wrap were completed.
The 10 mm wide composite film was then again wrapped around the balloon material layer at a an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis five times in the same locations as previously wrapped, 50 mm apart.
Finally, the 5 mm wide composite film was again wrapped around the core wire at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire. The wire was then wrapped with the composite film in the opposite direction at a 4 to 5 degree angle from the longitudinal axis of the wire. This process was repeated until four passes of low angle wrap were completed. The wrapped wire was then heated for approximately 30 minutes at 180° C. in a convection oven.
The first balloon material layer was then over-wrapped with a non-distensible layer of composite film slit to 10 mm wide to form the non-distensible regions. The 10 mm wide second wrap layer of composite film was wrapped around the first balloon material layer in three locations, approximately 50 mm apart. The 10 mm wide composite film was wrapped around the first balloon material five times at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis, or around the circumference of the balloon.
The 10 mm wide composite film 3 was then again wrapped around the balloon material layer at a an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis five times in the same three locations as previous wrapped, 50 mm apart.
The core wire and the FEP coating over the core wire were removed from the composite balloon construction with non-distensible regions. Approximately a 2.54 cm long section of the composite balloon was removed from either end of a 30.5 cm long section of the balloon over core wire construction. The exposed ends of the core wire were clamped with hemostats and pulled by hand until the core wire had been stretched approximately 5 cm, at which point it was removed from the center of the tube. The FEP coating was removed in a similar fashion, but was stretched approximately 50 cm before it was removed from the balloon. The composite balloon was cut in the center of the outer 10 mm wide non-distensible regions to produce a 3 mm diameter shaped catheter balloon with 5 mm wide non-distensible regions at each end and a 10 mm wide non-distensible region in the center.
1. A catheter balloon comprising at least one balloon material and at least one integral non-distending region comprising a plurality of layers which wind around the balloon material and overlap to form an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees relative to each other upon inflation at an angle that reduces the compliance of said region.
2. The balloon of claim 1 wherein said non-distending region is located between two or more balloon material layers.
3. The balloon of claim 1 wherein said non-distending region is located on the surface of a balloon material.
4. The balloon of claim 1 wherein said plurality of non-distending layers form non-distending regions.
5. The balloon of claim 4 wherein said plurality of non-distending layers impart a shape to the balloon material upon inflation.
6. The balloon of claim 1 wherein the non-distending regions impart a form to the balloon that renders the balloon non-cylindrical.
7. The balloon of claim 1 wherein the length of the non-distending region is wider than the final diameter of the balloon.
8. The balloon of claim 1 wherein the length of the non-distending region is narrower than final diameter of balloon.
9. The balloon of claim 1 wherein the non-distending regions is polytetrafluoroethylene.
10. The balloon of claim 9 wherein the polytetrafluoroethylene is wrapped so that an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees is achieved upon inflation which reduces load on the seal of the inflated balloon when attached to a catheter.
11. The balloon of claim 1 wherein said non-distending regions are made from dissimilar material than the balloon.
12. The balloon of claim 1 wherein said non-distending regions are made from the same material as the balloon.
13. A balloon catheter comprising a catheter shaft and a catheter balloon comprising at least one balloon material and at least one non-distending region comprising a plurality of elastomer-imbibed polytetrafluoroethylene layers which wind around the balloon material and overlap to form an angle of between 0 and 90 degrees relative to each other upon inflation and retain pressure in the balloon.
e. forming an integrated non-distensible region upon inflation.
d. forming an integrated non-distensible region on an inflatable balloon.
d. forming an integrated non-distensible region in an inflatable balloon.
c. forming an integrated non-distensible region on an inflatable balloon.
18. The balloon of claim 1 wherein the catheter shaft comprises ridges in contact with the integral non-distending of the balloon.
20. A balloon of claim 1 where the non-distensible regions provide a diffused burst event with non-catastrophic seal failure.
NL1008178C2 (en) * 1998-02-02 1999-08-04 Cordis Europ A catheter and a method for manufacturing the same. | 2019-04-20T11:08:30Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080125711A1/en |
Although the idea of a mission to the Sun’s gravitational lens has been in Claudio Maccone’s thinking for a long time, it has never been linked with the financial resources of a concept study like Breakthrough Starshot. The Italian physicist led a conference on mission concepts in the early 1990s and submitted a proposal for an ESA mission in 1993. What’s striking to me is that throughout that time, Maccone has explored aspects of the mission he calls FOCAL that at one point seemed far too futuristic for our era. Could we, for example, do SETI with a FOCAL mission? Could we use it to enhance communications with an interstellar probe?
The answer to both is yes, but the problem was pushing a spacecraft out to 550 AU in the first place, a challenge involving flight times of many decades. Then the Breakthrough Starshot initiative emerged and suddenly Maccone found himself in Palo Alto talking about a well-funded study, one that looked to FOCAL to support interstellar probes both in terms of defining their target and enabling their data return. FOCAL was a bit less theoretical, and all those papers over the years now had ramifications in an ongoing mission design.
Image: The FOCAL mission as described by Claudio Maccone in his 2009 book Deep Space Flight and Communications (Springer).
Stanford’s Von Eshleman was probably the first to think about using the lensing properties of mass to do science at the lensing distance and beyond, though Frank Drake and others have pondered the possibilities of boosting reception at the hydrogen line (1420 MHz), the famous ‘waterhole’ for interstellar communications. But most readers will also be familiar with the astronomical studies that have been conducted using the lensing of distant objects. A galaxy located behind an intervening galaxy can reveal itself by the bending of its light, another way of saying that mass shapes spacetime — the light is still following the shortest possible route.
In a similar way, light from an object directly behind the Sun can be ‘bent’ by the Sun’s mass, converging at the gravitational focus some 550 AU out. This can lead to misconceptions, especially the idea that we have to get a spacecraft to a specific distance and then stop there to take advantage of the effect. Not so — there is no focal ‘point’ here but a focal line. As we move through and past 550 AU, we take advantage of the fact that the focal line extends to infinity. Coronal effects from the Sun are diminished as we continue to travel and we have the opportunity to make observations of the object on the other side of our star.
Image: Claudio Maccone in the hotel lobby the evening before the Breakthrough Discuss conference began. That’s Denise Herzing (Florida Atlantic University) on the left.
A working constellation of FOCAL spacecraft could be critical to the success of a fast flyby mission like Breakthrough Starshot. We want to know as much as possible about what is around Alpha Centauri before we send our first probes. An infrastructure that can push a small sail to 20 percent of lightspeed gets us to the gravitational lens within days. Each spacecraft it delivers can then makes continuous observations as it moves away from the Sun in the direction opposite the Alpha Centauri system.
I mentioned Von Eshleman above — he was the first to suggest using the gravitational lens for communications purposes in a 1979 paper, and as Slava Turyshev noted, this was where the practical application of General Relativity for space missions was truly born. But it has been Claudio Maccone who developed these ideas in a series of recent papers, noting that laser communications are deeply compromised at interstellar distances because of pointing accuracy problems and the need for power levels far beyond what we might expect from a StarChip.
Is the gravitational lens, then, what Maccone likes to call a ‘radio bridge’? Bit Error Rate (BER) charts the possibilities. It’s the number of erroneous bits received divided by the total number of bits transmitted. A probe in Alpha Centauri space trying to communicate with a NASA Deep Space Network antenna — using parameters Maccone developed for a mission payload much larger than Starshot — suffers a 50 percent probability of errors (see The Gravitational Lens and Communications). But a FOCAL probe exploiting the gravitational lens picks up the signal without error. In fact, we don’t start seeing errors until we’re fully nine light years out.
I don’t have Maccone’s slides from the Palo Alto presentation, but the figure below comes from one of his papers, and it illustrates the same point.
Image: The Bit Error Rate (BER) (upper, blue curve) tends immediately to the 50% value (BER = 0.5) even at moderate distances from the Sun (0 to 0.1 light years) for a 40 watt transmission from a DSN antenna that is a DIRECT transmission, i.e. without using the Sun’s Magnifying Lens. On the contrary (lower red curve) the BER keeps staying at zero value (perfect communications!) if the FOCAL space mission is made, so as the Sun’s magnifying action is made to work. Credit: Claudio Maccone.
The galaxy is a bonanza of stars that can be used as gravitational lenses. There may be civilizations that discovered that fact long ago. Perhaps we are the newcomers. The conclusion is that more advanced civilizations than we might have established sets of radio bridges between stars, a network of radio bridges, a ‘galactic internet.’ If this is true, then the conclusion is that as long as humanity is not capable of reaching the minimal focal distance of our own star, we will remain cut off from rest of galaxy in the sense of SETI.
The conclusion for StarShot: The first FOCAL spacecraft is sent out beyond 550 AU to the region in the sky precisely opposite to Alpha Centauri. This craft acts as our relay satellite, enabling communications between the Earth and any probe reaching our nearest neighbor. The second FOCAL mission is now sent to Alpha Centauri to create the radio bridge. All exploratory missions to come then have robust communications without the need for huge power resources aboard the spacecraft. The gravitational focus is thus our first target.
As Blakesley Burkhart (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) noted in a follow-up panel, a mission to the gravitational lens contradicts a lot of things astronomers have been taught since their earliest days; specifically, the first thing you learn to do with a telescope is not to point it toward the Sun. FOCAL demands that we do just that, but the rewards are immense, not just in terms of exoplanet imaging and telecommunications, but also in discoveries we can’t anticipate, perhaps involving the Cosmic Microwave Background, itself a wonderful FOCAL target because being isotropic, it removes the need for exquisitely precise targeting.
A Voyager-class spacecraft, said Cornell University’s Zac Manchester, would take 150 years to reach 550 AU, while the Innovative Interstellar Explorer concept, developed in 2003, would reach the gravitational focus in about fifty years, using multiple Jupiter flybys. StarShot’s goal is to move fast enough to reach the lensing area in just a couple of weeks. Manchester noted the need for multiple spacecraft to sample the huge lensed image pixel by pixel. Think in terms of a spacecraft ‘array’ more than one or two craft. Just how we do this in the StarShot framework is something that research teams will be studying for some time to come, given the gradual realization that if you want to do interstellar, you’d better look at FOCAL first.
We’ll also have to take into account Geoffrey Landis’ findings in a paper just now becoming available on the arXiv site. It’s “Mission to the Gravitational Focus of the Sun: A Critical Analysis” (preprint), which looks at problems at realizing the FOCAL concept and in particular at acquiring a workable image. Claudio Maccone’s paper on radio bridges is “Interstellar Radio Links Enhanced by Exploiting the Sun as a Gravitational Lens,” Acta Astronautica Vol. 68, Issues 1-2 (January-February 2011), pp. 76-84 (abstract).
I think that the FOCAL communication has to be in the optical (or IR), not in the radio. A “near lens” – i.e., a star you are using as a gravitational lens from near the point of the first focusing as a lens – will put the raypaths quite close to the star’s surface (if you are at the focal distance, the raypaths will skim that surface). We know a lot about the dispersion caused by coronal plasmas in near Sun raypaths; these are very destructive to signal coherence. This can be solved by going to the IR or visible light wavelengths, where there is no dispersion due to stellar plasmas. (This is why spacecraft don’t communicate with the DSN near superior conjunction, i..e, when raypaths go near the Sun.) The stellar light will be a problem in the visible, but that can be solved by going in the IR (where stars are not as bright) and / or by using lasers turned to a deep stellar absorption band.
Doubtless a daft question (apologies), but surely if there’s a focal line from 550 AU to infinity, it means we can already use any and every other star in the Universe for gravitational lensing?
We do this with astronomical observations even now, though using the far larger gravitational wells created by entire galaxies or even clusters. At the level of the average single star, the distance is great enough to make acquiring the highly attenuated data all but impossible even if we are on the focal line.
Cheers, Paul, and of course we’re used to gravitational lensing on a galactic scale, but this still sounds as if every star (and other body as I look forward to reading tomorrow!) is a lens and we’re always on the focal line pointing somewhere because they’re spherical objects, so in practice that line doesn’t go to infinity because the data is attenuated.
And of course it’s fascinating that we might have to consider relativistic effects for the probes we send there. And as has also been said, the Fermi paradox implications are massive.
Correct, every star is a gravitational lens, but the amplification decreases with the square root of distance, while the field of view decreases with distance squared. So if you’re looking at the lens of a far-away star, it gives you trivial magnification of a randomly-picked vanishingly small portion of the sky.
Thanks Paul, this is the article I was waiting for. This is totally awesome.
So, if I understand well, we are not talking (only) of FOCAL missions done with other technologies, but (also) of FOCAL missions done with Starshot technologies (StarChip, microsail, beamer). Correct? Is there a green light for a feasibility study?
Are possible solutions being discussed? Also, has anyone worked out how the gravitational lens reception and transmission work when the antenna is moving at relativistic speeds?
That’s a very good question, Giulio, and it’s probably one that we didn’t expect to find ourselves asking.
If I understand this correctly, all those papers about the optimal way for ETs to communicate using powerful transmitters might just be wrong, because tiny transmitters might suffice? It does presuppose that there are very many transmitters, each targeted at a star. Perhaps this is also the place to start looking for alien transceivers in our own solar system, although the volume of space to search is mind bogglingly huge. What better way to stay hidden?
I wonder… imagine if ET has already put a set of devices around Sol, as a node in a communications network, each device being along a line opposite Sol from a nearby star. To route a signal, they would have to transmit it onward between themselves, i.e. a signal arrives from Alpha Centauri with a note to relay it on to Wolf 359; the device that receives it would then transmit on to the corresponding device in position opposite Wolf 359, which would basically be a chord across a circle of radius 550au or more. If the devices were transmitting with regular microwave aerials, perhaps we might be able to pick up a sidelobe transmission? Just a thought.
Geoffrey Landis’ paper is a pretty serious challenge to the FOCAL concept.
My understanding (repeated re-reading required) is that while the sun’s gravitational focus may give a large amplification in light gathering, it does not (on rather fundamental grounds) translate into greater resolving ability.
What Landis calls focal blur has also been called the unfavorable point spread function (PSF) of a gravitational lens. It can be addressed by computational deconvolution when the brightness of the Einstein ring is resolved around its perimeter. Figure 9 in Landis’ paper shows this clearly, although he does not mention that this would be useful for deconvolution, strangely.
The brightness ratio between the Einstein Ring and the corona could be a bigger problem. Landis explains this, but, strangely, does not carry it through to actually saying whether it is or is not a problem. He says “We want the signal to be greater than the noise”, but then does not follow through and do the comparison for his concrete example.
The Fermi paradox is not “why don’t we hear them”. It is “why are they not here”. Yes, that’s right, read about it on Wikipedia. So, like so many other of the so-called solutions, this isn’t one.
In the Wikipedia article on Fermi’s Paradox you will note several solutions having to do with communication rather than transportation such as “Humans are not listening properly”; “Civilizations broadcast detectable radio signals only for a brief period of time”, and “Everyone is listening, no one is transmitting”.
So while ET may be somewhere (even right here!), we have not figured out how to sense them because, as many others have suggested, they may be using exotic means of communication which alleviates the need to travel. I think an Interstellar Network of Gravitationally Focused Communication rates as exotic. INGFoC – Lousy acronym!
I get the, uh, points that: (a) the gravitational focus is a focal line rather than a focal point and; (b) the FOCAL craft therefore doesn’t need to decelerate after reaching the focus in order to capture imaging or messaging from the target star.
Indeed, as today’s article points out, reception from the target star may get better as the craft goes further on out the focal line from 550 AU or so.
My question, though, concerns the fact that the FOCAL craft still is receding from us at quite a clip. My (hopefully approximately correct) back-of-the-envelope math reflects that it will take about three days (approximately 76.23684197039167 hours) at light speed for the telemetry from the FOCAL craft to reach us back here on Earth once it reaches 550 AU. If it gets to 550 AU in a couple of weeks, then every couple of weeks, it then will take another three days longer for the telemetry to reach us.
At what point does the distance to the FOCAL probe itself become an operational issue due to an increased error rate and/or overly long delays in receipt of telemetry?
I guess the simple solution would be to just send another FOCAL craft out — assuming that most of the cost of this approach is in the beamer infrastructure rather than in operationally sending the probes themselves.
However, as an alternative – if it indeed proved to be the case that the distance to a receding .20 c speed FOCAL craft ultimately presented a significant operational issue – one also perhaps just could send the FOCAL craft out at a slower speed.
There perhaps might be a sweet spot where the FOCAL mission reached a prime operational distance within a reasonable time but once there then was not traveling at such a speed that long distance communication with the probe itself became an issue unreasonably quickly.
If this concern is addressed in the underlying technical papers, my apologies. But as a layman, it is my initial question upon seeing that instead of centuries, decades, or even years, we now are actively contemplating getting to the gravitational focus in only a matter of days or weeks.
What a game changer. I had hoped that we would pursue a FOCAL mission in my lifetime, but the prospects had not been looking all that promising for it to actually come to pass. Now it looks like we may well be running multiple such missions toward multiple targets as a matter of course in the not too distant future.
are the kind of thing we will need to find out, and bear in mind that many issues are still in play — see the Geoff Landis paper I referred to at the end of today’s post for a look at how difficult it will be to resolve an image. If I can get Claudio’s comments on your questions, I will, though he’s traveling and hard to reach right now. But like Lou Friedman said, “we’re brainstorming.” The FOCAL concept is going to get a very hard look using Breakthrough’s research dollars. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be a showstopper for data return.
Even though image resolution may be an open issue, the drastic reduction in spacechip transmit requirements seems pretty solid. That being so, and bearing in mind that Starshot is a fly-through type mission with an acquisition time at target on order no more than an hour or so at 0.2 c, then we can arrange a FOCAL mission to arrive at the focal line at high speed. We will only be needing it for the short time that data is returning from Alpha Centauri. So it is no big deal that the FOCAL gravscope is receding so fast.
If we coat the one side of the sail with radioactive alpha emitters we could use the sail in a fission fagmentation configuration to accelerate or slow down, it could also act as a battery. Coating could be achieved by spraying an ionised radioactive material via a particle accelerator after photonic acceleration has been completed.
I would be careful about making such predictions. This concept has huge technical challenges, it might prove unfeasible yet. Remember that this 100 million is for research, not actual probes. I am interested in energy cost for lasers pushing this sail to 20% of light speed. Did anyone calculated how much ot would be?
I am much in favor of such mission, especially in view of FOCAL observations, but it is good to remain cold headed.
I would expect that the first FOCAL mission will be launched shortly after it becomes feasible to send it at a speed where it takes a few years to go there. Simply because it is unlikely that technology will develop from there to 0.2 c within just a few years. You did not think that the first operational beamer would right away provide the 0.2 c, did you?
If this is so, the probe receding along the line of focus will be much less of a problem.
As you and others say, sending and receiving data between Earth and the focal relay, while not as daunting as directly to AC, is still a huge problem. Solving it may require the focal relay to be much larger than the AC probe, and unable to be launched at 0.2 c ever.
It feels a bit like a second Renaissance. The implications are impressive.
I would love to know if there’s a way to synthesise data from the Einstein ring without going all the way out to the focal line. Can we do this within the inner solar system using accurate navigation, perhaps taking a cue from eLISA-style navigational accuracy?
Of course the data can be simulated, in-silico. The real thing, though, is only available out beyond 550 AU, and the first test mission will be quite risky.
The navigation precision that is required is on the order of meters, I think. Locating both the probe and the relay to the required precision on opposite sides of the sun would be very difficult. It would require a telescope with an aperture comparable to the solar lens. Perhaps a long baseline interferometer in solar orbit, or a sort of a solar system wide precision GPS with signals strong enough to reach out beyond 550 AU. Once the probe gets out of range of that GPS (and it will, or else we would not need the focal relay in the first place), the only way to keep communications going is to “autofocus”, i.e. monitor the link, detect sideways drift, and maneuver the relay to compensate before the signal becomes undetectable. If you lose communications at any time, it will be lost for good and you can write the probe off. Each probe would need its own relay, of course.
Stupid question. I assume that every massive body has such a gravitational lens. Even the Earth? I’m sure it isn’t as power as the Sun’s, but it would be closer. Has any work been done with it?
Not a stupid question at all, DJ. And the answer is yes — every massive body produces a lens like this. More on this tomorrow, when I’ll talk about ideas on using planet-sized objects to take advantage of gravitational lensing.
It exists, but it isn’t closer. It is further.
Thanks ever-so-much for the link and for finding the time to post it for us.
Sending Starchips to the Sun’s gravitational lens for Alpha or Proxima Centauri will likely require a beamer in the Northern Hemisphere (maybe Arizona). Using a beamer in the Atacama Desert (23-24 degrees South) to reach 60-62 degrees North would not be an option.
A Northern Hemisphere beamer could be a “test” installation for the full StarShot. This could be a 1/100th to 1/10th scale and still be viable for sending Starchips past 550AU in less than a year. Aiming for 0.02 c would give an intermediate goal an order of magnitude easier than 0.2 c and would be a great test of all the technologies.
We waited 9 1/2 years for New Horizon’s – waiting one year after launch for a focal mission looks pretty good.
Obviously construction of proper sail material is difficult to value at the current time, but how much energy would be required? This could be valued today already I believe.
It would cost 1/100th or 1/10th that of the southern beamer, and it is definitely needed if a focal relay were to be used for communication.
Once (or a more skeptical If) we learn to digitize consciousness and move it from biological brains to digital storage and back, the galactic communications network will become a galactic transportation network.
I’ve wondered about the assertion that the “line” projects from an endpoint, moving radially from the star to – where? Surely there’s some sort of curve that relates on one axis distance from the star and on the other resolution or magnification or something?
On the issue of achieving 550AU in a few weeks (I can hardly believe I typed those words!): how would the device actually stop? Or does it start to beam back data once at 550AU, and thence, out to some point, as I asked above?
The very notion of two 12 meter class antennas whispering across the abyss is simply startling.
Landis’ critique is well written, understandable even to a layperson, and should be part of any discussion of gravitational lens imaging discussions. Before reading the paper, I was also wondering about the imaging, and this paper clarifies and explains the issues nicely. Figure 2 is particularly relevant, IMO.
I think there is at least one way to overcome the blurriness issue which may overcome this problem, making the approach attractive for imaging. But as Landis’ asks, for the increased resolution, is the cost and difficulty worth it compared to other approaches?
What other approaches would that be?
I think the one most critical question is whether the weak light of a planet is drowned out by the coronal background at the distance of the Einstein Ring. Landis properly poses this question when he says “We want the signal to be greater than the noise”, but as far as I can tell he stops short of answering it.
It is not clear to me why, all the data seems to be there. Did I miss something? Perhaps an exercise left to the reader. I wish I had more time ….
If planets are not bright enough to observe, we will have to make do with the surfaces of stars and supermassive black holes, I am afraid.
It would be fine business to test this gravscope comms paradigm. Let’s imagine we wish to locate and test transceivers on opposite sides of old Sol, communicating via grav lensing at very low power. They are each going to have to be critically further out than 550 AU because of the proximity divergence. There might be enough info in the Landis paper to calculate this minimum focal distance, but I feel as if I haven’t had enough coffee; so perhaps someone has a ready answer at hand to save skull sweat?
Although a splendid proof of principle that SpaceChip comms may be done on a shoestring, there are other issues. We can’t place both transceivers from the same location of Earth’s orbit, and indeed we have to wait 6 months between launches to get them diametrically opposed.
This seems to be a key experiment to spot any potential problems and to establish a firm comms stepping stone for the StarShot mission.
Thank you Louis Friedman for the video. It highlights the painstakingly precise navigation required for any gravscope transceiver. A movement of a mere 10 metres across the image plane drops you 10 dB!! By any reckoning, 10 metre accuracy over almost 1,000 AU is – uh – demanding.
If the probe isn’t sent out on an exact Sol radius, it will begin to curl back in after a while, and long before its endpoint is reached. Thus it’s going to need active navigation. How much I do not presently know: are onboard lasers going to suffice? And how is a successful comms test communicated back from such a tiny device?
We must also take into consideration that the planets especially Jupiter cause the sun to wobble due to centre of mass effect which could make things even more complicated. We would need to cancel this effect out somehow or risk degradation of the image.
The Landis paper gives the equation for the beam angle after lensing. The actual value is given too, So using half that value, simple trigs will give you the new focal point on either side of the sun.
I think it is exactly a factor of two, isn’t it? I seem to remember that from studying geometrical optics. So in order to get two relays to be in each other’s focus, you need to send them out 1100 AU, each.
Could this be used as a corrective lens to reform the image I wonder by changing it around, looks like it can be done?
Since the beam produced by an axicon (or equivalent optical element) is a thin ring of effectively constant thickness relative to the ring’s overall diameter, a significant fraction of its total energy would pass by not just one, but both stars in a gravitational lens system. Of course, the spreading angle of the “hollow beam” is very small, and very high quality “optics” would be required at transmission. Unless you are very close to the focal point beyond the second lens of such a system, the beam energy is very diffuse. If azimuthal modulation is incorporated in the ring’s energy, interception of a fragment would hinder any attempt to recover and demodulate the complete signal as transmitted.
So what? Two months instead of two weeks for a Starshot nanoprobe, no big deal.
Is the summary complete and accurate? (I haven’t read the full Landis paper yet).
If each sail weights around 4 grams then 20 to 50 grams of alpha emitters should stop the the 0.2 c sail. That is a very small amount of material, which could be used to manuvour the sail and keep it on target as well. Using these sails could be just what is needed to send GW detectors along the focus line which for GW’s is all the way out. Could be used to probe neutron and black hole orbital dynamics to high precision. GW detectors can be made very small.
One figure of merit for a braking technology is specific force per unit mass of that tech (N/Kg), since, together with payload mass, this determines the deceleration obtained. We can have onboard lasers with force P/c that are simply turned on and off. The weight of their power supply, if used for no other purpose, must also be included. Then there’s this radioactive idea. I have no idea if they compare with an onboard laser. Certainly they continuously radiate isotropically by default, but can provide directed thrust when seated at the focus of a paraboloid. The weight of the paraboloid must also be included, and the mechanism to change to directed thrust mode surely also has some mass?
I suspect the laser wins this competition but do not know for sure.
You must have made a mistake, Michael. An alpha emitter could not even stop itself. Far from it. Not even if all of its atoms emitted their alpha particles into the same direction at the same time. The alpha particle itself only goes 5% of c, and the nucleus would be decelerated only a small fraction of that.
So, no. I don’t think so.
You are correct I got something wrong, using the rocket equation and with 100 % efficiency I should have got 220 grams of radioative material.
Taking the inefficiency of emission it would be more sizable than 220 g for a 4 g sail thats for sure, but it would be useful as a battery and as a transverse control engine.
Forgot to add, Polonium 210 has a short half life of around 140 days and so could have been used, there may be others more suitable.
Also forgot that the exhaust is not 5%c, it is only for the alpha particle so the fuel mass goes up even more. Looks like a big no go for stoppage, we may not be stopping probes any time soon. | 2019-04-25T04:09:27Z | https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2016/04/25/starshot-and-the-gravitational-lens/ |
As a father, full-time charter boat captain, lifelong fisherman, biologist and outdoors enthusiasts this is a topic that I truly hold near and dear to my heart. I have been kicking around the idea of writing this article for a number of years but have been putting it off in hopes that things would come around and start getting better…well I am finally to the conclusion that the state of our local fisheries have hit an all-time low and it is becoming more clear that things wont be getting better anytime soon. From talking to other guides and captains from my area and other areas I know that multiple fisheries up and down the East Coast of the United States have been declining for years and I really have to wonder why? Am I saying that there are no fish left? No, there are still lots of fish in the sea and we still have many really good days on the water. What I am concerned about is where our fisheries are today compared to where they were 5, 10 and 20 years ago and more importantly where they will be 5, 10 and 20 years from now. Please note that my point of view comes from a lifelong career as a full time fishing guide but my views are neutral and come only from the desire to see healthy fisheries. Moreover, because I currently guide out of the Beaufort and Hilton Head, SC area many of my examples will come from these local fisheries.
I can remember as a kid growing up in Daytona Beach, FL going out fishing with my dad off of the docks, piers, jetties and surf. We almost always caught good numbers of fish and quite frankly we had little clue as to what we were doing. Years later as a deckhand on offshore charter boats in the Florida Keys we always caught fish and lots of them but the Keys are a different animal. From the Keys I ended up on the lower coast of South Carolina and though I have spent quite a bit of time on the offshore waters I have now become rather content to stay on the inshore and backwaters. When I relocated up here 10 years ago the fishing was off the chain! We had one of the best inshore cobia fisheries on the East Coast plus it was quite common to have days catching 30+ reds, 50+ specks, flounder, tarpon, bull reds plus blues and mackerel until your arms hurt. Am I gonna say that everyday was an easy day or that we had huge days on every trip?…NO. But depending on the time of year and conditions many days were like that. This lasted for the first 5 years whereas over the past 5 years we have seen a steady decline to the point where days that were once considered a good day of fishing are now a great day of fishing. So what’s causing this decline and where do we go from here?
This topic should really be titled “over-killing” because that is the real root of the problem. Why do you think that there are still so many bonefish left in the world? Well if people could eat them I can guarantee you that this would not be the case. The bottom line is that saltwater fish are a public resource and people have absolutely no restraint. If a fish is even semi-edible or has a commercial value that fish will be hunted and killed until it’s populations are decimated. This fishing practice was semi-viable years ago when there were a lot less people out fishing and technology was not where it is today but in todays arena the fish don’t stand a chance. We saw this first hand with our inshore Cobia fishery. A fishery that was once one of the best on the East Coast we had 30-70 pound Cobia’s swimming into our inshore waters (some as far as 15+ miles inland) but due to over-harvesting this fishery has completely collapsed. Why? First off these fish came here in large numbers for about 2 months out of the year to spawn…those big 70 pounders were spawning females laden with eggs. Secondly, cobia are considered to be rather good table fare. Third, cobia fever! Just before cobia season thats all anyone talked about; SCDNR publicized the fishery, magazines publicized the fishery, guides (including myself) publicized the fishery, all of the local restaurants publicized the fishery and multiple kill tournaments were organized. Everyone locally and beyond went out and systematically killed off all of the breeding stock only to cut out the meat and throw the unfertilized eggs back into the drink. In my own defense and the defense of a hand full of other captains and anglers we did see the writing on the wall well before the fishery took a nose dive, we changed our ways and tried to get others to do the same but with a freight train like that there was no stopping it! Efforts are currently being made to bring the fishery back but it will likely take a very long time if it is even possible due to the loss of the genetic pool that once swam into our waters. Sadly enough, we are currently experiencing similar trends in many of our other fisheries and people refuse to even recognize that we are having problems.
Fishing is big business; from commercial fishing to charter fishing, bait and tackle sales, boat sales, tournaments, TV shows to tourism and state taxes fishing generates dollars. Hell, I have made a living for the past 15 years solely from taking people out on fishing trips. For the wheels to keep turning the sport of fishing needs to be publicized (think back to the cobia example). The sport needs to be popular for people to go out an buy that fancy new flats boat or to outfit it with 10 rod and reel combos plus lots of electronics and gadgets. In another effort to commercialize the sport fishing industry we have come up with all sorts of tournaments which bring in lots of spectators and big dollars. I have fished sailfish tournaments where over a half million dollars was on the line (there are even bigger tournaments than that) and that was just for the prize money; what about all of the other sales that went into that tournament such as fuel, tackle, hotel rooms, meals…the list could go on and on for just that one tournament. You name it and fishing both commercially and recreationally drives revenue and when you place a dollar sign on the back of some poor fish you better believe that people are going to exploit the resource. And with the popularity of fishing currently at an all time high coupled with the huge increase in new people getting into the sport (especially baby boomers retiring and looking to spend more time on the water) it makes it tough for any fishery to sustain the pressure.
By taking so many different people out fishing over the years I have gained a lot of insight into the mentality of fisherman. I have fished with just about every different type of person that you could imagine from wealthy to less than middle class, experienced to novice, sportsman to meat fisherman, young to old, men, woman, white, black, asian and everyone in between. I have worked on commercial boats, sport boats, private boats, fishing resorts, inshore and offshore boats…my point is that I have fished with a lot of different people from very diverse backgrounds. The one thing that at least 90 plus percent of all fisherman that I have fished with all share in common is bottom line GREED and this is one thing that is very difficult to change. At least 30% of the people that contact me to go fishing are looking to kill as many fish as they can on a given fishing trip and the only thing that would keep them from killing everything is State and Federal fishing catch limits (by the way I only allow my clients to take a few fish for dinner and then we practice catch and release). I have gotten to the point where I turn down quite a number of fishing charters just because I don’t want to deal with this kill mentality even though I know that they will surely call another guide who will gladly take them out to put fish in the box. What really bothers me is the fact that even beyond the charter boats there are so many more recreational anglers who head out with this same mentality and the killing goes on all but unchecked. Unfortunately, most people have no clue or don’t care about how badly we are treating our fisheries. I was in the bait shop few years back and an old timer was kicked back in a rocking chair and chimed in while I was talking with the shop owner. He said “I remember when we used to go out fishing for specks and we didn’t come back until we had us a duffel bag full of fish”…my blood was boiling at this point but after about a 20 seconds pause he looked up to the ceiling and said “well I sure don’t understand why we don’t see fishing like that any more” and at that moment it clicked with me that these people really just don’t get the fact that you really can overfish a fishery. Along the same lines I had a guy call me to set up a fishing charter and when I informed him that I primarily practice catch and release he stated that “I usually practice catch and release on my local lakes but if I come down to the coast I want to take as many fish as I can to put in the freezer”. I was left near speechless and needless to say I did refuse the business. Once again we have a public resource that is being exploited by a huge number of people and at some point we are going to hit the tipping point.
As I stated earlier I am unbiased and my main concern is and always has been to have healthy fisheries so for me it really doesn’t matter who is taking all of the fish; the bottom line is that the fish are disappearing. There has always been a long standing struggle between commercial and recreational fisherman and the animosity will surly continue for years to come. Yes I have worked on commercial boats so I do know that side of the business but I am for all intensive purposes a recreational fisherman. That being said, short of commercial drag shrimpers (due to their by-catch) and gill netters I will tell you that most commercial fisherman are not causing the problems within our fisheries. Commercial fishing is very difficult and labor intensive work, most commercial fisherman are ethical and follow the rules and commercial fisherman are heavily regulated on both the state and federal level. Moreover, most commercial fisherman are professionals and conduct their business in such a way that does not upset the natural balance. Yes there are bad commercial fisherman and all commercial fisherman are greedy but due to fact that they have to sell, thus report their catches and surely don’t want to lose their licenses they tend to stay on the right side of the law. Moreover, it always gets me that on one hand people vilify commercial fisherman and then that same evening go out to a nice restaurant for a fish dinner…go figure! If you look at recreational fisherman our fishing practices are also regulated via gear restrictions, size limits and bag limits but the numbers of fish being taken go generally unreported. Minor efforts are made to see what recreation anglers are harvesting through boat ramp surveys, charter fishing logs and phone census reports but nobody really has a clue about the number of fish that recreational anglers are really harvesting and where this has the biggest impact is within smaller localized fisheries. Moreover, because recreational anglers are not professional in what they do many of them do more damage than what could ever be reported. Some examples would include: the amount of fishing gear (hooks and line) that is discarded in the waterways, entangled cast nets that are left to keep killing, damage to the grasses and shell beds due to props. Beyond that most recreational anglers have no clue of how to handle fish that are to be released; I don’t allow my client to handle fish that are to be released simply because they do so much damage to the fish simply trying to get the hooks out that the fish will die anyhow. On the other hand, recreational fisherman are generally on the forefront of fish conservation and I do believe that many of us are willing to make changes if it will help improve the fisheries. The bottom line is this: we all have a hand in this and for our fisheries to come back it will require both commercial and recreational fisherman to make substantial changes.
Thirty years ago there was no such thing as a 10 inch screen on the top of a boat console that could tell you exactly where you were in real time. There was no magic machine that could look deep into the bottom and tell you exactly what the structure looked like and also if there were a bunch of fish down there. We didn’t have 40 foot center console boats that could run at 50 MPH in a 3-4 foot sea or skinny water flats boats with a 100 mile range that could float in 5 inches of water. We didn’t have $400 sunglasses or reels with super slick drags and hair like fishing line and we surely didn’t have the damn internet! The advances in fishing technology has exploded over the past few decades and it has allowed even novice fisherman the ability to have a good shot at being able to catch fish and for those of us who were already pretty good at catching fish without technology we can go out and wreak havoc. We can run further, go faster, stay out longer and find areas that only a few years ago were untouched. And then came the internet! It used to be that most fisherman kept their mouth shut about their favorite fishing holes and a secret spot was just that…a secret spot, but with the internet there is no such thing as secret spots anymore. With a multitude of online fishing websites, weather websites, articles, you tube videos, social media, daily fishing reports, online forums and chat rooms you can sit at your desk at work and know exactly when and where fish are being caught in real time. And once it hits the net you better believe that everybody with a fishing rod will be heading out as soon as they can to get into the action. It has gotten to the point that the fish really don’t have a chance, they get beat on day in and day out with very few places left to seek refuge.
Throughout this article I have placed most of the blame of our shrinking fisheries on us as fisherman but there have been a number of uncontrollable influences as well. For starters it has been pretty well proven that global warming is real though some politicians seem to think that it some sort of a huge hoax cooked up by scientists. I am outdoors most everyday and I really can’t tell you exactly how/why things have been changing or what impacts they have had on our fisheries but every year I do notice that we are trending towards more windy days, more violent storms and consistently higher water temperatures. As for the impacts of global warming the jury is still out in regards to how it is impacting many local fisheries but I would imagine that where we will begin the see the impacts first is in the upper extremes of North America, coral reef areas and also in highly migratory fish. As far as localized weather impacts that have recently hurt our fisheries the freeze of 2010 had the biggest impact. This freeze killed many fish such as snook in the South Florida region and also did a good number on our speckled trout and redfish populations here in South Carolina. I do give the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission a lot of credit for the way that they handled their fish kills however. Within weeks of the freeze they closed down the snook fishery and only recently opened it back up…that was a nice proactive move on their part! Another issue that doesn’t really come to mind for many people when looking at fisheries management is economical influences and it is likely because it is extremely complicated. A quick example would be increase in fuel prices that we saw a few years back. I am sure that this alone had a multitude of affects on our fisheries but one of the main things that it did was cause guys to downsize their big gas guzzling offshore boats (offshore fishing closures influenced this as well) and buy more economical inshore and backwater boats. These guys are still going out fishing, they are still going out harvesting as much as they possibly can so it basically put a lot more pressure on the near and inshore fisheries.
If there is a way to screw up a fishery the government will surely find a way to do it. I am almost convinced that they do it on purpose. Do we need government controls on our fisheries? Absolutely, without government controls people would go out and kill everything as quickly as possible but the government needs to do a much better job to protect our resources! We had a situation a few years back where NOAA closed down red snapper, bee liners and dramatically cut the sea bass limits in federal waters for the North Atlantic Fisheries Region. Believe me I am all for tighter restrictions when it comes to fishing but this decision was 100% political and had nothing to do with sound fisheries management practices. Moreover, of all of the fisheries that needed to be shut down these would have been last on the list as they were all very healthy at the time. In fact, we have gotten to the point now with red snapper that it is difficult to catch anything else because they have taken over! What really concerns me though is the trickle down effect that these policies made on other state fisheries. All of this took place at around the same time as the increase in gas prices which only compounded the fact that nobody was going to spend $4.00 per gallon to run out 40 miles just to release most of the fish. With so many guys switching from offshore to inshore fishing (and these are guys that know how to fish and generally go out to kill) with these new regulation we have seen dramatic decreases in the numbers of our inshore fish populations. As far as our state SCDNR fisheries managers; they have made absolutely no changes in bag or catch limits even though the fisheries are steadily declining and it doesn’t look as though there will be changes coming anytime soon. I guess that they are planning to allow the rest of our fisheries dwindle down to nothing just like the cobia before they decide to take action!
Is there poaching going on out there? Yes! This especially holds true for the recreational anglers because they are not required to report their catches as a commercial fisherman would when he takes his fish to market. Is their a black market for fish? Yes! Many local restaurants will buy fish from people who don’t have a commercial fishing license, this was hugely prevalent back in the days when we had lots of cobia which helped to deplete that fishery and it still goes on today. The problem with poaching is that it is so hard for the wildlife officers to catch a poacher unless they get the guys red handed with illegal fish in hand and a lot of these guys have secret compartments on their boats or make multiple runs in a single day and once those fish leave the boat it is nearly impossible track when or where they were caught. Moreover, these poor wildlife officers are stretched so thin. Between policing hunters, boaters and fisherman they only have time to check a small fraction of the boats out fishing. In the past 5 years I can count on one hand how many times I have been checked by a local wildlife officer and I do understand that they know that I am a charter boat captain who is on the up and up but this goes for everyone out here. Nobody gets checked and everybody knows it so we are basically left to follow the rules on the honor system…with at least 90% of all fisherman being greedy you know that a lot of illegal fish are making their way to some good old boys freezer.
Well I don’t think that we can rely on the good nature of our fellow anglers to all of the sudden decide to change their ways and do the right thing so our only option is to hope that the state government will make some meaningful changes before it is too late. In our case I don’t know that it will be possible because as far as I know the SCDNR does not have the power to make changes in fisheries limits…What? You got it, even if there were 2 redfish left in all of South Carolina our own Department of Natural Resources would not have the power to change the limits and protect those fish. For fisheries limits to be changed it needs to go through the state legislature and we all know how politics work. If however, we were able to make some meaningful changes these would be my suggestions and I know that a lot of people out there would go out of their minds because someone suggests that we actually make changes the don’t allow them the possibility to stuff their freezer full of filets. But if we don’t get on board and start making better policies there won’t be any fish to stuff in the freezer! In my opinion, fisheries management is very easy though fisheries managers seem to make it overly complicated. We have been fishing for and studying these fish for decades so we ample information to protect them. First off, during the months that fish are spawning shut the fishery down, other states have done this and it has paid big dividends. Next tighten the bag limits at least until the fisheries recover and then possibly look at loosening them up some. Wow that wasn’t so complicated was it. Below would be my personal suggestion for SC saltwater bag limits. Moreover, each fishery would be fully closed during its respective spawn except for redfish because all of the breeding class redfish are over the size limit anyhow.
Outside of these regulations other fisheries should be looked at as well but at this point these are the fisheries that are in the most trouble.
In conclusion, I know that this is a long article and I thank you for reading. I also know that this only scratches the surface as to the complexity of managing our resources for long term sustainability but I surely hope that we don’t lose the precious fisheries that we have left. One thing that has been proven time and time again is that you give fish a chance to rebound they generally do so rather quickly. A few examples would include the Northeastern striped bass fishery, the South Florida snook fishery and the entire east coast grouper fishery. When your kids come to you one day and ask you what happened to all of the fish do you really want to respond with “well I’m sorry kiddo but we ate em all”.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 1st, 2018 at 3:22 pm and is filed under Fish Conservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. | 2019-04-26T12:56:19Z | https://www.hiltonheadfishingadventures.com/fish-conservation/south-carolina-fish-conservation-full-version |
The objeet under serutiny in this artieie - a suspeeted symbiotie star with the prosaie name of He2-104 - looks far more like a erab than the Grab nebula. A quiek look at Figure 1 will eonvinee you that the name Southern Grab is most suitable and fully deserved! Our seareh for sueh objeets was started by seleetion of speeial eases in the adapted emission line ratio diagram used by Sehwarz (1988). Four possible pratoplanetary nebulae were found of whieh He2-104 is by far the most speetaeular example.
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With the Observing Programmes Committee's recommendations in hand, early December last year, all information was available to allocate and plan the observations for Period 43 (normal programmes) and Periods 43 and 44 (Key Programmes). The scenario of preparations and decisions has precisely followed the intentions outlined in my original article in the Messenger of March 1988 (No. 51). Here the community is briefly informed about the procedures, the proposals and the allocations. Investigators of Key Programme Proposals successful in this first round will themselves describe their research plans in brief Messenger articles, starting with three such contributions in this issue and to be continued. Later in this article there is an overview of Key Programme time committed and time expected to be available for subsequent rounds, with the 15th of October 1989 as the next deadline.
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For many years ESO has appointed young astronomers as Fellows to work one to two years at Headquarters or on La Silla. The HO Fellows spend the greater part of their eftorts on personal research, the Fellows on La Silla split their time roughly 50/50 between their research and support astronomy duties. The ESO Fellowship programme has successfully contributed to the development of young scientists from member states into mature research astronomers. It has also promoted the interaction among investigators from many piaces and traditions, interactions that continue long after the collaborators have left their ESO posts. This postdoctoral Fellowship programme continues undiminished.
The Users Committee meets as a rule once a year, in May. Besides the national representatives, the meeting is attended by the Director General and by the Heads of La Silla, of the Image Processlng and Measuring Machines and of the Visiting Astronomers Office. Other members of the ESO staff may attend, especlally If they are directly involved in some item in the agenda.
ESO's early history, 1953 - 1975. II. Searching for a site in South Africa.
Over a time span of more than seven years, with several interruptions from late 1955 to the middle of 1963, young European astronomers and their assistants have been engaged in the search for a site in South Africa. By the end of that time, it became clear that the observatory would not be built on this continent; the South American Andes Mountains offered superior observing conditions.
Head of Administration at ESO Headquarters.
of the EC, see the previous article.
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In the description of ESO's earliest history we encountered first of all the astronomers and their immediate collaborators. But their work would not have been possible without strong administrative support in Europe and the logistic services and hospitality of South African institutes.
Wind turbulence in the dome of the 3.6-m telescope.
It is a common experience that telescope tracking may be affected by strang winds, as in some cases the air flow and its associated turbulence penetrate the dome with an amplitude sufficient to perturbate the smooth operation of the telescope. Reports of this phenomenon are, however, only qualitative as no measured data were available (to the authors' knowledge) on quantities such as mean flow penetration, turbulence intensity and vortex scale in a dome with an open slit. Only some recent wind tunnel tests have addressed this question, although the reIiability of the results may be somewhat questioned because of the scale similarity problems of wind tunnel simulations with raund buildings.
IRC +10216: a peanut nebula!
Le Bertre, T.; Magain, P.; Remy, M.
Carbon stars with low effective temperature (2,000-3,000 K) are thought to be long-period variables evolving on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). These objects are burning alternately hydrogen and helium in different shells around a degenerate core of carbon and oxygen . Material processed during the helium burning phase is dredged-up by convection to the surface and enriches it in carbon relative to oxygen.
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The Messenger is ESO's house-journal and serves as a link between ESO and the user community. It brings information about scientific and technical developments at ESO and also about administrative measures. At the same time it aims at providing interesting news about astronomy and astrophysics to a broader public, ineluding policy makers, science teachers, amateur astronomers, inside and outside the ESO member countries. At the present time, the Messenger is distributed free of charge to about 4,000 addresses (airmail to overseas destinations).
625. (1) C. N Tadhunter, RA E. Fosbury, S. di Serego Alighieri: Beamed lonizing Radiation in Radio Galaxies. (2) R Morganti et al.: What Are the Emission Line Filaments Along the Radio Axis of Centaurus A? Papers presented at the Como Workshop on BL Lac Objects: 10 Years After (September 1988).
The domes and related structures on La Silla are prominent features of the Atacama landscape as seen for many kilometres, and would be for many more were it not for the intervening Andean foothills. Under proper conditions, they may be seen (with the unaided eye) for even greater distances. Possibly the most distant normally occupied vantage point (barring a SPOT image) is from the Inter-American Observatory on Gerro Tololo, about 103 km south-southwest of La Silla. For month-Iong periods twice a year (when the sun's declination is about -10°) the domes at ESO are prominent shortly before sunset, as shown in tlle photograph taken in midOctober of 1988. Five structures are prominent with another two visible on the original print. Part of La Silla is hidden behind a foreground mountain, identified in t11e Mapa Fisico de Chile as Gerro EI Pozo (east of Almirante Latorre); its presence accounts for the greater difficulty of locating Gerro Tololo from La Silla, even using binoculars.
Signposts of low mass star formation in molecular clouds.
Regions of massive star formation are easily recognizable because of the presence of bright, often very extended H11 regions. The more quiescent places where only low mass star formation takes place are not so immediately obvious to identify. Most of the low mass star forming regions known today were found in the 1950's, mainly through objective prism surveys for Ha emission stars done by Joy, Herbig, Haro and others. Their results are summarized and supplemented by later findings in a new catalogue by Herbig and Bell (1988), which Iists 742 mainly low mass pre-main-sequence stars. Another recent and rich source of low mass young stars is the IRAS catalogue. IRAS data towards clouds, however, often suffer from source confusion and, in particular, extraction problems because of background emission.
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Observation of the 12CO (J = 1→0) line in NGC 613 with the SEST.
The availability of the Swedish-ESO SUbmillimeter Telescope (SEST) on La Silla opened the possibility of extending the radio observation of molecular lines to the very southern galaxies. In particular the observation of the CO lines in the nearest galaxies will permit not only to increase the sampling for statistical purposes but also to study in more detail the distribution and kinematical properties of the molecular clouds in relation to other components of the galaxies. The HPBW of the SEST, at the frequency of 115 GHz of the 12CO (J = 1 -> 0) line, is 43" which means that galaxies with diameters between 5.5 and 10 minutes of arc are weil suited for mapping since they do not require a prohibitive amount of time and the arms can be resolved if the inclination angle is adequate.
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High resolution Hα spectroscopy of Nova Centauri 1986. Tracing a transient in the spectral evolution.
We present here some preliminary results and considerations regarding high resolution spectroscopy of Nova Centauri 1986. This object was discovered on November 22.7 UT as a 5.6 V magnitude star (1), and observed by us in Ha two months later, when it was of about 10 magnitude. A considerable change in the Ha line profile, basically consisting in the disappearance of the original f1attop profile substituted by a more regular multicomponent profile, is clearly visible in our set of spectra, obtained monitoring the nova for nearly a week. A fitting of the line profile by means of three gaussian components shows a narrowing of the components and a rapid fading of one of them as a function of time. This behaviour can be interpreted in terms of blobs which have been formed in a non-spherical explosion and that were evaporating at the time of the observations.
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Mathys, G.; Maitzen, H. M.; North, P.; Hensberge, H.; Weiss, W. W.; Ansari, S.; Catalano, F. A.; Didelon, P.; Faraggiana, R.; Fuhrmann, K.; Gerbaldi, M.; Renson, P.; Schneider, H.
A fraction of the Band A type stars have chemical peculiarities (CP). 4 subgroups are recognized: CP 1 or Am, CP2 or magnetic Ap (with enhanced Sr, Cr, Eu, Si lines), CP3 (ar non-magnetic Ap, with Hg Mn enhanced) and CP4 (B type stars with He peculiarities, a fraction of them appear to be a hot extension of CP 2).
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AK Scorpii: a new pre-main-sequence spectroscopic binary.
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In the gaseous disk of our Galaxy as well as in other galaxies, HI structures (shells, bubbles, holes, etc.) on scales of 0.1-1 kpc are recognized to be common features; see e.g. the comprehensive review by Tenorio-Tagle and Bodenheimer (1988). The larger ones are usually named with the prefix "super". The estimated energies which are required to produee sueh large objeets are high - up to some 1054 erg. These energetic events must exert a significant influenee upon the gaseous galactic disk and eorona.
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Searching for light echoes from circumstellar dust shells around SN 1987A.
The Space Telescope Science Institute coronograph (described in the Messenger, 47, p.43) mounted on the 2.2-m telescope at La Silla was used by myself and my colleague Chris Burrows to look for light echos in the immediate vicinity of the SN 1987A in the LMC. This technique allows us to probe circumstellar regions from about 2 to 20 arcseconds in the vicinity of very bright objects such as the SN 1987A for faint features otherwise completely lost in their glare.
The Geneva photometric monitoring of SN 1987A.
Burki, G.; Cramer, N.; Burnet, M.; Rufener, F.; Pernier, B.; Richard, C.
A systematie photometrie monitoring of SN 1987A has been earried out from the Swiss station at the ESO La Silla Observatory (Chile), by using a 70-em teleseope equipped with the P7 photometer (Burnet and Rufener, 1979), devoted to the Geneva 7-eolour photometric system. The supernova has been measured 463 t;mes fram Feb. 24, 1987, to Jan. 17, 1989 (see Burki et al., 1989).
Pernier, B., Richard, C.: 1989, Astron. Astrophys.
Burnet, M., Rufener, F.: 1979, Astron. Astrophys.
Squeezing the most from the CES.
In the Messenger No. 51 (p. 12-15), an attempt to use the GES for radioactive chronometry of the Galaxy was described. Two instrumental aspects of the observations were noted as being not yet under adequate control: (i) The determination in detail of the instrumental profile, the wings of which cannot be determined weil, except at laser line wavelengths, and the shape of which is found to depend on the often variable focus across the array detector format, and at least sometimes on the signal level in the detector used. (ii) The markedly asymmetrical distribution of the noise from the Reticon detector (caused by energetic particle detections) for low flux levels and integrations of an hour and longer. Treatment of the data in an optimum way is problematical due to these effects, and although the CES remains one of the world's best instruments of its type, study of such deficiencies can be expected to improve its Performance significantly.
Is there a pulsar in supernova 1987A ?
A recent announcement of the discovery of a pulsar in Supernova 1987 A in the Large Magellanic Gloud has excited the world-wide astronomical community. New observations at the La Silla Observatory by a group of European astronomers1 from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics and the European Southern Observatory, however, do not confirm the reality of this object. More observations are now needed to settle this important question.
What is the mass-to-light ratio of the old Magellanic globular cluster NGC 1835?
Meylan, G.; Dubath, P.; Mayor, M.; Magain, P.
We astronomers are lucky: our Galaxy as two companion galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, situated weil above the galactic plane, which Contain a huge potential of astrophysical information. For example, concern: ng star clusters, the realm of the globuar clusters is much richer and more Varied in the Magellanic Clouds than in the Galaxy: rich clusters of all ages are observed, from the youngest, having ages of a few tens 10^6 yr to the oldest 1haV'lng ages of the order"or larger than 10 10^9 yr. In this paper, only old Magellanic and galactic globular clusters are considered.
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High-tech telescope on top of Mount Wendelstein.
A prominent feature of the silhouette of the Alps, tl1e Wendelstein Mountain, can be seen from Garching on clear days. Extremely transparent skies sometimes even allow one to recognize On top of that mountain the domes of lhe Observatory of the University of Munich (USM). Only 75 km away, after One hour's ride, this site can easily be reached via cable car or by means of a famous 75-year-old cog railroad. Final access to the very top is achieved by an elevator climbing up 114 m within the mountain.
Spatial resolution imaging of the radio source 3C 255.
The optical identifications of the 3CR sources are now nearly complete (Spinrad et al. 1988), and only 7 are lacking redshifts. The radio source 3C 255 is one of these remaining sources, and the deep image presented here was taken to search for a possible underlying distant cluster. Three CCO exposures in V and R were taken with the 2.2-m ESO-MPI telescope on La Silla under moderately good seeing conditions (1.2 to 1.5 arcsec). Adding these images gives a total exposure time of 2 h. The visible counterpart of the radio source is the central object of the frame. There are three other objects, W, E, and S, located at about 7 arcsec from it.
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The spectacular binary system PG 1550+131.
PG 1550+ 131 was known as a faint, very blue object (V = 16.8, U-B =-1.2) in the constellation Ophiuchus. Its optical Spectrum showed the Balmer lines and the Balmer jump in emission. Scarce Photometric data indicated large amPlitude variations. So it seemed to be a relatively uninteresting member of the cataclysmic variables, not deserving further detailed observational attention. Nevertheless, it was included in a programme to search for eclipsing, faint Cataclysmic variables and aiming at the determination of primary masses in such systems. The observations were performed using the CCD camera at the Oanish 1.5-m telescope at La Silla. PG 1550+ 131 turned then out to be the most spectacular eclipsing system found during this survey.
Report on the last observing run of multiobject spectroscopy. OPTOPUS is alive and kicking.
Avila, G.; D'Odorico, S.; Tarenghi, M.; Guzzo, L.
The ESO fibre facility for multiobject spectroscopy at the Cassegrain focus of the 3.6-m telescope, OPTOPUS, has been operating since March 1985. A complete description of the system is given in the ESO Operating Manual No. 6. It is possible to observe with OPTOPUS a maximum of 52 objects distributed over a field of 33'. Special aperture plates are prepared in advance of the observations in the ESO workshop from accurate alpha and delta coordinates of the selected objects. These plates are eventually mounted at the telescope and the fibres are manually inserted in the apertures; at the other end they form the entrance slit of a CCD spectrograph. In the last four years OPTOPUS has been used in 33 nights for 14 different programmes. It has always operated with high reliability, collecting some 6,000 spectra. The limiting magnitudes at a resolving power of about 500 in the visual are about 18.5 for galaxies and 20 for quasars in a two-hour exposure. While these limits allow useful work for a large number of programmes, there are two aspects of the present system which must be considered as unsatisfactory: the poor blue-UV transmission of the fibres and the reduced efficiency of a number of them, mainly due to imperfect centring of the microienses at their input ends. As the interest in using the facility is actually increasing (see e.g., DAEC Workshop, 1988), ESO started a programme to improve the weak points while keeping the basic conceptunchanged.
Avila, G. and D'Odorico, S.: 1988, Proceed"
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Optics and grisms of EFOSC2.
In the Messenger No. 52 the construction of a second EFOSC for the 2.2-m telescope was announced. Mechanically, EFOSC2 is virtually a copy of EFOSC but comparison of the optical data (see Table 1) shows considerable differences which for some programmes will make EFOSC2 the preferred instrument, even if it is mounted on a smaller telescope.
Now that system developments in the portable version of MIDAS have stabilized, activities in the area of applications have resumed. The echelle package is being upgraded to minimize the number of parameters controlling the reduction sequence, and to correct some known deficiencies of the current version. The new package will also be optimized to process data from other instruments like EFOSC and Echelec.
Ethernet is a cable used with associated software packages for connecting computer equipment throughout a building. It has the advantage that equipment can be connected along its length at almost any point. Due to the high data transmission speeds involved, ethernet is most suitable for computer-to-computer communications although terminals can be connected onto it if necessary. | 2019-04-23T08:43:50Z | http://www.hq.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/toc.html?v=55&m=Mar&y=89 |
It’s PIGGY YEAR… and the ANG BAO looks great!!!
It’s that time of the year again where we gather all our influence and put in a lot of hard work to collect red packets, aka ANG BAOS or Lai See or 红包 🧧, from Singapore and around Asia. The Ang Baos featured are all produced by brands to be given out as souvenirs or redemption items to their customers. Some may be harder to get as they are given out as corporate gifts to partners.
With over hundred designs this year, we bring you the most authoritative Ang Bao design feature over the past few years. So if you are an Ang Bao collector, we hope this you help you with your collection.
We are also giving away ONE ANG BAO HUAT HUAT BAGS (filled with random Ang Baos from the 2019 collection featured in this article) to THREE lucky readers. Look out for details of how to participate here.
There are still many red packets that we are consolidating from brands. We will be updating them into this post as quickly as we can.
Instead of just giving out red packets, more brands are giving out pouches and bags that you can even reuse after Chinese New Year.
Spend a minimum of S$60 (or S$80 at supermarkets) at the Public Area of Changi Airport anytime before 19 February 2019 to redeem an exclusive Chinese New Year red packet organiser at $5 or $8. There are three designs to choose from.
The limited edition “Prosperous HAPPIG” red packets from Harbour City, Hong Kong’s largest shopping mall, comes with a trendy knot bag. We always look forward to receiving this from our friends at Harbour City every year, because their designs are always out-of-the-world. With same-day spending of HK$1,500 and above, you can get ONE red packet set by donating HK$50 to the Hong Kong Cancer Foundation or donate HK$150 to get ONE red packet with knot bag set. Redemption starts from now till 4 February 2019.
Food Republic has teamed up with special need artisans from PersonalisedLove.com to design a classic, oriental fabric ang pow pouch. This initiative supports the youth beneficiaries from Personalisedlove by empowering them to be contributing members of society and to realise their full potential.
To get the Food Republic CNY Ang Bao holder, simply spend a minimum of S$10 on food and purchase any 2 cans of Pokka drinks to redeem a free Chinese New Year Ang Pow Holder.
This year’s red packet design from UOB is themed reunion. There are three designs. Harmony that reunites with your circle of family and friends. Joy to ring in good fortune with joyous gatherings and Prosperity to revel in rounds of abundant wealth and success. UOB has picked a landscape format so that it is easier to insert notes. And if you measured these pretty red packets, they are 168 mm x 88 mm. Rather auspicious. Circles are cleverly used to form this year’s zodiac animal and environmentally-friendly paper is used.
Every year we looked forward to how the various brand’s creative teams will playfully design the red packets based on the year’s zodiac animal. And for the year of the Pig, we are seeing more designs that are trying to make the animal less obvious. Maybe because it’s not the most hardworking animal in the zodiac.
Brand and PR agency [email protected] was inspired by the traditional Peranakan culture to design this year’s red packets for global investment manager, Schroders. This is one of the red packets we look forward to every year, because of the beautiful design.
The Ang Pow holder resembles a traditional kebaya featuring bright, vivid and festive prints that bloom across the surface, signifying springtime. The red packet within opens up to reveal an intricate layer of floral prints. The final look is then completed with a stylised kerosang.
This year’s fun and creative digital element encourages participation among young and old with a digital colouring game. Colour and design your own piglet art for a chance to win 999 Pure Gold Peppa Pig coins before 15 February 2019. You can also save it and send to your friends and family as a personalised CNY greeting.
HomeAway invites travellers to book their dream family holiday before 28 February 2019 11.59pm to get an S$88 activity hong bao voucher to spend on Expedia’s activities.
HomeAway conducted a survey of 1,000 Singaporean travellers and discovered that 3 in 4 Singaporean families said that they saw overseas vacations as a chance to spend quality bonding time together. Amongst the regular holiday home users, 77% felt that staying in holiday homes help families to bond on their holiday. 75% of respondents will opt to book a holiday home over a regular hotel as these properties were able to accommodate the whole family under one roof, with 74% indicating they enjoyed the conveniences of being a home away from home citing amenities as kitchen, laundry and outdoor space.
Spend a minimum of S$88 at AMK Hub or S$168 at FairPrice Xtra to get a special set of AMK Hub Prosperity Packs before 4 February 2019. At Jurong Point, spend S$88 or S$132 at NTUC FairPrice, Fairprice Xtra and its subtenants to redeem to a set of Prosperity Fortune Bag. That comes with a set of 6 red packets and orange carrier.
To celebrate the rich culture of Straits born Chinese, here are some designs that we think are more Peranakan~ish in design and in colours. And these designs will be unique for this part of Asia.
Amazon is offering free Prime Now ‘Waves of Prosperity’ Ang Pow for every Singapore order to herald the year of the earth boar.
Some of these red packets are either designed as a set of matching merchandise or exquisitely designed or special artworks by artists that we think will add some meaning or stories to your collection.
Tiger Beer is ready to celebrate the year of the pig. You can get a free Tiger Mahjong Set worth S$88 when you purchase S$328 worth of Tiger products before 31 January on FairPrice On. The Mahjong Set comes complete with animals and flowers as well as chips in a red wooden carry-on container so that you can gather your friends and family for a round of mahjong during the lunar new year celebrations.
Or you can purchase 30 cans of Tiger Beer from HonestBee at S$49.90 and get a tote bag, poker cards and red packets for free.
Find out how else you can entertain at home during the Chinese New Year festivities.
Hong Kong Airlines has collaborated with four local artists this year to work on four beautiful red packets that represents Hong Kong – a homegrown toy designer, a father-and-son signboard maker duo, an edgy tattoo artist and a local colourful illustrator. These designs truly represent #WhereHKBegins.
Park Hyatt Beijing celebrates its tenth anniversary with this year’s charity red packets featuring four iconic art pieces in the hotel including “Memories of Jiang’nan” on the refurbished level 63 hotel lobby. For CNY80, you can help drive donation for Renyuyuan Learning House, Park Hyatt Beijing’s long time charity partner. All sales proceeds go towards the education and training of disabled orphans within the area, as well as those with difficult situations or special needs.
Here are some red packets where you can find traces of Singapore in them. Best to give it to friends from overseas so that they have a souvenir to remember the moments celebrating Chinese New Year while in Singapore.
Jetstar has created the Couple-ator, a fun tool designed to recommend couples the perfect destination for the next getaway and put love back in the air. You have until 28 February 2019 to stand a chance to win a pair of free return flights and two nights’ accommodation to your Couple-ator destination. Take a quick quiz at https://love2fly.jetstar.com/ and share your destination on Facebook. Tag @Jetstar Asia and #JetstarLove2Fly. You need to convince Jetstar why you two deserve the ultimate bae-cation.
Old Chang Kee launches a Hainanese Chicken Rice’O as it debuts the Old Chang Kee Heritage Puff Series. Available till 28 February 2019, enjoy chunks of steamed boneless chicken with coriander leaves, garlic and shallots and a dash of Old Chang Kee Hainanese Chilli sauce and dark soy sauce.
Pick up a jar of Curry cookie or the Nasi Lemak cookie at S$16.80 each from Old Chang Kee and Curry Times.
Entertain your guests with homemade chilli sauces priced at S$5.80 such as Hainanese Chilli, Nasi Lemak Chilli and Homemade Sweet Chilli and Curry, Laksa or Chilli Crab pastes created in collaboration with Miss Tam Chiak.
For Chinese New Year, it’s usually the kids that are excited to receive red packets from the adults. So cute ang baos are essential to gather some attention from the kids and like minded adults too.
Goldheart has produced an exclusive set of Sanrio Character red packets this year. They are available as a gift with purchase for every S$500 spent up to a maximum of four packets per customer. The set consists of eight different designs and is available till 28 February 2019.
Hock Wong debuts its bak kwa with a series of absolutely cute packaging featuring cut-out caricatures of mythological Chinese Gods of luck, blessing, fortune, longevity, happiness and fortune. Impress your mother-in-law and parents.
Available online at www.hockwong.com.sg or eight pop-ups around Singapore.
Purchase the five-in-one collection gift set with Minced Pork Bak Kwa and get a limited edition set of red packets with matching designs for each mythical Chinese God. Too adorable.
DBS pilots world’s first loadable QR red packets. The DBS QR Ang Bao allows DBS PayLah! users to preserve the traditional act of giving and receiving physical red packets while eliminating the use of cash. Load your desired cash values of up to S$99 onto unique QR codes and gift it to your family and friends. They can scan the QR code with their own DBS PayLah! app to receive the loaded amount. Every Ang Bao comes with a unique QR code and serial number for added security. You can easily cancel a particular DBS QR Ang Bao’s loaded funds via the DBS PayLah! app in the even that it gets lost or stolen. These DBS QR Ang Baos are valid for use from 25 January 2019 to 15 March 2019. Funds not redeemed by 15 March 2019 will be refunded to the givers.
Limited quantities of DBS QR Ang Baos have been distributed since 25 January 2019 at 95 DBS/POSB branches or POSB Pop-Up ATMs islandwide.
Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre has commissioned local illustrator Lee Kow Fong who is popularly known as Ah Guo to design this year’s limited edition red packets. The artwork features Lee’s signature animals including the hedgehog, penguin and rabbit, new year flowers, mandarin oranges. Lee has also illustrated tiles with traditional Peranakan floor tiles for a more local flavour.
Ah Guo worked with Singapore Composer and Pianist Peng Chi Sheng to compose The Lo Hei Song. Peng sang the song with Tay Sia Yuen and Aaron Matthew Lim for SCCC’s first “Singing Red Packet”. This initiative pays tribute to the Singapore Chinese culture of the popular new year dish yusheng. The son is modern yet retains the feel and spirit of the Chinese New Year. Listen carefully and you may pick out the sounds of Chinese instruments such as the erhu and tiqi. Backup harmony in chromatic scales gives the song more upbeat and fun.
Visit SCCC’s Facebook Page to listen to the catchy song. Ah Guo’s colourful illustrations are on display till 7 February 2019 from 10am to 8pm at his “So Much Fun” special exhibition at the SCCC Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Gallery on level 2 of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Do note that the exhibition will be closed on 5 and 6 February 2019.
To make your red packets to stand out from the crowd, here are some designs that are fun to play with like ORIGAMI, or comes with a quirky quote that might leave a smirk on the receiver’s face, or just a design that is not like your regular ang baos.
Thye Moh Chan is giving away complimentary red packets when you spend a minimum S$38.Treat your guests to a light, moist and yet fluffy Gui Yuan Cake from Thye Moh Chan. The S$12.80 cake is made with dried longan, walnut bits with hints of dark rum and is a great way to defeat those filling and yet heaty Chinese New Year treats.
Treat your guests to a light, moist and yet fluffy Gui Yuan Cake from Thye Moh Chan. The S$12.80 cake is made with dried longan, walnut bits with hints of dark rum and is a great way to defeat those filling and yet heaty Chinese New Year treats.
The Bak Kwa Tau Sar Pia contains dried barbecue pork (bak kwa) and tau sar filling in crisp golden-brown layers of pastry. Priced at S$2.50 a piece or S$13.80 for a box of six.
My favourite will be the new Golden Yam Mochi, a Teochew favourite. A black sugar mochi in yam filling is encapsulate in a fluffy buttery pastry. Surprisingly this isn’t too sweet. A piece costs S$3 or a box of four at S$12.
McDonald’s Singapore is offering customers a set of red packets featuring four different designs with every purchase of the Prosperity Feast in stores or via McDelivery and GrabFood while stocks last. Purchasing the Prosperity Feast in store and via McDelivery by 27 February 2019 will also give you a chance to win one of three pairs of Prosperity Nestle Gold Wafer Bars worth S$868.
Pick up a trolley bag containing two 24-can packs of Carlsberg Green Label from your nearest supermarket. Easier to push around than lug around such weight. Carlsberg Smooth Draught is now available with two free cans for every 10-can pack purchased. Give the prosperity 18-can pack instead of Mandarin Oranges. Each can of beer comes specially designed with auspicious well-wishes that will go well at the reunion table. Also get the chance over S$438,888 worth of cash and prizes this celebratory season.
If you are not a fan of “RED” red packets, here are some colour designs that red is not the prominent colour.
Nespresso has collaborated with key influencers to create special coffee creations for the lunar new year. Bella Koh from Singapore has created the Mushroom Latte with Date Syrup and Gold Leaf. Hong Kong’s Jeff Law’s creation is the Red Velvet Coffee created with beetroot. Taiwan’s Lulu Wei’s creation is Longan Coffee.
You can taste Bella’s Mushroom Latte with Date Syrup and Gold leaf creation at Nespresso stores in ION Orchard, VivoCity, Raffles City and Takashimaya on 19 to 20 January 2019. Red Velvet Coffee is available from 26 to 27 January while Longan Coffee is available from 2 to 3 February.
These recipes can be replicated at home. And if you don’t have a Nespresso machine at home, there is a Essenza Mini machine bundle and Chinese New Year Eight-Sleeve Pack for S$248 or the Pixie machine bundle and Chinese New Year Eight Sleeve Pack for S$338.
These red packets from Le Meridien Singapore Sentosa are inspired by the hotel’s tropical island surroundings. They are represented with a fish leaping into the ocean. This signifies abundant blessings for the year. The hotel is giving these red packets and to diners who dine at Latest Recipe, their all-day dining restaurant.
Smove car-sharing company has designed their red packets featuring flowers lined with cars.
Here are the red packets that will remind you of the “TONG TONG CHIANG” lion dancing troupes coming to do round at your home or sometimes at your office too during this festive season.
JD Sports is giving away these limited edition JD design red packets (5 pieces) with every S$160 spent in a single receipt. The design showcases a modern twist to the traditional lion dance, commonly performed during Chinese New Year to usher in good luck and fortune for the year.
Sometimes we want it plain but not so simple. Here are some sophisticatedly designed red packets that might suit your taste.
This year’s red packet design from Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon features the respective cabin crew uniforms, a move away from the very plain traditional designs from the previous years. We think these are absolutely beautiful.
ION+ Rewards Members or American Express Card members can redeem an exclusive set of the red packets from ION Orchard as well as a mandarin orange carrier with a minimum spend of S$80.
Simplicity at its best. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be that fanciful. Just keep it traditional.
Shama Serviced Apartments’ red packet theme for the year of the pig is “Fortune Comes with Blooming Flowers” 花开富贵. Last year, five new Shama properties opened across Asia – Shama Daqing Heilongjiang, Shama Island North Hong Kong, Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok, Shama Changfeng Shanghai and Shama Hongqiao Shanghai.
One Raffles Place invites shoppers to experience the Splendour of Spring with a “Forecast Your Fortune” exhibition on levels three, four and five. Check out the Zodiac sign installations and zodiac predictions for 2019 written by Master Bro Alec Chia, Singapore renowned Geomancer and Numerologist.
Singapore based company The Vine Culture offers Business Consultancy and Relationship Consultancy services through its two businesses Vine Consultancy and Covenant & Vows respectively. This husband and wife team hopes to see more businesses and relationships prosper in the marketplace.
CIMB Singapore and CIMB Malaysia will be running an online game on their respective Facebook Pages during the CNY period. Called the ‘Prosperity Toss’, it is a game where participants get to toss Yu Sheng for 30 seconds in one setting to earn points.
These points will accumulate over a course of two phases and participants stand to win prizes. The top 10 participants with the highest points for each phase gets to bag home prizes.
Red packet how to buy? | 2019-04-22T00:01:44Z | https://www.superadrianme.com/design/ang-baos-red-packet-earth-pig-2019/ |
With tens of millions of books in print and numerous New York Times bestsellers, Julie Garwood has clearly earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers. Her reputation as a masterful storyteller is solidly founded in her ability to deliver stories with appealing characters, powerful emotions, and surprising plot twists. Readers claim that it's the humor as well as the poignancy of her novels that keep them laughing, crying and thoroughly entertained. Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, Kansas and is currently working on her next novel. When her schedule allows time away from family and career, she devotes her efforts to promoting literacy, and especially enjoys sharing her love of reading with student groups.
Only a master could top the stunning success of For the Roses, and Julie Garwood has proven once again why she "attracts readers like beautiful heroines attract dashing heroes" (USA Today) with this joyous New York Times bestseller. Returning to the enchanting world of her classic The Bride, she brings the soaring adventure, love and rivalry of medieval Scotland to glorious life in a delightful tale her fans will adore.
It wasn't love at first sight.
Lady Brenna didn't want to be presented to company. She had far more important things to do with her day. Her nursemaid, a dour-faced woman with God-fearing ways and clumped-together, protruding front teeth, wouldn't listen to her arguments, however. With the determination of a hedgehog, she cornered Brenna in the back of the stables and then lunged forward. Never one to let an opportunity or a little girl slip past her, the nursemaid lectured her charge all the way up the hill and across the muddy courtyard.
"Quit your squirming, Brenna. I'm stronger than you are, and I'm not about to let go. You've lost your shoes again, haven't you? And don't dare lie to me. I can see your stockings peeking out. Why are you dragging that bridle behind you?"
Brenna lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I forgot to put it back."
"Drop it this minute. You're always forgetting, and do you know why?"
"I don't pay attention to what I'm doing, like you tell me to, Elspeth."
"You don't pay attention to anything I tell you, and that's a fact. You're more trouble than all the others put together. Your older brothers and sisters have never given me a moment's worry. Even your baby sister knows how to behave herself, and she's still sucking on her fingers and wetting herself. I'm warning you, Brenna, if you don't change your ways and give your parents a little peace, God himself will have to stop his important work and come down here to talk to you. Just how are you going to feel about that? You don't like it much when your papa has to sit you down on his knee and talk to you about your shameful behavior, now do you?"
"No, Elspeth. I surely don't like it. I try to behave. I really do."
She peeked up to see if the nursemaid believed she was contrite. She wasn't, of course, because she really didn't think she'd done anything wrong, but Elspeth wouldn't understand.
"Don't you bat those big blue eyes at me, young lady. I don't believe you're the least bit sincere. Lord, but you smell. What have you gotten into?"
Brenna lowered her head and kept quiet. She'd been chasing after the piglets just an hour before, until the tanner put their mama back in the pen, and Brenna's peculiar stench was just a small price to pay for all the fun she'd had.
Her torture had only just begun. Even though she had had a bath just a week before, she was bathed again, and in the middle of the day, of all times. She was scrubbed from head to toes, and so thoroughly she had to cry about it. Elspeth wasn't at all sympathetic to her wails, and Brenna eventually got tired of crying. She barely struggled at all while Elspeth dressed her in a blue gown and too-tight matching slippers. Her cheeks were pinched hard for color, her white-blond tangles were brushed into curls, and she was then dragged back down to the hall. She would have to pass her mother's inspection before she could be left alone.
Her oldest sister, Matilda, was already seated at the table with her mother. Cook was there too, going over supper arrangements with her mistress.
"I don't want to meet no company today, Mama. It's sorely wearisome for me."
Elspeth came up behind her and poked her in her shoulder. "Hush now. You mustn't complain. God doesn't like women who complain."
"Papa complains all the time, and God likes him just fine," Brenna announced. "That's why Papa's so big. Only God is bigger than he is."
"Where did you hear such nonsense?"
"Papa told me so. I want to go outside now. I won't run after the piglets again. I promise."
"You're staying right where I can keep my eye on you. You're going to behave yourself today. If you don't, you know what will happen to you, don't you?"
Brenna pointed to the ground. "I'll have to go down there." She dutifully repeated the threat she'd heard over and over again.
The little girl didn't have any idea what was "down there"; she only knew it was awful and she didn't want to go there. According to Elspeth, if Brenna didn't change her sorry ways, she was never going to get into heaven, and just about everyone, including her family, wanted to go there.
She knew exactly where heaven was because her papa had given her exact directions. It was right on the other side of the sky.
She thought she might like it, but really didn't care. Only one thing was important to her now. She wasn't about to be left behind again. She still had nightmares at least once a week over what her mama referred to as the "unfortunate" incidents. The terrifying memories were still lurking in the back of her mind, where everyone knew all little girls tucked away their worries, just waiting for the right opportunity to jump out in the dark and scare her. Her screams would wake her sister, of course. While Elspeth was busy soothing baby Faith, Brenna would drag her blanket to her parents' chamber. When her papa was away from home doing important work the king could give only to someone as trustworthy and loyal as he was, she'd sneak into the big bed and cuddle up next to her mama, and when her papa was home, she'd sleep on the cold floor right next to Courage, his beautiful silver-handled sword Mama swore he loved almost as much as his children. Brenna felt safest when her papa was there because his loud snores always lulled her back to sleep. Demons didn't try to crawl in through the window and nightmares about being left behind didn't visit her when she was with her parents. Those horrors wouldn't dare.
"Please tell Brenna to keep her mouth shut when company arrives, Mother," Matilda requested. "She shouts every word. She does it on purpose. When will she stop the vile habit?"
"Soon, dear, soon," her mother replied almost absentmindedly.
Brenna edged closer to her sister. Matilda was bossy by nature, but now that their brothers were away learning how to be as important to their king as their papa, her condition had worsened. She was becoming as bothersome as Elspeth.
"You're a pain in the arse, Mattie."
Her mother heard the remark. "Brenna, you will not use such common language again. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, Mama, but Papa says his arse is paining him all the time. It aches something fierce, it does."
Her mother closed her eyes. "Don't sass me, child."
Brenna's shoulders slumped. She tried to look pitiful. "Mama, I'm sorely weary of everybody telling me what to do all the time. Doesn't anybody like me?"
Her mother wasn't in the mood to placate her daughter. She waved her hand toward the cluster of chairs on the opposite side of the hall.
"Go and sit down, Brenna. Do not say another word until you are given permission to speak. Do it now."
The little girl dragged her feet as she crossed the hall.
"Don't make her sit there all alone too long, Mother. The unfortunate incidents have made her difficult. Papa says it's going to take her time to recover."
Mattie was defending her. Brenna wasn't surprised by the show of loyalty. It was her sister's duty to watch out for her while her brothers were away. But it made Brenna angry that Mattie had brought up the unmentionable. She knew how much Brenna hated being reminded of what had happened to her.
"Yes, dear," her mother replied. "Time and patience."
Mattie let out a loud sigh. "Really, Mother, how can you be so calm about it? Have you no guilt? Even I can understand forgetting one of your children on a single occasion, but twice? It's a wonder the child lets you out of her sight."
Elspeth moved forward to offer her opinion. " 'Tis my fear you'll never catch a husband for that one, mi'lady."
Brenna put her hands over her ears. She hated it when the nursemaid referred to her as "that one." She wasn't one of the piglets, after all.
"I'll catch a husband by myself," Brenna shouted.
Joan walked into the hall in time to hear her sister's boast.
"What have you done this time, Brenna?"
"Then why are you sitting all by yourself? You're usually squeezed up next to Mother, talking her ears off. Tell me what you've done. I promise I won't lecture you."
"I sassed Mama. Did Papa catch your husband for you, Joan?"
"Catch a husband?" she asked. She didn't laugh for fear of hurting Brenna's tender feelings, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling.
"I suppose he did," she admitted.
"No. I'll meet my husband on the day I marry him."
"Aren't you scared he's ugly?" Brenna whispered.
"What he looks like won't matter. Papa assures me it's a strong alliance," Joan whispered in response.
"Oh, yes. Our king has given his approval."
"Rachel says you have to love your husband with your whole heart."
"That's only a foolish wish. When she's old enough, she's going to marry a man named MacNare, and Rachel's never met him. He doesn't even live in England, but Father isn't concerned about that. He was swayed by promises and gifts MacNare gave him."
"Elspeth says Papa won't ever find anyone for me. She says Papa's too busy for the likes of me. I have to catch one by myself. Will you help me?"
Joan smiled. "I can see this is worrying you. I'll be happy to help."
"How do I get one?"
Joan pretended to consider the matter for a long minute before she answered.
"I imagine you select the man you want and then you ask him to marry you. If he lives far away, then you must send a messenger to him. Yes, that would be how you would do it. You know, Brenna, Papa would be unhappy to hear us talking like this. It is his duty to find someone for you. Why are we whispering?"
"Mama told me not to talk."
Joan burst into laughter. The noise alerted Elspeth, who immediately rushed over.
"Please don't encourage her, Lady Joan. Brenna, you were told to keep quiet. Doesn't that mouth of yours ever rest?"
The nursemaid snorted in disbelief. "No, you're not sorry." She moved closer, wagged her finger in front of Brenna's face, and then said, "One of these days God's going to march in here and lecture you sound, young lady. Mark my words. You'll be sorry then. He doesn't like little girls who sass."
Elspeth finally left her alone, and Brenna fell asleep waiting for company to arrive. Her sister Rachel shook her awake and pulled her along to stand with her older sisters.
Brenna hid behind Rachel's back until her name was called and she was dragged out for display. She was suddenly feeling too shy to look up at the company, and as soon as her papa finished bragging about her, she moved behind her sister again.
None of the strangers paid any attention to her, and so she decided to sneak out of the hall while everyone was ignoring her. She turned around, took one step toward the entrance, and then came to a quick stop.
Three giants came through the door. She was too stunned to move. The one in the middle was taller than the other two and held her interest the longest. She watched him closely, and when her parents hurried forward to greet the newcomers, she realized he was even bigger than her own papa.
She grabbed hold of Rachel's hand and started tugging. Her sister took a long time to look down.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"He isn't God, is he?" she asked, pointing to the dark-haired guest.
Rachel rolled her eyes heavenward. "No, he most certainly isn't God."
"Did Papa lie to me? He told me only God is bigger than he is, Rachel."
"No, Papa didn't lie. He was just teasing you. That's all. You don't need to be afraid."
Brenna was thoroughly relieved. Papa hadn't deceived her, after all, and God hadn't bothered to come down from heaven to lecture her. There was still time for her to change what Elspeth told her was her sinful life.
Her papa drew her attention when he let out a bellow of laughter. She smiled because he was having such a fine time, and then she turned to look at the middle one again. She'd been told time and again that it was rude to stare, but she didn't pay any attention to her mother's rule now. The giant mesmerized her, and she wanted to remember everything she could about him.
He must have felt her staring at him, though, because he suddenly turned and looked directly at her.
Brenna decided to make her papa proud of her and behave like a proper young lady. She grabbed a fistful of her skirt, hiked it up to her knees, and then bent down to curtsy. She promptly lost her balance and almost hit her head against the floor, but she was quick enough to lean back so she could land on her bottom.
She stood back up, remembered to let go of her skirts, and then peeked up at the stranger to see what he thought about her newly acquired skill.
The giant smiled at her.
As soon as he looked away, she squeezed herself up against Rachel's backside again.
"I'm going to marry him," she whispered.
Brenna solemnly nodded. Yes, it was nice.
Now all she had to do was ask.
Papa let his daughters leave the hall a few minutes later. Brenna waited until everyone else had gone upstairs, then ran back outside. She was determined to catch one of the piglets today so she would finally have a pet of her very own. She would have preferred a pup, but Papa had let her older brothers and sisters have them all, and none were left for her, and she meant to right his terrible wrong by taking one of the piglets.
Luck was on her side. The piglets' mama had once again left the pen and was now sleeping in a mud pool on the far side of the stables halfway down the hill. Brenna tried not to make any noise, but she slipped in the mud and made a loud splatter anyway. The babies must have worn their mama out. She didn't even lift her head or open her eyes. Brenna heard the loud squeak of the front doors being opened next, but when no one shouted at her, she was certain she hadn't been seen.
The piglets made her task easy, for they had rolled themselves into little balls and were sleeping on top of each other. Brenna scooped one into the hem of her skirts, wrapped it up tight, and then clutched it against her chest. She thought to run to the kitchens and hide her prize there, and she was sure she would have succeeded with her plan, if her new pet hadn't made such a fuss about it all.
Brenna didn't realize her jeopardy until she was outside the pen and heard a horrible noise coming toward her. Pigs weren't supposed to fly, but the enraged mama seemed to be doing just that. Her head was down, her feet were moving faster than a bolt of lightning, and her intent was clearly issued with an ear-shattering squeal that sounded like the devil himself rising out of the bowels of hell to get her.
Brenna opened her mouth and let out a wail every bit as worthy as her predator's. Too terrified to think, she ran in circles, around and around the pen, her hair flying every which way, mud splattering everywhere, clutching her piglet in her arms as she screamed over and over again for her papa to come and save her.
The sight that befell her parents was horrifying. Their sweet little angel was covered with mud and running around like a hen without her head.
Everyone started running at the same time. Papa didn't rescue her, for he had neither the speed nor the stride; the giant who had smiled at her did. And just in the nick of time.
The mama's snout tripped her, and just as Brenna was being pitched to the ground, she felt herself being lifted high into the air. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembered to stop screaming, and then looked around again. She was still in his arms, yet on the opposite side of the fence a fair distance away from the pen. She couldn't imagine how he'd been able to jump over the obstacle.
Chaos surrounded them. Everyone was running toward her. Her papa was the last one to reach the fence. He was still panting when she heard him ask his company if they knew what had caused the animal to attack his dear little Faith.
Brenna wasn't offended. Papa was always getting their names confused. He'd remember by nightfall though, and from the look in his eyes, she knew what would happen then. She'd spend a good hour sitting on his knobby knees while he scolded her. She didn't even want to think about what her punishment would be if he discovered what she had hidden in her skirts. She fervently hoped he never found out.
She knew her savior could feel her pet wiggling between them, and she finally gathered enough courage to look up at him to see what he was going to do about it. He looked surprised, and when the piglet let out another squeal, he smiled.
She was so happy he wasn't angry, she smiled back before she could remember to be shy.
One of his friends stepped closer to the fence. "Connor, is everything all right?" He turned to answer. Brenna stopped him by putting her hand on the side of his face and nudging him back to her again. She whispered her plea then. He must not have heard her, because he leaned down closer until their foreheads were almost touching.
The giant suddenly threw his head back and roared with laughter. She told him to hush, but that only made him laugh all the more. He didn't tell on her, though, and once he'd put her back down, she was able to run past her papa before he could grab hold of her.
She pretended she didn't hear him and continued on. It wasn't until she was safely hidden under the kitchen table, with her new baby sleeping in her lap, that she realized she'd forgotten to ask the man to marry her. She wasn't discouraged. She would ask him tomorrow, and if he told her no, she would come up with another plan. One way or another, she meant to catch him and save her papa the trouble.
It's a classic plot: a marriage of convenience that lays the groundwork for true love. But in Julie Garwood's deft hands, the story takes on a unique flavor. Set in medieval Scotland, a time and place Garwood obviously knows and loves, The Wedding couples a high-spirited and impulsive young woman named Brenna with a fierce Highland laird, Connor MacAlister. Their desperate attempts to maneuver around their true emotions have all the twists, turns, and kicks of a raucous Scottish dance.
Garwood's fortunes continue to blossom; her last novel, For the Roses (LJ 8/95), marked her tenth best seller. In her latest, a 12th-century Scottish maiden falls for the leader of the clan that abducted her. | 2019-04-19T13:14:20Z | https://www.retailgenius.com/product/149977-2/wedding |
When my parents were growing up in Philadelphia during the Roaring Twenties, they went home at the end of the day to parents who spoke Yiddish or heavily accented English. I wish I could understand their second-generation immigrant experience, or what life was like during the Great Depression or World War II. Millions of boomers share my curiosity about their parents but few of us have begun to record our own stories. When I ask people why not write a memoir, I hear all sorts of reasons. “I’m too busy.” “I don’t know how.” “My experience was similar to millions of others.” “If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand.” I know all these objections already. In order to write my memoir, I had to push through them myself.
I knew that people who had not lived through that period relied on clichés with lots of hair, dope, and rock and roll. But these images from movie and music snips and bits of conversation around the dinner table are not like reading a memoir. In a memoir, the author carefully crafts the world as they saw it, creating the ambiance of the times. I think the word “story” ought to be capitalized the way God is, because a Story invites the reader to set aside their own world and enter the author’s. Once inside, clichés disappear, replaced by unique, authentic responses to specific circumstances. This is true even for books that cover the same general circumstances.
Amid the hundreds of memoirs I’ve read, I have often seen the same themes repeated. I’ve read several books about young girls growing up in small towns, children coming to terms with their mixed-race identity, adoptees trying to understand which family is the real one, mothers trying to raise a child with intellectual challenges, and so on. Despite their similarities, each person has their own life and tells their own story.
Even though millions of my peers experienced the iconic events of the 60s, my exact story was my own, a drama with the specific circumstances of being me, my reactions, my observations, my careening path. So I set aside the fear that someone else has already published my life and I begin to write.
When I start, crazy memories spring out of hiding and clutch at me. At first I’m afraid that revealing emotional moments might make me seem like a victim, a dupe, or a confused bundle of nerves. I want to stuff my memories back into their cave. Then I think of my parents who remained hidden, and I think of my respect for the memoir authors who have welcomed me into their lives, and I press on.
The first story I share in a writing group describes a violent anti-war riot in Madison, Wisconsin in 1967. I wonder if listeners will judge me for the quality of the writing or for my naïve choices and raw emotions. But no one in the group expresses disdain and many express appreciation so I continue to write. Soon, I find myself deep in the darkness that enveloped me after the riots. When I realized how hopeless I felt to change the world or understand my role in it, I turned toward nihilism, embracing the notion that Nothing Matters with religious conviction.
I sit at my computer during my morning writing hours, looking back on that period and trying to make sense of it. Then for the rest of the day, I set those feelings aside and go about my pleasant, upbeat life. My writing desk gives me a vantage point from which I can understand far more about those times than I had any hope of doing while I was living through them.
However, being willing to face the past was only the beginning. As a novice storyteller, I couldn’t imagine how I would ever capture those feelings on paper. After I took a few memoir classes and started to develop a sense of chronology and scene-building, a larger story began to emerge. I remember my first days in Madison, Wisconsin, transplanted to the teeming campus from my quiet Jewish neighborhood in Philadelphia, I see a bookish young man who wanted two things: to become a doctor and to understand Absolute Truth. I didn’t know how dangerous my search would be.
A perfect storm of cultural upheaval was brewing on the horizon: the Pill; the threat of the draft; a divisive, frantic, anti-war effort that inherited a sense of righteousness from the recent civil rights movement; affordable air travel; access to hallucinogenic drugs; eroding authority of organized religion and the influx of eastern mysticism. As each wave of change arrived, I tried to adapt. But like a boxer who must face a new opponent in each round, I ran out of fight, and went down — at one point, literally, after being attacked by a group of boys who wanted long-haired troublemakers like me to go back east where we belonged.
Hundreds of millions of people experienced their own version of those times, storing endless reels of movies in their minds. I imagine boomers all over the world occasionally pulling out one of their reels. If they have no reason to examine it more closely, they quickly return it to its shelf. If they attempt to write a memoir, they look more carefully at the scenes, and begin to place isolated events into context.
Gradually, the sequences add up. I see the influences of parents, culture, substances and desires, insecurities, and all the other things that make me human. Between the peaks and troughs, the glue of normalcy holds it together from day to day. And I begin to see how the shocks in one chapter lead to character development in the next. After setbacks, I find strength, courage, and eventually even wisdom. As happens in all good stories, the protagonist grew. A life that has been translated into a story transcends memory and achieves the richness of its many dimensions.
The harder I work to craft events so they make sense to a reader, the more they make sense to me. Or maybe “make sense” is too strong. They become more integrated. I learn to accept them as part of the continuous process of being me. I become more comfortable “in my own skin” or more accurately, more comfortable in my own memories. Converting memories from a jangle of isolated snaps into a coherent story is rewarding. It’s challenging. It leads to wholeness.
In the early stages of my writing, I am struck by the depressing self-inflicted immolation of my academic ambition. However, storytelling doesn’t stop with the problems. A good story takes both reader and author beyond the setbacks to the resurrection that comes next. So I look beyond the 60s. What new person emerged from the ashes of the old? For that, I explore the spiritual and religious dimensions of my life.
In Madison, Wisconsin, I went to classes surrounded by 30,000 kids, many of them blond, the vast majority of them northern European and Christian. Desperate to feel accepted, I felt swept up in the possibility of becoming part of that herd. If being Jewish separated me from them, I would separate myself from feeling Jewish.
Without knowing the far reaching effects of my defiance, I distanced myself from religion. As a result, I could no longer turn to the absolute moral authority that had guided my parents. Like many of my peers, I struggled to find my own direction. The first leg of the quest led straight into the abyss. Then, when I thought I could go no lower, I found a spiritual belief system in which everything mattered. That was the beginning of a period of rebuilding, during which I had to figure out how to live a meaningful life under the aegis of spiritual rather than religious principles.
As I search for my story, I return to my curiosity about my parents. All I knew about them was summed up in a couple of clichés about immigrants and the Great Depression, but I knew nothing about their specific, day-to-day circumstances. I wonder if reading their memoir would have brought us closer to each other during my own transition, perhaps even giving me a safety-net that would have softened my fall. I’ll never know how it would have changed my past, but as I put my story together, I gain a renewed appreciation for the challenges that each of us faced. My parents had to figure out how to cross the threshold into adulthood and so did I. By seeing the story of my own transition, I am drawn closer to theirs.
In the age of memoirs, more of us are taking the time to look back and develop the stories of our lives. By openly exploring the experiences of our youth, we can learn about the common humanity that binds us to our parents. And by leaving our stories for the next generation, our children will have a far greater ability to appreciate the context from which they have come.
For a memoir that shared the journey from organized religion to spirituality, read Frank Schaeffer’s, Crazy for God. It tells of his childhood, with an intense belief in Christianity, as guided by the wildly innovative interpretations of his parents, then into the intense certainty of the religious right, and finally to a journey to find his own inner guiding light.
This entry was posted in 60's, Boomers, Family, My own life and tagged 60's, anti-war, Boomers, Jewish identity, Madison, memoir, parents, riots, sixties by jerrywaxler. Bookmark the permalink.
Jerry: This is a wonderful rendering of how writing our life story makes that singular event meaningful not only for us as individuals but for others as well. It takes courage to write, but you give us all inspiration to make the effort and to continue on. Thanks for making clear and how and why stories are so important in our life journey.
According to Daniel J. Siegel, the best predictor of a child’s security of attachment is not what happened to his parents as children, but whether his parents have integrated their stories, creating a coherent vision of how they happened.
Most of us boomers are grandparents now, but I’m certain our work in this area benefits our grandchildren, too.
Thanks for the comment and for sending it out to your corner of the world, Kathleen. I love this additional dimension of “writing on the web” that lets us share ourselves with others in our sphere. Weaving life with writing makes everything more interesting.
Thanks for the great comment, Patty. It’s my pleasure to create the essay, and an even greater pleasure to receive thanks in return!
Jerry, you touch on experiences that many of us have gone through during these years. What has happened to each of us is different, and yet similar. When you talk about your parents, I can clearly relate to what they experienced as children of the depression. I too wish that mine had recorded their memories. However, I can’t forget the stories my mother told me about getting an apple in her holiday stocking, living through food rationing, and being an army bride. Your book is going to be wonderful. I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for a beautiful article.
Terrifically inspiring essay. I doubt that we all have a book in us, but it would be nice to know that at least a bit of our own oral history would be passed down to our immediate family members. Maybe it’s even a type of immortality.
Thanks for your inspiring comment, Mary. It is immortality in the sense that our experience enters the stream of culture, sharing our lives with those who come after, just as we have lived in the stream of those who have come before.
I agree that it’s not easy to find the book we have within us, but for those who take the time, there is definitely a story in there. We guide ourselves by its beliefs, and aim toward the future we tell ourselves is out there. As you attempt to write your story, you gain an author’s insight into it, and learn to craft not only your past but also your present. What book would you write about the coming year? Hopefully, writing a memoir will be included!
Have enjoyed your thoughts on memoir writing. Thank you!
Jerry, one thing that bugs me about the baby boomer generation is that all information seems aimed at the upper end of it. I happen to have barely made it – born in 1963. So, instead of being a pre-teen or teenager during the 60’s, I was a child. So, when boomers talk about 60’s music, I know it because I was listening to it in the 70’s.
I have a sister who started college the same year I started Kindergarten. Her view is so different from mine. For example, the colorful mushrooms that were on everything were just a fun fashion accessory to me. For my sister, she understood that those ‘shrooms represented drugs. That’s just a small example.
I enjoyed reading this post about your journey through writing your memoir. I can identify with many of your experiences, especially your roots in a strict religious community. Earlier this year I published my own memoir called The Flying Farm Boy: A Michigan Memoir. It is the story of my growing up on a small family farm in Michigan as part of a Dutch Reformed community. However, unlike you, I remained quite protected from the outside world as part of an isolated community in the 50’s and 60’s. The appeal of my story is that it pictures a way of life that will probably seem long ago and far away to most people in today’s world. If you wish to learn more about my memoir please check out my website at http://www.flyingfarmboy.com.
Jerry, great site, thank you. I am an Australian, live in Brisbane. I recently self-published a self/help/memoir on kindle/paperback.
‘Undone’ The Search for Meaning by Marie Clair.
‘Undone’ received 13 ***** Reviews after it’s free five day run. Now, it sits on the bottom of a very large heap waiting for me to discover ways and means to direct traffic to the the book. I have set up a website, social media etc, still no traffic. Next step, offering paperbacks to local bookstores??
Writing is easy…….marketing, a different skill entirely.
My reason for writing to you is twofold, obviously you have given me an opportunity to draw attention to my book, but more importantly, can you suggest ‘places, ways and means’, to promote such books?
I would like to have the book read and reviewed, I am happy to swap the service with other writers.
Thanks for stopping by, Jerome. Congratulations on the publication of your book.
Hi, I’m writing a memoir about Woodstock, but all of the related topics as well, which overlap with yours: growing up, politics, religion. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’m so glad to know you feel inspiration from my writing. Yes, there were massive changes in culture – it was a pressure cooker. Memoirs can help us put together the pieces. Read mine if you want an example of one person’s perspective. I’ll bet yours will be different. Keep me posted!
Jerry, thanks for this article. We all have our own experiences of those times. My passion for writing my stories comes from being a small child confused by the changes – coming into the world during the calmer mid-60s, only to have my entire life change when my parents got caught up in the counterculture revolution.
In my love of reading, I mostly hear about the Flower Children, and not true children, as I was.
Well, glad to have found your website. I’ll read on.
Thanks for finding the site and leaving a comment. And congratulations for finishing your book.
I agree that “most people hear about flower children” – I have a theory about why the psychological truth of that era was suppressed – so many of us came through it embarrassed, ashamed, or outright traumatized by the events – and I can’t even imagine the trauma of a child being raised in the social-psychosis known as the sixties – from what little I have read about your experience, I imagine it has taken you a lifetime of rebuilding and reframing to find your own authentic truth. And if you are like most other memoir writers, writing the story has helped you find those truths.
I was 20 during the misnamed “summer of love” – what an odd time to be alive and 20 and seeking. Trying to go back in time and find my own story has taken me most of my adult life. Discovering how to turn those memories into a book was my impetus for getting involved in the Memoir Revolution.
Thank you for adding your voice to the literature of that psychologically rich, complex, and troubled social movement.
I just found your reply in my email. You’re right. Living life my own way and writing about my childhood and the following years has helped me figure it out. And I agree with your assessment about why the actual children’s voices aren’t often heard. | 2019-04-23T04:01:59Z | https://memorywritersnetwork.com/blog/boomers-memoirs-60s/ |
Planning in advance by including “credit shelter trust” provisions in each spouse’s will or living trust.
Waiting until after one spouse dies and making a special tax election to “transfer” the deceased spouse’s applicable exclusion to the surviving spouse. This is sometimes referred to as a “portability” election.
Using one of these strategies is important because, at today’s 40% flat estate tax rate, being able to protect an additional $5,450,000 or more could potentially mean $2,180,000 or more in estate tax savings.
This report examines both strategies and their potential advantages and disadvantages.
The credit shelter trust has many different names. It is referred to as a “bypass” trust, the “B” trust in an “A-B” trust plan or the “family” trust in a “family/marital” trust plan.
The provisions to create a credit shelter trust must be included in the wills or revocable living trusts you and your spouse create. However, the credit shelter trust does not actually come into being until one spouse dies. At that time, the will or living trust directs the executor or trustee to set aside, in trust, an amount equal to the deceased spouse’s applicable exclusion.
The surviving spouse can receive all of the income from the credit shelter trust. He or she can also have access to principal, according to standards that you set. Maintaining the surviving spouse’s financial security is usually the trust’s principal purpose. (If you wish, distributions to others can also be permitted.) When the surviving spouse dies, any remaining principal can be distributed to children or remain in trust for their benefit, as you direct.
Even though the surviving spouse has access to income (and principal, if needed), the assets in the credit shelter trust are not considered part of the survivor’s taxable estate. This is important because, if the credit shelter trust continues to grow, its entire value — both the original value plus any growth — is sheltered from estate taxes at the second spouse’s death.
Your attorney can prepare your will or living trust to include the necessary provisions and design your trust in a way that’s most appropriate for your family situation and personal objectives.
If you live in a state that imposes its own estate tax, special planning may be necessary. In a number of states, the available state exclusion is lower than the federal exclusion. Your attorney can help you design a plan that takes into account the differences between the federal and state exclusion amounts.
Once you have the necessary provisions in your will or trust, it is important to ensure that sufficient assets pass under your will or trust. When you create your will or trust, talk with your attorney about how to structure asset ownership, title accounts and make beneficiary designations. Your financial professional can help you implement your attorney’s recommendations.
“Portability” is a new planning opportunity for married couples. It was introduced temporarily in 2010 and made permanent in 2012. It’s possible to transfer a deceased spouse’s “unused” basic exclusion to the surviving spouse. Instead of removing assets from the survivor’s taxable estate (as with credit shelter trust planning), portability has the effect of increasing the applicable exclusion at the second spouse’s death.
Unlike credit shelter trust planning, which depends on documents you must create before death, this approach depends on action taken after one spouse dies. To qualify for this treatment, the deceased spouse’s executor must file a detailed estate tax return (even if no estate tax is due). Keep in mind that preparing the estate tax return may involve significant legal, accounting and appraisal costs. This return is due nine months after death. The deceased spouse’s executor has the power to decide whether or not to make this election.
Part of portability’s attraction is that it does not require a sophisticated will or trust. You could simply make an outright transfer of everything you own to your spouse. This could be done through a will, revocable trust, beneficiary designation, transfer-on-death (TOD) designation or joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Alternatively, you could leave assets to a trust that would qualify for the marital deduction. Of course, transfers of this type will increase the survivor’s taxable estate, but if the portability election is made, the surviving spouse will also have a larger applicable exclusion.
The deceased spouse’s exclusion can only be transferred to a surviving spouse. It cannot be given to other family members or beneficiaries. It is possible for the transferred exclusion to be greater than the deceased spouse’s assets. For example, let’s say that an individual with a $2 million taxable estate transfers his or her entire estate to the surviving spouse. If the deceased spouse’s executor files an estate tax return, the surviving spouse would be entitled to the deceased’s spouse’s full exclusion of $5,450,000 or more.
Only the “unused” exclusion can be transferred to a spouse. Any transfers to a non-spouse will typically use up part of the deceased spouse’s exclusion. For example, if the first spouse to die transfers some assets to children or other individuals (or trusts for their benefit), that will use up part of his or her exclusion.
Survivors might not be aware of this important tax issue, could forget to make the election or be unwilling to incur the expense of preparing an “optional” estate tax return. If someone other than the surviving spouse is named as executor, it’s possible that a difference of opinion, conflict of interest or family squabble could result in the election not being made. If you want a portability election to be made, it’s important to choose your executor carefully.
1. Art and Jane are married. Art dies and leaves all his assets to Jane.
2. An election is made to transfer Art’s unused exclusion to Jane. So Jane now has $10,900,000 of available exclusions (Jane’s own $5,450,000 plus an additional $5,450,000 from Art).
3. Jane subsequently marries Richard.
4. Richard dies and uses all of his available exclusion to transfer property to his children from a prior marriage.
5. Jane now has only her own $5,450,000 exclusion. As a result of Richard’s death, she has lost the exclusion transferred from Art.
It’s easy to think that “I would not get married again” or “my spouse wouldn’t remarry,” but life does not always turn out the way we expect. So it’s appropriate to consider the possibility that the transferred exclusion could be lost.
Once the exclusion is transferred, it does not grow. The assets transferred to a surviving spouse could grow significantly in value over time. But the transferred exclusion is fixed. So, making a portability election may not be optimal if the survivor lives for many years after the first spouse dies.
Portability does not apply to the generation-skipping tax (GST) exemption. While the estate tax applicable exclusion is transferable, the GST exemption is not. This could be a significant drawback for wealthy families. When traditional credit shelter planning is used, it’s possible to make use of both spouses’ $5,450,000 GST exemptions, potentially sheltering $10,900,000 from a future generation’s estate tax. If portability is used, only one GST exemption is available.
Portability applies to federal estate taxes. In most states (with the exception of Delaware and Hawaii), exclusions are not portable and cannot be transferred. So if you live in a state that imposes its own estate tax, and has an exclusion that is lower than the federal exclusion, portability may not be an optimal choice. State laws change frequently, so it’s important to work closely with an attorney in your state as you review estate strategies.
Alice owns a $4,500,000 IRA and real estate valued at $500,000. Her husband, Bernard, owns a $2 million IRA and $6 million in marketable investments. They also own their home, valued at $1 million, as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Both Alice and Bernard are age 61. Alice’s CPA pointed out that if Alice was the first spouse to die, she might prefer to name Bernard as her IRA beneficiary for income tax planning reasons. Bernard could roll over the IRA and defer distributions until after reaching age 70½. However, if Alice’s IRA passed to Bernard directly, there would only be $500,000 remaining to fund a credit shelter trust. But if Alice’s executor makes a portability election after her death, her unused exclusion can be transferred to Bernard.
Carol is a part owner of her family’s business; her share is valued at $7 million. She also owns other assets valued at about $1 million, and her husband, David, owns assets valued at about $2 million. Carol is 71, and David is 79. Carol’s family has owned the business for three generations. They feel strongly that the ownership must stay “in the family,” so her shares are subject to a written buy-sell agreement that prevents a transfer to spouses or other nonfamily members. The planning dilemma is that if David dies first, he does not have sufficient assets to fully use his $5,450,000 basic exclusion, which could lead to a higher estate tax at Carol’s death. Portability provides a potential solution. If David is the first to die, a portability election can be made to transfer his unused exclusion to Carol.
After the death of one spouse, the executor must file a timely and complete estate tax return. The term “portability” is not actually used in the tax code; instead, this is referred to as an election to transfer the “Deceased Spouse Unused Exclusion Amount” (DSUEA).
The surviving spouse will need to make sure that copies of the estate tax return are not lost or misplaced because the heirs, executors or successor trustees will eventually need to know the amount of additional exclusion that was transferred.
If the surviving spouse makes gifts that would require the filing of a gift tax return, the tax preparer will need to know about the DSUEA election.
If the surviving spouse considers remarriage, the availability of (and risk of losing) the DSUEA could be an important factor in planning.
Portability can be a useful tool that will offer additional planning flexibility to married couples. However, in many cases, traditional credit shelter planning will provide more certainty to married couples who want to use both of their applicable exclusions.
Advance planning required Yes. Requires properly drafted wills or trusts and attention to asset titling. No, but executor’s election on estate tax return is required.
Low initial cost No. Involves legal fees to create will or trust; there could also be costs to retitle property Yes. However, future costs will be incurred to file estate tax return and make portability election.
Step-up in basis at surviving spouse’s death No. Yes.
Tax-efficient for qualified retirement plan and IRA assets Not ideal. May lose maximum “stretch” potential; requires careful trust drafting to qualify. Yes. Spouse could do rollover and select new beneficiaries.
Recognized for state estate tax planning Yes, but additional planning is required if state exclusion is less than federal exclusion. No. No state tax at first death because of marital deduction, but value is subject to state taxes at second death.
Asset growth shielded from estate tax Yes. No.
Controls asset disposition during surviving spouse’s lifetime Yes. No.
Controls asset disposition at surviving spouse’s death Yes. No.
Creditor protection Yes, although this may vary depending on trust terms and state law. No.
Ability to “lock in” at first death (i.e., nonforfeitable) Yes. No. Transferred exclusion may be lost if surviving spouse remarries and new spouse dies.
Estate tax return filing required at first death Only if estate of first spouse to die exceeds $5,450,000. Yes, regardless of estate size.
Ensures future probate avoidance Yes, for amount in credit shelter trust. No (although surviving spouse could take other planning steps to avoid probate).
I thought I could leave everything to my spouse without incurring estate taxes. Why not just do that? It’s true that you can leave an unlimited amount to your spouse with no estate tax due to the unlimited marital deduction. However, this simply defers the estate tax problem until the second spouse dies. If nothing is done, the surviving spouse will only have one exclusion available, and everything above that amount will be subject to estate tax. For married couples with estates valued at more than $5,450,000, it’s important to either do credit shelter trust planning or make a portability election to avoid paying unnecessary estate taxes at the second death.
What assets are counted in determining my taxable estate? Basically, everything you own or control is counted as part of your taxable estate. This includes investment assets, real estate, IRAs and retirement plans, and the death benefits from life insurance that you own.
Do I have to choose between credit shelter planning or portability? Can I use both? You can use both, but you can’t double up. You only have one $5,450,000 basic exclusion. You could apply some of that to fund the credit shelter trust and transfer any “left over” exclusion by making a portability election.
I already have credit shelter trust provisions in my will or living trust, do I need to do anything else? Just having the language in your document is not enough because some assets are not governed by your will or trust. For example, assets held in joint tenancy automatically pass directly to the surviving joint tenant, not to the credit shelter trust. Assets with a beneficiary designation (retirement plans, IRAs, annuities, life insurance) will pass directly to the named beneficiary. To ensure that your estate plan operates as expected, it’s important to talk with your attorney about the best way to structure asset titling and beneficiary designations.
As the estate tax applicable exclusion changes, will I need to change my will or trust? If you choose to do credit shelter trust planning, your attorney can draft your trust to take advantage of the applicable exclusion available in the year of your death, whatever that may be. So usually, it is not necessary to amend your estate planning documents each time the exclusion changes.
Does the credit shelter trust have to pay out all income to the surviving spouse? No. This is the most common provision, but you can permit the trustee to “sprinkle” income among your spouse, children, grandchildren and any other beneficiaries, or to accumulate income if beneficiaries do not need it.
Can the surviving spouse get principal from the credit shelter trust? Yes. Most credit shelter trusts permit the surviving spouse to have access to principal. You can set the standards under which the trustee may distribute the principal.
Can the surviving spouse be the trustee of the credit shelter trust? Yes, with one important condition: If the surviving spouse is also the trustee, the spouse’s ability to pay principal to himself or herself must be limited by an “ascertainable standard.” For example, a provision that lets the surviving spouse distribute principal for “health, education, maintenance or support” would be acceptable.
Can the surviving spouse have any control over the ultimate disposition of the credit shelter trust? Yes, but it must be limited. The surviving spouse cannot have a “general power of appointment” (complete control over the disposition of trust principal with the ability to leave it to anyone). But if you wish, you may give your spouse a “limited power of appointment” (for example, the power to direct how trust principal will be distributed to children and grandchildren but no power to make distributions outside of that limited group).
When the surviving spouse dies, what happens to assets remaining in the credit shelter trust? Do they have to be distributed outright at that point? When you create your trust, your attorney can include provisions directing how you want any remaining principal to be distributed after the death of the second spouse. You can direct an outright distribution to beneficiaries or direct that assets remain in trust.
How does the credit shelter trust work in a community property state? In a community property state, each spouse is regarded as owning one-half of all assets acquired during the marriage. When one spouse dies, his or her estate includes the deceased spouse’s separate property and one-half of the community property. The credit shelter trust would be funded out of the deceased spouse’s estate.
I live in a state where the exemption from state estate taxes is smaller than the federal exemption. How does this affect my decisions? Currently, the states that have their own estate tax do not recognize the portability election. So portability is not a desirable option if you live in one of these states. Credit shelter planning can be helpful, but some special planning may be needed. For example, if you live in a state where the state’s estate tax exclusion is lower than the federal exclusion, full funding of the credit shelter trust could result in some state-level estate tax being due at the first spouse’s death. It’s important to talk with an attorney in your state about how to deal with this situation because what is “best” can vary widely depending on state tax laws and the specifics of your particular situation.
Can I write my will to “command” my executor to make a portability election after my death? The only way to get the tax benefit is to file an estate tax return on time and actually make the election. Ask your attorney about whether your will should include a direction, recommendation or reminder for the executor.
If I use the portability strategy, can I control how my spouse uses my applicable exclusion? No. You could create a marital trust to impose some control over how the surviving spouse uses the property that is transferred, but that does not control how he or she uses the exclusion. If you want to control who gets the benefit of your exclusion, talk to your attorney about using credit shelter trust planning or planning with lifetime gifts in trust.
If the estate of the first spouse to die is worth less than $5,450,000, does a portability election transfer his or her unused basic exclusion? Yes. For example: Edward has a $1 million taxable estate. He is married to Frances, who has a $6 million taxable estate. Edward dies and leaves all of his assets to his children from a prior marriage; this uses up $1 million of his applicable exclusion, and $4,450,000 is left unused. Edward’s executor can file a portability election that transfers his unused exclusion to Frances. She now has $9,900,000 in available exclusions – her own $5,450,000 and $4,450,000 transferred from Edward.
What if we don’t have a taxable estate now? Could it still make sense to plan on setting up a credit shelter trust to take effect at the first death or to make a portability election after one spouse dies? Possibly. These planning strategies might still be worth considering if you don’t have an estate tax problem now but believe one could exist in the future. For example: George has a $2 million taxable estate. His wife, Helen, has a $2,800,000 taxable estate. Helen is an only child, and her elderly mother, Irene, has a $3 million taxable estate that she intends to leave to Helen.
Today, George and Helen have a combined net worth of $4,800,000. Even without considering the future inheritance, they might want to consider including credit shelter trusts in their estate plans if they believe that growth in their estates is likely to bring their combined net worth above $5,450,000.
There will also be situations where it is wise to incur the expense of filing an estate tax return at the first death, even if this does not produce any immediate tax savings. In our example, although George and Helen do not currently have a taxable estate, a portability election — if still available — could play an important role in helping to avoid or reduce estate taxes. For example, assume that George dies and leaves all his assets to Helen. This leaves her with a $4,800,000 taxable estate, which is still below the current applicable exclusion. It would be easy to skip the portability election, since, even after George’s death, Helen does not have a taxable estate. But if George’s executor has the foresight to make a portability election, Helen would then have $10,900,000 in available exclusions — her own $5,450,000 “basic exclusion” and $5,450,000 transferred from George. If Helen later receives a $3 million inheritance from her mother, her $7,800,000 estate would be fully protected from estate tax. If the portability election was not made, George and Helen’s children would potentially face estate taxes because her taxble estate would be greater than her applicable exclusion.
What if estate tax laws change? Should I wait to plan until we know what tax laws will be in the future? Tax laws are constantly changing. If you put off planning until “after the next round of tax law changes,” you may never begin. It makes sense to put a plan in place now but build in flexibility to respond to future tax law changes.
This information is provided for informational purposes only. The solutions discussed may not be suitable for your personal situation, even if it is similar to the example presented. Our firm does not provide legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your own tax and legal advisors before taking any action that could have tax consequences. Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state.
Is Credit Shelter Trust Planning Right for You? | 2019-04-20T06:45:40Z | https://www.eagleclawcapital.com/info-resources/credit-shelter-trusts-and-portability.html |
The year was 1932 and the Great Depression was taking its toll on the majority of the world’s inhabitants. After losing his job, Ole Kirk did what any sane man would in his situation — he began his wooden toy business. Initially, his venture was having a hard time making money, as one might expect due to the unfortunate circumstances. Keeping cost efficient designs in mind, he focused his efforts on simple wooden blocks, ducks, and tractors.
Then, things took a turn for the better and Denmark’s economy slowly but surely bounced back. The children loved Kristiansen’s wooden toys so much that his business started to prosper. Then his son, Godtfred, joined the company. Several wood factory fires later, they acquired a plastic injection molding machine to open up new materials options in 1947. It was a few years after this that we saw the inevitable system begin to take place. The LEGO system entails perfectly sized and shaped blocks that all fit together to create an ideal world. The system is still very much active in the LEGO design, and it will continue to be until the end of time. However, the end of Ole Kirk’s time came too soon. What he left behind for his son was the beginnings of a toy empire.
Initially, the plastic LEGO blocks that came out were not interlocking. Can you imagine LEGO blocks today not snapping together? There would never be the issue of the tiny flat pieces snapping together for eternity. Alas, it was figured out rather quickly that they needed to engineer a more sturdy design so that the block creations would not be destroyed by siblings so easily. In 1958, the same year that the father of LEGO ended up dying, they submitted the patent for an interlocking plastic LEGO block. Three years later it was approved, and they had lift-off. Fast forward three more years, and manuals started showing up in LEGO kits. The kits were becoming progressively more complicated, to the point that children would have a harder time figuring out how to build the bloody thing without the manual. This increase in difficulty for specific kits perhaps increased the enjoyment once the kit was complete; as we all know, the harder it is to do something, the more satisfying it is when you do it. The addition of the interlocking feature in the bricks truly was the turning point for the toy.
In the early 70’s, Godtfred’s son, Kjeld, joined the family business. He created a research and development center that was essential to updating the LEGO kits as time went on. The designs of the kits kept evolving, and research showed that additional parts needed to be created to bring the sets to life even more. The next revolutionary addition to the LEGO toys was the minifigure, shown to the left. These adorable smiling figures truly brought the LEGO scenes to life, which is the whole point of this company.
As I am sure most LEGO buffs already know, the word “LEGO” comes from the Danish words leg and godt, literally meaning “play well”. This phrase encapsulates the company almost as much as their official slogan, det bedste er ikke for godt, or “only the best is the best”. But how does it work, anyway? Is it LEGO? Legos? Eggo? The grammatical confusion of how to properly write the word LEGO — both singular and plural — has frustrated a surprising amount of people. It seems that the LEGO authorities want the form of the adjective to always be singular and capitalized. Lots of American citizens, on the other hand, seem to enjoy practicing their freedom of English speech and use a plural form of the word un-capitalized. The fight on how to display the word seems to be never-ending, for some reason. Maybe it’s just because people like to argue for the sake of arguing (we’re looking at you, commenters).
LEGO has a way of catering to its customers. If you don’t have the 4016 piece LEGO Death Star proudly assembled on your coffee table right now, then can you really call yourself a true Star Wars fan? One of the many reasons that the LEGO Group was — and still is — so successful is because they knew how to evolve when times changed. Their core beginnings were very simple, but as the toy business grew more complex, so did their marketing strategies. How many of you have a LEGO Millennium Falcon sitting at home? A LEGO Indiana Jones Temple Escape set? What about the LEGO Ghostbusters Firehouse Headquarters? I am willing to bet that at least one of our readers has each of these. Let me know in the comments if I’m wrong. Alternatively, are there any antique LEGO Space Shuttles out there? A classic castle set, perhaps? These are two of the most iconic LEGO sets ever created, and the company admits to often going back to these bread and butter kits for stability. The LEGO Group does a very good job of integrating both of these components into their model to ensure that the company will continue on while being able to take risks.
The 1998 LEGO Mindstorms series is the best-selling LEGO line of all time. Instead of selling to kids, the majority of buyers for this specific product were PhD students and professional coders that wanted to mess with them, at least at first. However as time has progressed, this has been an invaluable learning tool for students and adults alike. Homebrew interfaces and designs were created, physical modifications were made, and bricks were “bricked”. We featured an article earlier about a LEGO exoskeleton controlling a robot that uses a LEGO Mindstorms NXT system. Before that even, the FIRST LEGO League was created. It draws students in to hack the Mindstorms and get more comfortable with hardware/software in general. Learning about robotics/computer science for the first time can be daunting, but it’s a lot easier when working with something you’re comfortable with. Who isn’t comfortable with LEGO?
The LEGO Group has effectively made its presence known to all the far reaches of the world, but none of that would have been possible without the ingenuity and sincerity of Kjeld, his father Godtfred, and his father’s father Ole Kirk Kristiansen. Their goal of giving every child the opportunity to have a meaningful playtime is being achieved everyday by the company that they built from the ground up.
I just got the new Lego Bugatti Chiron for father’s day, holy crap have LEGOs come a long way.
I was given a LEGO Ferrari F-40 for my birthday a couple of years ago. I love it too much to open it!
Top marks for the proper use of ‘Lego’ in your writeup.
They didn’t mention the lego trains that grow to fill people yards.
Holy Mother of God! That’s super awesome!
I should have taken Dramamine before watching that!
I’m guessing that person works at LEGO, or has an unbelievable amount of “disposable cash”!
Some time in the mid to lat ’60’s, my parents got these for me… They were sort of LEGO’s poor American cousin. Similar in concept, but made out of a different plastic, and with thinner walls. And unlike LEGO’s, they were prone to breaking in a way that would prevent stacking them together. There must have been some kind of subscription model involved because ever now and again, my parents would give me a new “idea sheet” that would have an overview of new designs that could be built.
1960 having graduated from Lincoln Logs we had those red bricks without modern accents, just postwar uniformity. They could be somewhat agile, I remember making a tall Pentagon. Then came Skyline girder and panel plastic high-rises, Bauhaus style.
I remember that game. Because there was a licensed toy from American Bricks (Playskool?) named “Estralandia” in South America in the 80’s. They were pretty common in that time due to imports ban policy of the government. I still have some bricks, don’t know where ..
In the 1970’s Lego introduced a set of gear wheels (3 sizes) with axles and blocks with holes to take those axles. The wheels could also be attached to the Lego motor. Anyway, that gear set was the best Lego set I ever had. Literally hundreds of hours of play.
I had a couple awesome LEGO Technic sets. One was a dunebuggy with a piston engine and working differential, and the other was some construction equipment with pneumatic actuators. There are some really cool sets out there.
I bought the dune buggy (assembled) at a thrift store, yes, cool!
It also came with some kind of swamp boat (propeller and rudder) also cool!
The propeller was rotated through gears attached to wheels underneath the boat.
In spain we had TENTE, another brick game. In fact, LEGO demanded Exin, the owner of TENTE, but loosed the trial because the interlock system was completely different. In fact it was even better, because it allowed to interconnect pieces in odd ways.
There’s a flashback for me. Growing up in Canada, I somehow ended up with a Tente set that made a tour bus. This would have been late 70’s early 80’s. Totally forgot about that. Since it wasn’t compatible with my LEGO sets, it languished in the toy box and eventually disappeared.
Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs. Waiting for the invention of ABS.
Or plain ol’ wooden building blocks!
As a grown up, you can still play with TinkerToys; but we call it Creform. Check it out, use it at work all the time.
I came across a nice video of the history of LEGO.
Strictly speaking, it says “the best is not too good”.
If that was at LEGO, why aren’t there pieces on the table for employees to play with?
A local brew pub here has small plastic tubs with LEGO pieces for their patrons to use while waiting for their burgers to arrive.
LEGO TECHNICS was the push point. Classic brick only went so far. Adding the ability of mechanics and mechanisms dragged the platform to more than static ‘blocky’ models. Suddenly a roll a round mockup of car had working steering, drivetrain, active suspension, simulated piston motor, sleek body style and on. All in a tool-less assembly advantage. Easy to keep clean (washable disinfectant capable) water resistant basic build elements answered complaints of other build systems. Plastic smell was more acceptable then zinc or nickel plated metal too. Stainless steel in modern metal sets attempted to answer but still a metalic smell remains and tools required. Wood material having its own list of failings.
With addition of electric little motor and Gear set LEGO had Finally began to compete with Erector and Meccano and the various other metal building sets in realistic functioning models.
Furthering LEGO to its’ present standing was the inclusion of microcontroller with sensors and simple drag and drop Graphical User Interface.
Keyed interface ports and Smart Servos with rate/position and force feedback simplified the design so as to let those who could’nt put the batteries in a IR TV remote in proper orientation to design working complex programmable machines.
It should be said that I started this rant with a single line of ‘Erector still rules ‘ and something about real programmers dont use drag and drop, but afternoon coffee took hold.
I’ve washed LEGO pieces in the top rack of a dishwasher and in a washing machine. Put them in a mesh bag typical of those used to launder “unmentionables”. If in a washing machine, include clothes, or towels.
I dishwasher can get too hot. I’d recommend putting the stuff in one of those washbags, then put the washbag inside a pillowcase (or even better a bag sewn from some old towels) then putting it in the (clothes) washing machine at a low heat (30 degrees or even just cold) on a delicates cycle, centrifuge at low speed.
When you buy LEGO at thrift stores, you might want to wash them before playi^H^H^H^H^H working with them.
Ah yes, the good old times, when LEGO consisted of bricks, and not four pieces of weirdly shaped plastic that can’t be assembled any other way than the instruction says.
Agreed – that was when LEGO “jumped the shark”.
Maybe it is available somewhere, but I’d like to be able to buy in one box/bag, a company/platoon of Clone/Storm Trooper mini-figures!
Agreed. It felt like cheating and was frustrating at the same time. I see the kits nowdays which are impressive but also feel a bit overdone and soulless.
I have all my LEGO (less lost pieces). Used them in university in the early 90’s for a astronomy project, used them a few years ago to POC a 3D printer idea (never materialized). Will keep them until they pry them from my cold dead hands.
Was worried when some of the sets starting coming with overly specialized pieces that were too specific. The more generic the better. The sets with a few large pieces that were clearly some kind of trademark campaign struck me as a sell out – the point of the pieces imo was to encourage kids to create. Not just another snap together pre-fabbed doll house.
TECHNICS and the Mindstorm NXT series restored my faith in the direction of the LEGO system.
The Engineering “club” from a Milwaukee university, often sets up tables of LEGO pieces under a large tent at several festivals throughout the summer.
Two years ago, I went around to all the tables picking up roof/shingle pieces to build a couple of buildings..
We spent six months in Copenhagen starting in the fall of 1964, so we must have found Lego there. Just few years after the patent for the plastic Lego. I can’t really remember before Lego, or even how we found it.
There was a clear brick with tiny bulb inside, hooked to some odd battery type that seemed specific to Denmark. I assume we got it there, but maybe after we came back. What I remember is not big able to light it up, no battery.
I had a Meccano set later but it was never as useful. Though maybe we had a larger Lego collection, making it easier to build with it.
I also had that light bulb brick. it was intended to be hooked up to the Lego battery holder which was just a expensive box for a 4.5V battery.
Believe that 4.5V battery was a standard Euro bicycle light battery. Oval cross section with two long springy contacts coming off the top?
That’s 3LR12 or 3R12 battery.
+1 for using the 3909!
At 5:09 in the video that’s Sandra Dickinson (Trillion in the TV HHGtG) if I’m not mistaken.
You don’t trip over LEGO it’s designed to lay on the floor with the sharpest hardest point uppermost. Lying in the darkness ready to stab the soles of your feet in the early hours of the morning….
K’nex have the better reputation of foot friendliness but not aS cool as LEGO. K’nex have their own STEM/Robot setup. For proper foot gouging Gilbert Erector or clone of same era. Right angle caltrop goodness and screws can remarkably mess up impeller /belt on vacuum cleaner.
i used to have most of those 80s and 90s space sets. unfortunately i gave them to my sister and she didnt take very good care of them. lost a lot of pieces, destroyed many others, and ended up giving them away (literally thousands of dollars worth). i was pissed off about this and never gave my sister another thing since then. fortunately i kept most of the technic and mindstorms sets separately and i still have those.
My Lego sets from the late ’70s work perfectly with my daughter’s Lego sets of today. That is the definition of holding quality to specification…. Saw a really good Lego documentary recently. I think it was on Netflix or PBS.
Like Marconi and Edison’s most known inventions, Lego bricks were based on earlier work.
Yes I was going to bring this up too, since the “history lesson” left this rather material issue out.
That made my feet get sore again.
…. now that the kids are gone…. DO NOT TRHOW THEM OUT.
… they make great microwave and coffee pot stands. Real useful around the kitchen. In the living room the remote control finally has a good home. Easy to make adjustable monitor stands.
Need a B-day gift for one of the neighborhood kids? Give ’em on of the banker’s boxes of legos out of storage. The parent’s will remember you forever!
Anyone else remember when Technic was called Expert Builder?
My first experience with Lego was in the late 70s when I was just 5 or 6. I had been given a small set consisting of a few blocks, a couple of axles and wheels, and some slanted pieces. I was hooked! By the time I was 12 I had literally thousands of Lego bricks of all types. That was about the time that I received an Expert Builder set of an automobile chassis (set #8860), complete with steering, spring suspension, a 3-speed transmission, and a 4-cylinder boxer engine with square pistons. I had endless fun building, modifying, tearing down, and re-building that set. By using the principles I learned from it, I built many other Lego car models over the years, often expanding on one mechanism or another in the process (such as when I spent weeks trying to figure out a front wheel drive system that included steering and spring suspension).
Most of my old Lego bricks are still around, but are in the possession of my 25 year old son.
The Expert Builder set you mentioned is interesting, especially with suspension and rear engine. I had (and still have) set 956, which is longer with engine in front, but has no working suspension.
Square pistons! That certainly was a “boxer” engine!
I have to point out that “det bedste er ikke for godt” actually means “the best is not too good”.
The translation “the best is not too good” is a bit ambiguous–out of context, it might be taken to mean “even the best is bad”. I’m guessing “the best can still be improved” might be closer to the original meaning.
I just love the Saturn V set, made a little launch shelf with ‘animation’ next to my desk.
Many of Lego’s patents are expired.
the tolerances are often too close for 3D printing.
That said (written), HaD had an article years ago about someone printing blocks that adapted various construction pieces (e.g. tinkertoys, lincoln logs, lego, erector sets) together.
Megabloks from here in Montreal is compatible, and survived a court challenge, at least when it is selling here in Canada The Lego entry at Wikipedia covers this.
You forgot the bit of the story where Kirk Kristiansen stole the idea from Hilary Fisher Page who first created the bricks at Kiddicraft in the 1940s. They copied the design without licence when they bought their first injection moulding machine.
I recall having tinker toys, Lincoln logs and even an erector set, but no Lego; should I feel deprived? | 2019-04-25T09:42:30Z | https://hackaday.com/2018/06/26/ole-kirk-kristiansen-and-the-lego-frontier/ |
Sonder, A Story is a transmedia narrative about identifying with people on our periphery. This project addresses how human connections can be made through everyday experiences. We encounter people randomly or sometimes have contact with someone on a regular basis but fail to know who they are. The term 'sonder' encompasses the realization that every passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own. This story reveals the narratives of liminal figures among four people in a neighborhood in Queens, NY. These people are an art student (the author), a taxi driver from Bangladesh, a laundry lady from Mexico, and a Chinese couple running a 99cent store. All figures unknowingly lead interconnected lives until their conversations lead them to discover connections in the same community.
The formats of the story are a written web documentary, print artifacts including tickets and receipts that are the reminisce of brief encounters, and physical mechanisms reflective of the services that hold the print artifacts. While technology brings new possibilities for connections, or increasing exclusivity, this project reminds us that we are responsible for what becomes hidden. This project asks a critical design question of the tangibility of technology in the physical environment in which we live and interact with one another.
The word sonder is the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. It is a term from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a compendium of made-up words written by John Koenig. Each original definition aims to fill a hole in language, to give a name to an emotion we all feel but don't have a word for.
How did it begin? It began with who she was, from a young girl wanting to connect. How would she reconcile the mixture of multiple ethnic identities, being all and none of them at the same time? She sought out others, in the hope that by understanding them, she would understand herself. A bit of an idealist, she believed that if people could understand each other just a little bit more, then they could treat one another better. It was not an ideal plan to save the world, just an ideal idea--that was a gesture, a point of paying attention that might alter a perspective of the world.
Because she was often misunderstood, she felt she had something in common with others who were also misunderstood. The 'others' in the world who didn't quite fit, who could be everything and nothing at the same time, just like her. The people around her that existed almost invisibly, who day in and day out worked the same jobs but that made daily life possible.
She placed emphasis on her environment. The environment that shapes who you are and how you are perceived. She studied it, she made many projects on it, which some called 'very socially-conscious'. She was a 'social designer', as if that was different. In fact she was only on a search for revealing identity, working through her identity with those who were also working through theirs.
She travelled the world doing her projects and in the process tried to understand herself better. In seeing the cultures of her roots, while she was enlightened, she still did not belong completely to them. After years of travelling the world, she came 'home' with the conclusion that while she could get some answers, they were not all the answers to who she was. Who she was, was its own manifestation. Her identity was a synthesis that neither she nor anyone could ever fully define. She could not break the parts, they were not distinguishable. She was just who she was. And she learned to be satisfied with that--at least to some degree.
She wasn't afraid to talk to people, though some thought she was shy. She could walk up to strangers on the street and strike a conversation, and she could listen long enough to hear what they had to say. In the place where she lived, no one was actually from there. Everyone was from somewhere else, which fascinated her, because while they were from everywhere they had the identity of that somewhere from which they came. Yet they were all here, in her 'home'. This made the 'home', the place that was also like her, everything and a mystery that drove her curiosity to the point of making a new project about the identity of others which formed that place that was so undefinable, which perhaps could never be fully defined. But the search could provide at least some insight that would make the people and place worth seeking. It was a project worth doing.
In an urban environment she felt reduced to the interactions of routine--buying this and buying that. There had to be more to the meaning of her day-to-day life. Through short-lived encounters, there were hidden stories to be revealed. Could these stories be subtly part of our everyday world, giving meaning to the banality of routine, illuminating the banal everyday? If she could reveal her routine world through the people in it that she hardly knew, perhaps she could better define, or redefine what her 'home' is. She felt her identity on the brink of another shift, about to mold into a new definition of what would become also her, which was who she had been mixed with who she was now.
Sadar waits in his taxi to pick up his wife in front of Stop & Shop, a store in Queens, New York. They often go on these afternoon runs, tonight she's going to a their friend's home in Long Island City and must bring some gifts. Like those who welcomed them when they first came to the U.S., they are most hospitable to those who are now joining their Bangladeshi community.
It was not so long ago when they arrived, Sadar's wife won a lottery to come to the U.S. and Sadar left his job as a highly ranked lawyer to be with her. Upon arrival, Sadar took work as a pizza deliverer, until a friend in their community suggested he consider running his own taxi business. Driving a taxi has the freedom of flexible hours and provides a personal means of travel, like the trip he was on now taking his wife shopping.
Sadar sees his wife coming out of Stop & Shop. Walking by her is a woman who is holding many bags, too many to carry herself. Sadar's wife appears to recognize her and asks her if she needs help with the bags. The woman explains she has just come from the laundromat, she's dropping off clothes that were never picked up, some of these clothes will be sold to Stop & Shop, while others will end up on a rack in front of the 99cent store. Sadar and his wife help the woman drop off the bags at the front door from the parking lot.
It's almost 4pm, Sadar will start work at 5pm and wants to go home to eat something before his shift. Sadar and his wife go home to cook together, cutting the squash from the seeds they brought from Bangladesh now turned into a warm soup during the winter months of New York. Over their meal, they take pride in what they have, a simple and happy life in which they hope to soon fill with a family.
I walk out of my apartment after 5pm on the search to find someone new to know. I hail the first cab on Broadway in Queens. Sadar pulls up and I tell him I'm doing a project where I try to talk to people I encounter through my routines and tell their stories. Sadar tells me it's okay to talk to him and motions for me to get out of the street. In the taxi, I find out all the information I have told and am about to tell. The taxi destination becomes one big drive around the block, making stops to all the places Sadar spends his own time. A mosque he prays at, the Bangladeshi grocery store where he gets free newspapers, the outside of his home, another mosque, the halal stand he gets late night food from--all within a few miles of my apartment.
I could not find someone more different from me, a Muslim man who I might meet as part of a regular routine in the city, but would never normally have insight into his life. Not as a taxi driver, but as a person, literally a neighbor who I share the same urban existence with.
Sadar explains to me that he prays at the end of his shift, 7am at the mosque on Steinway Street. After his shift, Sadar goes home, watches YouTube, gets some shuteye, wakes to take his wife on errands, cook and do it all over again. This is the routine of Sadar. Based on his routine, I ask Sadar if he can think of someone he might encounter but doesn't know. At first Sadar draws a blank, of course how could he think of someone he only subconsciously knows. How could you remember someone invisible? Then Sadar remembers there was a woman from a laundromat who he helped at Stop & Shop earlier in the day. As I exit the taxi, I pay Sadar a fare for driving in circles and thank him for the lead.
The laundry spins all around Bertha as she attempts to scrape chewing gum off a client's shirt. Sometimes this job is gross, but at least she has flexible hours to spend with her children, her eldest being a daughter she's helping to put through pharmacy school.
Bertha first came to New York to be with her husband, also from Mexico, who sells hot dogs from a pushcart by the Statue of Liberty. Upon arrival, Bertha found a job working for a Greek businessman opening a laundromat, the Triangle Laundromat, named so because of the shape of its floor plan, at an intersection near 31st Avenue. The laundromat changed hands and fifteen years later, Bertha and her sister took over the laundromat as their own business.
Like Sadar, Bertha has her own grocery store to buy ingredients from her country. The Mexican grocery store on Broadway is where she frequents, though she cooks authentic Mexican food primarily for her and her husband. Bertha's children have grown up more American and choose burgers over her tamales. I for one would love to try her home cooking. Bertha invites me to have breakfast with her and her daughter. We exchange phone numbers and make plans to meet the next week on Steinway Street.
On Steinway Street, Bertha's daughter has chosen for us to have breakfast at a doughnut shop. We order and the three of us discuss living in Queens. The daughter and I talk about school, Bertha tells me about her home in Mexico. Bertha's hometown is a small rural town where she lived minimally. Bertha's mother died at a young age and she grew up taking care of her siblings. When her husband came to New York, he was able to bring the family over one member at a time, living at first in a one room apartment with eight to ten people. Eventually with some income, pure hard work and saving, Bertha and her husband were able to rent their own apartment, having enough space to form their own home.
Bertha says that now when she visits Mexico, she actually sees her country. When she lived in Mexico, she rarely left her town. But now, with her own business at the laundromat Bertha can take her family on vacation to see places like Oaxaca and Cancun. Bertha now realizes the beauty of her country and has a higher appreciation for her cultural roots.
One day, Bertha puts clothes into a dryer when cash falls out of a pair of pants. Bertha picks up the wad of cash, exactly $348. Thinking the client will come within a day to pick up his laundry, Bertha keeps the cash in a drawer by the register. Except the client doesn't come. Bertha looks for his phone number on the laundry ticket, but he only gave his name. A month passes and the client finally comes to pick up his laundry. Oblivious to his loss, Bertha pulls out the $348 and tells him she found it in his pair of pants. Bertha is perplexed as to why he would not even notice what he had lost, perhaps he did but as time passed he must have forgotten.
This client was not the only one who was late to pick up his laundry. I confess I only drop off my laundry about once per month. Bertha says she already knows this about me. A moment of a routine errand for me is a regular insight to her about my persona, right down to my underwear. In this sense, I perceive my investigation as a one-way path, a necessity to unveil a stranger who has already formed her own observations about me.
In the corner of the laundromat a pile of lost laundry bags sit. Eventually the unclaimed clothes pile up to the point where the laundromat can no longer keep them. After about six months, Bertha collects the bags and drops them off at Stop & Shop and the 99cent store. The 99cent store is not far from my apartment, I pass it daily walking home from the subway. I ask Bertha if she knows the person who works at the 99cent store, she is acquainted with him but only knows him in the context of a business transaction. As I walk Bertha to the laundromat from Steinway Street, I mull over another encounter in both of our routines to seek out. I wave bye to Bertha until the next time I come in with my laundry.
The unclaimed clothes from the laundromat fill a rack on the sidewalk looking for new owners in the passersby who rarely stop to notice. Most of the clothes look plain, since it is raining I see each has been carefully covered with a plastic bag to prevent further damaging their plainness.
From the rack outside the 99cent store I enter to find an overwhelming amount of merchandise packed tightly in the small store. Compartments of trinkets, notebooks and supplies cover the walls on all sides while umbrellas and balloons hang down from the ceiling. Only a small space to pass in front of the cash register remains clear. There in a camouflage sweatshirt, as though he is hidden among the jungle of junk, sits Gong.
Gong sits quietly behind the register, waiting for a customer to approach him. Every time I have been in the store he gives me a nod of acknowledgement. This time I'm in the store to find out more about who he is. I explain the lead from Bertha and he nods like he knows who I'm talking about. But then Gong surprises me by telling me that while he also recognizes me, his wife told him I'm a regular customer at the Chinese takeout across the street. I had no idea there was a connection between the 99cent store and the Chinese takeout across the street, beyond perhaps a community of Chinese in this part of Queens.
It hits me that the people in my neighborhood have been gossiping, I've been found out and I no longer need to justify my seemingly random actions. I'm further convinced that my neighbors must already be in on it because a week before I considered talking more in depth with my postman, who informed me that he heard there was a girl living around here who was doing a similar project. Sudden pause--I watch my postman's expression change into the realization that the source of the gossip is me standing right in front of him. I decided at that moment not to inquire any further with the postman, it felt like I had made a joke that was actually on me all along. Nevertheless, my postman informed me that if I wanted to interview him, he passes around 12:30 every Tuesday and Thursday. I thanked him and then scuddled back into my apartment.
Gong's wife Lin walks into the 99cent store, we recognize each other and are friendly in greeting one another. Gong tells me she runs the Chinese takeout while he runs the 99cent store. Gong's family members were already in Queens when he arrived at eighteen from southern China. In Queens, he met Lin, a very pleasant talkative Chinese woman who was also joining her family in Queens. Lin explains that their mutual friend told them to get together, so they just did. The two have a very straightforward lifestyle, everything is about work. Gong and Lin explain that their work is driven by the goal to begin their own family. For the most part the two stay in the neighborhood, though they occasionally go to Flushing to visit friends. On their off time, they go for walks in Astoria Park nearby. A wide open green under two bridges is the only place that our routines cross.
I finish documenting the 99cent store when Lin invites me over to the Chinese takeout to document her cooking noodles in a giant wok. I photograph Lin, receive about ten fortune cookies from her, and then go on my way, knowing I will be back in again as one of her regular customers.
The mail arrives at 12:30 on Tuesday. There's a letter from my landlord addressed to my sister to renew the lease on our apartment. After two years of living together, my name has not been added to the lease, causing an inconvenience in planning to take over the apartment within the coming year. My sister and I decide to hold a meeting with the landlord, in which she endearingly pulls out a message she has saved from two years ago, the landlord praising my credit score as the best he has ever seen. Nevermind that I also work hard and save, my landlord looks at me with only one line: "As I recall, you don't have a full-time job." I inform him that I work part-time and I am finishing graduate school. "What school do you go to again?" he asks. I say "Parsons". His only response, "Oh...ART". I've been branded as a poor struggling artist, another other not worth his time.
In that moment, I decide with or without the lease, it is time to move on. What I was defining as my 'home' has once again been overturned to be redefined. I have one month to relocate my place of residence, unsure of where I will end up next.
The encounters with Sadar, Bertha, Gong and Lin will unexpectedly cease, any meaningful connection that has been established will be cut. Our relationships and identity are defined only in those brief moments of knowing one another. And it was those moments that defined real value. It was what it was, and I could only make the most out of where I was. Living without taking things for granted, to appreciate as much as possible, while I cannot say I deeply know the characters of this story, I can say with definite affirmation that it was worth understanding them as much as I could. It was worth it because it made me human. The urban drudgery, the banality of everyday transactions was intercepted with the question of what if I knew just a little bit more. If the story of a person is made visible in even the slightest way, they could be better understood, a small but genuine connection could be made in a physical environment among an ephemeral community. By approaching my neighbors I also became in a way a connection, if at the very least a point of neighborhood gossip. To me, that was something because it catalyzed curiosity, and an interest in discovering more about what surrounds me. If I created the same interest in my neighbors, then I considered this project accomplished.
Sonder, A Story is a Parsons The New School MFA Design & Technology thesis project by Clarisa Diaz. All mediums of this project were conceptualized and produced by Clarisa Diaz.
Thank you to Sadar, Bertha, Gong and Lin for their permission to be part of this project, and making this story what it is.
Above all I thank my parents and sister Jessica for their love. Louisa Campbell for her positive outlook and editorial wisdom, Michael Keller for his continued encouragement and support, Katherine Moriwaki, Aisen Caro Chacin, and Liza Stark for opening my mind to computational craft, Nick Fortugno for helping me define this project and feeding my curiosity with resources, Mani Nilchiani for the party breaks, Lynn Maharas for the laughs, Noa Dolberg for reminding me that I am who I always was, Salome Asega for our many conversations, Patricio Gonzalez Vivo for his compatriotism, Apon Palanuwech for the memorable trip to Home Depot, Mauricio Sanchez for the emergency laser cutter, Susse Sonderby Jensen for the printmaking session, my bros at NYPL Labs for being awesome, and many friends who I would all like to thank for their sincerity and support through the thesis process. Thanks to David Carroll for introducing me to the MFA DT program and valuable feedback from Lucille Tenazas, Sven Travis, Jamie Kosoy, Scott Pobinor, John Sharp, and Melanie Crean which all helped inform this project. | 2019-04-25T10:48:40Z | https://www.clarisadiaz.com/Sonder/ |
It can be used for sure, but there are better options. A knife would require you to be very close to the dog, whilst a stick or pepper spray would provide much greater distance between you and the threat.
Pepper spray is used by the US Postal Service, and they have lots of experience with dog bites.
Of course, if you can avoid aggressive dogs in the first place, that's better still.
If you fight a dog with a knife, even if you manage to kill it or make it run away, you will likely get a few bites and scratches. Having a stick or pepper spray is a much better option, as it gives you a range advantage. Please note, that carrying a stick or a pepper spray (and even more often, a knife) inside a city might be illegal, depending on where you are. In the outdoors, a stick and pepper spray are usually more legal, but check the laws in your jurisdiction.
even if deaf dogs are unaffected, if a whole pack attacks you (stray dogs usually either travel in packs, or don't attack when they are alone), making the majority of the pack run away in fear usually scares those away who would have been unaffected by the ultrasounds.
knowing that you have it with you will bolster your confidence, which by itself is a good deterrent. Dogs are very good at reading human emotions, and they are more likely to attack those who are afraid.
Knife is not a good idea. It does not give an understandable warning to an animal. When it comes to a warning, they more likely understand a stick-shaped thing. So for carrying, light telescopic baton is more suitable (or any other stick you can comfortably carry around). Remember, at the first place, you want to repel oncoming animal, not to harm it.
Also, besides the limited range of the knife you can be facing legislation problems. In addition to those problems mentioned in other answers, in my country there is a complex legislation "Animal is not a thing" which may lead to a criminal investigation in case when you caused injury to an animal (most prominently to a dog). You may be able to prove that you needed to defend yourself, but you will need to go through the process anyway. I think it is not worth it.
The way to go is to use ultrasonic dog repeller which has immediate effect as seen on many videos including for example this.
From personal experience with packs of stray dogs, especially coyotes, and also having some strange experience, carry a walking cane or staff (if you can).
Keeping this is mind, stay moving to wherever it is you’re going. Use your “command voice,” like “I see you dog.” And be mindful of your blind spots.
Avoid places, like alleyways or ravines, which limit your ability to choose where to go.
I’ve found that walking sticks, of any length from cane to staff, are globally acceptable, and allow you to rapidly switch between advancing dogs (or whatever) while keeping you moving.
I also agree that pepper spray, like many other answers state, is very effective. If possible, use pepper spray at range, and switch to the stick if close engagement is unavoidable.
Probably, but it's far from ideal. The reason you explicitly mention a knife is because you're a human who knows about knifes. You know they're sharp and they can hurt you and others. When someone near you takes out a knife, your flee or fight instinct might kick in, a dog that's about to attack you won't be scared off by your knife. The knife is not something they know as a threat.
Instead, you have to stoop to their level, use their own weapons against them. You're probably already familiar with one of theirs: sound. This is great, because it doesn't scare other people near you but when used right will scare the dog. As it happens, you probably already carry your delivery system with you: a mobile phone. The great thing about phones is that they can make sounds, many sounds, even sounds us humans can't make (very high or very low-frequency sounds). Another great thing is that this is very cheap, you already own the phone, all you need to do is search for an app aimed at making sounds that deter dogs for you phone.
I'm not going to promote a specific app here, but you should search for something like 'anti dog sound' in the app store for your phone. Then go to a few dogs (start with ones you know) and try it on them. If it works: great, if not: it only set you back a few moments of your time.
A knife is perfectly fine to make human attackers understand to better leave one alone, however a dog will not understand what "knife" means, nor what it does. having 1-2 plastic bags with dry dog or cat food in the pocket, which one can distribute when trying to get away, is the best strategy - because a) it does not involve any violence and b) stray dogs are corrupt and if you meet them more than once, they might still remember your mercy (they remember this for several years).
the only situation where violence against stray dogs is justified, is when they encircle one and prepare the attack. then one has to understand who the leader of the pack is, because when not neutralizing their leader, this will result in hospital - also in this situation dropping food yields higher chances of getting away without a scratch, than trying to kill one of them. unless grown up on a farm and knowing exactly how to do it, it might even be a delusion, that this might be an easy thing to do, because dogs aren't slow.
paying the duty is your best chance to trespass on their territory, when you have to (you're the intruder, not them). this just sometimes might lead to situations, where it can become difficult to get rid of them again, which is still better than violence - which they can only return with violence - and so violence should always be the very last resort, in pure self-defense. running a few times around the block and entering a few houses makes it impossible for them to track you down, even if they already knew where your apartment was.
they can smell your fear; that's exactly why dry food is a good approach. being seen (smelt) as provider for snacks is anytime better than being seen as possible prey. and if it really has to be a weapon, bolas should quite effectively body-stop a single dog... and one should consider rabies (that's why close-combat is an unpredictably dangerous situation). Concerning the suggesting to use pepper spray ...this works in both directions, which is merely depending in which direction the wind blows. do not turn your back on them and try to appear as large as possible. better save than sorry.
I've found tons of relevant behavioral studies (in German & English): https://www.wolfscience.at/en/research-at-wsc/publications/ and generally, one just cannot claim that a bear would be "highly collaborative with humans", which wolves and dogs are. and this collaborative behavior is exactly why collaborating with them is a pretty sane approach - and this is not feeding wild animals. read closely, I've wrote "when trying to get away", which implies that feeding them should not be the default - but it can help to take shortcuts on the way, which one otherwise would rather avoid.
I mean, other answers suggesting smashing the dog's skull receive up-votes... while answers, which can be backed up with a little research, that merely suggest common sense are being down-voted? this tells an awful lot about this community. stray dogs are still domestic animals. that humans do not consider them as pets, only because they don't have a name, does not matter.
The comparison to postal services is fitting, because territorial invasion is a huge factor... I'd still punch the postman, if he'd spray my dog, only to deliver an invoice, which by itself barely is sane - and only proofs, that some people refuse to realize, that they are the invaders, because they do not realize the territory claimed, eg. by a pack of stray dogs. if they follow one once, one can see where the borderline is, because this is exactly where they will leave off. I find it interesting, that a "trust in authority" answer is the most popular on "The Great Outdoors". SO is rather welcoming.
if you see stray dogs then ignore them and don't try to look in their eyes, they may follow you otherwise.
If dog(s) are barking at you then don't get nervous, just stay normal and don't try to run, if you run then they will run faster and may catch you and bite.
Now, if still you are in situation where stray dog are following you, running for you, or trying to bite you, then use bricks. Usually places having stray dogs also have bricks/Stones, make sure target the dog in the head with as much force you can and then run away.
If you have knife then use it or if pepper spray then better, the aim is to knockdown the dog so that you can run away.
Also if the dog is not seriously injured and still following you then it is better to jump into someone else's home/shop by climbing/jumping doors if need be.
In case dog killing is not allowed in your country then as suggested by other, always take High Intensity LED Lights, Pepper spray in your pocket.
I've had several experiences with aggressive dogs, usually while going for a run. It is impractical to carry a staff or cane while running and I'm even less interested in carrying a weapon.
Aggressive dogs off of the leash (i.e. careless owner lets dog off of leash because their dog 'never' bites).
Stray dogs (i.e. do not have owner).
Stop and turn to face them so they don't get an opportunity to bite me.
Yell aggressively at them. Make yourself big and intimidating. You want them (and their owner) to think that their dog is in danger. This will get the owner to get their crap together.
(Haven't had to do this yet) Kick dog in head.
With stray dogs (item 2), usually encountered in the woods, they generally seem skittish and yelling or throwing something at them keeps them back. Once again be cautious and don't turn your back to them.
I think knife would only be practical if the dog is biting you and won't let go. It is far better to avoid getting bit in the first place. I think kicking would keep it further from biting your face and neck then using a knife would.
NOTE : Do not do any of this, unless the dog is actually being aggressive to you and you think you may be attacked. E.G. off-of-leash and nipping/barking/growling at you from a few feet away. When I encounter a dog off of its leash, but not behaving aggressively, I just leave it alone. I keep my eye on it and go my merry way. There is no need to start trouble.
A Note on prevention: If you are jogging / running and you are passing someone with a dog, announce yourself! I do this for everyone (including those without dogs). I say loudly "Passing left" to give the dog owner a chance to react and pull their dog close. I've been bit by a dog on a leash when I was passing because it was startled.
I'm a knife nut, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that a knife is one of the worst weapons you could have as a first defense against animals with natural weaponry - dogs, bears, lions, etc... - in general.
The biggest issues with it are reach and presence. A knife just simply doesn't have the length to keep you out of harms way. In order to stab or cut a dog, you have to get close enough for it to bite you. That's not where you want to be. A knife also just isn't scary to an animal because they don't understand what it is at all. I've owned a dog that would literally carry knives around by there handles and chew on them. He was totally unaware of any danger the knife posed at all. You really won't be able to scare an animal off with a knife in anyway that you could have scared them off without one.
So, as a recap, a knife won't keep you safe from wild animals, and it won't help you scare them away. With that understood, a knife is extremely effective when it comes to actually killing said animals once they've already attacked you. If you're looking for a weapon of last resort against wild animals in general, certain knives aren't a bad choice. Keep in mind that using a knife as a weapon of last resort against animals in this context 100% ensures that you've already been bitten and are suffering pretty bad injuries.
A knife should never be your first choice for self defense against animals. It just doesn't do any of the things you want it to do as a first choice weapon. It is technically possible to "poke" at a dog with a knife by throwing out some jabs, but you won't really have the reach to make that matter.
A long stick is far superior to a knife for defending yourself against wild dogs. The stick gives you reach. the stick makes you much bigger and therefore scarier. You can bang the stick on random stuff to make yourself much louder without having to worry about damaging yourself or the knife. Most importantly, a stick lets you defend yourself with a much smaller chance of being injured than a knife does.
You haven't said what country you are talking about. Don't try this in Britain - you will end up in jail. In fact don't bring a knife to Britain.
Most dogs have an owner. They are used to being told what to do by humans. Know the local words for "sit" and "go home". Say one or other of these firmly (not angrily or shouting). If in doubt say phrases in your own language but with conviction.
Running will cause any dog to chase - Even a small dog can run faster than Usain Bolt so don't do it unless there is a gate or similar very nearby that you can get behind.
Shouting and waving your arms or acting in a threatening manner will frighten a timid dog but it may cause an aggressive dog to attack.
There is only one way to deal with a dog and that is to maintain a calm demeanour and upright posture. Do not try to use dog-language (e.g. by growling - this will cause it to become more aggressive) speak to it as a disapproving human and assume that it will obey.
If a dog actually attacks and is biting you then you have no option - you have to defend yourself. However do so in a calculated way. Control it by grabbing its collar and twisting so as to choke it. If there is no collar grab by the scruff. Then kick or hit in a soft/vulnerable spot. Poke in the eyes, kick in the windpipe, etc.
If you get to this last stage then you are already getting hurt so don't sue me if it goes wrong! It was going to anyway!
A knife is always a useful thing to have with you, but if at all possible you'll find that the various types of mace formulated for discouraging dogs are far easier to use. Save the knife as a backup for in case your can of mace runs dry and the dogpack is still thinking you look tasty. A gun would be better in that case, but I rather assume you wouldn't be asking about a knife if that were an option, and even if it is, have the knife for when there are more dogs than you have bullets and start with the mace if you can since it's gentler on everyone and everything involved.
If a knife really is your only option, you'll want a set of heavy leather vambraces to go with it. These protect your forearms so you're less likely to be injured if you misjudge your attack and the dog clamps its teeth down on your arm. Armoring the rest of yourself wouldn't hurt either, but forearms, shins, and neck are the most important when dealing with dogs since they don't generally have the ability to puncture your torso.
Also consider finding a dog you can practice with. Most dogs love to wrestle. That's how they play with each other. The hard part is making sure you have a clear set of signals so it doesn't get confused and think it's ok to wrestle with other people who won't appreciate it. But like with fighting humans, the only way to learn how to effectively fight a dog is to do a bit of fighting with a dog.
In short, a knife is not a magic wand that will scare a dog away. If it's your only option it's better than nothing, but you need to put the time and effort into learning how to use it if you want it to give you anything more than a false sense of security.
As for the problem analysis, the biggest problem is perhaps not being bitten, however "creepy" you might find, but getting infected with rabies. Bites can be easily stitched, but rabies is a really dangerous disease. In lots of countries, stray dogs are NOT vaccinated. In lots of outdoor places you may, after a bite, not be able to get treatment within 24 hours in a major hospital, where they give you expensive and horrible medicins as a precaution against rabies, without which you may (or may not) die. This is why you should consider getting vaccinated against rabies when going to most countries that are not super rich, where you plan to do a lot of outdoor activities.
Using a knife might as well be the MOST STUPID way of defending yourself against a dog. Others pointed out that wielding a knife will not impress a dog, as a dog does not have the intelligence to understand that such a little piece of shiny metal could be of any danger to him until you actually stab the dog which will cause lots of blood drops flying around, with a high risk of infection, not to speak of staining and ruining your nice outdoor apparel. Blood stains are difficult to wash. Even when stabbed, an aggressive dog will not give up. You will have to kill it. Stabbing the dog also means going really close, so you will end up being scratched and bitten anyway as the dog tries to attack or defend, whatever you name it.
Also, be aware that you can also contract rabies by petting those cute stray dogs, cats, squirrels, etc. And also by being coughed or spit at, i.e. even without being bitten.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged safety knives dogs or ask your own question.
Will the benefit of an axe outweigh the drawbacks and win over a large knife? | 2019-04-24T04:58:36Z | https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/questions/21809/knife-as-defense-against-stray-dogs/21810 |
What does IFA Paris refer to?
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The Student must purchase an International Health Insurance Plan before arrival into China/France and is advised to provide official proof of insurance to the Administration Department. You will need an International Health Insurance to study in Turkey as well. The fact that Turkey doesn’t have reciprocal health-care arrangements with other countries means that having travel insurance is highly advisable.
Does the school provide accommodation in Paris, Shanghai or Istanbul?
It is not common to have a school dormitory in central Paris where the school is located. Consequently, all of our students stay in apartments or studios either near the school or located near local public transportation. Renting an apartment on your own or sharing it with a classmate is the best way to integrate to a new city and its neighborhoods.
There are various website where foreign students can find housing in Paris. Please visit our Living in Paris page to find out more.
In Shanghai, We also do not provide a dormitory. There are various websites (City Weekend, Smart Shanghai) where foreign students can easily find a roommate or rent an apartment on their own. There are plenty of choices and most students can find suitable accommodation within a few days upon arrival. IFA can also provide contacts of English speaking real estate agencies to assist students for those who can’t find housing through those websites. Please visit our Living in Shanghai page to learn more.
Unfortunately accommodation is not provided by the school. There are options for furnished and unfurnished apartments and houses in Istanbul. Most expats tend to live in ‘Sites’. The ‘Site’ (pronounced seet-ay), or housing estate, is a very common concept in Istanbul. Expats can find sites containing housing options to suit every budget and taste, ranging from large villas with private gardens and swimming pools to apartments with a communal pool, gym and garden. More infos in the Living in Istanbul section.
Do I have time to find a part-time job?
While in Paris, foreign students are allowed to work up to 21 hours a week. In Shanghai, foreign students can’t legally work but can get involved in various projects or freelance work. It is not legit for one to work in Turkey under a student visa. However, you will be able to be involved in projects as a freelancer.
Is it possible to live in Shanghai without speaking Chinese?
It is definitely possible to live comfortably in Shanghai without speaking Chinese. Many of the 250,000 foreigners living in Shanghai do not speak Chinese. In the downtown area, services in English are widely available. Nevertheless, in order to make your life more enjoyable in China, we strongly suggest foreign students to learn some basic Chinese skills. Any foreigners thinking on working in China upon graduation should know that Chinese language skills may be a requisite for many job opening.
Do I need to speak Turkish to be able to live there as a foreigner?
No. Turkish citizens speak various languages depending on their education level, it will be always a plus if you can know some basics to get around and to be appreciated by locals. | 2019-04-18T13:19:38Z | https://www.ifaparis.com/admissions/faq |
Cee: Is this thing on?
Cee: A-ha. I guess we’re back?
Ess: If you can hear us, do nothing whatsoever. We’ll notice.
Cee: So, how do we justify this absence, Ess?
Ess: Getting tagged? Greater badger invasion? Overloaded brain cage?
Ess: …Hello and welcome to the very sixth issue of Running on Italics, in which we tackle the corp side of Chrome City! We do apologise, folks, for the ridiculously long delay; as it turns out, both of us were moving over the last couple of months.
Ess: I categorically deny saying any such thing about people who are capable of killing me. But Manchester does seem to have a fun meta so far!
Cee: In any case, we’ll try to catch up to The Underway and Old Hollywood as quickly as we can. So, in that spirit, let’s get to the cards!
Ess: Christ, that art. So very grittily industrial, with searchlights and patrols and a giant fuckoff metal fence.
Cee: They embossed their logo on the gate. They want everyone, especially you, to know that they own this. Go. Away.
Ess: They so clearly want nothing to do with the outside world. So this is the factory complex built at the heart of Oaktown, right? In the same way Jinteki Biotech owns the Valley?
Cee: No, I don’t think so, actually. It’s the Weyland card later in this pack that’s Corporate Town, and even then that doesn’t seem to be anywhere near the entirety of the town. Oaktown just seems to be a giant industrial complex inside Sansan, that both Haas and Weyland have just set up shop in.
Ess: Ah, of course! That also explains why they might be worried about industrial espionage, or at least find it useful to present themselves as worried about industrial espionage.
Cee: What about the ability, though? A smaller deck size means, what, company focus?
Ess: We’re gonna make the best damn cybernetics you’ve ever seen. And nothing else.
Cee: —is not what I was going to say but sure, okay, that.
Ess: I dunno, it’s not like a division-wide mandate of “so yeah let’s build a divinity woo” translates into specific focused tasks for each individual employee. Whereas Cybernetics Division is highly specific, highly tangible work.
Ess: That’s the entirety of NBN being led under that singular, acknowledged mandate to take over the world. How quickly do you think Google could take control of our culture and politics if Larry Page and Sergey Brin wanted to?
Ess: What I want to know is what the corp half of the ability is supposed to represent, here. The runner half tracks; presumably they’ve got some backdoor into the basic cybernetics runners have.
Cee: What is corp hand size, anyway?
Ess: We’ve seen only four other cards that interact with it; TWIY, Research Station, Itinerant Protesters, and … Cerebral Imaging. Let’s not talk about Cerebral Imaging.
Cee: So mechanically, corp hand size is how many options you have at any one time, right? It’s the ability to divert your company’s or division’s assets towards these projects, of how many people you can keep on standby to be ready to get these done.
Ess: Are we talking about liquidity?
Cee: Some measure of the liquidity of all their resources, human capital and project assignments as well as actual monetary liquidity, I suppose. So Cybernetics Division, I guess because of their strict mandate, are less flexible on this count; they’ll always have a lot of folk assigned to making the chips go out the door.
Ess: Mmm. So I guess that’s Cybernetics Division, then: paranoid, focused, and vengeful. I have to give this card an A; it so cleanly captures both Oaktown and the state of Haas Bioroid in it.
Cee: Yeah, totally agreed. A.
Ess: So this is pretty easy, right? It affects the runner’s hand size!
Cee: …I am going to pretend you didn’t just say that. But, yes, whatever backdoor the Division has into the general runner cybernetics tech, this is just the agenda version of that. Just like GRNDL starts effectively with a Hostile Takeover scored.
Ess: …seven credits, two to advance… the math checks out. Huh.
Cee: Though, I mean… so you blew up their arm, but then don’t they just go get another one? Why is it a permanent hand size reduction?
Ess: If you score two of the agenda, you can blow up their legs as well!
Ess: This is the true power of monopolies. Kids, support anti-monopolistic legislation, or else corps will blow up your arms.
Cee: This card is so dumb.
Ess: But, yeah, the flavour text is just a bit cute. They’re dangerous in the runner’s hands! Physically in! This card is pretty much made of puns.
Cee: Bad puns. I’m going to dock it points for overuse, regardless of how flavourful it may be. C+, and it coulda been a B.
Ess: Aw, I don’t think it’s that bad. Lookit how hard it’s trying. I’m giving it a B-.
Cee: See, this could have been a good pun. Why isn’t it a Labrador?
Ess: I’m not sure Labs are capable of looking angry, though. This render is explicitly pissed.
Cee: It’s just a missed opportunity, given the name… actually. Why is it named Lab Dog? What’s a lab dog? Are we talking about dogs being experimented upon?
Ess: I thought it was just a dog guarding the lab?
Cee: Then why isn’t it called Guard Dog? What’s the go with this dog, Ess?
Cee: FCC regulations being “before your time”, hmm. It’s suggesting, what, that the FCC and similar governmental bodies have lost their regulatory power?
Ess: Or even that the FCC’s dissolved completely, because cyberpunk! If we assume Heinrich here is around sixty, that suggests that whatever it is happened sometime in the past forty years.
Cee: So you’re suggesting the “harmful interference” is some sort of byproduct of whatever they’re working on in the Lab?
Ess: It makes some sense, right, for a Trap? The Dog was never designed as ice; it was just a destructive side effect that quickly ended up being considered useful and repurposed.
Cee: Okay, but now I’m wondering what that effect is. We’ve seen ways to trash hardware before, even ice – Taurus and Flare, but Power Grid Overload, Power Shutdown, and Shattered Remains all hit runner hardware. But I feel they’re all a bit, uh, weird.
Cee: Lab Dog can trash your gun.
Ess: Lab Dog can trash your bike. Yeah, this is weird.
Cee: Yeah, I’m not happy with the state of hardware trashing in the game at the moment.
Cee: The corp can impound your bike if they have a tag on you? Yeah, that does seem to make sense.
Ess: I’m happy to give Lab Dog a C here, nevertheless.
Cee: This is such a clean card. Great art, great effect, great flavour text.
Ess: This is the card that tells us what Oaktown is. Sure, there’s stuff to talk about in the Corporate Town and Renovation and Division, but if you just want one picture of the Chrome City, you come here.
Cee: They built this place to last. Crates and cranes and cybernetics.
Ess: There’s almost a fetishisation of metal, actually. I wasn’t sure at first why the Grid was a Haas card—like we said earlier, they don’t seem to own the city in the same way Jinteki owns the Valley. But even just looking at the card frame makes that clear: Haas is most aligned with the values of Oaktown.
Cee: Steel and rivets and the giant, imposing logo embossed on your gate.
Cee: Actually, that’s an interesting point. Haas works in software and cybernetics, which are not classically associated with the industrial age connotations of strength and stability. They build their bioroids, sure, but even then they design them to look unimposingly human.
Ess: Oh, huh! You’re asking whether Haas is trying to get some … splashback street cred by tying themselves this closely to Oaktown?
Cee: Not specifically; there’s definitely a lot of their aesthetic that still evokes heavy duty engineering. I’m more asking whether they see their bioroids as part of a new industrial age.
Ess: Oh, huh. That… makes their conflict with Jinteki ideological. Haas believes that they’re working towards human eudaimonia, developing machines that can better and better save us labour and strife, and this explicit moral distinction between humans and the machines that serve us is entirely the point. Of course they would have problems with how the big J treats the humans it creates!
Cee: Well. I don’t think they’re too happy about the competition, either; let’s not forget the profit motive is always going to be the most effective driver. But… yeah. I’m now pretty disappointed that Creation and Control chose to focus its flavour insert on Tommy, and not Director Haas.
Ess: “Whatever I bloody want it to do.” She’s certainly a fascinating and underexplored figure.
Cee: Right! So, Oaktown Grid. A+?
Ess: Yeah. There’s no way this wasn’t getting an A+.
Ess: I see your what and I raise you a wat.
Cee: I guess he has a pet Zed? That he’s tossing at the runner?
Ess: What are you even doing, Mister Knight. Okay, if we have to make sense of it—you can only use it if the runner has no clicks left, because otherwise the runner would just click through it?
Cee: But that isn’t the same thing at all. You should then be able to use him when the runner has clicks left, but doesn’t want to. Like, they want to save a click to clear a tag and they know you have double Scorch in hand.
Cee: Also, what is going on with his flavour text.
Ess: Uh. Are… bioroids… p-zombies? But no, that doesn’t track; p-zombies don’t have any awareness that they’re not conscious.
Cee: Gruh. Ryon Knight, we don’t understand you.
Ess: We’re terrified of you, but we don’t understand you.
Cee: Keep… doing what you’re doing, I guess.
Cee: So the first comparison is to Matrix Analyser. That’s still the only other ice that can advance an agenda, right?
Ess: Builder can place advancement tokens on ice only, so yes. So the Monitor and the Analyzer could be using the same mechanism to advance things… but, hang on, wait, how does Analyzer work? What is that mechanism?
Cee: “Analyzing was great. Delegating commands turned out to be even better.” We can assume “analyzing” refers to its trace and “delegating commands” to the advancement token, so maybe this piece of artificial intelligence is convincingly acting like upper management to the team working on the agenda?
Ess: Hence why you still need to pay them for overtime, but don’t need to spend a click?
Cee: And Jinteki saw that hey, that’s actually the more useful part of the ice, so they built their own little AI that looks into the future to manage a team? When it can predict the runner, it can extract money from them, somehow?
Ess: I gueeeessss? I mean, there’s nothing seriously wrong with this interpretation, but for some reason it still feels like a stretch.
Cee: That’s because it is. The art is pretty neat, with the glowing camera that can see into you but you can’t see into it… but what are the little waldos around it? Is something in its eye?
Ess: Little mobile psychic spotlights or something?
Cee: Eh. Whatever. I’m giving this card a C.
Ess: Yeah, I’m with you there.
Cee: The runner has a lot of ways to draw cards.
Ess: Chugging a can of Diesel. Spending Quality Time with your bae. Going to a Game Day. Schmoozing with your Professional Contacts.
Cee: And somehow this ice locks them all down?
Ess: So surely whatever it’s doing isn’t purely disrupting communications, because why would that stop you from grabbing an energy drink out of your fridge, right.
Cee: Is it psychological? Some form of temporary induced paranoia, closing the runner off to new ideas, making them distrust everyone and everything they can think of.
Ess: At least until they get a good night’s sleep!
Ess: It’s interesting that you’d come to that interpretation, actually. I’ve heard people playing Lockdown report that it has a legitimate psychological effect on the real life player.
Cee: They start seeing Lockdowns everywhere?
Ess: Being denied the ability to “heal up” seems to matter, yeah. Apparently they tend to start assuming every two unrezzed ice are Komainu into Lockdown.
Cee: That’s a fairly deep flavour to mechanics correspondence, then. Nifty!
Cee: I’m not convinced by the art, though. It’s clearly meant to be impressionistic, but that targeting reticle is definitely sending a message. You are the weakest link.
Ess: Goodbye! So you think the art is before the lockdown, not the attack mentioned in the flavour text?
Cee: I think so, yeah. What’s up with the flavour text, anyway? It’s reads like it’s from Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
Ess: Cute. The Hacker’s Playbook perhaps. Who’s the author? g00ru?
Cee: Iain probably wrote a Playbook, after he retired. He called it “On Secrets.”, because of course he did.
Ess: So Lockdown ends up being clean and elegant, and even has a strong flavour to mechanics correspondence to boot. Does an A sound about right to you?
Cee: Call it A-, but yeah, sure.
Cee: Kate’s little quote here is on the money. This ice was birthed from many a sleepless night worrying about performance indicators and deadlines.
Ess: The mechanics, of course, parallel that story so adorably. Do the hard work, get rewarded!
Cee: There’s not terribly much to say on the art besides Achievement Unlocked: Terrifying. Imagine being chased by that everytime you shut your eyes.
Ess: Lots of psychology in this pack. What is Chrome City doing to people?
Cee: That … is an interesting question. So Chrome City is, we’ve established, a dockland city. It’s grim and gritty and full of people who will willingly gouge out their own eyes to see better.
Ess: The direct contrast is to The Valley, and it continues to be so incredibly appropriate oh gosh that the corporations that are the faces of these two opposing cities are the lifelong rivals, Haas and Jinteki.
Cee: Yeah. Where the Valley is at least shiny on the surface—”Turns a night owl into an early bird!”—Oaktown makes no pretensions about itself. If you live here, it seems, you are well acquainted with how life hurts.
Ess: So if Ryon Knight is the darkness of the Chrome City, the very darkness of the human condition, given agency, Little Engine is that darkness screaming, in fear and in pain, screaming to anyone who will hear. Even Runners.
Cee: And, as a corporation, that primal fear is useful. Look, it makes for such an efficient piece of ice!
Ess: A+. I can’t not give it an A+.
Ess: Gosh, this is just so Weyland.
Cee: We don’t care that you know we’re renovating Oaktown. Our names are stamped on the crates. It makes us money and it advances our corporate goals, and that’s all that matters.
Ess: And hey, we’re renovating Oaktown. Who could be upset about that?
Ess: …actually, now that you mention it, why aren’t cards like Clone Retirement public agendas as well?
Cee: Or the upcoming Global Food Initiative?
Ess: Okay, so go with me on this journey.
Ess: The reason agendas are generally secret isn’t to protect them from the runner, it’s to keep secret from their competitors what the corp’s gameplan is. As big as Haas is, they have competitors, and those competitors could use the knowledge that Haas is spending their time on Project Vitruvius to pivot and outcompete them somewhere else.
Cee: That assumes a very fast turnaround time, at least if we’re sticking with the idea that turns are roughly days.
Ess: Yesyesyes, but go with me here okay. It’s interesting to note that the mechanical distinction of agendas isn’t that they’re worth points to the Runner (as there are assets worth points and agendas worth no points), but that other corporations can’t have them. They’re projects whose internal details you keep as the utmost secret, because of how critical they are to your twenty year plan.
Cee: Yes, fine, Domestic Sleepers is a 2/0 you are technically correct.
Ess: The best kind of correct! So when the runner steals an agenda, not only does the corporation not get the agenda, but they’ve hurt the corp, as well. By revealing not only the agenda’s existence, but its internal workings, the Runner’s helping those leaner, scrappier competitors fight over the project’s corpse. Shipping manifests. Source code. Production lines and designs.
Ess: Oaktown Renovation, then, isn’t a dare from Weyland to the Runner, though as Chief Security Officer you can use it in that role. It’s a dare from Weyland to any local competitors who might be thinking of muscling in.
Cee: Yeah, okay. I’m not totally convinced that this narrative is the correct one, but I can see some merit in this read.
Cee: No. Anyway, I’m happy to give the card a B+.
Ess: I’ll give it an A, as befits my aching legs.
Cee: This is going to be another one of your cynicism moments, isn’t it?
Ess: Oh hellls yes. What were we saying about the dark heart of Chrome City, of humanity, before? Well, if you’re a Weyland employee, you don’t have to worry! Everything’s all sunshine and manicured lawns and good old fashioned corporate values.
Cee: They don’t even care that the illusion is partially broken. The skyscape is explicitly manufactured, and Chrome City lurks just beyond, very visibly, a reminder in the shadows. We are protecting you.
Ess: If you make them participate in their own deception, they have more incentive to not break out. Pretty sure that’s in Sun Tzu somewhere.
Cee: And we’re all apparently from the 60’s. Just like the Genetics advertisements, though this seems less the “technopositivism” you were going on about then and more just part of the wilful deception necessary to live in such a place.
Ess: Yeah, I don’t know whose idea it was to structure the Corporate Town with that aesthetic, but give that spawn of satan a raise. The art—the perfectly astroturfed lawns, the happy mother with her baby, the simple little company car—could not be more on point.
Cee: Corporate Town seems to be entirely about making that aesthetic work, actually. It’s commentary on how our darker sides scare us so much that we’re willing to blind ourselves to them.
Ess: And that ties into a discussion on that particular flavour of free market capitalism, or even some strains of democracy, which find it very easy to give the populace what it wants to further their own goals.
Cee: Yeah, Weyland being the city council in this new town creates an explicit analogy between the capitalist project for keeping their workers happy, and the direct governance tasked with keeping their population happy.
Ess: That analogy could not be more apt, could it? Corporate Town is what the world looks like after Weyland’s Government Takeover, and we, as participants in the free market, are complicit in helping them get there.
Cee: This card doesn’t deserve any less than an A.
Ess: Again, I can’t not give it an A+.
Cee: Does what it says on the box, it seems.
Ess: Well I mean kinda. That’s not really how it plays out in the game; they run it once and then don’t run it again until they have a tool to deal with it—and most runners do have a tool to deal with it.
Cee: You could read the name as aspirational, then. The programmer of this ice wanted it to behave like quicksand, but didn’t count on the number of ways runners have of breaking that behaviour.
Ess: Aw, I feel bad for the ice now. Its programmer had such dreams for it—! Laid low by those pesky runners.
Cee: It’s not even like Quandary where you can fulfil its dreams. Poor Quicksand.
Cee: Couldn’t ask anymore from the art though. Clean, simple, and evocative.
Ess: B+ seems fair to me, here.
Cee: B+ feels right, yep.
Cee: Some really fantastic cards in Chrome City. This half really solidified the theme for me, which was lacking on the Runner side. The overwhelming darkness and grunge of the city is just so evident.
Ess: And our average mark for the Corp half is probably our highest ever, too.
Cee: And the art was just as solid as the Runner side, only being let down by some weird mechanics integration. Almost a home run here!
Ess: So, yeah, I think we managed to get back into the Italics game on a strong pack, and christ am I excited to tackle The Underway.
Cee: And Old Hollywood, and The Universe of Tomorrow… and all of Data and Destiny, really. And then the Mumbad Cycle! These are exciting times for Netrunner, apparently.
Ess: We hope you’ll join us in our excitement then! This is Ess and Cee, signing off. | 2019-04-18T14:39:20Z | https://stimhack.com/running-on-italics-chrome-city-corp/ |
Industrial IoT is the driving force behind the digital transformation that we see across different industry segments. Many of the experts have dubbed it the "Fourth Industrial Revolution." IoT is changing the way businesses, governments, and consumers interact with the world around us. The interest in this area is being matched by the investment that we see in the IoT space. For example, in manufacturing the investment level is expected to be close to a quadrillion dollar worldwide by around 2020. I’d like to get your thoughts on where you see industrial IoT heading.
Currently, there’s a push by the US government to bring manufacturing activities back to this country. One way that will happen is through enhanced productivity. The investment in the area of industrial IoT in manufacturing is echoed in US government initiatives, and there’s a lot of collaboration with universities and industrial partners in these areas. A main focus of the Digital Manufacturing & Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute is on industrial IoT for discrete manufacturing. The relatively new Smart Manufacturing Network, a national network for manufacturing innovation, focuses on continuous manufacturing. Both are trying to develop solutions that can be implemented in the manufacturing space to improve productivity.
We also need to pay attention to the rise of distributed manufacturing. There’s an expansion in the area of "Uber" manufacturing, where companies with brokerage services use IoT technologies to link companies to customers wherever they are.
My perspective is that industrial revolutions are defined by the impact that they leave on people’s lives – how disruptive they are to employment patterns, how much they accelerate innovation, and how they impact national economies. Industrial IoT is guiding and shaping this Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many of the constituent technologies have existed since the 1960s, so in themselves are not necessarily groundbreaking. The key question is, "What’s new?" In my opinion, it’s the data and what we can do with it. The ability to acquire, communicate, and store data using inexpensive technology, and being able to visualize and analyze data using sophisticated tools like machine learning and analytics-based artificial intelligence, is unique to today’s industrial ecosystem.
Absolutely. We all agree that we need to leverage the technology and make improvements on using the greatest and latest technology. A question I have is: How are we going to change people’s mindsets about adopting the technologies and solving the problems on the factory floor?
That’s a great question. We work with customers every day who didn’t grow up with digitally-enabled manufacturing. Historically, data was kept inside its originating unit and was not shared with the larger enterprise. Now, getting buy-in from stakeholders who aren’t familiar with the problem-solving benefits of a digitally-enabled environment is one of the biggest barriers. But people are starting to trust the use of IoT technologies. If we can unlock this data to improve processes, the benefits can be significant to society because we are going to start seeing more manufacturing investment in these new models.
The technology is there, but often there is skepticism from the end customers, especially on the shop floor from people who have been working in the industry for decades. These may not all be IT-savvy people. How do we make it easier for them to use the technology? It’s made more difficult by the fact that industrial IoT, right now, is not a technology that works out of the box. There’s an engagement process, there’s a phased deployment, and it takes time to discover the issues and build solutions that can deliver the right outcomes. Let’s talk about these challenges.
We’re seeing challenges in deploying IoT at many shops – from large enterprises to small manufacturers. I’ll pick two deployment challenges: one is cost, and the other in implementation. First, manufacturers look at hardware solutions in terms of their return on investment or ROI. A lot of the technologies are fairly expensive. For example, look at the investment decision to enable a digital solution for a machine tool that has been in service for 20 years – which is only half the lifespan of that machine tool. It could stay in service for another 20 years. The question is: What are we getting for the cost of this investment?
The second challenge is implementation. We can develop solutions that are flexible enough for multiple customers. But in the last mile for implementation on the shop floor, how do you get their data into the cloud? That, is very specific to a customer. If you’re a job shop that works on sensitive products, like in the military or the aerospace or biomedical industries, the challenges are around implementation, especially for security, and the costs of specific machines that are used for sensitive operations.
I’d like to look at the two ends of the spectrum. At one end is the data and the other end is the customer’s culture, including a resistance to change. From the data side, I’m talking about data integration. You have many important data sources that are owned by different entities within the enterprise. These entities don’t want to share their data because of a sense of ownership. We need to overcome those hurdles and convince customers to take a holistic view of the enterprise. When you integrate data from across the enterprise, you reveal previously unseen correlations and relationships that can be leveraged to improve decision-making.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is a resistance to change. You can implement a PoC that is successful, but there are face barriers in deployment and implementation across the enterprise because of this resistance to change by the operators on the shop floor. We have to educate the operators and keep them involved and engaged. It’s not something that can be resolved immediately – it’s a process. We faced these challenges before with the introduction of lean manufacturing. It took time and a lot of effort, but there has to be buy-in across the organization.
I agree with Nagi 110%. It’s a transformation – and it’s not just a technology transformation, it’s a cultural transformation. How do we sway the performer that the technology will take the industry to the next level? You mentioned data isolation. Normally, the IT data is owned by the IT team and the OT data is owned by the OT team. When we have the technologies together, it has to be implemented in the processes and integrated in the IT and OT personas as well as integrated with the data that provides the result. It’s not the operator in isolation anymore. Overcoming that challenge, it is a big deal.
In my experience with customers, it’s not so much about the technology as it is about how to make the users of the technology believe in the technology – that it can actually deliver and help solve their problems. Executives buy into the vision. The resistance we see is on the shop floor. We need to educate people not only about the technology, but how it actually works and why they should trust it.
When it comes to integrating the data, the challenge is that there are no standard data models or communication protocols to allow scalable aggregation of diverse sets of data originating from heterogeneous selection of assets. You may have a solution that works for one customer, but if you go to another customer everything changes – different IT system, different manufacturing system – everything changes. If you look at IoT device manufacturers, there is a complete lack of agreement on standard data and one has to deal with a myriad of IoT protocols. This needs to be addressed before we can see large scale deployment of industrial IoT solutions. So, the question is, what can we do to help overcome this challenge?
Even within individual sectors there are varying degrees of connectivity and different standards that have been implemented for deploying industrial IoT or connectivity to the cloud. We need the active involvement of people in the standards communities who have an interest in deploying these advanced algorithms for consuming data in different sectors.
One way we’ve been dealing with the standards question in practice, is to develop interfaces and translators that are consuming data and translating data into open format. Whether it is on the developer side of the IoT technologies and the machines themselves, or on the software-systems side for consuming this data and putting it out into a format that can be visualized and brought in with asset management systems, the ability to remain open in terms of the standards that are deployed is very important.
Education is a big component in this process. There’s a disconnect in the language, in the expectations, in the understanding of all parties. The burden lies on the technologist to educate and set expectations. This communication can be through workshops, review sessions, and certificate programs; for example, a three-day workshop that practitioners must complete to be Level One for analytics or reliability, or something comparable.
Then, this might be augmented with a PoC where practitioners and technologists implement what they’ve learned. This will foster confidence in the benefit of the technology. At that point, you have your confidence, you’re speaking the same language, and you’re ready for deployment. Deployment now becomes a process instead of a challenge.
Removing complexity from the customers’ perspective will increase adoption. Even in just talking about standards, we’re talking about so many different protocols, different ways of connecting to data, and different technologies. What if we hide all the complexity of the technology side from the users so they don’t have to worry about the underlying communications protocol or how to get data? If we provide an interface for the APIs, it makes it easier to use. With the technology that we have, we can deliver solutions that are easy for the customer to adopt and turn that into a result. It is a big challenge for us, but reducing the challenge on the customer side will facilitate adoption.
That’s true. Look at the consumer loyalty sector and what’s going on with Amazon and Google and Apple in terms of home devices. The reason they’re doing so well is that – from the customer perspective – everything just works. Obviously, there’s a lot of work that the customer doesn’t see. If we can separate the users from the product complexity but make it so that developers can maintain these systems and leverage flexibility that is not platform-specific, then I think we are building for success.
If we could achieve in manufacturing what Jean describes, we’d have a seamless experience for our customers and they’d see the benefits right away. There are a couple of substantial challenges. First, if you do a quick PoC, you might not be able to see the true value of IoT and big data because you will be tapping into a small data source. And without seeing the results, the customer is not going to give you access to more data. Second, when we are able to show the benefit and deploy a factory-wide system, the challenge then is how to deal with security and other issues. That’s something that will have to be addressed.
In terms of the ROI or PoC, you’re in trouble if you can’t demonstrate the ROI in a short time. Scoping out the right PoC and defining expectations is key. Another challenge is around data security. The tendency is to have cloud-based analytic solutions deployed within the customer’s own cloud. If they have a cloud in place, all you have to do is manage your solution within their cloud, and there won’t be a lot of cybersecurity problems. But not everyone has their own cloud. The issue is often about data security in the international realm. For example, this appears pervasively in the energy sector. Countries do not want to share data so where the data resides is important. Control of the data is becoming increasingly constrained.
It’s a big concern for everyone, big or small, private or public. If a government is involved, the military is asking the same questions as the enterprise. They also have concerns about security around the most sensitive parts of the enterprise in terms of where the data is stored. It’s a business decision. A lot of companies are still focused on keeping information on site, but we have to question whether this is the right way to do it. You might want to push some of this information out so that you don’t need to store it and you can take advantage of these technologies.
What is needed from companies like Hitachi for a joint collaboration to push forward the industry of IoT?
We’re involved in training the next generation of people who will be implementing solutions and setting visions for deployment of technology. Involvement with universities like Georgia Tech and with technical colleges is very important so we can understand the technical capabilities of the students and help define what their interests are and what skills are needed. These engagements are very beneficial. We also work with companies that are looking for people who are involved in platform solutions for analytics.
Analytics and industrial IoT are still in their infancy. The talent we need is not only at the undergraduate level, but also at an advanced level–with master’s degrees and at the PhD level. Attracting students to the industrial ecosystem requires nurturing relationships with them through the advanced degrees through sponsorship and internships, by having them work on real data from a company like Hitachi – driving their master’s thesis or PhD thesis around a problem that is relevant to the company. Building relationships with this talent before they enter the workforce is a big driver for attracting them and securing their loyalty. And there’s a lot of competition because that’s the way talent is currently being acquired.
Engaging and collaborating with the students in the universities to give them more exposure to the real world is practical. They need to know that we are not just developing technology but work closely with partners who are delivering real solutions and products to customers. How do we help expand that exposure to the universities and the students to bring them closer to the real world? That will help everyone and there will be a huge benefit from working together.
I completely agree. Universities have always excelled at IT, but what they have lacked is access to real-world data and a platform to test their models and theories. Industrial IoT is a perfect opportunity for companies like Hitachi to engage with academia on this journey of the industrial revolution. We should spread awareness of the positive societal impact that we can create with industrial IoT.
This is the third in a series of conversations focusing on industrial IoT, led by Hitachi’s Insights Laboratory. Previous conversations focused on digital transformation and industrial artificial intelligence. Future articles will address related topics such as the role of artificial intelligence in transforming mobility. Through co-creation of customer-driven solutions, Hitachi is expanding the boundaries of innovation. Partnering with customers and educational institutions worldwide, Hitachi strives to help resolve issues facing organizations and society – envisioning a better tomorrow.
Sudhanshu heads the Digital Solution Platform Laboratory at Hitachi America R&D, which incubates Industrial IoT Edge solutions through customer co-creation approach, working closely with engineering and marketing teams from Hitachi Vantara. He has demonstrated success in incubating IoT solutions for Manufacturing and Transportation use-cases from ideation phase to real-life deployments.
Sudhanshu is a Senior Member of IEEE. He has over 60 patents and is the author of several peer-reviewed publications in wireless communications including a book on heterogeneous networks in LTE-advanced. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and received his master of science and bachelor of technology degrees from Virginia Tech and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, respectively.
Jean leads product management and engineering in Hitachi Vantara, responsible for Edge strategy, product roadmap and delivery. With over 25 years of success in digital transformation, management, application development and software engineering across multiple industries. Prior to joining Hitachi, Jean was Vice President of Engineering and Technical Product Management in GE Digital, where she has demonstrated success in driving digital transformation for GE.
Dr. Saldana’s research is focused on digitally-enabled qualification and process modeling tools for advanced manufacturing. His research has been supported by industry and government (e.g., DOE, DMDII, NIST, ARO, NSF, DARPA, ARL, etc.). He earned his doctorate at Purdue University and has been recognized with several awards, including NSF CAREER, SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer and R&D100 Technology Awards.
Dr. Gebraeel's research interests lie at the intersection of industrial Predictive Analytics, Machine Learning for enhancing asset management and optimization. He holds the Georgia Power Early Career professorship and serves as an associate director at Georgia Tech's Strategic Energy Institute with the responsibility of identifying and promoting research initiatives and thought leadership at the intersection of Data Science and Energy. He is also the director of the Analytics and Prognostics Systems laboratory at Georgia Tech's Manufacturing Institute.
Dr. Gebraeel was the former president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) Quality and Reliability Engineering Division, and is currently a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), The American Nuclear Society (ANS), and The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He received his MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University in 1998 and 2003, respectively. | 2019-04-26T04:22:45Z | http://www.hitachi.com/rd/special/insightslab/vol3.html |
The Remington 700 VTR—The Tacti-Coolest Yet!
Thanks for your phone call today asking for my opinion and background on concealed carry of handguns on college campuses. Representative Ernest Wooton’s bill to allow such recently passed out of committee, and is due to be considered soon by the full Louisiana House.
I appreciate your trying to find out more about the subject, and I appreciate your calling me. As the senior instructor of state-certified concealed handgun courses in Louisiana, the author of numerous articles and one book (“The Great New Orleans Gun Grab”) on firearms ownership, I have some definite opinions on allowing concealed carry on college campuses.
You will likely hear from dozens of administrators and some law enforcement that it would be a mistake to allow concealed carry on college campuses. I disagree with them for a number of reasons, but first, let me tell you a couple of stories and quote some statistics.
The media trumpets to the heavens every time a youth uses a gun to kill another person in one of our schools. Unfortunately, the opposite is not true.
Have you ever heard what happened on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at the Appalachian School of Law at Grundy, Virginia?
It’s a small, private, and highly respected school of law that has gained quite a bit of notoriety because of the actions of a foreign student.
His name was Peter Odighizuwa, a Nigerian and naturalized U.S. Citizen who had flunked out of the school in 2001, but had been allowed to come back in and change his academic course. On the day in question, the 42-year-old Odighizuwa was due to speak with L. Anthony Sutin, Dean of the school about his grades—Odighizuwa had just been dismissed a second time for poor grades.
Odighizuwa had a history of mental instability that was disclosed in a report by the Newport News (VA.) Daily Press.
Odighizuwa spoke first with Professor Dale Rubin when he arrived at campus that morning. Upon leaving Rubin's office, he asked him to pray for him. He then went to the offices of Dean Sutin, and Professor Thomas Blackwell.
Upon arriving at their offices, Odighizuwa drew a .380 caliber pistol and shot both these respected college educators to death.
He then went downstairs and opened fire in a common area, hitting a student, Angela Denice Dales, killing her.
He fired three more shots, wounding students Stacy Beans, 22, of Berea, Kentucky; Rebecca Brown, 38, of Roanoke, and Martha Madeline Short, 37, of Grundy.
He then stopped shooting and went outside as students were diving out of windows and running for cover.
Two students, Tracy Bridges and Mikael Gross, ran to their parked cars and retrieved handguns from them. They then ran back and pointed their guns at Odighizuwa, who quickly dropped his pistol. Another student, Ted Besen, ran up to Odighizuwa who hit him in the face, and then there was a pile on...one of the students with a gun was an off-duty police officer, and Odighizuwa was quickly in handcuffs.
You may not have heard of the incident at the Appalachian School of Law—it was not heavily reported, and there was practically NO mention in the media that students with guns stopped what would have surely been more bloodshed. Most media reports stated that Odighizuwa was “tackled” by a group of students. According to researcher (and college economics professor) Dr. John R. Lott, there were 280 separate news stories (from a computerized Nexis-Lexis search) in the week after the event—and just four stories mentioned the fact that the students that stopped the attack used guns to end it.
Of course. Certainly the national media is not going to publicize a positive intercession by citizens with guns.
But I’ll bet you remember the incident on Wednesday, October 1, 1997 in Pearl, Mississippi. That’s where 16-year-old Luke Woodham murdered his mother the night before by cutting her throat, then showed up at Pearl High School with a .30-30 caliber rifle.
He opened fire on his former girlfriend, Christina Menefee and her friend Lydia Dew, killing them instantly. He then swung the rifle around and fired it into a group of students. He ran to the parking lot and climbed into his dead mother’s car—he later stated he intended to drive to a nearby junior high school and kill more students.
Assistant Principal Joel Myrick, a shooter, and a member of the National Guard, ran to his car and retrieved his .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, loaded it, and rushed to intercept Woodham who was by that time behind the wheel of his car. When Myrick pointed his handgun at Woodham, the student tried to drive around another vehicle and crashed into a tree. Myrick ran up and pointed his gun at Woodham, ordered him out of the car, and held him on the ground at gunpoint until the police arrived.
There was little media reporting of the fact that Myrick stopped what was sure to be further carnage with the use of his own handgun—I guess we are to assume he ran up to Woodham, pointed his finger at him, ordered him to stop, and Woodham meekly complied.
Finally, I know you remember the horrible incident which occurred on Monday, April 16, 2007 at Virginian Tech University at Blacksburg, Virginia.
Korean-born Seung-Hui Cho took a 9mm Glock pistol and a .22 caliber Walther pistol and went on a murderous rampage —the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, murdering 32 students and instructors before taking his own life.
The first thing Cho did was shoot two students to death in a dormitory. He then showed up at Norris Hall, a classroom building, where he chained the doors shut, walked up to the second floor, and began rushing from room to room, shooting at will. In all, he wounded 60 people, killing 30 of them. Police believe he fired more than 170 rounds in this attack. He had two 32-round replacement magazines for the Glock, and a large number of spare magazines.
Among the victims were five college professors, including Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who blocked the door of his classroom to give his students time to escape through the windows. Cho shot him five times, killing him.
There were 11 dead students in Room 211—this is where Cho eventually took his own life. There were nine dead in Room 206. There were four killed in Room 2007, and another died in Room 204. More died later.
Enough. You get the picture. Possible mass slayings are averted or lessened because someone produced a handgun and stopped the killing. Where none are present in these “Victim Disarmament Zones,” dozens die needlessly.
No amount of law, statutes, or regulations are going to keep a madman from going where guns are least likely to be used against them and killing people. Yet, administrators seem to feel that allowing a small number of well-trained adults who have undergone extensive criminal and mental background checks to carry concealed on campus will result in some sort of Armageddon, where students will go crazy and start shooting everyone.
Need I point out that if such a person is going to submit to such violent tendencies, the fact he is breaking the law by having a gun on campus is going to do little to deter him.
But I ask if only ONE student had been able to produce a handgun and engage Cho on Monday, April 16, 2007 inside Norris Hall, how many innocent lives might have been saved?
That quote comes from “America Fights Back—Armed Self-Defense in a Violent Age,” an excellent book by Alan Gottlieb, Director of the Second Amendment Foundation, and Dave Workman, Editor of “The New Gun Week,” a weekly newsmagazine on firearms, sport shooting, and politics. I count both of these gentlemen as personal friends, and much of the information stated here has been gleaned from their book, writings by Professor Lott, and by Dr. Gary Kleck, a criminology professor at Florida State University.
1. Allowing students to carry guns will only result in shootings and bloodshed on campuses.
This is the same argument that has been produced in every state (now about 40) where shall-issue concealed carry laws have been proposed. This is a fallacy that has been proven wrong over and over again—Professor Lott has found that mass public shootings declined by 85%, and injuries fell 82 per cent in the 14 states that adopted shall-issue carry laws between 1977 and 1995.
Professor Gary Kleck, in his book “Point Blank—Guns and Violence In America,” found that guns are used over 2.5 MILLION times a year to stop crimes from occurring—and only in a miniscule number of those cases is the gun actually discharged. Incidentally, Dr. Kleck’s methodology has never been disproved in this study—it is generally accepted as a watershed study in the use of guns and violence in the United States.
2. The students will more likely shoot each other, than a gunman.
As I have told you before, my daughter is currently a college student. If a crazed shooter opened up in her dorm, classroom, or a campus building she was in, I would take that chance, and prefer someone in the building had taken a Louisiana Concealed Handgun Permit Course, was licensed by the state to carry, and had a gun which which to stop the killings. I’ll take the chance he/she might accidentally shoot my beloved daughter. Rather that chance, than her more certain death by an assassin in a gun-free zone.
Incidentally, she is over 21 years of age, has her own permit, knows how to shoot, and when to shoot. And if you were ever someplace where someone opened up with a gun, killing people indiscriminately, you would be most glad she had her revolver...she won’t shoot anyone else accidentally, and she won’t be afraid to stop someone from shooting others. She is trained, competent, and cool-headed.
3. The police, upon arriving, won’t know the difference between the shooters and the students—and might shoot a student.
Give me a break. I worked for 25 years as a reserve law enforcement officer. I came on scenes where citizens had guns and were holding other people—lawbreakers—at bay. It happened to me once—dressed in plain clothes, I stopped a crime from occurring in another jurisdiction. Holding a lawbreaker on the ground, pointing a .38 Special revolver at his back, I had the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office roll up on the scene, and they leveled their guns at me until I put mine down, and convinced them which of us was the bad guy. I never shot anyone in such a case, and never knew another law enforcement officer that did, either. It might be unnerving at first, we might have pointed guns at them until they put them down, but we worked it out quickly. I think this is a red herring here.
From 1987 to 1995, the state of Florida issued almost 315,000 concealed carry permits. In that eight-year time frame, the state of Florida rescinded a sum total of 54 permits from permit holders for illegal activities with a gun.
Louisiana now has almost 40,000 concealed carry permit holders—a far cry from the approximately half-million over in Texas—mainly because we have always considered the vehicle an extension of the home, and allowed citizens to carry their guns in their cars.
I think you can call the Louisiana State Police Concealed Permit Section and they can give you the same statistics for our state. You will find the numbers of permits rescinded to be correspondingly low. Statistically across the nation, concealed carry permit holders are the most law-abiding subsection of our citizenry you can find—folks that undergo the training and get the permits don’t commit the crimes.
Should we allow concealed carry on campus?
Absolutely. I don’t understand the reasoning against it. By denying it, you are saying that reasoned, thinking adults, which the state has determined can legally carry, cannot do so on campus—but they can practically everywhere else, where nothing has occurred. The people arguing against this are saying adult college students are likely to go berserk and start shooting one another.
I would point out here that the Louisiana State Police conduct an extensive and thorough background check on every applicant—mental, criminal, every aspect of a person’s background is evaluated before the permit is issued. And the training is equally thorough and extensive, requiring hours of shooting time, lectures on safe use of handguns, use of deadly force, and child-access prevention.
Allow concealed carry on campuses? Why has it ever been denied in the first place?
Thanks for taking the time to inquire about this upcoming legislation. I hope I haven’t dragged it out too long for you—but you said you wanted to gain some facts and figures on the subject, to be able to make up your mind on the subject. I appreciate your keeping your promise to call me for background when the legislation came up. You are a man of your word, and I appreciate that.
Across the green hills, cobbled with white gravestones, a rolling thunder reaches into our souls.
Nineteen times the cannon speaks, a hollow boom hidden in the solemn recesses of Arlington.
The sign posted at the entrance as you enter the nation's cemetary for its war dead says it eloquently, its message poignant, stating there must be no bike riding, no children playing, no picknicking. "Please respect the sanctity of any funeral you see occurring...This is Hallowed Ground."
We are on a whirlwind tour of Washington, D.C. We have toured all the memorials: Jefferson, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korea, Iwo Jima. We have ended up, Memorial Day morning, on the steps of the amphitheater, overlooking the Tomb of the Unknowns. My wife Ti Lou, Greg and Peggy Vidrine, and most importantly my 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, have come to the nation's Capitol on this most sacred of weekends to see all the tourist things. But more than that, I want Jessica to understand the meaning of being American, and what hundreds of thousands of men and women have given up that she might live the life she lives--blonde, carefree, imbued with Britney and Backstreet fever, gabbing on the phone with girlfriends, talking always about boys.
She must understand what it means to be American, that people die across this world envying one simple thing about her--that she lives in and is a citizen of this country.
Every person that has "done" Washington has told us "If you do nothing else, you must see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns..."
Unwittingly, we are here at the most solemn of the Nation's rites--the Laying of the Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. A full military contingent, representing every branch of the services, and the U.S. Army Band conduct the ceremony. I see tears in my daughter's eyes--it is strange that I can see them through the wetness of my own.
Back in Baton Rouge, I am describing the trip to a friend, Lynn Burgett, who spent some time as a young woman working for the Navy in Washington, D.C.
Lynn was very excited about our trip, even going to her congressman's office and picking up maps and tour guides for us before we left, drawing us an itinerary.
You know, she says, Daddy got the Distinguished Service Cross in World War II.
And that has been my experience, both with personal guns, and the numerous rifles I end up tuning for friends each year.
Sometimes, it might take a little experimenting to find the right bullet, but Remington almost always performs better than adequate, right out of the carton.
When the unusually-configured barrel of the new Remington Model 700 VTR caught my eye, I decided my usual practice of signing for a test gun from the manufacturer wasn’t necessary. Experience proved the gun would shoot. And the features Remington built into this bolt gun intrigued me.
First off was that barrel. Talk about stand out on a gun rack--who ever saw a triangular-shaped barrel before? And it was the right length, too—just 22 inches.
The VTR stands for “Varmint Tactical Rifle” which falls into the ever-growing category of “tacti-cool” rifles with standard applications made to look like tactical guns with law enforcement or military uses. Of course, tactical rifles are no-nonsense, utilitarian rifles, spare to the point of Spartan with no unnecessary parts, everything designed for a purpose with no frilly cosmetics.
The new VTR is the long-proven Model 700 action with a patented triangular barrel, a design that offers more rigidity and less weight than a round barrel of equal diameter. With the larger surface area, greater heat dissipation is also claimed. An integral muzzle brake also acts as a protective crown for the rifling, extending past the crown for two inches.
The camo green composite stock has black grips overmolded into the forearm and pistol-grip—and it has two sling swivels on the front end—one for the sling, the other to attach a bipod for the varmint fields.
The gray, almost rough finish on the barrel and receiver is reminiscent of the old military “Parkerized” finish—a handsome, no-nonsense finish that seems to soak up oil, and sheds moisture with equal aplomb.
Since I’ve been planning a varmint hunt for prairie dogs this summer, I intended to build a rifle to take with me—in either .223 Remington, or .22-250 Remington. Once I spotted the VTR, knowing from experience it would shoot, the decision was made, and I ordered one.
After a lot of discussion with friends, some of whom have actually made prairie dog hunts, I settled on one of the icons in the long-range varmint fraternity, the classic .22-250, standardized by Remington in 1965.
Long considered one of the most accurate, easily adapted cartridges around, the .22-250 is known by old-time shooters by the nickname “.22 Varminter”—which gives you an idea of the status the cartridge holds in those ranks. I had never owned one, but the history of the cartridge, that it was developed by necking down the old .250 Savage centerfire deer cartridge, and its proven ability as a super long-range, accurate round all intrigued me, and I started buying different weight bullets in anticipation of its arrival.
Lord, save me from lawyers, litigious societies, and heavy rifle triggers. I took what was offered.
I have to say, the gunsmith did an excellent job—we put a trigger-pull gauge on it after it came back, and found little creep and a crisp break right at the specified weight—I’ll live with it.
At the same time, I had them mount a nice 4-16X50 Alpen scope (http://www.alpenoptics.com) with an adjustable objective on high mounts, and I was in business. I could hardly wait to start testing loads and seasoning the barrel.
My normal practice with a new rifle is to buy an array of factory rounds and shoot them, scrubbing the barrel with Butch’s Bore Shine, or other copper solvent after each two or three shots for about 20 rounds. Then I go to cleaning after 5-6 rounds for another 20 or so, then after every 10 rounds for another 20.
Besides gaining brass to work up loads, I am breaking in the barrel and at the same time determining if the rifle has an inherent accuracy that can be enhanced by reloading and finding the perfect combination.
At first, the rifle frustrated me. It would shoot slightly above minute-of-angle (one inch) in a three or five-shot group, then climb out to almost two inches—which was rapidly determined to be cleaning-related. If I let it go past five or six shots without a good scrubbing, the groups widened considerably. This didn’t make sense as friends familiar with the caliber assured me their guns didn’t require excessive cleaning to maintain accuracy.
I also suspected I wasn’t reaching the full potential of the barrel because of bullet weight. Most of the rounds I could find were in the 55 grain or larger sizes—these would require a faster rifling twist for optimum accuracy. So I called the factory, and asked to speak to an engineer or someone in the sales department.
I was given the number of John Fink, who turned out to be the project manager on the VTR. I couldn’t have done better if I tried.
John told me the twist rate was 1-in-14. This is the recommended rate for the .22-250 as specified by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers, Inc. (SAAMI). Thus, he told me, the early weights originally designed for the cartridge were probably going to give me better performance. I should begin experimenting with weights in the 45 and 50 grain range, he said.
Talking to John Fink reminded me of the time we took a fisheries biologist down in the brackish Louisiana marsh, fishing for bass, redfish (red drum), and specks (speckled sea trout). We nearly wore the poor guy out asking him questions about the terrain, marsh loss, damage from nutria (a large South American rodent that adapted to our marsh, and is eating it away), and everything else we had been questioning for years. An expert is a great thing to have along when you are practising your favorite hobbies.
I had the project manager for the Model 700 VTR Bolt on the phone--I wasn't going to let him off without asking the question that has been gnawing at me for years: Just why does Remington insist on putting those two small protusions insided every forearm, supporting the barrel, and ruining what would be a perfectly free-floated barrel?
"We've tried it both ways," he said. "Free-floating the barrel, and using pressure points. We've found in the test results the pressure points actually have an effect on the harmonics of the barrels, and stabilize them. When we remove the pressure points the accuracy actually deteriorates--so we build them into most forearms."
"I've tried it both ways," I said. "I have a Model 7 in 7MM-O8 that I couldn't get past minute-of-angle with any ammo I bought, so I ground the pressure points out, and polished them down. I completely free-floated the barrel."
"Did it do any good," he asked?
"Not much," I admitted. "But the rifle shoots a little under 1 inch at 100 yards with 140 grain Remington Core-Lokt, and I've never bothered to work a load up for it."
My daughter uses it every season, and she doesn't need any better than that anyway. Until I get the Buck Fever out of her, it won't matter if she can drill one-hole groups, or shoot one inch. If it's a doe, she slays them, even out to 200 yards.
But a buck can walk out at 75 yards broadside, and Jessica will shake herself until her fillings fall out.
After talking to John Fink, I decided maybe the factory guys actually do apply some science to manufacturing these rifles, and decided to leave the pressure points in the injection-molded stock. I had found the same features in the laminated stock on my Remington Guide Rifle in .300 SAUM, and it shoots 150 grain factory loads in under an inch. I guess I need to quit second-guessing the experts.
I don’t know if the 80 rounds or so of factory ammo had finally done its job, polishing the bore and filling the microscopic imperfections with copper shavings, thus making a perfectly smooth tube, but suddenly, the rifle came alive for me.
Hornady V-Max ammo in 50 grains with a ballistic tip claimed 3800 fps, and gave up a five-shot group that measured 1 1/8” at 100 yards. But that was one flyer. Four of the five were touching, and printed inside of 5/8”!
I’ve always found you can go buy the most expensive ammunition on the market, and a Remington rifle seems to have a natural affinity for Remington ammo—don’t ask me why. This rifle proved no exception, and bulk-purchase 40 round boxes of 50-grain Jacketed Hollow Points (JHP) consistently fired 5-shot groups that grouped inside 7/8”.
An early 3-shot group of Winchester 45 grain JHP gave an exciting 5/8” group, but a later group fired around the time of the Hornady and Remington light-weights was very disappointing. I suspect either wind, or barrel fouling.
After over 120 rounds fired through the barrel, I’ve reached the point my friends told me about. Now, a quick swab with a dry patch is all the barrel seems to need when the groups seem to be growing. They tighten right back up, if I do my job.
I’m most pleased with my new “tacti-cool” rifle and caliber—it should prove to be an affordable and really accurate sniper rifle on prairie dogs out past 300 yards.
Now I’m hitting the reloading bench to tighten those groups into the proverbial “one-hole” for which this caliber is famous.
Then, on to the varmint fields for the ultimate test—I’m sure I’ll be telling you about that hunt before the summer’s over. | 2019-04-22T04:50:01Z | http://www.theshootist.net/2009/05/ |
Constants specifying values of startMode and endMode.
A positive value indicating the amount of time saved during DST in milliseconds.
This field has two possible interpretations: endMode == DOW_IN_MONTH endDay indicates the day of the month of endMonth on which daylight saving time ends, from 1 to 28, 30, or 31, depending on the endMonth.
The day of the week on which daylight saving time ends.
Variables specifying the mode of the end rule.
The month in which daylight saving time ends.
The time in milliseconds after midnight at which daylight saving time ends.
The format of endTime, either WALL_TIME, STANDARD_TIME, or UTC_TIME.
This field was serialized in JDK 1.1, so we have to keep it that way to maintain serialization compatibility.
The offset in milliseconds between this zone and GMT.
The version of the serialized data on the stream.
Enabled: Constant for a mode of start or end time specified as standard time.
This field has two possible interpretations: startMode == DOW_IN_MONTH startDay indicates the day of the month of startMonth on which daylight saving time starts, from 1 to 28, 30, or 31, depending on the startMonth.
The day of the week on which daylight saving time starts.
Variables specifying the mode of the start rule.
The month in which daylight saving time starts.
The time in milliseconds after midnight at which daylight saving time starts.
The format of startTime, either WALL_TIME, STANDARD_TIME, or UTC_TIME.
The year in which daylight saving time is first observed.
A boolean value which is true if and only if this zone uses daylight saving time.
Enabled: Constant for a mode of start or end time specified as UTC.
Enabled: Constant for a mode of start or end time specified as wall clock time.
Enabled: Constructs a SimpleTimeZone with the given base time zone offset from GMT and time zone ID with no daylight saving time schedule.
Enabled: Constructs a SimpleTimeZone with the given base time zone offset from GMT, time zone ID, and rules for starting and ending the daylight time.
Suppressed: Returns a clone of this SimpleTimeZone instance.
Compares the given date in the year to the given rule and returns 1, 0, or -1, depending on whether the date is after, equal to, or before the rule date.
Decode the end rule and validate the parameters.
Given a set of encoded rules in startDay and startDayOfMonth, decode them and set the startMode appropriately.
Decode the start rule and validate the parameters.
Suppressed: Compares the equality of two SimpleTimeZone objects.
Enabled: Returns the amount of time in milliseconds that the clock is advanced during daylight saving time.
Enabled: Returns the difference in milliseconds between local time and UTC, taking into account both the raw offset and the effect of daylight saving, for the specified date and time.
Gets offset, for current date, modified in case of daylight saving time.
Enabled: Returns the offset of this time zone from UTC at the given time.
Gets the raw GMT offset and the amount of daylight saving of this time zone at the given time.
Enabled: Gets the GMT offset for this time zone.
Suppressed: Generates the hash code for the SimpleDateFormat object.
Enabled: Returns true if this zone has the same rules and offset as another zone.
Enabled: Queries if the given date is in daylight saving time.
Make rules compatible to 1.1 FCS code.
Pack the start and end rules into an array of bytes.
Pack the start and end times into an array of bytes.
Reconstitute this object from a stream (i.e., deserialize it).
Enabled: Sets the amount of time in milliseconds that the clock is advanced during daylight saving time.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time end rule to a fixed date within a month.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time end rule.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time end rule to a weekday before or after the given date within a month, e.g., the first Monday on or after the 8th.
Enabled: Sets the base time zone offset to GMT.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time start rule to a fixed date within a month.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time start rule.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time start rule to a weekday before or after the given date within a month, e.g., the first Monday on or after the 8th.
Enabled: Sets the daylight saving time starting year.
Suppressed: Returns a string representation of this time zone.
Given an array of bytes produced by packRules, interpret them as the start and end rules.
Unpack the start and end times from an array of bytes.
Enabled: Queries if this time zone uses daylight saving time.
Save the state of this object to a stream (i.e., serialize it).
The month in which daylight saving time starts. This value must be between Calendar.JANUARY and Calendar.DECEMBER inclusive. This value must not equal endMonth.
If useDaylight is false, this value is ignored.
startDay indicates the day of the month of startMonth on which daylight saving time starts, from 1 to 28, 30, or 31, depending on the startMonth.
startDay indicates which startDayOfWeek in th month startMonth daylight saving time starts on. For example, a value of +1 and a startDayOfWeek of Calendar.SUNDAY indicates the first Sunday of startMonth. Likewise, +2 would indicate the second Sunday, and -1 the last Sunday. A value of 0 is illegal.
The day of the week on which daylight saving time starts. This value must be between Calendar.SUNDAY and Calendar.SATURDAY inclusive.
If useDaylight is false or startMode == DAY_OF_MONTH, this value is ignored.
The time in milliseconds after midnight at which daylight saving time starts. This value is expressed as wall time, standard time, or UTC time, depending on the setting of startTimeMode.
The month in which daylight saving time ends. This value must be between Calendar.JANUARY and Calendar.UNDECIMBER. This value must not equal startMonth.
endDay indicates the day of the month of endMonth on which daylight saving time ends, from 1 to 28, 30, or 31, depending on the endMonth.
endDay indicates which endDayOfWeek in th month endMonth daylight saving time ends on. For example, a value of +1 and a endDayOfWeek of Calendar.SUNDAY indicates the first Sunday of endMonth. Likewise, +2 would indicate the second Sunday, and -1 the last Sunday. A value of 0 is illegal.
The day of the week on which daylight saving time ends. This value must be between Calendar.SUNDAY and Calendar.SATURDAY inclusive.
If useDaylight is false or endMode == DAY_OF_MONTH, this value is ignored.
The time in milliseconds after midnight at which daylight saving time ends. This value is expressed as wall time, standard time, or UTC time, depending on the setting of endTimeMode.
The year in which daylight saving time is first observed. This is an AD value. If this value is less than 1 then daylight saving time is observed for all AD years.
The offset in milliseconds between this zone and GMT. Negative offsets are to the west of Greenwich. To obtain local standard time, add the offset to GMT time. To obtain local wall time it may also be necessary to add dstSavings.
A boolean value which is true if and only if this zone uses daylight saving time. If this value is false, several other fields are ignored.
This field was serialized in JDK 1.1, so we have to keep it that way to maintain serialization compatibility. However, there's no need to recreate the array each time we create a new time zone.
Exact day of week; e.g., March 1.
Day of week in month; e.g., last Sunday in March.
Day of week after day of month; e.g., Sunday on or after March 15.
Day of week before day of month; e.g., Sunday on or before March 15.
The setting of this field affects the interpretation of the startDay field.
The setting of this field affects the interpretation of the endDay field.
A positive value indicating the amount of time saved during DST in milliseconds. Typically one hour (3600000); sometimes 30 minutes (1800000).
Enabled: Constant for a mode of start or end time specified as wall clock time. Wall clock time is standard time for the onset rule, and daylight time for the end rule.
Enabled: Constant for a mode of start or end time specified as UTC. European Union rules are specified as UTC time, for example.
JDK 1.1.4 or later. Includes three new fields: startMode, endMode, and dstSavings.
JDK 1.3 or later. Includes two new fields: startTimeMode and endTimeMode.
When streaming out this class, the most recent format and the highest allowable serialVersionOnStream is written.
rawOffset - The base time zone offset in milliseconds to GMT.
ID - The time zone name that is given to this instance.
rawOffset - The given base time zone offset from GMT.
ID - The time zone ID which is given to this object.
startMonth - The daylight saving time starting month. Month is a MONTH field value (0-based. e.g., 0 for January).
startDay - The day of the month on which the daylight saving time starts. See the class description for the special cases of this parameter.
startDayOfWeek - The daylight saving time starting day-of-week. See the class description for the special cases of this parameter.
startTime - The daylight saving time starting time in local wall clock time (in milliseconds within the day), which is local standard time in this case.
endMonth - The daylight saving time ending month. Month is a MONTH field value (0-based. e.g., 9 for October).
endDay - The day of the month on which the daylight saving time ends. See the class description for the special cases of this parameter.
endDayOfWeek - The daylight saving time ending day-of-week. See the class description for the special cases of this parameter.
endTime - The daylight saving ending time in local wall clock time, (in milliseconds within the day) which is local daylight time in this case.
startTime - The daylight saving time starting time in local wall clock time, which is local standard time in this case.
endTime - The daylight saving ending time in local wall clock time, which is local daylight time in this case.
dstSavings - The amount of time in milliseconds saved during daylight saving time.
Enabled: Constructs a SimpleTimeZone with the given base time zone offset from GMT, time zone ID, and rules for starting and ending the daylight time. This constructor takes the full set of the start and end rules parameters, including modes of startTime and endTime. The mode specifies either wall time or standard time or UTC time.
startTime - The daylight saving time starting time in the time mode specified by startTimeMode.
startTimeMode - The mode of the start time specified by startTime.
endTime - The daylight saving ending time in time time mode specified by endTimeMode.
year - The daylight saving starting year.
startDay - The day of the month on which the daylight saving time starts.
startTime - The daylight saving time starting time in local wall clock time, which is local standard time in this case. See the class description for the special cases of this parameter.
startDayOfWeek - The daylight saving time starting day-of-week.
after - If true, this rule selects the first dayOfWeek on or after dayOfMonth. If false, this rule selects the last dayOfWeek on or before dayOfMonth.
endDay - The day of the month on which the daylight saving time ends.
endDayOfWeek - The daylight saving time ending day-of-week.
after - If true, this rule selects the first endDayOfWeek on or after endDay. If false, this rule selects the last endDayOfWeek on or before endDay of the month.
Enabled: Returns the offset of this time zone from UTC at the given time. If daylight saving time is in effect at the given time, the offset value is adjusted with the amount of daylight saving.
the amount of time in milliseconds to add to UTC to get local time.
the total amount of the raw GMT offset and daylight saving at the specified date.
Enabled: Returns the difference in milliseconds between local time and UTC, taking into account both the raw offset and the effect of daylight saving, for the specified date and time. This method assumes that the start and end month are distinct. It also uses a default GregorianCalendar object as its underlying calendar, such as for determining leap years. Do not use the result of this method with a calendar other than a default GregorianCalendar.
Note: In general, clients should use Calendar.get(ZONE_OFFSET) + Calendar.get(DST_OFFSET) instead of calling this method.
era - The era of the given date.
year - The year in the given date.
month - The month in the given date. Month is 0-based. e.g., 0 for January.
day - The day-in-month of the given date.
dayOfWeek - The day-of-week of the given date.
millis - The milliseconds in day in standard local time.
The milliseconds to add to UTC to get local time.
Gets offset, for current date, modified in case of daylight saving time. This is the offset to add to UTC to get local time. Gets the time zone offset, for current date, modified in case of daylight saving time. This is the offset to add to UTC to get local time. Assume that the start and end month are distinct.
monthLength - The length of the given month in days.
prevMonthLength - The length of the previous month in days.
The offset to add to GMT to get local time.
Compares the given date in the year to the given rule and returns 1, 0, or -1, depending on whether the date is after, equal to, or before the rule date. The millis are compared directly against the ruleMillis, so any standard-daylight adjustments must be handled by the caller.
1 if the date is after the rule date, -1 if the date is before the rule date, or 0 if the date is equal to the rule date.
Enabled: Sets the base time zone offset to GMT. This is the offset to add to UTC to get local time.
offsetMillis - the given base time zone offset to GMT.
millisSavedDuringDST - the number of milliseconds the time is advanced with respect to standard time when the daylight saving time rules are in effect. A positive number, typically one hour (3600000).
the number of milliseconds the time is advanced with respect to standard time when the daylight saving rules are in effect, or 0 (zero) if this time zone doesn't observe daylight saving time.
true if this time zone uses daylight saving time; false otherwise.
true if daylight saving time is in effective at the given date; false otherwise.
obj - The SimpleTimeZone object to be compared with.
True if the given obj is the same as this SimpleTimeZone object; false otherwise.
a string representation of this time zone.
Given a set of encoded rules in startDay and startDayOfMonth, decode them and set the startMode appropriately. Do the same for endDay and endDayOfMonth. Upon entry, the day of week variables may be zero or negative, in order to indicate special modes. The day of month variables may also be negative. Upon exit, the mode variables will be set, and the day of week and day of month variables will be positive. This method also recognizes a startDay or endDay of zero as indicating no DST.
The range for month does not include UNDECIMBER since this class is really specific to GregorianCalendar, which does not use that month. The range for time includes ONEDAY (vs. ending at ONEDAY-1) because the end rule is an exclusive limit point. That is, the range of times that are in DST include those >= the start and < the end. For this reason, it should be possible to specify an end of ONEDAY in order to include the entire day. Although this is equivalent to time 0 of the following day, it's not always possible to specify that, for example, on December 31. While arguably the start range should still be 0..ONEDAY-1, we keep the start and end ranges the same for consistency.
Decode the end rule and validate the parameters. This method is exactly analogous to decodeStartRule().
Make rules compatible to 1.1 FCS code. Since 1.1 FCS code only understands day-of-week-in-month rules, we must modify other modes of rules to their approximate equivalent in 1.1 FCS terms. This method is used when streaming out objects of this class. After it is called, the rules will be modified, with a possible loss of information. startMode and endMode will NOT be altered, even though semantically they should be set to DOW_IN_MONTH_MODE, since the rule modification is only intended to be temporary.
Pack the start and end rules into an array of bytes. Only pack data which is not preserved by makeRulesCompatible.
Pack the start and end times into an array of bytes. This is required as of serial version 2.
Unpack the start and end times from an array of bytes. This is required as of serial version 2.
Reconstitute this object from a stream (i.e., deserialize it). We handle both JDK 1.1 binary formats and full formats with a packed byte array. | 2019-04-24T16:28:16Z | http://erights.org/javadoc/java/util/SimpleTimeZone.html |
The garden is starting to look pretty good. Of course, quite a few beds have been harvested or mostly harvested. Beets, garlic, onion, for example.
And did I mention garlic?
Rural Garden: We have discovered the joy of roasted veggies and have eaten them three nights in a row. Not tired of them yet. Potatoes, turnips, beets, shallots, red onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, squash. Drizzle some olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake for and hour at 425. At the thirty minute mark cover with foil. A little salt. A dash of Tobasco and it's a gormet treat.
Our potatoes of the moment are Austrian Crescents and are quite large and well-formed even though the plant is still in bloom. We have a lot of them. Many more potato dishes to come.
The fun never ends here in Portland!
One of our hives swarmed about a week ago and ended up under the eaves of our neighbor's house. We were hoping that they were stopping there only temporarily but after about a week they hadn't left. This swarm was not in an easily accessible place where if could be shaken into a bucket and was worked pretty far back under the eaves.
This colony would not be able to survive the winter exposed as such and is a nuisance to the neighbor, especially as they were planning on repainting this dormer this week (surprise!).
This called for one thing: the beevac! The beevac is a crazy device someone dreamed up to remove bees from wall cavities and other hard to reach places. Typically it is a box but I made this one out of a bucket as it seemed easier and lighter. There is a shopvac attached to the bucket with a screened opening and then a hose out of the bucket to use to get the bees.
It is not as satisfying as it might sound. The bees can hang on and you want to keep the suction fairly low so as not to damage the bees as they get shot into the bucket. Anyway, with the help of the homeowner, Sally and the recipients of the bees we had a successful operation with the comb removed and most of the bees alive. They will be transfered to a new hive tomorrow morning and hopefully will be able to bounce back.
Rural Garden: It took things a long time to get going this spring with the wet cold weather. But on the fifth of July things warmed up and cell division began to happen big time.
Everything spurted and though we are pretty much eating only lettuce, misc. greens and beets it appears we will have nice crops of berries, potatoes, beans, cukes, squash, tomatoes and even corn. We have eaten three small peppers grown in Walls O Water and there are turnips ready to pull as well. The hot garden seems to be working as planned. I love seeing squash vines exploring through several beds. Had one tomato plant collapse but staked it up and it is still growing. We finally got some flowers (zinnias and strawflowers) to bloom with the nasturtiums and sunflowers are coming on strong. We are in pretty good shape for the Edible Garden Tour which happens on July 18 (tomorrow as I post this). The lesson this year is patience. I didn't have much this spring and was doubly frustrated by slugs and rabbits. Had to use Sluggo and crop covers to keep these pests at bay. So far, the rabbit gum hasn't caught anything. But I did uncover a nest of baby rats in the decomposing straw bales of the compost pile. I should place some traps as a neighbor up the road recently caught eight rats in a week. Another friend told me the old timers are saying that this is the worst year ever for rabbits. The owls, hawks and coyotes need to get to work. Onions an shallots need pulling as do the rest of the beets which I've mulched with straw to make them last through the garden tour.
We've done ten quarts of beets so far and canning and preserving will continue big time next week. The garlic had a bad case of rust and I lost a number of bulbs to rot and moisture. We had a couple good meals from the scapes.
The garlic is all pulled and pealed and drying in the barn. The bulbs aren't affected by the rust but are smaller than last year. Still, we have 100 or so bulbs which will last us through the winter and spring and give us some to give away. The disadvantage of the rust is that you need to cut off most of the stem so you can't braid them.
Rural Blog: Cousin Lew was visiting from Virginia and I was complaining about rabbits as I normally do all summer long. I don't think the little bastards are cute. Lew said, "Tomorrow we'll build you one of Grandpa Smith's Rabbit Gums." Of course, not having been raised on the farm like Lew was I was unfamiliar with the rabbit gum. It took a bit of research (actually just doing the Google) to learn that the term came from the tradition of using the black gum tree as a trap. Apparently the black gum is predisposed to a fungi which hollows out the trunk making it useful for both bee hives and traps. Our gum, however, would be made from wood.
Lew roughed out a plan and I found a detailed schematic on the web which looked just like Lew's drawing but had all the dimensions and details.
It took us a couple hours of sawing and carving to make our gum which now sits in the garden waiting to surprise the rabbit with its "hare" trigger. Ha. Ha. The critter will follow the bait into the box, bump the trigger and the door will slam shut.
Then...well I don't really know what will happen then. Being of a vegetarian disposition and forbidden by family members from harming the creature I will probably just take it to the beach and try and beat it back to the garden. Maybe I will attempt to spray paint them a bit just to see how many I can catch. (Grandpa Smith was not on the catch and release program. He was a catch an eat kind of fellow). I guess I just want to mess with them a bit like they do with me.
"My uncle taught me to bait traps with apple slices. This was his preference because apples were readily available that time of the year and would keep in the trap for a long while. In addition to placing a large slice in the trap behind the trigger, he also placed tiny bits of apple in a pathway leading to the entrance."
I wonder if the door slamming shut will wake me up?
Mother Earth News had a little feature on protecting your apples from maggots and worms by bagging them a la the Japanese. It linked to a 2007 article about using footies to protect the fruit. So I bought a box of cheap footies and am using cotton string to tie them around the fruit. It's time consuming but not demanding and you get to know your trees quite intimately. We'll see how it works in a few months. Our crop is very light.
Rural Garden: I think some of beginner's luck is over with. The slugs are horrible this year and cutworms keep taking out my peas. Germination has been slow with the cool, wet spring following that early burst of nice weather. But we are moving forward and ahead of previous seasons due to planting earlier and pushing hard. Here's a series of photos taken May 29th to show status. On Saturday I spray compost tea and pull the row covers back and use the long handled hoe to take out the accumulation of the week's weeds. Click to enlarge photo.
Squash plants are doing well. These are from starts purchased at Cascade Cuts.
Tomatoes in garbage cans. An idea from Travis O. in Hawaii.
Some corn peeking through. Maybe it will get ripe this time. But it is nice to see corn in the garden. An amazing plant.
Beets. Spotted germination. I've reseeded . We like the beet. It's a twofer. Tops and bottoms.
Nastursiums reseeded themselves and are going nuts.
Pole beans. Note slug damage. Have had a hard time getting germination this year but they are finally popping up. No bush beans since I'm mad at the rabbits for eating them all. Three poles of pole beans. The bunnies will have to jump for them.
Jeruselem artichokes. The rats or raccons ate most of them last winter.
Garlic bed number 1. Had some rotting due to wet spring.
Raspberries show signs of a great crop.
Bok Choi, lettuce, radicchio, cabbage. All planted at the same time. I have great admiration for bok choi. Easy to grow. The rabbits ate all the sprouts before I got this bed covered and the bok choi fought back. Ate the first head of bok choi last night in the pasta sauce: onion, garlic, bok choi, two cans of diced tomato, one can of garbonzo. Seasoned with turmeric, Italian seasoning, cayenne, Bragg's, tamari, balsamic vinegar. It was pretty dang tasty.
Rural Garden: Soft fruit, particularly raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are at risk this year from a new pest to the West Coast called Spotted Wing Drosophila, a particulary virulent pest which can lay up to 400 eggs per day. Entimologists are concerned because the fly was found last year all up and down the Pacific Coast. Cloud Mountain Farm has alerted its newsletter members to the probability that we will have the fly. Action must be taken to make sure they don't ruin the fruit.
The fly can be identified fairly easily because of the black spots on the wings of the male.
The organic method of ridding your fruit trees, and berry bushes is to make a trap of apple cider vinegar and hang it from the lower branches or lower wire of raspberry trellis. I'm going to use plastic containers and rig a hangar from some wire. Drill some 3/16" holes around the sides of the container, fill with about an inch of vinegar and put the lid back on.
The fly is expected to show up in late May if it deems to make an appearance so traps best be set out soon.
We've had a very busy month of beekeeping. We had a single hive of bees in a Top Bar Hive that we captured as a wild swarm last summer. It had overwintered fine and after fixing a bunch of errant comb in the early spring we hadn't done any more inspections. On the 15th we opened up the hive and saw A LOT of drone bees which, as it turned out, meant that the bees were getting ready to swarm.
The next day we took a look again and found several queen cells, some being built and some sealed. (background: When a colony feels overcrowded or is in distress for some other reason it will often swarm in spring or early summer. A swarm of bees is a queen and roughly half of a colony striking out to find a new home. Before they swarm they will start to raise several new queens in specially built cells filled exclusively with royal jelly. In the picture I've cut the end off the queen cell exposing the larve, which w/o the royal jelly would just become a worker.
We then tried to split the hive which, if successfully done, gives bees the impression they have already swarmed and leaves the beekeeper with two hives instead of one. Our split was sad to say, unsuccessful.
A couple of days after the split, one of the hives swarmed into a boxwood tree in our yard. Luckily the little house we just built, allowed me to just reach it standing on the ridge of the roof. The swarm was captured and put into another hive. So now we have three hives, hopefully all with queens or queens on the way. THEN, the little buggers swarmed again, this time onto the top of our fence. The swarm was caught and put into the unused half of the second hive as I didn't feel like making another one in a big rush.
Finally (hopefully) there was yet another swarm that landed on a young apricot tree in our yard, almost breaking the branch with its weight. I decided to make a different type of hive to house this swarm, called a 'Warre Hive', named after the french abbey who invented it. It is supposed to be the most sustainable of all hive types and, for better and worse, has almost no maintenance/inspections other than the harvest. After finishing the hive and taking a break until evening to insert them, the bees decided they did not like the plastic storage container that was their temporary home and swarmed again! Up until now, all the swarms had stayed discreetly in our own yard, but this swarm was on the move. The air was filled with a cloud of bees that started slowly moving into our neighbors yard and then into the next neighbors yard finally landing in the hedge of yet another neighbor. It was a gorgeous day so everyone was out, but thankfully no one freaked out. This swarm was also captured and put into the new Warre hive as of a few days ago.
To my knowledge it is common for hives to swarm once or twice, but four times plus an artificial split seems a little out of line. We still feel very much like we are beginners, although we are getting a lot of practice catching swarms.
The red thing in the back of what has become the 'bee yard' is a hammock that was put up when there was just the one hive. I've hung out in it a couple of times since the bee explosion and it actually is fine there! I may be tempting fate here but no one was stung during all previous escapades, despite our less than pro equipment.
Rural Garden: After a long day of yard work (mowing, weeding, weed whacking plus some gutter cleaning and a compost tea party) I sat in the garden and watched the bees work our bolting kale. These plants which gave good food last year and this are now seven feet tall though last night's wind toppled several of them over. Watching bees is just as much fun as watching Dancing With The Stars. The bees love that kale. There seemed to be two different kinds of bees and neither looked like honey bees to me. One was mostly yellow, the other mostly orange. I couldn't see a pollen sack. When the wind gusted they buzzed off to return as soon as it calmed down. They were impatient and moved quickly from blossom to blossom. Glad the bees are here.
Planted potatoes in a trench so it would be easier to heap dirt on the sprouts. Different from the way I did it the last two years. Two big beds of potatoes.
Soil temps are rising so we should be seeing more stuff sprouting. I am attacking slugs with beer and the bok choy they chomped is fighting back. Some flowers are poking through including a handful of sunflowers. Some self-seeding lettuce is getting to edible size and the strawberries have blooms. Shallots are getting big tops and some of the garlic is almost three feet tall. It's getting exciting in the garden.
Last year we built a pea house (frame to support the pea vines). It worked but when we tried to move it to storage it fell apart. It was a poor design. One piece with funky supports and not strong enough.
This year we redesigned the frame with heavier scrap and screws rather than nail. It's two more or less identical pieces that will support four rows of peas. It should last more than one year.
We stapled fish net to the cross pieces to give the peas a climbing wall.
Rural Garden: It's satisfying to recondition a bed and get it ready for planting. After winter the raised beds look shrunken and compressed. They seem a couple feet narrower than before.
The spring crop of rocks has floated to the top. I pick up the bigger ones and then pretty much follow the advice of Steve Solomon in Gardening When it Counts. I hoe the weeds and rake all the leaves I've dumped on the path. Then I take a digging fork and turn the dirt leaving only about 12 inches for a path.
When the entire bed is dug out I grab a shovel and slice a couple inches of dirt out of the remaining path and toss the dirt on the bed. Finally, I take a hoe and knock the clods apart as best I can then rake the bed to its final shape.
Today I decided I needed to repot my strawberries which are starting to bloom. They get root bound after a season and you have to shake them up. The plants were a bit ratty looking with lots of leaf debris and dead runners and even some weeds. I took a hori hori knife, one of the gardener's most useful tools, and cut around the plant and lifted it out with a pretty good clump of last years mix. I pulled some of that off then took my knife and loosened up what was left in the pot. (These are pretty good sized pots and took a lot of mix to fill last year). I had made a new mix of peat moss, vermiculite and bokashi mixed a third, a third, a third plus some complete organic fertilizer. I dumped several scoops of the mix into the pots then made indentations and stuck the plants in and pushed the mix down around them. I had twenty-three pots and I made a wheel barrel load of mix and finished the repotting in three hours. I watered the pots then topped them off with a couple of handfuls of biodynamic compost. Will give them some more water tomorrow if it doesn't rain tonight. In the photo the two pots at the top are repotted.
A new improved pea frame has been constructed and installed and the cloche has been rebuilt and planted.
Last year's cloche and pea frame worked but collapsed at the end of the season due to poor construction and design. This year instead of making one large flimsy pea frame we built two of much sturdier wood. Hopefully, they will last until next year. All built of scrap wood from the barn project.
I learned about Bokashi from brother Bart who uses it in his garden in Hawaii and is growing some amazing vegetables.
Bokashi is a kind of compost but it only takes two weeks to make. "Conventional composting relies on oxygen-fed organisms to break down organic material. Bokashi uses different kinds of microbes that thrive without oxygen. They decompose organic matter through an anaerobic process. It’s basic fermentation, the same process that gives us wine and pickles."
Bokashi is used like compost but because it's odorless one of the most frequent uses is in indoor vegetable scrap composting.
I plan to experiment with Bokashi with my pots. Need to repot all the strawberries so will make some potting mix, add some Bokashin and biodynamic compost and see if it works.
Today I mixed up 100 lbs of the stuff using wheat bran, molasses, water and EM (Effective Microorganisms). It's simple. Pretty much followed this video.
Yesterday I planted my onion and shallot sets. As it turned out we had such a mild winter I could have planted them in the fall with the garlic. But, this should work out okay. I also planted an odd onion called the Egyptian Walking Onion. It was great to get out there with the digging fork and turn over some dirt. I hated to disturb the worms but one bed had been used last year for potatoes, the other for cukes and they had to be rebuilt. When I got down the beds looked completely different, wider by a foot and a half. I put down 160 onion sets. Guess that should be enough for us and a few others. Haven't grown from sets before. Only from seed which I've never managed to thin properly. So perhaps this is the way for me to go.
We are enjoying overwintered kale and chard along with wild nettles.
The minerals have been applied. The hard part was figuring out how to get coverage. Some beds got more than others I'm afraid.
Should I continue using Steve Solomon's COF (complete organic fertilizer) sans seaweed and lime?
Your RX says I have enough organic material but I have a nice pile of biodynamic compost that I should use. Any problems with salting the beds with that compost?
You do not need more organic matter. I consider 9% about the maximum that will be of benefit in the PNW. You have 13.33%. Your compost is also no doubt high in Potassium, which is already waaaay too high and will tend to lower the sugar content of the crops.
If you have an orchard or blueberries you might want to use a bit of the compost for mulching there.
You also don't need anything that is in the COF. Likely you don't need anything at all to grow great crops this year.
Assuming your soil has good biological activity, there will probably be plenty of Nitrogen available without needing to add any.
If you wish to use a little fertilizer of some kind, I would suggest mixing some bone meal or fish bone meal (fish bone preferred) into the bottom of the planting furrow like you do with the COF, maybe 1/2 cup per 10 row feet. Other than that, all I foresee you needing is water and sunshine.
Rural Garden: Several years ago R and M dug up their fig tree in Everett and hauled it to the island where we planted it in what we thought was a nice spot. Problem was that late in the season, when the figs need heat and sun, they didn't get any. Last year I babied that tree like it was a small child with compost, fertilizer, frequent waterings and compost tea. We had a huge crop. Unfortunately, the fruit would not ripen. So, we decided to move it again, up the hill to R and M's house where it could have a nice sunny spot in their new orchard area. It wasn't easy. The fig had grown quite a bit. Lots of digging with shovels and a digging fork. Levering with a digging bar. And, finally, a push and shove with R's Kubota.
The purpose of the High Brix Project is to prove a correlation between mineral balance in the soil, Brix measurements, and mineral nutrients in the crop. The growers who have volunteered for the project have agreed to share their soil test results and Brix readings, and to get a plant tissue mineral analysis of their crop which will also be shared. The goal is to prove that we can grow crops that contain much higher levels of nutrients than the standard fare, whether "conventional" or organic, as compared to the average nutrients listed in the USDA publications, historical averages, and various scientific studies, and to prove that nutrient levels and Brix are directly linked to the amount and balance of minerals in the soil.
The project presently has 29 members, mostly from the US, but also from Canada, Denmark, Australia, and Zambia. We have tropical fruit orchards, coffee plantations, and pastures where sheep and cattle graze as well as many vegetable growers, both home garden and commercial. Members are using the methods of Carey Reams, William Albrecht et al, Biodynamics, and combinations of the three along with Rodale style mainstream organics. We have set up a members-only interactive wiki site to share information; all of the info we gather will eventually be shared with anyone interested.
Rural Garden: The weather is scary nice for January. Hyacinth is popping up. Trees are budding to the point where is seems cruel to prune. Today I collected dirt for the soil test for Michael Astera's High Brix Project. I dug an hole in each bed and took a sample, spread the dirt in the barn on a piece of plastic to let it dry and stirred it up a bit. 8 ounces of this will go in a Ziplock bag and sent to Logan Labs. Then Michael will analyse it and give me guidance on what amendments to add. Seeing as how it was nice and I was into the dirt, I grabbed a wheelbarrow, shovel, a couple of boards and my homemade rock screener and started working on the dirt pile that was left when we excavated for the rain catchment tanks. It was slow going. I need a couple of lively kids to pluck rocks while I shovel. I got four wheelbarrow loads in an hour. An hour was enough. Wished I had screened the rest of the garden dirt as carefully.It's pretty when it's clean.
It's exciting to see the garlic sprouting.
1. Any label carrying the green and white stamp, "USDA Organic" has a reciprocated interest with the USDA in maintaining organic certification. The USDA does not want to yank certification or act as a modulator or enforcer. Organic Certification is maintained by independent certifiers, each with a different political platform. There are sell-out organic farmers just trying to maximize their bottom-line, and there are hard-working farmers who really believe in approaching commerical farming with more sustainable, biodynamic principles. THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO OVERSIGHT CONCERNING ORGANIC FOOD.
2. Organic is a legal term, nothing more. It is controlled by regulations which are hardly enforcable. If a certified organic farmer runs the risk of losing an entire crop, or even part of a crop, due to a virus, a pest--anything-- that farmer will not hesistate to spray chemicals. Who will know? There are many cases in which organic farmers do this. The honest ones will report the chemical spray and generally get a slap-on-the-wrist, maybe a fine. It is unusual that a farmer's organic certification will be confiscated. Furthermore, due to the wide range of political platforms represented by individual organic certifiers, what prohibits a bad farmer from hop-scotching between organic certifiers? AGAIN, NO OVERSIGHT.
3. So the farmer sprays chemicals (Sidenote: many organic chemicals are more toxic than processed, inorganic chemicals) and doesn't report the treatment, who will know? Certainly not the consumer. The question remains, is that product still organic? NOT QUITE.
4. The answer IS NOT more regulation. The answer IS NOT more oversight. Any farmer who chooses to farm according to organic principles is doing it as a choice, not as a better option. For cute, small-scale, feed-yourself-and-no-one-else farming, organic farming fits in with what the mainstream would like. But such farming does not feed people. It accrues nothing for the larger community. "Certified" organic farming cannot feed thousands, yet alone millions. By this alone, it represents an elitist model of food production.
BUY LOCAL. BUY DIRECT. KNOW YOUR FARMER.
Many farmers exceed the standards set forth by the corrupt USDA and the National Organic Program (NOP).
No regulation, no inspections are necessary: just wholesome food from wholesome farmers, and CONSUMERS WHO MAKE GOOD CHOICES. Last thing farmers need is more regulation.
Rural Garden: I volunteered our garden for Michael Astera's high brix project. Will need to get a soil test and report it to Michael who will prescribe minerals to add to the garden. I'll take Brix readings and report to a wiki so the other volunteers can compare notes. In addition, a plant tissue lab test will be used to confirm progress or lack of it. The objective is to grow "nutrient dense" food. Michael has lots of good info on his website. His book, The Ideal Soil is available here as well. I bought a refractometer last year and was disappointed with the Brix readings I got on my veggies. So, will follow Michael's advice, as it develops, and try and take things up a notch. In the meantime, have doused the blueberries with Starbuck's Free For Your Garden coffee grounds. I scarfed up six bags on my last trip the B'Ham. Also managed to get the apples and plum pruned. Tried to scrape up all the apple leaves to reduce the chance of scab reoccuring and dug up the last five pounds of potatoes that, unfortunately, froze.
Have You Seen My Garden Photos?
Rural Garden: I've been boring quite a few people lately with my 300+ photos of the 2008/2009 gardening season. So, looking at these is optional. No editing has been done. Just a compilation of snaps taken to record the garden year.
It has been about five months since we got the bees and we decided should harvest some honey before the cold days set in. Last week in the early afternoon it got up to about 70 and the sun was out so I put on the gear and decided to see if what was happening.
We had a lot of meandering comb which made it so we couldn't easily move the bars around, so we didn't know really well what was going on in the hive. The bottom of the hive is just screening so I was able to take this pretty crummy flash photo of all the comb. It was hard to tell, even in person, how much comb was filled with honey while crouching under the hive, but we decided to just take one bar to try it out.
The first year the hive has to build all the comb from scratch so it is not supposed to be a prolific harvest. Hopefully next summer when they start out with 15 bars of empty comb it will be a bigger harvest. We took one bar that was about 1/3 to 1/2 full of honey and ended up getting probably a quart of honey plus a tub of comb we will melt down to wax. We cut up the honey comb and just put it into jars to use as is. I haven't quite gotten used to eating the honey, comb and all, but that is how a lot of people do (foodies mostly it seems). You can also see the little house in the background of the first photo as well as the bee veil that Sarah sewed up using a straw hat from the Goodwill. I'm hoping to build another hive with an observation window this winter and maybe try to catch another swarm in the spring.
We learn as we go. What I learned this year is that the south end of the garden is in the shade in from late September. Because tomatoes, peppers and eggplants were on that end of the garden the ripening process slowed due to lack of heat. In addition, the fig tree that I have so diligently nursed along and which is loaded with green figs will not get to a ripe stage. I think we will have to dig it up and move it to a warm, sunny spot. Perhaps in front of the house or even up hill to my brother and sister-in-law's place. It is, afterall, their tree, transplanted from Everett several years ago.
I had planned to expand the garden, bought posts and fencing, then decided I had enough work already. Now, however, I want to try tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and such in a place that gets all day sun. So I am back in the business of building beds, having staked out an 800 sq. ft. addition and begun to turn sod. Turn the sod, hoe it, apply fertilizer, seaweed, maple leaves, and compost and cover it with black plastic to help break everything down. Turning sod is hard work. I have a WWOOFER on the way and this motivates me. I'll have most of it dug by the time he arrives and he can help me set fence posts and nail up the fence. This wasn't even on my project list but as often happens my management goes LIFO.
There is a big disadvantage being on the water. It's cooler and the growing season seems a bit shorter. Plus we are shaded from the late afternoon sun. A bit of garden expansion to the north to increase late season sun exposure is now on the project list. An advantage of being on the water is unlimited seaweed. I recently read a post on Soil and Health by an Irish farmer who puts tons of seaweed on his fields that crab shells are very helpful in mineralizing the soil. There is also a substance in the crab shell called chitin that will help control predatory nematodes by stimulating the growth of fungi that attacks the insects. Good intuition, I suppose, led me to picking up the molted shells and tossing them into the garden. The fall crop of seaweed has arrived. It is a rich melange of Turkish towel, sea lettuce, kombu and wrack weed. It's so thick on the beach that a two handed scoop picks up a gallon at a time. The bad news is that low tides aren't very low or conveniently timed in October. But today there was a morning low as well as tomorrow. Got 55 gals today and will hope to double that in the morning.
Yesterday I harvested apples from three trees and got almost a wheelbarrow full. There are five different varieties and I can only guess what they are. A couple are obviously scab resistant. Others are not. We plan a pressing party for Saturday and will initiate the new apple press.
On the left are the monstrously large amish paste tomato plants, which are still ripening fruit. I'm tired of canning them. Next to that is the rainbow chard, which was covered with floating row covers for most of the summer and is therefore still very beautiful. This is the first year we haven't lost most of our greens to leaf miners, thanks to the row covers. On the right is a row of broccoli and cauliflower for fall. The cabbage moth caterpillars have done a number on them, because the moths were able to get in under the edges of the row covers, but the plants still seem healthy enough.
Three kinds of kale for fall, from front to back: white russian, black tuscany and red ursa.
On the left is a row of green onions. In the foreground are six brussels sprout plants. They're crowded in there but I really wanted more than a couple plants and didn't have any other free spot for them. The cabbage moth caterpillars have done some damage here too.
Baby salad greens, simpson elite loose leaf lettuce, deer tongue and grumolo verde chicory.
Here is a nice bushy patch of carrots. To the right and behind them where it appears to be just bare soil are overwintering onions. I lost a lot of the seedlings to who knows what. In front, on the left, are a couple mustard greens, and to the right are four tatsoi plants. The tatsoi is very attractive to something, maybe slugs.
In the foreground here are a few fall raab plants that are looking a little leggy, probably because they're being shaded by the eggplants. The eggplants are still trying desperately to ripen more fruit; the oriental one on the left has set a dozen little purple babies.
Spinach and arugula. These plants are still small, but we've gotten a couple salads from them already.
Parsley on the left, beets on the right. The pretty purplish ones are bull's blood, and most of the green ones are chioggia.
Here's a recent harvest: piles of chard and kale, salad greens, mustard greens, some tomatoes and my prize rosa bianca eggplants.
And finally, eloise's pumpkin. This plant started off very slowly and we didn't really expect to get anything from it at all. Then it set this one pumpkin, which grew at an incredible speed and is now pretty big. It looks like eloise is going to have THE perfect jack o'lantern pumpkin by halloween!
I got behind on harvesting zucchini and ended up with a washtub full. Almost more weight than I could handle by myself. I drove the car down as close to the garden as I could get it and struggled the squash to the car. There was at least sixty pounds of the stuff.
We could have composted it but decided to haul it down to Mike and Joan's and feed to their cattle who eat pretty much any vegetation. This turned out to be a good decision because we returned with some corn, beans, onions, leeks and a gallon of tasty, hot kimchi.
Something bad happened to my early cauliflower planting and I never figured out what. We had a couple of nice flowers on the second planting and used it to make flatbread. Cup of flour, cup of lite coconut milk, the cauliflower roated and curried, if you like. A bit of salt. Whisk into a batter and pour into a fry pan liberally oiled then tuck into the oven at 400 until it's all crispy. You can look it up on Mark Bittman's New York Times blog.
The folks across the street cut down a bunch of trees. As a result our Asian pear bore fruit. Very nice pears.
Our apples aren't quite ready but the ancient apple trees at the land trust property are loaded. These are huge old trees left over from the farm that existed here in the old days. Someone volunteered to prune them and the trees are loaded. We went over and collected a large bucket. Linda says she will make a pie.
A two day canning marathon is thankfully over. My feet hurt, my back hurts and I am full of admiration for those canners of history who filled cellars and pantries with jar after jar of home grown food made on a wood stove, often with hauled water. I am in awe of my grandmother who kept a farm kitchen going with three meals a day and still managed to can a ton of stuff. And I find it hard to believe that Linda's grandma made so much jam that she wore off half the side of a spoon. We canned a bit last summer for the first time in our lives. We picked up the beat this year with beans, beets, zuchinni relish, lime pickles, bread and butter pickles, blackberry jam, plum chutney and plum jam. Canning is no longer a mystery. Next year we'll figure out ways to add to our repertoire. Clearly, we are pretty well supplied with condiments for the winter months and pleased that we have used a high percentage of the food produced by the garden.
Rural Garden: Lots to do. The seaweed is starting to show up though not in huge quantities. So far, I've hauled about 70 gallons. I use it instead of kelp meal in Steve Solomon's Complete Organic Fertilizer (COF) formula. Next month there should be enough weed to haul fifty gallons in a day which is about as much as I want to deal with at one time. I dumped it and spread it out and am letting the rain rinse it although many sources say there is not enough salt to cause a problem.
We are having a wonderful blackberry season. The berries are big and sweet. The window of opportunity for making jam is closing fast with the heavy rain we got last night. The tides and jam making wait for no man. We jumped on it and have 40 half pints of blackberry jam and 8 half pints of syrup resulting from not enough pectin in the mix. We are using non-sugar pectin and agave syrup as our sweetener and it's quite delicious. We use Linda's grandma's old wooden spoon to stir the mix. It is worn down on one side from hours of making strawberry jam (Ersie didn't like the seeds in blackberries. We don't mind them).
The plums are coming on strong. Not quite ripe enough to eat but just right for making chutney. Chutney making was another new experience for us. Lots and lots of stirring. We finally resorted to pectin to get the sauce to thicken. It's so good we will hide it from ourselves for awhile and I doubt it will appear in too many gift packs. Zucchinis are piling up wanting to be relish, there's another batch of cukes waiting and hundreds of plums to deal with. We are getting a tiny taste of what putting up food is all about.
Soak clean sliced cucumbers in water and lime mixture in crockery or enamelware for 12 hours or overnight. Do not use aluminum ware. Remove sliced cucumbers from lime water. Discard lime water. Rinse 3 times in fresh cold water. Soak 3 hours in fresh ice water. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mixed pickling spices in a large pot. Bring to low boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and add sliced cucumbers. Soak 5 or 6 hours or overnight. Boil slices in the syrup 35 minutes. Fill sterilized jars with hot slices. Pour hot syrup over the slices, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cap each jar when filled. Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Test jars for airtight seals according to manufacturer's instructions. Refrigerate unsealed jars.
Rural Blog: The garden is past its prime but there is still loads of food—cukes, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, strawberries, broccoli, even a few beans. And this year we have peppers courtesy of the Wall O'Water. Last night we toasted some Shishito peppers in the toaster oven, blistered them and ate the whole thing, seeds and all. We could eat potatoes every night. And they are so creamy and nice I don't think we will tire of them. They're great with pesto sauce. The rabbits were hard on the garden this year. I should have been more diligent with the row covers. They ate lots of beans, pretty much wrecked the later carrots, devoured the cauliflower and generally earned the designation "pest." Some people think they are cute. I do not. I have even fantasized about a dog, looked at beebee guns on the internet and considered using them for .22 target practice. But I suspect I will just manage my row covers better next year. They don't seem to like beets so will have some tonight. Our flowers did well. The sunflowers, sweet peas, nastursiums, straw flowers and marigolds decorated the garden. The prettiest of the flowers are out front of the house. Linda's fancy dahlia's.
Early Girl tomatoes, cupidon bush beans, Russian banana potatoes, basil.
Because of the hot weather the garden seems to be about a month ahead of last year. The pea vines have been torn down. All the potato vines are on the ground. The flowers are about done. Yesterday I picked all the beans I could find and began to pull up the bush beans. Speaking of beans, I had more last year with half the plants. I don't think they enjoyed the heat. And the rabbits really ate a lot of beans. I'm glad they can't climb the poles. I managed to get enough to pressure can nine quarts which took about four and a half hours. I would have to sell them for fifty dollars a quart. Yesterday on Soil and Health there was a discussion of what it takes to have a subsistence garden. One fellow reported how he did it: "Grew Approx. 400 corn plants...400 ft row of beans...seasonal gardens...raised and harvested olives for oil...raised ... Figs, almonds, apricots, apples, grapes...each day shelled out ears of corn .. soaked for 24 hours .. rinsed for 2-3 days until germination started. Daily meal .... ground wet into masa ... added oil and seasoning (herbs) and mixed by hand into a chapati, or made into various shapes ... cooked over open fire or solar oven along with beans. Ate with salad and/or cooked vegetables. Next day .....repeat." I'm a very long way from a subsistence garden.
The potatoes are Russian Bananas and quite creamy and delicious. We've been eating them with pesto sauce.
-more broccoli and brussels sprouts; I started some of these last month and decided I want some more, so I hope it's not too late for them.
I have a new seed starting procedure this fall. In the spring I was using Steve Solomon's seed starting soil mix, which contains a lot of garden soil and compost, and I kept getting mold on the soil surface. I've heard the recommendation to use a fan to improve air circulation and avoid mold, but I've also been told that it's important to keep them covered to maintain even soil moisture during germination, which means there isn't any air circulation... So my latest plan is to use a sterile seed starting mix (the one I made up is 50% Beats Peat, a coconut fiber replacement for peat moss, and 50% sand), and then to transplant them to Steve Solomon's mix after germination. This is what I did with the fall starts that I started last month and it seemed to work well. My concern is that an additional transplanting will damage roots and stunt the plants, but hopefully if I move them just after germination I will be able to do it with minimal damage.
We've been having almost-record-setting temperatures this week; yesterday was a degree off the all-time high temperature of 107 degrees in Portland. It has been hard on the animal members of our household; people are sweating, the dog is panting, cats are spread thin, and the chickens are also panting, and holding their wings away from their bodies. The plants, however, seem pretty happy about it. Anything that would have bolted is long gone at this point, and the heat-loving summer plants are growing like crazy. It's hard to keep everything watered; the winter squash and one very sensitive cherry tree particularly tend to wilt. But everything is setting and ripening fruit at an almost alarming pace. Even the watermelons appear to be on their way to actually producing edible melons; I wasn't sure if they would make it, but as it turns out this is the summer to try growing melons.
I've installed a program to use our gray water for watering the garden. We now have an enameled tub in the kitchen sink and one in the bathtub, and each time they fill up they are emptied into a 7 gallon plastic tub that is on the back stoop; any overflow from that tub goes into any five gallon buckets that are sitting around. And from there it is used for watering. It really has been surprising how much water we normally run down the drain, and very satisfying to use it instead.
This evening we dug up some of the Yukon Gold potatoes, and I was surprised to find way fewer potatoes than expected. The plants were flopped over and dried out, so I'm sure they were done producing, but what we found was some good size potatoes and some tiny potatoes, about four pounds from three plants. I don't know if this sorry yield is the result of planting grocery store potatoes rather than certified virus-free seed potatoes, but last year we planted grocery store potatoes that had sprouted in mid-june (rather late) in our plastic recycling bins (which means they didn't have much room), and got at least as much in return. This year the potatoes were planted as per Steve Solomon's directions. We have more Yukon Golds to dig, plus a bunch of Russian Blues (also grocery store bought potatoes that had sprouted), and some Burbank Russets that just went into the ground in July (virus-free nursery stock).
Dinner tonight, all from our yard: Yukon Gold potatoes cut into chunks and fried, then mixed with green beans and garlic and topped with a sunny side up egg per person and some chopped basil. Corn on the cob on the side.
Yesterday we made and froze lots of pesto. Basil, parmesian cheese, garlic (from the garden), pine nuts, salt and pepper. Made six ice cube trays.
Today we are pickling beets. Vinegar, agave syrup in place of sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Decided to do quarts but are only able to process three quarts at a time. Canning raises lots of questions about use of power and water. I do save the water in the canner and use it over and over as well as the pot full of water for heating jars (I can't figure out the short cycle in our dishwasher). Our canning operation was interrupted when a hummer hit our window. Linda checked the internet to see what to do and when we followed the recs (giving her a bit of sugar water from a straw), the tiny bird died. According to the internets, three quarters of fledging hummers don't make it. There are five times the normal amount of hummingbirds around here this year and lots more goldfinches (the Washington State bird) as well.
Now back to canning beets.
Dinner tonight, all from the garden: tomatoes with basil, cucumber, corn on the cob, and zucchini (cooked with our garlic).
The garden has reached maturity. Potato vines are toppling over, the peas have turned yellow, the bush beans too. Weeds are growing slower. It only took thirty minutes with a shuffle hoe this morning to clean things up. Figs are ripening and new little figs are appearing for a second crop. The plum tree seems to be thinning itself and yellow jackets are all over it perhaps eating aphids. My cilantro plant is toppling over and needs some attention. Perhaps I'll strip it and dehydrate it. The garlic is now dry and needs braiding. The giant sun flowers need to be cut down and hung up to dry. (Last year we hung them in the garage and they got all moldy. Not enough air movement. This time I am going to wire them to the fence). The family of rabbits living under the cosmos hardly notices me. They just keep on nibbling. They loved the bush beans and worked them pretty hard. The mobile tomatoes have been bearing fruit for a couple weeks. The tomatoes in the straw bale green house are an explosion of leaves. I would like to take the top off and prune them but am afraid I couldn't get the lid back on. I will let the experiment proceed. My biodynamic compost pile has taken on a lovely crumbly look. Onions are popping out of the ground. Each night for a week or two we've been able to pick two bowls of raspberries and blueberries for dessert. The raspberries are about done but blueberries will be with us for awhile. Young cukes are 3"-6" long. I planted three more zukes to keep the relish production going. We now have 20 pints. We harvested the peas last week and froze about four pounds. Frozen also were several bags of green beans. My succession crop of lettuce is finally coming up. Germination in this hot weather is quite slow. But the heat has goosed the sweet potatoes and they are now making leaves under a row cover. Flowers are blooming profusely and Linda was able to make table settings for last weekend's Boys and Girls Club auction without seemingly making a dent in the garden.
More chamomile to bundle and dry.
The lone eggplant is getting bigger. | 2019-04-24T20:23:06Z | https://aubreypub.typepad.com/weblog/page/2/ |
Day four of the 2017 MLB season gets going on Wednesday, as baseball jumps up from an 8-game slate to 15 games. Wednesday night has some interesting matchups on the docket, as aces like Chris Sale, Cole Hamels and Jacob deGrom all toe the rubber in an effort to help their team get a win.
Beyond the big name arms hitting the mounds, we still have some explosive matchups with the Blue Jays and Orioles continuing their rivalry series in Baltimore, while the Cubs and Cardinals wage war in St. Louis and the Mariners and Astros face off in Houston.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, high of 55 degrees. 20% chance of rain.
These two teams were embroiled in a pitcher’s duel on Opening Day before the Twins really tattooed the Royals’ bullpen. Once Danny Duffy was replaced to start the seventh, the floodgates opened for Minnesota. They wound up scoring six runs on four hits in the bottom of the seventh alone, with three of those tallies coming on bases loaded walks via relievers Matt Strahm and Travis Wood. The Twins wound up winning rather easily, 7-1.
Here we have a matchup between a pair of veteran arms in Ian Kennedy and Hector Santiago. Kennedy was fairly impressive last season in his first campaign with the Royals, though he continues to be prone to giving up the gopher ball. Kennedy surrendered an MLB-high 33 home runs last season, four of which came across his five starts against these Twins.
Santiago was acquired from the Angels last season in exchange for Ricky Nolasco. He was awful in 11 starts for Minnesota after the trade, posting a record of 3-6 with a bloated 5.58 ERA. He allowed a hard contact rate of 37.3 percent for the entire season, which was one of the worst marks among qualified starting pitchers. On the bright side, he’ll get to face a KC lineup that mustered just three hits and a run in the opener.
Santiago was terrible last season, but he has historically been a decent starter at the big league level. With so many lefty bats that struggle to hit fellow southpaws, Kansas City’s lineup isn’t exactly built to enjoy much success against left-handers. This game has a fairly sizable over/under of 8.5, but it wouldn’t be particularly shocking to see the under get hit in this spot.
Weather: Showers and thunderstorms, high of 63 degrees. 80% chance of rain.
This game looks to have some pretty serious weather concerns, so keep an eye on that as we get closer to first pitch. In the meantime, we’ll just act like the weather will be fair enough to get the game in.
Here we have veteran right-hander John Lackey going up against his former team. Lackey was shockingly excellent last season in his first year with the Cubs, as he posted a solid 3.35 ERA and inexplicably racked up strikeouts. Lackey’s strikeout rate last season was just over 24 percent, which was one of the better marks in the league. Considering he set a career high in that category in his age-37 season, it’s safe to say there’s some regression coming for him.
On the other side, we have Lance Lynn, who will be making his first appearance since 2015 after missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. At his peak, Lynn was a very solid middle-of-the-rotation arm that actually earned an All-Star nod in 2012. He was a very solid strikeout pitcher that effectively limited hard contact, as well. Coming off Tommy John, though, there’s no way we can really know what to expect. The Cardinals figure to be careful in monitoring his innings in the early going.
We have to give the ageless wonder Lacky the edge here considering the uncertainty surrounding Lynn, but this game feels fairly unpredictable. Lackey is going to decline at some point, though obviously it doesn’t necessarily have to happen this season.
Weather: Rainy and windy, high of 41 degrees. 100% chance of rain.
After these two teams were rained out on Monday, the Tigers came back and earned the win in the make-up game on Tuesday afternoon in dreary Chicago. The two will do battle again this afternoon in a matchup between a pair of pitchers that struggled mightily last season.
Zimmermann got off to a great start in his first season with the Tigers, but injuries ultimately derailed him. The big right-hander was limited to just 18 starts, and his struggles over the season’s latter months contributed largely to his bloated 4.87 ERA.
On the other side we have Shields, who was one of the most hittable pitchers in baseball just about all season long. He was mediocre with the Padres before being traded to the White Sox, where he struggled even more. The veteran went just 4-12 with a miserable 6.77 ERA with Chicago, though he wasn’t as dreadful in September.
The weather is looking bad here again today, which could negatively affect hitters in what would otherwise be a potentially high-scoring game. Regardless, it’s hard not to give the edge to the Tigers’ rather beefy lineup in this spot. Shields started four games against this team a season ago and surrendered a whopping 16 earned runs in just 22 innings.
The Tigers should get off to a 2-0 start.
Weather: Mostly sunny, high of 69 degrees. 0% chance of rain.
The Blue Jays’ ended the Orioles’ 2016 campaign with a walk-off home run in the AL Wild Card Game, and the O’s returned the favor on Monday afternoon with Mark Trumbo blasting a game-winner in extra innings off of Jason Grilli. These two teams don’t like each other, which makes for a competitive atmosphere any time they go head-to-head.
On the hill for Toronto, we have southpaw JA Happ, who enjoyed his finest pro season to date in 2016 when he won 20 games and near career-best 3.18 ERA. He was solid in three meetings with Baltimore last season, going 2-0 with a 3.54 ERA in just over 20 innings of action. The Orioles weren’t great as a team against lefties last season, and Happ certainly exploited that weakness.
Happ will be squaring off against Dylan Bundy, who has been rated as one of the Orioles’ top prospects for quite some time now. Tommy John surgery has slowed his progression a bit, and he was a mixed bag after being promoted into the starting rotation about halfway through the 2016 campaign.
Happ’s 2016 season seems like a bit of an anomaly, and he certainly benefited from a freakishly low .268 BABIP against. Still, Baltimore is going to have to show that they’re over their struggles against southpaws from last season. We’ll give Toronto a slight edge in this one, especially because Bundy remains a question mark.
Weather: Mostly sunny, high of 70 degrees. 0% chance of rain.
Stephen Strasburg didn’t mow through the Marlins’ lineup as many had expected, but Washington was still able to rally for the victory behind a clutch, pinch-hit two-run bomb from newcomer Adam Lind in the late innings. The Nats’ offense unexpectedly struggled against Edinson Volquez, who looked resurgent in his first start as a Marlin.
We’ll be seeing another Marlins debut as Dan Straily toes the rubber for the first time since coming over from the Reds. Straily has bounced around in the past, but he enjoyed a quietly solid season in Cincinnati, going 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA for one of the worst teams in all of baseball. As is the case with JA Happ, there certainly appears to have been quite a bit of luck involved with Straily’s success. He gave up a decent amount of hard contact (32%) and the BABIP against him was an insane .239. That suggests some regression could be coming.
Roark was a bit of an unsung hero for the Nats last season. His 2.83 ERA was the sixth-best mark in all of baseball, better than teammate and Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. However, he struggled a bit against the Marlins. He made six starts against Miami – more than against any other club – and went just 2-4 with a 4.46 ERA. Roark allowed 17 earned runs against the Marlins, which was the only single team that scored double-digits against him.
Despite struggling to hit Volquez, Washington has an offense that has too many elite bats to stay dormant for long. Straily’s 2016 seems to be fool’s gold, and it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him faceplant in this spot.
Weather: Cloudy, high of 43 degrees. 10% chance of rain.
Here we what is perhaps the most-anticipated game of the day with fireballer Chris Sale set to make his debut in a Red Sox uniform. He came over in the offseason deal that sent Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and others to the White Sox, and his presence at the top of Boston’s rotation is the primary reason they enter the season as American League favorites.
Sale’s strikeouts were down on the whole last season, as the White Sox curiously decided to try to get him to pitch to contact. One would imagine the Red Sox will be less cautious with their new ace and will be eager to let him fly. He posted strikeout rates north of 30 percent in both 2014 and 2015, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get there for the third time in four years this season.
We have Jameson Taillon taking the mound for the Pirates coming off of his debut campaign in 2016. He was up-and-down, as most rookie pitchers will be, but the results were largely encouraging. He finished with a 3.38 ERA across his 18 starts and had a K-rate of about 20 percent.
While Taillon was excellent against righties last year, the Red Sox lineups boasts several left-handers capable of doing some serious damage. Fenway Park will be electric in this one with Sale on the mound, and he should be eager to get off on the right foot against a Pirates lineup that was prone to striking out a season ago.
Weather: Afternoon thunderstorms, high of 73 degrees. 80% chance of rain.
This is another game with weather concerns, as rain is expected to be in the Cincinnati forecast for the afternoon and evening hours.
If the game plays, we have a matchup between two of the more interesting young arms in the National League. Nobody paid much attention to the Phillies last season, but they got solid production out of several of their young starters, Eickhoff included. He struck out nearly 21 percent of all hitters he faced and was particularly nightmarish against fellow righties. Right-handed bats had a wOBA of just .273 against him.
Finnegan was volatile in his first season with the Reds, but comes with good strikeout upside from the left side. His overall K-rate of about 19 percent last season doesn’t jump off the page, but he did have games with 12, 9 and 8 strikeouts down-the-stretch of the season. The former TCU Horned Frog was excellent in his first start of the 2016 season against these Phillies, as he allowed three runs across six innings and struck out nine.
Great American Ballpark is typically a hitter’s haven, but the potential rain could put a damper on the run scoring totals here. Finnegan struggled a bit at home last season, and the Phils do have a couple of lefty mashers in Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph in the middle of the order that could give him some problems.
Weather: Mostly sunny, high of 64 degrees. 10% chance of rain.
Here we have a good old fashioned revenge game as Bartolo Colon will pitch for the Braves in the stadium he called home for the last several years. Baseball’s favorite elder statesman will be taking the mound for his eighth different big league club as the Braves look to even their opening series with the Mets.
Colon, now 43, remains improbably steady. He went 15-8 with a 3.43 ERA for the Mets last season and provided stability to an injury-riddled rotation. The Braves brought him in as a free agent over the winter to bring some veteran leadership to a young staff very much in the midst of a rebuild.
He’ll be doing battle against his ex-teammate, Jacob deGrom, who missed the end of last season with a nerve issue in his throwing elbow. While his strikeout numbers were down on the year, deGrom was still one of the more consistent pitchers in the National League when healthy in 2016. He was extra impressive against Atlanta, as he allowed just four runs across 19.2 innings of work in his three starts.
The season opener between these clubs was a pitcher’s duel before the Mets broke it open late, and it’s easy to see a similar contest in this one. Colon will be motivated to show his former team what they’re missing, but the Braves drop to 0-2 against tough New York pitching.
The Yankees hit up Tropicana Field one last time on Wednesday, as they clash with the division rival Rays to wrap up an intense three-game series to open up 2017. Tampa Bay handled the young Yanks easily on Sunday and figure to do the same at home in this one.
Michael Pineda toes the rubber for New York, as he tries to bounce back from a shaky 2016 run that saw him go 6-12 and put up an ugly 4.82 ERA. He’ll take on Alex Cobb, who has dealt with some rough injury look but still has the natural talent to be a major problem for offenses. That could especially be the case for these young Yankees bats on the road.
It’s a bit much to expect Cobb to come out firing on all cylinders, but Pineda has been extremely volatile and New York’s offense runs hot and cold. Asking Cobb to be serviceable while Pineda potentially implodes isn’t asking too much. New York’s bats can heat up fast, but we don’t love them to do it in this spot.
Weather: Sunny and windy, high of 71 degrees. 0% chance of rain.
We get a battle of aces at Globe Life Park on Wednesday, as the usually steady Cole Hamels goes to work at home against the slightly more volatile Danny Salazar. Both pitchers are typically elite and can pile on the K’s, but also can be vulnerable against elite offenses. That puts us in a dangerous guessing game, in a game that could toe the line between offensive explosion and a pitcher’s duel.
It’s usually safe to roll with the latter, but any game with strong offense in the hittable Globe Life Park is asking for trouble. That really hasn’t translated into major difficulty for Hamels, who was a solid 5-2 at home in this park in 2016, but did have some issues (4.40 ERA). Hamels playing at home doesn’t tell us enough in this spot, as Salazar wasn’t that bad (2 earned runs in 5 innings) in one start against these Rangers a year ago.
The pitching matchup could easily break even, which takes us to the offenses. Both teams were in the top 10 a year ago both in terms of strikeout rate and runs scored per game. Needless to say, we’ve got a tough matchup between a team that was in the World Series a year ago and a hosting club that wants to be this year. Hamels gives the slight edge on the mound and the Rangers at home as a whole is tough to deny.
Colorado hits up Miller Park for the third day in a row, as the Rockies and Brewers duke it out for game three of a four-game series to open up the 2017 season. The Rockies survived an intense first game on Opening Day, but game three just might provide some serious fireworks with Chatwood normally being a merely passable arm and Peralta – who once boasted intriguing K upside – now struggles to remain a constant force due to a lack of control or general consistency.
The writing on the wall suggests anything but a pitcher’s duel in this one, and in the extremely hittable Miller Park, it’s rather likely we get a high-scoring affair. Colorado doesn’t always maximize their offensive potential away from Coors Field, but they certainly have the bats to give Peralta nightmares. The Brew Crew can add some pop to this game just as easily, but we’ll take the Rockies in a favorable spot.
The usually mediocre Paxton hopes to pick up the momentum to ended 2016 with, possibly pushing him towards a career best run in 2017. That just might start on Wednesday versus the Astros in Houston, as he has an enviable showdown with Charlie Morton. Morton’s 2016 was shaved down by injuries and the 33-year old will aim to bounce back with a healthier run.
Paxton is out to prove 2016 is the correct version of himself and Morton will want redemption, but it’s not crazy to think neither will get their wish. Both offenses offer major blow up potential and after a very slow Opening Day game (Astros won, 3-0), we could be in for some fireworks.
The slight edge resides with the more reliable Paxton, who could help the Mariners stay clean early, just long enough for Seattle’s offense to take over in this one.
The Giants and Diamondbacks continue their four-game season-opening series on Wednesday, with veteran pitchers Matt Moore and Taijuan Walker facing off. Moore and Walker can both handle even the best of offenses, but offer up a shaky matchup that could truly go either way.
That’s terrific news for both offenses in a rivalry game in a hitter’s park. The early edge could be in Walker’s favor, who last faced the Giants in 2015 but delivered 7 delightful innings, notching a win and posting a blistering 1.29 ERA. Moore isn’t chopped liver here, as he actually performed well versus the Diamondbacks in 2016, getting a 2-1 record and posting a respectable 3.71 ERA.
Overall, we aren’t taking Walker’s dominance of the Giants in 2015 lightly, nor the fact that the D’Backs have an explosive set of bats and are at home. Moore could easily keep them quiet, but this could be a good spot for them to let loose.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, high of 68 degrees. 0% chance of rain.
We get game three between the Halos and Athletics on Wednesday night, as the two face off in a four-game series to start the year. It’s an interesting matchup on the surface, as Garrett Richards has the potential to be an ace for L.A., but a solid start to 2016 was cut short by a torn ligament in his elbow.
How Richards responds early on could be telling for the Angels’ chances to make a run at the playoffs, but on the surface he’s a considerable asset in this matchup. Neither team provides particularly scary offense, but the Halos at least have Mike Trout and as a group don’t strikeout at an alarming rate. That could be bad news for Cotton, who has some K upside but is far from proven in the majors.
Oakland might carry the early edge at home, but neither offense is overly threatening and on paper Richards seems to give the Halos a better chance defensively.
Weather: Mostly sunny, high of 81 degrees. 0% chance of rain.
San Diego heads back to Dodger Stadium on Wednesday to compete in game three of a four-game series to kick off the new year. The series got started off horribly on Opening Day, with the Dodgers doing as they pleased in a 14-3 win. The Padres will look to get things back on track on Wednesday, but could need an elite performance out of Cahill.
There are certainly worse arm talents than Cahill, but he’s got his work cut out for him going into this matchup, both with L.A.’s potent offense firing on all cylinders and the uber effective Rich Hill staring him down from the other side. Hill enjoyed a stellar campaign in 2016, posting an amazing 1.83 ERA in six regular season appearances with the Dodgers.
We don’t need to get too cute here. The Dodgers are at home, have the clear edge in pitching and have by far the more explosive offense. We’ll take them to tack on another win in this season-opening series. | 2019-04-23T08:03:46Z | https://www.gamblingsites.org/picks/free-mlb-picks-wednesday-april-5th-1670/ |
Finland is a sparsely populated country, the forest covers 72.5% of its area, dirt roads and tracks cut deep in the remoteness of these woods, making this country an ideal cycling destination for those looking to get lost in nature while having fun on gravel roads.
Finland can be a very easy destination for those who want to tackle a bike trip, naturally only if faced in the hottest season. First of all, Finland is flat, all of it, so you can grind many kilometers a day without too much effort, considering you do not get a headwind. The only hills are found in the North, near the Norwegian border is the Mount Halti, 1,324 meters high, the tallest peak in Finland.
Cycling Finland in winter is, of course, a totally different matter. You will need to be more physically and technically prepared to face the harsh and long nights of the north.
Finland’s silence and wilderness will get deep into you, the uniqueness of the Lapland tundra has metaphysical powers over those with the right state of mind… don’t expect though a great variety of landscapes, cycling in Finland is more of a meditative trip, and to some it can be boring.
The Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland… on a bike!
Finland, among the Scandinavian countries, is the one with the coldest temperatures. In general the climate of Finland is characterized by a long and very cold winter and a short summer.
The good thing, at least for those who travel by bike, is that the rains are never very abundant (unlike Norway where it can rain seamlessly for weeks). Precipitations are concentrated mainly in the southern part of the country, especially in July and August and, a bit less, in autumn.
In winter, however, it snows very often, especially between February and April. Winter is very long and icy, about 5 months, from November to early April. The south of the country, where the capital Helsinki is located, is characterized by milder temperatures, but still around zero.
Going up north, as you approach Lapland, the temperatures drop more and more, even down to -50°. Here the winter is much longer and the hours of light are really very few, in December the sun never rises and, for the first weeks of January, there is only one hour of light during the day.
The lakes, which occupy a large part of the country, are often frozen during the winter and are used for various activities such as ice fishing or skating. Summer can take hot days with it, and for a short period, at the beginning of summer, there is a real invasion of mosquitoes that make cycling and camping in nature quite annoying.
In Summer, the days are very long and in the part of the country located above the polar circle, you can witness the magic phenomenon of the midnight sun in the months of June and July.
Finnish Lapland is also one of the best places for Northern Light tourism, you can see the Aurora Borealis above Rovaniemi for about 150 days per year, but you’ll have to wait the colder seasons.
The best times are definitely late spring and mid/late summer, in May or mid-August/early September. In addition to the much more favorable climate, you will have long days… up to 20 hours of light are convenient if you want to travel many miles or stop to explore some areas better.
The beginning of summer, especially the first two weeks, are mozzies time. The density of blood-sucking-flying-bugs greatly varies according to the location, the more swampy/marshy the terrain and the less windy the weather, the more mosquitoes there will be.
In city centers, near big lakes or the sea, mosquitoes are almost non-existent, whereas certain times during the summer in Lapland it’s a total inferno. Bring a good repellent and suitable headgear to keep them away if you plan to face the challenge.
Most of the main roads in Finland are perfectly paved, traffic is never heavy, except in the coastal sections and some areas of the south that connect the main cities, such as Road 2 from Tampere to Helsinki or from Turku to Helsinki, the latter though has a dedicated cycling path all the way.
Cycling in Finland is excellent, inhabited centers are equipped with cycle paths and big cities like Helsinki are perfectly suited to bikes with marked itineraries and dedicated bicycle lanes.
The roads in the less inhabited areas, generally more to the north, do not need dedicated cycle paths, being mostly empty of cars.
The most interesting thing with Finnish roads is, however, the immense network of gravel roads cutting through the verdant pine forests. There are all sorts of those, from wide white roadways to single-track trails to snowmobile trails, you can travel the whole length of Finland staying on dirt for about 90% of the time… but it will take a while.
Those dirt roads are often the only way to get to the unnumbered lake shores of Finland, major roads are indeed always built away from the water for weather and maintenance concerns. This is a pity, seeing that huge body of water near you only on a map, if you want to get there you’ll usually have to backtrack the same road.
Finland is located in the easternmost part of the Scandinavian peninsula, it borders with Russia to the east for about 1,268 km, to the north with Norway for 727km, and to the west with Sweden for 540km.
It has a very extensive coastline, over a thousand kilometers overlooking the Baltic Sea, where there are many islands. The emergence of the land following the melting of the ice from the last great glaciation is still underway, these lands are called in schären Finnish.
Apart from islands and archipelagos in the Baltic, the most famous and tourist being Åland islands near Turku, there are also many islands within the lakes, for a total of almost 180,000 islands.
The same impressive number is that of lakes (to be precise 187.888), all not very deep, which make up 10% of the surface of Finland. As already mentioned, most of Finland is flat except for some hills in the northernmost part of Lapland and, still in the north, on the border with Norway, where the highest mountain in the country is located, Mount Halti at 1329 meters.
The tundra biome is present in a small area of Finland, its northernmost fringes in the sub-regions of Enontekiö, Utsjoki and Northern Inari.
Although it may not seem at a glance, the flora of Finland is very diverse. 70% of the territory is covered by forests, in the north they are made up of birch trees, the only tree that can grow in the polar circle, while going southwards will appear to be conifers, poplars, maples, and elms. The tundra is a very special landscape, with its small, contorted, witchy birches allowing the sight to gaze far away horizons.
But the marvel is below, the undergrowth is characterized by an enormous variety of mosses and more than 1,000 species of lichens. During the summer, you can collect many fruits in the woods, such as blueberries and raspberries and, only in Lapland, the camemoro, an orange forest fruit that only grows here… and guess what? You’re allowed to pick as much as you want.
As in the other Scandinavian countries, Finland has the so-called Right to Roam, (also known as Everyman’s Rights) this is a law that grants everyone the freedom to enjoy forests, lakes, fields, and parks everywhere in Finland completely for free.
Unlike Norway, where there are many more rules and restrictions (you can read our article here), in Finland the situation is much more relaxed.
You can basically camp anywhere, except obviously in cultivated fields, adopting the logical rules of common sense and respect for the surrounding nature. If you find yourself on private property you must ask for permission to light a fire or collect wood.
As for the rule of passage, it is very simple: you can walk and ride a bike where you please, regardless of who owns the land, as long as you don’t cause any damage.
In Finland, you can walk, cycle and ski anywhere you want, from forests to fields (not cultivated of course), from beaches to private roads. It is only forbidden to go to areas where birds are nesting or any other zone where you could cause any kind of significant damage to nature.
You can collect all the berries and mushrooms you want. In Finland there are about 500 edible species of mushrooms growing in forests, of which 200 are excellent to eat. However, nature can be cruel and some varieties, apparently similar to good ones, are instead poisonous.
So make sure you only choose the mushrooms you know, there are also apps that can help you identify. The Finns use to say “you can eat any mushrooms you want, but some of them you can eat only once”. It is also allowed to resell what you have collected without having to pay any tax, we will discuss it better in the next paragraph.
If pitching your tent wherever you want is not enough, Finland also has a dense network of shelters of various types. Here you can sleep and spend time for free, they often have a place to make fire and are stocked with firewood. Here you can find the map of shelters in Finland: www.tulikartta.fi.
Kota is the Lappish hut. This version is made of wood, closed on all sides, accessible by a door. In the middle there is the brazier, and here too you’ll find firewood, a grill and everything you need to warm up.
Lintutorni, is a birdwatching tower. You can mount the tent on the wooden platform at night. Some have a roof and some don’t. It is not possible to light fires here.
Varaustupa, Porokamppa e Autiotupa; these three types of shelters are proper houses. They are usually found along paths and trails, far from the main roads. Some are open (especially those most remote ones), while for others you’ll have to ask the keys to the local forestry office. There are free ones, basic but almost luxurious for a bike traveler, cozier ones which require a fee. Usually, for a varaustupa you need to reserve and retrieve the keys. They are all equipped with heating, usually fireplace or wood stove, but you have to bring your own sleeping bags.
Kammi, from what we understand these are saunas but we have never met any. We don’t believe it is possible to sleep inside them and we don’t know if they are open or if it is necessary to ask someone for the keys. By asking someone in the area it shouldn’t be difficult to have this information, the Finns know everything about saunas.
Ruokailukato, literally translated into dining canopy, a wooden shelter with a roof but with 4 open sides, equipped with a table for eating. Usually not large enough to set up a tent but often located near a compost toilet. Still a good place to set your camp.
Back to Tulikartta.fi, by clicking on Maakunnat you can select the geographical area you are interested in, but for us, traveling by bike, it was more convenient to search by zooming in the area where we were, however it is easy, we found a shelter every evening.
Not all shelters are on the map, which is open street and was born thanks to user contributions. Clicking on Lisaa, in fact, you can add a shelter if you happen to find one not yet reported.
In Finland equipped camps are quite common and cost less than in Norway, almost all campsites have cabins, or bungalows, which is also the cheapest form of accommodation here. They are particularly convenient when traveling in groups of three, four or more people since most of the cabins have four to six bunk beds, and you always have to pay for the whole cabin.
The price of camping cabins is variable, we paid the cheapest 20€ but average prices are around 30, also depends on the season, if there is northern lights costs rise.
Most campsites have basic cabins with shared toilets and kitchen, although basic cooking gear (rarely running water) are often present in the cabin itself. Most of these campsites are open all year round, the cheaper cabins usually have electric radiators, while the higher-end ones may even have a fireplace and a private sauna.
The campsites in Finland are mostly small and cozy, there is always a shared kitchen and often a closed hut for barbecue, equipped with all the necessary and accessible to all guests. Showers are included, washing machine and dryers are available for a fee, the price for a tent in a Finnish campsite goes from 10€ upwards.
Hotels are quite expensive in Finland, but you can find rooms in the city from around €50, even in Helsinki. The hostels are only in the main cities or tourist towns, with an average cost of 19€ per person per night in a dormitory. All these prices are variable depending on the season. This is the cheapest hostel in Helsinki, it has both dorms and private rooms.
Below is a map of the accommodation offers in Turku, a very beautiful city not to be missed if you visit the south of Finland and the Åland archipelago.
Finland, needless to say, is an expensive country although not as much as one might imagine, at least compared to central Europe. The prices of the hotels are more or less the same as Italy, the supermarkets are more expensive than Germany but not exaggerated, about half those of Norway with twice the choice. Choosing carefully what to buy you can still spend little.
We have never been to a restaurant but we have seen prices very similar to those of Italy. Only once we ate at sushi all-you-can-eat in Helsinki for lunch, which cost 10€. In the big cities, there are plenty of cheap sushi places as well as many other ethnic restaurants.
For those who are traveling on a budget like ours (very tight), Finland offers several possibilities to gather a little cash while riding through the country. One of these, suggested by the Finnish tourism website, is to sell wild berries and mushrooms collected in the forests, especially in summer the typical berries of Lapland are sold at rather high prices in the rest of Finland. Careful not to kill anyone.
Since we are not very acknowledged about mushrooms and were late for the berries we adopted another technique, collecting cans along the roads. Despite the stereotype of the respectful and civilized Scandinavian, the cans thrown by cars along the roads are many.
In every food store in the country, small or large, there is a machine where you can insert the cans, paid 0.15 cents each, and the plastic bottles (from 0.10 to 0.40 cents each, depending on the size). After inserting cans and bottles just press the green button and the machine will output a receipt with the total amount. You can use it in the shop to buy stuff or ask to be given cash in hand.
We hung a bag on the front rack and earned a couple of euros per day for shopping, while as well helping to clean the streets a bit! Another idea is to ask the supermarkets for the expiring food that they are about to throw away, they will be happy to give it to you. Help reduce food waste, it’s free! You will have to go to the supermarkets near the closing time though.
If instead you are more akin to traditional methods, one of the favorite pastimes of the Finns is fishing. In Finland, it is allowed to fish using a simple fishing rod with hook and line wherever you want, without a separate license or authorization. However, any other type of fishing requires a permit.
Unless you have a very big budget, or you’re going for a short cycling holiday, you’ll have to be totally self-supported in order to cut down the big accommodation and food costs.
Bring complete camping gear, 4 season tent is a plus while a 2°/0°C comfort sleeping bag is a must even in Summer. You won’t regret a thick and high R-rated sleeping pad, consider also linens. Bring a stove and pots, standard gas canisters are widely available.
Clothing should include base layers, merino wool sleeping clothes, leg warmers or long pants (better both), hardshell jackets and Windstopper (softshell), warm gloves, ear-covering wool hat; we also used a thin but warm down jacket we were glad to have while cooking in the evening.
All of the above is for summer (late spring/early autumn), things can get chilly even during daytime, especially at higher latitudes or altitudes. We will cover winter clothing in an upcoming article.
on a waterproof jacket, rain pants, and shoe cover.
Don’t make the mistake of visiting Finland without a decent camera, those marvels are worth memories.
Finland is a very long country and could become quite boring due to the long tracts of monotonous landscape. We crossed it mostly by bike, but we also took a train to speed things up. If you’re not on a North-Cape trip, you can choose shorter routes. Above is our itinerary in Finland in its entirety, below are some shorter routes.
The Åland archipelago is the ideal destination for a cycling holiday: a beautiful landscape, flat roads with no traffic, and excellent connections between the islands with bridges and ferries, at least during the summer. These islands are located in the Baltic Sea, west of Turku, between Finland and Sweden.
The maximum altitude of the islands that make up the archipelago is 130 meters so it can be faced by anyone, without the need for any particular training. Only 65 out of 6500 islands are inhabited.
There are several ferries that make regular trips between the islands: check timetables before embarking on your trip by bike, some islands are served by a few ferries and some routes are not active all year round but only during the summer. From Turku you can reach by a cycle path the town of Naantali, called the “city of the sun”, with a very nice port and a historical center worth a visit, from here you can continue towards Kustavi where there is a craft village.
Continuing towards the Brändö islands, you’ll arrive by ferry on the main island of Åland. It is possible to cycle on the ancient postal road and reach the ruins area of Bomarsund. The fortress of Bomarsund, built by the Russian army and destroyed by the French and English during the Crimean War, was once the largest structure of the Åland islands. From the village of Kastelholm, where there is a castle, you can continue to Havsvidden, the northernmost tip of the island, characterized by red granite rocks.
About 50 kilometers from Havsvidden is Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, where there are a couple of museums to visit. Mariehamn is the one “big” center in the islands where to stop if you are looking for groceries and supplies and. It is also the only place where you can rent a bike, prices start at 35€ per week.
Near Mariehamn, there is the port of Turk from where there are direct sea connections to Turku, probably the most beautiful city in Finland. From Mariehamn, you can also reach Stockholm by ferry. As for your accommodation, you can choose between campsites, cottages, bed & breakfasts and rooms made available by individuals in their homes. It is advisable to book early, especially for the high season of June and July. Get inspired by some Aland islands pictures here.
Finland is full of cycling trails, official and not, there are many dirt roads through the forests that are worth trying, but better be equipped with a good GPS.
The lake region in Finland covers 10% of the country’s territory so you can really create an itinerary depending on how much time you have and how many kilometers you want to travel. This region is also ideal for canoeing, a great destination for bikerafting (cycling and packrafting loading the bike on an inflatable boat). Here we will talk about Lake Saimaa, in the southern Karelia region, a place full of cycling routes.
A very popular route goes around Lake Saimaa, the largest in Finland. Starting from Lappeenranta you’ll cross several bridges and hop on many small islands. The lake is very pictoresque, with steamboats still operating. One kilometer from Toijansalmi is the Hostel Mansikka, well known among cyclists. Here you will find great food, drinks and the impeccable service of the Belgian owner to welcome you.
Vehkataipale – here you will find the hydroelectric power station and the locks that allow boats to pass from Lake Pien-Saimaa to Suur-Saimaa and vice versa. The locks are still manually operated.
the Kirjamoinsalmi Bridge (11 meters) – the beach of Kivisalmi and its rocks await you for a well-deserved break on the border between Lappeenranta and Taipalsaari. From the road you will enjoy a magnificent view of Lake Pien-Saimaa.
Toijansalmi, where a 23-meter high bridge offers a spectacular 360° view of the lake. There is also a nearby beach where you can swim, temperatures permitting.
The cycle route from the Taipalsaari bridge to Lappeenranta is one of the most scenic stretches of Finland, at any time of the year.
On our bicycle trip around Europe, we entered Finland from the Norwegian border – near Kilpisjärvi – and continued along the E8 national road, which follows the Swedish border, along the Peerasuvantu River.
We must say that coming from the magnificent landscapes of the Norwegian fjords we did not expect anything exceptional from Lapland but instead we were gladly surprised by the almost alien landscape of northern Finland. This hilly border area is surrounded by a never’ending birch forest, the only trees able to survive such a high latitude and far from the sea.
This is the tundra, where small contorted birches are the only trees, while endless varieties of mosses and lichens thrive in the underwood and reindeer graze freely (you will see dozens of times along the way). After passing the hilly area and descending in a sort of marshy/swampy area, the woods begin to be inhabited by conifers, deer, and elk. This is around the 68th parallel latitude – near the town of Muonio.
From Muonio it began a bit monotonous, going on to the most urbanized and less alien landscape to the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, where there is the super-commercial village of Santa Claus.
Lapland alone is a sufficient reason to visit Finland, this is our favorite part of the country.
Helsinki is certainly a nice city to explore, if you haven’t had a Finnish sauna yet you should definitely visit the Sompasauna, the best public sauna in Finland. We didn’t spend much time in Helsinki though, rushing a bit to take the boat to Estonia.
Cycling into Helsinki, however, is a piece of cake. With perfect and quiet cycling paths that go from the outskirts all the way to the city center.
To get out of Finland, unless you have a Russian visa, the only way is to take a ferry. There are several routes in the Baltic Sea, the most popular being the ship connecting Helsinki to Stockholm. The runs are daily and operated by Viking Line and Tallink Silja.
Instead, we took the ferry Helsinki-Tallinn (Estonia), a route that could be done in two hours, but if you want to spend less (yes) you can sleep on the ship moored at the port of Tallinn and leave quietly by noon of the following day.
If you wonder why sleeping on the ship is cheaper than getting off once you get there, the answer is simple: Booze! The ship, in fact, has several bars with live music, a nightclub, and numerous restaurants. Those who stay on the ship have fun and in the meantime spend less, paying very little for alcohol compared to ground prices, especially in Finland. In fact, many locals spend the weekend this way.
If you are not interested in drinking at the bar or buying liquor at the tax-free shop, you will still have saved the cost of a night at the hostel in Tallinn. We had a lot of fun and we only paid €17 in total for a two-person cabin, our bikes went free)… although once we got off we had to find a hostel in Tallinn to recover from the hangover 🙂 There are various last minute offers and prices vary depending on the season.
Finland is certainly not famous for its food, but that is actually not bad at all, in the cities there are many foreign and local restaurants at reasonable prices (for Northern Europe standards).
Probably, during a long bike trip, you will not visit many of them unless you have a high budget. For those who like to provide for themselves, supermarkets are quite supplied they have more choice than Norway and prices are lower.
Finland is also the only Scandinavian country where alcohol consumption is not strictly regulated, you’ll find bars also in the small villages and it’s possible to buy beer from supermarkets with no restriction.
For us, who arrived from expensive Norway, seeing the first Lidl gave us a sigh of relief. You can find these German discount supermarkets in the main cities and villages of medium size. Other convenience store chains in Finland are Alepa, K-Market, R-kioski… while normal supermarkets are K-Citymarket, Prisma (the most stocked), and S-Market.
Keep in mind that in the less inhabited areas of the country, such as Lapland, there may also be 90 kilometers between a supermarket and the other, so when you encounter one it is best to stock for at least a couple of days. Furthermore, many close very early, around 6 pm, and are closed on Sundays.
As in other Scandinavian countries, alcohol consumption in Finland is highly regulated, albeit much less than in Sweden and Norway.
The monopoly of the sale of alcohol above 5.5% and up to a maximum of 22% is held by Alko, so if you want to buy something that is not beer you have to go to one of their stores; they are located in major cities and are not always open.
However, beer up to 5.5% can be bought in supermarkets until 9 pm.
There may be different opening-times during the weekend but we do not remember them. The bars and restaurants can serve alcohol until 1:30 am. Riding in Lapland we have seen many empty bottles with Russian labels, perhaps there is a sort of black market in the border areas. In any case, we met a lot of drunk people.
Tap water is very good in Finland. In Lapland, people also drank from rivers and lakes, but when we were there summer was warmer than expected and locals advised against drinking because of the possible presence of proliferated bacteria due to the high temperatures.
Did you find it useful? Do you have more information or advice about Finland?
Several years ago I was doing round-trip Helsinki, Turku, Rauma, Lahti, Provoo. Finland is really nice and safe place for cyclists. You will enjoy it if you are fine with chilly weather and complete wilderness. I did it during late April, though some snow was still there. I guess the best time for cycling there would be July. | 2019-04-25T04:36:15Z | https://cycloscope.net/cycling-finland |
The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead.
For some reason I always thought that the angel rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb of Jesus and the Resurrected Christ came out. That is not what the Bible says. It says that the angel rolled the stone away and revealed that the tomb was empty! There is a big difference. The Resurrection did not depend on the stone being moved. Jesus did not wait for the stone!
When a man is raised with Christ to walk a new life empowered by and led by the Holy Spirit there are "rolling stones" that would try to keep us in the tomb of our old lives! And so we sit and wait for someone to roll the stone away from the entrance to our tomb convinced that until they do we cannot live the "Resurrected Life" of a follower of Jesus.
We make much of being Crucified with Christ but pay little attention to following Jesus in His Resurrection. Like Jesus you can leave the tomb before the stone is rolled away!
After Jesus was resurrected He demonstrated that He could walk through walls, After you are raised with Christ to walk a new life, you can also walk through the walls that would keep you from living your new life to the fullest!
"Thank You Jesus for inviting me to die with and be raised with You. Thank You for what the Resurrection means for all men, but also Lord for what the Resurrection means for my life today. May Your angel roll the stone away from the tomb of my old life so the world can see that I am not there. And may You be glorified forever! Amen."
That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.
All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb.
Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it.
The day after the Crucifixion of Jesus was also the day before the Resurrection. It was indeed a Day of Despair for those who followed Jesus. The Bible does not mention anyone who was anxiously waiting for that Sunday morning and expecting the tomb to be empty. Only the chief priests and Pharisees thought the tomb might be empty because the disciples could steal the Body of Jesus to make everyone believe that he was no longer dead.
The Day of Terror on that Friday was followed by a Day of Despair when everything seemed to be lost. All hope was gone and the disciples must have been going over in their minds everything they knew and believed about Jesus. Did Jesus really do all those miracles? How can his death on a Cross make any sense at all? It was all so confusing.
Are you a follower of Jesus Christ and yet are experiencing a Day of Despair? The things you had hoped for have not happened and the things you feared have come upon you. You can understand how the disciples of Jesus felt on that Saturday after the Crucifixion.
Be reminded that after the Day of Despair comes the Resurrection! The darkness will not last. The light will come and shine forever! So wait, and wait patiently for the Resurrection!
"Lord Jesus I thank You that You came back to life and that You will come back again! I know that the darkness of today will change into the glorious light of tomorrow when I see Your face, and will keep on seeing it forever. Thank You Lord. Amen."
Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop.They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the Lord God, have chosen you to tell them what I say. Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.
Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not. Ezekiel, don't rebel against me, as they have done. Instead, listen to everything I tell you.
And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you.
Just then, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. And in it was a scroll. The hand opened the scroll, and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning, and grief.
The "Good News" of the Gospel is nothing but words of sadness, mourning, and grief for everyone who rejects Jesus! It is only Good News for those who turn away from the world and fully embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
God told Ezekiel that when he preached those "rebels may not even listen." If you are called to proclaim the Gospel, the response to that message does not bring you shame or glory. If no one turns to Jesus because they heard you proclaim the Gospel its is no fault of your own. And if everyone who hears the message repents and turns to Jesus there is no glory that should go to you because of their response.
As a follower of Jesus your success has nothing to do with how many people come to know Jesus because of you. If you follow Jesus you are a success and if you don't follow Jesus nothing else matters.
An evangelist is like a man who delivers the mail. His job is done when the mail is the delivered. Nothing that happens after it is delivered has anything to do with him.
"Lord, give me the courage to deliver the message of the Gospel to everyone, not just those who I think are more likely to receive it. May I glory only in knowing You and not in how men respond to my preaching. Thank you Jesus. Amen."
Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.
There are many people in my ancestry to whom I am grateful for their faithfulness to God. I don't know who most of them are, but I do know Noah. Without Noah's faith humanity as we know it today would not exist. When Noah built the ark he saved not only the animals. Noah also saved me and he saved you!
If you believe, as the Bible says that everyone on earth died except Noah and his family, then Noah's faith was the channel of every blessing you now have from God.
Even as Noah saved the human race from extinction when the flood came, Jesus is the ark that saves from Eternal Death those who come to Him! God provided the ark as a way for Noah and His family to escape the flood that destroyed the earth, and God sent His Son, Jesus Christ as the way for us to escape the flood of sin that is destroying all mankind.
When Noah got in the boat and shut the door he saved your life on this earth, and when Jesus died on the Cross he saved your Eternal life in Heaven if you trust in Him.
"Lord Jesus thank you providing the Way for all men to be saved from the flood of evil that would sweep us away and drown us in sin. Help me to rest today in Your arms as Noah rested in an trusted You in the ark. Thank You Jesus. Amen."
COD shipping is still available in the United States, but with the coming of the electronic transfer of funds it is not very popular. COD stands for "Collect on Delivery." With COD shipping you pay the price when you receive the thing you ordered.
Many people seem to believe that Salvation is COD. They think that the price is paid when they come to Jesus. And although they know that they cannot pay for their own salvation they try to pitch in a little something to help with the price!
Your Eternal Salvation is not COD. The price was paid for your salvation and the sins of the entire world when Jesus died on the Cross 2000 years ago. When a man or woman is lost it is not because the price was never paid! Like a package lost in shipment everyone who chooses Hell instead of Heaven is not lost there because there was no sacrifice for sin. The price was paid on the Cross. God chose you and paid for your sins. Will you choose Jesus or choose Hell? It is really that simple.
"Lord Jesus, I rejoice with You today about those who will be delivered to You today. Help me to encourage someone else to choose You, Lord Jesus! Amen."
God's curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God and will see him face to face. God's name will be written on the foreheads of the people. Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever.
Why does a motor car need a rear view mirror? I suppose I have never really pondered that, but it is significant when you think about it. A rear view mirror is necessary if you are going to turn to the right or to the left or you are going to slow down or stop. If you never slow down or turn away from the road you are on it is not necessary to look behind you.
God did not put eyes in the back of our heads. God did not give man a natural rear view mirror. When you are running a race there is no need to look back or turn to the right or the left. You look toward the goal and keep going as fast as you can.
In a very real sense every follower of Jesus is in a race. We are not trying to be the only one who wins the prize but we must run toward Heaven and look at Jesus without ever looking back or turning to one side or the other. Looking back serves no purpose in running the race today. It is only important, where you are going, not from whence you came!
"Lord Jesus, help me to press on toward the goal today. Give me the strength to run the race. I thank You Lord that You are indeed with me always. I can almost see the End of the race and the beginning of an Eternity with You, Jesus. Amen."
I have always thought that Enoch was a unique case in the Bible. He was "raptured" by himself and no one ever found his body. The experience of Enoch is what will happen to those who have faith when Jesus returns. God will take us up to heaven and we will not die!
How was Enoch different from other men who had faith in his time? The Bible doesn't say, but this verse implies that Enoch was constantly searching for God. His day must have been a continual, running conversation with God. I'm sure Enoch got away from others to spend time with God, but he must have also sensed the presence of God while he was walking with the crowd.
Make it your goal to please God like Enoch did. Have faith in God, but spend your day searching for Him. Search for God in everything you see, do and hear. Search for God in the good things that happen and in the tragedies. Search for God when you are happy and when sadness overwhelms your heart.
Take only the steps that you believe are pleasing to God and wait patiently for Him to show you the way. Then when you arrive before the Throne of God He may tell you to stand with Enoch as you praise Him forever!
"Lord, I believe in You, but I want to trust You and depend on You more. I want to have faith like Enoch's and I want to search for You as Enoch did. May I please You today in every step I take and every thing I do. In the name of Jesus I ask this. Amen."
Someday, I, the Lord, may send an enemy to invade a country. And suppose its people choose someone to stand watch and to sound a warning signal when the enemy is seen coming. If any of these people hear the signal and ignore it, they will be killed in battle. But it will be their own fault, because they could have escaped if they had paid attention.
But suppose the person watching fails to sound the warning signal. The enemy will attack and kill some of the sinful people in that country, and I, the Lord, will hold that person responsible for their death.
When a soldier who is standing watch falls asleep, the consequences are almost always severe. The safety and security of the rest of the army depends on that watchman staying awake and vigilant.
I believe that every follower of Jesus Christ is a watchman as well as a disciple. When you see danger coming you must not only prepare to stand in the storm, but also warn others of the trouble that is on the way. Being a watchman is hard because you may be the only one seeing the difficulties on the horizon. Everyone around you thinks that all is well and no trouble is on the way.
That is the way it is with the world. Of all the problems in this world there is only one that makes an eternal difference. That one thing is SIN! Sin is behind everything that is wrong with this world. Without SIN and it's consequences truth would reign and the Majesty and Glory of God would be seen by everyone.
As a watchman, you may be watching for all the End Times prophetic fulfillments while you ignore the imminent danger of SIN in your life and the life of your nation.
When you see SIN sound the alarm and prepare to say NO to every temptation that may come. And when you SIN, repent without delay and come back quickly to the arms of Jesus!
"Lord Jesus, give me the courage to warn those around me of the SIN that I see. Lord, the battle is not over, in fact it is raging as we all wait for Your return. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen."
“Hooray for the Son of David!
It was in the early Spring that Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It is on the first day of Spring that the President of the United States comes to Jerusalem riding on the Marine One helicopter. The only donkey in US political life is the mascot for the Democratic Party.
Jesus was called the Prince of Peace and many people are wanting the U.S. President to bring peace to Israel and the rest of the world as well.
Jesus was received like a king with shouts of praise as He came into the city. As I write this we do not know how the U.S. President will be received.
But I do know this: There is no comparison between any President of the United States and Jesus Christ. Presidents come and go and are like a raindrop in a storm compared to the Power and Glory of Jesus Christ. Jesus was there at the Creation of the World and His return to the earth will signal the End has come!
The most powerful man on earth is nothing compared to Jesus.
Is the visit of a U.S. President to Israel on the first day of Spring 2013 important. Well yes it is because everything that happens is used of God to accomplish His purposes in this world. And that includes your life and mine. Remember everything you do today is important to God.
"Lord, may I faithfully walk in the path You have chosen for me today and not turn even one step to the right or left. And Lord, may only Jesus receive all the Glory forever. Amen."
If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free!
There is a "life giving tree" in my back yard. Some years this tree is full of peaches and if you were starving to death, it would certainly have enough fruit to save your life. No one planted my peach tree. It came up where Granny would throw out the garbage. But that peach tree gets so full of peaches that I have to support the branches or they would break under the weight of the fruit.
The life giving tree in Heaven has a very special fruit. When you eat of that tree you will live forever! That is why God made Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden, so they wouldn't live forever in their sin. But the redeemed will eat of the Tree of Life and live with Jesus in Heaven without end!
Men and women go through life looking for something that will satisfy and insure that they will live forever. First they try one "tree" and it's fruit. Then they try another. Like a bee going from flower to flower they are hoping the next one will give them what they want and need. It will not.
Only Jesus will give you what you need to live forever. Stop trying to find it somewhere else.
"Lord Jesus, I confess that I have been looking for eternal life in all the wrong places. I once again fall down at Your feet and praise Your Name until that Day when the Door will be opened and You will let me eat of the tree that gives eternal life. Thank You Jesus. Amen."
God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.
I think I was in high school when I first saw a poster with the saying, "Cheer up, things could be worse. And so I cheered up and sure enough things got worse!"
The "IF WE" claims are everywhere. If we elect a Republican in the next election things will get better. If we hold on to our guns and don't let "them" take our guns away then it will be better. If we pass the right laws and don't pass the wrong ones then all will be well.
Parents want a "better life" for their children and a "better retirement" than their parents had. Business owners want a "better year" and a "better economy."
I suppose all those things would have been possible if it were not for the problem of Sin. Adam and Eve turned away from God and turned toward their own satisfaction and put us all on the path of sorrow, pain and suffering. Living here on earth without great difficulty is like trying to swim in the water without getting wet.
But when God makes His home among His people all those things will be gone forever! Instead of spending your life trying to remove the pain of living on this earth, live this life getting yourself and others ready to live with Jesus in Heaven.
"Lord Jesus, I know that the tribulations of this world will only go away when You come back and take your followers to be with You forever. Help me to be ready to go when You come and ready to stay until You do! Amen."
Once I saw what people really think of wisdom, and it made an impression on me. It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are.
to a crowd of fools.
all the good you have done.
The United States is currently adding many millions of dollars of debt to our already depleted economy by constructing 14 additional missile defense sites on the West Coast. North Korea is threatening to strike an American city with a nuclear missile, and this time the threat appears to have more teeth.
When the Bible says "wisdom is better than strength" and that "wisdom is more powerful than weapons" we are confronted with the missing ingredient in government. If a country is powerful, but it's leaders are not wise it is no better than a paper tiger or a even worse a tiger, escaped from the zoo running loose in a city.
Pray that wisdom will be restored to the leaders of both North Korea and the United States.
But what about your own life? Are you running through life with plenty of power and money but very little if any wisdom from God? Would you rather be a rich man or a wise man? A rich man without wisdom can cause great damage in the world around him. But a wise man without riches can still "save a city." A rich man who is also wise is a blessing to many!
The man with the greatest wisdom is the one who runs hard after God. When you seek Jesus Christ and put Him on the throne of your heart the wisdom of God is daily poured into your mind through His Word and the Holy Spirit.
Judge a nation, not by how many missiles of war it has, but by how much of the Wisdom of God is seen in it's life. Men will be judged the same way. Let faith be your shield. Faith is better than missiles!
As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone.
He was in bed and then suddenly without warning a sinkhole opened up under his house and down he went never to be found again! Then just a few days later a man was walking on the golf course when an 18 foot deep sinkhole opened up under his feet and took him down. The golfer was rescued and I hope some day will be able to laugh with those who tell the story of the man who went to the golf course and fell in the hole!
The first recorded instance of a sinkhole swallowing people is in Numbers 16. A man named Korah was leading a rebellion against Moses when God opened up the earth and sucked Korah and his followers to their death. Those who heard their screams ran away shouting "We don't want that to happen to us."
By the way there is no indication that today's sinkholes are being used by God to punish sinners and those who are rebelling against God. Truthfully, we all have sinned and deserve a sinkhole, but God sent Jesus to rescue us from a fate worse than a sinkhole.
The best way to avoid sinkholes today is to turn your heart and life over to Jesus Christ. Jesus died so that when you die on this earth you will begin an eternal life with Him in Heaven where there are no sinkholes.
Jesus Christ is the only solid ground that will never give way and crumble under your feet!
Today is the first full day of the new Pope's life as head of the Catholic Church. The news is coming in slowly as the questions about who he is and where he came from are being answered in bits and pieces. As the days and weeks go on we will know much more about Pope Francis.
The Pope's legacy will be defined not by where he came from and even what he did in his past life, but rather by where he is going and what he does in the future with the Catholic Church following along.
This one man has been thrust into a position that greatly influences the lives of untold numbers of people. Whether you are Catholic or not you should pray that God will help him lead those people toward righteousness and not the other way.
Today is the first full day of the rest of your life as well. You are not the leader of millions of people, but you have the choice to walk toward righteousness and influence those around you to do the same, or you can walk toward darkness and pull people away from Jesus.
As a follower of Jesus remember that it does not matter where you came from, it only matters where you are going!
A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples. When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming.
“Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.
But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
Jesus said that we would do what He did. Does that include walking on water today? I have never seen anyone, or even heard of anyone who claimed that they walked on water. There are plenty of people who say they have seen the sick healed or the dead raised to life, but not so many who claim to have walked on water.
Lesson number one in walking on water is this: "Don't try to walk on water unless Jesus tells you to do it!"
Lesson number two is: "When you walk on water keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. That is the only way to keep from becoming fearful and beginning to sink."
And finally, if you start to sink quickly call out to Jesus.
I had a "walking on water moment" yesterday. I was trusting the Lord in ways that I have never trusted Him before. The storm was raging, but walking in stride with Jesus made it exciting, not fearful. Then almost without warning I started looking at the wind and the waves. My sinking started quickly and I began to panic. Like He did with Peter, Jesus reached out and kept me from sinking.
The problem of course is fear, fear of heights, fear of drowning, fear of flying, fear of anything. The Bible says that Perfect Love casts out Fear. Jesus is Perfect Love and He is the only one who can cast out and deal with all your fear! The fear of God is only fear that should remain when you walk with Jesus. And that fear is the only one that can leave you at perfect peace while standing in awe of your Eternal Creator!
"Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding me of what happened to Peter when he walked with You on the water. Help me today to be concerned only with Who is by my side and not what is under my feet! Thank you Jesus. Amen."
Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else.
Human wisdom and knowledge have their roots in the tree that produced the forbidden fruit. They both depend on the five senses of man and are totally impotent in dealing with anything that cannot be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or touched. There is of course an eternal world that cannot be sensed by any of these.
Men and women without the indwelling Holy Spirit have no way of understanding the things of God. It is like a man who is born blind. All men are born without spiritual eyes. They can no more see God's eternal reality than a blind man can see the sunset. They may hear about Jesus and even believe that He is real, and that He must be wonderful. But only after their eyes are opened can they experience the Glory of God's Son!
Don't forget that telling men about Jesus is not enough. The message of the Gospel doesn't simply declare that God is real, the Good News calls them to come to Jesus and have their spiritual eyes opened to the eternal glories of God.
The Power of the Gospel is not in learning more about Jesus. You can know many things about Jesus and never let Him touch your heart and heal your life.
"Lord Jesus, I know many things about You, but what I need is to know You more and more. I need You to touch me where I am broken and heal me where I am sick. I need you to open my eyes so I can see the things that You see and hear the things that You hear. I need You, Jesus in my heart so I can feel the things that You feel. May I rest today in Your sweet arms and lean upon Your breast! Amen."
Faith is the foundation of a life that is pleasing to God. When I first heard about faith as a child I somehow thought that faith and believing were the same. They are not. Faith must be preceded by belief for how can you trust someone that you don't really believe exists. But the Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble. I can know full well that God exists and even see His power working in the world around me and never come to trust and depend on Him.
Trust and dependence are the two major pillars of Faith. Remember the story of Jesus and the disciples in a storm. Jesus was asleep in the boat when the storm began to rage. Even though Jesus was with them in the boat, the disciples began to fear that they would drown. When faith begins to fall away it is replaced by fear. When you find fear rising up in your heart instead of trying to be brave fan the flames of faith and trust in Jesus!
When your need seems to be greater than your harvest it is time to depend on Jesus to provide the things that you need. It is easier for a poor man to see the provision of the Lord than for a man who has everything he needs stored in barns and bank accounts.
Don't confuse believing in God and having faith in Jesus Christ. There is not a demon in Hell that doesn't believe in God. But no one will be in Heaven unless they have faith in Jesus! Once you come to believe in God you are standing at the door of faith. If you believe it is time to take the next step of trusting in and depending on God about and for everything in your life! That is faith and that is the kind of faith that will usher you in to the presence of God forever!
"Lord Jesus, it is easy to believe that You exist, but it is hard to trust You for everything in my life! Help me today to take another step of faith in trusting in and depending on You. And may You be glorified forever. Amen."
Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,” they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.
There were two criminals that were crucified with Christ that day. These two criminals represent all mankind. One of these men insulted Jesus while the other one called out to Jesus for mercy!
In a real sense, everyone is crucified with Christ. We are all guilty of sin that makes us worthy of Hell. When we see Christ on the Cross next to ours we either rail at Him or cry out for mercy. If you are the criminal who shouts at Jesus and mocks Him when you die you will be with Him no more, forever. But if you ask Jesus to remember you when He comes into power, then you will be with Him in paradise and in Heaven forever!
In a real sense you don't stand at the foot of the Cross. Instead you hang on a cross next to Jesus. As you are dying for your sin you have a choice. You can curse The Lord or beg for His mercy! There really are no other options. Both criminals died that day with Jesus. One was saved and the other one was lost.
Today you are hanging on a cross next to Jesus. What will you say to Him?
"Lord Jesus, I thank You that You were not ashamed to die as if You were a criminal. I have suffered because of my sin, but You suffered to set me free from sin forever! Remember me when You come into power! Amen!"
After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” Right then the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it. The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne.
The rainbow that God placed in the sky as a sign of His promise never to destroy the whole earth by flood again was not the first rainbow. Around the throne of God there is a rainbow that looks like an emerald.
So when you look at a rainbow in the sky you can think of God's promise, but also the throne room in Heaven where, as far as we know, there has always been a rainbow surrounding the throne.
The brightest rainbows here on earth appear when you look at the storm that has passed with the bright sun shinning behind you.
There is a rainbow that has only been seen for about the last 100 years which appears around the shadow of an airplane flying above the clouds. These rainbows are in a complete circle and sometimes are called "the glory." If you have not seen one, look for "the glory" the next time you fly.
Remember at the end of the storm, if you look with the light of the Son shining back on the storm that has passed you will see the "Glory" of God.
"Lord, thank You that after every storm here on earth I can see Your Glory. Help me Lord to see not only the rainbow, but help me to see You in everything that happens here on this earth. Jesus You promised to be with me always and so by faith I will look for You in the storm not just after it has passed. May You be glorified forever! Amen."
Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so they will know what true life is like.
The wealth of this world can be easily lost. You may know that right now the US stock market is at an all time high. That makes many people feel like they are very wealthy. But one really bad session and those "rich" people can lose it all. It has happened before and everyone knows it can happen again.
These verses tell rich people not to trust in their wealth, but rather to have faith in God. A very good friend of mine was rich and then lost it all. In fact he lost it more than once. He would lose his wealth and then work to get it back. Although it is not popular to say, but some rich people work hard to become rich and they often do it more than once. But now my rich friend is richer than he ever was when he only had money. I have watched him over the years turn his heart from money to God. It has been an amazing transformation as he has come to know what true life is like!
And if my friend happens to be reading this I would warn him against the temptation of pride.
So here are three things that rich people should do: Have faith in God, do as many good deeds as you can to help others, and be generous and share what you have. Those three things will lay a solid foundation for the future.
And if you are not rich, I would warn you not to envy followers of Jesus who are rich. A very wealthy believer once told me that having lots of money must be seen as an awesome responsibility rather than a blessing.
"Lord Jesus, I thank you that I am rich, not in this worlds goods, but rich because I know You. My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and I am His child. Help me today to seek You and not the wealth of this world! Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen."
PERSONAL NOTE: I want to remind you that I am putting together a companion website for this blog. It is at www.billsteensland.com. And I really appreciate responses you make to these blogs.
After Jesus had told the people to sit down, he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.
Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets.
When you follow Jesus Christ the question is not "Do I have enough to do the job He has called me to do?" That question really is irrelevant.
When you follow the Lord the only thing with which you must concern yourself is this: Have you given what you have to Jesus? It doesn't matter how much you have, it only matters whether or not you have given what you have to Jesus!
I believe Jesus is still in the business of multiplying the "loaves and fishes."
Like a tiny "mustard seed" Jesus takes what you give Him and grows it into a mighty witness for Him! Sometimes He does that so that we can see it happening, but often Jesus will use your witness in ways that are never known to you. One simple act of faith can take hold and become a family tradition that echoes down through the years to those who come after you. There may be multitudes of your descendants who are drawn closer to God because of your dedication to walk with Him yourself.
When you give what you have to Jesus, you can trust Him to multiply it for His glory and to fulfill the needs of others. Your job in the process is simply giving even the smallest thing that you have to Him.
"Lord Jesus, I am poor and weak and I don't have many "loaves and fishes." But I give what I have to You and trust that You will multiply it. Lord, I have been trying to multiply it myself instead of just giving it to You. So here it is Lord. Take it and do with it as You will. And may You be glorified forever! Amen."
Everything I have planned will happen just as I said.
and I will crush those on my mountains.
I will free my people from slavery to the Assyrians.
I, the Lord All-Powerful, have made these plans.
In this world of great turmoil and strife it is more than comforting to hear The Lord say "I have planned this for the whole world; and My mighty arm controls every nation."
It is foolish arrogance of rulers, kings and presidents to believe that they can change the destiny of the world by stopping the use of fossil fuels! They are but pawns in the chess game of good and evil and will be controlled by God so that the End of all things is precisely as He predicted it.
Do not fear the rulers. Only fear God who controls every nation on earth!
The final six words of verse 27 of Isaiah 14 are very important. God says "No one can stop me now!"
Those who fight against God will not win. Those who oppose the Creator of the Universe will fail in the end. Those who say "there is no God" are foolish beyond belief.
Remember this: The ride may be rough and even scary, but the one in control never makes a mistake. He will carry you all the way to the end and bring you safely to your home in Heaven.
I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done.
The Day of Judgment is a fearful thing. God knows every evil thought you have ever had as well as every evil deed you have done! There is no way to hide from God. Even the "earth and sky" will try to run away from God's judgment, but there will be no place to go!
Imagine standing before any judge and everything you have ever done wrong is part of the charges against you! When you are charged with a crime here on earth it is usually one thing you have done wrong. At most you might be charged with several crimes, but not with everything you have ever done wrong! The Day of Judgment before God will address every sin you have ever committed. What a fearful thought!
But there is hope and that hope is in Jesus alone! When you come to Jesus and give your heart to Him an amazing thing happens. If you are "in Christ" when you go to the Day of Judgment it will be declared that the penalty for your sin has already been paid! No matter what the sin, there is no greater penalty than the death sentence.
We sometimes think of Jesus paying our debt and I that is true as well, but Jesus also suffered our punishment. All sin will be punished. Will yours be covered by the blood of Jesus on the Day of Judgment or will you try to justify yourself before God?
"Lord Jesus, I thank You for suffering and dying for me and paying the price for my sin. Jesus, I owe You everything. And I give You everything I have and everything I am. I give You my heart and mind and strength again today. Amen."
PERSONAL NOTE: I want to thank you for visiting this blog. I usually get up by 3 am local time to prepare it. It is one of the highlights of my day. I am currently developing a companion website billsteensland.com where you can get more information and interaction. I would love to hear directly from you. May God bless you! | 2019-04-26T10:47:34Z | http://whiterockblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/ |
To start, an individual needs to keep in mind there are essentially two formats for professional correspondence writing. Shifting formats inside a letter can make you be viewed as somebody who will not understand principles of communicating. First, the letter format needs to be appropriate. The essential format of this letter stays exactly the same nevertheless. So, it’s imperative you know the ideal format of this letter before getting started composing one.
The fundamental format will always be the exact same. It really is critical you know the proper arrangement, since the letter needs to create a exact good opinion on your reader. Just like many different forms of letter-writing, there’s a definite specific format which you will need to check out although producing an authority letter which has to be awarded to bank officials.
Letter needs to be published on the company letterhead. Simply talking, the letter must contain details about who you are, what’s your connection with all the concerned individual, length of your own relation, what you realize more regarding the prices enforced and also your understanding of the personality of the person. Your letter should reflect you are serious and ready to pay for most of the frustrations whenever possible. Composing character letters differs from writing many of the corporation letters. Thus, you’re currently in a posture to write a correct personality reference correspondence to get specific purposes.
The correspondence that you write could create an immense gap in someone’s life thus make sure of things you desire to write within the correspondence and make sure that you make use of the ideal arrangement. The letter that’s created is extremely crucial because it may on occasion shift the whole stability and adjust a verdict altogether. A suggestion letter is written so as to recommend a person for a particular prospect, where as, a reference letter will be more on the topic of the factual advice concerning the individual, without any recommendations that are particular. Typically, it is often found that a number of individuals become confused between a benchmark letter along with correspondence of suggestion, and also frequently think about them the exact same. Since you may notice, individual speaking letters of suggestion would be simply a reflect of your naturel and skills.
As soon as you might have accumulated each one the advice, and chose that needs to write your letter of recommendation for grad faculty, you’re get one that is going to surely be include significance to t admission strategy. It’s very important that your authority letter has all of the information regarding the tasks incredibly clearly. When producing an authority letter to some bank, make certain that you contain all of the crucial advice since you do not want the bearer of the letter to become stranded because of deficiency of proper evidence. At the event that you require more clarification or information, do get in contact me.
Authorization letters are really easy to publish however, you have to format them correctly. This letter is a superior example of a recommendation letter to some scenario once you have to compose an benchmark letter for somebody who is applying to your work. These letters protect various sites, in which you needs to give responsibilities and ability for some person. Very much like this counterpart that is formal, an informal letter also begins having a salutation. In actuality, it’s predicted to be more descriptive in character. Following are some recommendations that is able to help you frame the ideal suggestion letter for your family’s cherished grandma. Even though it can appear to become quite a normal small business correspondence , authority letters have loads of legal implications.
The explanations for creating a correspondence might fluctuate. If you’re asked to draft a reference correspondence with someone, then rest assured it is an obligation which has to become fulfilled within a best method. A reference correspondence is comparable to a recommendation letter in employer. Generally speaking, character reference letters are meant for endorsing the positive facets of an individual, and are generally used by job purposes. A character reference correspondence should be more eloquent and most importantly, believable. When you are asked to compose a character reference letter for a companion, what you will need to create is based largely upon the purpose supporting the letter.
If you want a letter for yourself, ask some body who has known you for a exact long period and certainly can mention optimistic things about you, to publish it. The correspondence need not be from an individual who is’crucial’ per se but it has to be from some body who is just a remarkable personality watch and it has something constructive to express regarding the defendant. Always compose a lineup saying that it should really be ignored when the essential activity is shot by the conclusion of the letter. The allure correspondence has to be published to be able to gain the circumstance foryou personally. Some letters could also be connected to the reference letters or cover letters. An expert reference correspondence needs to be precise and certainly created. A child custody mention letter isn’t the 1 thing that vouches to get somebody’s capability to get a mother or father.
Your resume ought to be formatted within a effortless, skilled fashion. While resume extraction applications has greatly improved through recent years about the capability to recognize and subtract an range of formatting conventions, even if you are overly creative, then the computer software might not emphasise your restart precisely. Thus, resume writing is quite crucial. Going right through the aforementioned account executive resume sample needs to have given you insights regarding creating your own restart.
Once you’re interested in a job that you possess one chance to find the interest of the future employer also it’s done when you submit your resume. To start out with, you have got to submit a software for the occupation by delivering a duplicate of your biodata, then in case the bio data gets short listed, you will need to face a succession of interviews and tests. Each kind of occupation demands special abilities, qualifications and experience. For example, if your task that you’re browsing for involves lots of traveling and you are married with young kids, the firm will pick against interviewing you. Thus, it is a hard endeavor but in case you’re enthusiastic about serving people, then you can readily manage all the tasks. It really is if you’re considering locating a superb task.
You’d like to coordinate together with your capabilities with as much relevant keywords when you have the ability to. Perhaps not merely are you able to come up with several kinds of expertise from such associations, but also additionally, you’re exhibiting potential companies you are an individual ready to devote themselves to your job. Furthermore, lots of men and women lack exemplary writing skills. What abilities or exceptional abilities are used to produce things easier.
A work goal is usually a statement about what the candidate would love to do or the particular job they have been looking for. The intention of a functional format is to highlight at the forefront of one’s resume your capacity to satisfy the demands and requirements of this position. A livelihood goal also has to be included along with any instructional qualifications.
Make sure that you make sure which format you’re going to be applying just before you get started submitting advice. Thus, it truly is crucial to offer advice that aids in bettering your technical expertise with competencies and knowledge. It’s potential to make your resume formatting and information stick out from each one of the rest filed to get work by exerting a nice, outstanding, identifiable own brandnew. Assure you keep it simple yet with essential details.
The writing is provided first as a on the web and scannable resume, that will be important in 21st century world wide company. You are going to understand that there are 3 sorts of format used generally employed for example resumes. By deciding on a template, then you won’t need to be worried regarding the arrangement itself. It really is equally as important to format the record in a means that will give it a fantastic look and would clearly underline the beginning of each and every part, therefore rendering it readily readable. You need to stick with a simple arrangement. Ahead of you select the suitable structure, it’s essential to appear exhaustive the faculty resume illustrations readily available online.
You will need to begin with your resume-writing by deciding on a format. Bear in mind you have to start using a professional restart format when you are creating a resume for a job tool. Format of the restart is just one of the crucial points which should be considered even though composing it. So in order to place the right advice in an effective method, 1 should stay glued to a particular structure of a restart. To lessen the interview procedure, you may utilize chronological format in order for your own interviewer can follow through your employment time-line. The following arrangement is some thing that virtually every employer and job seeker is knowledgeable about, and is considered to be among the most easiest and simplest of restart formats.
In case the template isn’t in the proper format there is not any significance of deploying it. You are able to pick the template to get the position you desire to apply. You are able to choose the suitable template and design your resume for the specific project. Directly copying a CV template isn’t generally the best solution as it’s not always personalized to the specific demands of this candidate. The typical CV template also ideas about the particular CV design and CV design should be merely a last thought.
Work expertise section needs to comprise all your preceding employments from the healthcare niche. Career target section in restart will probably comprise the truth of one’s prospective accomplishments that you’d love to achieve functioning in the specific position within the organization. Ensure that your resume arrangement contains sections which will flaunt your qualifications that are best. The Contact Information department will consistently appear in addition to one’s page irrespective which arrangement you decide on.
This outline might be used As is to prepare some thriving software development proposition. Additionally, there are 3 significant types of resume templates. Once you find a template you would really like to use, then you may also double click on the template thumbnail to open it on your own file window and get started customizing it immediately! Keep in mind, totally free survey templates have been all created to catch your awareness, not the attention of these people who actually thing, including hiring managers and recruiters. Utilities change based around the applying. Practical template will certainly disguise your occupation hopping or job openings and provides you with all the possiblity to catch your fantasy job. Asymmetrical design depending on the golden ratio has become the cornerstone of design for more than 2,400 many years.
Match your expertise to this business or occupation you are applying for. Maybe you are looking for a brand new career, or simply going after that promotion on the job. Around the flip side, when you’re trying to get a research-oriented job, you are going to be expected to give more comprehensive advice regarding your research publications, their range and methodology, etc..
Resumes are made to reflect your work history as well as your own personal style. Thus, resume-writing is still extremely crucial. Functional Resumes could be used for individuals with a Background or doctoral diploma. If it comes packed writing resumes, you always have to place your very best foot forward so you feel needed this work interview. While resume extraction applications has considerably enhanced throughout the years regarding the capacity to comprehend and subtract quite a few of formatting conventions, if you are overly creative, the software may not parse your restart correctly. Initially glance resume writing software can provide various perks and certainly will be seemingly the best remedy to lots of job seekers.
Folks could possibly get paid to enable a skilled and may discover a great deal and even get licensed in the practice. The procedure is quite exhausting. After you document your software you will secure a perseverance. If you have secured a strangely ordered restart, then it goes to become debatable for your own applications to read your resume. Resume is a highly effective job search tool which will help a work candidate to obtain their foot in to the company or firm to get a meeting.
In the event you really don’t hold the relevant skills needed for your implemented position, you can frame your present skills to coincide with the demands of the employer. Opt for the keywords that might fit your own abilities. You often have the capacity to create brand new skills through volunteering and some times you are in a position to get on paper rankings in a single organization. Someone can learn technical talents and also the capacity to effectively conduct a task to build a desired outcome. You’ve the capacity to conduct indepth research about interestrates. Yet, my typing ability is reallyn’t exactly the situation. In case of looking at from the pc that you also may get a benefit of processing the text along with rendering it difficult to see.
Do some research on which variation of this word that you really ought to utilize. If you are using Microsoft Word as the editor afterward save time to the layout, merely by opening phrase. You don’t need to send a letter. With just a small amount of fortune, you should have come across a few resume cover letters which can be rejected because of common blunders! Luckily, you don’t need to be concerned about establishing a restart or resume cover letter. You will even receive exclusive high ideas and sample letters to help you. Be certain to devote the right quantity of link creating resume formats to make certain that the resume makes the announcement you would prefer it to.
From the instance of CVs, because it can be safely assumed that everyone can open a DOC file, there is not likely much of a benefit towards the RTF format. Bear in mind which you should start using a professional restart format in which you’re creating a resume for a work application. To alleviate the interview method, you might utilize chronological format in order for your interviewer may trace along with your job time line.
Understand your text before you start. The writing is given as a online and scannable resume, that will be important in 21st century global company. An ordinary 12 position text isn’t the best way for fast reading. It really is far better to maintain a resume to one page and then pull out any unnecessary advice. Press it again to choose the whole web page.
After you completely grasp the tone and also purpose of the text, then it’s much more easy to find the most suitable format and style for your own document. Design The overall look of your resume is equally very essential. It isn’t essential that you simply continue an individual keyword variant of one’s own resume. Inch solution to acquire the reader to do it and get hold of you personally should incorporate a particular time and date, which you’re arranging an appointment together with them for a scheduled appointment.
A trip report could possibly be sensible document for lots of people in an organization. Whether it’s mandatory or never ultimately depends on your own boss. It is not consistently required.
In the event you strategy report producing in the most appropriate method, you will learn to effectively organize your information and create a well-researched report. The analytical report comprises precisely the exact identical information as the informational report, but it also offers recommendations to resolve an issue. Notably crucial for non technical people to comprehend what’s whole report would like to share with. On occasion, the weekly activity report can also incorporate an overview of these planned activities of the workforce and its own particular one of a kind associates to its a few weeks.
Publish the abstract when you have written this record. At the lengthy run, you are likely to possess professionally hailed accounts. A weekly activity report permits workers to consider exactly how their job will promote the whole advancement of their job and also to the achievement of the group and also the company.
Kind of report is going to be selected dependent on the gist of the character of specific situation. In addition, within the event the report is the older individuals, then attempt to find vital information in the clients also. A school report could possess a lot of classes including the book file, re-search file, assignment document, science document, project file, evaluation document, evaluation report, essays and research papers document, etc.. The trip report serves like a proof of the status of the site. It may not be a regular report . however, it is an official report. It isn’t a regular report. If you are exploring for far more reports besides the trip form.
An account should generally incorporate the upcoming sections. When it is more specific, subsequently focus only on this subject and give a concise overview of the general situation. Create at least three strong arguments if it is argumentative. An official report will be an official report that has step by step info, research, and data crucial to make business decisions. Producing reports is a real fact of living for pupils, however, it doesn’t have to become challenging. A very well crafted and at thickness analysis report could be one of the most valuable sources of signs to ascertain exact explanation behind the incident as well as case. For instance, a police investigation report could prepare by police officers to provide you all pertinent facts and data concerning an event or offense scene.
Reports will be generated attractive to your viewers by creating a favorable feeling. Other types of plan accounts brief policy makers over a issue and urge a plan of action to handle an situation. Even though a whole lot of distinct individuals could end up looking at your document, you ought to possess a pre-specified audience you’re considering. A business report is not an instance of creative writing which a reader ought to go as a result of word . For example, if it’s a yearly credit report, then you’d probably have to stick with something professional and clean.
Open up the file you’d prefer to update. A great way of receiving an exemplary document and to be more efficient is always to utilise a number of this work that was done previously, by making use of a template. The structure of one’s abstract also is contingent on the sort of paper you’re producing. Therefore that it’s easy for you to simply ask what type of output format. The reason many individuals use the pragmatic resume structure is how that it empowers them to become more creative with certain factors of their job history, highlight vital capabilities or disguise long sums of unemployment The downsides of working together with an operating resume would be a range of recruiters, hiring professionals look at them with skepticism. It is important that most reports possess the specific arrangement. Proofread your document as the last step in making certain you’ve adopted the correct report format.
Several types of report templates can be used by unique sort of an individual. The agency accounts template is needed for drafting efficient service stories according to those formats. The customer service report template features a type of customer support report.
Click Install” to opt for the template you would like to use. An organization report template is just one of the most critical document when preparing any type of format that could be utilized in business activities or transactions. Below you’ll secure an exhaustive group of free fitting moments templates for your Word now.
Only use quotations just in case the language are actually very important. In addition, it is a good idea to center the phrase Abstract” at the very top of the webpage. Microsoft word is only called word and it plays essential role in a lot of the industry like business and education industry.
The most significant part of one’s paper ought to really have a debut having some sort of thesis statement that lets the reader understand exactly what exactly it really is you’re reporting, showing or arguing. An exploratory paper is ordinary in companies if they are attempting to acquire a remedy to a matter and has to obtain each one the feasible perspectives and data available. Probably the most often struck paper writing service which the vast majority of our customers demand is essay writing. Academic newspapers can not comprise any signs of plagiarism. To start out with, choose things you have to reach together with your newspaper. In addition, you need to know the way your research paper is going to be evaluated. The optimal/optimally point about writing on English literature research newspaper, would you have so many topics to choose from.
You can find just two forms of formats extensively utilized in U S A. You’d have to take note that the format isn’t whatsoever tough to follow together. A summary arrangement for analysis newspaper is often really beneficial to you, since it’s going to keep you organized.
For writing an outline for a research document, you have to understand the appropriate format, which can let you spell out your thoughts and observations in an impressive manner. In correspondence writing, it’s extremely important to stick to some correct structure. The exact initial format is most commonly termed one-fold or bi-fold. This arrangement is able to assist you to understand a wages certificate in a far better means. You shall run into an range of templates and formats out of legal books along with the internet.
In some cases, what’s mentioned in 1 correspondence might well not be distributed to an different department. Such a circumstance it would be worthwhile to write just two individual letters to avoid such a confusion or circumstance. Though it may appear to become quite a normal business correspondence , authority letters have loads of legal consequences.
The correspondence that you write may make a huge gap in someone’s own life thus be certain of what you prefer to publish within the letter and be sure that you make utilize of the correct format. An informal letter can be created in nearly any fashion you choose, however there certainly really are a couple organizational guidelines it’s possible to follow in the event that you’re unsure of what things to compose or the way to format your correspondence. You can not only write this kind of letters without adhering to an suitable format.
The reason of writing the correspondence must be cited within the shape of the well-intentioned sentence in the onset of a person’s letter. At length, you need to keep in mind that producing a formal letter isn’t difficult if you understand and stick to the rules and the structure of this letter. On average, an official correspondence is small and has only a couple of major human anatomy paragraphs, in the contest you have to inquire of a string information you can include all of it in the principal body, spread within a few paragraphs. Composing a totally phrased letter isn’t exactly as hard as it is made out to be.
The bulk of the instant, pupils are asked to compose debate papers which present a specific standpoint and make an effort to convince your viewer. Necessary means The literary job that the student selects to develop a collage will decide just how long will be crucial to totally complete the job. Each student must choose 1 reading which people’ve accomplished so much or may read later on, and also no more two students can choose the precise job. Moreover, lecturers might perhaps not be open to the pupils each one the moment, and also actually, may have even less time in the close of the semester. A lot of students decide to try to locate a study newspaper sample that would support them into writing research-paper example , but don’t find a superb bit of writing.
The students will probably be provided a rubric with the particular needs of the project and also what the aim of the project would be. Every student demands assist with assignments every so often. Pupils of the college possess vouched to not work with a cellular phone when driving and we have manufactured several communities on social media websites to promote exactly the specific same reason.
An essay could have various goal of creating, but also the essential framework is necessarily the exact identical. Just before you begin, you’ll find a couple of points you have to know about composing a article writing. The very first measure in writing a great reflective article would be selecting a topic, so choose wisely!
The perfect means to summarize an article is always to begin by reading it by way of a exact first time fast. What you wind up accomplishing here heavily depends upon the sort of article you’re thinking about producing. The exact first thing you should do is to first consider what you will perform in your own essay. The optimal/optimally thing about producing an informative essay would be that the wide number of topics it’s possible to select from. If you are likely to compose an interesting, unique informative article, you’ll need to accomplish research.
By following the above mentioned ideas, you are sure to find probably the most reap the benefits of your employee communication poll. In the end of the anger-management class the appraisal could be retaken to choose whether or not any improvement was produced. Hence , an employment assessment has a critical role to employ appropriate competition for the proper job and benefit the business organization. This assessment takes a worldwide look in someone’s history with present outward symptoms to think of the mental health investigation. The anger management assessment is fit for everyone who needs to take an anger management course. A performance evaluation fulfills the communication prerequisite. Performance evaluations supply a formal, listed, regular review of a person’s operation, along with an idea for long term improvement.
Educating studying is an evaluation of the applicant’s knowledge of the area, or so their capacity to perform particular tasks concerning the job they have been searching for. An evaluation which is only favorable will make you appear struggling to decide on the initiative even though a overly negative inspection might force you to seem insignificant. Recognizing that the machine, the way the tests are ranked in your command and also the format they ought to really be published in will be crucial. For accountants, a 360 degree feedback evaluation may possibly perhaps not be probably the most efficient assessment approach.
The evaluation generally is composedof replying a great deal of questions with numerous choice replies. It really is difficult to differ out of the psychometric test which you have perhaps been using for many years to some other personality assessment that you could have discovered fairly little about. For an employer browsing for a powerful candidate to fulfill out a specific situation within your small business, you ought to make certain you pick the correct kind of appraisal examination to assist you narrow down the field of candidates. There certainly are a couple ideas you ought to consider until you choose work assessment test.
Knowledge is actually a pair of information and data, to which will be included expert experience and opinion, to lead to an invaluable asset which may be used or employed to assist decision making. Make sure that you get a great comprehension of how exactly to speak about the employee’s operation and precisely what recommendations that you want to make. The intent of a professional performance evaluation will be always to accurately and frankly describe the operation of someone within a particular length of time.
Information could be your foundation for comprehension. An excessive quantity of information gets confusing. Last, you could hurt yourself should you devote an inordinate quantity of info in your protest. Once you’re logged , it is definitely going to request you fill all the essential facts you generally set in if applying to your job. Job advice can be gotten quickly online.
Management must set an exercise want to own the worker to the vital amount. A growing number of companies have begun to check closely at employee protection inside their office and in regions that are debatable. Engagement vs. Satisfaction quite a few businesses utilize satisfaction as being a metrics to ascertain whether personnel are happy and fulfilled at work. Thus irrespective of what your own organization, assessment testing may function as response to cutting down on your offender hunt costs in addition to raising the productivity of one’s business using the appropriate folks accomplishing the appropriate job foryou personally. Organizations often administer a job assessment test, also known as a preemployment appraisal test, to determine if a candidate is just a good match for a particular position. Some companies can also make it to be more available on line, even though a corporation might administer the test orally too. Folks reach the company because it’s option to touch tens of thousands of countless an individual.
Employee Engagement In almost any prosperous security method, staff members should be provided an opportunity to participate in establishing, executing, and analyzing the protection approach. Each of the employees are liable for repayment of insurance. In case they can see the emphasis that top direction puts on safety, they truly are more inclined to emphasize it inside their very own job and individual pursuits. Each of many employees are accountable for payment of insurance premiums. He is responsible for the maintenance and safeguarding of the strength. Employees ought to know they won’t be viewed any differently due to in their responses and that the use of the survey is to enhance the workplace, not to monitor individual feedback. Assess the rating you’ve given the employee when you’re finished as a means to determine when actions, positive or negative, should be accepted.
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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 3 City mourns loss of Robert “Bob” Cataldo Co-Founder of Cataldo Ambulance Service; Born and raised in Everett to the challenges of the neighborhood and learned many hard life lessons along the way. Although he was quite street-smart, he was not particularly interested in academics. He chose to enroll in the local vocational high school, and there he found his strong mechanical abilities. In 1958, Bob met Diana DelR obert Cataldo passed away on March 31, 2019, following a courageous battle with leukemia. Robert “Bob” was born and raised in Everett, Mass., the only son of Sabino and Mary Lou Cataldo. He was one of three children and grew up in a very modest area of Everett along with his sisters, Francine and Donna. Robert was never afraid to share stories of his challenging youth days and remembered fondly “growing up on the line,” a reference to the neighborhood’s close proximity to nearby Chelsea; it was a place where being tough was a necessity. By all accounts, Bob rose la Piana of Malden; ironically, the two chose to drag race each other down Revere Beach Parkway. As fate would have it, Diana won the race but Bob won Diana’s heart. Bob always joked that Diana had a big V8 and he had a total “crap box.” Bob joined the United States Air Force in 1959, and the couple eventually married in 1963. Shortly thereafter, Bob and Diana moved to Murphysboro, Tenn. The couple remained there until Bob was honorably discharged in 1965. Bobs maintained the passion for the U.S. Armed Services and garnered the deepest respect for those who served in defense of the Country. In 1968 the couple gave birth to their only son, Dennis, whom they named after Diana’s brother, Dennis, who had passed away in 1966 at the age of 22. In 1977, Bob started a new chapter in his life, and he did so with his lifelong partner Diana. The two opened the doors of Somerville Ambulance Service in August of that year. The company proved very challenging but was well run under their close stewardship and desire to succeed. For them, providing quality patient care and exceptional service was always the key measure of success. The company continued to grow, and eventually the name was changed to CatCATALDO | SEE PAGE 18 505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today You deserve more than a job. You deserve an Encore. Encore Boston Harbor is hiring. Explore thousands of fulfilling careers. You deserve an Encore. In accordance with our host and surrounding community agreements, hiring preference is given to properly qualified residents of the cities of (1) Everett, (2) Malden, and (3) Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Medford, and Somerville.
Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 EPS music education program receives national recognition T he Everett Public Schools (EPS) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation (of the National Association of Music Merchants) for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 20th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Everett answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for the music programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. “We have a long and proud tradition of providing exceptional musical opportunities for our students, both in the classroom and through extracurricular pursuits,” said Interim EPS Superintendent Janice Gauthier. “This award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our students and teachers demonstrate each and every school year.” This award recognizes that Everett is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing while leaving behind subjects like music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children. Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research has found, participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than in their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college. Reportedly, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention and keep sounds in memory. Reportedly, later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults – and even older adults who have not played an instruEPS MUSIC | SEE PAGE 13 AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is your vehicle ready for the Spring Season?!! AC SPECIAL Recharge your vehicle's AC for the warm weather! Includes up to 1 IL. of Refrigerant* (*Most Vehicles) Only $59.95 DRIVE IT - PUSH IT - TOW IT! CASH FOR YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR SUV! 2005 FORD MUSTANG 2010 HYUNDAI SANTE FE Six Cylinder, Automatic, Most Power Options, One Owner, Clean Title, Just Serviced, only 130K Miles PRICED TO SELL! V6, Automatic Transmission, Loaded Power Options, Leather Interior, Just Serviced, Warranty, Only 98K Miles! A CLASSIC BEAUTY 781-321-8841 $5,995 Easy Financing Available! 1236 Eastern Ave • Malden EddiesAutotech.com $5,995 We Pay Cash For Your Vehicle!
THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 7 Youth and Teen Memberships – Only $14/month – BE ACTIVE BE HEALTHY BE YOU Everett Bank helps EHS students race to the top Will sponsor journey to STEM team’s trip to Ten80 Texas Championships T hanks to a generous donation from Everett Bank, Everett High School’s STEM racing team will travel to Texas A&M University later this month to compete in Ten80 Education’s Student Racing Challenge (SRC) National Finals. “Make no mistake about it, Everett Bank is making this trip a reality,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier. “Our STEM students were devastated when they found out that the district was unable to pay for a journey that far from home. But Everett Bank turned tears of sorrow into tears of joy.” The announcement was made official last week, when Everett Bank executives Marjorie White, Richard O’Neil and Erica Barney visited the STEM students and advisor Anna Seiders to learn about the breadth and depth of SRC competitions. “No one is more appreciative of Everett Bank’s sponsorship than the students themselves,” said EHS Principal Erick Naumann. “Their happiness was obvious in their smiles as cient car will win races. However, race points are only one-third of a team’s total. Like professional race teams, SRC teams must also have a strong research and development focus (Data-Driven Design and MODS) and a marketing strategy and must work toward becoming leaders in their communities. Everett’s team is called “CrimStanding, from left: EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, Everett Bank CEO Richard O’Neil, Natalie Huynh, STEM Club Advisor Anna Seiders, Christian Simeon, Melisa Demaku, Joshua Powers, Evan Dupuis, Ahmed Alananzeh, Everett Bank President Marjorie White, Everett Bank Vice President Erica Barney and EHS Principal Erick Naumann. Seated, from left: Eva Charbonnier, Chloe Lewis, Lyanne Murphy and Isaac Lenescat. they talked to the Everett Bank leadership about the Ten80 racing competition.” The SRC is the flagship series in the National STEM League (NSL). Through it, students own a motorsports business featuring a remote-controlled car. The ultimate goal is to engineer performance: personal performance, team performance and race performance. Teams with the fastest, most stable and fuel-effison Bolt,” and in recent years the team has done very well in competitive settings, both regionally and nationally. The National Finals will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, at Texas A&M, which is located north of Houston. SKATING CENTER www.Roller-World.com | 781-231-1111 ATM on site Located adjacent to Honey Baked Ham in Saugus Plaza, South Bound Route 1 MBTA Bus Route 429 FREE WI-FI - 2 WIDE SCREEN TV’S FULLY AIR CONDITIONEDR Fall-Winter Skating Schedule ATTENTION! Sunday Monday Tuesday 12-8 p.m. $7.50 Private Parties 7:30-10:30 p.m. $8.50 Adult Night Friday Saturday Wednesday & Thursday 3-11 p.m. $7.50 Private Parties Admission after 6 p.m. $8.50 12-11 p.m. $7.50 Admission after 6 p.m. $8.50 Inline Skate Rentals $3 - additional Roller skate rentals included in all prices. Birthday & Private Parties Available School & PTO GROUPS Win a trip for 2 to Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel Jet Blue Air 5 days / 4 nights Your school PTO can raffl e the trip to make substantial money for your group. Call for details. BIRTHDAY PARTIES $11.50/Person, min. of 10 kids. Price includes Adm. + Roller Skates. Cake, soda, paper goods, 20 tokens for birthday person plus 100 Redemption Tickets and a gift from Roller World. in one of our private BP Rooms. A look at the inside of the Crimson Bolt remote-controlled racing car, which will be put to the ultimate test later this month at Ten80 Education’s Student Racing Challenge National Finals. JOIN NOW!
Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Do you remember.... The Everett Advocate reaches into its library of over 6,000 photos to bring you photographic memories through the lens of our photographers the past 28 years!
THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 9 Tide girls’ softball ready to begin final season in the NEC Everett opens on the road vs. nonleague Melrose on Tuesday By Joe Mitchell S tacy Schiavo is beginning her 21st year along the Everett High School girls’ softball sidelines. It all started for her as an Everett varsity coach back in 1998, and once again her former high school teammate Jen Nigro will be the team’s assistant varsity coach. Lauren Powers is the JV coach, and Laurie Bono is in charge of the freshmen. game, along with Revere and Medford.” The Tide will open up the regular season on the road next week against host Melrose on Tuesday, April 9, starting at 4 p.m. They will then take on Latin Academy two days later at Northeastern University, also at 4 p.m. Visit Our Newly Expanded Facility. We will beat competitors pricing! (Restrictions apply.) Ariana Garay Ashley Fitzgerald Captain Kaylee Nearen not pitching, they will play first. Duraes, Bento and Smith will pretty much round out the rest of the infield, while Fitzgerald will be behind the plate. The Everett coach expects plenty of competition throughout the next three months. “North Shore teams always give us a run for our money,” she said. “Peabody always has a strong program, along with Lynn Classical. Beverly is always a great Maddy Duraes The Tide was 12-8 last year during the regular season, 13-9 overall. They defeated Newton South, 11-10, in a Division 1 North preliminary round game before losing to Concord-Carlisle, 9-5, in the first round. Schiavo is looking to replace three starters who graduated last June. But she does have six back with varsity experience, including senior captain Kaylee Nearen (four-year varsity starter), juniors Ariana Garay (pitcher, first base), Maddy Duraes (shortstop) and Veronica Bento (second base, outfield) and sophomores Ashley Fitzgerald (outMaddy Smith field, catcher) and Maddy Smith (third base). Schiavo will carry 15 on the varsity, 13 on the JV and 11 on the freshman squad this year. The veteran Everett coach has mixed feelings about the pending exodus from the Northeastern Conference (NEC) in order to reestablish the Greater Boston League (GBL) with the likes of Somerville, Medford, Malden and Revere starting in the fall. “It is sad that we are not going to be a part of the NEC next year,” said Schiavo. “Many of the coaches were very welcoming, and the Veronica Bento competition allowed us to get ready for the tournament. It was less stressful trying to find nonleague games, because we had so many teams to play against.” Schiavo expects to dominate with depth in the pitching department this spring – “I think having two pitchers this year will definitely benefit us, especially when we play three to four games in a week. The girls have also been working on their offense, and as a result I think this year we will have a strong lineup.” Nearen and Garay will provide that depth in the circle. When Mayor congratulates stair-climbing Jakes J& S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $43 yd. $38 yd. 222 Central St. Saugus, MA 01906 (Next to Saugus Iron Works) 781-231-5990 2FREE ND MONTH on 10x10 units No administration fees. 200 new units available. All sizes to fi t your needs. New Customer Specials Offer valid at 222 Central Storage. Must present coupon. Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 6/12/19. www.222centralstorage.com FREE with Rental LOCK Mayor Carlo DeMaria congratulated Everett Firefighters Chris Grace, David Grace, Joe Devanna, Rich Costanza and Steven Schembri for completing their 41- floor stair climb in this year's Fight For Air Climb raising money for the American Lung Association! Great job! (Courtesy of Twitter@ Mayor_DeMaria) Reserve your unit NOW!
Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Friday, April 5 at 8 PM Singer/Guitarist DAVID MACK Saturday, April 6 at 8 PM DJ LOGIK Dance to all the Hits of Yesterday and Today! MONDAY'S SHUCK! $1.00 Oysters Book Your Special Events With Us! Call 781-629-3798 SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFET Only $19.95 / 11am-2pm Featuring Al Whitney Jazz Band BOOK YOUR NEXT FUNCTION WITH US * GIFT CARDS AMPLE FREE www.marinaatthewharf.com 543 North Shore Rd. Revere 781-629-3798 PARKING AMAZING WATER VIEWS Tide baseball gets set to begin new season on the road at Winchester on Monday Everett will take on Revere in the home opener on April 15 By Joe Mitchell E verett High School baseball coach Joe Lento had a highly inexperienced team last year, as a result of losing a bunch of seniors who played and contributed quite a bit to the varsity throughout the previous three springs. The Tide won only four games in 2018, but were still highly competitive against some of the top echelon teams in the Northeastern Conference, which certainly gained them valuable experience going forward. Everett did graduate three off of last year’s team, including captain/pitcher Jason Hennessey, who was a high-level contributor, according to Lento. But there are still plenty of veteran varsity players returning to this year’s roster. “We have a ton of returning guys in key spots who gained valuable varsity experience last season,” said Lento. “We are a strong defensive team who will rely on being smart and playing fundamental baseball. Our weakness will be pitching depth and experience, which becomes challenging during three-game weeks.” Lento offered his thoughts on this being the final season in the Northeastern Conference before Everett joins Somerville, Medford, Malden and Revere in the fall in order to reestablish the Greater Boston League. “As far as being in the NEC, the league has been welcoming, and it will be sad to go,” he said. “But we will be in a new GBL with more geographic and demographic counterparts. Whoever is on the schedule, we will go out and play Everett baseball and let the chips fall where they may.” Lento continued to emphasize that they will be a smart, disciplined team in the field during the next three months. “Our pitching depth and experience will be trying, but we will do our best to coach them up and prepare them the right way,” he added. “Our hitting will also be a relative strength, returning seven from last year’s lineup.” With the regular season still a week away, Lento will let the scrimmages scheduled for this week determine the starting lineup. “I cannot give a definitive answer as to who will play where,” he said. “We are starting scrimmages [Monday, April 1, at Malden Catholic], and some things will start to reveal themselves, and we will go from there to put the best possible lineup we can out there in order to give ourselves the best chance to win baseball games.” Lento doesn’t foresee any one team in the NEC that will be more of a challenge than another. “Every team provides a challenge on our schedule,” he said. “Baseball is a mental game, and the team that can deal and do enough of the little things correctly will put themselves in the best position to win.” The Tide will open up the regular season on Monday, April 8, against host Winchester, starting at 4 p.m. They will then play host to Revere in the home opener at Glendale Park on Monday, Patriots Day (April 15), starting at 10 a.m. Applications available for Mayor’s Youth Summer Job Program T he City of Everett is now accepting applications for Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s Summer Youth Job Program. Everett residents from ages 15 to 21 years of age who are seeking summer employment are encouraged to apply. Working papers will be required if you are under the age of 18. Applicants will be required to bring their social security card for payroll and employment verification. No application will be considered without a completed census form. Job placements are located throughout the City of Everett. There will be two sessions; each will run four weeks long, up to 20 hours per week. Each applicant will be eligible for one session of four weeks up to 20 hours per week. Applications and census forms are available at Everett City Hall, rm. 32, Everett High School, or the City of Everett website. Completed applications must be submitted to the Human Resources Department by Thursday, May 23. For more information, please * A Delta Dental Premier Provider Dr. Mario Abdennour, Dr. Bhavisha Patel, Dr. Priti Amlani, Dr. Bruce Goldman and team. contact the Human Resources Department at 617-394-2280.
Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 School officials to seek legal opinion before paying former supt. vacation balance By Christopher Roberson happened and it’s happened.” Abruzzese also said that most A fter making a $200,000 payout to former Superintendent of Schools Frederick Foresteire, the School Committee recently voted to consult Attorney Robert Galvin before writing a check for the remaining $250,000 vacation payout. “We got hit with this like a Mike Tyson right cross,” said Chairperson Thomas Abruzzese during the committee’s April 1 meeting, adding that he had been “completely unaware” of Foresteire’s unused vacation time. “This is something that never should’ve employers in the private sector do not allow their employees to use vacation time from prior years. “I don’t know anybody who is allowed to accrue vacation time,” he said. “Anything that delays this I’m all for; this is not some kind of a severance package.” Ward 5 Member Millie Cardello said she could not find anything in Foresteire’s contract that would prevent him from receiving the balance of the money. Ward 3 Member Frank Parker said the potential payout would not affect staffing or class sizes. However, he still agreed that the committee needs to settle the matter. “Vacation time is a liability; we have to resolve this one way or another,” he said. Foresteire retired on Dec. 18, 2018 as superintendent of schools after serving in the Everett School System as the superintendent and an educator for more than 50 years. ELL and Career Tech Updates In other news, Anne Auger, director of English Language Learners (ELL), said the percentage of ELL students has grown from 17 percent in 2016-2017 to 26 percent for the current school year. She said the majority of Everett’s ELL students come from Brazil and El Salvador speaking Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. “Many of them have left family and life as they knew it,” said Auger. She also mentioned the co-teaching model, which is a new addition to the district’s ELL program designed for students through sixth grade. By having co-teaching, ELL students are no longer taken out of class for language services. In addition, she said a travSCHOOL | SEE PAGE 22 City ensures healthy living conditions through habitability checks D o you know someone who can’t seem to detach themselves from many personal or household items? Hoarding has become a serious issue in the United States. A 2017 survey highlighted that the average American hoards 23 items that they have no use for. The City of Everett’s Inspectional Services, Health, and Fire Departments, under the guidance of Mayor Carlo DeMaria, are ensuring that houses throughout the community are free of hoarding and are decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair as well as safe for first responders. In many cases, hoarding can become a serious danger not only for hoarders, but also their neighbors and first responders. Homes that experience hoarding can become hazardous and cause for poor sanitary conditions as well as physical harm. There are different degrees of clutter: from struggles with chronic disorganization and excessive clutter to struggles with hoarding behavior and Hoarding Disorder (and any level of clutter in-between). And the City of Everett is here to help. City departments have been diligent in its dealing with cases throughout the city and are assisting residents in maintaining a clean and safe living environment. The City teams provide the tools and resources in order to sustain a nurturing setting and contribute to a healthy life for both adults and children. The vast majority of hoarding cases that are seeking assistance or being reported in Everett range from preventative measures to crisis management and rectification planning, which arise from inspectional issues. The city recognizes that hoarding disorders trigger difficulties with discarding or parting with possessions. Nevertheless, the city’s resident-centered plan addresses all aspects of the hoarding case, establishing objective and reasonable goals and time frames, and the monitoring of progress. If you know someone that might need assistance, please call the city’s Inspectional Services Department at 617-394-2220.
THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 13 Attention water user: hydrant flushing T he Water Department will be flushing water mains throughout Everett from April 3 through May 3. The purpose of flushing is to remove sediment buildup in the mains and to verify the safe operation of hydrants and valves. Hydrant flushing might result in temporary discoloration of the water caused by small particles that dislodge during the flushing, as well as a temporary reduction in pressure. Discolored water will be temporary and is not harmful; however, the discolored water might stain your laundry, especially white materials. Therefore, please avoid doing laundry during the noted flushing period Prior to washing clothes, including during times after the hours stated in this notice, please check the cold water for possible discoloration. If water is discolored, let the cold water run for a few minutes until water becomes clear. If it does not clear at that time, try again later. Unfortunately, the City of Everett cannot fully guarantee the safety of doing laundry and/or the possibility of discoloration even during the evenings and other times of Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament – Sat., June 1 Winner’s Trophy named in memory of a beloved member, Ersilia Matarazzo T he Everett Kiwanis Club once again is proud to announce the Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament to be held Saturday, June 1 at the Italian-American Club on Pearl Street in Malden. Twelve teams will compete for the first-place prize of the Cup and $1,000; as well as a second-place prize of $450. The Winners Trophy will now and forever be known as Ersilia’s Cup, in memory of our beloved member Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo. EPS MUSIC | FROM PAGE 6 ment for up to 50 years – show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention: Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills and how to give and receive constructive criticism. A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking a Chord,” outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum. The EPS Music Department is in the midst of its busiest time of the year: Several performances and trips are scheduled for the coming weeks and months. “Percussion Pageantry” is set for Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. in the Everett High School (EHS) Gymnasium; String Night will be on Thursday, April 11; the May Day Concert will be on Wednesday, May 1, and the Memorial Day Concert is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22 (all beginning at 6 p.m. inYour participation supports Everett Kiwanis’ $10,000 in Kiwanis scholarships and charities. Calling all teams, sponsors and raffle donations for the June 1st Tournament! Four-member teams cost $250 per team, or $75 to enter as an individual. The cost includes food and beverage provided throughout the day. For more information, contact Everett Kiwanis President Rafael Santos at 617-7948182 or email [email protected]. side the EHS Auditorium.) The EHS Percussion Ensemble is competing in the 2019 Winter Guard International Percussion and Winds World Championships on April 1014 in Dayton, Ohio. EHS band members and musicians will also be traveling to Washington, D.C., in May to march in the National Memorial Day Parade and represent Massachusetts for a full weekend of festivities. About the NAMM Foundation The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org. the day as the water system has been disturbed. Therefore, please check your water carefully prior to doing laundry and inspect the laundry before drying it. Hydrant flushing will be performed between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Water Department appreciates your patience as we work to improve the quality of the drinking water. If you would like additional information, please call the Water Department at 617-394-2327.
Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Everett High School holds 51st Annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony T nization founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary Principals. Selection is based on four criteria: Scholarship, leadership, service and character. In addition to meeting high academic standards, NHS requires members to volunteer to the community, school or another organization. The EHS advisors to NHS are Margaret Thurbide and Sarah Simmons. NHS Committee members are Wayne Bailey, William Bertocchi and Amelia Linehan. Bailey gave the keynote address during Thursday’s induction ceremony. The pledge of allegiance was led by student Molly Solano, while Fernanda Aiala and Ava Labella performed the national anthem. The NHS Officers are President Joshua Powers, Vice President Carolina Penaflor, Secretary Karen Aldana, Treasurer Steven Le and Historian Victoria Do. For all of the photos from last week’s induction ceremony, please visit www.everettpublicschools.org. The 2019 inductees of the EHS NHS: Samantha Aguilar Ahmad Alananzeh Daniella Alvarez Kimberly Azevedo Veronica Bento Sara Bourjjai Carolann Cardinale Victoria Chaparro Standing, from left: City Councilors Peter Napolitano and Fred Capone, School Committee Member Allen Panarese, EHS Special Education Director William Donohue, Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier, School Committee Member David Ela, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin Shaw, City Councilor Michael McLaughlin, keynote speaker/EHS Social Studies Teacher Wayne Bailey, City Councilor Richard Dell Isola Jr. and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Charles Obremski. Seated, from left: Title I Coordinator Michelle Rooney, NHS Advisors English Teacher Sarah Simmons and Margaret Thurbide, Math Teacher Jacqueline Fallon, EHS Guidance Director Kathleen McCormack, and EPS English Learner Director Anne Auger. Duck Choute Lorena Corbelli Esther Costa Kathleen Costa Nasta-Ha Cyril Raphael Da Silva Kelsey Davenport Iza De Souza Briana Delarosa Melisa Demaku Gabriel Richard Dos Santos Hilaiza Duplantis Madison Duraes Juliana Erazo Jhalyshka Feliciano Diana Fiestas Karen Flores Vanessa Flores Rixi Fuentes Rafael Godinho Daniela Gutierrez Ashley Hebert Jacob Jackson Fabrice Jacques Germina Jean Baptiste Kathelyne Joseph Ava Labella Isabella LaCorcia Nathalie Larrea Sandra Le Estefany Lemus Chloe Lewis Franciely Machado Swechha Maharjan Fatima Martinez Bianca May Yasmin Melendez Castro Monika Mendes David Meninger Melanni Menjivar Amanda Mootrey Carolina Morare Lyanne Murphy Anne Naceus Jamie Nagle Kimberly Nguyen Ngoc Nguyen Jeffrey Olson Aya Oulal Ileissa Ovalle Nicolette Page Marisol Palencia Pinto Elizabeth Peach Janice Perez-Gomez Samantha Perkins Tatyana Pierre Jason Portillo Ashley Querette Paola Ramos Sara Restrepo Danielle Ricci Lorena Rocha De Souza Lorrayne Rocha De Souza Desiree Ruiz Ramoz Omayma Salih Cassandra Salvador Lucia Seide Christian Simeon Andrew Sosa Isabelle Souza Stephanie Suavita Zachary Sylvain Lamontagne Rothsaida Sylvaince Touran Tashkin Tony Thang Calvin Tran Caroline Tran Minh Tran Arianna Ventura Vinalda Vilcent Martina Vo Ryan Vu Melanie Wu Jennifer Zepeda Lones he Everett High School (EHS) chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) held its 51st annual Induction Ceremony on Thursday, March 28 inside the EHS Auditorium. NHS is a nationwide orgaStanding, from left: Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier, NHS Advisor Sarah Simmons, NHS Treasurer Steven Le, EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, NHS President Joshua Powers, NHS Historian Vicki Do, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin Shaw and NHS Advisor Margaret Thurbide. Seated are NHS Secretary Karen Aldana and NHS Vice President Carolina Penaflor.
Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Suffolk Downs to conduct final season of live racing R ecently Suffolk Downs announced that it will run six live dates in 2019 – after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the track’s schedule and its corresponding request for purse funding of $3.8 million for those dates from the state’s Racehorse Development Fund. The three festival weekends are scheduled for May 1819, June 8-9 and June 29-30 and will be the last days of thoroughbred racing held at the historic East Boston facility. In 2017, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse (SSR), the company that operates racing and simulcasting at Suffolk Downs, sold the property in East Boston and Revere to The HYM Investment Group, a Boston-based real estate developer. In conjunction with the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NEHBPA) and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association (MTBA), SSR announced plans last year to refurbish and return live racing to the Great Barrington Fairgrounds in Great Barrington, Mass., and to continue simulcasting operations in Boston. The track operator has renewed its option on the 55acre Great Barrington property and is pursuing legislation in the current session in Massachusetts that would facilitate its proposal. At Suffolk Downs, the $100,000 James B. Moseley Stakes at five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares will highlight the racing program of June 29. The average daily purse distribution for each festival weekend, including participation incentives to encourage horsemen to ship in from other circuits, will be in excess of $600,000 per day. “We are looking forward to celebrating the rich tradition of Suffolk Downs with racing fans for one final season here as we pursue the plan to preserve thoroughbred racing and its associated agribusiness and economic benefits in the Commonwealth by restoring the racing facility at Great Barrington,” said SSR Chief Operating Officer Chip Tuttle. “We appreciate the support of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in granting our dates and purse funding requests.” “We appreciate Sterling Suffolk’s addition of and the MGC’s approval of extra days and purse funding for this season and Sterling Suffolk’s dedication to preserving live thoroughbred racing in the Commonwealth and the livelihoods of our members, the small businesses and family farms that depend on it,” said NEHBPA President Anthony Spadea. In order to help offset shipping and travel costs for the festival weekends, Suffolk Downs will offer an incentive program similar to those in the last several years. In addition to customary purse distribution, owners will receive an additional $500 for horses finishing first through fifth (on top of purse money) while owners of horses finishing sixth through last will receive a payment of $1,200 for races with a purse up to $30,000 and $1,500 for races with a purse greater than $30,000. Trainers will receive participation awards of $400 per starter. For 2019, first-level allowance/ optional claiming races will offer purses of $55,000; maiden special weight races will offer purses of $50,000; $12,500 claiming races will carry a purse of $32,500; $8,000 claiming races will be run for $27,500; and bottom level claiming races will now carry a purse of $20,000. Over the course of each weekend, there will be stakes races restricted to either horses foaled in Massachusetts or sired by a Massachusetts-based stallion. Each offers a purse of $50,000 and is a showcase for the Massachusetts Thoroughbred breeding industry. In addition to live racing, the track will be hosting a food truck festival each weekend featuring food trucks from a variety of local vendors, craft beer, live music and family fun activities. About Suffolk Downs Built by 3,000 workers in just 62 days when Massachusetts authorized pari-mutuel wagering in 1935, the historic track has been a showcase for some of the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing history, including Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar and Skip Away. In 2018, the track conducted four weekends of live racing with an average daily purse in excess of $500,000, including incentives. For more information, visit www.suffolkdowns.com. State begins work on Tobin Bridge, Chelsea Curves T he Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently began work on the Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curves Rehabilitation Project, which will have significant traffic impacts, including 24/7 lane closures. The first lane closure was implemented on April 1 and closed the right lane on the Tobin Bridge northbound. Drivers are reminded to position themselves to use the middle and left lanes as soon as they can safely do so. Traffic modeling conducted for this project has shown that allowing drivers in the right lane to merge will create a smoother overall traffic flow. MassDOT requests that all motorists exercise courtesy and caution when traversing the work zone. By early May, lane closures will be implemented on the Chelsea Curves section of Route 1 north and southbound. Combined, the Tobin Bridge and Chelsea Curves carry more than 63,000 drivers on Route 1 through Chelsea and over the Mystic River into Boston. Though they are safe to drive on, both are in critical need of repair. MassDOT is carrying out work along both sections of Route 1 at the same time so that these projects will be completed in 2020, and without the need for weight restrictions and postings. Completion of this necessary project will ensure that the elevated section of Route 1 can continue to carry passenger and freight traffic safely and efficiently and eliminate 15 percent of the structurally deficient bridge deck in Massachusetts, but construction of this nature has inevitable traffic impacts. MassDOT encourages you to leave more time for your trip, exercise caution while traversing the work zone, and if possible, divert to an alternate route or mode of travel in and out of downtown Boston. To be added to the project email list for updates, please visit the project website at https:// www.mass.gov/tobin-bridgechelsea-curves-rehabilitation-project or contact Donny Dailey of MassDOT Government & Public Affairs at Tobin-Chelsea@dot. state.ma.us.
Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 OBITUARIES Beulah (Anthony) Haverty Of Haverhill formerly of Everett passed away March 27, 2019. Beloved wife of the late James J. Haverty. Devoted mother of Melvin J. Haverty. Cherished grandmother of Shannon LaPointe and her husband Kevin and Katherine Haverty. Great-grandmother of Nolan, Kolton and Brody. Dear sister of the late Violet Anthony. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service in the JF Ward Funeral Home 772 Broadway, Everett on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 11 am. Visiting hours Friday (same day) from 9-11am. Services will conclude with interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Donations in Beulah’s name may be made to the charity of one’s choice. For online guestbook and donations please visit: www. jfwardfuneralhome.com James C. "Jim" Lenehan Of Wakefield, formerly of Everett, on March 30. Beloved husband of the late Claire F. (White). Loving father of Ann Cain and her husband Kevin, Katie Lenehan, Julie Panzini and her husband Patrick, Claire Sacramone and her husband Anthony, and the late Jimmy Lenehan. Loving brother of the late Joseph, William, Robert, and Francis Lenehan, and Doris Zagorites. He is survived by his seven beloved grandchildren, Meaghan, Jim, Abby, Lauren, Mark, Kelly, and Leah, as well as one loving great-granddaughter, Rileigh. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim's memory may be made to the St. Anthony's School, 54 Oakes St., Everett 02149. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. Janice B. (Rocci) McDonough Of North Revere, formerly of Malden & Everett, age 76, March 27. Loving wife of Kenneth G. McDonough, with whom she shared 55 years of marriage. Beloved mother of Kenneth G. Mc - Donough, Jr. & his wife Mary of Peabody, Brian S. McDonough & his wife Christine of Malden. Cherished grandmother of Arianna, Emily, Tayla & Michael. Sister of Judith Monte & her husband Douglas of FL. In lieu of flowers, donations in Janice's memory may be made to Care Group Parmenter Homecare & Hospice, 1 Arsenal Marketplace, Watertown, MA 02472. City mourns loss of Robert “Bob” Cataldo CATALDO | FROM PAGE 3 aldo Ambulance Service. Today, 42 years later, Cataldo Ambulance is well known and recognized as an industry leader in providing all levels of medical transportation. Bob had an engaging personality. He loved life and wanted all around him to be part of it. He truly enjoyed spending time with people, and he cherished the opportunity to assist others. He was a longtime member and Past President of Kiwanis Club International. He was engaged in many community initiatives, and he served on the Board for a number of local institutions. Later in life, he was able to rekindle his passion for the military and he became a proud member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Bob enjoyed being out on the water; he was a proud boat owner and member of the Winter Hill Yacht Club in Somerville. Bob was an avid golfer and longtime member of Bellevue Country Club in Melrose. Bob enjoyed spending time with his entire family. He and Diana, who was always by his side, were frequently around to visit and enjoy the family. He was a remarkable man, always available to lend a hand or assist the family in any way he could. He and Dennis had a great relationship, and Bob was very proud of his son, something he never missed an opportunity to express to anyone who would listen. Bob was always at the ready to do any activity with Christine, Dennis and the boys. He was the very proud Papa to Brady, Ryan and Tyler; he loved his grandsons so very much. He enjoyed spendSavvy Senior How SSI Can Help Low-Income Seniors and the Disabled Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about the Supplemental Security Income program and what are the eligibility requirements? My father is very low-income, so I’m wondering if this is something he may qualify for. Searching Daughter Dear Searching, Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefits to people that are disabled or over 65 based on financial need. Currently, more than 8 million people are receiving SSI benefits. Here’s what you should know. Eligibility Requirements To qualify for SSI your dad must be either age 65 or older, blind or disabled, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident. He must also have limited assets and income. His assets must be less than $2,000 or $3,000 for couples. This includes cash, bank accounts, other personal property, and anything else that could potentially be converted to cash. His home, household goods and one vehicle, along with life insurance policies and burial funds valued under $1,500; do not count towards countable assets. The income limit to qualify for SSI, however, is much more ing time with the three boys and relished the opportunity to tell them stories or talk with them about any facet of life. He was a father figure to his niece, Niki, and her husband, Frank, along with their two boys, Grayson and Cooper. More than all else, Bob was a devoted and caring husband. He and Diana spent 60 years together, married for 56 years of them. They spent time in Florida and traveled frequently to a number of their favorite places. As husband and wife they wrote a storybook tale – as business partners they lived the American dream. As a husband, parent, grandparent, relative and friend, Bob will long be remembered as a true friend and one really great guy. CATALDO | SEE PAGE 22 complicated. Countable income includes wages or any other kind of money your dad earned from working, plus money he gets from other sources like unemployment, Social Security retirement, or gifts from friends, but also, free food or shelter. In 2019, the SSI allowable income limit is $771 a month for an individual or $1,157 a month for a couple. So, if your dad’s countable income is over the SSI allowable limit (this is based on a complex set of rules and calculations – see SSA.gov/ssi/ text-income-ussi.htm) he would not qualify. But if he’s under it, he would qualify for some benefits depending on his countable income. To help you determine if your dad is eligible for SSI, help him take the Social Security Administration’s benefits screening test at SSAbest.benefits.gov. This online questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and screens for a variety of benefits, not just SSI. You should also know that most states – except Arizona, Mississippi, North Dakota and West Virginia – supplement the federal SSI payment with payments of their own. In some of the states that pay a supplement, your dad may qualify for the state payment even if he doesn’t meet the federal SSI eligibility criteria. How to Apply If you think that your dad is eligible for SSI, call 800-772-1213 and set up an appointment to apply at his local Social Security office. To help make the application process go quickly and smooth• Burials • Cremations • Pre-Arrangements • Serving the Greater Boston and North Shore regions for over 250 years! It is our purpose to give thoughtful service, and if in so doing, we have helped to lighten your burden, our goal has been accomplished. We sincerely hope that our service will be deserving of your confidence and wish to offer our continued friendship. 331 Main Street, Everett, MA 02149 Valet Parking Available (617) 387-4180 www.roccofuneralhomes.com ly, your dad should bring his Social Security number; birth certificate or other proof of age; information about the home where he lives, such as his mortgage, or lease and the landlord’s name; payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records and other information about his income and the things he owns; his proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and if he is applying for SSI because he is disabled or blind, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have information related to his condition. For more information visit SSA.gov/ssi or call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and ask them to mail you a copy of publication 11000 “Supplemental Security Income (SSI).” You can also read it online at SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-11000.pdf. Other Assistance Programs Depending on your dad’s income, needs and location there are other financial assistance programs that may be able to help him like Medicaid, prescription drug assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. To find out what he may be eligible for go to BenefitsCheckUp.org. This is a free, confidential Web tool that contains more than 2,500 programs. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. | 2019-04-22T08:28:12Z | https://publizr.com/advocatenewsma/everett-advocate-04-slash-05-slash-19 |
National federations may adapt Rule 1 to meet local needs and circumstances, provided no adaption reduces the safety of the players or other participants.
ARTICLE 1. a. The game shall be played between two teams of not more than 11 players each, on a rectangular field and with an inflated ball having the shape of a prolate spheroid.
1. When the ball is free-kicked, at least four Team A players are on each side of the kicker (Rule 6-1-2-c-3).
ARTICLE 2. Goal lines, one for each team, shall be established at opposite ends of the field of play, and each team shall be allowed opportunities to advance the ball across the other team's goal line by running, passing or kicking it.
ARTICLE 3. a. The teams shall be awarded points for scoring according to rule and, unless the game is forfeited, the team having the larger score at the end of the game shall be the winning team.
b. When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final.
ARTICLE 4. The game shall be played under the supervision of the game officials.
ARTICLE 5. Each team shall designate to the referee not more than four players as its field captain(s). One player at a time shall speak for his team in all dealings with the officials.
ARTICLE 6. a. All persons subject to the rules are governed by the decisions of the officials.
b. Those persons subject to the rules are: everyone in the team area, players, substitutes, replaced players, coaches, athletics trainers, cheerleaders, band members, mascots, public-address announcers, audio and video system operators, and other persons affiliated with the teams.
b. IFAF-affiliated officiating organisations shall use the current Manual of Football Officiating.
c. IFAF-affiliated teams and/or competitions not complying with IFAF football-playing rules that do not have a designated penalty are subject to IFAF sanctions.
ARTICLE 1. The field shall be a rectangular area with dimensions, lines, zones, goals and pylons as indicated in Appendix D.
a. Where the size of the stadium does not permit a full-sized field to be marked, game management may use an IFAF yard as the unit of measurement.
1. An IFAF yard is normally 36 inches (91.44cm) long, but may be shortened to no less than 34.12 inches (86.67cm) only if necessary to fit a 100-yard field of play plus two 10-yard end zones within the available playing surface.
2. If the length of the field is reduced by an IFAF yard factor, all other field dimensions and markings stated in these rules shall be reduced commensurately (Exception: The length of the hash marks and the width of lines). The length of the yardage chain (Rule 1-2-7) shall also be reduced to correspond to the markings on the field.
b. All field-dimension lines shown must be white and 4 inches in width. (Exception: Sidelines and end lines may exceed 4 inches in width, goal lines may be 4 or 8 inches in width, and Rule 1-2-1-h).
c. Twenty-four-inch short yard-line extensions, four inches inside the sidelines and at the hash marks, are mandatory and all yard lines shall be four inches from the sidelines (Rule 2-12-6).
d. A solid white area between the sideline and the coaching line is mandatory.
e. White field markings or contrasting decorative markings (e.g. team names) are permissible in the end zones but shall not be closer than four feet to any line.
f. Contrasting colouring in the end zones may abut any line.
1. The entirety of all yard lines, goal lines, and sidelines must be clearly visible. No portion of any such line may be obscured by decorative markings.
2. No such markings may touch or enclose the hash marks.
h. Goal lines may be of one contrasting colour from the white lines.
i. Advertising is permissible on the field, providing it meets the requirements of Rules 1-2-1-e, 1-2-1-f and 1-2-1-g.
j. White field yard-line numbers not larger than 6 feet in height and 4 feet in width, with the tops of the numbers nine yards from the sidelines, are recommended.
k. White directional arrows next to the field numbers (except the 50) indicating the direction toward the nearest goal line are recommended. The arrow is a triangle with an 18-inch base and two sides that are 36 inches each.
l. The two hash marks are 60 feet from the sidelines. Hash marks and short yard-line extensions shall measure 24 inches in length.
m. Nine-yard marks 12 inches in length, every 10 yards, shall be located nine yards from the sidelines. They are not required if the field is numbered according to Rule 1-2-1-j.
ARTICLE 2. Measurements shall be from the inside edges of the boundary markings. The entire width of each goal line shall be in the end zone.
ARTICLE 3. a. Limit lines shall be marked with 12-inch lines and at 24-inch intervals 18 feet outside the sidelines and the end lines, except in stadiums where the total field surface does not permit. In these stadiums, the limit lines shall not be less than six feet from the sidelines and end lines. Limit lines shall be 4 inches in width and may be yellow. Limit lines designating team areas shall be solid lines.
b. No person outside the team area shall be inside the limit lines. Game management personnel have the responsibility and the authority to enforce this rule.
c. Limit lines shall also be marked six feet from the team area around the side and back of the team area, if the stadium permits.
ARTICLE 4. a. On each side of the field, a team area behind the limit line and between the 25-yard lines shall be marked for the exclusive use of substitutes, athletics trainers and other persons affiliated with the team. The front of the coaching box shall be marked with a solid line six feet outside the sideline between the 25-yard lines. The area between the coaching line and the limit line between the 25-yard lines shall contain white diagonal lines or be marked distinctly for use of coaches (Rule 9-2-5). A 4-inch-by-4-inch mark is mandatory at each five-yard line extended between the goal lines as an extension of the coaching line for line-to-gain and down indicator six-foot reference points.
b. The team area shall be limited to squad members in full uniform and a maximum of 25 other individuals directly involved in the game. All persons in the team area are subject to the rules and are governed by decisions of the officials (Rule 1-1-6). The 25 individuals not in full uniform shall wear special team area credentials. No other credential is valid for the team area.
c. Coaches are permitted in the coaching box (see Appendix D), which is the area bounded by the limit line and coaching line between the 25-yard lines.
d. No media personnel, including journalists, radio and television personnel, or their equipment, shall be in the team area or coaching box, and no media personnel shall communicate in any way with persons in the team area or coaching box. In stadiums where the team area extends to the spectator seating area, a pass-through area should be made available for media to move from one end of the field to the other on both sides of the field.
e. Game management personnel shall remove all persons not authorised by rule.
f. Practice kicking nets are not permitted outside the team area (Exception: In stadiums where playing enclosures are limited in size, nets, holders and kickers are permitted outside the team area and outside the limit line) (Rule 9-2-1-b-1).
ARTICLE 5. a. Each goal shall consist of two white or yellow uprights extending at least 30 feet above the ground with a connecting white or yellow horizontal crossbar, the top of which is 10 feet above the ground. The inside of the uprights and crossbar shall be in the same vertical plane as the inside edge of the end line. Each goal is out of bounds (see Appendix D).
b. Above the crossbar, the uprights shall be white or yellow and 18 feet, six inches apart inside to inside.
c. The designated uprights and crossbar shall be free of decorative material (Exception: 4-inch-by-42-inch orange or red wind directional streamers at the top of the uprights are permitted).
d. The height of the crossbar shall be measured from the top of each end of the crossbar to the ground directly below.
e. Goal posts shall be padded with resilient material from the ground to a height of at least six feet. Advertising is prohibited on the goals. One manufacturer's logo or trademark is permitted on each goal post pad. Team/national and competition logos are allowed. All padding is out of bounds.
1. If a portable goal is available, it shall be erected or held in place at the request of Team A.
(a) On all scrimmage plays, Team B shall defend the end of the field where the goal is situated.
(b) On all free kick plays, Team A shall defend the end of the field where the goal is situated.
(c) After a change of possession, the teams will change ends if necessary so that Team B is defending the end where the goal is situated.
(d) There will be no change of ends at the end of the first or third periods (one minute timeout only). Captains will not have the option to select which goal line to defend at the beginning of a half.
3. Alternatively, if one goal is (or becomes) missing or unusable, the game may proceed (or resume) without using the other goal, if both head coaches agree. In these circumstances no further field goals shall be scored. Once stated, the coaches' decisions as to whether to proceed without goals shall be irrevocable.
4. If no goals are available, the game may be played if both head coaches agree. In these circumstances no field goals shall be scored. If one or both head coaches do not wish to play, then the game shall be abandoned. Once stated, the coaches' decisions as to whether to start/continue shall be irrevocable.
Upon inspection of the field it is noted that goals with offset uprights are being used. The plane of the goal is one yard within the end zone and the post is one yard outside it. RULING: Legal. The goal post is not inbounds.
ARTICLE 6. Soft flexible four-sided pylons 4 inches by 4 inches with an overall height of 18 inches, which may include a two-inch space between the bottom of the pylon and the ground, are required. They shall be red or orange in colour. One manufacturer's logo or trademark is permitted on each pylon. Team/national logos, competition logos and the name/commercial logo of the title sponsor of the game are also allowed. Any such marking may not extend more than 3 inches on any side. They are placed at the inside corners of the eight intersections of the sidelines with the goal lines and end lines. The pylons marking the intersections of the end lines and hash marks extended shall be placed three feet off the end lines.
ARTICLE 7. The official line-to-gain (yardage chain) and down indicators shall be operated approximately six feet outside the sideline, except in stadiums where the total playing enclosure does not permit. These must be operated on the side of the field opposite the press box.
a. The yardage chain shall join two rods not less than five feet high, the rods' inside edges being exactly 10 yards apart when the chain is fully extended.
b. The down indicator shall be mounted on a rod not less than five feet high operating approximately six feet outside the sideline opposite the press box.
c. An unofficial auxiliary line-to-gain indicator and an unofficial down indicator six feet outside the other sideline are recommended.
d. Unofficial red or orange non-slip line-to-gain ground markers positioned off the sidelines on both sides of the field are recommended. Markers are rectangular, weighted material 10 inches by 32 inches. A triangle with an altitude of five inches is attached to the rectangle at the end toward the sideline.
e. All line-to-gain and down-indicator rods shall have flat ends.
f. Advertising is permitted on the down and line-to-gain indicators. One manufacturer's logo or trademark is permitted on each indicator. Team/national and competition logos are allowed.
ARTICLE 8. a. All markers and obstructions within the playing enclosure shall be placed or constructed in such a manner as to avoid any possible hazard to players. This includes anything dangerous to anyone at the limit lines.
b. After the officials' pregame inspection of the playing enclosure, the referee shall order removed any hazardous obstructions or markers located inside the limit lines.
c. The referee shall report to game management personnel any markers or obstructions constituting a hazard within the playing enclosure but outside the limit lines. Final determination of corrective action shall be the responsibility of game management personnel.
d. After the officials have completed their pregame inspection of the playing enclosure, it is the responsibility of game management personnel to ensure that the playing enclosure remains safe throughout the game.
e. Yardage line markers must be placed at least 12 feet outside the sidelines and should be collapsible and constructed in such a manner as to avoid any possible hazard to players. Markers which do not conform to this standard shall be removed. Advertising on yardage line markers is permitted.
ARTICLE 9. a. No material or device shall be used to improve or degrade the playing surface or other conditions and give one player or team an advantage (Exception: Rules 2-16-4-b and 2-16-4-c).
Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot [S27].
b. The referee may require any improvement in the field necessary for proper and safe game administration.
b. Cover consisting of four panels of pebble-grained leather without corrugations other than seams.
c. One set of eight equally spaced lacings.
e. Two 1-inch white stripes that are 3 to 3¼ inches from the end of the ball and located only on the two panels adjacent to the laces.
g. Inflated to the pressure of 12½ to 13½ pounds per square inch (psi).
h. Weight of 14 to 15 ounces.
i. The ball may not be altered. This includes the use of any ball-drying or ball-warming substance. Mechanical ball-drying and ball-warming devices are not permitted near the sidelines or in the team area.
ARTICLE 2. a. The game officials shall test and be sole judge of not fewer than three and not more than six balls offered for play before and during the game. The game officials may approve additional balls if warranted by conditions.
b. Home management shall provide a pressure pump and measuring device.
c. Unless provided by the competition authority, the home team shall provide a minimum of three legal balls and should notify the opponent of the ball to be used. The opponent may provide one or more legal balls in addition to those supplied by the home team if they wish to do so.
d. During the entire game, both teams shall use only balls that meet the required specifications and have been measured and tested according to rule.
e. All balls to be used must be presented to the referee for testing at least 60 minutes before the start of the game. Once the teams have presented the game balls to the referee, they remain under the general supervision of the officials throughout the game.
1. The referee's first priority is to have three legal balls. If the competition authority or the home team does not provide at least three legal balls, the referee shall inform the away team and offer them the opportunity to provide legal balls. If fewer than three legal balls are provided, the game will proceed with only the legal ball(s) being used. If no legal balls are provided, the referee shall select up to three balls which in his judgement are the best available.
2. When more than three legal balls are presented, the referee shall select the balls in best condition from those presented by both teams.
g. The referee or umpire shall determine the legality of each ball before it is put in play.
1. All measurements shall be made after the ball is legally inflated.
2. The long circumference shall be measured around the ends of the ball but not over the laces.
3. The long diameter shall be measured with callipers from end to end but not in the nose indentation.
4. The short circumference shall be measured around the ball, over the valve, over the lace, but not over the cross lace.
ARTICLE 3. Marking a ball indicating a preference for any player or any situation is prohibited.
Live-ball foul. Fifteen yards from the previous spot [S27].
ARTICLE 2. a. All players shall be numbered 1 through 99. Any number preceded by zero ("0") is illegal.
b. No two players of the same team shall participate in the same down wearing identical numbers.
c. Markings in the vicinity of the numbers are not permitted.
[a-c] Live-ball foul. Five yards from the previous spot [S23].
[d] Live-ball foul, unsportsmanlike conduct charged to the team. 15 yards from the previous spot [S27]. Flagrant offenders shall be disqualified [S47].
1. The helmet must be fitted with a facemask and a secured four- or six-point chin strap, all points of which must be secured whenever the ball is in play.
2. Helmets for all players of a team must be of the same colour and design. 3. Helmets must carry a warning label regarding the risk of injury and a manufacturer's or reconditioner's certification indicating satisfaction of National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) test standards. Reconditioned helmets shall show recertification to indicate satisfaction with the NOCSAE test standard.
b. Hip pads. Hip pads must include a tailbone protector.
c. Jersey. See Rule 1-4-5.
d. Knee pads. Knee pads must be at least ½-inch thick and must be covered by pants. It is strongly recommended that they cover the knees. No pads or protective equipment may be worn outside the pants.
e. Mouthpiece. The mouthpiece must be an intra-oral device of any readily visible colour. It must not be white or transparent. It must be made with FDA-approved base materials (FDCS) and cover all upper teeth. It is recommended that the mouthpiece be properly fitted.
f. Pants. Players of a team must wear pants of the same colour and design.
A player or players of a team wear(s) tights (with stirrups) that cover their legs. RULING: Legal. All other squad members of this team also must wear tights or knee-length socks of the same colour. All squad members of a team must wear socks or leg coverings that are identical in colour and design. All squad members of a team may wear short socks of the same colour and design.
1. The jersey must have sleeves that completely cover the shoulder pads. It must not be altered or designed to tear. The jersey must be full-length and tucked into the pants or made even with the waist line. It must cover all pads worn at or above the waist. Vests and/or a second jersey worn concurrently during the game are prohibited.
3. Any item in paragraph 2 must not exceed 16 square inches in area (i.e. rectangle, square, parallelogram), including any additional material (e.g. patch).
4. A border around the collar and cuffs not more than 1 inch wide is permissible, as is a maximum 4-inch stripe along the side seam (insert from the underarm to pants top).
5. Jerseys may not be taped or tied in any manner.
NOTE: The uniform diagram in Appendix E may assist in the understanding of these rules.
1. Players of opposing teams shall wear jerseys of contrasting colours. Players on the same team shall wear jerseys of the same colour and design.
(b) The competition authority certifies that the jersey of the visiting team is of a contrasting colour.
4. If on the kickoff at the start of each half the visiting team wears a coloured jersey in violation of the conditions specified in Rule 1-4-5-b-3 (above), it is a foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
5. If a coloured jersey contains white, it may appear only as any of the items listed in paragraph a-2 above.
1. The jersey must have clearly visible, permanent Arabic numerals measuring at least 8 and 10 inches in height front and back, respectively. The number must be of a colour that itself is clearly in distinct contrast with the colour of the jersey, irrespective of any border around the number..
2. Teams wearing jerseys/numerals that do not conform to this rule will be asked to change into legal jerseys before the game and before the start of each quarter until the jerseys are changed.
3. All players of a team shall have the same colour and style numbers front and back. The individual bars must be approximately 1½ inches wide. Numbers on any part of the uniform shall correspond with the mandatory front and back jersey numbers.
a. Towels and hand warmers.
1. Solid colour towels no smaller than 4 inches by 12 inches and no larger than 6 inches by 12 inches with no words, symbols, letters, or numbers. Towels may bear the team logo. They may also contain a single manufacturer's or distributor's normal label or trademark not to exceed 2-¼ square inches in area. Towels that are not a solid colour are not permitted.
2. Hand warmers worn during inclement weather.
1. A glove is a fitted covering for a hand having separate sections for each finger and thumb, without any additional material that connects any of the fingers and/or thumb, and that completely covers each finger and thumb. There is no restriction on the colour of gloves.
2. Gloves should have a securely attached label or stamp ("NF/NCAA Specifications") indicating voluntary compliance with appropriate test specifications on file with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association unless made of unaltered plain cloth.
c. Eye shields. Eye shields must be clear, not tinted, and made from moulded or rigid material. Eyeglasses and goggles also must be clear and not tinted. No medical exceptions are allowed.
1. Persons or events may be memorialised by an insignia with an area not greater than 2.25 square inches on the uniform or helmet.
e. Eye shade. Any shading under a player's eyes must be solid black with no words, numbers, logos or other symbols.
f. Game information. Any player may have written game information on the wrist or arm.
a. Equipment worn by a player that could endanger other players.
b. Tape or any bandage other than that used to protect an injury, subject to the approval of the umpire.
c. Hard, abrasive or unyielding equipment that is not completely covered and padded, subject to the approval of the umpire.
e. Any equipment that could confuse or deceive an opponent.
f. Any equipment that could provide an unfair advantage to any player.
g. Adhesive material, paint, grease or any other slippery substance applied to equipment or on a player's person, clothing or attachment (Exception: Eye shade (Rule 1-4-6-e)).
h. Uniform attachments other than towels (Rule 1-4-6-a).
k. Jerseys that do not conform with Rule 1-4-5.
a. No player wearing illegal equipment or failing to wear mandatory equipment shall be permitted to play. (Exception: Rule 1-4-5-c).
b. If an official discovers illegal equipment, or if a player is not wearing mandatory equipment, the player must leave the game for at least one down and is not allowed to return until the equipment is made legal. The player may be allowed to return without missing a down if the team takes a charged team timeout, but in any event he may not play with illegal equipment or without mandatory equipment.
After the ball is ready for play, an official identifies a player(s) who is obviously not wearing a mouthpiece. RULING: The player(s) must leave the game for at least one down and may not return until properly equipped with a mouthpiece. The player(s) may remain in the game by spending an available team timeout, but they may not play until properly equipped.
Late in the first half, Team B has used its three timeouts. At the end of a play the Line Judge notices that B44, a player who participated in the previous play, is equipped with an eye shield that is either tinted or not clear. RULING: Equipment violation. B44 must leave the game for at least one down and may not return if he is wearing an illegal eye shield.
When the ball is dead after a scrimmage down, the Umpire notices that linebacker B55 has an exposed back pad at waist level, which apparently became exposed through play during the previous down. RULING: B55 is not required to leave the game, but be must cover the exposed pad with his jersey before the next down.
a. Have been informed what equipment is mandatory by rule and what constitutes illegal equipment.
b. Have been provided with the equipment mandated by rule.
c. Have been instructed to wear and how to wear mandatory equipment during the game.
d. Have been instructed to notify the coaching staff when equipment becomes illegal through play during the game.
1. A medically prescribed hearing aid of the sound-amplifier type for hearing-impaired players.
Administer as a dead-ball foul, 15 yards at the succeeding spot. Player is disqualified. [S7, S27, S47].
ARTICLE 11. Jurisdiction regarding the presence and location of communication equipment (cameras, sound devices, etc.) within the playing enclosure resides with game management personnel.
b. Only voice communication between the press box and team area is permitted. Where press-box space is not adequate, only voice communication may originate from any area in the stands between the 25-yard lines extended to the top of the stadium. No other communication for coaching purposes is permitted anywhere else.
c. Media communication equipment, including cameras, sound devices, computers and microphones, is prohibited on or above the field, or in or above the team area (Rule 2-31-1).
1. Camera equipment attached to a goal support behind the uprights and crossbar.
2. Camera(s) embedded in any pylon.
3. A camera, with no audio component, may be attached to the cap of any official with prior approval of the official and the participating teams.
NOTE: Cameras worn by officials solely for the purposes of officiating development may be worn by any official without requiring the permission of the participating teams.
4. A camera, with no audio component, may be attached to cables that extend over the team area and field of play, including the end zones.
5. A team videographer may be in the team area as one of that team's 25 credentialed individuals.
d. Microphones attached to coaches during the game for media transmission are prohibited.
e. No one in the team area or coaching box may use any artificial sound amplification to communicate with players on the field.
f. Any attempt to record, either through audio or video means, any signals given by an opposing player, coach or other team personnel is prohibited.
g. No drones (unmanned aerial vehicle) may be used inside the playing enclosure. If a drone violates this space, the Referee shall order the game stopped until such time as the drone is removed from the space.
ARTICLE 12. Coaches' phones and headsets are not subject to the rules before or during the game. | 2019-04-21T04:29:06Z | http://rules.bafra.info/rulebook/ifaf2016/1.html |
Published in the Spring 2008 issue of Dissent.
A strange contradiction afflicts nonhierarchical social movements. Those activists who are most hesitant to create formal mechanisms for naming leaders give the media the most power to choose their leaders for them. Certainly this has been the case in the globalization movement, where an anarchist ethos has prevailed. Faced with a vast network of affinity groups, spokescouncils, and local organizations, the news media have been desperate to find a few recognizable figures to present as figureheads. They have thrust a handful of writers and intellectuals into the spotlight—one of the most notable being thirty-seven-year-old Canadian journalist Naomi Klein.
Early on, Klein benefited from an exceptional instance of good timing. Just as her first book, No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, was going to press, historic protests erupted at the November 1999 World Trade Organization ministerial meetings in Seattle. The anticorporate movement her book chronicled went from being regarded as a loose, underground collection of international campaigns to a bona fide global phenomenon. The book sold over a million copies worldwide.
It was a fortuitous turn, but Klein’s success was not based on luck. She had read the political mood well. In the early 1990s, when she was a student in Canada, Klein writes, “campus politics was all about issues of discrimination and identity.” Doing research at some universities five years later, she noticed a shift. The students’ analysis was “broadening out to include corporate power, labor rights, and a fairly developed analysis of the workings of the global economy.” While other books were starting to argue, in Klein’s words, that “corporations have grown so big they have superceded governments,” she set out to profile the forces of resistance to these corporations. She ended up with one of the most astutely observed accounts available of the motivations, outlook, and demands of the emerging global justice movement.
A wonderfully acute piece of cultural criticism, No Logo is often referred to by journalists as a movement “bible.” This is a lazy analogy: I have never seen a globalization activist hold it up as holy writ, and the tone of the work is more guidebook than manifesto. Antisectarian to its core, the book speaks to both believers and skeptics at the same time, with its colorful examples of life in the new corporate age. Klein tells of how Diesel Jeans salesmen contended that their product was less a piece of clothing than “the way to live… the way to wear… the way to do something.” The work of multinational corporations in this era, she explains, centered on managing their brands rather than manufacturing actual products, which were all too likely made in subcontracted sweatshops in Southeast Asia. Advertisers crept further and further into schools and public spaces. And, preempting real dissent, companies lured hipsters with ironic ads and sold resistance in the form of “Revolution” cola. At the time, all this was revelatory. The book made the environmental campaigns and living-wage drives of the global justice movement seem like eminently reasonable responses.
A good part of Klein’s appeal was the lack of holier-than-thou pretense in her politics. In No Logo, she tells of working as a young adult folding sweaters in an Esprit store in her native Montreal; of how her favorite parts of camping trips with her parents as a child were when the family car passed the molded plastic sign of a McDonald’s or Burger King and she would crane her neck to linger on the cherished icon; of how “by the age of six, my older brother had developed an uncanny knack for remembering the jingles from television commercials and would tear around the house in his Incredible Hulk T-Shirt declaring himself ‘cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.'” All this created great consternation for her hippie parents, American activists who had fled to Canada to escape the Vietnam War draft.
These experiences helped Klein to develop keen political sensitivities, however. Because she was part of a generation that could viscerally feel the seductive power of the corporate brand machine, she was able to express the fomenting desire to break free of its hold. In the end, she would proudly carry forth her family’s radicalism. Of those who have been elevated as movement leadership in the media spotlight, there are few who serve as more articulate and responsible spokespeople. Despite her growing fame, she has remained resolute in her calls for economic justice, passionate about holding herself accountable to grassroots networks of citizen activists, and fearless in taking on those who defend the privileges of the powerful. All these would prove to be invaluable traits during the Bush years.
NOT LONG after No Logo, Klein published a volume that collected a variety of her “dispatches from the front lines of the globalization debate.” But her next major book did not come for several years. When The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism appeared in the fall of 2007, it clearly belonged to a different era.
The book emerged out of Klein’s reporting in Iraq, New Orleans, and post-tsunami Sri Lanka. Moving among these scenes, she observed a pattern. In the case of Iraq, occupation administrator Paul Bremer followed up on the “shock and awe” invasion by announcing the creation of a radically privatized economy, structured around what The Economist called a “wish-list that foreign investors and donor agencies dream of for developing markets.” Corporations like Halliburton, Bechtel, and Blackwater rushed to cash in, performing many duties that were once seen as core functions of the U.S. military, while Big Oil lustily eyed the prospects. In the case of Sri Lanka, white sand beaches scrubbed clean by the 2004 tsunami were promptly handed over to hospitality corporations to create lavish tourist resorts, blocking small fishing villages from rebuilding. And after Hurricane Katrina, the Heritage Foundation devised a list of thirty-two die-hard neoliberal policies to be implemented in the name of “hurricane relief”—including the suspension of prevailing-wage laws and the creation of a “flat-tax free-enterprise zone.” These were swiftly adopted by the Bush administration.
As a metaphor for the principle, Klein relates the story of Dr. Ewen Cameron’s CIA-funded experiments at McGill University in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The highly unethical Cameron used an extreme program of shock therapy to induce regression and amnesia in his patients, creating a blank slate upon which he could write a new personality. As a form of therapy, it was an abject failure. But the idea proved compelling to CIA interrogators, who later promoted electroshocks as a way of making prisoners, Klein explains, “so regressed and afraid that they can no longer think rationally or protect their own interests.” The victims are shocked into a state of openness.
In the wider implementation of neoliberal ideology, shocks are implemented at the social rather than individual level. In country after country, Klein argues, the initial shock of war, natural disaster, or economic crisis is followed by a second period of shock, in which a set of unpopular neoliberal reforms—privatization, deregulation, and cuts to social services—is rammed through while people are still too confused and disoriented to resist. Finally, in a third period of shock, repression and torture are used to silence those who dissent.
The Shock Doctrine is an ambitious book, an accomplished book, and an important one, too. It makes contributions in several key ways. First, Klein’s talent as a storyteller is on full display. She again shows that she is one of the few writers working in English who can simultaneously write effectively for both mainstream and radical audiences. Regardless of whether one fully agrees with Klein’s overarching argument, her chapters represent highly valuable capsule histories of market expansion.
Second, the core message of The Shock Doctrine is a critical one. The book, she writes, “is a challenge to the central and most cherished claim of the official story—that the triumph of deregulated capitalism has been born of freedom, and that unfettered free markets go hand in hand with democracy.” Instead, Klein aims “to show that this fundamentalist form of capitalism has consistently been midwifed by the most brutal forms of coercion.” Some critics have taken issue with this argument’s lack of novelty. They argue that anyone who takes a serious look at the development of capitalism over the past several hundred years will notice that violence is a persistent, indeed pervasive, aspect of the creation and maintenance of “free” markets.
Here I stand behind Klein. Granted, one could go back to a wide variety of political-economic classics to illustrate the point that the “free” market has historically required forceful state action to bring it into existence—the work of Karl Polanyi comes to mind as a good first stop. Yet some stories need to be told over and over again. As long as the dominant ideology insists that peace, democracy, and “free enterprise” go together as a harmonious trio, Klein is right that the talents of progressive analysts should be devoted to demonstrating the contrary in fresh and convincing ways.
A third asset of the book is that disaster capitalism, as displayed in Iraq, New Orleans, and post-tsunami Sri Lanka, is no doubt an important recent phenomenon, one that is likely to grow more significant as the effects of global warming increasingly materialize. Klein has done a great service in naming and detailing it.
The issues Klein addresses in The Shock Doctrine reflect a more general shift in the globalization debate. In the Bush era, the politics on campus have changed once again. While just a few years ago we were frequently told that the nation-state had become obsolete and was being supplanted by transnational businesses, the state has reasserted itself with a vengeance in the wake of 9/11. For student activists, opposing the Bush regime has largely taken precedence over anticorporate campaigning. And for globalization analysts, the challenge has been how to reframe their accounting of the world order to make the state a more central part of the panorama.
Stripping down politics to the profit motive will get you a long way in this world. It can be an especially useful corrective when the “crusade against communism” and “battling terrorism” are constantly invoked as noble motives, and when nothing so crass as economic interests are ever admitted. But, needless to say, the move is reductionist.
Klein’s depiction of a monolithic class of politico-corporate elites is not tailored for every political situation. It is not particularly helpful for recognizing and exploiting the differences between Clintonian “free traders,” Republican realists, and neocon fundamentalists. It provides little guidance for understanding what to make of it when the Weekly Standard opposes permanent normal trade relations with China, a key goal of corporate globalists, on human rights grounds. Nor does it allow for distinctions between different sectors of capital—recognizing, for example, that the interests of the vast tourism industry (which is currently furious about how Bush’s War on Terror has adversely affected its business) may not be the same as those of Halliburton. Finally, it denies out of hand that religious conviction or nationalism, independent of commerce, might be forces in influencing Bush administration policy.
Curiously, even though Klein is tightly focused on following the money, her book is not materialist in a way that will satisfy more traditional Marxists. She avoids exploring the structural forces—for example, the post-1973 contraction of the global economy or the declining profitability of core industries—that have shaped the rise of neoliberalism.
Klein’s insights into the use of political shock are probing, but they, too, have limits. When the book’s chronology finally makes it up to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, its argument takes a strange turn. Throughout the volume, Klein frequently invokes the “shock and awe” metaphor. Because of this, readers are led to believe that George W. Bush’s war will represent the epitome of the shock method. In fact, it is where the metaphor starts to unravel.
Iraq has been subjected to every shock imaginable. But rather than producing a state of regression and acquiescence, the onslaught has provoked intense resistance. As deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage is quoted as saying, “The U.S. is dealing with an Iraqi population that is un-shocked and un-awed.” Beyond the ethical and political implications of the botched occupation, it is just plain bad capitalism: “Bremer was sent to Iraq to build a corporate utopia,” Klein writes; “instead, Iraq became a ghoulish dystopia where going to a simple business meeting could get you lynched, burned alive or beheaded.” The author is ambivalent about the lessons. On the one hand, the corporate contractors who fled Iraq en masse had already reaped billions from government contracts, and energy companies still have their eye on Iraq’s oil. On the other hand, the crisis model has been foiled in important ways.
As it turns out, Klein explains, Bush-era disaster capitalism is not really the shock doctrine in its fullest form. Rather, it represents a late, desperate, and especially fanatical manifestation of a system that has been exhausted. After some four hundred pages, this modified thesis is unsatisfying. As Klein’s framework breaks down in Iraq, her regular repetition of the word “shock” starts to seem more like an overworked rhetorical device than a consistent and enlightening analysis.
The Shock Doctrine makes a lot of Milton Friedman’s contention that “[o]nly a crisis, actual or perceived, produces real change.” But there is no reason why this idea is inherently objectionable from a progressive perspective. In the U.S. context alone, one could argue that the shock of the Great Depression created the New Deal. Or that the civil rights movement, with its resolute nonviolence, prompted Bull Conner to unleash his attack dogs and fire hoses, creating a televised crisis that shocked the nation into action. Indeed, only the most stubbornly gradualist theory of social change would overlook the role of various “shocks” in sparking revolt.
IN KLEIN’S READING of the Bush years, it would be easy to forget that there exists a commercial world beyond the realms of homeland security, the defense industry, heavy construction, and oil. She contends that a “homeland security bubble”—a sector estimated in a December 2005 Wired magazine article to be worth as much as $200 billion—saved the American economy from a much deeper crash after the dot-com bubble burst. The runaway U.S. housing market, ballooning credit card debt, and China’s willingness to continue propping up the dollar receive little, if any, mention. Similarly, many of the key corporations featured in No Logo—such as Nike, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Disney, and Starbucks—almost disappear from her narrative, as if they have ceded the global economy to Halliburton, Bechtel, Exxon, and Lockheed Martin.
The result is a significantly revised vision of the nature of modern capitalism. “Democratic socialism, meaning not only socialist parties brought to power through elections but also democratically run workplaces and landholdings,” was “never defeated in a great battle of ideas, nor were [these ideas] voted down in elections. They were shocked out of the way at key political junctures,” she argues. Certainly, there is truth to the idea that many populations dubious of neoliberalism have been tortured into submission. But there is also something missing from this picture.
In The Shock Doctrine the insidious, seductive powers of multinational capital have vanished. Absent them, there is little to account for the local elites in the global South who are peacefully co-opted into supporting the American model, the insecure middle classes who align themselves with the upwardly mobile rather than with movements of working people, or the underclass of aspiring consumers who have been charmed by the alluring promises of Hollywood and Madison Avenue—all people who play much more central roles in other chronicles of the spread of market ideology. Nor is there much room left in the analysis for those children of the North who, by the age of six, already sing corporate jingles and plead for fast food—those who have never been tortured by the state but have felt an embrace that, in its own way, is plenty shocking. | 2019-04-25T12:36:53Z | http://democracyuprising.com/2008/03/31/capitalism-as-catastrophe/ |
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A data carrier (1), or a circuit (2) for such a data carrier (1), which is arranged to receive a carrier signal (CSM) amplitude modulated in conformity with data (DA), is provided with data regenerating means (12) for regenerating data (DA) modulated on the amplitude modulated carrier signal (CSM), and with data processing means (28) for processing data (DA), the data regenerating means (12) additionally including receiving storage means (20) for temporarily storing a predetermined quantity of data (DA), and also detection means (22) for detecting the fact that the predetermined quantity of data (DA) has been buffered in the receiving storage means (20), the detection means (22) being capable of generating control information (CI1) whereby the data processing means (28) can be switched over from a power saving operating mode to a normal operating mode.
The invention relates to a data carrier which includes receiver means for receiving an amplitude modulated carrier signal which is amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received and consists of high segments of high amplitude and pause segments of reduced amplitude, and also includes a circuit which is connected to the receiver means and includes the following means: data regeneration means whereto the received amplitude modulated carrier signal can be applied and whereby the data modulated on the carrier signal can be regenerated, and data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed.
The invention also relates to a circuit which includes the following means: data regenerating means whereto a received amplitude modulated carrier signal, amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received and consisting of high segments of high amplitude and pause segments of reduced amplitude, can be applied and whereby the data modulated on the carrier signal can be regenerated, and data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed.
A data carrier of the kind set forth in the first paragraph and a circuit of the kind set forth in the second paragraph are known, for example from the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,231 A. The known data carrier is a so-called passive data carrier which does not include a separate power supply source but extracts the power required for a data processing operation from the amplitude modulated carrier signal applied to the data carrier, that is to say by means of supply voltage generating means which are formed essentially by a rectifier stage and a voltage control or voltage limiting stage. The data regenerating means in the known data carrier include a demodulator whereby the data modulated on the amplitude modulated carrier signal can be regenerated. The regenerated data can be applied to a control unit which is formed by a microcomputer. Therein, the control unit, i.e. the microcomputer, and storage means constitute data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed, for example in order to be stored in the storage means.
In the known data carrier, or in the known circuit of this data carrier, in the case of a data receiving operation the data regenerating means as well as the data processing means are activated in a normal operating mode for the entire duration of the data receiving operation, so that the data regenerating means as well as the data processing means require power which is thus consumed; consequently, the supply voltage generating means are loaded to a comparatively high degree during such a data receiving operation. This is problematic notably because during such a data receiving operation practically no power is applied to the data carrier in the pause segments of the amplitude modulated carrier signal but power is consumed nevertheless during these pause segments. Consequently, there is a disadvantageously high power consumption, leading to a reduced range of the data carrier or the circuit.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the described problems and to provide an improved data carrier and an improved circuit in which the power consumption during a data receiving operation is significantly reduced in comparison with the known data carrier or the known circuit.
In order to achieve the described object a data carrier of the kind set forth in the first paragraph according to the invention is characterized in that with the data regenerating means there are associated receiving storage means which are constructed and arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity, that the data regenerating means additionally include detection means which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data in conformity with the given data quantity has been regenerated by the data regenerating means and stored by the receiving storage means, and whereby, upon detection of this fact, control information can be generated and applied to the data processing means, that the data processing means are constructed so that they can be switched between a normal operating mode and a power saving operating mode, that the data processing means can be switched, in dependence on the control information, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode and that when the data processing means are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data stored in the receiving storage means can be transferred to the data processing means.
In order to achieve the described object, a circuit of the kind set forth in the second paragraph according to the invention is characterized in that with the data regenerating means there are associated receiving storage means which are constructed and arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity, that the data regenerating means additionally include detection means which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data in conformity with the given data quantity has been regenerated by the data regenerating means and stored by the receiving storage means, and whereby, upon detection of this fact, control information can be generated and applied to the data processing means, that the data processing means are constructed so that they can be switched between a normal operating mode and a power saving operating mode, that the data processing means can be switched, in dependence on the control information, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode and that when the data processing means are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data stored in the receiving storage means can be transferred to the data processing means.
Using only simple means, the steps according to the invention simply ensure that, during a data receiving operation involving a data carrier according to the invention or a circuit according to the invention, only the means which are absolutely required for receiving and regenerating data are activated, i.e. the data regenerating means, whereas the data processing means, having a significant power consumption in their normal operating mode, are practically deactivated during a significant part of a data receiving operation, i.e. switched to an energy saving operating mode, and are switched to their activated state, i.e. their normal operating mode, only during a comparatively short period of time in order to take up regenerated data from the data regenerating means. This results in a very significant saving of power during a data receiving operation by a data carrier according to the invention or a circuit according to the invention; this advantageously leads to a comparatively large range.
Attractive further embodiments of a data carrier according to the invention, or a circuit according to the invention, are characterized by the steps disclosed in the Claims 2 to 10 and 12 to 20.
The above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter and will be illustrated on the basis of these embodiments.
The invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the drawings, however, without the invention being restricted thereto.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention of an in this context essential part of a data carrier and a circuit for this data carrier.
FIG. 2 shows an amplitude modulated carrier signal which is applied to the data carrier of FIG. 1 and is processed therein in the case of a data receiving operation.
FIG. 1 shows, in the form of a block diagram, an embodiment of a part of a data carrier 1, or a circuit 2 for the data carrier 1, according to the invention. In the present case the data carrier 1 is a so-called chip card. However, the data carrier 1 may also have a different construction; for example, it may be constructed as a so-called tag or a so-called label. The circuit 2 is realized in integrated technology.
The data carrier 1 is provided with receiver means 3 which are arranged to receive an amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM as shown in FIG. 2. The receiver means 3 include a transmitter coil 4 via which the data carrier 1 can communicate inductively with a transmitter coil of a write/read station which is not shown. Such a write/read station can generate an amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM which can be inductively transmitted to the transmitter coil 4 of the receiver means 3 of the data carrier 1. It is to be noted that the receiver means 3 at the same time constitute transmitter means in order to enable, again inductively, communication from the data carrier 1 to a write/read station by way of the transmitter coil 4.
The amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM is amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received by the data carrier 1. In the case of the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM as shown in FIG. 2, 100% amplitude modulation is applied. The amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM consists of high segments H of high amplitude and pause segments P of reduced amplitude, the reduced amplitude in the present case being reduced to the value zero due to the 100% amplitude modulation. However, this is not necessarily so; the reduced amplitude in the pause segments P may also have a value which has been reduced by a given percentage relative to the high amplitude of the high segments H, for example an amplitude reduced by 75% or also by only 10%.
As regards the carrier signal CSM of FIG. 2 it is also to be noted that the carrier signal CSM is amplitude modulated in conformity with the so-called Miller code. According to this type of code a fixed time interval T is provided for the encoding of each bit. The encoding of a “0” bit then takes place by fixing a pause segment P at the beginning of such a time interval T and a “1” bit is encoded by fixing a pause segment P at the center of such a time interval T as appears from FIG. 2.
However, it is to be noted that other types of code can also be used for amplitude modulation of a carrier signal for the transmission of data. For example, encoding can also be performed in such a manner that a “0” bit is represented by a high segment H of duration T1 and a “1” bit by a high segment H of a duration T2, pause segments P of fixed pause duration T3 being provided between all high segments H.
However, encoding can also be realized, for example, by providing a fixed time interval T for the encoding of each bit, a “0” bit being encoded by fixing a pause segment P at the start of such a time interval T whereas a “1” bit is encoded by fixing a pause segment at the end of such a time interval T.
The circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 is connected to the receiver means 3; to this end, the circuit 2 includes a first connection contact 5 and a second connection contact 6 which are connected to the receiver means 3.
The circuit 2 includes supply voltage generating means 7 which are connected, via a connection 8, to the first connection contact 5, can receive the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, and are capable of generating, while using the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, a DC supply voltage V which serves to supply the entire circuit 2. It is to be noted that the supply voltage generating means 7 include voltage limiting means in order to avoid the occurrence of an excessively high supply voltage V as is known per se.
The data carrier 1 also includes clock signal regenerating means 9 which are also connected to the first connection contact 5 via the connection 8. The clock signal regenerating means 9 are capable of regenerating a clock signal CLK from the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, so that the clock signal CLK is available in the data carrier 1 as well as in the write/read station generating and transmitting the relevant carrier signal CSM. The regenerated carrier signal CLK can be output via a connection 10. Furthermore, the regenerated clock signal CLK is also available via a connection 11 which is branched from the connection 10.
The data carrier 1, or the circuit 2, also include data regenerating means 12 which include an analog section 13 and a digital section 14, can receive the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM and are capable of regenerating the data DA modulated on the carrier signal CSM. The analog section 13 includes mainly amplitude demodulation means 15 which are also connected, via a connection 16, to the first connection contact 5 of the circuit 2. The amplitude demodulation means 15 are capable of demodulating the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM transmitted by a write/read station and received by the transmitter coil 4 of the data carrier 1. After successful amplitude demodulation, the amplitude demodulation means 15 output encoded data CDA via a connection 17.
The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 includes decoding means 18 which can receive the encoded data CDA via the connection 17. Furthermore, the regenerated clock signal CLK can also be applied to the decoding means 18 via the connection 11. The decoding means 18 are arranged to decode the data CDA encoded in conformity with the Miller code. After successful decoding of the encoded data CDA by means of the decoding means 18, the decoding means 18 output regenerated data via a connection 19.
Preferably, with the digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 there are associated further receiving storage means 20 which, in the present case, are included in the data regenerating means 12 and can receive, via the connection 19, the regenerated data DA derived by means of the decoding means 18 in order to store the regenerated data DA. The receiving storage means 20 can output the regenerated data DA via a connection 21. The receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity. In the present case the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data corresponding to one byte, so a data block having a data length of 8 bits, the receiving storage means being formed by a register for storing one byte.
The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 preferably also includes first detection means 22 which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data DA in conformity with the given data quantity, corresponding to one byte in the present case, has been regenerated by means of the data regenerating means 12 and stored by the receiving storage means 20. In the present case the first detection means 22 are connected to the decoding means 18 via a connection 23. However, it would alternatively be possible to connect the first detection means 22, via the connection 23, to the connection 19 or, via the connection 23, to the receiving storage means 20. The first detection means 22 are capable of generating, upon detection of the fact that regenerated data DA corresponding to one byte has been regenerated by the data regenerating means 12 and stored by the receiving storage means 20, a first control information CI1 which can be output by the first detection means 22 via a connection 24.
The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 also includes second detection means 25 which are connected to the decoding means 18 via a connection 26. The second detection means 25 are arranged to detect the fact that a data receiving operation has been terminated, i.e. that all data DA to be received by the data carrier 1 during a data receiving operation has been decoded by the decoding means 18. Upon detection of this fact by the second detection means 25, these means generate further control information CI2 for output via a further connection 27.
The circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 also includes data processing means 28. The data processing means 28 can receive the regenerated clock signal CLK via the connection 10. Furthermore, via the connection 21 the data processing means 28 can also receive the regenerated data DA, regenerated by the data regenerating means 12 and temporarily stored in the receiving storage means 20 of the data regenerating means 12. The received regenerated data DA can be processed by the data processing means 28. The data processing means 28 can additionally receive the first control information CI1 via the connection 24 and the second control information CI2 via the connection 27.
The data processing means 28 include a microprocessor 29, first storage means 30, second storage means 31 and third storage means 32. The first storage means 30 are in this case formed by a RAM (random access memory) in which inter alia the regenerated data DA taken over by the data processing means 28 can be temporarily stored. The regenerated data DA, for example may still be present in encrypted form and be temporarily stored in the first storage means (RAM) 30. After completion of the temporary storage in the fist storage means 30, the regenerated data DA, still encrypted, can then be decrypted by means of the microprocessor 29, after which the decrypted data is stored in the third storage means 32. In the present case the third storage means 32 are formed by an EEPROM. Finally it is to be noted that the second storage means 31 are formed by a ROM and are intended meanly for storing a program code.
The microprocessor 29 of the data processing means 28 implements a large number of means and functions which, however, will not be elaborated upon herein for the sake of simplicity. In this context, however, it is to be noted that control means 33 are realized by means of the microprocessor 29. The control means 33 can switch the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, between a normal operating mode, in which all components of the data processing means 28 are activated and receive the DC supply voltage V, and a power saving operating mode in which only a minimum part of the microprocessor 29, and hence of the overall data processing means 28, is activated; this minimum part is required to wake up the microprocessor 29, and hence the overall data processing means 28, from the power saving operating mode again. Such waking up of the microprocessor is a step which is known per se.
In respect of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1 it is also to be noted that the power supply voltage generating means 7 are provided with, or co-operate with, a so-called power-on-reset stage which is not shown in FIG. 1. Such a power-on-reset stage has since long been commonly used in data carriers of this kind. When the data carrier 1 enters the communication range of a write/read station and the write/read station outputs a carrier signal, the supply voltage generating means 7 immediately start to generate a DC supply voltage V; after the DC supply voltage V reaches or exceeds a given threshold value, the power-on-reset stage generates a reset signal which is applied to the data processing means 28 and ensures that in the data processing means 28, or in the microprocessor 29, an initialization operation is triggered and executed so that the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, are set to an initial state. After termination of this initialization operation in the data processing means 28, or in the microprocessor 29, it is ensured in the data carrier 1 that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically switched to their power saving operating mode.
The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 can receive the first control information CI1 as well as the second control information CI2. The relevant received control information, CI1 or CI2, is evaluated in the control means 33. After reception and evaluation of the first control information CI1, the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, can be switched from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CIl. The control means 33 then ensure, after the switching of the microprocessor 29 and the data processing means 28 from their power saving operating state to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, that the microprocessor 29 and the data processing means 28 automatically return to their power saving operating mode, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a byte has elapsed.
The construction of the data processing means 28, or of the microprocessor 29 included in the data processing means 28, in the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 is such that, when the microprocessor 29 is switched to its normal operating mode, and hence when the data processing means 28 are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data DA stored in the receiving storage means 20 can be transferred to the data processing means 28 or the microprocessor 29. As soon as the microprocessor 29 has been switched to its normal operating mode by means of its control means 33, the microprocessor 29 automatically takes up the data DA, which is stored in the receiving storage means 20 formed by a register and corresponds to one byte, via the connection 21. As soon as the transfer of the data DA, corresponding to this byte, and the processing of this data DA, corresponding to this byte, for example the storage in the first storage means (RAM) 30, has been completed, the control means 33 ensure that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically returned to their power saving operating mode.
In respect of the second detection means 25 of the data regenerating means 12 it is also to be noted that, when the second detection means 25 apply, after a completed data receiving operation, the second control information CI2 to the data processing means 28 via the connection 27, the second control information CI2 is evaluated by means of the control means 33 of the microcomputer 29. After such an evaluation, the control means 33 ensure that the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, are permanently switched to their normal operating mode; the data DA, received and regenerated during the previously executed and terminated data receiving operation, which data DA was stored in the first storage means (RAM) 30 of the data processing means 28 after its temporary storage in the receiving storage means 20, is subjected to a further data processing operation, for example decryption and storage or other data processing operations.
Finally, it is to be noted that data processed by the data processing means 28 and to be applied to a write/read station in the course of a data transmission operation, can be applied by the data processing means 28, via a connection 34, to data preparation means 35 whereby data applied thereto can be brought into a form which is suitable for transmission to a write/read station, after which this data can be applied, via a further connection 36, to the transmitter coil 4 in order to be inductively transmitted, via the transmitter coil 4, to a transmitter coil of a write/read station. After completion of such a data transmission operation, it is ensured in the data carrier 1 that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically switched or set to their power saving operating mode.
Using simple means, as appears from the foregoing description, in the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1, or in its circuit 2, it is simply ensured that during a data receiving operation only the data regenerating means 12 are continuously activated and hence the supply voltage generating means 7 are loaded only by the data regenerating means 12, whereas the data processing means 28, having a comparatively high power consumption in their normal operating mode, are activated, i.e. controlled to their normal operating mode, only during very short and absolutely necessary periods of time, in which they load the supply voltage generating means 7; however, during a significant part of a data receiving operation they are switched to their power saving operating mode in which they practically do not load the supply voltage generating means 7. In comparison with a known mode of operation in which the data processing means remain in their normal operating mode during the entire data receiving operation, in the data carrier 1, or the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1, a significant power saving is thus achieved during a data receiving operation.
In a second embodiment of a data carrier 1 according to the invention or a circuit 2 according to the invention (not shown figuratively because purely figuratively they do not deviate from the data carrier 1 or the circuit 2 shown in FIG. 1) the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data DA in conformity with one bit, the receiving storage means 20 being formed by a flip-flop. The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 in this case ensure, after the switching of the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, that, after such switching over, the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, automatically return to their power saving operating mode, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a bit has elapsed.
In a further embodiment of a data carrier 1 or a circuit 2, according to the invention (again not shown figuratively because purely figuratively they do not deviate from the data carrier 1 or the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1), the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data DA in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes. The receiving storage means 20 are then formed by a part of a RAM. It has been found that it is very advantageous when this part of a RAM is formed by a part of the first storage means (RAM) 30 which are included in the data processing means 28 and are associated with the data regenerating means 12 in this case. The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 in this data carrier 1, or this circuit 2 ensure that, after the switching of the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, from their power saving operating mode to the normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, automatically return to their power saving operating mode after such switching over, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes has elapsed.
The advantages already described with reference to the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1, or with reference to the circuit 2 thereof, are also preserved for the above two embodiments of a data carrier 1 according to the invention, or a circuit 2 according to the invention which are not separately shown figuratively.
In the embodiment of a data carrier 1, or a circuit 2, according to the invention as described with reference to FIG. 1, the first control information CI1, output by the first detection means 22, is applied to the control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 and ensure that in the microprocessor the switching over takes place from the power saving operating mode to the normal operating mode. The switching over between the power saving operating mode and the normal operating mode in such a data carrier 1, or such a circuit 2, however, can also be performed in a different manner as will be described in the next paragraph.
In the case of the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1 very simple switching over between the power saving operating mode and the normal operating mode can also be achieved by controlling the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28, and hence to the microprocessor 29, that is to say by either enabling the supply or interrupting the supply. When the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 and the microprocessor 29 is interrupted, switching over to the power saving operating mode takes place, because the microprocessor 29 is then deactivated. When the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 and the microprocessor 29 is enabled, however, the normal operating mode is activated since the microprocessor 29 is then activated.
Controlling the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 can be realized, for example in a very simple manner by means of an OR gate which is included in the connection 10 between the clock signal regenerating means 9 and the data processing means 28; a first input of the OR gate can then receive the clock signal CLK output by the clock signal regenerating means 9 whereas a second input of this OR gate can receive the first control information CI1 output by the first detection means 22. The configuration may be such that the OR gate forwards the supplied clock signal CLK when the second input of the OR gate receives a control signal of a low level as the first control information CI1, and that the OR gate causes an interruption of the forwarding of the clock signal CLK when its second input receives a control signal of a high level as the first control information CI1.
The data carrier 1 described with reference to FIG. 1 concerns a data carrier which can communicate with a write/read station in a contactless manner only, i.e. by means of the transmitter coil 4. However, such a data carrier 1 may additionally be provided with means enabling communication, via externally accessible contact pads, with an analogously constructed write/read station.
The data carrier 1 described with reference to FIG. 1 is a so-called passive data carrier which does not have its own power supply source but receives power via the voltage generating means 7. However, the steps proposed by the invention can also be advantageously used for so-called active data carriers in which, for example a power supply source in the form of a battery is provided; the steps according to the invention can then offer a substantial extension of the service life of the battery because of the reduction of the power consumption resulting from the steps according to the invention.
that the data processing means (28) are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data (DA) stored in the receiving storage means (20) can be transferred to the data processing means (28).
2. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one bit.
3. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a flip-flop.
4. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one bit has elapsed.
5. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one byte.
6. A data carrier as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a register for storing one byte.
7. A data carrier as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one byte has elapsed.
8. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes.
9. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a part of a RAM (random access memory).
10. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes has elapsed.
that when the data processing means (28) are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data (DA) stored in the receiving storage means (20) can be transferred to the data processing means (28).
12. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one bit.
13. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a flip-flop.
14. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one bit has elapsed.
15. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one byte.
16. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a register for storing one byte.
17. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one byte has elapsed.
18. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes.
19. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a part of a RAM.
20. A circuit arrangement (2) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes, has elapsed.
wherein the processor occupies a low power state, leaves the low power state in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal, and thereafter returns to the low power state.
wherein the processor occupies the low power state, leaves the low power state in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal, and thereafter returns to the low power state.
FR2660769B1 (en) * 1990-04-06 1994-09-23 Neiman Sa Circuit microprocessor power alarm, in particular for an identification card of a set of car remote control. | 2019-04-20T13:01:02Z | https://patents.google.com/patent/US6831548B1/en |
1. Açaí (ah-sah-ee)- whether you’re a fan of this purple Amazonian superfood or a newbie looking to try it out, you won’t be disappointed. Try an açaí bowl with fresh-cut fruit, granola, and honey either blended together or placed on top. The açaí in the states pales in comparison to the quality available here!
Açaí and pão de queijo. What else do you need?
2. Beautiful beaches– we’re staying in the Copacabana region of Rio (still haven’t seen Lola), and the beaches are absolutely tremendous. Both the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are within walking distance of our Airbnb apartment and we highly recommend the area. The water feels especially refreshing in the hot sun and the waves are enormous, which makes for a fun time if you like the water!
3. Charades– looking to hone your acting skills? If you don’t speak Portuguese, this is the place for you! We’ve had several encounters where we had no choice but to resort to gestures and pointing in order to communicate. Karen had to simulate taking a shower to get Sofi a bath at the veterinarian, and two of our new friends from Ireland got to test their skills to purchase ear plugs at the pharmacy. Whatever it takes to get the job done!
4. Fitness– Like many “beach cities,” this one is fully equipped with people who are passionate about fitness. I always find it inspiring to go for a run and see hundreds of other people working out and running with me. There are even a few outdoor gyms (which are free to use!) for those of you looking to work on your pecs during your stay.
5. Pão de queijo (with catupiry cheese)- quite frankly, this is the most delicious food item we’ve eaten in all of South America. Big statement, but it’s true. I mean who doesn’t love soft, warm bread stuffed with oozing, warm cheese? The regular pão de queijo (baked cheese roll) is delicious on its own. But bake it together with a Brazilian cream cheese known as catupiry? Next level.
6. Stellar views– with famous sites like Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, you can take in breathtaking views which overlook large areas of the city. If you enjoy a good sunset, head to the beach and grab a seat at “aproador,” a large rock formation jutting into the Atlantic which offers 180-degree views of the horizon. There are even vendors selling beverages to enhance the experience.
Karen and I taking in the view atop Sugarloaf Mountain.
7. The “good stuff”– if you take a seat on the beach in Copacabana, within five minutes there will be a plethora of vendors coming through to sell you things. They offer drinks, food, umbrellas and other souvenirs. But trust us: nobody is ever actually selling umbrellas. If you decline them once, they will ask if you want the “good stuff.” Maybe my beard is attracting the wrong crowd?
Check out some of our highlights from Rio in the video below!
Tired of Stress-Free Travel? Cross an International Border with the Kimbles!
Wow. Has it already been two more weeks since our last update? We’ve been in Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana area) for three days now and are staying at an AirBNB with great wifi, which means…more frequent blog posts! The first morning after we woke up in Rio, our hosts asked us if we would travel with Sofi throughout South America if we were given the chance to do things over again. We both looked at each other and answered the same way: yes! In spite of the interesting and often difficult challenges of traveling internationally with a large animal, we’ve successfully crossed three international borders and only ended up homeless on one occasion (more on that later).
The most recent adventure started in southern Chile as we prepared to fly from Puerto Montt to Rio de Janeiro, with a layover in Santiago. Given that Puerto Montt is a fairly small airport, there were no direct flights to Rio. Knowing that we had some additional paperwork to handle for Sofi, we took her to the vet the evening we arrived back in Puerto Montt after working as farmhands for three weeks. It was a Friday and we were scheduled to fly out on Monday afternoon. The following morning we went to the airport to speak with some people in the cargo terminal to find out the additional details of what we would need to get Sofi to Brazil.
Sofi noticed Rio is a bit more humid than most of South America.
On the way to the airport we were waiting at a red light and wanted to ensure we were taking the correct route (since we’ve had to navigate during the trip without GPS or cell phones…anyone grow up when those things didn’t exist?!), so Karen rolled down the window and spoke to the gentleman in the car next to us. He happened to be going to the airport, so he told us to follow him there! We were still a solid 20 minutes away, so it was definitely a Godincidence that we happened upon this man. We followed him all the way to the airport and proceeded to follow him to the cargo area, which is where we needed to go to talk with the airline company that would be handling Sofi’s transportation to Brazil. As luck would have it, this man happened to work for the very company (Lan cargo) we were looking for and after mentioning that we were there to ask questions about flying our dog across the border he responded by asking “are you Adam?” Amazingly, this guy was a world-renowned scientist of telepathy!
…just kidding. I had sent several emails to them prior to our visit and he had been filled in on the situation. So, THIS was the man Karen randomly flagged down when we were still a long way from the airport? Incredible.
At that point the fun really began. After speaking with our new buddy, we found out about additional paperwork we would need that was never mentioned before. There were two agricultural-type offices (Aduana and SAG) which needed us to complete forms, and neither of them were open on weekends. Given that we flew out on Monday, we decided to take our chances with filling out the paperwork once we arrived in Santiago. So, we booked Sofi on a flight to Santiago and then planned to locate these offices at the Santiago airport once we arrived on Monday afternoon.
Fast forward to Monday. We arrived in Santiago with four hours until our connecting flight to Rio. For once I was really glad that I had a long layover! The rest of the day can be summed up like this: we pick up Sofi from the cargo area, walk all over every office outside of the airport, Karen speaks to the Aduana and SAG folks in Spanish to get all of the paperwork done, I sit with Sofi all day until we are told the SAG office only accepts cash, they’ll be closing in 15 minutes and the nearest ATM is located at the airport (luckily I don’t mind running every once in awhile), and finally, we arrive at the Lan cargo office to book Sofi on a flight and are told that there are no other flights going to Rio until the following day. We had gone into the day with the mindset that things would be crazy, unlike our initial experience in Lima, so surprisingly we were both feeling pretty good about the progress from the day. The only upsetting thing was missing our flight to Rio and having to pay to re-book it for the following day. As the sun set and things were winding down at the airport, we knew we had to be back in less than 12 hours to get Sofi on the same flight as us the next day. Rather than book a hotel and pay for such a short stay, we decided to go the cost-efficient route and rent a car instead. Little did the car rental company know, they were renting us a car and a place to sleep! We got some late night pizza and found a well-lit gas station close to the airport where the three of us slept all night. We’ve slept better, but we’ve also slept worse!
The following day we headed to Lan cargo to finish Sofi’s flight booking and then we were off to Rio. You would think it would be simple enough to collect an animal on the same flight as you, but since Sofi is too large to be checked as baggage, we have to fly her cargo. That means they send her to a completely different part of the airport and we have to collect her there. After we made it through customs, we initially tried to rent a car big enough to hold her crate. Fortunately for us, there were no rentals available. We wouldn’t find out why that was fortunate until a few hours later. This meant our only option was to hire a taxi. Once again we became best friends with our cab driver, Edson, much like our friend Raul from Lima. He is a Portuguese man who spoke a little Spanish and was able to communicate enough with Karen to let her know what was happening. Ultimately, we spent about four hours at the cargo area trying to locate Sofi. There was some missing paperwork that Lan had taken to a different office and some miscommunication which delayed being reunited with her, but we were able to finally get her on Tuesday night just 24 hours after we were supposed to arrive! Edson even helped us avoid some “taxes” (also known as bribes) from the cargo warehouse. Having a Portuguese man on our side was exactly what we needed, and had we rented our own car, the events of Tuesday night likely would have been drastically different. Once again, it can’t be stressed enough: everything happens for a reason!
Now we’re settling into Rio and enjoying the warm weather, nice beaches and beautiful scenery. We’ve got some awesome hikes in our future, including one to the well-known “Christ the Redeemer” statue. More updates to come over the next week and a half!
A nighttime view from the beach in Copacabana.
14 Tips For Having the Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Ever!
Last Friday morning we officially said our “see ya laters” to Cusco and began the first portion of the journey that would lead us to Chile. It was bittersweet to leave the first stop on our RTW journey, but we were very excited for what awaited us! The itinerary went as follows: drive with friends of our host from Cusco to Puno (an estimated five hours), and then from Puno to Tacna (an estimated ten hours), the southernmost city in Peru. Everything was planned a little bit last-minute as we had a busy week prior with our friends Dan and Nichole visiting. We had nothing planned after that but knew we had to make our way from Tacna across the Chilean border to Arica. That gave us almost entire week to make it down the coast of Chile to the capital of Santiago, where we will fly even further south to Puerto Montt this upcoming Friday. Now, back to us leaving Cusco. We had absolutely no idea that one of the craziest days of our lives lay ahead of us on the only day we had actually planned out over the course of the week. As you also know, Saturday was Valentine’s Day. To help capture the essence of the events that followed our embarkation on Friday, Karen and I are happy to present to you the simple process for creating an unforgettably romantic date chock-full of cupid’s arrows.
1. Hire a private driver to take you from Cusco to Tacna. Make it to Puno (the first stop on the way) and hear your driver tell you that you are ahead of schedule and only have six more hours to go.
2. While in Puno, treat your lady friend to some ice cream and enjoy it on a sunny day in the central plaza.
3. Take the “shortcut” from Puno to Tacna, which will “save time” getting you to your destination.
4. Roll through an assortment of very small mountain towns, in which every person gives a completely different answer as to the length of time remaining on your journey.
5. Drive through “detours” on the route, which include fording streams (Oregon Trail style) that are deep enough to allow water into the car and begin soaking your feet. Watch as local llamas are wading through the waters with their legs completely covered.
7. Drive up to the top of a snow-covered mountain at 14,000 feet, drive your station wagon through the cake-like mud and putter out in a giant water-filled crater.
8. Try various strategies for over an hour to get the car removed, only to soak through every pair of dry socks that you have, lowering your body temperature enough to begin shaking. Teeth chattering yet? Perfect, you’re setting the mood nicely.
9. Run out of feasible options (with no cell phone service in the mountains) around 1:30am, and huddle together using your dog’s body as a temporary blanket. Turn off the car to go to sleep and wait for help to arrive in the morning.
11. Get towed out by the truck, only to begin silently weeping as your car battery stalls. Watch the battery turn over just in time to catch up to the truck.
12. Drive over a rock plateau and get stuck again after the truck has already left. Watch as your wife spends Valentine’s Day chiseling rock from underneath the car at 4am.
13. Take one more cat nap in the car before cruising into Tacna just 12 hours after your estimated arrival time.
14. Remember that you’re together, everyone is safe, and everything will be all right!
In our minds, we had a timeline for how and when we would arrive in Chile. However, God’s timeline was much different than our own! But the most amazing part is what ensued after the madness. We arrived in Tacna fairly early on Saturday morning. From there, we met a driver (he also happened to be a police officer) who was not only able to get us across the border to Arica with Sofi’s crate, but he even made a call to a friend to find out every detail we needed to get Sofi into Chile. He drove us to a couple different offices to get the necessary paperwork to make the following day a breeze. On top of that, this man introduced us to another friend who ended up driving us from Arica to Iquique, our second stop in Chile. And, wouldn’t you know it, this gentleman was a bus driver who had permits for securing Sofi’s crate to the top of his car. God’s timeline was certainly different than our own, but it was perfect. Everything happens for a reason!
The Sacred Valley, Quillabamba, Machu Picchu, Oh My!
Two days after our travel companions Dan and Nichole arrived last weekend, we embarked on an epic four-day adventure culminating with Machu Picchu. Now, it’s important to know that there are a variety of options for visiting the sacred Inca site. You can do it simple and cheap via a one (albeit long) day trip on the train. You can schedule a much longer trip, oftentimes seven or eight days, in which you visit all of the Inca ruin sites from Cusco all the way to Aguas Calientes, the city nearest Machu Picchu. Or, you can do a private tour in which you determine the length of your journey, as well as the stops along the way. The best choice for you will depend on your agenda, the time you have available, and your preference for a more or less rigid schedule.
For us, we determined that a four day trip made the most sense and we knew we wanted to visit Machu Picchu in a less conventional way. This meant that we were going to take the private car tour. Our host’s father, Daniel, has long been a tour guide in Cusco and he has a wealth of knowledge regarding the Inca (or more accurately, Quechua) people. So, the five of us (and our driver, Carlos) left early on Monday morning to head to a few sites in the Sacred Valley. We visited Chinchero, Moray and Ollantaytambo during the day before heading to the jungle of Quillabamba on Monday night. We spent all of Tuesday in Quillabamba and stayed for one more night before heading to our next stop in Cocalmayo/Santa Teresa on Wednesday afternoon. At this point in the journey, we left our vehicle and hiked from Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes on Wednesday evening. This set us up for a beautiful Thursday morning at Machu Picchu, followed by a long trek home that night.
1. Flexibility. You aren’t tied to a specific timeline through private car transport. There are options to stop off somewhere for lunch, spend extra time at certain sites and even pull off of the road if someone is getting carsick. A private tour puts you in control of your schedule.
2. The ability to travel off the beaten path. More than half of our four days was spent at sites that the train surpasses on the way to Machu Picchu. The jungle in Quillabamba and the natural hot springs at Cocalmayo are “must-sees,” and you wouldn’t get to see them taking a direct route!
3. Enhanced knowledge of the Inca sites. Daniel was constantly dropping knowledge during the car ride and at all of the archaeological sites.
4. A more personal experience. There’s definitely a different feeling when you have one tour guide for four people versus a large group. Everything was so interactive (like climbing trees to pick your own avocado!) and being in a smaller group allowed for us to ask questions and really understand the culture and history.
5. Better bang for your buck. The price of the train ticket alone (not including entrance to the sites) is about a third of the cost of what we paid for our four-day excursion.
6. Cultural experiences. We made various stops at fruit stands and markets along our route, giving us an opportunity to try so many new things (ever tasted a pacay?). Not to mention we were able to visit local farmers in Quillabamba and enjoy organic coffee, fruits, meats and vegetables!
7. You can bring your dog! Sofi experienced every bit of our four-day trip with the exception of Machu Picchu, so she definitely recommends a private car.
8. Insane scenery. Our route to Quillabamba allowed for a pass through the snow-capped mountains at over 14,000 feet!
9. Working off the “car” legs. The mountains don’t allow for cars to make it past Santa Teresa, so we enjoyed a 10-kilometer hike to Aguas Calientes. The path follows the train tracks and gives a little sneak peak of Machu Picchu near the end of the trail.
10. Memorable videos. Daniel encouraged us to take time for pictures and videos, so we never felt rushed. See below for a video of our journey from start to finish! | 2019-04-21T07:12:37Z | https://kimblesinbits.com/category/destinations/south-america/ |
Mars Williams is an open-minded musician, who commutes easily between free jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock. Despite his busy touring schedule with Liquid Soul and The Psychedelic Furs, he is an active collaborator with improvisers such as Ken Vandermark, Jim Baker, Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, Kent Kessler, Joe McPhee, Dave Rempis and Paal Nilssen-Love.
Norwegian drummer Tollef Østvang is a key figure in Trondheim's jazz environment, and has established himself in recent years as an active musician at home and abroad. He collaborates frequently with improvisers like Joe McPhee, John Dikeman and Martin Küchen. Over the past few years he has established a close connection to the Chicago scene.
In Spring 2017, they teamed up for a series of shows in the US, EU & Scandinavia. Here captured on the live recording “Painted Pillars”, from Artacts ‘17 in St. Johann, Austria.
This collaboration is a powerful, spontaneous and unpredictable duo constantly searching for new and unheard musical landscapes.
D’amont en aval coule la musique que l’on entendra ici.
Roulant son chant au rythme des déclivités de la montagne douce, elle se cogne aux grandes roches volcaniques, s’enrichit des terres et des humus, et fait voyager quelques fleurs arrachées des berges printanières.
Cette musique qui se souvient (les traditions orales du massif central furent longuement fréquentées) goûte également aux délices de l’écriture et enfin, dans l’instant et la joie de la cascade, s’improvise.
D’aval en amont ou d’amont en aval, l’oreille surprendra quelques fugitives correspondances musicales laissant se dévoiler ce que l’on pourrait appeler : « l’intime machinerie » du trio La Soustraction des Fleurs.
Music has been part of JOANNE TATHAM’S life ever since she was a child in New Jersey, listening with her parents to songs from the Great American Songbook on WNEW, the legendary AM radio station in New York. She was captivated by singers like Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and Jack Jones, their beautiful voices finding the heart and soul of the story of a song. Now, on THE RINGS OF SATURN, Tatham’s new CD, she continues the tradition -- laid down by the great vocalists of past generations -- of finding first-class material to sing and swing with a contemporary sensibility enhanced with hip, new arrangements.
Tatham is a versatile singer who moves effortlessly between swing tunes, Latin music, and jazzed-up pop songs. She acquired her facility with different styles through many years of performing in various musical situations. Her vocal talents first emerged when she was a youngster in Catholic school, where she was chosen to lead the children’s choir and then the full Saturday night folk choir. She honed her ear training during her teen years as a member of an all-girls vocal group that sang standards with tight harmonies in performances at The Garden State Arts Center (now the PNC Bank Arts Center), but probably most foundational was the time she spent on weekends during high school as the girl singer in a standards band doing weddings, bowling banquets, and New Year’s Eve parties. Working the bandstand, calling tunes, taking requests -- all came to inform her musical confidence and chops.
Tatham continued her musical education at The Hartt School, a performing arts conservatory at the University of Hartford. She also holds a graduate degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. After graduation, she moved to New York City, spending ten years living in Manhattan, singing and working as a theater actress.
There’s no shortage of top-shelf musicians in Southern California, and Tatham brought on board some of the best. MAX HAYMER, who has recently been touring with Arturo Sandoval, plays piano and arranged most of the tunes. Tatham has known Haymer for many years, ever since he was a very young man and gave piano lessons to her sons. Tatham considers him almost part of the family.
Michael Franks’ song, “Summer In New York,” evokes memories of the Big Apple. It features the unique sound of guitarist LARRY KOONSE, one of the most respected musicians in LA. The CD also features woodwinds virtuoso BOB SHEPPARD and trumpet master BRIAN SWARTZ, both of whom have national reputations and extensive recording and performing credits. The rhythm section is rounded out with the talents of DAN SCHNELLE on drums, LYMAN MEDEIROS on bass, and KEVIN WINARD on percussion -- all mainstays on the Los Angeles jazz scene.
From standards “Love Me or Leave Me” and “It Could Happen to You,” to re-imagined pop tunes like Todd Rundgren’s “Can We Still be Friends” and Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” to a musical theater classic like “Anyone Can Whistle” by Stephen Sondheim, a notoriously difficult composer to sing in a jazz idiom, THE RINGS OF SATURN is an eclectic project that showcases Tatham’s musicianship, beautiful voice and aptitude for lyric interpretation. She is a performer unafraid to take risks. Her perfect diction and nuanced readings, combined with a flexible voice that is by turns gentle and inviting and then throaty and robust, demonstrates an artist in full control of her diverse material.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a pocket of inner Copenhagen around Teglgårdsstræde called Pisserenden (“The Piss Trench”) – that fanned the flames of what was reminiscent of the old Copenhagen. It was in these windows that the last of the “old-fashioned” ladies showed off what “goods” they had left to the passersby. It was a holy hood of evening establishments, among them “Pelikanen” (the Pelican), for those with a taste for a tavern-band; “Stable Bar” (now “Men’s Bar”) for the fellows who enjoyed the flavor of other fellows; and “Floss,” which opened its doors during the pre-punk period and still has a steady crew. With rockers and rollers cranking up the level of hipness by laying their heads in pretty much any available space alongside the collectives, artists, and original residents, it became something like a Copenhagen version of Haight Ashbury in San Francisco. That was before the un-democratic property prices destroyed everything. The action literally never stopped: a morning bar owned by the legendary trombonist Papa Bue, where the virtuoso swing pianist Ole Dixon (another legend in his own right) would start a live set at 5am. The nights turned into days and became nights again. And then there was Teglkroen, with a street sign that simply read: “ØL = JAZZ” (“BEER = JAZZ”).
In the middle of it all was Sabine’s Cafeteria, a humble coffee shop, with rolls and cheese and fresh-brewed coffee, all day long. The proprietor sold it and spitefully transformed it into a “bar” with obvious inspiration from the south... and the city’s first tastes of tapas and Spanish brandy. But looking back, Sabine’s continued with respect for the neighborhood and, after a short period among the hippest spots of the city - flocked to by models, photographers, journalists, advertisers and what have you - became the social hub of all of Teglgårdsstræde. The staff was fond of jazz music and Sabine’s participated early on as a venue for the Copenhagen Jazz Festival with daily concerts. They put a focus on duo performances, with no admission fees. Owner Tim Christiansen insisted that Sabine’s was something of a living room for the clientele, and that no payment should be made. Instead, the live music was his annual gift to all the “tribes.” The great atmosphere and the consistently high quality of music are remembered by many with joy, but unfortunately the experiences only existed in memories… Or so we thought. Recently discovered in the estate of a dearly beloved and departed Danish jazz aficionado (and a member of the cycling team “Team Sabine’s”) was an breathtakingly brilliant duo recording with guitarists Doug Raney and Nicolai Gromin playing at Sabine’s Cafeteria. And the greatness of the concert the recording holds up to memory! Magnificent jazz, a totally relaxed game of two equilibrists, two jazz guitarists in full command of their instruments, both with an overview and great mutual respect for (and trust in) one another. Their shared, deep insight into and dissemination of the jazz guitar tradition is brilliantly presented on these tapes.
Both musicians, without superstar-status or gimmickytheatrics in their playing, became inspiring parts of the Copenhagen jazz environment. Doug Raney originated from New York and died in Copenhagen in May 2016, at 56 years old. Nicolai Gromin was born in Moscow in 1938, moved in parallel with Doug around the same time in 1978, where he died in February of 2017.
Doug’s musicality didn’t simply appear out of nowhere. His father was the trailblazing guitarist Jimmy Raney, and Doug chose not only the same instrument, but also the same direction as his father. He became a sought-after musician on stages both at home and abroad and recorded several wonderful albums for SteepleChase Records in his own name, with both Danish and international musicians, including the great Chet Baker. Nicolai Gromin’s career began in the 1950s, while studying economics at home in Moscow, where he became a key figure on the jazz scene and in 1962 became the first Russian jazz musician to perform outside Russia. In Denmark, he played with Thad Jones Eclipse, violinist Svend Asmussen, and bassist Jesper Lundgaard, with whom he released the duo recordings “Blues For Thad” and “Nostalgia.” He can also be heard with his own trio and quartet, on “Blue In Green,” released on Stunt Records. He was a sophisticated, delicate musician, with a warm singing tone. A quiet and humble person whose art deserves greater attention.
The tunes are typical, natural choices for both guitarists - melodic standards. They each brought their favorites, as well an original composition. Doug brought “Something’s Up,” which starts the set, and Nicolai, “Blues for Thad,” which closes it. It’s the feeling and atmosphere of the music, transporting us back to that afternoon in that room, that counts. Doug can be heard with his bright tone in the left channel and Gromin with his darker sound in the right. His sound is softer, stemming from the timbres of Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery, while Doug’s is based on the sound that his father created. A major summit between East and West took place in Pisserenden on July 6, 1993 - everything else is just rumors! Sabine’s Cafeteria is still there. The music is different, but otherwise, thanks to current owners Karl Johan and Mikkel, things haven’t changed that much. And on the walls, you can still enjoy Gorm Valentin’s original photos from the festival years.
Maria Faust, the 38-year-old Estonian composer, saxophonist, bandleader, and resident of Denmark, has already made remarkable musical waves that have sent her and her bands on trips to concert halls and music festivals around the world.
Maria Faust grew up under the Communist regime in Estonia, where she was classically educated, and yet gladly compares her music school to a “barracks for child soldiers.” At the conservatory there, she didn’t feel that there was room for her, musically. Mozart was supposed to sound like Mozart, and Bach like Bach, which left her yearning for something different. In Tallinn, jazz and improvisational music took hold of her, but in order to develop further, she had to leave the country. With the help of the Danish Cultural Institute, Maria Faust came to the Southern Danish Music Conservatory. Even in her new surroundings, she felt did not fit into the world of jazz. “I am a child of communism! I did not swing. I marched! So, I finally just tried to be faithful to myself. It was a choice I made.” A conviction which she holds onto stubbornly, even to this day.
Maria Faust neither plays nor composes in traditional ways, and has no interest in doing so. Her big breakthrough, the very personal album SACRUM FACERE (Latin: human sacrifice), documents this well. It is an album that gets its inspiration from the culture in and around the Russian-Estonian border region, where descendants of deported orthodox Russians still live. Here, she collected work songs, hymns, and lullabies, and merged the material with classical music and free improvisation. The album received universally positive reviews, culminating in two Danish Music Awards in 2014 (“Jazz Composer of the Year” and “Jazz Crossover Release of the Year”).
In early 2016, Maria and the Danish singer and composer Kira Skov travelled to Estonia, where they discovered a region where time seemed to stand still. Breaking new creative ground together in an abandoned Russian Orthodox Church without electricity or water, they recorded their collaborative spiritually oriented masterpiece, IN THE BEGINNING, with a large band and Estonian Choir. The Danish newspaper Berlingske awarded the recording 6/6 stars and called it “a unique work of great sacred beauty ... The recordings that Skov and Faust have come home with are simply formidable.” As of November 2017, the release has been nominated for 3 Danish Music Awards: Jazz Release of the Year, Vocal Jazz Release of the Year, and Jazz Composer(s) of the Year.
Boldness is the hallmark of Maria Faust, her music, and her projects with ensembles that explore unusual instrumentations and techniques. She is constantly expanding her sound spectrum, and her new project, MACHINA, consists of an unprecedented mix of traditional musical forms paired with improvisation, jazz, and soundscapes. In a musical language of her own invention, she delivers her original compositional ideas, a chamber music universe without drums, but with horns, two basses, cello, and piano, all in a fascinating interaction with the engines of fishing boats sputtering their way through the fog, the creaks of old rusty hulls, the hum of the breeze and the call of the birds out at sea.
Marc Sinan’s third ECM release is an evocative duo album with Oğuz Büyükberber which subtly covers a lot of ground. The guitarist and the clarinettist have worked together in many contexts since first meeting in Istanbul a decade ago, and Büyükberber previously appeared on Hasretim: Journey to Anatolia, released in 2013, as well as in Sinan’s music-theatre piece Komitas. The individual musical directions of the two players have effectively converged from opposite poles: Marc was trained as a classical guitarist in the western European tradition, but has increasingly been drawn to improvisation and Turkish material, while Oğuz started out with Turkish music and jazz before exploring free improvisation and contemporary composition. For White, both musicians provide new music. Sinan’s five-part “Upon Nothingness” incorporates his musical response to recordings of songs of Armenian prisoners deported to Germany during the First World War. These historic field recordings are woven into the fabric of Sinan’s pieces, which also make liberal use of electronics, blurring the distinction between the real and the surreal. Oğuz Büyükberber also contributes a series of linked pieces, “There, I-V”, in which both musicians improvise around predetermined pitch sets. White was recorded in Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in October 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher.
One-of-a-kind guitarist and record-maker Steve Tibbetts has an association with ECM dating back to 1981, with his body of work reflecting that of an artist who follows his own winding, questing path. The BBC has described his music as “an atmospheric brew… brilliant, individual.” Life Of…, his ninth album for the label, serves as something of a sequel to his 2010 ECM release, Natural Causes, which Jazz Times called “music to get lost in.” Like the earlier album, Life Of… showcases the richness of his Martin 12-string acoustic guitar, along with his gamelan-like piano and artfully deployed field samples of Balinese gongs; the sonic picture also incorporates the sensitive percussion of long-time musical partner Marc Anderson and the almost subliminal cello drones of Michelle Kinney. Tibbetts, though rooted in the American Midwest, has made multiple expeditions to Southeast Asia, including Bali and Nepal; not only the sounds but the spirits of those places are woven into his musical DNA as much as the expressive inspiration of artists from guitarist Bill Connors to sarangi master Sultan Khan. Life Of… has a contemplative shimmer like a reflecting pool, with most of the album’s pieces titled after friends and family, living and past.
Norwegian-Danish author Lars Saabye Christensen is one of Scandinavia most widely-praised and prolific contemporary writers. For many years now, in the course of his travels around the globe, he has been sending “hotel poems” to his friend Ketil Bjørnstad, inviting him to make music out of them. These literary postcards explore a range of moods. Bjørnstad says: “I feel very connected to the lonely, existential perspective of these poems, made in different hotel rooms.” For this recording, Ketil worked closely with singer and actress Anneli Drecker, former lead vocalist of pop group Bel Canto. Settings of poetry form a special category in Norwegian pianist-composer Bjørnstad’s discography and A Suite of Poems is a song cycle to put alongside such projects as A Passion for John Donne, Sunrise, and The Light.
Barcelona (Apolo), Madrid (Clamores), Zarautz (Adarretatik Musika Jaialdia) y Elorrio (Festival Musikaire) son finalmente las ciudades de nuestro país que se han hecho con un hueco en la apretada agenda de The Souljazz Orchestra el próximo julio.
Las entradas para los conciertos de Madrid y Barcelona ya se pueden adquirir a través de Eventbrite, y en las webs de las salas. Los conciertos en Zarautz y Elorrio serán gratuitos.
El colectivo más trabajador y viajero de Canadá está de vuelta con uno de sus mejores albums hasta la fecha, un abrasador viaje hacia lo tropical desde el soul, el jazz o el afrobeat en su “Under Burning Skies”. Y si pensabas que el vinilo era lo único que volvía a estar de moda, te lo puedes llevar hasta en casette.
Las épocas turbulentas piden voces fuertes, y el nuevo directo de The Souljazz Orchestra combina un fuerte componente lírico, observaciones irónicas, y el impulso para un cambio progresista. Musicalmente, la banda sigue explorando sus límites, desempolvando por primera vez sintetizadores vintage y cajas de ritmo de los 80, trayendo toques de disco lo-fi, boogie y electro a sus arreglos de viento y su sonido terroso, marca de la casa. La combinación da jugosos frutos, y el grupo suena de la mejor manera posible desde el principio hasta el final del espectáculo.
No hay muchas bandas que hayan estado funcionando durante más de 15 años con su formación original intacta mientras todavía suenan tan frescas como ésta. Como dice el saxofonista Ray Murray, "Souljazz es más que una banda para nosotros, es una forma de vida".
Un disco hipnóticamente rítmico frente al que tu cuerpo no quedará impasible: moverás la cabeza, levantarás la rodilla al compás, o aporrearás con tus manos lo primero que encuentres. Ahora imagina el directo. | 2019-04-21T18:42:39Z | http://republicofjazz.blogspot.com/2018_05_22_archive.html |
Okay… This weekend I have been out of it… as in unconscious for the most part. I more or less missed my brother’s birthday. Instead of the perfume, he was expecting his house shoes, so my mom grabbed that out from under the tree and he got his shoes. I managed to go to the grocery store, got my things and then waited a long time on my father to get his. I was feeling really under the weather, so once everything was put up, I crashed.
Sunday was spent out of it for the most part as well. Sometime during my sleeping hours my sister arrived. Late afternoon or perhaps near evening my parents returned from picking up my E. brother from the airport. Pizza was ordered for dinner and everyone has been doing their own thing.
Somewhere in between or perhaps even all week, my hand has been dwindling on me. First it was simple cramping, then pain and exhaustion, then shaking, then slight impairing on using eating utensils and eventual pain when not even using my hand. This is mainly due to coloring old drawings of mine and of course drawing here and there. I have a picture in the works that is very detailed so far… I won’t be able to finish it before 2008 though. My hand is far too injured now. The funny/annoying thing is, I took breaks and rested it often. Sometimes I’d do as little as possible with it so I would be able to draw just a bit the next day. It just hurts. Oi.
Um… Monday would probably be dubbed movie day as far as I a concerned. I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory around mid-day mainly because I could not focus my mind on reading or anything else. Later on, after my sister and father come back from getting some things from the grocery store, my sister finds I have not watched The Da Vinci Code. She thinks it is the time, so we sit own to watch. She fell asleep sometime through it. My dad watched with us only for some of the beginning. I cannot say it is something I’d buy, but it was a good watch. Heh.. I even guessed the thing to the scroll combination before “Robert” did. Ha, ha… Still, all that other stuff, I never would have figured out… so… yeah.
Later on dinner was cooked – pasta – and my brothers, sister and I watched a movie called Superbad. I was game and my E. brother, like me, had not seen it and wanted to. It was okay. We were all entertained, so that is a goody. As for the rest of the night… that is just a blur. I think I slept all night, I think I might have woken up, I think I just don’t know diddly.
In anycase, I got up around ten, I believe, this Christmas morning. I did chores, found my dad piddling around the house and that all my siblings were asleep. My mom was at work. After eating breakfast and having nothing to really do once I got what chores I could get done without waking my siblings, I just lay down and spend quality time petting my cat.
Come one thirty or so my siblings are up, my sister is the last. My mom soon arrives home and I’m still petting my cat. I eventually get up, my dad takes pictures of the family for a couple of minutes and my brother keeps looking at the presents impatiently.
Soon enough, we begin the unwrapping. My siblings went through their stockings. I warned my brother, who was taking them off the mantle for us that mine would have nothing since I helped fill all of theirs. He checked anyway. Silly human. My mom did get a stocking stuffer for me… Only, it did not fit in the stocking, so she stuffed it in a bag. Kitty house slippers to replace my flat, matted ones. Yay. My sister got a similar pair later on, but of monkeys. My mom even got herself a pair that were of dogs.
Anyway, Mom liked the gift I got her. She loved the necklace Dad spent on her and was thrilled when she received from my brother the yogurt maker she thought everyone forgot about.
My sister was content with my gift, which were three packs of all the sour flavored jelly beans by Jelly Belly. I was right in my choice. The sours were her favorite. Yeay. My mom got her a gift set of gloves, a scarf and a hat. My brother got her a gift card. She had a Visible Changes gift card in her stocking and some other gift card I had never gotten a look at.
For a stocking stuffer my bro’ had received… I think a card to get gas for his car. He got his perfume and of course sprayed it on the moment he opened it. He got the fog lights I helped Dad get for him. When “allowed” he quickly got to work on his car.
Now, my dad was the best part. Well, my brother got him two CDs he wanted, of course, but what got him was the gift my brother, Mom and I pitched in together to get. He was in tears over it. Freaking humble guy, he is. He was going on about he did not deserve it. Ha. Right. He does not understand himself enough. Heh.
Me? As said, house shoes for a stocking stuffer. My gift card was to Amazon, which I had stumbled upon when checking my email earlier when I had woken up. My brother got me two things. A “fake” book – I do not quite know what I shall do with it, but it is very nice anyway – and a safe. Yes. I knew it was a safe as well. Heh. He apparently did not remember saying it to me, but that was how he got the idea for getting it for me to begin with. It of course received a knowing smirk. So… while he spent time on his car, I spent time on my safe. Heh. It is not like it will hold anything of importance to a robber, of course. Like I’d have something like that… No, I’m sticking in a journal my mom gave me, a book Shred gave me, some old writings by my E. brother, an old view master with reels my mom played with as a kid, an old deck of cards from, I believe, her college days and old trinkets of my grandmother’s.
Well, the rest of the day sort of piddled on, as usual. my dad worked on fixing supper. I watched television with my sister. My brothers were doing their own thing. My mom… I’m not quite sure. Dinner came soon enough at five. Everyone congregated and waited on my brother to take a break on his car. We finally all arrived, said grace and ate. Mid meal my sister spoke of being tired and soon fell asleep in the living room after leaving the table. My brother finished and went back to work on his car. I started cleaning up as did my dad while my mom and E. brother talked in the dining room still.
We soon went back to piddling. E. Brother started making homemade cookies. While the cookie dough batter was chilling, my brothers decided to go around the town and try out my dad’s Christmas present out. Heh. My dad… I’m not too certain. I had left him a bit after the cleaning. Mom and I gave my cat his medicine. My mom then decided to iron and then read her “Bones” book. My sister was either still asleep or watching TV. I snuggled under my mom’s blankets and into her bed for warmth. By eight or so, my mom wakes me up and I piddle off to my room to finish sleeping.
I woke up maybe an hour or so ago. I cleaned up the kitchen that was suddenly a mess again. The sink was full of my E. brother’s aftermath. Once everything was rinsed and the dishwasher was a full as it could get, I went off to started a load of laundry. Once all was set in motion, I ate a small bowl of leftovers and am now here. Yeah.
Well, My E. brother should be heading back for Chicago tomorrow. I do not know about my sister, but she will likely be going back to her apartment tomorrow as well. Friday I see Wynne. Sunday the family will be going to see Aunt Lillian. Nothing else comes to mind for the rest of this month.
Well, my E. brother will be coming down for Christmas after all. While that is nice, it annoys me how little will my parents have. For a while they told him they would not pay for his trip down here. They caved. Well, my mom caved into my dad’s persistence really. My dad is such a softy. Why it bothers me is that it costs so much. My brother needs to quit relying on my parents’ money. I mean he is twenty-seven for all that is nutty. They have enough problems with money, bills, credit debts and junk. Sure, they say it is his Christmas present, and I know money should not matter so much over family time… but… my brother is one of the reasons my parents are in such debts to begin with. Sigh.
The beginning of the week hasn’t been really eventful. Thursday was my B-day. I was sent an e-card from my parents. I did my chores and then worked on an old picture I drew. While in the middle of it, my brother told me to come out. He wanted to show me something. He snatched a present from underneath the tree. Apparently it was my birthday gift. I opened it. It was a small oriental lamp/night light. I thanked him and he helped me put it together. After that I resumed on my picture.
Around noon my mom came home. She wanted to take my brother and me out for lunch. A birthday lunch apparently, but nothing interested me, so we went to Chili’s. It was just another regular lunch to me. We went back home, I went back to working on the picture and when it hit three-thirty I rested on my bed since I did not sleep much the night before.
Near four thirty my mom wakes me up to take my cat and my brother’s cat to the vet. Perhaps it was the abrupt awaking, but I felt like crap then. The doctor checked out my cat first. They drew blood and would run tests. They moved onto my brother’s cat, so I went back out into the waiting room with mine. The results were positive. My cat’s levels went down a bit. Instead of near seventy he is in the sixties. While we won’t be checking him in again until March thirteenth, perhaps fourteenth, I hope his level drops to the fifties in two weeks. He really should be at thirty-six at highest… What the levels are measuring, I do not know. I just know we want him near the thirties. This visit was “cheaper” than last time. 140 bucks. Oi.
We returned home around five, settled in, got out respective dinners and then gathered around to watch some television. After that my dad hit the hay, my mom was piddling about and I wished them goodnight before retreating to my room.
Friday was spent sleeping. Yeah, I was really out of it for some reason. We went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant and at some point we were talking about iPods. After learning about them a bit, I commented I might consider investing in one after all.
Saturday was grocery day. I took a nap after that because I had not slept the night before. After I woke up my dad showed me his iPod and gave it to me. I spent some time questioning him if he was sure about this and eventually I accepted it. I spent time learning how to work it and would occasionally ask my dad questions to reestablish my discoveries. During the early afternoon I worked on sorting things on it.
Around three, my mom and I went to do some errands. We went to get things for Christmas. It took a pretty long time and we got back home around six. Now, since the last time I ate that day was sometime in the morning before the grocery shopping, I was getting pretty low on my blood sugar count. My parents then began the process of making me some homemade French fries. Yum. I asked for that to be my B-day present. When they were ready I dug into them like a fiend. My mom and I then settled in her room and watched television together. Around ten I returned to my room and worked on putting my stuff in order with the iTunes. Around one I hit the hay.
Most of Sunday was spent mainly asleep. I awoke a bit before eight in the morning, did some chores and after my parents left for church I ended up falling asleep again. I awoke once more around two, did some more chores, worked on the computer and got a headache. I rested some and then dinner came. My mom and I watched a Christmas show while eating. When we were done it was seven thirty. My parents went to bed around eight forty and I around two to three.
It is now Monday morning. I woke up about an hour ago and did chores. We need air filters, damn it.
Anyway, this Saturday is my brother’s birthday. My mom got him cologne while we were out and about during the weekend.
My eldest brother will be coming down on the twenty-third. That is his birthday gift.
Then of course will come Christmas, which will be odd this year since my mom and brother work both Christmas Eve and day. We’ll likely do gift exchanging sometime around the end of Christmas day between when my mom is back from work and when my brother goes in around nine or ten.
The next day E. bro’ goes back up to the North.
The twenty-eighth is my day to see Wynne.
Well, on the third I saw the dentist. Other than some places they need to keep watch over, the lady said my teeth are fine. Yes! I just hope I can keep them that way. Oi.
I think it was Tuesday that I was out of it, but I cannot be too certain. Perhaps that was the day we did some errands.
Wednesday, my mom and I left for haircuts around eight thirty. We got there around ten fifty. Mom’s appointment started at eleven and mine at twelve, so I had an hour to kill. I always go to three places, but I know that I will never find anything I am looking for. It proved true this trip as well.
Thursday I cleaned and I think there was something added into all that, but I really cannot recall. Anyway, I took a brief nap and then my mom came by to have me help her with the storage shed. Yeah, we have a shed crammed full of things that are likely useless, but no one has really had the time to go through the items and decide what is needed and not.
My mom was hoping to do that that day. She was way over her head. Silly woman. We spent our time there sorting and in between checked at the Laundromat where she was trying to get a huge quilt-like top blanket. By the time the thing was to be dry, we stopped on our attempts in the shed. It was getting dark out.
Friday is a bit of a blur. I believe my mom got her nails done. When she came back we went to do errands. We stopped by the grocery store. She got some of the necessary groceries, while I got my usual. After that we stopped at a place called Sally’s to get her a new hair brush. Once home she got ready for a work related Christmas party.
She and my dad left around six thirty. My brother came home, got us some dinner at Chili’s and after I ate, I collapsed. I was out from seven until one Saturday afternoon. Dad meanwhile put up indoor Christmas decorations and the tree. When my mom was ready she and I decorated it. Some point later I hit the bed again, still out of it. My dad eventually comes in to tell me dinner was ready. I obliged, ate and I believe I passed out again.
Hm… Sunday I kept in my room most of the day. I meandered out here and there. My sister “magically†appeared somewhere in all that when I was spending time with my cat and suffering from coldness. I read, slept, read, slept and other things most of the afternoon. My sister and I watched an old video from 1998 when my cat was only eight weeks old. The day piddled on.
My brother at one point told me not to leave my room. I responded okay. A while later he comes back to tell me to keep away from the other side of the house – my mom’s room in particular. I respond okay. After a while I wanted to see my cat. I moseyed out and made sure I did not go passed the halfway point. I called to ask if I could meander out. No one answered. I called to him, my parents, sister and then anyone. No one answered. I sighed.
In the end everyone had been in my mom’s room. What was it all about? Guess. Christmas presents. It was something my brother got. Obviously it was something for me. Apparently everyone decided to look, watch or help him wrap it. Oi. Silly humans.
Dinner came, we had lasagna and in the beginning we were all in the living room. That changed after some minutes of watching the sort of comedy my brother and father prefer. Mom was the first to leave. My sister was the second. I held out. Some humor was gross and my father could not believe he was watching that with me next to him. I just smirked and kept eating. Once done though, I meandered off.
I’m not offended or anything, but it was interesting to actually hear that from someone else when not in some sort of session with one of my doctors.
Anyway, my sister eventually left around seven. I likely disappeared into my room around then.
The fourteenth is not a day I go to see Wynne. That was indeed moved. I think on the twenty-eighth. I think something is happening then… but I am not certain.
Some one owes me homemade fries that weekend.
My brother’s b-day will be coming up on the 22nd.
Somewhere in between all that we are going to try to visit my great aunt.
My mom and I were out doing errands today. The library was one of the stops. While my mom searched for certain books, I decided to look through one about Greek classics. I found nothing new, so decided to put the book up. In the middle up putting it back on the shelf my head suddenly hit vertigo and somewhat felt like it burst in a sort of heat. Next thing I know I was on the floor and a woman was checking on me. I fear I found the whole endeavor cool.
I asked the woman how long I was out, just in case. She said it was not long, just a couple of seconds. She relayed she heard me say “woah”. Then she either heard or saw me hit the floor. She kept asking me if I was okay for a while. I just kept saying sure. I bet she thought I was a nut.
Anyway, I figured I should get back down on the first level of the library in case such a thing happened again. My mom was at the computer/card catalog. I plopped down by her and asked her if I had ever keeled over before. She said no. After that I was all smiles and “Dude.” Mom, meanwhile, was of course worried.
On our way out she asked me if I ate, slept enough and how the whole thing felt. I had done such things and described to her about the burst of heat and such. She thought about stopping to get me something to eat or taking me home. I replied nay on both. So, we continued on with the last errand and then headed home. I figured in all logic I should probably lay down. I did and slept for maybe three hours.
Yeah… I just wanted to record my first keel. Ha.
Peabody seems to be doing better. Wednesday morning he was hurking a lot, but that ended soon enough. He’s eating, responding and is more alert.
Thanksgiving went by quickly for me. I slept half the day. I figure it was due to having trouble sleeping the night before. Despite that, everyone seemed to have enjoyed it, which is all that matters.
My sister liked the card I got her and her cold seems to be clearing up. she was still coughing quite a bit, but she said other than that she felt fine.
Friday was more or less a usual day, other than the fact I slept a lot. Maybe it is the weather? Perhaps it is because my mom has had off time since Wednesday? There are other possibilities.
The weekend passed in a blur.
Monday to Wednesday was the same. My mom had to go back to work, but after that, ten days of vacation for her.
Thursday was the big day on two accounts. My cat had an appointment at the vet clinic at one thirty. His results were less than… well… sigh. His levels went back up to the sixties. He is supposed to be down to thirty, at most thirty six. Mom and I were not supposed to give him protein at all. Well, my mom thought it would help him gain some weight and the broth would help him get more fluids.
Uncle Mike is the second occurrence. He’s down here for a while. My dad left to pick him up from the airport around one. The place was two hours away, so… they did not get back here until five. I took a nap and woke up not too long after his arrival. We ate dinner together around the dining room table – a somewhat rare occurrence. Dad wanted to show him my room, noted to him some of my swords and then asked me to show him my drawings. I conceded to all.
In any case, the weekend has been a blur so far. It is pretty much the same, minus my worry for my cat. Sigh.
Anyway, Sunday Uncle Mike goes back home. The day will likely be another “usual”. Monday I go to the dentist for that postponed cleaning at 2. Wednesday my mom and I will go get haircuts. Hers begins at 11, mine at 12. Friday my mom and dad will be gone a good amount of the night for a Christmas party thrown by her workplace. I think I see Wynne on the fourteenth.
Other than that, I have little to note. I’m not really into the scheme of making updates as of late. Sigh. Well, it is 12:24 AM now… Yeah. signing off. | 2019-04-22T22:16:24Z | http://www.nyxity-lee.com/blog/?m=200712 |
Bankruptcy allows people to wipe away overwhelming debt, as well as the worry and stress that accompany it. Bankruptcy exists because even honest, hard-working people can have financial problems through no fault of their own. These problems are often caused by job loss, health issues, or change in family circumstances. The bankruptcy laws recongnize that when a person can’t pay back their debts, no matter how hard they try, it is better for both the individual and the economy to give that person a “fresh start” Call or email our office for a free bankruptcy consultation to talk to an attorney about how bankruptcy may help you.
What is the debtor in bankruptcy?
What is the means test & disposable income?
Must I disclose everything I own?
Will the bankruptcy stop debt collectors?
What should I avoid doing prior to filing?
Are there any debts that can’t be eliminated?
What is my future after bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy is a process to allow an honest debtor a “fresh start” and to treat the debtor’s creditors in a uniform manner, depending on whether they are secured or unsecured. Most individuals will file a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. A business or individual with a high net worth may file a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy is often referred to as a “straight bankruptcy” because it liquidates the debtor’s assets. In this type of bankruptcy, the debtor is obligated to disclose, under oath, all the property he or she owns and surrender all the unexempt property to the Chapter 7 Trustee. Upon filing of the petition, all of the unexempt property is owned by the Trustee. The Trustee will sell or auction the property and distribute the proceeds to the creditors. The Trustee earns a fee from the proceeds as well. After all the proceeds are distributed, the debtor receives as discharge of all remaining debt. The Trustee may send an appraiser to the debtors house to appraise the value of their personal property.
In some cases, all of the debtor’s property will be exempt. This is called a “no asset case”. n those cases, all the debtor’s debts are discharged without the loss of any property.
A Chapter 7 bankruptcy usually last 4 to 5 months from filing the petition to receiving the final discharge.
Not everyone can file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Only persons whose income is below the median income under the “means test” may file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
A debtor may be able to keep their house or vehicle if they are current with their mortgage or car payment, although they may be required to sign a “reaffirmation agreement”. If the debtor is past due on a secured debt, such as mortgage or car loan, the creditor may seek permission to foreclose or repossess the vehicle.
Once a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is filed, it may not be voluntarily dismissed. However, the case may possibly be converted to a Chapter 13 case.
A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is a payment plan bankruptcy available to persons with regular monthly income.
The amount of debt paid in a Chapter 13 plan depends on two factors, the debtor’s “disposable monthly income” and the value of the debtor’s unexempt property. The final payment is usually due about 30 days after the petition is filed. All payments under the plan must be paid to receive a discharge. The case can be dismissed if any plan payments are missed.
A debtor may be able to reinstate a past due mortgage in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan, or remove a wholly unsecured second or junior mortgage from real property.
In a Chapter 13 plan, the debtor may also reinstate a past due vehicle loan or loan secured by personal property. If the debtor has owned their vehicle for more than 910 days (2 1/2 years), they may even be ale to adjust the loan amount down to the current value of the vehicle. Sometimes, the interest rate can be adjusted as well. Loans secured by personal property owned more than one year may also be reduced to current value in the plan.
The Trustee in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy case is responsible for reviewing the case to make sure the debtor is paying as much as is required under the Bankruptcy Code. The Trustee is also responsible for collecting the plan payments and disbursing the proceeds to the creditor. In the Middle District of Florida, FortMyers Division, the Trustee charges a 10% fee of all play payments. This fee is used to fund the Trustee’s office.
A Chapter 13 may be dismissed voluntarily at any time.
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: The attorney fee for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, depending on your assets and income, ranges from $1,000 to $2,500. The filing fee payable to the Bankruptcy Court is $306.00. Our office may open a file with a down payment of $350. The remainder of the attorney fee and filing fee must be paid prior to filing the bankruptcy petition. The Bankruptcy Code does not allow our office to acceptance payments after the case is filed because otherwise our office would be a creditor in your bankruptcy case. All payments made to our office are non-refundable.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy: The attorney fee for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy ranges from $3,000 to $3,850, depending on the factors of each case. The filing fee payable to the Bankruptcy Court is $281.00. Our office may file a chapter 13 Bankruptcy with only the filing fee paid up front under the following conditions: (1) a retainer contract is entered into at the initial consultation (2) a $281.00 down payment is paid at the initial consultation (3) the bankruptcy is filed within 30 days of the initial consultation (4) the proposed Chapter 13 plan is feasible in the determination of the attorney. This offer does not apply to emergency filings that require a case to be filed in less than 7 days from the initial consultation. If the case is not filed within 30 days of the initial consultation, a retainer of $1,500 plus the filing fee must be paid prior to filing the case. As provided in the retainer agreement, any fees not paid prior to filing the bankruptcy case are included in the Chapter 13 payment plan. The Chapter 13 Trustee will pay our office the balance of the attorney free from your plan payments. All money paid to our office are non-refundable.
NOTE: If you have unexempt assets (see section: What is “Exempt” and “Unexempt” property), in many cases, it may be beneficial for you to pay the attorney free upfront because the expense of paying the attorney fee and filing fee will lower your assets and may result in your paying less overall in the plan. In other cases, it may be beneficial to pay the attorney fee up front because the current Bankruptcy Judge has a rule that unsecured creditors cannot be paid less than the amount of the attorney fees in the plan. This may result in you paying a larger amount in your bankruptcy case. Our office will discuss these issues with you prior to filing your case.
What is a Debtor in Bankruptcy?
A person who files bankruptcy is called a debtor. A corporation or business entity can be a “person” under the Bankruptcy Code.
What is a Creditor in Bankruptcy?
A creditor is any person or entity which can make a claim against the debtor or the Bankruptcy Estate.
What is the “Means Test” and “Disposable Monthly Income” in Bankruptcy?
The “means test” was enacted as part of the bankruptcy reform enacted in 2005. Its purpose is to force of the bankruptcy reform enacted in 205. Its purpose is to force above median income debtors to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy rather than a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. To calculate the “means test’, we first determine the household income for the debtor or debtors over the six month period proceeding the month the bankruptcy is filed. We then take the six month average of that figure and multiply it by 12. This determines the average yearly income of the debtor. If this average yearly income is greater than the local median income for family of the same size, then the debtor or debtors are considered over median income. If a debtor is over median income, they cannot file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, once a debtor’s “current monthly income” is determined, the Bankruptcy Code requires that certain expenses are deducted from the debtors “current monthly income” to determine a debtor’s “disposable monthly income”. Some expenses which may be deducted under the “means test” are determined by a schedule of expenses established by the IRS. The schedule provides an average amount that a family needs for food, rental expenses, household expenses, and transportation. Other expenses on the mans test will be the debtor’s actual expenses, such as a house or car payment. An over median income debtor must commit all of his or her “disposable monthly income” to the Chapter 13 plan for a period of 60 months. An under median income debtor can have a 36 month Chapter 13plan. Many Chapter 13 debtors pay only a small percentage of their total unsecured debt back in the Chapter 13 Plan and the balance of the debt is discharged. A debtor with a larger amount of disposable monthly income may pay all of their unsecured debt through the plan but they do so without paying interest or late penalties. Past due taxes can also be paid in a Chapter 13 Plan.
In a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, a debtor may reinstate a past due mortgage in the plan by paying the regular payment and repaing hte past due payment over a period of 36 to 60 months.
If a debtor has a second or junior mortgage or equity line, that debt could possibly be eliminated if the value of the house is less than the amount of the first mortgage.
Can I Save my House from Foreclosure in Bankruptcy?
In a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy a debtor may reinstate a past due mortgage in the Chapter 13 Plan, by paying the regular payment and repaying the past due payment over a period of 36 to 60 months. If a debtor has second or junior mortgage or equity line, that debt can possibly be eliminated if the value of the house is less than the amount of the first Mortgage. Currently the Bankruptcy Law does not allow a first mortgage to be reduced to current value or to adjust the interest rate or terms of the mortgage. If there are other foreclosure defenses available to you, those defenses can be raised in Bankruptcy Court.
What property can I keep? What is “Exempt” and “Unexempt” property?
you did not apply your exemption against to the Trustee. If the value of all your property is less than your total exemptions the case called a no asset case and you do not lose any property. In a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, you can keep your unexempt property, however, you have to pay the value of the unexempt property over the life of the plan.
A debtor in bankruptcy must disclose under oath all the property that he or she owns. This includes both real and personal property owned by the debtor.
Real Property is land, houses, and buildings. Personal property is everything else. It includes tangible things such as cash, furniture, jewelry, antiques, appliances, televisions, and other electronics, tools, vehicles, boats, and mobile homes not attached to real property.
Personal property also includes intangible property such as bank or financial accounts, accounts receivables, money owed to the debtor, interests in corporations or businesses, stocks, bonds, tax refunds, deposits on leases or contracts, and rights to sue for any type of claim including personal injury claims.
If a debtor fails to disclose all property, he or she could be subject to criminal charges for perjury and will lose the property.
Will the Bankruptcy Stop the Debt Collectors?
When a bankruptcy is filed, an “Automatic Stay Order” from the bankruptcy judge automatically goes into effect. All creditors listed in the case will receive notice of the bankruptcy filing. Once the creditor receives notice of filing, the automatic stay prohibits the creditor from taking any steps to collect the debts. The creditors may then submit a Proof of Claim in the bankruptcy case, stating how much they believe they are owed and the basis for the claim. If the creditor’s debt is secured by a lien or mortgage on property and if the debtor is past due on the debt, the secured creditor may file a motion with the Bankruptcy Court for permission to complete a foreclosure in the case of real property or repossession of personal property.
A Proof of Claim is a claim made by a creditor of the debtor or the estate that states the amount claimed to be owed, the legal basis for the claim, and whether the claim is secured or unsecured. The debtor or the Trustee may object to a proof of claim which is barred by law or otherwise inadequate.
What is a Bankruptcy Trustee and a 341 Meeting?
A bankruptcy trustee is a person appointed by the Bankruptcy Court to ad minister the bankruptcy estate. The Trustee is usually an attorney. The Trustee does not represent the debtor or the creditors. The Trustee’s job is to review the case to make sure that the debtor is paying the full amount required under the bankruptcy code in a Chapter 13 case or is surrendering all unexempt property in a chapter 7 case. The Trustee will also review all proof of claims filed by creditors and may object to the claim if it is not valid. In addition, the trustee will interview the debtor under oat at a “341 Meeting”.
A 341 Meeting is also called a “meeting of the creditors” because creditors may appear and question the debtor along with the Trustee. The debtor’s attorney attends the 341 meeting with the debtor. The meeting is generally scheduled within 45 days of filing the case. It is not a court hearing, but the debtor must respond tot he Trustee’s questions while under oath. At the meeting, the Trustee usually asks the debtor about the petition, their assets, income, and their financial situation. Debtors should be prepared to document the information they provided on the petition. The meetings generally last between 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the complexity of the case.
A discharge in Bankruptcy is the final order given by the bankruptcy judge is the final Order given by the judge which says that all your dischargeable debts are forever extinguished. This means that the creditors are forbidden to try to collect or enforce the debt.
What should I avoid doing prior to filing bankruptcy?
Don’t use your credit cards once you have made your decision to file bankruptcy. Consumer debts incurred for luxury goods and serves owed to a single creditor in excess of $600 within 90 days of filing are presumed to be nondischargeable and may be found to be due and owing. Cash advances of more than $750.00 within 120 days of filing are presumed to be nondischargeable. Don’t jeopardize your “fresh start” by running up your credit cards prior to filing.
Do not transfer any property out of your name or pay money back to a friend, family member, or business associates within the year prior to filing bankruptcy. If you have paid money or given property to someone, the Trustee can sue that person for the return of the property or money. It can also be deemed a fraudulent act under bankruptcy and state law.
Do not cash out your retirement accounts or use your retirement accounts to pay debts. Retirement accounts are exempt under state and federal law. You can eliminate your debt and keep whatever you hold in IRA or 401k or other retirement accounts allowed under the IRS Code. Many individuals drain their retirement accounts in futile attempt to pay down credit card debt.
Don’t take a loan against your home in an effort to reduce the equity or pay off credit card debts. often, mortgage brokers will tell you that this is a good way of consolidating credit card debt with a lower rate. Florida has an unlimited homestead exemption. No matter how much equity you have in your house creditors cannot touch it under the Florida constitution. A mortgage or lien placed on the house cannot be removed in bankruptcy unless it is fully unsecured.
Do not miss an important deadline in a collection case or any other case pending outside of bankruptcy court. Consult with your bankruptcy attorney regarding any non-bankruptcy court hearings which are scheduled prior to the time you are going to file bankruptcy.
If you fail to file before a hearing is held on an issue or you miss a court hearing , you may waive important defenses or the decision of the non-bankruptcy judge may be considered binding even in the bankruptcy.
How long will my bankruptcy affect my credit?
The answer to this question often depends on the individual. The fact that you filed bankruptcy will be listed on your credit report for 10 years. However, since after bankruptcy you will start with a clean slate, it is possible to have a decent credit score again within two to three years after filing if you pay your future obligations timely and use credit wisely.
Are There Any Debts Which Cannot Be Eliminated by Bankruptcy?
debts associated with fraud or damages caused by crimes or driving under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances.
Domestic support obligations such as alimony and child support. You must be current with alimony or child support or pay the past due amount in the plan. Domestic support obligations are priority debts which are paid prior to any other creditor being paid in the plan.
What is a “Reaffirmation Agreement”?
Reaffirmation Agreements are required by most secured lenders of personal property including vehicles in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. If you are current with the payment on a vehicle or other personal property, you can keep the property. However, the reaffirmation agreement states that you will be liable for the entire amount of the contractual debt if you fail to make your payments after the bankruptcy is filed. This means that if the creditor later repossesses the property they may seek a judgement against you for the difference between the amount the property was sold for after the repossession and the amount you promised to pay. If you refuse to sign the reaffirmation agreement, many creditors will repossess the property vehicle after you have filed bankruptcy even if you are current with.
What is the Bankruptcy Litigation Model?
Our office practices the “Bankruptcy Litigation Model”. Some attorneys treat bankruptcy as a limited event. Once you receive a discharge on your own. Even though the bankruptcy automatic stay and the bankruptcy discharge forbids creditors from attempting to collect on your debts in the future. Many creditors or bad debt buys restart their attempts to collect your debts after you receive a discharge. If you are reinstated a mortgage in a bankruptcy many services will add illegal fees and penalties or fail to show your account current even though you are under bankruptcy protection.
The Trunkett Law Firm aggressively defends your bankruptcy rights during the bankruptcy case and post bankruptcy. If debt collectors violate your bankruptcy protection, we can file an Adversary Proceeding against them in the Bankruptcy Court. In some cases, we may obtain a money judgment against the creditor on your behalf.
In order for the “Bankruptcy Litigation Model” to work, you have to help. You need to extensively document every attempt to collect debts made by a debt collector or creditor. You need to write down the date and time of each phone call and write down the phone number name of the caller, name of the creditor and any other information you can obtain concerning the identity of the collector. You also need to retain your phone bills as proof that you received the calls. We also suggest that you use a tape recorder when a bill collector calls. However, you must notify the debt collector that their call is being recorded and must ask for permission to record the call. If you fail to notify the debt collector, you may be violating the law.
Please notify our office immediately at 239-790-4529 if a creditor contacts you by phone or in writing in an attempt to collect a debt at any time after the case is filed.
What if I Owe Income Taxes or Other Taxes or Have Not Filed My Tax Returns Yet?
You must have filed all tax returns due for the four years prior to filing bankruptcy. You are required to provide a copy of the past two years tax return to the Trustee. Taxes on income for returns filed within the 4 years prior to filing your bankruptcy case are not dischargeable. Taxes are considered priority debts in bankruptcy. In a Chapter 13 case, all payments made to the Chapter 13 plan are paid to priority debts first. The IRS debt would be paid through the plan and incur no interest or penalties during the bankruptcy. Taxes that are more than 3 years old are usually discharged in bankruptcy. However, if a tax lien has been attached to real property, that lien cannot be removed from the property in most cases. Property taxes on real property must be paid if you are retaining the property. If the property taxes are not escrowed with the mortgage payment, past due property taxes can be paid over the life of the plan but an 18% interest rate would apply. If you are surrendering real property, your liability for property taxes would be discharged.
The Trunkett Law Firm believes that bankruptcy is only the first step to your return to financial health. Our firm will aggressively defend your bankruptcy rights during the bankruptcy and after your discharge. We instruct you how to dispute inaccurate information on your credit reports.
Just because you file bankruptcy does not mean that you cannot build a good credit rating again. Although the fact that a bankruptcy was filed will appear on your credit report for p to 10 years, the negative effect of the bankruptcy will diminish yearly. In fact, your credit score after bankruptcy will be affected more by your future use of credit.
If you retained a house loan or a car loan that you had prior to bankruptcy and made payments on time, this may be a positive account on your credit report.
Generally, you need three trade lines to build a credit score. IF you do not have any trade lines ope after filing, you will need to apply for credit starting as year after you file. You do n0t have to have large credit lines to have a decent credit score. The most important factors in your credit sore is never paying late. Another important factor is not borrowing more than 1/2 of your credit limit. Most lenders consider a good credit score to be 680 and above.
You should also obtain your free credit report each year. You can order your report from www.annualcreditreport.com. Please contact our office before you decide to purchase a new home. Our attorneys also practice Real Estate Law and have extensive knowledge about mortgages and obtaining a loan. Unfortunately, during the real estate boom, few buyers sought the advice of an attorney that represented them in the transaction. Our office can assist you in finding a house, qualified real estate agent, mortgage, and issuing title insurance and closing the transaction. Please call us at 239-790-4529. | 2019-04-18T22:48:59Z | http://trunkettlaw.com/bankruptcy-3/personal-2/ |
Considering that I matured during the 1970’s and 1980’s, the first type I think about is like the one I pointed out above: a take out sofa bed. It resembles a regular couch, however then you get rid of the cushions and there is a bed that can be pulled out from all-time low of the sofa. The mattress on these is not as thick as a routine mattress, they normally range from 4″ to 6″, and they vary in convenience. I have actually slept on this kind of convertible sofa bed with various outcomes. Some I might hardly relocate the morning, and other I awakened feeling like a spring chicken. One really great aspect of this design is that if you use it regularly, you can leave it made up with sheets and blankets. This design most commonly comes in either a complete or queen size bed, though you can also get a love seat that has a twin bed inside. You can also get these as part of a sectional.
Select night tables with kid-friendly features such as scratch-resistant paint. Select a night stand that is lower to the ground, so your youngster can easily grab things placed on the top. You can also decorate the nightstand with wall decals and sticker labels of your youngster’s favorite cartoon character. Night tables are available in a variety of patterns and styles. Select night tables with open cubbies and racks, as they can assist store toys and video games in storage bins and baskets. Open racks provide kids easy access to their toys and toys, and they can keep their space neat and arranged. Nightstand with drawers and cabinets can be utilized to keep book and clothing also.
You can select from a number of various kinds of bedding styles. There are the ruffled skirts that are generally seen as the more womanly of the options; the tailored, traditional styles and there are likewise bed skirts that function crisp box pleating. It is very simple to add one of these ruffled bed skirts to your bed mattress set. You simply should raise the bed mattress then spread out the skirt over the surface of the box springs. The white, undecorated fabric covers the top of your box springs and the ornamental edges of these ruffled skirts will curtain the foot and sides of the bed. The only place where there is no draped fabric is at the head of the bed.
These chairs have been around for a while now and the people who have purchased one state they would not lack one after experiencing there advantages, so when searching for a recliner chair take a look at a few of the wonderful zero gravity recliners that are available today. They can be slightly more costly than ordinary recliner chairs, but do not let this put you off buying one, the bonus you receive from zero gravity recliners are well worth a few extra dollars. The price you pay will certainly depend completely on the manufacturer you pick and the style of chair you choose, you have to work out your budget plan and afterwards purchase a chair within that budget plan.
One of the most popular techniques of purchasing a cost effective outdoor sofa is to wait until a regional furnishings or garden supply store has a rattan garden furnishings sale going on, at which time the total expense should be discounted to provide more cost savings. These occasions are normally promoted well in advance of the real day they are going to happen giving all interested parties as much advance notification as possible. Checking the local newspapers for these occasions will certainly provide potential customers the greatest benefit for finding what they require at a price they can cope with.
If you purchase a sofa or other piece of furniture simply for the comfort of it, you can compromise on appearances. It in fact appears that it is challenging; the undertaking of discovering form and energy in a furniture piece, above all a sofa. There’s possibility for your lounge in spite of this. No matter what your decor, you can obtain a leather corner sofa that will certainly match your space in addition to your agonizing hind at the tail end of the day when you want to sit down and rest. Leather corner sofas are just terrific. You can beautify any home with a piece of leather furnishings. The terrific thing about this strong, pliable and wise stuff is that it can be dressed up or down. Just due to the fact that you have a leather sofa does not need to profess that your house will unexpectedly look pompous or uninviting to guests.
This can provide you with sales opportunities concerning which places may well have them, and the ones that you can easily purchase to have actually provided to the shop or perhaps your very own residence. There’s also web stores that are web-based business that market pieces of the red couch, that might not simply connect you with what you require, yet furthermore save a little money on the ideal leather sofa. Despite the fact that an unfavorable credibility precedes sofa bed mattress, leather sofas have actually got quite the opposite standing. Viewing as the level of hard work that goes towards leather-based furnishings, and with the higher cost, the mix of the 2 tends to make a sofa bed something that might be both equally a trendy household addition and a cozy extra bed developed for guests.
A brand-new recliner chair would be a wonderful edition to existing furnishings in your home, they are available in various sizes and colors makings it easy to find one that matches you’re existing furnishings. There are various designs too like the popular leather swivel recliners, this type will certainly let you to rotate in a cycle if you need to. You still get the same advantages as you would with an ordinary recliner however with the additional benefit of having the ability to position the chairs while staying sat down, they are a wonderful property to somebody who as a U-shaped style desk therein workstation at home or place of work. This makes your work easier as you can swivel to any point in your workstation without leaving your chair, they are a little bit more expensive than other types of chair due to the design and production procedure engageded in production.
Embellishing can’t your residence is normally a stressful experience as it normally takes up a considerable amount of time which many individuals just do not have. A trend recently continues to be simplified; keeping the walls an appealing basic color for instance cream or duck egg then doing the majority of the design through add-ons like as their furnishings, candles and other bits and bobs. This is a terrific idea for people that will certainly get bored of the design of a room rapidly as it is normally more inexpensive to change devices as opposed to re decorate an entire room. This works ought to you ever choose to sell and proceed. When it concerns making the choice on what furnishings you will certainly buy it may be a bit of a minefield as there many types and wood types currently offered. From classic furnishings to brilliant and bold designs it can be a little frustrating selecting precisely what satisfies your needs. On the other hand you might consider the Indian design of mango wood furnishings which benefits lots of areas. Mango wood furnishings originates from South-east Asia and because of its quick development it is fairly affordable, it is likewise a simple material to work with for that reason the artisan can make a plethora of furnishings with it such as a mango wardrobes, sideboards, bookcases and chests of drawers.
Choosing the best baby crib mattress for your infant is among the most important first acquisitions for your brand-new nursery. In some cases a mattress has a new baby crib and in some cases you will require to select a new mattress for an older baby crib you may currently have in the house. Even brand-new mattresses that include crib furniture may not be just the right sleep item for your kid. If you’re looking for the best baby crib mattress for your kid, here are a few ideas to assist you select the right one. There are many various types of bedding to pick from and generally the first thing moms and dads consider is the amount of they can actually pay for to invest. Similar to other item on the market, the much better quality you pick, the greater you will pay. Nevertheless, the significance of a baby crib mattress must outweigh expenses on various other nonessential nursery products, so it’s best to intend on purchasing the best bed you can for the comfort, wellness and safety of your kid. The lower end products often utilize a selection of artificial products such as polyester, acrylic and various other fabrics that in some cases can emit poisonous fumes. Some moms and dads like to select a natural latex or a natural cotten baby crib mattress for the downright best bedding on the market for kids.
Up-to-the-minute the red couch is repetitively made using replica products that wear out extremely hastily and can be expensive to purchase. However there are inexpensive sofas that are manfactured from genuine leather and offer the smoothness and convenience that features that substance. Leather is an especially durable textile that will remain in fresh order with the tiniest effort for a number of years. Prior to constructing the sofa the leather is colored to the color that will be used. One might maybe discover extreme red sofas or sofas with soft tones to complement an interior design style. Lots of the sofas have cushions that also act as pillows which can be produced to correspond with the curve of a person’s back and offer further relaxation when relaxing.
If you are preparing to decorate your bedroom, style it according to your inclination, as it talks volumes about your character. A bedroom ought to preferably look luxurious and comfortable. Decorate your bedroom with essentials like bedroom sets, bedding and a headboard. Here are a few pointers that will assist you pick the right bedroom sets and headboards. Bedroom sets allow you to bring in a warm and comfortable environment to make every visitor feel at personal. A bedroom set would normally include a bed, a pair of side tables, an armoire and sometimes a dresser. A set normally has the exact same material finish and color, as it assists to develop consistency and visual connection in the bedroom. The selection of furniture is necessary in any interior decoration job.
Though the cousins were not the first to develop a piece of reclining motion furniture, they were the first to develop a branding strategy for their item. Numerous other furniture business started to produce and sell recliners making use of extremely comparable designs for mechanisms. It was shortly before other business sprang up to produce a variety of recliner mechanisms. From relatively simple designs to more complex motorized and power actuated designs, todays recliners offer specialized options to user requirements.
Online web stores like offer you the luxury of going to hundreds of patterns and pick a one from among them. They have a collection of pieces from all over the world. When you have so many patterns to select from, it becomes all the more warranted to opt for an indulgence in designer bedspreads. You and your bedroom should have to be pampered from time to time.
When you are thinking about of buying the chairs you need to opt for the very best and that implies choose the leather ones that exudes style and class. The reclining chairs that are made of leather are extremely stylish. They will definitely look great in your home. When you are buying them, choose the color of the recliner chairs depending upon the environment at your house. If your room and other furniture are of the shade brown then you can opt for burgundy colored chair. However, you can also opt for a chair with a contrasting color. This would definitely enhance the beauty of your house in a distinct method.
Modern sofa trends today produce sofas that are bulky and comfortable. The color variety is basically neutral. Neutral colors are the essence of a modern home, which aims to be easy, sleek, and stylish. Vibrant and bright color is presented with toss cushions. Never commit yourself to a specific sofa color, unless you can pay for to have your sofa upholstered or changed every couple of years. Color in home design is unpredictable. If you wish to sustain a modern look, you ‘d be much better off selecting a neutral color sofa in cream, taupe, coffee, camel, white or black. A good modern fabric sofa will certainly constantly feel soft on the skin so that you feel that you can literally sink into it while viewing your preferred tv programs. It will certainly likewise offer you with the support you require for your body so that it can assist relieve any pains you may have after a long day at work or day out with the children.
Are Businesses Selling New The Red Couch Scamming Consumers?
Do not forget to buff the cleaned surface with the soft, clean, and dry cloth to recover the shine of the cleaned surface. See to it that the cleaner does not contain severe chemicals, as it might damage the leather. It will be a great idea to stay with a water-based foam leather cleaner. Unfinished leather can be easily cleaned making use of a specifically made saddle soap or leather soap. Now, after reading this article, you will not need to worry about any stains on your priceless sofa. You can just relax and take pleasure in the celebration you have hosted at your location, and clean it later on without any troubles.
There are large array of styles, sizes, and tones offered unlike before that manufacturers only offered the traditional colors of brown, black, chocolate, or ivory. Leather sofas couches are typically made from cushions sewn over with pieces of leather or suede which is a more long lasting form of leather. Leather is natural and its attributes are similar to the human skin. It is flexible, soft, reliable, and resistant. It is extremely ideal during summer season since the product will keep you cool and also useful in winter since it is warm during this season. Leather does not emit poisonous elements and is fire, fracture, and tear resistant. It will never ever be out of shape and appearance of a premium leather sofa will enhance throughout the years, with the patina offering the sofa more beauty and value. It is a fantastic financial investment in itself that is why most interior designer considers it as a luxurious piece of product. Leather also obtains even more shine with its consistent use. For that reason, as the other type of fabric depreciate due in the long run, leather couches are in your home to stay for the much better.
If you are wanting a corner leather sofa then it is certainly essential for you to choose whether you desire the very best quality leather or just interested to buy vinyl leather. As far as the cost is concerned, it certainly depends on your choice. You will certainly get large choices of colors while selecting such sofas and will certainly have the ability to pick that color that appeals you one of the most. You can set your eyes even from the lightest tan to a deep dark color of coffee. Besides, you can likewise get the capability to pick a white leather couch too. Additionally, a corner sofa can provide you all that additional seating space that really you are seeking for, apart from including a modern and modern feeling to your space. Naturally the products are used to build such sofas are great quality and which likewise make these long-term and pulpy. These sofas provide you a cocoon of comfort while seating as well as you will certainly get a wonderful versatility of being capable of changing its position conveniently in any corner of your space.
Corner sofa beds are back in fashion for you to flaunt its unique design and style. The capability of this the red couch piece to transform the whole appearance of the space is exactly what brings it back to fashion each time. Corner beds compliments well with any type of interior design. They are comfortably embeddeded in the corner of your rooms and generally are produced in two shapes, L-shaped and U-shaped. They supply sufficient space to seat numerous individuals during social gatherings. When looked from interior designing viewpoint, corner sofa beds supply a completing to you space. As they occupy the corners of space, it makes the area appearance exceptionally squared. As it serves a platform to sit and rest you generally fall over them after having an exhausting day at work.
Unlike what we were accustomed to, modern sofa nowadays have colorful mixes, not simply one strong color. Appropriate choosing of color and product for a modern sofa can make a space appear lively, average or formal. A popular kind of modern sofa is the one that can be transformed into a bed. Normally, sofas are easily soft and resulted in relaxation. Now, makers have made it even more peaceful and hassle-free, not to point out practical. There are rooms which are too small to contain both beds and sofa. Therefore, people select sofa beds rather. With modern sofa, consumer invests less money and consumes less space at the same time.
A house is not made up of bricks and cement; rather it’s made with people. It is a location where people return everyday. It’s a location where they spend many hours each day of their lives. The convenience of their house is always of utmost value. Living space is the centerpiece of the entire residence. In terms of design and designing, this space needs to receive maximum attention. The most distinct facet of the living-room is that it has to satisfy the requirements of not really one specific however many as it is utilized by the entire household.
Timeless sofa sets are the best selection if you desire the mix of timeless style and taste. They fill the house with timeless elegance and special conventional feel. They imbibe the time honored trends and display their classiness in a customary sense, and can speak volumes about the quality and value you appreciate. So, normally, the feeling that emerges to purchase such a sofa set originates from deep affection and love for timelessness. The nostalgic appeal that these sofa sets bring together with them is surely inexpressible. Timeless sofa sets demand and deserve their own unique location in the house. Once they fill the unique corner or area in the living room, you need to keep even more than the normal take care of them. This is particularly the case when you have animals and kids in your house and you wear”t want them to soil the furniture. There are likewise some precautions you need to take in the past you tighten your buying choice. You need to inspect if your existing furniture will certainly choose the sofa set you plan to purchase. In case you purchase a sofa set that does not match your existing furniture, everything will certainly become a timeless mismatch and your living room will certainly not be the most perfect location in your house.
Today’s duvets are much more than just the cloth bag and the feathers. The bag is in box construction to make it the state-of-the art down comforter.
Dimension, thread count, fabric material, making strategy, and weave are factors to be thought about when buying bed sheets. High quality and costly sheets aren’t always your finest option. This information will provide you with the details you require to identify your bedding demands and compare them to the bed sheets offered for investment.
From traditional to modern designs therefore lots of various fabrics and products to select from you can make the ideal purchase for your home or office. There are sofabeds which can accommodate single person as well as couples. These sofabeds are available in various shapes to match spaces of diverse sizes. Sofabeds are created for comfort and beauty. They are ideal for those who want an additional bed offered at very brief notice. Sofabeds can fit nearly anywhere within your house and workplace. Many development designer sofa beds have additional storage space within them to accommodate a number of products. These sofabeds are convertible and multifunctional. They can match any kind of house from big bungalows to compact apartments. For those who do not have a guest space in their house these designer sofabeds are ideal for visitors who come to your place to spend a couple of days.
In the last couple of years, sectionals have been seeing a significant revival. A great deal of people have capitalized on this emerging trend and invested money on buying sectionals for their house only to discover that the sofa they purchased does not gel with their space. This is a huge error due to the fact that as soon as purchased, you actually have no choice however to stick to your purchase a minimum of for a couple of years. So, what are the benefits and drawbacks of circular sectional sofas? The very best aspect of sectional sofas, whether they are circular, square or L formed is their dreamy, cozy look. They are so ideal if they are positioned in the ideal spot. They are compact, stylish and fashionable. They likewise allow you to make optimal use of your space. For instance, a circular sectional sofa is remarkable when it is positioned in a big square space, if it is embellished with the ideal accessories. Design aspects such as these can actually take your breath away.
The majority of modern dressers fall under one of two types: those that are about waist-high or bench-high and dressers typically with even more drawers that are about shoulder-high. Both types normally have a flat surface area on top giving you the choice of putting things of your choice on top. Waist-high dressers typically have actually a mirror placed vertically on top and can act as a dressing table. Mirrors are typically bought with the dresser to keep the appearance of the furnishings consistent and tasteful. Furthermore, dresser tops can be used for lamps, decorative items, or household images.
Normally armoires are seen in living spaces where they’re made use of for keeping the television and home entertainment devices. Saving all your films and video games would not be a trouble due to the fact that of the additional shelves and drawers included with most armoires, making this a kid-friendly the red couch item. | 2019-04-22T05:11:56Z | http://www.superbfurnishings.com/couches/the-red-couch/ |
—there is more in them of opposition and obstinacy than is consistent with so sacred a profession; but whatsoever personage a man takes upon himself to perform, he ever mixes his own part with it.
Let the philosophers say what they will, the thing at which we all aim, even in virtue is pleasure. It amuses me to rattle in ears this word, which they so nauseate to and if it signify some supreme pleasure and contentment, it is more due to the assistance of virtue than to any other assistance whatever. This pleasure, for being more gay, more sinewy, more robust and more manly, is only the more seriously voluptuous, and we ought give it the name of pleasure, as that which is more favourable, gentle, and natural, and not that from which we have denominated it. The other and meaner pleasure, if it could deserve this fair name, it ought to be by way of competition, and not of privilege. I find it less exempt from traverses and inconveniences than virtue itself; and, besides that the enjoyment is more momentary, fluid, and frail, it has its watchings, fasts, and labours, its sweat and its blood; and, moreover, has particular to itself so many several sorts of sharp and wounding passions, and so dull a satiety attending it, as equal it to the severest penance. And we mistake if we think that these incommodities serve it for a spur and a seasoning to its sweetness (as in nature one contrary is quickened by another), or say, when we come to virtue, that like consequences and difficulties overwhelm and render it austere and inaccessible; whereas, much more aptly than in voluptuousness, they ennoble, sharpen, and heighten the perfect and divine pleasure they procure us. He renders himself unworthy of it who will counterpoise its cost with its fruit, and neither understands the blessing nor how to use it. Those who preach to us that the quest of it is craggy, difficult, and painful, but its fruition pleasant, what do they mean by that but to tell us that it is always unpleasing? For what human means will ever attain its enjoyment? The most perfect have been fain to content themselves to aspire unto it, and to approach it only, without ever possessing it. But they are deceived, seeing that of all the pleasures we know, the very pursuit is pleasant. The attempt ever relishes of the quality of the thing to which it is directed, for it is a good part of, and consubstantial with, the effect. The felicity and beatitude that glitters in Virtue, shines throughout all her appurtenances and avenues, even to the first entry and utmost limits.
Do you think they can relish it? and that the fatal end of their journey being continually before their eyes, would not alter and deprave their palate from tasting these regalios?
’tis no wonder if he be often trapped in the pitfall. They affright people with the very mention of death, and many cross themselves, as it were the name of the devil. And because the making a man’s will is in reference to dying, not a man will be persuaded to take a pen in hand to that purpose, till the physician has passed sentence upon and totally given him over, and then betwixt and terror, God knows in how fit a condition of understanding he is to do it.
The Romans, by reason that this poor syllable death sounded so harshly to their ears and seemed so ominous, found out a way to soften and spin it out by a periphrasis, and instead of pronouncing such a one is dead, said, “Such a one has lived,” or “Such a one has ceased to live” —[Plutarch, Life of Cicero, c. 22:]—for, provided there was any mention of life in the case, though past, it carried yet some sound of consolation. And from them it is that we have borrowed our expression, “The late Monsieur such and such a one.”—[“feu Monsieur un tel.”] Peradventure, as the saying is, the term we have lived is worth our money. I was born betwixt eleven and twelve o’clock in the forenoon the last day of February 1533, according to our computation, beginning the year the 1st of January,—[This was in virtue of an ordinance of Charles IX. in 1563. Previously the year commenced at Easter, so that the 1st January 1563 became the first day of the year 1563.]—and it is now but just fifteen days since I was complete nine-and-thirty years old; I make account to live, at least, as many more. In the meantime, to trouble a man’s self with the thought of a thing so far off were folly. But what? Young and old die upon the same terms; no one departs out of life otherwise than if he had but just before entered into it; neither is any man so old and decrepit, who, having heard of Methuselah, does not think he has yet twenty good years to come. Fool that thou art! who has assured unto thee the term of life? Thou dependest upon physicians’ tales: rather consult effects and experience. According to the common course of things, ’tis long since that thou hast lived by extraordinary favour; thou hast already outlived the ordinary term of life. And that it is so, reckon up thy acquaintance, how many more have died before they arrived at thy age than have attained unto it; and of those who have ennobled their lives by their renown, take but an account, and I dare lay a wager thou wilt find more who have died before than after five-and-thirty years of age. It is full both of reason and piety, too, to take example by the humanity of Jesus Christ Himself; now, He ended His life at three-and-thirty years. The greatest man, that was no more than a man, Alexander, died also at the same age. How many several ways has death to surprise us?
To omit fevers and pleurisies, who would ever have imagined that a duke of Brittany,—[Jean II. died 1305.]—should be pressed to death in a crowd as that duke was at the entry of Pope Clement, my neighbour, into Lyons?—[Montaigne speaks of him as if he had been a contemporary neighbour, perhaps because he was the Archbishop of Bordeaux. Bertrand le Got was Pope under the title of Clement V., 1305-14.]—Hast thou not seen one of our kings—[Henry II., killed in a tournament, July 10, 1559]—killed at a tilting, and did not one of his ancestors die by jostle of a hog?—[Philip, eldest son of Louis le Gros.]—AEschylus, threatened with the fall of a house, was to much purpose circumspect to avoid that danger, seeing that he was knocked on the head by a tortoise falling out of an eagle’s talons in the air. Another was choked with a grape-stone;—[Val. Max., ix. 12, ext. 2.]—an emperor killed with the scratch of a comb in combing his head. AEmilius Lepidus with a stumble at his own threshold,—[Pliny, Nat. Hist., vii. 33.]— and Aufidius with a jostle against the door as he entered the council-chamber. And betwixt the very thighs of women, Cornelius Gallus the proctor; Tigillinus, captain of the watch at Rome; Ludovico, son of Guido di Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua; and (of worse example) Speusippus, a Platonic philosopher, and one of our Popes. The poor judge Bebius gave adjournment in a case for eight days; but he himself, meanwhile, was condemned by death, and his own stay of life expired. Whilst Caius Julius, the physician, was anointing the eyes of a patient, death closed his own; and, if I may bring in an example of my own blood, a brother of mine, Captain St. Martin, a young man, three-and-twenty years old, who had already given sufficient testimony of his valour, playing a match at tennis, received a blow of a ball a little above his right ear, which, as it gave no manner of sign of wound or contusion, he took no notice of it, nor so much as sat down to repose himself, but, nevertheless, died within five or six hours after of an apoplexy occasioned by that blow.
In the company of ladies, and at games, some have perhaps thought me possessed with some jealousy, or the uncertainty of some hope, whilst I was entertaining myself with the remembrance of some one, surprised, a few days before, with a burning fever of which he died, returning from an entertainment like this, with his head full of idle fancies of love and jollity, as mine was then, and that, for aught I knew, the same-destiny was attending me.
Yet did not this thought wrinkle my forehead any more than any other. It is impossible but we must feel a sting in such imaginations as these, at first; but with often turning and returning them in one’s mind, they, at last, become so familiar as to be no trouble at all: otherwise, I, for my part, should be in a perpetual fright and frenzy; for never man was so distrustful of his life, never man so uncertain as to its duration. Neither health, which I have hitherto ever enjoyed very strong and vigorous, and very seldom interrupted, does prolong, nor sickness contract my hopes. Every minute, methinks, I am escaping, and it eternally runs in my mind, that what may be done to-morrow, may be done to-day. Hazards and dangers do, in truth, little or nothing hasten our end; and if we consider how many thousands more remain and hang over our heads, besides the accident that immediately threatens us, we shall find that the sound and the sick, those that are abroad at sea, and those that sit by the fire, those who are engaged in battle, and those who sit idle at home, are the one as near it as the other.
For anything I have to do before I die, the longest leisure would appear too short, were it but an hour’s business I had to do.
And as the Egyptians after their feasts were wont to present the company with a great image of death, by one that cried out to them, “Drink and be merry, for such shalt thou be when thou art dead”; so it is my custom to have death not only in my imagination, but continually in my mouth. Neither is there anything of which I am so inquisitive, and delight to inform myself, as the manner of men’s deaths, their words, looks, and bearing; nor any places in history I am so intent upon; and it is manifest enough, by my crowding in examples of this kind, that I have a particular fancy for that subject. If I were a writer of books, I would compile a register, with a comment, of the various deaths of men: he who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live. Dicarchus made one, to which he gave that title; but it was designed for another and less profitable end.
Peradventure, some one may object, that the pain and terror of dying so infinitely exceed all manner of imagination, that the best fencer will be quite out of his play when it comes to the push. Let them say what they will: to premeditate is doubtless a very great advantage; and besides, is it nothing to go so far, at least, without disturbance or alteration? Moreover, Nature herself assists and encourages us: if the death be sudden and violent, we have not leisure to fear; if otherwise, I perceive that as I engage further in my disease, I naturally enter into a certain loathing and disdain of life. I find I have much more ado to digest this resolution of dying, when I am well in health, than when languishing of a fever; and by how much I have less to do with the commodities of life, by reason that I begin to lose the use and pleasure of them, by so much I look upon death with less terror. Which makes me hope, that the further I remove from the first, and the nearer I approach to the latter, I shall the more easily exchange the one for the other. And, as I have experienced in other occurrences, that, as Caesar says, things often appear greater to us at distance than near at hand, I have found, that being well, I have had maladies in much greater horror than when really afflicted with them. The vigour wherein I now am, the cheerfulness and delight wherein I now live, make the contrary estate appear in so great a disproportion to my present condition, that, by imagination, I magnify those inconveniences by one-half, and apprehend them to be much more troublesome, than I find them really to be, when they lie the most heavy upon me; I hope to find death the same.
Let us but observe in the ordinary changes and declinations we daily suffer, how nature deprives us of the light and sense of our bodily decay. What remains to an old man of the vigour of his youth and better days?
Compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo.
savage keeper.—A god will when I ask Him, set me free.
But nature compels us to it. “Go out of this world,” says she, “as you entered into it; the same pass you made from death to life, without passion or fear, the same, after the same manner, repeat from life to death. Your death is a part of the order of the universe, ’tis a part of the life of the world.
“All the whole time you live, you purloin from life and live at the expense of life itself. The perpetual work of your life is but to lay the foundation of death. You are in death, whilst you are in life, because you still are after death, when you are no more alive; or, if you had rather have it so, you are dead after life, but dying all the while you live; and death handles the dying much more rudely than the dead, and more sensibly and essentially. If you have made your profit of life, you have had enough of it; go your way satisfied.
[“Why not depart from life as a sated guest from a feast?
“If you have not known how to make the best use of it, if it was unprofitable to you, what need you care to lose it, to what end would you desire longer to keep it?
“And yet I will place you in such a condition as you shall have no reason to be displeased.
“‘Nec sibi enim quisquam tum se vitamque requirit.
“Death is less to be feared than nothing, if there could be anything less than nothing.
“Neither can it any way concern you, whether you are living or dead: living, by reason that you are still in being; dead, because you are no more. Moreover, no one dies before his hour: the time you leave behind was no more yours than that was lapsed and gone before you came into the world; nor does it any more concern you.
Wherever your life ends, it is all there. The utility of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time; a man may have lived long, and yet lived but a little. Make use of time while it is present with you. It depends upon your will, and not upon the number of days, to have a sufficient length of life. Is it possible you can imagine never to arrive at the place towards which you are continually going? and yet there is no journey but hath its end. And, if company will make it more pleasant or more easy to you, does not all the world go the self-same way?
“To what end should you endeavour to draw back, if there be no possibility to evade it? you have seen examples enough of those who have been well pleased to die, as thereby delivered from heavy miseries; but have you ever found any who have been dissatisfied with dying? It must, therefore, needs be very foolish to condemn a thing you have neither experimented in your own person, nor by that of any other. Why dost thou complain of me and of destiny? Do we do thee any wrong? Is it for thee to govern us, or for us to govern thee? Though, peradventure, thy age may not be accomplished, yet thy life is: a man of low stature is as much a man as a giant; neither men nor their lives are measured by the ell. Chiron refused to be immortal, when he was acquainted with the conditions under which he was to enjoy it, by the god of time itself and its duration, his father Saturn. Do but seriously consider how much more insupportable and painful an immortal life would be to man than what I have already given him. If you had not death, you would eternally curse me for having deprived you of it; I have mixed a little bitterness with it, to the end, that seeing of what convenience it is, you might not too greedily and indiscreetly seek and embrace it: and that you might be so established in this moderation, as neither to nauseate life, nor have any antipathy for dying, which I have decreed you shall once do, I have tempered the one and the other betwixt pleasure and pain. It was I that taught Thales, the most eminent of your sages, that to live and to die were indifferent; which made him, very wisely, answer him, ‘Why then he did not die?’ ‘Because,’ said he, ‘it is indifferent.’—[Diogenes Laertius, i. 35.]—Water, earth, air, and fire, and the other parts of this creation of mine, are no more instruments of thy life than they are of thy death. Why dost thou fear thy last day? it contributes no more to thy dissolution, than every one of the rest: the last step is not the cause of lassitude: it does not confess it. Every day travels towards death; the last only arrives at it.” These are the good lessons our mother Nature teaches.
I have often considered with myself whence it should proceed, that in war the image of death, whether we look upon it in ourselves or in others, should, without comparison, appear less dreadful than at home in our own houses (for if it were not so, it would be an army of doctors and whining milksops), and that being still in all places the same, there should be, notwithstanding, much more assurance in peasants and the meaner sort of people, than in others of better quality. I believe, in truth, that it is those terrible ceremonies and preparations wherewith we set it out, that more terrify us than the thing itself; a new, quite contrary way of living; the cries of mothers, wives, and children; the visits of astounded and afflicted friends; the attendance of pale and blubbering servants; a dark room, set round with burning tapers; our beds environed with physicians and divines; in sum, nothing but ghostliness and horror round about us; we seem dead and buried already. Children are afraid even of those they are best acquainted with, when disguised in a visor; and so ’tis with us; the visor must be removed as well from things as from persons, that being taken away, we shall find nothing underneath but the very same death that a mean servant or a poor chambermaid died a day or two ago, without any manner of apprehension. Happy is the death that deprives us of leisure for preparing such ceremonials. | 2019-04-23T03:55:20Z | http://aftermontaigne.org/montaigne/that-to-study-philosophy-is-to-learn-to-die/ |
The 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, the one produced by Fred Wolf, had a strange broadcast history. Some of it aired on CBS Saturday mornings. Some of it aired in syndication on weekday afternoons. Some of it aired on the USA Network on weekday mornings. And some of it even got the Prime Time Special treatment.
As a result, the episodes were badly, badly jumbled up from what their narrative chronology should have been. Not that there WAS much narrative chronology for most of the show’s run. While the bookending seasons did have legitimate serialized story arcs, the majority of the episodes from seasons 3 through 7 were episodic with only the occasional multi-parter and season finale to define the order of events.
That said, what little continuity there WAS in those seasons was ravaged, particularly during season 4, and viewing the show in either the broadcast or catalog orders will leave you confounded. So, having watched through the whole series and reviewed every last episode, I figured I’d try to assemble a workable viewing order along the way.
Keep in mind that TMNT had what can only be charitably described as “lax” story editing. There are a lot of irreconcilable continuity errors and contradictions which no amount of creative reordering can repair. My goal was to restore what felt like the “intended” sequence of episodes with maybe a little bit of liberal dot-connecting and imaginative bridging on my part.
Rather than break the episodes up by season, I decided to organize them by the location of the Technodrome or the standing of the main villains. See the Notes section at the end of the article for explanations about the order or various anomalies.
*There’s nothing to note about the continuity of season 1. It aired as a five-part miniseries, so the chronology is intuitive. Since the Technodrome wasn’t “stuck” anywhere this season, I took this segment’s title from the VHS tape that (crudely) compiled the first season into a “movie”.
*In the end, the Technodrome is sucked into Dimension X.
*Season 2 has one major story arc with tight continuity and then a second "arc" with much looser continuity. The first arc is the Eye of Sarnath multi-parter and its continuity is intuitive (spanning "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles" through "Curse of the Evil Eye"). It's the looser second half of the season that inspired some episode shuffling, even if on the surface it might not seem like anything was needed.
*"Case of the Killer Pizzas" took some thinking. It was originally slotted between "Curse of the Evil Eye" (where Baxter Stockman betrays Shredder) and "Enter: The Fly" (where Baxter is banished to Dimension X for his failures). Thematically, "Enter: The Fly" is a better followup to "Curse of the Evil Eye", as Shredder gets revenge on Baxter for betraying him. "Case of the Killer Pizzas" also features a line from Shredder to Baxter, swearing to "make a ninja out of you yet". This actually works as a followup to "Return of the Shredder", where Shredder's original goal upon returning to Earth was to rebuild his ninja army. The only problem is that the episode opens with Krang sending resources to Shredder, as he deems him incapable of functioning on his own; an event that makes a bit more sense as a later season episode than at the beginning. So it was give or take, but I think "Case" fits in better before the Eye of Sarnath arc.
*The second half of the season requires a bit more attention to get the continuity straight, but there's definitely a chronology. A recurring theme in the season is Irma's desire to meet the Turtles, so episodes like "New York's Shiniest" have to take place before she meets them in "The Catwoman of Channel 6".
*"Splinter No More" sees the Shredder making his first effort to open a portal to Dimension X while "Invasion of the Punk Frogs" has Splinter say that they now know the Shredder is attempting to return the Technodrome to Earth, so those two pair together nicely. "Teenagers from Dimension X" is another episode where Shredder tries to open a portal to Dimension X, so it has to take place after his first attempt.
*"The Catwoman from Channel 6", as mentioned, sees Irma finally meeting the Turtles after pining for them all season, so it should come near the end. It also features a line from Krang boasting about the Technodrome's imminent return to Earth, so it makes for a solid prelude to the season finale "Return of the Technodrome" (which ultimately sees it buried at the Earth's core).
*There is very little episode-to-episode continuity in season 3, so it required only minor rearranging. That said, there were a few bits of discontinuity to fix-up.
*In “The Old Switcheroo”, Donatello doesn’t recognize the Driller Module and Splinter remarks that the location of the Technodrome is a mystery, so I felt it ought to occur near the very beginning of the season.
*In “Burne’s Blues”, Shredder and Krang begin a brief arc where they need to fix the Technodrome’s air conditioner. In “Turtles on Trial”, they steal the part needed to fix it. And in “April Fool”, the episode opens with Shredder mentioning that even though the AC is fixed, it’s still damn hot in the Technodrome. So these episodes have to happen in succession.
*I placed “Sky Turtles” in the sixth spot of the season because of an off-hand joke from “Enter the Rat King” where Donatello references the events of “Sky Turtles” as episode 6. Obviously it could not be the sixth episode of the series, but shuffling it to the sixth for the season didn’t hurt. They’d try this same gag later with “Slash – The Evil Turtle from Dimension X”, but in that case the numbers will be so far off that you can’t accommodate the joke. This is me stupidly trying too hard.
*“Green with Jealousy” ends with the Technodrome stealing a tiny bit of energy. “Return of the Fly” opens with the Technodrome using its last bit of energy to reposition itself. The episodes were already ordered in succession, so I didn’t have to rearrange anything. I just thought I’d point that out.
*“The Big Rip Off”, “The Big Break In” and “The Big Blow Out” are a three-parter that ends with the Technodrome being banished to Dimension X once more; this time lodged in the side of a planetoid.
*These episodes aired in Japan and parts of Europe alongside the season 4 episodes, where they chronologically take place, but were not broadcast in the United States until season 7 (where they aired on the USA Network). The 13 European Vacation episodes take place after “Plan 6 from Outer Space” (the first episode of season 4), which ends with the Turtles winning the trip to Europe.
*There is no logic to their trek across Europe whatsoever; they backtrack frequently and the dates provided in certain episodes would have them bouncing between summer-winter-spring like crazy. I chose to go with the order created by Danish TMNT fan “Danetello”, who organized a more reasonable mapping of their progress across Europe (accounting for seasons and dates).
*That said, even his order had a continuity error in it, as April leaves Paris in “Venice on the Half Shell” which forces it to take place near the start of the European Vacation cycle. As a result, my order has the Turtles going from Paris, to Italy, to Portugal, which is pretty counter-intuitive if you look at a map. But jeez, there’s really no way to rectify much of this season (for example: the first two episodes, “Tower of Power” and “Rust Never Sleeps”, are completely incompatible with each other as they tell alternate versions of the Turtles arriving in Paris and the Shredder finding out that they’re there).
*The first 13 episodes of season 4 aired in syndication while the rest of the episodes aired on CBS Saturday mornings. The syndicated episodes were the last to use the original title sequence and episode title cards. So, unfortunately, shuffling the syndicated and Saturday morning season 4 episodes around will result in jumbled title sequences.
*Okay, so about the Technodrome and the volcano. The Technodrome gets trapped in solidified lava in “The Dimension X Story”, an episode that for whatever reason is cataloged near the end of season 4. I went through every episode of this season and looked at all the establishing shots of the Technodrome, trying to determine which episodes took place before the volcanic eruption and which episodes took place afterward. I took screenshots, listened to dialogue for the word “lava”, compiled lists, revised them, and what was my conclusion?
*There is no way to tell. Establishing shots from “Plan 6 from Outer Space”, an episode that occurs before the volcano erupts, are reused in episodes that take place after the Technodrome has been buried in lava (the characters even mention the lava problem in the dialogue). Some episodes will use establishing shots where the Technodrome is buried in lava, then later use establishing shots where it isn’t.
*So I just gave up. And even then, some of those establishing shots where the Technodrome is “free” aren’t even that clear, as half the time the background painter still rendered the Technodrome as buried or wedged into the mountainside. So you can’t particularly tell one way or the other. I just moved “The Dimension X Story” to the start of the post-European Vacation episodes and was done with it.
*That said, “Son of Return of the Fly II” has to take place immediately after “The Dimension X Story” because the episode opens with Shredder and Krang reeling from the eruption and trying to get a status report on the Technodrome.
*I shuffled “Beyond the Donatello Nebula” toward the start of the season because it features a subplot where Donatello is searching for alien turtle life. “Planet of the Turtles” opens with him having found it, so the two episodes go together pretty well.
*“Name That Toon” and “Menace Maestro, Please” are a two-parter and have to go together.
*“The Turtles and the Hare” and “Once Upon a Time Machine” are also a two-parter. Combined, they formed the “Awesome Easter”, as it was called on VHS. These episodes aired between seasons 4 and 5 (but are cataloged as season 5). However, they have the original title sequence and title cards which were discontinued after the syndicated episodes of season 4, which is why I put them near the start of the season.
*A recurring character named Morgan J. Lofty appears in 3 episodes this season, but the order of his appearances was screwed up. His first appearance should be in “The Big Zipp Attack” (where the Turtles save him and his skyscraper). His next appearance is either “Rebel Without a Fin” (where he tells the Turtles, “You’ve done it again”) or “Slash – The Evil Turtle from Dimension X” (where he tells the Turtles, “This isn’t the first time you’ve helped me”). “Slash – The Evil Turtle from Dimension X” aired before the other two, hence why I had to rearrange them.
*Incidentally, in the season 6 episode, “Donatello Trashes Slash”, Michelangelo jokingly mentions that they first met Slash in episode 74. Unfortunately, there’s no manner of shuffling that can force “Slash – The Evil Turtle from Dimension X” into the #74 spot; not without messing up existing continuity. So I couldn’t pull a “Sky Turtles” with this one.
*“My Brother the Bad Guy” is a season 5 episode. Normally, the seasons would end with the Technodrome getting displaced, but season 4 ended on a non-finale for some reason and the Technodrome got waylaid in the Arctic chasm in the season 5 opener.
*Most of these episodes are from season 5 and yes, I shuffled “Enter: Mutagen Man” ahead of “Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko”. I just felt that this segment of my list should open with a Shredder/Krang story. I indulged myself. Forgive me.
*“Landlord of the Flies” is one of those episodes with irreconcilable continuity that I was talking about. It takes place after “Son of Return of the Fly II” but will be ignored completely by the season 7 episode “Revenge of the Fly” (which will also pick up where “Son of Return of the Fly II” left off). This is what I have to work with here, people.
*For most of season 5, the Technodrome is lodged in the bottom of a dark, icy chasm. In “The Ice Creature Cometh”, it briefly escapes from the chasm and into the light of day, only to be frozen in place by a melting ice monster. Any episode with an establishing shot that showed the Technodrome not in that chasm, but in the light of day, I shuffled to the end of the season.
*“Leonardo is Missing” is a season 6 episode, but it features the Technodrome in the arctic, so it takes place during season 5.
*I had a little trouble with “Planet of the Turtleoids”. It was a prime time special that aired at the start of season 5, then was broken into two-parts and rebroadcast on Saturday mornings in the middle of the season. Even more confusing, it is officially cataloged as being the finale of season 5. The establishing shot sees the Technodrome lodged in rocks, rather than ice, though the villains still use Driller Modules to get around, so they aren’t in Dimension X or anything. It’s a weird anomaly, but since the Technodrome is in the light of day and not at the bottom of a chasm, I guess it goes at the end of the season (as it is cataloged).
*Like season 4, season 5 didn’t have a real finale (since “Planet of the Turtleoids” never actually aired as a finale). So “Rock Around the Block”, the season 6 opener, is the one that waylays the Technodrome on the ocean floor for the next stretch of episodes.
*The Technodrome remained on the ocean floor for seasons 6 and 7. I already mentioned that the European Vacation episodes aired during season 7 in the US and are officially cataloged as season 7 episodes, but they aren’t part of the “real” season 7. “Night of the Dark Turtle” is the first episode of season 7, at least as it was broadcast on CBS.
*Incidentally, as another bit of irreconcilable continuity, the European Vacation episode “The Lost Queen of Atlantis” and the season 7 episode “Atlantis Awakes” feature two completely different depictions of Atlantis. And neither episode is aware of the other.
*There aren’t any multi-parters or necessary continuity to this season. However, “Escape from the Planet of the Turtleoids” ends with the Technodrome stealing a little bit of power. “Atlantis Awakes” sees the Technodrome using its last bit of power to attack Atlantis. I figured much like “Green with Jealousy” and “Return of the Fly”, they’d go together fairly well so I shuffled them that way. I moved “Atlantis Awakes” down to just before “Shredder Triumpant” because the active Technodrome seemed like a good primer for the season finale.
*The season ends with the Technodrome getting launched back into Dimension X, but stranding Shredder and Krang on Earth.
*Season 8 is the beginning of the “red sky” era where the series got a redesign and a more “serious” edge. This season, and all that follow, have a strict episode-to-episode continuity so there’ll be no more reorganizing from the cataloged order.
*This season features Shredder and Krang as the main villains (save a three-parter featuring the terrorist group H.A.V.O.C.), trying to get the Technodrome out of Dimension X (where it is lodged in a black hole). In the end, they're banished to Dimension X and the Technodrome is destroyed for good.
*Season 9 is the first of the seasons to see Lord Dregg as the primary antagonist.
*In this season, he pretends to be a friendly alien out to help the Earth. Of course, he just wants to take it over. April exposes him in the finale.
*Season 10, the final season, features Dregg forgoing any pretenses of deception and trying to take the Earth by force.
*Shredder and Krang return for a three-parter, but are ultimately banished to Dimension X once and for all. By the series finale, Dregg's followers abandon him, the Turtles succeed in defeating him and they graduate from ninja training as Splinter's equals.
*There have been appearances from the 1987 Turtles outside of the TMNT series proper. I didn’t include these appearances because most of them are a bit too, uh, “meta”. Yes, even by this show’s standards.
*For example, “Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue” features Michelangelo, yeah, but in the “real world” where he teams up with Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garfield, Slimer and Alf to convince a teenager that marijuana will destroy him and his entire family. Just… no.
*The “Turtle Tips” PSAs aired during season 4 as a bridge between episodes (TMNT was broadcast in a one-hour block during that season). I mean… I GUESS those PSAs could take place during the show, but they feature the characters talking directly to the audience. I mean, more so than usual.
*The “Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend” anime OVAs, a two-episode series, feature some incompatible continuity… even between their two episodes. The first episode features the Technodrome underground, the second episode has it in Dimension X. The OVAs were released after Japan stopped dubbing the American cartoon, so I view them as a splinter timeline branching off from “Donatello’s Badd Time” (the last episode dubbed in Japanese).
*All that being said, I would definitely say the 4Kids-produced “Turtles Forever” film and the various cameos/crossovers with the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon are “canon”. However, the writers for those stories play very loosely with continuity that would contradict or impact the Fred Wolf timeline.
*For instance, “Turtles Forever” concludes with the Technodrome returning to the Fred Wolf universe, but retaining the upgrades the 4Kids Shredder imposed upon it.
*The cameo in the Nickelodeon season 2 episode “Wormquake!” could really take place anywhere between Fred Wolf season 3 (because Casey Jones appears) and season 7 (because the Turtles are drawn in their pre-“red sky” designs). The Nickelodeon season 4 episode "Trans-Dimensional Turtles" is in a similar boat, though it features a completely revised origin for the Fred Wolf incarnation of Krang. The Nickelodeon season 5 multi-parter "Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady" features the Technodrome underground, which would seem to set it in Fred Wolf season 3, but it ends with the Technodrome being destroyed, Shredder and Krang being captured, and Bebop and Rocksteady turning over a new leaf. You just kind of have to roll with it.
I wish the people that made DVDs of animated shows put in this much work to put them in the right order.
My god, you put a hell of a lot more work into deciphering the continuity of this show than any of the show-runners or people in charge of the series did. Your hard work is appreciated.
Its rather obvious that the writers of this show were all writing scripts at the same time and had no idea what the other writers were doing, (hence two Atlantis, two alien Turtle Planets, etc), so all the scripts were written without any knowledge for the most part of what anyone else was doing. This is especially noticeable in Season 4 due to the sheer mass of episodes that season.
That being said the show had a lot of sequel episodes where past events were referenced or brought up, so it seems like if something happened in a previous season and they made a similar plot or brought back a recurring villain, it was usually remembered. I also sometimes wonder if Scumbug had a Season 5 episode planned but for some reason the script was never approved, hence why he recognizes the Turtles in Season 7. Season 5 brought in a lot of new mutants/characters like Muckman, Mutagen Man, Mondo Gecko, Wingnut/Screwlose, Groundchuck/Dirtbag....so I figure if Scumbug was ever planned to have an episode it likely would have been in Season 5.
After 10 seasons and multiple writers, changing broadcast stations, dozens of animation teams, and the fad dying...its actually something of a miracle the show was able to have a proper conclusion. The show could have ended on a random non-finale like the Season 4 or 6 final episodes (random mad scientist episodes), or what Japan stopped at, and that would have been terrible.
The original cartoon must have had one of the strangest production schedules in cartoon history. I always do appreciate that David Wise tried to keep the show on track as best he could. It really just shows how different cartoons are made between then and now.
But what about the Video games set in cartoon canon?
Nothing is sexier to Mark Pellegrini than orders and timelines.
One of the things the show could have done without were the 'this happened in episode -blank-' jokes since they're never set in the number the joke was referring to.
Even when they originally aired them they were messed up at times. They put the time machine episode FIRST and had everybody wondering who the hell Hokum Hare was... until the following day when they aired his introduction. Geez.
He gave up, but he makes some great points about season 2 continuity. Some of his season 3 changes are silly, but some make sense. Thought you might want to consider a couple of his ideas.
I don't agree with all of the OP of that thread's decisions, but he does make some good points.
I considered shuffling "Case of the Killer Pizzas" to before the Eye of Sarnath arc since Baxter is more or less on Shredder's good side in "Case", whereas his being banished to Dimension X for his failures in "Enter the Fly" makes that episode a better followup to "Curse of the Evil Eye" than "Case". My only reservation was that Krang helps Shredder in "Case" for failing to stop the Turtles on his own, which made more sense as an episode later in the season than in beginning. But Shredder's like about trying to "make a ninja out of" Baxter made more sense coming right after "Return of the Shredder" where he tries to train ninja goons, so... It's a bit of a give and take.
I'll go over some of his other season 2 suggestions and maybe take a few of them to heart and shuffle that season around a bit. Couldn't hurt.
but anyway, I was looking and at the wikipedia list of broadcast order versus episode number, I'm a stickler for watching things in some kind of proper order with any show, and it was just so confusing. I googled "tmnt 1987 watch order" and this came up. I'll be using your method to rewatch them even if it is a lot of shuffling around.
Hi Mark, it's great you decided to tackle this. I don't agree with all your decisions but you mostly I think did well with this. Just want to point out about the plot similarities issue that occurred I contacted David Wise just yesterday and he mentioned he wasn't aware of previous scripts by other writers hence the plot similarities. Jack Mendelsohn as script editor must have forgot about those previous stories. Hope that clarification helps.
The episode titles in the lists are transparent. They have white text on (in the mobile view) a white background.
Hey Mark, I'll be viewing the episodes in the order you have compiled starting tomorrow when its the 23rd of April where I live. At a rate of one episode a day, I should be able to finish all 193 episodes by the 2nd November, 2016, exaclty 20 years after the original cartoon ended.
This should be an entertaining marathon. Gotta love the OT.
First, regarding "Tower of Power" and "Rust Never Sleeps", I've figured out that the two sort-of work together if you watch "Tower of Power" up to the arrival in Paris, then watch "Rust Never Sleeps", then watch the rest of "Tower of Power".
Second, I've always felt that "Cyber Turtles" and "Turtle Trek" should occur immediately after "Wrath of the Rat King", as the Turtles spend all their time tracking and fighting Shredder and Krang (rather obessively, in fact) during the Season 8 episodes in which they appear, but aren't concerned about Shredder and Krang at all in "State of Shock" and the HAVOC trilogy.
That's an awesome list you've got here. My only problem with it is my fondness for the CBS Hour format, where the first episode would be a Shredder episode and the second would be a Shredderless episode that usually focused on an individual turtle. So I've come up with my own alternate viewing order list for the CBS Hour seasons (4-7) relying on a combo of your viewing order, the Official List, and RowdyC's Ninja Turtle Retrospective videos where he adamantly, even angrily, insists his memory of the broadcast order is more accurate than the Official List. Whether it is, it definitely makes more sense. And so here it is.
* The Big Cufflink Caper!/What's Michelangelo Good For?
* Invasion of the Krangazoids/Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter!
Hi Mark, I came across your blog and reviews of the '87 TMNT show after deciding to dive into this world myself. I bought all of the DVD sets as they were being released, so I never did buy any of the 'complete' sets. I'm not sure if the complete box sets had any supplemental material that would help decipher the episode order.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to just throw a bone his way and ask if he by any miraculous chance has a list of production codes or something and point him to the INSANE dedication you've made by trying to figure this stuff out. He might even know why some decisions were made with the simultaneous syndication and CBS stuff.
Anyways, great work on your list, and this would be the order I'd watch the episodes, unless a production code list materializes and conflicts with it. I don't know where the content for that 'TV Broadcast' column on the episode guides on Wikipedia came from. Someone knew that there was a cancelled episode intended as the 10th in Season 2, but there's no citation.
I meant it would be nice to get season 3 and 4 down to 20 or less.
Can you do this for the 2003-2009 series also? I know there's a timeline at Jephael's fansite, but I'm talking about an episode order.
^As far as I know, there was nothing particularly wrong with the regular order of the 2003 episodes. Why do you want a list? Did you find something was amiss?
Also, mad props for making this list, Mark.
The site is SUPER-AWESOME!!!!! Thank you for providing A LOT of the information there! It's good to see some more super heroic cartoon guides to be like that! | 2019-04-22T02:20:35Z | http://tmntentity.blogspot.com/2016/01/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-1987.html?showComment=1461280194151 |
Dane McCaslin, author of the new cozy mystery A Bird in the Hand, is treating MRM readers to a FANTASTIC giveaway! She's offering not one but TWO autographed copies of A Bird in the Hand.
Check out Dane's recent guest post for a peek at an excerpt of A Bird in the Hand. If you just can't wait to read the whole thing, you can pick it up for only 99 cents for Kindle for a limited time.
Please comment below to enter the giveaway! Share this post on social media for a second entry; just comment and let us know you did so. Please Note: If you are commenting anonymously, please leave your full Facebook name or email address so that we may contact you in case you win! Non US residents are eligible for the contest, but will receive a Kindle book rather than a physical copy. Winners will be chosen via random number generator on Thursday, April 2nd!
Dane McCaslin, author of the new Proverbial Crime mystery series, resides in the state of Arizona with her very patient husband. She has been writing all of her life: poetry, short stories, journals, letters (yes, those old-fashioned epistles that require pen and paper), and now she brings her talents to the cozy mystery genre.
In addition to being an author, Dane McCaslin is an educator. She currently teaches advanced language arts classes for grade 11; additionally, she teaches beginning writing classes at the local university. Being an educator is an important part of her life, and passing on her passion for reading and writing is one of her great joys.
Julie Mulhern, author of The Deep End and Guaranteed to Bleed (October, 2015), joins us today to tell us about the questions she hears most often since she’s been published.
Not exactly a question but those four words strung together can make me straighten my spine, paste on a polite smile, fold my hands in my lap, and cross my ankles.
I feel compelled to make a good impression. In that, I have much in common with the heroine of The Deep End, Ellison Russell. We might also share a certain tendency toward snark but I’m trying to make a good impression so we won’t go into that.
Is there ever a clean, easy answer to that question? I had a dream about a sparkly vampire in a field of flowers…. It’s not so clear cut for me. The truth? I’m happier when I’m writing. I might even be easier to live with.
I got home and glanced at the clock on the wall—a quarter ‘til ten, a full fifteen minutes before Frances Walford ever got up.
Par for the course of my morning—not only was Mother up, she’d driven to my house and taken up a strategic position in my kitchen, ready for battle with a helmet of teased white hair and her everyday armor—diamonds on her knuckles and a serviceable navy dress. Someone must have called and told her that her odd, artistic daughter had found a body.
I’d wanted nothing more than a quiet moment to reflect, a shower, and a decent cup of coffee. Instead, I got my mother demanding to hear about my morning. At least she’d made coffee.
Of course she was. Just like the Romans were trying to help the Christians when they introduced them to the lions.
“You look like hell,” she added. So much for being solicitous. Mother reached into the refrigerator and pushed things around until she found the cream, then opened the container and sniffed.
My mother froze. The cream spilling from the carton into her coffee cup froze. Max, who’d padded into the kitchen in hopes someone would leave food unattended, froze. I’d broken the cardinal rule of the Walfords. Thou shall not air dirty laundry in public.
“Why would you tell them that?” Her voice was arctic.
She wanted to tell me I was being fanciful. Her mouth opened, her lips even formed the words—but she couldn’t do it. The morning’s events supported me. Madeline was dead and I’d been hauled to the police station in my swimsuit.
I took a very deep breath and reached for the coffee pot. “I didn’t have much choice.” All things being equal I would have preferred to wear actual clothes to a testosterone-filled squad room.
Yes. It was all Madeline’s fault. How inconsiderate of her to get murdered.
Julie Mulhern is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions. She is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist. The Deep End is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award.
MRM looked at this list and yelled "WOO! Gettin' me some e-books today!"* It is a pretty impressive list, so snap them up while you can. HAHA! ~Mrs. MRM.
Our guest post today is from National Bestselling Author of the Lella York mysteries, Maria Grazia Swan. Don't miss this one, because there's an awesome giveaway at the end!!
Growing up I read a lot. Possibly because back then we didn’t have television, telephones or computers. Our small town at the foot of the Alps did have one movie theater, owned by the parish, and I did get to watch the occasional Shirley Temple movie (Italian dubbing), and no, it wasn’t in the thirties or the forties, or…okay, you get the picture. Remember movie night on the TV show “MASH”? Well that’s the way we got to watch movies, the same ones over and over, with frequent interruptions to fix the reel.
I preferred reading. My favorites were I Gialli Mondadori. Sounds fancy but in reality that was the label of Italian Publisher Mondadori’s mystery imprint. Their mystery line was called ‘Gialli’ because of their yellow book covers. That name stuck and today mysteries released in Italy are commonly known as Gialli. My favorite author was Agatha Christie, the queen of mystery.
All went well until I sold more manuscripts to more publishers and one of them pointed out my books were more suspense than mystery.
Say what? Where did I go wrong? Huuh, I still kill fictional people. And my goal is the same; to make you sweat trying to guess whodunit.
I decided to check out the official definition of mystery. Here is what I found.
Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.
I would like to thanks Must Read Mysteries (Not Suspense!) for giving me the opportunity to share this with you, and I hope you all rush to your favorite online bookseller and buy one of my books. Regardless of whether you are a mystery or a suspense lover, I hope you sweat profusely trying to guess whodunit. Ciao.
Best selling author Maria Grazia Swan was born in Italy, but this rolling stone has definitely gathered no moss. She lived in Belgium, France, Germany, in beautiful Orange County, California where she raised her family, and is currently at home in Phoenix, Arizona--but stay tuned for weekly updates of Where in the World is Maria Grazia Swan?
As a young girl, her vivid imagination predestined her to be a writer. She won her first literary award at the age of fourteen while living in Belgium. As a young woman Maria returned to Italy to design for--ooh-la-la--haute couture.
You can find out more by visiting her website www.mariagraziaswan.com or connecting with her on Facebook.
Maria Grazia Swan is very generously sponsoring a giveaway for Must Read Mysteries readers! Please comment below for a chance to win your choice of a signed paperback copy of Death Under the Venice Moon or a $10 Amazon card. Winners will be chosen on Friday, March 20th via random number generator. Share this post on social media for an additional entry - just comment below and let us know you shared! Please Note: If you are commenting as "Anonymous," please leave your Facebook name or some other way to contact you!
Dane McCaslin, author of Murder at the Miramar and Becklaw's Murder Mystery Tour, joins us today to discuss the importance of analytical skills in life and mystery writing. We're so pleased to share an excerpt from her newest book, A Bird in the Hand.
Monday through Friday, 180 days a year, from 7:10 to 2:20, I hang out with kids who are almost four decades younger than I. And I do it voluntarily. Yes, there is the paycheck, but I could do other things with my degrees. Instead, I choose to teach.
Before you begin oohing and aahing and telling me that I'm a hero (although I suppose I might be, academic-wise), know that I learn as much - if not more - from my students. Their perspectives range from naive to informed to jaded, and I'm always amazed at the ferocity they display in defending their points of view. It's my challenge to help them learn how to channel this intellectual energy into something productive and useful for society. After all, they will be voting and defending this country in just two short years, and I want them to know WHY they do what they do and make an informed choice. Analysis is not something we're born with. It's a skill we need to learn, much as sharing our toys and respecting those around us needs to be learned.
Hercule Poirot, one of the classic literary detectives and he of the ’little grey cells’, showed me how analysis, rather than brute force, was the way to solve a problem. Because I adore all things Agatha Christie, it should be no surprise that my own books take several analytical twists before the final reveal of the villain. And it should be no surprise that my own protagonist, Caro Layton-Browning, is herself a British expat and writer; her impact on the fairly sedate township of Seneca Meadows, New York is as forceful as it is comedic. Here is an excerpt from A Bird in the Hand, Book One of the Proverbial Crime Mysteries.
I sat and observed Ms. Wentworth with concern, although I myself have been guilty of the same response. When I am misunderstood, I can howl with the best of them. However, Ms. Wentworth's tears, which were threatening to undo the little makeup she was wearing, did not seem to fall in that category. I believed that the woman genuinely loved the mayor's daughter, although in what capacity precisely I could not say. Still, she was asking for my help, at least tacitly, and who was I to refuse?
I replaced my notebook into my bag and left it sitting next to the chair as I walked across to Ms. Wentworth's desk. I believe in inspiration of the moment, going with the flow, as they say. I placed a hand gently on her shoulder and felt a renewed burst of sobbing. Fabulous. Now what was I to do?
I cast about the room for any sign of tissue, finally spotting a box tucked onto an alcove shelf near the door. I strode across to it, seized it quickly, and fairly skipped back to the weeping woman. I extracted several tissues and gently placed them in the vicinity of Ms. Wentworth's hands. Thankfully, she took said tissues and lifted them in a clenched fist to pat at her eyes. I stepped back around the desk and stood in the middle of the office, waiting for the waterworks to subside.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Browning." She was putting the tissues to good use, rolling the soggy ball around her face and ultimately smearing her mascara into thick black streaks. "I have no idea why I did that." She finished dismantling her makeup and tossed the used tissues into a trashcan that sat next to her desk.
I can recall a dinner that I attended shortly after the publication of my first book. I was nervous amid the company of other authors and publishers, and I was tickled pink to find myself sharing a table with one of my favorite writers. Unfortunately, I spent most of the evening trying not to stare at the glob of pesto sauce trapped in his rather generous moustaches, and I admit that I've not been able to read one of his books since without recalling that night. Not to mention that I've permanently been put off of anything slightly resembling pesto since then.
I looked back at Ms. Wentworth, determined to keep my eyes fixed on hers and not on the abstract art she now sported on her face. Drawing in a deep breath, I said, "It is perfectly fine, Ms. Wentworth. Crying can make us feel better, as odd as that sounds. At least it does me," I added hastily. Lord knows I didn't want to come across as patronizing. I figured if I sounded like I was part of a sisterhood of sobbing, I'd be able to get an explanation out of her.
"I do appreciate your sentiments, I really do, but there is nothing in this world that will help me to feel better." And with that, Ms. Wentworth broke into tears again.
I retraced my steps back over to the tissues, this time grabbing the entire box and plopping it down on the desk next to Ms. Wentworth. She blindly reached out for a tissue and managed to knock the box onto the floor. I bent over to pick it up just as she leaned over, and the resulting cracking of heads made me see stars, another cliché that I'd just proven to be true. Between fainting at the park, falling flat on my back, and now risking brain damage, I'd have to make an appointment to see my doctor ASAP.
"Oh, my goodness! Are you okay, Mrs. Browning? Oh, I am so, so sorry," Ms. Wentworth babbled, thrusting one hand out to steady me as I attempted to gain my feet—and managed to whack me across the nose. I felt, rather than saw, the blood spurt, and that was the last thing I can remember before my knees crumpled, and I once again hit the deck.
At least this time I was closer to the ground and didn't have as far to fall.
For the second time that day, I came to with Gregory's face bobbing above mine. Instead of Trixie's incessant yipping this time around, it was Ms. Wentworth's voice that I heard as she squeaked out an apology to my husband. As I gained consciousness, it occurred to me that I was the one who should be apologized to, but that thought was quickly replaced by the concern that my poor nose was possibly broken. I moved a shaky hand towards my schnozz but was stopped by Greg's firm hand.
"Leave it alone, Caro. You'll only make it bleed again." His voice seemed to come from the far end of a long pipe, echoing around my still swimming head. I forced my eyes fully open, trying to focus on his face. Ms. Wentworth's anxious eyes appeared behind Gregory's head, creating the appearance of a two-headed monster staring down at me. I quickly closed my eyes, willing the sudden nausea to go away. All I needed was to vomit while in my prone position. With my current streak of luck, I'd probably choke to death.
I had a sudden clear thought. How in the world had my industrious spouse known where to find me? This train of thought spurred me to sit up, which wasn't such a great idea. I was still quite woozy, and I had to lean into Greg's side as another bout of dizziness hit me.
"I still think I need to call the paramedics," Ms. Wentworth said, her voice strung tightly, now soprano rather than the rich contralto I had heard earlier.
"No, I'm fine," I managed to mumble, but Greg's voice overrode mine.
"I'm taking her to the emergency room. This is the second time today she's fainted, and she needs to have her head examined." I could hear an undertone of amusement in his voice and wanted nothing more at that moment than to place a swift kick where it would hurt. Head examined, indeed!
I wish I could say that I enjoyed the attention I received at the local emergency room, with a very cute resident flicking a penlight off and on in my eyes and an equally darling doctor watching from the foot of the bed. I tried, for the first few minutes at least, to join in the conversation, but a strange hollow feeling in my ears precluded me from actually hearing what was being said. From the various looks I was getting, I could tell that I was not making any sense, so I very wisely decided to stay quiet.
"…blood work. I'll get the orders written." I caught the tail end of the doctor's comments and nearly came unglued.
"Absolutely not!" I said firmly, causing Gregory to jump at least two feet into the air and the resident to put a hand to his heart as if I'd just given him the first stirrings of a heart attack. Maybe I did speak a bit loudly, I'll give them that, but enough with the theatrics! I simply did not want to see another drop of blood again.
"Caro," began my longsuffering spouse, leaning over the safety rail that presumably was keeping me in place. "The doctor wants to check a few things, and the only way to do that is to take some of your blood." He backed away from me slightly upon uttering those last two words.
I glared up at him. If that was so important, I wanted to ask, why in the world couldn't they just scrape the blood from my face? Instead, I settled for closing my eyes, much as my youngest nephew would do whenever he wanted me to believe that he had disappeared. Maybe if I clicked my heels together as well, I would wake up in my own house, in my own bed.
Two hours later, with a diagnosis of slight concussion—no broken nose, thank goodness—and a prescription for some of the largest sleeping pills I had ever seen, we turned into our driveway. My car was still parked at His Highness's office, but I was too groggy to consider how I would get it home.
At least my trip to the ER had resurrected Gregory's manners. He solicitously opened my door and held my elbow as we walked up to the house, although now that I think about it, it was most likely just a preemptive strike against another fainting spell. Whatever the reason, he did help me into my jammies, put my bloodstained blouse to soak in cold water, and brought me a cup of tea. I was determined to enjoy this treatment for as long as I could milk it.
I had a decent night's sleep, thanks to the shot of Demerol that I'd gotten for the pain in my nose, and I awakened feeling fairly human. Gregory was still slumbering, lying on his back, one hand thrown up behind him as if warding off Trixie, who lay curled between us and snoring to beat the band. Come to think of it, my dear husband was snoring as well, the two of them joined in a duet of nasal intonations. I smiled at my two bedmates and then grimaced. My face was sore, and I felt as though I'd gone a round or two in the ring with a champion prizefighter.
Sliding one leg at a time from under the covers so as not to wake either of the sleeping beauties, I managed to slip from the bed and stand upright, gripping the nightstand momentarily to stabilize myself. When I was sure I could move without listing to one side, I tiptoed to the bathroom and nearly fainted again, this time from shock.
Not only did I feel like I'd been worked over by a prizefighter, I looked the part as well. My nose, swollen to nearly twice its size, was centered between two very black eyes. Good lord, I thought as I surveyed the damage, I'd have to wear a sandwich board with the explanation written all over it, otherwise my friends might think that Gregory…I paused mid-thought. No, better to remain silent about the whole thing and let the world think what it would, I thought a bit self-righteously. After all, who was I to tell folks what to think?
And with cheery thought, I started off down the hall to make coffee.
I generally love the early morning hours. I tend to have the most energy then, and for me it is not an age thing. I have always preferred the day to the night, except for a brief time during my late teens. The men in my life, both husband and friends alike, accuse me of operating only during daylight hours. Once the sun goes down, I follow suit. It's really not that drastic, but close enough to gain the reputation of being a sunup to sundown type of gal.
I dragged my single cup coffee maker to the edge of the granite counter, the better to insert a tiny container of Nantucket blend coffee. I nearly knocked an African violet to the floor as I turned to grab a mug from the open shelf near the stove. It is one of the few potted plants that refuses to succumb to my obvious indifference.
Eventually, mug of coffee in hand, I sank into one of the kitchen chairs and stared unseeing out our window. My mind felt as though cotton had been tucked around all the edges, which could probably be blamed on the drugs, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. Quite the opposite, in fact. I hadn't sat down and truly relaxed in a great while.
A slight movement brought my mind to bear once more, and I leaned forward to get a better glimpse of whatever it was skulking—yes, I did say skulking—behind the Cat Lady's house. Either one of her precious felines had learned to walk upright, or else there was someone who was up to no good.
I got to my feet as swiftly as my battered body would allow and retrieved my birding binoculars from my office. Training them on the window, I adjusted the eyepieces and nearly dropped them in the process. A man, all in dark clothing and working what looked like a metal bar, was attempting to pry open my neighbor's back door.
I hesitated, chewing on my lip as I sorted out a few things, such as, would Gregory still feel inclined to chivalry this morning? Or perhaps I should be the one to call in the cavalry. At least I wouldn't get mad at myself for waking me up, since I was already up and…I stopped. I was arguing with myself while whoever it was—and maybe it was just an HOA board member, fed up with all the complaints—let himself into the neighbor's home.
I looked back at the window, squinting just right to see what the perp was doing. Wait—he'd moved to another window, and this time I could tell that he wasn't trying to open anything but was instead squirting a substance along each window frame as well as the foundation. I gaped, wondering if this was some joke.
Just as I stretched out my hand to grab the house phone, Cat Lady herself emerged from the back door. I watched, fascinated, as the burglar pulled the hood off of his head and accepted the mug that she handed him. Good grief, I thought, eyeing the tableau with amazement. Was it now considered proper form to hand out refreshments to criminals?
I saw the man take a few sips and then set the mug down on the back steps, ostensibly listening as my neighbor bent his ear about something. Probably raving on about her wonderful cats, I thought sourly, and then my attention was once again riveted to the scene before me.
A second dark-clothed figure had joined them, apparently coming from the front of the house. He held a long wand-like apparatus in one hand and a large container of something in the other. It hit me then like the proverbial brick, something my poor head did not need. They were animal control technicians, there to remove every one of those mangy animals from the house. I almost laughed aloud in relief, and might have done so if it hadn't been for my slumbering bedmates just down the hall. I'm careful to guard my alone time in the morning and had no desire to share it with a bumbling, stubble-ridden spouse—even if he had saved me twice yesterday—and a demanding dog.
I had just decided to find a comfy spot in which to read the morning paper when another movement caught my attention, and this time I had no doubt about what I was seeing. Mrs. Grayson was now struggling with the coffee-drinking technician—or burglar, or whatever he was—as he forced her through her back door, a cloth held to her nose, followed by the second man, who glanced over his shoulder before he followed his buddy and my neighbor into the house.
Now what? Did our local animal control offer other services of which I was not aware? Or had I just witnessed a crime in the making? Mind made up, I bolted from the kitchen and galloped down the hall, almost colliding with a yawning Gregory.
"Quick!" I gasped out, "Call the police! The Cat Lady's being…" Here I broke off. She was being what? Burgled? No, that only happened when the owner was not present. Robbed? Perhaps, although who'd want to abscond with a houseful of cats I had no idea.
"Don't just stand there!" I shrieked. "The HOA has taken the Cat Lady hostage!" | 2019-04-21T00:14:00Z | http://www.mustreadmysteries.com/2015/03/ |
Which Protocol: UDP, TCP, or RELP?
A key best practice for logging is to centralize or aggregate your logs in one place, especially if you have multiple servers or tiers in your architecture. We’ll tell you why this is a good idea and give tips on how to do it easily.
It can be cumbersome to look at individual log files if you have many servers. Modern web sites and services often include multiple tiers of servers, distributed with load balancers, and more. It’d take a long time to hunt down the right file, and even longer to correlate problems across servers. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding the information you are looking for hasn’t been captured, or the log file that could have held the answer has just been lost after a restart.
Centralizing your logs makes them faster to search, which can help you solve production issues faster. You don’t have to guess which server had the issue because all the logs are in one place. Additionally, you can use more powerful tools to analyze them, including log management solutions. These solutions can transform plain text logs into fields that can be easily searched and analyzed.
They are safer from accidental or intentional loss when they are backed up and archived in a separate location. If your servers go down or are unresponsive, you can use the centralized logs to debug the problem.
You don’t have to worry about ssh or inefficient grep commands requiring more resources on troubled systems.
You don’t have to worry about full disks, which can crash your servers.
You can keep your production servers secure without giving your entire team access just to look at logs. It’s much safer to give your team access to logs from the central location.
With centralized log management, you still must deal with the risk of being unable to transfer logs to the centralized location due to poor network connectivity or of using up a lot of network bandwidth. We’ll discuss how to intelligently address these issues in the sections below.
rsyslog is a light-weight daemon installed on most common Linux distributions.
syslog-ng is the second most popular syslog daemon for Linux.
logstash is a heavier-weight agent that can do more advanced processing and parsing.
fluentd is another agent with advanced processing capabilities.
Rsyslog is the most popular daemon for centralizing your log data because it’s installed by default in most common distributions of Linux. You don’t need to download it or install it, and it’s lightweight so it won’t take up much of your system resources.
If you need more advanced filtering or custom parsing capabilities, Logstash is the next most popular choice if you don’t mind the extra system footprint.
Since rsyslog is the most widely used syslog daemon, we’ll show how to configure it to centralize logs. The global configuration file is located at /etc/rsyslog.conf. It loads modules, sets global directives, and has an include for application-specific files located in the directory /etc/rsyslog.d/. This directory contains /etc/rsyslog.d/50-default.conf which instructs rsyslog to write the system logs to file. You can read more about the configuration files in the rsyslog documentation.
The configuration language for rsyslog is RainerScript. You set up specific inputs for logs as well as actions to output them to another destination. Rsyslog already configures standard defaults for syslog input, so you usually just need to add an output to your log server. Here is an example configuration for rsyslog to output logs to an external server. In this example, BEBOP is the hostname of the server, so you should replace it with your own server name.
You could send your logs to a log server with ample storage to keep a copy for search, backup, and analysis. If you’re storing logs in the file system, then you should set up log rotation to keep your disk from getting full.
Alternatively, you can send these logs to a log management solution. If your solution is installed locally you can send it to your local host and port as specified in your system documentation. If you use a cloud-based provider, you will send them to the hostname and port specified by your provider.
You can centralize all the files in a directory or matching a wildcard pattern. The nxlog and syslog-ng daemons support both directories and wildcards (*).
Common versions of rsyslog can’t monitor directories directly. As a workaround, you can setup a cron job to monitor the directory for new files, then configure rsyslog to send those files to a destination, such as your log management system. As an example, the log management vendor Loggly has an open source version of a script to monitor directories.
There are three main protocols that you can choose from when you transmit data over the Internet. The most common is UDP for your local network and TCP for the Internet. If you cannot lose logs, then use the more advanced RELP protocol.
UDP sends a datagram packet, which is a single packet of information. It’s an outbound-only protocol, so it doesn’t send you an acknowledgement of receipt (ACK). It makes only one attempt to send the packet. UDP can be used to smartly degrade or drop logs when the network gets congested. It’s most commonly used on reliable networks like localhost.
TCP sends streaming information in multiple packets and returns an ACK. TCP makes multiple attempts to send the packet, but is limited by the size of the TCP buffer. This is the most common protocol for sending logs over the Internet.
RELP is the most reliable of these three protocols but was created for rsyslog and has less industry adoption. It acknowledges receipt of data in the application layer and will resend if there is an error. Make sure your destination also supports this protocol.
If rsyslog encounters a problem when storing logs, such as an unavailable network connection, it can queue the logs until the connection is restored. The queued logs are stored in memory by default. However, memory is limited and if the problem persists, the logs can exceed memory capacity.
Warning: You can lose data if you store logs only in memory.
When the security and privacy of your data is a concern, you should consider encrypting your logs. Sniffers and middlemen could read your log data if you transmit it over the Internet in clear text. You should encrypt your logs if they contain private information, sensitive identification data, or government-regulated data. The rsyslog daemon can encrypt your logs using the TLS protocol and keep your data safer.
Generate a certificate authority (CA). There are sample certificates in /contrib/gnutls, which are good only for testing, but you need to create your own for production. If you’re using a log management service, it will have one ready for you.
Generate a digital certificate for your server to enable SSL operation, or use one from your log management service provider.
Configure your rsyslog daemon to send TLS-encrypted data to your log management system.
Here’s an example rsyslog configuration with TLS encryption. Replace CERT and DOMAIN_NAME with your own server setting.
In addition to the logs that Linux creates by default, it’s also a good idea to centralize logs from important applications. Almost all Linux-based server class applications write their status information in separate, dedicated log files. This includes database products like PostgreSQL or MySQL, web servers like Nginx or Apache, firewalls, print and file sharing services, directory and DNS servers and so on.
The first thing administrators do after installing an application is to configure it. Linux applications typically have a .conf file somewhere within the /etc directory. It can be somewhere else too, but that’s the first place where people look for configuration files.
Depending on how complex or large the application is, the number of settable parameters can be few or in hundreds. As mentioned before, most applications would write their status in some sort of log file: configuration file is where log settings are defined among other things.
Linux systems typically save their log files under /var/log directory. This works fine, but check if the application saves under a specific directory under /var/log. If it does, great, if not, you may want to create a dedicated directory for the app under /var/log. Why? That’s because other applications save their log files under /var/log too and if your app saves more than one log file – perhaps once every day or after each service restart – it may be a bit difficult to trawl through a large directory to find the file you want.
If you have the more than one instance of the application running in your network, this approach also comes handy. Think about a situation where you may have a dozen web servers running in your network. When troubleshooting any one of the boxes, you would know exactly where to go.
Use a standard filename for the latest logs from your application. This makes it easy because you can monitor and tail a single file. Many applications add some sort of date time stamp in them. This makes it much more difficult to find the latest file and to setup file monitoring by rsyslog. A better approach is to add timestamps to older log files using logrotate. This makes them easier to archive and search historically.
Is the log file going to be overwritten after each application restart? If so, we recommend turning that off. After each restart the app should append to the log file. That way, you can always go back to the last log line before the restart.
Even if the application writes a new log file after each restart, how is it saving in the current log? Is it appending to one single, massive file? Linux systems are not known for frequent reboots or crashes: applications can run for very long periods without even blinking, but that can also make the log file very large. If you are trying to analyze the root cause of a connection failure that happened last week, you could easily be searching through tens of thousands of lines.
We recommend you configure the application to rotate its log file once every day, say at mid-night.
Why? Well it becomes manageable for a starter. It’s much easier to find a file name with a specific date time pattern than to search through one file for that date’s entries. Files are also much smaller: you don’t think vi has frozen when you open a log file. Secondly, if you are sending the log file over the wire to a different location – perhaps a nightly backup job copying to a centralized log server – it doesn’t chew up your network’s bandwidth. Third and final, it helps with your log retention. If you want to cull old log entries, it’s easier to delete files older than a particular date than to have an application parsing one single large file.
How long do you keep a log file? That definitely comes down to business requirement. You could be asked to keep one week’s worth of logging information, or it may be a regulatory requirement to keep ten years’ worth of data. Whatever it is, logs need to go from the server at one time or other.
In our opinion, unless otherwise required, keep at least a month’s worth of log files online, plus copy them to a secondary location like a logging server. Anything older than that can be offloaded to a separate media. For example, if you are on AWS, your older logs can be copied to Glacier.
Linux best practice usually suggests mounting the /var directory to a separate file system. This is because of the high number of I/Os associated with this directory. We would recommend mounting /var/log directory under a separate disk system. This can save I/O contention with the main application’s data. Also, if the number of log files becomes too large or the single log file becomes too big, it doesn’t fill up the entire disk.
What information should be captured in each log entry?
That depends on what you want to use the log for. Do you want to use it only for troubleshooting purposes, or do you want to capture everything that’s happening? Is it a legal requirement to capture what each user is running or viewing?
If you are using logs for troubleshooting purposes, save only errors, warnings or fatal messages. There’s no reason to capture debug messages, for example. The app may log debug messages by default or another administrator might have turned this on for another troubleshooting exercise, but you need to turn this off because it can definitely fill up the space quickly. At a minimum, capture the date, time, client application name, source IP or client host name, action performed and the message itself.
# log_file_mode = 0600 .
# Automatic rotation of logfiles will happen after that time. 0 disables.
log_rotation_size = 0 # Automatic rotation of logfiles will happen after that much log output. 0 disables.
Although most parameters are commented out, they assume default values. We can see the log file directory is pg_log (log_directory parameter), the file names should start with postgresql (log_filename parameter), the files are rotated once every day (log_rotation_age parameter) and the log entries start with a timestamp (log_line_prefix parameter). Of particular interest is the log_line_prefix parameter: there is a whole gamut of information you can include there.
So the log files only have the name of the weekday stamped in the file name. We can change it. How? Configure the log_filename parameter in postgresql.conf.
Replace FILE1 and APPNAME1 with your own file and application names. Rsyslog will send it to the outputs you have configured.
A socket is similar to a UNIX file handle except that the socket is read into memory by your syslog daemon and then sent to the destination. No file needs to be written. As an example, the logger command sends its logs to this UNIX socket.
This approach makes efficient use of system resources if your server is constrained by disk I/O or you have no need for local file logs. The disadvantage of this approach is that the socket has a limited queue size. If your syslog daemon goes down or can’t keep up, then you could lose log data.
Some applications output log data in UDP format, which is the standard syslog protocol when transferring log files over a network or your localhost. Your syslog daemon receives these logs and can process them or transmit them in a different format. Alternately, you can send the logs to your log server or to a log management solution.
Log rotation is a process that archives log files automatically when they reach a specified age. Without intervention, log files keep growing, using up disk space. Eventually they will crash your machine.
The logrotate utility can truncate your logs as they age, freeing up space. Your new log file retains the filename. Your old log file is renamed with a number appended to the end of it. Each time the logrotate utility runs, a new file is created and the existing file is renamed in sequence. You determine the threshold when old files are deleted or archived.
When logrotate copies a file, the new file has a new inode, which can interfere with rsyslog’s ability to monitor the new file. You can alleviate this issue by adding the copytruncate parameter to your logrotate cron job. This parameter copies existing log file contents to a new file and truncates these contents from the existing file. The inode never changes because the log file itself remains the same; its contents are in a new file.
The logrotate utility uses the main configuration file at /etc/logrotate.conf and application-specific settings in the directory /etc/logrotate.d/. DigitalOcean has a detailed tutorial on logrotate.
When you have just a few servers, you can manually configure logging on them. Once you have a few dozen or more servers, you can take advantage of tools that make this easier and more scalable. At a basic level, all of these copy your rsyslog configuration to each server, and then restart rsyslog so the changes take effect.
This tool lets you run an ssh command on several servers in parallel. Use a pssh deployment for only a small number of servers. If one of your servers fails, then you have to ssh into the failed server and do the deployment manually. If you have several failed servers, then the manual deployment on them can take a long time.
Puppet and Chef are two different tools that can automatically configure all of the servers in your network to a specified standard. Their reporting tools let you know about failures and can resync periodically. Both Puppet and Chef have enthusiastic supporters. If you aren’t sure which one is more suitable for your deployment configuration management, you might appreciate InfoWorld’s comparison of the two tools.
Docker uses containers to run applications independent of the underlying server. Everything runs from inside a container, which you can think of as a unit of functionality. ZDNet has an in-depth article about using Docker in your data center.
There are several ways to log from Docker containers including linking to a logging container, logging to a shared volume, or adding a syslog agent directly inside the container. One of the most popular logging containers is called logspout.
Most log management solutions offer scripts or agents to make sending data from one or more servers relatively easy. Heavyweight agents can use up extra system resources. Some vendors like Loggly offer configuration scripts to make using existing syslog daemons easier. Here is an example script from Loggly which can run on any number of servers. | 2019-04-25T22:10:09Z | https://www.loggly.com/ultimate-guide/ultimate-guide/managing-linux-logs/ |
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The history of backgammon is long, complicated. very incomplete - and fascinating. The exact origins of the game remain unknown, though there is much conjecture, a good deal of it both ingenious and farfetched.
The history of backgammon is not solved yet and probably never will be. In particular tracing the development of backgammon through the different variants of board games back to its real origins is nearly impossible.
H.J. Murray states that backgamon has two ancestors: the roman Tabulae (also called Alea) and the arabian Nard or Nardschir. although there are also some board games in Asia which have similarities with backgammon, due to the long distances, it is less likely that there is a direct link between those Asian games and backgammon, than with "Tabulae" and "Nard". More likely is the dissemination via the Arabian and Mediterranean region, supported by the expansion of the Roman empire and later by the crusades. I have therefore omitted Asian games in this tabular overview.
This tabular history will not explain where the name backgammon comes from. For an answer to that question have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions.
Any feedback on this tabular history of backgammon by eMail is appreciated.
ca. 3500 BC The game Senet, a running board game distantly related to backgammon, is played in Egypt. It is, however, doubted that backgammon developed directly from Senet, as there were no Senet boards found from the period 1500 BC to 200 AD, so there seems to be a missing link.
ca. 3000 BC In Shahr-i Sokhta (literally "Burnt City"), a Bronze Age urban settlement in the southeast of today's Iran in the province of Sistan, a game very similar to backgammon is played. Findings in the "Burt City" in 2004 seem to have unearthed the oldest backgammon board. The board is rectangular and made of ebony 2) . The game was found together with 60 (!) pieces and cubic dice. Iranian archaeologists claim, that these findings are at least 200 years older than the game board found in the Royal Tombs of Ur.
ca. 2600 BC Two game boards found in the Sumerian Royal Tombs of Ur by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s indicate, that around 2600 - 2400 BC a board game is played that might be an early ancestor of backgammon. The game was later called Royal Game of Ur, as we don't know how it was named by the people of that time.
Later boards were found that have Senet on one side and the Royal Game of Ur on the reverse. So both games were known at the same time at the same places.
Very entertaining is the online playable version of the "Royal Game of Ur" at the Britsh Museum.
ca. 1500 BC A board game which may be an ancestor of backgammon is played in Egypt. In the tomb of Tutankhamun, Pharaoh of Egypt, which was (re-)discovered by the British egyptologist Howard Carter 4th November 1922, board games very similar to backgammon dating around 1500 BC were found. The same boards were also found in Cyprus, which was at that time an Egyptian colony. Paintings in many Egyptian tombs display people playing the game which suggests that this game was played not only by the aristrocracy, but also by common people.
ca. 8 AD First mention of the Roman game Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum ("game of twelve lines") in Ovid's 3) "Ars Amorous".
Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum seems to have developed from the game Senet. It has many similarities to backgammon, amongst others a bar, six points on each side of the bar, 15 men for each player. However, it had three rows and was played with three dice.
~ 54 AD A game called Tabulae is known to have been played in old Rome. Tabulae seems to be a variant of Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum, which had developed by omitting the middle row. So Tabulae was already much closer to modern backgammon.
It is said, that Roman Emperor Claudius discussed Tabulae in a book. However, none of the more than 40 books that Claudius is said to have written survived.
Tabulae is also known under the name Alea (Dice).
ca. 125 AD A board of Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum dated about 125 AD was later found in Holt in Denbighshire (Wales) in a grave of a Roman soldier, indicating the first spreading of the game across Europe.
300 - 500 AD First mention of the game Nardschir in the Babylonian Talmud 4) . Nardschir or Nard was played on a backgammon board, which already had two lines with 12 fields each. Each player had two dice and 15 pieces, which were arranged in the same starting configuration as in backgammon. Single pieces could be hit and had to re-enter.
476 - 481 AD An epigram mentions a position of a game of Tabulae played by the Roman Emperor Zeno (478 - 481 AD).
6th century According to the Persian poet Ferdowsi, Burzoe, a wise Iranian physician and politician, invented Nard in the 6th century. So he states in his book "Shahnameh" ("The Epic of Kings") written about 1000 AD.
11th - 15th century The crusades probably expedite the spreading of Tabulae over whole Europe.
~ 1180 First mention of tables in Germany, where it was first called Wurfzabel, in the will of Count Sibotos of Neuenberg in which he bequeaths four boards of chess and four boards of Wurfzabel.
~ 1190 Richard I 5) , king of England, later referred to as Richard the Lionheart, has severe problems with the passion for gambling of his troops. Therefore it was decreed that no one with a rank lower than knight was allowed to gamble for money.
1254 King Louis IX of France 6) , known as Saint Louis, forbids his court officials to play jeux de tables and extends this ban over other gambling games as well.
1283 Alfonso X of Castile 7) , a Spanish monarch who rules as the King of Galicia, Castile and León, completes his book "Libro de los juegos" 8) (Book of Games), which describes on 98 coloured and illustrated pages games like chess, dice and many variants of the tables family. Todas Tablas, a tables variant, is very similar to backgammon, having an identical starting position to modern backgammon and following the same rules for movement and bearoff.
"Libro de los juegos" is not only one of the most important documents for researching the history of board games, it is also the first known codification of the rules.
1526 The English Cardinal Wolsey orders all backgammon boards to be burnt. Motivated by this order boards become popular which are disguised as books. Foldable in the middle, the boards look like books when folded and can be hidden in the bookshelves.
1571 In England the Elizabethan Canons of 1571 forbid playing the games of tables. Those are the last attempts to be found in England against playing the games of tables 9) .
16th century While the popularity of Tablulae seems to have faded over the last centuries, a new variant of the game called Tric-Trac spreads in Europe. Tric-Trac becomes a popular pastime at the courts of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI so that during the French revolution, unfortunately, most Tric-Trac boards were destroyed, being seen as symbols of the monarchy.
1628 Sinking of the Swedish 64-gun ship of the line Vasa. The ship was recovered in 1961. Amongst the findings was a backgammon board that had been found in one of the officer's cabins, indicating that backgammon had found its way to Sweden.
Though you have learnt to play at Baggammon, you must not forget Irish 12) , which is a more serious and solid game."
H.J.R. Murray 13) states, that backgammon was invented in England in the early 17th century as a modern form of the game tables. Backgammon differs from tables by doublets now beeing played twice and the introduction of the triple game (backgammon).
1660s Francis Willughby's "Book of Games", which contains the first publication of a handwritten manuscript from England written in the 1660s, mentions the action "Vie" for the game of Ticktack (a sibling of Trictrac, which is a close relative of backgammon). This "Vie" is very similar to doubling, with the difference, that the second vie does not quadruple the stakes, but lets the player play for three times the stake. The third vie will put the stake four times as high, not eight times, as in doubling nowadays.
So it seems that in the backgammon variant Ticktack a sort of doubling already existed more than 300 years ago, but must somehow have been lost, before doubling was re-invented for backgammon in the 1920s.
1678 Probably the first use of the word "backgammon" in English literature by Samuel Butler 14) in his satirical epic poem on Puritanism entitled Hudibras.
18th century Backgammon arrived in America.
1743 First codification of the the rules of backgammon by Edmond Hoyle in A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon.
~ 1770 During the reign of Louis XVI, King of France and Navarre specially designed Tric-Trac tables become very popular in France. The tables have a cover, so that it can be used as normal table. The cover often has a chess-board at its opposite surface. And removing the cover reveals a Tric-Trac board.
1776 It is known that during the days drafting the United States Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson regularly relaxed playing backgammon. In his notebook he documented the gains and losses of his playing sessions.
1842 - 1882 Probably the most famous backgammon player: Charles Darwin. He used to play backgammon daily with his wife or children at the family's residence Down House, Kent.
His son writes 15) : "After dinner he played backgammon with my mother, two games being played every night; for many years a score of the games which each won was kept, and in this score he took the greatest interest. He became extremely animated over these games, bitterly lamenting his bad luck and exploding with exaggerated mock-anger at my mother's good fortune."
1920s The "doubling cube" was invented (or re-invented, see above → 1660s), probably in one of the game clubs in New York 16) . Unfortunately it is not known which genius invented the cube.
There were (temporary) attempts to keep track of the status of doubling by other devices, like the one shown on the left 17) .
1931 Having identified the need for harmonized backgammon rules, the New York's Racquet and Tennis Club invites other clubs from all over America to join them in order to formulate the laws of backgammon. In a meeting on February 21, 1931, at which a number of clubs were represented, the laws of backgammon were agreed upon. The Racquet and Tennis Club was authorized to reserve a copyright to such laws. The Laws are effective as of April 17th, 1931.
Those rules were published in the booklet Laws of Backgammon.
1964 Prince Alexis Obolensky organizes an international backgammon tournament in the Bahamas, probably the first international backgammon tournament. That is the hour of birth of modern backgammon tournaments.
For the records: 32 players participated. Winner was Charles Wacker from the USA.
1967 The first World Championships of Backgammon are held in Las Vegas, USA. Tim Holland becomes the first World Champion of Backgammon and also wins the World Championships in 1968 and 1971.
1970 John Crawford and Oswald Jacoby, two pioneers of modern backgammon, publish The Backgammon Book. It's a classic book of backgammon. The authors were the first to try to approach backgammon in an analytical way. Also the book contains subjects you won't find in any of today's books, like the history of backgammon, etiquette, how to organize a tournament, etc.
Still worth reading today, even if it can't improve your strength of play any more.
1973 Carol Crawford, wife of the well-known John Crawford, is the first woman ever to become World Champion of Backgammon.
1973 Cardinal Industries, one of the leading games manufacturers of the USA, sells in this one year as many backgammon boards as in the 20 years before all together - an indicator for the backgammon craze of that time. Another indicator for the development of the popularity of backgammon is the amount of books published over the years.
1976 Paul Magriel publishes his book Backgammon, a masterpiece of backgammon literature and rightly often called "the bible of backgammon". Still today it is a must read!
Nack Ballard invents the modern backgammon variant Nackgammon. It is played with the same rules as backgammon. Only the starting position differs (see diagram). Nackgammon will lead to longer, more complex games and therefore reduces the luck factor in favour of the skill factor in backgammon.
1979 One day after winning the Backgammon World Championship, Luigi Villa (ITA) accepts the challenge to play against BKG 9.8, a backgammon programme developed by Hans Berliner. Although Villa plays much better than the programme he gets defeated 1:7. This is the first time a backgammon world champion gets defeated in an official match by computer software.
The match file of that duel can be downloaded from my match archive.
19 Feb 1982 In the case Oregon vs. Tedd Barr 18) judge Stephen Walker ruled that "Backgammon is not a game of chance but a game of skill." During the four-day trial o.a. Paul Magriel acted as witness and seemes to have convinced the judge about the importance of the skill factor in backgammon.
1984 Bill Robertie publishes his book Advanced Backgammon, which was at its time a milestone of backgammon literature. A revised edition was later published 1991 in two volumes.
1989 German top backgammon player Harald Johanni starts publishing the three-monthly magazine "Das Backgammon Magazin", initially only written in German, but later bi-lingual German-English. A great source of backgammon knowledge.
1991 Dr. Gerald Tesauro develops the first backgammon software which is based upon the technology of neural networks: TD-Gammon. In the same year double World Champion Bill Robertie plays a series of 31 games against TD-Gammon and is impressed by its strength 18) .
1991 Bill Robertie and Kent Goulding start publishing the magnificent backgammon magazine "Inside Backgammon". It's published 6 times a year, later four times a year 19) .
19th Jul 1992 FIBS, the First Internet Backgammon Server, sees the light of day. The Server Software was developed by Andreas Schneider. FIBS is based on the interface protocol TELNET and has no own graphical user interface. FIBS is still online; a great place to play backgammon and meet people from all over the world. More about FIBS in my Backgammon-FAQ.
1994 With JellyFish™ the first neural network based backgammon software becomes commercially available. At this time JellyFish™ is significantly stronger than any other backgammon software. The availability of such strong software has a deep impact on the understanding of the game.
1994 The first graphical interfaces for FIBS are available, making playing on FIBS much more comfortable: FIBS/W and MacFIBS. Since this time many more graphical user interfaces for FIBS have been developed.
1998 Snowie™, developed by the Swiss Olivier Egger, replaces JellyFish™ as strongest backgammon software. Today Snowie™ is available in version 4 and is still, together with GNU Backgammon, the leading backgammon software.
End of 1998 After eight years with 44 issues Bill Robertie and Kent Goulding stop publishing their magazine "Inside Backgammon"
July 1999 Kit Woolsey launches his internet backgammon magazine GammOnLine 20) .
GNU Backgammon is available in its very first pre-beta version. 1998 Gary Wong had developed a neural network called "Costello", which was inspired by the works of Hans Berliner, Gerald Tesauro and Eric Groileau. In 1999 Gary Wong gets in contact with the GNU project and decides to put his network under the GNU license - GNU Backgammon is born! Since then GNU Backgammon is the child of many enthusiastic developers, who have joined the team and are working on continous improvement of GNU Backgammon. Many, many thanks to all of you!
2) I coulnd't find a picture of that board anywhere. Hints where to find more details about those findings are appreciated. Please send me an eMail if you know more about it.
3) Publius Ovidius Naso, briefly "Ovid". Roman poet. 43 BD - 17 AD.
4) The Talmud was compiled between 300 and 500 AD, although additions were made for another 500 years.
5) 8 September 1157 - 6 April 1199. King of England 1189 - 1199.
6) 25 April 1214 - 25 August 1270. King of France 1226 - 1270.
8) See "Reference" for a link to the beautiful pictures of the complete book.
10) Howell started to publish his "Familiar Letters" in 1645, succeeded by a second volume in 1647, and a new edition of both, with a third volume, in 1650. A fourth was added in a collected edition which appeared in 1655.
The mentioning of backgammon was in volume II, which was published 1647, in a letter to To Master G. Stone from 1935. While many histories (and the Oxford Universal Dictionary) state 1645 as the first recorded use of the word backgammon, the word was actually mentioned in the letter already 1635 and published in 1647. So 1645 is actually the wrong date!
The winner of the opening roll re-rolls for his first turn.
You are not allowed to close out your opponent while he has a checker on the bar.
14) Samuel Butler, 1612 - 1680, English Poet.
16) In 501 Essential Backgammon Problems Bill Robertie states: "It [the doubling cube] appeared in 1926 or 1927 in New York, probably in one of the chess and gambling clubs of the Lower East Side. (The most likely candidate location for the cube's invention was the Stuyvesant Chess Club, at the corner of the Second Avenue and 14th Street ..." Unfortunately he doesn't reveal his sources.
17) The picture was provided by Chris Bray and is published here with his kind permission. Bray bought that doubling device on ebay. There exists a photography from 1931, showing the actors Douglas Fairbanks jr. and Joan Crawford playing a session of backgammon, where this type of doubling device can be seen in the background.
19) Those games Robertie vs. TD-Gammon were published 1993 in Roberties booklet Learning from the Machine.
20) The complete set of Inside Backgammon can still be purchased from The Gammon Press.
21) GammOnLine (GoL) started with monthly issues, containing articles, quizzes, position analyses and an online match between Kit Woolsey and his readers. Since the end 2003 there are no longer monthly issues. The old articles are still available, the online match is ongoing and there is a very lively backgammon forum, where a lot of top players discuss all aspects of backgammon. To access this great source of backgammon you only have to pay a member fee of 36,- US$ for a livetime membership! | 2019-04-24T22:42:35Z | http://hardyhuebener.de/engl/geschichte.html |
In the State of Victoria, Australia, we live around Port Phillip, named after Governor Phillip who founded the Port Jackson New South Wales Colony in 1788. The most important natural landmark of Port Phillip is Arthurs Seat, named by Lieutenant Murray in February 1802 after the mount of that name outside Edinburgh in Scotland. It was climbed in April 1802 by Lieutenant Matthew Flinders of the Investigator. There was a short-lived settlement under Collins at Sorrento (on the southern part of Port Phillip Bay) in 1803. In 1835 there was an attempted development on the Yarra River, initiated separately by both Batman and Faulkner. It is controversial to consider Batman or Fawkner as the true founders of Melbourne.
The first white resident of the area now known as Dromana was Edward William Hobson who ran cattle at the base of Arthurs Seat in the area which became known, from the Aborigines, as Kangerong. He became a close friend of a group of Bunurong Aboriginal people, and learnt their language. One of his Aboriginal friends even went by the name of Tommy Hobson. Edward Hobson had come to this area from Plenty in 1837, and he moved on to Gippsland in 1844. He was a second cousin of Captain William Hobson who features strongly in the history of Port Phillip and New Zealand. Edward was made to leave because of land grants to Jamieson and the McCraes, who settled permanently in the area from about that time. His brother Dr Edmund Hobson, visited him at ‘Hobson’s Flat,’ as it was called, (near where the Dromana drive-in theatre is today). Edmund owned a ship which later ran aground at ‘Banksia Point.’ His ship was called the ‘Rosebud,’ and this became the name of that suburb.
George Bass had discovered Western Port Bay in 1797. In later times, any party travelling from Western Port Bay toward Arthurs Seat would have recorded their journey in terms of the ‘ridges,’ a term which we find in the community of Main Ridge today, and which has implications in the name of the town of Dromana. John Batman had arranged his so-called treaty with Aboriginal people along the Merri Creek in 1835. In 1836, Governor Richard Bourke sent Captain William Lonsdale to Port Phillip aboard the Rattlesnake, captained by William Hobson. Lonsdale was to be the chief legal agent, and to disavow the ‘illegal’ settlement by Batman. Under Fawkner or Batman, the settlement might have been called ‘Bearbrass,’ a possible corruption of an Aboriginal word, or ‘Batmania’ after John Batman. Sir Richard Bourke arranged for the new settlement to be official, and to be named ‘Melbourne’ after the Prime Minister of England, William Lamb, Baron of Melbourne. The Melbourne property in England had come into Lamb’s family as an estate, through his mother. This was a time of naming. Bourke named our Williamstown after King William IV (the sailor king), and also Hobson’s Bay after Captain William Hobson who had spent three months in detailed exploration and mapping of Port Phillip.
Governor Sir Richard Bourke was Anglo-Irish, a cousin of the famous politician Edmund Burke. He was a protestant, Church of Ireland, and a strong opponent of the inequities imposed on the Irish Catholics under the Penal laws. He was older, but he shared many views with the Lieutenant-Governor of Waterford, Henry Villiers-Stuart. Captain William Hobson, a second cousin of the first settler of our Mornington Peninsula area, also came from Waterford, and his brothers were educated at Trinity College in Dublin. Later, in a letter to his son, Bourke boasted that he had replaced many ‘bush names’ with ‘good Whig names.’ He is known to have left a list of suggested names with Lonsdale, but this has not survived. The naming of Dromana was done at a particular time, early in our history. According to the historian McLear, Dromana was a part of the Port Phillip coast which had been suggested as a possible place for a port, as had Corio Bay. In hindsight, knowing how the squalls come across the Bay, we can see that this might have not have been such a sound idea, but, under Arthurs Seat, this appeared to be a major location. Later much fruit, fish and timber were shipped from here. The name was chosen when the Baron of Dromana was an important figure in Anglo-Ireland, and when his Dromana Estate was a very large and respected demesne. The later decline of the British Empire and the introduction of the Irish Republic could not, of course, be foreseen. But this was an auspicious time in our history, and in Irish, particularly Waterford history, and sectarian history too. Dromana in Australia has grown in population and heritage of course, and now is served by freeways instead of its once very long pier. At the end of 1861, the township of Dromana was officially gazetted by the Victorian Government. Clearly its name was in use before that acknowledgement.
In 2011-12, various local societies and schools celebrated the 150th birthday. This led to various speculations about origin of the name and any affiliations. Many of the residents of Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, believed that their town was named after a town in Ireland. Strictly speaking this is untrue though understandable. It could even be that the town’s name is confused with the Aboriginal ‘Drumdrumallock,’ which may have, to some people, a similar sound. Some people believed that this Dromana is named after one or the other of two towns named ‘Dromore’ in Northern Ireland – County Down or County Tyrone. This is also incorrect, though interesting. ‘Dromore’ comes from ‘drom – more’ meaning ‘ridge – high’ or high ridge. At least two local people went looking for the town in Ireland. One found his way to Dromana Gate, Waterford, but could not pass it in his rented caravan. Later, Councillor David Gregan and his wife Helen, drove to Dromana House, and photographed both the ‘Gate’ and the ‘manor house,’ but were unable to raise anybody when they knocked on the door. So at least there was the correction: the town in Victoria is named after a farmland estate, and not a town. This proved similar to my own first journey there, lost along winding lanes, mixing up town names, and failing to meet any owners. Indeed, like the Gregans, we assumed we were not really welcome on private land. Later we were to learn this is not the case.
Mornington (Vic) plaque presented at Dromana Gate. L to R: Jennifer Code, Trevor Code, Barbara Villiers-Stuart Grubb, Emily Villiers- Stuart (mother), journalist (unnamed). Photo by Bill Flynn.
Closer view of plaque, designed and created by Perry Fletcher, and photographed by Trevor Code.
We discovered that Dromana is an Irish word, and that it existed before the Norman invasion, as an Irish ‘townland.’ According to the Irish dictionary ‘dromanna’ means the ridges, ‘-anna’ being the suffix which makes the word plural. The word is geographically appropriate. Although Dromana Estate is on a tidal river, the Blackwater, we could see how the nearby hills and ridges have some resemblance to our own terrain, at and beyond Arthurs Seat. The Normans built a castle on a high rock overlooking the Blackwater River. At a later time this castle was further developed, and then replaced by a mansion, later reduced to the manor house which is still there today, and occupied by the same family which has ruled, farmed and lived in this place for eight hundred years. There are old documents showing that the family had fishing rights along the Blackwater River below the castle, at the time of King John, in 1215. Historically the family were Fitzgeralds, but through female heiresses, the name has been changed three times, and in the late eighteenth century became Villiers-Stuart. The estate was never a town, but at one time in its history, the Villiers-Stuart family created a town within their estate, and that town is called Villierstown. The town still exists, and is of course independent today.
The history of the owners and rulers of Dromana is fascinating, and tracks much of the history of Ireland through its turbulent past. In old documents, Dromana has certain variations in spelling, such as ‘Dromanny’ and even ‘Dromannough. The estate was once greater than 60,000 acres, but now is only 30 acres. The great mansion and the stables are gone, but Dromana House is still a place of aristocratic grandeur, and is full of historic interest. Tourists visit it almost daily throughout the summer. What do we know about Henry Villiers-Stuart? He was actually born in England and educated at Eton. His name was Henry Crichton-Stuart. His mother was Katharine Villiers, Viscountess Grandison of Dromana House. As the heir of Grandison, Henry changed his name, by Royal consent, to drop Crichton and insert Villiers. Hence he became Henry Villiers-Stuart, the name the family has borne ever since. He was acknowledging his mother and the female line, but he was also placing himself correctly as the heir and future owner of Dromana Estate, which became his home. He was a protestant member of the Church of Ireland, but, like his father and also like Sir Richard Bourke, he had great compassion for the Irish Catholics, who suffered so severely under the Penal Laws, originally introduced to disempower the Catholics following the Reformation, the suppression of Catholics by Cromwell, and especially the failure of the deposed King James at the Battle of the Boyne. The terrible repression of the Irish people was brought about by English fear of the Irish Catholics and their European allies. English military thinkers assumed that Ireland is a good jumping off point for an invasion of Britain and Wales. Like all repressive legislation, if we think of colonialism in general, and even the contemporary ‘war on terror,’ the people most afflicted were the ordinary and mainly innocent peasants, many of whom would have been goaded into rebellion in the long run.
Following the political ideals of his father, Henry Villiers-Stuart began to fight for Catholic Emancipation, allied himself with Daniel O’Connell, won a seat in the English parliament where his speeches were very strong, and his voting record made him many enemies amongst the ruling class. He also worked to enrol his own tenants, 600 of them, with the right to vote. He lost his seat in the general election. The contrast was a neighbouring landlord who expelled tenants who had voted against him. The Penal laws forbade marriage between Protestants and Catholics. Henry married a Catholic, Theresia Pauline Ott, apparently at least twice, in 1827 and 1828. This was controversial at the time. He had already committed himself to alleviating some of the burden on Catholics before this time, and the marriage seems to be at about the same time as the Catholic Emancipation Act. The significance was not lost on his Catholic tenants. He had supported them politically and he had risked much by marrying a Catholic. (There were to be tragic implications to this marriage, which I will address later.) When Henry brought his bride to Dromana House, the tenants, to whom he had already proved a good landlord, erected a triumphal arch at the bridge over the River Finnisk, the very point where they would turn to Dromana House. We are told that the bride was utterly delighted at this structure, as so was Henry. He engaged the famous architect, Martin Day of Wexford, mainly known for his Church of Ireland buildings, to build a suitable memorial structure on the site. We do not have any pictures of the original tenant-built arch. Martin Day’s ‘Dromana Gate,’ mainly of stone, recalls the British Royal pavilion style (as at Brighton), and has been called ‘hindu-gothic’ because it utilised elements of ecclesiastical architecture, but added a superstructure reminiscent of the Indian Raj in its cupola and ornamentation. This very original building is considered unique in Ireland, and is a world-famous tourist attraction, which has been renovated and maintained, and is now in the care of Waterford County.
Dromana Gate. Photograph by Bill Flynn.
It was at the site related to the Battle of Affane, the last war fought by private armies, to the great offence of Queen Elizabeth I. So it is a peace bridge at the location of an earlier famous bloodletting.
It commemorated the marriage of a Protestant to a Catholic, and it did this in defiance of repressive laws.
It commemorated the imaginative and grateful act of the tenants towards the owner of the Dromana Estate.
It participates in the very passing of the Catholic Emancipation Act, which was a beginning, if only a beginning, in the alleviation of peasant and Catholic suffering.
It has grace, serenity and class, partly because of the way the Indian motif is evoked; it is a monument to reconciliation and peace.
The design itself is remarkable. The two equal buildings, each resembling a church or chapel, are held together by a symbolic bridge or arch, and in a manner which suggests harmony and grandeur. Perhaps we may think of one side as Protestant, and the other Catholic, with the super-arching peace bridge between them.
In our post-colonial age, it continues to catch the imagination and has stood the test of time. One would hope it will be an everlasting memorial to good government and the bridge between peoples.
When I first started this investigation, I thought the essential connection between the countries would have been the landscape, that the terrain as seen along the Blackwater River had some resemblance to the Arthurs Seat and Mt Martha rises, and the valley between. And that may be so. If so, it is timeless, except that our Dromana is so built up today, while the views along the Blackwater remain much as they were.
In our own time, we can go there, see the Dromana Gate edifice, visit the old Dromana House, perhaps accept some of their kind hospitality, and take photographs which reflect this interpretation. I have done that. But as if it is some kind of detective story, I think the plot lies elsewhere. We think of the whole county of Waterford, and of Dungarvan, Ardmore, and Youghal, and a more complete understanding of Dromana Gate. The key figure, as I have said, is Henry Villiers-Stuart, – Baron Stuart de Decies of Dromana, and against all expectations, both the inspiration and the contracting owner of Dromana Gate. Henry’s is a complex story, and Dromana Gate has complex meanings. The owners have now sold this attraction to County Waterford, for the princely sum of €1.00, and the County has charge and responsibility for its maintenance.
Had they really known its implications, should they have sold it? Or did they have no real choice in the matter? And if the County really appreciated its history and its meanings, would they not respect it more? I have heard that it is resented by truck-drivers, who like to shortcut through this way. This is a unique structure, a magnet for tourists, but surely it is much more than that. I suggest it is a symbol of which Ireland should justly be proud. To trace this is a little like reading a mystery thriller. The interpretations are available, with just a little thought. Dromana Gate is not a monument in the manner of a burial site. Ireland has so many of these. Nor is it like a Holy Well, many of which are forgotten or polluted. Indeed, it is much more a living celebration, and it is forward looking. It is a symbol for Ireland, with implications for Britain too. It leads us back inevitably to its author, Henry Villiers-Stuart, the actual first and last Baron (Stuart de Decies) of Dromana. His life is the story, and it is for him that the Australian Dromana is named. Henry, from the portrait we have of him in uniform, was good-looking, lithe, willowy, reputed to be an idealist and a little impulsive, but a man whose decisions and character one can admire. He also has a sad story. He recovered his family’s prestige. He became a baron. But his son, in spite of prolonged hearings before the House of Lords, was denied that title. There is a story of religious prejudice, but also of betrayal and blackmail. Theresia gave the impression that she was a widow and that her two previous sons came from her deceased husband. Later it emerged that this partner was still alive, but that they had never been formally married. The original ‘partner’ blackmailed Henry, and it is said that Henry stopped speaking to his wife. It meant that, for Henry to provide continuing inheritance of his title for his son, he would have to declare those stepsons to be ‘bastards’. This neither he nor his legitimate son was willing to do. Times were different then. Does it matter?
As I have noted, in 1831, the British government of Lord Melbourne appointed Henry Villiers-Stuart Lieutenant-Governor of Waterford County. The appointment of the Lieutenant-Governor was a transitional and controversial move of introducing this English governorship to this part of Ireland, but it restored authority to this family in such a role after many years in abeyance. Henry Villiers-Stuart retained this role until his death in 1874. His role would have continued through the appalling times of the Great Hunger through potato blight, and although there was some relief from England in its first year, the fact that England had ample food supplies available in Ireland, but did not sufficiently relieve its citizens in Ireland, must be an appalling stain. Because of the English system of taxes, many landlords found it convenient to move their tenants off the land, and even to promote emigration to Canada or America. It is said that Dromana House looked after its own tenants, but the County of Waterford did suffer badly. Waterford was a powerful English-based county in Ireland at the time, and with Cork, its Anglo-Irish culture was to have a significant role in the development of early colonial Australia. Many colonial officials and dignitaries, including law officers, came from this area. Amongst others, as noted, Waterford was the home of Captain William Hobson, whose brothers were both educated at Trinity College, one of them being the archdeacon of the Church of Ireland in Waterford. We know that the first Irish-born governor of the Australian colony of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, had visited Lismore, and therefore was most likely to have come to Dromana and Waterford, and that he was a close associate and proponent of Captain William Hobson. Hobson in turn would have been associated with Henry Villiers-Stuart, and would almost certainly have been entertained at Dromana House on the Blackwater River, where Villiers-Stuart constantly and lavishly entertained his associates. The Blackwater River is navigable at least as far as Cappoquin, so guests and the Governor would probably have travelled by water to the residence. Henry became officially Baron Stuart de Decies of Dromana in 1839, but for our purposes, it is convenient to think of him as the Baron of Dromana. Dromana House is near Cappoquin, Co Waterford.
In 2013, we stayed as self-catering guests there from August 31 to September 7. This of course means we arrived fairly late on Saturday August 31, and left about midday on the seventh. We have been steeped in the history of Ireland, partly through the study of crumbling castles and damaged town walls. Dromana House is different. We enter a world of living history where the great house speaks of centuries’ old history, which is still recalled in paintings of ancestors, memorabilia such as a little ciborium from Theresia, and even weapons of a bygone era, but where the owners are modern, very civilised, amenable and gracious, and where even their three Labrador dogs are affectionate. The ochre-coloured walls of the great building are impressive. One can easily forget that there was once a grand mansion attached to the front, with a great ballroom, and that this, along with the historic stables, has now been demolished. Something of grandeur has no doubt been lost: it went with a world of hunting and idle life which has long passed; but it does not seem diminished when one stands here, or wanders through the gardens and available rooms. We are brought to live in the past and the present at the one time. Below the house is the tidal Blackwater River, so shallow at the ebb that the flat brown banks appear above the surface, and yet so resplendent that trading schooners once sailed here, and tourist boats, especially that of Tony Gallagher, can still go up to Cappoquin – when the tide is right. Across the river one views the many-coloured fields with their black and white Friesian cattle, and farther off the gentle yet daunting, almost living, hills or mountains.
We were there at the opening of the duck season, and we could hear distant gun fire. We also saw a boatload of shooters, reminding us of the old Viking etchings, four to the boat, as they churned up the river in the evening light, possibly against the flow. The whole setting is most beautiful: the garden and adjoining woods, no longer grand and expansive, but still a joy in which to walk. It is a most peaceful, restful place, which has hardly changed in atmosphere since Carlyle stayed here briefly in the nineteenth century. Dromana House is friendly and welcoming, not with the commercial panache of a hotel, but simply as a welcoming and receptive grand home. Barbara, Nicholas and Emily make you feel you belong here, and have just come into the kitchen for a cup of tea, even when they are making preserves, or when they are preparing for a much larger touring party to come on a bus tour. Yet the home is magnificently historic. Around 1200 AD, the occupants, of whom these are the direct descendants, had salmon fishing rights on the Blackwater River, and these rights continue to this day. The guest too may fish if he or she wishes. There does not seem to be any false note in this aristocratic household offering self-catering – two excellent and spacious self-catering apartments. In the east wing there are the many rooms which were once occupied by the butler and the governess. Overlooking the river is a converted set of rooms, with spacious living room, kitchen and lounge room upstairs, and two lovely bedrooms opening onto the patio downstairs. The accommodation is well furnished and equipped, and more spacious, I would think, than many average houses. I love the old photographs on the walls, particularly of horsewomen in another age. You relax, read or write here, in the apartment, or in the garden, or have conversations with members of the family, who share what they are doing, in the garden or grounds, and in planning various events. In the summer, we are told, whole busloads, many from England or the continent, come here to visit, and are given a tour of the house and some of its treasures. At the edge of the off-season, Nicholas is busy opening up walking paths, bringing in firewood to the stacks, and establishing, with the aid of some paid help, a duck pond. I look forward to seeing the ducks when I next return. Here, I think, one catches up with one’s own dreams and sense of history. If you are like me you do not want to leave.
So Dromana House is coming up to the celebration of a proven 800 years occupancy and development of this site. That much is documented, but the antecedent members of the family may have been here, even before that, first with a castle, and later with a mansion, and for many years with sixty thousand acres within which they founded a village, Villierstown, but now reduced to this comfortable garden and workspace. I like to walk out, across the croquet lawn, and down to the bastion where I can look further down the river. I do not think there are ghosts here, but certainly there is a grand spirit. Inevitably conflict must have occurred at times in past centuries, but one gets the impression that with all the hard work of the day, this estate is nevertheless blanketed in peace and serenity. For me, it is something I take with me when I leave. How is the family to commemorate and celebrate these 800 years? There are plans, I have heard, to create a genealogical table, and that is remarkable enough, and Herculean enough, in its own sense. They were here hundreds of years before the Reformation in Europe and England, and therefore long before Henry VIII or Oliver Cromwell, before the Europeans went to America, and certainly centuries before the British ventured to Australia. It may seem a trite question to ask, but if the Americans are American, the Canadians Canadian, the Australians Australian, then what is the true designation of the historic Irish in Ireland? You can’t talk of them as Norman invaders. Indeed, as much by them as any other group, we may define Irish by encountering these inhabitants. For the commemoration, I have suggested there should be a great historic traditional or fancy dress festival, where all come to represent the ages and occupations which have gone before, possibly (preferably) with music as well. I like to think there might be a writing and drawing competition for local and regional schoolchildren. Perhaps special attention should be given to telling, and even re-enacting, the story of Catherine, the Old Countess of Desmond, who was born and died at Dromana, who when young supposedly visited England at the time of Edward IV and danced with Richard of Gloucester, later Richard III whose body has recently been discovered in Leicester in England. Catherine survived the Plantagenets and Tudors, and eventually ‘walked’ to Hampton Court Palace to put her case to James the first Stuart King of England. She finally died under a cherry tree it is said, here in Dromana, at the age of 140.
1. I would think one notes the historic contribution and benevolence, including the founding of Villierstown, the assistance to tenants at the time of the potato famine, and even the family relationship with the independence movement.
2. As has already been suggested, there needs to be an illustrated genealogical table showing the lineage. It cannot show all the side branches, for this would be cluttered and a digression.
3. There needs to be a map and association with the ports and towns, the established historical and economic relationships. These towns need to be part of the event, and share in it, supporting the connection, through museums, schools and libraries.
5. No one knows the full or real story of the Old Countess Desmond. But her history needs to be re-told. It is well attested and documented. Perhaps the BBC or Irish television could revisit her story. What a great epic film or TV series her life might make! The recent discovery of the bones of Richard III could be used as a trigger for this, and the Richard III society might be interested. There is a movement to rehabilitate his reputation. Catherine was supposedly at the court of Edward IV, and danced with Richard of Gloucester before he became king: she said that he danced well, and that he was not a hunchback. There is the whole story of her relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh, who attested to her age. The story of her travelling to England to see King James could be re-enacted in various ways, even through a long-walk challenge, or a marathon – if the right group could sponsor it. I don’t know when cherries would be in season, but somehow her relationship to cherries would come into focus, not in terms of her death, but in terms of wonderful longevity. ‘The Cherry Tree Carol’ uses cherries to celebrate Mary and Joseph. Similarly a symbol of cherries and long life – and walking distances – could be used.
6. There is a difficulty in this time, which must be overcome. I refer to the revisionist history, and the otherwise praiseworthy Irish republic. There is a tendency to set aside English roots, and to retell Irish history in terms of supposedly Celtic origins. Even today, I have had people assert that those of supposedly Norman ancestry are not truly Irish. Every nation needs its mythology. But I think, with Dromana House, it should be possible to celebrate its aristocratic inheritance, and portraiture, especially to attract British and European guests in the 800th celebration, while having a bipartite acknowledgement of essential and real Irishness. I admire the genuine Irish here, as distinct from Blarney, ghost stories, leprechauns, and pookahs. This is partly to do with the economy and social development of course: agriculture and industry, but also cooking, and social as well as festive customs. Dromana House must use this occasion to say: we are truly and proudly Irish.
7. Should there be competitions? I am thinking of painting or drawing, and writing. Should these be aimed at school children or adults as well? I am wondering whether the children in Dromana Australia might want to contribute any art or other communication?
8. I ask about funding. Some of the activities might attract a tourist or arts grant. But I am aware that Dromana House itself would need to be careful that a celebratory display is not done at a cost which is not returned as investment.
9. It seems to me that such a festival should be a bringing together of the disparate elements of this whole extended society.
Trevor Code has taught Literature and Writing in universities in both Australia and the United States. He has a lifetime association with Dromana Victoria and has lived there permanently since 2004.
It is lovely to think of heifers in connection with the historical Dromana, for this is good grazing country even today, and the early Hobson settlement in Victoria was for running cattle too. But Deosamh should know that Dromore and Dromara are Northern Ireland and UK, where his derivations might apply. Language is so fruitful and multi-valenced. Of course, Dromana would be an anglicization, but from the oral tongue rather than a script, and not from a confusion of n and r. The very early documents do have variations of spelling, such as Dromana, Dromanna, Dromanny and Dromanough, but these go back centuries and not in the direction suggested. The dictionary seems a useful guide, and actually points us to a valuable neolithic relationship to the organic and skeletal, as in mythology, for the land is alive. The word can refer to landscape, but it can also refer to the spine and its bumps, as in a pig or a cow. The various documents, charters and maps all seem to confirm Dromana, not just as an estate for 800 years, but as a townland before that.
The author has provided a map subsequent to publication, probably dating from c18, and featuring the name Dromana four times.
As a former native of Co Antrim, I enjoyed Trevor’s research and writings about Dromana. We visited the bridge in 2004 driving a borrowed campervan, so perhaps we are the aforementioned Australians in Trevor’s article. We now live near Dromana, Australia and knew the Greggans before Cr Dave passed away. Hope the 800 year anniversary in Co Waterford is a success.
« A mad and wonderful thing? | 2019-04-22T04:44:50Z | https://tintean.org.au/2014/05/06/the-settlements-and-names-of-dromana/ |
A BILL to amend and reenact §11-15-2 and §11-15-30 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §24-6-2 and §24-6-6b of said code, all relating to taxation of prepaid wireless calling service and the wireless enhanced 911 fee; defining "prepaid wireless calling service"; providing that prepaid wireless calling service is subject to the consumers sales and service tax; requiring the collection and deposit by the Tax Commissioner of the proceeds of the consumers sales and service tax imposed on the sale of prepaid wireless calling service into the wireless enhanced 911 fee accounts maintained and administered by the Public Service Commission; and providing that prepaid wireless calling service is no longer subject to the wireless enhanced 911 fee.
(a) General. -- When used in this article and article fifteen-a of this chapter, words defined in subsection (b) of this section shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in those instances where a different meaning is provided in this article or the context in which the word is used clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended by the Legislature.
(1) "Business" includes all activities engaged in or caused to be engaged in with the object of gain or economic benefit, direct or indirect, and all activities of the state and its political subdivisions which involve sales of tangible personal property or the rendering of services when those service activities compete with or may compete with the activities of other persons.
(2) "Communication" means all telephone, radio, light, light wave, radio telephone, telegraph and other communication or means of communication, whether used for voice communication, computer data transmission or other encoded symbolic information transfers and includes commercial broadcast radio, commercial broadcast television and cable television.
(A) In general. -- "Contracting" means and includes the furnishing of work, or both materials and work, for another (by a sole contractor, general contractor, prime contractor, subcontractor or construction manager) in fulfillment of a contract for the construction, alteration, repair, decoration or improvement of a new or existing building or structure, or any part thereof, or for removal or demolition of a building or structure, or any part thereof, or for the alteration, improvement or development of real property. Contracting also includes services provided by a construction manager so long as the project for which the construction manager provides the services results in a capital improvement to a building or structure or to real property.
(B) Form of contract not controlling. -- An activity that falls within the scope of the definition of contracting constitutes contracting regardless of whether the contract governing the activity is written or verbal and regardless of whether it is in substance or form a lump sum contract, a cost-plus contract, a time and materials contract, whether or not open-ended, or any other kind of construction contract.
(viii) The term "construction manager" means a person who enters into an agreement to employ, direct, coordinate or manage design professionals and contractors who are hired and paid directly by the owner or the construction manager. The business activities of a "construction manager" as defined in this subdivision constitute contracting, so long as the project for which the construction manager provides the services results in a capital improvement to a building or structure or to real property.
(4) "Directly used or consumed" in the activities of manufacturing, transportation, transmission, communication or the production of natural resources means used or consumed in those activities or operations which constitute an integral and essential part of the activities, as contrasted with and distinguished from those activities or operations which are simply incidental, convenient or remote to the activities.
(xiv) Otherwise using as an integral and essential part of transportation, communication, transmission, manufacturing production or production of natural resources.
(vi) An activity or function incidental or convenient to transportation, communication, transmission, manufacturing production or production of natural resources, rather than an integral and essential part of these activities.
(5) "Directly used or consumed" in the activities of gas storage, the generation or production or sale of electric power, the provision of a public utility service or the operation of a utility business means used or consumed in those activities or operations which constitute an integral and essential part of those activities or operation, as contrasted with and distinguished from activities or operations which are simply incidental, convenient or remote to those activities.
(v) Tangible personal property, custom software or services used immediately in pollution control or environmental quality or protection activity or community safety or security directly relating to the activities of gas storage, generation or production or sale of electric power, the provision of a public utility service or the operation of a utility business.
(vi) An activity or function incidental or convenient to the activities of gas storage, generation or production or sale of electric power, the provision of public utility service or the operation of a utility business.
(6) "Gas storage" means the injection of gas into a storage reservoir or the storage of gas for any period of time in a storage reservoir or the withdrawal of gas from a storage reservoir engaged in by businesses subject to the business and occupation tax imposed by sections two and two-e, article thirteen of this chapter.
(7) "Generating or producing or selling of electric power" means the generation, production or sale of electric power engaged in by businesses subject to the business and occupation tax imposed by section two, two-d, two-m or two-n, article thirteen of this chapter.
(8) "Gross proceeds" means the amount received in money, credits, property or other consideration from sales and services within this state, without deduction on account of the cost of property sold, amounts paid for interest or discounts or other expenses whatsoever. Losses may not be deducted, but any credit or refund made for goods returned may be deducted.
(9) "Includes" and "including", when used in a definition contained in this article, does not exclude other things otherwise within the meaning of the term being defined.
(10) "Manufacturing" means a systematic operation or integrated series of systematic operations engaged in as a business or segment of a business which transforms or converts tangible personal property by physical, chemical or other means into a different form, composition or character from that in which it originally existed.
(11) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership or any other legal entity, including this state or its political subdivisions or an agency of either, or the guardian, trustee, committee, executor or administrator of any person.
(12) "Personal service" includes those: (A) Compensated by the payment of wages in the ordinary course of employment; and (B) rendered to the person of an individual without, at the same time, selling tangible personal property, such as nursing, barbering, shoe shining, manicuring and similar services.
(13) "Prepaid wireless calling service" means a telecommunications service that provides the right to use mobile wireless service as well as other nontelecommunications services including the download of digital products delivered electronically, content and ancillary services, which is to be paid for in advance and that is sold in predetermined units that decline with use.
(13) (14) Production of natural resources.
(A) "Production of natural resources" means, except for oil and gas, the performance, by either the owner of the natural resources or another, of the act or process of exploring, developing, severing, extracting, reducing to possession and loading for shipment and shipment for sale, profit or commercial use of any natural resource products and any reclamation, waste disposal or environmental activities associated therewith and the construction, installation or fabrication of ventilation structures, mine shafts, slopes, boreholes, dewatering structures, including associated facilities and apparatus, by the producer or others, including contractors and subcontractors, at a coal mine or coal production facility.
(B) For the natural resources oil and gas, "production of natural resources" means the performance, by either the owner of the natural resources, a contractor or a subcontractor, of the act or process of exploring, developing, drilling, well-stimulation activities such as logging, perforating or fracturing, well-completion activities such as the installation of the casing, tubing and other machinery and equipment and any reclamation, waste disposal or environmental activities associated therewith, including the installation of the gathering system or other pipeline to transport the oil and gas produced or environmental activities associated therewith and any service work performed on the well or well site after production of the well has initially commenced.
(C) All work performed to install or maintain facilities up to the point of sale for severance tax purposes is included in the "production of natural resources" and subject to the direct use concept.
(D) "Production of natural resources" does not include the performance or furnishing of work, or materials or work, in fulfillment of a contract for the construction, alteration, repair, decoration or improvement of a new or existing building or structure, or any part thereof, or for the alteration, improvement or development of real property, by persons other than those otherwise directly engaged in the activities specifically set forth in this subdivision as "production of natural resources".
(14) (15) "Providing a public service or the operating of a utility business" means the providing of a public service or the operating of a utility by businesses subject to the business and occupation tax imposed by sections two and two-d, article thirteen of this chapter.
(15) (16) "Purchaser" means a person who purchases tangible personal property, custom software or a service taxed by this article.
(16) (17) "Sale", "sales" or "selling" includes any transfer of the possession or ownership of tangible personal property or custom software for a consideration, including a lease or rental, when the transfer or delivery is made in the ordinary course of the transferor's business and is made to the transferee or his or her agent for consumption or use or any other purpose. "Sale" also includes the furnishing of a service for consideration. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this code, effective after the thirtieth day of June, two thousand eight, "sale" also includes the furnishing of prepaid wireless calling service for consideration.
(17) (18) "Service" or "selected service" includes all nonprofessional activities engaged in for other persons for a consideration, which involve the rendering of a service as distinguished from the sale of tangible personal property or custom software, but does not include contracting, personal services or the services rendered by an employee to his or her employer or any service rendered for resale: Provided, That the term "service" or "selected service" does not include payments received by a vendor of tangible personal property as an incentive to sell a greater volume of such tangible personal property under a manufacturer's, distributor's or other third-party's marketing support program, sales incentive program, cooperative advertising agreement or similar type of program or agreement, and these payments are not considered to be payments for a "service" or "selected service" rendered, even though the vendor may engage in attendant or ancillary activities associated with the sales of tangible personal property as required under the programs or agreements.
(18) (19) "Streamlined sales and use tax agreement" or "agreement", when used in this article, shall have the same meaning as when used in article fifteen-b of this chapter, except when the context in which the word "agreement" is used clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended by the Legislature.
(19) (20) "Tax" includes all taxes, additions to tax, interest and penalties levied under this article or article ten of this chapter.
(20) (21) "Tax Commissioner" means the State Tax Commissioner or his or her delegate. The term "delegate" in the phrase "or his or her delegate", when used in reference to the Tax Commissioner, means any officer or employee of the state tax division duly authorized by the Tax Commissioner directly, or indirectly by one or more redelegations of authority, to perform the functions mentioned or described in this article or rules promulgated for this article.
(21) (22) "Taxpayer" means any person liable for the tax imposed by this article or additions to tax, penalties and interest imposed by article ten of this chapter.
(22) (23) "Transmission" means the act or process of causing liquid, natural gas or electricity to pass or be conveyed from one place or geographical location to another place or geographical location through a pipeline or other medium for commercial purposes.
(23) (24) "Transportation" means the act or process of conveying, as a commercial enterprise, passengers or goods from one place or geographical location to another place or geographical location.
(24) (25) "Ultimate consumer" or "consumer" means a person who uses or consumes services or personal property.
(25) (26) "Vendor" means any person engaged in this state in furnishing services taxed by this article or making sales of tangible personal property or custom software. "Vendor" and "seller" are used interchangeably in this article.
(c) Additional definitions. -- Other terms used in this article are defined in article fifteen-b of this chapter, which definitions are incorporated by reference into article fifteen of this chapter. Additionally, other sections of this article may define terms primarily used in the section in which the term is defined.
§11-15-30. Proceeds of tax; appropriation of certain revenues.
(a) The proceeds of the tax imposed by this article shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund of the state except as otherwise expressly provided in this article.
After the payment or commitment of the proceeds or collections of this tax for the purposes set forth in sections sixteen and eighteen of this article, on the first day of each month, there shall be dedicated monthly from the collections of this tax, the amount of four hundred sixteen thousand six hundred sixty-seven dollars and the amount dedicated shall be deposited on a monthly basis into the School Major Improvement Fund created pursuant to section six, article nine-d, chapter eighteen of this code.
(1) On the first day of each month, there shall be dedicated monthly from the collections of this tax, the amount of one million four hundred sixteen thousand six hundred sixty-seven dollars and the amount dedicated shall be deposited into the School Construction Fund created pursuant to section six, article nine-d, chapter eighteen of this code.
(2) Effective the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, there shall be dedicated from the collections of this tax, an amount equal to any annual difference that may occur between the debt service payment for the one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven fiscal year for school improvement bonds issued under the Better School Building Amendment under the provisions of article nine-c, chapter eighteen of this code and the amount of funds required for debt service on these school improvement bonds in any current fiscal year thereafter. This annual difference shall be prorated monthly, added to the monthly deposit in subdivision (1) of this subsection and deposited into the School Construction Fund created pursuant to section six, article nine-d, chapter eighteen of this code.
(1) The tax imposed by this article upon the sale of prepaid wireless calling service is in lieu of the wireless enhanced 911 fee imposed by section six-b, article six, chapter twenty-four of this code.
(2) Within thirty days following the end of each calendar month, the Tax Commissioner shall remit to the Public Service Commission the proceeds of the tax imposed by this article upon the sale of prepaid wireless calling service in the preceding month, determined as follows: For purposes of determining the amount of those monthly proceeds, the Tax Commissioner shall use an amount equal to one twelfth of the wireless enhanced 911 fees collected from prepaid wireless calling service under section six-b, article six, chapter twenty-four of this code during the period beginning on the first day of July, two thousand seven and ending on the last day of June, two thousand eight. Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand nine, the Tax Commissioner shall adjust this amount annually by an amount proportionate to the increase or decrease in the enhanced wireless 911 fees paid to the Public Service Commission under section six-b, article six, chapter twenty-four of this code during the previous twelve months. The Public Service Commission shall receive, deposit and disburse such proceeds in the manner prescribed in section six-b, article six, chapter twenty-four of this code.
(1) "Commercial mobile radio service provider" or "CMRS provider" means cellular licensees, broadband personal communications services (PCS) licensees and specialized mobile radio (SMR) providers, as those terms are defined by the Federal Communications Commission, which offer on a post-paid or prepaid basis or via a combination of those two methods, real-time, two-way switched voice service that is interconnected with the public switched network and includes resellers of any commercial mobile radio service.
(2) "County answering point" means a facility to which enhanced emergency telephone system calls for a county are initially routed for response and where county personnel respond to specific requests for emergency service by directly dispatching the appropriate emergency service provider, relaying a message to the appropriate provider or transferring the call to the appropriate provider.
(3) "Emergency services organization" means the organization established under article five, chapter fifteen of this code.
(4) "Emergency service provider" means any emergency services organization or public safety unit.
(5) "Emergency telephone system" means a telephone system which through normal telephone service facilities automatically connects a person dialing the primary emergency telephone number to an established public agency answering point, but does not include an enhanced emergency telephone system.
(6) "Enhanced emergency telephone system" means a telephone system which automatically connects the person dialing the primary emergency number to the county answering point and in which the telephone network system automatically provides to personnel receiving the call, immediately on answering the call, information on the location and the telephone number from which the call is being made and, upon direction from the personnel receiving the call, routes or dispatches the call by telephone, radio or any other appropriate means of communication to emergency service providers that serve the location from which the call is made.
(7) "Prepaid wireless calling service" means prepaid wireless calling service as defined in section two, article fifteen, chapter eleven of this code.
(7) (8) "Public agency" means the state and any municipality, county, public district or public authority which provides or has authority to provide fire fighting, police, ambulance, medical, rescue or other emergency services.
(8) (9) "Public safety unit" means a functional division of a public agency which provides fire fighting, police, medical, rescue or other emergency services.
(9) (10) "Telephone company" means any public utility and any CMRS provider which is engaged in the provision of telephone service whether primarily by means of wire or wireless facilities.
(10) (11) "Comprehensive plan" means a plan pertaining to the installing, modifying or replacing of telephone switching equipment; a telephone utility's response in a timely manner to requests for emergency telephone service by a public agency; a telephone utility's responsibility to report to the Public Service Commission; charges and tariffs for the services and facilities provided by a telephone utility; and access to an emergency telephone system by emergency service organizations.
(11) (12) "Technical and operational standards" means those standards of telephone equipment and processes necessary for the implementation of the comprehensive plan as defined in subdivision (10) (11) of this subsection.
§24-6-6b. Wireless enhanced 911 fee.
(a) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand six, All CMRS providers as defined in section two of this article shall, on a monthly basis or otherwise for good cause and as directed by order of the Public Service Commission, collect from each of their in-state two-way service subscribers a wireless enhanced 911 fee. As used in this section "in-state two-way service subscriber" shall have the same meaning as that set forth in the rules of the Public Service Commission. No later than the first day of June, two thousand six, the Public Service Commission shall, after the receipt of comments and the consideration of evidence presented at a hearing, issue an updated order which directs the CMRS providers regarding all relevant details of wireless enhanced 911 fee collection, including the determination of who is considered an in-state two-way service subscriber and which shall specify how the CMRS providers shall deal with fee collection shortfalls caused by uncollectible accounts. The Public Service Commission shall solicit the views of the wireless telecommunications utilities prior to issuing the order.
(b) The wireless enhanced 911 fee is three dollars per month for each valid retail commercial mobile radio service subscription, as that term is defined by the Public Service Commission in its order issued under subsection (a) of this section: Provided, That beginning on the first day of July, two thousand five, the wireless enhanced 911 fee shall include ten cents to be distributed to the West Virginia State Police to be used for equipment upgrades for improving and integrating their communication efforts with those of the enhanced 911 systems: Provided, however, That for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of July, two thousand five, and for every fiscal year thereafter, one million dollars of the wireless enhanced 911 fee shall be distributed by the Public Service Commission to subsidize the construction of towers. The moneys shall be deposited in a fund administered by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, entitled Enhanced 911 Wireless Tower Access Assistance Fund, and shall be expended in accordance with an enhanced 911 wireless tower access matching grant order adopted by the Public Service Commission. The commission order shall contain terms and conditions designed to provide financial assistance loans or grants to state agencies, political subdivisions of the state and wireless telephone carriers for the acquisition, equipping and construction of new wireless towers, which would provide enhanced 911 service coverage and which would not be available otherwise due to marginal financial viability of the applicable tower coverage area: Provided further, That the grants shall be allocated among potential sites based on application from county commissions demonstrating the need for enhanced 911 wireless coverage in specific areas of this state. Any tower constructed with assistance from the fund created by this subdivision shall be available for use by emergency services, fire departments and law-enforcement agencies communication equipment, so long as that use does not interfere with the carrier's wireless signal: And provided further, That the Public Service Commission shall promulgate rules in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to effectuate the provisions of this subsection. The Public Service Commission is specifically authorized to promulgate emergency rules: And provided further, That for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of July, two thousand six, and for every fiscal year thereafter, five percent of the wireless enhanced 911 fee money received by the Public Service Commission shall be deposited in a special fund established by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to be used solely for the construction, maintenance and upgrades of the West Virginia Interoperable Radio Project and any other costs associated with establishing and maintaining the infrastructure of the system. Any funds remaining in this fund at the end of the fiscal year shall automatically be reappropriated for the following year.
the respecification year: Provided, however, That the fee may never be less than the amount set in subsection (b) of this section: Provided further, That beginning on the first day of July, two thousand five, the wireless enhanced 911 fee shall include ten cents to be distributed to the West Virginia State Police to be used for equipment upgrades for improving and integrating their communication efforts with those of the enhanced 911 systems: And provided further, That beginning on the first day of July, two thousand five, one million dollars of the wireless enhanced 911 fee shall be distributed by the Public Service Commission to subsidize the construction of wireless towers as specified in subsection (b) of this section.
(3) The Public Service Commission shall deposit the wireless enhanced 911 fee revenue for each county which does not have an enhanced 911 ordinance in effect into an escrow account which it has established for that county. Any county with an escrow account may, immediately upon adopting an enhanced 911 ordinance, receive the moneys which have accumulated in the escrow account for use as specified in subdivision (2), subsection (d) of this section: Provided, That a county that adopts a 911 ordinance after the original effective date of this section in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven or has adopted a 911 ordinance within five years of the original effective date of this section in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven shall continue to receive one percent of the total 911 fee revenue for a period of five years following the adoption of the ordinance. Thereafter, each county shall receive that county's eight and one-half tenths of one percent of the remaining fee revenue, plus that county's additional pro rata portion of the fee revenues then remaining, based on that county's population as determined in the most recent decennial census as a percentage of the state total population: Provided, however, That every five years from the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, all fee revenue residing in escrow accounts shall be disbursed on the pro rata basis specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection, except that data for counties without enhanced 911 ordinances in effect shall be omitted from the calculation and all escrow accounts shall begin again with a zero balance.
(e) CMRS providers have the same rights and responsibilities as other telephone service suppliers in dealing with the failure by a subscriber of a CMRS provider to timely pay the wireless enhanced 911 fee.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of section one-a of this article, for the purposes of this section, the term "county" means one of the counties provided in section one, article one, chapter one of this code.
(g) From any funds distributed to a county pursuant to this section, a total of three percent shall be set aside in a special fund to be used exclusively for the purchase of equipment that will provide information regarding the x and y coordinates of persons who call an emergency telephone system through a commercial mobile radio service: Provided, That upon purchase of the necessary equipment, the special fund shall be dissolved and any surplus shall be used for general operation of the emergency telephone system as may otherwise be provided by law.
(h) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this code, beginning the first day of July, two thousand eight, prepaid wireless calling service is no longer subject to the wireless enhanced 911 fee.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide an alternative means of equitably collecting and remitting telecommunications taxes, fees and charges applicable to prepaid wireless calling arrangements. | 2019-04-21T12:47:12Z | http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb552%20intr.htm&yr=2008&sesstype=RS&i=552 |
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“Tampa” redirects here. For other uses, see Tampa (disambiguation).
Tampa /ˈtæmpə/ is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County and is located on the west coast of Florida, on Tampa Bay near the Gulf of Mexico. The population of Tampa in 2011 was 346,037.
In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of today's Tampa Convention Center. The first civilian residents were pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population. The town grew slowly until the 1880s, when railroad links, the discovery of phosphate, and the arrival of the cigar industry jump-started its development and helped it to grow into an important city by the early 1900s.
Today, Tampa is a part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. For U.S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.9 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States, behind Miami, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U.S. Census data showed an average annual growth of 2.47 percent, or a gain of approximately 97,000 residents per year. Between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Tampa Bay Market experienced a combined growth rate of 14.8 percent, growing from 3.4 million to 3.9 million and hitting the 4 million people mark on April 1, 2007. A 2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people and a 2017 projection of 4,536,854 people.
In 2008, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes. A 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper Washington Square News ranked Tampa as a top city for "twenty-somethings." Tampa also ranks as the fifth most popular American city, based on where people want to live, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study. Tampa is now ranked as a "Gamma+" world city by Loughborough University. According to Loughborough, Tampa ranks alongside other world cities such as Phoenix, Indianapolis, Rotterdam, and Santo Domingo. In recent years Tampa has seen a notable upsurge in high-market demand from consumers, signaling more wealth concentrated in the area. Tampa hosted the 2012 Republican National Convention.
The war ended in April 1865 with a Confederate defeat. In May 1865, federal troops of the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment arrived in Tampa to occupy the fort and the town as part of Reconstruction. They remained until August 1869.
Henry B. Plant's narrow-gauge South Florida Railroad reached Tampa and its port in late 1883, finally connecting the small town to the nation's railroad system after years of efforts by local leaders. Previously, Tampa's overland transportation links had consisted of sandy roads stretching across the Florida countryside. Plant's railroad made it much easier to get goods in and out of the Tampa Bay area. Phosphate and commercial fishing exports could be sent north by rail and many new products were brought into the Tampa market, along with the first tourists.
The era of rampant and open corruption ended in the 1950s, when the Estes Kefauver's traveling organized crime hearings came to town and were followed by the sensational misconduct trials of several local officials. Although many of the worst offenders in government and the mob were not charged, the trials helped to end the sense of lawlessness which had prevailed in Tampa for decades.
MacDill Air Force Base during World War II.
In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 80.0% white and 19.7% black.
Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58′15″N 82°27′53″W / 27.97083, -82.46472 (27.970898, −82.464640).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 170.6 square miles (442 km2) including 112.1 square miles (290 km2) of land and 58.5 square miles (151.5 km2) (34.31%) of water. The highest point in the city is only 48 feet (15 m). Tampa is bordered by two bodies of water, Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, both of which flow together to form Tampa Bay, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Hillsborough River flows out into Hillsborough Bay, passing directly in front of Downtown Tampa and supplying Tampa's main source of fresh water. Palm River is a smaller river flowing from just east of the city into McKay Bay, which is a smaller inlet, sited at the northeast end of Hillsborough Bay Tampa's geography is marked by the Interbay Peninsula which divides Hillsborough Bay (the eastern) from Old Tampa Bay (the western).
Tampa's climate shows characteristics of a tropical climate, but is situated on the southern fringe of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) zone. Tampa's climate generally features hot summer days with frequent thunderstorms in the summer (rain is less frequent in the fall and winter), and a threat of a light winter freeze from November 15 through March 5 caused by occasional cold fronts from the north. Freezes do not happen every year though, especially towards South Tampa and areas near the bay. Light freezes every year are more likely in northern Tampa and areas away from the water. Since Tampa has some characteristics of a tropical climate, hard freezes (defined by the National Weather Service as below 28 °F (−2.2 °C)) happen rarely (every 5 to 20 years depending on location). Because of Tampa Bay, Tampa is split between two USDA climate zones. According to the 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Tampa is listed as USDA zone 9b north of Kennedy Boulevard away from the bay and 10a south of Kennedy Boulevard and along the bay, Zone 10a is about the northern limit of where coconut palms and royal palms can be grown, although some specimens do grow in northern Tampa. Southern Tampa has much more tropical foliage than the northern parts of the city. Average highs range from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) year round, and lows 52 to 76 °F (11 to 24 °C). Tampa's official recorded high has never hit 100 °F (37.8 °C) – the all-time record high temperature is 99 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 5, 1985.
Temperatures are warm to hot from around mid-May through mid-October, which roughly coincides with the rainy season. Summertime weather is very consistent from June through September, with daytime highs near 90 °F (32 °C), lows in the mid-70s °F (23–24 °C), and high humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms, usually generated by the interaction of the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes, are such a regular occurrence during the summer that the Tampa Bay area is recognized as the "Lightning Capital of North America". Every year, Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes, with several of these usually occurring in or around Tampa.
Though it is affected by tropical storms every few years and threatened by tropical systems almost annually, Tampa has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since 1921. That seemed about to change in 2004, when Hurricane Charley was forecast to enter the mouth of Tampa Bay and make landfall near downtown Tampa, with potentially devastating effects for the entire region. The danger prompted one of the largest evacuations in state history, with many residents taking refuge in the Orlando area. But Charley never reached Tampa Bay. After paralleling Florida's southwest coastline, the storm suddenly and unexpectedly swerved to the east and slammed into Punta Gorda instead. Charley then traveled northeast across the state and hit Orlando, where many Tampa residents had taken refuge, as a category 2 storm.
The regular summertime afternoon thundershowers occasionally intensify into a severe thunderstorm, bringing heavy downpours, frequent lightning, strong straight-line winds, and sometimes hail. Tornadoes and waterspouts are less common, and they tend to be weaker and shorter-lived (typically EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale) than those in tornado alley. The arrival of spring cold fronts sometimes bring stronger tornadoes to west central Florida. An F4 (Old Fujita scale) struck northern Tampa and the University of South Florida on April 4, 1966 causing severe damage and killing 3 people in north Tampa. However, this was an unusual event.
Tampa skyline panorama facing north.
Tampa skyline panorama facing east.
The Ybor City District is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Notable structures include El Centro Español de Tampa, El Centro Asturiano and other social clubs built in the early 1900s.
The City of Tampa is served by Tampa Fire Rescue. With 22 fire stations the department provides fire and medical protection for Tampa and New Tampa. Station 1, located on 808 East Zack Street in Downtown, serves as headquarters and houses Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue Car 1, Heavy Rescue 1, and Vent Truck 1. The busiest firehouse in the city is Station 13, housing Engine 13, Rescue Car 13. After three years of service in the department, members must become Florida State Certified Paramedics.
Marshall Student Center at the University of South Florida.
Downtown Tampa as seen from above.
Service, retail, finance, insurance, shipping by air and sea, national defense, professional sports, tourism, and real estate all play a vital role in the area's economy. Hillsborough County alone has an estimated 740,000 employees, a figure which is projected to increase to 922,000 by 2015. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa.
MacDill Air Force Base also remains a major employer as the parent installation for over 15,000 active uniformed military, Department of Defense (DoD) civil service and DoD contractor personnel in the Tampa Bay area. A significant majority of the civil service and contractor personnel are, in fact, themselves retired career military personnel. In addition to the 6th Air Mobility Wing, which is "host wing" for the base, MacDill is also home to Headquarters, United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the 927th Air Refueling Wing, Headquarters, United States Marine Forces Central Command (USMARCENT), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command Central (USSOCCENT), and numerous other military activities of the active and reserve components of the armed forces.
Tampa and its surrounding suburbs are host to over 20 hospitals and four trauma centers. Three of the area's hospitals were ranked among "America's best hospitals" by US News and World Report. It is also home to many health research institutions. The major hospitals in Tampa include Tampa General Hospital, St. Joseph's Children's & Women's Hospital, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and The Pepin Heart Institute. Shriners Hospitals for Children is based in Tampa. Advocated for World Health is a Tampa based non-profit that reuses medical waste and donates it to hospitals in need around the globe. USF's Byrd Alzheimer's Institute is both a prominent research facility and Alzheimer's patient care center in Tampa. Along with human health care, there are hundreds of animal medical centers including a Humane Society of America.
Major daily newspapers serving the city are The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times. La Gaceta is the nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish, and Italian. There is also a wide variety of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies, and magazines, including the Florida Sentinel Bulletin, Creative Loafing, Reax Music Magazine, The Oracle, Tampa Bay Business Journal, and MacDill Thunderbolt. Major television affiliates include WFTS 28 (ABC), WTSP 10 (CBS), WFLA 8 (NBC), WTVT 13 (Fox), WTOG 44 (The CW), WTTA 38 (MyNetworkTV), and WVEA 62 (Univision).
TECO's coal-fired Big Bend Power Station supplies most of the city's energy.
The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway features an elevated double-decker highway.
Three motor vehicle bridges cross Tampa Bay to Pinellas County from Tampa city limits: the Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275), the Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR 60), and the Gandy Bridge (U.S. 92). The old Gandy Bridge was completely replaced by new spans during the 1990s, but a span of the old bridge was saved and converted into a pedestrian and biking bridge renamed The Friendship Trail. It is the longest overwater recreation trail in the world. However, the bridge was closed in 2008 due to structural problems.
Eastern terminus of the Howard Frankland Bridge.
There are two major expressways (toll) bringing traffic in and out of Tampa. The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway (SR 618) (formerly known as the Crosstown Expressway), runs from suburban Brandon at its eastern terminus, through Downtown Tampa, to the neighborhoods in South Tampa (near MacDill Air Force Base) at its western terminus. The Veterans Expressway (SR 589), meanwhile connects Tampa International Airport and the bay bridges to the northwestern suburbs of Carrollwood, Northdale, Westchase, Citrus Park, Cheval, and Lutz, before continuing north as the Suncoast Parkway into Pasco and Hernando counties.
Along with highways, major surface roads serve as main arteries of the city. These roads are Hillsborough Avenue (U.S. 92 and U.S. 41), Dale Mabry Highway (U.S. 92), Nebraska Avenue (U.S. 41/SR 45), Florida Avenue (U.S. 41 Business), Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Fowler Avenue, Busch Boulevard, Kennedy Boulevard, Adamo Drive, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Carnival Inspiration at port in Tampa.
In 1899 however, the U.S. Congress authorized the dredging of a 27' deep channel to Port Tampa, Henry Plant's rail-to-ship facility just west of Tampa. In 1917 another channel was dredged out to the Port of Tampa proper, instantly making Tampa an important shipping location.
Tugboat pushes a barge at the Port of Tampa.
The bay bottom is very sandy, and the ship channels need constant dredging to keep them navigable to the largest modern cargo ships. Every year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge up enough sediment from the bay to fill Raymond James Stadium ten times.
Weekly containerized cargo service is available in the Port of Tampa. Ports America operates two container berths, three gantry cranes, a 100 ton Mobile Harbor Crane and a container terminal. Zim American Integrated Shipping Company has been providing global connections to the Port of Tampa for the past ten years. MSC has recently partnered with Zim on a joint service connecting the Port of Tampa to an additional global network. The port's longest running container carrier Tropical Shipping recently ceased operations in the Port of Tampa. Horizon Lines also made a short lived attempt to provide service to the port but quickly pulled the plug. Currently 3,000 to 4,250 TEU containerships regularly call the Port of Tampa.
Public mass transit within Tampa is operated by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), and includes public bus and paratransit service, as well as a streetcar line. The HART bus system's main hub is the Marion Transit Center in Downtown Tampa, serving nearly 30 local and express routes. HART has a signed transit deal with the University of South Florida, allowing students to ride for free on most bus routes, while students from other schools may receive discounted fares. HART is also currently making a bus rapid transit system called MetroRapid that will run between Downtown and the University of South Florida.
A HARTLine bus picking up passengers at the Marion Transit Center.
In October, 2002, the TECO Line Streetcar System brought electric streetcar service back to Tampa for the first time in over half a century. The line currently operates from eleven stations along a 2.7-mile (4.35-km) route, connecting Ybor City, the Channel District, the Tampa Convention Center, and downtown Tampa. The TECO Line fleet features varnished wood interiors and other appointments reminiscent of the streetcars that traversed Tampa between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. The nostalgic design is incorporated with modern functionality, as the cars are both wheelchair accessible and air conditioned.
Limited transportation by privately operated "Neighborhood Electric Vehicles" (NEV) is available, primarily in Downtown Tampa and Ybor City. Water taxis are available on a charter basis for tours along the downtown waterfront and the Hillsborough River. Regular water taxi service may be possible in the future as docks and facilities are developed in conjunction with the Tampa Riverwalk.
A KC-135R stationed at MacDill flying over Tampa Bay.
The MacDill AFB flight line was temporarily closed and the 56th Fighter Wing transferred to Luke AFB, Arizona following the 1991 round of base closings under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) discussions; at the time, the base was used for F-16 fighter training and operations and increasing level of civilian air traffic in the Tampa Bay area was considered detrimental to training. The noise produced by the fighter aircraft was also considered inappropriate in a densely populated area. However, despite committee recommendations, the base remained open to house and support CENTCOM and SOCOM under the cognizance of the newly activated 6th Air Base Wing. With the disestablishment of Tactical Air Command a few months later, claimancy for MacDill passed to the newly created Air Combat Command.
The MacDill flight line was initially reopened in 1992 to temporarily support F-16 aircraft from the 31st Fighter Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 482d Fighter Wing, following the destruction of their home station, Homestead AFB, Florida, in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. In 1993 the MacDill flightline was permanently reopened for NOAA WP-3D "hurricane hunter" operations, which had relocated from Miami International Airport.
In 1996, the 91st Air Refueling Squadron moved to MacDill from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 6th Air Base Wing was renamed the 6th Air Refueling Wing. It was renamed the 6th Air Mobility Wing after the 310th Airlift Squadron was activated on the base and the installation officially came under the Air Mobility Command.
The Channelside Entertainment Complex in Tampa's Channel District.
Tampa is home to several death metal bands, an extreme form of heavy metal music that evolved from thrash metal. Many of the genre's pioneers and foremost figures are based in and around the city. Chief among these are Deicide, Six Feet Under, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Morbid Angel. The Tampa scene grew with the birth of Morrisound Recording, which established itself as an international recording destination for metal bands.
The underground rock band, the Baskervils, got their start in Tampa. They played the Tampa Bay area between 1994 and 1997 and then moved to New York City. Underground hip-hop group Equilibrium is based out of Tampa, as well as the Christian metalcore band, Underoath.
The city of Tampa operates over 165 parks and beaches covering 2,286 acres (9.251 km2) within city limits; 42 more in surrounding suburbs covering 70,000 acres (280 km2), are maintained by Hillsborough County. These areas include the Hillsborough River State Park, just northeast of the city. Tampa is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo, and Florida Aquarium.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre (1.356 km2) Africa-themed park located near the University of South Florida. It features many thrilling roller coasters, for which it is known, including Sheikra, Montu, Gwazi and Kumba. Visitors can also view and interact with a number of African wildlife.
Other notable events include the Outback Bowl, which is held New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium. Each February, The Florida State Fair brings crowds from across the state, while "Fiesta Day" celebrates Tampa's Cuban, German, Italian, African-Cuban, Jewish and Spanish immigrant heritage. The India International Film Festival (IIFF) of Tampa Bay also takes place in February. In April the MacDill Air Fest entertains as one of the largest military air shows in the U.S. Guavaween, a nighttime street celebration infuses Halloween with the Latin flavor of Ybor City. Downtown Tampa hosts the largest anime convention in Florida, Metrocon, a three-day event held in either June or July at the Tampa Convention Center. Ybor also hosts "GaYbor Days", an annual street party in the GLBT-friendly GaYbor district. The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, held annually since 1989, is the city's largest film festival event, and one of the largest independent gay film festivals in the country.
Communities of faith have organized in Tampa from 1846, when a Methodist congregation established the city's first church, to 1939, when a 21-year-old Billy Graham began his career as a spiritual evangelist and preacher on downtown's Franklin Street, and through to today. Among Tampa's noteworthy religious structures are Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a 1905 downtown landmark noted for its soaring, Romanesque revival construction in granite and marble with German-crafted stained glass windows, the distinctive rock and mortar St. James Episcopal House of Prayer, listed with the U.S. historic registry, and the St. Paul A.M.E. church, which has seen the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Bill Clinton speak from its pulpit. The later two have been designated by the city government as Local Landmark Structures.
Around the city are located a handful of mosques for followers of Islam, as well as a Tibetan-style Buddhist temple, a Thai Buddhist Wat, and local worship centers for the Sikh, Hindu and Bahá'í faiths. The Church of Scientology, based in nearby Clearwater, maintains a location for its cult in Tampa.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began in 1976 as an expansion team of the NFL. They struggled mightily at first, losing their first 26 games in a row to set a league record for futility. After a brief taste of success in the late 1970s, the Bucs again returned to their losing ways, and at one point lost 10+ games for 12 seasons in a row. The hiring of Tony Dungy in 1996 started an improving trend that eventually led to the team's first Super Bowl title in 2002 under coach Jon Gruden.
The Tampa Bay Storm moved to the area from Pittsburgh in 1991 and promptly won their first Arena Bowl championship. They have won four subsequent championships (1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003), more than any other Arena Football League team. The Storm played in Tropicana Field until 1997, when they moved to the Tampa Bay Times Forum.
The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning was established in 1992, and currently play their home games in the Tampa Bay Times Forum, located in the Channelside district of downtown Tampa. In 2004, the team won their first Stanley Cup championship against the Calgary Flames.
The Tampa Bay area has long been home to spring training, minor league, and excellent amateur baseball. Accordingly, there was some cross-bay competition for a Major League Baseball franchise throughout the 1980s and 1990s until the Tampa Bay Rays (originally "Devil Rays") began playing in 1998 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. After a decade of futility, the Rays made it to the 2008 World Series and won the American League East in 2008 and 2010, and the American League Wild Card in 2011.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the original North American Soccer League was the area's first major sports franchise, beginning play in Tampa Stadium in 1975. The Rowdies were an immediate success, drawing good crowds and winning the inaugural Soccer Bowl in their first season to bring Tampa its first professional sports championship. Though the NASL ceased operations in 1984, the Rowdies continued to compete in various indoor and outdoor soccer leagues until finally folding in 1993.
A new incarnation of the Tampa Bay Rowdies compete in a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League (2nd Division in the U.S. & Canada). The team took the pitch as FC Tampa Bay in 2010 because of a licensing dispute over the "Rowdies" moniker and finally gained control of the old name and logos before the 2012 season. They played in George M. Steinbrenner field in Tampa during their first campaign and moved to Al Lang Field in St. Pete in 2011. In 2012, the Rowdies were crowned champions of the NASL.
The city was also home to USL Pro (3rd Division) club VSI Tampa Bay which ceased operations after the 2013 season.
The city was home to the Major League Soccer team Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Mutiny were the first MLS club to win the Supporters' Shield in the league's history. The club, which was run by the league, operated from 1996 until 2001 when local ownership could not be secured. The city has no current representation in MLS.
Hillsborough Community College participates in Division I of the NJCAA. Sports include men's baseball and basketball, and women's basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball.
The University of South Florida began playing intercollegiate sports in 1965. The South Florida Bulls established a basketball team in 1971 and a football team in 1997. The football Bulls joined the Big East in 2005, and under former head coach Jim Leavitt, rose to as high as #2 in the BCS rankings in 2007.
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^ “Our History”. St. James House of Prayer. Retrieved February 27, 2010.
^ Pichaya Fitts (April 14, 2003). "'A little piece of Thailand'". Tampa Bay Times. http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/14/TampaBay/_A_little_piece_of_Th.shtml. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
^ "Hillsborough Community College". NJCAA. http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_home.cfm?collegeId=1360. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
^ Florence, Jeanne. "Le Havre - Les villes jumelées [Le Havre - Twin towns]" (in French). Archived on 2009-09-03. Error: If you specify |archivedate=, you must also specify |archiveurl=. http://archives.lehavre.fr/delia-CMS/guichet_virtuel/rubrique/article_id-1626/topic_id-707/les-villes-jumelees.html. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
^ "Le Havre - Les villes jumelées [Le Havre - Twin towns]" (in French). City of Le Havre. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20130729215238/http://lehavre.fr/dossier/le-havre-ville-partenaire. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
^ "Sister cities of İzmir". Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. http://www.izmir.bel.tr/en/kardeskentler.asp. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
Kerstein, Robert (2001). Politics and Growth in Twentieth-Century Tampa. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-2083-2.
Milanich, Jerald (1995). Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1360-7.
This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Tampa, Florida. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. | 2019-04-24T07:17:34Z | https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Tampa,_Florida |
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Many small business owners just starting out either use their personal phones to conduct business, or they purchase a smartphone to use as an all-in-one device to remain productive throughout the day.
However, if you were to purchase used Cisco & IP wireless phones instead, you would not only reduce workplace inefficiency, but you would increase workplace productivity as well. While smartphones offer more functions like direct access to the Internet and email, which many small business owners can use to their advantage, such phones also offer more distractions. The amount of games and apps available at your fingertips can be overwhelming and you may find yourself taking too many breaks to play the newest version of Angry Birds as a result every few hours!
Instead, consider “downgrading” from your smartphone to a used Cisco CP-7962G phone instead, at least when at work. With a balancing and efficient compromise between phone features and increased durability, this phone can make all the difference, whether you are concerned about closing sales, contacting clients, or tracking shipping orders, and more.
Purchasing a used Cisco CP-7962G is one of the best decisions any new business owner can make when acknowledging Cisco’s superiority at delivering durable and reliable products that last longer and perform better than their competition, like Juniper Networks or Sun Microsystems. While all the top companies in the IT industry are great, Cisco is the leader for their brand-name recognition and for the quality of goods and services they provide.
Everyone from part-time receptionist to owners and operators will love the used Cisco CP-7962G phone. With six backlit line and feature buttons, all of which are fully programmable, as well as all the regular call features and functions you expect in an office phone, the Cisco CP-7962G is well worth the price, even when used.
If security is an issue for you and your company, especially when you are trying to avoid telemarketers and cellular scammers, you can rest assured. The used Cisco CP-7962G shows each caller’s name and number clearly on a 4-bit grayscale LCD monitor for your visual convenience. Never miss the name and contact information of another client or lead again, with a proven office phone.
You can also use your phone hands-free, a design feature specifically intended for the busy professional. Multitask and complete more during the day with a Cisco phone. In addition, with language support available for over thirty languages, you can help your foreign tourist clientele, as well as any clients who immigrated to the country recently.
We as people often think that newer technology is automatically better. However, with regards to telecommunications equipment, we now know that popular phrase is not always accurate, depending on the situation. As a business owner, you need to use the best technology for your job. Sometimes, the best technology is that which has been around for a while, and has been tested by years of experience.
The newest smartphone off the shelf does not even compare in terms of productivity to the used Cisco CP-7962G, or other used Cisco IP & Wireless phones. Each phone has a purpose. Smartphones are best left to personal use, outside of the office. However, when you are in the office, use the best. Use Cisco technology. You cannot go wrong with the used Cisco CP-7962G.
Network IT has services clients in and around Toronto and the GTA. If you want to downgrade your phone and upgrade your business productivity, consider purchasing used Cisco & IP wireless phones like the used Cisco CP-7961G, the used Cisco CP-7942G, or the used Cisco CP-7962G. Visit our website to learn more.
One of the best Cisco network consulting and support services a business can purchase, as an investment in generating future revenue, is IP Telephony and VoIP. If you are a young small business owner, it is more than likely you are at least familiar with IP Telephony and VoIP, if you do not use such systems yourself.
However, older business owners may still be using a legacy phone system or an out-dated system that is not helping your productivity. Here are the top two reasons why you should upgrade your telephone system to IP Telephony and VoIP, and the benefits they will have on your business.
IP Telephony and VoIP services require an Internet connection to run. Since the Internet is everywhere nowadays, and you may even have it in your business, all you need to do is choose an IP Telephony and VoIP plan and retailer. Using your Internet connection to its fullest capabilities is great for businesses that operate in cities and towns, as your connection will remain consistently strong, especially in commercial districts.
The strength and value of using an Internet connection for IP Telephony and VoIP can also have positive effects on your business, leading to an increase in sales. While older phone systems had issues in network integration and long-distance connection, integrating your phone system with a wireless network will result in a stronger and improved phone connection with customers.
A dropped call may be the difference between a successful sale and a failed one. Since you already have the infrastructure, the switch to an improved system is only a call away.
There are many extra services included in IP Telephony and VoIP that you simply cannot find in a legacy phone system. Your phone system can perform many functions, even those that are not typically available on a phone system, like voicemail to email transcription, which can help you file important information faster and more easily. You can now check your voicemails on your emails while waiting in line at the store or while at home.
Another great service included in IP Telephony and VoIP services is the ability to integrate your phone system with your security system. If you carry expensive products or have lots of cash in-store by the end of your daily operating hours, merging these two systems adds another layer of security, without any downsides.
All you have to do is add an analog door phone in your IP Telephony and VoIP system, which will allow you to screen visitors. If you have banned certain individuals from your store, like known local thieves for instance, being able to control the people that can enter your store is of paramount importance.
You can also add a list of telephone numbers your IP Telephony and VoIP system will attempt to contact before going to voicemail. This is a great feature if you are out of the office and need to remain in contact with customers or suppliers. You never have to worry about missing an urgent call while in your car, at a business meeting, or even at home.
If you cannot be reached at any of the numbers you programmed into your phone system, the call will be sent to voicemail. If you activate voicemail to email transcription, you can still receive important messages on your smartphone with an email app and a WIFI or data connection. You will never have to worry about missing important information left on your voicemail again!
If you would like more information on Cisco network consulting and support services, especially IP Telephony and VoIP, please contact us at our website. Network IT has helped small businesses across Toronto and the GTA install IP Telephony and VoIP and save money.
It doesn’t matter what size a business is. All businesses require reliable phone networks. Here at Network IT, we believe in used Cisco IP wireless phones and their ability to provide your business with a phone network that is always online and easy to troubleshoot. When shopping for wireless phones, we recommend phones like the used Cisco CP-7961G, used Cisco CP-7942G, and the used Cisco CP-7972G. These three phones are extremely reliable and will increase the competitive advantage of your business.
By using used Cisco IP wireless phones, you will create a phone network that is capable of paging, intercom, voicemail, automated messages, and strong presence technology. In addition, used Cisco IP wireless phones can be linked to popular applications like Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Office, Meeting Place Express, WebEx, and video applications.
Wireless phones are flexible and incredibly easy to use. Used Cisco IP wireless phones provide you with an IP-based phone system that consolidates your network and saves your business money. Wireless phones that use IP technology come with all the features of classic phones without any of the hidden costs. By using this type of technology, you provide your employees with the necessary communication channels to drive and maintain business, thereby increasing your overall return on investment.
Network IT provides businesses in Toronto, the GTA, and all of Ontario with used Cisco IP wireless phones. If you have any questions about wireless phones like the used Cisco CP-7961G, the used Cisco CP-7942G, or the used Cisco CP-7972G, please feel free to contact us today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. Upgrade to IP technology today and increase the competitive advantage of your company.
Are you looking to work out the kinks in your network? Has your business been tethered to a traditional phone line for too long? With the help of Cisco network consulting and support services, cut the cord, and create your own IP telephony and VOIP network. Network IT offers Cisco network consulting and support services in an effort to allow for routing and switching LAN/WAN wireless, the bolstering of our clients network security, and to facilitate the development of integrated IP telephony and VOIP networks.
By creating your own personal IP telephony and VOIP network, you will greatly increase your company’s network security. These networks are stored server-side, granting you complete access to tweak internal settings, establish proper security protocols, and develop in-house applications of the network. This includes personal voicemails, password protection, company greetings, advanced routing, and much more.
With the help of Cisco network consulting and support services, your company will have an efficient network that directly caters to your needs. Never sacrifice network security by using antiquated phone lines with common telecommunications companies. No one cares about your security like you do and you need to make sure that your data and calls are properly protected. Make the switch to IP telephony and VOIP today.
If you are in need of Cisco network consulting and support services, routing and switching LAN/WAN wireless, advanced network security services, or you want to change to IP telephony and VOIP, Network IT is here to help you. We offer our products and services to clients in Toronto, throughout the GTA, and all of Ontario. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us today. We would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.
We’ve all heard the saying: people survived for centuries without telephones. Why do we need one now? Times have changed and it’s now required for people to have a telephone when they are on the run, when they are at work, and when they are at home as well. The advantages of having a quality phone are amazing and it enables carriers to keep in instant contact with people they need to talk to right away. The invention of wireless IP phones has made communication even more convenient and affordable for the discerning business person and that is the topic of our discussion in this featured blog.
A very common question we get asked by friends and family is about setting up Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) and what kind of phone is needed. Many people believe that they will have to purchase a new IP phone and hook it up to pricey and difficult to set up systems before they can start using it. Rest assured that this belief is false.
Today’s active employees and employers are becoming more and more mobile. This is a trend that is expected to continue as technologies enable the ability to perform work outside of the workplace. Today’s IP wireless phones (at least with Cisco wireless models) provide much more than “tip and ring” functionality and are powerful tools for streamlining operations, improving productivity and encouraging information sharing.
Once it is set up, a wireless IP phone is as easy to use any other phone you use at home and around the office. The two biggest advantages are cost and versatility. Because a VOIP phone routes calls across the Internet, there is little difference between a local and a long distance call. How much you pay is determined by the service provider. Some service providers charge a flat monthly fee for unlimited calling, while others bill on a per-minute basis. Being wireless, your phone can be used anywhere you have access to a Wi-Fi signal, void of any cords and wires.
A wireless IP phone is dependent on Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) to send and receive voice data in much the same way that a computer or mobile device does. Your voice is converted into digital data, sent from the phone to a Wi-Fi router and then sent over the Internet to a server that directs the data to the other phone. The same process in reverse sends the other person’s voice to your phone. VOIP phones can be used to call or receive calls from other VoIP phones, cell phones and/or landlines.
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Cisco wireless IP phone features are generally controlled via a technology called “softkeys.” Softkeys are programmable feature buttons that appear when the phone is in a different call state. An idle phone is said to be under the “On Hook” state since the handset is on the cradle “on the phone hook,” holding down the phone hook. When the handset is lifted, the phone is in “Off Hook”. “On Hook” has many available softkey features, but only three are enabled by default in many Cisco wireless IP phones.
The default softkeys include “Redial,” “CfwdAll,” and “NewCall.” Pressing “Redial” dials the last phone call attempted. When this softkey is pressed, the speaker phone become active and the last placed will be attempted. The “CfwdAll” festure allows one to punch in a call forwarding destination for all incoming calls. The Cisco IP Phone will not ring while “CfwdAll” is active. The “NewCall” feature will take the phone “Off Hook” with the speakerphone active.
There are many On Hook phone features that are not enabled by default. We will begin to talk about these phone features now. The first on this list is the “CallBack” softkey. This is a feature allowing the calling party to monitor the called party’s line status. After an unsuccessful call due to a “call forward busy” (CFB), the calling user presses “CallBack”. When there is a status transition (onhook/offhook), the calling party’s phone rings with the information present on screen. When the calling party picks up the phone, the recipients’ phone begins ringing. The next available softkey is “Conference List” (ConfList). This softkey can inspect conference participants by their Caller ID.
The conference members will be listed in the order in which they joined the conference. The next Softkey in “On Hook” is the “Direct Transfer” (DirTrfr) softkey. This softkey transfers two active calls. For example, let’s say you were speaking on the phone. You then put the active call on hold and made a brand new phone call by clicking your “second directory number” button, or the “NewCall” softkey. While talking, it was decided that the two parties on different lines should be in on the same call. Instead of dropping the second call and transferring the first one, you could click “DirTrfr”, highlight the first call and then click “DirTrfr” a second time. The second call would then transfer to the party on hold.
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Today’s employees utilize mobile technology more than ever. This is a trend that is expected to continue as the workspace is being more defined outside of the more traditional office environment. Today’s Cisco Wireless IP phone provides much more than the “dial and ring” functionality.
If you’ve visited a local store recently, you may have observed retail employees using a Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone to perform timecard functions. Cisco phones are also now utilized for inventory management or supply chain functions in manufacturing or other retail settings. In healthcare, a Cisco Unified Wireless IP Phone can provide doctors with alerts on patient status and specific medical instructions.
Lastly, there’s something to be said about voice quality and service availability. In a financial services environment where decisions are made in split seconds, can enterprises afford a best-effort, non-guaranteed service approach to voice?
The answer is obviously no. Your business needs to be “up and running” as soon as possible. It’s also understandable that your business like most cannot afford the “latest and greatest” in Cisco technology. It makes sense for these companies to use refurbished, or used, Cisco Wireless IP Phones from a vendor that you trust and can offer a warranty. This is where Network I.T. comes in.
Network IT is located in Toronto, Ontario and ships throughout Canada and the US. Contact Network I.T. today to get a free quote on Used Cisco IP and Wireless Phones today. | 2019-04-21T16:23:36Z | https://www.netnit.com/category/used-cisco/ip/ |
Minutes of a meeting held on 10th January, 2013.
Present: Councillor F.T. Johnson (Chairman); Councillors Ms. R. Birch, J.C. Bird, Ms. B.E. Brooks, Mrs. P. Drake, J. Drysdale, K. Hatton, N.P. Hodges, H.J.W. James, A. Parker, R.A. Penrose, A.G. Powell, Mrs. A.J. Preston, E. Williams and M.R. Wilson.
Also present: Councillors P.J. Clarke and C.P.J. Elmore.
These were received from Councillors Mrs. M.E.J. Birch, E. Hacker, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey and Mrs. M.R. Wilkinson (Vice-Chairman).
RESOLVED - T H A T the minutes of the meeting held on 20th December, 2012 be approved as a correct record.
Present: Councillor Mrs. M.R. Wilkinson (Chairman); Councillor J. Evans (Llantwit Major Town Council) and Councillor Ms. T. Alexander (Penarth Town Council).
Also present: Mr. C. Hope, Mr. I. Robinson and Mr. P. Thomas.
These were received from Councillor F. T. Johnson, Ms. J. Poole (The Georgian Group), Councillor D. Hammond (Llangan Community Council), Mrs. H. March (Llantwit Major History Society) and Mr. G. Robertson (Penarth Society).
The meeting being inquorate, no formal business was possible. Notwithstanding this, discussions ensued on two of the three applications before the Group.
The Gatehouse, Llantwit Major– Minor repair works to the exterior of the building. Car parking spaces to be introduced. Conversion of the first floor to an office/ artist’s studio. Approved.
Lower Farmhouse, Llysworney– Demolition of existing front facing two storey projection, single storey side and rear extensions, and detached garage. Construction of single and two storey extension with integral garage. Approved.
Belgrave House, Factory Road, Llanblethian, Cowbridge– Construction of two bedroom detached house with associated car parking. Refused.
10 Park Road, Penarth – New three storey dwelling built over existing outdoor pool. Consideration deferred.
Proposed conversion and alterations of existing barn to form residential dwelling.
“Regarding the proposed development at “Mount Pleasant Farm Llangan”, myself and Councillor Richard Mann have discussed the application with local residents and the closest next door neighbours to the site. No objections were raised, one neighbour also commented that the development may actually improve the value of her property and the local environment due to the change of use.
The planning application was also raised at the December meeting of Llangan Community Council and no action was deemed necessary.
Looking at the plans, I feel the conversion is well designed and maintains the character of the existing building, only adding some small windows (skylights) and tasteful front elevation changes that do not detract from the overall design. There is also ample room for parking without the need to alter or remove existing stone walling.
From a sustainability point of view, our understanding is that the property will be occupied by a local family now already living in Llangan, so not adding any addition will strain on our local infrastructure, roads and school. The application is also consistent with the principles of TAN2 (Planning and Affordable Housing).
Based on the above, I would like to recommend that the planning application is agreed. Please offer this statement as my vote of approval, if required.
There being no representative, the application was not considered.
Construction of a new two storey extension; a new conservatory; a new pedestrian access and the demolition of existing outbuildings and construction of a new garage.
“This is a very charming and sensitive part of the Conservation Area, with the River Ogney meandering near and a green walled paddock adjacent and reminiscent of the fast disappearing rural post of the Town. Flush Cottage appears to the casual observer to be part of Flush House, which is a County Treasure, and is on a country lane which is a dead end and leads to a network of much walked paths leading to the Heritage Coast zone.
represent an overdevelopment of the site.
Proposed alterations and extension to existing building to form 5 No. flats.
It was the view of Councillor Alexander that the application should be refused in view of the street scene being adversely affected as a result of the proposed removal of trees.
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors E. Hacker, K. Hatton, Mrs. V.M. Hartrey and M.R. Wilson.
Councillor F.T. Johnson (Chairman); Councillor Mrs. M.R. Wilkinson (Vice-Chairman); Councillors A. Parker, R.A. Penrose and A.G. Powell.
Application to regularise minor amendments made to new coach house dwelling as approved under planning permission 2009/00932/FUL.
Application for Lawful Development Certificate to establish commencement of material operations on site in accordance with full planning permission 2006/00124/FUL.
Erection of animal welfare shelter/barn.
Erect a PVCu conservatory to the rear of the property.
Rear single storey extension and internal alterations.
Retention of change of use to a B1 use class (offices) and new shop front.
Two new cooling towers with associated rack and concrete flume.
First floor extension above existing garage and single storey rear extension.
First floor extension, small ground floor side extension and an internal rework to existing ground floor layout.
Demolition of existing house extension and provision of new extension.
Proposed two storey extension to existing domestic dwelling. Extension is to side of existing semi-detached house. Existing dormers (which make up first floor) to front and rear to be extended.
Loft conversion with a new flat roof dormer, internal alterations and new front facade treatment.
Construction of a new dwelling.
Proposed conservatory to rear of property to form sun room.
Construction of a single wind turbine. Model: WES18 80kW.
Extension of an existing garden.
Take down existing 9` brick wall from boundary to rear corner of house, to dig-out paviers and sub-base, dig out foundation for new boundary wall to front corner of property, approx 13 linear meters.
To build a new 225mm wall 1.8m high x 13m long, in Harvest Buff Multi plus detail bricks and coloured mortar to match existing buck work.
Installation of a curved timber fence surrounding the 'hello' tablet signage.
Retain purpose built pigeon loft, replacing dilapidated structure.
Rear extension and alterations to façade.
Opening up Crash Gate 3 for use by RRU Unit; New security fence with Crash Gate installed to provide emergency access onto the Airfield beyond. New fence will be 1.9m high (including 3 strands of barbed wire at the top) and will be buried 150mm below ground.
Proposed side to rear two storey extension and subterranean basement.
Installation of 2 no. rooflights.
Change of use of first floor to allow whole property to be used as a beauty salon.
Proposed new concrete hard standing for agricultural tractor and equipment.
Two storey extension to detached dwelling.
Edwardian hipped roof conservatory to rear.
Extension to existing agricultural barn.
Single rear storey extension with access ramp to the front and new porch. With additional pedestrian access to the rear.
Change of Use - Front ground floor - retained as office. Rear ground floor - one bedroom flat with kitchen and bathroom. First floor - one bedroom flat with kitchen and bathroom.
Conversion of existing retail premises to 1 No. 4 bed townhouse, and construction of 4 no. 3 bed townhouses in existing service yard/car park, all with associated car parking and private amenity space, in a secure gated Mews Development.
Replacement storm porch to first floor and balustrading to existing external access stair.
Roof repairs including eradication of rot and beetle damage, incorporation of new steelwork, maintenance hatches and new slate roof covering - re-submitted of previous approved application No. 2006/01618/LBC.
The erection of a run in field shelter for two horses to be tacked and tended to.
First floor above the existing single storey extension.
Construct new lean to extension to existing rear lean to extension. Relocate existing first floor bathroom window to centre of bathroom wall.
Construction of two storey extension to side of dwelling. Demolish existing conservatory and construct single storey extension to rear of dwelling (the works include a granny flat which will be reintegrated into the dwelling in future).
Yard to rear of 2 Orchard Drive - Proposed lock up garages.
Retrospective consent for existing garage (as extended in 2010).
Conversion and extension of a detached garage to form a separate dwelling.
Additional vehicular crossover to allow in and out use of front driveway.
Change of use of upper floors, from office, to self contained residential flats.
Construction of small two bed cottage in plot at rear of No 3 Cosmeston Cottages. Presently unused and overgrown at Lavernock Road. The proposed accessed via a private drive having repositioned crossover. 2 No parking spaces and turning space provided whilst still retaining 3 No parking spaces and amenity space for existing No 3.
Replace rotten sash windows to ground floor front elevation with timber sash windows on a like for like basis.
Building for safe and dry hay storage.
Demolition of the superstructure of the 2-storey Jeans Factory building to ground floor (slab) level.
(2) T H A T the statistics relating to Appeals for April 2012 to March 2013 as detailed in the report be noted.
Crown lifts to nine trees to a height of 3.0 metres from ground level. Remove six trees shown on submitted plan numbered 25, 26, 30, 31, 45, 47 (excluding tree number 38).
30% reduction of Lime tree, removal of two Silver Birch; pruning overhanging limbs of Holm Oak and light reduction of two Maples.
Sensitive reduction of up to 30% to Sycamores and Wych Elm on bank/boundary with Bush Inn. Removal of Western Red Cedar.
Remove London Plane, Horse Chestnut and Beech.
Committee received a report which sought approval for variations to the Section 106 Legal Agreement attached to the outline planning consent, reference 2002/01636/OUT for residential and Public Open Space developments at White Farm. being land lying between The Pastures, Whitewell Road and Merthyr Dyfan Road.
the undertaking of highway works to provide a roundabout access from Whitewell Road and The Pastures into the site, and undertake highway safety improvement works to the Colcot Road area.
Highway works: the development details had been assessed and the Highway Development Department had stated that a roundabout was not a workable engineering solution to give safe access. They had advised that engineering details had been agreed for works on the adopted highway whereby access could be achieved by means of a revised junction arrangement with a speed plateau at the junctions of The Pastures and Whitewell Road. These works would be subject to a Section 38/278 Highway Agreement.
It was also a requirement of the agreement that road improvement works on Colcot Road be undertaken at the developers expense. These works were, however, undertaken as part of the works for the Toucan Crossing at Colcot Road/Whitewell Road junction under the Welsh Government's Safe Routes in Communities initiative during 2010/11. Thus, this obligation would not be a requirement of any amended Agreement.
Affordable Housing: the developers had sought to fulfil the requirements of the current Legal Agreement and had, therefore, provided details of the affordable housing type to be provided. The provision was for affordable units at a scale of 20% of the 177 units allowed, of which 36 would be affordable.
There were two forms that affordable housing could take, namely: low cost home ownership and social rented. The developers had indicated that a greater proportion of low cost home ownership was to be proposed due to the unavailability of grant funding for social rented housing.
Negotiations had commenced with the developer with the aim of increasing the rental provision with the aim of meeting the specific current needs of the Council, which was for social rented housing and not low cost.
Following these negotiations, the developer had offered an amended package whereby the units would be split into more rented than low cost home ownership units. This had, however, seen a reduction in the overall number of units to be provided from 36 to 25.
Whilst the number of units would be reduced, the form in which the majority of the units would be provided would better serve to provide urgently needed accommodation and thus meet part of the Council's recognised needs for provision of social rented units.
The amendment of the Agreement to allow for the provision of 20 social rented and 5 low cost home ownership units, based on a comparison of direct costs, was therefore recommended by the Housing Department.
An amended Agreement/Deed of Variation was required to state that the units must meet Design Quality Requirements, being the current standard for the construction of affordable homes for Housing Associations.
The Housing Department had advised that there may be additional funding to enable an RSL to purchase an additional 8 units at 80% of market value. It was felt therefore that there should also be a requirement in any amended agreement that, if the developer sold 8 units at 80% of market value in the future to a Registered Social Landlord, the developer would be required to provide an additional 2 social rented units at 58% of Acceptable Cost Guidance and 1 Low Cost Home Ownership Unit at 70% of the Open Market Value, the units to be comprised of 3 bed/5 person units in which case the provision would be increased to 22 social rented units and Low Cost Home Ownership would increase from 5 to 6 units. This would be an additional proviso to deal with this potential increased revenue.
Public Open Space: in relation to the laying out of the public open space (POS) the Legal Agreement required the developer to pay to the Council the sum of £396,365 for the laying out and maintenance of the POS. The commuted sum for aftercare of the land was included in this figure. The land not already in Council ownership would be transferred to the Local Authority.
Condition No. 10 of the outline consent required that the open space be laid out before the development was occupied. This would entail the local authority carrying out the works before any residential unit could be occupied.
As a consequence, the developer had approached the local authority to request that the Agreement be amended to allow the POS works to be undertaken by the developer. Once laid out and agreed by the local authority that the specified works had been undertaken to the local authority's satisfaction, the POS would then be handed over to the local authority. A commuted sum for maintenance would be incorporated into the amended agreement.
Costs: the Local Planning Authority would require the developer to fund the costs of the administration of the Agreement in line with the Supplementary Planning Guidance which indicates that, from 1st January 2007, the Council introduced a separate fee system for progressing and the subsequent monitoring of planning agreements or obligations. The fee was calculated on the basis of 20% of the application fee or 2% of the total level of contributions sought, whichever was the highest (£1,100 in this case).
The provision of a minimum of 25 affordable housing units in terms as identified in the Agreement including a minimum of 20 social rented units and 5 Low Cost Home Ownership Units, or units to meet Design Quality Requirements or standard for the construction of affordable homes for Housing Associations existing at the time of construction. Should the developer sell 8 units at 80% of market value in the future to a Registered Social Landlord, the developer be required to provide an additional 2 social rented units at 58% of Acceptable Cost Guidance and 1 Low Cost Home Ownership Unit at 70% of the Open Market Value.
That the Public Open Space be laid out in accordance with the terms of the approved drawings for applications 2002/01636/OUT and 2012/00123/RES, and thereafter the land be transferred to the Council and that the developer pay the costs of a nominated person to monitor the works on site and pay an agreed commuted sum.
That the developer undertakes highway improvement works at the junction of The Pastures and Whitewell Road to facilitate access to the site.
That the developer pay the local authority's reasonable costs for progressing and the subsequent monitoring of planning agreements or obligations. The fee to be calculated on the basis of 20% of the application fee or 2% of the total level of contributions sought whichever was the higher (£1,100 in this case).
2. The floodlights hereby approved shall only be operational between the hours of 1500 and 2000 on any day.
To safeguard the visual amenity of the area, and to ensure compliance with the terms of Policies ENV4, ENV9 and ENV27 of the Unitary Development Plan.
3. Notwithstanding the submitted plans, the details of the proposed floodlights shall first be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority and shall be designed so as to minimise any overspill light outside of the ménage hereby approved, and the lighting shall be erected in accordance with the approved details.
In the interests of visual amenity and to ensure compliance with Policies ENV4, ENV9 and ENV27 of the Unitary Development Plan.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, (or any Order revoking or re-enacting that Order with or without modification), no gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure other than those agreed under the terms of Condition No. 5 of this planning permission shall be erected, constructed or placed on the application site without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.
5. Notwithstanding the submitted plans, all means of enclosure associated with the development hereby approved shall be in accordance with a scheme to be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to the commencement of development, and the means of enclosure shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details prior to the development being put into beneficial use.
6. The ménage hereby approved shall only be for personal use associated with the dwelling house known as Abernant Cottage and not as a commercial business.
In order for the Local Planning Authority to control the nature of the development hereby approved and to ensure compliance with Policies ENV9 and ENV27 of the Unitary Development Plan.
3. The use hereby granted shall only be operational during the period, between 20 March and 30 September, in any calendar year. No tent shall be erected or occupied on the land outside of these agreed times without prior written approval of the Local Planning Authority.
4. The frontage of the vehicular access to the development site shall be surfaced in a bound material in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted as part of this application and in accordance with the detail required by Condition No. 5 of this planning permission, prior to the first beneficial use of the campsite. The bound surfaced area shall be so maintained at all times thereafter.
5. Prior to the commencement of works to construct the concrete bound frontage to the access into the site (referred to in Condition No. 4), further sectional details of the junction between the back edge of the concreted area and the adjoining loose stone area shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be constructed in accordance with the approved details prior to the first beneficial use of the campsite and shall be so maintained at all times thereafter.
2. This consent shall relate to the plans registered on 12 November 2012 other than where amended by plans reference FC004/A and FC 005/A received on 12 December 2012.
3. Large scale details at a scale of 1:20 of doors, windows (including a section showing the window reveal, heads and cill details), eaves, verges, ridge details and rainwater goods shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority prior to their use in the development hereby approved. The development shall not be carried out otherwise than in full accordance with such approved details.
In the interests of visual amenity and in order to preserve and enhance the character of the Conservation Area, as required by Policies ENV17 and ENV20 of the Unitary Development Plan.
4. The development hereby approved shall be covered in natural slate, samples of which shall first have been submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The roofing material shall thereafter be retained in its approved form unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
In the interests of visual amenity and in order to preserve and enhance the character of the Llantwit Major Conservation Area, as required by Policies ENV17 and ENV20 of the Unitary Development Plan.
5. The development hereby approved shall be fitted with timber windows in accordance with the submitted forms and details approved by Condition No. 3, and such windows shall thereafter be retained unless otherwise approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
A complaint had been received regarding the stationing of a number of caravans and their use for residential purposes on the parcel of land adjacent to Hawthorn Cottage, Twyn yr Odyn, Wenvoe.
The entrance to Greenwood Quarry was to the north of the site, and the site itself was directly adjacent and to the north of Hawthorn Cottage, Twyn yr Odyn. The site was in the open countryside, being outside any defined settlement, and also within the Green Wedge and Dyffryn Basin and Ridge Slopes Special Landscape Area.
It was alleged by the applicant in the most recent application for the site that the land was formerly part of the quarry and afterwards formed part of the curtilage of Hawthorn Cottage. However, there was no planning history to indicate these uses had taken place. The site was now in separate ownership from Hawthorn Cottage.
The site was approximately 670m² and was occupied by several small buildings and a polytunnel. Notwithstanding the current use, the site was considered to have a use for agriculture (horticultural).
The site was mainly enclosed with hedgerow and there was an existing single vehicular access from Twyn yr Odyn which had a pair of 2m high timber and metal frame gates, set off the highway.
At a site inspection, it had been noted that there were 3 large mobile caravans, 2 cars, 1 lorry and 1 digger on the site. The caravans appeared to be in occupation, as opposed to being stored on the site and this had been confirmed in reports received by the Council.
The occupiers of the site were understood to be genuine Gypsy and Travellers, although their exact status was yet to be confirmed. They were understood to have travelled to the area for a funeral and had intended to stay onsite for the remainder of the winter.
Ordinarily, the siting of caravans and their use for residential accommodation was a material change of use of the land that required the benefit of planning permission. As the necessary permission had not been granted, this use was in breach of planning control.
Notwithstanding the above, there were permitted development rights granted in certain circumstances under Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995. Part 5 of Schedule 2 related to the use of land as a caravan site. In view of the status of the occupiers of the site and their purpose for staying, their occupation was not considered to benefit from the rights granted under Part 5. Part 4 related to temporary uses of land. It could be suggested that the occupation of the site could benefit from the permitted development rights granted under Part 4. However, as the rights were granted for a 28 day period in any calendar year, this period would expire on 14th January, 2013. As the occupiers intended to stay on the site for the remainder of the winter, this would be in breach of the planning control.
The Enforcement Officer had written to the owner of the property to advise him of the need for permission for the current use of the site. He had not responded to this correspondence. Accordingly, officers had prepared a Planning Contravention Notice to be served on the owner to establish his involvement in the breach of planning control.
In addition to the above, the Council's Gypsy and Travellers Forum had been alerted to the current use of the site and an officer from the Cardiff Gypsy and Travellers Project was due to visit the site shortly. Their interest in the site would be to establish the nature and duration of the Gypsy and Travellers occupation and to ensure that any medical or children's needs were being met.
(i) The cessation of the use of the site for residential purposes.
(ii) The removal of all caravans and associated paraphernalia.
(1&2) The current use of this site for residential purposes for gypsy and travellers was considered to be an unsustainable form of development. The use, by virtue of the intensive residential activity, caravans, vehicles and associated paraphernalia, reduced the openness of the site to the detriment of the character and appearance of the rural setting, recognised for its landscape value. The use was also considered to be inappropriate development that was harmful to the designated Green Wedge. There were not considered to be any exceptional circumstances that outweighed the harm caused to the Green Wedge. Finally, the more intensive use of the site, accessed via the existing means of access, was considered to be detrimental to highway safety.
Accordingly, the siting of a number of caravans on the land and their use for residential purposes to accommodate gypsy and travellers was considered to conflict with Policies ENV1 - Development in the Countryside, ENV3 - Green Wedges, ENV4 - Special Landscape Areas, HOUS14 - Gypsy Caravans and Strategic Policies 2 Sustainability and 8 Transport of the Vale of Glamorgan Adopted Unitary Development Plan 1996 - 2011, as well as the guidance contained in the Council's Adopted Supplementary Planning Guidance on Sustainability. The development was also considered to be contrary to the guidance provided in Planning Policy Wales (November 2012) and Circular 30/2007 Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites. | 2019-04-19T21:13:28Z | https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/our_council/Council-Structure/minutes,_agendas_and_reports/minutes/planning/2013/13-01-10.aspx |
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My phone went off early this morning at 6.30 and I leapt out of bed in a panic thinking immediately of the worst, that something had happened to my mother.
Only once I reached the phone, answered it and it had stopped ringing did I realise I had set the alarm the night before and my mother was most likely okay, but even then I could not return to sleep.
I am living in a strange time, this hovering on the edge between life and death, my mother’s life and death, and wondering when it might happen. My husband is away and I am holding the fort or so it seems, which adds to the surreal tensions that envelope me everyday.
A few days ago I received a letter from an old friend, a woman whom I shall name Cate, who now lives in country Victoria. I did not recognise her name on the envelope at first because Cate now travels under the name of her third husband. But as I began to read her letter pennies began to drop into place.
She is sorry, Cate writes, to have lost contact with us, with my husband and me, but she had imagined at the time of her separation from her second husband that we were ‘on his side’.
How strange I thought reading this and remembering back to that time. I did not enjoy Cate’s second husband at all, and I was not so much sad as surprised when they separated.
I have a soft spot for Cate. It was she who in a sense brought my husband and me together all those years ago.
I once worked alongside Cate in the days when I was a newly graduated social worker. One Saturday evening Cate held a dinner party – dinner parties were fashionable in those days – and through a long and complicated series of manoeuvres, my husband and I wound up together at the dinner table.
In a sense we have not been apart since. Though do not imagine it has always been a honeymoon but a productive union nevertheless, and Cate believes she was responsible for beginning it, as indeed in some ways she was.
I have not seen Cate now for some fifteen or maybe more years. We ran into her, shopping in Safeway, one Saturday afternoon. She seemed distant at the time and I remember wondering at her coyness in introducing us to her new man, J, whom she eventually married.
J, Cate writes, died two years ago, but not before she had nursed him for six years. She refers to him in her letter as ‘beloved J’, so presumably this third marriage was a successful one.
Cate needs our help, she writes in her letter. Could we do her a favour? She turns seventy soon and although she does not imagine she will die in the next little while, anything is possible. For long and complicated reasons, which she does not go into, Cate has lost touch with her children, all three of them, two daughters and a son, children who must by now be aged in their mid to late forties.
Could we please help? Cate asks. Could we ‘discreetly’ and ‘sensitively’ make contact with her children and let them know that she loves them and would like at least to have an address for them.
Cate’s solicitor has told her there is no point in listing her children in her will if she has no contact address for any of them.
Cate would love to see her children, she writes, if they are willing, but she does not expect them to come running. She wants only to know how they are going and would hate for them to be left full regret after her death.
I rang a friend who might have known a contact address for at least one of these children but she too has lost touch and suggested I ring the first ex husband, a distant and mutual friend, who lives in Melbourne.
It gets sticky and tricky here. I am fearful of how Cate’s ex husband might respond were I to ring out of the blue and put in a request to him for a phone number for his children in order to enable them to resume contact with their estranged mother if they should wish.
‘I have not always been the best of mothers,’ Cate writes.
Which one of us has? I think.
This other friend who has also lost contact with Cate’s children and advises me to ask the first ex husband, warns me that Cate is ‘manipulative’.
I know the word well. It is a feature I have detected in myself. I inherited it from my mother, a state of mind that says you dare not ask for something directly, you can only safely work your way around to getting someone to give you something or do something for you, by stealth.
I try not to get into manipulations these days. To me the tendency to manipulate is the tendency of a weak person who lacks in confidence sufficient to cope with the consequences of a direct question, whether positive or negative.
I suspect women of my mother’s generation were more heavily into manipulation than today because before the advent of feminism and the beginnings of a deeper awareness of the rights of women, at least in western culture, they could only get what they wanted by stealth or feminine guile.
It would not have done for a woman of my mother’s generation to be to open with her desires. She would have needed to obscure them, perhaps even from herself.
Good luck with the problems that Cate's request poses.
I don't think you should assist in this way. If she wishes to make peace she should do it herself. Any half decent detective could find them pretty easily.
As to the will she can simply list their names and direct the executor to search for for them dutifully.
I showed your post to my husband and he said, "Has Cate looked up her kids on Facebook and tried to friend them?"
Respectful decline Cates request as it could get real messy and ugly. You could get stuck right in the middle of a family dispute, believe it's not a nice place to be :-).
I'm not sure if you're asking, but I would hesitate to get involved under the circumstances.
So far there are no problems with Cate's request, though it's early days, Elephant's Child. On the other hand, as you suggest, self deception can be dangerous. Thanks.
Glenn above is on-the-button: Facebook of course.
And I agree with Antares above as well. this whole thing smells.
Cate needs to at least MENTION her children, each by name, in her Will.
A person who is mentioned in a Will, cannot contest it, as the mention indicates they were properly in the thoughts of the author.
You're not the first to suggest I should not help out here, Laoch, though I feel inclined to at least let it be known that this mother is trying to contact her children. Beyond that I'll do nothing.
We all manipulate. We manipulate with reason as much as we do with emotion but the emotional manipulators usually get the most flack. I would suspect that, of the two, it is the most common as not everyone is capable of intellectual reasoning to that level but I don’t think one is worse than another; it all depends on intent. Either way it’s easy to see people who try and get us to do things we would rather not do as aggressors.
My daughter says of me, “You do good guilt,” by which she means I know exactly what buttons to press with her. And I do. Like me she has a natural propensity to feel guilt and so it take no great skill and very little effort to make her feel guilty; it’s bubbling under the lid anyway. And so I have to tread carefully. She expects to get an Upper Second Class Honours for her Psychology Degree and I’m proud of her because she’ll have done that whilst holding down a fulltime job. A 2:1 is good, but it’s not a First. And she knows it. So I don’t know if my eyes gave me away or what – you can do so little about body language – but I did my best to be genuinely pleased. And I am. I think I am. I don’t know what I am.
Although I “do good guilt” I’m not sure that I abuse that power. If I want people to do things I’m more likely to reason with them. I manipulate with logic but I don’t feel so bad about that. I trust reason; reason is honest. Emotions an notoriously unreliable. I’ve seen some very dirty fighters though and it does tend to be women but I guess that’s because they lack physical power or feel they don’t have a position of equal authority in the family and so they resort to “underhanded” methods. My mother most certainly did, or tried to do. But of course a manipulator is only effective if they know their target’s triggers. My mother would send me to Coventry (give me the silent treatment) for days and it had no effect on me whatsoever. It should have had but I knew I could last longer than she could. The same happened at work once. For some reason I crossed a picket line (not like me to be so principled) and my group ostracised me. Several weeks later my boss approached me on their behalf wanting to put an end to all hostilities. I’d worn them down, not the other way round.
This doesn’t mean that I’m not susceptible to being manipulated because for years I allowed my father to do exactly that. He used religion as his implement of choice. Most bullies have their gangs just in case they’re not intimidating on their own and most thugs will have a heavy standing at their shoulder. And they don’t get heavier that God Almighty. He didn’t need to scream, rant or rave or hold his breath until he turned blue. All he had to say was, “Well, God says…” and I didn’t have a leg to stand on.
I think most of the time though the kind of person you’re talking about in your post rely on people’s good natures. We judge ourselves if we turn them away. It’s very clever, isn’t it? We become our own bully. Of course helping someone else makes us feel good about ourselves even (or maybe especially) if they don’t deserve our help so as long as we’re getting something out of the deal then go for it but once they begin to become a drain, that’s the time to call a halt. And be firm.
I'm not sure of the likelihood that Cate would be on Face Book, Glenn. Maybe we're a bit behind here in Australia but many of the folks I know aged over forty won't have a bar of it, but it's otherwise a good idea.
I don't fancy getting stuck in the middle of an ugly family dispute, Windsmoke, especially when it's not my own family, but somehow I think that's unlikely to happen.
So many folks advising me to take care here, Antares. you too.
Thanks for the warning but I don't think it's as dire as I perhaps made it sound.
Hmmm… bit funny that the lawyer could not track down NOK without an address.
The will I suspect is subterfuge, AnnODyne.
I think Cate wants to make contact with her children. I can understand that.
I can also understand that something's gone wrong along the way and those kids might elect to continue to avoid her, but it might help for them to know that they are still in their mother's thoughts, whatever that might mean.
Has she tried the obvious things like the phone book or just googling their names?
I suspect those kids don't want to be contacted as they are old enough to have made the move themselves if they wanted to. However, that is beside the point. I think as long as you don't get drawn into the family drama, then go ahead and make that first contact. Perhaps the olive branch she offers might be accepted – and that would be something good to hold on to.
Once upon a time I would have called the ex and asked for contact details. Now I would pass the ex's number on to cate. If she really wants to know, she will call him. He might even welcome the call after such a long 'cooling off' period!
A lawyer (I'm assuming that what a soliciter is. If not, please correct me) advising Cate to leave her kids out of the will because she doesn't know their address just doesn't ring true to me. I think she made the story up and is just afraid that if she contacts the children herself, she'll be rejected. I personally would stay out of it, but that's probably due to a flaw in my own character. If you're confident this isn't all going to blow up in your face, and you still have fond feelings for Cate, then, by all means, go ahead.
If I were you, I would suggest to 'Cate' that she ask her lawyer to find the children. Most lawyers and law firms use investigators who do just this kind of thing. It usually takes a day or two. Once done, she can get in touch. There are also specialists who can advise her about making contact, etc.
It's her responsibility, right? You can support her efforts but not do what she should do for herself.
I don't know how to suggest this delicately, and I hope you will understand what I am saying. Could you be more apt to go to Cate's rescue (she's asked you to do more than just contact them — she wants you to smooth things over) as a way to avoid dealing with what must be very difficult feelings & thoughts about your mother dying? I think the situation with Cate could be potentially very draining and therefore harmful to you at a time when you might need to conserve your energies for your own things. It sounds like the kind of situation that could snowball into something much bigger very quickly. You're a kind, generous person. Be so to yourself, too. And take care.
This out of my realm to offer any good solutions. Go with your guts Elisabeth on what you think is best and what you would like to do for Cate. I know she could and should have done this herself but even if you want to try to help, it is not really wrong.
This is just sad and puts you in an awkward position.
If the prospect of an inheritance won't flush them out nothing will.
I tried to Google the next of kin, Christine and it wasn't easy. The family name is commonplace and the two daughters are likely to have changed theirs while the son lives overseas and is out of touch with both parents.
It would take something more I suspect to track down these children, who may yet not want to be located.
I assume Cate's tried those things, Marie, though as I said to Christine earlier I tried, too, without success.
It's most likely that the kids don't want to be contacted but I think an olive branch or two might help and if not, so be it.
I hope I don't end up in the 'discard pile', Steven, but my contact with these people in recent years is very limited and it will not be too upsetting if no one wants to make contact with me anymore, though I can't see why they would dish me.
I am merely the messenger and I'm offering a brief and indirect message and then bowing out.
I almost lost track of your wonderful comment, Jim, but found it again just now.
I know all about doing a guilt trip on my children, I do it from time to time and always try to drag myself and them back out of the morass of such awful pressurizing.
My mother did it to me, too.
'I didn't think "you'd" be like that,' she'd say. 'The others yes, but not you.' In others words: my little girl is a good girl, she'd never do anything like that, namely anything I would not expect of her.
Our emotions guide us into deciding how best to react, if we can exoerience first and then think about them.
Without emotions we are in trouble. There are countless examples of psychopaths and sociopaths who are fantastic at reasoning, and all their arguments might make sense at the level of logic but they are devoid of feeling and are therefore dangerous.
Emotions distinguish us from the robotic, or to some extent from animals, though my hunch is that animals can feel more than we often recognise.
I'd agree, Stafford, but I suspect Cate knows her ex's number but is too fearful to call him, even with time there's still all that water under the bridge.
I have since spoken to the Cate's ex and he has assured me he will pass on the message to his children, the two with whom he still has contact and presumably he suggests they will want to talk to me. We shall see. If they don't make contact, I'll leave it there.
Lawyers and solicitors are one and the same here, Kirk and yes, I agree I think the lawyer story might be not entirely accurate, but it may have been a trigger to resume contact.
Something has happened to cause Cate to write such a long letter after all this time. I doubt that it's malicious.
I hope that's not too Pollyana-ish of me.
Maybe this happens a lot in your part of the world, Mim. I'm not sure, but here as far as i know lawyers tend to expect more of their clients.
A private investigator might do the job for a price but people here, as far as I know are reluctant to appoint detectives. They'll go through friends first.
Please don't worry too much about me, Lynn. I'm not planing on getting myself embroiled in other people's messes. You're right i have enough of my own.
A phone call is about the extent of it. In fact I've made the call and if the children don't get back to me as a consequence, I'll leave it there. I'll write Cate a latter and tell her there's nothing more I can do.
I have gone with my guts Fazlisa and so far nothing dreadful has happened nor do I expect it will.
It'd be good if something good could come out of it but I'm not counting my chickens, as the saying goes.
It has felt an awkward position, Mami and it is very very sad, but as everyone here suggests, it's not for me to intervene beyond a minimal response if necessary. The sadness is for this other estranged family.
I'm not so sure that it will be much of an inheritance, RH, at least not literally, though there might be other, and to my way of thinking better rewards out of resuming contact, but not if people feel too hurt and bitter or if they are too damaged.
What's a better reward than money?
Where do you live, Mars?
In your terms I probably live on Mars RH, and here I can't but quote from Oscar Wilde who wrote words to the effect that 'the cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing'.
There are things worth more than money. | 2019-04-22T21:59:16Z | http://www.sixthinline.com/would-you-do-me-favour/ |
Applying is easy, and the criteria is simple. Minimum six months in business and $10,000 per month in gross revenue. Existing small businesses only, no startups or purchases will be considered. Apply for funding at LVRGFunding.com.
National Small Business Week is a huge opportunity for a small business owner to work on their business and not just operate in their business. Even with a unique brand name, marketing gimmick, social media following, or the best product/service, no business can survive without a healthy flow of cash. Having a solid cash flow is not just about managing a healthy business; it’s a matter of life or death for that business. Cars can’t run without gas, and businesses can’t run without cash flow. It’s really that simple!
One clear reason small businesses fail is due to lack of funding. Smart business owners diversify their capital sources and project losses well in advance, which allows them to seek out funding options and be prepared for difficult financial situations before they strike. Getting to a position of excess cash flow helps a company operate in a strategic, proactive way, rather than a reactive, defensive way.
Small businesses are the cornerstone of our culture. They provide quality goods and services in our neighborhoods. If you own a small business, and have an idea to grow but lack the capital to get it done, LVRG can help.
About LVRG: Headquartered in the Ford Building, LVRG is a local finance company dedicated to helping local small businesses thrive and grow. With a dedication to our clientele and a reputation for excellence, you'll understand why LVRG is such a respected member of Metro Detroit’s small business community. Give us a call today (855) 998-5874, we're here to help!
Official Press Release Distributed on March 28th, 2018.
Detroit – When it’s rooted in Detroit you know it’s good. LVRG is headquartered in Detroit’s Historic Ford Building and provides Detroit small businesses with an efficient, simplified alternative to bank financing.
Since establishing its headquarters in Detroit in 2015, LVRG has provided $2 million in small business loans, revenue-based financing, cash flow, and working capital solutions ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. Typically, LVRG puts financing in a business owner’s hands within hours of qualification.
LVRG understands small business owners face unique challenges that require the partnership of an experienced funding company, and LVRG is happy to provide those resources.
Most small business owners will encounter obstacles when seeking funding from mainstream banks. In fact, out of the 30 million small businesses in this country, more than 80% of them will never qualify for traditional bank financing. LVRG exists to provide opportunities to small businesses to fill the gap in traditional bank financing. LVRG is eager to fund these businesses, that otherwise wouldn’t stand a chance to grow, which in turn supports the greater economy.
LVRG has unique alternatives to traditional bank loans. Hassle free options allow business owners, who have limited access to capital because of tightening credit markets, obtain the financing they need to support and grow their business. Unlike a bank, LVRG looks at a business’s historical cash flow and performance, not just a strict credit criteria. This allows them the flexibility to effectively evaluate your business and provide you with the financing you deserve.
The criteria to apply is simple. Minimum six months in business and $10,000 per month in gross revenue. No startups, or purchases will be considered.
Additionally, with more than 100 reputable funding partnerships all across the country, the amount of capital LVRG is able to fuel into Metro Detroit small business can definitely make a huge impact.
LVRG is a nation-wide funding company rooted in Detroit. There are satellite offices in South Florida and New York, which expand the network of lending partnerships and small businesses to assist.
“At LVRG, we believe we are different from other lending firms. We never set out to be the biggest, but we constantly strive to be the best,” said Barr.
LVRG may not be the only funding company out there - just a better one.
About LVRG: Headquartered in Detroit's Historic Ford Building, LVRG is committed to the success and growth of small businesses throughout the United States. LVRG provides an alternative to traditional bank financing offering small business loans, revenue-based financing, cash flow, and working-capital solutions to help business owners overcome the challenges unique to a small business. Call LVRG toll free at (855) 998-5874 or click below to apply online.
First and foremost, it’s important to provide a brief background on the state of the industry in the small business funding space. Simply put, it’s turned into the wild, wild west. Literally thousands of small business owners throughout Metro Detroit and all across the country are getting burned. And getting burned bad. Remember the mortgage burst a few years ago? Well, here we go again. There are NO qualifications whatsoever to work at a small business funding company, and there is NO regulation behind the industry. So, you can probably guess the outcome of a moneymaking industry with no regulation behind it, and no qualifications required to “sell” small business loans.
Online lenders and loan brokers are issuing pre-underwritten loan quotes that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. That’s right… They’re fake. Others issue made up loan offers, followed by bait and switch funding contracts; just when you think your money is being wired, they change the funding amount and terms. Another popular one by online lenders, “sign this funding contract at a higher rate, and we’ll lower it in 30 days.” We’ve never once heard of a lender actually lowering the rate in 30 days, or any time after signing the loan contract for that matter. You name it, and we’ve seen it. Between unqualified loan brokers intentionally trying to bury small business owners in massive debt for big commissions, online lenders switching it up last second on unsuspecting business owners, you can't imagine the craziness that goes on. At least 5 or 6 small business owners come to us every single week pleading for help, as they got burned by a shady loan broker or predatory lender, and they are days away from going out of business. In turn, too many small business owners are gambling with their business by listening to what they want to hear, and ignoring what they need to hear.
Why are we telling you this? Because we want your business to prosper. That’s why dealing with a local Metro Detroit small business funding company is so important. We live in Metro Detroit. We shop in Metro Detroit. We care about Metro Detroit. We have provided financing and will continue to provide financing to many of the small businesses we shop at ourselves. We have a vested interest in Metro Detroit. It's not just your community, it's our community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we all want to live in thriving, sustainable communities. Automated loan shopping websites powered by tech algorithms in the middle of nowhere could care less about the future of your business. We do! Supporting Metro Detroit’s small businesses isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are!
So......What small business loan options are available for Metro Detroit small business owners? Glad you asked. Let’s get started.
For this type of small business financing, lenders provide you funds and use your future expected cash flow as collateral for the loan. You’re essentially borrowing from cash that you expect to receive in the future by giving the lender the rights to a predetermined amount of these receivables. Small Business cash flow loans are primarily used for working capital, or to take advantage of short-term ROI opportunities. Your credit scores will usually be checked, but they play less of a role. As the name indicates, a lender is more concerned with inspecting your cash flow (usually bank statements) to approve your application. Turnaround time is another great feature of a cash flow loan, as funding usually takes place in a matter of days, sometimes same day.
There’s never been a better time or more choices for small and medium-sized businesses that need capital. And what business in Metro Detroit doesn't? Expanding, purchasing equipment, and evening out cash flow can all be managed with business financing. But business loans from traditional financial institutions are not the way to go for today’s businesses on the grow. And of course, there will always be emergencies and cash flow gaps that need to be quickly managed with working capital.
That’s why revenue based loans are a quick growing working capital solution among small and medium-sized businesses in Metro Detroit. They’re the most prudent option for business owners needing capital to fuel or accelerate their businesses’ growth.
Traditional bank loans are often made for as long as 25 years and require mountains of documentation and financial statements. Not to mention, do you really want all of your personal and business assets locked up for 25 years, paying off a $50,000 2017 marketing campaign in 2042? No way! And then there’s the waiting period, for both an approval and for funding, which can be weeks or months. Don't forget the collateral you'll need for a bank loan, including your home, life insurance policies and up to 30% of the loan amount in cash. Additionally, among banking institutions, the credit turn-down rate for small businesses is rather high (roughly 80%) and doesn't show signs of improving significantly.
Revenue based financing and small business loans can be used for any legitimate business expense, from remodeling or business expansion to buying equipment to launching a new marketing effort. The key here is growth and our business funding options are the perfect solution for business owners looking to take advantage of growth opportunities. These short-term loans for business are popular across every industry throughout Metro Detroit, from manufacturing and transportation companies to restaurants and retail stores. Short term short-term business loans are an efficient and cost-effective source of capital, when you need it.
Short-term financing can help businesses build or accelerate revenue in ways they couldn't otherwise. And at the same time, working capital solutions can help business owners negotiate better discounts or terms with vendors and avoid longer-term charges and fees, saving money in the long run. There’s no question why revenue based loans and cash flow financing are catching fire in Wayne County, Oakland County, and Macomb County. They’re the ultimate financial win-win for small and medium-sized businesses throughout Metro Detroit.
Nobody faces more challenges on a daily basis than business owners. In fact, for owners of small and medium sized businesses in Metro Detroit, handling many different challenges is the source of great satisfaction and some headaches, too.
But when local business owners are asked to name their greatest challenge, one thing tends to top the list most often; accessing working capital to manage cash flow. In other words, making sure there is enough capital flowing in to cover everything that needs to flow out.
There are a variety of reasons why cash flow can be a steep challenge for small business owners. Needs can precede revenue. Or perhaps you’re getting paid more slowly than you’d like. Or if you’re a seasonal business, a swimsuit store for example, or golf shop, you have peak summer sales months which require that revenue to stretch across your off-season months.
For starters, an ACH small business cash advance can also be referred to as a small business cash flow loan, small business revenue based loan or a small business merchant cash advance. The ACH designation really applies to how the lender is paid. ACH or Automated Clearing House, refers to the lenders ability to withdraw an agreed upon amount directly from your checking account at agreed upon intervals, typically daily or weekly. This is different from factoring your accounts receivable (A/R), because instead of billing your customers and collecting from them, they directly access your checking account in much the same way automated payments might go to you mortgage lender or a utility company from your personal checking account.
An ACH small business loan, much like factoring or an MCA loan, should be considered a small business short-term financing option. The cost of the capital is more expensive, in other words you’ll pay a higher interest rate, but you’ll be able to access that capital much quicker than a traditional term loan from the bank or other financial institution.
Because a small business ACH loan lender will be able to pull your payment directly from your checking account, it reduces risk to the lender making it possible for small business owners with a healthy checking account but less-than-perfect credit to get a loan.
Merchant cash advance (MCA) can provide business borrowers with an upfront fixed amount of cash in as little as 24 hours. The funding amount is based upon a percentage of the businesses credit card receivables or daily cash balances using historical credit card receipts and bank statements to determine the initial advance. The business pays back the advance, plus a percentage, often referred to as a discount factor, from a portion of their credit card receivables or cash available plus a percentage which is often referred to as a discount factor. The remittances are drawn from the business customer on a daily, weekly or monthly basis until the obligation has been met. An MCA is not technically a small business loan and as such MCA's are not limited in what rates they charge or what terms they establish and therefore often have high interest rates. For this reason it is very important for a business owner to be completely aware of how the MCA product works and how it could affect their business. MCA's are good options for small business owners in Metro Detroit who may not have strong credit but have lots of credit card activity and need financing quickly.
A small business line of credit is also known as a revolving loan, which works similarly to a credit card. Instead of borrowing a fixed amount of money upfront and then pay it back in monthly installments, a business line of credit gives your company permission to borrow a certain amount of money up to a certain credit limit that's set in advance by the lender. A line of credit can be a very flexible option to access cash on an as-needed basis. Many companies choose to set up a small business line of credit in order to navigate short-term cash flow shortfalls and manage their operating expenses. With a line of credit, you can borrow as much or as little as you need each month, and then repay the money over time or all at once—as long as you make your minimum payments and manage your credit limit according to the conditions of the agreement with your lender.
With monthly fees starting at 1.25% of the original funding amount, get financing* that works for your business. Whether you’re launching a new product, buying new equipment, or expanding operations, let us help you do great things with the Preferred Rate Loan*. With monthly fees starting at 1.25% of the original funding amount, qualified borrowers that have been in business for at least 2 years, can get more loan for less money.
Bridging a seasonal cash flow bump - Many seasonal businesses in Metro Detroit sometimes require a little extra capital to meet expenses as they move from one season to the other.
Unexpected need for additional capital - It’s not uncommon for businesses to experience unexpected expenses like a major plumbing problem or other maintenance issue they might not have the cash flow to cover.
New project start-up costs - Ramping up for a new project or a new customer contract sometimes requires additional resources that might exceed a business’ ability to cover with cash flow, but will be recouped in 60 or 90 days.
Emergency repairs to business-critical equipment - When equipment necessary to the operation of your business fails, it likely doesn’t make sense to wait several weeks to start repairs. A temporary cash flow loan can be a good way to access capital to start those repairs right away.
An opportunity to purchase quick-turnaround inventory at a discount - A short-term loan could be a good solution to take advantage of an opportunity to purchase inventory that has the potential to increase profits.
Before you gamble on the future of your business by downloading a business loan off a questionable website, or trust the future of your business in the hands of a loan broker who’s misleading you for a commission check, call LVRG at (855) 998-LVRG. LVRG Funding is a “local” small business funding company with a vested interest in Metro Detroit. That’s right, we’re a locally owned and locally operated small business, just like you. We are established, and trusted, successfully funding hundreds of small business all across Metro Detroit. We combine data-crunching software with a human touch to come up with affordable funding solutions that best fit your needs. LVRG is a team of the right people, working with the right data, getting you the right-sized funding for your business. We know that time is of the essence when it comes to obtaining financing and our quick closing time will ensure that you get the money you need, when you need it. Headquartered in Detroit's Historic Ford Building, we are a “local” finance company dedicated to helping the local small business community thrive and grow. Give us a call today (855) 998-LVRG, we're doing what’s right and we’re here to help!
You might have heard SBA loans are the gold standard for Metro Detroit small business owners who want to expand. Well, it’s true! Funds from these loans can be used in a multitude of ways to help a small business grow. What exactly is an SBA loan? We’ll go over the costs, qualifications, use of proceeds and more to help you determine if this type of loan is the best option to fund your small business.
An SBA loan is a government-guaranteed small business loan that has a long-term and low-interest rates. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the government agency that partially guarantees SBA loans and was founded in 1953 to support Metro Detroit small business owners and others across the country. The most common misunderstanding about these loans is that the agency lends money directly to small businesses. However, the agency does not make direct loans. The SBA provides a guarantee on the loan, promising to reimburse the bank for a certain percentage of your loan if you default on that loan. This guarantee lowers the risks to banks and other lenders, encouraging them to offer these loans to more Detroit small businesses. Many banks throughout Metro Detroit offer SBA loans, but their process, requirements and fees can vary. And trust us, the last thing you want to be doing is calling around, or driving to each bank, one by one. So, we solved this problem for you! Keep reading….
Where Can I Apply for an SBA Loan in Metro Detroit?
In the not-so-distant past, Metro Detroit's small business owners had one option when looking to secure an SBA loan – walking into a bank. However, many Detroit businesses might not know that while one bank may say 'no', another bank will say 'yes' to the same potential borrower. Technology now gives Metro Detroit small business loan seekers the ability to find an SBA loan provider online that is a good fit. In fact, SmartBiz has created the first online marketplace of Preferred SBA lenders for Metro Detroit small businesses. With multiple banks with varying credit requirements on our platform, we’ve been able to secure loans for many applicants who were initially rejected by their local Metro Detroit banks. How? Our sophisticated software allows us to match borrowers with the bank most likely to approve and fund their loan. Don’t waste your time going from bank to bank, that way is outdated and a big waste of time. SmartBiz does it for you quickly and efficiently.
If you are anxious to find out about SmartBiz and can't wait to check them out, CLICK HERE!
Now for the good stuff: How much is an SBA loan going to cost you? The news here is positive - it’s tough to beat the low interest rates and long repayment terms for these loans. SBA loans tend to be the least expensive financing available to Detroit small business owners.
As with other types of small business loans, there are several fees associated with SmartBiz SBA working capital loans. SmartBiz charges a one-time referral fee of no more than 2% the loan amount and a one-time packaging fee of no more than 2% the loan amount for non-commercial real estate loans. For working capital loans between $150,000 and $350,000 there is a 2.25% guarantee fee paid to the SBA. Bank closing costs for working capital loans typically add about another $317 and include standard bank fees, though additional 3rd party report charges may apply. SmartBiz fees are deducted from loan proceeds so you get the net amount when your SBA loan is funded.
For commercial real estate loans, SmartBiz charges no more than a one-time 0.5% referral fee of the loan amount and no more than a one-time 0.5% packaging fee of the loan amount. Commercial real estate loans have a guarantee fee paid to the SBA between 2.25% and 2.76%, depending on the loan amount. Bank closing costs typically add about another $5,000 and include standard bank fees, appraisal, and title fees though additional 3rd party report charges may apply. SmartBiz fees are usually deducted from loan proceeds so you get the net amount when your loan is funded.
SmartBiz SBA loans are for financially healthy borrowers of established businesses in Metro Detroit. Most Detroit businesses can qualify for these loans if they’ve operated for at least two years with good credit, have no recent bankruptcies or foreclosures, and have cash flow that is sufficient to make the monthly payments throughout the life of the loan. The actual approval requirements will depend on the on the individual lender and factors such as your business revenue, cash flow and credit scores.
The real estate must be majority owner-occupied. This means at least 51% of the square footage of the property you’re buying or refinancing must be occupied by and used by your business.
Additionally, SmartBiz Loans has established a program called SmartBiz LevelUp that helps Detroit small business owners whose initial application was denied to take actions to improve their likelihood of approval on their subsequent application. We’ve worked with many Detroit small business owners who come back and are able to secure a low-cost SBA loan on their subsequent application.
The best strategy to follow before you apply for these loans is to be prepared. The more readily available your documentation is, the faster you’ll move through the process.
At SmartBiz Loans, we use intelligent automation to only request those documents that are actually needed based on your individual application. That means you won’t waste valuable time gathering and submitting unnecessary documents. It’s another way we support busy Detroit small business owners who have limited time on their hands.
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Guess Who Just Ranked Number One Provider of Traditional SBA 7(a) Loans Under $350,000?
The following is a checklist of the most commonly collected documents. It can be very helpful to work with your accountant or tax preparer to gather some of the financial documentation.
SmartBiz requires the previous 3 years of business and personal income tax returns.
A Personal Financial Statement is required from each individual owning 20% or more of the company.
Also known as an “Income Statement,” a Profit and Loss Statement measures a company's financial performance over a specific period of time. This statement includes all revenue and expenses over a given period.
Balance Sheet - According to the SBA, this statement provides an overall financial snapshot of your small business. As an equation, it looks like: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. The two sides of the equation must balance out to equal each other.
Collateral - Most banks require some type of collateral. At SmartBiz Loans, collateral required depends on the SBA loan size. If you apply for a SmartBiz loan of $30,000 to $350,000, a lien on business assets is required. This includes assets such as accounts receivable or inventory, as well as fixed assets such as new equipment purchased with loan proceeds or commercial real estate owned by the business. The value of these assets does not need to equal the loan amount you are requesting. If you apply for a SmartBiz commercial real estate loan of $350,000 or more, the property you are refinancing or purchasing will be the collateral for the loan and a first lien on the real estate is required. Based on the appraised value, you must have at least 10% - 20% equity in the real estate for a refinance or put 10% - 20% down for a purchase of the real estate.
Other Documents - These can include entity and location documents such as business licenses, Articles of Incorporation, commercial leases, or franchise agreements.
Now the fun part! How can you use SBA loan proceeds to save money and grow your Metro Detroit small business? There are lots of ways.
Working capital keeps businesses afloat and humming along; it’s the common measure of your company's liquidity, efficiency and overall health. Calculating working capital is pretty simple: deduct current liabilities from current assets. If your current assets do not exceed your current liabilities, you run the risk of being unable to pay your short-term creditors on time. This can lead to late fees, delayed delivery of important goods and more business crushing problems.
Detroit business owners should make sure to have enough working capital in the bank to meet financial obligations and cover day-to-day expenses. A low-interest, long-term SBA loan can provide a steady cushion of working capital to keep your company running and growing.
In addition to using funds from a SmartBiz loan to run day-to-day operations, working capital can be used to buy additional inventory.
Take a look at your cash flow and business plan. Could your small business use an infusion of working capital? Find out in about 5 minutes if you’re pre-qualified for the best working capital loan --a low-interest, long-term SmartBiz SBA loan.
You can save up to thousands of dollars per month by refinancing expensive debt. Perhaps you have great credit and strong revenue, but have accepted a few merchant cash advances or other high interest small business loan products. An SBA loan is a great option to refinance or consolidate high interest business loan debt, digging into your cash flow. That’s money saved that can go back into investing in your business instead of making high interest loan payments. A new loan, like a low-rate, long-term SBA loan, can make a big difference to your company. Here’s how a debt consolidation loan can be a great savings solution.
Lower rates: Paying off high interest money means you’re lowering the cost of your capital. Your bank account and cash flow will thank you.
Longer Terms: If two loans are similar in all respects though one has a shorter term than the other, the shorter term loan will always have a higher monthly payment versus the longer term loan. Because of this, short-term loans can hurt cash flow, and very short term loans can even spell disaster for a Metro Detroit small business owner by trapping them in a cycle of borrowing. SmartBiz SBA loans have long 10 - 25 year terms resulting in lower monthly payments.
If you’re an established and profitable business in Metro Detroit looking for the lowest funding costs and the longest repayment terms for buying or refinancing a property, a SmartBiz 7(a) SBA loan from $350,000 to $5 million is your best bet. With 25-year terms and interest rates at 5.25% to 6.50%*, these loans can be used by a small business to refinance an existing commercial real estate mortgage, buy the property the business currently operates from, or purchase other owner-occupied commercial space.
To qualify for a SmartBiz commercial real estate SBA loan in Metro Detroit, you need a minimum personal credit score of 675, at least three years in business and $350,000 or more in annual revenue. In addition, a minimum of 51% of the property you purchase must be occupied by and used by your business. You’ll also be expected to put at least 10% down and the property you’re purchasing or refinancing will be the collateral for the loan. SmartBiz 7(a) SBA loans are typically faster than loans from a traditional bank and funds can be distributed in as fast as 30 days after your commercial real estate loan application is complete.
Is business good but your stress level is high? Perhaps you’re multi-tasking like a pro but you just can’t get it all done. Would an extra employee or two help your business - and yourself? An SBA loan can come to the rescue! If it’s time to bring in fresh talent, proceeds from these loans can help cover recruitment, salary, benefits and other costs associated with finding and on-boarding employees.
Every company needs equipment to run smoothly, effectively and profitably. Whether you are manufacturing products, guiding clients or creating information, there is always equipment to buy. From computers to copiers, coffee machines to vans or cars, the sudden need to purchase new equipment can come up at any time. You might need to upgrade an older model or buy new equipment to streamline your business and speed up production. Getting an SBA loan is a low-cost way to finance major purchases that are beyond the scope of a credit card or other type of expensive funding. SmartBiz customer Terry Trumbull was able to use proceeds from his loan to finance a new refrigerated truck. With low rates and long terms, he’s saving money and is able to expand his business.
Marketing is a great use for loan proceeds. Marketing is a must for businesses of all sizes helping to build your brand, attract customers and increase sales. However, marketing is often the first expense cut from budgets when cash flow is tight. An established small business can spend up to 30 percent on marketing initiatives. So what should you do if your marketing budget has shrunk or is nonexistent? Consider financing marketing with a SmartBiz SBA loan just like you would finance new equipment or inventory. With low rates and long terms, these loans can open up a world of marketing possibilities. Do you need direct mail collateral? Social media advertising or a new website? Low-cost funds with long terms are the way to go so you don't stress your cash flow. The Small Business Administration writes that marketing is the key to future sales and cautions business owners not to ignore it. Explore a SmartBiz SBA loan to fuel your marketing efforts.
Small business expansion goes beyond increasing profits. If your goal is to scale while increasing your bottom line, a low-cost SBA loan facilitated by SmartBiz is a great solution.
There are many ways your small businesses can expand. Funds from these loans can help you conduct detailed research to identify your main competitors. By diving into their target audience and product offerings, you'll be able to eliminate segments of the larger market and carve out a corner you can concentrate on for expansion. More small business expansion activities can be kicked off with a SmartBiz SBA loan. If you require a bigger location, different pricing or new and improved marketing techniques, look into these low-cost loans.
An SBA Loan is great way to increase your inventory to meet busy times. If you don’t have products on hand, you can’t make that sale. What about new products? What about expanding your product line? Proceeds from a low-cost SmartBiz SBA loan can help you meet that goal as well.
SmartBiz Loans was created to give Metro Detroit small business owners easier access to smart funding. Instead of walking into your local bank, working with them for several months and ending up with a 'no', SmartBiz has streamlined and automated the entire process and is able to help businesses quickly get to a 'yes'. You can complete the online application process and get funded with ease from the comforts of your own home or business.
How have we streamlined the process to get Detroit small business owners a low-cost SBA loan quickly? First of all, we’re very clear about the documents you need to apply for a SmartBiz SBA loan. If you have your paperwork in order, the process can move swiftly from pre-qualification to funding. Secondly, our online platform makes uploading documents and moving through the process a snap. We’ve greatly simplified the entire lending experience from end-to-end. Finally, we match borrowers with the bank that is most likely to approve and fund an SBA loan for your business. You won’t waste time going from bank to bank, we do all that for you.
We believe a SmartBiz SBA loan is a great fit for established businesses in Metro Detroit who want to grow and flourish. If you’re still not convinced, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE. | 2019-04-21T20:45:43Z | https://www.lvrgllc.com/blog/category/Metro+Detroit |
In 1985, the Smithsonian Institution Archives agreed to house and maintain the Archives of the Animal Behavior Society as part of its 'Manuscripts Collections' series. Thereafter, some 33 cartons of documents, records, photographs, papers, and even a videotape were sent to the Institution during the 7 year span from 1985 through 1992. These cartons contained materials that had accumulated in the offices of or were generated by various Society officers and Committee Chairpersons since the late 1940s, and they detail the efforts of a great number of people who devoted time and energy to the establishment and sustenance of the Animal Behavior Society as we now know it. My job was to organize the materials into some semblance of order so as to make them more accessible to future historians. At the same time, in the interest of preservation the materials were transferred to 'safer' (acid-free) boxes and folders, and potentially damaging items (paper clips, rubber bands) were removed.
Obviously not every scrap of paper connected with the Society has been rescued from obscurity nor from the trash basket. Many papers from a number of early contributors have been lost forever or have yet to be sent to the Smithsonian Archives. Thus, the collection documented here is far from complete. Still, the materials listed in this Guide should be sufficient to convey to a researcher a sense of the conception, organization, growth and development of a scientific society.
Accumulating the archives of a vibrant and ongoing entity is an open-ended process. Therefore, the establishment of a cut-off point is purely arbitrary and dependent upon the whim of the archivist on the scene at the moment. In 1990, the Animal Behavior Society crossed the quarter-century threshold; it is now solidly established as a major member of the community of scientific societies. Thus, the year 1990 seemed appropriate as the formal cut-off point for this first collection of materials. But while 1990 was indeed a convenient cut-off target, 1993 and then 1994 became more realistic. Thus, while the bulk of the current collection pre-dates 1990, the collection includes materials dated as late as 1994.
The early Giants are going or gone; new Giants are now being established and will lead the field in the quarter-century to follow. Perhaps 25 years from now, some recently retired 1990s activist will endeavor to assemble, organize and list the ABS reports, papers, documents, TV tapes and computer printouts from the 1990s thru 20-something. I wish her/him well.
On December 27, 1964, in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada, at 4:00 PM, an ad hoc organizational committee was called to order by John Paul Scott (Jackson Memorial Laboratories, Bar Harbor, Maine) and the establishment of a new society, to be known as the Animal Behavior Society (ABS), was formally proposed. James A. Braddock (Michigan State University) recorded the minutes of the meeting. The first order of business was to consider a draft Constitution for the new society, and to move the contents article by article. Each item was discussed in detail, but with the final adoption of the Constitution the Society was formally established; the Animal Behavior Society was born. The following day, 28 December 1964, the new society convened its first official meeting; it drew breath and uttered its first official healthy cries.
As with any organism, the actual birth was the almost inevitable consequence of a sequence of prior events akin to courtship, conception, and gestation. While it may be difficult to pinpoint the actual moment of conception (or indeed, as is so often the case, identify the actual parents), intrauterine development could be clearly detected long before the 1963 AAAS winter meetings in Cleveland, when various committees were established to prepare for the birth of the new organization.
The uterus in this case was commodious: one horn belonged to the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and housed an embryo called the Section on Animal Behavior and Sociobiology (SOABS) which had been conceived in 1956; the other horn belonged to the American Society of Zoologists (ASZ) and housed a twin called the Division of Animal Behavior (DAB), conceived in 1958. The twins shared common head and therefore functioned as one organism.
It was under the auspices of this awkward but unified organism that the gestational pre-ABS committees were established. Among other jobs, their various tasks were to prepare a constitution, see to liaisons with related organizations and prepare for the business affairs of the new organization. But of course it should be recognized that even these gestational committees were themselves natural consequences of many precedent events. Thus, while the present Guide covers the first 25± years of the Animal Behavior Society (1965-1992), materials in the archive collection actually date back to 1948 so as to include the society's immediate ancestors.
The genealogy of the combined ESA Section/ASZ Division can be readily traced back to an informal ad hoc group that J. P. Scott and his colleagues convened at Bar Harbor, Maine, in 1947, following a postwar (1946) Bar Harbor conference on Genetics and Social Behavior (supported by a grant from Rockefeller Foundation). One of the outcomes of the conference was the formation of the Committee for the Study of Animal Societies Under Natural Conditions, (CSASUNC) [24,1] which was a direct precursor of the ABS.
Who were the people who made up that very informal group, the CSASUNC? They represented diverse disciplines and widely divergent backgrounds, and their names are legend: Frank Beach (University of California, Berkeley) and C. Ray Carpenter (Pennsylvania State University), psychology; John Fuller and J. Paul Scott [43,2; 1,2] (both at Bar Harbor), genetics; Nicholas E. Collias [43,8] (University of California at Los Angeles), John B. Calhoun (National Institutes of Health), and John T. Emlen [43,4; 1,13] (University of Wisconsin), ecology; and Theodore C. Schneirla (American Museum of Natural History, NY), polymath, to mention but a few. And some worked at places other than Chicago or New York. Behind them stood such greats as Tolman, Lillie, Allee [43,1], Dice, Emerson, Noble, and others...a truly distinguished academic ancestry.
As Collias points out, the University of Chicago and the American Museum of Natural History in New York were the major centers of research activity in ethology and sociobiology during the 1930s and 40s. Warder Clyde Allee and Alfred E. Emerson, both social biologists and behavioral ecologists, were in Chicago's Department of Zoology. Other Chicago faculty whose work has had very important implications for animal behavior included Sewall Wright (genetics), Thomas Park (population biology), Carl Moore (endocrinology) and Paul Weiss (neuroembryology). A number of the original founders of the Animal Behavior Society got their doctoral training at the University of Chicago, including J. Paul Scott, A. M. Guhl [43,3; 1,8] (Kansas State University), N. E. Collias (UCLA), E. B. Hale [43,9] (Pennsylvania State University), J. C. Braddock (Michigan State University) and Benson Ginsburg (University of Chicago).
The other major center of animal behavior research was the Department of Animal Behavior in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. This department was founded by G. K. Noble around 1928 as the Department of Experimental Biology. Noble, a naturalist and all around zoologist, had done graduate study at Harvard where he was an assistant to Thomas Barbour; he later earned a Ph.D. at Columbia. His 1931 book, The Biology of Amphibia, was a classic and served as a model for studies in comparative biology, including behavior. After Noble's death in 1940, his successors as curators of the renamed Department of Animal Behavior were F. A. Beach, T. C. Schneirla, and L. R. Aronson [43,5; 1,9]. Beach, who got his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Chicago, had developed a strong interest in behavior as related to hormones and the nervous system as a post-doctoral scholar in Karl Lashley's laboratory at Harvard. Schneirla was trained in psychology at the University of Michigan, where he pioneered in experiments on maze learning in ants and later spent much time in field studies of army ants in the New World tropics. Aronson obtained his Ph.D. on the neurobiology of mating behavior of frogs from New York University under the direction of Noble, an Adjunct Professor there. From its beginning, the Department of Animal Behavior at the American Museum strongly emphasized comparative physiology and the psychology of reproductive behavior.
Thus, the meeting ground for the original CSASUNC members was a common interest in what and why animals do what they do, and an earnest hope that an understanding of non-human social systems could be used to alleviate human social problems. Some of the CSASUNC papers survive, and are included here [24,1; 44,1,2]. As Scott pointed out, he and the others in the original group spent their formative years in the midst of massive social failures: the shadow of the Great Depression, with the Sino-Japanese and Spanish Civil wars in full swing and World War II clearly on the way. Is it any wonder, then, that some scientists hoped that science might be able to contribute meaningfully to the solution of social problems? Shouldn't it be possible to solve social problems by the application of biological techniques and concepts to social behavior and social organization?
Again under the leadership of J. Paul Scott, the CSASUNC organized an important conference in 1948 on Methodology and Techniques in New York under the joint sponsorship of the New York Zoological Society and the New York Academy of Sciences. The published proceedings of the meeting (Annals NY Acad. Sci., 51, 1950) quickly became a significant sourcebook for those working in the field because it emphasized the importance of individual recognition and offered ideas on how this seemingly simple task might be accomplished. The 1948 meeting was also jointly sponsored by the ESA and the ASZ, and thereby constitutes the first official recognition by these organizations of animal behavior as an emerging discipline.
The ad hoc and informal CSASUNC quickly gravitated towards a more formal structure, if only to establish a mechanism for regularly scheduled meetings at which invited and contributed papers could be presented and ideas discussed. At the same time, the Committee strove to broaden its membership base to include all who might share its aims and goals. Since many of its members were also members of the ESA, the ASZ and/or the American Psychological Association (APA), and since these established entities met annually under the umbrella auspices of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), it was natural that the CSASUNC moved towards these societies when it sought a "home" for meetings. Both the ESA and the ASZ were receptive to the idea and thereafter an ESA/ASZ jointly sponsored session on Animal Behavior and Sociobiology became a regular feature at the annual meetings of the parent societies.
The session usually lasted about a half day, at which perhaps 8 or 9 papers were presented. The programs were well attended and discussions lively. The success of these sessions led to the establishment (in 1952) of a standing committee on Animal Behavior and Sociobiology within the ESA, while an informal companion committee operated within the ASZ. The ESA Standing Committee was the next stage in the evolution of the CSASUNC, which thereafter ceased to exist as an entity: it had accomplished its mission and simply faded away. "Faded away" is perhaps not quite the proper terminology; it would be more appropriate to use such words as "transformed" or "evolved".
It didn't take long for things to get complicated. The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) was created around 1949, and within a year or so organized its own set of "umbrella" meetings to which the various biological societies were invited. The major attraction of the AIBS meetings was twofold: a summer meeting was far more convenient for many people than the usual post-Christmas timing; also, summer meetings could be held on University campuses so that costs to participants would be considerably cheaper than the big city hotel rates suffered by AAAS attendees. In 1951 the ESA chose to meet with the AIBS in the summer, while the ASZ chose to stay with AAAS. The behaviorists were faced with a choice: go with ESA and Summer, stay with ASZ and Winter, or compromise and lean on the APA for meeting space in the Fall. Actually, since most of our participants were not APA members, it boiled down simply to a winter-summer choice...and the members chose both. Now, there were two sets of important behavior meetings per year, and just as well since the number of papers contributed began to rise at a pleasantly alarming rate. Also, members could attend whichever meeting was geographically closest (thereby cutting travel costs) and therefore attend at least one good meeting a year.
It was not long before the half day meeting developed into a full day and then into two day sessions. A summer 1954 full-day symposium on Social Organization of Animals in honor of W.C. Allee, who was at that time in Gainesville, FL, where the meetings were being held, was a standing-room-only smash hit. Both the ESA and the ASZ recognized that with the burgeoning interest in behavior studies it was only a matter of time before there would be a move to splinter off a new society. This was especially true since a number of participants at the summer meetings were not members of the ESA (nor were those at winter meetings members of ASZ); the rumblings were getting louder. However, splintering was distasteful to many: the fragmentation of biology was already a problem, since no one fragment by itself was strong enough to carry political clout. Therefore, the ESA constitution was carefully examined and a mechanism to avoid splintering was discovered. "Sections" could be established within the ESA, and except for collecting dues and handling money, the Sections could operate quite autonomously within the framework of the parent society; a Section could arrange its own program and would be entitled to have its abstracts published in the ESA Bulletin. It seemed like an ideal arrangement for behaviorists: all the rights and privileges of ESA membership and at the same time visibility as an organized entity with a fair degree of independence. Lee R. Dice, of the University of Michigan and past president of the ESA, offered much encouragement and advice on the establishment of the Section. On the basis of historical events, he predicted that eventually the animal behavior group would break off into a separate society, but the prior experience of operating as a Section would prove beneficial to the subsequent Society. Accordingly, with the blessing and encouragement of the ESA Executive Committee, the ESA Committee on Animal Behavior and Sociobiology held an organizational meeting during the 1956 AIBS meeting at the University of Connecticut, Storrs; about a dozen or so persons were in attendance. The first order of business was to elect officers: J. P. Scott was elected Chairman, A. M. Guhl, Vice-Chairman, and, since I was the youngest present and also seemed to be the only one with paper and pencil at hand, I was elected Secretary [1,3; 24,2]. That done, attention was turned next to the adoption of a set of by-laws. This was a fairly simple matter [24,3] since all that had to be done was to modify slightly the existing by-laws of the Western Section. The meeting was then adjourned and Scott reported our actions to the ESA Executive Committee. They in turn formally recognized the Section, welcomed him to the Executive Committee (the Chairperson of a Section automatically became a member of the Executive Committee of the Society), and the Section of Animal Behavior and Sociobiology, ESA, was now formally in existence. Many early papers of the Section are preserved in Boxes 1, 2, 24 and 28 of these archives; especially pertinent are A. M. Guhl's papers [28,1,2,3].
Within a few months, the Section boasted a membership of over 200 which grew steadily to over 300 before the year was out [44,3]. Since membership in the ESA was a prerequisite to Section membership, potential members who were not ESA members were asked to first join the ESA, at least in the "Associate" category; Associate membership in the ESA cost only $2/year, and while it did not entitle the member to receive the ESA journal, Ecology, it did entitle them to receive Newsletters, the ESA Bulletin (in which animal behavior abstracts were printed), and to participate in meetings and present papers. It was a bargain and attracted into the ESA another 100 or so individuals interested in the Section.
A major task facing the Section was to find a real publication outlet for behavioral papers. It was true that as a recognized Section we were entitled to name a member to the Editorial Board of Ecology, but that journal simply couldn't handle the volume of behavior papers that were forthcoming. A Publication Committee was appointed, under the Chairmanship of L. R. Aronson, and it explored two ideas: the first was to create a new American journal devoted exclusively to papers in animal behavior; the second was to consider the possibility of linking with the existing journal, the British Journal of Animal Behaviour, which was the publication outlet of the British Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Since the cost of creating a new journal was found to be prohibitive, we redoubled our efforts to join forces with our British cousins to support their journal [1,1,5]. The net result was the new journal, Animal Behaviour, [43,97] which began publication in 1958 under the joint auspices of the British Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour and our Section; D. E. Davis [43,43] (Pennsylvania State University) was named American Associate Editor. Thus, the publication-outlet problem was solved, which to many was a major accomplishment.
Nineteen-fifty-eight was a landmark year for still another interesting development: the formal establishment of a Division of Animal Behavior within the ASZ [2,1]. As was the case two years earlier with the ESA Executive Committee, the ASZ Executive Committee also worried about splintering and could foresee a number of small (and therefore politically weak) zoological societies. To forestall and perhaps even preempt the splintering, ASZ leaders such as C. Ladd Prosser, H. Burr Steinbach, P. Sears Crowell and others engineered changes in the ASZ Constitution that permitted the creation of ASZ Divisions much like ESA Sections. Thus, the ASZ Division of Animal Behavior was established at the Xmas meetings in 1958. Box 2 in this archive collection contains many papers relating to the establishment of the ASZ Division of Animal Behaviour.
The bylaws of the ASZ Division [2,2; 24,3] were exactly the same as those of the ESA Section and so were the officers, so that Section/Division officers were at once on the Executive Committees of both parent societies. Niceties aside, though, abstracts could now be published also in American Zoologist and behavioral representation on the Editorial Board of the new ASZ publication was forthcoming. This paid off, of course, and resulted in the publication of some of the meeting symposia. The Evolution of External Constructions by Animals (Amer. Zool., 1964) serves as a case in point; the 1963 symposium, dedicated to A. E. Emerson, included papers on the evolution of spider webs (B. J. Kaston), caddis worm cases and nests (H. H. Ross), termite nests (R. S. Schmidt, who was a doctoral student of Emerson's), nests of bees (C. D. Michener) and bird nests (N. E. Collias). Prior to that, during the December 1959 AAAS meeting in Chicago, The Section/Division joined forces with the American Psychiatric Association to arrange and sponsor a several-day-long symposium entitled "Roots of Behavior." The 23 papers presented were grouped into categories that included Behavior Genetics, Instinct, Early Experience and Social Behavior. They were published in 1962 as the very successful and influential volume Roots of Behavior, edited by Eugene Bliss, with contributions from Section/Division members Jerry Hirsch [43,19], Vincent Dethier, J. Paul Scott, Stuart Altmann [43,21], Daniel Lehrman, Jan C. Bruell, C. Ray Carpenter, John Fuller, Harry F. Harlow, William C. Dilger [43,7], David E. Davis and others. That volume sold out and was reprinted at least once, about 1969.
The combined Section/Division was a viable and strong organization. At the 1962 summer meeting at Oregon State University, the secretary reported a membership of nearly 1000 [3,10; 44,8]; Collias was elected Chairman, E. B. Hale, Vice-Chairman, and John A. King [43,14] (Michigan State University), Secretary. Terms of the officers were to run until the end (instead of mid-summer) of 1964 because of the August 1963 meeting of the International Congress of Zoology in Washington, D.C. But this was the same period of time in which the initial plans were laid for the establishment of a new and independent group, the Animal Behavior Society [24,11].
The problems created by an identical ESA Section/ASZ Division were minimal at the outset and could be easily glossed over. Actually, most Section/Division members were members of and active in both parent organizations anyway, but there was concern about what would happen if a chairperson was elected who was not a member of one or the other parent organization (since by the By-laws this individual had to sit on the governing councils of the parent organizations). The problem was resolved, most informally, by agreeing that if in the future the chairperson were not a member of a parent society, he or she could delegate another member of the Executive Committee to represent the Section/Division on the governing council. This arrangement worked fairly well at the outset but proved more and more difficult to manage with each passing year.
By the early 60s, the problems inherent in a dual Section/Division arrangement could no longer be casually ignored. Operating funds, which came from both the ESA and the ASZ, were generally adequate, but there was still a large cadre of behaviorists "out there" who did not find themselves comfortable being forced into the ecologist or zoologist mold. They were psychologists, anthropologists, entomologists, poultry scientists, and a host of "ists" other than pure zoologists or ecologists. Some, like L. R. Aronson, identified themselves as "animal behaviorists", a label that previously had rarely if ever been used to describe a primary area of interest. By 1963, it was apparent that the Section/Division structure was too restricting, too cumbersome, and it was time to consider the establishment of a new and completely independent Society [28,4,5].
Responding to rumblings from the membership, especially those with little if any primary interests in the ESA or the ASZ, Chairman Collias and Vice-Chairman Hale contacted all present and previous and officers of the Section-Division to ascertain their feelings regarding the establishment of a new and completely independent society. Finding them unanimously in favor of the idea, Collias [28,4] appointed them all to an ad hoc committee to consider the pros and cons of such a move. A public announcement of the proposal was published in the Section/Division Newsletter [44,9], inviting public discussion at the forthcoming winter (1963) meeting in Cleveland. As Collias reports, the discussion and business meeting at Cleveland was one of the best attended in the Society's history, and the mere size of the audience (which filled a large dining room) demonstrated the general interest in a potential new society. Many of the leading students of animal behavior in America were present and for an hour all listened carefully to the various opinions expressed, both for and against the idea of a new animal behavior society. The outcome was encouragement to continue exploring the desirability of a new society and a mandate to canvass the entire membership by mail. This was done, and the results of the survey were published in a later Newsletter [44,10]; they showed a strong majority in favor of an independent society, so the stage was set to initiate the creative process at the summer (1964) AIBS meeting of the Section-Division at the University of Colorado, Boulder [4,12] and to formally establish a new society at the winter (1964) AAAS meeting in Montreal, Canada [4,14]. And so the final steps in the creative process were generated.
While the organizational body underwent a number of transformations throughout the past 35 or so years, the original objectives as spelled out in the various by-laws and in the present Constitution [20,3] survived the several incarnations. They are as fresh and as pertinent today as they were when first formulated in the late '40s: "to promote and encourage the biological study of animal behavior in the broadest sense, using both descriptive and experimental methods under natural and controlled conditions." The people who contributed much time and effort to the workings of the society from 1956 through 1990 are listed in spreadsheets [24,4; 25,2] and database compilations [24,5; 26,3].
As the saying goes, "the rest is history"...and that history is contained in many of our own memories and perhaps more succinctly in the 65 boxes of this initial archive collection. The Secretarial papers (boxes 1 through 23) start the collection since, by nature of their jobs Secretaries are the most voluble and voluminous. These papers are followed by those of the three successive Historians (boxes 24 through 27) and then a woefully incomplete collection of President's papers (boxes 28 through 34) followed by an even less complete collection of Committee documents (boxes 35 through 42). The Historian's photographic collection (Box 43) was initially intended to be a collection of President's photos but wisely was later expanded to include photos of as many officers, committee personnel and members as could be gathered. Later still, photos taken at various meetings were included in the collection and this feature is sure to be expanded as the archives grow.
The real history of the society is encapsulated in the Newsletter collection (boxes 44 through 46). The Program Officer's papers (boxes 47 through 55) are sparse at the outset but the initial paucity is more than made up for as the years progress. Herein rests a compilation of all the events that transpired to make the Society a viable entity, while the growth, development and strength of the society can be gauged from a perusal of the Treasurer's documents (boxes 56 through 74). The final section, Late Papers (boxes 75 through 81), contains those documents that arrived at the Smithsonian after the initial compilation was completed but before this Finding Aid could be formally published.
This, then, is the Animal Behavior Society, from 1948 through 1993, ± a few years. | 2019-04-22T02:26:30Z | http://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/about-history.php |
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A model sample is only a particular Way Of format, which might be utilised in making order order fashion. The version buy order sample is exactly what it’s possible to utilize to acquire an idea of a buy order style. When it’s crucial to make a sample of a local buy order for the small business and certain reasons, then here are a few practical examples and samples of buy orders, which you may utilize to acquire ideas. The automobile purchase order sample is merely a purchase order sample which company can use to get a vehicle. The software purchase order is to purchase software.
Lots of content becomes generated everyday. Purchase purpose keywords might also be called underside of the funnel conversions, and they are a crucial part of a search engine marketing plan. While they’re not the only type you will need to use on your PPC campaign, they are one of the most essential.
On your company model. It might also be known as Average Contract Value (ACV), which only examines the value of the full contract signed. If you understand typical purchase value you may work out the quantity of deals you’ll have to generate.
Going back to college to complete your Level may be an intriguing trip in case you’re dedicated to providing you very best. There are some explanations for why students are uninterested in athletics. Many students think a thesis is just a selection of ideas strung together with a few words that are essential. There are numerous sorts of college scholarships, and most men and women think about the most frequent such as academic and athletic. Make certain you use for as many scholarships as you can, that you truly qualify for. Writing a thesis is really very easy if you follow a fundamental formula.
The women in the Vast Majority of Eighteenth-century fiction most often needed to be rescued by men. Each time a young man goes to seminary, he begins to examine his religion in a wholly new way. By way of example, a controlling individual might have a difficult time requesting support. It is really a matter of personal taste and what fits to the way you live. There’s a feeling of devotion, because the creature doesn’t need for those things that are indispensable to live an excellent, healthy life. It’s mainly because of the attitude of the student itself. Come up with a couple words which you think describe your negative traits.
Parents aren’t informed about the Significance of co-curriculum marks. It’s expensive to raise a kid and a number of parents are selecting to boost their economic standing as opposed to have another child. While not attempting to change your mind about the choices you have made for your son or daughter, I am trying to notify you as to a number of the possible repercussions of being homeschooled. It isn’t a popular saying in the event you have children, grandchildren, girlfriend, adequate job or a million other reasons for the signs of these times emerging.
When you get started unschooling, Florida Statutes want you to maintain a portfolio for your child. The law’s definition of the activity log makes it possible for your parent a lot of freedom to select their record keeping style. Again, you do not have to demonstrate everything your kid has done, only a representative sample.
Paradoxically, while nearly all Austenas Works centered on the job of providing husbands for daughters. Present a Simile or Metaphor Similes and metaphors are some of the the most effective linguistic devices on the market. China should centre on reducing smog emissions so the people are able to reside in a clean atmosphere atmosphere. Wars may similarly be scrapped within a nation, but in the shape of a civil war, or inside a revolutionary war. The 8 main causes of warfare are given below. It is likewise very important to point out that unlike most embassies, the last decision to issue or deny a visa isn’t dependent upon the visa officer. It is mainly associated with the Immigration Office where you’re going to be studying.
Some are simple to read and simple to follow. It is not necessary to specify that you are going to be more unschooling. It means lots of things. Most of it’s seeing the interest you did not cover during college. You have got a geo-social cosmetic. Many folks want to improve quality of living.
Program, you won’t be contemplated. Time to alearn as a way to become adult, learn how to create money!! If you can locate the moment. Somebody explained that a lengthylong time earlier, and that I said Fiddlesticks. It’s probably the very first time he’s learning the history of religion and the very first time he’s looking at religion for a scholar.
The financial impact alone should be Considered at the start of Tribulation based on many in academic research. You ought to get upon the value of your petition in a couple of short paragraphs. Nonetheless, you should effectively manage your responsibilities while finishing college. The option to homeschool your son or daughter is an immense, life altering decision. The following ideas can allow you to have a better chance of winning. If you follow these suggestions, you can get a lot of student money, maybe even enough to find a complimentary ride to school.
Make certain to plan your path carefully And possess the resorts taken care of beforehand to refrain from having to sleep on your automobile. If you take advantage of a service such as Expedia, you can get the amount pre-charged to steer clear of possible problems on the street. Most are simple to read but hard to follow since they just don’t provide enough specifics.
Some scholarship applications need a Postmark of a particular date. Many scholarship applications request that you Write your community service involvement on the program, and following that Provide you just a very small space to write. Also, keep copies of All the Scholarship applications you’ve applied for, and the ones that you will Need to fill out an application for. Other folks require that the committee gets The scholarship program in the mail with a particular date.
In the Case of an Adventure Certification, you aren’t sure who the correspondence needs to be addressed . When you understand the six elements of a business letter, composing one is fast and effortless. The business letter is an official correspondence which has six specific bits. A recommendation letter from company can make a major difference in a candidate’s probability of acquiring a new job or a chair in a respectable educational institution. If it’s not, you’re taking notes to reunite and receive extra clarification.
On Occasion, what’s discussed in 1 Letter can not be shared with a different division. A reference letter is like your recommendation letter from employer. Formal letters still hold an extremely important place in the industry world. As a blooming letter is part of business writing, the arrangement doesn’t offer much scope for experimentation, and needs to be drafted in a suitable way. In this circumstance it could be worth it to draft two distinct letters to steer clear of such a confusion or circumstance. As an example, if you are writing a letter that suggests a notice of resignation, you might want to send a carbon copy to distinct work associates or managers who might be affected. Composing an experience certificate letter isn’t quite as difficult as you may believe.
Itas important that you have a duplicate of The documentation and coverage that you offended. The format is quite straightforward and importantly, as is provided from the next segment. It is crucial to comprehend the format of a company letter, or so the recipient reads it and takes it badly. This arrangement can help you understand a salary certificate in a much better method. Perfect structure and layout are extremely important aspects in a report, as it comprises the in depth information of any undertaking. This template will provide you with a very simple idea about the correct way of writing and issuing a relieving letter. Among all of the elements of a business letter, there’s a single element known as CC, which could or may not be utilized in the correspondence.
Executive overview is a significant Communication tool utilized by academicians and business people. Executive summaries are basically documents that contains the summary of reports, so the reader is familiar with the required knowledge, without studying the huge body of the report. In big companies, it’s important to deliver a succinct description of your employment since the individual reviewing your petition may not understand you. It’s very possible your boss may have an entirely understandable explanation for what’s happening.
Wide knowledge related to the topic of the Report is necessary for any author. All you’ll need is all of the basic information of the worker. An excessive quantity of info becomes confusing. At length, you can hurt yourself if you devote an excessive amount of info in your demonstration. When an address isn’t recorded, utilize an overall setup for the speech, making sure to alert the correct section. The inner address is the point at which the letter has been sent. It’s likely to leave your telephone number and email address so the coworkers can remain in contact with you.
You are able to consult with more examples of Similar letters over the web and prepare one that’s appropriate for your requirements. Some might leave after a very short while. The greeting is an official salutation.
Begin the letter with an official Organization greeting. If you’ve ever applied for work, you probably’ve composed a minumum of a single cover letter in your lifetime. You have the task done perfectly and totally free of delay. You may be leaving without a wonderful job in hand. The employee is so shocked and distraught he or she has difficulty remembering the specifics of what was stated for the rest of the meeting. The employer should know precisely why you think you are unable to function on your position for a period of time. You’re not required to inform your employer why you’re leaving, but if you would like to maintain a professional, mutually respectful relationship with your employer, it would be smart to disclose your own future intentions in the event you are leaving to pursue other career opportunities.
Any change in your contact information, in Case the customer should contact you. Once you file your program you will discover a Determination. A work application is the key to unlocking livelihood opportunities. The final area of this work program is the certification. Take note that in the event that you decide to officially complain, the process can be lengthy. In sharing your reason behind departing, be clear of what you’re ready to do to aid with the transition practice.
Should you still feel just like you do not have Any abilities at least put down that you are hardworking and ready to learn new things. Resume skills and abilities play a substantial part in boosting the caliber of your resume. They also play a substantial part in getting you the work opportunity. Ability is the combination of quality and skill which makes it possible that you accomplish the given task.
Employers don’t want to devote precious Time trying to work out which position you’re applying for. It is crucial, for both you and the company, that you are a fantastic fit. Employers are not just looking at your abilities or knowledge, they’re trying to gauge personalities, creativity and lots of other personal features to see which candidates will be the most best match for their own organizations. While using the later method, they won’t read all the details in your resume. Keep in mind that the abilities are the things which you learned from your prior employments.
New approaches and latest approaches are Invented in addition to employed according to the present market demand. Design Useful Marketing Strategies There are various sorts of marketing strategies out there on the sector and digital promotion is among them. Few Words About Our Digital marketing Course Digital Marketing is a massive topic and we attempt to educate our students about each and every part of the specific same at a wise and effectual method. There are plenty of, a number of other approaches to start a company.
Health and Lack of period play significant Part in career development. Education is just an opportunity to learn together with utilize the info, skills, and comprehension to shape the future in a safe and dependable manner. Suggestions to Write Graduate Resumes By Eva Lee Once you finish your education, you will require a resume to look for employment. Should you wish to develop into an actuarial grad, then odds are, you will have to confront a fairly daunting actuarial telephone interview. Through using faculty research paper examples, students are going to be in a position to comprehend the suitable format of how the in text citation and references should be achieved. If you are currently enrolled in college, see your college career center.
You will find a Terrific deal of jobs accessible For you to research. Make certain if you’re requesting for a job which you indicate your KPH in your resume, especially if it may be worth bragging about. Aside from the site helping when you’re looking for work, it might also potentially help you brush up on your skills and instruction, in the event you so desire. It is possible that you compose the project winning resume only once you have thorough comprehension of resume writing. As a result of growing competition in each area, it’s now crucial for every job seeking person to continue being distinct from every other candidate to obtain attention from the employer. It is possible to later prove your work suitability at the ideal time of the interview. It is not impossible to find a new task with a gaping hole on your resume, but it is a likely hurdle you’re going to have to cross.
Determined by which phrases need additional Explanation on an online job application. You might mention details in your advertising letter like where you saw the posting, and the way your duties at your current job prove you have got the skills to deal with the job that you’re applying for. It’s possible to readily rectify your previous mistakes that you are able to have done before you got the instruction. The matter with dot-com is there are no barriers to entry.
If you are switching careers and you simply Have volunteer experience in your field, that should be near the peak of your resume. Volunteer Work If you have hardly any work experience to add, long-term volunteer actions are sometimes a good replacement. Your work experience for a server and cashier continue to be valuable, though not as relevant, and ought to be farther down. Make certain you have comprehension of the company and the way you could match with your skills. The importance of matching the work description into the appropriate temperament style may not be overstated. Taking a Toastmasters Executive Officer’s role is a huge procedure to learn leadership skills and focus on your professional improvement.
To acquire a fundamental view of how Astrology works, you must know that it’s regulated on the grounds of stars, planets and their movements. The people should offer concrete examples with thorough explanations. An individual with great ten crucial skills ought to be fast and accurate.
Past the wording, however, medical Documents are often straightforward, especially as directness could be the secret to saving a patient’s life. The files also supply safety information associated with the item. It’s crucial that you’re reading relevant and high quality files. Not only is it essential to be in a place to compose technical documents clearly for investors and management, if introducing a new product or a part of equipment, it is a necessity in the event the organization or person is to fill out an application for a patent. Creating quality technical records is a vital point in allowing people to adequately and properly utilize technology. It is essential that the documentation is simple to follow, particularly in the event the program is essential to a significant function. If you’re making graphics heavy documentation, you might choose to consider Quark Xpress, or even choose potentially the industry leader in the specialty, Adobe Framemaker.
Technical writing isn’t written to entertain. It is not for everybody. It has existed for a few centuries. It is part of the majority of careers. It’s considerably different than other types of writing such as story, because technical writing is intended to impart to the reader a specific skill or ability. Another form of technical writing can be obtained in internet articles. It’s a bit simpler if you run in the technical side and are learning to write.
The writer incorporates only the most Normal issues and solutions in the troubleshooting manual. Although technical authors try to convey information in an easy fashion, not every reader will know everything they need to convey. They do a great deal of research for those books they compose, and have to consult experts in various fields before they could begin their work.
In case you’re looking for the very best paying writer’s Salary, technical writing careers are a great place to begin. A writer needs to be able to compensate for any deficiency of technical experience in a specific field by individual research and fantastic interviews of subject matter specialists. Moreover, he might use a larger selection of technical terms, acronyms and abbreviations. Each time a technical author receives a mission, they will ask additional questions to work out the very best form of record for your info. A wonderful technical writer can create an arduous task easy and can quickly explain a complicated bit of information.
In case the writer presents the topic by Means of an online page, he or she could also choose to put hyperlinks and animations that could be exceedingly valuable. From time to time, he can get to visit the factory or manufacturing plant to get a product so they can get a better idea how that product is made and how it ultimately works. Throughout the self-teaching procedure, he expects problems that a typical user could face. The perfect writer will possess strong technical skills, together with strong writing and communication skills. A technical writer, after analyzing her or his audience, knows what they’re trying to communicate. You do not have to become a full-time technical writer to profit in the class.
The writing needs to to be straightforward As you can be able to be sure the reader understands the procedure or instruction. Therefore, the planned readers may fail to discover the suitable advice from the easily available online content (Martinez, 2008). But readers of technical writing should also know that there’s many times a substantial quantity of jargon, or phrases with particular usages specifically fields, that they should learn before they could effectively comprehend and place on the text.
The value of technical writing may be Observed in many of applications, both in consumer goods along with the industrial setting. Therefore, it’s not just seen at the cash it is helpful to create, but also by the convenience and security it creates for viewers. In addition to the unveiling of new products, it’s also found in the use of more traditional products and procedures.
You then install the product or Workplace With them to grow into educated about the merchandise for a customer is Anticipated to perform. On occasion the Previous product only comprises a listing of Measures to take as a means to reach an objective. A Good Deal of people still prefer a Printed product, particularly if they aren’t confident with computers and other Kinds of technology. | 2019-04-24T15:46:30Z | http://penyasportpalamos.com/14-treppenhaus-putzplan/ |
We just left this beautiful villa days ago and I’m still trying to put into words how amazing it was. We had our destination wedding here and our group had 19 people. Sooo glad we chose The Palms over a resort. Our guests are still telling us how amazing it was and how our choice to pick a place couldn’t have been better. A gorgeous, private, and may I add HUGE villa to ourselves was the way to go! Completely exceeded our expectations. The staff was outstanding. Always there and attentive but never bothersome. From the moment we were greeted by everyone at the door with welcome drinks and snacks, delivered our luggage and showed everyone to their rooms, to the moment we left making sure everyone got the airport for flights. Wonder was an amazing bartender/server always making sure you had a full drink or anything else you may need. Always wore a smile and was very hard working.
Alejandro and his kitchen staff were always whipping up something delicious for any kind of taste bud. Even making sure our latest arrival had a dinner plate set aside for her and bringing plates up to our room for my bridesmaids and I the day of the wedding so we could eat privately. You won’t go hungry, I promise you!! Kelly, our event planner, I cannot say enough. We had exchange what seemed like 100s of emails prior of any question either I or a guest had. Don’t get me wrong, planning a destination wedding is terrifying! Kelly made it seem less. The decor and organization was above and beyond. The photographer she had recommended, Gaston, ( at Punta Cana Photographer) was awesome! The wedding package included so much and was just perfect for our needs. Trust me, put your faith in this woman and she will not let you down!!! And last but not least, Seely made everyone feel like part of her family. Always checking in to make sure we had everything we needed and always staying in contact during our stay. I will never forget giving her a big hug at our departure. I said “goodbye” and she said “This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon!” And we WILL be back. I could go on and on but I’ll stop there. :) My ONLY regret is not staying longer!!"
It is deserving of every 5 star review it has received and lives up to and exceeds every expectation. If you're considering this resort, stop looking and just book. Chef Alejandro is of the highest level. His food was spectacular. Seeley made sure our stay was perfection. She is attentive to every detail and took care of our every need (restocking, massages, entertainment, etc.) Wander is a great bartender and seemed unfazed by our crazy fun partying. Our group was 27 large, celebrating 40th birthdays. Enjoy your stay at The Palms!!! We would love to return.
Wow - where do we even begin?!
My now husband and I stayed at The Palms for 5 glorious days for our wedding. The scenery could not have been more perfect, and as soon as we walked into the villa, greeted by Seeley and her wonderful staff (and a much needed welcome drink!) I knew we made the right choice. The view is just breathtaking, and we are so thankful Seeley let us use her backyard as the backdrop for the most important day of our lives. We knew going into the trip that the villa came fully staffed, but we had no idea how attentive and present they would be at all times. The food prepared by Chef Alejandro was delicious as it was filling, and Wander, the bartender kept the drinks full and made sure to keep the party going! The wedding package came with many items, including a wonderful wedding coordinator who was super helpful leading up to the wedding, and even more helpful during! Rain decided to roll through on our wedding night but the party didn't miss a beat. Kelly and Seeley did a great job at making sure all of our guests were comfortable. I cannot say enough great things about our stay, it is the absolute perfect setting for a family reunion, wedding, gathering with friends, etc.
Our group has taken several trips together and hands down this was the BEST EVER!! Kelly was so helpful with all our planning, meals, bar stock, shuttles and arrangements. Seeley was so generous and kind making every detail just perfect. We had 20 in our group, 12 gals celebrating 50th bdays and spouses were included too. Wander the bartender made delicious drinks and was always nearby to refill drinks with a smile. Chef Alejandro created amazing meals, also accommodated several food allergies. Chef is so talented, and kind to share with us his cooking tips. Chef even made a special large birthday cake for our final nite and the entire staff sang Happy Birthday to us. The staff was wonderful. Can't wait to plan our next trip back. Miss the Palms staff and great weather, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PALMS!! Thank you all so much for sharing your villa with us making memories!
My husband and I were extremely pleased with the beautiful wedding of our daughter, Elizabeth and Greg at the Palm's. The venue, cuisine, staff, and accommodations were above and beyond our expectations. Thank you Seeley, Kelly, Wander, and the rest of the staff for an amazing experience we will not forget!
My husband and I had our wedding here on 9/8/18 and we rented the entire house. Kelly is an amazing planner. She did an awesome job with the decor and I was pleased with everything. I let Kelly work her magic and it was so beautiful and so worth it. I can't thank Kelly enough. Kelly was only a message away and she responded promptly each and every time I contacted her. Our friends and family enjoyed themselves, the food was amazing, the staff were excellent, the property was well kept and it was everything I dreamt of. Seeley was on top of everything and for her I am forever grateful. Seeley is family to us and we will most certainly be back. Shout out to the chef!
There was a massive amount of magic that was contained in one evening. We had a blast, and it wouldn't have been possible without the Villa and your staff. We cannot thank you enough. You not only accommodated our veggie diets, but you blew away our tastebuds with the delicious eats!! So so good.
It was amazing!!! We are a large family with kids and teenagers and this was the perfect vacation place! The house is right on the most beautiful beach and the staff is incredible! There are 14 full bedrooms each with its own bath. The pool area is huge with plenty of lounge chairs for all the guests. The place where it is located affords a lot of privacy yet you can walk on the beach and be close to other hotels if you want. There are horses on the beach that the kids could ride daily and even masseuses that would come to the house. Believe me, you will not want to leave this house! The staff at the house is absolutely amazing. Seeley went above and beyond for us to have everything we needed and for us to feel completely pampered and relaxed while on our vacation.
Chefs Alejandro and Lorena cooked the most delicious foods and presented them beautifully. It was great because we could all sit down for meals together in the large dining area with great service and food. The chefs even had a cooking class for the kids one morning! They accommodated all of our food needs and preferences. The cleaning staff would arrive every day to clean and make up our rooms. They were all so friendly and hospitable. Seeley is just absolutely amazing- she does anything to make your vacation perfect! I HIGHLY recommend The Palms for an amazing family vacation!!
Most relaxed stay thus far in my life! This resort has the "your own home feel" while you are staying there. The food was amazing! I loved the open floor plan next to the pool and it was a short walk down the beach to see other vacationers and enjoy the emerald coast, soft sand and palm trees. The Palms PC had a great combination of privacy and still feeling like you are already where you need to be.
All I have to say is PERFECT! After an extremely stressful business year, all I wanted to do was get away. I was privileged to talk to a friend that was familiar with the Palms Villa Punta Cana so I made arrangements to visit. Having visited Punta Cana on multiple occasions and staying at all-inclusive resorts, I expected much of the same. When I arrived at the airport, I was greeted by transportation, you know the people holding the cute little signs that have your name on them (insert BIG smile here!). They took me to the Villa with wifi in tow, so that I could complete some business transactions prior to starting my getaway. That's pretty special, in my humble opinion. Once I arrived at the Villa, I felt like a princess in a fairy tale. The villa made me feel like I was living in a castle, able to hear the ocean wherever I went inside the home. There was a meal prepared especially for me when I arrived and I was able to order an exotic cocktail as well. I was fortunate enough to be with a great group of people and sitting down to multiple family style meals everyday was incredible. It rained a lot of time I was there, but the location was so awesome, walking on the beach everyday was not a problem. I took advantage of the massage (with the roar of the waves as music), the manicure/pedicure with the special oatmeal treatment (with the roar of the waves as music), and the home feel. I was even able to tune in to Monday Night Football!
All I have to say is GO! As much as I enjoyed the all-inclusive resorts, this is all-inclusive in what feels like your own personal resort. The staff is unsurpassed and the experience is unforgettable. There is no question that I will be visiting again very, very soon!.
My husband and I chose the Palms for our destination wedding this fall. We wanted a wedding that focused on family and brought our guests from around the country together. It was amazing to share meals, and all of our time with the people closest to us. We also chose this property because we didn't know how many guests would be joining us and the option to not have to pay for rooms we were not using was such a great selling point for us. Seeley and her team were everything we could have asked for, we both work in hospitality and were blown away at the feeling of being at home from the minute we arrived. We had great food for each meal, the villa was super clean, and the staff went over and above - we never heard they word no when we asked for something which was so great. One of our favorite things was the feeling that we were actually in another country and not in a cookie cutter resort, the character of the property is such a benefit.
My now wife and I chose this location to have our dream wedding after reviewing several other possible locations. We are so glad that we chose this place. First off let me start with commending them on their staff services. They were simply amazing. When we first got to the villa Seeley was there to greet us with her husband. They took our bags in, brought them up to our rooms and showed us around. They made us feel very welcome and at home. I cannot explain the feeling you have walking into this place and having them take care of everything. We had several groups arriving at different times and days to the villa and each time they were there to greet them. Seeley went the extra step contacting the airport and recovering one of our friends lost luggage after she wasn't able to get anywhere with them. She even went up to the airport and retrieve the bag for us.
The Palms Villa was the perfect place for our 5-year family reunion. Not only was the view breathtaking and the rooms clean, we were right on the beach and the whole place was ours. There were no complaints about the meals; they were beyond great. Cooking to please 17 people of all ages is not an easy task but our Chef and staff did it! The professionalism of everyone there and their help with every detail or question asked was superior. Of course, what more could we ask for with our own personal bartender who put up with our constant requests for refills, and the kids loved his virgin Pina Coladas. Ramon of Renny Travel was a pleasure to work with. He scheduled our airport transportation and all of our many excursions. The drivers were always on time and professional. Last, but not least, the pups. They were a big hit with everyone; too bad they couldn't come home with us. Thank you for the wonderful memories.
Most luxurious vacation ever thanks to the beautiful location and amazing staff. We are a very large family - 28 adults and children/grandchildren - and this is the only villa that could accommodate our entire group together. The Palms staff made this the most relaxing trip ever - We always travel together as a family and with so many people, it seems like we are always cooking or cleaning, but not this time! First - to have a private bedroom and private bathroom and oceanfront room, what more can we say. Usually we are sharing bathroom with kids and the kids piled on top of each other in bedrooms. So nice to have privacy and for the kids to have their own space too. Second - to have a dining area where all of us can sit and eat together, exactly what my father requires, just like every Sunday dinner at home. Third - staff cooking and cleaning, what more do you need. Don't even think of lifting a finger. The staff was amazing and had everything covered. Fourth - kids in the pool all day, running up and down the beach as our backyard, playing with the beach dogs, enjoying all the games and puzzles at the villa, and very minimal tv time. This is what kids should be doing. The list goes on and on but you just need to experience it for yourselves. Exactly what our family needed this summer!
My experience at the Palms Villa exceeded all my expectations. Seely & staff treated us like family and went out of their way to make us feel at home. Chef Gwen cooked phenomenal meals everyday! Fresh fruits and juices were delicious! On my niece's wedding day everything was perfect! Our suites were comfortable and cleaned everyday. Pool was amazing, beach was gorgeous! Beautiful sunrises and sunsets! I highly recommend The Palms Villa to all ages!
Our experience at the Palms was unforgetable!I pinched myself alot! We were treated like royalty the minute we arrived! Greeted by Seeley, Miguel, whom I have to say went above and beyond all the time! Our great Chef Gwen and her staff who cooked us wonderful meals! We also had our personal bartender Wonder who was the best! It was beautiful there and we felt so blessed to be there for our daughters wedding! Also Renny Travel (Ramone) took us anywhere we needed to be! All I can say is hands down it was the best place ever, and thank-you all for our wonderful experience!!!
We arrived on April 29th to a lovely lady (Seeley) a tropical cocktail from Wander our bartender! We called him Mr. Wanderful!! We felt like royalty! Chef Gwen & staff were also so amazing. The food was to die for. It was so beautiful and relaxing. We wanted for nothing. I will stay here again!! Fabulous!!
We just returned from an amazing 10 day stay at this amazing villa. From our first contact to our final exit, nothing was less than perfect. The onsite staff, Chef, kitchen staff, housekeeping were kind, curteous, accommodating and on top of everything. Do the food plan... the food was amazing for every meal. Bartender was a blast and our entire group of 23 people (11 kids) could not have been happier. The Owners made sure everything was perfect. We felt safe and the beach was 47 steps from our room. I highly reccommend this amazing villa to everyone. We will be back!! Review was submitted via Matt on the FB page for the villa.
We were a group of 22 guys at the Palms. Staying here was a great decision. We all had a fantastic week, thanks to the wonderful ocean view rooms, the spotless house and friendly staff members. The area is very safe and transportation is easy. Seeley was always reachable and she was around hanging out with us most of the time; she helped us out with literally everything, from driving us around for extra shopping to last minute late night party organizations. Chef Lubin and Richy also took great care of us. We already look forward to organizing a reunion here as soon as possible. I am sure it will be as good. I would definitely recommend a stay here to all my friends.
Spent about a week at the villa with 20 other college students. By far the best spring break we ever experienced,. Our positive experience is largely thanks to the villa and its staff. The house is perfectly located in a relatively isolated, so you don't have neighbors that might bother you. The house is right in front of the beach, which is a huge plus. The staff is very well trained and courteous. The villa's bartender, Richie, is a key member of the staff for those who plan on hosting parties at this villa. Seeley, the villa manager, is very helpful in general but especially when it comes to transportation and organizing activities in Punta Cana. Being American, she speaks perfect English which makes life much easier. The villa is the perfect accommodation for all types of groups; college students on spring break, families on vacation and even company retreats.
What a beautiful location to spend quality time with family & friends. The staff went out of their way to make everybody's stay so special & they truly achieved that goal. The private chef was great & the team went out of their way to accommodate any special dietary needs. The villa itself was as advertised - great private space wth a wonderful pool right on the beach.
Our visit to the Villa at Punta Cana was an unbelievable experience from the minute our group arrived to the very last moment we were there. The setting is magnificent on a lovely beach with a meandering pool which lends itself to the most special experience of sun, sand, water, and setting. The villa itself is beautiful. The rooms all have magnificent views and a balcony/patio outside. The rooms are comfortable and spacious as is the villa itself. Seeley is the most wonderful hostess who cannot do enough for her guests and is so caring and accommodating that you never want to leave. The staff is wonderful. Chef Lubin is one of the best Chef’s I have every encountered. His meals can cater to all kinds of diets and suggestions - his food is five stars. Richie, the bartender, makes the most wonderful drinks that our group of 25 kept him busy from noon until night. He is so friendly and the best bartender ever. Even the children indulged in virgin Pina Coladas.
Our fun started the first minute of the day where we indulged in a wonderful breakfast and it did not stop until the last person went to bed. In addition to spending time on the beach and swimming in the water in the ocean and pool, our group also went snorkelling, parasailing, horseback riding, and zip lining. The favorite activity by far for the kids who ranged from ages 7 to 16 was parasailing. We all would love to be fortunate enough to come back again as soon as possible. This vacation was beyond anyone’s expectations.
A wonderful place to stay! Our family of 23 loved every minute of our special get together. All the rooms have beautiful ocean views and breezes. The lazy river pool was enjoyed by young and old alike, as was the ocean which is just steps away from the house. The staff are all terrific and Chef Lubin's meals were all fantastic! A most welcoming home away from home.
A week of paradise was enjoyed by our group in the beautiful Oceanfront Villa. The grounds, Villa and pool are beautifully kept and the staff AMAZING!!!!!! We enjoyed all of our evening meals out of doors listening to the waves from the ocean hit the beach. The outdoor pool and lazy river beautifully kept and warm , while the ocean was just steps away . Cannot wait to return.
We and our children, alonibe!!g with 13 of our closest family and friends just returned from PC after a fantastic stay at The Palms! From the time of our greeting to the time we left we enjoyed every bit of our experience! The staff (entire staff) was remarkable from chef and crew to bartender to groundsmen! Booking and organizing the trip was easy with Kelly and Seeley was amazing! The Villa is beautifully maintained and views are spectacular! My husbands 40th birthday is truly one for the record books! We can't thank you enough for the week in paradise that we just returned from!
Fantastic family reunion and most memorable celebration!!!
We had a superb family reunion and celebration of our mom's birthday at The Palms! The staff were amazing, warm and super helpful to our entire family of 20 guests - spanning in age from 8yrs old to 80! Travel to/from the airport was a breeze. The food and accommodations were top-notch! The beach and pool were gorgeous. Lots of activities as well. Everyone at the villa went above and beyond to ensure we all had a great time. We've done similar reunions in the Carribean before as a group but this trip was, by far, the best and most memorable!
This was the chosen destination of my sales team this year. We've visited like Cabo, Costa Rica, etc. in the past, but I have to admit that this has been the best so far.
The Palms truly is an amazing place and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone looking for nothing less than spectacular! The Villa was beautiful, the staff was great, and the beach was awesome! Our group is active, so running on the beach in the early mornings or evenings presented no problem. Anyone wondering whether DR can be a destination, the answer is YES.
Don’t think about it, this place is one of the best anyone can ever experience.
"Perfection at The Palms Villa Punta Cana"
Was a last minute trip and Kelly was very accommodating working with myself and another couple that joined us. Upon arrival we were greeted by Seeley the owner who was so very welcoming and greeted with a wonderful fruit drink. The house was beautiful and the views were breathtaking from every room.. I came to view the Villa for a future trip with a large group and this is definitely the place. Pictures do not do this place justice. Not only was this place beautiful, the service was outstanding. After a wonderful sleep on the softest sheets I have ever slept on, we woke to the wonderful sound of the ocean. Upon waking, coffee was ready and we had our cup just taking in the views. Chef Lubin was ready to cook our breakfast. Eggs to our liking, fresh fruit, fresh juice (something new each day)...bacon / sausage / potatoes and one day we had an amazing French toast. Dinner was also a treat each evening. Chef Lubin is a definite asset...his food was amazing along with his presentation..just proves he loves what he does. Our rooms were cleaned each day. The showers were big and did have dispensers filled with wash / shampoo / conditioner. Room ACs worked great. The grounds were kept up each day with a clean pool and a beautiful beach. There were some coral areas but Plenty of swimmable areas. I have experienced many Hotel AI's and this was so much better in my opinion. Hope I covered everything as this was a great place and I can't wait to go back and share it with other friends and family.
We stayed at the palms for a family trip to celebrate 50 years in business. We had a wonderful time. Beautiful home with everything we needed. We had a chef who prepared the best meals, we never left to eat any where else. Julio was there to make sure we had a great time. I highly recommend the Palms.
My husband and I went to The Palms to stay for 8 days for our honeymoon. The resort exceeded our expectations! The place was out of a fairytale book. Every room had a forefront view of the beautiful beach. Our room was clean and spacious, not to mention the bed was extremely comfortable. The hospitality was incredible and the food prepared by the amazing chef was exceptional. We highly recommend this place as a getaway with your significant other or entire family.
My new wife and I had our second wedding at The Palms with our family from Peru and California we were 17 and spent an axing week together. The Palms put together a magical day for us starting with a breath taking sunrise photo shoot. Beautiful flowers, beach theme great Domincan trio played during dinner, delicious surf and turf by chef, it was a perfect day!
This was my second year I've taken my sales team to a Villa instead of a resort hotel. The experiences and results have been amazing so far. This being the first time in DR, I'm not sure I can ever 1-up the memories we created at The Palms. The place is amazingly beautiful and the staff are friendly and very helpful. Great smiles, personalities and they really enhanced our experience. Can't say enough how great they were. Thanks for making it special! My sales team runs from ages mid-20s to mid-40s, and each of them enjoyed the 5 days there. This will be hard to top next year, and the suggestions and thoughts from the others is that perhaps we stop visiting other countries and just keep going back to The Palms. Coming from a team of sales people, that should tell you A LOT!
Sublime, stellar, superlative are just a few of the adjectives to describe this secluded property by the ocean.
Warm greetings from the owners and staff were welcoming indications of the stay we were to enjoy there. The food, by Chef Lauben, was imaginative, tasty and presented in a most appetizing manner. The accommodations were eclectic and reflected the playfulness of Seeley, one of the owners!!
Five stars for this amazing vacation venue, we would never hesitate a moment to return to The Palms!!!!
What a lovely surprise! We had a work offsite meeting here and couldn't have been happier. Everything was perfect! We had the place to ourselves and had fun and productive meetings so our goals were met. Chef Lubin was fantastic! The service and attention was amazing as well. Will definitely go back!
We stayed with 14 couples and loved it. Rooms were fantastic and staff was helpful and friendly. We would return in a heartbeat. Location was great. Directions were good to find it. Located about 30 minutes from the Punta Cana airport.
We had 14 couples stay at the Villa. Accommodations were great and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We would come again in a heartbeat.
Amazing accommodations, service and view! Best Villa in Punta Cana!
I stayed at the Villa with my husband and two kids (8yrs and 10 yrs). It was our first time in Punta Cana and we definitely want to come back. The villa is amazing - you are right on the beach, beautiful furniture all around the villa and great hospitality by the team. Kelly, helped us organize our trip and she went over and above to make our stay enjoyable. the owner, Cily is a super nice person, who greeted us when we arrived and made sure we had a great experience while in Punta Cana. I lost my sunglasses the first day and she surprised me with a new pair a couple of hours later. my kids keep talking about the awesome time we had while at the villa. Finally, we had delicious meals throughout our stay. the chef cooks healthy but very tasty food. I highly recommend this villa for weddings, family reunions or vacations with friends. Thumbs up!!
This is it!! Luxurious with brand new accommodations and breathtaking views. Simply awesome!!
Jackpot! No need to keep looking this is the one, book with confidence.
We were on holiday in the Dominican Republic when quite by accident we stumbled on the most fabulous private villa that is now available as a rental. This awesome villa is located directly on Uvero Alto Beach in Punta Cana. As we walked by the care takers saw us and invited us in for a tour. The place is amazing! We entered from the beach over one of the two bridges across the pool and into the huge and extremely modern and well equipped kitchen. The property is stunning and has 14 suites each with its own private bathroom and unbelievable sea views. It screams Dominican charm and has a twist of what you expect to find in the Mediterranean. We really hit it off with the care takers and were invited to come for dinner, the cook was on site and they were testing some new menu items and wanted our opinion. We accepted and it was delicious and presented so elegantly. The evening was perfect with nice music, soft light and a view of the sea by moonlight! We dined by the pool and watched the moon come up! We were told that anyone or group can rent the villa and it's perfect for a destination wedding, family reunion, business retreat etc. This is the first year they are accepting rentals and I know after seeing it we would certainly put The Palms Punta Cana Villa as our top choice for our next big family reunion. The villa is fully staffed and is a great option if you have done the all inclusive hotels and ready to try a new vacation style. The villa is on a quiet and private beach and close to shopping and restaurants. I recommend The Palms for those seeking a private and custom style vacation getaway for any size group.
I contacted The Palms for a four day stay. I didn't want an all inclusive, I wanted a beach front suite, I wanted to relax and not hear loud music or be in buffet lines. The place looked magical. They weren't officially taking guests yet since they were doing some minor detailing and landscaping but I called anyway and said I was fine with it if they would allow me to come for the long weekend.
We arrived and were blown away at the size and beauty of the property! I felt I arrived in Spain at a beautiful Mediterranean villa tucked away from the line of all inclusive hotels. It was totally private, beautifully decorated in bright and happy colors. An open and free flowing floor plan. My room took my breath away. I was on the second floor in a beautiful suite with an expansive terrace that offered 180 degrees views of the sea. It was breath taking. My sheets were dried outside and were fresh and crisp, I fell into bed and had a fantastic sleep.
I'm an early riser and caught the sunrise, while sitting in my pjs sipping coffee and relaxing on one of the oversized chaise loungers on my private terrace, I watched the sunrise and it was jaw dropping. We slept with the sound of the waves and woke to delicious Dominican coffee, fresh fruit and an egg frittata made with fresh basil from the herb garden located behind the kitchen and local cheese (quest fresca) yum!
We spent the days floating from the beach to the lazy river pool. It was just what I wanted.
The lunch was delicious, a salad of mixed greens, shaved almonds, local avocado slices and grilled chicken. It was perfect. For a topper I as given a fruit smoothly of mango, pineapple and papaya that was great! In the afternoon homemade Margaritas, with mango salsa and tortilla chips were brought out. These were the BEST Margaritas!
I would highly recommend The Palms for those wanting a vacation that offers privacy, personal attention, local grown produce and delicious Dominican dishes, beach front suites that are spacious, beautifully decorated with a private terrace with views that one needs to experience to believe. I am looking forward to booking the entire villa for a family reunion next year.
Your Villa is spectacular and we enjoyed it very much. The view is irresistible and the private beach is clean and gorgeous. The internal design makes it very convenient for a large family and special occasions. As hosts, you both were phenomenal. I don't know how you did it. You spoiled us and seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to anticipating our needs. Your place is magical and we are still over the moon. We have been to the Dom Rep many, many times and stayed right down the beach from Seeley & Miguel's Villa. We watched their place go up and had no idea how it was going to look when done. They both have an eye for detail, beauty & design. We watched in awe as workers made the wooden chaise lounges. Masterpieces. We (finally) had an opportunity to spend time there. As you can tell, we cannot say enough about this place. We are worldwide travelers & do our expectations are always conservative (engineer & CPA!). This experience exceed our own expectations. Thank you so much for making our vacation so special. Happy Holidays! We WILL be back. Whoever reads this review, don't even think twice...book it NOW!
Our experience at The Palms Punta Cana was excellent! Amazing views (never seen a more beautiful sunrise) and perfectly located on one of the best beaches in the area. He private outdoor areas were great for just relaxing or having a party (which we did) The owners were wonderful. They anticipated our every need and were so helpful planning excursions. We visit the Dominican Republic often, staying in hotels or condos, but The Palms Punta Cana is our new destination in the future! | 2019-04-20T08:32:57Z | https://thepalmspuntacana.com/customer_reviews |
Can’t make it to Exponential East 2015? Or, are you coming but can’t bring your whole team (or spouse)? No worries. We’re offering the next best thing to joining 5,000 church planting leaders in Tampa, Florida. You can still take part by hosting or watching a FREE Live Webcast. The event will be broadcast over the internet in high-quality. It’s a great opportunity for you, your launch team, your small group, your staff, your church and your network to experience the main stage sessions.
Click the Check-in button below.
Just below the cover photo you’ll see “check-in”, click that!
Add text to your check-in to share what’s happening at #Exponential! Use these hashtags like #webcast & #cleanwater to keep the conversation going!
The webcast will include live and video sessions direct from Exponential East, featuring Dave Ferguson, Danielle Strickland, Ying Kai, Bob Roberts, Kevin Cox, Joby Martin, Steve Murrell, Steve Stroope, J.D. Greear, Mario Vega, Deb & Larry Walkemeyer, Ajai Lall, Michael Frost, Max Lucado, Oscar Muriu and more.
SPARK is the theme for Exponential 2015, inspired by these words Paul wrote to Timothy: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1: 6-7).
Inside every follower of Jesus is the spark of multiplication and when that spark is “fanned into a flame,” it can ignite an entire culture of multiplication. But it takes friction—the quick strike of the match against a rough surface—to start the process of turning a spark into a flame and ultimately a raging fire. Do you believe that every follower has a gift meant to be multiplied in others’ lives? Do you believe that in every believer lies the heart of a movement for God?
*All times below are in EDT Time Zone (Eastern Daylight Time), are approximate, and are subject to change. CLICK HERE to convert your time zone (use North America EDT as time zone or pick city in the west of the United States such as Tampa, Florida, when using the converter).
A flame is ignited by a single spark. The church needs a culture of Multiplication to change us from slowly growing groups to an all out movement.
Your church’s VALUES are the first necessary ingredient in determining the culture of your church.
Another necessary element when creating a culture is NARRATIVE. If I spend the day with your church or core team, what will they talk about? What stories will they tell? These stories are a major part of your church’s culture.
Instead of telling me what you are about, SHOW me. Culture is created when you determine your core values, find a way to make those core values part of your everyday dialogue, but most importantly when you support those values with your behavior.
The Early Church exploded to the far reaches of civilization. The focus was not on how large their church could become. Instead, it was so much more important. The goal was to grow the CHURCH. What does your church culture say about your people? A culture of multiplication is needed if we want to grow the message of Christ into a movement.
A Webcast is not much different than a broadcast of your favorite weekly sitcom or sporting event. The main difference is how the broadcast is sent out into the world. Exponential relies on the Internet to deliver live or pre-recorded video and audio to your home computer.
A Simple Answer – a Webcast broadcasts a live event using live streaming video over the Internet. It multiplies that venue location into your own environment and into many other Host locations. Thus a simultaneous event occurs in both the origin venue and in satellite locations – your group, church, home or laptop!
Streaming video over the web has come a long way in recent years. What was once an unreliable connection that provided animated pictures and AM radio quality audio, is now able to deliver full-screen HD video and 5.1 surround sound audio. Many consumers use streaming video in place of their cable providers and companies like Netflix and Blockbuster have modified their products to rely completely on video delivery over the web. Comcast currently delivers all of their On Demand content via streaming video.
It can be a technical challenge for some, however, to acquire a reliable broadcast over the web. This document will explain how you can best prepare yourself for the Webcast event.
What Do I Need to Host a Webcast?
Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and request a faster connection. In some cases, your current provider may offer higher rates of speed for the same rate you are already paying.
CLICK HERE to Test the Webcast Video Stream.
– An Internet Browser: We recommend a “neutral” browser, or one that doesn’t depend on the operating system of your computer. These tend to use less on-board resources and result in a higher quality video. Therefore, we recommend using Firefox or Chrome in both PC and Mac environments. Internet Explorer, Safari, and Mozilla are all examples of software that allow you to search the Internet (browsers). Please be sure you update your browsers before the event to get the most recent versions.
– Updated Video Software: Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight are the two formats of software on your computer that allow you to watch videos (media delivery). Both are available to download for free on the Webcast Test page.
A webcast is a live video broadcast of an event transmitted across the internet. If you can watch a YouTube video, you can host a webcast!
Can I attend the Exponential Conference?
Yes. Click here to learn more about attending the conference.
Can I watch the webcast at home?
Yes. You can watch the webcast in your home. You will need an internet connection and a computer to watch. If you can watch a YouTube video, you can host a Exponential Webcast!
You can check out all the Exponential Conference speakers on the Schedule tab above. Speakers and times are subject to change.
What will the schedule be during the Conference?
Do I need to download or purchase anything before the Conference?
The Exponential Conference Webcast is free of charge. You do not need to download or purchase anything to participate in the Webcast.
Will there be a printed program or guide for the Conference?
You will receive a link to download various eBook formats of the Program Book.
How Do I Webcast from my Church?
Assuming you have all of the Requirements listed previously, the final components include a projector and projection screen. Most likely you have a computer in your main auditorium that is used for PowerPoint or for worship lyrics. If you are able to connect this computer to the Internet then your congregation will have the ability to view the webcast.
What web page will I go to in order to watch the webcast?
The Live Feed will be delivered via the Exponential Livestream page. You will receive an email with a special link to this website. The stream will be on this page.
Can I use my desk computer in the Church Office to test the streams?
We would recommend that you test the streams with the actual computer you will be using for the Webcast, in the actual room that you’ll be using; using the Internet connection you will be using; and with the projector or IMAG delivery mechanisms that you will be using DURING THE ACTUAL WEBCAST.
It doesn’t do you much good to test your systems in one environment “have success” and then move to the location that you will actually be using for the event later. There are many moving pieces in a Webcast that can affect your connection speed, latency (lag in the stream), audio delivery, and even resolution in your displays. Please use the Live Test streams to create the same environment that you’ll be using for the Webcast event.
Can I “Save” my live streaming video for later use?
Live events are streamed, therefore, cannot be saved as a file. However, we offer our live streams in the Silverlight format so that you can use the player as a DVR. The live content can be paused as well as reviewed in case you have missed something. This content is not saved on your hard drive locally, but instead is delivered from a cached version in the “Cloud”.
Also, you will be able to Extend your learning beyond the conference experience with our Digital Access Package that will be available after the conference. Through the Digital Access Package you will have access to the main session videos, audios of the workshops in the discipleship track, 30+ eBooks on evangelism, etc. Stay tuned for further information on the Digital Access during the conference.
Finally, saving the live Webcast content would be against our requirements and violate copyright laws.
I know my Church has a firewall on the LAN. What should I prepare for in navigating the Firewall software?
Check with your Church’s Internet Technologies (IT) Professional and communicate with them regarding what ports and/or type of content that is currently being blocked. The live streaming video is delivered over port 1935, port 443 and port 80 (RTMP and HTTP traffic should be enabled).
Our Support Chat also uses port 80 for the Chat room. In case you have any issues with the Chat, simply close that window and re-launch the Chat application.
What ports do I need to open on my network to watch the broadcast?
Unless you have intentionally blocked your ports using your firewall software, you most likely already have them available. However, if you have disabled ports on your firewall, you will need to have the following opened up in order to watch the live stream: Port 80, Port 1935; both for HTML and Flash traffic.
These are the basic pieces you need to view a Webcast from Exponential on your computer. If you have these capabilities in your home or church you will be able to view any webcast successfully.
I’m in a different time zone. How do I participate in real-time?
Well, real-time might be a super long night for those of you in a different part of the world! We offer the live Webcast stream in Silverlight which gives you the functionality to pause the stream, rewind it and/or Fast Forward as necessary in your Host location. This allows you promote the events starting time at the same time as the actual event, but start it based on your time zone needs.
Can I share this event on Facebook or Twitter?
We encourage you to share quotes and experiences of the Webcast with your social networks. Based on your event, you may even include the #exponential hash-tag and an event-specific-URL to share details.
How Do I Webcast from my Home?
Assuming you have all of the previously recommended requirements, the final components include your TV or computer monitor. Most likely you have a computer in your home office. If you are able to connect this computer to your television, we have some helpful hints.
How do I connect my HDTV to the stream?
Streaming to your television is a good practice for both individuals and small groups due to their smaller environments.
Here is how you accomplish this.
3) Audio Connection: Using a mini-audio cable, connect the audio out/headphones jack from your computer into the Audio In of your HDTV. Based on your computers settings, you may have to click on the Function 5 (F5) to see the image from your computer on your TV.
4) Adjust Your Settings: Use your manufacturer’s settings to navigate to the correct source for both your TV and your computer. You may need to resolve the resolution sent from your computer to the TV by going into the Display Settings (Mac & PC) and adjust the resolution to match the best quality of your desktop image.
5) Navigate to Live Stream: Once you have completed these steps, simply open a browser (Chrome or Firefox recommended), navigate to the Live Stream page within the Host Event Site, and then click on the Full Screen button on the live streaming player. The TV will now be your new monitor for the event and display the broadcast in full-screen mode.
Depending on the type of computer/laptop you are using, there are many variables to this recommended setup, including use of HDMI connections, S-Video as well as wireless connections. Any of these connections should work to transfer the display from your computer to an HDTV.
Note: just because your TV is in HD, does not mean the stream will be. HD live streams will be broadcast in HD resolution (720—400) and bit-rate (2.5mbps).
Can I run Chat and the Live stream on the same computer?
Yes and No. If you have a computer that has enough processing horsepower, then yes, it is possible. However, we recommend connecting to your live streams on a separate computer from the one you are using for Chat during the event.
This will give your live stream the maximum resources available during the live event and reduce the risk of buffering and/or freezing due to low processor availability.
If the system is so reliable, then why am I having buffering (freezing, stopping, skipping) issues with my stream delivery?
Great question. The CDN is the largest component in delivering high quality, uninterrupted streams to you, but it is not the only delivery component in the puzzle. The World Wide Web is called a “web” for a reason. A very complex delivery system is in place to get your streams down to your local Internet Service Provider (ISP) and in fact, they are part of that complex web of delivery. You may know your ISP as Comcast, AT&T, Qwest or one of hundreds of ISP’s that are available in each locality.
Once the live stream reaches your ISP’s area network it is delivered to you over your own Local Area Network (LAN) usually within the walls of your church, building or home. Here is where the majority of the delivery mishaps occur when live streaming video is interrupted. Firewalls, routers and shared access to the network will all have bearing into your connectivity reliability.
Microsoft Silverlight – Download Silverlight here. The system requirements for Microsoft Silverlight and associated technologies are listed below.
Adobe Flash – Download Flash here.
System Requirements for Flash installation: Most systems (98%) are pre-installed with Adobe Flash Player, but in case you’re one of the 2%, here are the system requirements as listed below.
CP2425U requirements may be much lower using H.264 hardware video acceleration on supported systems. Supported GPUs or media accelerators listed in the section above can significantly decrease processor requirements for optimal viewing of HD video.
Windows systems using Broadcom or Intel GMA 500 graphics should use a Windows Aero theme for optimal playback performance.
I am buffering/freezing in my video. What do I do?
Streaming live content in Flash requires a constant connection. If the player connected you at a higher bit-rate than you your connection can maintain, you will simply need to go to the MENU button on the player; choose the QUALITY option and choose a lower bit-rate than what you are currently connected at.
Buffering in Silverlight is a connectivity issue as well but refers to a dynamic connection instead of a constant connection. If you’re experiencing this, you will need to close the player and re-launch it.
My Audio or Video is freezing and/or stuttering in the middle of the broadcast. How can I fix it?
First, check your computer to ensure that no other programs are running in the background. Click on CTRL (button), ALT (button) and DELETE (button) simultaneously in order to stop the other software processes.
Next, check your anti-virus application and confirm it is not running in the background. If it is possible to disable it, do so and then try to connect to the stream again.
Try to minimize the traffic on your network. If there are others on the network, confirm that they are not also streaming or downloading large files. Streaming radio and video commonly cause a fluctuation in available bandwidth on a local network.
If you have a wireless network, consider disabling it for the event as well. Smart-phones often will connect to an unsecured network as soon as they are in proximity to that network, which will cut down on your available bandwidth as well.
Why does my video jitter and freeze?
You may have a slower Internet connection from when the event started due to network congestion in your area. If you have a DSL connection, it is common for the stream to initially start off at a higher bit-rate than what the connection throttles down to. Simply choose the Menu button; choose the Quality button and choose a lower bit-rate than what you are currently connected to.
I am getting a blank screen on the Live webcast page. What do I do?
This is due to the live video stream being blocked in some fashion at your location. This can be in a firewall, a router, or on your PC within a security application such as McAfee, Norton, Avast, etc.
THIS IS VERY COMMON IN A CORPORATE WORSHIP ENVIRONMENT; please check with your IT department in advance. | 2019-04-25T10:17:05Z | https://exponential.org/resource-webcasts/2015webcast/ |
The Museum of Modern Art has just received what is arguably one of the most transformative donations in its history: more than one hundred modern works produced by thirty-seven Latin American masters, which have entered the collection through the generosity of the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros.
The gift that The Museum of Modern Art is receiving from the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros (CPPC) will transform MoMA’s collection of modern and late modern art for a variety of reasons. First, it is impressive in both size and scope, including 102 works of art (comprised of sixty-eight paintings, eleven sculptures, twenty drawings, and three prints) by thirty-seven artists born in and/or working in Latin America during the twentieth century and representing four countries, three constellations articulated around three foci of artistic creation, and a production that spans more than fifty years.
Second, it is a gift that reflects more than forty years of serious collecting. Begun in the 1970s, the CPPC’s initial emphasis was Venezuela, and its holdings include a retrospective core of works by important Venezuelan artists such as Gego, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Jesús Rafael Soto, and Alejandro Otero.
Later, in the 1990s, in consultation with respected scholars and curators, the CPPC engaged in a more ambitious endeavor: expanding its focus to other parts of the continent. The aim was to bring together a group of artworks that would, in turn, represent the three most productive constellations of Constructivist-based (for lack of a better term) art in the region. And this goal was attained brilliantly. This is perhaps one of the most notable particularities of the CPPC: far more than a collection of isolated masterpieces, it evokes the complex, multilayered, and often contradictory dialogues between twentieth-century Latin American artists and their creative processes, as well as between the different regions in which they worked, their contextual specificities, and their projected values.
Thinking of these art historical moments in terms of constellations allows for a better understanding of what happened in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, in work from Joaquín Torres García to Madí, the Arturo group, or Arte Concreto-Invención; in Brazil, both in Sao Paulo and Río de Janeiro, in the context of the Concrete and Neo-Concrete movements; and in Venezuela, from the early experiments in Concrete and Kinetic art. This is what makes the Cisneros’ collection one of a kind—its continental breadth attests to the various explorations that the Constructive, Concrete, Neo-Concrete, and nonobjective artists from Latin America undertook, and it is one of the few collections that can, simultaneously, suggest the relationship between their work and the contemporary artistic production occurring elsewhere.
The Cisneros gift will broaden public exposure to Latin American art, and it represents an enormous challenge and an exciting historical opportunity for The Museum of Modern Art. The Museum has the responsibility of integrating these works into its collection, not by assimilating them into a general (and generalizing) narrative of modern art but rather by accounting for and making visible the singularity of the artistic practices that they represent—or, their incommensurability vis-à-vis their canonic historical references, as Luis Pérez-Oramas, the Estrellita Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art at MoMA, has often stated.
These Latin American works expand an already important collection of pieces from the region (many of which were also donated by the Cisneros). They offer an unprecedented opportunity for the Museum to continue its efforts to acknowledge and present a more complex narrative on modern art—which, ongoing since the museum’s inception, have grown stronger with initiatives such as C-MAP. As this donation makes clear, a serious engagement with Modernism in Latin America shows the insufficiencies of any hegemonic art historical narrative: these new works are valuable not because they are oddities, but rather because in presenting a different history, they remind us of the contingency of all histories, narratives, and sense-making operations.
The Museum, we know it, is a sense-making machine—as are the artworks that live within it and the curatorial narratives that are presented alongside and with them. If, as detailed in its mission statement, “The Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world” and if one of the ways of achieving this is to “periodically reevaluate itself,” encouraging “openness and willingness to evolve and change,” then the Cisneros gift is an opportunity like no other.
Maybe this major gift will push some of the voices in the sense-making machine of the Museum toward a more plural, even if less-harmonious, choir.
The 102 works that compose the gift were produced between 1940 and 1990. The following artists are represented (the number of works by each appears in parentheses after their names): Hércules Barsotti (13), Omar Carreño (2), Aluísio Carvão (1), Lygia Clark (5), Waldemar Cordeiro (1), Carlos Cruz-Diez (3), Geraldo de Barros (1), Amílcar de Castro (1), Willys de Castro (5), Hermelindo Fiaminghi (1), María Freire (1), Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt; 9), Carlos González Bogen (2), Elsa Gramcko (1), Alfredo Hlito (2), Judith Lauand (1), Gerd Leufert (4), Raúl Lozza (2), Tomás Maldonado (1), Mateo Manaure (1), Francisco Matto (1), Juan Melé (1), Juan Molenberg (1), Rubén Núñez (2), Hélio Oiticica (5), Alejandro Otero (13), Lygia Pape (2), Rhod Rothfuss (1), Luiz Sacilotto , Mira Schendel , Ivan Serpa , Antonieta Sosa , Jesús Soto , Rubem Valentim , Gregorio Vardánega , Virgilio Villalba , and Franz Weissmann .
Austrian by birth and Brazilian by choice, Franz Weissmann was born in Knittefeld in 1911 and moved to Brazil when he was 10 years old. He studied art and architecture and, in 1948, moved to Belo Horizonte to teach design and sculpture in that city’s first Escola de Arte Moderna. In 1960 he moved to Europe, residing in Paris and Irún (Spain) until he returned to Brazil in 1965. Initially a figurative artist, he shifted to abstraction in the late 1940s and early 1950s. His sculptures explore relationships of volume and space, often through the use of voids and modular elements. Like many of his contemporaries, he was a signatory of the Neo- Concrete Manifesto and a member of Grupo Frente.
Born in the Veneto region of Italy, Vardanega moved to Argentina with his family at a young age, settling in Buenos Aires. In 1946, he became a member of the Asociación Arte Concreto-Invención, and in 1955 was a founding member of Grupo Arte Nuevo. Vardanega moved to Paris in 1959 with his wife, the kinetic artist Marta Boto. His early works focused on illusions of motion created by spatial reliefs and transparencies. In his later kinetic production, he incorporated electronics, lights, and reflections.
A lifelong resident of Rio de Janeiro, Iván Serpa was not only a gifted painter but also, and primarily, an influential teacher and mentor. In 1951 he was appointed as the principal instructor at the school of the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio. His classes were so popular that he later founded an open studio where students were invited to create and critique. He taught some of the most prominent Brazilian artists of the twentieth century—Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Clark, Lygia Pape, Aluísio Carvão—and with them created Grupo Frente. Serpa studied painting, drawing, and engraving informally with Axl Leskoschek, but his most influential intellectual and creative relationship was perhaps the one he established with the critic Mario Pedrosa.
Luiz SACILOTTO (Brazilian, 1924–2003). Concreção 58 (Concretion 58). 1958. Enamel on metal and acrylic over plywood. 7 7/8 × 23 5/8 × 12 in. (20 × 60 × 30.5 cm). Number of works in collection: 0.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Rothfuss studied painting at the Círculo de Bellas Artes and later at the National Academy, where he met Carmelo Arden Quin at an exhibition of works by Emilio Pettoruti. Shortly thereafter, Rothfuss moved to Buenos Aires and became acquainted with artists Gyula Kosice and Tomás Maldonado. In 1944, they were part of the editorial board of the seminal magazine Arturo, which published Rothfuss’s renowned article “The Frame: A Problem in Contemporary Art,” an enduring reference for future discussions of Concrete art in the Argentine avant-garde. Together with Arden Quin, Kosice, and others, Rothfuss founded the Madí art group in 1946 and disseminated the Madí manifesto at the group’s inaugural exhibition. In the 1950s, Rothfuss was intrigued by perceptual displacements produced by adjacent polygons and addressed the subject in his article “An Aspect of Superimposition,” the ideas of which are embodied in Yellow Oblong. The work presents visually distinct blocks of color joined at the corners and features the artist’s signature irregular frame. Rothfuss died at 49, leaving behind a small body of work, which makes this gift a rare and extraordinary opportunity to welcome an example of the artist’s production into the collection.
One of the most important Uruguayan artists of the twentieth century, Francisco Matto attended Joaquín Torres-García’s atelier from 1943 until the master’s death in 1949. Though aesthetically indebted to Torres-García, Matto went on to create his own unique oeuvre, which bridged a prehistoric realm of symbolic forms with the language of contemporary art. A collector of Pre- Columbian art, Matto introduced the pictograms and totems of ancient objects into his own repertory of forms. The present sculpture, Couple, pairs two elemental forms as if to accentuate their formal and material differences: one is biomorphic, the other rectilinear; one is made of marble, the other of wood. Dating from 1982, the sculpture would add immeasurably to the two wood sculptures by Matto from the 1960s already in the collection.
One of the major figures of postwar Brazilian art, Mira Schendel worked across mediums, from painting and sculpture to artists’ books. Her wide-ranging practice encompasses her voluminous production of minimal monotypes; radical, three-dimensional works such as Droguinhas and Trenzinho; and experiments with poetry and non-linear, text-based forms. She redefined drawing for generations of contemporary Brazilian artists.
Villalba was born in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, and in 1929 settled with his family in Argentina, where he studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. He joined Asociación de Arte Concreto-Invención in 1946 and was later involved with Grupo Arte Nuevo, established in 1955 by Carmelo Arden Quin and Aldo Pellegrini. . Villalba spent a year in Oxford, England, on a scholarship from the British Council and then settled in Paris in the early 1960s, where he progressively abandoned geometric abstraction in favor of figurative art.
One of the major references of late modern art in Latin America, Otero’s early series of monochromatic canvases titled Colored Lines on White Background (1948-51) are the first examples of radical abstraction produced in the Americas. In 1952, Otero produced a series of monumental murals for the University City of Caracas, an ambitious project by architect Raul Carlos Villanueva, and in 1956, the seminal piece of his well-known series of Colorhythms was acquired by Alfred H. Barr Jr. for the Museum’s collection. During the 1970s, Otero focused on the production of Spatial Structures, large-scale kinetic sculptures installed in public locations in Venezuela, Italy, and the United States. A gifted writer, Otero led one of the most brilliant and daring investigations of early non-objective abstraction in the Americas.
Hélio Oiticica trained at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro under the guidance of Iván Serpa and began his career as an exponent of Concrete art, joining Grupo Frente, and the Neo-Concrete movement.. In his earlier works, Oiticica experimented with color and used it to activate the flat surface of painting—exploring movement and rhythm as means of challenging bi-dimensionality. Of critical importance are Oiticica’s Parangolés, wearable structures activated by human contact. Made of diverse materials, they were intended to be used while their wearers were dancing samba. Arguably, the Parangolés encapsulate the artist’s primary concerns and explorations of color, space, movement, structure, and the integration of art and life. They are objects that radically bridge the gap between the artwork and its user.
Tomás Maldonado played a decisive role in the emergence of abstraction in Argentina and was one of its most spirited exponents. As a freshman at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes Manuel Belgrano, he co-authored the “Manifesto of Four Young Men” with Alfredo Hlito, Claudio Girola, and Jorge Brito and distributed their denunciation of the academy’s corruption and self-rewarding behavior at the National Salon. In 1944, his woodcut design illustrated the front and back covers of the seminal Arturo: Revista de Artes Abstractas. Following the group’s dissolution, Maldonado cofounded the Asociación de Arte Concreto-Invención and disseminated the Inventionist manifesto at the group’s inaugural exhibition in 1946, announcing that “the era of representational fiction has come to an end.” In the late 1940s, Maldonado traveled to Europe, where he met Georges Vantongerloo and Max Bill. A renowned figure in the academic realms of design, ecology and technology, Maldonado was director of the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm, Germany, from 1955 to 1968, when he settled permanently in Milan.
Raúl Lozza was a founding member of the Asociación Arte Concreto-Invención (AAC-I) in 1945. During its brief existence, the group developed the concept of the irregular frame first promoted by Rhod Rothfuss, and its members produced works whose compositions gradually split into separate forms joined together with metal rods. Relief no. 30 is an example of this type of “coplanar” work, the AAC-I’s most distinguished formal breakthrough. After ending his affiliation with the organization, Lozza founded his own movement, Perceptismo in 1948. A manifesto was published the following year, and the magazine Perceptismo appeared between 1950 and 1953. Invention no.150 is an example of the solution provided by Lozza’s Perceptist doctrine for a concrete structure driven to its ultimate self-referential conclusion.
Initially trained as an elementary school teacher, Judith Lauand became an influential painter and printmaker in São Paulo, where she studied engraving with Lívio Abramo. In 1955, at the invitation of Waldemar Cordeiro, Lauand joined Grupo Ruptura, the only woman to do so. In 1963, she cofounded with Hermelindo Fiaminghi and Luiz Sacilotto the influential exhibition space Galeria Novas Tendencias in São Paulo. A meticulous artist, Lauand’s works are often the product of rigorous mathematical observations and calculations and, as a result, they convey the illusion of movement through the tension of the forms.
Co-author with Tomas Maldonado, Claudio Girola and Jorge Brito of the 1942 “Manifesto of Four Young Men,” Alfredo Hlito was also a founder of the Asociación de Arte Concreto-Invención, a central Concrete art movement in Argentina. As a member of the group, Hlito was a signatory of the Inventionist manifesto while simultaneously acknowledging the influence of Joaquín Torres-García’s Constructivist style as a driving force in his work.
Elsa Gramcko was a leading figure among Venezuela’s female abstractionists. She began her career under the tutelage of her friend Alejandro Otero. Unlike most Constructivist works, which channel an industrial neutrality, Gramcko’s production features a sensuous approach to materiality. Her abstract paintings, always on canvas, assert an organic dimension as well as a sense of intimacy and are among Venezuela’s finest geometric abstractions. Beginning in the 1960s, Gramcko became the preeminent Informalist artist in her country, working with discarded materials and archeological finds. Ill health brought her artistic practice to a halt in 1979, but she remained a central reference in the Venezuelan art scene.
Born in Salvador de Bahía in 1922, Valentim graduated from dentistry school in 1946 and shortly thereafter decided to devote himself to painting. He learned basic painting techniques from popular mural painter Arthur Come-Só but was essentially a self-taught artist whose visual language was strongly influenced by the Afro-Brazilian cult of candomblé. Valentim went on to study journalism at the Universidade de Bahia, graduating in 1953, and moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1957, where he became an assistant professor at the Instituto de Belas Artes. Valentim’s signature contribution to Brazilian geometric abstraction is the particular form of symbolism and mystical figuration that he introduced within the practice of Constructivist art.
Antonieta Sosa is a leading Conceptual artist in Venezuela and a seminal figure in the history of performance art and Happenings in Latin America. As with most of the artists who came of age in Venezuela during the 1960s, her formal and intellectual training are closely tied to geometric abstraction, although her artistic practice later shifted radically toward experimentation and participatory art. Sosa assumed a leading role in the contemporary art scene through her performative deconstruction of abstraction during the 1960s. Since the 1970s her work has been devoted to performance, Happenings and installations, many of them based on her personal measurement system derived from the dimensions of her own body. Sosa is regarded as one of Venezuela’s most influential art teachers and has had a pronounced impact on younger generations.
Rubén Núñez was a pioneer of kinetic art in Venezuela. His Op-art pieces are among the earliest in Latin America and were exhibited in Paris in 1951. He realized his seminal optical investigations as a member of the Dissidents Group, whose members included Carmelo Arden Quin and Alejandro Otero. Núñez acknowledged the influence of Piet Mondrian and was a versatile artist, producing moving images while simultaneously working in the field of applied arts, notably with glass. Later in his career, he focused on new technologies such as holographic projections and laser.
Juan Melé joined the Asociación de Arte Concreto-Invención in 1946 following the group’s inaugural exhibition. In 1948, he traveled to Paris on a scholarship from the French government to study at the École du Louvre and took private lessons with Sonia Delaunay and Georges Vantongerloo. He became acquainted with Michel Seuphor, Antoine Pevsner, Max Bill, and other artists and intellectuals working in the languages of Concrete art and abstraction. Irregular Frame no. 2 dates from Melé’s initial contact with the Concrete art group and is a compelling exploration of the compositional possibilities opened up by the irregular frame, a principal concern of the Argentine avant-garde, as proclaimed by Rhod Rothfuss in his 1944 article in Arturo magazine.
Mateo Manaure was one of Venezuela’s most prolific geometric abstractionists in the 1950s. He cofounded Taller Libre de Arte and Galeria Cuatro Muros, which presented the first exhibitions of abstract art in his country. While in Paris between 1947 and 1950, he was a member of the Dissidents group and had a leading role in the defense of hard-edge abstraction. His return to Venezuela propelled geometric abstraction to the level of a national art form. Switching between figuration and abstraction throughout his career, Manaure also engaged with Informalism and was interested in identity issues, often finding inspiration in the Pre-Columbian art of his country. His abstract geometric works for urban spaces in the 1970s have become landmarks of public art in Venezuela.
Carlos González Bogen was one of the most vocal and productive abstract geometric artists in Venezuela during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He belonged to the early wave of pure Constructivist artists and created the largest public abstract-art intervention in the country’s history: the monumental ceiling of the Simón Bolívar modernist building complex in Caracas. In Paris between 1948 and 1951, he was part of the avant-garde group of Venezuelan "Dissidents," and one of its most articulate voices. An active member of the Communist Party, Bogen adopted Social Realist figuration in the early 1960s and adhered to that style until the end of his life. He is widely considered one of the finest Venezuelan artists of the twentieth century.
Born into a Jewish family in Hamburg, Gego trained as an architect before fleeing Germany at the beginning of World War II. She settled in Caracas, Venezuela, and worked in an architecture firm until her early forties, when she began to pursue art-making in earnest in close dialogue with her companion, the artist Gerd Leufert. After starting out making gestural landscapes, she developed her signature nonobjective vocabulary, articulated through a radical use of line in sculptures, drawings, and prints. One of the most renowned Venezuelan abstractionists, Gego explored line on its own terms, creating sophisticated, expressive works whose subtle effects generate novel visualizations of space, networks, and motion.
María Freire, one of Uruguay’s most prolific Concrete artists, cofounded the group Arte No Figurativo in 1952 with her husband José Pedro Costigliolo and fellow artist Antonio Llorens. The group was at the forefront of Uruguayan art, rejecting figurative work in favor of pure abstraction. In 1953 Freire was invited to participate in the second São Paulo Bienal, where she encountered paintings by Europeans such as Piet Mondrian and Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart. That experience, paired with her close association with artists in the Argentine Madí movement, greatly influenced the geometric vocabulary of Freire’s work.
Born in São Paulo in 1920, Hermelindo Fiaminghi studied at the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios under Waldemar da Costa and later trained with Alfredo Volpi. A painter, graphic designer, professor, critic, and publicist, Fiaminghi is known for the visual rhythm of his compositions and for his frequent use of a reduced palette. He was a member of Grupo Ruptura and participated in the Concrete poetry movement by helping poets with the graphic design of their texts. Among his notable achievements are his pioneering work with offset and his coining of the term Corluz (colorlight) to refer to his experiments with light and color.
Born in Uberlandia, in the state of Minas Gerais, de Castro moved to São Paulo in 1941. A prolific creator, he worked in theater, graphic and industrial design, music, poetry, chemistry, and visual arts. Like most artists of his generation, he participated in both the Concrete and Neo-Concrete movements. He saw his artistic work as inseparable from his other pursuits and used the visual vocabulary of Concrete art to explore the interplay of space, planes, and color, creating virtual spaces regulated by perception and geometric progression.
Amilcar de Castro, a leading figure of the Neo-Concrete movement, was one of the foremost Brazilian sculptors of the twentieth century. His earliest innovations, achieved in the early 1950s, preceded those of other Neo-Concrete artists by almost a decade and can be seen as important precursors to Minimalism. Based on the ideas of the cut and the fold, De Castro’s sculptures began as sketches that he would model in paper and then translate into small metal mockups, ultimately increasing the scale for finished compositions. With its triangular wedge cut out and then reinserted off-kilter into the circular steel plate, Untitled, made in 1960—the year after De Castro signed the Neo-Concrete Manifesto—would introduce the artist into MoMA’s collection with an iconic piece.
Originally trained as a painter, Geraldo de Barros began experimenting with photography in 1946. After several smaller displays of his early expressionist-style paintings, he held a solo exhibition of abstract photographs at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in 1950. Soon thereafter, he traveled to Paris on a scholarship from the French government and studied engraving at the École Supérieur des Beaux-Arts, crossing paths with a number of figures who would influence his artistic development: Giorgio Morandi, Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Maria Vieira da Silva, François Morellet, Otl Aicher, and Max Bill. Upon his return to São Paulo in 1952 de Barros became one of the founding members of Grupo Ruptura and in 1954 he began designing furniture as part of the Unilabor collective. This work would diversify MoMA’s holdings of de Barros’s work and broaden the representation of his cross-disciplinary achievements.
Carlos Cruz-Diez is among the pioneers of Latin American Op and Kinetic art, along with Rafael Soto and Abraham Palatnik. His works are characterized by chromatic modulations produced in conjunction with the viewer's movement and environmental light conditions. For Cruz-Diez, color emerges through optical effects to create an ephemeral, dynamic, and existential experience that is constantly transformed by light, time, and space and depends on spectators’ participation.
Waldemar Cordeiro was a critical and outspoken figure within the Brazilian Concrete art movement. With Geraldo de Barros, Lothar Charoux and Luiz Sacilotto, he founded Grupo Ruptura in 1952 and became the voice of the organization. His support of the group’s adherence to mathematical principles is apparent in Idéia visível (Visible Idea), one of a series of works that draws from the classical proportions of the golden rectangle and the logarithmic spiral. Painted in 1956, the same year Cordeiro organized the first Exposição nacional de arte concreta (National Exhibition of Concrete Art) at the Museu de Arte Moderna in São Paulo, it would be the earliest work by Cordeiro in the Museum’s collection, which includes two strong examples of his later, computer-based prints.
Initially trained in Brazil under the landscape architect Roberto Burle-Marx, Clark moved to Paris in 1950 to study with Fernand Léger. She returned to Brazil two years later, joining Grupo Frente in 1954 and signing the Neo- Concrete Manifesto in 1959. Her practice occupies a singular space where painting, sculpture, performance, and art therapy converge, linking the physical and metaphorical, mind and matter.
Aluísio Carvão was a painter, illustrator and stage designer. In 1952, he attended Iván Serpa’s painting classes at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro and the following year joined Serpa’s newly formed Grupo Frente, whose members included fellow Concrete artists Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Clark, and Lygia Pape. Carvão participated in the First National Exhibition of Concrete Art in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 1956–57 and, along with his contemporaries in Grupo Frente, signed the Neo-Concrete Manifesto in 1959. A year later he attended the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm, Germany, as a visiting artist. He returned to Rio in 1963 to become a professor at the school of the Museu de Arte Moderna.
Omar Carreño was a pioneer of Constructivist art in Venezuela. He began his career as an academically trained figurative painter and was among the first Venezuelan artists to produce transformable works—manipulable, multi-part structures that invite the viewer’s active participation. He referred to these pieces as “polípticos” and continued to develop them throughout his career, later introducing the use of electricity. Except during a brief engagement with Informalism, Carreño remained committed to geometric abstraction until the end of his life and today is considered among Venezuela’s leading exponents of non-objective aesthetics.
Before dedicating himself to art, Barsotti studied chemistry and worked as an industrial and print designer. He was a founder of and pivotal figure in the Brazilian school of geometric abstraction and worked closely with Willys de Castro, with whom he established the Estudio de proyectos gráficos (Workshop for Graphic Projects), where he made his first Concrete works. Barsotti refused to sign the Neo- Concrete Manifesto but joined the movement and participated in the group’s exhibitions. He was greatly interested in optical intensity and ambiguity, and he often used a limited black and white palette to challenge the flatness of the surface. Using graphic design language, few chromatic elements, and abundant “empty” space, Barsotti achieved maximum visual results.
Attention Mr. Warren James: I am a collector of latin-american art. I was surprised that in the MOMA collection there were not any works by the master artist Williams Carmona. A singular unique modern master who works are prominently displayed in many museums and private collections. His irreverent and unique views and incisive commentaries on modern issues, religion, politics, social, LBTG, etc make him a modern major master artist (paintings, serigraphs, sculptors). Your collections will be less than up-to-date and incomplete without this master. Dr. Julio Soto-Vazquez, M.D. | 2019-04-18T14:21:15Z | https://post.at.moma.org/content_items/925-a-trove-of-latin-american-art |
In our recent blog posts, we discussed the risk factors for stroke and a variety of other health topics. Visit these websites or contact Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center at (702) 233-5300 to learn even more about maintaining excellent health.
Drug use and abuse can lead to many unfortunate health complications. Read more about alcohol, drugs, and their effects on the National Institute of Drug Abuse website.
Alcohol and drug use by American youth is an important health issue—visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information.
The cessation of opiate drug use can lead to symptoms of withdrawal. Learn more about withdrawal and its treatment from the MedlinePlus medical reference website.
Do you know the signs of cardiac arrest and heart attack? The American Heart Association provides more information on their website.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also provides helpful information about sudden cardiac arrest on this fact sheet.
Evaluating your risk factors for a stroke can help you avoid the complications of this dangerous event. Read through this article to learn the major risk factors.
You can also learn more about your possible risk factors and the types of stroke on the National Stroke Association website.
Knowing the signs of a stroke can help you or a loved one to get treatment in time. Learn what the signs are on the American Stroke Association website.
Smoking cigarettes can adversely affect almost every part of your body. This CDC article lists some of the major health risks of this unhealthy habit.
MRI technology allows physicians to peer inside the body to diagnose disease. Read more about this advanced imaging technology on RadiologyInfo.org.
Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Dave Macintyre, will present the program. He is triple fellowship trained in bariatric surgery, trauma surgery and surgical critical care and is a member of the acute care surgery team at Sunrise Hospital.
Each program starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Sunrise Hospital Auditorium.
These programs are free and open to the public, but registration is required.
To register, call (702) 233-5454.
Take an hour to learn more about the Bariatric Surgery Program at Sunrise Hospital.
You could change your life.
Can’t make these lectures? Our August Weight-Loss lectures will be held Tuesday, August 7, and Thursday, August 23, both at 5:30 p.m. in the Sunrise Auditorium.
When a medical emergency strikes, having a reliable emergency center in mind is vital. Getting prompt, expert treatment from a team of emergency specialists will help ensure that medical crises have the best possible outcomes. At Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, our emergency department strives to bring the Las Vegas area the highest quality of emergency medical care . Our facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide expert evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for any urgent medical need.
The emergency specialists at Sunrise Hospital are experienced in the rapid evaluation and diagnosis of each patient to ensure prompt treatment. Our triage system allows those who are in dire need to receive life-saving care immediately. Our physicians and support staff also have the full range of advanced diagnostic and imaging modalities at their disposal, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scanning, and more. With Sunrise Children’s Hospital’s 24/7 dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department located just next door, we are family-friendly and capable of delivering personalized medical care to patients of any age.
Our emergency room is never closed to you or your loved ones. Furthermore, our ER wait times are 30 minutes or less on average, which is consistently far below the national average. For added convenience, you can take advantage of our free ‘Text ER’ service to evaluate wait times for Sunrise, Sunrise Children’s, and our other Las Vegas-area facilities before you even leave home—simply text “ER” to 23000 and respond with your zip code. You will then receive the wait times of the hospitals nearest you. With this vital information, you can make the best possible decision for you and your family. If you are having a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
If you are interested in learning more about the services and capabilities of the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center , please contact us at (702) 233-5300. Our staff is always available to answer any of your health-related questions.
The cardiovascular system functions to provide oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body. The heart also helps to promote the removal of waste products from the body by continuously providing healthy blood circulation. By offering some of the most advanced cardiovascular services available, Sunrise and Sunrise Children’s heart hospitals can provide the help you need if you or a loved one suffers from a cardiac event. Read on to learn why you should choose the Sunrise hospitals to improve your overall health.
We strive to use the most advanced diagnostic and treatment tools to make sure our physicians are at the cutting edge of medical knowledge. These advanced modalities will help ensure that you and your loved ones get the highest quality medical treatment possible.
Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center was the first medical facility in the state of Nevada to offer a hybrid operating room, allowing multiple high-tech procedures to be performed in one space. For patients suffering from dangerous cardiac events, our hybrid operating room can help save vital time during treatment.
The Sunrise Chest Pain Center has been accredited for its superior quality of service to patients suffering from cardiac events , such as heart attacks or cardiac arrest.
Do you have remaining questions about the services offered by the Sunrise Hospitals? For more information, contact the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center Consult-A-Nurse healthcare referral line at (702) 233-5300 today. Our nurses can also help you to locate an experienced cardiologist associated with one of our hospitals.
Alcohol and drug abuse are common problems in both the youth and adult populations of the United States and can pose a variety of health hazards. In addition to increasing a person’s risk for health issues, such as liver disease, substance abuse can also increase the likelihood of HIV infection, injury, or other medical conditions. At Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, we understand the challenges associated with substance abuse and have introduced a state-of-the-art inpatient option for men and women struggling with drug or alcohol-related illnesses.
New Vision™ Medical Stabilization is staffed by a specially-trained medical and support team dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of substance abuse-related health issues. For adults who are currently struggling with addiction or who are experiencing acute withdrawal symptoms , this inpatient service can provide the encouragement and medical treatment needed to regain control of their health.
During the medical stabilization process, each patient will be closely monitored and cared for by the Sunrise Hospital New Vision™ team. It is our goal to help our patients regain their optimal state of health and refrain from harmful substance use or abuse. If you are interested in learning more about the inpatient New Vision™ service, please contact the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center Consult-A-Nurse healthcare referral line at (702) 233-5300. Our nurses are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide you with more information about your healthcare options.
LAS VEGAS- The Breast Center at Sunrise Hospital is proud to announce it has been granted a three-year, full accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.
During the survey process, the center must demonstrate compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards include proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education and quality improvement. A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease.
As the most comprehensive breast center in Southern Nevada, the Breast Center at Sunrise is a program focused exclusively on breast care for women. This includes a full range of state-of-the-art breast imaging and diagnostic services, a multidisciplinary team approach and a dedicated breast health nurse navigator to provide education, support and care coordination.
This is the latest recognition for Sunrise Hospital. In addition being chosen by the readers of the Review Journal newspaper as the Best Hospital in Las Vegas, Sunrise has also been the Las Vegas Consumer Choice award winner for 15 consecutive years and has received consecutive U.S. News recognitions for top hospital in Las Vegas.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 192,370 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 2009. In addition, hundreds of thousands of women who will deal with benign breast disease this year will require medical evaluation for treatment options.
The Breast Center at Sunrise is located at 3006 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89109. To schedule an appointment, please call 1-855-445-2246.
Chosen as the top hospital in Las Vegas by U.S. News and World Report and voted as the Best Hospital in Las Vegas by the Las Vegas Review Journal’s “Best of Las Vegas” readers’ poll, Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center provides high-quality, advanced healthcare services in Southern Nevada and the surrounding region. A Consumer Choice award-winning hospital for 15 consecutive years, Las Vegas’ largest acute care facility offers a full range of specialized services including an Accredited Chest Pain Center, The Nevada Neurosciences Institute— the region’s first Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Center—featuring stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and sleep disorder treatments, a Comprehensive Cancer Center recognized by the American College of Surgeons, a comprehensive Breast Center, a Level-II Trauma and Emergency Services Department, a CARF accredited inpatient Rehabilitation Center, Orthopedics, Gamma Knife and specialty services in women’s health, pulmonology, critical care, complex surgery and wound care. Sharing the same campus is Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Nevada’s largest, most comprehensive children’s hospital.
Need to find a physician or get answers to your health questions? Call 702-233-5454.
The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 15 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.
For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit their Web site at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org .
Las Vegas, Nevada – Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and Sunrise Children’s Hospital are pleased to announce the appointment of Todd Sklamberg to the position of Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. In this position Sklamberg will oversee all the operations for Sunrise and Sunrise Children’s, a 700-bed campus that is the largest in the state of Nevada and serves Southern Nevada and the surrounding region.
Prior to being named CEO, Sklamberg served as the Chief Operating Officer of Sunrise Children’s Hospital since early 2008 and has served as the Interim CEO for Sunrise for the past month. He is a 20-year veteran of the healthcare industry. Prior to joining Sunrise Children’s Hospital, he served as Vice President of Strategic Operations and Facilities for St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
Sklamberg holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y.
Sklamberg replaces Sylvia Young who was promoted to President of HCA’s Continental Division based in Denver, Colo.
Sunrise is part of the four-hospital Sunrise Health System, which includes Sunrise, Sunrise Children’s, MountainView and Southern Hills Hospitals.
Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Nevada’s most comprehensive children’s hospital, is a 244-bed facility dedicated to caring for infants, children, adolescents and expectant mothers. As the leading pediatric and maternal provider in the region, Sunrise Children’s Hospital partners with physicians and hospitals throughout the Southwest to offer the most comprehensive and experienced maternal and child health programs as well as access to advanced subspecialties. Sunrise Children’s Hospital offers unique and specialized services to care for the acute and emergent needs of kids and their families including a 24-hour dedicated pediatric Emergency Department, the only specialized in-house pediatric and neonatal transport team, the state’s largest, most comprehensive Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated Pediatric Pharmacy, a dedicated Oncology Unit and a Labor and Delivery Unit. The facility’s services for healing extend through a family-centered care philosophy to treat various aspects of the patients’ lives.
Need to find a physician or get answers to your health questions? Call 702-233-KIDS (5437).
Are you still curious to find out more about the effects of high blood pressure or the dangers of UV rays? These helpful resources contain more information about these topics and much more. If you have any remaining questions, contact Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center at (702) 233-5300.
High blood pressure can put you at a higher risk for heart disease—learn more about the risk factors for heart disease on the American Heart Association website.
There are many steps you can take to prevent the complications associated with hypertension . Visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to find out more about what you can do to keep a healthy blood pressure.
Are you still wondering about how blood pressure is measured? This article can help you understand its measurement and how high blood pressure can be dangerous.
This article can also help you learn more about whether or not you may be suffering from high blood pressure and what treatment options you may have.
Some stroke symptoms can be unique to women. The National Stroke Association describes the warning signs of stroke and which signs are more common in women.
Are you unsure about your target heart rate? Use this target heart rate calculator to get the most out of your physical activities.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Find more statistics and facts associated with stroke on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Keep your eyes safe in the sun by taking the advice offered by this article from Prevent Blindness America .
You can also find out more about taking care in the sun by reading through these helpful articles found on the American Cancer Society website.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can increase you risk for developing skin cancer. This article from the Skin Cancer Foundation provides more information about this type of cancer.
Las Vegas, NV — Sunrise Hospital is proud to introduce its new Bariatric Surgery (Weight-Loss) Program. The program brings together the expertise and compassion of our experienced physicians and staff with the outstanding capabilities of Sunrise to offer a life-changing procedure.
The program starts at 5:30 p.m. at Sunrise Hospital.
The program is free and open to the public, but registration is required. | 2019-04-25T18:19:45Z | https://blog.sunrisehospital.com/blog/2012/06/ |
My book on the history of the development of computation, logic and algebra from classical times to the twentieth century, told through primary sources can be found here.
We learn how to encapsulate and compose TLA+ specifications, of the precise mathematical definition of abstraction, and compare TLA+‘s notion of abstraction with those of other formalisms. Plus some various cool stuff.
TLA, the Temporal Logic of Actions is the core of TLA+. It is a temporal logic that minimizes the use of temporal reasoning in favor of more ordinary mathematics. It is a general mathematical framework for describing and reasoning about algorithms and systems.
We explore the “data logic” of TLA+, the means by which TLA+ specifications describe a state of computation: its data structures. To do that, we first cover the basics of mathematical logic.
TLA+ is a formal specification and verification language intended to help engineers specify, design and reason about complex, real-life algorithms and software or hardware systems. We explore its motivation, application and principles of design.
A certain tweet caught my eye this past week. I will not link to it because I don’t want to single out its author, who expresses an opinion which is rather common in some crowds, but it said: “Do the people behind the big mainstream languages not follow PLT at all?” What prompted this condescending remark was a Microsoft blog post about the programming language C#, which claimed the language is “state of the art”. Even though C# — like other mainstream languages — does use the best current tools for software development, that still seems to fall short in the eyes of the tweet’s author, who expresses a view I’d like to call theory supremacy, which is the belief that the study of theory, in this case programming language theory, directly implies the study of practice. Implied in this ideology is the belief that one can easily extrapolate from advances in theory to advances in practice. Theory supremacists are usually enthusiasts rather than researchers, and their belief is based on a misunderstanding of what it is that theory teaches us.
The study of theory is crucial and may certainly lead to — probably required for — eventual advances in the state-of-the-art, but the transition is neither obvious nor simple. This is especially true when the theory in question is programming language theory, particularly its sub-discipline concerned with designing programming languages, which studies the inherent properties of specific programming languages (as opposed to studying the semantics of arbitrary programming languages). There is no scientific principle that extrapolates from an inherent property of a system to a general “goodness” value, the latter being an empirical claim. The only scientific practice for establishing empirical claims is empirical observation.
To demonstrate that programming language design theory cannot yield the “best” programming language when disconnected from empirical study, let’s draw on the time-honored scientific tradition of considering the world around us. The most elaborate computational system known to us is life. Few computer scientists — even programming theorists — would deny that life is a computational system of the utmost importance. While it’s true that it is very different from most man-made software systems and cannot be compared directly to software because its goals, or requirements, are different, there is no doubt that life achieves its requirements rather well (although those requirements may not align with those of specific organisms, like ourselves), and that it achieves them employing many of the concepts studied by programming theorists. By mere observation, it is obvious that life has mastered concepts like abstraction (it can represent abstractions such as “leg” or “eye”), modularity and composition (cells, organs, symbiosis), maintainability and even meta-programming (chromosomal crossover, epigenetics, brains). Life also has no problem employing parallelism for efficiency, or handling concurrency.
The good news is, then, that abstraction and composition arise naturally, and may hint at the fact that those programming concepts may somehow be intrinsically tied to computation (see my previous post for a discussion about the difference between the two). This certainly opens the door to a programming-theoretic study of computation, something that programming theorists seem to intuitively believe can and should be done, yet have so far been unable to satisfactorily express1. The bad news for theory supremacists, and what they should find infuriating, is that the programming language chosen by life, at least here on earth, is not ML or Haskell, nor is it, as some would believe, Lisp. It wasn’t even hacked together in Perl, but written in the even messier, redundancy-filled language of nucleotides. My knowledge of molecular biology is dismal, but I doubt that DNA is really just, say, ML with a different syntax, or any other “state of the art” PL formalism. Protein interactions are such that it is doubtful that DNA has a convenient compositional semantics with respect to the phenotype (which is what matters), although an approximate compositional semantics may exist. Put simply and somewhat simplistically, life achieves all the programming goals the theorists say are good, yet it does it while taking a different route.
The reason for this heretical, infuriating choice for the most impressive computational system known is simple: the value of a programming language does not lie with inherent elements of the language, but with an interaction between the elements of the language and the properties of the programmer, which, in life’s case, happens to be natural selection (and possibly other forces). Since the mathematics of programming languages does not model the qualities of the programmer, it cannot possibly yield the best practical programming language by the power of theory alone. It can study the properties of specific kinds of abstraction and composition but not judge whether or not they are better in practice. Claims of superiority on scientific, rather than aesthetic, grounds must be based on the study of the nature of the programmer. Do people best think of programs as functions? As state machines? As queries and transactions? As a prioritized set of rules? Perhaps in a different way depending on the domain? One thing is certain: If you’re not interested in asking this question and others like it, you cannot define the state of the art for practical programming language design. Those who are interested in such questions — and people at Microsoft certainly are — are in a better position to do so.
The practical success of some ideas studied by programming theorists is no evidence in favor of theory supremacy. It is simply because theorists are drawn to constructions that are likely to be of service to human programmers just by virtue of the theorists being human themselves. This is the same reason for the practical success of ideas put forward by more intuitive language designers, whose work is explicitly motivated by more artistic, aesthetic ideals, and does not make claims to theoretical superiority.
1. Perhaps because in order to do that, the theory must encompass the program-programmer interaction, or the nature of the programmer as the computational collaborator that I mentioned in my last post. This may not be as far-fetched as it may sound, as useful information could perhaps be gained with simple complexity measures on the communication between the language and the collaborator.
Abstract: Machine and language models of computation differ so greatly in the computational complexity properties of their representation that they form two distinct classes that cannot be directly compared in a meaningful way. While machine models are self-contained, the properties of the language models indicate that they require a computationally powerful collaborator, and are better called models of programming.
Many terms in computer science are overloaded, but none are more surprising than the term “computation” itself. I became aware of this when, while preparing for my Curry On talk about computational complexity aspects of software correctness, I read an interesting debate about a 2012 blog post by Scott Aaronson, The Toaster-Enhanced Turing Machine, and further echoes of it in other published writings that will be mentioned below. The issue is two fundamentally different notions of “a model of computation” as seen by computer-science theoreticians originating in two different branches of theoretical computer science, sometimes called Theory A and Theory B (also here), although I prefer the categorization by Oded Goldreich, who calls them Theory of Computation (TOC) and Theory of Programming (TOP) respectively, and argues that the two are essential yet rightfully separate sub-disciplines of theoretical computer science. In the context of this discussion, the two can be narrowed more precisely to the fields of computational complexity theory and programming language theory. My goal in this post is to show that while both sides use the term “model of computation” (or even just “computation”), they each refer to something radically different. I intend to show that the difference is not a matter of aesthetics, but can be objectively and mathematically defined.
I must take great care in writing this because, unfortunately, I lack the knowledge to make any definitive claims on the subject. However, I have been unable to find any good discussion of this topic online, and the very existence of the notes discussed below suggests that one does not exist. My contribution, therefore, is merely an attempt to start a conversation which would hopefully draw those who are more qualified to contribute actual substance. I hope that whatever errors I make are superficial and could be forgiven (though I would appreciate readers pointing them out).
I find this subject important for two reasons: 1. I hope it would help to uncover this overloading and thus clarify debates and make them more fruitful, and 2. because I think this divide touches on the core concept of computer science, and helps delineate the two theoretical disciplines as each focusing on the very heart of computer science but from a very different point of view. I should disclose that, while by no means a researcher, my personal interests draw me more to the TOC/Theory A/complexity theory view, and believe it is the TOP side that sometimes overreaches. I hope my personal aesthetic preferences do not skew my discussion too much.
The schism goes back to two of the earliest models of computation: Alonzo Church’s lambda calculus and Alan Turing’s automatic machine, first named “Turing machine” by none other than Church. More precisely, the schism originates in a modern categorization of those two models, although I believe there is some merit in projecting those interpretations back to Church and Turing themselves, who differed greatly in their personal interests. The two categories are language-based models of computation (of which Church’s lambda calculus is an example) and the machine-based models of computation (Turing machines are an example).
The particular debate on Aaronson’s blog is over the Church-Turing thesis. There are debates over modern interpretations and extensions of the thesis in the context of physical systems, quantum computation, and the possibility of hypercomputation, but this particular debate is about nothing of the sort, and purportedly applies to real-world software. The post and the entire discussion in the comments are interesting (I particularly enjoyed this comment by Paul Beame and this one by Itai Bar-Natan), but here I will present a small selection.
It’s really weird that the Church-Turing thesis, which is ridiculously robust at first order, falls apart so comprehensively at higher type.
[T]he claim that all Turing-complete languages are equivalent in expressive power is false. It is only true when inputs and outputs are numbers (or other simple inductive type). I don’t mean false in some esoteric philosophical sense, either: I mean there are counterexamples… Note that higher-type inputs and outputs have a lot of practical applications, too… So the fact that the higher-type generalization of the Church-Turing thesis fails is of immense interest, both theoretically and practically.
I disagree with the idea that we can or should worry about “higher types” when formulating what the Church-Turing Thesis is supposed to mean. From the perspective of the end user, a computer program is something that takes various strings of information as input and produces other strings as output.… I’d say that, when formulating a principle as basic and enduring as the Church-Turing Thesis, we have no right to weigh it down with concepts that only make sense “internally,” within certain kinds of programming languages. … I don’t mind if someone formulates a “Higher-Type Church-Turing Thesis” and then knocks it down. But they should make it clear that their new, false thesis has nothing to do with what Turing was writing about in 1936, or with… the clearest way to understand the Church-Turing Thesis today: as a falsifiable claim about what kinds of computers can and can’t be built in physical reality.
[T]he concept of type is not tied to a programming language, or indeed even to computation — they were invented before computers were! … Types serve to structure the purely mathematical concept of equality, which is the concept upon which your formalization of expressive power relies.
Your viewpoint — that the logicians’ abstract concept of a “type” comes prior to talking about computation — is one that’s extremely alien to my way of thinking. (If it were so, how could I have spent a whole career worrying about computation without ever needing ‘higher types’…?) For me, the notion of computation comes before types, before categories, before groups, rings, and fields, even before set theory. Computation is down at the rock bottom, along with bits and integers. Everything else, including types, comes later and is built on top.
We can summarize the two positions in the following way: The TOP people say, “computations are programs, and programs are mathematical objects whose structure is captured by their types; the two models of computations are equivalent when asked to represent first-order functions, but diverge when asked to represent higher-order functions”. The TOC response is, put simply, “what the hell is a function?” Just as a falling apple doesn’t compute integrals — it just falls — so too Turing machines and any other machine model compute neither higher-order nor first-order functions; they compute bits. What imaginary mathematical concepts we then choose to describe those computations is a different matter altogether, one that does not affect the nature of the computation just as calculus has had no impact on the behavior of falling apples.
To Aaronson, functions are an “imagined” concept, a human interpretation applied to a computational process (among other things). Computation itself is a physical process — albeit abstract, in the sense that it may have multiple physical implementations — whose idealized model may serve as the foundation for higher concepts1. For Krishnaswami, functions and types are fundamental, primitive constructs, that are precursors to computation (which, I presume, is perceived to be a purely mathematical concept to begin with). To use more established nomenclature, TOP people are familiar with the distinction between syntax and semantics, but is a computation equivalent to its mathematical semantics, or is it a system, yet another level of description, distinct from semantics?
This can be said to be nothing more than a different choice of foundation, where in each one the other can be encoded as a high-level abstraction. In mathematics, sometimes solving a problem requires finding the right orthonormal basis to describe its domain. Are machine models and language models two such “orthonormal bases” to describe computation — different but equal representations — or are they qualitatively and fundamentally different? Can we prove that the TOP view requires an additional “imaginative” step? Can we prove that semantics is distinct from the actual system?
To physicists, the answer to the question is an obvious yes. If the string is the syntax of our description, and a function relating time to an apple’s height is its semantics, then the bump on your head you get when the apple hits you is clearly distinct from the apple’s height function. But when it comes to computation, it may be reasonable to assume that the system (i.e., actual computational process) is equivalent to its semantics.
In a blog post, Andrej Bauer discusses the importance of representation. He gives two examples. In the first, he considers the following representation of Turing machines: we represent a TM as simply 1 if it terminates on the empty tape, and as 0 if it doesn’t. In this representation, he points out, the halting problem does not exist! A reasonable representation, he says, is one that lets us perform the relevant operations for the represented object; in the case of a Turing machine, we would like to simulate the machine, and the aforementioned representation does not let us do that. He then gives another example. For any computable or non-computable function , we could represent the input as the pair (a, b), “where a represents x (in the original representation of X) and b represents f(x) in the representation of Y. The function f then becomes easily computable as the first projection: given a pair (a,b) representing x, the value f(x) is represented by b”. However, Bauer does not point out that this representation actually fulfills his condition. If a is some “reasonable” executable representation of a TM, and b is 1 or 0 dependent on whether the machine halts or not on the empty tape, the halting problem also disappears. How can we identify such a representation that actually “does all the work”? Easy — we investigate the computability of the language of legal representations. The language of representations of TMs that I presented is itself undecidable. In the comment by Bauer below, he gives a different justification for why this representation is not, in fact, reasonable, but our justification naturally generalizes to complexity, too. We may ask (and easily answer) how much work is done by the representation by investigating the complexity class of the language. So in addition to the question of utility, we can classify representations along the axis of their language complexity.
We now turn this line of reasoning on representations of computation itself by asking what is the computational complexity of deciding whether a given string of bits encodes a valid (well-formed) computation in a given model? Consider some machine models: the Turing machine, random-access machine, cellular automata, boolean circuits, boolean networks, neural networks, P systems. Now consider some language models: Church’s untyped λ-calculus, π-calculus, System F, System Fω, System λΠ. All those representations pass Bauer’s first condition — they are directly useful for simulating computations — but they differ widely with respect to the second test, namely the complexity of deciding the language of the representation.
For the Turing machine, if we choose to interpret a jump to a nonexistent configuration as a “halt” instruction (a rather natural interpretation), then the required complexity is zero (by that I mean that there exists a natural representation that requires no translation and no validation, i.e., every string specifies a valid machine, and every machine can be specified in that encoding). Zero is also the complexity required to validate appropriate encodings of any of the other machine models (well, maybe not P systems, but certainly lower-level biological computation models). As for Church’s untyped lambda calculus, I believe that the best we can do — if we allow variable shadowing, which complicates interpretation — is validation in linear time and logarithmic space by a PDA (the main issue is that parentheses are meaningful). But for the other language models (the typed ones; I haven’t thought about π-calculus enough), very considerable complexity and a Turing-complete system are required only to validate if a computation is well-formed (for λΠ, that validation is no longer computably tied to the length of the input; it can be larger than the complexity of the computation itself). This clearly shows that the computational model isn’t self-contained, but essentially requires a computationally powerful external collaborator: a programmer and/or a compiler. If a model requires such external work, it is not a model of computation but of programming.
Where precisely we choose to draw the line between a programming model and a computation model may be up for some debate. Church’s untyped calculus seems to be a borderline case. But it is worth mentioning that the notion of a function doesn’t even appear in Church’s 1936 description of lambda calculus, let alone a higher-order function (while the word “variable” does appear, it is clear from context that it is only meant to intuitively communicate the operations of the rewriting rules). Computation by untyped lambda calculus in Church’s paper is reasonably described as a relatively simple rewriting system, which is a special case of a nondeterministic abstract state machine, but, of course, none of those terms existed in 1936. However, when PL theorists say “lambda calculus” today, they seem to mean something different, and use it as shorthand for lambda calculus plus functional denotational semantics.
In any event, the vast complexity difference leaves no question whatsoever that, say, a Turing machine is essentially different from some typed lambda-calculus system. Like entropy, computational complexity is absolute and not subject to a point of view. It is not for me to say which words scholars should use, but when PL researchers say “computation model” when referring to one of the language systems, they mean something qualitatively different from what TOC people mean. System Fω is not a model of computation in the same sense that the Turing machine or digital circuits are.
In fact, given a rich enough type system, we could burden an arbitrary portion of the computation on the type inferencer or on the collaborator (programmer) and the type checker. We could write programs whose types decide computationally difficult question, ostensibly making the actual program answer them in zero time. Obviously, computational complexity theory does not “fall apart” when we use a rich formalism.
You’re free to think about computation as acting on bits… but for those bits to do us any good, they have to actually represent something (e.g., data structures).
To represent anything, a system needs an observer that assigns its behavior meaning. But the observer required here isn’t the user of the computation, who, after all only cares that the screen’s pixels are lit up in an interesting way or that the airplane’s control surfaces are sent the right signals — i.e., about the bits — but the human programmer.
Viewing machine models and language models as competing is a mistake that confuses computation (the system) with programming (concerned with syntax and semantics), two fundamentally different activities. This confusing presentation of machine and language models as standing in opposition to one another cannot be expressed more starkly than in this somewhat trollish post by Bob Harper.
The machine models have no practical uses at all… [They’re] worthless from a practical viewpoint.
I find it curious that Harper thinks that machine models are worthless while using a physical implementation of one to form that very thought and another to type it into. He probably means that he believes they are worthless as programming models, but that is not what they are. To be even more precise, machine models are far from ideal programming models when the programmer is a human. But some machine models — in particular digital circuits (that are often used to model natural, cellular computation) and neural networks — are great “programming” models for a programmer of a different kind, one that is generally incapable of performing complex computation itself.
It is true that a machine models could be “lifted” to serve as a programming model, and it is in that sense that Krishnaswami and Harper compare the two. Indeed, Krishnaswami’s “counterexamples” make sense only if you treat the Turing machine as a programming model (with canonical representations of types), and even then only if you consider “computing a function” not as mapping a set of inputs to a set of outputs, but as the requirement to express an inhabitant of a certain function type (in the type theory sense). That difference between considering a function as a mapping between two sets and as an inhabitant of a function type is not just a matter of perspective: it is a matter of more computational work. It is a different, harder problem. In the type theory interpretation, the computation needs to compute the target element and check a proof that the element is in a certain set. Really, those are two problems, not one, and you certainly can’t fault a model for not solving a problem you didn’t ask it to solve. A machine could solve that problem (simulate type checking) if you asked it to. That a language model solves that problem “automatically” doesn’t matter if the same price (computational complexity) is paid by a collaborator. Otherwise, I could create a language model that solves all NP problems in constant time by defining my language’s type-checker to require and verify a proof certificate with every input problem, and my model would then reduce the input to “yes” in one step. No one would believe my language actually solves a hard computational problem: it simply pushes the difficulty to the collaborator. In fact, some type systems are Turing complete, so those language “computation models” could decide any decidable question in zero time. But, of course, that’s just ignoring the hidden computation that takes place in those models, and is carried out by the programmer and/or interpreter.
TOC is the science of computation. It seeks to understand computational phenomena, be it natural, man made or imaginative. TOC is an independent scientific discipline of fundamental importance. Its intrinsic goals… transcend the immediate applicability to engineering and technology.
We only need to look at the modern work on circuit complexity, the great interest in quantum computing or the celebrated work of Leslie Valiant, who studies complexity theoretical aspects of learning and evolution, to see that questions of programs written by a human programmer are far from the only concern of complexity research. It is natural, therefore, that the self-contained machine-based computational models would be more appropriate for such a discipline.
To the architect, the concept of a room is real. Indeed, it is the the material constructing it that is a detail that can change in ways that may not be essential. The walls can be made of wood, mud, concrete, glass, or even intangibly rendered by a graphics card. To the chemist, however, a room is an abstract, imaginary concept constructed by humans to describe certain large-scale configurations of molecules that are meaningful to them, and while chemistry may study steel or concrete, it may also study crystals, polymers or living cells. Debating which of those views is more correct or more useful than the other is silly.
was in many ways an outsider to the rather isolated logicians’ world, having a broad grounding in applied mathematics and an interest in actual engineering.
While Church was a logician through and through, Turing was interested in mathematical biology, digital circuit design and theoretical physics (he even considered the ramifications of quantum mechanics on physical computation), and was a pioneer of neural networks and genetic algorithms, in addition to his work on numerical algorithms (although in 1949 he described a program proof technique quite similar to Floyd and Hoare’s work, over two decades later).
Now that we have hopefully established the objective difference between computation and programming models and their different uses, we can read Harper’s claims more charitably as saying that machine models when used as languages are a bad fit for two uses that he has in mind: programming — i.e., the implementation of algorithms in real software — and algorithm specification and analysis (of human-made algorithms intended for implementation in software).
Rather, they write what is charmingly called pidgin Algol, or pidgin C, or similar imperative programming notation. That is, they use a programming language, not a machine! As well they should. But then why the emphasis on machine models? And what does that pidgin they’re writing mean?
There is an alternative… without… reference to an underlying machine… [W]e adopt a linguistic model of computation, rather than a machine model, and life gets better! There is a wider range of options for expressing algorithms, and we simplify the story of how algorithms are to be analyzed.
He then presents a cost-model for functional programming, the lack of which, he believes, has been the only substantial barrier to adoption by algorithm researchers. I am not at all qualified to judge the advantages and disadvantages of Harper’s proposed languages for the purpose of analyzing algorithms; they do offer rich, albeit arcane, modern-logic mathematical properties (but I don’t understand how parallel and sequential algorithms can be compared to one another in a unified notation in that framework, how concurrent algorithms are to be specified and analyzed without introducing complex concepts, and how quantum algorithms can be specified and compared with their classical counterparts; I am also not convinced that such arcane math is required for such a task).
If you arrive at an insight that has importance for logic, languages, and categories, then you may feel sure that you have elucidated an essential concept of computation—you have made an enduring scientific discovery.
In practice, those who use Harper’s “computational trinitarianism” of logic, types and cateogry theory to reason about programs, also do not usually use that beautiful correspondence between programs and proofs directly, opting instead for procedural proof “tactics”, which are more convenient in practice. This, however, should be used to undermine the fundamental importance of the theory, just as the convenient use of “pidgin Algol” does not discredit the foundational utility of machine model.
The other mistake is that the flaws Harper attributes to machine models are not flaws in the conceptual foundation of machine models at all, but with the choice of particular, “low level”, machine models (that are nonetheless of great fundamental importance due to the reasons I covered above) and their treatment as low-level programming languages, or “compilation targets”. Hidden in this critique is the assumption that a mental compilation of into those low-level languages is what underlies academic pseudocode. But the concept of machines does not require this compilation, and it is not true that the machines implied by this pseudocode are such low-level ones like TM or RAM.
Indeed, in Leslie Lamport’s formal specification and verification language, TLA+, algorithms may optionally be written in a pseudocode-like language, precisely of the kind Harper rejects, and yet they are compiled — for the purpose of formal reasoning — into a mathematical formalism for describing abstract state machines, yet those machines are at least as high-level and at least as composable as Harper’s languages.
For quite a while, I’ve been disturbed by the emphasis on language in computer science… Thinking is not the ability to manipulate language; it’s the ability to manipulate concepts. Computer science should be about concepts, not languages. … State machines… provide a uniform way to describe computation with simple mathematics. The obsession with language is a strong obstacle to any attempt at unifying different parts of computer science.
Computer scientists collectively suffer from what I call the Whorfian syndrome — the confusion of language with reality…Many of these formalisms are said to be mathematical, having words like algebra and calculus in their names. … Despite what those who suffer from the Whorfian syndrome may believe, calling something mathematical does not confer upon it the power and simplicity of ordinary mathematics.
Like Harper, Lamport bemoans the lack of properly defined semantics and a unified mathematical framework of academic pseudocode, but instead of a language model he offers a unified mathematical framework with clear and simple semantics, based not on treating each machine model independently as a low-level language, but on abstracting the general idea of a state machine to describe any computation model in a high-level, modular, mathematical way. This is no longer a self-contained machine model of computation but a true formalism (language), just not one based on lambda calculus or other linguistic models (like process calculi) but one designed to formalize all kinds of computations as (very) high-level machines.
Lamport’s mathematical model, TLA, based on abstract nondeterministic state machines and relatively simple logic, that is modular, allows for direct comparison of parallel and sequential versions of an algorithm, works equally well for sequential and concurrent algorithms, and can directly and naturally describe large-scale real-world software, neural computation, genetic algorithms and quantum computation (I’m not certain about the last one). TLA surpasses even the “linguistic” dependent types in unifying the description of an algorithm with the description of its properties — properties and algorithms not only use the same syntactic terms but are actually the same (model) objects — yet it only requires mostly familiar math (what he calls “ordinary math; not some weird computer scientists’ math”).
Algorithm specification and analysis is absolutely crucial for humans who create computations. But while it may be the case that algorithm analysis can learn thing or two about mathematical modeling of algorithms from language models, abstract state machines seem a great fit for this task as well. In the end, however, there can be many foundational theories as well as many formalisms for programming and reasoning about programs. Arguing about their aesthetic qualities — while intellectually interesting — is not what matters. What matters is how they perform when put to various practical uses. | 2019-04-18T21:04:51Z | https://pressron.wordpress.com/ |
Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟 Jiǔzhàigōu) is a nature reserve in the north of Sichuan province in south western China. It is officially known as Jiuzhai Valley in English. It is known as the habitat of giant pandas and for its many multi-level waterfalls and colorful lakes. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It belongs to the category V (Protected Landscape) in the IUCN system of protected area categorization.
The remote region was inhabited by various Tibetan and Qiang peoples for centuries, but was not officially discovered by the government until 1972. Extensive logging took place until 1979, when the Chinese government banned such activities. The area was made into a national park in 1982. An Administration Bureau was established and the site was opened to tourism in 1984. Layout of facilities and regulations were completed in 1987. The site was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997.
In 2007, over 2.5 million people visited Jiuzhaigou. The site averages 7,000 visits per day, with a publicly reported cap of 12,000 (however this is never enforced). The desire to balance environmental protection and mass tourism has become an increasingly acute challenge for park management. Exploitation of natural resources for financial gain in the form of mass tourism is the utmost priority.
The park is the natural habitat for two of China’s most treasured endangered species – the Giant Panda and the Sichuan Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey (金丝猴). However, due to the park's size and the number of tourists, the chances of seeing them are slim. About 20 pandas reportedly live within the boundaries of the park. There is probably higher chance of seeing them in Zaru Valley, the valley dedicated to eco-tourism. In the main valleys you are more likely to see other creatures including birds (140 species have been recorded here), insects and fish.
The scenic area of the park is at a height of between 2,000 and 3,000 m (6,562-9,843 ft). In summer the winds blow predominantly from the south and in the winter from the north. The summer months are most pleasant time to visit the park. Umbrellas and wet weather clothing as well as sun protection and hats are highly recommended as the weather at these altitudes can be fickle.
The main departure points for a visit to Jiuzhaigou are Chengdu, Chongqing and Xi'an. Although Jiuzhaigou is only around 350km from Mianyang, and 460 km from Chengdu (as the crow flies), the journey takes between 8 and 11 hours due to the winding mountain roads through some spectacular scenery along the valleys of the Fu or Min rivers. Many tour companies break the journey into two components with overnight stops either at Mianyang or Maoxian.
Following the Sichuan earthquake of 12 May 2008, the road to Juizhaigou via Wenchuan and Maoxian is not recommended. The road between Chengdu and Wenchuan is excellent but Mao Xian - Chuan Zhu Si is undergoing landslide prevention and road widening works. The bus from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou can take 7-11 hours.
If the area has experienced heavy rain, the mountain road to Jiuzhaigou may be closed. This can mean that there may be a delay as traffic backs up to wait for the road to reopen. In extreme cases, the road may not reopen at all, meaning that the bus and its passengers will have to spend the night in Dujiangyan, trying again in the morning. If you are travelling during these conditions, you may have to be very flexible with your itinerary.
From Mianyang an early morning start gets you to Jiuzhaigou township in time for dinner and the Tibetan cultural show (¥120-320). The route initially follows the deep valley of the Fu river then over Longmen shan (Dragon gate mountain) to Qingchuan and Wenxian before reaching Jiuzhaigou County Town nestled in the valley of the Baishui river. The mountain and river views make even the journey a worth while tourist experience.
Public Bus services are available from the Xinnanmen and Chadianzi bus stations in Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, with 2 or 3 departures from each station daily depending on demand. Ticket price is approximately ¥110-145.
There are daily buses to the park from Songpan, and Huanglongsi National Park.
Taxi: If there are a few people, it may make sense to charter a taxi to/from where you're going. Fares of ¥600-700 to Langmusi have been reported. It is also reportedly possible to take a taxi to/from Chengdu for around ¥1200, which is probably cheaper than flying for 3 people and much more comfortable than a bus.
Flights between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou Huanglong airport (JZH IATA) are available on Air China, Sichuan Airlines, Hainan Airlines, South China Airways and China Eastern. As of July 2013 direct flights are also available from Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Hangzhou on various airlines. Jiuhuang airport is about a 1.5-hour drive from the park entrance. This can be done by taxi or mini-bus. Taxis charge a fixed rate of ¥260 during the day, and ¥360 at night. The airport shuttle bus costs ¥50 per person, with a counter right after the baggage reclaim, but stops running around 18:00. Min. number of passengers for the bus is 10, but if there are at least 4 passengers turning up at the same time, they might pool all of them into a single taxi for the price of the shuttle bus.
Most visitors access Juizhaigou by road.
The Jiuzhaigou Administration centre contains the Ticket Office. Tickets are sold from 06:30 until 19:00 daily. The price during peak season is ¥220, there is a separate non-mandatory an insurance fee of ¥10. Disabled visitors, Seniors between 60 and 70 years of age, students and soldiers get a discount price of ¥110 (as of July 2013). Children no taller than 1.3 m in height, government servants and seniors over 70 get in free.
A one day bus ticket costs ¥90. Bus tickets are not mandatory. Many people choose to buy one as it is over 30 km from the entrance to the top of the park. There is a sign inside the park saying that if you then decide you want to buy a bus ticket inside you have to pay ¥140.
It takes around three hours to walk from the park entrance to Nurilong waterfalls if you are fit and healthy. Two days in the park, one day on the bus to see the upper parts and one to walk to the lower parts is a good compromise if you have the time.
Tickets are only valid for one day. Two-day tickets are available only during the off-peak season. Make sure if you get a two-day pass that you go to the room next to the ticket booth and have your picture taken and printed on your ticket. If you don't you won't be able to reenter the park on the second day.
In the dry season (February) many of the wooden trails in the park are closed and marked as fire hazards. It is possible to walk on the roads in the park although there are some signs saying this also isn't allowed. The only other option is to bus around the park.
There are plenty of taxis in Jiuzhaigou. There are also mini-buses (they really are minivans) to the most popular tourist destinations in the Jiuzhaigou region. Car rentals are also available and range from ¥500-900 per day.
For environmental protection reasons, no personal transport, not even bicycles, are permitted within the park. However, with a bus pass you can take a bus to all of the sites within the park. Your pass gives you access to an efficient hop-on hop-off bus transport system. Every few minutes a bus will come to a site to pick up passengers. The buses are frequent and sometimes crowded during the peak season, running from early morning until the park closes. Don’t miss the last bus or you must walk out! When entering the park you will be herded effectively and politely into one of the many queues waiting for transport. Once in the system you are a free to move within the park and see whatever you want. An effective way to use the system is to take the bus to the head of Rize valley and walk back towards the entrance and Administration building. Walking is a great option in the park, as wooden-plank trails wind through the lakes and forests. It is best to combine walking with taking the bus as the park is quite large and you won't be able to cover enough ground on foot. The park officials herd people out from the upper parts of the park well before the official closure time (from about 16:30).
From Chengdu the public bus costs between ¥110-145 and takes around 10-13 hours.
Although Jiuzhaigou is a great place to visit at any time of the year Spring and autumn are best. Winter provides many magnificent sights with frozen lakes and waterfalls, but the day temperatures are very low and accessibility by road is neither easy nor guarantee-able. Summers can be slightly crowded with beautiful sunshine in the early parts and it often rains in July and August. The fresh air and lack of humidity make it a great break from the city. Autumn is, in many opinions, the pick of the seasons. From late September through October to early November the colour contrasts of red and gold leaves set against the greys of the Bamboo forest and the dark greens of the conifers provide the perfect backdrop to the blue, cyan and vivid greens lakes.
Long Lake is at the head of the Zechawa valley. At an altitude of 3,060 m (10,039 ft) this is the biggest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou. The lake has a surface area of approximately 30 km² (12 mi) and an average depth of 44 m (144 ft). On clear days its dark wooded hillsides and blue waters are viewed against the backdrop of the 5,000 m (16,404 ft) snow capped Min Shan mountains. This lake has no major inflow and receives its water from underground sources. The local Tibetans have their own name for this lake, which translates, to “The Lake that never dries out.” Take the bus to the Long Lake and Jade Colored Pool because it is too far to walk to.
Five Colour Pool also known as the Jade pool, is a small lake of 5,600 m² (60,000 sq ft) at an altitude of 2,995 m (9,826 ft) and with an average depth of 6.6 m (21.5 ft). It is fed by underground streams from Long lake. Although small this lake must be rated as having one of the most varied and intense colour ranges of Jiuzhaigou and should not be missed. The lake systems in the lower parts of Zechawa valley are seasonal and are often dry in summer. Walkways are provided from Long Lake to a bus pickup point just passed the lower seasonal lake.
Arrow Bamboo Lake is the first of the deep lakes. Set at an altitude of 2,680 m (8,793 ft) and 6 m (20 ft) deep it has a surface area of 170,000 m² (1,830,000 sq ft). An unusual characteristic of this lake is that it never freezes even when the Panda Lake 100 m (328 ft) lower is completely covered in snow and ice. The lake is surrounded by Bamboo groves and together with the Panda Lake.
Panda Lake has an average depth of 14 m (46 ft) and as its name implies is in the heart of panda country. This 90,000 m² (969,000 sq ft) lake at 2,590 m (8,500 ft) altitude is surrounded by bamboo forests and a mix of deciduous and coniferous woodland. This vivid green lake becomes a feast of colour in the autumn. The lake is home to many small and curious Songpan Naked Carp that gather in large numbers when a leaf or pebble falls into the lake. The fish are protected and must not be fed by visitors.
Water exits Panda Lake via the spectacular Panda Falls. These narrow falls have a drop height of 120 m (393 ft) and cascade down to the “Five Flower Lake” over a series of travertine terraces. A well-maintained wooden walkway allows visitors to descend beside the falls providing a unique way of seeing the spectacle.
Pearl Shoal and Pearl Shoal Falls are best viewed by taking the walkway. This takes visitors across the “Golden Bell Lake” and “Pearl Shoal” down the left side of the falls then across the base of the Falls to “Mirror Lake”. The shallow waters rush over the 160-m (525 ft) wide travertine shelf called” Pearl Shoal” creating a noisy bubbling cascade which from a distance looks like a shawl of pearls draped across the hillside. The falls have a drop height of 21 m (69 ft) and are 162 m (532 ft) wide providing a spectacular display.
Mirror Lake is so named because of its ability to reflect the images of the surrounding mountains and forests. The lake at an altitude of 2,410 m (7,907 ft) is in a sheltered section of the valley running east west which produces its glassy reflective surface.The Lake was featured in the Zhang Yimou movie Hero. The outflow of “Mirror Lake” is through the “Rize Gully” a travertine ramp of small ponds and natural bonsai trees and bushes that lead directly to one of the great sights of Jiuzhaigou . The Nuorilang waterfall.
The Nuorilang Falls are situated, at an altitude of 2,365 m (7,760 ft), at the junction of the Zechawa, Rize and Shuzheng valleys. Best viewed from the Shuzheng valley road the 250-m (820 ft) wide veil of water flows out of the thick shrubs and bushes of Rize Gully to drop 24 m (79 ft) into a small ravine below the road.
Rhinoceros Lake at 2,315 m (7,696 ft) and with a surface area of some 200,000 m² (2,153,000 sq ft) is the largest lake in the Shuzheng valley, and also the deepest with an average depth of 12 m (39 ft). The lake derives its name from a legend that tells of a monk from Tibet riding a rhinoceros. When the monk came to this lake he was so entranced with the local scenery that he accidentally rode his rhinoceros directly into the lake.
Shuzheng Village bedecked with prayer flags, is one of the nine Tibetan villages that give Jiuzhaigou its name. Situated above the Shuzheng Lakes it is easily accessed from the roadway. Here you can visit a traditional Tibetan home and drink “Yak Butter tea“. The steep main street is lined with shops selling trinkets, Tibetan artifacts and souvenirs.
Shuzheng Lakes and waterfalls are at 2,215 m (7,268 ft) the lowest series of lakes in Jiuzhaigou; Spread across the valley this series of small lakes and waterfalls cascade down the lower valley and drain directly into Baishui Jiang.
To make the most out of your one day in the valley, buy the ticket at 07:00 and take the bus up the right fork to Primeval Forest. Walk the trail around the forest then walk the forest path down to Swan Lake. It is advisable then to bus down to Arrow Bamboo Lake and then walk all the way down to Nuorilang. Have your lunch and bus up the left fork to Long Lake and walk down to Five Colour Pool. Subsequently, bus down to Nuorilang and walk till the Bonsai beach before taking the bus to the entrance.
There are lots of Tibetan trinkets that could entice the younger ladies. There is a shop next to the entrance which sells a good collection of postcards and reading materials about the park itself.
Being a UNESCO World Heritage Park in China does not mean it is fully decked out for non-Chinese visitors. There is a centrally located, sort of a HQ area with a restaurant serving buffet lunch. Typically Chinese stir-fry dishes. At the entrance, there is a Chinese fast food outlet serving fried chicken, and vendors selling ramen and other types of instant noodles.
The food and drink in the Reserve is very expensive (dish of rice about ¥30, noodles ¥15, small bottle of water ¥5) so it's a good idea to obtain supplies in the shops outside before you enter.
6868 bar (Just past the Sheraton off main road in the small town there). Any cab driver should know this place. Typical Chinese-style club, with a dance floor, private rooms, and lots of tables with drinking games. If you want to drink with the locals, worth checking this place out... remarkably good light system and sound system for the rural area.
Despite whatever they tell you, lodging in the park is illegal.
There are no hotels or commercial accommodation within the park. It used to be possible to stay at the home of a local villager for a small fee. The authorities however do not approve of the practice and as such it is not recommended.
There are now a number of 5-star, 4-star and 3-star hotels and cheap hostels just outside the park.
The price for a 5-star hotel such as the Jiuzhaigou Xilaideng International (Sheraton) is from ¥600-1,000.
For 4-star hotels like Chang Qing binguan (长青宾馆), the Geshang hotel, the Chinese Travel hotel, and the Golden Harbour Hotel room prices are from ¥400-900.
A 3-star hotel such as the Xing Long binguan（鑫隆宾馆), Qianhe Hotel, is from ¥300-800.
A lot of the hotels have different level "rooms" within the hotel which are priced accordingly. Thus you see a great deal of price ranges within the same hotel.
Prices vary according to the season and booking in advance is essential.
There is one authentic homestay (others are "Tibetan themed" often outside owned) run by a local family a 15 mins drive from the park entrance. They do not have a website but they can be contacted at . There are also two hostels in the immediate area.
There are a number of cheap hostels to the West of the park entrance. You should be able to get dorm rooms for around ¥35 and double bedrooms for ¥100.
Angelie Hotel in Peng Fend Village, about 15 minutes from the park entrance is recommended (Wi-Fi, hot water, nice English-speaking staff, tours, car sharing).
Uncle Jiang's family house, Peng Feng Village, Jiuzhaigou Park Entrance. They have free pick-up and offer packed lunches (sandwiches) for ¥20.
Using the local travel websites will allow you to purchase price for cheaper, kind of how the aggregate websites will allow you to get a room for cheaper. However, they are pretty hard to find unless you search with Chinese characters.
There is lodging located in the villages along the street outside the park entrance. For budget travelers the best option is the Jiutong Bingguan (九通兵官) located next to the bus station. Touts crowd around arriving buses and can lead you to alternative budget options.
Hiking and camping are available within the Zaru Valley of the national park. Zaru Valley has an amazing 40% of all the plant species in the whole of China and if you are to see any of the wildlife of the national park, this represents the best chance. The main hike is a 3-day hike, following the pilgrimage of the local Bebbo Tibetan Buddhists around the 4,500 m+ (14,764 ft+) Zhayizha Ga Mountain.
In the winter months the park is extremely cold and it is necessary to dress warmly. Having said that, in the winter sunshine you could possibly strip down to a t-shirt in the bright winter sun shine - in the shade you'll need to layer up again however!
English is not widely spoken in Jiuzhaigou.
Every day buses go to Songpan at 07:20 and take two hours, Chengdu (10 hours) and Huanglong National Park. Bus times vary from time to time. It is best to keep an eye on the Jiuzhaigou website for up-to-date times.
This park travel guide to Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve is a usable article. It has information about the park, for getting in, about a few attractions, and about accommodations in the park. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
This travel guide page was last edited at 11:41, on 15 January 2019 by Wikivoyage user Traveler100bot. Based on work by Wikivoyage users MainlandX, Mx. Granger, Wrh2Bot, Traveler100, Ground Zero, Hobbitschuster, Ar2332, Ikan Kekek and Tpan0618 and others. | 2019-04-25T19:50:53Z | https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jiuzhaigou_Nature_Reserve |
I do. Take copyrights seriously. I also give credit where it is due by saying so and providing a link wherever possible.
Recipes cannot be copyrighted. Culture cannot be copyrighted.
Images are. Recipe methods are and can be.
What sense does it make to steal other people's images and present them on your own blog without attribution? In many cases, a simple email asking for permission is all it takes!
Why copy a recipe from another source word for word? And even use their picture?
You know who you are. You know where the discussion is. It's available publicly.
I chose to inform. I left my name and address. You learned. Now there is at least one less person in this world who will take other people's content and use it as their own. That you chose not to publish my apology for assuming that yet another image was perhaps not your own and my kudos for taking things in the right spirit, is your decision. What you post on your blog reflects on you. What you allow to be posted by way of comments on your blog also reflects on you. Just as what I post and allow to be posted on my blog reflects on me.
I say to you: Congratulations! On giving attribution where it was due. On actually making the recipe you posted and uploading your own images. Bravo! You got the message.
I take copyrights seriously. Ask Indira how she feels. She'll tell you. Ask Barbara. She'll tell you how she feels.
I'm glad you finally got it.
I know how you feel. I recently found my roasted tomato recipe, copied word-for-word posted on RecipeZaar as someone's personal recipe for roasted tomatoes. A few months back I stumbled on a blog that had four of my posts completely copied, even the photos. I had to threaten to report her to Blogger to get that person to credit me. It's shocking.
I've come across two in the last month, one for Heidi at 101 Cookbooks, another via Blogher.
I wish someone would start a list of plagarizers to share via e-mail. This way we could all be on the look-out, especially for the ones that "appear" to be legitimate personal blogs vs the obvious click-collectors. It would be a real service for the food blogging community, even if the list itself should be offline.
Manisha, it is not only with blog. a few days back I found most of my recipes posted on a yahoogroup claiming those are his recipes. I was very surprised. I saw the person was copying from many blogs and was worried what to do about it. Then one day, one of the other members sent a mail to the group saying all those recipes were copied and now it is stopped.
Few days back I also found one site where my posts were copied word to word. I feel so bad..here we take so much pain to write each and every recipe and someone just claims them :(.
How right you are?? Sometimes I go from one blog to another, what do you see! Same recipe with photos too!!I think" wait a minute ,did see double" and check again!! YUP!! there it is!!It's amazing how shameless some people are!
I don't mind if somebody reproduces my recipe if they say "this is from so and so", that's enough for me.I realize lot of Indian dishes have similar recipes but you can feel sometimes if it's copied.I mostly blog about my home's traditional recipes and it hurts! But how do you prove??!! Bummer!!
first of all, ur blog really does rock! i love it and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
i can't [well actually i can since nothing surprises me anymore, unfortunate but true] believe people do this. i guess in the end u have to take it as complementary — though that is debatable and nobody wants their hard work stolen and claimed as original work by someone else. i'd be pissed something fierce too.
i saw something somewhere [i know that doesn't help u right now] in a blog that blocks people from copying. have u checked that out? perhaps "watermarking" your photos with photoshop? i will look back and try to see what the name was if u r interested. i don't know if it's free.
Kalyn, it's great to have you here at IFR! I'm a fan of your blog and your Weekend Herb Blogging!
I must, however, make a few clarifications: the stolen material was not mine. It belonged to someone I know online and was announced in a discussion forum that I participate in. I looked at the blog and it appeared that the blogger was quite clueless. I chose not to be anonymous and left comments that would help this person fix the mistakes she was making. Well, she fixed the ones that were pointed out to her. She then enabled moderation, deleted comments that made her look bad, did not post comments that pointed out what she still needed to fix and then posted a nasty rejoinder to one of my comments that didn't read well in isolation.
The offending blog has been taken offline. A good thing and certainly no loss by way of content. Because this morning, it was discovered that there was yet another image that she had posted without attribution thereby claiming it as her own, belonged to another member of the same discussion forum! Taking the blog offline was the best thing she could have done at this stage. Earlier, all she needed to have done was apologize for her mistake and undo her infringing actions. People do forgive. She chose to play games and only take off what we knew was not hers.
I'm so sorry about what you had to go through, Kalyn. It's just not right.
Alanna, Copyscape is your friend when you are trying to find stolen material. Stolen images are more difficult to find. People think that since they are available through image search engines, they are free for the taking. They don't consider copyright or permission or attribution.
A list of plagiarists is an ideal solution but would be difficult to maintain. One suggestion could be a team blog where instances of plagiarism on blogs are reported. If the plagiarist rectifies the infringement, take the post offline or unlink all links in that post that point to the offending blog. An online list would probably have more profound effects than an offline list.
Shilpa, recipes will be copied. There's not much we can do about it. It's the blatant disregard for copyright that is shocking. To take it and replicate it word for word and take the credit for it is quite disgusting. The unfortunate thing is that in most cases bloggers have to work alone to prove that the content is their's. Very often, you will find people offering support from the sidelines but no-one really gets involved beyond a point. In your case, I'm glad that someone realized that there was a problem and put an end to it. Perhaps we need to start a support group against plagiarists.
Asha, same recipe is something I can understand. I have had many other bloggers say that they make the same lemon pickle I have on my blog. Same pictures? No! It's a copy! Proof? Who published it first, although the dates on posts can be easily manipulated. I think RSS feeds show the date on which the post was sent to the feed and the date on which the post was updated. If you can identify that the image is yours, then you can ask the blogger to take it off or attribute it to you by linking to you. If they refuse, you can complain to their web host with proof. If it is a Blogger hosted blog, you can report a TOS violation through this form.
burekaboy, welcome! Thanks for all your warm words; I do appreciate it! Please feel free to link to my blog for as long as you find it useful!
People do ridiculous things like this for several reasons: in most cases, they are ill-informed; in other cases, they don't care or are just too lazy to create their own content. Greed by way of ad revenues is another.
My photos on Inner Lens are published in the public domain so even though the copyright remains with me, anyone is free to copy them and make derivative works from them. However, that is not the case with my food blog. Watermarking is one option. Visible watermarks take away from the full impact an image can have. Invisible watermarks are those that can be identified algorithmically but you would need the digital software that has this capability in order to both, place the invisible watermark as well as detect it. Does Photoshop have that feature? Do let me know if you find out more!
We need to start teaching these things to our children from the very start. Medha does a lot of online research for her projects. She has been taught that she must write her findings "in her own words". This tells me (and her teacher) how much she has understood, to begin with. She also knows that it is cheating to copy verbatim. The other thing she knows is that she gets into worse trouble for lying in order to cover up for a misdeed than if she had owned up to the misdeed in the first place. Maybe there are a lot of adults and bloggers out there that need to learn these same basic lessons.
The other blog which I mentioned, I think they used the RSS feed or something...it used to catch all the posts from my blog and post it on that blog. Due to some features of wordpress, I came to know about it. If at all you get to know any good way to stop this, please please post here, I want to follow it.
In last 8-9 months I have spent almost all my time on developing the blog to what it is today and if people can't give even a credit, it really really hurts.
You can add copyright information to Photoshop images and notify users that an image is copyright-protected via a digital watermark that uses Digimarc ImageBridge technology. The watermark—a digital code added as noise to the image—is virtually imperceptible to the human eye. The Digimarc watermark is durable in both digital and printed forms, surviving typical image edits and file format conversions.
For more detailed information on embedding Digimarc digital watermarks, refer to the Digimarc website at www.digimarc.com.
To embed a digital watermark, you must first register with Digimarc Corporation—which maintains a database of artists, designers, and photographers and their contact information—to get a unique Digimarc ID. You can then embed the Digimarc ID in your images, along with information such as the copyright year or a restricted-use identifier.
i hope that helps u out a bit. should u want/need more information please feel free to contact me.
i can well appreciate your annoyance and your wanting to protect YOUR ORIGINAL work from other who feel it is okay to steal. i spend a considerable amount of time researching topics, preparing my postings and the upkeep of everything. as u, and others know, it takes a lot of your own time. someone coming along and claiming that is it is their own is a violation.
i also well appreciate your teaching of your daughter the necessity of not copying verbatum. this is the only way. unfortunately a big segment of our society does not seem to respect this.
I'm glad to hear that the matter was resolved well. Recipes are a pretty strange area of copyright law. Since facts can not be copyrighted, ingredient lists and simple steps can not be copyrighted but descriptions, instructions (if sufficiently creative) and images can.
It's a very unusual and very fuzzy fine line between the two elements that can cause a lot of grief. It is very possible to steal a recipe without violating the law, but doing so without overstepping the bounds can be very tricky.
Clearly though, stealing images is an infringement and that problem seems to be growing when dealing with recipes. The instructions are really a dime a dozen in many ways, it's the photo and the surrounding work that goes into it that really seems to be more valuable.
Regardless, if you encounter these issues again, feel free to contact me using the form on my site, I'll gladly see if there's any way I can help.
Good luck with your struggles and congrats on doling out some education. I hope it sticks.
Thank you very much for that information on digital watermarks. I really appreciate it. I am definitely going to look into it.
Jonathan, welcome! I read a few articles on your blog, Plagiarism Today, and I am really impressed with the headway you have made in fighting plagiarism, as well as the information you make available. I am sure that many others will find your blog a great read. Thank you so much for everything you do.
It is indeed frustrating that such blatant plagarism happens and utterly inexcusable when a big gun like TOI is the culprit! unbelievable!!
Hey I have been blogging for over a month now.But 'Taking copyrights and attribution seriously' has shocked me!I didn't know such things can happen!It is really disturbing.I am a working girl with a 15 month baby...u can imagine the efforts put in to take pics and writing recipes!!and someone steals them!!really bad.but thanks for the alert!!
I am glad you address this issue. there is a very good article here that addresses the copyright of recipes. I never mind when people use or are "inspired" by one of my recipes. I would not feel good though if it was copied word for word though.
What I would never stand for is if someone used one of my pictures and give it out as one of theirs. I take great measures and invest a lot of time for each of my photographs. I have no problem when someone uses my picture and gives the credit to me with a link to my blog and informs me prior to this, but I think i would o ballistic if I ever found my pictures without a mention.
The sad truth of all this however is that it just is not possible to control and these people know this. That is why they constantly plagerize and steal.
Even though this person stopped her blog, there are still many like her out there. And what is to say that this same person will not start another blog with the same method of stealing contents and photos.
Manisha, I do find it quite honorable and like a true friend that you stood up for your friends work against this person. I only hope that should anyone come across my wok they would do the same. I know I would.
The idea about a blog listing with the names of black-listed blogs and their writters is a fantastic one. Maybe something to address at the Food Blog S'cool!
Totally understand your frustration Manisha...hope the concerned person read it and understood the gist of what you want to say...Watermarking images is such a sad idea especially when we take efforts to click a beautiful picture- I;ve seen one such blog where she has copy pasted several recipes, with her own introduction, and no mention of a credit anywhere...absolutely immoral people!
Yes, ToI has been guilty of lifting pictures from blogs and web sites. First, Indira's picture and then a well-known photographer's. I don't have much respect for the online ToI in any case. When they started stealing pictures, their reputation reached rock-bottom in my eyes. It's pathetic journalism interspersed with images of models in various state of undress. And in most cases, the theft goes unreported. Not even blogged about. Sad but true.
Madhuli, welcome! Sorry to burst the bubble for you :-( but there are enough people out there who will take what they see for free. Most of the people who do it are just not aware that it's wrong to do so.
Nabeela, look what I found. If the poster is you or someone you gave permission to, then this is a non-issue. If it isn't, then you may want to take it up with Yahoo!
Meeta, thanks for that link. It's a great article. I think given all the gray areas, it's just better to give credit where it is due. There's no confusion.
I hear ya on the photograph issue! Your photos are very creative and inspiring! It might be a good idea to take this up on Food Blog S'cool because they already have the traffic to make a difference. It has to be a joint effort because you cannot be everywhere at all times. If we look out for one another, we'll at least get people to be aware that they can't just copy-paste or save and use without attribution.
I keep repeating that all it takes is an email to ask for permission! Not everyone is comfortable with sharing their work. So be prepared for a 'No' and also honor the 'No'. And either take your own picture or go find another one.
Nandita, I can only hope that this person understood what I was saying. I hope she makes a fresh start and gives credit where it is due.
Digital watermarking is invisible but it doesn't protect you from theft. It just helps identify the image as yours if you find it being used without your permission. Visible watermarking just takes away from the image.
If the blog you are talking of is hosted on any of the free services, you can report it to the service provider with proof and they usually are quite proactive and will take it down. It is usually against their TOS. On the other hand, it's like playing Internet police. But the thing is that unless we all speak up together and create awareness, nothing is going to change. The unfortunate truth remains that the onus is on the victim to prove that they were ripped off.
- add a copyright statement at the beginning of each post in the RSS feed only. It is easy to filter out text that always appears in a standard format so this is not foolproof.
If your feeds are being posted without attribution then you can complain to their web host. If the blog is hosted on a free service like Blogger, Wordpress, Yahoo! and so on, you can complain to their abuse department. If the blog is hosted with a web host, then do a whois on the domain name and contact the web host letting them know that they are hosting a web site or blog that indulges in plagiarism. If the blog can be found in Google then you can report them for violation of DMCA. Jonathan of Plagiarism Today also has information on DMCA.
Hey Manisha... thats indeed sad to hear... but how did you find out?? I don't mind bloggers copying as long they give credit to the website they copied from!!
Priya, in this particular case, I found out because the person whose picture was stolen is a moderator on the discussion forums that I hang out at. Attribution to source should be the first thing all bloggers need to be aware of. It's really not that difficult to find clones of your content.
copying is one of the most worrying thoughts when we blog. after all the effort that is put into each post, each photo, to have someone just take it, is akin to kidnapping. Kudos to u for standing up to it and my support in any form of forum, or black listed blog site that is to be started.
It's great u stood up for others. Regarding deleting comments that makes them look bad I personally have seen it happen in a certain blog which everyone goes to pretty often.It's nothing new.If a person can't take the good/bad comments then I feel the person is very shallow and should not blog.
KA, it's happened to me at work. And I was told in so many words: "Sorry to steal your thunder!" I couldn't believe it. I thought I had left that behind in grade school. I dealt with it and won in more ways than one. I hope you haven't had to go through something like that!
Meena, thank you for tagging me. You are the third person to tag me. Faith of Mekuno cooking tagged me 3 weeks ago, Shilpa of Aayi's Recipes tagged me earlier this week and now you! I will get to it, I promise!
I found your blog (linked from some other blog :D). Anyways, I am shocked that people are stealing your lovely recipes! I am a new blogger and would surely hate it if someone stole my recipes! Hope it doesn't happen again.
Kavita, welcome! The case in point was stolen images and a recipe copied word for word from a commercial web site. It was not my recipe that was stolen. The objective of this post is to raise awareness about copyrights and ownership of content and materials published on the web. It's not a free for the taking.
What happened? It is so sad when people do this.
Which blog is this Manisha? You could leave a comment on my blog and then delete the comment immediately. I would get the comment in an email,but when you delete the comment,none would be able to see.
I think one should first blog for oneself, not for good comments or for others. Then none will do this. Then if we get comments and get buddies, it is an added plus,thats all..
Sorry Manisha. Really Sorry. Please do delete this If I have crossed the line.
OMG Manisha, thanks for pointing that out to me...I never gave my marag recipe in yahoo answers...Gosh! I don't know how to solve this issue....how did you even know about it?
How do I search if somebody is copying from me online ? By putting in a phrase I wrote on my blog into google and see what it comes up with?
Inji, crossed the line? I don't think so. :-D I love to read everyone's opinions. It leads to intelligent discourse. I have reached a stage where I can certainly do with that! I read food blogs mainly through my RSS-reader and click through to the site only if I have a question. Now I am cutting down on that, too, because many times the blogger just doesn't know or there is no answer.
What happened with me was slightly different. I am not sure parallels can be drawn simply because this was from a person who was stealing other people's pictures and who misrepresented a recipe she had copied word for word from another site as her own.
Nabeela, Copyscape is your friend and you can also look for exact phrases from your recipe by enclosing them in quotes and then searching in Google. I came upon it when I was looking for more information on marag. Check out #14 on Yahoo! Community Guidelines, and quote that to report abuse by following the link on #27 on Yahoo! Terms of Service. I don't know that you will get anywhere but it's worth a try.
Thanks Manisha for the copyscape link...it really helped!
I agree with you completely. The best thing about blogging is you get instant feed back. People ask questions, disagree with some of the recipes etc. Thats what makes a blog interesting than a static website. Also, others who read it get an idea with lot of tips. Thats the whole fun!
But when people cross the limits, like put nasty personal comments, I just delete it. I dont care to answer them, esp when they come as anonymous. I do think if someone with a valid blogger id criticise or even put nasty comments, I would answer them. But not when they are faceless -- then I am wasting my time. That I think too is an advanatage of blogging.
I have nothing against people who delete nasty comments but if someone gives constructive criticism I see no harm.And I totally agree with what Manisha said.
"It is a personal space they chose to make public. That's where the difference lies".
If u make your blog public, u should be open to criticism too not the good comments alone. U should be open to both.
And also what difference does it make whether u post a comment with an id or without one,constructive criticism is still going to be constructive criticism. People are just trying to help and not post for the heck of it.I post comments only to help not because I enjoy criticising others.All u guys do a wonderful job with your blogs,investing a lot of thought,time and effort.
All said and done I still stand by my earlier comment.That's my opinion.Everyone is entitled to their own.
It is a sad state of affairs when some folks have no qualms about copying material and passing it as their own.
What we can do if we know someone who has done such a thing is to pass the word around about that blog and black list it. The person concerned will be shamed into not copying so blatantly.
Nabeela, happy to have been of help!
Inji and Anon, thank you for a great conversation! It's a treat to have intelligent and respectful discourse on my blog!
Sangeeta, I'd recommend attempting to educate the person on copyrights. Sometimes people are just not aware that it's not right. If that fails, there are other ways: report it to the web host if the site is hosted privately (www.whois.sc/domainname eg www.whois.sc/cnn.com ) will tell you who the web host is. If it is a blog hosted on Blogger, Yahoo!, Wordpress or any other free service provider, look for their TOS and/or abuse forms and report it. Make a post on your blog about the stolen material. Hope this helps! And, welcome to IFR!
I loved your post - I totally agree about the mangoes, roti, amla, and Idliis!! Those are all my favorite things in the world too!!!!
I haven't been the restaurant you mentioned - and I am vegetarian so I am not sure if they'd have anything for me.....but anyways, I totally agree - you got to try those things in life!!
Lisa, welcome! You probably meant to post your comment on my post on 5 Must Eats. I don't have the capability to move comments to another post else I would have done so.
Charlie Trotter's is a foodie's dream come true. And they do have a vegetarian menu. I was torn between trying that and the regular version. But even in the regular version, the way veggies and spices are used to enhance and complement the meat was fantastic. The next best restaurant for me - with exotic dining options - has been Cala's in Cape Ann, MA. The meal was not a series of entrées like at Charlie Trotter's but the food was divine!
You sound very much like my Italian-American friend! Except that her husband is not Indian. They use Indian spices liberally and she's cooked us delicious Indian meals, including dessert! Do keep in touch as I would love to know what you are cooking up in your kitchen!
I can understand the frustration with others using YOUR work, sometimes compliments come with hidden agendas. It brings to mind a beautiful Oscar Wilde quote: "Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much".
Hummn.....I read Shilpa' blog then read your blog...I think one can copyright pictures. Recipes I don't think can be copyrighted. It makes one sad when someone copies but you loose out on the joy of blogging by making a huge issue of it. The beauty of blogging is sharing. Traditional recipes cannot be claimed as anyone person's. Were we even born when they were created.
artizen flair that's a beautiful quote! Most of these copy-cats are clueless. Others are scraper sites that attempt to make money from ads. Here's an interesting take on What to do when people steal your blog content.
AP, we all agree that a recipe cannot be copyrighted. However, the way it is described can be. That's what this whole thing is about. The blogger works hard and creates unique content, which is lifted without so much as an acknowledgement and passed off as original content on another site. Food blogging is a very productive channel for inter-cultural bonding. So we are sharing openly. However, when I make one of your recipes, I don't pass it off as mine nor do I copy it word for word from your site. What I would do is link to your site for the original recipe and write my own take on it, in my own words on my blog.
This is something very disturbing. I recently started my food blog and now am wondering whether I should go ahead posting all the recipes I have collected over the years. Of course, like a few of the bloggers mentioned Indian food tends to be similar sometimes. There can surely be variations to a recipe but surely not word-to-word copying. Definitely not the photos. I wish we could do something to stop this. I am sure we should circulate this info in all our blogs, so that whoever is doing it will atleast feel guilty and realize they are being noticed.
Yes Manisha I agree if it is exact copy blare the horn.
When I copy or adapt a recipe, I always provide attribution of the source. In that vein....what if Chris Columbus landed in Bombay instead of Bermuda?! Here is a East Indian Thanksgiving dinner I did up last year.
Mike, welcome! I'm sorry I missed your comment earlier. I find East Indian a very colonial term, denigrating Indians from free India. In case you are not aware, British East India Company colonized India. And while Wikipedia may call it a "more precise" way of referring to Indians from India so that they are confused with native Americans/American Indians, I find it rather insulting actually. There is a group of people who call themselves East Indian and they chose to do so in order to show their allegiance to the British rule. It's something I feel strongly about and while it may be convenient, it is not polite. If you need to make a distinction, please use Indians from India, not East Indian.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful American tradition and we, too, take this time to give thanks for our families and what we have. I usually have a very Indian meal with beans, potatoes, and turkey/chicken/fish or lamb. Your menu sounds very delightful!
I personally feel that people from India should just be referred to as Indians. As we are in fact the original ones.
Adhi Potoba, I agree with you there! I love the name of your blog: Adhi Potoba, Mug Vithoba!
I have just started blogging and like all fellow bloggers I am hooked like crazy. Stumbled upon your article here on Copyright Infringement. Its shocking though ironically not surprising.
Can you please help me too!
How to get my pictures copywrighted?? I have no clue.
I am a novice and a lesser mortal (no techie). Just an ardent food lover and a hard working one at that.
Also do visit my blog and advice me how to improve upon it. Its just a few weeks old. thanks! | 2019-04-21T11:06:29Z | https://www.indianfoodrocks.com/2006/09/taking-copyrights-and-attribution.html |
Diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases in primary care is often challenging. Rare diseases such as Pompe disease are easily overlooked by the general practitioner. We therefore aimed to develop a diagnostic support tool using patient-oriented questions and combined data mining algorithms recognizing answer patterns in individuals with selected neuromuscular diseases. A multicenter prospective study for the proof of concept was conducted thereafter.
First, 16 interviews with patients were conducted focusing on their pre-diagnostic observations and experiences. From these interviews, we developed a questionnaire with 46 items. Then, patients with diagnosed neuromuscular diseases as well as patients without such a disease answered the questionnaire to establish a database for data mining. For proof of concept, initially only six diagnoses were chosen (myotonic dystrophy and myotonia (MdMy), Pompe disease (MP), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), polyneuropathy (PNP), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), other neuromuscular diseases, and no neuromuscular disease (NND). A prospective study was performed to validate the automated malleable system, which included six different classification methods combined in a fusion algorithm proposing a final diagnosis. Finally, new diagnoses were incorporated into the system.
In total, questionnaires from 210 individuals were used to train the system. 89.5 % correct diagnoses were achieved during cross-validation. The sensitivity of the system was 93–97 % for individuals with MP, with MdMy and without neuromuscular diseases, but only 69 % in SMA and 81 % in ALS patients. In the prospective trial, 57/64 (89 %) diagnoses were predicted correctly by the computerized system. All questions, or rather all answers, increased the diagnostic accuracy of the system, with the best results reached by the fusion of different classifier methods. Receiver operating curve (ROC) and p-value analyses confirmed the results.
A questionnaire-based diagnostic support tool using data mining methods exhibited good results in predicting selected neuromuscular diseases. Due to the variety of neuromuscular diseases, additional studies are required to measure beneficial effects in the clinical setting.
Patients with late-onset Pompe disease [glycogen storage disease II, acid-maltase deficiency (MP)], motor neuron disease, muscular dystrophy, or other neuromuscular diseases frequently experience diagnostic delay [1–4]. The rarity of these diseases together with clinical variability, atypical presentations, or lack of time for a thorough examination and medical history taking contribute to the delay in diagnosis. In patients with late-onset MP, the diagnostic latency can be more than 20 years . For amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, the median time from onset of first symptom to diagnosis has been reported to be 11 months [6, 7].
The past medical history offers important clues for diagnosing neuromuscular diseases. Indeed, medical history taking is one of the oldest arts in medicine, but introduction of new reimbursement systems has resulted in less time for communication between physicians and patients and relatives . One goal of this study was therefore to integrate the past medical history into a diagnostic tool and to combine it with modern statistical technologies. In addition, to incorporating the patient’s point of view, we explored the past medical history using questions that were created systematically following interviews focusing on the pre-diagnostic time period. Likewise, the practical experiences of the patient should be closely integrated into the diagnostic process.
We aimed to develop a computerized diagnostic support tool for earlier identification of neuromuscular diseases. In our previous work, we exploited useful scenarios for medical diagnostic support and generated a novel diagnostic support tool for the pediatric emergency department . This ‘emergency tool’ used 14 clinical (e.g. body temperature, blood pressure, pain) and 12 laboratory parameters (e.g. blood count, CRP level, blood-gas analysis) to produce a possible diagnosis. In this study, the system had a diagnostic accuracy between 81 and 97 % for 17 diagnoses such as meningitis, appendicitis, and pneumonia. Although successful, this tool excluded important parts of the past medical history. Therefore, we intended to develop a tool focusing on patients’ perceptions and experiences. In the current project for diagnostic support for individuals with selected neuromuscular diseases; we incorporated patients’ pre-diagnostic experiences and observations to collect answer patterns using questionnaires. Data mining methods then proved to be a reliable tool for answer pattern recognition. This novel tool could serve as diagnostic support for general practitioners (GP) to shorten the diagnostic time in patients with uncommon neuromuscular diseases.
In this multicenter prospective pilot study, we tested whether the patient experience explored via a questionnaire could provide diagnostic support for selected rare neuromuscular diseases characterized by long diagnostic latency. First, to gain insight into the patient’s viewpoint during pre-diagnostic phase, interviews with 16 patients with different neuromuscular diseases [MP, ALS, and muscular dystrophy (MD)] were performed across Germany between September 2011 and February 2012 by two authors (US and LG). These semi-structured (narrative) interviews lasted between 45 min and 2.5 h and started with the same initial question (“Please tell us everything that comes to mind before your diagnosis was established. Relay to us everything you consider to be of any importance: your observations and experiences that you would like to share”). At the conclusion of the patient’s narrative, the interviewer could ask additional questions to elucidate more details.
All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to Colaizzi’s techniques . Consequently, an inductive system of categories was developed reflecting the pre-diagnostic phenomena (experiences, symptoms, and/or observations). Examples of pre-diagnostic phenomena are given in Table 1. The process of how the interviews were analyzed to yield a question is illustrated in Supplemental Table 1 for one category.
Can you easily walk uphill?
When you were young were you able to keep up in sports?
Did you have to “cheat” such as using alternative muscles when performing certain activities?
The ethics committees of Hannover medical university (Ethikkommission der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover, head: Prof. Dr. H.D. Tröger) and Bochum medical university (Ethik-Kommission der Ruhr Universität Bochum, head: Prof. Dr. M. Zenz) approved the study. All patients gave informed consent for the interviews and all individuals answering the questionnaire gave their informed consent to participate.
Two researchers (US and LG) reviewed and analyzed the interviews. Utilizing techniques described by Colaizzi, patients’ observations were then systematically categorized. A stepwise qualitative analysis was undertaken, including extraction of significant phrases, reduction of the phrases into their essential structures, generation of a question from the essential structure, and validation of questions by the interviewees. To organize the observations and create a questionnaire that would reflect the important experiences, we classified the content of the interviews into different categories. Additionally, we incorporated an additional step, not part of the Colaizzi’s stepwise analysis, and created a question reflecting the pre-diagnostic experiences (Additional file 1). Based on these categories questions were generated resulting in a questionnaire that reflected all categories. Likewise, the questionnaire reflected all the pre-diagnostic phenomena of the interviewees. In close dialogue with patient support groups, the maximum length of the questionnaire was to have no more than two pages and be able to be completed in less than ten minutes. The answers in the questionnaire were scaled from 1 (“absolutely not true”) to 6 (“completely true”). All interviewees as well as patients who were not interviewed evaluated the questions and made suggestions to improve the comprehensibility of the final version of the questionnaire which consisted of 46 questions. Five questions from the questionnaire are shown in Table 2 and the complete questionnaire is provided in the appendix.
Were you ever diagnosed with an elevated CK level (creatinkinase, a muscle enzyme)?
Have your liver parameter/enzymes ever been elevated without apparent reason?
Is it particularly challenging to walk uphill?
Do you have difficulties standing up from a crouch?
Do you often stumble when you walk or do your feet feel “sticky”?
Do people describe your walk as “funny” or “particular”?
After formulating of the questionnaire, patients with an established diagnosis (based on standard criteria) of the selected neuromuscular diseases, i.e. muscular dystrophy and myotonia (MdMy) [including patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy, oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), proximal myotonic myopathy (PROMM), facioscapulohumeral MD, limb-girdle-MD, myotonia congenita Thomsen], MP, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), ALS, polyneuropathy (PNP), and other neuromuscular diseases [including patients with chronic progressive external opthalmoplegia (CPEO)-plus, polymyositis, Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy, Miyoshi myopathy, Friedreich ataxia, primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA)] were invited (between March 2013 until November 2013) to complete the questionnaire through our neurological outpatient clinic or via local patient group sites. To facilitate participation, a web-based platform was created to answer the questionnaire. Individuals without neuromuscular disease are interpreted as a 7th disease group. During this first period, 210 completed questionnaires were collected and used for cross-validation and later as a training set to predict the correct diagnosis for 64 new patients in a second step.
The second step, a prospective and multicenter study with different neurological clinics was initiated between October 2013 and October 2014. 64 patients with an established diagnosis of MdMy, MP, SMA, ALS, or PNP completed the questionnaire. The questionnaires were answered and collected in different hospitals in Hannover and Bochum, Germany. Only patients with McA disease were contacted via patient groups.
Finding the right diagnosis based on the answer patterns in the questionnaires can be seen multiclass classification problem. The target attribute was the diagnosis and the elements used for the prediction were the answers to the questions which are given on an ordinal scale. Most classifiers are designed to handle either numerical or categorical attributes. Therefore, the ordinal scale was interpreted as a numerical scale.
Classifiers are based on different assumptions of how the classes – the diagnoses – can be identified or separated. For instance, linear discriminant analysis is based on the assumption that each class is represented by a multivariate normal distribution whereas a decision tree assumes that the classes can be separated by axes-parallel hyper-planes. None of these assumptions really fits the questionnaire data set. Therefore, no single classifier was chosen but rather an ensemble of classifiers.
Classifier ensembles (i.e. combinations of different classification algorithms) often lead to better predictions. The application of classifier ensembles in the context of support for medical diagnosis has been described previously . In the current study, however, we used a combination of eight distinct classifiers (support vector machine, artificial neural network, fuzzy rule-based, random forest, logistic regression, linear discriminant analysis, naive Bayes, and nearest neighbor) to enhance the accuracy of the diagnosis. Selecting the six classifiers is based on the authors’ experience gathered by medical data evaluation for many years.
Although various classifiers are available, there are main groups with a similar underlying mathematical concept. The selected classifiers implement different mathematical assumptions and a diversity of algorithm structures.
In a first step the evaluation of a single questionnaire was performed by six different classifier algorithms. For a patient showing specific symptoms with respect to one of the seven diagnoses, a majority of the 6 classifiers returned an identical result. The classifier results are a vector of probability values for each of the seven diagnoses.
For most questionnaires a fusion algorithm was necessary to perform a weighted majority voting. Each classifier delivered a disease number as well as a corresponding probability value for each assumed diagnosis. The maximum total sum of all probability values for each single diagnosis indicated the diagnosis with the highest relative probability. Summing the probabilities of all classifiers for each diagnosis yielded a score. The diagnosis with the highest score was chosen if it exceeded a certain value.
Evaluation of the classifier ensemble was based on a 21-fold stratified cross-validation algorithm and on case studies with patients who entered the hospital without knowing the final diagnoses. The models were developed and tested by Java software sources including function calls to the R statistics software package libraries.
Many patients experienced a long pre-diagnostic time, especially those with MP and some with MDs. In the interviews, pre-diagnostic experiences were collected and categorized (Table 1). Among various narratives belonging to same category, the questions were created to generate a questionnaire consisting of 46 items reflecting all categories (Table 1 and Additional file 1).
The six most important questions in this study are displayed in Table 1 (the complete questionnaire is available as Additional file 2).
In total, 274 individuals (210 individuals for the training data set, 64 new data sets with a diagnosis of MdMy, ALS, MP, PNP, or SMA) completed the questionnaire. The return rate of the questionnaire differed between the diagnostic groups (Table 2). Most questionnaires were answered through the web-based program between March and May 2013.
During the first study period, 210 answered questionnaires were collected and used for cross-validation. Due to the limited size of the data set, we deviated from the standard 10-fold cross-validation and applied 21-fold cross-validation in order to always have more samples in the training set. The specific number 21 was chosen simply because 21 is a divisor of 210. The 21-fold stratified method selects ten patients for each validation step and repeats this procedure for all 21 groups. Then a classifier was built based on all 210 patients. Later on further 64 new patients filled in the questionnaire and we applied this classifier to these patients, who did not belong to the training data set of the 210 former patients.
For validation purposes, the stratified k-fold cross-validation, a standardized method used in data mining, was used for k = 21. In the group of 210 individuals, 89.5 % (+/- 10.7 %) or 188/210 questionnaires were assigned to the correct diagnosis. The misclassification rate varied between the different classifiers and disease groups (Table 3). The fusion classifiers provided the best results. Here, the diagnostic sensitivity for the detection of MD was 96 and 93 % for MP, but only 69 % for patients with spinal muscular atrophy. The compiled category “other” including a variety of different neurological diseases exhibited the second worst results (81 % correct diagnoses, Table 4).
In Table 5, a confusion matrix is shown for the results of the fusion classifier which combines the results of 6 data mining methods. Depending on the number of patients and the type of disease in each group the positive predictive value (PPV) and the negative predictive value (NPV) vary between 0.83 and 1 for the PPV and between 0.97 and 0.99 for the NPV.
To illustrate the variety between different classifying systems, the results of different data mining methods during cross-validation was calculated. The results of the final fusion classifier were better than the results of single classifiers in most of the layers, indicating that the combination of different classifiers outperforms any single classifier in this setting.
The amount of questions gathered by the Colaizzi method guarantees high sensitivity values reached by the data mining algorithms. In test evaluations a stepwise reduction of the number questions was investigated with the result that the sensitivity rates decline with the number of omitted questions. However, the rate of the decline depends on the impact of a single question on the sensitivity values measured by ROC/AUC (area under the curve) values and p-value computations.
Question 40 (“Is it true that physical activities that you used to be able to do are not possible anymore?”) serves as an example for a “weaker” question. For diagnosis 1, question 40 shows a weak p-value for the corresponding coefficient in logistic regression. If this question is skipped, the sensitivity value for this diagnosis declines from 96 % down to 92 %, while the averaged sensitivity value for all diagnoses performs with only 1 % decrease. Cancelling “weak” questions with less significant p-values leads to a moderate decrease in the total sensitivity values, but triggers strong reduction of sensitivity for single diagnoses. Therefore, the evaluations are based on the full amount of 46 questions collected by the Colaizzi method.
The p-values for the questions and the seven diagnoses under investigation are shown in the Additional file 3.
During the one-year prospective trial, 64 patients with a diagnosis of MdMy, MP, SMA, ALS, or PNP answered the questionnaire (Table 6). In this group, 89 % correct diagnoses were provided. The distribution in the different disease groups varied. Especially in patients with PNP, there was a relevant rate of incorrect diagnoses.
Nine individuals were included into the trial, who did not have a definitive diagnosis at the time of completion of the questionnaire. They were referred to a tertiary center to establish a final diagnosis based on symptomology. There was suspicion for a neuromuscular disease by the referring neurologist, but the diagnosis needed confirmation at a tertiary clinic. Two out of four patients, later confirmed to have PNP, received the correct diagnosis employing the computer program. The remaining two PNP patients were incorrectly classified as SMA. One patient subsequently diagnosed with ALS, was correctly diagnosed by our system. Four patients with diagnoses unknown to the system (vasculitis, MG, rhabdomyolysis, and polymyositis) were correctly classified as “other neuromuscular diseases”.
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were also used to evaluate the predictive power of our approach. Finally, a validation of the importance of the questions was carried out. On the one hand, a p-value for each question was calculated based on the significance (deviation from zero) of the corresponding coefficient in logistic regression (Additional file 3). On the other hand, the performance of the system was tested by leaving out questions with less significant p-values.
Figure 1 illustrates the high diagnostic accuracy of different classifiers with the best results for the fusion classifier for individuals with Pompe disease.
The main findings of this study are that patients with selected neuromuscular diseases could be identified or distinguished using data mining in conjunction with answer pattern analysis from newly developed questionnaire. Secondly, the results of the study support the notion that data mining methods show plasticity and expandability, making this approach a promising tool for modern diagnostics. Indeed, the diagnostic accuracy of the tool was nearly 90 % depending on the diagnostic group. Good results for NPV and PPV could be reached but need confirmation in a larger scale study. These preliminary results support our hypothesis that medical history taking, which was simulated here using selected questions, together with modern computational methods is powerful to assist the physician in generating a diagnosis.
Diagnostic support is needed for neuromuscular diseases due to a lack of experience with these disease entities by GPs and even many sub-specialties. Often the diagnosis is delayed. A recent report on patients with oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy by Scotland et al. demonstrated a prolonged time frame, up to 20 years, before the diagnosis was made . The reasons for the delay were multiple including patient denial, nonspecific symptoms, clinical variability, and rarity of the disease [13–16]. However, the role of the GP as gatekeeper must be highlighted as well [1, 11, 12]. New systems to remind medical gatekeepers of rare diseases are highly desirable and multiple reports addressing delays in diagnosis in different disease groups underscored this issue [6, 7, 11].
Computer aided diagnostic support dates back to the 1980s . Using databases and statistical algorithms, scientists attempted to reduce diagnostic mistakes and enhance diagnostic accuracy [18–21]. Despite some success, daily real life application was limited and most diagnoses are still made by the practitioner without the assistance of computerized programs. In addition, these initial computer based diagnostic tools had drawbacks. First, the programming of rules to update any expert system is time-consuming and the number of rules to be incorporated in such a system rises exponentially such that data entry is often impracticable . Moreover, self-assessment by doctors has the potential to inadvertently reinforce false concepts to the detriment of excluding other plausible ideas [23–27]. These barriers were successfully addressed in our project by utilizing self-learning data mining methods and transferring the data entry to patients who simply answer the questionnaire while waiting to see the doctor. This structure also takes advantage of the patient as being an expert on his/her own health.
Unfortunately, the clues for diagnosis are often lost in the physician-patient communication or the physician simply do not appreciate the patient’s perspective fully [28, 29]. Exploring the past medical history thoroughly is a cornerstone of the medical evaluation, but it is hampered by lack of time and misunderstanding between health professionals and patients [30, 31]. On the other hand, patients with rare chronic diseases are experts in detecting the signs and symptoms of their disease. Careful attention to patients’ experiences as related to their disease gives important hints for additional work up. These ideas were successfully integrated into our diagnostic support tool using questions developed from patients’ pre-diagnostic experiences .
The diagnostic delay in patients with neuromuscular disorders is influenced by the treating physician at first encounter . A neurologist might not need a diagnostic support tool for detecting neuromuscular diseases, but for a GP this could be different. The patient with certain key symptoms (e.g. fatigue, cramps, muscle twitching/fasciculations, tripping, slurred speech, or muscle weakness) could answer the questionnaire in the waiting room. The putative diagnosis would be immediately displayed to the physician who could then consider the suggested diagnosis and explore the past medical history in more detail to help refute or substantiate the diagnosis and request additional laboratory or radiological exams prior to referring the patient to a subspecialist.
Our study has certain limitations, however. First, we conducted interviews and collected questionnaires on a heterogeneous group of individuals and the number was small. This might have resulted in a selection bias of the final questions. Importantly, some observations are not reflected in the current questionnaire. Although this may reflect the daily work of a GP who cannot ask all possible questions, it also reveals the restraints of a questionnaire-based diagnostic tool. Second, the tool under investigation does not render a definitive diagnosis but rather directs the GP to a diagnostic group. The treating physician can prompt further testing to reach a definite diagnosis. Of note, we choose only six neuromuscular diseases where diagnostic delay is common, but many other conditions with similar symptoms cannot be diagnosed with this tool at the current time. In addition, one might criticize the system for overfitting and as such being biased for detecting certain diseases much better than detecting a simple muscle ache. However, this may be partially remedied by prospective testing and expansion of the system with new diagnoses (e.g. McA, MMN, and IBM). However, the pilot evaluation of nine patients without a diagnosis resulted in high quality diagnostic suggestions. Third, the prospective trial included only patients with an established neuromuscular disease but no other diagnoses, e.g. chronic cardiac or pulmonary diseases, mimicking a neuromuscular disorder.
The training data set of 210 questions as well as the prospective tests with 64 patients was relatively small and did not represent all possible disease manifestations or all possible neuromuscular diseases. Particularly in the group of patients with muscular dystrophies, we collected questionnaires from patients with different diagnoses who were then computed into one larger group, resulting in more heterogeneity in the group. The next challenge for the system will be to detect individuals with fibromyalgia and pulmonological or psychosomatic disorders, which will be addressed in a future trial. However, as a surprising proof of concept, our data showed that it is possible to generate a diagnostic hint of neuromuscular diseases by computer-based analysis of answer patterns. In contrast, internet search engines of symptoms for self-diagnosis showed disappointing results for motor neuron diseases . The application of data mining techniques improved the diagnostic quality in selected clinical scenarios . Recently, the combination of questionnaires and data mining techniques proved very successful for diagnosing rare pulmonary diseases in children . A randomized study performed by Kostopoulou and co-workers recently demonstrated the beneficial effects of computerized support on the diagnostic accuracy of GPs indicating the potential value of CDSS for clinical usage . A similar study is planned with the tool under investigation here to analyze its benefit for the clinical use.
In conclusion, these preliminary data indicate that individuals with selected neuromuscular diseases share symptoms and experiences in the pre-diagnostic period which were exploited to develop a specific questionnaire and subsequent data mining techniques of answer patterns. A diagnostic support tool may help the GP to identify patients with unspecific symptoms that might be the first indication of a rare neuromuscular disease. Today this tool covers only limited diseases and diagnostic categories. Therefor this system is not yet ready for the clinical use. Further trials are needed before this system may be integrated into routine clinical use.
We are grateful for the support from the patient groups. Special thanks to Mr. Schwagenscheidt and Mr. Schaller (glycogen storage disease self-help group), Mrs. Wolter and Mr. Reher (ALS self-help group, Syke, Germany), and the German Muscle Disease patient group (DGM; Mr. Bösche and Mrs. and Mr. Schulz).
Dr. Hans Hartmann and Dr. Martina Huemer are gratefully acknowledged for valuable discussion of the data. The Elternverein Krebskranke Kinder Hannover e.V. funded parts of WL’s work. Mr. Axel Weiser provided valuable support in designing the questionnaire. Dr. Mwe-Mwe Chao provided excellent support for the revised version of the manuscript.
The Robert Bosch Stiftung (Stuttgart, Germany) is funding further research to improve the diagnosis of rare diseases.
The study was funded by Genzyme Sanofi. WL, LG, and FK are co-founders of Improved Medical Diagnostics IMD GmbH, Hannover, Germany.
LG, US developed the study concept and design. US, LG, and SM acquired the data. WL programmed the data mining algorithm. FK, LG, US, and WL analyzed the data. XK and FK carried out the p-value computation. LG, KK, SP, and US interpreted the data. AG, CSG, TL, CK, and SM collected the prospective data. SM and LG designed the prospective study. LG, FK, WL, and US drafted the manuscript. SP, RD and KK diagnosed and treated patients in Hannover. All authors were involved in the revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. | 2019-04-24T06:38:46Z | https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-016-0268-5 |
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DENVER, CO – October 18, 2017 – Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX), the world leader in Subscriber Driven Intelligent Access, today announced its Software Defined 10G EPON solution has been named a finalist in the FTTH/Optical Access Platform category in the BTR Diamond Technology Reviews. Software Defined 10G EPON has already seen an overwhelmingly positive and eager response as several significant cable operators have begun to evaluate the technology as a catalyst to their Fiber Deep deployment strategies. The groundbreaking Calix 10G EPON system provides these operators with the ideal solution to transform their networks to SDN control and orchestration at their own pace while adding the flexibility afforded to them through the portability of AXOS to virtualize network functions.
Cable operators are in the middle of a transition to software-defined, virtualized, and agile networks, which are crucial to rapidly delivering new services and maintaining their competitive edge. Calix 10G EPON solutions, built on AXOS, give cable operators a foundation that can support both DOCSIS and SDN today. With Calix AXOS DPx, the industry’s first microservices implementation of DPoE®, integration into existing back office systems is seamless, allowing cable operators to move quickly to a software defined network. In addition, the modular and portable nature of AXOS, built on open NETCONF/YANG data models, allows the platform to thrive in a multi-vendor, multi-technology environment, uniquely simplifying operations and rapid service delivery. The unparalleled flexibility of Calix 10G EPON solutions has been key to the rapid introduction of the technology in cable operators’ lab environments today as they prepare for networks of the future.
Learn more about Calix 10G EPON and other cable solutions in Booth 1831 at the SCTE Cable Tec Expo this week.
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The Broadband Technology Report Diamond Technology Reviews ("the Diamonds") is a renowned industry program that was developed to recognize some of the top products and solutions available to the cable industry as determined by a stellar panel of cable telecommunications engineering experts. Engineering executives from Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Suddenlink Communications, Comcast, Charter and Cox, and several expert consultants, were among the third-party judges for the 2017 "Diamonds." Every year, Broadband Technology Report invites vendors to submit written information about products/solutions that have been released or upgraded since the previous year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo (September 2016). Criteria used in the Diamonds rankings include, first and foremost, unique technology or application thereof, innovation, ease-of-use, efficiency, reliability and contribution to profitability.
Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) pioneered Software Defined Access and cloud products focused on access networks and the subscriber. Its portfolio of Intelligent Access systems and software combines AXOS, the revolutionary platform for access, with Calix Cloud, innovative cloud products for network data analytics and subscriber experience assurance. Together, they enable communications service providers to transform their businesses and be the winning service providers of tomorrow. For more information, visit the Calix website at www.calix.com. | 2019-04-22T02:05:52Z | https://www.calix.com/press-release/2017/10--october-/calix-software-defined-10g-epon-named-ftth-optical-access-platfo.html |
“Glue products” connect sections of software solutions for customers. At the application layer examples include Tibco, IBM’s MQ Series and more. At the functional level, examples include software systems for training, networking, data collection, and many more. This post will discuss functional glue products.
I have current experience working with Microsoft’s SharePoint server product and related training solutions. So I will present what follows specifically on training as a glue product and how I think sales teams should address value with their customers.
SharePoint customers, on-premises, have objectives like “collaboration”, “compliance reporting”, internal communications (intranet), communications with partners (extranet), etc. Without training, personnel may not be able to successfully deliver on any of these objectives. So does the value proposition for the training component depend simply on the training itself, or should the calculation of value be based on how the system chosen for the training requirement optimizes the overall value of the SharePoint solution? Sales teams should help customers understand the most accurate value calculation will be based on the value of the overall SharePoint solution with the training component included as the optimum choice for the job. This tactic enables a favorable pricing discussion for the training component for the sales team while, at the same time, promising the best chance the customer will have to extract the highest possible value from investment in the overall solution.
If sales teams don’t do the work (in other words come up with a description of the solution the customer expects to build with SharePoint, and the expected role for training or one of the other glue solutions I mention above), then the value proposition will likely come down to an “apple vs orange” comparison where one training option is compared to another without any attention to the overall solution. The sales team will likely find itself haggling over price, while the customer struggles to get to the highest possible return on investment in the overall system.
Convincing customers to participate in a value calculation as I have just described depends on trust. So sales teams should also implement supporting tactics capable of elevating the relationship with the customer.
I am often surprised to see how few early stage ISVs marketing functional glue products demonstrate understanding of these tactics. Successful efforts to sell to enterprise software customers almost always include this type of value discussion, calculation and proposition.
Results for the business quarter ending May 31, 2013 at Oracle® weren’t well received by Wall Street. Don Clark and Nathalie Tadena summarized the results and investor reaction in an article published on June 20, 2013, Oracle Earnings: Shares Slide on Flat Revenue, Cloud-Software Challenges in the online edition of The Wall Street Journal. The authors wrote: “Oracle lifted its profit 10% in the fiscal fourth quarter ended May 31, doubled its quarterly dividend and authorized a stock buyback of up to $12 billion.”, but investors still took 9% off of the stock price in simply 1 day of trading.
Why? As the authors aptly note, revenue reflected zero growth from the prior year. Sure Oracle is making more money from its businesses, but the bottom line is not growing. We think an important reason for insignificant revenue growth is an effort to train an existing sales force, familiar and committed to enterprise markets, to sell multi tenant cloud alternatives. Oracle reported on sales difficulties in its Q3 2013 report. The Q4 report claims substantial improvement in the effectiveness of sales teams, but there are no results to substantiate the claim.
We don’t think efforts to retrain sales teams, like this one (there are other examples at Dell and HP) work very often. We think a better approach is to restructure sales teams into a contentious formation, where enterprise sales teams can compete with sales teams dedicated to selling multi tenant cloud products for the same business. A simple review of the history of efforts by Oracle’s peers and competitors–Microsoft®, and IBM® shows little success at extracting the gold from repurposing the same sales personnel onto new products.
In contrast, a review of how other industries, for example newspaper publishing, handled similar difficult challenges, shows management fostering healthy contention between sales teams. In the 1990s and the first decade of the new millennium, separate sales teams were dedicated to selling print vs. online editions. A healthier New York Times in 2013 is an example of how contention can be used to produce better results. We think Oracle®, Microsoft®, and IBM® should think about how to use internal contention methods to better manage sales to produce the revenue improvement they need.
Carefully read analyst opinion before adding it to a sales presentation built around an appeal to authority. We almost made the mistake of pouring some comments published by Gartner, Inc. in its Highlights From Gartner’s Data-Driven Marketing Survey, 2013.
After a careful review of the material we decided the conclusions reached were not applicable to our target market — early stage Independent Software Vendors (ISVs). Here’s an example: “A majority of marketers that we interviewed, 54%, invest in digital marketing because they believe it’s key to their competitiveness. But they are not certain of the return on their investment. For that survey, which took place in April 2012, we interviewed 98 marketing executives in companies with revenue greater than $1 billion, and who had or were considering a digital marketing function.” (quoted from Gartner, Inc. A link to the full report has been provided above).
Our market is not characterized by ” . . . companies with revenue greater than $1 billion.” The companies in our market do not ” . . . invest in digital marketing because they believe it’s key to their competitiveness.” They invest in digital marketing because most of them sell software as a service (SaaS) solutions. Almost all of the revenue they produce is the result of online sales and marketing.
So what’s the big deal? The big deal is how we got to this report. We followed a link from an innocuous sentence on a web page on the IT World, Canada website: “Many organizations are plagued by disconnected analytic efforts, according to research firm Gartner Inc.”.
Note the hyperbole in the sentence. There are comparatively not ” . . . [m]any organizations . . . ” with revenue over $1Bil. The survey conducted by Gartner, Inc. speaks to a very small segment of businesses here in the United States.
Opting to include information actually unrelated to a subject at hand in an “appeal to authority” substantially diminishes the effectiveness of the appeal. Sad to say a lot of the argumentation we read today is hastily put together with information actually irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
Early stage Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) planning on a customer profile typified by a larger, enterprise class business customer, should have a tactic in place to handle modern enterprise business purchasing methods, at least for the United States market. These purchasing methods usually include a simple sole source procedure to fill orders. The rationale for these methods goes like this: Sole source vendors are comfortable selling computing technology products, and even services, as commodities to their customers. So the vendor accepts lower margins in return for larger order volume.
To play the game, early stage ISVs will need to sell products to their end customers at a lower price through these sole source vendors. The sole source vendor, in turn, will sell the product to the end customer at a set price, usually directly negotiated between the ISV and the enterprise IT business customer. But internal sales teams, where compensation plans are weighted towards commission, will not have the incentive to pursue the business if they must anticipate splitting the percentage basis of the commission with the sole source vendor. In some cases the sole source vendor will get 75% of the margin, leaving sales people a mere 5 – 10 percent of normal commission.
The purchasing method, itself, is problematic. Sole sourcing results in a low cost order processing procedure, but some ISVs will simply not be able to compete for the business, especially self-financed ISVs lacking the financial resources required to compensate sales staff in lieu of commission.
Enterprise business suffers where the best solution for a requirement is manufactured by an ISV poorly equipped for the enterprise IT selling experience. Frequently this type of ISV will drop out of the competition for the business if sales teams cannot be fairly compensated for the extensive effort they must make to win the order. The result for the customer is a mediocre solution promising a limited return on investment. IT portfolio management roles should be designed to ensure enterprise business doesn’t fall into the trap of buying products, which can be procured through a sole source channel, but are, nevertheless, not well received by peers in the same market.
an early stage ISV with a product targeted for an enterprise customer profile), you need a better tactic to successfully use your strategy to attain targeted objectives. IMB Enterprises, Inc. can help you. Please contact us to learn more.
As we have argued in the last couple of posts to this blog, it is likely much easier for these ISVs of solutions on the periphery of enterprise IT computing to gain renewals on subscriptions where decision makers are aware of the solutions and engaged in the successful implementation of them as components of an enterprise-wide quest for value. Nevertheless, as we have just noted, most of the time engaging with decision makers is a very difficult challenge for ISVs of peripheral solutions. The end result is a difficult tone to year end where the sales team is out in the market with crossed fingers hoping that customers will opt to renew, despite a lack of support from decision makers.
A cure to this malaise is to joint market with ISVs of bigger solutions. If our readers need to be convinced on this point, then we recommend that they simply consider that the cost of these bigger solutions is always a matter with high impact on enterprise business decision makers. Further, implementing bigger solutions requires changes in operating procedures across an enterprise. Based on these two conditions it is safe to assume that decision makers will maintain focus on requirements for these bigger solutions.
The task for ISVs producing peripheral solutions is to identify likely partners who will require peripheral solutions to ensure that their customers can successfully implement their solutions. Success in this setting almost always amounts to implementing a solution that will produce a lower cost of business operation. Cost savings should be understood as largely synonymous with the concept of value for enterprise IT businesses.
We participated directly in the successful efforts of one ISV with a peripheral solution targeted to enterprise businesses. This ISV had a solution that permitted enterprise businesses to purchase very costly document production equipment. Specifically, enterprise businesses could use this ISV’s solution to spread the cost of this costly document production equipment across a wide range of computing systems, including a mainframe, work place computing and standalone personal computers. Our partner in this solution was a small company by the name of Xerox. If you care to hear further about this specific success story, then please use our contact form to submit your request.
As we wrote in a prior post to this blog, enterprise IT ISVs with “razorblade” products built to produce a healthy recurring revenue from the periodic replenishment of the “non durable” component of the product (which is usually length of access via a cloud or software as a service, SaaS, subscription) must engage directly with decision makers. The reason for this imperative is that successfully capturing service renewals becomes a much easier task when decision makers are correctly engaged from the start of a sales plan. Lots of sales trainers have admonished their students to meet this imperative; therefore, we are not making our claim in a vacuum. The facts are that the perspective of operational personnel as regards costs, benefits, savings, etc. are very different from the perspective of decision makers who likely own budgets, and, therefore, manage capital outlays with utmost care.
We know of three different methods of producing this type of engagement very early in a sales plan. The first method is to implement what is often referred to as a “diagnostic” or “deeper dive” activity with a prospect. The purpose of this activity is to collect all relevant information about a prospect’s needs, ostensibly to determine not only the factors that a prospect is looking to change, but the severity of these factors, which most sales trainers agree will permit sales teams to estimate the likelihood of a sale. The general rule is that the more severe the factors, the greater the likelihood that a sale will be made.
Of course, the details that emerge from this “deeper dive” activity more often than not will include identification of decision makers as well as the roles of other important contacts in a purchase decision. Where factors are severe, in our experience, there is a greater likelihood that prospects will acquiesce to including decision makers in a discussion. But for products that sit on the periphery of larger applications, it is often very difficult for sales teams to get prospect commitment to engage in a deeper dive, especially in 2012 where prospects have generally accumulated all of the information they require about meeting their needs before they contact sales.
In these cases we highly recommend identifying other contacts within the same organizations. In other words, while an initial sale is in process, lead generation teams are using techniques like teleprospecting to engage with other contacts at the same business. It is much better for this process to be effective not to link the two activities. In other words, we recommend that sales teams continue to execute on their sales plan with immediate prospects independent of the activity of lead generation personnel. Over time, a map of decision making for the enterprise should emerge.
The last method is simply to use renewals as an opportunity to engage with decision makers. In our experience, prospects are much more open to identify decision makers post sale than is usually the case while the sales plan is in process. Of course, it is much more difficult to engage with decision makers after the sale has been made, but in some cases there is simply no alternative.
In the next post to this blog we will look further at how ISVs of peripheral products can leverage partners to get to the same aforementioned decision makers.
Sales teams representing enterprise IT ISVs need to act on any opportunity to include decision-makers in their sales plan. It is is easy to be lulled into skipping this critically important step. Here’s an example: sales receives an incoming inquiry from a user at an enterprise organization. This user, as it turns out, is looking to implement a specific solution like our ISV’s product. The user has gone through a preliminary step of gaining management approval to purchase some solution to meet his/her requirement. Therefore, from this user’s perspective, the next step is simply to gather all of the information required to make an informed decision as to which product will best meet the objectives of the requirement.
In 2012, the user depicted in our example usually doesn’t even need to reach out to sales at any point prior to placing an order. In fact, our ISV, like all of its competitors, has exposed lots and lots of informative content about its products, clients, testimonials, etc on its web site. Even more, pricing information is included in this material. The result is that our user knows just about everything, without any required contact with sales.
Once the inquiry finally comes in, the purpose is generally to shop the product, or, often, to place an order. Our sales team may try to slow down the process, in order to collect a lot of information about the user, his/her application, why the purchase was likely approved, etc., but our user may have very little tolerance for the efforts of the sales team to slow things down. After all, our user already has all the answers to the qualification questions he/she required to determine the set of products that would likely meet the requirement, which, in turn, needed further review. Our sales team will likely back off of its requests and assume the role of order taker.
If our ISVs product is a cloud offering with an annual subscription, it may be literally “up for grabs” as to whether or not our user will renew the enterprise subscription in year two, or not. When our sales team makes the attempt to secure an approval to send an invoice for the renewal charge, the response may be something like “I love your content, but I’ve moved onto another set of tasks and management has turned down a request to renew even though the team that took over for me would certainly benefit from a renewal”.
In fact, our sales team laid the groundwork for this problem way back when our user placed the order. It would have been much more fortuitous to push our user prior to accepting the original order. In the next post to this blog we will present some of the technique that we exercise to get the actual decision-maker included in the discussion.
We sat through a webcast of Q3 FY 2013 conference call for Dell. Our rationale for spending the time required to attend this earnings presentation was simple. We are investors in Dell. As well, we are largely focused on realities and potential trends in IT computing for enterprise businesses and comparably sized organizations in the public and/or private sectors. Regardless of Dell’s present condition, the company is, nevertheless, a major factor in our area of focus, and, therefore, worth our attention.
It is hard for us to believe, but nevertheless true (per this report), that Dell embarked on its effort to transform itself into an “end to end” solution for enterprise markets four years ago. Brian T. Gladden, SVP and CIO makes mention of this fact at the start of this webcast presentation of the Q3 results. Gladden also notes that this “end to end” product produced approximately $4.8 Billion in earnings for the quarter, which, by any standard, is a considerable amount of money. But the composite growth rate, at a mere 3%, in our opinion, is much more indicative of a stable, mature business, than a growth vehicle. Further, the fact that the leading group of products in this complex set of solutions (in terms of revenue generation), namely hardware servers and network equipment, are simply the foundation for Dell’s growing set of offers at the application layer (principally Quest Software) says to us that enterprise IT spending on software is largely at a standstill, at least for Dell.
Mr. Gladden noted that total company revenue was down 11% year over year, but still within the range management forecasted in August, 2012 (albeit at the low end of that range). Gross margin, at 22% declined 60 basis points, from Q2 fy 2013. We think that some of this decline in gross margin can be attributed to what we have written about elsewhere in this blog, namely, the phenomenon whereby IT software is trending, from the customer, demand, perspective, to mere commodity. Profitability was shored up by careful management of operational expenses (OPEX). Nevertheless, earnings per share amounted to a 28% reduction below Q2 fy 2013.
Sales of network hardware grew by 40%, which is impressive. Mr. Gladden noted that Dell launched its “Active Infrastructure Converged Offering” in this quarter. This offer includes hardware, software and services components ” . . . under a common design architecture . . .” (quoted from Dell’s webcast, which can be accessed from the Dell website, for which a link has been provided above). He characterized the market forces driving this offering as a need for “simpler” solutions.
Per Mr. Gladden, the drop of 3% in sales of storage solution resulted in revenue that fell below management’s expectations. Nevertheless, he characterized this drop as more the result of weaker market demand than any competitive factors.
Our conclusion from this section of the Dell webcast is that enterprise IT spending on data center, on premise solutions is on hold, at least for the class of solutions offered by this vendor. Further, and with specific reference to Dell, itself, we think that the fact that hardware components — namely servers and network devices — remain key revenue drivers, despite 4 years of transition, indicates some management difficulty with regards to truly transforming this business.
have contributed to this purchasing slow down.
Of course, if we are accurate, then publicly traded ISVs like Dell, HP and even Microsoft and Oracle, will likely report results below analyst expectations when March, 2013 rolls around.
The question for enterprise ISVs becomes how to manage this type of slow down. We strongly advocate eschewing any finger pointing at sales for poor performance. In fact, most of the conditions driving the type of slow down that we are witnessing have little, if anything to do with sales techniques. If anything, the type of purchasing climate that we are witnessing should prod enterprise IT ISVs to take steps to insulate sales teams that are performing to expectation from the type of hit that would otherwise occur as the result of these environmental conditions.
We are not calling for bonuses to be paid out when revenue falls below expectation. Rather, we are calling on sales management to carefully evaluate sales team performance and provide encouragement, where it makes sense, to ensure that talented individuals are not lost to competitors. In fact, we are entirely confident that present conditions will eventually improve; therefore, top performers will be needed as opportunities re-emerge. If top performers can presently be identified within sales teams, it makes sense to take the steps to retain them. It is common knowledge that the cost of replacing top performers is much higher than the cost of taking the steps required to retain them on staff. Why waste precious cash in an effort to replace talent that should have been kept on board?
From a product management perspective, it may make sense for enterprise IT ISVs to produce very low cost (and even no cost) versions of products to keep the process of seeding major account opportunities moving forward. After all, when macro factors improve (as they most certainly will), enterprise customers committed to a platform will likely pay to extend usage. The key for ISVs is obtaining their commitment> If resources are such that a quarter or two of slower progress can be tolerated, then it makes sense to continue winning commitment, even with “freeware”.
In the last post to this blog we talked about enterprise IT, and their likely role in cloud computing discussions. There is another reason for ISVs to actively search for opportunities to include enterprise IT organizations in discussions about cloud computing offers. In fact, these organizations are usually highly influential within the management hierarchy of enterprise businesses, and, therefore, may have the authority to mandate enterprise wide use of solutions — which can result in substantial sales volume for ISVs.
Enterprise IT organizations can take on this role as a sponsoring authority for a computing standard either as a driver, or, on the other hand, as an implementer, working on behalf of a line of business (LOB) organization. When enterprise IT drives products as company standards, LOBs within the organization will usually adhere to policy and implement approved solutions for requirements.
When enterprise IT implements products on behalf of LOBs, the LOBs are usually powerful within their respective organizations. If ISV sales teams have done their work, meaning that they have reached out enterprise IT organizations and established credibility, then they have an opportunity to leverage successful implementations as a reference for other LOBs within the same organization. This latter approach requires more work, but can be equally productive as regards sales volume.
The point is that ISVs — especially Cloud ISVs — need to understand that enterprise IT is a very important group within the organization, and, certainly, not one to be treated in a casual manner. Gaining this understanding means carefully modulating promotion based upon the bring your own device (BYOD) movement, or the consumerization of IT to ensure that enterprise IT guidelines and policies are respected, and, further, presented to LOBs as they emerge. There is no more certain failure plan for a sales strategy for enterprise business opportunities than to go against enterprise IT policies and mandated procedures.
In fact, enterprise IT organizations will usually welcome outreach. They understand their obligation to provision as optimal a computing environment for internal users, as possible and will, in all likelihood, make reasonable best efforts to deliver on their mandate. We need to note that outreach should be effected appropriately in a carefully modulated manner. There is no need to include enterprise IT in early stage negotiations with LOBs beyond simply establishing, within the lead generation stage for the opportunity, whether or not LOB contacts are aware of any enterprise IT policies or procedures for the type of solution under discussion. Lightly covering this base very early in the sales cycles makes sense. A lot of wasted effort can be spared by qualifying prospects on this question. | 2019-04-19T01:26:18Z | https://www.imbenterprises.com/category/sales/enterprise-sales-sales/ |
This solicitation has been archived and replaced by NSF 17-556.
Scholarship stipend and allowances have increased.
Eligibility criteria for scholarship recipients have changed.
The budget limit on Capacity proposals has changed.
Cyberspace has transformed the daily lives of people. The rush to embrace cyberspace, however, has exposed its fragility and vulnerabilities: corporations, agencies, national infrastructure and individuals have been victims of cyber-attacks. In December 2011, the National Science and Technology Council with the cooperation of NSF advanced a broad, coordinated Federal strategic plan for cybersecurity research and education to "change the game," examine the misuses of cyber technology, bolster education and training in cybersecurity, establish a science of cybersecurity, and transition promising cybersecurity research into practice. To achieve this strategic plan, the Nation requires an innovative and efficient cybersecurity education system that results in an unrivaled cybersecurity workforce and citizenry capable of advancing America's economic prosperity and national security in the 21st century. The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-274) authorizes the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Homeland Security, to offer a scholarship program to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industry control system security professionals and security managers.
The CyberCorps(R): Scholarship for Service (SFS) program seeks proposals that address cybersecurity education and workforce development. The Scholarship Track provides funding to award scholarships to students in cybersecurity. All scholarship recipients must work after graduation for a Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing academic program in cybersecurity. Such evidence can include: designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD), in Cyber Operations or in Research (CAE-R); a specialized designation by a nationally recognized organization (for example, in forensics); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity.
The Capacity Track seeks innovative proposals leading to an increase in the ability of the United States higher education enterprise to produce cybersecurity professionals. Proposals are encouraged that contribute to the expansion of existing educational opportunities and resources in cybersecurity and focus on efforts such as research on the teaching and learning of cybersecurity, including research on materials, methods and interventions; curricula recommendations for new courses, degree programs, and educational pathways with plans for wide adoption nationally; teaching and learning effectiveness of cybersecurity curricular programs and courses; integration of cybersecurity topics into computer science, data science, information technology, engineering and other existing degree programs with plans for pervasive adoption; and partnerships between institutions of higher education, government, and relevant employment sectors leading to improved models for the integration of applied research experiences into cybersecurity degree programs.
Pending the availability of funds, in FY 2016 and FY 2017 for new awards under this program solicitation. Scholarship awards are usually funded as continuing grants over a five-year period.
Universities and four-year colleges accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Community colleges are eligible only as sub-awardees of the partnering 4-year SFS institution's Scholarship Track award as described in the Program Description section.
An individual may participate as PI, Co-PI, or Senior Personnel in at most one proposal per track in each annual SFS competition. These eligibility constraints will be strictly enforced and in the event that an individual exceeds this limit, proposals received within the limit will be accepted based on the earliest date and time of proposal submission (i.e., the first proposal received for the Scholarship and/or Capacity track will be accepted and the remainder will be returned without review).
Cyberspace - a global "virtual" village enabled by hyper-connected digital infrastructures - has transformed the daily lives of people. Families and friends regardless of distance and location can see and talk with one another as if in the same room. Cyber economies create new opportunities. Every sector of society, every discipline, has been transformed by cyberspace. Today it is no surprise that cyberspace is critical to national priorities in commerce, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and defense.
The rush to embrace cyberspace, however, has exposed its fragility. The risks of hyper-connectedness are becoming more apparent. The privacy of personally identifiable information is often violated on a massive scale by persons unknown. Our competitive advantage is eroded by the exfiltration of significant intellectual property. Law enforcement is hobbled by the difficulty of attribution, national boundaries, and uncertain legal and ethical frameworks. All these concerns now affect the public's trust of cyberspace and the ability of institutions to fulfill their missions.
The National Science and Technology Council with the cooperation of the NSF put forth a 2011 report, Trustworthy Cyberspace: Strategic Plan for the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Program. The plan identifies a broad, coordinated research agenda to make cyberspace secure and trustworthy. Research in cybersecurity must "change the game," check the misuses of cyber technology, bolster education and training in cybersecurity, establish a science of cybersecurity, and transition promising cybersecurity research into practice. Also, NSF contributes to multi-agency efforts for the White House's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program. The goal of both initiatives is to make cyberspace worthy of the public's trust.
This solicitation is supportive of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014. It recognizes that cybersecurity education and workforce development form a critical element for a successful implementation and transition to practice of any advances in cybersecurity research and development.
Cybersecurity is arguably one of the most important challenges confronting society in the information age. Neither governments nor individuals are exempt from the ravages of malicious cyber acts upon imperfect technologies. Posing cyber conflict solely in terms of classic attackers and defenders understates the diversity and subtlety of the motivations, incentives, ethics, asymmetries, and strategies of the constituent actors in cyberspace. The intelligent adversary, whether human or software, learns and evolves to exploit, disrupt, and overpower. Addressing this challenge requires a coordinated multi-disciplinary approach, contributing to the body of knowledge on cybersecurity in multiple disciplines, and leading to practical, deployable technologies. These efforts require an innovative and efficient cybersecurity education system that will create an unrivaled cybersecurity workforce critical to US national security, continued economic growth and future technological innovation in secure cyberspace.
The SFS program welcomes proposals that address cybersecurity education and workforce development. The Scholarship Track provides funding to institutions for awarding scholarships to students in cybersecurity. In return for their scholarships, recipients will work after graduation for a Federal, State, Local, or Tribal Government organization in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship. A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing academic program in cybersecurity. Such evidence can include: designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD), in Cyber Operations or in Research (CAE-R); a specialized designation by a nationally recognized organization (for example, in forensics); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity. The Capacity Track seeks innovative proposals leading to an increase in the ability of the United States higher education enterprise to produce cybersecurity professionals.
The SFS program provides funds to colleges and universities for student scholarships in support of education in areas relevant to cybersecurity. In return for their scholarships, recipients must agree to work after graduation for the Federal Government or, subject to approval of the NSF program office, for a State, Local, or Tribal Government in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship (see Institutional Responsibilities for Scholarship Projects below).
During the scholarship period, the students will participate in meaningful summer internships. Doctoral students may be allowed to replace their summer internship with a research activity following a recommendation from their academic advisor and approval of the NSF program office.
The program's goal is 100% placement in government cybersecurity positions, which can only be reached through active cooperation among all parties involved. While SFS student participants are responsible for their own job searches, the SFS program office, through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), provides several tools to aid in the job search and organizes an annual job fair. PIs and SFS scholarship students are expected to participate actively with OPM to secure both a summer internship and permanent placement in a Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government organization. A limited number of students may be placed in National Laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). This number is set by the NSF program office each year. (See http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies.shtml for a list of Federal, State, Local and Tribal Governments; see http://science.energy.gov/sbir/about/national-laboratories-profiles-and-contacts/ for a list of National Laboratories; see https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/ffrdclist/ for a list of FFRDCs.) Materials to assist PIs and scholarship recipients with the placement process are available through the SFS support website: http://www.sfs.opm.gov/.
Students must also participate in other SFS activities such as conferences, workshops, and seminars. These activities are aimed at developing a community of practice that will enhance students' individual and collective skills in an area increasingly important to the security of the United States.
OPM partners with NSF in this program by providing internship and placement assistance to SFS scholarship students, by coordinating students' transition into government employment, by monitoring students' compliance with program requirements, and by assessing whether the program helps meet the personnel needs of the Federal government for information infrastructure protection.
Grantee institutions provide scholarship support to students who compete successfully in a selection process developed by the institution, who meet the SFS eligibility criteria, and who are confirmed by OPM as qualified for employment in a cybersecurity related position.
Sophomores at community colleges are eligibile for one year of support if there is a formal agreement between a community college and a four-year institution to transfer the student for two years of additional support to complete a bachelor's degree. Community colleges are eligible only as sub-awardees of the partnering four-year SFS institution's Scholarship Track award.
Each proposing institution must provide a description of its selection criteria and process, and must submit their lists of candidates for SFS scholarships to OPM for final eligibility confirmation. Internship placements and final job placements in government organizations typically require high-level security clearances and scholarship recipients are required to undergo the background investigation necessary to obtain such clearances as part of the job and/or internship application process.
specific evidence of their current SFS program achievements. Indicators of program success include, but are not limited to, placement statistics, faculty development activities, integration of research and education, mentoring of non-SFS institutions, partnerships with government and relevant employment sectors, and curricular innovations.
specific plans and/or evidence of program sustainability and/or institutionalization efforts including information on students without SFS scholarships who were placed in government jobs and the retention of SFS scholarship recipients in the Federal workforce beyond their initial obligation.
Verification of scholarship candidates' eligibility, including the recipients' academic merit, appropriate professional skills, and enrollment in a cybersecurity program.
Budgeting for scholarships consisting of stipends, tuition, education-related fees, and other allowances described below. Scholarships are not based on student financial need.
Provision of academic-year stipends of $22,500 per year for undergraduate students and $34,000 per year for graduate students. These charges shall be included in the budget under Participant Support costs.
Provision of scholarship amounts to be used for expenses normally incurred by full-time students at the institution, including tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking); a health insurance reimbursement allowance up to $3,000 per year; a professional development allowance of $4,000 for SFS Job Fair and other travel, professional certification etc. and a book allowance of $2,000 per academic year. These shall be included in the budget under Participant Support costs.
Provision for coordination with OPM for summer internships and permanent job placements for each student. Students are required to take government internship positions in the summer between their first and second year of scholarship study and are encouraged to take an additional internship in the following year. Summer internships typically are paid by the hiring agency. Funding for summer internships should not be included in the proposed SFS budget. Doctoral students may be allowed to substitute research activity for their summer internship following the recommendation of their academic advisor and approval of the NSF program office.
Provisions for tracking the academic progress of students to determine their continued eligibility throughout the academic part of the program. Post-graduation tracking of students to verify that they meet the service obligation will be done by OPM.
Clearly stated goals and an evaluation plan explaining how the goals will be measured. Evaluation plans should include both a strategy for monitoring the project as it evolves to provide feedback to guide these efforts (formative evaluation) and a strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of the project in achieving its goals and for identifying positive and constructive findings when the project is completed (summative evaluation). The awardees are expected to cooperate with the SFS program-level monitoring and evaluation system.
The above items must be clearly detailed in the Budget Justification section, or other appropriate sections of the proposal.
Institutional Responsibilities for Scholarship Projects.
The institution receiving the award ("Awardee") shall require that each recipient of a scholarship accepts the terms of the scholarship and agrees to provide the institution and OPM with annual certification of employment and up-to-date contact information. The recipients must also agree to participate in surveys conducted by the project and/or program evaluators as part of project-level and program evaluation efforts. Monitoring the compliance of scholarship recipients with respect to completing their service requirements will be the joint responsibility of OPM and the Awardee. Failure to satisfy the academic requirements of the program or to complete the service requirement will result in forfeiture of the scholarship award, which will revert to a student loan with repayments pro-rated accordingly to reflect partial service completed. The Awardee is responsible for collecting the repayment amounts, including interest, consistent with the provisions of part B or D of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. All forfeited scholarship funds, less reasonable, allocable, and allowable Awardee costs associated with collection of the repayment not to exceed 5% of the forfeited amount, will be returned to the United States Treasury and may not be re-used by the Awardee. Scholarship recipients in coordination with the Awardee and the PI may petition the NSF Program Office to waive or suspend repayment of scholarships in cases of extreme hardship or other circumstances that would preclude the fulfillment of the service obligation. Additional guidelines will be provided to institutions that receive Scholarship Track awards.
Scholarship funds awarded to students for stipends, tuition and education related fees, and student support allowances must be listed as Participant Support Costs in the NSF proposal budget (Line F on the FastLane budget and Field E on the Grants.gov Budget). Additional funds up to 20% of the total Participant Support Costs listed in the proposal budget may be requested for activities in other cost categories (e.g., faculty and staff salaries, travel, materials, supplies etc.) that contribute to the effectiveness of the Scholarship program and to SFS' goal of creating and maintaining an unrivaled cybersecurity workforce. Any such costs must be listed under the appropriate NSF budget categories and must be explained in the Budget Justification.
The Principal Investigator will have overall responsibility for the administration of the institution's award, the management of the project, and interactions with NSF and OPM. The PI and the grantee institution are expected to have or to develop an administrative structure that enables faculty, academic administrators, scholarship recipients, and others involved in the project to interact productively during the award period. The PI is expected to be an integral participant in the educational activities of the SFS project and is required to participate in boot camps, job fairs, symposia and other SFS-sponsored activities.
A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing academic program in cybersecurity. Such evidence can include: designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD), in Cyber Operations or in Research (CAE-R); a specialized designation by a nationally recognized organization (for example, in forensics); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity.
All projects, regardless of the scope, should have clearly stated goals and an evaluation plan that explains how they will be measured. Evaluation plans should include both a strategy for monitoring the project as it evolves to provide feedback to guide these efforts (formative evaluation) and a strategy for evaluating the effectiveness of the project in achieving its goals and for identifying positive and constructive findings when the project is completed (summative evaluation). PIs must clearly explain how their projects will address the previously stated objectives of the program. Project goals must be translated into a set of expected measurable outcomes that can be monitored using quantitative or qualitative approaches or a combination of the two. These outcomes should be used to track progress, guide the project, and evaluate its impact.
NSF conducts on-going program monitoring and evaluation to determine how effectively the SFS program is achieving its goals. These goals are: to increase the quantity of new entrants to the government cyber workforce; to increase the national capacity for the education of cybersecurity professionals; to increase national research and development capabilities in critical information infrastructure protection; and to strengthen partnerships between institutions of higher education and relevant employment sectors. In addition to project-specific evaluations, all projects are expected to cooperate with this third party program evaluation and respond to all inquiries, including requests to participate in surveys, interviews and other approaches for collecting evaluation data. Additional guidelines will be provided to institutions that receive Scholarship Track awards. Project-specific evaluations should provide indicators of program achievement including, but not limited to, the areas of placement, student achievement, faculty development, curriculum and institutional partnerships.
The program is also interested in ideas for forward-looking or unconventional activities that show real promise to have a broad national impact on cybersecurity education and workforce development but which fall outside the boundaries of the program tracks described in this solicitation. Principal investigators who have such ideas must first discuss them with a CyberCorps: SFS program officer. If the program officer agrees that the activities would be appropriate for consideration by the program, the program officer may encourage the submission of an unsolicited proposal.
The SFS Scholarship Track supports up to three years of stipends, tuition and allowances for students in the general area of cybersecurity. The scholarships provide academic year stipends of $22,500 per year for undergraduate students and $34,000 per year for graduate students. In addition, SFS scholarships cover expenses normally incurred by full-time students in the institution, including tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking); a health insurance reimbursement allowance up to $3,000 per year; a professional development allowance of $4,000 for SFS Job Fair and other travel, professional certification etc. of and a book allowance of $2,000 per academic year. A typical award might be approximately $3-5 million for five years supporting four cohort classes of six students each. The total award sizes will depend upon the tuition amount and on the cost of management and development.
SFS Capacity Track projects may vary in size and may request up to $500,000 in total, with durations of up to three years.
NSF anticipates that approximately $27 million will be available for new standard and continuing awards under this program solicitation in FY 2016, pending the availability of funds. Scholarship awards are usually funded as continuing grants over a five-year period. Depending on the quality of proposals received, the program expects to make 10-15 awards in the Scholarship Track and 10-15 awards in the Capacity Track.
The estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.
For the Scholarship Track: A proposing institution must provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing program in cybersecurity. Such evidence can include: designation by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD), in Cyber Operations, or in Research, (CAE-R); a specialized designation by a nationally recognized organization (for example, in forensics); or equivalent evidence documenting a strong program in cybersecurity.
As stated in the Grant Proposal Guide, the entire project description must be included in the 15-page Project Description section (or part of the budget justification, bio sketch etc.) There are only a small number of exceptions allowed in the supplementary section of the proposal, such as: Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan; Plans for Data Management; Letters of Collaboration; documents asserting compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act or the Endangered Species Act; etc. See the NSF Grant Proposal Guide for more information (NSF 15-1, Section II.C.2.j). This solicitation does allow only the following additional exception: a copy of a certificate designating an institution as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense (CAE-AE/CD), Cyber Operations, or Research (CAE-R).
The scholarships provide academic year stipends of $22,500 per year for undergraduate students and $34,000 per year for graduate students. In addition, SFS scholarships cover expenses normally incurred by full-time students at the institution, including tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking); a health insurance reimbursement allowance up to $3,000 per year; a professional development allowance of $4,000 for SFS Job Fair and other travel, professional certification etc. and a book allowance of $2,000 per academic year.
Capacity Track projects may vary in size and may request up to $500,000 in total budget with up to three years duration.
In the Scholarship Track, funds awarded to students for stipends, tuition and education related fees, and student support allowances must be listed as Participant Support Costs in the NSF proposal budget (Line F on the FastLane budget and Field E on the Grants.gov Budget). Additional funds up to 20% of the total Participant Support Costs listed in the proposal budget may be requested for activities in other cost categories (e.g., salaries, travel, materials, supplies etc.) that contribute to the effectiveness of the Scholarship program; any such costs must be listed under the appropriate NSF budget categories and must be explained in the Budget Justification.
A project plan and tangible metrics described to evaluate the success of the proposed project.
The extent to which the project fulfills cybersecurity education and workforce needs with broad impact across the cyber education community.
The quality of education and research in cybersecurity at the institution and the extent to which they are integrated.
The quality of applied experiences to increase students understanding of cybersecurity.
The extent to which cybersecurity faculty members are integrally involved with the scholarship students and working with the students as a cohort.
The degree to which investigators interact with the cybersecurity community to share knowledge and experience in developing and evaluating innovations.
The opportunity for students and faculty to obtain professional certifications in cybersecurity.
Institutional sustainability and evidence of a reasonable expectation of persistent effects of the grant-funded work consistent with the aims of the project. | 2019-04-25T03:48:45Z | https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2015/nsf15584/nsf15584.htm |
This class will be a discussion of how modernists and progressive attempt to interpret the Qur'an, with a critique of their approach.
Why is it important to study the Modernists and Progressives?
This is a very important topic at this time because the people who call themselves modernists sometimes they don’t use that label, the progressives always use their title, they are wielding a lot of influence in the West.
Progressives are gaining the upper hand, modernists are now considered pase. Especially since 9/11. People may not realize the influence of progressive thought -- the “I’m ok, you’re ok, everything goes” mentality. E.g. someone was having dinner and someone said “It is important to correct revelation, e.g. give homosexuals their full rights.”, this statement would not have been considered a few years ago.
This progressive approach has had an influence, especially in the US and Europe. There are progressive Muslims and writers all over the Muslim world, but less so. It is not a coincidence that the “progressives” the less chance there is. But if people are ignorant about Islam, that opens the door for these people to come because they mostly give rational arguments.
They are publishing most of their work in Western languages and many of them have places and positions in Western Universities -- they have nice titles associated with their names. Media gives them credibility. Because of these reasons it is important that we study them. For this particular class, we are interested in how they approach the Quran.
Why do Modernists and Progressives use Quran as evidence for their theories?
Every Muslim recognizes that Quran should be the central focus of their life, because of this every Muslim group go to the Quran for the evidence. In order to have any group to be success they have to prove the points using Quran, thats why all the this different groups do focus on Quran, because it is known that without giving out proof from the Quran even if it is weak people will not listen to them, same is true to with Modernist.
The Reformist Translation of the Quran offers a non-sexist understanding of the divine text; it is the result of collaboration between three translators, two men and a woman.
• It explicitly rejects the right of the clergy to determine the likely meaning of disputed passages.
• It uses logic and the language of the Quran itself as the ultimate authority in determining likely meanings, rather than ancient scholarly interpretations rooted in patriarchal hierarchies.
• It offers extensive cross-referencing to the Bible and provides arguments on numerous philosophical and scientific issues.
• It is God's message for those who prefer reason over blind faith, for those who seek peace and ultimate freedom by submitting themselves to the Truth alone.
Important note: Sh does not know the intention of people, and though he vehemently disagrees with them, it may not be the case that their intentions are evil. They may think they are doing what they think is right.
But what we do know is that, intentions are not enough. What they say can be judged by the Shari’ah. If it is not consistent with the Qur’an and sunnah then we have to reject it, this is true even if this comes from the pious person or evil person.
They do not afford their opponents the same courtesy, e.g. many of them when they write about the Sahabah they will openly judge their intention and they conclude why they fabricated something without knowledge of their intention.
When one thinks of modernism and progressive movement, they are not unique to the Muslim Ummah. Prophet (saws) mentioned (paraphrased) that we will follow people of the book, even into the hole of the lizard. Modernism and progressive did exists before as well.
Modernism is a theory with respect to religion, is any movement in religion based on the belief that scientific and cultural progress requires a reinterpretation of the traditional teachings of the religion in the light of modern philosophies and knowledge.
In general, Modernist ideologies accept very few transcendental values -- there are no such things as objective absolute criteria or truth. Instead, they are relative and their validity are limited to certain times and places. Which means if the science has changed then we have to go back to our text and reinterpret it according to the change in science.
Why did modernism take a strong hold in Judaism and Christianity?
Note this is not specific to Muslims. With respect to non-Muslims there is a strong reason why the modernist movement took hold in Judaism and Christianity. Those same reasons, however do not exist in the Islamic paradigm. The concept “If my religion fails, then all religions must fail.” this is not necessary true when it comes to Islam.
If this does happen, what is the source of ‘what is correct and what is incorrect’? Human reasoning. Thus human reasoning becomes the ultimate judge of what we decide is correct.
(i) They assumed that ‘aql or human reasoning can comprehend anything -- nothing is outside the realm of human comprehension. If that is the case, If there’s anything presented beyond what we understand, then it must be rejected. This became the foundation and a key rule of the modernist philosophy. Note: ‘Aql has its role to play in religion, but it should not be placed at the forefront. The rationalist even accept only about God also based Aql.
This is another fundamental error. God is something beyond we as human being can experiment with. In reality, if we are going to use, if something go beyond the realm of our Aql , should we remain silent or speak about it ? Logically speaking we should remain silent. But for them even for God they speak about God using their ‘Aql. We have to admit that anything related to God it is outside our realm of understanding. But for greek philosophers If Aql cannot understand then they reject it.
The original Muslim rationalist, this is group of people who are well known, In the time of Khalifah Al-M’amoon, he established a centre is Baghdad called Darul-Hikmah, and the role of this centre is to translate all of the knowledge into Arabic. They had collected a number of Greek and Persian work and Khalifah hired people to translate it. This by itself doesn’t sound bad. The problem is that lot of these books were mathematics and related to science,this impressed Arabs. In Greek writing of philosophy it covers science, Mathematics and religion as well.
Now we have these books into Arabic, and the next effort was to reconcile these book along with Quran. This was less than 200 years after the Prophet (saws), thus being impressed with this knowledge they wanted to make sure that this knowledge is present in our religion as well. When there comes the phase where this knowledge is not consistent with what Islam says, the people tried to reinterpret the understanding of Islam.
What do you do in this case? Option (i) acknowledge a difference. Option (ii) try to reinterpret Islam in this new framework.
One group amongst the Muslims, the Mu’tazilah who were influenced by Greek philosophy of giving importance to ‘aql. It affected their belief about Attributes about the God. There are lot of people now a days who call themselves as Mu’tazilah, who wanted to revive the Mu’tazilah beliefs, e.g. there is a new scholar in Indonesia who calls himself a neo-Mu’tazilite (Harun Nasution). This group what they take from Mu’tazilah is that Aql should be treated supreme. Zamakhshari (that we discussed earlier) was also a Mu’tazilah. The tafseer has good points as he brought balagha into the tafseer. There is poetry which is attributed to Zamakshari “Walk in your religion under the banner of human intellect and do not be dissuaded by narrations by so and so and so.” Over time Mu’tazilah dissipated (these free thinkers were very tough). They died away until recently who are tried to be revived by contemporary modernist.
The contemporary modernist have their roots in what happened in Europe. In Europe, as science developed they found there are lot of things in Bible which was not consistent with Science and there are lot of discrepancy in Bible and there are lot of problem in transmission their book. This led them to believe that basically the religion is product of divine and the human and you have to sort out what is wrong in religion and you have to bring it up to date. For example, among the jews they were some who call themself liberal Jews, Steinheim, Goldheim and Geiger. They said we have to keep adjusting the religion according to changes in science.
They instituted a lot of changes in their religion and this happened in 1700s and continued well into the 1900s. Among the changes in their religion was, no longer saying the prayer in Hebrew, they dropped many of the prayer saying they were inconsistent with modern times, they begin to use musical instruments in their worship, they changed the law related to women, they allowed free missing between men and women. they said circumcision does not have relevance, they changed the law of divorce. The exact things after 200 yrs, Muslim modernist being to Islam. The home for the reformist became USA.
These reformists moved from Europe esp in the 1840’s -- leaving most of their scholars behind. Those who are entrenched in the religion stayed behind. Because they were free and because they did not have people with in depth knowledge, by 1885 they had established a new platform called the Pittsburgh Platform.
Also in Christianity you had the same thing, where there was struggle between church and science. The church in Europe which was called Holy Roman Empire, the church controlled everything including business and religion. Church is referring to catholicism, they controlled everything which had Pope, Bishop who are incharge. They had number of inquisition and crusade, which was also with Christian as well who had different beliefs. Eventually things got worse and people started recognising that what church was teaching was not true and they started to move away from the teachings of Church. When you find that there is something like this there arises a group which goes to other end, and thus this gave birth to modernist where they reject everything what bible said. This movement was very strong although there was violence but the movement stuck to their goal and this lead church to change its stance.
There is reason in their case why this movement started as it is known fact that the bible as discrepancy and has been modified. They can see that these have changed a lot and they know what they have is not completely divine and this gave birth to modernist. Thus there was good reason for judaism and christianity for modernism movement, so you can excuse them for their movement. Those circumstances and issues that led to their movement, now the question is do these circumstances exist in Islam? Is there any requirement for modernist movement?
Next time we discuss what was the situation when the modernist ideas entered the Muslim World and what were the responses to this movement.
We are discussing the history and background of the modernist school. They were the .... for the contemporary school. Last time we spoke about the development of modernism in religion as a whole. Modernism is basically the belief that religion requires rethinking in the light of science and other advancements.
As a religious phenomenon, this developed in Christianity and Judaism due to particular circumstances and obvious to them -- e.g. the teachings of the Church as well as the scriptures they had -- e.g. scientific aspects contradicted day after day. E.g. Church vs Galileo. Many of these scientific facts did not turn out to be scientific but that is topic for some other time.
That was all related to Christianity and Judiasm, with respect to Islam those two major points of scientific issue and historical issue never existed in Islam. More than science it was clergy that led to the revolution.
Distinction between Islam and Christianity/Judaism with respect to modernism.
In Islam there’s never been a case of a clear contradiction between scientific fact and what is in the Qur’an. There is little evidence that the Qur’an has been tampered with. Those two major factors contributed to modernism they didn't exist in Islam.
But if you go to the 18th/19th Century and look at the relationship between the Muslim and Christian worlds, there were definitely problems in Muslim world. The Muslim world was definitely weak and lagging far behind the technical innovations of the west.
Most of the Muslim world was colonised, they were being militarily defeated over and over again and they were getting weaker and weaker. Thus there was definitely something wrong in Muslim world and something had to be done. Over time there were some options presented in front of Muslims. Much of the crisis in that time is similar to that current situation what happened after 9/11, where Muslims has to think about what are their option which was made available to them. Unfortunately the options that are made available to Muslims is actually a kind of bogus option.
After 9/11 there were a number of reports going to places like Indonesia, Pakistan etc saying there were two choices in front of the Muslims, either you join the extremist terrorist OR you join the modernist Muslims. Those two choice are definitely false and there is third option and this option is not been given at all and Muslims were not aware of this third option at all.
We are going through something very similar to what the Muslim community was at their time of weakness and stagnation. Unfortunately the majority of Muslim scholars took a traditionalist approach, in the sense that they didn’t see anything wrong in what they were doing -- they rejected the innovations and scientific advancements of the West -- they said that was not for Muslims, they ignored the plight of the Muslims in the world. They claimed what they have it from Allah and they are not going to change.
They did not reflect to think that maybe there is something wrong. Because they didn’t reflect and were unwilling to change, they opened the doors for the modernists -- in the same way now a days extremism and terrorism is opening a new way to Islam.
Most of the people known to be religious at that time took that approach. There was another group of scholars distributed around the Muslim world.
The first group concluded that there was no problem with the Muslims and no problem with Islam.
The second group concluded that there was no problem with Islam, but there was a problem with the Muslims. Their basic argument was the we have strayed from the way of Prophet (saws) and we have moved away from the true Islam and we have fallen into Taqleed and we have fallen into all forms of mysticism, theological beliefs which are not based on Quran and Sunnah. And they said this was the problem, they said science is not the problem but the problem is that we have strayed from the teaching of Quran and Sunnah, The solution is that we have to review the way back and this is concept of Tajdeed.
You had pockets of these kinds of scholars -- e.g. in the Indo-Pak region -- Shah Wali-Ullah Al-Dahlawi. He and his children as well they were calling for reviewal of what Islam is about, breaking through the taqleed and mysticism. He wrote a book hujjathullahi al-baalighah حجّة الله البالغة and the first volume is translated to English.
In that book he wrote about salat writing about benefit and reviewal of the salat. His message was right, that Islam was correct the problem is with Muslims not Islam.
Similarly in Shaam (Syria) scholar by name Jamaluddin al-Qasimi, he emphasized more on Aqeedah. The Ashari belief about Qadr is very fatalistic belief -- there’s nothing much that we can do anyway -- so just wait for the Qadar of Allah.
The idea here is that Islam is correct and fit for all times and places, but we are misunderstanding it and misapplying it.
There is a third group, which corresponds to modernist of Europe , their argument is that there is problem with Muslims and Islam and some went to extent saying the problem is with Muslim because of Islam and thus we have to create new Islam and fix the Islam. The only way to create a new Islam, is to go back to Quran and completely re-interpret the Quran in the light of Modern science and modern culture. This modernist movement, from the point of view colonial rulers, they like this group as the goals of this group was consistent with them for the most part it was never 100% which was good enough.
Similarly US semi-government groups (like RAND Corp., American Humanist? Assoc.) is pushing all this progressive and modernist movement as that is what they want.
1. Turkey: Important because it was the seat of the Khilafah and ruled over large parts of the Muslim world, including North Africa.
2. Indo-Pak subcontinent was also important mainly for economic reasons: wealth, spices etc.
3. Egypt: Important because it was the home to Al-Azhar university -- so it was the intellectual hub of Islam. Pretty much everyone around the world looked up to Al-Azhar. Now there are more universities.
So we are going to talk about some of the founders of movements in those areas. The ultimate goal is to tie it into their approach to the Qur’an.
The ottoman empire eventually collapsed and was overrun and collapsed for many reasons, but it was also one of the most drastic changes. After the fall of the Khilafah, it became a completely secularist state.
Unfortunately, Shaikh Jamaal is not very familiar with respect to what happened in Turkey with respect to tafseer. But one of its leaders did sometimes talk about the Qur’an -- his name was Ziya Gőkalp. b. 1876-d. 1924.
Turkey was going through a process called Tanzeemaat. It must be acknowledged that Europe was making amazing progress. It is not surprising that Muslims might be overcome by the advances that the West had made. There were a number of movements for Westernization. Science is not bad, scientific progress is not bad, but the thing you will see is that … ?
Gőkalp’s first response was pan westernism. His argument is that the Turkish nation should be part of the West since it straddles both east and west. In order to achieve that goal, he laid out some principles, he said Turkish language must be purified of all Arabic and Persian words. At that time the Turkish script was Arabic. One of the first things Mustafa Kamal did was to change the script from Arabic to Latin script. British and Dutch did the same in other parts of the world, Swahili, Indonesian were moved from Arabic and Javanese respectively.
This was something that the colonialists were in favour of because nothing can break you off from your past like changing their script. Because you disconnect the people from their old books. If you want to re-form someone, change their script so that the only access to knowledge they have is the new script. So then all their thinking is based only on what is on the new script.
Footnote: While looking at these points see how the original argument was made that we are behind scientifically but then these points are nothing but blind imitation of the West and have nothing to do with science.
- In the mosque, instead of open space, there must be rows of chairs. The worshippers have to pray with their shoes on -- note that this is blind imitation of Kuffar -- note the West did not become advanced because they wore shoes.
- The language of Salaat must be in Turkish.
- There must be no prostration in the prayers.
- In order to make worship in the mosque beautiful, it needs trained musicians and musical instruments. This is the part of recommendation that “the need is urgent” for modern musical instrumentation in the mosque.
This approach of modernisation, this is the blind following of the leading civilization of that time, this was very extreme approach.
Gőkalp sometimes mentions some things in the Qur’an but Sh is not familiar enough with respect to the Qur’an. But this approach of blind following of that leading civilization at that time. It was most extreme.
After a number of years, the Turks began to wake up and realized that it was just as oppressive and irrational as what they had before and they became a completely secular state. Now they are doing much better than they do.
A: Where religion is removed from the public sphere. In comparison with Secularism, Modernism leaves some room for religious practice. But aren’t they shades? Modernism picks and chooses, but secularism says don’t pick and choose, remove everything. Many modernists share the view of removing religion from the modern sphere.
Because Turkey was the seat of the Khilafah, the loss of Turkey was a stunning blow. For 1400 years almost, we had a khalifah -- a weak khalifah sometimes, but at least they had one. It was gone.
Since Turkey is dominated by hanafi, and thus the effort for reviewal was less as there was strong attachment to Madhabs and it was really difficult to penetrate this, but within the Hanafi madhab there were a few attempts at reform -- they tried to produce something called the Majallah. They tried to codify the main principles of the law. Since if you know the principles of the law, it is easy when the new circumstance is faced. There was sometimes and some reforms were attempted.
In the life time of Shah Waliullah, the british started rule, The British East India company was ruling a large part of India and constantly trying to expand. They took over Muslim, Hindu lands.
One of the turning points for the history of India and the modernist movement is Indian rebellion in 1857. This rebellion different people has different theories on why this started. There is no question that starting was, there were lot of Indian soldiers who were working for British and over time they fed up of this. As this movement spread then there was a call for jihad,this fighting took place for number of years, fighting broke out.
Muslim declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as emperor of India and he was descendant of Mughal Emperor. Eventually British defeated Muslims,Hindus and Sikhs. But lot of people among the British had the view that this mutiny was started by Muslims. And the goal behind is Jihad against the British. That in itself is disputable but it had a very strong effect on Muslims. This was like the 9/11 of the Muslims of India.
1. They are not creating the problem.
2. They are willing to work with British.
3. Their religion is completely compatible with the religion of the British since Islam and Christianity are far more similar.
One of the most influential person at that time was Syed Ahmad Khan and later was knighted and called Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. After the fighting was done, he did two things.
1. He became strong proponent of the idea that Muslim as to change and accept the Western Ways.
2. But he also wrote a pamphlet, in which argued that the cause of the Mutiny was British itself. The British governor was not happy with this and he called him and warned him that this will lead to another revolution. Thus there was deal stricken between these two and they became friends and he was taken to England.
The other aspect of his movement which was much more positive was his starting a university -- a University that eventually became Aligarh university.
He did the write the commentary on the Quran and although he did not finish the complete tafseer.
Shaikh Jamaal had the misfortune of reading Syed Amir Ali’s book just after he accepted Islam, wherein he states that various prophets made mistakes, but alhumdullilah he was aware from his experience with Christianity on how to tackle them. Syed Amir Ali even said that Prophet (saws) made mistakes in the Quran (SubhanAllah). Sh. Jamaal commented that his literature is filled with Kufr.
Ghulam Ahmed Pervez (distinct from Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Pervez) : foundation of his understanding of Quran was the premise that there is no value for Hadeeth. He completely rejected the hadith.
What are some of the key points, what we changed which was explicitly called out by him, we will discuss this in next class InshaAllah.
We are discussing the background of the contemporary modernist movement and in a manner study their founding fathers. After we finish the history, Shaikh will determine whether we have grasped the topic by asking us three key questions.
Last time we were discussing Syed Ahmad Khan.
If you look at translation of Quran into Urdu, the first such translation were from Shah Wali-Ud Deen and Shah Abdul Qadir. They died in 1818 and 1813.
And the second translation was from Syed Ahmad Khan. His first volume was published in 1880. But in 1862, he is known to have written the first Muslim commentary on Bible, the first such known work by a Muslim. He published three volumes. He did not know how to read English and so he had translations made from English to Urdu. He also published a book on principles of Tafseer -- Tahrir fi Usool Al-Tafseer was published in 1892.
One of his basic points is that everything in Islam should be in confirmative with Nature and Science. Anything in Quran which goes against science and nature he will reject it. For example, any reference to miracles in the Quran is rejected like existence of Angels. For example, he described the jinn as primitive savages living in the jungle.
One of the principles he mentions in his Tahrir is that when there is something in the Qur’an that is miraculous or supernatural, it has to be understood metaphorically.
One of the things about these reform movements is that not everything they had to say was wrong and sometimes they had some very good points. E.g. in tafseer by modernists is that they avoid any of what are called the isra’eeliyyat. Stories based on the narrations of the Jews and Christians, had good details that are used to “fill out” the tafseers. But this introduces many oddities, e.g. committing zina in the case of Dawood. You find this a lot in the case of tafseers.
One of thing they emphasize is that you have to stay away from those kind of reports which is a positive sign in these kind of tafseer. They try to explain everything in Quran in simplified rational sense.
Ahmed Khan in Surah al Kahf he makes couple of interesting (edit: not necessarily based on any evidence) points: In the cave, the companions were dead in the cave. The verse says that they were moving in sleep. He said that in reality they were dead and mummified and people thought they were sleeping. One of his students extended this little further added that due to cross ventilation in cave their body moved. He even said that the stories in the Quran are not necessarily true and Allah (swt) is mentioning them since people already know them.
As a proof of that, in the 13th verse, after already describing the story of Ashaab-al-Kahf, Allah says “we narrate to you the story in truth”. There is some reference to them before this verse and the Ahmad khan says the word “Haqq”, Allah is saying that everything before this is not true and what comes after this is true.
He says that they stayed in the cave for 300 years but he does not try to reconcile it. So he says that the “haqq” is an indication that he wasn’t telling you the actual story. And he says that the amazing points are what came before that???
Even regards to receiving the revelation and nature of revelation, In his tafseer, he says, it is not incompatible with human nature that heart of a person not tied to anything then to such person revelation will come to such a person. This is based on the philosophical idea that one can achieve revelation by doing certain spiritual exercises. So any idea that revelation is anything supernatural, then it has to be re-interpreted. He says bodily resurrection, heaven and hell can only be accepted symbolically.
There is another trend among modernists: When science cannot tell us or explain something, for example you cannot conduct social experiments on human beings in labs, but the Muslim modernists still adhere to the western way of thinking, implying that science cannot explain certain social norms but they would still adhere to the western society. He said that polygamy is contrary to the concept of Islam and should not be practised except in certain cases.
He also says that modern business transactions, riba, etc -- he said none of these fall under the definition of riba and therefore are not haram. Qisas punishments are barbaric punishments, and that are only required in societies without prisons. Jihaad is only for the dire necessities of self-defence.
Became a close friend of Sir William Muir -- became very pro-British. Even made an interesting point about analyzing the Qur’an. When you look at the books of tafsir one of the things they often do is they analyze the meanings of Arabic words. There is too much dependence on understanding the words by the Arabs. It is possible that the words were not used in a way not registered in lexicons. So he’s trying to open the door for re-interpreting the words of the Qur’an and could be very destructive.
Footnote: You should not make any accusations against a person’s intention, because he claimed Islam is superior to Christianity and wrote book about it. But his actions had the opposite effect of weakening Islam.
In one of his lectures on Islam, he said that he is an ignorant person, not a mawlawi or a qaadi. But you would think that you would not go to the Qur’an and try to explain the mean it. But the modernist movement has something in common with Christianity.
In Christianity in the Catholic Church, people were not allowed to read the Bible. Until Martin Luther came along and said that the Bible should be able to read and understand. Syed Ahmad picked up on this as well. Influenced many tafseers after this e.g. Turjumaan Al Quran by Abul Kalam Azad. Also Mafhoom Al-Qur’an by Ghulam Ahmad Parvez. Then another influence is M. Enayat Mashreghi.
Most ironic things is that one of things he mentioned in his tafseer is that the cultural influence of Byzantium and Persians must be removed. Shaikh finds it ironic because he is trying to bring in Western influence and rewrite how to understand and approach Quran in light of modernist philosophy.
He was knighted by the British Empire in 1899. He founded Aligarh University. He is a very influential person, even today. A school that followed from him was the Qur’aaniyyoon. Barewalvi started up trying to answer to the Syed Ahmed Khan.
Extensively written about in English, including Maryam Jameelah, Mawdudi, Trol.
His speech that he delivered before the Islamic Protection Association and known as Anjuman ... is also translated into English. Any discussion of the Modern movement and tafseer will include a discussion of him.
Mawdudi is an answer to Syed Ahmed Khan and is completely opposite.
Interesting fact: Adolf Hitler praised the work of Ghulam Ahmed Parvez after he met Ghulam Ahmed Parvez. Ghulam Parvez went further into deviation then Syed Ahmed Khan and we will be coming to this person shortly.
What happened in Egypt was more a response to the west, in terms of being an Islamic Modernism -- the claim is that the Syed Ahmad movement was imitating the west and the movement in Egypt was a response to the west.
One of the most influential people here was Jamaluddin Al-Afghani (1838-1897). You can find anything imaginable written about him. He is mysterious. He is not from Afghanistan. He is from Persia and is Shia. He has been accused of anything imaginable. Some claim that he was the leader of Masonic movement; some claim that he was known to be a womanizer in France. He travelled to London and Paris and he was known as a womanizer. Some say that because of his shia background, some claim that he took advantage of the temporary marriages. There is some truth to some of the claims. He was very politically active. His message was clear, that the Muslims have to modernize and that modernisation has to be through education.
In 1884, he started publishing newspaper “al-Urwah al-Wuthqa” with his students Muhammad Abdu. His real anger was with British. He lived in India for a while but he was strongly opposed to Syed Ahmed khan movement is because that Syed Ahmad Khan accepted the british. He was arrested and deported from various places and eventually he died in Istanbul.
For some time he was the advisor to the king of Afghanistan. However in 1944, his remains were asked to move from Istanbul to Kabul University.
He only wrote one book which is “Refutation of the Materialists” however his modernist thoughts have strong influence on Abdu. No one talks about Muhammad Abdu without talking about Al-Afghani.
Muhammad Abdu took this idea of reform from Al-Afghani, emphasising the idea of education and going back to the roots of Islam and doing away with lot of material which muslims stepped in which is not part of Quran and Sunnah, this was stuck as part of Islam because following the scholars.
Because of that influence of the West, it’s not surprising that his influence also reflects the common culture of the west. Example: the idea of making pictures/statues; he said there is no problem making statues unless there is a danger of idolatry. He said it was fine to put your money in Western banks and take interest.
He was the first one in the Arab world to say it is permissible to adopt the western dress. Because of influence of education and science on his mind, unfortunately he came to the conclusion that human reasoning is absolutely supreme. He says religion complements and supplements human reasoning. The human reasoning judges on the religion according to him.
He was convinced of Darwin’s theory of evolution and he said that it can be found in the Qur’an. He ran afoul of the authority because of his close relationship to Al Afghani. He was teaching at Al Azhar and then he was banned from the position. But because of the British influence, he got back his position.
One of first thing which he wrote was “Risalath at-tawheed”, its basic work of Aqeedah, in it he emphasise the fact that everything in Aqeedah is in sync with science.
One of his important students was M. Rashid Rida. Rida kept on insisting on Abduh to write a tafseer. In 1898, Abdu began to write about tafseer. What happened was that Rida published tafseer al manaar as 12 volumes in 1927, bulk of it is Rida quoting his shaikh, Abdu. Abdu gave number of lectures on tafseer.
But his tafseer was specifically trying to address the question about what we should get from the Qur’an. This is one of the aspects of modernism that were good.
Some of his students included: Ali Abdul-Raaziq -- a book on secularism and in reality Islam has nothing to do with the state, and secularism is completely consistent with Islam. Qaasim Ameen -- famous for writing about called Tahreer Al-Mar’a -- the liberation of women. Taha Hussain is another one influenced by Abduh -- eventually Taha Hussain tried to deny the uniqueness of the Qur’an and made claims that it is nothing but classical Arabic poetry. Taha Hussain has been heavily refuted on this.
Rida started publishing called “Al-Manar” it was open forum for any view in Islam. There was article written in it by someone with name taufeeq and he was talking about bedouin who were not possible to pray 5 times a day.
Over the years his views changed a great deal and he became more of a traditionalist. The history of the background of the modernist tafseers -- and before we start critiquing them.
There are three big questions we need to discuss that are critical to an overall critique of the modernist tafseer.
Footnote: Shaikh mentioned in a response to a question that there were many positive and influential movements that arose as response to Rida and Al Afghani. He reiterated that these movements were necessary, something had to be done to awaken the masses.
Today’s class will be a discussion of certain topics that will help us recognize that the modernist approach to tafseer is not valid form of tafseer and that it has some clear weaknesses. And when you read some tafseer you will be able to see the modernist leanings.
Question #1: Do we need the Prophet (pbuh) and his hadith to be able to understand the Qur’an properly? Yes we do need him. Then the obvious question is why do we need him?
The first point is our attitude towards hadith for understanding the Quran. We need to go back to the Prophet (SAWS) in order to understand the Qur’an properly. When you pick a book of tafseer, it is obvious if they are going back to the hadith in order to do the tafseer.
Here Allah (SWT) has described one of the roles of the Prophet. He is giving us the Quran and he is conveying the words of the Quran and he is teaching us the book. Teaching the book is different than conveying the words of the book. He is showing us how to apply the words. Here Allah swt explicitly separates the two tasks assigned to the prophet.
In Surah Nahl verse 44, Allah swt has clearly explained to us that prophet’s responsibility was to make the message clear to the mankind.
This also means that when the Prophet (SAWS) explains the Qur’an, that is not his own production. Allah (SWT) says no individual can not bear any burden that they can’t bear. So it is part of the Prophet’s SAWS responsibility to teach the text to the people.
Allah is making it clear that Allah will explain, and Prophet (saws) was given further understanding of Quran.
We see amongst the Sahabah that they sometimes misunderstood the Arabic and could not know based on their understanding. So what of us?
It is not matter of knowing Arabic knowledge, even then it will be not enough to derive the ruling of Quran.
The Word Dhulm which is many times translated as oppression, any kind of wrong doing. When you look at this verse, from the Arabic of this verse, the obvious question is who is that who does not mix their Imaan with some type of Dhulm. Everyone does wrong in their life, thus Sahabah were worried about it. So the Prophet (SAWS) had to explain to people that it did not mean everything, it means shirk. When the Prophet (SAWS) says that, it is revelation from Allah (SWT).
There is a condition in this verse “if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you” This was the meaning that some of sahabah understood, Prophet (saws) explained this is a ruksha from Allah, although in Arabic language this is condition but this is not strict condition but it is rukshah that Allah has bestowed on the ummah.
One time the Sh tried to go to a conference being held by someone who denied the Sunnah (by Rashad Khalifa). Sh. Jamaal went to discuss their position. They were not allowed to get in. So they got into a bit of a discussion. He started with Syed Ahmad Khan and Pervez Ahmad and had turned away from Sunnah.
Sh asked: “How do you pray?” They said: “This is the prayer of Ibrahim.” But they could not come to agreement. Then they asked “What is the penalty for the thief?” And all three said “you cut the hand of the thief from the wrist.” Is that in the Qur’an? It says to cut off their yadd. But yadd in the Arabic language (e.g. in the verse of wudu) -- it covers everything from the fingertips to the shoulder. And the only reason they do not cut the hand of the thief is because of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS). There is nothing that the Qur’an points to about where to cut.
The Prophet (SAWS) also corrected misunderstandings. E.g. the following verses.
But Maryam was not the sister of Haroon -- he was the brother of Musa. So the Prophet (SAWS) said that they used to name themselves after the Prophets and name yourself after pious people. This was the kind of speech they would have. It was a nickname.
Footnote: Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation of the text and it is different from the science of exegesis. The science of tafseer is closer to exegesis. So hermeneutics is a secular approach.
Question #2: Do we need Sahabah for understanding the Quran?
In the light of a very secular understanding about the companions of the Prophet (SAWS) is it possible to say that we can understand the Qur’an better than the Sahabah? Also can we claim that we have knowledge which ahabah did not possess?
1) Language of the Quran was the language of Sahabah. Is this important ? Languages evolve (e.g. in Surah Yusuf we see the word Sayyara--which does not mean the car which is meant today with this word). Modern standard Arabic which is closer to Fusha, but not everyone speak fusha. In the Arab world today, they mostly speak colloquial Arabic.
The one thing Arab boasted about themselves were the language. ‘Ajami was used for persian / romans or foreginers but linguistically it has interesting meaning. It referred to the one who cannot speak their language.
2) There were many verses in the Quran which was referring to what happened in their lifetime like the verses of Badr, for us to understand this we need to read about badr but for them they were part of it when it was revealed.
3) There are verses in the Quran which was referring to the action of the arabs like the one entering the house from behind. As some present day people explain that it is talking about the handling of the situation in a straight manner while this is not what the verse is pointing to. The verse is pointing to the practices of arabs. Also In the time of Jahiliyyah the time of hajj was also time for business, all the fame of sooq was tied to business, sahabah were afraid if it allowed to do business during the time of hajj, Allah clarified that it is allowed to do business.
4) They were living and applying the Qur’an under the eye of the Prophet (SAWS). E.g. big difference between reading a software manual vs someone who knows what to do. And when you start straying he will correct you. It also shows us the Prophet (SAWS) corrected them in the application of the Qur’an. Otherwise he was watchful and approving in their understanding. How they understood the Qur’an was approved of by the Prophet (SAWS). There is no question from secular point of view to say that Sahabah play a vital role in understanding the Quran.
5) The status of Sahabah is clearly mentioned in Quran that they are best generation, they are the one who Allah is pleased with and thus in the religious aspect as well their importance is clearly called out.
If we wanted to claim that we have some advantage over sahabah, what kind of advantage do we have over sahabah ?
Technology and science are the fed where we are more advanced than what it was at their time. If our technology and science is better than the way of sahabah, how is that going to help us understand the Quran? Let’s say, yes it helps us. Does this help us in the verses of Imaan, law, attitude of life, etc? It doesn’t help us in any of these things. It might help us in some of physical things, but the essence of Quran it is not going to help us.
We may have better technology, knowledge, etc but it’s not going to help us with understanding the central aspects of the texts. Early 1900’s wrote a tafseer and it was all science. You get no moral teachings. That’s not what the Qu’ran is most about and what we are trying to get from Quran. So the thing we claim gives us excellence doesn’t help. At best we will based on what they said. There were lots of elaborations but these elaborations have to be consistent with what sahabah understood also at the same point there are things that the Prophet (SAWS) did not explain.
We are the ones in need of further elaboration. And we should benefit from it.
Question #3: We are living in different era, lot of things changed since the time of Prophet (SAWS) what are the aspect of deen of that need to be changed and what are the aspects that cannot be changed?
When Allah says in the quran “O You believe” does this verse apply to us ? Prophet (saws) was the final messenger, this was final revelation for all the humanity, thus when Allah says “O You believe” this refers to us and to all the people who believe till the day of judgement, now if someone says that this is referring to the people who were present at that time ? Now who has the burden of proof who says that this verse doesn’t belong to us ? The onus the person who claims this. This is going to be difficult to prove and Allah has revealed this book which is for the people who will come till the day of judgement.
If you study the Shari’ah carefully, you realize there are things that are fixed vs ones that are flexible. Somethings don’t change. A lie is a lie. There are other things that need to be changed and built in to allow for change. There are certain things that the Shari’ah refers to but never defines. Eg. traveling. The definition for travelling in different madhab where they come up with distance, this not defined from shariah. Thus if there is anything which shariah did not define which means these are time sensitive and meant to be flexible. It is flexible in those things which require flexibility. The Prophet (SAWS) defines something then it’s part of the text. E.g. traveling has not been defined in the Shari’ah. Similarly, for Nafaqah for the wife. It is not defined how much and it is also time and custom sensitive.
Shari’ah has its own built-in flexibility. Many people don’t understand this point. Those things can change, but you don’t need to change the things that weren’t meant to be changed. You have to distinguish between the two.
When there is a reference to a category, when it comes to maintenance of wife there is confusion about how much is it, etc.
We were discussing certain keys issues which are critical to protect us from falling prey to the modernists and progressive attack on the Qur’an and Sunnah.
We discussed the criticality or importance of the Prophet in order to understand the deen. We also discussed the importance of Sahabah for understanding the deen. The third point that we discussed was that Quran and Sunnah are for all time and places. The Muslims however, need to be careful that there are things in Islam which cannot change with change of time and place and there are things (opinions based on ijtihad) which may or may not change.
Question #4: Is the Qur’an free for anyone to interpret?
One of the key points of reformation or modernist movement in Europe was that anyone should be allowed to interpret the bible and anyone should be allowed to understand on their own. Does this also apply to the Qur’an.
He said that based on this verse, the interpretation of the Quran is not just for Imams and mujtahid but it is for anybody to go, reflect and understand it in anyway. Is there any truth to this? How valid is this point ?
We do see in the Qur’an Allah speaks to us about reflecting about Quran. It is speaking to reflect about it not about the meaning of it. They can derive lessons from it and the meanings should be left to the scholars.
If you say this verse means such and such is it that you are speaking on behalf of Allah (saw) as you are claiming that this is what Allah (swt) is saying this.
In this verse the gravity of the sin is growing, and then he describes the various sins, and after mentioning shirk, he says the following, saying something about Allah for which you have no basis.
In one case you are speaking on behalf of Allah swt and in the other case you are trying to understand what the verse means to your life.
One case you are speaking on behalf of Allah (swt) and in other case you are looking at how can we apply this in my apply The later one is very important for everyone to do this. More knowledge you have the better you are in application. On the other end we have to be cautious about to comment on verse and to claim that “this is what the verse is talking about”.
If somebody speaks about Quran according to his opinion even if he is correct, he has committed a sin. (Sh. Jamaal said most probably it is statement of a Sahabi but sometimes attributed to Prophet (saaw)).
There is obvious reason why we have to be cautious, beside the fact that we are speaking on his behalf. We should have proper knowledge about the sunnah of the prophet or how sahaba interpreted the Qur’an, or are not familiar with the Arabic language, in fact some people make interpretation based on the English translation of the Qur’an. Some misguided people claim that all of the Quran is figurative and all symbolic.
There is a certain methodology that the Prophet(SAWS) established: e.g. the meaning is the literal interpretation unless there is explicit evidence to the contrary. Many people do the opposite -- and assume all the verses are symbolic. Thus there are some qualification required before you go and interpret the Quran.
So the correct approach is to read the meanings of the verse and then apply that to your own life.
But many of the modernists are actually jumping right to saying that this is what the Qur’an means without following the Prophetic methodology/sunnah.
A scholar can sometimes make conjecture and he should make it clear what is conjecture and what is based on solid evidence.
Question #5: What is the role of the ‘aql in Islam as a whole or in understanding the Qur’an?
By Aql we mean, the rational thought of human, the intellect of human, can include natural instincts of human, can include acquired knowledge. For someone to be considered having aql, he should be acting according to the knowledge. Applying the knowledge to one’s daily life is part of the aql. This is how the scholars of the shari’ah define aql.
Does it have any role to play in Islam? This is one of the major points made by modernists: we have to apply our reasoning to understanding Islam!
Allah swt shows us something very clear in the Quran, human reasoning when done in a sound manner is able to protect us from falling into the hellfire.
So aql has many roles to play within the Shari’ah -- there’s one thing that all scholars agree upon: if someone doesn’t have the tools to understand, then he is not bound by the law. If someone doesn’t have aql, the shari’ah isn’t going to help you. So it is one of the key aspects of being obliged to abide by the Shariah.
The problem we run into is, Human beings have looked at two sources of knowledge, revelation and human derived knowledge. So we Al-Aql العقل (human intellect) and we have Al-Naql النقل (transmitted knowledge, but we mean here transmitted from Prophet (saaw) either in the form of Quran). One of the key points that mentioned is that to identify the limits of Aql.
Are there any limits to ‘Aql?
We are limited to what we can access, for example, we have only 5 sense and other limitations. For example, can we speak about what will happen in the hereafter based just on aql? We do not have any first hand reports from human beings who have returned to inform us.
What about things related to social sciences? What are its limits? For physical science we can test and conduct experiment to get the results. With respect to social science, from the scientific method point of view, we cannot conduct experiments. Econ graduate students are always requesting funds for conducting experiments upon the lifestyle of the millionaires, meaning they want money to live the lifestyle of the rich.
Example: the long-term effects of alcohol -- how do you quantify all of the things that occur: violence, health etc. we can see some of the negative things about alcohol, but we don’t understand the picture.
Or another example is human rights where everyone talks about it. Why should humans have rights ? Even this question, in 1942, where all the countries signed declaration of human rights a french philosopher jacques maritain.
Everyone has different perspectives about human rights and what constitutes a human right. There’s nothing really out there that decides exactly what is a human. Even this which is basic thing which people discuss we can not determine that based on ‘aql. We can maybe come to an agreement about it, but we can’t prove that something is a human right. It is beyond the level of ‘aql. We might come to some agreement but in reality it is beyond the level of Aql to determine what is the human right.
“Virtually everything related to human rights is controversial” -- one author wrote.
This shows to us very clearly, even when it comes to regulating our lives, ‘aql has severe limitations. The problem isn’t that ‘aql doesn’t have a role, it’s that it needs to be guided. It needs to have proper foundation and once we have foundation then we can build up on this.
Some of the roles of the ‘aql in Islam are to reflect on the signs of Allah (SWT) -- seeing how things work in this world, increasing our technology -- clearly in the realm of ‘aql. Making ijtihaad is also part of the role of ‘aql. To take the text of Quran and Sunnah and to apply to new situation is part of Ibadah, this people cannot do without ‘Aql.
In the Shar’iah, the aql is considered a source of knowledge. But what happens when aql and naql contradict which one should take precedence ?
This is a trick question because what you getting from Aql and naql has different level of certainty. For example, when you look a the text of the quran, some of the texts of the quran are very clear and are not open to any kind of interpretation, their meaning is one and clear either on its own or based on some external evidence. Speech can be ambiguous sometime.
What is the meaning of lies ahead? Does it mean that he lied to the people that he will not raise their taxes or does it mean he will raise more taxes ahead? The above statement is ambiguous.
When you look at both of Aql and Naql, the things which you get of the Naql the meaning is definitive and sometime the meaning can be conjectures. Some is true for Aql, sometimes it is definitive and some time conjuncture. Scientific facts are definitive but scientific theory are conjecture. For example, big bang theory which is conjecture, we cannot definitively prove it, there is only circumstantial evidence.
We know Allah has ability everything, Can Allah swt create a rock that acts and feels like a three million year old, even though it was created now? This is just a hypothetical conjecture.
What Muslim ‘ulema have said that you can’t have a conflict between ‘aql which is definitive and naql which is definitive, this is not possible at all, the reason is that they both come from the same source. It comes from Allah (swt) thus it is not possible at all. If that looks like it’s happening to you, then you have made a mistake somewhere -- there has to be something wrong. Otherwise, if you look at these two, it is possible that ‘aql can take precedence over naql. if aql is definitive and naql is conjectural then aql has to take precedence . Vice versa is also true. What happens if both are conjectural ? By itself you cannot take decision on this and you have to look for other evidence. If there is no external evidence and you can’t tell, then you should suspend judgement.
The problem with many modernists is that they always put aql above naql. And they have a lot of confidence in science including social science. What science says is definitive, they say, is definitive. This is one of the issue. The second things is Aql …. be a judge.
Even some of the so-called Islamic philosophers is that aql always takes precedence. And they even call Allah (SWT) al-aql al-awwal. Amongst the sufis, there was another extreme where there was an extreme distrust of anything from aql.
Ibn Tayyimah has a 9-volume book “Negating the possibility of contradicting the ‘aql.” Took what Al-Razi said and refuted it point by point.
Historically we had both extremes. The progressives are even further out there -- all they have is aql and they use the Quran as a smoke screen, we will discuss them shortly.
This verse is translated as heavens are spent asunder, ..... According to the mufaseerin it is talking about the day of judgement.
Syed Ahmed Khan says that we reject these interpretations of ...... He is referring to the greek philosophy that has entered our interpretations. But he goes further and says about the hadith which discusses it, he says that heavens have to be burst in order for God to descend. And he says that may Allah protect us from these lies. If this is Islam, the tales of demons and fairies are a thousand times better than it.
What he is implying is that any hadith that you have about the sky rent asunder etc -- this kind of thing doesn’t make any sense. Clearly he is putting aql ahead of naql. Do we have the right to say that this cannot happen, what is our basis for these statement?
Nowadays the scientist are claiming that the universe is going to rip apart, since it is expanding. And maybe based on this scientific claim, Syed Ahmed Khan could have claimed that this is a scientific miracle of the Quran. He is not just rejecting anthropomorphism (human like attributes) but he is rejecting even angels descending. They are trying to make Islam modern, such that it is compatible with the most modern scientific thinking.
Even the most modernist translation says that Allah swt sent down upon them birds.
Syed Ahmed Khan says that commentators have the habit of exaggerating ... and then he disparages the hadith and says that the story is not narrated like this in the Quran, and that the calamity is not described in this way, but based on collateral evidence, it was smallpox. (Edit: This opinion is totally out of thin air and has no basis in Islam or History).
He is completely destroying what is in the naql and he is blaming it all on the commentators. This is an example of using aql to make very strange conclusions.
Part of the preservation of the Dhikr is words as well as meanings. If words are preserved but not the meaning then preserving something is useless. Such a preservation has not benefit to it. When Dhikr (i.e. revelation which means Quran and Sunnah) then it means that Allah (swt) is preserving the Arabic language. If you look at the Old Testament and New Testament, then neither original Biblical Hebrew (which is different from the modern day Hebrew) nor the Aramaic language are preserved. In fact the modern Hebrew was constructed through the Arabic language (by understanding the principles of the semitic languages through Arabic).
These verses make it clear that Jinn are distinct from Humans, they “mankind” took refuge with the Jinn and they are capable of reaching the heaven.
So Syed Ahmed Khan came up with an opinion without going into details of what he was claiming to study.
On the issue of the incident Angel, Ibless and Adam (pbuh), Khan only believes in Angelic and Satanic faculties but not in Angel or Satan. This is weird, since if one can believe in Angelic faculty or Satanic faculty, then in fact one is believing in Angels and Satans. Nevertheless, Khan did not realize this contradiction in his thought. To Khan these faculties are felt inside humans so Allah (swt) made them into beings. He is assuming that Arabs at that time were not intelligent enough to deal with the concept of faculties, so they had to be explained things in forms of beings of Angel and Satan. He did not believe in the conversation of Allah (swt) versus Satan and eating of the fruit from a tree. Khan always did this in a cunning way. He would suggest to the reader, “if you want to believe it then it is upto you...but as far as I am concerned I believe.....”. This way, he basically makes a sarcastic remark towards the reader who does not agree with Khan.
Khan says, that all commentators are wrong (i.e. red sea part into two), but he says they all overlooked the fact that in history, the red sea had 30 some islands in it and if Prophet Moses (pbuh) came at time of low tide, then he could cross and if others came at the time of high tide then they could not cross. He clearly distorts the words by translating; “the We said to Moses to walk across the sea with the help of your staff....” and to him the above translation of the verse regarding “....Strike with your staff the sea....”. Now in Arabic the words are Adhrab (strike) and then particle Ba in front of Asak (your staff). The words are not Amshi (to walk) and hence Khan is playing even with the words of the Quran, which is even worse compared to misinterpreting the text, as it is called Tahreef ul Quran (i.e. changing the Quran).
Some points he makes are good like Quran is true, God is truth and no Science can falsify it. On the contrary the truth of every science throws light on the Words of God. However, he does not make any point regarding turning to the Sunnah of Prophet (saaw) or the way of Sahabah (ra). This is a big reason for people to stray when they detach Quran from Sunnah and Sahabah.
Another interesting point that he makes is that he praises the people who have faith without much need of philosophical arguments and calls them shining stars of faith. One would expect the Khan will mock at them, however, he praises them and says he admires them since they are people who have stronger faith compared to him (Khan), who needs philosophical arguments to justify his faith. Compared to these are men who want philosophical arguments for everything regarding Islam and it is to such audience that Khan wants to address. However the problem here is that Khan is sacrificing the truth to bring such people towards Islam. Khan is giving such people giving what they want rather than giving Islam to them. If you give someone half truth (or compromised truth) then one is bringing more harm than good. On top of it Khan is passing it as the truth. The Dawah is about truth, if people do not want to the truth, then it is not the job of Dawah giver to compromise the truth.
At that time there was a lot of complex of inferiority among the Muslims due to being colonized, hence it was a very defeatist time for Muslims, so probably he did it under that pressure. He did consider Islam superior to Christianity and Hinduism. However, Khan went too far in his thought process of compromising the Islamic way of thinking and impacted many future thinkers, who are still thinking along those lines. He still called himself Modernist, Rationalist and Apologetics. He lacked knowledge of Sunnah at all. Sh. Jamaal has seen people who reject Sunnah but still quote from Sunnah a lot, however, Khan never quotes from Sunnah. He went too far on his modernist and rationalist way of thinking and distorted the clear and sound way of Islamic thinking.
Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958): The book Tarjuman ul Quran is by Abul Kalam Azad. It is 2 volumes in English (original in Urdu). When Sh. Jamaal became a Muslim, there were very few books in English on Islam. He learnt basics of Salat from a book written by a Christian missionary. The first translation of the Quran that Sh. Jamaal read was from a Qadiyani and the first book on Islam was by a student of Syed Ahmed Khan called Sir Ameer Ali. Sh. Jamaal got suspicious of the Sir in front of their names. Tarjuman ul Quran was also one of the first books Sh. read on Tafseer of the Quran. Azad comes from a very religious family and knew Pashtu, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi. He took a very different way and he started to have doubts by the age of 15. His doubt took him towards Atheism/Agnosticism (where he stopped praying etc...) and according to some reports it lasted for 10 years. What turned him away from Islam was mutually contradicting dogmas and statements to the point that he became confused that he said “where is the truth....?”. Then he found happiness in Science and considered it the right way to light. However, he says that science starts with doubt and takes one to the path of Atheism where there is nothing but darkness and despair. He says that he had to pass through all those stages but then he did not walk the road all the way to the end. Then he started to question Science and then he started to see the relation between Science and Religion and considered it the right way to the ultimate truth that humanity needed.
Abul Kalam Azad was influenced by Syed Ahmed Khan, even though Azad was very Anti-British and Khan was the opposite i.e. very pro-British. He was imprisoned due to his problem with the British, and he began to chang his ways. According to Maududi (until 1921-22) he was very pro-Khilafat movement however later he became 100 percent nationalist indian and started to believe in a single Indian nationhood comprising of Muslims and non-Muslims. He assimilated some Hindu philosophy of unity of different religions and the Western biological theory of evolution. Imprint of this can be seen on his commentary of the Quran. He was against the creation of Pakistan and he was against British even though he believed in the unity of Humanity. Interestingly enough he was pro-Hindu. After the partition of Sub-continent in 1947, he became the Indian education minister and stayed in that position up until 1958. He was in favor of making Latin alphabets to Urdu, Farsi and other Indian languages. He later became very secularist and considered Islam to be only a belief system. On issue of abortion and birth control, he said that it is purely a social and biological process and there is no reason why Islamic Law should deal with it. If experts (in sociology and biology) feel that they need to give a verdict, then they may do so in its favor. He was against the slaughter of the cow (on Eid), to bring Hindus and Muslims together. He ended his life in a pure secularist mind set. He said whatever the religious theology may say, it is the secularism which works. One of his Muslim student, called Chagla, advised the Indian gov’t to abolish the Muslim personal law, forbid hijab and allow marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslim men. A number of his students became entirely secularized and said that Quran has nothing to say about social issues.
The Urdu version of his Tafseer is to Surah al Kahf, however the English version only goes to the Surah Al Anfal. So the original Tafseer in Urdu is incomplete in the first place. He actually makes some good points in the introduction of his tafseer. He writes about that our relationship with Quran has weakened, lots of foreign elements have entered into tafseer and that the Greek has impacted our way of thinking. He called for removing these foreign influences from the tafseer and our way of thinking. Azad even said that Sahabah understood and lived the Quran the best, however, at the same time he said that Hadith cannot be trusted and Hadith is not preserved. So here Azad is giving a mixed message.
He rejects the idea to take every scientific theory and to prove it through the Quran while at the same time rejecting any miraculous aspect to the Quran. For example, on the ability of Yusuf (pbuh) to interpret the dreams he said that Yusuf (pbuh) did not have the knowledge of interpreting the dreams but rather he had the knowledge of discerning end result or conclusion of events and affairs. So it is basically just a normal insight. For the youth of Surah al Kahf he tried to argue that the wind was passing through the cave and doing the turning of youth as we discussed earlier.. He makes an argument that there is no need for Prophet (saaw) to have anything miraculous and here he is going against both the Quran and Sunnah on this issue.
He rejected the idea of Darwinism. He said what survives is the the most beneficial but not what is the most fittest. Azad refutes Ahmed (since Ahmed did not believe in virgin birth of Isa (pbuh)) and Azad accepted the virgin birth as a dogma from Quran. He ran into trouble with those Ulema who supported creation of Pakistan and later he became completely secular. He was a modernist in his tafseer but not as egregious as other modernists.
Ghulam Ahmed Pervez: Another person along this line is Ghulam Ahmed Pervez (1903-1985): What is important about Ghulam Ahmed Pervez is that he has gone to the extreme which makes it beneficial for others as this man becomes a lesson for everyone. The lesson is that if one is not thinking on proper foundations of the Deen, then how far astray one can go. He was influenced by Syed Ahmed Khan. He wrote Maarifa al Quran in 1941-49 in Urdu. He is one of Quraniyun and rejects the Hadith and Sunnah completely. The only book in English that he wrote is one he titled, “Islam: A challenge to religion”. The deen in his view is a form of a government, just like the communism, democracy and socialism and as such all the authority rests with the law of God given in the Quran. One of the laws according to him is that food and wealth has to be distributed equally to everyone. He separates between Deen and Madhab and he says that He says that people with vested interests converted this Deen into Madhab (religion) and they did this through fabricated hadith.
More on this InshaAllah next week.
We have been discussing people important to our topic from 200 years ago. And last week we were discussing Ghulam Ahmed Pervez and today we discuss an author closer to home, Muhammad Asad who wrote “The Message of the Quran”. This book is important for us to discuss since some unknown group distributed copies of this book to the masajid all across the USA.
The author Muhammad Asad was originally Leopold Weiss and he was born in 1900. He was an Austrian Jew, who became a writer and eventually he ended up in Palestine when it was under the control of the British. It was in that period that he met with Arabs and studied their Zionist concerns. This is early in the 20th century and the Jews had started to move to Palestine. In 1926 he converted to Islam in Berlin. In his works he travelled extensively and his other book is “Road to Mecca”. In this book he discusses the Zionist movement and its concerns.
In 1932 he moved to British India and met with Mohammed Iqbal and became a strong supporter of the idea of an independent Pakistan. During second world war, his parents were killed by Nazis in Austria. Asad himself was living in Lahore when the WWII broke out. The British arrested him because he was an alien. In 1947 he was released and given the citizenship of Pakistan and he worked in Pakistani gov’t for a while. He then moved to Spain and stayed there and died there in 1992.
He wrote an interesting book titled “Islam on the Cross-Roads”. He was saying that there are two paths: either take your own path or follow Europe. And if you follow Europe, you’lll always be following. He gave a clear message that you either take your own Islamic path or you follow Europe. If you follow Europe then you will always be behind.
Maududi says about him, after he had married a Muslim woman who had Western influence, and he attributes this event as a catalyst for changes in his life. His commentary of the Quran shows these influences. In particular you can see the clear influence of people like Syed Ahmed Khan and he was also called the European scribe of Syed Ahmad Khan. As we go through the book, we’ll see examples.
“It is more than probable that their mode of life made so strong an impression on the imagination of their more worldly co-religionists that it became gradually allegorized in the story of the Men of the Cave who "slept" - that is, were cut off from the outside world - for countless years, destined to be "awakened" after their spiritual task was done.
“It is more than probable that their mode of life made such a strong impression that it led to aggrandizing their period to 300 years -- they were merely cut off from the outside world.” So there is no miracle. Whatever the source of this legend, the fact remains that it used purely in an allegorical/parabolic sense. So he is “reinterpreting” the Qur’an. They weren’t sleeping, they were “sleeping.” Since their friends were very materialistic they were just cutting off from them which is called “sleeping”.
With Respect to the story of Solomon, page 498 footnote 77 he says: “The Qur’an alludes to many of the Judeo-Christian lore and legends” -- the words “lore and “legends” are used to describe things that are stories and not necessarily true.
“Although it is un-doubtedly we can rationalistic explanation, I do not think this is necessary. These stories were not true, but they were so deeply ingrained in the minds of people, so Quran addresses them and treats them as true.” So basically he is saying that since people believed so Allah (swt) added them in the Quran.
He’s saying the people believed in it, so Allah is going to use it as a teaching tool. But why would Allah (SWT) use something that is false? Especially when He asserts that the Qur’an is the truth? He says that was because the people at that time believed them to be the truth. And Sh asks this question, if that was the case, why did Allah not use the crucifixion of Christ as an argument since the people knew it? A good counter argument for M. Asad will be that the crucifixion of Isa (pbuh) was also ingrained in the minds of many people, however Allah (swt) refuted that story. So why will Allah (swt) will put other stories in the Quran.
He says that the birds were not killed and he quotes a scholar Abu Muslim (Abu Muslim Al Asfahani). This person is one of the leading Mutazilah scholars in history, but he does not tell you that the author he is quoting is a Mutazillah. Abu Muslim says that the moral of the story is that if man is able to train birds to obey him, then Allah is able to train birds to come back to Ibrahim (pbuh). In refuting this point, Sh. asks, is giving back life to a bird is same as training it to respond to your call?
An example of fiqh issue can be found in his tafseer of Surah Maida verse 33 on page 148 and 149. This verse of the Quran is about punishment for those who declare war on Allah (swt) and his Prophet (pbuh).
He starts out by saying, most of the classical commentators regard it as an order to do what the ayah says, but he says that this interpretation is not warranted by the text. Sh responds that he cannot find anyone before M. Asad who did not interpret the verse in a way that he is critiquing. Ibn Al Jawzi has a book on tafseer and he starts out by enumerating all opinions about this verse. Every one from the time of the Prophet has understood it as description of punishment. M. Asad should have clearly stated who says that this is a legal ruling. Unfortunately M. Asad is making things up about this verse.
M. Asad says, it is not an injunction but it is a statement of the fact, a declaration of punishment that will come upon those people by Allah (swt). And the way he gets there by using evidence from the Arabic language. He says that the verb is in imperfect tense, and he says that it cannot be a command and that it is statement of fact. And both of these points are incorrect. He says that noun that follows the verb becomes a clause. So he is making a claim that no one before him made it and he says that the reason why no one understood it in this way, because they did not understand the Arabic language as much as he did. Can he, not being a native speaker of Arabic, really make this claim?
Appendix #1 starting on page .... which is titled, .... allegory in the Quran. In the second sentence of the second para, he says that there is one fundamental statement that occurs only once and that is a key phrase of all phrases. He says the verse 7 from Al’ Imran, he says that this verse gives key understanding of the Quran and makes it easy for everyone to understand. He says that without understanding mutashabihat, most people will not be able to understand the quran. And then he claims that Quran must be understood in an allegorical sense.
What do you think about this claim of his?
Allah swt in this verse says that there are muhkamat and mutashabihat verses. We have to understand the meaning of these two words. But if you look at the translation of these words in most English translation (Pichtall, Yusuf Ali, including M. Asad), mutashabihat is translated as allegorical.
Definition according to the American Heritage Dictionary: A literal, dramatic and pictorial representation. Basically you give a presentation but that is not true, you are giving some meaning behind the presentation. It is almost like fables, which have morals behind stories that are not true and in fact the stories do not have a literal meaning.
Definition according to Lane’s Lexicon: Mutashabi means equivocal or ambiguous i.e. something which is susceptible to interpretation and whose meaning is not to be understood from the words only. So it means words or phrases which have more than one possible interpretation.
The above verse was revealed when the Christian tribe of Najaran came to the Prophet and argued that the proof of trinity is in the Quran where Allah (swt) calls himself “We”. So it could mean that there is more than one Allah (swt) (as Christians have argued) or it could mean that it is Royal “We” which is what the scholars mention. A weaker opinion from Ibn Taymiyyah has that We is used when Allah (swt) is referring to himself and the Angels. So the verses like of Surat al Ikhlass (among many other) are very clear and cannot be interpreted in any other way except one way hence they are Muhkamaat. So these Muhkamaat are the foundations of the book and the verses which are Mutashabihaat are to be interpreted on the basis of the Muhkamaat. So all the tons and tons of verses in the Quran which make it clear that Allah (swt) is Ahad, makes it clear for us that We is referring to special honor (i.e. Royal We) and not that there is more than one God.
Most concerning is that he believes that all of Allah’s attributes are allegorical. As the Mu’tazila, he doesn’t want to ascribe any positive trait to God -- they can only say what he is not.
But the Qur’an is clear about this: The very verse that says “there is no-one like Him” is followed by the fact that He says “and he hears and sees.”So rather than saying that Allah’s attributes have nothing in common with what Allah (swt) has created, they start to deny Allah’s attributes.
But the approach of the Qur’an is different to denying God’s characteristics. If you take the approach of denying, then you end up worshipping nothing. And you remove the love that would be in the heart of the believer towards Allah (SWT).
The Prophet (SAWS) says that the meaning of the verse of ziyaadah is that Allah will remove the veil and we will be allowed to see the face of Allah. But for these people who don’t believe in the attributes of Allah don’t believe that Allah doesn’t even have a face. So of course he’s not even going to quote this verse.
So all that Muhammad Asad says is that ziyaadah is “more than their actual merits may warrant” No reference to the hadith, no reference to the Prophet (SAWS) and what they said.
So he gives the impression that the interpretation and understanding of the Qur’an can change. Obviously the Qur’an is intended to be interpreted in the time and place that we are in (We need to take lessons from the Quran and apply it to our life), but that doesn’t mean that we come up with new meanings that contradict the opinions of the Prophet and the Sahabah. The meanings should be consistent with what the Prophet and the sahaaba said, but the exact way in which we apply it may change. He is saying that the meaning may change, indeed he says it is a blessing.
So these are some samples -- and hence this is a representation of a classical modernist approach to tafseer.
Last week we talked about Muhammad Asad’s commentary on the Quran. Sh had found the copy in the musallah. And then last Friday he went to see if he could find another translation that we are planning to discuss today and he did find a copy, it was by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. This was one of the first books given to him when he became a Muslim.
There is a good possibility that he is from an Ismaili family. He studied English literature at a number of universities, including New York. He has references to Tennyson and others. He began the translation and commentary in 1934 and published in 1938 by Mohammed Ashraf in Lahore India (now Pakistan). Then he toured US as part of his book tour and visited the third mosque in North America which was in Edmonton in Canada. He emigrated to England and died there.
One of the reasons that this book is so popular is, that translation for most part is accurate and it is powerful translation. The only problem is that translation is very archaic since the English he chose to use is the language of the King James Bible. The issues are though in the commentary which are in the footnotes of the translation.
There was a time when the Muslim World League (MWL) was distributing this commentary with a pamphlet warning about this book. The MWL has prepared a “list of errors” that this book contains, including the point that the heaven and hell have no existence and that they are allegorical and are a state of mind. According to him, Heaven is the state of ecstasy and hell is a state of agony. In the pamphlet they quoted a number of footnotes. They then quote a few of the footnotes as being against the teachings of the Qur’an. Therefore the commentary should be considered null and void.
The pamphlet by MWL did not cover all of the errors in the commentary. For example, there is more than one hints of pantheism/(monism=wahdatul wujood) style discussion. e.g. in the commentary for Surah Fatihah he says there are many worlds -- spiritual, material, etc, and in every world, God is all in All -- the essence of wahdatul wujood -- or monism.
Footnote #5276 describes the word: baatin -- that which is within versus that which is evident in things outside. God has both these qualities: his signs are evident in the universe, but he is also imminent within us and in the soul of all good things.
The author repeats these ideas too often in his commentary. He goes above and beyond the mistakes made by Muhammad Asad. He says, “the attributes of God are so different from anything that we know in this world that there is only one name we can give Him (swt) is Huwa (i.e. He).” Then he goes on to reject the name God or Allah despite the fact Allah (swt) in the Quran asks us to call upon Allah (swt) through these names.
Muhammad Asad claimed that we can only say what is not Allah, and this goes against the teaching of the prophet and the sahabah. When Quran and Sunnah negates things about Allah it is very general, but when it mentions his attributes they are very specific. Such as he does not sleep, he does not tire etc. But very specific about his rahmah.
In footnote #4429 which is related to what Allah swt is talking to Iblis and asking him why he is not prostrating to Adam. Here he uses olde english which can be difficult for some. He does not play with the words of the translation. But he gives a very different impression in his footnotes. He says what he means by my hands, it means by my power and my creative skill. This is the implication of what Allah swt says, but that is not the complete meaning of what Allah swt says.
Similarly he says the throne or Arsh is the seat, power, symbol, authority. However, when you read his translation, it looks different than what is seen or looks strange compared to some other tafseer such as Ibn Katheer whether it is in Arabic or English. Sh is implying that Yusuf Ali’s translation looks strange.
When you look at all the footnotes of Heaven and Hell, it says that it is antithesis to the previous ayah, he says if the fire is the symbol of punishment, then garden is the symbol of felicity. This kind of esoteric understanding of the Quran might be because of his Ismaili beliefs.
He says Iblis is the power of evil, with root idea of disbelief and rebellion, and Satan is the symbol of enmity and ... He says they are two different manifestations of evil. He says that there are not one reality, they are just symbolic.
Footnote #57 says the hell fire is spiritual fire, and if we commit sins, we have to pass through fire of repentance and regret.
During the time he was living, and the influence of Western culture, we can find the concept of Western economy spreading in his commentary of the Quran. For example in footnote #241 which talks about gambling, he ends up talking about insurance and says that insurance is not gambling and says that risk is eliminated due to statistical calculations. He is implying that insurance is not gharar (risk). The problem is that he is speaking from the perspective of the insurance companies, who are trying to reduce their risks, one may with some stretch of imagination say that it is not gambling (although Sh. Jamaal does not agree with this conclusion either) but for the individual it is definitely not so. It is definitely gharar and akin to gambling, e.g. he may pay for 20 years and nothing happens.
Footnote #344, where he discusses riba, he opens the door and says that the Prophet did not explain it properly and he quotes Umar ibn Khattab where he wishes that he hoped to ask three questions to the Prophet when he was alive. It is a rare occurrence for a hadith to be in his commentary and specially with quotation of Umar. There is another hadith that Yusuf Ali uses elsewhere which is known to be fabricated.
He defines riba, as undue profit made not in the way of legitimate trade made of out loans of gold, silver, wheat and barley and he says that this is a statement of the holy apostle. He says my definition would exclude profiteering made by economic institutions.
He says that polygamy restricts the number of wives to four provided you could treat all of your wives with perfect equality in affection. And then he says that it is difficult to do so, then he recommends monogamy. You have to treat them equally but not in affection, you simply cannot do that. If that were a criteria then it would be very difficult to meet.
His views of the angels is also problematic. In the story of Harut and Marut in verses from Surah Baqarah verse 102, his translation says that the word comes to the angels Harut and Marut, his translation does not play with words.
But in his footnotes, he says in modern translation the word angel is applied to good and beautiful women. Is this part of Islamic culture at all? Are angels from human beings? This is a grave distortion of the text.
In footnote #178, he describes angels as being Allah’s powers.
Jinn are also an issue for him, in footnote #929, you can see an obvious influence of Syed Ahmed Khan. He says that we were told the Iblis was one of the jinns and that is why he disobeyed Allah swt and we see that in another verse it was asked for angels to prostrate and Iblis was influenced by the angels. He then defines jinn, and then says that jinn are hidden qualities and capacities of man. Other says it means wild and jungle folk. He says that the meaning is simply spirit or a spiritual hidden force.
In footnote #953 he says that the whole verse is addressed to man and jinn. He asks are jinn but disembodied spirits of men. He implies that jinn are the ghosts of men. Which is a very strange statement to make.
Footnote #4189 is reference to the verse about Sulayman in Surah Saad verse 34.
He says that his earthly powers were like a body without soul and God gave it the real life and power. He then quotes Bible a lot, maybe because he is directing his commentary towards the English speaking audience and include non Muslims.
There are two revised editions and it is from Amana Publications and another from King Fahd Quran Complex in Madina. The King Fahd publication at no time says on the cover pages that it is related to Abdullah Yusuf Ali, however, it says that in the discussion. Most of revision has taken place in the footnotes while keeping the old English of the translation. And then the publishers say that they chose his translation because of its good quality. The revisions on the commentary includes some work done by Sh. Jaafar Idris. All the footnotes that are revised have a “R” next to it meaning revised. They recognized many of the problems in the commentary. Some of the footnotes are completely removed.
E.g. Footnote 929 they deleted it and replaced it. Footnote 52 they removed some of the things about tempting man from a lower to a higher state. The one from Madinah removed much more. E.g. Footnote #20 from S Fatihah the one about God being “all in all” they did not remove that. But in the Madinah one they did. On page 21 of the introduction, they add something that the top translations are Asad’s, T. B. Irving and Ahmed Ali’s -- “A contemporary translation” which has been banned.
Next week we will discuss progressives.
Who are the progressives? It is a small movement, but it is growing. We will first define who are the progressives? Muslims are once again taking an ideology from non Muslims. Progressive movement is a philosophy which is completely alien to Islam. It started as a political movement. In the US it was a strong movement from 1900 - 1920. The chief ideologues were Woodrow Wilson, William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt.
After the Civil War in US, the corporations were running the country and things were really poor for the labor movement and the poor people. They had a big agenda, all the way from Railroad reform, combating diseases and poverty. From their point of view, things had become un-American, due to the large difference between the rich and the poor, and public welfare, care for the poor and oppressed. Something needed to be done. That movement died out around 1920. It still exists today -- most people see it as the left wing of the Democratic party. Others would say that the democrats are now too “establishment”.
Famous progressives include Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman (of “democracy now”) etc. This started to spread into religions as well, e.g. Judaism -- the world union for progressive Judaism, who argue for pluralism. This started in 1926. Surprisingly there is a Zionist wing to progressive Judaism.
The same thing happened with Christianity -- condemning unjust war, corruption, etc. Among the influential groups is the Center for Progressive Christianity. The eight points of Progressive Christianity seem to be reminiscent of sufism and humanism. There are strong influences of post-modernism and liberalism.
It is continuing the idea of modernity and changing Islam. But one of the differences it has is an idealistic vision of the West by the modernists-- to modernists the West was so beautiful and wonderful. After World War I and the Muslims saw the tricks done by the West and the creation of the State of Israel -- they see the West in a post-Colonial way. They seek modernity, but they don’t see that the West as ideal. Also because they have adopted a post-modern perspective, they also critique Western culture.
That is a radical departure. But the ideas of changing Islam are shared. One of their leading spokespeople is Omid Safi. They believe in critique of both Modernity and Islam. He says Progressive Islam comprises a number of things, to engage Islam in a discussion to create a just society, relentless pursuit of social justice, equality of genders, basically the same eight points from the Christianity Movement. He says we can base our view on Quran, but they also draw freely from other sources in their pursuit of social justice. They draw from Ali Shariati, Edward Said and secular humanism of Noam Chomsky.
Most of the following quotations of Omid Safi are from his book on Progressive Muslims on Justice, Gender, and Pluralism.
What they are saying that these other sources are equal to the Quran and Sunnah. It is one thing to read these others works and benefit from it, but it is much different to say it is as much a source of knowledge as Quran and Sunnah. They are sceptical of revealed knowledge, so they consider all of these other sources as equal to Quran and Sunnah.
According to them the true measure of human beings worth is his character. They are anti Nationalist. They believe, all members of the human race and have equal rights because they have the same divine essence, they quote from the Quran, but understand the verse from a Sufi perspective. To them all what matters is the presence of the ruh in the human regardless of whether they are obedient to Allah (swt) or not. They define Islamic Humanism and have a very secular view of Justice.
It is beautiful and moving speech, but it is a classic case of mixing the goals or maqaasid of shariah. They forget the first and most important goal of uboodiyah (submission to Allah (swt)). They forget what Allah (swt) commands as justice but believe in secular justice.
They are still a relatively small group, they have presence in only a few cities, such as Washington DC, Toronto. They have a mosque, they meet regularly, they publish pamphlets. Their symbolism combines the feminine sign with the crescent. They have attracted the attention of academia and orientalist. They are being backed as the hope for Muslims. They receive democracy prize, they put their books on the book of the month club, such as Oprah Winfrey with Irshad Manji’s book. They sponsored a mixed gender Jumuah prayer, and the khatib was Amina Wadood.
More recently in The Huffington Post, you will see the story of gay friendly mosque. They don’t read specific verses but “Quran is to be taken in general way” which is fitting their agenda. And it talks about a gay imam and why they would be able to talk to youth who are gay.
In the book edited by Omid Safi, it quotes a verse from the Quran on the teaser page, and then he has two stanzas from Bob Dylan on the same page. You can see he is giving the same ranking to both of them. And then in a 29 page chapter on .... Gandhi is quoted, Bob Marley is quoted, but not one verse of the Qur’an is used as a basis for their argument.
The next article is by Khaled Abou El Fadl -- the Ugly Modern and the Modern Ugly: Reclaiming the Beauty of Islam. 44 Pages, refers to 3 Qur’anic verses (but doesn’t include them). Fareed Issak a very well known progressive in South Africa -- one verse of reference to the Qur’an. Another article by Ahmad Karam Mustapha is trying to define what Islam is and there is not one reference to the Qur’an. Another article on being a scholar of Islam -- risks and responsibilities -- you would think the Qur’an touches upon that -- not one verse of the Qur’anic verse. Transforming feminism -- not one reference to the Qur’an. They don’t really need the Qur’an since they already have the agenda. They have their agenda, they have their sources of knowledge. But they need the Qur’an in order to attract others.
Something like this progressive literature can only have effect if there are no people of knowledge. One of the crises we are going through (and couple of books are similar title) is the point who speaks for Islam. If you look at Saudi Arabia (newspaper and media) the Saudi Arabia is in a mess. There are have been a group worse than progressives called Haddathiyeen.
One scholar in a lecture he was giving -- they are called the Haddathiyyeen -- they have been there for some time -- but they did not write for some time. He asked them why are you writing more? It was because of one man Sh. Bin Baaz that was highly respected.If these Haddathiyeen wrote anything, Bin Baaz will immediately respond. But then Bin Baaz, Uthaaimeen and Albaani passed away, there was a big vacuum. This means that now the scholars no longer have the kind of influence they used to have. In the United States we don’t have many ulema at all. This is why this kind of movement, although its arguments are extremely weak and it is difficult to understand why any Muslims would listen to them; because there is a lack of knowledge and leadership, there is an opening for them.
They get to the point of even questioning the authenticity of the Qur’an and the status of the Qur’an. Many of them have the hermeneutics of suspicion -- some of them are true postmodernists and they are basically nihilist.
Her PhD dissertation was entitled “The Qur’an and Women: Reading the Qur’an from a Woman’s Perspective”. She is American, she embraced Islam in 1972, she did her PhD at University of Michigan and graduate work American University in Cairo Egypt. During graduate school she did study in Egypt.
For a few years, she was a teacher in Qur’anic Studies at IIUM and in 2007 she received the Danish Democracy Prize. Her basic things that she argues is that during the Abbasid period the scholars were exclusively male and were sometimes influenced by cultures that were antithetical to Islam (footnote: when her views are clearly antithetical to Islam). As men, they must have been biased and they could not have written things from a woman’s perspective.
She emphasizes the idea of language a lot. She refers to Allah (SWT) sometimes as he, sometimes as she and sometimes as it. This is because she says that God’s nature is beyond any gender limits.
This begs a simple question: If Allah (SWT) did not want himself to be referred to in the second person masculine, then why did he reveal the Qur’an in a language that doesn’t have a neuter, and that he didn’t refer to himself in the feminine? So who are you upset with? Amina should not be upset with all the male scholars, but with Allah himself.
One of the claims that these Muslims make is that throughout the history of Islam is that they did not pay any attention to the goals of the Shari’ah but this is provably false. She also implies that even common sense was not taken into account. She says that “common sense was considered inferior to hadith” -- again provably false -- lots of discussion about the meaning of hadith.
Her ultimate goal is to try to strip our understanding of the Qur’an from any kind of gender bias/inequality. She fails miserably. Because what’s she’s doing doesn’t make sense. She says “The Qur’an’s intent is that of full equality.” Most of her arguments are straw-man arguments or she is making a mountain out of a mole.
Example: The verses about witnesses, inheritance, and how to deal with your wife when she is behaving in an intransigent fashion to her husband. In these cases she says “it is not as bad as some people say.” E.g. the verse about qawwaamah she says that degree refers to a husband’s right to divorce and male ontological supremacy. What Ulema got out of these verses that the responsibilities of men and women are different.
She therefore has to admit that there are differences -- she has to admit them over and over again. There’s a lot of what may be termed “double speech” -- e.g. about the creation of human beings. E.g. denying that woman was created from Adam.
According to her, in the Quranic account, Allah (swt) did not create Adam first. She ignored the verse which says that Jesus (pbuh) was created from Turab just like Adam (pbuh).
Don’t even talk about bringing in hadith -- the only hadith she is willing to quote is the hadith that says “take half of your deen from Aa’ishah” -- according to most scholars this is a fabricated hadith in any case.
This is the last class for this quarter and we will discuss Progressives.
There is a wide spectrum of progressive movement and it is an outgrowth of the modernist movement. When you consider the people who are in this movement, you can categorize them into four groups.
The first group are progressive even from the secular perspective, they are influenced by secular and post modernists philosophy. They are rooted in a philosophical background and they are trying to plant it into Islam. They are more intellectual and are active in academia, they publish a lot. However their influence on the Muslim masses is a very minimal.
The second group are the sufis, sometimes very clear and extreme sufis, they are into the pantheism and monism movement.
The third group is the leftovers from Rashad Khalifa movement. Rashad Khalifa was from Egypt and then moved to Arizona and he first claimed he found the number 19 as the miracle of the Quran (Edit: This was a false claim and refuted very easily) and then he claimed to be a prophet of God. He just claimed that the verse in Surah Yasin (إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ) is addressing him. However, his followers never gained much confidence among Muslims.
One of the books we’ll be looking at is the Qur’an: A Reformist Translation. But they carefully avoid mentioning that he claimed to be a messenger of God. They have a problem with both Muslims and non-Muslims.
The fourth category is the group that does not belong into any of the above three groups.
It’s important to know their names so we can identify the sources for information.
Amina Wadud we discussed her last week. In some ways she is not as extreme as many of the others. She give her support to their movement and writes in some of the publications.
Mohammed Arkoun often comes up -- lived most of his life in France.
Harun Nasution Popular in Indonesia also influential. Also his student Nurcholish Madjid (from Indonesia).
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd - He was in the news a lot, he is Egyptian, teaching at American University in Cairo. He was denied promotion, and he was declared a kaafir, murtud by a group of scholars. He fought the case of being separated from his wife by virtue of his declared a murtud, he won the case, and then migrated to Holland.
Farid Esack is of Indian descent from South Africa. He has written a number of books including Quran & Liberalism, Quran An Introduction. He says Islam is all about justice and nothing else. He is teaching at Xavier University in Cincinnati. His name along with Abu Zayd and Arkoun are mentioned quite often.
Abdullah Saeed from Australia. He is claims that he is trying to build on the work of the early Muslim scholars, whereas others claim that the earlier works by the Muslim scholars mean absolutely nothing.
Khaled Abou El Fadl from California.
Progressives are a very wide spectrum of people, they do not necessarily have a common or unified approach.
His books include Islam: To Reform or Subvert Islam - Common Questions and Uncommon Answers, The Unthought.
He was born in 1938, he is of Berber descent. He has written a number of books in Arabic, French, and English. In his book, ‘The Unthought’ claims that the Quran is not true. He taught in Sorbonne, and has received the French Legion of Honor, received ... award for lifelong dedication of Islamic Studies, he has given .... lectures (well known named lectures).
The weird thing is that the Western Society is showering praise upon praise on this man, and his thoughts are anti-Qur’an in essence and he is labeled as one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. He died in 2010. At the time that he died he had a position at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in England.
He’s basically a post-modernist secularist humanist. He doubts both the authenticity of the Qur’an as well as the truth claimed in the Qur’an.
When describing the Prophet (saaw), he says he is a man who was one of the significant men in the line of history, he was a leader and had bold ideas. The real thing that distinguishes Prophets from other people is the psycho-spiritual ability to mobilize the audiences using revelation.
One idea actively rejected by secularists is that God is an active participant in history. This is really something that they don’t like. Once you recognize that there is a sacred history, then you have to submit to it, and this is something they clearly do not want to do. Why? Because according to them, it would violate the autonomy of human reasoning. Once again, human reasoning is the only important thing (even if their thinking leads humanity no where).
He starts out with a lot of premises. They have a whole aqeedah but they don’t have any proofs for their aqeedah. He says that the Prophets could not have come to restrict human reasoning, since that is the highest logic.
They did not come with any measure of compulsion. And he says that they did not come from a criterion from heaven, but only came to propose a means for existence. These meanings are subject to amendment and interpretation within the framework of reason that was part of the covenant with human beings.
He raises the question: ‘Why do Muslims limit themselves to the Quran even today and Sunnah and Salaf al Salih, and restrict to what the prophet interpretation of the Quran?’ His answer is: because of the “debt of meaning” -- we Muslims feel indebted the Prophet for the good he brought that we don’t like to question it.
He says that the Muslims have to free themselves from the idea of what the Prophets brought. He also says that anyone who continues to believe in the Prophetic model and stick to the Prophetic model, you must prefer myth to history, spirituality to positivism and imagination to rationality.
The Qur’an was giving alternatives to the ancient symbols that were out there and it is time for mankind to move on, i.e. we have to move to Science (i.e. Scientism) and we have to leave the myth and move to reality.
When talking about the truth value of quran, he says that revelation can be divided into two categories, Umm al Kitaab which is referred in the quran as the preserved tablet (Lauh Mahfooz), he says that the only truth is in the preserved tablet and when it is revealed to the earth, it is distorted and we no longer have it. And he says that oral Qur’an was lost as soon as it was started to be written down. It shows his lack of the knowledge of history as well as the Quran. He does not even know that the Quran was always preserved orally as well as writing.
He says it took until the 4th Century Hijrah to finally be completed. The thing that Muhammad had at the beginning was called the “Prophet’s discourse” and that the thing at the end of the 4th century it was a “the official closed corpus.” He was very disappointed that nobody followed this approach that he had figured out.
There’s a field called semiotics that we have to use to understand it. It’s the study of signs and symbols. Eventually he comes to his conclusion that the only reasonable reading of the Qur’an is that of a secular theology. This is his ultimate goal.
But you get that fundamental problem where you start with your conclusion and then you go to the Qur’an. You don’t decided first what is correct and what is incorrect and then look to the Qur’an for supporting argument.
This is a fundamental mistake made by all the bid’a groups is that they start with their premises and then they bring these premises to the Quran (without showing why the premises should be considered true in the first place).
He’s very academic in the way he writes -- it sounds scholarly, but when you really look at it, there’s nothing there. His theories sometimes he shows an ignorance of the Qur’an and he can not back up his claims. He’s written a number of books, but he doesn’t prove them. He gives some logical proofs, but often based on incorrect facts.
He’s very influential in the progressive movements, and also popular amongst the orientalists and they bestowed many prizes upon him.
Two kinds of people are convinced by these writings, one group who wants to remain Muslims but they are not willing to accept Islam as described in Quran and Sunnah, so these writings allow them to justify their actions or behavior while still say that they are Muslims.
If they really believe that every passage can be understood in any way that they want, but what is strange or inconsistent is that they are not willing to allow Muslim scholars to understand the verses in a manner as explained by the Prophet and the Sahabah. Sh said that if they are willing to accept any understanding of the verse, what right do they have to restrict my understanding of the verse as explained by the Prophet and Sunnah.
Clearly there’s a relationship between progressives and humanism -- humanism postulates that mankind is the centre of the moral universe.
A lot of post-modernism is about doubt. The authority of the church broke down, and in the last 200 years, they’ve gone through lots of different stages. Postmodernism is a relatively new phenomenon, and now there is something called post-post-modernism. So a relatively new field has already been overruled and new approaches are being discussed.
They are trying to destroy Islam and then reconstruct it. But why Mohammed Arkoun is even worried about religion is beyond comprehension, he says that he wants to destroy it from within, and that is the reason why he is interested in it.
(Disclaimer: The link above is being given just for academic purposes. Neither this book nor Irshad Manji are being recommended as serious sources of knowledge).
The last cover page and the front three pages are all about the praises for this book. Sh read a list of people who praise this book. The last praise of the book says, from the perspective of academia it does not contribute much at all, this is from a renowned Sunni scholar who is listed as anonymous.
It is edited by two men and a woman, and they are proud of this fact, since it now removes the male perspective. The first author is Turkish/Kurdish, in 1956 he experienced an epiphany and converted from Sunni to rationalist movement. This author belongs to the Rashad Khalifa movement.
The Rashad Khalifa movement are the ones who came up with the number 19. But Bilal Philips made a project to count the mentions and found that it was wrong. Appendix VI is entitled: Why should we trash all the hadith? They then discuss why we should trash all of the hadith, these people are Quraniyoon to the max.
Amina Wadud actually says that she cannot go to the extent of rejecting all of the hadith. These people don’t have the academic approach of some of the people on the board. But what they do have is that they are much more active on the internet. Can you imagine wanting to learning about Islam, and then you read this?
Appendix X discusses the salat according to the Quran alone. Since they reject all hadith, and salat is not detailed in the quran such as how to start the prayer etc. So they pray according to this appendix.
They question whether we need Muhammad to understand the Quran. They discuss Surah Nahl verse 44, and present the various translations of this verse.
So this verse clearly shows that the Prophet has a role, but according to their correct translation it should say “proclaim to the people” and not “make clear or explain to the people”. So they discount the role of the Prophet in explaining the Quran. At no point do they explain how these three authors understand the Arabic language better than the sahaba.
A majority of the readers of this book will not understand the deception that is going on. If you look in any Arabic dictionary, you will not see the meaning of the word as proclaim. Rather various dictionaries state to make something clear and not just proclamation.
This is the style that the follow throughout the book.
When discussing the punishment for thieves, they translate the verse to mean that you should mark it in order to make the person known as a thief.
In Surah Tahrim verse 5, where Allah swt is telling the prophet who he can marry if he were to divorce his wives, the verse describes the qualities of the woman whom he should marry.
They translate the word virgins as foremost and the reason is their claim that the root B K R occurs 10 times and 7 times it means early morning and in one case it means cow and we conclude that it has to do with time so we translate it as foremost. Then they continue with the argument of the name Abu Bakr (ra) and this name was not given since he was father of the virgin. They continue claiming that Abu Bakr was one of the foremost progressive. What is even funnier, that the people who are endorsing this book are all professors of Islamic Studies. What credibility can one can give to these professors after this? | 2019-04-25T12:08:04Z | http://www.smahate.com/islamic-classes/2012-spring/critique-of-modernist-progressive-tafseer |
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It has been exactly twenty years since I was in graduate school getting a degree in English Literature. The state of the discipline was depressing then. Twenty years ago isn't "good old days" when it comes to English Literature.
I took one course entirely on Shakespeare's Richard III. That's a little narrow, but I got very familiar with Richard III, and the course was somewhat irritating but not crazy. I do not remember the professor's name, which is perhaps just as well, so I will call her Dr. N. She was ostensibly an academic conservative, and the word on the graduate student street was that her hiring had been considered something of a victory for the last of the old guard in the department, presumably because all of the other candidates were significantly crazier. She, personally, did not write articles with titles like "Queering Shakespeare," nor did she force us to read and write on such papers, and it was from this restraint that she presumably got her reputation for academic conservatism.
Each student had to make a short presentation on the paper he was writing for the course. One female fellow student was trying hard to learn the ways of the English lit. world, and she had grasped the fact that professors encouraged one to talk about gender roles in season and out. So her paper's thesis was going to be that Richard III displays a number of "stereotypically feminine qualities" such as the use of psychological manipulation.
I will never forget the moment when this ostensibly academically conservative professor gave the student a bit of hearty advice: "You need to be bolder. What you should do is write the paper instead claiming that Richard is a woman. Now that would probably get you a publication." Let me add that she was completely serious. This was practical advice. She was not being ironic.
Fortunately, I kept my mouth shut. In fact, as I recall, we were all a bit stunned. The students in the program seemed to me by and large more academically conservative than the professors, and no one quite knew what to say to this suggestion. Somehow, the class moved on.
For some reason this scene has come back to me recently, and I have allowed myself to write, mentally, what it would have been nice to be able to say to the professor. One could even hope that a little generous, youthful indignation might have shocked her into remembering the days of her own youth when, perhaps, she actually loved literature.
Dr. N., why do you advise J. to write that Richard is a woman? Is it because it's true? What would it even mean for such a statement to be true? If it isn't true, why do you suggest that she write it?
Dr. N., let me get this straight. What you're saying here is that the plays of Shakespeare have no value apart from us. They are just opportunities for us to advance our careers by writing whatever tom-fool thoughts pop into our heads. Is that right?
Why am I doing this? Just out of grouchiness, just to complain, or just to be cruel to a former professor? I certainly hope not, though I'm as capable as anyone of mere grouchiness, complaint, or cruelty.
There is a point to be made here, though: If we academics are even to come close to justifying the prestige we have in society (and I don't think we can actually fully justify it, because academics have, in my opinion, too much prestige in Western society), we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people. Nothing else will really do. If Philosophy and Literature (to take two examples) are just meaningless games we play to get career opportunities, they are nothing. It would be better for all the departments in the world to be closed than for the meaning of the disciplines to be reduced to the cynical pointlessness reflected in that professor's remark to that student.
Part of what it meant for there to be a "good old days," whenever those existed, in the academic world was that professors earned the respect accorded them. And they did so by knowing the value of what they did, a value apart from themselves and their careers and apart from their students' careers, and by passing on that value. Honor to all of you professors out there who still know and do that. You are the small candle to which students come--a vision of a world of learning and wisdom that is the only justification for a university.
Perhaps Prof. N was being both "practical" *and* ironic.
Teaching others how to be successfully meretricious while making fun of prostitution?
Not a game I can at all approve of, if so.
But I didn't detect any humor, in any event.
"Part of what it meant for there to be a "good old days," whenever those existed, in the academic world was that professors earned the respect accorded them. And they did so by knowing the value of what they did, a value apart from themselves and their careers and apart from their students' careers, and by passing on that value. Honor to all of you professors out there who still know and do that. You are the small candle to which students come--a vision of a world of learning and wisdom that is the only justification for a university."
I was laughing at your first few paragraphs, but your somber assessment is right on. I have to say, Maggie's experience at Hillsdale, although undergraduate, is inspiring for her in a way that, I think, you would approve.
It's heartening to hear such good things about any college, especially now. A young man we've known since he was very young is at Hillsdale this year and loving it. Perhaps he and Maggie will run into one another.
The main thing English professors need to do is teach, something not one of mine ever did in college or high school. I learned on my own. For example, we were assigned to read Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow, and we were given a major test on that text alone. Being a science major and thinking always about girls and sports first, I was ill prepared to interpret literature. But my friend had a friend in the same class, and we decided to study together since my friend (really smart) also was clueless about literature. But our now mutual friend (who was really, really smart) did know how to interpret literature. So we began the night before the test after reading the book a day or so earlier (which was very boring). Our friend got us going about some of the symbolism before he bowed out (he never finished college by the way). I had gotten the hang of it and became enthused, so I kept my friend up most of the night figuring the whole thing out. I got an A, and both my friends got B's. No English professor ever came close to showing me how to understand literature.
If pay for humanities professors were limited to, say, 1/3rd the median American household income, and if tenure were eliminated, the careerists and the poseurs would soon disappear. The Mr. Chips types would remain, and do a much better job of instilling a love & understanding of literature, philosophy, etc. in their charges than the grotesques who dominate such fields today.
we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people.
Part of the natural consequence of this would be a professor believing, and SAYING, that some things are more worthwhile than others, and that some disciplines are more important than others. This is pretty close to the most grave sin a modern academic can commit. We have a long, long battle before us.
My experience at Thomas Aquinas College was entirely different: the school was started in 1971 on the understanding that modern universities had given up the point of education, and the founders decided to get back to the real business of teaching. The professors there do not publish.
I disagree. Insipid humanities professors are humanities professors for the same reason Al commits large portions of his free time railing at this blog, and likely a number of others, often continuing long after everyone else has moved onto another thread.
Career advancement and tenure are nice benefits, but their greater purpose is keeping score amongst themselves and attending to their own egos. If it could be used as a means of pushing their crazy on impressionable young adults away from their parents, the bad professors would even pay for that opportunity.
The few remaining professionals would quit first.
It would be better for all the departments in the world to be closed than for the meaning of the disciplines to be reduced to the cynical pointlessness reflected in that professor's remark to that student.
It would be more practical to shutter the Political Science and Sociology first. The latter in particular is den of Marxism that makes most English departments look like a stronghold of reactionary, quasi-medieval Christianity by comparison.
Another difficulty with Steve's suggestion is that there are "Mr. Chips types" with families who couldn't support them at 1/3 the median household income. I'd say that a drastic reduction in the universities, in professorial pay or benefits, etc. (which may come eventually if we have some kind of economic collapse), will probably sweep the good and the bad more or less indifferently--randomly. More bad than good will get swept, but only because there are more bad than good there to begin with. As Patrick points out, some leftist ideologues have their own reasons for hanging on as long as they can. They are also pretty much guaranteed to have two-income families. The collapse of the universities might in some overall sense be a "good," but only in the "burn it all down" sense, not in the sense that the good professors will survive.
It's interesting that you shd. say that, Mike T. I had definitely gathered that about sociology. As for poli. sci., I would have surmised that it is as you say, in an almost a priori way (it's political science, after all), but have a friend who is a poli. sci. professor, and the very fact that he could _get hired_ in a poli sci department at a secular university has forced me to think that it cannot be quite as bad as I would have thought.
BTW, I fully concur with Peters's assessment of the Williams book. I read it last fall after seeing the same article in The Sewanee Review that he refers to. It really is a very fine novel that should be better known.
That's a great column, Rob G, and I'd never heard of the novel. It looks like something I should read.
Oh, that sounds like a must-read; how have I never heard of this novel?! Thanks for bringing to our attention, Rob.
And Lydia's right -- if I couldn't support my family doing this thing that I love, I would *have* to do something else (I am our sole financial support). Not that we make all that much here, compared to the state universities, but I expect it's more than 1/3 the median; very much less and I'd be gone.
John, I can just imagine. I would certainly rather have had Prof. N. than a superstar of contemporary literary criticism (shudder).
According to the Richard III Society, Richard was not a hunchback and he wasn't even a villain. Shakespeare's portrait of him, they claim, was mere Tudor propaganda.
Laurence Oliver's performance as Richard III is a great comic reading of the part.
There is a point to be made here, though: If we academics are even to come close to justifying the prestige we have in society (and I don't think we can actually fully justify it, because academics have, in my opinion, too much prestige in Western society), we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people.
Chicken, if you're an academic, you do. Just think of the power you have over your students. I can say this to you, because I know you won't abuse it. Some people do, though.
Just think of the power you have over your students.
I have power over my students?? Now, you tell me!
Seriously, most professors I know spend time trying not to get disciplined because a student complains about them. In the market, today, it's the students who have most of the power. I can't make exams to the level I think the students should be performing at because they will complain. A couple of students complained that I gave them optional lecture notes online which were more complete than the textbook. I was asked to remove them by the department despite the fact that all of the other students begged for copies.
It would be interesting, Chicken, to see how these things vary by type of school, by department, etc. With friends with children just entering college, I have horror stories mounting up of professorial nonsense and course nonsense that apparently they get away with without any repercussions. The most striking of these recently was of an English lit. teacher at the local community college who forced two uncomfortable boys in the class to hold hands so that she could smirk over them and ask them, "Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" As far as I know, no one complained, and certainly the teacher was not dissuaded from this exercise in homo-bullying by any fear of student complaints.
Chicken, another thing that occurs to me as far as the "power" issue goes is what I might call educational misconduct that can be spun as "this is my opinion of what my students need to know and do." For example, students can be forced to read or watch _extremely_ inappropriate material, R-rated movies about homosexual couples, even outright p*rn*graphic material, and the like, and/or to write about it. In one composition course at this same community college, students were told to "write about your first sexual experience." The virgins just had to get up the courage to say no. I don't think I ever heard what happened if they refused. But if that teacher were challenged, presumably he would say that it's his class, he thinks this will be a useful educational experience for the students, and who is to challenge him? It's his "professional" decision. You can say that his chairman could stop him, and I agree with that, especially if he is just some untenured flunky, but most chairmen either don't hear about it, think such things are fine, or are worried vaguely about "academic freedom" and hence won't do anything. And if the teacher backs down if a student objects to the assignment, then _for sure_ no one is going to tell the teacher to pull the assignment for the rest of the class: "You got out of it. What are you complaining about?" But there could be plenty of students in the rest of the class who quite legitimately felt uncomfortable with it but didn't have the same courage as the student who refused. There are plenty of examples like this all over the place, where the professor's "educational judgment" equals tremendous power over students in ideologically freighted areas to force them to do inappropriate things or view inappropriate content. I would guess that perhaps you are in a discipline where this doesn't arise.
Richard wasn't a woman, he was just gay.
I don't know, Lydia. Maybe it's the type of institution or the kinds of issues? We are constantly being harassed here by students begging for accommodations of all sorts and running to the administration when they don't get their way. Thankfully our current administration mostly supports us, but the previous one would change grades despite our protests if students complained, would demand that professors dumb down their courses if students complained, would take us to task about homework or whatever if students complained . . . And even with the current administrative support we have, it's wearisome because it's a constant dripping of whine, whine, whine.
I spent nearly an hour during the course of a week with a student over whether he would follow one of my course policies or I would have to toss him out of class. They show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair. I had one student tell me *in class* that I didn't understand Romanticism and then tell me that an essay assignment in that class -- one I'd given for several years without *any* student *ever* misunderstanding it -- was so unclear that I HAD to accept his response to it as adequate; he even explicitly told me that I didn't understand the assignment myself! A student caught plagiarizing blamed it on my being "unapproachable" so she was "afraid" to ask for help on the essay. And so it goes day after day after day, and you know what kind of institution we are -- nothing like the kind of foolishness and evil that students *ought* to complain about . . . We're not perfect, but we don't deserve this kind of thing -- and again, even though we have administrative support right now, those student evals are taken into consideration pretty seriously, which, with the previous admin, had us all fearful.
The most striking of these recently was of an English lit. teacher at the local community college who forced two uncomfortable boys in the class to hold hands so that she could smirk over them and ask them, "Does that make you feel uncomfortable?"
I would have gotten up and said "excuse me, I have to throw up now" and left the class. Then I would have marched to the dept. chairman and demanded an accounting for the behavior: unequal treatment, for example, would be a clear issue. Sexual harassment would be obvious (hostile environment). Degrading attacks on my personal attitude and preference is contrary to "diversity". Even more obvious would be "what does this have to do with literature", but since probably nobody in the English dept really understands what literature is anymore (who is willing to admit it, that is), that would be an uphill battle.
I suspect that tenure is one of the pernicious influences on the academic profession these days. It is entirely out of whack. I would like to see universities move to a theory of stability that is much more tethered to reality. I don't object to a certain degree of stability that is greater than the generic "at will" employment arrangement in the rest of society, but tenure goes way too far in the other direction.
It is odd, isn't it, how there are these outrages (like the hand-holding incident) where nobody seems to complain and yet at the same time clearly true teacher stories of never-ending complaint from students.
These aren't obviously inconsistent. It could be that the community college where the hand-holding incident took place _also_ is full of grade-grubbing students complaining incessantly over ostensibly "too hard" assignments and the like.
Could it be that the students are more likely to complain about what they perceive as hardness in the grades than over ideologically motivated bullying and disgusting content? Perhaps they've grown used to the latter in high school?
Which I guess is what Beth meant by the types of issues.
"...they show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair...a student caught plagiarizing blamed it on my being 'unapproachable' so she was 'afraid' to ask for help on the essay. And so it goes day after day after day..."
Heh - talk about the "shock of recognition."
And yet, I'm perfectly happy to carry this burden for $2400 a course [the going rate, out my way] - 'cause it's just such a blast! Holding forth about Plato, and Descartes, and Kant, or, better yet, symbolic logic, in front of a captive audience?
What you are experiencing is the result of roughly 25 years of universities and colleges treating education as an instrumental commodity and its students as customers. Remember, in America, the customer is always right.
Francis, that is spot-on. Once we got rid of the idea that universities are about truth, and especially the highest truths, and instead decided that the universities are job-training programs, then it was inevitable that there be a massive shift in perspective: students come expecting to be taught how to make money, and colleges expect to take money from the students to teach them how to make money.
Perhaps we should conduct a little pruning: any college that professes that providing job training is a mark of its central raison d'etre, (or, that that truth cannot be known) should therefore give up its tax exempt status and compete with for-profit institutions. But the ones that actually attempt to teach something because some things are intrinsically worth studying even if they don't get you a job can keep their tax exempt status.
Steve, that's the rate I got for the last class I taught as an adjunct, about 4 years ago.
Frank, yes and no. Obviously, no, the customer is not always right when it comes to forcing students to watch _Fatal Attraction_ and write about it in sociology class. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to Julea Ward being forced to engage in "gay-affirming counseling" on pain of getting kicked out of the counseling program at EMU. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to students being graded off for refusing to use gender-neutral language. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to forcing students in "health" class to put a condom on a banana. Do I need to go on?
The thing is, this just can't easily be categorized. We've seemingly got the worst of both worlds going here. We have spoiled kids acting like a good grade is owed them and terrorizing teachers with complaints that it's "too hard," but we also have bully teachers imposing their ideology and even outright conforming behaviors on the "customers" without the slightest apparent restraint.
Contra Frank Beckwith, I think that what we're experiencing here is the result of many years of treating higher education as a universal right and students as stakeholders.
Actually, Mr. Burton, for me it's the upper-level classes where the students have freely chosen the major and want to be there that are heaven on earth for me -- the truly "captive audience" classes (core curriculum freshman comp) can be nightmares! :) But I *have* been grateful (almost) every day for being able to do something I love -- go on about literature and writing -- since necessity forced me to support my family.
I have to agree with Frank, though, that the "business model" which helped to create "student customers" has created the entitlement attitude we see; it's very apparent that they (and/or their parents) feel entitled to As simply because they paid the money to enroll in my classes. I frankly wonder if most of my students would have even the vaguest idea of what a "stakeholder" is. Of course there are the wonderful students who want to be here and who work hard and care deeply; my husband often reminds me that if the large number of the uncaring weren't there, the school would die and I wouldn't be teaching anybody!
Lydia, having not taught in a secular university for many years, I've been less aware of the kinds of behavior by faculty you describe (I've known it's out there, but I've not ever experienced it as a teacher or from any of my colleagues, even when I taught at KU and MSU). So this apparent difference in what students do and don't complain about is fascinating . . . I need to think on that a bit.
I dont think Lydia, Steve, and Frank have contradictory positions. I see them as aspects of the same problem. I subscribe to the idea that education is a bubble. Too much money chasing too modest an outcome, by too many, for the wrong reasons. I think the days are numbered where people will seek education from a single organization, and I think criteria simply must be made to find out what people know instead of making them go to a class and giving credit for attending and such. There is to much obscurantism in education. I also get squeamish when teachers go on about how self-fulfilled they are, unless that vocation is entirely unique in that sense.
They show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair.
Just this thing happened to me last semester. I ended up explaining in enormous detail how my student earned her (fairly low) grade, and when she wasn't satisfied I found another student in the same class who happened to have a similar attendance record and, by pure chance, the *exact same score* on all of his work up until the final exam, on which he had done much much better. I suggested to my student that for her to receive the grade she wanted would be unfair to the other students, in particular to this other student who did receive that grade, on account of having done quite well on the final. She had the temerity to insist that it was unfair of me to compare her to other students, since "individuals differ in study habits, intelligence, and interest in the course", and that she still believed she deserved the grade she was asking for. After all, a lower grade would look bad on a transcript and bring down her GPA.
She didn't get what she wanted, but bah humbug.
Lydia, how about this: "Richard III was a woman" is a metaphor. That's what it "means for it to be true". Maybe in analytic philosophy metaphors are supposed to have an explicit cash value, but why should that be the case in lit crit? In fact, it's exactly the metaphor's indeterminate cash value that makes it, uh, valuable. In what ways is Richard III like (simile, not metaphor!) a woman, whether in the text, in Shakespeare's imagination, or whatever? Good metaphors can aid understanding and stimulate further thought.
FYI for those who decide to read Stoner. If you get the recent NYRB reprint avoid the intro by McGahern until after you read the book. It includes a lengthy plot summary which contains several major spoilers.
Yeah, whatever, Aaron. "Richard is like a woman" was the student's original thesis. One could see what it meant, but it was kind of dumb, because Richard actually isn't like a woman in any interesting sense, but the teacher wasn't satisfied anyway and wanted to up the ante. Nor did she make any attempt to explain what her suggestion could possibly mean in contradistinction to the student's original thesis, nor why we should think it corresponds to anything actually in the play. At all. Nor did she care. She was just suggesting something deliberately outrageous-sounding to help the student "get a publication."
I disagree with Mark in finding anything strange or problematic in hearing teachers talk about their job satisfaction. But I agree with him that the bully teachers and bully students are in some sense two aspects of the same problem. I would say that they are two aspects of this problem: We do not have a critical mass of teachers and students who are teaching and studying for the right reasons. So the problem arises on both sides.
I teach in the hard sciences and you would think things would be pretty cut-and-dry: the answers are either right or wrong, but I have students who were brought up doing nothing but learning to either push buttons on a calculator or plug numbers unto an equation and blindly get an answer with no regard for what the answer means. I actually have had students try to tell me things like 5 miles is the same as 23 centimeters. I tell my students that for the final exam they will be kidnapped and flown to a deserted island with a pile of wood, some food, and the plans for a boat with the plans written in different units for each part and no conversion charts or calculators available. Kids, today, are not as self-reliant as before. They could never build a radio out of a tin can if their life depended on it. I am a proponent of analog education. My generation can do math in our heads because we had pencil and paper or slide rules. We had to learn short-cuts and verification. Everything is done for students. A friend of mine who taught Shakespere used to have her students memorize 30 lines of Shakespere and recit them to the class. She said he had to quit doing it because the students couldn't remember the lines. Google really is making us stupid, lazy, and dependent.
Yes, Chicken, it's probably because you work in the hard sciences that you see more "bully student" problems than "bully teachers" problems.
Though I have to admit that I'm still on hold waiting to see what happens to a student in secular biology class who doesn't pledge allegiance to Charles Darwin. Waiting to gather more data on that one.
I do seem to recall that a recent suicide of a Christian boy who "deconverted" was prompted by an evangelizing atheist biology teacher at the local community college who dared him to read Richard Dawkins's _God Delusion_. I can't help hoping God is making a millstone right about now.
Oh, MC, wouldn't it be great if you could do that for your final?! :) Of course, I would die on the island if I were in your class (there's a reason I teach English and not math or science), but at least I could quote some Hopkins before the end . . . I make my students memorize poetry in certain of my classes, too; they have to do that for Shakespeare, in fact, this semester. But it is harder and harder for them to do so, I notice, mostly because they've never been asked to memorize or focus carefully for a long time on anything ever before.
I'm sorry there are those who are made uncomfortable by teachers who talk about how satisfying this vocation is. For me, I'm always delighted to hear *anyone* talk in those terms about their work, whatever the work is, because it means they see a higher purpose than a paycheck in it, and that's a good and a godly thing.
Which goes right along with the idea that we're not doing either teaching or studying for the right reasons anymore -- which leads to conflicting and inappropriate expectations by everyone for everyone else.
I disagree with Mark in finding anything strange or problematic in hearing teachers talk about their job satisfaction.
Of course I'm fine with expressions of job satisfaction.
friend of mine who taught Shakespere used to have her students memorize 30 lines of Shakespere and recit them to the class. She said he had to quit doing it because the students couldn't remember the lines.
My wife makes the kids memorize all the time - it's part of the curriculum. If you spend a little time every day from 1st grade on (5 minutes) it does get easier. The 8th graders have to memorize Henry V's great speech: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me thine ears..."
Ha - I know ;-). Just funnin' ya. Yes, they have to memorize Marc Antony's speech as well as Henry's. Now, here's a little odd fact. The syllabus gives you 3 or 4 weeks to memorize longer poems and speeches. But ALL the kids have memorized Jabberwocky in about 3 sittings. No kidding. Something about that piece, as weird and nonsensical as it is, is very well attuned to the ear.
I actually have had students try to tell me things like 5 miles is the same as 23 centimeters.
I had a most frightful experience with a student after a math test: she performed 2 steps both of them TOTALLY wrong and against basic rules of operations, and ended up on the right answer. I gave her no credit for the problem. She pointed out that I said in the beginning of the semester that "if you show the work and get part of the work right, I can give you partial credit" and turned that upside down: she should not be penalized for showing the work, because if she had not shown the work to get partial credit I would have marked it right. Her attitude seems to have been: the ONLY POSSIBLE purpose is to get partial credit on test scores, not to, you know, learn something.
But there are always some students like that. What is bothersome is the degree to which the administration gives in to such bullying. Going back 27 years to when I was in graduate school, I gave a kid a D in a remedial math class (effectively, 8th grade math), but he needed a C to get credit for his one "math course" for his fine arts degree. 2 years later the school called me up (I had finished up and moved on) to badger me about seeing if I could change the grade to a C-, because the kid STILL had not passed a math course, and needed the grade to get his stinking degree. First of all, what the administration _should_ have done is say sorry, no 8th grade remedial math course counts as a course for meeting the requirements of any degree in the program, but obviously they should have told the kid hey, you had 2 more years to correct the problem, get with the program. The worst of it was that he was smart enough to have done better: he only came to class 1/3 of the time, all he would have needed to up his grade would have been to re-enroll in the class and come 1/2 of the time instead, and then take the tests. I have no idea whether the admin office changed the grade without my consent, but back then that was uncommon. Apparently now it is not.
I am curious: how many of the bloggers here are part or full time teachers (or have been, like me)? Seems like more than half.
ALL the kids have memorized Jabberwocky in about 3 sittings.
Yes, it's amazing. I've had a similar experience. You just read it to them, practically, and they absorb it. For some reason I thought Blake's "Tiger, Tiger" would be easier, but it was actually a lot harder for my youngest to memorize. | 2019-04-25T04:43:54Z | http://whatswrongwiththeworld.net/2011/02/honor_and_the_disciplines.html |
On November 28, 1942, one of the worst nightclub fires in American history took place at the famed Cocoanut Grove in Boston. The most elegant club in the city, started in 1927 and taken over a few years later by wealthy gangsters, was destroyed in less than 15 minutes and the blaze claimed the lives of nearly 500 people – and left an eerie haunting behind.
The Cocoanut Grove, named after the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel, started out as a Boston restaurant turned speakeasy. Musician Mickey Alpert had conceived of an idea for a roaring twenties’-style nightclub for Boston. With hundreds of thousands in financing provided by California mobster and swindler Jack Berman (hiding out in Boston), Mickey turned a vacant building near the Boston Common, located in what is now Bay Village, into a fine eatery with top-notch entertainment. After several owners (all mob-connected), the floor space of the Cocoanut Grove was multiplied several times as adjacent buildings were acquired and added to the Grove’s original footprint. The design of the place was to reflect the tropical setting of Casablanca. The walls were lined with imitation leather and the ceilings were draped with thousands of yards of satin. Six pillars, three on each side of the dance floor, were designed to look like palm trees, with large paper palm fronds extending far out over the floor in a circular pattern. An elevated area called “the terrace” was inside the main dining room just off the foyer. Wrought iron railings had been installed along the edges of the terrace, which created a feeling of separation and maintained prime views of the floorshow for VIPs.
The dark basement was created as the Melody Lounge, an intimate area that was so successful that it had to be enlarged twice, finally ending up in an octagon shape that was roughly 35 by 18 feet, in the center of the lounge. This place was to be a bar, pure and simple. No floor show, no dancing and no fancy food. The only entertainment was a singer, playing the piano on a small revolving stage. The basement was also given an exotic feel. There was one soft light in the center of the room, aimed at the floor, and neon lined the underside of the bar. The only other illumination was from the tiny seven and one-half watt lights that twinkled out from the fronds of the imitation palm trees in the corners. The dingy walls were hidden by flimsy paneling and the ceiling was covered with nearly 2,000 square feet of dark blue satin over wooden slats. This was meant to give the customers a feeling of sitting beneath a star-filled night sky. The draped satin extended up the ceiling of the staircase leading from the Melody Lounge to the main floor.
As the club was expanded, it was done without any concern about the design. No attention was paid to the original layouts of the different buildings the Grove had consumed; they just kept adding and adding. The result was a confusing maze of coat check rooms, dressing rooms, restrooms, service rooms, kitchens and store rooms connected to each other and the three large public rooms by winding and twisting corridors, and to the basement Melody Lounge by a single narrow stairway. Scant attention was paid to Boston’s fire codes either. Thanks to mob connections in the Building Department, licensing boards and elsewhere, the owners could pretty much do whatever they wanted.
By 1942, shortly before it was reduced to ashes, the single-story Cocoanut Grove was an amalgam of six interconnected buildings, fronting on the south by Piedmont Street, on the north by Shawmut Street and Broadway Street on the east. The Grove’s original size had nearly tripled. There were three large public rooms with three bars, a dining room, a dance floor and a stage for the band. During fair weather, the roof above the dance floor could be electrically rolled back, revealing the night sky and allowing patrons to dance under the stars. The basement had been converted into the dark, intimate Melody Lounge. The newest expansion, The New Broadway Lounge, had opened only 11 days before the fire.
Saturdays were always packed at the Cocoanut Grove and November 28, 1942 was no exception. Legal occupancy was listed as 460 but on that evening, with extra tables and chairs covering every square foot of floor space, over 1,000 patrons were enjoying a night out at the Grove. Among the merrymakers was Buck Jones, the famed cowboy celebrity, star of more than 200 movies. In town promoting war bonds on a bond tour, he was having dinner with a group of fellow promoters. As a VIP, he was seated with his party on the terrace.
In the Melody Lounge, people drifted back and forth between the basement and the dining room or the dance floor or the restrooms, but as the night went on, the lounge filled up with nearly 400 guests. In one corner, a sailor and his date were enjoying the privacy created by the dim lighting. As their passions heated up, or because the young woman grew shy, the sailor reached up and unscrewed the tiny light in the artificial palm tree over their heads. Goody Goodelle had just started playing the piano and singing Bing Crosby’s new hit, “White Christmas,” when head bartender John Bradley looked up and noticed that their corner was now pitch black.
Annoyed with the sailor but too busy serving the customers lined up four deep around the bar, Bradley called out to Stanley Tomaszewski, a 16-year-old bar boy, and told him to get the light back on right away. Tomaszewski walked over to the corner and politely explained that it was dangerous having the light out and he had to get it re-lit. Unfortunately, the bulb had fallen completely out and it was far too dark for young Stanley to see the socket inside the tree. Striking a match, he found the socket and got the bulb back on. He blew out the match, dropped it to the floor and stepped on it to make sure it was out.
As Tomaszewskiy returned to work, he heard someone shout that there was a fire in the top of the palm tree. John Bradley ran from behind the bar and together, the two young men pulled and batted at the tree attempting to put the fire out. As other employees ran to help by throwing pitchers of water on the tree, the scene became almost comedic and witnesses chuckled at their hapless attempts. As the burning fronds were finally pulled down, Bradley looked up in time to see the satin fabric above the tree start to smoke and then burn. A ball of fire erupted from the corner, feeding on the fabric-covered ceiling, and rapidly spread across the room heading for the open staircase.
Don Lauer, a Marine private, jumped onto a chair and tried to use his pocket knife to cut the fabric down to stop the fire from spreading, but he was too late. In mere seconds, the entire ceiling was a sheet of blue and orange flame, dripping fire onto the frantic patrons below. Almost immediately, the crowd panicked as hair and clothing began to burn. The crowd moved toward the only exit they knew -- the narrow staircase -- and the fire did the same. As the fire reached the staircase, it continued on its path, burning away at the fabric ceiling over the stairs. The staircase quickly became jammed, as four hundred people tried to escape the inferno, not knowing that the fire was taking the same route, in search of the fresh oxygen on the main floor.
Ruth and Hyman Strogoff were Wednesday and Saturday night regulars at the Melody Lounge. They spotted the “little fire” and deciding not to take their chances, headed toward the stairs. Ruth believed that she and Hyman were among the first to reach the foot of the stairs but by that time, the fire had spread and the crowd began a mass rush behind them. In their frenzy to escape, several people grabbed and pulled at Ruth and Hyman to get past them and Hyman went down. Though Ruth pulled hard on his arm, she was unable to get him up. He was held fast to the floor as screaming men and women trampled on him to get past, or by those who simply collapsed on top of him. Within a matter of seconds, there was a growing tangle of bodies at the bottom of the stairs. As Ruth’s hat and jacket caught fire, she was pushed up the stairs by the moving mass, after which she rolled on the floor to put her own fire out. Knowing there was nothing she could do for her husband and that he was likely already dead, she was forced to leave him behind. Before the night was over, hundreds of others would have to face the same terrible choice of having to leave loved ones behind that they might themselves survive.
Gunner’s Mate Matt Lane was farther back in the crowd. When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the way was completely blocked with bodies, some dying, some already dead. He jumped onto the railing and used it to pull himself along as he climbed over the others to make his escape. He had come to the Cocoanut Grove with his friend Don Lauer, who had tried to slice the fabric from the ceiling only moments before. He would never see Don alive again.
The way to safety wasn’t easy. The frightened patrons had to make their way up a narrow flight of 15 steps, past the locked emergency exit at the top, then make a U-turn to the right and down a 10-foot hallway, then another right turn around an office and coat check room for 28 feet, then another right turn and 12 more feet across the foyer to the revolving door opening onto Piedmont Street. All of this with a fire raging over their heads and thick black smoke filling the air around them.
The owners had ordered all the service and emergency exits to which the public had access to be locked while the club was open. This was intended to keep patrons from sneaking out without paying their check.
Many terrified, confused people never made it out of the basement Melody Lounge. They were overcome by the thick choking smoke or by the heat resulting from the fire. They weren’t aware that there was an exit door in the back of the lounge, as it was disguised with the same paneling used on the walls. It would have taken them down a hallway, up three steps and to an outside exit. The exit door was partially blocked by a sewer pipe so it only opened about 18 inches. But none of that mattered. No one found the door so no one was able to escape that way.
Two of the people who survived inside the Melody Lounge were Daniel Weiss, a bartender, and singer-pianist Goody Goodelle. They dowsed napkins with water and held them to their noses and mouths to breathe through and then lay on the floor until the fire had passed out of the room and up the stairs. They then crawled along the floor and into the kitchen, where they escaped through a barred window. The fire had been mainly limited to the ceiling so when firemen made their way down the steps to recover the bodies, they found much of the furniture was hardly damaged. The fire had moved on in little more than a minute or two.
When Melody Lounge customers finally stumbled to the main entrance off the Piedmont Street foyer, only the first few were able to make their way through the revolving door before it was completely clogged by the crush of people behind them. They were unaware that there was a conventional exit door right next to the revolving door. Welansky had installed a coat check room in front of it, with a large wooden coat rack blocking the door from sight. It is questionable however, whether this door would have saved many lives as it swung inward and would have been forced shut by the crush of the crowd.
In a strange irony, at 10:15 p.m., while Stanley Tomaszeswky and John Bradley were trying to put out the small fire in the palm tree, the fire department was responding to an alarm for a car fire just three blocks from the Cocoanut Grove. It only took a few minutes to put out that small fire, and a firefighter noticed what he thought was smoke coming from the area of the Grove. As the firefighters headed toward the club to investigate, people started running toward them to report the fire. When they arrived, they found heavy black smoke pouring out of the building and patrons and employees scrambling out into the street. In short order, the fire chief on site ordered a third alarm to be issued, skipping the second alarm as he realized the scale of the disaster. A fourth alarm was issued at 10:24 p.m. and the fifth alarm went out at 11:02 p.m. By this time, the fire was largely extinguished and the departments responding to the fourth and fifth alarms were called for the rescue and recovery efforts.
While the fire department was assembling outside, the fire continued to rage through the club.
As the fire arrived at the main floor in search of fresh oxygen and fuel, several hundred unsuspecting revelers were just beyond the foyer, not knowing that many of them would be dead within minutes, and the rest would be frantically searching for any way out of the blaze. Just as the fire entered the main public room, the lights went out, tumbling everyone into near total darkness, except for the firelight.
The dining area, dance floor, bandstand, and the Caricature Bar were all in the main public room. Customers complained that the tables and chairs had been packed in so tightly that they had to twist and turn and walk sideways just to get through the room to the dance floor. Tables were added along the side walls as well, some blocking emergency exits.
Some heard the screams first, commenting that there must be a fight. Then they smelled the smoke. Then they saw the flames blast through the doorways and charge across the room. The fire was feeding off the fabric on the ceilings and walls. With the flames came extreme heat that seared flesh and lungs as people tried to breathe. The fire gave off carbon monoxide and toxins as the air filled with thick, acrid smoke, making it even harder to breath. The flames moved through the room so rapidly that many were overcome with heat or smoke before they even had a chance to leave their chairs. Some bodies were found burned beyond recognition while others were found next to their tables without any signs of injury.
Movie star Buck Jones was one such victim. A popular story about Jones circulated after the fire. As the story went, he had escaped the fire but ran back into the building several times, carrying out injured victims until he collapsed on the sidewalk and was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later. In reality, Buck Jones was at the club that night having dinner, even though he would have preferred to be resting in his hotel room, nursing a bad head cold. Instead, he found himself sitting at a table on the terrace when the fire advanced across the room. He was rapidly overcome by the heat and smoke and fell to the floor next to his table. Firefighters found him where he had fallen, barely alive. The only accurate part of the story was that he was taken to the hospital where he died.
It is well known to firefighters that unless directed otherwise, a panicked crowd will attempt to leave a building the same way they came in. The Cocoanut Grove had only two public entrances -- the revolving door in the main foyer on Piedmont Street and the exit leading from the New Broadway Lounge opening onto Broadway Street. This exit entailed a single, inward-swinging door that led into a small vestibule then to double doors opening onto the street. Most of the patrons had entered the club through the Piedmont entrance with only a single revolving door. These two exits were nearly a full city block apart.
Men and women who were able to run did so. They were desperate to find a way out -- any way out. And some of them did get out. All but twenty of the club’s employees survived the fire, largely because they knew where the hidden exits were and where windows would open. Some of the patrons were able to follow employees to safety. The rest were on their own -- lost in the dark.
As the Piedmont foyer continued to fill with people, bodies continued to pile up against the revolving door. Eventually, under the extreme pressure, the door mechanism gave way and collapsed outward. Nathan Greer saw the collapse and jumped forward onto the sidewalk. Sadly, a ferocious wall of fire followed him through the opening as a blast of fresh air rushed in from outside, burning up most of the people in or around the opening.
A set of emergency doors was located along the Shawmut Street wall behind the terrace. These double doors were covered with wooden slatted doors and were blocked off with tables that were added to accommodate the large crowd. Even so, several people were able to find the doors. Each door was only twenty inches wide and the door on the right was bolted near the top of the frame, where no one could find the bolt in the dark. Joyce Spector witnessed the chaos in the dining room. “The men were the worst. Honest. There were men pushing and shoving to get out.” She was knocked down and started crawling across the floor, lungs burning, eyes stinging, until she felt fresh air on her face. She had found the Shawmut Street exit. As she struggled to get out someone outside pulled her through the door and “threw me across the sidewalk, and grabbed for more people inside. It seemed like an hour I lay there. I couldn’t tell. More people were pulled out and tossed down beside me.” Joyce survived her ordeal but her fiancé, Justin Morgan, did not.
Charles and Peggy Disbrow found themselves descending the service stairway to the kitchen where they joined a group of people already there. After searching the kitchen in the dark, they found a small window above a counter that had been boarded up. Knocking the boards away, they saw that a pipe was blocking the opening, except for about eighteen inches. Still, most were able to climb through and into a blind alley behind an apartment building. Margaret Foley, sitting in her living room, was unaware of what was going on only a few feet from her home when a woman burst through her back door, ran through her apartment and out the front door. Stunned, Margaret watched as another person, then another, repeated the performance. She later estimated that at least fifty people had escaped through her home.
Don Jeffers, also having made his way to the kitchen, dropped to the floor as the room filled with smoke. Crawling around trying to find a way out, he heard a voice in the darkness. Following the voice, he joined four other people hiding in the walk-in refrigerator. They waited there until the fire department entered the kitchen and escorted them out.
Two more exits were located on the main floor but both proved useless. One was a service door located to the left of the stage platform. This door also opened inward but it, too, was locked. The other door was in the New Broadway Lounge, locked and well hidden behind a coat check room.
The 250 or so customers enjoying themselves in the New Broadway Lounge remained blissfully unaware of the carnage that was taking place on the other side of the adjoining wall for several minutes.
Meanwhile, the fire in the dining room was getting hotter. When it reached the velour-lined passageway into the Broadway Lounge, extreme heat built up a massive amount of pressure that blasted the flames and hot gasses down the short passage and into the lounge like a torch. That room did not contain the large amounts of flammable decorations that the other rooms had, but the pressure, hot gasses, and scorching temperatures created an environment that caused the fire to burn more completely than in any other area of the club. Twenty-five bodies, burned to blackened cinders, were found where they fell. Dozens of bodies were piled against the only unlocked exit in the room.
Next to the Broadway Street entrance, two large windows had been replaced by glass block. One man was able to break a small hole through the glass block and attempted to crawl out but became stuck. Firefighters found the man reaching partially through the hole but were unable to get him out. They doused him with water but in the end they had to watch helplessly as the man burned to death.
A long wall on the Piedmont Street side of the building contained four large plate glass windows. These windows, if broken out would have provided an excellent escape route for those trapped in the dining room area. Unfortunately, they had been covered with wood panels and no one knew they were there. Experts estimate that if these windows had not been covered, hundreds could have been saved.
Firefighters needed to get hoses into the building quickly to save anyone trapped by the fire. Early on, wherever they tried to break through, they were driven back by the extreme heat and thick black smoke. When they were finally able to enter, they went through the area where the revolving door had collapsed. They had to climb over a six-foot-high stack of bodies to get to the dining room area. By the time they were able to enter the foyer, the fire had nearly burned itself out.
Less than half an hour after it started, the fire was largely extinguished, inside and out. Rescuers now needed to clear the entrances. They pulled body after body from the stack blocking the doorway, piling them on the sidewalk in the cold November night. Police officer Elmer Brooks remembered rescuers lifting bodies and having arms and legs come off in their hands.
Clearing the entrances had been a terrible job in itself, but nothing could have prepared them for the gruesome task that lay ahead. As they moved through the building, they found bodies everywhere. Some were piled up against locked doors, while others were by themselves. Some were horribly burned, while other were unmarked by flames. Some were found where they had been sitting when the fire started while others were in found in the far reaches of the club. Firefighter Winn Robbins saw a dead woman, propped up in one of the Grove’s phone booths, still holding a telephone receiver in her hand.
Firefighters, police officers and volunteer military men began removing the bodies, piling them on the sidewalks. Some of the victims were still alive but there wasn’t time to separate the living from the dead (except for badly charred bodies) so they were all loaded into ambulances and trucks and taken to area hospitals. Medical professionals triaged the victims as they arrived, sorting out the dead and determining the level of medical care required by the living.
Everyone who died at the Cocoanut Grove, died as a result of the fire, but there were several causes of death. The most straightforward were those who were physically burned. Some died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning and still others died from internal burns - burned lungs and nasal passages from breathing the superheated air. Several bodies showed signs of being crushed by a mass of people pushing in on them, or at the bottom of a pile as people collapsed upon them. Even more disturbing was the number of people who had fallen and were trampled to death by the stampeding crowd.
As they went about their work inside with stunned calm, outside it was rapidly becoming chaotic. The temperature was falling and the water on the cobblestones was making the roads icy. Fire hoses froze to the ground as smoldering bodies, living and dead, were doused with frigid water. Family members, friends and bystanders were pressing in on the building, forcing officials to form a human chain to stop people from entering the building to search for loved ones or to satisfy their curiosity. Unfortunately, some of the bodies piled on the sidewalk suffered the further indignity of being stripped of their money and jewelry as they lay dead or dying by ghouls in the crowds.
Over the next few hours, nearly 450 fire victims were transported to hospitals. Massachusetts General Hospital received 114 of which 75 were already dead or died soon after. Of the 300 bodies to arrive at Boston City Hospital, 168 were dead on arrival and 36 more died within hours. Some were sent directly to temporary morgues but were found to be alive and transferred to hospitals; a few of those eventually made it home.
For several days, newspapers were filled with stories of those who lived and those who died. Eleanor Chiampa, only fifteen years old, was very excited to be there that evening. This was her first visit to the famous Cocoanut Grove and to top it off, she was sitting on the same terrace as movie star Buck Jones! Her big brother, home on leave from the war, had taken her to the Grove along with his wife and another couple. The two men were the only people from their party to survive. Eleanor lived for a few days in the Mass General Hospital before she became the youngest victim of the fire.
Married earlier that evening, John O’Neil and his bride, Claudia Nadeau O’Neil, had originally planned to celebrate their wedding at the Latin Quarter, another fashionable Boston nightclub. However, at the last minute, they decided to move the celebration to the Cocoanut Grove. Their marriage had lasted only a few hours as neither of them left the Grove alive. Their bodies were found in the dining room, next to those of their best man and maid of honor.
Harold Thomas was in the main dining room and Thomas Sheehan, Jr. was in the New Broadway Lounge when the fire started. As people dashed madly about, each of them was knocked to the floor and were unable to get up as others fell on top of them. This likely saved their lives. They were shielded from the flames and heat by the layers of bodies above, and from the bottom of the piles, they were able to breathe the cleaner air near the floor. Both men walked away from the fire that night with only a few burns.
Pvt. Harry T. Fitzgerald of the Army Air Corps, was home on leave from Florida. He had not been home for several months and his three older brothers were anxious to welcome him home and show him a good time. James, John and Wilfred Fitzgerald treated Harry to a night at the Cocoanut Grove. None of the four brothers or their dates survived the night. Their mother, a widow of twenty years, lost her entire family to the fire.
A few found interesting ways to save themselves. One young soldier reportedly urinated into a handful of napkins and placed them over his mouth and nose. Another young man found a container of ice cream to bury his burning face in as he searched for an exit. Both men survived the fire without injury to their lungs or throats.
A party of ten, members of a family of funeral directors from a nearby town, were enjoying a night out, dining and dancing at the Grove. One of the couples decided not to stay for the second floor show, opting to see a program at a theatre just a few blocks away. When they returned, nearly their entire family had been wiped out.
Two young couples were at the Grove to celebrate their wedding anniversaries. Helping them celebrate were 11 of their friends and family, including five brothers and sisters and their spouses. One member of their party had risen to walk to the Caricature Bar when he noticed the fire moving rapidly across the ceiling. He shouted for his group to follow him out of the room, but none of them did. He was the only one from the group of fifteen to survive. The others were found later, still at their table.
Coast Guardsman Clifford Johnson, who was at the Grove that night on a blind date, got out safely but went back into the inferno four times looking for his date. He wasn’t aware that she had already gotten out safely. He aided others in their escape until he finally collapsed onto the pavement with third degree burns over fifty percent of his body. No one had ever survived such severe burn injuries but Clifford became a medical miracle. Twenty-one months later, he was discharged from the hospital. In an ironic twist of fate, fourteen years later, back in his home state of Missouri, Clifford was killed when the car he was driving left the road, rolled over and burst into flames.
Francis and Grace Gatturna were waiting for the floorshow to begin when they smelled smoke. Francis grabbed Grace by the hand and attempted to pull her from the room. As they tried to make their way out, they became separated. Francis made it to safety but Grace did not. After Francis was dismissed from the hospital, he became very depressed, telling family members that he should have either saved his wife, or died with her. His family became worried and checked him back into the hospital. He seemed to be improving with the help of therapy when on January 9, 1943, he jumped through a closed hospital window to his death.
The last Cocoanut Grove victim died in the hospital on May 5, 1943.
By the time it was over, the fire had involved 187 firefighters, 26 engine companies, 5 ladder companies, 3 rescue companies, 1 water tower and countless volunteers. The property losses were in the hundreds of thousands. The cost in human suffering was immeasurable.
Just twelve hours after the fire was extinguished, Arthur Reilly, Boston’s Fire Commissioner, convened a series of public hearings to determine the cause of the fire and find who was to blame. More than 100 witnesses gave testimony, including several public officials and over 90 survivors. The results of the inquest revealed that club owner Barney Welansky manipulated local politicians to his advantage and cut corners, putting his customers at risk, to save a buck or make a buck.
At the same time, the politicians and public officials were busy playing pass the buck. Everyone had a good story that seemed to be designed to leave the teller free of any blame or questionable activities.
Lieutenant Frank Linney, an inspector for the fire department had inspected the Cocoanut Grove just eight days before the fire. His report gave new meaning to “cursory inspection.” The entire report took only one page. Linney passed every topic and made only two specific notations -- No flammable decorations and a sufficient number of exits. The testimony of the 93 survivors corrected Linney’s erroneous observations.
Perhaps the most bizarre testimony was in the form of an opinion offered by James Mooney, commissioner of the Boston Building Department. “I don’t believe a panicked crowd would get out even if there were no exterior walls. They would get entangled among themselves and not get out anyway.” Mooney’s department had allowed the New Broadway Lounge to open without the fusible fire door, no new fire exit, no final inspection and the only emergency exit blocked by a coat check room.
The only person who came forward and told the truth as he knew it, regardless of the implications, was 16-year-old Stanley Tomaszewski. He testified to exactly what happened just before the fire started. Tomaszewski had been vilified in the newspapers but he stood tall and told the truth about lighting the match near the paper cocoanut tree in the ill-fated Melody Lounge. He insisted that he had carefully blown out the match and stepped on it. In the end, he admitted that he believed that this was probably how the fire started.
Fire Commissioner Reilly did everything he could to ease the strain on Tomaszewski and ease his fright. He praised him and described him as an honorable young man. The Boston Globe advanced the idea that the blame should not be placed on the shoulders of this fine young man, but rather on the heads of the corrupt officials. Even with high praise and reassurances supporting the shy young man, his life was threatened. For the next several months he was kept under protective guard in a Boston hotel.
On New Year’s Eve, a Suffolk County Grand Jury handed down 10 indictments, carrying charges from neglect of duty to twenty counts of manslaughter. Barnett “Barney” Welansky and his brother, Jimmy, received the harshest charges. Indictments were distributed to such officials as Frank Linney and James Mooney. Also charged were interior designer Reuben Bodenhorn, and the construction contractor and construction foreman. Stanley Tomaszewski was officially exonerated of all blame.
Barney Welansky alone was found guilty on 19 counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison. Nearly three years into his sentence, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Governor Tobin, mayor of Boston at the time of the fire, quietly pardoned Welansky. When he walked out of prison, Barney was a sick, bitter man. While speaking with reporters, he told them “If you were wrongfully convicted, framed, you’d feel you had a perfect right to be free. I only wish I had been at the fire and died with those others.” Welansky got his wish and died just nine weeks after being released from prison.
Stanley Tomaszewski died in 1994 at the age of 68. He had gone to college, married, and raised three children and led a responsible life as a federal auditor. No matter what he did or how he lived, he was never able to escape the shadow of the tragedy. He had escaped the fire without injury but was terribly scarred just the same. For decades, he had been called “every bad name in the book” and had received threats and phone calls in the night. Shortly before he died, he said he had suffered enough and wished to finally be left alone.
The burned shell of the infamous Cocoanut Grove was finally demolished in September of 1945.
Today, the streets that used to box the Cocoanut Grove nightclub have been reconfigured to allow for the construction of the Boston Radisson Hotel and Theater Complex. The Grove’s original footprint has been swallowed up by the much larger hotel along with a tiny parking lot. The only physical reminder of what happened on the site is a small bronze plaque with the Cocoanut Grove’s floor plan. The plaque was prepared as a memorial by the Bay Village Neighborhood Association and embedded in the brick sidewalk next to the parking lot in 1993.
Though all other physical reminders of the Cocoanut Grove are now gone, there are other reminders that still linger. Hopefully, most of those who lost their lives have moved on in peace. So many lives were snuffed out before they could know what was happening; bodies were found still sitting where they had been sitting or collapsed where they had been standing when the smoke and fumes found them. It is considered by many that these unfortunate victims are still wandering the site, trying to find their way to safety, or maybe discover a friend or loved one. Several employees of the Boston Radisson Hotel might agree that they are. On a few occasions, people have witnessed strange appearances throughout the hotel. Disheveled and confused men or women, seeming to appear out of nowhere, wander past and disappear just as mysteriously. There have been other experiences reported in the hotel bar and in the kitchen, odd noises, flashes, and loud popping sounds, without any discernible cause.
The Stuart Street Playhouse, the Radisson’s theatre, is another location where fire victims make their presence known. On occasion, the quiet, shadowy form of a man can be seen passing a doorway or walking down an empty hall. When approached by employees, he fades away to nothing. Other phenomena include water -- unexplained flooding in different areas within the building and a singular water faucet in a restroom on the second floor that reportedly turns itself on, even when no one is in the room. On one occasion, employees entered the auditorium and found a seat completely soaked, with no explanation. Others have described hearing their names called while working in the theatre at night, with no one else around.
It seems that not all of those who stayed behind after the fire remained at the Cocoanut Grove. Another Boston location believed to be haunted by victims of the fire is Jacques Cabaret, just a few blocks away from where the tragedy occurred. Not everyone at Jacques is willing to discuss the ghostly happenings there, but one former bartender said that, “spooky stuff happened there all the time.” The most significant experience he had while working at the bar happened late one night when he was cleaning up after closing. He had left the bar area for a moment and when he returned, he saw bodies lying in long rows all across the floor. He turned to switch on the overhead lights and when he turned back, everything had returned to normal.
The night of the fire, as bodies were pulled from the building, some were taken directly to hospitals while others were taken to a temporary morgue or to one of the designated mortuaries. Many who were believed to be still alive and taken to hospitals were already dead, and conversely, some of those taken to the morgue or mortuaries were still alive. A film distribution garage located near the Cocoanut Grove was set up as a temporary morgue on the night of the fire. The bodies were laid out side by side in rows on the tile floor to await identification and transportation. That garage is now known as Jacques Cabaret. | 2019-04-18T10:14:15Z | https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/death-at-the-cocoanut-grove |
Let’s start with the Exit series. These games are one-time, non-replayable games that involve physical components, with some destruction of the of those components so that once you’ve played it can’t be redone. Each game in the series comes with a booklet, a deck of cards divided up into answer cards, item cards, and hint cards, a solution wheel, and possibly one or more other “mysterious objects”. These games start with the booklet giving an introduction of the scenario as well as hints for some of the puzzles, and an image of the locale of the game. The solution wheel is what will be used to actually solve each of the ten puzzles in each box. Once you think you know the answer to a puzzle you turn the solution wheel to the correct combination and get a number which will correspond to an answer card. If that’s the correct answer card it will ask you where in the picture you see that symbol, which will direct you to another answer card telling you if you are correct. If you’re incorrect, there’s no penalty and you can try again to find the right answer, but if you are correct you will take one or more item cards as well as being able to progress further with other puzzles. In addition to being gained from answer cards, item cards can also be found in the pictures in the booklet or on other items. If you ever see a representation of an item card, you may take that card and look at it. As mentioned earlier, these games can involve the physical manipulation or destruction of the game materials such as folding cards, ripping pages out of the book, poking holes through things, etc. This makes the game more immersive but it does mean that you can only play through them once without being able to reconstruct the cards or materials.
Another major player in the “escape room in a box” genre of games is the Unlock! series. There are three of these games currently available with more right around the corner. Unlike the Exit series, the Unlock games just involve a deck of cards as well as an app that’s needed to play the game. When you open the box the cards will be all shuffled together so the first task you’ll want to do is separate the letter and number cards and put them in some semblance of order. The first card or two will generally give some sort of introduction to the scenario along with why you’re trapped, and why you need to escape. Certain points in the game will direct you to flip over cards with a given number or letter. The cards have several different types: blue and red cards are types of items that need to be combined together — for example a key on a red card would need to be combined with a lock on a blue card in order to unlock a door. To combine items you add the number from the blue card to the number on the red card and then find the card corresponding to the sum and see if that gives you the results you’re looking for. There are some red herrings and ways to combine things incorrectly so you may end up with a penalty which reduces your time. There are also yellow cards which will require you to put a code in the app in order to proceed. These codes would be your typical escape room type puzzles looking for a series of four digits somewhere. Finally there are some neutral cards which just give hints or information. Like the Exit series, some cards will direct you to flip over a card if you can find a hidden number contained in its picture; however these are a lot more subtle and can sometimes be overlooked unless you’re really looking closely at each card. Fortunately the app has a functionality to tell you if there may be any hidden pictures that you haven’t come across yet to give you a hint towards what numbers you may be able to find. The app also can give you hints on any card by entering that cards number in the app. Even though it just uses a deck of cards and an app the Unlock! series is a pretty good simulation of some escape room type puzzles.
Next let’s talk about one of the newer entries in the escape room genre — Deckscape. The first two entries in the series were just released in America at Gen Con and we picked them up and played them as soon as we could. Like Unlock!, these games use only a deck of cards to simulate the escape room. In both of the games we’ve played so far at the start you’ll divide the cards into several different piles that you’re working to complete simultaneously. On the front of each card is either a puzzle or some information, and for puzzles, once you think you have the solution you turn the card over to find out if you’re right. If you’re correct you move on to the next card in the set but if you’re incorrect you get a strike. Some cards just provide items that you can save for hints or to use to solve later puzzles. If you get a puzzle that requires an item wrong and you don’t have the item that it requires you’ll get double the penalty, so be careful. This is definitely the most low-tech of the escape room games that we’ve played so far and the puzzles seem like they vary pretty greatly in difficulty, at least amongst the two games that have been released thus far.
Escape Room: The Game is another series of escape room games, oddly enough, but unlike Exit, Unlock, and Deckscape it has multiple scenarios contained in just the one box. The base game box comes with four different scenarios, and there are extra expansion packs that can be used to continue your escape room experience. The focal point of these games is the Chrono Decoder, a large electronic box with a digital clock counting down the 60 minutes, as well as as well as four slots for keys and several other pieces of information and hints scattered around its surface. Each of the scenarios in Escape Room: The Game comes with three separate envelopes for which you’ll need to enter a different code to answer each one. You’ll be able to find the code either with letters, numbers, symbols or something similar and those will correspond to the different keys that you can enter into the Chrono Decoder. If you’re correct you’ll hear a noise and can move on to the next envelope, but if you’re wrong you lose some of your time. Each scenario also comes with a deck of cards which you can reveal at certain times throughout the experience to get hints. For instance, at 55 minutes remaining you can get a general hint about the first envelope, while at 45 or 40 minutes remaining you can get the first envelope solution if you’re still stuck at that part. In the couple of games we’ve played we haven’t had to use the hint cards so I don’t know how good or generic they actually are. Like some of the other Exit games these games involve some more physical components that you may have to manipulate or things to draw on or move around the table rather than just cards to figure puzzles out on. These feel like a pretty good simulation of real life escape rooms in that you need to find the solution to some puzzles in order to get to further puzzles and you’ll need to figure out how exactly to put together clues and objects to get the codes needed to proceed.
The Escape the Room games are another series of standalone escape room games. There are two available so far, of which we just played the first one: The Mystery at the Stargazer’s Manor. In the US, these are Target exclusive games, so you’ll need to head to your favorite big red retailer in order to find them. These games share elements with several of the other games mentioned so far in this article. Like the Exit games they involve a solution wheel where you’ll need to enter a correct four-symbol code in order to correctly proceed through the sealed envelope of this game. The way that the solution wheel works is that you find the symbol corresponding to the code you want to enter, enter the symbols corresponding to each color, and if the original symbol shows up in the middle you got it right and can go forward. Otherwise you’re wrong and will need to try again. This game also has a bunch of physical components to manipulate but nothing gets destroyed so you can repackage everything up for others to play with it again. One thing we found about this series of games is that they’re a lot easier than all the other games mentioned on this list. We were able to complete the first game in about a half hour even though it gives two hours for three to five players and 90 minutes for six to eight players. However, it was still a lot of fun even though I don’t know if we’ll be pursuing the further entries in this series.
Finally we come to Escape Room in a Box, the only one of these entries that is not part of a series, but a one-of-its-kind escape room experience. This game actually came to us via Kickstarter, but from what it sounds like it will be licensed (or has already been licensed) by Mattel and will be available in stores in the near future. This game also comes with an app, although it didn’t appear to be available for Android at the time we played and we made do without it using just a 60 minute timer. Of the escape room games this one tries the hardest to emulate a real life escape room game with physical locks, both combination and one that requires a key, various components to interact with as well as some other things that we won’t spoil in this review. The main mechanism of proceeding through this game is a series of puzzles which will lead you to answers to get through the combination locks or other locks and codes in the game in order to uncover the final solution. This game was definitely cool with all of its unexpected twists and was certainly a fun experience that I hope we can impart upon others sometime in the future.
Amber: These types of games have quickly become one of my favorites, even with the one-and-done play through. One thing that really draws me is that, as a co-op, everyone really has an equal chance to play. In some cooperative games, the alpha gamer can take over and make the game un-fun for the other players; this can make players feel as if they have no control or no say in how the game is played. With Escape Room games, because there are different ways to interpret information, everyone can add something to the game. Players with different ways of thinking can point out information that even the most astute players may miss, all because we’re wired a bit differently. I personally have a hard time understand strategy and planning ahead in some types of games, but have found personal success paying attention to detail and solving puzzles in the Escapes Room. Ethan and I have done full-size escape rooms and work really well together, but those rooms can get pretty pricey (I think the least expensive one we’ve done was $30 per person). These escape room games give a lot of the same types of experiences as a full-size escape room, but at a much more reasonable cost.
When it comes to ranking, I think that Exit is my favorite selection in the series. Because you are physically tearing apart some of the components, this allows for a wider variety of puzzles, where as the other games typically have similar or predictable puzzles. I also overall enjoy the themes of the Exit Games more than some of the other Escape Room games, although, theme is not necessarily and important factor when solving the puzzles. One sad part about these games is that, unlike the other games of this type, you’re not able to reset and share with someone else. With a $15ish price, however, this isn’t necessarily breaking the bank.
Ethan really loved Escape Room in a Box, and understandably so. This game, which we received from Kickstarter, had some truly great components in it and really lived up to its name. The puzzles were top notch and added real life components, like rope and a padlock, to give it a heartier feel. However, I really struggled with the puzzles in this one; I felt as some of the clues weren’t quite obvious enough to ensure that players knew what they were talking about. Maybe I was having a rough night when we played.
The one game that really fell flat for me was Escape the Room. Compared to the other games, this one really had the best immersion of theme, with a lot of party suggestions on how to make the game even more thematic. However, this was the easiest of these games for us, the game gave us way more time to solve the room than we need. I really feeling that this really was supposed to be more for families with children who wanted to try these types of games out. I would highly recommend this game for people with younger and inexperienced players, but more experienced games may want to give this one a pass.
Ethan: I have always loved puzzles, riddles, and the like. Growing up, I played a fair share of adventure and escape room video games, so I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when real world escape rooms began popping up all over the place, and I was even more overjoyed when the board game escape room trend began. Like legacy games and some other story-driven games (like Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective), these are one-and-done experiences, because — even with the ones that don’t involve component destruction — once you know the answers, you’re not going to get a lot of value upon replay. Fortunately, the cost for these games isn’t prohibitively expensive, falling mostly around $10-15 per scenario. It’s a bit higher when compared to the replay value you may get from other games, but definitely a deal compared to the physical escape rooms they’re seeking to emulate. Fortunately for the frugal, most of these games can be reset without too much difficulty, so you may be able to buy a used copy, or split the costs with another group of friends and pass the game on to them once you’ve finished. From my experience with these 6 game systems, the experience has definitely been worth it! If you like puzzles and creative thinking, you really can’t go wrong with any of these games!
Now, to actually compare and contrast these different games… For me, the games that are best able to simulate the escape room experience are the ones that have actual, physical components to interact with, rather than just cards. For that, I think Escape Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment was the best of the bunch, as it has a lot of physical bits and really is able to simulate the feeling of surprise and discovery that should accompany an escape room. Unfortunately, it’s also the one that you aren’t currently able to get, as our copy was from Kickstarter. However, the game has been licensed by Mattel, and should be hitting shelves any time soon — I’d have to imagine they’d want to have it available before Christmas — and I’m definitely interested to see if the retail version holds up to the quality of the Kickstarter. Following ERiaB, I’d say my second favorite overall series of escape room games is Exit: the Game. The three we’ve played so far have been consistently good, and while some puzzles were tricky, we managed to get through them, perhaps just with one or two of the provided hints. And while the Exit games are the only ones that involve component destruction (folding, ripping, or cutting cards comes into play occasionally) and thus are truly a one-and-done, non-replayable game, I feel like that adds to the experience and personal investment in the game. I’ve found that the Exit games also provide a lot of “Aha!” moments where things click together, which is a hallmark of a good escape room.
I’ve alluded to it a few times, but difficulty is another big factor in my enjoyment of these escape room games. And for that reason, Escape the Room unfortunately has to fall to the bottom of the list, simply for the fact that we found it way too easy. It may just have been that we’re experienced with this kind of game and puzzle, but when two of us were able to beat the game in under 30 minutes when it was giving us two hours, it seemed like we may not have been the target audience. I still maintain that it’s probably a good introductory game if you’re new to the genre or a family with children, but for adult puzzle-oriented people, I’d give it a pass. On the other end of the difficulty spectrum, some of the puzzles in the Unlock! and Deckscape games were really challenging, almost to an un-fun level. In particular, the second Deckscape game (The Fate of London) had a number of puzzles we found to be really obtuse and out there. I realize that this is subjective, and it might just be us not thinking in the same way as the designer, but even after seeing some of the solutions I still wasn’t able to figure out how we were supposed to have figured it out. The other drawback to the Deckscape games compared to the others is that the answer is just on the back of the card, so when you flip it over, not only do you know if you’re right or wrong, but you know what the right answer actually is. Compared to putting a code into a solution wheel or app, and being able to try again to figure it out if you’re wrong, this fell a bit flat for us. The Unlock! games are definitely better as far as only card-based systems go, but they definitely suffered from some difficulty issues as well, especially The Island of Doctor Goorse, which (minor spoilers) requires you to split into two groups at the beginning that can’t communicate with each other. As for the last game I haven’t yet touched on, Escape Room: The Game is a solid middle ground. We’ve only played the first two scenarios so far and while the first was just ok, I really liked the second, so I’m looking forward to playing the other two in the base game box, and then potentially picking up expansions to add more. The Chrono Decoder feels a bit gimmicky, whereas you could just as easily have entered the codes into an app like with Unlock! However, it does add to the fun, and having to search through the keys to find the right ones to input can add to the tension. The difficulty of ER:TG seems pretty balanced as well — in the games we’ve played, we haven’t had to use any of the provided hints, but we also didn’t breeze through everything, finishing within 45-60 minutes as intended. For that, I’d say this one falls right in the middle of the pack in terms of my ratings.
Check out the table below for some comparison between these games, as well as our individual rankings of each. | 2019-04-25T05:49:50Z | https://twoboardmeeples.com/2017/11/14/escape-room-games/ |
కోర్సు మొత్తం వ్యవధి; 45 డేస్.
# అప్లికేషన్ బోధన మరియు తప్పనిసరి ఫ్యాకల్టీ సహాయం వర్క్ షీట్ ప్రాక్టీస్.
# స్టూడెంట్స్ 4 క్యుమ్యుయేటివ్ మరియు 5 గ్రాండ్ మోక్ టెస్ట్లను ఎదుర్కోవలసి ఉంటుంది.
తమిళనాడు విద్యార్ధుల కోసం గానూ తయారు చేసిన మెటీరియల్తో # ఎక్స్పర్ట్ ఫాకల్టీస్ విద్యార్థుల పనితీరును పెంచుతుంది.
# వెంపెర్ యొక్క లెర్నింగ్ అనువర్తనం NEET సిలబస్లోని అన్ని 98 అధ్యాయాల్లో అన్ని రికార్డు చేయబడిన వీడియో లెక్చర్లకు మరియు సంచిత మరియు గ్రాండ్ మాక్ పరీక్షల యొక్క అదనపు పరిష్కార వీడియోలను అందిస్తుంది. మా విస్తృత 20,000 MCQ బ్యాంకు నుండి విద్యార్థుల పరీక్షల సంఖ్యను తీసుకోవచ్చు.
అన్ని మీ క్లాస్ షెడ్యూల్ను, అసెస్మెంట్ స్కోర్లు మరియు స్టేట్ వైడ్ ఎనాలసిస్ను ఒకే క్లిక్ తో తెలుసుకోండి!!!
Total Duration of Course: 45 Days.
#Expert Faculties with tailor made material for Tamilnadu Students enhances the performance of the Students.
#Venper’s Learning App gives access to all the Recorded Video Lectures of all the 98 Chapters in NEET Syllabus plus additional Solution Videos of Cumulative and Grand Mock Tests. Students can take any number of Tests from our exhaustive 20,000 MCQ bank.
#Above all your Class Schedule, Assessment Scores and State wide Analysis is all a click away!
Parenting – An art in today’s highly Distractive & Competitive Era!
Early & Late adolescence can be a tricky time for both Parents as well as Students. It usually involves a bundle of mood swings, the pressure to perform in class, stress and other peer problems. Thus it becomes the sole responsibility of parents to keep them motivated and expose them to a more fascinating world of Science & Maths, inducing them to visualize and dream about the career opportunities after their Higher Secondary.
#Venper Academy lists the below key tasks to be adopted as a Parent!
Maintain a positive attitude @ home.
One of the best ways to motivate your child is imparting positive thinking in them. If your child has a positive attitude towards things, they are likely to be motivated to do better. Positive thinking also improves one’s self-confidence which is highly beneficial for their career. Studies show that, an active participation of Students in Sports cultivates a positive spirit.
Competition is healthy for students and motivates them to do better. By teaching your children the importance of having a competitive spirit, it will help them to show the best version of themselves. Apart from this, regular test sessions also help students in keeping their competitive spirit high.
Winning a scholarship is one of the best confidence boosters for students. Every parent should motivate their child to appear for scholarship examinations. Make sure your ward appears for Venper Aptitude Test (VAT) on November 25th across any of the 15 Learning centres of Venper Academy in Tamilnadu. The benefits of winning a scholarship will instill a sense of accomplishment in students.
We at #Venper Academy believe that Personal Counselling is really important to improve the performance of any student, as every student is a case study in itself. Every student has his/her strengths and weaknesses and needs to be polished according to that. A personal Counselling session @ Venper Academy is not just one more interaction, a life changing one!
Thus we ultimately we make a tailor made plan as per their school and batch schedule which is important for the student to make his/her self study plan and stick to it for best results.
Building an open and respectful relationship with your child is essential. Try to understand and solve their problems. Never force your child to choose a career they have no interest in, it will backfire in the future. Rather you should focus on their strengths and push them in that direction. It is now time for parents to start focusing on their child’s strength instead of pushing them to do something opposite.
Punishing and threatening can demotivate your child. It can lead to frustration in your kid. Be on your kid’s side and motivate them to do better every day.
Author Venper AcademyPosted on November 8, 2018 November 8, 2018 Categories Crash Course, JEE, NEET, Sandwich CourseTags jee 2019, jee coaching, neet, neet coachingLeave a comment on Parenting – An art in today’s highly Distractive & Competitive Era!
With the #JEEMains Phase 1 scheduled for Jan 6th 2019, #VenperAcademy wants to share a few strategies to optimise your scores in the next 75days!!
Chemistry is the scoring subject of JEE Mains alike Biology in NEET. 80 out of 120 is quite possible if you master your NCERT followed by a practise of 75-100 MCQs, which should be a combination of Previous Year Questions & Probable Questions alike in Venper’s JEE Test Series.
When it comes to Physics, picking on the relatively easy chapters would be a smart move. Kinematics, Unit & dimensions, Work power Energy & Laws of motion would cover a minimum of 20 marks. Focussing on Modern Physics for Mains would fetch us easily 8-12 marks.
Learn how to solve circuit questions from Current Electricity (12 marks weightage, where atleast 8marks is possible) which is interesting and at JEE mains level they are relatively easy also. Another 16 marks (4 questions) are usually extremely easy which everyone can solve with the knowledge of their boards as they are usually Theory based. This makes out your total of minimum 56 marks of physics.
When it comes to Mathematics, completing Coordinate Geometry is easy and totally formula based. It has a weightage of 20 marks so that you can make atleast 12 marks for sure. We may focus on the following chapters like Sequence & Series, Mathematical reasoning, Differential equation, Binomial theorem, Sets relation and function, Differential calculus, Quadratic equation & Trigonometry thus fetching atleast 24 marks.
Permutation & Combination plus Questions on Probability many of the times comes easy in JEE Mains. Atleast 8 marks in the Mathematics Paper are easy which is achievable from the board knowledge. Thus it makes around 44 marks in Mathematics.
This makes out a total of minimum 80+56+44 = 180.
We have not touched many topics, but atleast we have to learn all the formulas from those chapters and some of their application, so that you won’t miss out on the easy questions from them.
Another tip is to learn as to how to solve 90 questions in 3 hours by attempting papers regularly as ultimately it’s your Time management skills and confidence on yourself which decides your output on the Big Day!
Venper Academy JEE Mains Extended Short term course for January & April attempt offers a focussed coaching module with importance to the high mark weightage chapters & regular Faculty assisted Worksheet practise with a promising ouput of 200+ in JEE Mains!
As a continuation to our previous Blog on #PhysicsNumericals, Department of Physics, #VenperAcademy wants to enlighten the students on the nuances of preparation for #NEETPhysics 2019.
Must be very clear with concepts like Displacement, Acceleration, Average Velocity & Relative velocity. Try to visualize the problems in the mind to effectively tackle them.
In projectiles finding Range, Maximum height, Time of flight, velocity at any point on the trajectory is important. Generally in this area questions are straight and fair.
Questions based on graphical data are also important.
Practice the conceptual questions based on Laws of Motion and application of the principle of conservation of linear momentum. While working out problems related to connected bodies, students should necessarily draw free body diagram.
The concept of finding velocity of the colliding bodies in one dimensional elastic head on collision is important.
In the chapter of Work Power Energy having a 4-5% weightage, Theorems are the main subtopics. Sometimes it is advantageous to do the problem using law of energy.
Questions on vertical circular motion are the expected models.
Problems of finding Torque, when position vector and force vector are given are also important.
Finding Moment of inertia of regular bodies using parallel and perpendicular axes theorem are important.
Also, work out problems based on conservation of angular momentum and rolling motion.
Be clear with basic forces in nature. Simple question on Universal law of gravitation, variation of ‘g’ with altitude, depth, latitude are important.
Problem solving technique using energy conservation helps arrive at the answers.
Problem on orbital velocity, escape velocity are very important.
The advantage with elasticity is limited sub-topics & limited models of problems. The main concepts are with stress, strain related modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio. To answer theory bits, concepts like elastic fatigue & behavior of wire under increasing load must be understood.
Examples of surface tension from daily life, surface energy, relation between surface tension and surface energy, angle of contact & capillarity must be mastered. Effect of temperature on surface tension, excess pressure in soap bubble and liquid drop are topics from which we can expect questions. Problems like finding work done to split big drop into number of droplets, work done to blow a soap bubble are important.
Try to be thorough with fluid mechanics as it is inter-related to many other topics in physics.
Problems based on Bernoulli’s theorem, velocity of efflux are more important.
Have a clear idea of zeroth law of thermodynamics, Joules law, and the first law of thermodynamics. Principle of calorimeter, problems related to different thermodynamic processes are important. While solving the problems related to work done in adiabatic and isothermal, keep in mind the sign conventions.
Do some models on Carnot engine – Efficiency and Coefficient of performance.
Be thorough with the concepts on Kinetic theory of gasses.
Kinetic theory of gases is a simple and easy topic with 3% weightage in which conceptual questions can be practiced.
Different relations for Velocity & Acceleration. The maximum and minimum values are to be remembered.
To solve problems related to loaded spring, students should have clear idea of spring constant, changes in the time period, when it is cut and coupled with other springs.
In Optics, Wave optics may be covered first as the content is less compared to Geometrical Optics. Regarding wave optics concentrate on theory based questions.
Theory based questions will be asked from the chapters like Modern physics, Semiconductor devices & the Communication systems. #TamilnaduStateBoard students have an added advantage as their Board exam preparation supports them well for the same.
Another common area is Gravitation, Electrostatics and Magnetism with same principles and applications by chance of variables. Coulombs law becomes Newton’s Gravitational law. The analogue of the Gauss’s Law can be used for evaluation of gravitational field.
Electricity and Magnetism can be studied together. Electric current & Thermal conduction also are associated topics.
Thus by giving top priority to Modem Physics, Electrostatics, Magnetic effects of current and earth’s magnetism, Heat & Thermo Dynamics, SHM and Oscillations, Current Electricity, Gravitation & Rotational Mechanics, EMI, AC & EM Waves, Optics & Kinematics we can achieve a decent score in NEET Physics 2019. These are the Chapters which are given extra focus and practice in Venper’s Crash Course 2019 commencing from 20th March 2019.
NEET Physics has always been a challenge to Tamilnadu aspirants since 2016. Venper Academy Department of Physics has come up with 25 Tips to score a minimum of 25 MCQs out of 45 in NEET 2019 & its as follows!!
1. NEET exam is more conceptual rather numerical. So, try to improve the knowledge related to the concepts.
2. Prepare your own plan/time table so that all the topics are covered based on the mark weightage and your individual comfort level with each topic.
3. Try to go through NCERT books and try to answer the questions given at the end of every chapter in these books which is the preliminary step in strengthening your Concepts.
4. Time Management has always a challenge with Students, try to practise questions in a test like environment which in turn improves the accuracy and speed.
5. While going through every topic list out the important formulae and conceptual points so that these can be again revised two/three days before the exam.
6. Practice Level or Level II problems number of possible.
7. Practice more number of topic wise assignments and consolidated tests.
8. Download previous AIPMT/NEET Question Papers and practice them as sample papers or take them as Mock Tests.
9. Complete the biology and chemistry paper with a total of 135 questions within 2hrs having at least 60minutes for 45 questions to get more score in physics.
10. Do not quit any topic.
11. Even in the difficult topic you feel, try to learn fundamental definitions, concepts & formulae and practice related problems.
12. Concentrate on difficult areas in the easiest topics you feel, to have a command on these topics.
13. Study regularly and moderately. Do not pick new topic nearing the exams.
14. The most difficult topics all together may be 10 % to 20 % which is worth an effort preparing well in advance and not to be left for the last minute.
15. Most of the Bio core students feel physics very difficult. Even in solving simple mathematical calculations. Well this is all mere psychological rather real.
17. Generally Students lose marks in physics not because of its difficultness, but due to their psychology.
– Be confident on your preparation.
– Practice formulae based problems.
– Go through academy text book for theory questions especially topics like Physical Optics, Nuclear Physics etc.
18. Learning basics in all topics and thorough knowledge in selected topics can lead to a better rank.
19. Give equal importance for both first and second year topics.
20. Be thorough with topics like Gases, Nuclear Physics Optical Spectra which are useful for Chemistry.
21. More theory based questions will be asked are atomic physics, nuclear physics semiconductor and communications.
22. Attempt questions carefully as there is negative marking. Do not answer a question in which you have no confidence.
23. Department of Physics, Venper Academy teaches shortcuts in identifying answers for a few selected types of questions by eliminating & exclusion method rather than working out the solution. Tricks like this will be really helpful.
24. Revision of Effective class notes plus regular practise is the key to success.
25. Above all, any competitive exam is a mind game. The more focused, stable and confident you are…The better is the output.
Fortunately or unfortunately Students studying @ #Venper Academy take the Statewide #Cumulative Assessments conducted very seriously.
It’s a phase wise Test which we conduct on a quarterly basis after a few chapters gets uniformly covered across all our 15 Centres & Integrated In Campus School Programmes.
This time we had observed that irrespective of the Students be in #ResidentialRepeater, #DayScholar Repeater & #Regularweekend, the Students take these exams very seriously and there has been incidences of Students fainting in the exam hall, falling sick a day before the exam due to the adrenaline rush & a lot of careless mistakes after an analysis of the OMR sheet.
Thus the Academics Team of Venper Academy feel that it’s important that we should highlight the importance of handling exam stress & ways to combat the same.
Stress is a state of mental or emotional tension resulting from demanding circumstances.
Let’s find out more signs and symptoms!
How to help your child deal with Stress?
One thing that really works is to talk & discuss with your child as much as possible. After each exam, encourage your child to talk it through with you. Motivate them to do well in the next exam. Tell them about their awesome moments and how they made you feel proud. Remind them of their strengths & positive points.
Just before the exam or a day prior to the exam, be positive and get your kids to feel the same.
Our Residential Repeater Programme has daily sessions of Yoga for Girls and Boys separately which is working wonders in their performance.
It also boosts up the energy level and clears the mind from a cluttered thinking.
Our Residential Repeaters class starts @ 6am to encash on their fresh early morning concentration level. All entrance exam aspirants should adapt the habit of waking up early to bring in a discipline within themselves.
Stress can have an adverse effect on your child’s appetite and skipping meals will only worsen the situation. As a parent, you can prepare light, healthy meals which are high on energy, but low on salt and sugar. From whole grains and seeds to tomatoes and sage, make sure you are feeding your little ones with good food. Stock your kitchen with healthy snacking options such as baked beans, oat bars, sprouts, vegetable soups, fresh sandwiches and more.
5. Credit their performance & indulge them in activities they like after the exams.
Some of the best activities to do with kids after they have come back writing an exam is to treat them. Take them out to their favorite restaurant. This will motivate them to do well in their upcoming exams!
Hope these tips will prove out to be really effective in dealing with stress and anxiety in your kids.
Here is wishing your ward a confident stress free academic year ahead!
In NEET, Physics Numericals plays the important role of the Rank decider.
1. Read the given numerical carefully.
2. Think how the given statement(s) relates to some theory or law and if the relation gives some yields or the desired answer.
3. Think of the rules, and logic sets involved in the given question.
4. Think of the formulae or set of rules that you require relating the quantities in question.
5. Identify the constants that you require to establish the relationship between given quantities.
6. Observe if all the quantities (including constants) are in same system of units, if not convert them using conversion rules.
7. Trying to solve the same problem in 2 or more methods will be useful at the time of Preparation.
8. Work out as many numericals as possible in every chapter.
9. Identify the typical numerical examples in every chapter and go through them frequently.
10. As practise make a man perfect, Regular practise is the only key to success!!
Why should one take up Venper Aptitude Test (VAT)?
The period of 2006 to 2016 witnessed the phase of marks of Tamilnadu Higher Secondary State Board (TNHSC), the sole criterion for counselling for professional courses in Tamilnadu. The advent of NEET in 2016 became a mandatory surge for Students to realise the importance of application based learning, strengthening of concepts, awareness about premier engineering colleges & career advantages of pursuing their dream course in reputed institutions.
An entry into any reputed institution of their choice of course whatever it may be has an admission entry procedure. The method adopted by the reputed institutes to filter the large volume of candidates is only via #Multiple Choice Question Paper based on the Core subjects, #Mental Ability & #Aptitude. Thus it becomes mandatory to get oriented and equipped for the same.
Venper Academy is conducting Venper Aptitude Test (VAT) an exam of 2 hour duration based on Maths, Science, Mental Ability & Aptitude.
The core advantages of taking up VAT are, the Student gets to know where he stands Pan Tamilnadu among a crowd of 12500 to 15000 students. This rank analysis enlightens every student as to where they stand & what it takes to crack the competitive exam to pursue their dream career in the dream college.
Above all, VAT offers upto 100% Scholarships for their Full Time Classroom Programmes in Venper Academy conducted across their 15 Learning centres in Tamilnadu. These Programmes offers the best of its Faculties engaging students with Science & Maths in the most creative, application based, concept oriented & entertaining manner. This Programme improves the High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), Logical Reasoning & overall Mental Ability.
Students of Class VIII, IX, X, XI & XII are eligible to appear for this exam.
This exam is scheduled to be conducted on Oct 21st, Nov 4th & 25th, 2018 pan Tamilnadu across its 15 centres.
A boon for the High School & Higher Secondary students to know where they stand, perform well & enjoy the Scholarship benefits!!
Author Venper AcademyPosted on October 9, 2018 October 9, 2018 Categories JEE, NEETTags jee 2019, jee advanced, jee main, neet 2019, neet coaching, neet crash course, neet examLeave a comment on Why should one take up Venper Aptitude Test (VAT)? | 2019-04-25T16:50:00Z | http://blogs.venperacademy.com/page/2/ |
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With news that the Tennessee Titans release DeMarco , is line to head the Titans backfield 2018.03 2018 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Titans’ : Set to share time backfield.01 2018 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Titans’ : Likely to start divisional-round matchup.The only previous meeting between the two sides ended a shock 1 win for Costa Rica at the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy.
Los Angeles Lakers vs.Shows some quickness through gaps as a blitzer.
Keeps eye on receivers running behind him, can stay with them across the field.To find all players born within a certain month and year, for example all players born December of 1985, choose the month and year with the drop down boxes and then choose the ‘Month and Year Search’ option.July 23 Real Madrid Levi’s Stadium, , Calif.Former Watford forward Tamas Priskin was sent off after half hour for elbow on but it was only Andre ‘s header from Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross that sealed all three points.
The Netherlands earned a vital 3 win over a battling Bulgaria Amsterdam, while Portugal battled to a 1 win Hungary the latest round of World Cup Qualifiers.Everybody is excited for the tour and it gives us the opportunity to play front of some of the millions of Manchester United supporters which we have across the USA, said Woodward.ManU’s array of marketing partners get extensive eyeballs across the nation, with many supporting via multi-media marketing.12 2017 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Titans’ : Opportunity knocks Week 17.Though the top-seeded Patriots are heavy favorites the matchup, ‘s status as the unquestioned top option out of the backfield makes him a solid DFS building block against a New England rush defense that ceded 4 yards per during the regular , the second-worst the NFL.
Los Angeles Lakers vs.Former Watford forward Tamas Priskin was sent off after half hour for elbow on but it was only Andre ‘s header from Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross that sealed all three points.Rockets 3 PM ?
Uses hands very well.Brothers and Brown were top recruits coming out of Wichita East High School, as a linebacker signing with Miami 2008 and his brother going to Tennessee as a running back 2009.This be Manchester United’s fifth visit to the U.S.He added four pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which came against West ‘s Geno Smith, the Mountaineer’s first of the .Hungary, meanwhile, take on Australia before they head to this summer’s tournament Russia.
We played to a very decent level.I kind of felt soft, said afterward.the and bringing some popular and valuable friends along.since 2011.
Los Angeles Lakers vs.I am not really happy about that game at all.ManU is the third most valuable soccer franchise, and fifth most valuable sports franchise the world, with a value estimated at more than $3 billion.Houston Rockets 3 PM ?New Knicks 12 Noon ?Milwaukee Bucks vs.
Tonight there was a wee bit of familiarity and there were outstanding performances from young players that we believe have got a great future.Boston Celtics 5 PM ?since 2011.July 17 Real Salt Lake Rio Tinto Stadium, Salt Lake ?
Scotland then travel to Budapest on 27 to take on Hungary, who are currently ranked 54th the world.Keeps feet moving through contact.His father, Drury, was drafted 42nd overall by the Flames 1989 and skated 414 career NHL with the Whalers, Flames, Senators, Mighty Ducks, Islanders and Blue Jackets.The WNBA said the Las Vegas Aces have forfeited a game scheduled to be played on Aug.
I didn’t feel like a workhorse back.Given how well ran during the Titans’ initial playoff game, that’s a sound approach, though turn it’s expected the New England coaching staff craft its defensive game plan with containing the Tennessee game as its top priority.McLeish claimed the first win of his second spell as Scotland manager with a 1 victory over Hungary Budapest on Tuesday.The second-year back gained 13 of his yards on one , so he averaged a minuscule 1 yards on his other 27 totes.
It didn’t take for to make impact at Kansas State and became the Wildcats’ most consistent force on the defensive side of the ball during his tenure Manhattan.The presence of is a bigger concern than scheme fit, as it’s hard to imagine approaching 20 touches per game unless his new teammate suffers injury.We’ve got a big first- and second-down back, Vrabel said of .
While ‘s contributions to the team were limited , became the impact player for which the Wildcats hoped.Competitive on 50 balls.While ‘s contributions to the team were limited , became the impact player for which the Wildcats hoped.
said the new Tennessee offense is built around outside-zone running plays, Paul Kuharsky of 104 The Zone Nashville reports.I am sure our fans relish away trips to Hungary, Peru and Mexico and be looking forward to a long-overdue rematch against Costa Rica.13, Wolfe of reports.While Mularkey isn’t ruling DeMarco out for the showdown with the Patriots after the veteran running back sat out the team’s playoff-opening win over the Chiefs last weekend, be line for the lead role again after producing 191 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 25 touches the upset victory.rushed for a career-high 156 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and caught both of his targets for 35 yards Saturday’s 22, wild-card round win over Kansas City.
03 2018 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Titans’ : Set to share time backfield.Drury was named to the USHL Second All- Team after the Black Hawks captain led the team with the 2017 regular season and added the playoffs .Adept coverage, can get his hands on a slot receiver or tight end, yet still come off to run with a crosser.Brown then redshirted his first Manhattan as a transfer student before starting all 13 games as a team captain 2011.
Strong, secure tackler who wraps and rarely misses, even against larger ballcarriers.The Aces statement from that night: Given the travel issues we faced over the past two day s- 25+ hours spent airports and airplanes, cramped quarters and having not slept a bed since Wednesday night-and after consulting with Players Association leadership and medical professionals, we concluded that playing tonight’s game would put us at too great a risk for injury.now tops a running back depth chart that also includes Fluellen and Khalfani Muhammad, with the Titans likely to add further depth at the position free agency and or the draft.
He added four pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which came against West ‘s Geno Smith, the Mountaineer’s first of the .01 2018 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Titans’ : Another leading role on tap.The scheduled five-game Unmissable Tour 2017, presented by Aon, includes matches against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City, as well as two MLS clubs, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Like City.The club trails only there NFL’s Cowboys , Real Madrid , Barcelona and MLB’s New Yankees , according to .With news that the Tennessee Titans release DeMarco , is line to head the Titans backfield 2018.
State Warriors 8 PM ?Scotland continue their preparations for the UEFA Nations League with a trip to Lima to face Peru on May 29.After that scare, though, Scotland kept their shape and saw out the victory relatively comfortably.Tennessee Titans head coach Vrabel and general manager Robinson confirmed Wednesday that and split playing time, of the Titans’ official site reports.
22 Bump st, 3p, best 1, 4th of 9 3l behind Singingintheheat at Arlington 5f gd Jul.scored 12 points for the Beavers, who shot 5 of 20 from the 3-point arc.Van der Gun came close for the visitors just before the break and Orlandi’s corner was flicked on at the near post but flashed across the face of goal.They create a different buzz the air.
The three spots break this week during sports and entertainment programming, according to .The process has obviously made impact with supporters for each across their respective home nations, with both piling on the influencers from a broad spectrum, including politicians, entertainers, financial experts, designers, former Olympians and marketing partners.He was merely average at fending off pass rusher as a rookie but made that second-year leap last season, earning some Pro Bowl consideration.Addressing the right wing position is just one of areas the Flames must asses this off-.The 25-year-old wide receiver, who has been plagued by nagging knee injuries, posted a photo with text saying, No matter what happens life, I’ll always be a World .
We feel like we let one slip away, Wall said.What justice does this serve?Palace continued to press and Sullivan saved from again before Butterfield fired wide from 20 yards.His fourth-inning double was the Halos’ only extra-base hit off Verlander.The more money that is bet, and the more of that money that doesn’t come from sharp bettors, the more you need to be aware of how the public is likely to bet and what impact that could have on the search for value.
Read >> When you discuss ‘s prospects of winning the 2014 World Cup, the debate understandably begins and ends with Barcelona’s Messi.Boy did they respond, he added.Turn left on West Commerce Drive.And on Saturday, Curry stood up for again on social media.
Holdsworth then crossed three minutes later after Salford had won a penalty, the Reds captain picking up a pass from Matty Smith and dummying his way through the opposing defence to cross.What kind of role did you have on special teams at Miami, and how much did teams talk about that with you leading up to the draft?“It’s a relief just to know where I’m going.The Caps now own a 2 lead the series, marking just the second time the Knights have been down a playoff series this ; they trailed Winnipeg 1 the Western Conference Final before winning four straight to the Jets., however, has averaged 0 points per game over 227 the KHL.Analysis: Senzatela was cleared after reporting no problems during Thursday’s bullpen session.
When he’s on the field, makes everyone’s life easier on offense: from the quarterback to the running backs to the receivers to the tight ends.Daniel Hemric came home third, spending the last lap hoping to steal a victory if the JR Motorsports teammates happened to wreck each other.: They’re all different, just like everybody here is different, that’s the way you handle it.went close 10 minutes when he beat keeper Harper to a bouncing pass but was unable to find the net from acute .
Thursday 18th .Proud Citizen filly out of Saramar.grabbed 10 rebounds and had 11 assists, tallying a plus-minus of +12 his 39 on the floor.West Brom withstood a Peterborough fightback to hold on for a 3 win at London Road.Nets F missed his fifth straight game with a pulled groin.
And we should all enjoy the ride as it happens.However, police told they could not keep Cordon out of the home without official eviction proceedings and advised him to put away any valuables and to stay away from Cordon or have witnesses when they were together.McKissic, despite the Seahawks’ belief that can develop into a three-down back.If does sign off on a move to New Jersey, the Nets’ trade offer would center around Favors, Devin and draft picks.
Crucially, though, Farrar bagged a fifth try, his second of the night, for the French club with 14 minutes to play.PICK: SEAHAWKS Woods: For me, this game is all about Peterson.We’re telling the more we can develop, the more he can help our players get better.Nets Also Interested 25 3 PM The Bulls aren’t the only team that has connected Lakers coach through back-channels.New took three over four against woeful Kansas City , which traded third baseman Moustakas to Milwaukee on Friday for prospects.
That tells me that OU should be able to have its way with the defense all around.Beast Mode has the added motivation of ensuring he’s back next and perhaps with a raise as there are rumors the Seahawks cut him loose because Lynch be 29 with a lot of tread on his tires.However, Scunthorpe were level within two minutes of the restart when McCann was bundled over by Evatt and referee Woolmer pointed to the spot.
However they were pushed hard by their rivals a -saw contest between two clubs who both have new coaches at the helm next .
We are excited to partner with and Iverson to bring these legacy products that highlight his style back to market.For nearly a decade now, that same paradigm has applied to quarterbacks: a first-round investment ideally translates to Week 1 starter.The Blackhawks drafted Wise with the 69th overall pick this year’s NHL draft.When the two-way came out, that was the impetus for us to get a G-League team, said.Saturday 14th April.
3 total defense and No.Butterfield had a rare attempt for Palace but his shot went over the bar.It’s just a lack of execution offensively.parried a close range effort from Hulse the 39th minute when County’s leading scorer seemed certain to notch his seventh goal of the from Gary Teale’s free-kick.
The coach told me that I would go there for just three or four but had to stay there for one month just with one change of clothes …It was hard.There are a ton of loaded with playoff implications.But we are fresh off, I keep pointing it out, a world champion that won nine of 16 ballgames last year, Jones told KRLD-FM, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.I think we talked about it this training camp already is that everybody is fighting time.
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The Warriors scored from their first set of tackles, moving the ball smartly out to the wing where Richards touched down – although the final pass looked ridiculously forward – and Leeds had barely recovered from that shock when Brett Finch got Hoffman running into a gap and centre George Carmont was support to score.is a calm, reasoning force that the commissioner could always count on.Texas Loses For Several Weeks With Wrist Injury Nov 21 12 PM be out for several with injured wrirst.
The Clemson standout thrived that role 2011 and 2013, surpassing the 1-yard mark both seasons and corralling 24 of his 27 career receiving touchdowns during those years.You what type of athlete he is and what type of ability he has.I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s protected by the Sharks.For what it’s worth, he also had a rough game last year the Super Bowl after big performances his previous three — he rushed 15 times for just 39 yards.
As Eagles fan, I want to avoid them the Super Bowl as much as possible.broadcast the game the U.S.grabbed two rebounds and had eight assists, tallying a plus-minus of +21 his 27 on the floor.
Rasmussen has recorded only a goal and assist through 15 this .That was quite the shot he took on his shoulder vs.
We hope to pair them with other retail companies through our NASCAR network ..All but one centreman for the Flyers won at least 54 percent of their draws, while only one Plekanec won over 40 percent of his faceoffs for the Canadiens.Minutes later it was Altidore again.had 19 points and seven assists, Luol Deng tallied 10 points and seven rebounds and rookie contributed 17 points off the bench.The 2017 Cubs and White Sox ratings were reflective of games played to-date .99 Aflac Ford Fusion, giving the cereal giant primary sponsorship for two Nascar Sprint Cup races the 2010 and associate sponsor role of the No.
Target leader: McCaffrey Target share: 29% | Targets: 7 | Receptions: 5 | Yards: 38 The team’s intent to feature McCaffrey the passing game was on full display.The draw can be bet at +280 and the total is listed at 2 goals.Venters missed just over a month on the 10-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain.Colorado fans should take heart that their team put up a strong test.
The striker charged into the area but could only rattle his shot against the legs of Ipswich goalkeeper Richard Wright.Get Stormy filly out of Eurodame.This camp for us is a little bit of rehab, these guys are getting back before we get the pads on, Burkholder explained.Locations included: – Comcast Center – ‘s & Geno’s – Steps – Franklin Institute – One Observation Deck – Reading Terminal Market – Citizens Bank Park It was a full day of activities that culminated with the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers joining on the pre-game activities with the Philadelphia Phillies including batting practice, throwing out the first pitch, and having fun with the Phillie Phanatic at the game that evening.
from Cranford, NJ I keep on having deja vu from 2009.Barnes spent just over 18 months with the Panthers, who hired him 2015 after Pederson was fired.Prokhorov indicated interim coach P.J.Ipswich climbed off the foot of the table at the expense of Peterborough, but the pressure remains on boss Keane.
The All- action heats up on Friday, 18, with no-speed-limit qualifying – which sees drivers rocket down pit road at race speed for a four-tire pit stop the only no-limits qualifying session on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series calendar.Skip to content Once you miss the playoffs, change has to happen, Armstrong said.A fourth Salford try left their hosts with a mountain to climb, as ‘s charge down of Holdsworth’s kick broke kindly to let Nero gallop away to touch down three minutes before the break.That’s music to fantasy owners’ ears.No refund or other remedy be provided if you are ejected or refused entry due to disorderly conduct or failure to comply with these parking terms and conditions or any security policies.Saturday 24th .
With one win between the two sides for the it was no surprise to such a cagey affair the first half as both teams looked happy restricting their opponents to a handful of -range efforts.Swansea midfielder Gower was replaced by Andrea Orlandi the 70th minute and the Spaniard’s first contribution was to set up Pratley for his side’s third goal.Sauter went on to lead a race-high 71 laps and increased his series lead to 59 points over second-place Gragson and 65 over Moffitt third.That saw us start the 2, rather than 1, and we haven’t looked back.Leadbitter, a recent signing from Sunderland, made no mistake after being set up by Stead, who was recalled to the starting line-up.Weaknesses: Inconsistent accuracy, especially when he needs to make anticipation throw.
whipped the ball all around the field, utilizing a talented receiving corps that included Jason Avant, Jacoby Jones and Jahvid Best.Joining on the All-Pac-12 First are Rondae Hollis-, , DaVonte Lacy, T.J.When you lose your starting left tackle of several years to free agency, then ‘t get a bonafide experienced left tackle to replace him, you’re supposed to be a mess on the offensive line.03 2018 by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire Senators’ Stone: Takes morning skate.I’d to the under.
We are excited to have drive the pace car for the FireKeepers Casino 400, MIS President Rick Brenner said.Pratley looked suspiciously offside when Rangel sent him clear, but he kept his cool to slot the ball home and net his sixth goal of the season.— AP baseball: https: tag MLBbaseball.
The soon to be 31-year-old kept Trinaldo guessing with a variety of strikes and elusive movement as he moved to 13 overall.The RBI were his first 12 .Early projections show that 12 teams are expected to have the cap space to sign a free agent next , though more could join that mix.Branch took to Twitter this week to call out Jacare and even offered to bring the fight to Brazil.
Newcastle upped their game after the break, beginning with Lovenkrands blazing over after being teed up by .Green was given a flagrant foul the final minutes of Game 4 a year ago and was subsequently suspended for Game 5.I thought they played well, and I think the difference the series we weren’t able to score as much as we needed to as the series had gone on.
If the clubs were not previously aware, they should know that the screaming was apparently loud that a neighbor called emergency dispatchers, fearful of what was taking place.We always work partnership with teams, trying to do the best for the overall result.Former England bowler Andrew Flintoff has defended Broad and over criticism of their recent performances.went 1 of 5 from behind the arc.The Eliasberg 1913 Head Nickel is one of only five ever produced.
Game FIC Scores Bosh, Toronto ?Whether you like him as a coach or not, they think he’ll help promote the team.Koren and Youssouf Mulumbu were involved a passing triangle midfield before Brunt released Bednar with a sublime ball with the outside of his foot.At the end of his career, Goose was the AFL’s all-time interception leader with 43, and he is still second that category for .
Betfred Super League.I thought Kyler taking a step the right direction and then has gotten some snaps now.Saturday 23rd .But he has missed the next 18 , going on the injured list Nov.The Blades battled on and found themselves on level terms though with 17 minutes to play when smashed the ball home after a good pass from James Harper.
However, another goalkeeping howler at the other end spoiled all United’s hard work.However, I’ve really come around to this logo, especially when it’s viewed isolation from the horrendous barber pole jerseys they adorned.Haber is good company when it comes to orthotics.
Some of the Knicks retaliated by commenting that the Knicks have a better fan base and a better arena.Flashes the ability to catch passes away from his frame with his hands.33 Vied 2w, faded, 4th of 13l behind Hotshot at Arlington 7f stks fst Jun.It inflates and deflates quickly, protects you against rock and rubble on the , and packs down small enough to fit your backpack.
The quickly spread to Seahawks and became popular at many sporting events around Seattle shortly thereafter, and, before , it turned into a worldwide phenomenon.Yes, I would, said .ALS was assigned one of the highest awards, putting the Dixons line to collect $4 million.
CAREER TRANSACTIONS Re-signed by Saints, 8 18; Re-signed by Saints, 1 18; Waived by Saints, 12 17; Re-signed by Saints, 12 17; Released by Saints, 9 7; Re-signed by New Orleans Saints to a one-year contract, 3 17; Claimed by Saints off of waivers from Broncos, 11 16; Waived by , 11 16 Signed by to a one-year contract , 7 16; Re-signed by San Chargers, 9 15; Released by Chargers, 9 15; Placed on Injured Reserve by Chargers, 12 13; Signed by Chargers to three-year contract , 3 13; Placed by Cowboys on Injured Reserve, 8 10; Signed by Cowboys to four-year contract, 7 09; Selected by Cowboys the sixth round of 2009 NFL Draft.Of course, the game didn’t seem like it would be that close the closing seconds with the way it all started.we have a Big East and SEC matchup .Yeah, I had thought about dropping Brees rankings because of the tough matchup.It’s been a little trying, Fangio said.The pace of Dyer was a constant threat and Westwood again had to be at his best to deny a low shot after a quick break.
Esuarnce said Pep Talks With would be anchored by a series of TV spots and also have significant reach on Internet, social media and fan activation.Lynch’s toss was perfect, hitting Brown stride, allowing him to maintain his speed as he ran the final 25 yards to the end zone for the touchdown.But his senior flourish got MSU on his scent, and they’ve been happy for it ever since.The Wolves were tiring but they still thought they had scored a try on the hour when Monaghan picked up on a loose ball and sprinted from his own half to cross.He added one steal.
responded with Guy Moussi’s cross narrowly evading Nathan at the far post.Sharangovich was the team’s fourth selection ‘s draft when he was picked the fifth round, 141st overall.Understands assignments, locates his man at the second level or on the edge and recognizes and reacts to blitz packages.Inevitable.
What’s the lowest grade you can give?However, he recently lost his starting job to Kris Humphries.Maybe it’s his lack of experience and skill set.’t include URLs to Web sites.I really thought he was a very intelligent, tough player with a good throwing motion….Reigning Cup champion Truex Jr.
The second-year forward out of California appeared 36 for the team last , averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds across 14 minutes.The league average is 2.Defeat will be difficult to take for Irvine’s men as they wasted a string of second-half chances, with City keeper Henderson inspired form.Based Southern California and heavily influenced by its culture, Fatal represents and supports this lifestyle through , fashion, music, and action.
At least he thinks .Newsome would not have used 13 picks, including eight the first four rounds, if he didn’t believe this roster needed some rebuilding.Macken’s driven cross from the right was met at the far post by Bogdanovic, who stooped to head home at the far post.jumped on the first pitch he saw, lacing the first triple of his career to right-center field to break open a close game the top of the 10th inning.
Whatever the case might be, his presence should be good for eighth overall pick Locker, especially with a new staff place.For him, the gauge for how well his defense is doing is how they manage to disrupt Pittsburgh’s quarterback.Scientists have several theories about why the collapse happened, including deforestation, overpopulation and extreme drought.View Photo MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 25: Huff #2 and Antonio Shenault #34 of the Minnesota Gophers tackles #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers during the third quarter of the game on November 25 at TCF Bank Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota.There have been times under Coughlin, the team’s two most recent Super Bowl runs notwithstanding, when the buttoned-up squad has fallen into ruts defined by listlessness and losing.However, faced his first true test of adversity when he discovered he would have to sit out his freshman after being redshirted.
The offense was better against the Giants, but still struggled to find the end zone.This year’s Kentucky Derby picks feature a shot at the exacta and trifecta, and likely a head-to-head play as well.New was need of a safety, but I’m not sure how much of impact the fifth-year defensive back make.
The undefeated Chechen upstart holds a win over UFC bantamweight Lapilus and bested Tuesday Night Contenders Series alum Frelow to claim the WSOF flyweight title his lone appearance under that banner, it’s not like Bibulatov has been beating scrubs during his perfect start.This writer believes not with the Preds and here are a few reasons why: With both regular linemates out, the spotlight shines brightly on center Ryan Johansen and where coach Laviolette slots him within the lineup.Peters kept a constant eye on during that time, whether that meant lifting her out of bed or lying down beside her to sleep.1 Record: Week 12 Ranking: No.General manager Snead scouted six of the team’s eight draft picks at the NFL’s annual event.That’s something we’ve stressed to him.
She inspired me to coach, and if I impact one student the way she impacted me then it would all be worth it.Matt was sacked by Johnathan Hankins.workout might suggest, Rivers said Ewing is as hungry as ever for success.
I have always wanted to be a professional dancer.We might say, ‘This struggles mentally, let’s not waste time on his mom, dad and girlfriend.24 Record: Week 19 Ranking: No.We think we can do it.Pumphrey literally looks like a different person.
6 had the Rams not traded down.October 2015, participated , arts and crafts, and activities with children at Metropolitan Ministries annual Fall Festival.The Lions QB waved a crosser to the left order to throw off the defense and open things up for Theo Riddick on the right.
The benefits of having a player who fills both roles can be far-reaching.made me a better coach.He’s gone to the Pro Bowl and I believe he had three punts returned for touchdowns last year.
But it all was fun.Before the locker room, was engaged, was not engaged, former Nets public relations vice president Gary Sussman said.Cecilia High School by Vince Lombardi, who was also coaching football and teaching Latin there.
As animal lover, I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian.But even if he was simply able to replicate his 37 total pressures from last , he would make life a lot easier on Hicks, who could be for a huge if he isn’t constantly double-teamed.The 5-foot-10 receiver is coming off his best season, with 50 catches for 778 yards and five touchdowns.Quick allowed three goals on 26 shots a Game 3 loss to the Knights on .We had several like that Burns, I think both of those guys are really good players.
Ultimately, betting on himself wasn’t much of a hazard.Thank you for always being faithful to our team.With hamstrings – let’s how he feels tomorrow.Popeyes also was the title sponsor of last month’s college football Bahamas Bowl.If Seattle can continue to find its playmaker, the Sounders find life easier at the near mile-high altitude of Guadalajara.
Not to be overlooked, grew stature throughout the , graduating from laid-back rookie to inspirational leader.16 Bogut, Milwaukee ?He’s going to be a 10-time All- and will make a impact on your team Year 1.The alleged American pop music by ear plugs beloved Gaga design, fashionable avant-courier, modelling extremely personality.I’d obviously like to increase those numbers and score some more goals, and that’s something I really want to get better at next .
14 – Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 22 points , going 6 of 12 from the field, as the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Miami Heat 97.
It isn’t anything that he hasn’t done before.One approaches Nadal to ask for golf assistance, then changes course mid-sentence.The Yankees start a three-game set Friday night at home against Oakland before hitting the road to play Washington, Kansas City and Texas, a far less daunting stretch — at least on paper.He’s had some bad .And with ‘s injury history, that could happen sooner rather than later, meaning the Cardinals could entrust their offense to Glennon, who hasn’t started more than five since his rookie when he started 13 2013.Bank , JPMorgan Chase , ‘s , PNC Bank , American Airlines , Northern Trust , Exelon , KPMG and PWC .
The Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions face off to determine the Eastern Conference winner.With that said, the signing of Draisaitl was not one of them and trying to use the David Pastrnak signing as a comparable is nothing more than attempt to create a scenario that never really existed.2013: Selected by Oakland the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Watson saw action five …y’all know what the real problem is ..Over the years, he has also crossed over into English-language broadcasting, working for FSN Prime Ticket as a Dodgers reporter 2007 and Radio 710 AM as a reporter and fill co-host 2008.
It’s tender right now.She was always a hurry.We are also are big-time competitors as well, if we got the opportunity to play them a game we feel like we would win, too, said .Have you noticed Taylor makes the majority of the big catches 49ers ?
The Nashville Predators were absolutely adamant at the start of the year that they didn’t want to move much, if anything, from their blue line.After easier-than-expected win against UL Monroe, Tulsa came out on the right side of a crazy 55 shootout against BYU despite being 6 point underdogs.According to , the response from General Manager Krause would be, that player’s not going to help you win.team, for the athletes the different sports.
There are several One of the most discussed topics leading into the 2017 for the Buffalo Sabres was the future of Sam Reinhart.: I was a cheerleader high school, and we used to run onto the field with our hands behind our backs. | 2019-04-19T07:01:06Z | https://www.cheapnfljerseysmart.us/index.php/2018/12/ |
Strong leadership is integral for a remote working environment to be successful, as is a firm grasp of negotiations training to boost interview skills. Remote opportunities offer flexibility for workers, expand the hiring pool, and reduce overhead costs for companies, provided you’ve hired employees you can count on to follow your lead. Because hiring the wrong worker can negatively impact your business’s success, look for employees with the following four traits.
When working from a remote location, there are myriad potential distractions. From kids coming home after school to the temptation to check social media during work hours, remote employees are susceptible to procrastination, diverted attention, and poor productivity. Seek candidates who have a strong history of self-motivation. Generally, these individuals are more focused, determined, and efficient when completing work-related tasks. Hire managers equipped with the knowledge provided by sales training and negotiations training to quickly identify whether a candidate is a self-starter.
Like applicants for any other position, previous experience is a definite plus. While performing required tasks and navigating company processes can be taught, accomplishing goals while working remotely brings an entirely new set of challenges if the candidate lacks experience. When interviewing candidates without previous experience working remotely, ask pointed, situation-based questions and carefully evaluate their response. Questions like, “Given the requirements of this position, how would you structure your day?” will help determine if an unexperienced candidate has potential to succeed.
Unlike a physical office, working remotely requires the ability to independently problem solve. Though leadership should be accessible for complex questions, remote workers must think critically, quickly, and have confidence in their ultimate conclusion. Exceptional problem-solving skills are essential for remote employees, but you can’t always take a candidate’s stated strengths at face value. Negotiations training is recommended for leaders and hiring managers, as it helps hone interview skills. Asking the right questions at the right time during an interview will reveal whether a candidate is truly an experienced problem solver or merely added a buzz word to their resume.
Job flexibility is attractive to many workers, as is working from home (or any convenient location). However, it’s important to hire remote employees who maintain a good attitude and are dedicated to fostering a positive team environment. Ask candidates how they might handle a stressful task, rude co-worker, or a request to perform a service outside of their job description. Often, responses will provide you with telling information about their on-the-job attitude.
Many businesses are offering flexible work arrangements or completely remote capabilities. With this, a need arises for different recruiting, training, and leadership skills. Remote leaders are responsible for creating a common vision everyone can follow, allowing for team cohesion even at a distance. From providing remote negotiations training to conducting company-wide sales training, remote leaders inspire unity when adhering to four specific rules.
Work hours. When a team works remotely, it’s important to get everyone on the same page regarding expected work hours. If employee improvement, such as negotiations training, must take place, clearly specify when trainings are held.
Regular meetings are essential to keep communication flowing. Establish expectations for company meetings, including when they will take place, the protocol for missing a meeting, and recurring topics to be discussed.
Leading from afar requires confidence in a team member’s ability to work independently while meeting productivity goals. Remote leaders are responsible for setting clear guidelines outlining expectations.
Being available to remote employees is one of the best ways to keep workers engaged, motivated, and informed. When leading a team of remote employees, don’t hinder your availability by hiding behind the computer screen. Particularly when conducting sales training, leaders need to be accessible to workers to address questions and concerns. If time constraints are a concern, establish set hours of availability during which employees can contact you and receive a prompt response.
Most companies operating a remote workforce lack the option to conduct business free of technology. Between collaborative online tools, productivity tracking programs, and digital communication, technology is the conduit that facilitates ongoing dialogue, training, and employee improvement. Use digital solutions that bring remote employees together and increase access to members of your leadership team.
All employees benefit when leaders extend trust and confidence in their abilities. When managing remote teams, it’s important to clearly communicate this level of trust. Provide remote employees with confidence-boosting compliments, but don’t stretch the truth. Focus on an employee’s strengths and how those strengths contribute to the company’s goals, and offer positive feedback on recent projects. Communicating your belief in an employee’s abilities will inspire them to work harder to reach established goals.
The World Cup is the largest sporting event on the planet and has been dominating conversation for the past few weeks. The event has drawn soccer teams (football teams in the rest of the world) together from all over the world to determine which country has the best team. However, we can learn more from the World Cup than which soccer team is the best. There are three important business lessons to be found in this year’s World Cup.
1. Embrace change: FIFA, the organization responsible for the World Cup, managed to incorporate the use of technology in a way that was not possible in previous Cups and increased fan involvement on a tremendous scale. By utilizing mobile technology to promote the games, FIFA was able to get the greatest access to the largest number of fans. The number of attendees who took and sent selfies and cell phone pictures was higher than in any other sporting event, and Facebook and Twitter were constantly buzzing with status updates and comments about the games.
FIFA was able to encourage this by embracing the use of mobile technology and social media. If companies learn to embrace changes in technology and changes in culture, they too can raise awareness of their products and develop a loyal customer base.
2. Learn effective teamwork: Soccer is a team sport, and like any team sport it requires excellent collaboration and communications skills between players. Teams in the World Cup this year boasted some of the most famous and skilled players in the world, and yet those teams fell to less skilled players who were able to work together more effectively.
Businesses need all of their employees working together to become successful. If a few employees are hardworking and extremely productive, their efforts might be cancelled out by other employees who tend to slack off. Successful business requires communication at all levels and between all employees as well as hardworking and dedicated employees who know their jobs and do them well.
3. Build community: In addition to collaborating to become an effective work force, employees should enjoy working together. The World Cup drew together fans from all types of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and made them into one community, bound by one common interest. USA fans who had never met each other cheered and celebrated together with every victory, and groaned and comforted one another with every defeat.
Successful businesses like Google, Apple, and Pixar take great strides to create a sense of community among their employees. Individual workspace decoration is encouraged, video games and board games are available at breaks, and ideas are welcomed from even the newest employees. Making work a place where employees feel comfortable and happy is a great way to create a more successful business.
When a person opens a website or a training page that is stuffed with text, they are immediately intimidated. Even if the text is simple and refers to interesting concepts, the sheer volume of words on one page can discourage people. By presenting the information in smaller portions, a few topics per page, with slightly larger font and more white space, it makes readers more receptive.
Images are great for drawing the viewer’s attention and emphasizing a point. Too many images, however, cause a page to look crowded and make it difficult for the reader to not become distracted. When inserting images into a training document or slideshow, make certain they are tasteful and relevant instead of random images that only serve the purpose of breaking up text.
Make sure the speaker’s voice is audible.
One of the most insufferable parts of an online class or online training session is when the teacher or instructors voice is too hard to hear. It’s audible when all is quiet and still, but the slightest noise can cause you to miss an important piece of information. Often, the problem is not due to any sort of technological glitch but rather the volume of the speaker’s voice.
When this is the case, the simplicity of fixing the problem and the fact that it hasn’t been corrected are a mark against a company. It is important to ensure when conducting or preparing negotiation training that all technical volume issues are worked out and the speaker is projecting at an appropriate volume.
Ensure the speaker is understandable.
If the instructor giving the training has a hard to understand accent or speaks quickly or with any type of speech impediment, it causes numerous problems with negotiation training. As with volume control, making sure the audience can hear and understand what they are being told is imperative to successful virtual training. Clarity is one of the more important aspects of negotiation training.
The instructor should be an effective speaker.
Being an effective speaker and communicator is more than proper enunciation and speaking volume. It involves communicating a sense of authority and assurance to the audience. By lowering the pitch of his or her voice, a speaker impresses upon the listeners a sense of power and trustworthiness. Similarly, modulating the tone and pitch of one’s voice leads to a more engaging presentation.
By following these tips and being aware of feedback from audiences, your company will greatly improve the efficiency of its virtual negotiations training sessions.
Are Virtual Environments the Future of Leadership Training?
Businesses are searching for a more effective way to conduct leadership training using virtual environments. Learning in virtual environments has many benefits, as training sessions can be led completely online and a wide range of simulations can be created for more effective lessons. Read on to learn more about how virtual environments are being used in leadership training, why companies and organizations are benefiting from this new movement, and how you can implement these strategies at your organization.
A recent study conducted by ON24 and Training Industry, Inc. uncovers the importance of effective leadership training for organizations and discusses how virtual environments allow them to create more effective, efficient leadership training. Overall, leadership training is an estimated $2 billion industry in the U.S., which means maximizing ROI in this area is critical. While the organizations in the study were investing about $684 in leadership training per employee, the largest obstacle to the effectiveness of that training was sustaining its impact over time.
However, for organizations that use virtual environments for leadership training, those undergoing the training rated it as more effective. Furthermore, the study found that effective companies invest 44% more in leadership training than ineffective companies. This study shows that effective leadership training is important for business success, and using virtual environments leads to more effective training.
When virtual environments are used for leadership training, this training is most commonly conducted through simulations. In the military, simulation-based training is used to both practice and develop the skills that soldiers need to succeed. There are many advantages to using such simulations in leadership training. Simulation-based training is beneficial because it can be completely customized to meet the needs of the trainee. Furthermore, research shows that it is helpful for those undergoing such training to watch themselves perform tasks in the virtual environment, as this allows for greater reflection on the process.
When it comes to virtual leadership training, the most important element is building virtual teamwork. However, there are a few challenges faced by virtual teams that are important to keep in mind when implementing these strategies at your organization.
Communication: While virtual communication can be difficult, there are a number of tools that your organization can utilize to alleviate this challenge. The key is to ensure that you are using the right tools for each individual situation.
Trust: Building trust can also be a major challenge in building virtual teamwork, particularly when team members come from different cultures. It is important to ensure that the manager in the situation invests in relationships with the virtual team and is prepared to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Management: Finally, managing virtually can also be a significant challenge. Fortunately, studies have shown that employees who work from home actually work harder, which means that less management is necessary.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is evolving almost on a monthly basis. What it’s taken to get here is almost unbelievable in terms of programming, technological progress and boundary-pushing software innovation. Over the last few years enterprise has been adapting to this tsunami of information, learning how to filter it and implement what they learn.
The utilization of business-based metrics is absolutely critical in our modern hypercompetitive environment where 70% of the consumer journey takes place online. Within a few years from right now hundreds of millions of people will join the internet marketplace as well. By then, CRM efficiency will have increased ten-fold.
Here are the three ways to increase the amount of bang you get for your CRM buck moving forward.
Part of bringing your CRM systems to their full potential is allowing the data to become a transparent part of everything. From top to bottom the business needs to become holistically data-driven. That’s not to say completely cold. It means that hard data needs to be at the forefront of all sales and marketing decisions.
The sales team is likely accustomed to this mindset already, but how about everybody else within the organization?
All internal activity can be tracked now, and used to increase efficiency. Measure. Train. Optimize.
Because data now governs the marketing world, both online and otherwise, it must be layered throughout all initiatives and mediums.
It’s almost too easy to drown in information. Or, spend a fortune on digital mountains of data that at the end of the day your organization really doesn’t need. Instead of trying to overwhelm yourself into metrics oblivion, choose 5 primary focus points. Don’t think you’re stuck with the five you choose, because to survive these days takes consistent adaptation.
Start simple rather than going for the most complicated and expensive forms of tracking information.
When choosing which metrics to focus on, ascertain which provide the most insight and bridge the most gaps between you and your clients or customers. What provides the most visibility, and accountability?
Three of the big hitters for modern companies are going to be volume, overall and specific sales funnel conversion rates and the speed at which platforms are expanding.
CRM is quickly becoming one of the most powerful and influential tools for modern businesses. No brand can expect to “wing it” and compete without serious CRM. Everything is being tracked, and this information is critical! Through implementing these three tips and then growing as your CRM grows, you can get the most out of it.
To make training stick and actually drive results, it must be practical, customized, and accessible when needed. How can you leverage on-demand training and tools to improve your sales team’s ability to execute?
To register for our webinar, please go to: http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/welcome/brainshark_oct_23.
When designing a mobile app, it isn’t enough to just code into the void and then launch the app to consumers. No – there are numerous ways in which apps should be optimized for maximum user enjoyment, starting with the selection of an appropriate mobile platform. Follow these five rules when choosing your mobile app platform to ensure ease of use and top performance.
Choose a hybrid platform. Using a hybrid platform will allow your app to translate across different platforms and environments. This makes it less expensive to design and avoids the pitfalls of trying to translate a platform specific application. Make sure your hybrid platform is compatible with mobile coding, can run background activities, and can manage secure on-device backup.
Adopt HTML5. HTML5 still has its problems, but because as a platform it embraces so many different functions, from messaging to data semantics, it is unwise to forego this platform entirely. Making HTML5 part of your hybrid platform will help to integrate your app into the growing community of HTML5 users, while still providing it with some firmer ground in the form of a joint platform.
Engage with the cloud. It can feel strange to back-up your devices and programming in what seems to be the equivalent of thin air, but the cloud is the way to go these days. Don’t overlook more traditional back-end systems, but combine them with public and private cloud structures to improve the overall integration of your app with other programming.
Choose your provider carefully. With the rapid changes that app platforms are undergoing resulting in constant turnover, it is important that you choose a supporting provider who is financially solvent and that has an extensive roadmap for product evolution. Your provider should be able to make new formats available to you rapidly, and their company framework needs to align with your service level agreements.
Emphasize collaboration. Nothing in today’s marketplace is designed by a single person. Rather, it is much more common to find multiple teams of people engaged in the problem solving process of designing an app. With that kind of diversity, however, it is not uncommon to find different coding languages and conflicts between the groups. Make sure to choose a platform that can help to integrate the multiple groups into the final product and that offers collaboration software, resulting in a seamless experience for the consumer.
Let’s face it: customer relationship management (CRM) is a jumbled mess. We come to CRM with an empty box, and then an uncoordinated group works to add information to it. The leads generated by various parts of the sales force simply don’t come together into a coherent image of who our customers are. But with evolution in the field of CRM, there is potential for that to change. From the revolutionary no software world of Salesforce, CRM is evolving. The CRM of the future won’t require an entire team of its own, generating leads and pouring information into it. The only CRM worth having in the future will be one that provides those leads on its own.
Many highly successful companies have found that there is only one good way to deal with their CRMs, and that is to assign an entire team to the projects, along with thousands or even millions of dollars. The empty box that every current CRM starts out as gets filled by these teams, but only large companies have the resources necessary to make this happen. Instead, the rest of us are forced to work with conflicting information or missing updates. With a system like that, it’s impossible to know who needs our products.
A properly functioning CRM in the future will have the answer to that question. Right out of the box, new CRMs will have a set of customer recommendations. And, to make the system even better, those recommendations will be consistent across departments. If one department discovers that recommendations are wrong, the CRM will update across all departments. Leads should be singular and consistent in this CRM of the future. There shouldn’t be duplicates or entire CRM-dedicated teams. And those leads shouldn’t cost millions of dollars to uncover.
Finally, to really have an optimized CRM will mean that we get the big picture. The new CRM should be able to tell us whether our customers are on Facebook, or if they are Twitter users instead. A wide variety of information should be available within the CRM, and the system should be smart enough to know which representatives need which kinds of information. This may sounds like a stretch, but we are rapidly approaching this phase in the world of CRMs.
It was exciting when Salesforce first revolutionized the market by getting rid of the extensive software needs that CRMs used to come with, but the future holds even more exciting prospects. CRM may still be a hassle, but coming down the road are changes that will streamline the lead process in ways we never imagined before. | 2019-04-19T09:34:40Z | https://www.shapironegotiations.com/category/webtech/ |
Is there anything inherently wrong with transfering human genes into other species?
Is the pursuit of knowledge enough to justify carrying out experiments involving pain and/or distress to an animal?
When primates are no longer needed for research, should they be destroyed humanely or retired to a primate sanctuary?
If research involves dogs, is it better to use purpose-bred laboratory dogs or unclaimed strays from a pound?
The informed public expects scientists to have thought through these and other issues. To do this, scientists need to see the ethical issues not as someone else's field, not as peripheral to the scientific enterprise, but as an essential element of being a scientist (Monamy, 2000).
The word philosophy, derived from the Greek literally means "love of wisdom". In keeping with its roots, the Cambridge International Dictionary defines the word philosophy as "the use of reason in understanding such things as the nature of reality and existence, the use and limits of knowledge and the principles that govern and influence moral judgment". As an academic discipline, philosophy’s chief branches include logic, metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.
Although "ethics" is an academic discipline in its own right, it is useful for scientists to understand the concepts used in ethical discussions. Just as a discussion of business ethics should involve business people, so a discussion of ethics in science should actively involve scientists, as scientists bring an in-depth knowledge and data, necessary to inform decision making. Discussion of any of the issues listed at the beginning of this module would benefit from an understanding of the scientific data associated with the issue.
Ethics is derived from the Greek ethos meaning custom, people, the predominant community spirit. Within that community spirit, morality is the distinction between right and wrong. The field of ethics, also called moral philosophy, involves developing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behaviour. There has been a tendency for scientists to view themselves and their work outside this realm; however, increasingly science is being seen as part of society rather than apart from it. For example, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is mandated by Parliament to promote, assist, and undertake health research that meets the highest standards of ethics. It now has an ethics secretariat and ethics directors associated with each of the Institutes.
Philosophers divide "ethics" into three distinct but related kinds of inquiry: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.
Metaethics, also known as analytical ethics, investigates where our ethical principles come from, and what they mean. For example: Are ethical principles merely social inventions? Do they involve more than expressions of our individual emotions? Answers to these types of questions focus on issues of universal truths, the will of God, the role of reason in ethical judgment, as well as the meaning of ethical terms themselves.
In the context of animal experimentation, a metaethical question is the role of reason in motivating moral actions.
the opposing stance; true moral action is motivated only by reason when it is free of emotion and desire (Kant).
Current thinking tends to favour a rationalist approach and focusses on the reasoning and argumentation process that takes place when making moral choices. According to Baier, proper moral decision making involves giving the best reasons in support of one course of action versus another.
Normative ethics, also known as substantive ethics, involves a more practical task which is to arrive at moral standards or norms that regulate right or wrong, good and bad for evaluation and decision.
Applied ethics is the philosophical examination of problems in private and public life that are matters of moral judgment. By using tools of metaethics and normative ethics, discussions in applied ethics try to resolve controversial issues such as abortion, environmental concerns, the rights of animals, and the morality of animal experimentation. It is in the area of applied ethics where scientists have the most to contribute, recognizing that philosophy is not just about analysis and clarification of moral dilemma, but can also be used to seek answers.
Concerns about the use of animals in science have existed for almost as long as animals have been used to better understand the workings of the human/animal body. In order to understand the basis of some of today’s attitudes to the use of animals and the philosophical debate, it is useful to have an appreciation of the history of animal-based research and the underlying ethical attitudes.
The detailed history of animal based research has been outlined in many publications. Here only a few key landmarks are given, in order to give a background to the time-frame for the debate of the use of animals in science. Alongside are given some of the key ethical attitudes about the use of animals. It should be clear that almost from the outset that scientists have concerned themselves with discussions of the "rightness or wrongness" of the use of animals, and in considering what conditions should be placed on the use of animals for scientific purposes.
In 1989, the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs published an impressive list of medical advances made possible through research using animals including, among others: studies on autoimmune deficiency syndrome, behaviour, cardiovascular disease, cholera, haemophilia, malaria, muscular dystrophy, anesthesia, nutrition, and the prevention of rabies. Such research resulted in subsequent benefits for humans and non-human health. Further lists of medical milestones during the past century can be seen on the Research Defence Society website and Americans for medical progress.
With World War I, the focus on antivivisection shifted; benefits to human health through animal research were welcomed by the public, and in addition, for those who had witnessed the human suffering as a result of the war, consideration of animal pain seemed "faintly ridiculous" (Ryder,1989). After World War I, groups with an interest in the well-being of animals used in science were formed such as the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW). UFAW commissioned a philosopher and a microbiologist, William Russell and Rex Burch to write The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique (1959), a guide which pioneered the notion of the Three Rs that became a uniting focus both for the animal welfare and the scientific community worldwide, including in Canada.
The timeline above could be filled with many other examples and should be overlaid with considerations of the shift of societal values over time. The role of religion, the shift away from creationist philosophies, the movement to end slavery, to give women the vote; the shift from a rural to an urban-based economy, etc. are all relevant in the context of an evolving societal ethic of animals in science. The timeline can be used both as a brief overview and to pinpoint where the genesis of some of the thinking of today’s philosophers originated.
In parallel with the emergence of physiology, the school of thought called "Positivism" developed which shaped ideas about the nature of science. Positivism resulted from Auguste Comte's (1798-1857) attempt to create a clear distinction between the study of the material world and other branches of human thought such as theology and metaphysics. Science, as seen by the Positivists, is concerned only with what we can observe. It asks purely empirical questions: what, where, when, how much? Within this system, ethical questions — good and evil, right and wrong, should and should not — have no obvious place. Positivism helped to reinforce the distinction between the empirical and the ethical. However, that distinction expanded into the much broader view that science should not, or cannot, concern itself with ethical questions at all — that science is an island of pure, empirical investigation, unattached to ethical values.
By the end of the Second World War, this view was actively being challenged. At that time, experiments were being carried out, some of them lethal, on human beings who had been imprisoned and then forced to serve as subjects solely on the basis of race, religion, or mental development. Other experiments focussed on designing weapons of mass destruction. Even after the war, there were renowned scientists who conducted painful or harmful experiments on human subjects. These were clear cases where no one could portray scientific research as a disinterested search for knowledge, unrelated to ethical values or social agendas. In the wake of such tangible examples, many scientists found it necessary to reconceptualize their roles to incorporate both the empirical and the ethical issues inherent to science.
No experiment should take place if the necessary information could be gained by observation.
Only experiments that would result in the fulfillment of clearly defined and attainable aims ought to proceed.
Unnecessary repetition of an experiment must be avoided — particularly if reputable physiologists had been responsible for the original experiment.
All experiments must be conducted with a minimum of suffering.
All physiological experiments should be witnessed by peers, further reducing the need for repetition.
At present there is no widely accepted comprehensive moral theory pertaining to research involving laboratory animals. Ethical theories for animal-based research have lagged behind those of human medical ethics, partially because of the focus on human research ethics following the experiments during World War II, but also because concern for non-human animals did not and still does not fit well with the dominant intellectual paradigms driving the development of the field of bioethics.
The 1970s and 1980s saw increased interest in the use of animals among moral philosophers. Australian philosopher Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation (1975) together with Richard Ryder’s Victims of Science (1975) and Tom Regan’s The Case for Animal Rights (1983) were published. Because these publications were both accessible to the lay public as well as firmly rooted in ethical theory they attracted the attention of opponents of animal research as well as academic philosophers. Reviving Bentham’s utilitarianism (1789), Singer argued for the liberation of animals based on equality of consideration of "interests" and their capacity to suffer, and claimed moral status for animals on that ground. Singer has been criticized by other philosophers as a preference utilitarian for his approval of the use of less sentient animals. Ryder based his considerations more on the ability of animals to experience pain, an extension of the concerns expressed by the physiologists Boyle, Hooke, and Lower as well as the English essayists Pope and Johnson. Another moral view, supported most strongly by Tom Reagan involves animal "rights." The beginnings of this theory can be seen in Primatt’s extension of the principle of justice beyond the human sphere. Other philosophers, such as Frey, Wren etc. have argued for the interests of individual species, and for the right to use animals in research.
The distinction between those who recognize rights in animals and oppose research and those who opt for animal welfare and permit or endorse humane research may be useful, but it does not accurately reflect the positions taken by leading contemporary philosophers. Some of those who advocate animal rights, such as Jerrold Tannenbaum, support the humane use of animals in research. Others, like Singer, do not claim rights for animals, but are strongly opposed to research involving animal subjects. The aim here is not to engage in a lengthy discourse of the various philosophical standpoints. Interested readers are encouraged to consult the reference list accompanying this module for a more in-depth understanding of current philosophical theories. In particular, Monamy 2000, Smith and Boyd 1991, and Tennenbaum 1999 provide a synthesis of the current philosophical discussion concerning the ethics of animal-based research.
In the absence of a universal ethic of animal experimentation, animal welfarists, both within science and without, have plotted a different course of action recognizing that animal researchers have a role to play as moral stewards. To a certain extent this view can be said to be based on the approach of Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), Nobel Peace Laureate, medical practitioner, and doctor of philosophy — i.e., to cause pain or death when it can be avoided is wrong. In addition, it signifies the beginnings of a move towards an ecological ethic, where the preservation of a greater whole is seen as important, occasionally at the expense of individual animal lives. In this context, animal experimentation is viewed as a "necessary evil," which is justifiable as long as those who conduct the experiments are in tune with their moral obligations — to society and to the animals in their care (Monamy, 2000). The CCAC policy statement on: ethics of animal investigation (1989), expresses these concepts for the CCAC. Building on principles first outlined by Marshall Hall; it also enshrines the Three Rs into the CCAC system.
This is the convergence point for 2,000 scientists, veterinarians, animal care technicians, students, community representatives and animal welfare organizations representatives participating in the CCAC system of ethical review and oversight for the care and use of animals used in science in Canada since 1968.
Do we as a society want xenotransplantation as a medical procedure?
Should marine mammals be kept in captivity?
Should society permit stem cell research involving fusion of human-mouse embryos?
When we have the answers to these types of questions, or rather when we have some understanding of where we stand as a society on these issues, at this time, in this place, then we are able to engage in the process of developing guidelines which accept as the societal norm that animals are going to be used for research, teaching and testing; or that xenotransplantation should only proceed under a set of prescribed conditions; or that it is necessary to keep some marine mammals in captivity to engage the public in concern for the marine environment.
The CCAC guidelines development process provides a framework under which the activity can take place, based on a willingness to do our best, taking into consideration all the information available. Scientists have a key role to play here in ensuring that the guidelines are based on sound scientific evidence.
Institutional animal care committees (ACCs), whose functioning is described in more detail in the Guidelines module, make ethical decisions on individual projects involving animal use. ACCs, composed of scientists/teachers, animal care personnel, personnel who do not use animals, and community representatives, function as a microcosm of society, using the guidelines and policies of the CCAC and their own expertise, experience, values, and common sense to reach decisions about what animal-based work should be allowed to proceed and under what conditions.
Scientists have a crucial role to play in ensuring responsible experimental animal care and use, and in fostering a caring attitude towards animals in the conduct of their research. Beyond overseeing the appropriate conduct of their own projects, the role that scientists play on ACCs is essential. Scientists provide ACCs with informed views on the need for animal use in science, and exchange views with all other members of the committee, including those with informed views on animal welfare and community representatives, to arrive at decisions that balance costs to animals with expected benefits for humans and animals. ACCs strive to reconcile public demands for medical, scientific, and economic progress with demands that animal welfare and integrity be protected.
The CCAC Assessment and Certification Program is peer review-based, and depends on the active involvement of scientists on CCAC assessment panels, sharing their expertise and experience with the members of the institution being assessed. Scientists also play a crucial role on the CCAC Assessment and Certification Committee, a standing committee that reviews all CCAC assessment reports and institutional implementation reports, and makes final decisions on the CCAC status of each institution in the Program.
A key element of the CCAC system is the involvement of the public in all of the CCAC’s activities, namely in establishing ethical standards through guidelines development, in ethical decision-making at the level of each institutional ACC, in providing sound judgment on each CCAC assessment panel, and in providing a public perspective on the CCAC Council. This integrated approach is essential to ensure that an external perspective is actively provided to all discussions and decisions on animal care and use in science, and that those who conduct the experiments are in tune with their obligations to the animals in their care, as well as to the other members of society.
Monoamy, V. 2000. Animal Experimentation: A Guide to the Issues. Cambridge University Press.
A Dictionary of Philosophy, Thomas Mautner, Blackwell 1996.
Ryder,R.D. 1989. Animal Revolution: Changing Attitudes Towards Speciesism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Russell, W.M.S. and Burch, R.L. 1959. The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. London:Methuen.
Singer, P. 1975. Animal Liberation. New York:Avon Books.
Ryder, R.D. 1975. Victims of Science: the Use of Animals in Research. London: Davis-Poynter.
Regan, T. 1983. The Case for Animal Rights. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Bentham,J. 1789/1970. An introduction to the principles of morals and legislation. In Burns, J.H. and Hart, H.L.A (eds). The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham, Vol. 2,I. London:Athlone.
Smith, J.A. and Boyd, K.M. (eds.) 1991. Lives in the Balance: the Ethics of Using Animals in Biomedical Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press. | 2019-04-20T06:43:17Z | https://www.ccac.ca/en/training/modules/core-stream/ethics-in-animal-experimentation.html |
“Ua ho’i ka ‘ōpua i Awalua” – As Max prepares to say goodbye to his Five-0 ohana, they must investigate a murder during a police convention on the Island, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Friday, Jan. 13 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
I guess there are not many people who do not like Max. And that is easy to explain; he is a non-threatening character. Huh? 😉 He doesn’t take away time from any of the others. He’s barely seen without interacting with one of the Five-0 team. And even if he’s seen alone, or with Sabrina, no one begrudges him that little time.
So, yeah, he is loved by most. Huge parts surely due to Masi Oka, who always has been very nice to us fans. Providing us with BTS pictures, and generally be a nice and humble person. Considering all that, it was clear that Max will be missed, and most of us hoped he would get a proper send-off. With a really good last episode.
Did that happen? Well, to an extent, yes. His send-off was very nice and very well done. The episode in general? Not so much.
But as usual let’s start at the beginning. With a hilarious scene with Steve and Grover. You know, this scene didn’t serve any real purpose, but with these two, I don’t freaking care!
Lou explaining to Steve the well-known delicious coffee-dip was just too good. I loved not only Lou, but even more so Steve’s faces to what he had to listen to. Just freaking glorious.
Then we got the totally idiotic scene with Danny and his son who now calls him Daddy. Yeah, sure. Ugh.
And off we go to the crime scene. They put such effort into that scene, I commend them for it, but I think it was a total waste of time. Why? Because they wanted it as a distraction from the real crime. Well, duh, pretty stupid to let Steve find the real crime not even after one minute at the crime scene. They knew right from the start that this was not about the explosion, but about the break-in to steal some evidence. So why all the fuss around it? Made no sense. But as I said, great set-prep.
OH, and how convenient that Danny didn’t suffer from any claustrophobia this week. Geez.
The case was so la-la. To be honest, it was pretty boring. Some nice scenes, but just not good enough to hold my interest.
And one other person that really annoyed the heck outta me was Hirsch. What the heck was he doing there? Especially at Max good bye party. That was nothing but embarrassing and annoying. That is another character I can not stand. Horrible character. And I really don’t get why he’s coming back again and again. I wish he would disappear, never to be seen again. Especially after crashing Steve’s new truck. What an idiot.
So, after some investigation here and there they finally solve the case. But honestly, I really didn’t care.
So, let’s go to the main part of this episode, the farewell for Max. Honestly, I had hoped that we would get one final case Max would be involved in. Seeing him interact with every character on the show one last time. That would have been awesome. They still could have integrated everything they did, but in a better way.
Instead we got mega annoying Jerry. Yeah, yeah, I know there are people who love this character, but he is a man I only find annoying with a capital A. Ugh.
And although others might find his time in the office ‘helping’ Jerry pack, well played and good. For me it was terrible. Seeing him lounging there like he owned the place, reading Max’s personal journals was the worst scenes with him ever. Sorry, but for me that was just disgusting.
Yes, I admit, I can’t stand the character, and I don’t like the actor. I just don’t like him at all. And I’m sure there is nothing he can do right in my eyes. So, every time I have to endure him is pure torture. He is just an absolute no go. Thankfully, they at least stopped with the ridiculous question about getting him a badge. If that ever happened I think that would be the moment I would jump ship. There are just things in life that go too far. And Jerry is one of those people that make me feel that way every time I see him.
Not his fault, but I can’t help it. But despite my total dislike of Jerry, I really think his behavior in the office was not OK. Excuses like ‘that is just how he is’, like people use all the time for misbehaving people, doesn’t cut it for me. It is not OK to act without thinking about how others might feel about it. That goes for Jerry just as much as for Danny. These two fall in the same category for me.
Max seeing Danny as a role model had me laughing out loud. I truly hope he will never ever turn into such a nasty person as Danny most of the time is.
Don’t try to sell Danny as such a great and caring friend for Max. He never was. He verbally abused Max at every corner from the first moment he laid eyes on him. Another easy target for his abuse. Just like Steve has been for the last few years, until he fought back.
I think it is a shame how the show again tried to change history and paint a very different picture to what they have given us the last few years. Yeah, take the brush of love and paint it all over, but that doesn’t really change the past one bit.
But let’s not diminish the great part at the end; Max’s speech and farewell, minus stupid Hirsch and calling Grover Sergeant. That was very well done, great music, wonderful scenes.
I’m way more happy than sad that Max is leaving. Because when we met Max he was a person barely able to function in society. With no social skills, family or friends. But over the years he evolved into a well-integrated person into society, but way more importantly well-integrated into a family, and with friends he can rely on.
So, yeah, I am more happy than anything that Max found his way and will go on to greater and better things. That he has found his calling. That he will pursue his dreams. Not many people have that privilege.
That is why I did not shed any tears during his nice speech. No, I was smiling, knowing that his Ohana will love him no matter what, and that he will have a place among them should he ever come back home.
I wish the character Max all the best for his future, but even more so I wish Masi Oka all the very best for his future endeavors.
Oh, and one more thing, I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of the new ME. I think she will be a great replacement for our beloved Max. Welcome on board.
And in case you were wondering if they were drinking non-alcoholic beer, you know, because of liver. 😉 Nope, sorry. Light beer, but still with alcohol.
So, there you have it, my short review for a more than mediocre episode. One I had many hopes for, but most of them weren’t fulfilled.
I love McGrover. They are so cute and cuddly. All in good fun and love it when they kid one another.
Love Max and will miss him. Heard Masi is trying to be a producer and writer and other projects is the reason he is leaving. And like Max he is very smart.
Loved it with him and Jerry and wished there were more scenes with him. Sorry know you do not like Jerry.
Really Steve having yet another truck smashed. Poor guy!
I love Duke and hope there will be a story on him. As really give this guy a story!
My expectations were so high that I was disappointed and that is my fault entirely.
I will miss Max. I still can’t understand why certain people were at this party and others were missing. I hope he rethinks wanting to have a marriage like Kodam unless he’s into duct tape. . And I don’t see Steve as a big brother– A peer yes– Someone he respects, yes.– A friend, yes. Nahele sees him as a big brother but that seems right.
OK, I am nit-picking here. I voted poor.
The COTW didn’t hold my interest in the least. I did enjoy the flashbacks of Max and really didn’t mind Jerry reading his journals as the vehicle to deliver them, but you’re right. it would’ve been nice if they’d been worked into the case somehow.
Hirsch. Why does this character even still exist in this universe, let alone attend the party AND give a speech? Is is just so PL can employ his friends? A ridiculous waste of screen time. Someone on twitter noted that it’s interesting how much off time Five 0 spends with their perps..well certain perps.
I also didn’t really see the need for the malasada scene, much as I enjoy Grover and McGrover. It seemed out of place in the ep too. One can only hope that Jimmy Buffet will play into recovering the missing uranium in some fashion after the guys get done with their facials and such… otherwise, pointless.
I wish all the best to Masi Oka. Sounds like a smart ambitious guy. Did you know he once worked for George Lucas at Industrial Light and Magic? I will miss Max’s quirky ways. As far as Max wanting to emulate Kono and Adam, I’m gonna go with they’ve stuck by each other thru a lot of ridiculous stuff and are still together. Other than the Max farewell, a throwaway ep.
McG is still hot. Bring Back Cath.
I also am hoping Jimmy Buffet’s role was a hint of things to come and he has a bigger role in a future episode. Otherwise,it was dumb.
I voted good and that is only because I liked most of Max’s farewell scene along with the flashbacks. I didn’t hate the COTW, there had to be one I guess and it was okay. I figure if Mas didn’t mind Jerry reading his journals then I wouldn’t be upset although I did dislike how Jerry was then useless in helping Max pack up his things. I like the new ME and hope we get to know her better in the scenes where a ME is called for, beyond that I don’t need to have her in every ohana gathering. Not every work interaction needs to become family.
I am guessing that PL felt that Max had to say something nice about everyone so I will excuse the fact that Max said he admired Danny. All I could think of was how often Danny put him down or was nasty to him. I have blocked out the beginning where Danny and Charlie were playing that pointless game…..not cute. And my guess is that Danny’s claustrophobia comes and goes. That is how I have taken to viewing the show……I concentrate on the things I like and block out the ick. And Hirsch is in the ick folder…..can’t see the need for him. Again….why was Grace at this party as well? Was she close to Max?
That said, I will miss Max/Masi and I hope he does well with all his other projects and they can find a way to bring him back for a cameo now and then. Sam, again you have written a great review and I do agree with most of what you said. You do a wonderful job giving us a place to call home and a forum to discuss the show.
oooh the dancing! love that. I forgot to mention that! and Big Wave is WAAYY better tasting than Longboard IMO.
He’s a terrible dancer. Thank goodness he’s pretty.
I’d still dance with him.. cause he’s pretty.
Sam, what was your vote? Did I miss it? I voted poor with some really, really good screencaps. So, Sam you get an awesome for what I thought was a poor episode. You nailed it… Frank Bama… WHY?; Hirsch… idiotic; Jerry… totally I don’t know… it made my skin crawl. He was so inappropriate in reading the journals. I think Max knew he couldn’t get rid of him and couldn’t get him to work, so he let it go. It was downright wrong. I really hated it.
Danny and kid. Just no. Why? Just to give the kid some screen time?
Big explosion, but you’re right. Steve figured out the reasoning in nothing flat. But that’s why he is the boss.
I did love Duke and he is another good one I love to watch – like Max. I will miss Max but I understand why he left. And Masi too. Will definitely miss him. Loved his farewell but the bit about Danny almost made me gag. Those things did hurt Max’s feelings. You could see it on his face. As for wanting a relationship like Kono and Adam, I guess he doesn’t know about the duct tape incident. Or he thinks that’s exciting.
Love the part where “steve” danced over to “Max”. I truly think that was Alex and Masi playing. Loved it.
It was a poor episode with some beautiful footage.
As for next week… it looks interesting.
Of course I gave a rating, I even put a 3-star-picture under it all.
This episode did have more than it´s fare share of odd people. But, unlike you, I like Hirsh´s character and Jerry, so I felt it was a bit funny at least. But Frank Bama´s one minute visit was just too random.
I hated the bit with D and cake face (and kid) and Max´s ridiculous comment about D being a rolemodel. But at least they had the others laugh at that comment. They always seem to get the random locals attending their parties, always see it forced. At least they didn´t have the Dog this time. That was a relief.
Frank Bama showing up was random and quick…after it was over it left me asking “who was Steve talking to on the phone about the missing uranium?” Was it just to mention the case from last week or setting something up for a future episode? If it was just to mention the case from last week then what a waste of a scene. They could have had Lou and Frank talk about where to get good poke.
There was a case this week? i just paid attention to the multiple faces of McGarrett and the pretty well done Max scenes. I was okay with the presence of Hirsch as i enjoy his character; however; it makes little sense for him to be around as opposed to any other random character. i had the same thought that the actor must be buddies with PL. Grace must have been being punished for something she did last season as she looked completely unthrilled to be there. At least she didn’t have to muster up the energy to say “oh, Danno” at any point.
I was okay with Max’s opinions of the team since i think he probably tries to not ruffle feathers and would not confront Jerry about the invasion of privacy as well as lack of help with packing. The writers have decided that Jerry’s social ineptness is a likable trait while the rest of us probably think he needs to learn to behave as an adult. Max having a positive view of Danny would go along with everything else that is written about Danny. The only people who seem to find him annoying are some of us in the fandom. Despite Steve’s eyerolls last season, the writers have decided that everyone must love Danny and no one will ever call him out on some of his attitudes. I definitely have a tendency to pick on people out of affection, so i can understand that supposedly being the case with Danny. I would have needed to have an honest sit down with him thought to find out what he really thinks. the people i pick on, I also tell straight up at times that i like or appreciate, so they know how i really feel.
Anyway,, i don’t have the energy to try to figure out how to rate this one. nothing has really excited me this season other than the Doris rescue ep, so i look forward to the staycation episode so we can see Steve in a bit more relaxed venue (and hopefully have his fling move forward so he can move on from it). I don’t really care about the other three, but Steve could lay in a hammock the entire time and i would tune in (as long as there is a camera on said hammock).
Lol… I didn’t even notice that Grace was even in this episode… I guess she was at the party.
i love Mcg’s look in that 3 star pic at the bottom. It is also an interesting reminder of how much taller Chi is than Alex. I have always known it, but it’s amazing to see.
This episode was real let down for me. I expected so much more.
Too much CATHARSIS is needed.
Dear Mr. Caan: Are your teeth glued together? Are you wearing cotton-wool balls in your mouth? What ever it is. Stop it.
Dear Writers: What happened to Charlie’s Daddy? You know, the one who raised this kid for four years and the one Charlie has known as his Daddy his whole life? Hu?
Dear Writers: Is Danny’s claustrophobia like Danny himself? It comes and goes as it suits? Is it visiting his good friend ailurophobia in Jersey? Or on vacation with tachophobia? Or was it packing the car together with catapedaphobia? Ok. Thought so. You are forgiven.
Writer A: What about Max’s speech? We still have to write it.
Writer B: It has to be good. Everybody loves him. Really everybody.
Writer C: *cough Masi played him well too.
Writer B: That’s it!!! I’ve got it. Let’s make the loved guy praise the not so loved guy way over the top.
Writer C: Why should he do that? He yelled at him, called him Kermit after he saved Steve’s life, and after proud Max told him that he once won a sports medal Danny asked if he should call Ripley’s.
Writer A: Why he should do that? Because WE can. We’re tptb, don’t forget. And while we are on it we can have Max have a thing for duct tape too. Teehee.
Writer C: And what about Steve? Steve was there for Max so many times. What about him?
Writer B: He is a brother. That should do it. Everybody loves Steve, we don’t have to fix anything.
Writer A: Oh shut the f*ck up. It is all us. Us us us. We are the mighty ones.
← Ugh. Sometimes I really think it happens this way. I couldn’t even laugh about what Max said about Danny and BorDam. That was so ridiculous and stupid and so out of character. Ugh.
I loved the scene with Steve and Grover at the beginning. For me it didn’t feel disjointed. Two very good friends and work partners on their way to some boring ‘same procedure as every year’ stuff with coffee and malasadas. I enjoy these two so much, Lou’s words and even more Steve’s facial expressions. They could talk about everything for 45 min. and I would feel absolutely entertained.
The COTW was not that bad, I liked it and that Steve figured it out pretty fast showed why he is getting payed the big bucks and is the leader.
Liked the flashbacks and understand why they stopped that one from 2.01 at that point. Because after that Dannoying wasn’t sweet and wonderful at all.
So I would vote OK if the poll wasn’t closed.
Nooooo! God bless him, he was an unfunky white-boy dancer in Feed too! But even playing a serial killer, he’s such a cuuuuute bad dancer!
Oh I totally forgot. I was giggling like an idiot about the bunny ears at the end. Alex portrays Steve as such a boy sometimes and I love love loooove it.
Steve is the role model in this show.
As AOL is a role model as an actor. | 2019-04-22T18:30:30Z | https://mostlyfive0.com/2017/01/15/7-13-review/ |
It’s been over a year since I last encouraged you to have a computer backup strategy in place, and some recent news made me want to emphasize this once again. More than ever, many of us store precious photos and documents on our computers, so taking the time to back them up properly is vital. The following stories illustrate just some of the reasons for having those backups.
Hodge dashed into the building. He ran past the smoke and the firefighters yelling at him to stop and managed to grab the precious laptop.
Hodge could have been seriously hurt, and his laptop could have been unsalvageable. Fortunately, everything worked out fine. But if he just had an offsite backup, he wouldn’t have felt compelled to take such a risk.
Such failures are an ongoing risk computer users face every day, and backups mean we’re protected when they happen.
In a flash all the files on my desktop disappeared and were replaced by the files from my work desktop.
Anyone who has had an update go wrong can imagine how this would feel. Fortunately, Marshall had a good up-to-date backup and was able to restore all his files.
Oakland-based photographer Jennifer Little had her home broken into last week, and her loss was devastating. In addition to stealing 8 of her cameras, the burglars also took 21 hard drives containing Little’s life’s work as a professional photographer.
Our precious computer files are the opposite of clutter. I would hate for any Unclutterer readers to lose any such files, so please take the time to create and implement a thoughtful backup strategy (if you haven’t already) that includes files on your computer and any files you’ve offloaded from your computer to external hard drives, thumb drives, CDs, or DVDs.
As September gives way to October, we enter the heart of hurricane season. We’ve written about organizing your storm supplies before, and today I’ll focus on tech to help you weather a storm. If you haven’t organized your preparedness kit yet, there’s still time.
When a storm hits, it’s important to receive information from authorities. The American Cross ZoneGuard Weather Radio is great for this. It finds and delivers alerts for your area, flashes color-coded warnings and tunes into AM, FM and NOAA digital radio stations. It runs off of AC power or AA batteries.
A good hand-crank radio is also great to have, like this one from Esky. Just 60 seconds of cranking 20 minutes of use. There’s a solar charing option as well, but stormy days aren’t usually very sunny.
If you own a smartphone, you’ve got a tiny computer that can be tremendously useful in an emergency. When your home’s power goes out, Wi-Fi goes with it. So grab your phone and rely on cell connectivity.
There are several great apps available, including The Red Cross, which offers apps specific to certain disasters, text alerts and first aid information. Of course, none of that matters when your phone’s battery dies. Keep it going with an Eton Boost Turbine. As you may have guessed, it’s a hand-crank charger for your phone and other USB devices. Just plug it in and get cranking.
Of course, don’t forget a good old corded phone. When cell/internet service goes down, or when your your power goes out, a corded landline phone will let you call out.
Finally, I have to identify my favorite flashlight of all time, the Coast HP1 Focusing 190 Lumen LED Flashlight. LED flashlights are brighter than those with traditional bulbs, and the HP1 shines a powerful beam indeed. It takes rechargeable batteries, is water resistant, impact resistant, compact and feels great.
There’s a lot more you should do to prepare for a storm. Today we’ve pointed out a few bits of tech that you can rely on. We hope this was helpful. Be careful out there.
You may need to hire help to do things you physically can’t do yourself. I had this situation when I first came home after my hip surgery and had many movement restrictions. I needed someone to come in weekly to do the laundry, vacuum the floors, and run some errands.
You may need to hire help with specific expertise that you don’t have. For example, many people hire someone to do their tax returns.
You may want to offload time-consuming tasks that you don’t enjoy to free up time for other things that are more important to you.
And sometimes you may want to hire someone for more than one of these reasons. The only ongoing help I have is with my yard. My gardener knows much more about plant care than I do. She can readily climb a ladder to trim tall plants while that would make me uncomfortable. And I just don’t enjoy most gardening work and tend to put it off until it becomes problematic.
How do you best go about hiring the help you need? The following are some suggestions.
Make sure your expectations are as clear as possible. This will mean writing things down, spending time explaining things verbally, or both. All the things you do by second nature will need to be specified. For example, when I hired household help I had to tell the person how my washing machine worked, what settings I used, how much detergent I used, etc.
Also determine what things you don’t care about. My home helper asked how I wanted my non-slip socks paired up and put away, and I told her to do it any way she liked.
If you make tasks as easy as possible for your helper, things will go more smoothly. When I sent my helper grocery shopping (with a list that included brand names and package sizes), it helped when I could tell her where in the store things were located, especially those that weren’t obvious. I also made sure she had my cell phone number so she could send me a text if she had any questions. If someone is going to unload your dishwasher, put away laundry, or otherwise tidy up, you may want to label the cabinets and closets indicating what goes where.
If someone is working on a project for you, make sure your communication expectations are clear. What kind of status updates do you want, and how often should they be provided? How quick of a response do you expect to calls, texts, or emails?
When relevant, be sure you’re clear about what supplies you’ll provide vs. what supplies the helper will provide. If the helper is providing things like cleaning supplies, do you have any restrictions on what products are used?
And be sure you’re clear about pricing and billing. If there’s an hourly or weekly rate, what’s included and what’s extra? Billing surprises are no fun for anyone!
Sometimes you may not know the specifics of what you need done, since you are hiring help to fill in for your lack of expertise. But even then you probably have some expectations you can define. For example, my gardener knows that I need to keep all plants from touching my house to minimize the risk of termites.
Nolo has a helpful article about hiring household help. As the article explains, you can hire a company, hire a worker through an agency, or hire an individual. I got my home helpers through a company, while I hired my gardener directly.
And be sure you understand the legal aspects of your hiring decisions, including tax and insurance issues. Again, Nolo explains the basics, and you can consult a lawyer for more information.
If you failed to specify some of your expectations (which can easily happen when you first set about hiring help) and now the work isn’t being done as you would like, talk with your helper about making changes. Sometimes just a tiny change can make a big difference.
If the change is too significant and you realize you and your helper are a mismatch, you may want to find someone better suited to your redefined needs. An ongoing mismatch may well make both you and your helper miserable, so ending the relationship can be best for all concerned.
Whenever you receive a new goodie, like a new phone or tablet, it’s an exciting time. But don’t just tear into the box! There’s an organized way to bring a new gadget into your life, and the following is advice for making that transition as smooth as possible.
This might sound ridiculously obvious to you or it might seem just ridiculous. “Dave, it’s the box. Who cares?” There are several reasons to care, and the first is the gadget’s future resale value. I upgrade my iPhone every two years. I always sell my current model to help pay for the new one. Having the pristine original box helps with shipping and final asking price. Also, if you aggressively tear into a box, you could affect the contents. You don’t want to scratch a screen or case before you even turn on the device. Finally, think of returns. There’s always the possibility that your new doo-dad won’t work as advertised. A UPC code, the security tags, and intact contents are essential when trying to make a return.
Take your time, keep things neat and store that box in a safe place if you might return or resell the item.
If you’re not going to read it, at least skim the manual. Some gadgets come with a “quick start” guide. I always review those. Yes, you probably know how this works, but maybe not. Read/skim the manual and then store it in a safe place for future reference. I also recommend making a digital copy after some time has passed and if you’re not planning to return or resell the item.
This is the step that nearly everyone skips. I always spend a few minutes registering my products, especially pricey electronics. It will make service easier should you need it someday. Additionally, if there’s an update or other notification that owners need, like a recall, you’re more likely to receive that information if your product has been registered.
If your device charges up with a cable, buy an extra one. I keep one in my laptop bag at all times. You might bring an extra to work or simply keep it around for when the first one gets frayed or otherwise stops working. You might want to somehow identify it as your own. My kids love to steal iPhone cables, so I make sure we all know which is mine.
Finally, scan the receipt and store it digitally in a place you can easily retrieve it if necessary.
Now that all this preparation work has been handled, take the product out of the box and use it. Transfer data from your previous gadget and set up preferences.
The following are five simple things you can do every day to stay on top of your clutter-free home.
When my sisters and I were young, and our clothes or hair were a mess, my mother would tell us, “You look like an unmade bed.” Aside from looking messy, a bed piled with sheets and blankets is no fun to get into at night. It is, however, inviting to the dog, who will gladly deposit his fur on your sheets. Spending the three minutes it takes to make the bed will make things easier on the eyes and more pleasant at night, all while foiling the dog. You can always air out your sheets while you shower, and make the bed afterward if you’re worried about your sheets getting stagnate.
Laundry can pile up very quickly. Miss a day and it feels like you’ve got a mountain on your hands. I’ve taken to putting a load in each morning and moving from washer to drier after work and folding it after dinner. It only takes a few minutes, and it keeps me from wasting an entire Saturday afternoon on conquering Mount Laundry.
What piles up faster than laundry? The incessant onslaught of mail, papers, permission slips, advertisements, and so on that enter my home. Instead of piling it up in a heap, deal with it immediately (if possible). Keep a trash can, recycling bin, shredder, pen, and physical inbox in a convenient location to your main entrance so you get rid of the junk and trash immediately, and get the important paperwork identified and processed.
If you adopt only one suggestion from this list, let it be this one. Each evening I ask, “What’s needed for tomorrow?” Kids lunches, umbrellas because it’s supposed to rain, gas in the car, permission form signed, what everyone is going to wear, etc. This allows me to avoid the last-minute scramble to do these things in the morning, teaches the kids to do the same, and lets me enjoy my evening knowing that nothing is going to blow up in the morning (probably).
Let’s say on Monday you realize that the TV remote needs batteries, you’re almost out of toothpaste, and the car’s state inspection is due in 10 days. These all need to be taken care of, but they’re exactly the type of thing that will slip through the cracks of your memory if you don’t capture this information and get it on your to-do list or calendar. Have a reliable, simple way to collect these things — an app, a dry erase board on the refrigerator, whatever — that you can review. Then, the next time you’re in the car, you’ll know exactly where you need to go.
Staying on top of these things is easy. Just take on a few simple new habits and you’ll notice your life moving in a smoother manner.
Local man Marshall Platt, 34, came tantalizingly close to kicking back and having a good time while attending a friend’s barbeque last night before remembering each and every one of his professional and personal obligations, backyard sources confirmed.
That could be a paper to-do list, a collection of sticky notes, a computer file, or a list within an app. You could create multiple lists (as the Getting Things Done methodology would promote) or a single list. But one way or another, have one or more lists that capture all those thoughts about obligations. Just creating a physical or digital list removes some of the stress — you no longer have to keep a mental list and worry about forgetting things — and it gives you a starting point for taking control of your situation and moving forward.
Many of us, as we prepare for vacation, suddenly get very clear about what must be done now vs. what can be put off until later — and the quickest way to deal with things. In the case of the imaginary Marshall, paying the medical bill and doing laundry would jump to the top of the list. But some emails probably don’t need an immediate reply, and those that do need a reply can perhaps get by with a couple sentences rather than five paragraphs. Instead of making an after-work trip to Bed Bath and Beyond for linens (another part of that Onion scenario), maybe buying online would be quicker and less stressful.
If looming project deadlines seem next to impossible to meet, talk with the appropriate people (your boss, your client, etc.) to develop a new plan. Maybe there’s some flexibility in those deadlines. Maybe the scope of the projects can be changed. Maybe someone else can take over some of your non-project tasks to give you more project time.
I remember going into a panic at one of my first jobs because I had so much to do. My wise boss helped me determine what needed to be done first, and then he had me clear my desk of everything not related to that one task. And it worked! I went through my many tasks one at a time, in priority order, focused each time on a single task. And everything got done just fine.
Taking time to go a friend’s barbeque can be just as important as other things on your list. And if you’ve created your to-do list, set priorities, and renegotiated deadlines as necessary, you should be able to truly enjoy some time just having fun.
Transitioning to a new job can be stressful. There’s a new culture to adapt to, a new schedule, new routines, and the desire to demonstrate that you are, in fact, the right person for the job. If you’re returning to the working world after an absence, the stresses are even greater. To keep your anxiety in check, let organizing help you.
Whenever you start a new job, you receive a lot of information all at once. Numerous papers (maybe even binders) from the human resources department (retirement, vacation time, policies and procedures, etc.) and work-specific protocols (how to reserve a meeting room, where to take breaks) all hit you at once.
If you’re working in an office setting, I recommend buying two binders ahead of time or acquire two hanging file folders. Label one binder or hanging file folder Policies and the other Benefits. Then, get dividers for the binder or manilla folders for subdivisions. Sort the papers you receive into the two categories major categories right away. Next, divide those two piles into reference materials and things that require action. The reference material can be safely stored in the appropriate binder, while the actionable forms (retirement, wellness policy, etc.) should be scheduled on your calendar for when to be completed and returned (you’ll likely want to make copies of these documents, too, to keep in your binder/file).
Next, recognize that you probably don’t need to know all of that new information right now. Give yourself permission to read a little bit a day instead of all at once (feel free to schedule this reading time on your calendar, too).
The last time I started a new job in an office setting, it was the first time I had worked outside of my home in many years. I had a lot of questions and a lot to learn. To keep track of it all, I carried around a small notebook. When I learned a new protocol that wasn’t covered in the official documentation, I jotted it down. Even simple things like where to park in the parking lot when it was snowing, how to fill out a help ticket with the IT department, etc. Eventually I had a portable database of answers to assist me in navigating this new experience.
The benefits of my notebook extended beyond portability. For example, it cut down on the number of questions I had to ask. That’s always embarrassing as the new guy. Also, it let me record ideas that I wanted to share in a weekly meeting with my supervisor.
The amount and type of personal stuff you can bring to work — reference books, photos, earphones, bobbleheads — depends on many factors, like the type of work you do, the setting, and the company’s policies. Another factor to consider here is the culture. Do your new co-workers decorate their workspaces? Are you in an office or out in the field? Take a week or so to get a feel for how that stuff is handled before considering what to do with your desk.
Find a veteran at the company who can answer questions and help you navigate the daily grind who isn’t your boss or supervisor — a buddy to explain all the little stuff. Keep it casual and try not to overwhelm the person, too.
Set expectations. Ask your supervisor for a weekly check-in meeting, at least for the first month.
Be clear on the company’s dress code before your first day. A quick call to the human resources department will help you with this before you buy a new wardrobe or show up in a suit while everyone else is in jeans and t-shirts.
Politely ask how people wish to be addressed. Does your boss wish to be called Bob or Mr. Barker? And, if you’re unsure as to how to pronounce a co-worker’s name, again politely ask for guidance and practice until you get it right. The last thing you want to do is be at a company for years and then learn you’ve said someone’s name wrong the entire time.
Good luck! Starting a new job is exciting and with a little organization you can get past the initial anxiety quickly.
Following up to Jeri’s post on Thursday, I want to point out a new Kickstarter project by Leo Babauta, the author of the popular website Zen Habits and one-time contributor to Unclutterer. It’s a piece of software he’s calling Habit Zen, and it’s all about adopting positive, life-changing habits once and for all.
We’ve written about the challenge of making habits stick several times. Leo’s project addresses the two issues that hinder progress most often: overcoming resistance and making new habits stick. How? Experiments.
Leo describes what he calls “massive habit experiments,” including things like how many habits you can work on at once and the effectiveness of things like reminders and public accountability. As you discover the results of each experiment, you generate the “habit formula” that will help you adopt — and keep — those great new behaviors.
It’s a clever, hands-on approach that I find compelling. For me, resistance is the biggest obstacle. I always find a reason to not get up a half-our earlier, make the kids’ lunches the night before, gas up the car, etc. I’m hoping Leo is on to something here.
Consider backing Habit Zen, or at least taking a look at what he’s got going.
As I recover from hip replacement surgery, the final thing I need to do is build up my strength and stamina, and my doctor recommended walking as the best way to do that. I used to walk 10,000 steps a day, but had given that up when medical issues arose. I wanted to get back into that habit, so I put the following strategies in place to ensure I was successful.
I had been using a Fitbit, but I had kept having problems with the battery. A friend was using the Pedometer++ app on her iPhone, so I gave it a try, and it’s meeting my needs. Not all of my pants have pockets, which means I miss some steps because my phone isn’t with me. So I may go back to some sort of wearable, but for now the app is working okay for me.
I couldn’t go from very limited activity to 10,000 steps all at once. Looking at how much I had been walking just going grocery shopping and such, I set my first goal at 4,000 steps per day — more than what I had been doing, but not so much of a stretch that it felt intimidating.
Once I had my tool and set my goal, and then hit that goal for a number of days, I didn’t want to break my run of successful days. I really wanted to see my step count showing as a green bar (rather than red or orange), showing I’d made my goal. And if I had one low day, I tried to compensate by walking more than normal the next day, so my week average was at least 100 percent of my goal.
Now that I’ve been hitting my 4,000-step mark pretty consistently for a week, I’m going to go up to 4,500 steps. I’ll keep increasing my goal, probably in 500-step increments, until I get to the activity level where I ultimately want to be.
I have a neighbor who is also trying to build up her daily walking habit, so many evenings we go walking together. If one of us is feeling lazy, the phone call from the other is just enough to get us both out the door. And we can push each other to walk just another block or two.
I haven’t given myself any sort of treat, but I am definitely noticing how much better I’m feeling now that I’m out walking again. And that’s all the reward I need right now!
I also share my success on social media, periodically, because the encouragement from friends feels good and keeps me inspired.
Whatever habits you want to build — health-related habits, uncluttering habits, etc. — similar strategies might work for you, helping to ensure you make time in your day for these new habits to take hold.
Our dog “Batgirl,” a middle-aged Boston Terrier, has a habit of holding a toy in her mouth as she looks out the window. If someone is walking down the street, she’ll grab a tennis ball and give them a good stare. If a car is parking at the neighbor’s house, she’ll welcome them with a squirrel chew toy and a mild growl. Her behavior is a sign that she’s protecting the family and showing off her favorite goodies in the process. The only problem with her scheme comes when she barks.
Inevitably, the tennis ball will fall from her jaws and tumble behind the couch. Mr. Squirrel sometimes suffers a similar fate. So, one of us has to pull out the couch to retrieve those objects, and usually discovers a whole menagerie of lost and forgotten things.
The top of the washing machine. We often find little bits and bobs in pockets while doing laundry. Designate a small, portable basket to capture/redistribute these treasures, and then return objects to their proper homes ever couple weeks.
Under beds. The classic “out of sight, out of mind” storage solution is a magnet for clutter. Get some low-profile, open containers on wheels to help keep these areas stay organized and useful.
The junk drawer. I’ve written about this before. Make an appointment to dig in there every few months or so to keep clutter from getting out of control.
That one closet. You know the one. For us, it’s right behind the front door, and houses the vacuum cleaner, a mop, and other cleaning items. The problem is that lone shelf that loves to gather anything and everything. Labeled bins can help organize this space.
Your home’s primary entrance. People love to drop shoes, backpacks, umbrellas, and clutter right at the door. Give this potential problem area some TLC once a week.
Those are the big offenders here at Chez Caolo. What are the forgotten clutter zones in your home? What’s it like under your kitchen sink? Sound off, and let us know how you keep hidden clutter areas under control.
What are considerations re: offering via freecycle vs. donating to charity shop?
For those unfamiliar with freecycle groups, they are local online communities whose members offer things to each other, for free.
Happy Mum, while you got many good responses from other readers, I thought I’d share a list of questions to ask yourself when making the donate-vs.-freecycle decision.
Which method is most meaningful to you?
I’m often donating on behalf of clients, some of whom are interested in the tax credit for making a donation. Some are happy to support the charity running the thrift store, too. But others prefer knowing their items are going to someone who can use the item, right now, and they enjoy seeing the thank you notes from freecyclers who get their items.
I happen to have a good freecycle group in my neighborhood. (I’m biased, since I’m one of the group owners.) I also have a charity thrift shop very close by, with hours that work well for me. There’s also another charity that does curbside pickups of donations every month or two. But not everyone will have all these choices, and sometimes picking the easiest method is the best.
Is it worth a little extra effort to donate to a specific charity?
There’s a group in my area called Be a Dear and Donate a Brassiere, where the bras it collects go to women in homeless shelters. I keep a donation bag going and drop it off when I happen to be driving near a drop-off site. My neighborhood also has an annual charity book sale on Labor Day weekend and accepts donations throughout August, so if it’s getting close to August I might set aside books to be donated there. Another example: If you have a functional but unused activity tracker, you might like to send it off to RecycleHealth.
What items does the charity shop take?
Mine will not take toys, electrical items, large furniture, etc. But it’s a great place to donate clothing and kitchen items such as glassware and serving pieces.
What items go well on freecycle?
This will be location-dependent, but I know that craft items, non-fiction books, and pet supplies are some of the things that go quickly on my group. Women’s clothes can be challenging to freecycle due to fit issues, so I almost always donate those.
Freecycle can be useful for getting rid of things most thrift stores won’t take. For example, my own group has recently found new homes for moving boxes, amaryllis bulbs, cans of coconut water, a frozen turkey, and a console (missing the back panel) with a non-functioning tube radio and a record player. Freecycle is also good for getting rid of bulky items that are hard to move (and often not accepted at charity stores), such as file cabinets and exercise equipment.
To find your local freecycle group, simply do an online search for the word freecyle and the name of your city. Freecycle.org lists many groups, but some excellent freecycle groups chose not to be part of this network. For local giveaway alternatives, you can also look into Nextdoor or the free section of craigslist. In the U.K., you might look at Freegle. And in some neighborhoods, just putting something at the curb with a “free” sign is a good way to give things away. | 2019-04-21T04:59:14Z | https://unclutterer.com/2016/09/ |
Coverage is a major factor enhancing or limiting video service provider market share.
In fact, coverage limitations are the biggest barrier to telcos taking more market share from cable operators.
Cable TV companies operate in virtually every city and town in the United States.
Satellite providers likewise cover nearly 100 percent of the surface area of the entire country.
Telco TV providers do not yet have ubiquitous coverage, though where they do operate, providers such Verizon have gotten about 35 percent market share, where the cable provider might get 39 percent or 40 percent share, with satellite providers getting the balance of accounts of homes that do buy video entertainment.
To be sure, AT&T and Verizon are now the fifth and sixth biggest subscription video entertainment providers in the United States, trailing Comcast, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and Dish Network.
Still, because telco TV is not ubiquitously offered, U.S. phone companies have about 10 percent market share, where cable TV companies have about 55 percent share, and satellite firms have close to 30 percent share.
You might think the telcos have issues with content, marketing or retail packaging. That isn’t the case. The issue is coverage. By 2015, AT&T, for example, will be able to market to only about 33 million locations.
Verizon’s FiOS covers about 17.8 million homes, so the two telcos will pass about 51 million U.S. homes, by 2015, out of perhaps 145 million U.S. homes by 2015. That implies coverage of about 35 percent of U.S. homes. Other telcos will sell telco TV as well, but collectively could only theoretically reach about 14.5 million homes, or so, by 2015, best case.
Even under the best of circumstances, it is unlikely U.S. telcos will be able to pass even 45 percent of U.S. homes by 2015.
That is one reason why some observers believe either AT&T or Verizon might eventually buy either DirecTV or Dish Network, or a combined entity, should the two satellite firms wind up merging with each other.
That is the only way, aside from launching robust streaming video services offering virtually all the standard channels sold as part of a standard cable TV, satellite TV or telco TV offering, that a telco could achieve full national coverage.
But changing customer habits and eventual content owner preferences are a wild card. Some might argue that today’s subscription video business is past its prime, and that streaming delivery is the future.
If so, a distributor could achieve national distribution by using an over the top approach. And that might ultimately be viewed by a few telcos as the best way to proceed.
Doing so would mean national coverage without the need to build access facilities, for example.
With the important caveat that average revenue per account and profit margins are disparate, Netflix is, by at least one or two measures, bigger than HBO , and also is bigger than Comcast on one measure.
Netflix is bigger than Comcast when measured by paying subscribers, and Netflix is bigger than HBO in terms of gross revenue and subscribers.
Comcast is far bigger than Netflix in terms of average revenue per user, while HBO is vastly more profitable, in terms of profit margin.
HBO probably has margins in the 33 percent range, while Netflix margin is in the five percent range. Also, Comcast has average account revenue above $80 a month. Netflix has average revenue per user of about $10 a month.
Comcast third-quarter 2013 results showed the firm lost 129,000 video subscribers, ending the period with more than 21.6 million video customers. Netflix has about 30 million U.S. subscribers.
Comcast also lost 348,000 video subscribers through the first nine months of 2013, as well.
Comcast now has almost as many high-speed Internet subscribers (20.2 million) as video (21.6 million), and that business still is growing. Comcast gained nearly 300,000 broadband subs in the quarter.
Some think the growing popularity of Netflix is one reason Comcast recently launched an antenna basic plus HBO package that offers consumers a low price and access to HBO, seen by some as a competitor to Netflix, in many ways.
Comcast EVP Neil Smit says getting Netflix onboard its X1 platform, making Netflix an app on the set top box, "is not a high priority" for Comcast.
"Our customers can receive Netflix in a number of ways, so it’s not really a high priority for us," said Smit. "We’re open to putting apps on our X1 platform. We have, for example, Facebook and Pandora there now."
But at this point, Netflix does not seem likely to get such treatment from Comcast. Some might speculate that Comcast has designs for a streaming video service of its own, at some point, so that might explain some of the apparent reticience.
Nor does Comcast want to use the Netflix content delivery network, either, said to be a condition for Netflix doing such deals.
If you think regulatory scrutiny of AT&T’s effort to buy T-Mobile US was contentious, just wait until AT&T tries to buy either Vodafone Group or EE in the United Kingdom, a move that reports suggest is under active consideration at AT&T.
AT&T reportedly also considered a purchase of Telefonica, but Spanish regulators quickly moved to signal disapproval.
In recent days Mexico’s America Movil encountered opposition by an independent KPN shareholder group to its bid to buy the remainder of KPN it did not already own.
Both America Movil and partner AT&T were rebuffed in 2007 in an effort to buy Telecom Italia, as well.
Opposition could arise from national regulators, company poison pill defenses or independent foundations set up to ward off unwanted takeovers.
Combined, Vodafone and AT&T would be the largest telecom firm on the planet, with a market capitalization exceeding $250 billion and large-scale operations in the U.S. and across Europe.
That level of scale might be important to the firm as it explores new lines of business where scale is important, ranging from advertising to video entertainment, and probably also would help the carrier when negotiating with handset suppliers and other suppliers of infrastructure.
Though AT&T might wind up not making a bid, it could not move before the closing of the Vodafone sale of its Verizon Wireless stake, expected in early 2014.
Will Access Networks Lose Value in Mobile Business?
Two decades is a very long time in the communications and application ecosystem. That is long enough to make a transition from “no Internet” to “dial up Internet.” A couple decades is enough time for Internet access to move from dial up to broadband, or from video-constrained to video-capable.
Two decades also is sufficient time for value in the networks ecosystem to undergo huge change. Precisely what changes might occur remains to be seen. But it is not unreasonable for some to suggest that the relative value of core and access networks could change.
Historically, both access and core networks were scarce. In the 1980s, core networks became less scarce, as firms such as MCI, Sprint and others built their own long haul networks.
In the 1990s, access networks become less scarce. as mobile networks became more commonly-used assets. In the first decade of the 21st century, fixed networks became more common, and less scarce, as cable TV networks became communications networks and specialized metro fiber networks proliferated.
In another couple of decades, might the value of access and core networks change again? Almost certainly, “yes.” The only issue is which changes will be most crucial for service provider business cases.
What will the network of 2030 look like? More outsourced, more virtualized, more reliant on the value of spectrum as a “core competence” or source of value.
At the same time, say analysts at iGR, it might be possible for competitors to pick and choose their underlying network resources choices further. Perhaps mobile virtual network operators will own their own core networks (long haul assets and application servers) while “renting” radio access.
Think Google, Apple, Amazon or others with their own data centers, long haul transport and app servers. Each could rent radio access from a third party to provide the “last mile connection” to device users. That would something of a reversal of historic patterns, where many service providers owned their access facilities, and leased long haul facilities.
That approach--owning the core network and leasing radio access, might also have other implications. As voice service providers often select termination facilities based on “best quality now” or “best cost now,” the future network could well employ dynamic access selection.
When one radio access network gets congested, new style mobile virtual network operators might automatically shift traffic to different terminating networks, based on cost or quality parameters, much as long distance voice providers often do.
In such a scenario, the “scarcity value” of an access network is lessened, with more value shifting the core network provider. The reason, in part, is further outsourcing of the actual radio network, not simply the tower sites, where mobile access becomes a purchased service, not an owned part of a network.
That of course will prove financially beneficial for service providers of all types, but might be especially attractive to brands with core network capabilities that could be leveraged to create a new mobile service capability by renting wholesale access, especially on a dynamic basis.
The extent to which that is possible will hinge on the degree of wholesale access to spectrum. Where today mobile virtual network operators rent “complete circuits and capabilities” from underlying network owners, in the future other possibilities might arise.
Where today an MVNO might buy turnkey capabilities (voice, messaging, Internet access as complete wholesale offers) from an underlying carrier, in the future, it is possible that more virtualized networks would allow some brands with their own data centers, feature servers, billing and networks could simply buy radio access to create a full end to end service.
For reasons that probably are intuitive, customer satisfaction tends to increase as the length of customer relationship with a particular product or service provider increases. Unhappy customers will leave, and therefore no longer register "unhappy" responses about a customer service operation.
Also, the longer a customer remains with a particular supplier, the more likely it is that the customer will have learned how to use a product, and will have fewer questions about value, billing or "how to use the product."
That is not to say the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is especially direct. In many industries, even satisfied customers can churn at significant rates. That especially can be the case when the leading suppliers all offer comparable experience and value for money offers.
In such cases, satisfied customers might well change suppliers for a relatively modest price advantage, for example.
That is one "hard to quantify" advantage of customer loyalty. Customers with longer tenure tend to cost less to serve, aside from the likelihood that such customers also spend more than newer customers.
The bad news for travel suppliers is that the reverse pattern tends to occur. Customers who have two years experience tend to rank customer service lower than when they were "new" customers.
One might suggest there are reasons for those findings as well. There are relatively fewer things a travel experience supplier can do to make a customer interaction more satisfying, when the chief source of customer service inquiries have to do with something that went wrong.
Clearly, seat comfort, meals and baggage fees also are issues. People are not generally too happy about those attributes of the travel experience, so the odds of unhappiness with customer service systems is likely to be weighted in a negative direction.
So the caveat for service providers might be that experience with your product should, with longer customer tenure, lead to higher satisfaction with your customer service. That is, unless the core experience is not so good.
In those cases, customer service satisfaction might drop over time, a reflection of general dissatisfaction with the primary experience of the product.
A disproportionate share of customer contacts will be about cancelled flights, late flights, flight delays, lost reward program credits, redeeming reward program credits and billing issues, for example. There is a high probability that consumers will be interacting under conditions where they are unhappy.
That is one reason why airlines tend to fare worse than other segments of the travel industry.
Sprint expects to have Long Term Evolution 4G network coverage of about 100 million pops, using the 2.5-GHz former Clearwire spectrum (120 MHz in most major U.S. markets) by the end of 2014. That probabnly is less coverage than some observers had expected.
But Sprint ought to be able to dramatically increase its LTE top speeds, once it activates the former Clearwire spectrum.
In the 1.9 Ghz band, Sprint says it is seeing LTE provide 6 Mbps to 8 Mbps on a consistent basis.
In areas where LTE now is avaialble on the 2.5 GHz band, Sprint is seeing 50 Mbps to 60 Mbps peak speeds. The difference is simply that Sprint can use bigger channels on the 2.5-GHz spectrum.
Parenthetically, Sprint majority owner SoftBank saw its revenue jump 44 percent in the most-recent quarter, suggesting SoftBank will have capital to fuel an expected Sprint assault in the U.S. market.
Sprint hasn't yet turned the corner on subscriber growth, largely, one might argue, because of lingering losses from its former Nextel business, but Sprint has managed to keep growing revenue, in its key postpaid "Sprint" business, for 13 or so quarters.
In fact, a rational person might conclude that Nextel was the problem all along, as the Sprint side of the business has not fared badly.
In most recent quarters, Sprint has added net customers even as Nextel has bled them.
The biggest single hit came in July 2013, when Sprint shut down the entire Nextel network, losing about 1.3 million customers. Still, going forward, Sprint without the drag of Nextel should surprise to the upside in the subscriber growth area.
Granted, Sprint still is losing customers overall, and still lost money in the third quarter of 2013. But it is making progress, and has yet to unveil precisely what it plans to do with the now-consolidated Clearwire spectrum and SoftBank assets.
Sprint owns the most spectrum of any mobile service provider in the U.S. market, a fact most observers expect will play a role in an anticipated Sprint assault on the U.S. market leaders.
Some observers, though, will note there are advantages and disadvantages for the 2.5-GHz Clearwire spectrum.
The higher frequency means signal reach is less than at 700 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies that Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless have in greater abundance. Signals at 2.5 GHz do not penetrate walls as well as the lower frequencies, either.
In terms of network infrastructure, that lessened propagation distance means Sprint needs 13 to 15 tower sites, at 2.5 GHz, to cover the same area as a single 700-MHz macrocell.
On the other hand, precisely because of the higher frequency, 2.5-GHz signals are capable of delivering more data, compared to 700 MHz or 800 MHz signals, using any particular coding technique. As a rough rule of thumb, 2.5-GHz networks, using the same coding, can deliver as much as three times to four times more data, using the same bandwidth as a 700-MHz or 800-MHz signal.
But there are some new variables, including the tendency for users to consume as much as 80 percent of their smart phone or tablet data at home, when they are able to use fixed network Wi-Fi.
Also, in some cases, as in dense urban environments, it might be quite feasible to use small cells or Wi-Fi to offload even much out of home data consumption.
So except in rural areas where signal reach is a real advantage, Sprint might find its high-bandwidth network very useful in urban areas, which increasingly are seeing scenarios where small cells covering small distances are quite useful.
At least in principle, Sprint might be able to use its trove of spectrum to provide the "fastest" service in many areas, if not perhaps ubiquitously across the country. The reason is simple: Long Term Evolution is limited principally by the amount of bandwidth allocated for it.
Channels of 20 MHz provide much faster experiences than channels of 10 MHz, for example.
SoftBank might also be able to bundle applications (especially video-related apps) with its faster access in ways that create uniqueness, much as Dish Network is expected to emphasize video entertainment as a distinguishing feature of its would-be LTE network as well.
Virtually every banking-related or payments-related initiative in the United States has to begin with an understanding of how the U.S. market is different from others. The high use of credit cards, compared to most other markets, is one such distinction.
The ubiquity of the banking infrastructure is another example. The way consumers pay for retail purchases is another key underpinning realities.
Put simply, mobile banking is shaped by the fact that "access to banks" is not generally a problem. Nor, generally speaking, is "paying for retail purchases." So many would note one requirement for retail mobile payments success is adding new value to a process that is not fundamentally broken.
Likewise, as ecosystem participants scramble to gain influence and control over the new processes, communication methods are seen as a way of gaining such influence. Some observers have confidence in near field communications, while others think other approaches might win the day.
You can count Forrester Research senior analyst Denee Carrington as among those who are skeptical about NFC. Carrington says she does not expect NFC to ever takeover the mobile wallet space.
NFC might well be crucial for other retail applications and experiences, though.
Tom Wheeler has been confirmed by a vote of the U.S. Senate as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Some might complain about an FCC chairman who has in the past lead the major trade associations for cable TV and mobile communications.
Others will say that probably is a combination of experiences that might prove exceptional useful as U.S. communications policy adapts itself for an IP-based communications environment that transcends historic regulatory boundaries, faces new forms of competition and calls for major investments in next generation infrastructure.
The most important numbers in the global mobile service provider business are "three" and "four." The reason is that national communication regulators generally have held that four contestants is the minimum necessary to provide the benefits of competition for consumers.
But in most markets, over the next half decade, there is likely to be significant consolidation in the mobile business, with many markets moving from four providers to three suppliers. That will be a serious issue for most regulators.
Hutchison Whampoa Limited, for example, wants to buyTelefonica's 02 Ireland unit.
The acquisition would quadruple the market share of Hutchison's subsidiary, 3 Ireland, to 37.5 percent, behind market leader Vodafone.
The European Commission already has said it is concerned about a reduction of competition in Ireland, as the deal will cut the number of mobile phone operators from four to three. That was an issue Hutchison faced in its acquisition of Orange Austria in 2013 as well.
Whether four competitors actually works "better" for consumers than three competitors remains to be seen. There are any number of inputs that collectively represent better consumer outcomes.
Lower prices, innovative services and devices, higher speeds, more and better applications, many ways to buy and use, and more robust service all are parts of the value competition is supposed to deliver.
You might instinctively argue that four competitors leads to lower prices, and that likely is generally true, at least in the short term. What is less certain is the longevity of such price benefits, over the long term, if the smaller contestants cannot stay in business.
And that's the long term issue: capital intensive businesses might require high levels of investment on a continuous basis that a small competitor, competing on price, simply cannot afford to make. In that case, consumer benefit is less than it might otherwise be.
Many observers might point to the inter-modal competition between cable TV operators and telcos as an example of significant competition and consumer benefits even when there are only two providers in a capital-intensive business.
Others might counter that the history of intra-modal competition with just two providers, in the mobile business, suggests clearly sub-optimal benefits for consumers.
So the key question is how widely regulators and anti-trust officials will conclude that reasonable and effective levels of competition can be promoted if a mobile market is lead by three providers, instead of four.
Intel Media Preparing to End Effort to Create Sreaming Service?
Intel Media has been trying to build a Web-based subscription TV service for several years, and originally had promised to launch late in 2013. But Intel seems not to have gotten traction with the content suppliers it would need to build a service analogous to cable TV.
Intel recently had said it was looking for partners, including Samsung, Amazon, Liberty Media, and Netflix, but a report suggests Intel Media has failed at that effort as well, and is exploring a sale of its assets to Verizon Communications, which already owns part of the Redbox Instant streaming service operated as a joint venture with Redbox.
Qualcomm earlier had launched a mobile video service called MediaFLO, but wound up closing the service and then selling the spectrum to AT&T after abandoning the effort.
None of these failures is going to stop other entities from trying to create new streaming services. Sooner or later, a bigger crack than Netflix will appear in the dam.
Aereo, the local TV streaming service, launching in Denver on November 4, 2013, already serves nine U.S. markets. Another firm, FilmON, previously "Aerokiller," operates in Western U.S. states, primarily.
And Amazon, Apple and Google already offer video streaming content, if not perhaps on the scale of Netflix. And there is talk that Comcast might itself launch its own branded streaming service as well.
So far, no provider has been able to convince a critical mass of content owners to make their shows available to streaming services on the same basis as presently offered to cable TV, satellite TV and telco TV providers.
And that is to say nothing of new licensing models that might allow customized, individualized or a la carte purchase of single episodes, whole series or single channels.
Sooner or later, it will happen, though most assume it will take some time to reach that point.
It will likely take far greater disruption of the economics of today's subscription video revenues before content owners will be willing to start making changes that enable truly competitive streaming services. We aren't quite there, yet.
Google Hangouts and Photos have been enhanced. Google Photos already has been automatically backing up photos taken on Android phones and syncing to Google Drive.
New are full size backups and background sync for Google+ on Apple iOS.
Google Photo now also recognizes and groups objects--over a thousand different objects at the moment--ranging from sunsets to snowmen, grouping them in user libraries.
Auto Enhance improves each photo added to Google , and users can dial the enhancements up or down. If users already processing your images elsewhere, they can choose to exempt an album entirely.
Google also has added editing apps. For editing on the go, use Snapseed and its new HDR (high dynamic range) Scape filter.
More sophisticated editing can be done using Analog Efex Pro, part of the Nik Collection ($149).
Hangouts for Android now supports location sharing and SMS. Users can send a map of their current location, send and receive text messages.
Broadcasters can now schedule Hangouts On Air, then promote them with a dedicated watch page. Once live, Control Room lets users moderate the conversation with eject and remote mute.
In both cases, the video calling experience is significantly improved, Google says. It's now full screen across mobile and desktop, and it fixes and enhances webcam lighting automatically.
About 30 percent of tablets come equipped with mobile network capability. About 15 percent of tablets presently have a mobile data plan.
That will grow. But between personal hotspots and home wi-fi, many do not need a separate data plan.
Time Warner Cable, which upgraded its top Internet access tier in Kansas City, Mo. to 100 Mbps, is also upgrading customers in Lost Angeles to 100 Mbps.
Residential customers in Los Angeles who subscribe to the Ultimate 50 tier are being automatically upgraded to Ultimate 100 at no extra cost.
Ultimate 50 residential customers in New York City and Hawaii will be upgraded by year’s end.
By early 2014, all customers in these markets will have access to Ultimate 100, with more TWC markets to follow in 2015.
Credit Google Fiber with the new incentives for Time Warner Cable to upgrade speeds.
Spectrum is not the only cost input for a mobile service provider, nor is it the largest cost input. As a rule of thumb, operating expense might be in the range of 45 percent of revenue, while all network related capex might be in the range of eight percent of revenue. So spectrum acquisition costs are not a huge driver of overall costs, typically.
What really matters is revenue. Still, the cost of spectrum matters in an environment where service provider costs threaten to exceed revenues earned from such spectrum.
Depending on the country and the population density and terrain, a fully functioning 3G network, for example, might cost between several hundreds of dollars per customer, to a few thousands of dollars per customer.
Spectrum costs are a fraction of that. Assume a service provider has 20 MHz of spectrum in an area of three square miles, paid for whether all of the capacity is being used or not (spectrum reuse is necessary to avoid signal interference).
Assume people reached by signals from that one tower number cover three square miles, where the density is 600 persons per square mile. That implies a population of 5,400 people, each representing 20 MHz per pop. At prices of 10 cents per MHz pop, that works out to $2 per person, or $10,800 in spectrum costs in that area.
At 33 percent market share, implying 1782 paying customers, the cost per customer is about $6 per customer. Even paying interest on such an investment is a small part of the total cost of providing service.
But you can see the sensitivity to price per MHz pop. At $1 a Mhz pop, the spectrum would represent $108,000 in spectrum costs, or $61 per customer. At $4 per MHz pop, spectrum costs would represent $244 per customer.
Amortized over 10 years, with monthly revenue of $50, that still is not unworkable, at reasonable market share. But as with any fixed cost, market share really matters. At 16 percent share, spectrum cost grows to about $488 per customer.
If revenue earned from the leading services sold by mobile service providers is dropping, and if market share is fragmented, the cost impact of spectrum acquisition is magnified.
In that sense, revenue per MHz pop, though not a metric anybody uses, likewise will drop. In the end, that is the key issue: revenue per MHz pop, not cost of spectrum per MHz pop, at a high level.
Whether Long Term Evolution 4G auctions will become a spectrum bubble is anybody’s guess, at the moment. But industry observers with long memories will recall that vast overbidding nearly bankrupted leading European mobile service providers when 3G auctions were held.
There are some signs of price inflation in the Netherlands, Ireland, Taiwan, in Austria and in the Czech Republic, for example. In Taiwan, bid prices were about three times what regulators set as the minimum price. The Czech Republic suspended its auction when prices grew too quickly.
The U.K. 4G spectrum auctions generally are considered reasonable, compared to Czech prices before the auction suspension. The May 2013 U.K. auction raised around EUR0.18/MHz/pop. The Czech auction had reached EUR0.25/MHz/pop, about 30 percent higher than the actual U.K. prices.
MHz per pop is a way of measuring capacity per person, and cost per megahertz per pop is a way of measuring spectrum cost, per unit of capacity, per person.
Even that pales in comparison to 3G auction prices in some markets, where past prices have been measured in tenths of cents or cents. In some cases, Western European 3G prices were measured in dollars.
Of course, the “right price” for spectrum hinges on any number of business and market factors. The value of Clearwire spectrum provides a recent example.
Some recent 700-MHz spectrum in the U.S. market has sold for dollars per MHz pop, a “high” price by world standards. But that spectrum also has coverage and wall-penetrating advantages bidders believed justified the price.
Whether spectrum was acquired at prices “too high” can be determined only after the capacity is put into service and revenue generated by that spectrum can be assessed. Prices of dollars per MHz pop might be quite reasonable if the new spectrum allows a service provider to gain customers, raise profit margins or gross revenue, cut churn or create uniqueness.
In other words, 3G prices were an order of magnitude to two orders of magnitude above spectrum prices paid before, or after. To be sure, the value of spectrum generally is affected by the actual frequencies: lower frequencies are more valuable than higher frequencies.
That is a function of signal propagation, not bandwidth potential. Signals at lower frequencies attenuate less, and hence travel further, with better ability to penetrate walls. On the other hand, signals at higher frequencies are capable of providing much more bandwidth, using any specific coding technique.
Still, prices for 3G spectrum awarded in more recent auctions also was measured in the dollars per MHz pop. The 3G auctions in India provide a recent example.
Also, some spectrum, licensed for backhaul applications rather than end user services, generally costs less than spectrum enabling actual end user services.
For example, 3.5 GHz spectrum intended to support fixed wireless access applications, rather than mobile applications, often was sold at prices an order of magnitude less than spectrum for mobile apps.
On the other hand, 2.5 GHz spectrum made recently available in many European countries (and Canada in 2004 and 2005) cost more than 3.5 GHz spectrum, but they are much lower than prices fetched in the 800 MHz spectrum band (which range between € 0.5 – € 0.8 per MHz-PoP in most countries).
Looking at spectrum pricing in the higher spectrum bands, 2.5 GHz assets typically sell at a discount of up to 92 percent that of 800 MHz spectrum, while 3.5 GHz spectrum sells at around 82 percent discount to that of 2.5 GHz. | 2019-04-26T15:05:33Z | https://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2013/10/ |
TOP WING Fun in the Sun Contest!
To celebrate Nickelodeon’s new Top Wing toys, we want to send you on AN ULTIMATE FUN IN THE SUN ALL-INCLUSIVE VACATION FOR FOUR TO THE NICKELODEON HOTELS & RESORTS PUNTA CANA, along with a TOP WING prize pack! From March 8th, enter for your chance to win this sky-tastic prize pack. Winner will be selected on April 5th.
TOYS "R” US (CANADA) LTD.
Contest Period: The Toys"R”Us Canada Top Wing™ Contest (the “Contest”) begins on March 8th, 2019 at 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time and ends on March 31st, 2019 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (the “Contest Period”).
Eligibility: There is a strict limit of one (1) entry per person. Entries received from any person in excess of the stated limitation will be void. The Contest is open only to individuals who: (i) have reached the legal age of majority in their province/territory of residence at the time of entry; and (ii) reside in Canada at the date of entry; except employees, representatives or agents of Toys “R” Us (Canada) Ltd. (“TRU” or the “Sponsor”), its affiliates, its subsidiaries, its agents, its representatives, and any other individual(s), entity or entities involved in the development, production, implementation, administration or fulfillment of the Contest (collectively with the Sponsor, the “Contest Parties”), and any immediate family members of any of the Contest Parties or persons with whom they are domiciled (whether related or not). For the purposes of these Official Rules, “immediate family members” means parents, siblings and spouses. This Contest is subject to all Federal, Provincial/Territorial and Municipal Laws and Regulations.
Entry Method: You must be or become an “R” Club member to enter the Contest. Becoming an “R” Club member is free of charge. Sign up on http://www.toysrus.ca/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=132348346 to become an R Club Member or sign in to your “R” Club account if you are already a member and click on the link for the Top Wing™ Contest. Complete all required fields on the entry form and click “submit.” You can submit a maximum of one (1) entry. A total of one (1) eligible entry will be selected by random draw as the eligible prize winner (the “Prize Winner”).
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE OR OTHERWISE IMPACT YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Although internet access and an “R” Club account are required to enter the Contest, many public libraries and retail businesses offer free access to computers, and a number of companies offer free email accounts.
Prize: There is one (1) Top Wing™ prize pack (the “Prize”) available to be won during the Contest Period. The Prize consists of: (i) round trip flights (economy class) for the confirmed Prize Winner and three (3) guests (1 additional adult and 2 children aged 12 or under– each, a “Guest”) to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic from a Canadian location near the confirmed Prize Winner's residence (as determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion); (ii) accommodation for four (4) persons (2 adults and 2 children aged 12 or under, double or quadruple occupancy – as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion) for six (6) nights in the Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana - Carretera Uvero Alto, Punta Cana 23000, Dominican Republic, by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion; (iii) one (1) TPW Swift Deluxe Rescue Vehicle – TRU Exclusive (iv) one (1) TPW Academy Mission Ready Track; (v) one (1) TPW Collector Pack (vi) four (4) TPW Figure and Vehicle Asst (vii) three (3) TPW Mission Control Racers 2pk Asst (viii) three (3) TPW Figure Asst (ix) two (2) TPW Basic Plush Asst.
Prize has a total approximate retail value of $6,758 CAD– although the actual retail value may vary depending on the point of departure.
©2019 9 Story Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.
Under no circumstances whatsoever will: (i) any difference between the actual and approximate retail values be awarded; or (ii) the actual value of the flight and hotel accommodation exceed $6,500 CAD. Choice of transportation, hotel accommodations (including, without limitation, room size and occupancy) and all other aspects of the Prize are at the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor.
Travel must be completed by March 31st, 2020 and must be booked at least thirty (30) days in advance of departure.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following general conditions apply to the Prize: (i) Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable, assignable and/or convertible to cash (except as may be specifically permitted by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion); (ii) no substitutions are permitted, except at Sponsor’s option; (iii) all travel related to the Prize must occur within and/or on or before the date or dates specified by the Sponsor (otherwise the Prize may, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be forfeited in its entirety and, if forfeited, nothing will be substituted in its place); (iv) the confirmed Prize Winner and each of his/her Guests must travel on the same itinerary as set by the Sponsor and must have all necessary documentation required to permit international travel to Dominican Republic and re-entry into Canada; (v) the costs of everything not specifically and expressly stated above as included in the Prize are the sole and absolute responsibility of the confirmed Prize Winner and his/her Guests - including, without limitation: meals and drinks; gratuities; entertainment; health and travel insurance; transportation for confirmed Prize Winner and his/her Guests to and from the Canadian departure location selected by the Sponsor; additional transportation; baggage and other fees; and items of a personal nature (NOTE: confirmed Prize Winner and/or one (1) or more of his/her Guests may be required to present a valid major credit card in his/her name at the time of hotel check-in to cover any incidental expenses); (vi) if the confirmed Prize Winner and/or any of his/her Guests do not utilize any part(s) of the Prize, then any such part(s) not utilized may, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be forfeited in their entirety and, if forfeited, nothing will be substituted in their place; (vii) Sponsor reserves the right at any time to: (a) place reasonable restrictions on the availability or use of the Prize or any component thereof; and (b) substitute the Prize or a component thereof for any reason with a prize or prize component(s) of equal or greater retail value, including, without limitation, but solely at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, a cash award; (viii) all travel arrangements relating to the Prize must be made through the Sponsor or its designated agents; and (ix) by accepting the Prize, the confirmed Prize Winner agrees to waive all recourse against the Released Parties (as defined below) if the Prize or a component thereof does not prove satisfactory, either in whole or in part.
Guest Requirements: One (1) of the confirmed Prize Winner’s Guest must be of the legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence. The other three(3) Guests of the confirmed Prize Winner must each:(i) One (1) additional adult with legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence; (ii) Two (2) children aged 12 or under; and iii) children must have the express written consent (in form and substance satisfactory to the Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion) to accompany the confirmed Prize Winner on the Prize trip. Each Guest must sign (children must have his/her parent/legal guardian express written consent if he/she is aged 12 or under and return the Sponsor’s release (by the date indicated on the release form) indicating that he/she waives all recourse against the Sponsor and all of the other Released Parties (as defined below) relating to his/her participation in the Prize (including, without limitation, any travel related thereto).
It is strongly recommended and encouraged that the confirmed Prize Winner and each of his/her Guests obtain sufficient personal travel and medical insurance prior to departure. Flights and room being booked cannot be booked during blackout dates or holidays, and are subject to government restrictions and regulations, airline, airport or other transportation restrictions and regulations.
The Contest Parties MTV Networks Canada, ULC their respective affiliates and subsidiaries and each of their respective officers, agents, employees, directors, successors, and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties”) are not responsible for any delay, postponement, suspension, rescheduling or cancellation, for any reason, of any aspect of the Prize. Neither the confirmed Prize Winner, nor any of his/her Guests, nor any other person or entity will be compensated in the event of such delay, cancellation or other event contemplated herein. The Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen tickets. Changes to flights and or passenger names are not accepted once bookings have been confirmed.
By participating in this Contest, each participant agrees that the Released Parties are not responsible or liable for any injury, loss, illness, litigation or damage that may occur from participation in the Contest or acceptance, possession, use or misuse of the Prize or any portion thereof. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules or the rights and obligations of participants, Sponsor or any of the other the entities in connection with the Contest will be governed by and construed in accordance with the domestic laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions that would cause the application of any other jurisdiction’s laws. The parties hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in Ontario in any action to enforce (or otherwise relating to) these Official Rules or relating to this Contest.
Winner Selection: A random draw for the Prize will take place at the 360i Canada office located at 1 University Ave. Toronto, ON M5J 2P1 on April 5th, 2019 at approximately 3:00 PM EST from all eligible entries submitted and received in accordance with these Official Rules.
Winner Notification and Confirmation: Chances of winning are solely dependent upon the number of eligible entries submitted and received in accordance with these Official Rules. In order to be confirmed as the Prize Winner, the selected entrant must first correctly answer a time limited, mathematical skill-testing question and sign a written standard release form confirming compliance with these Official Rules, acceptance of Prize awarded and a publicity and liability release. The selected entrant will be notified by email within two (2) business days of the draw. The selected entrant will have twenty-four (24) hours from when the initial contact was made to respond. If the selected entrant: (a) fails to correctly answer the skill-testing question; (b) fails to return the properly executed Contest documents within the specified time; (c) cannot accept (or is unwilling to accept) the Prize (as awarded) for any reason; (d) cannot be contacted as outlined above, or if there is a return of any notification as undeliverable; and/or (e) is determined to be in violation of these Official Rules (all as determined by the Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion); then he/she will be disqualified (and will forfeit all rights to the Prize) and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion and time permitting, to randomly select an alternate eligible entrant from among the remaining eligible entries submitted and received in accordance with these Official Rules (in which case the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to such newly selected eligible winner). The Prize will be delivered to the address indicated on the prize acceptance form.
Further Entry Conditions: Proof of submission of an entry does not constitute proof of receipt of entry by the Sponsor. By entering, entrants acknowledge their compliance with, and agreement to be bound by, these Official Rules and the Sponsor’s decisions relating to this Contest (which shall be final and binding without right of appeal). If it is discovered by the Sponsor (using any evidence or other information made available to or otherwise discovered by the Sponsor) that any person has attempted to use multiple names, multiple identities, multiple email addresses, multiple “R” Club accounts, any automated, macro, script, robotic or other system(s) or program(s) and/or any other means not in keeping with the Sponsor’s interpretation of the letter and spirit of these Official Rules to enter or otherwise participate in or to disrupt this Contest; then he/she may be disqualified from the Contest in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor.
For greater certainty and the avoidance of any doubt, all incidental costs and expenses not specifically referred to herein as part of the Prize description (the “Expenses”) are the sole responsibilities of the confirmed Prize Winner. The confirmed Prize Winner shall not seek reimbursement for the Expenses from TRU, and neither TRU nor any of the other Released Parties shall in any way be responsible for any Expenses. For the avoidance of any doubt, any and all other costs associated with the Prize will be the sole and absolute responsibility of the confirmed Prize Winner. None of the Released Parties, nor any other entity, will be providing any compensation with respect to any costs associated with the Prize.
None of the Released Parties makes any representation or offers any warranty, express or implied, as to the quality or fitness of the Prize awarded in connection with the Contest. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the confirmed Prize Winner understands and acknowledges that he or she may not seek reimbursement or pursue any legal or equitable remedy from either the Sponsor or any of the other Released Parties should his/her Prize fail to be fit for their purpose or are in any way unsatisfactory.
All entries and entrants are subject to verification at any time and for any reason. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of identity and/or eligibility (in a form acceptable to the Sponsor – including, without limitation, government issued photo identification): (i) for the purposes of verifying an individual’s eligibility to participate in this Contest; (ii) for the purposes of verifying the eligibility and/or legitimacy of any entry and/or any other information entered (or purportedly entered) for the purposes of this Contest; and/or (iii) for any other reason the Sponsor deems necessary, in its sole and absolute discretion, for the purposes of administering this Contest in accordance with the Sponsor’s interpretation of the letter and spirit of these Official Rules. Failure to provide such proof to the complete satisfaction of the Sponsor within the timeline specified by the Sponsor may result in disqualification in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor. The sole determinant of the time for the purposes of this Contest will be the official time-keeping device(s) used by the Sponsor.
NO ONE IS A WINNER UNLESS AND UNTIL THE SPONSOR OFFICIALLY CONFIRMS HIM/HER AS THE CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES, EVEN IF SUCH PERSON IS ANNOUNCED AS A WINNER OR AN ELIGIBLE WINNER.
ANYONE DEEMED BY THE SPONSOR TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THE SPONSOR’S INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER AND/OR SPIRIT OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES FOR ANY REASON IS SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION IN THE SOLE AND ABSOLUTE DISCRETION OF THE SPONSOR AT ANY TIME.
The Released Parties will not be liable for: (i) any failure of any website or any platform during the Contest; (ii) any technical malfunction or other problems of any nature whatsoever, including, without limitation, those relating to the telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment or software; (iii) the failure of any entry and/or other information to be received, captured, recorded or otherwise work properly for any reason whatsoever, including, but not limited to, technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website; (iv) any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer or other device related to or resulting from participating in the Contest; (v) anyone being incorrectly and/or mistakenly identified as a winner or eligible winner; and/or (vi) any combination of the above.
The Sponsor reserves the right, subject only to the approval of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (the “Régie”) in Quebec, to withdraw, amend or suspend this Contest (or to amend these Official Rules) in any way, in the event of any cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor that interferes with the proper conduct of this Contest as contemplated by these Official Rules, including, without limitation, any error, problem, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud or failure of any kind whatsoever. Any attempt to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest in any way (as determined by Sponsor in its sole and absolute discretion) may be a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made; the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Sponsor reserves the right, subject only to the approval of the Régie in Quebec, to cancel, amend or suspend this Contest, or to amend these Official Rules, in any way without prior notice or obligation, in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error of any kind, or for any other reason whatsoever.
The Sponsor reserves the right, subject only to the approval of the Régie in Quebec, to adjust any of the dates, timeframes and/or other Contest mechanics stipulated in these Official Rules, to the extent deemed necessary by the Sponsor, for purposes of verifying compliance by any entrant, entry and/or other information with these Official Rules, or as a result of any technical or other problems, or in light of any other circumstances which, in the opinion of the Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, affect the proper administration of the Contest as contemplated in these Official Rules, or for any other reason.
In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these English Official Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including, but not limited to, the French version of these Official Rules and/or any instructions or interpretations of these Official Rules given by any representative of the Sponsor, the terms and conditions of these English Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, these Official Rules shall otherwise remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with the terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. | 2019-04-25T10:52:29Z | https://app.viralsweep.com/contest/full/e30e6d-48717&framed=1 |
Refreshed from seeing our son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, I’m back to business. So it’s a new month and a new addition to My Own Little Hall of Fame. This time a pair of newly retired players, one from the everyday players list and one a pitcher.
“Wee” Willie Keeler was a star outfielder from 1892 through 1910. With a career average of .341 he managed to hit above .300 in the first 15 years of his 19 year career. Twice leading the National League in hitting, once at above .400, he was a key member of pennant winning teams in both Baltimore and Brooklyn. He led the NL in hits three times and in runs once.
George “Rube” Waddell was the premier strikeout pitcher of his era, winning strikeout titles in six consecutive seasons. His 349 strikeouts in 1904 is a record among pitchers throwing from a mound. He posted more than 20 wins four seasons and won two ERA titles.
1. The two men enshrined this time are easily the kind of men that would be elected to an existing Hall of Fame in 1916. Both were well-known and both had the kinds of numbers that impressed in the period.
2. Keeler, as is usual for the big names of the pre-1910 era, had a lot of hits, scored a bunch of runs, and had very high averages. He was also one of the players I was able to find out quite a bit about. He was extremely popular and well-known (He was elected to Cooperstown in 1939, very quickly after it was formed).
3. Waddell is a bit more problematic. He didn’t get anywhere near 300 wins, notching only 193. That’s not a lot for an era obsessed with high win totals among pitchers. He did, however, have an enormous number of strikeouts and was dominant for a while. The statement that his 349 strikeouts in a season is a record is correct for 1916. It has since been passed several times. His personality was a bit of a difficulty, which I ultimately decided was worth overlooking. There were a handful of things I found that seemed to indicate that some writers didn’t take him seriously enough to elect him to a 1916 Hall of Fame. Offsetting that was the knowledge that he was dead by 1915 (he died in 1914) and that should have led to a certain amount of sympathy vote.
4. The newly eligible for the Class of 1917 includes one certainty, Cy Young, and a handful of other players. Bill Dahlen, Roy Thomas, and Fred Tenney are probably the best of the everyday players coming up. All have a distinct problem from a 1917 perspective and Tenney is probably DOA Hall-wise. Deacon Phillippe and Jesse Tannehill (old Pirates teammates) show up with Young and probably, but not certainly, will have to wait if they are elected at all. Young would, I believe, so dominate the pitching list that all other pitchers would find themselves downgraded for at least that one year. Among Conributors, Bill Carrigan who won two World Series’ while manager of the Red Sox shows up. No idea at this point how much that achievement was lauded in the era. If he hangs around my ballot the chances are that early pioneer Bob Ferguson drops off.
5. The 1917 class puts me half way through this project. I intend to go through 1934 which will come in December next year and will get me very close to the opening of the actual Hall. That seems like a good place to stop. After announcing the 1917 class, I intend to do a post about what I’ve learned midway through this project. Hopefully, it will explain some about how I got to that point.
Quick bit of trivia. Which left-handed pitcher has the most wins in the American League? Want some help? The number is 305. OK if you’re clever (and because you read this blog, most of you are) you looked at the title and the picture and guessed Eddie Plank. You win.
Plank was born to a farming family in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (scene of the famous battle) in 1875. His first taste of organized baseball came in 1893, when he was 17. It was a local team and brought him to the attention of Gettysburg Academy, a prep school for the local university, Gettysburg College. Apparently students enrolled at the Academy could participate in varsity athletics for the College, so Plank pitched for Gettysburg College but was never a student (Figure that one out, NCAA. I wonder if you can sanction a team after 100 years?). He came to the attention of Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics and in 1901 he joined the A’s without ever playing for a minor league team.
It was the first year for the American League and the Athletics. Plank was good and he would remain with Philly for most of his career. In his initial campaign he was 17-13 with an ERA over 3.– (which was big in the Deadball Era). The next four years he won 20 plus games each season. His ERA dropped, his strikeout total soared, peaking at 210 in 1905. The A’s won the AL pennant in both 1902 and 1905. In both cases Plank was the two pitcher behind Rube Waddell. In 1905, the A’s participated in the second World Series. With Waddell hurt, Plank got two games. He struck out eleven, walked four, gave up three earned runs, had an ERA of 1.59. Despite all that, he took the loss in both games as the Giants pitching staff gave up no earned runs for the entire series.
He continued to pitch well during the rest of the first decade of the 20th Century, having his first (of two) losing seasons in 1908 (14-16). By 1910 he was becoming the third member of the rotation behind Chief Bender and Jack Coombs. The A’s made the World Series in four of the next five seasons, winning three (1910, ’11, and ’13). Plank pitched well all three seasons, winning 20 games in 1911 (and again in 1912, the one year the Athletics failed to win the pennant).
His World Series record wasn’t as good as his regular season totals. In 1910 he didn’t pitch in the Series. Bender and Coombs pitched every game as the A’s beat the Cubs. In 1911 he was 1-1 with an ERA of 1.86. His game two win over Rube Marquard was a five hit masterpiece, but he was overshadowed by Frank Baker’s two-run home run that proved the difference. He wa 1-1 again in 1912 while putting up an 0,95 ERA. His victory was in game five when he two hit the Giants for a 3-1 win that clinched the Series for the A’s. In 1914, he pitched game two, lost it 1-0 on a double, stolen base, and a single in the top of the ninth. The Braves swept the A’s out of the Series in four games. For his career Plank was 2-5 with a 1.32 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
In 1914 the Federal League was formed. It offered players better salaries and something like quality play (the play could be pretty good or wretched depending on the team). Plank was interested and in 1915 Mack waived him (and both Bender and Coombs). Plank ended up with the St. Louis Terriers as their ace. He went 21-11, led the league in WHIP and ERA+, and found himself on one final pennant winner. The Feds folded after the 1915 season and Plank, now 40, found himself looking for work. The St. Louis Browns picked him up for the 1916 season (my wife’s grandfather once told me he saw Plank pitch with the Browns). He was 5-6 with a 1.79 ERA. It was only his second losing season. He was through. He retired to his farm in Gettysburg, where he farmed and led tours of the battlefield. In 1926 he suffered a stroke and died a couple of days later. In 1946 he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
For all his ability, Plank had one severe problem when he pitched. He was slow. Really slow. Really, really slow. He was infamous for taking a lot of time between pitches. As mentioned above, my wife’s grandfather told me he saw Plank pitch. He told me “you could drink a whole bottle of pop between pitches.” It seems to be part of the reason that Mack went with other pitchers in critical situations. A slow pitcher can cause the defense to become lax and Mack, as a former catcher, had to be aware of that. I looked at a handful of Plank’s games that had times listed (all of them don’t) and compared him with both Bender and Coombs. His games did seem to take longer, although not a lot, but were nothing like the length of games today.
Over his career, Plank was 326-194 for a .627 winning percentage. His ERA was 2.35 with an ERA+ of 122. He pitched 4495.2 innings, gave up 3958 hits, walked 1072, and struck out 2246 for a WHIP of 1.119. When he retired he had more wins than any other left-hander. In the 96 years since, he’s been passed by only two other lefty’s: Warren Spahn and Steve Carlton. Not bad considering all the left-handed pitchers that have played since 1917. As mentioned in the first paragraph, he still holds the record for most wins by a lefty in the American League.
When I first began this somewhat extended look at the 1910-14 Athletics, I was a little surprised I hadn’t dealt with Plank. After all, I’d done all four of the infield plus Bender and Coombs (and utility man Danny Murphy). In some ways that’s kind of fitting. Plank was never really a big star and only infrequently the team ace. Seems to be that way here also.
Today marks the centennial of Chief Bender’s one and only no-hitter. He beat Cleveland 4-0 (Cleveland was involved in both 1910 no hitters with Addie Joss winning in April) with 1903 World Series hero Bill Dinneen taking the loss. Dinneen had thrown his own no-hitter in 1905. Of the three major pitchers who were the centerpieces of the 1910-1914 Athletics dynasty (Eddie Plank, Jack Coombs being the others), only Bender tossed a no-no.
Charles Albert Bender was born in Minnesota in 1884. He was a Ojibwa tribal member who attended both Carlisle Indian School (before Jim Thorpe arrived) and Dickinson College, both in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He seems to have been an OK student and was a gifted pitcher. In 1903 Connie Mack brought him to the Philadelphia A’s where he became the third pitcher and leading right-hander behind southpaw aces Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell. He pitched in the 1905 World Series, taking both a win and a loss. The win was Philly’s only victory in the series. By 1910 he was well established as one of Philadelphia’s aces. He was also a Connie Mack favorite, who was generally chosen to pitch critical games. In 1910, he will start two World Series games, splitting them. In 1911, he will start three going 2-1. With Coombs disabled in 1913, Bender will be the ace and win two games in the series. In 1914, lost his only start in the Miracle Braves sweep.
With the advent of the Federal League in 1914, Mack began dismantling his team. Bender jumped to the Baltimore Terrapins of the Federal League where he had a terrible year, going 4-16 giving up more hits than innings pitched. With the collapse of the Feds, Bender ended up back in Philadelphia, but this time with the National League Phillies. He went 15-9 with other good numbers too. He retired then, went into war work for World War I, then coached for the White Sox in the 1920s. He got into one game in 1925, giving up a run in one inning with a walk and a hit, then was through for good. He returned to The A’s and coached, scouted, and manged at the minor league level through 1950, when both he and Mack retired. In 1953 he was elected to the Hall of Fame and died the next year.
For his career, including the Federal League year, Bender was 210-128 (a .621 winning percentage) with 1711 strikeouts in 3017 innings, 712 walks, and an ERA of 2.46. In World Series play he pitched ten games going 6-4 with 64 hits,59 strikeouts, and 85.1 innings pitched. Certainly a good enough career.
His teammates and most of the Philly fans liked him (Considering the way they treat their own players today, what happened to Philly fandom in the last 100 years???). He was considered a good teammate and friend, a player the other players liked to be around both on and off the job. Mack trusted him with scouting and developing minor league players after Bender’s retirement. It wasn’t easy being an American Indian in 1910, but among his friends, coaches, and teammates Bender was respected and liked.
By this point, he’s been almost forgotten. Unlike the black community’s embrace of Jackie Robinson, the American Indian Movement never picked up on him as someone to remember and that’s a real shame. They probably should have done so. He’s worth it as both ballplayer and man.
It’s uncharitable to say that the St. Louis Browns were hopeless, but sometimes the truth hurts. The Browns were hopeless. In their entire existence, 1902-1953, they finished first once. 1910 wasn’t it.
The Browns finished seventh in 1909, 36 games out of first. It led to a general housecleaning, something the Browns did frequently. Manager Jimmy McAleer was canned and replaced by Jack O’Connor a former catcher whose rookie season was 1887 with the American Association Cincinnati Reds. It was his first managerial job (and his last). He would survive in the job exactly one year.
He didn’t have a lot to work with in St. Louis. Three of the infielders were different. Future Hall of Famer Bobby Wallace remained at short, but he was 36 in 1910 and on is last legs as a player. Former right fielder Roy Hartzell moved to third base with fairly predictable results. Pat Newman and Frank Truesdale took the jobs at first and second. Both were rookies. Art Griggs and Dode Criss remained the men off the bench. Criss sometimes moonlighted as a pitcher for St. Louis. He wasn’t an upgrade.
The outfield had two stable members, Hartzell moving to third as mentioned above. Al Schweitzer replaced Hartzell in right and Danny Hoffman and George Stone remained in the other two spots. Schweitzer had been, with John McAleese, one of the backup outfielders in 1909.
The 1909 catcher, Lou Criger, was gone, replaced by ’09 backup Jim Stephens. The new backup was Bill Killefer who would go on to fame as Grover Cleveland Alexander’s catcher with the Phillies. Killefer played 11 games in 1909.
The pitching in 1909 was weak, but at least none of the major starters had given up more hits than innings pitched, and only one had walked more than he struck out. In 1910 four of the big starters, Jack Powell, Barney Pelty, Bill Bailey, and Hall of Famer Rube Waddell were back. Joe Lake was new, coming over from New York. So was rookie Robert “Farmer” Ray.
And that was it. There were new guys, but they weren’t much of an upgrade, if at all. There was a new manager, four rookies (including Killefer), and a bunch of guys nobody ever heard of. The genuinely good players like Wallace and Waddell were at the end of their careers. The 1910 season was Waddell’s final year. It was the same story for most of the Browns’ history.
In 1905 the World Series resumed after a one year hiatus. The New York Giants won the National League pennant in 1904 but refused to play a postseason series against what Giants manager John McGraw called “an upstart league.” Public outcry was such that the next year the World Series resumed.
The Giants won the NL pennant by 9 games over the Pirates so McGraw was going to have to play whether he wanted to or not. His team was pitching heavy with Joe McGinnity and Red Ames both winning 22 games and Christy Mathewson winning the pitching triple crown (wins, strikeouts, ERA). The hitting wasn’t all that great. The infield consisted of (from 1st around to 3rd) Dan McGann, Billy Gilbert, Bill Dahlen, and Art Devlin. The outfield was George Browne, Mike Donlin, and Sam Mertes, with Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan doing the catching. Backups Sam Strang and Frank Bowerman were the only other players to net 50 or more games. Never heard of most of them, right? (Although if you get a chance to see the Buster Keaton silent movie The General Donlin plays one of the Union commanders.) Like I said, pitching heavy.
They faced off against Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics, sometimes nicknamed the “White Elephants” (another story for another post) who won the AL pennant by 2 games over the White Sox. The A’s were also pitching heavy with Rube Waddell, Eddie Plank, Andy Coakley, and Chief Bender all winning 16 or more games. Waddell, like Mathewson, won the American League pitching triple crown. Again, not a great hitting team. The infield (again 1st to 3rd) was Harry Davis, Danny Murphy, Jack Knight, and Lave Cross. The outfield was Socks Seibold, Danny Hoffman, and Topsy Hartsel,with all-name-team catcher Ossee Schreckengost behind the plate. Monte Cross, Briscoe Lord, Mike Powers, and Harry Barton were the entire bench (no one else played even one inning in the field for the A’s). Again, never heard of them, right?
Looking at the rosters it appeared the 1905 World Series would be dominated by pitching. There was one down note to that premise. Just before the Series began, A’s ace Rube Waddell was injured in a freak injury on the train returning from a game. The Sports Encylopedia: Baseball lists the injury as a shoulder separation, but there were rumors it was faked and Waddell had been paid to miss the Series, thus turning the odds towards the Giants. There is no evidence that I can find that substantiates this rumor, so I’m discounting it now, but can be persuaded if evidence is found.
It turned out to be the greatest Series-wide pitching performance ever. The Giants won in 5 games with the A’s taking game 2 by a score of 3-0 behind Chief Bender. In the game the A’s got 3 unearned runs off “Ironman” McGinnity. It was a unique event in the Series. In the 4 Giants wins the A’s scored exactly zero runs. McGinnity won game 4 1-0 and Mathewson won the other three.
Mathewson’s totals are unquestionably the finest totals in World Series history. He pitched 3 complete games (27 innings), giving up no runs (not even an unearned run) for a 0.00 ERA, with 14 hits, 1 walk, and 18 strikouts. In fact, you can argue that the Giants pitching (Mathewson, McGinnity, and Red Ames for 1 whole inning) had the single greatest World Series for any staff. In the Series the Giants ERA was 0.00 with only 25 hits, 25 strikeouts, and only 5 walks. They didn’t give out Series MVP’s back then, but Mathewson surely would have won it. | 2019-04-22T12:01:14Z | https://verdun2.wordpress.com/tag/rube-waddell/ |
Synthetic biology promises near-term breakthroughs in medicine, materials, and energy, and is also one promising development pathway leading to advanced nanotechnology and a general capability for programmable, atomically-precise manufacturing. Darpa (US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has launched a new program [Living Foundries] that could greatly accelerate progress in synthetic biology by creating a library of standardized, modular biological units that could be used to build new devices and circuits.
If Darpa’s Living Foundries program achieves its ambitious goals, it should create a methodology, toolbox, and a large group of practitioners ready to pursue a synthetic biology pathway to building complex molecular machine systems, and eventually, atomically precise manufacturing systems.
Accomplishing this vision requires an approach that is more than multidisciplinary – it requires a new engineering discipline built upon the integration of new ideas, approaches and tools from fields spanning computer science and electrical engineering to chemistry and the biological sciences. The best innovations will introduce new architectures and tools into an open technology platform to rapidly move new designs from conception to execution.
Performers must ensure and demonstrate throughout the program that all methods and demonstrations of capability comply with national guidance for manipulation of genes and organisms and follow all guidance for biological safety and Biosecurity.
Now, Darpa’s handed out seven research awards worth $15.5 million to six different companies and institutions. Among them are several Darpa favorites, including the University of Texas at Austin and the California Institute of Technology. Two contracts were also issued to the J. Craig Venter Institute. Dr. Venter is something of a biology superstar: He was among the first scientists to sequence a human genome, and his institute was, in 2010, the first to create a cell with entirely synthetic genome.
In total, nine contracts were awarded as of May 31, 2012. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was awarded two, while Stanford University, Harvard University, and the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution were each awarded one.
This is is not a critical or academic analysis of Venter’s approach to biology, synthetic or otherwise, but it does offer an in-depth profile and, given Venter’s prominence in the field of synthetic biology, it’s a worthwhile read.
This entry was posted in nanotechnology, synthetic biology and tagged California Institute of Technolog, DARPA, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Harvard University, J. Craig Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute, James Lewis, Katie Drummond, Living Foundries, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Stanford University, University of Texas at Austin, US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Wil S. Hylton on May 31, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
Dresselhaus has laid the foundation for our understanding of the influence of reduced dimensionality on the fundamental thermal and electrical properties of materials. Her early work on graphite intercalation compounds and carbon fibers presaged the discoveries of C60, the fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene. She investigated the effects of phonon confinement and electron-phonon interactions in nanostructures, and provided the key insights that underlie today’s research into nanostructured thermoelectrics. She showed that in nanostructures it is possible to decouple thermal and electrical transport, with significant implications for energy use. Thanks to Dresselhaus’s work, we have an improved understanding of how energy flows and dissipates on the nanoscale.
Dresselhaus recently co-published a paper about developing a new material, a bismuth-antimony film (mentioned in my April 27, 2012 posting). The Wikipedia essay on Mildred Dresselhaus notes that she was born November 11, 1930 and is currently a professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Note the absence of the word, emerita*.
May 2012 has been an interesting month, I’ve had the opportunity to feature both a octogenerian* and a teenager (Janelle Tam [mentioned in my May 11, 2012 posting]) who prove you can contribute to your chosen field at almost any age.
*’Emeritus’ corrected to ’emerita’ and ‘nonogenerian’ corrected to ‘octogenerian’ on Feb. 22, 2017.
This entry was posted in nanotechnology and tagged 2012 Kavli Prize for Nanoscience, Janelle Tam, Kavli Foundation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mildred Dresselhaus, MIT on May 31, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
On the western edge of the University of Alberta’s main campus lies the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), one of the world’s most advanced research facilities and Canada’s quietest laboratory space.
“NINT is helping us all to better understand the emerging science of nanotechnology. As the only centre of its kind in Canada, it puts us in a leadership position. Being located at the University of Alberta creates great synergies,” says Mike Wo, EEDC [Edmonton Economic Development Corporation] executive director of economic growth and development.
I wish there was a little more information about why Canada’s NINT is considered one of the world’s most advanced research facilities. The NINT website’s most recent news release (as of this morning, May 31, 2012) is datedJuly 17, 2009.
I don’t receive or come across much information about NINT’s research efforts or facilities. The little information I have found (and it does not fully support the contention) comes from the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary. Is there more and where is it? If anyone knows, please do contact me either via the commenting facility for this blog or at [email protected].
This entry was posted in nanotechnology and tagged Alberta, Canada, Canada National Institute of Nanotechnology, Edmonton, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, EEDC, Mike Wo, NINT, University of Alberta, University of Calgary on May 31, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
The storage of light-encoded messages on film and compact disks and as holograms is ubiquitous—grocery scanners, Netflix disks, credit-card images are just a few examples. And now light signals can be stored as patterns in a room-temperature vapor of atoms. Scientists at the Joint Quantum Institute [JQI] have stored not one but two letters of the alphabet in a tiny cell filled with rubidium (Rb) atoms which are tailored to absorb and later re-emit messages on demand. This is the first time two images have simultaneously been reliably stored in a non-solid medium and then played back.
In effect, this is the first stored and replayed atomic movie. Because the JQI researchers are able to store and replay two separate images, or “frames,” a few micro-seconds apart, the whole sequence can qualify as a feat of cinematography.
Paul Lett plans to link up these new developments in storing images with his previous work on squeezed light. “Squeezing” light is one way to partially circumvent the Heisenberg uncertainty principle governing the ultimate measurement limitations. By allowing a poorer knowledge of a stream of light—say the timing of the light, its phase—one gain a sharper knowledge of a separate variable—in this case the light’s amplitude. This increased capability, at le ast for the one variable, allows higher precision in certain quantum measurements.
I may never totally understand this work but at least I now have a song to sing and for anyone who wants more details, the May 27, 2012 news item on Nanowerk provides details and images, as well as, another opportunity to watch the song. I did check out the video on YouTube and found that it’s by therockcookiebottom and is part of a project, Song A Day: 1000 Days and Counting that singer-songwriter, Jonathan Mann started in Jan. 2009. I imagine that means he must be nearing the end. Thank you Jonathan for a very entertaining and educational song. He does offer memberships to support him and his song-a-day project and opportunities to hire him for any songwriting projects you may have.
This entry was posted in Music, science, science communication and tagged Alberto M. Marino, ANU, atomic vapor, Australian National University, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, Jeremy B. Clark, Joint Quantum Institute, Jonathan Mann, JQI, Paul D. Lett, quantum memory, Quentin Glorieux, Rb, rubidium, Song A Day, squeezing light, storing images, Temporally multiplexed storage of images in a Gradient Echo Memory, therockcookedbottom, University of Maryland, Zhifan Zhou on May 30, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
Advances in fuel-cell technology have been stymied by the inadequacy of metals studied as catalysts. The drawback to platinum, other than cost, is that it absorbs carbon monoxide in reactions involving fuel cells powered by organic materials like formic acid. A more recently tested metal, palladium, breaks down over time.
Now chemists at Brown University have created a triple-headed metallic nanoparticle that they say outperforms and outlasts all others at the anode end in formic-acid fuel-cell reactions.
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes riddled with defects and impurities on the outside could replace some of the expensive platinum catalysts used in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, according to scientists at Stanford University. Their findings are published in the May 27 online edition of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
One of the fundamental problems with fuel cells has been the cost of producing hydrogen. While hydrogen is, of course, the most abundant element, it attaches itself to other elements like nitrogen or fluorine, and perhaps most ubiquitously to oxygen to create the water molecule. The process used to separate hydrogen out into hydrogen gas for powering fuel cells now relies on electricity produced from fossil fuels, negating some of the potential environmental benefits.
… but the two main issues that have prevented fuel cells from gaining wider adoption—at least in the area of powering automobiles—are the costs of isolating hydrogen and building an infrastructure that would deliver that hydrogen to the automobiles.
I think it’s all together possible that researchers at IBM and the US national labs who have been working on metal-air batteries for years now might be somewhat more interested in this line of research than fuel-cell manufacturers.
Dai noted that the iron impurities, which enhanced catalytic activity, actually came from metal seeds that were used to make the nanotubes and were not intentionally added by the scientists. The discovery of these accidental yet invaluable bits of iron offered the researchers an important lesson. “We learned that metal impurities in nanotubes must not be ignored,” Dai said.
This entry was posted in energy, nanotechnology and tagged Brown University, carbon nanotubes, catalysts, Dexter Johnson, fuel cells, graphene, Hongjie Dai, IEEE, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Mark Shwartz, metal-air batteries, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, platinum, Stanford University, Yanguang Li on May 30, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
This coming Monday, June 4 to Thursday, June 7, 2012, the Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials conference (2012 TAPPI [Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry] International Conference) will be taking place in Montréal, Québec.
Dr. Dylan J. Boday is the Advisory Engineer Team Lead for IBM’s Materials Engineering Laboratory. In this role, he leads efforts across multiple divisions to advance technological capabilities and enhance product performance.
Dylan’s research at IBM focuses on creating inventive pathways toward the development of polymers, composites, surface science, nanoparticles and hybrid materials. He has organized several strategic partnerships to leverage new materials development that align with specific business needs for IBM. He also established and now leads a global team focused on the sustainability of IBM’s products and is the co-lead of an upcoming international conference that will focus on the advances and challenges of sustainable materials.
As a member of the American Chemical Society Polymer Board, he provides leadership to the broader polymer science field. His technical contributions have led to more than 30 patent filings in the areas of electrostatic discharge and thermally conductive composites, functional nanomaterials and printed circuit board materials. He also has numerous published articles on composites, self healing materials and anti-corrosion coatings, in addition to serving as a reviewer for several scientific journals. In 2011, he was named an IBM Master Inventor and is a member of the IBM Smarter Planet invention review board.
Dylan holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a doctorate degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Arizona.
As President and CEO of CelluForce since February 2011, Jean Moreau brings a wealth of experience in finance, operations and business development which he acquired in both private and public corporations, in various fields including manufacturing, entertainment, distribution and consumer goods.
A chartered accountant for over 10 years at Arthur Andersen and Co., Mr. Moreau was responsible for the acquisition of numerous large companies and plants.
Among others, he headed financial and production planning teams as Vice President of Finance, Paper Production sector and Vice President of Supply for Domtar. As Chief Financial Officer, he was also involved in the introduction of the Supremex Income Fund on the Toronto Stock Exchange, raising $300M in capital funding and, in addition was responsible for the implementation of a strategic business plan at Guess Canada, which was subsequently named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies.
As head of the CelluForce team, Jean wished to promote, within several sectors of activity, the development of commercial applications related to NCC around the world, thus ensuring the company’s manufacturing and commercial growth.
Jean Hamel, Eng., Vice President, FPInnovations, received his B.Sc. (1983), and M. Eng. (1985), in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sherbrooke. He joined Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (Paprican) as a Research Engineer to work on the technical development, optimization and troubleshooting of paper finishing equipment.
In 1995 he joined St-Laurent Paperboard as a Senior Process Engineer to work on product development, paper machine optimization and start-up of new finishing equipment. In 1996, he returned to Paprican where he led the construction of the pilot paper machine and developed the new Roll Testing Facility, the first business unit concept of the organization. In 2004 he became Manager of the Product Performance Program. Soon after merging of three research institutes (Paprican, Forintek, FERIC) to form FPInnovations in 2007, he was named the Director of Research for the Pulp & Paper Division of FPInnovations where he focused on accelerating the technology transfer and developing new innovation processes.
Since 2009 he has been the Vice President of FPInnovations, leading the innovation program on pulp and paper and shifting the R&D effort to develop new chemicals, biomaterials and composites from wood fibers. He currently sits on the boards of CelluForce, a Domtar-FPInnovations joint venture on nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) production, Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA), ICGQ, ADRIQ and NSERC Green Fiber Network.
Andrew Atkinson is currently Manager of the Emerging Science Policy group under the Strategic Policy Branch of Health Canada.
Andrew is currently overseeing coordination of science policy issues across the various regulatory and research programs under the mandate of Health Canada. Prior to Health Canada, he was a manager under Environment Canada’s CEPA new chemicals program, where he oversaw chemical and nanomaterial risk assessments, as well as the development of risk assessment methodologies.
In parallel to domestic work, he has been actively engaged in ISO and OECD nanotechnology efforts, including co-chairing groups on nomenclature of nano-objects under ISO TC229.
It seems more heavily weighted towards Canadian keynote speakers with, as I hinted earlier, a special nod to CelluForce. I did glance through the full conference programme and see that there is healthy representation internationally (Hungary, China, Finland, US, Sweden, Japan, Alberta [sometimes that province does seem like a separate country], etc.).
The success of the 2011 Workshop on International Standards for Nancellulose has resulted in writing of the Roadmap for the Development of International Standards for Nanocellulose (Draft 4). Since then TAPPI has formed the International Nanocellulose Standards Coordination Committee (INSCC) in its Nanotechnology Division to house and coordinate the execution of the Roadmap. The 2012 Workshop on International Standards for Nancellulose will bring workshop participants up-to-date on nanocellulose standards activities since the completion of the Roadmap (Draft 4), initiate coordination activities in several areas of nanocellulose standards development, and if necessary, discuss revisions to the Roadmap.
Perhaps one of these days they’ll have a final version of their Roadmap.
I last mentioned this annual conference in my Sept. 24, 2009 posting when it was held in Alberta and made passing references to the 2010 edition in Finland during an interview (my Aug. 27, 2010 posting) with Dr. Richard Berry of FPInnovations and to the 2011 edition in Washington, DC in my June 6, 2011 posting about the formation, by Domtar and FPInnovations, of CelluForce.
As for the 2012 edition, I wonder if they considered inviting Janelle Tam, the 16 year old student who won a national award for her work on a new application for NCC (my Disease-fighting and anti-aging with nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and Janelle Tam posting on May 11, 2012) to this conference. In any event, her national win entitled her to compete for an international award in Boston, Massachusetts June 18, 2012.
This entry was posted in forestry, nanotechnology and tagged 2012 TAPPI International Conference on Renewable Nanomaterials, Andy Atkinson, Celluforce, Dylan J. Boday, FPInnovations, Health Canada, IBM, INSCC), International Nanocellulose Standards Coordination Committee, Janelle Tam, Jean Hamel, Jean Moreau, NCC, Roadmap for the Development of International Standards for Nanocellulose, TAPPI, Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry on May 30, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
This entry was posted in nanotechnology and tagged nanoacademia.com on May 29, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
This group has also claimed responsiblity for the 2010 attempted attack on a nanotechnology centre in Switzerland (mentioned most recently in my July 25, 2011 posting) and, according to Coghlan’s article, the Informal Anarchist Federation International Revolutionary Front is associated with the, in English, Individuals Tending to Savagery (ITS) group who claimed responsibility for the August 2011 attacks on ‘nanotechnology researchers’ in Mexico (mentioned in my August 11, 2011 posting).
The cynic in me finally awoke when I put that quote together with the group’s shift to a new target. After last year’s Fukushima incident and the huge amount of interest and concern, I imagine the Informal Anarchist Federation International Revolutionary Front has concluded they will get far more attention and notoriety, their primary and only goal, by focusing on the nuclear industry.
If you’re interested, the details about the most recent attack, the group’s international links, and some good writing are featured in Coghlan’s article.
ETA Aug. 30, 2012: I corrected the author’s name from Coughlan to Coghlan.
This entry was posted in nanotechnology, science and tagged Andy Coughlan, Ansaldo Nucleare, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Finmeccanica, Fukushima, Individuals Tending To Savagery, Informal Anarchist Federation International Revolutionary Front, Italy, ITS, Leigh Phillips, Mexico, Michael Hagman, Olga Cell, Roberto Adinolfi, Switzerland on May 29, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
RUSNANO’s Board of Directors has approved the company’s first exit from a previously-invested company. RUSNANO sells its 27.6 percent equity stake in Advanced Technologies Center, a leading producer of scanning probe microscopes and atomic scales. The sale to the project applicant, NPP CPT will generate IRR of 29.5 percent on RUSNANO’s investment.
RUSNANO’s co-financing enabled the high-tech company founded by Moscow State University professor Igor Yaminsky to reach next level of business and to expand its line of scanning probe microscopes [SPM] and SPM software. RUSNANO has invested 50 million rubles in the project, out of the 140 million rubles originally planned. In December 2011 the portfolio company opened a production site which will double its production capacity up to the revenue levels of 70 million rubles by the end of 2012.
The deal meets two essential RUSNANO’s criteria for successful exit: IRR is no lower than was planned, and the project is able to develop independently.
The internal rate of return (IRR) is a rate of return used in capital budgeting to measure and compare the profitability of investments. It is also called the discounted cash flow rate of return (DCFROR) or the rate of return (ROR). In the context of savings and loans the IRR is also called the effective interest rate. The term internal refers to the fact that its calculation does not incorporate environmental factors (e.g., the interest rate or inflation).
The main product of the Advanced Technologies Center is the FemtoScan series of scanning probe microscopes, high-precision instruments that use the mechanical motion of a probe (cantilever) to study the surface of a sample at the nanoscale. SPMs are used for research in chemistry, physics, biology and medicine, as well as for industrial applications such as surface quality control. The company also produces SPM control and image processing software, as well as precision scales capable to detect substances at atomic level.
There seems to be a lot of action in the world of microscopy these days. This is the second item I’ve written on the topic in the last 10 days (and it’s not my main area of interest).
This entry was posted in business, nanotechnology and tagged Advanced Technologies Center, FemtoScan, Igor Yaminsky, internal rate of return, IRR, microscopy, Moscow State University, NPP CPT, RUSNANO, Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies, scanning probe microscopy, SPM on May 29, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday.
It’s an interesting problem and one that governments worldwide are attempting to solve in any number of ways. Funding research and development with one eye to stimulating ‘innovation’, i.e. commercialization and economic prosperity in the near future, while keeping one eye to supporting the grand scientific discoveries and thinking that will influence future generations but have no immediate prospects for development is a tricky balancing act.
The Government said last week it would dedicate $90 million of operating funding and $76.1 million of capital funding over the next four years to create the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI).
A number of scientists welcomed news of the funding and New Zealand Association of Scientists’ president Shaun Hendy said it would build stronger links between science and industry.
But the chairman of Izon Science, Hans van der Voorn, said the ATI was a bad idea and would not be successful in driving innovation.
Van der Voorn said although Crown research institutes “do good science”, they had no track record when it came to commercialisation. Instead of putting money into the ATI, van der Voorn said the Government should look at giving more funding to research centres at universities.
New Zealand’s Minister of Science and Innovation, Steven Joyce, noted van der Voorn’s criticism was justified and replied the government was carefully designing the new centre so it was being driven by industry rather than science.
I’ve not gotten word yet as to whether this recommendation has been adopted or whether it’s being implemented. Some days I think it’s more likely I’ll hear about what’s going on with New Zealand’s initiative before I find out about the Canadian one.
Izon provides the world’s most comprehensive nanoparticle analysis system in a single instrument.
Virtually all particles including nanoparticles, viruses, bacteria and bioparticles (such as exosomes and liposomes) can be measured and characterised. Particle size, concentration, electrophoretic mobilty and aggregation may all be analysed. Monitoring subtle changes in the characteristics of particle sets allows interactions between particles and particles and biomolecules to be monitored in real time. Explore our technology, learn about our applications and ask how we can take your research to the next level.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Advanced Technology Institute, ATI, Hamish Fletcher, Hans van der Voorn, Innovation Canada: A Call to Action, Izon Science, New Zealand, New Zealand Association of Scientists, New Zealand Herald, Shaun Hendy, Steven Joyce on May 29, 2012 by Maryse de la Giroday. | 2019-04-18T14:47:03Z | https://www.frogheart.ca/?m=201205 |
Leprous' 2011 release, Bilateral, was the album of the year for several DPRP reviewers, myself included, and earned a perfect 10 score from Andy Read who is somewhat an expert on Prog-Metal, the same score I would have awarded myself (in fact I played the album nearly every day for a year!). Leprous were catapulted into the Prog conscious and they've maintained the momentum since. Now in 2013 the band have released their fourth album, Coal, the second for Prog label InsideOut, and instead of touring Europe as a support act they now have their own headlining tour kicking off in September following a string of summer festival dates beginning with the much anticipated Sweden Rock Festival alongside, amongst others, Rush and Kiss. Quite a stellar couple of years for the young Norwegians and astonishing to think that they're still in their early twenties. Success however breeds expectation and Bilateral, amazing album that it is, would always prove to be a very hard act to follow.
Perhaps with this in mind, Coal is very much an evolution rather than revolution. Bilateral distinguished itself next to earlier Leprous releases, particularly Tall Poppy Syndrome (their first release, Aeolia, being very much an experimental affair), by virtue of a more mature approach to song-writing and a consistent presentation across the whole album. Nevertheless it had a lot of quirky elements and several avant-garde moments - nothing to totally throw the listener off, but enough to surprise. With Coal Leprous have almost entirely dropped these little musical diversions, so no weird trumpet solo this time, but what may be lost in invention is perhaps made up for in song-craft and even more cohesion than before. What hasn't been lost, and in fact I would argue has been enhanced, is the band's essential quirkiness. By that I mean: the off-kilter syncopated rhythms they use underneath the longer-phrased, melodic vocal lines of Einar Solberg, the guitars following a quarter of a beat after the drums - not quite where you'd expect, and the unusual dissonant chords that even Bob Fripp would be proud of. No other track on Coal exhibits this better than the title track itself and indeed it's one of the tracks that I classify as Bilateral-ish, the others being Foe, Chronic, and The Valley. Don't get me wrong, there's no copying of the past here, each song brings something new to the table: great super-tight guitar, drums and bass plus great hi-hat work in The Valley; lovely piano intro, drums & bass, brutal death-metal section, sing-along chorus on Chronic; start/stop introduction of Foe. All elements we haven't heard before from the band, but presented in a way that we feel comfortable with.
Where the band do stretch out is with The Cloak, which is much more down-tempo that we've heard before with soaring vocals and dreamy keyboards in the chorus, underpinned with heavy guitar, bass and drums - really quite a symphonic Prog-Metal track that evokes Dream Theater in the instrumentation. Salt is perhaps the weirdest track on the album - grandiose, symphonic and that off-kilter guitar again, this time opening the track with a dramatic pseudo-Spanish acoustic chord phrase. Einar's vocals here are just astonishing as he does his very best mezzo soprano choir-boy during the choruses - to say it soars is to do it an injustice. Then there's the sweet dreamy keyboards he's playing, it's tremendously haunting and very, very beautiful.
Echo once again returns to a more "traditional" Leprous approach and has a similar epic feel to Bilateral's Painful Detour, it fades out nicely and makes for an excellent closing track, except that it's not and the band have left the biggest surprise to last as the brutal opening of Contaminate Me jumps out of the speakers like the bogey-man from the closet. This is by far the heaviest track on the album and arguably the most intense we've heard the band. No doubt they take some influence here from Ihsahn - a fellow Norwegian and death-metal artist who uses Leprous as his backing band. In fact Ihsahn is a guest vocalist here and I suspect he's the one doing the cookie-monster vocals - he's also guesting on Chronic where there's also some death-metal screams. In any case it's hard to believe that the choirboy singing on Salt is the same vocalist who sounds like they're dying at the end of this track - sounds awful in description maybe, but it's very well done. I don't know Ihsahn's music so hard to say, but the other artist that immediately springs to mind is Devin Townsend circa Ziltoid the Omniscient. Regardless of the influence it's brutal stuff, much, much heavier than you'd hear from most Prog-metal bands, so perhaps a little shocking to some. This being said it's still very melodic and evocative, bombastic and melodramatic and then finally, at the last, Leprous throw in a bit of gypsy violin to accompany the death screams - and nice quirky end.
Leprous have certainly been on a roll over the last few years with 2009's Tall Poppy Syndrome laying the foundation for the exquisite Bilateral in 2011 which garnered a 10 out of 10 review from our own Andy Read. That album pushed the Norwegians to the top of the prog metal tree via their talent for injecting much variety into their stylish music and they have backed this up with plenty of live work as they moved from support act to headliner.
There's a lot riding on Coal. Having spent time and effort building a platform and a decent sized fanbase there certainly doesn't appear to be any reason to stretch the boundaries too far but this new release is certainly not a rehash of Bilateral and they have tried to move in significantly new directions. This endeavour and sense of adventure is to be commended but how did Coal turn out?
Well, it spent a long timed in the pile labelled 'confusing', taking a while for me to get a handle on it.
To start with, it sounds great. The production, by Heidi Solberg Tveitan and Vegard Tveitan (the real name of Emperor's Ihsahn who also provides the growling vocals on Chronic and Contaminate Me), and mix (by Jens Bogren) give depth and clarity, the first thing that becomes apparent is the awesome vocals of Einar Solberg. The band (Solberg plus Tor Oddmund Suhrke (guitar), Øystein Landsverk (guitar), Rein Blomquist (bass) and Tobias Ørnes Andersen (drums)) come across as confident and on the same page, the music oozing quality, and they clearly relish the challenge that Coal has provided, appearing undaunted by the possible pitfalls.
Compared with Bilateral, Coal is certainly a darker and more clinical affair. Solberg has used the word "severe" and I think this is a good description. The album is very in your face and some of the colour of the former has been lost somewhat, replaced by overwhelming power and a particularly sinister feel. The familiarly intricate rhythms have been ramped up to a new level and this is part of my issue with the album. Though clever, well done and different it does not exactly make for an straightforward listen. Obviously this isn't necessarily a bad thing but the album is just less satisfying than it possibly should have been and you get the impression that the band feel that it is better than it actually is.
The press release throws out names like Pain Of Salvation, King Crimson, Devin Townsend, Katatonia, Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd. To be honest I don't hear most of these, possibly touches of early PoS and some Devin but the rest escape me.
To the music itself and a track by track is probably a good way to go with an album such as Coal. Starting with a slashing chords syncopated with a slow drum beat, Foe is an excellent, thumping opener, in your face with Solberg's dynamic vocals immediately making an impression. As demonstrated throughout Coal, unusual use of rhythm is a key feature and here the stop/start rhythms are accompanied by an orchestral setting with Solberg verging on screaming at the top end of the vocal. With a lighter mid-section of acoustic guitar and angelic vocals this is very much a track of two halves although the quieter part does go on for too long with little variation. So far so good but less satisfying than I feel it should have been.
The piano intro and Muse feel of Chronic is mixed with injections of extreme metal from the guest vocals of Ihsahn with heavy guitars and drums picking out a staccato rhythm. The chorus is particularly epic and this is a track that moves around a lot, keeping up the momentum. The Muse influence continues through the verse and is that a hint of Queen? The buzz-guitar mid-section couples well with the vocals building to a peak with excellent use of keys. Solberg's soaring voice descends to more growling before the rhythm goes off at a tangent, throwing the listener for a few beats. The epic "chorus" section continues with an ever slowing pace to a crunching chord and keys fadeout.
The title track sweeps in on a wave of fluctuating rhythm, settling down into the verse with guitars playing off the beat. Epic is again the order of the day for the vocals and the sense of tension builds with the instrumental volume to conclude with a bass and drums release. The use of rhythm is very refreshing and helped by the clarity of the sound. Some familiar metal techniques are deployed in this one but the shifting rhythm keeps it interesting. A pause for breath with solitary keys then a thumping guitar riff and choral backed shrieking vocal makes for a very interesting section, guitar and drums coming and going in quick-fire bursts which drop away to a theatrical vocal and keys section to close.
The Cloak sees a pulsing guitar intro lead to high pitched vocal with, oddly, a hint of A-ha's Morten Harket about it! There is a melancholic feel to what starts out as a ballad but the drums, coming in bursts, change the tone somewhat, and the momentum really builds when the guitar comes in. The song progresses into a well presented epic, the vocal line sailing above the power of the band with, again, good supporting choral vocals.
The first of three 9+ minute numbers, The Valley, opens with an analogue keyboard and slow rhythm, the vocal is smooth against the rasping keys. When the guitar emerges we get a quite odd stop/start section with fast pulses of drums and guitar with complete silence between which breaks things up somewhat and sounds a little odd initially. The mid-section sees the bass bouncing along the bottom on a single note against a cymbal rhythm as the vocal soars, the tricky stop/start rhythm recommencing when the guitar returns. The whole thing is very well executed and certainly different and Leprous are certainly not sitting on their laurels but seeking new directions and ways of expressing themselves. The last section reduces some of the heaviness while retaining the odd rhythmic pulse against a straight 4/4 from the drums, the strangeness finally coalescing into a straight-ahead romp to the abrupt close - nicely done.
Skewed guitars start Salt with off-beat drums and an operatic edge to the high-pitched vocal. There's nice piano support and the drums change the rhythm again as guitar and vocal do their own thing. The chorus returns things to a smooth prog-metal vibe with emphasis on the keys before the band drop away to leave piano and vocal to finish.
Echo begins with an industrial beat thumping along with bubbling bass under a sailing vocal until the metal arrives. Vocals again benefit from choral support here and there with plenty of keys to colour a section of melodic bass. There's a change to a driving rhythm with guitar to the fore, drums breaking out into a pattern at odds to the rest, bass roaming widely before all return for another choral supported vocal to an extended fadeout.
Thundering in, Contaminate Me is by far the heaviest track on Coal with pounding rhythms and soaring vocal which goes into Death Metal territory here and there, courtesy of guest Ihsahn, becoming more intense as the track progresses and the tempo of drums and guitars increases. The rhythms are again very unusual and the track packs a lot into its unrelenting onslaught until the mid-point breakdown where violin adds colour, the pace slowed right down with howling vocals ending the album in a way that is very much at odds to what has preceded it.
There is much to impress in this release and Leprous have cemented themselves at the forefront of modern progressive metal. The metal is there as is the prog but although Coal is an interesting listen I don't find it as entertaining as Bilateral. It may well grow in stature over time but I feel that it is more likely to be a stepping stone to a new sound for Leprous but in the meantime it may be too far removed from Bilateral for some fans. It is certainly an austere listen with an almost overpowering aura of impending doom. Laughs are, it goes without saying, few and far between!
On the positive side the album sounds immense and the playing from all concerned is sublime with particular credit to the rhythm section for their dextrous work and the vocals which are superb, the choral support that is deployed on a number of occasions working very well. The death metal style creeps in here and there but, with the possible exception of Contaminate Me where it gets a little over the top, does not outstay its welcome.
There are not many pointers that I can suggest as to what this album reminds me of as it is pretty unusual and a brave step towards territories new. The band are certainly to be given credit for this and not sitting back and doing Bilateral II but, as stated previously, I just don't think that Coal is engaging enough. It is certainly a good album and worthy of recommendation but it is just lacking that little something that would make it a great one.
Vocalist and synth-player Einar Solberg sees "...less interest in defining music than in creating music...".
Following the underground success of 2011's Bilateral and the international exposure developed by its general noise through European tours supporting Amorhpis and headlining in their own right, Leprous have also played ProgPower USA, hinting at their considerable global appeal. Their 'music without boundaries' approach transcends international barriers and defies classification. Bilateral was - is - brilliant, and Andy Read also began his 10 out of 10 review with a quote from Einar Solberg.
"Free of the boundaries of others' expectations, with loosened chains of your calculating brain. Only then can you walk one step closer towards the ultimate honesty of your unique expression"
"With Coal I feel we are one step closer to this honesty. In this recording process, a lot of the choices we made were based upon impulsiveness. However, when you are lucky enough to have inspiring and skilful producers around you, they can help you to reach these completely honest layers of your subconscious. If you are too rehearsed, too sure about what you will do, it is hard to retrieve this musical spontaneity you had when you originally composed your part. If you manage to press the record button exactly when you perform with this kind of energy, you have succeeded to catch something pure and true."
He talks of the wild and untamed energy that was released when faced with the pressure of matching or surpassing Bilateral but concedes it is only when free of expectations that any honest work can be done. I can reveal the outcome to be remarkable. Coal is impossible to pin down, like poking holes in water their music has reassembled itself by the time your mind identifies it and you are listening to something else. There's a fine marriage of composition, musicianship and identity from which everything else hangs, and it feels like anything can happen.
Leprous repeatedly lead us into unexpected places - places that reveal themselves totally logically and coherently, like exploring a ruined mansion and its grounds. It's a magical, sometimes sinister, sometimes breathtaking and endlessly interesting place; rooting through the belongings of an undisturbed house from another time. Perhaps it's soon, perhaps it was long ago. Each track is a room in this place, it all belongs to something, but every room is wildly different in its contents and each with a dizzying array of cupboards, drawers and boxes to investigate.
This diversity of riches is overhung with a despondent and haunting gloom. There are restless shadows and lachrymose spectres, some of whom turn pathological in Solberg's mouth. This is a truly stunning vocal performance and the vocal arrangements are genuinely jaw dropping. Beginning in Foe and following a huge slab of a chorus that will delight Devin Townsend fans, we are transported by popping clouds of breath in a minimalist chorale to emerge into the excellent Chronic where Muse go toe to toe with Meshuggah. This is purposeful, driven and as aggressive as it is grandiose with stirring melodic ideas in a steadily expanding, epic finale. This is surely what is playing in Valhalla right now as they prepare for the final battle after Skoll ate the sun. They only hit this level of audacious brilliance once more and that's in Contaminate Me which closes the album and is a scabrous, violent piece of disturbed and disturbing mania and is far from being fun.
The rest doesn't quite sit right with me. Coal and The Cloak, whilst being attractive in many ways tend to tread frustratingly between the amazing and the forgettable. They strive towards the cinematic and panoramic and I sense an album trying to be more important than it actually is. The Valley doesn't fully command my attention but it is replete with invention. When it pulls me in there is everything you could want in a 3 minute song but it's spread over almost nine and here's the problem with my whole experience of the album. It lacks focus and it meanders, often spending too long in one place and is so busy looking for its own unique expression that it ignores me sometimes, brushing me off with its own seriousness and self-absorption. This is only made worse by my inability to work out what Solberg is singing and wondering if what he's saying is any good. It sounds good, it sounds amazing, but I suspect he might just be saying "Aaaaaaaaah. Aaaaaaaaaaahhh. Aaahhaahaaaahaa." These songs need the lyrical poetry that the music suggests and I'm not convinced by the snatches of words I am hearing. Here's just a snippet: "All alone in city light/Where you absorb the echo". What does that mean? Ever? What can it ever mean?
In the end, whatever label you want to slap on Leprous it will be neither appropriate or accurate and regardless of anything I may have to say, this is a piece of work that only they could probably create. The unfortunate and inescapable feeling is of a band on the cusp of finding their perfect alchemy between technical proficiency and atmospheric songsmithery, between horror and beauty, between loneliness and love. But not yet, not quite. It's certainly ambitious and brave and individual. I'd love to hear it properly, the review copy was just an mp3 so I can't tell you about the production. I get the impression its vast, but I fear the whole edifice of it will dry out, crumble, and blow away rather too quickly. | 2019-04-19T19:20:57Z | http://www.dprp.net/reviews/2013-038 |
Blood and Fire is a brilliant biography of two great social and religious figures whose inheritance lives on to this day.William Booth (1829-1912) was one of the most extraordinary men of his age, a pawnbroker's clerk who would found the most successful religious movement of the nineteenth century--the Salvation Army. As a twenty-year-old, he developed the unshakable belief that God had ordained him to convert the world to Christianity.Convinced that both churches of Victorian England were ignoring the needs of the poor, he founded the East London Christian Mission.As the mission became the Salvation Army, it recruited thousands of members in battalions around the globe.Its membership is now in the hundreds of thousands in virtually every country.
Catherine, his wife, was in many ways even more exceptional.A chronic invalid and mother of eight children (within ten years), she inspired the social policy that was, and remains, an essential part of the Salvation Army's success.Catherine held ideas on social equality that were ahead of her time, and she encouraged the Army to accept "women's ministry" and give female officers authority over men.Her campaign against child prostitution resulted in the age of consent being raised from thirteen to sixteen.And it was Catherine who, even while dying of cancer, urged William to develop his plans for clearing the Victorian slums.Blood and Fire is a brilliant account of a fascinating period of social history.
The Booths were certainly a very interesting social couple during the mid to late 1800's.The things that they did to reform the church were noteworthy, but not always positive.However, the legacy of the Salvation Army deserves the respectful and compassionate overview.The author does wax political and/or socialist at times, but mostly sticks to the fascinating lives of William and Catherine Booth.Written with heart and soul, this book is a rewarding read.This couple should be remembered more often than they are in secular circles for the enormous contribution they made to British society, and the continuing service the Salvation Army renders to the poor and jobless.A beautiful book!
William and Catherine Booth endured this kind of humanist gossip throughout their marvellous ministry. It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved, and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly, hasn't a clue about salvation. It's akin to Scott of the Antarctic, frozen to death in his blizzard-bound tent, trying to commentate on a Barbados Test Match. Not only does this author not know his subject, but he has no idea of his subject's Subject. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. It's fluff. Dentist room reading only. Now Roy's even managed to write a book about John Wesley, characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money.
For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, one written by a Christian, get Trevor Yaxley's (ISBN 0764227602). And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's biography.
William and Catherine Booth were both remarkable. Many past biographers of one or the other have found it difficult to concentrate on their chosen subject, as the other keeps intruding. Roy Hattersley has solved that problem. He has written about the two of them.
The story is engrossing. William Booth, the pawnbroker's assistant, became a Methodist minister, then an itinerant evangelist, before founding the East London Mission, which eventually became The Salvation Army. Catherine, brought up by Methodist parents, met William in London in 1852, where they fell in love and soon became engaged. It was to be three more years before they were able to marry; at one time during that period they endured over 14 months of almost unbroken separation.
They formed a dynamic partnership, each complementing the other. William was an action man, a whirlwind who swept all before him. Though he was not unintelligent, he was anti-intellectual and repeatedly ignored Catherine's frequent urgings for him to study. Catherine by contrast had a powerful mind, wrote forcefully, argued convincingly, and, in spite of her shyness, became a powerful preacher. She had strongly held views about Christians abstaining from alcohol and women being allowed to preach. It is no coincidence that The Salvation Army has always taken a strong stand against alcohol, and women have been prominent in its ministry. Two of its Generals have been women.
One of the fascinating aspects of the Booths' story is the motley crowd of eccentrics they attracted to their flag. Many of their early soldiers were recruited literally from the streets, and then immediately put to work to win others to Christ. Some were illiterate, some had been drunks, others prostitutes. This particular volume, however, does not quite capture that diversity. Though The Salvation Army is probably most often thought of today as an organization engaged in social work, the Booths were first and foremost evangelists. To them the social work was secondary, both in terms of emphasis and chronology.
Roy Hattersley, the author of this book, was a cabinet minister in a British Labour Government, and his political background gives the book an interesting slant, particularly when he examines The Salvation Army's social work. The book does, however, have some problems. Hattersley seems out of sympathy with the Booths' religious convictions, and tends to sound rather condescending when discussing them. He also does not understand some basic Christian terms such as "sanctification", and frequently uses them inappropriately.In addition the book has too many avoidable errors, which suggests it may have been a rushed job. But it remains both very readable and enjoyable, and is a worthy tribute to two great Christians.
It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly,hasn't a clue about salvation. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. Well written fluff. Now Roy's managed to write a book about John Wesley characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money.
For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, get Trevor Yaxley's. And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's.
Who really founded the Army?
For those of us who have grown up in the UK Roy Hattersley's wit and intellect has long been well known.For those of us who are also Salvationists the prospect of Hattersley writing about the founders of the movement we love and serve filled our minds with a sense of forboding.
We needed not worry. Hattersley writes well, every word being closely considered, and brings what is for me the best biography I have yet read about these icons of The Salvation Army.In a "no punches pulled" account, which propels one forward with a real idea of the Booths' enthusiasm and obsession, one reads about how the movement began, survived and ultimately prospered.Unlike many in-house accounts there is no glossing over of the shortcomings of these very human beings, rather we learn how, fired by what the Booths would consider Divine Inspiration, they "pressed forward to the mark of their high calling".
I recommend this biography by Trevor Yaxley because of all the information, the look inside England in the mid eighteen hundreds, the easy to read can't put this book down style, and the almost unbelievable accomplishments of these two beloved people, William and Catherine Booth.There is a timeline and family tree in back of the book as well as good pictures.
The epilogue, entitled The Challenge, consists of the last public address by Catherine Booth, to two thousand delegates of her "army" in London on June 21, 1888.It is remarkable, challenging, and inspired.
Quoting from the first chapter is a paragraph by Paul Smith - here it is:"On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee met Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of a private home at AppomattoxCourt House.He surrendered his army, bringing to an end four long years of death and devastation called the American Civil War.In the same year, a thirty six year old Englishman by the name of William Booth declared war on the powers of darness by founding The Salvation Army."
The multitudes of people living in poverty and without dignity inspired the Booths to declare this spiritual War and with great love and compassion, they gave hope to the helpless by offering faith in God (salvation thru Christ) food (soup kitchens) clothing, and employment, and a purpose (serving in the Army to help others as they were helped and lifted up).
The story of the Booths is all about a couple in love and a passion for helping desperate destitute people and giving spiritual and physical help - so innovative was their work, that what began in England gradually spread throughout the world and they also raised many children who continued in the work of helping the poor.Today, the Salvation Army is first to appear when disasters occur anywhere in the world - want to join!
I loved the book and you will too.I never even imagined what this "Army" was all about until I came across this biography.
For many people, The Salvation Army is most visible between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's when its officers, soldiers and volunteers, in the ubiquitous Kettle Campaign, make music and collect money for good works.Few realize, however, that the Army is much, much more than this one effort and is in fact a powerhouse of an organization. None other than Peter Drucker called it"the most effective organization in the U.S."Not the most effective nonprofit, but "the most effective organization."Quite a compliment from the world's most preeminent management thinker, especially when you consider that he is comparing The Salvation Army to world-class corporations like General Electric, IBM and Johnson &Johnson.
* Clarity of mission: What you can learn from the Army's laser-like focus of evaluating everything it does in terms of its mission of preaching the gospel and meeting human needs without discrimination.
* Ability to innovate: How The Salvation Army's investment in people gets incredible returns and why it as much venture capitalist as charity.
* Measurable results: Learn The Army's unique ways of setting, monitoring and celebrating the achievement of measurable goals so you, too, can say, "look, we promised we would do this and we delivered."
* Dedication: How the Army accomplishes so much with such a small cadre of officers.
* Putting Money to Maximum Use: What you can learn from The Army's bare skeleton of a national organization in terms of making the most of your resources and making all of your operations self-sufficient.
By demonstrating the power of a sense of purpose combined with organizational effectiveness, this remarkable book has something essential to say to all executives, entrepreneurs, managers, and anyone with the ambition to bring people together to reach a goal.
Great book about a great organization!
I am not a religious person, so the "Whys" of the SA weren't of great interest to me. However, the "Hows" and "Whats" are: this book is a compelling account of how the SA effectively converts almost every penny it receives into direct, real benefits for the needy and downtrodden. ANY organization could learn much from the SA (and this book) on how to deliver high-quality, low-overhead customer service to its target audience.
If government agencies, other churches, and or even most companies, were run even half as well as the SA, the world would indeed be a much, much better place!
Peter Drucker, a management guru if there ever was one, once declared that "the Salvation Army is by far the most effective organization in the U.S." And he added: "No one even comes close to it with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use."
As Robert A. Watson, the retired National Commander of The Salvation Army U.S.A., comments in the introduction of this book, "It would never occur to us to make that claim for ourselves. It is not our style." Officers who wear the uniform of the Salvation Army cultivate a modest demeanor, and they don't like to brag about themselves. But on second thought, Mr. Watson and his coauthor do like to brag about their organization's goals and achievements: "We are out to save the world." They are proud of the Army's unblemished track record of dedication and performance. And they want their book to be about "the meaning of life", possibly "one of the most important book you'll ever read."
This last claim seems a bit overstretched--especially from an institution that claims the Holy Bible as the sole authority--, but The Most Effective Organization is probably one of the best management books I have ever read--and this includes the essays of Peter Drucker, which I often find repetitive and merely stating the obvious. Here readers won't find "the eight habits of successful spiritual enterprises" or "the eight-fold path to organizational happiness." There aren't even eight equally weighted principles. As the authors underscore, there is really one Big Idea: "Engage the Spirit". Everything stems from this basic imperative. But this being a management book, there is indeed a list of eight injunctions or bottom-line principles connected with the Big Idea.
Each chapter therefore expands on a simple message--"Embody the Brand", "Lead by Listening", etc.--illustrated through excerpts from the Salvation Army's history, anecdotes from Mr. Watson's own experience as an officer, inspirational stories from prominent business leaders, short quotes from some of the most influential management scholars, and lessons drawn from the world of professional sport and entertainment. Being the chief officer of the U.S. organization gave the main author access to many chief executives and chairpersons of large corporations, who devoted time and energy sitting on the Army's National Advisory Board and helping it shape its strategic directions. The authors also took the best they could from management books, distillating their teachings into key messages and practical examples.
What makes The Salvation Army different is its connection with the transcendental. "Our advantage--and the advantage other organizations can acquire--is a shared conviction that our purpose is sacred. We're together in the belief that our organization exists only to help people realign themselves with God and to serve one another. And we're all in agreement that each of our programs must be measured against that purpose." The Army's mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve people in need without discrimination. "When we say we are here to save and to serve, we mean that as our promise, as what we intend to be held accountable for. All of our programs--our products--grow from that sense of mission, and we measure their success against it."
"From the beginning, because of our double mission, The Salvation Army has had to be doubly accountable. To those who may not share Salvationists' religious faith, the Army must demonstrate that, in putting its spiritual purpose at the forefront, it actually strengthens attention to clients' total welfare--in body, mind and soul. To those driven by religious faith, the Army must show that it's not distracted by social service from its evangelical purpose. The Army must always prove its promise to maintain "heart to God, hand to man.""
The Salvation Army has no qualms about being a religious organization. "Yes, we are an evangelical church. Our officers are ordained ministers. Our twofold mission is to serve others and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we cannot be who we are if we deny our religious orientation." So they are ready to draw a line and to refuse government subsidies if they come with too many strings attached that would make them lose their identity. As Peter Drucker already noted, ""Government as a paymaster is a very corrupting paymaster because they think that because they're paying the piper, they can call the tunes."
The one thing that I found missing in this book is how the twin missions of evangelical preaching and social service connect to each other in the name of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures has many messages to offer to managers, and it can be a great source of inspiration for people dealing with business issues. And yet there are only two or three quotes from the Bible, brought forth in the introduction and summing up the Salvation Army's theology of service. One is "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19, KJV). The other is from the parable of the Good Samaritan: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40, KJV). These are words to remember.
mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use." Peter Drucker, preeminent management thinker.
In my consulting practice--and in my management workshops--I sometimes hear the protest, "But you don't understand! We're just a small ministry. We couldn't possibly implement the best practices of those much larger organizations."
Hopefully, my response is gracious--but direct. "Is God leading you to be small for the next 10 years? Is your mission about reaching and serving more people, or less people? Do you need a workshop on how to stay small or how to shrink further? Probably not! So what should you do?"
I recommend that organizations create a rolling three-year strategic plan. Build an annual planning cycle that ruthlessly evaluates the last year and then adds one more year onto the rolling three-year forecast. And...face the growth question with courage, time-on-your-knees and outside wisdom. Part of that outside wisdom is looking at the big boys. How did they grow? How do they innovate? How do they build in capacity and sustainability?
One excellent and very unique model is The Salvation Army, the second largest nonprofit charity in the United States (according to the annual Philanthropy 400 list published by the "Chronicle of Philanthropy"). According to their 2009 annual report (now published only online along with a video report), they spent $3.05 billion serving people in 2008. Wow.
They are evangelical Christian in beliefs--yet coalesce wider public involvement and support in meeting human needs. Their crystal clear mission statement (on their website home page) is unequivocal: "The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."
Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, called The Salvation Army "the most effective organization in the U.S." He added, "No one even comes close to it with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use."
Co-author Robert A. Watson served 44 years as a commissioned officer in The Salvation Army, four of those as the national commander, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S.This is no puff piece--it's an insider's insight on a remarkable organization and very much worth the read.
He writes, "To grow from a start-up to a much larger enterprise, to thrive over the long term without losing either mission focus or creative energy, requires skills that aren't nearly so apparent or crucial when an organization launches. In fact they may be skills that are quite the opposite of those required to get off the ground."
Stay small, shrink or grow? This book will help you grow.
An autobiographical novel by turn naïve and cunning, funny and moving, this most recent work by Moroccan expatriate Abdellah Taïa is a major addition to the new French literature emerging from the North African Arabic diaspora. Salvation Army is a coming-of-age novel that tells the story of Taïa's life with complete disclosure—from a childhood bound by family order and latent (homo)sexual tensions in the poor city of Salé, through a sexual awakening in Tangier charged by the young writer's attraction to his eldest brother, to a disappointing arrival in the Western world to study in Geneva in adulthood. In so doing, Salvation Army manages to burn through the author's first-person singularity to embody the complex mélange of fear and desire projected by Arabs on Western culture.
Recently hailed by his native country's press as "the first Moroccan to have the courage to publicly assert his difference," Taïa, through his calmly transgressive work, has "outed" himself as "the only gay man" in a country whose theocratic law still declares homosexuality a crime. The persistence of prejudices on all sides of the Mediterranean and Atlantic makes the translation of Taïa's work both a literary and political event. The arrival of Salvation Army (published in French in 2006) in English will be welcomed by an American audience already familiar with a growing cadre of talented Arab writers working in French (including Muhammad Dib, Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Abdelkebir Khatibi, and Kātib Yāsīn).
I have just read about this author in a magazine. The writer`s review was amazing and that encouraged me to buy it.I realize during the reading that is was a wonderful story, very wellnarrated. It made me feel in his own skin, and felt all his feelings during the process off coming out.Its a book to read in one week.
The best parts of Abdellah Taia's "Salvation Army" story are largely about the challenges of being gay in a Muslim country (albeit a relatively open one--Morocco); then finding a kind of sexual liberation in Europe; finally finding another kind of isolation in being a third worlder in a first world country. Taia's autobiographical protagonist is by stages idealistic, romantic, naive and disillusioned. Not surprising as he is following his heart in Morocco into forbidden territory, which is both dangerous and ultimately futile.Age brings hope and escape to another culture where being gay is not the offense, but being foreign is.There is a happy outcome to this particular tale (implied at least) because Abdellah Taia did become a successful literary figure in France and a kind of cult figure in Morocco, where his books have been published.
This is an engaging contribution to the more general story of the modern immigrant, but with the special circumstances of an alternative sexual identity.A 3+ on the Amazon rating scale.A more extensive novel on this subject in a more mature voice is Tahar Ben Jelloun's "Leaving Tangier".
It is one of a kind.... I enjoyed every part of it. It was a little difficult to follow at parts but kept me interested at all times.
As a person who generally loves the memoir genre, I was impressed at how skilled Taia shaped thoughts and stories about his life. At times he was verbose giving every last detail and at other times he leaves the reader without all of the information. Taia artfully sculpts part of his life into a cutting edge novel that spans two theatres--Morroco and Switzerland--and the conflicts deep inside Taia. Taia should be lauded for the authenticity provided in his narrative told through raw stories.
This is a well written account of the incredibly courageous, tenacious General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. C. T. Studd is quoted as saying ""Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." That sums up the life of Booth. This story is inspiring, humbling and extraordinarily interesting. Booth put his faith into hands on action during a period of great social change. In doing so he inspired an army that continues his legacy today.
Those people in uniforms who ring bells and raise money for the poor during the holiday season belong to a religious movement that in 1865 combined early feminism, street preaching, holiness theology, and intentionally outrageous singing into what soon became the Salvation Army. In Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down, Pamela Walker emphasizes how thoroughly the Army entered into nineteenth-century urban life. She follows the movement from its Methodist roots and East London origins through its struggles with the established denominations of England, problems with the law and the media, and public manifestations that included street brawls with working-class toughs.
Onward Christian Soldiers . . .
I couldn't wait to read Bette Dowdell's memoir.I too grew up in the Salvation Army.And yes, it's all there.Frequent moves, strange places to live, low salary (when there is any), the heavy connection with the British, but the good times too.It is indeed the Army, our very own Salvation Army and we love it despite all.
The only thing I missed was hearing a bit more about the participation of the children in so many actual services, but I think Dowdell's era was more recent than mine though she doesn't give dates. I wanted to hear about the kids musical instruments and playing on street corners.Yes, even in the Army politics can't be avoided.
The Salvation Army - few have put thought into it beyond witnessing the man dressed as Santa ringing a bell. "On We March: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Salvation Army" is Bette Dowdell's story of growing up under parents strongly involved in the organization. Painting a bright picture of the company, it draws upon the strong faith Bette gained growing up in life. Not afraid to laugh a little, "On We March" is a charming story of growing up in something that's always been there, but rarely thought about.
Had she told only the good things, this memoir of growing up in the Salvation Army would not be near as powerful. The tale revolves around her father, Charles Dowdell, who she reveres as one beaming tower of a man. One would think that a church hierarchy would be exempt from the politics played out continually in any corporate structure. The opposite is true; it's worse here. Sometimes the family found themselves without food or transportation, assigned to decrepit quarters only a hallway from the transient population, and protected only by the dogs her mother meticulously trained. Undaunted and unmoved, Major Dowdell, uncomplaining, soldiered on, eventually right on out of the Salvation Army. It's inspiring that after changing schools every year or two and growing up on donated clothes and food, this daughter pens a heartfelt thank you. What a story!
I have always loved the Salvation Army for the wonderful contributions their soldiers make for the Lord. A special part of Christmas for me is listening for the bells ringing to encourage people to donate to the kettles and heading over to put some money in. After reading On We March, I've added a new pleasure . . . asking the bell ringers about how they came to work for the Salvation Army and their experiences. It has been a great blessing.
For those who don't share my love of Salvation Army bell ringers, I encourage you to read On We March which portrays a child's perspective on what it is like to grow up in the Salvation Army. Ms. Bette Dowdell brings great verve and humor to her story telling. The Dowdells are not people who are easily discouraged.
I was fascinated to learn that the Salvation Army families often go without salaries so that poor people can be served. This is certainly in the best sense of following the Lord's direction to "follow Me" and not worrying about how one's own needs will be served. I also thought that no one moved around more often than members of the U.S. Armed Services. The Salvation Army families seem to move three times for every move that the Armed Services make. It's a hard but rewarding life that brings the family closer to the Lord in some very unexpected ways.
I have rarely read a memoir that expressed more love for a father than Ms. Dowdell's depiction of her father, who seems to have been as close as people on earth ever get to acting like angels.
Ms. Dowdell hopes you will want to give more money to the Salvation Army after reading this book (although she isn't currently part of that fine organization). Well, she succeeded with me. I doubled my contributions this year.
May God bless the Salvation Army and the wonderful families like the Dowdells who serve in it.
On We March- A delightful read for me!
In this engrossing study of religion, urban life, and commercial culture, Diane Winston shows how a (self-styled "red-hot") militant Protestant mission established a beachhead in the modern city. When The Salvation Army, a British evangelical movement, landed in New York in 1880, local citizens called its eye-catching advertisements "vulgar" and dubbed its brass bands, female preachers, and overheated services "sensationalist." Yet a little more than a century later, this ragtag missionary movement had evolved into the nation's largest charitable fund-raiser--the very exemplar of America's most cherished values of social service and religious commitment.
Winston illustrates how the Army borrowed the forms and idioms of popular entertainments, commercial emporiums, and master marketers to deliver its message. In contrast to histories that relegate religion to the sidelines of urban society, her book shows that Salvationists were at the center of debates about social services for the urban poor, the changing position of women, and the evolution of a consumer culture. She also describes Salvationist influence on contemporary life--from the public's post-World War I (and ongoing) love affair with the doughnut to the Salvationist young woman's career as a Hollywood icon to the institutionalization of religious ideals into nonsectarian social programs.
Winston's vivid account of a street savvy religious mission transformed over the decades makes adroit use of performance theory and material culture studies to create an evocative portrait of a beloved yet little understood religious movement. Her book provides striking evidence that, counter to conventional wisdom, religion was among the seminal social forces that shaped modern, urban America--and, in the process, found new expression for its own ideals.
The first Salvation Army kettle, complete with attendantbell-ringer, appeared on the streets of San Francisco in 1891. Theslogan, "Fill the Pot for the Poor--Free Dinner on Christmas Day," haschanged, but the practice hasn't. Starting with the Army's arrival inthe United States in 1880 and describing its activities through WorldWar II, DianeWinston's Red-Hot and Righteous follows the Army'smissions, methods, and spectacular growth.
I'm delighted with Winston's work.Currently I'm writing a novel in which the Salvation Army is prominent and I needed to be sure I had some early facts verified.Winston gives me the facts I need and has confirmed some of my own material.I particularly appreciated her emphasis on performances and the Army's proclamation of all space as God's own.
Her explanation of the secularization of religion, the bringing of religion out of the clouds and into everyday life, provides a whole new perspective on religious belief. A time when the religious experience was fun.
Required for a history class years ago. One of the better social histories out there.
Gracefully written, but lacking in focus.
Is this book an organizational history of the Salvation Army?Is it about the Army as an urban religious phenomenon?Is it about the Army's use of the methods of popular entertainment in order to draw attention, converts, and public support?Is it about the power of women within the Salvation Army?Is it a discussion of how the public perception of the Army (and the women in it)changed between 1880 and 1940?
"Red Hot and Righteous" tries to be all of these and more, but unfortunately it doesn't work.As a popular history, this is pleasant enough reading, but as a scholarly work it is maddeningly diffuse.Winston's thesis is ill-defined, she fails to address the existing literature on the Salvation Army, and she has no evident theoretical approach.While she addresses the power women had within the Salvation Army, as a feminist history "Red Hot and Righteous" lacks teeth because Winston turns her focus elsewhere rather than fully developing her discussion of women's roles.
Winston also uses a very limited range of sources.When presenting the Army's side of the story she leans very heavily on the 'American War Cry'--the Army's own paper.The 'AWC' was sold to the general public to raise funds, and it was thus intended to present the Army and its activities in the best possible light.For an outsider's view of the Salvation Army she relies overwhelmingly on one newspaper--the 'New York Times.'What about ethnic newspapers?What about papers that found their audience primarily among the poor and working class?What did the people the Army aimed its evangelical and charitable activities at think of these predominantly middle-class do-gooders?
Winston writes very well, and she gives the Salvation Army the respectful treatment it deserves.But as an academic work, "Red Hot and Righteous" fails to gel.By narrowing her argument and focusing on a specific issue--women's roles and leadership within the Army, the use of popular culture as an evangelical tool, changing depictions of Salvation Army women in books and popular entertainment--and expanding the types of sources used, Winston could have broken new ground.Unfortunately, she keeps stabbing her spade with too little force in too many different places, and as a result she only raises a bit of dust.While I would still recommend this book for a general readership, as a scholar I found it unfocused and ultimately unsatisfying.
William Booth was born in Nottingham, England, on April 10, 1829, and was left, at thirteen, the only son of a widowed and impoverished mother. His father had been one of those builders of houses who so rapidly rose in those days to wealth, but who, largely employing borrowed capital, often found themselves in any time of general scarcity reduced to poverty.
"I had a good mother. So good she has ever appeared to me that I have often said that all I knew of her life seemed a striking contradiction of the doctrine of human depravity. In my youth I fully accepted that doctrine, and I do not deny it now; but my patient, self-sacrificing mother always appeared to be an exception to the rule.
"I loved my mother. From infancy to manhood I lived in her. Home was not home to me without her. I do not remember any single act of wilful disobedience to her wishes. When my father died I was so passionately attached to my mother that I can recollect that, deeply though I felt his loss, my grief was all but forbidden by the thought that it was not my mother who had been taken from me. And yet one of the regrets that has followed me to the present hour is that I did not sufficiently value the treasure while I possessed it, and that I did not with sufficient tenderness and assiduity at the time, attempt the impossible task of repaying the immeasurable debt I owed to that mother's love.
"She was certainly one of the most unselfish beings it has been my lot to come into contact with. 'Never mind me' was descriptive of her whole life at every time, in every place, and under every circumstance. To make others happy was the end of all her thoughts and aims with regard not only to her children but to her domestics, and indeed to all who came within her influence. To remove misery was her delight. No beggar went empty-handed from her door. The sorrows of any poor wretch were certain of her commiseration, and of a helping hand in their removal, so far as she had ability. The children of misfortune were sure of her pity, and the children of misconduct she pitied almost the more, because, for one reason, they were the cause of sorrow to those who had reason to mourn on their account.
Wow. This is a great book.
I was pleased at the way this book chronicles the lives of William and Catherine Booth. What a pair! I mean this man had a very hard life and basically was an indentured servant during his apprenticeship.They both new the meaning of self sacrifice and being our brother's keeper. What an awesome couple. Definitely read this one. It will give you a new perspective on your own life. | 2019-04-18T21:10:53Z | http://www.geometry.net/basic_s_bk/salvation_army.html |
Recently, we purchased a new travel backpack for our family travels. We had been researching the best travel backpack brands for a while as there are a lot of options. I read various travel backpack reviews in order to decide what would be the best backpacks for our family’s current needs.
After years of travelling I know it’s important to ask yourself a few questions before rushing out to purchase a pack. Firstly, you need to consider who will carry the backpack?
What will you put in the backpack? Do you need a laptop backpack to keep your laptop safe or will one of the cheap travel backpacks do?
Another big consideration is the comfort factor, the best travel bags are usually lightweight and fit your shoulders and back comfortably, so you can get on with travelling without worrying about back and neck strain.
Click here to see the best travel backpack now.
To save you hours of research, I have compiled this guide to help you answer all these questions. I have gathered information on some of the top travel backpacks from the best backpack brands as well as their various features so you can choose one of the best backpacking bags for your needs.
2 Why and when is it best to travel with a backpack?
3 What to consider in buying the best travel backpack 2019?
Why and when is it best to travel with a backpack?
A backpacker is not just for young travellers staying in dorm rooms. A backpack is for various types of travellers who want the freedom of having their hands free and not having to wheel a bulky suitcase around.
Travelling with a backpack gives you flexibility, when you turn a corner and see a set of stairs or arrive at a hotel with no elevator. A backpack is the perfect type of bag if you travel with children as it allows you to have your hands free to hold a little one’s hands without trying to wheel a suitcase and keep the kids safe.
What to consider in buying the best travel backpack 2019?
Do you travel light? Are you physically fit? Do you need to carry a laptop or tent on your travels? What else do you need to know when looking to buy?
Travel backpack brands offer backpacks for all people and occasions, there is not a “one size fits all” backpack.
Whether you are looking for the best hiking backpack, the best daypack for travel or the best backpack for Europe or Asia, it is important to give yourself time to understand exactly what it is you need from a backpack, and the time to find it.
These days it is easy enough to buy backpacks online (when considering where to buy travel backpacks I do recommend online as it is usually the cheapest option), but when doing so remember to consider the size. Too small and you won’t be able to fit all your family’s things in, too big and you may have to check the bag in unnecessarily or pay for excess baggage.
It is also important to consider who will be carrying the backpack. A tall man and a petite woman have very different frames. I recommend you aim to find the best lightweight travel backpack that meets your needs in all other areas.
These days many travellers are opting for carry on only luggage and there are some great options out there for the best carry on luggage backpack. However, there are still just as many awesome bags with various compartments for those travellers who like to bring loads of stuff with them.
When purchasing a pack, consider whether you want a front loading or top loading bag. Basically, this means do you want to access your things via the top of the bag or the front. In my view, front loading packs are far easier, they are similar to a suitcase and usually have various compartments making it easy to locate your items.
Talking about compartments, when purchasing a new pack, consider what items you will carry and what things you may need to access quickly, and how often. A sleeping bag or change of clothes does not have to be as easy to get to as a rain cover, phone, camera, passport, tickets or laptop.
Internal compartments are important too, helping to keep things organised and easy to find when you need them. These days travellers are taking various technology with them and so there are some great packs on the market with compartments designed to keep these items safe.
Below in the reviews, there are some great options if you are after the best laptop backpack for travel. These packs have compartments designed to keep your laptop safe and secure whilst travelling as well as easily accessible.
Comfort is paramount when purchasing a pack and these days ergonomics are a priority for designers which means the best quality backpacks all come with comfortable straps.
A good strap system will spread the load of the backpack across your back, with most of the weight resting on your hips via the hip belt. Some backpacks come with pockets in the hip belt for snacks or small phones.
Key features for travelling outdoors are a water-resistant fabric, quick access to rain cover, water and snacks. If you are planning to use daily for work, study or commuting, a reflective strip or option of adding a blinking light might be important for you.
There is no one “best backpack in the world”, it must suit your needs. Keep this in mind when choosing and try not to get dazzled by features.
If you travel with a laptop, look for a pack with a built in laptop compartment. These compartments have padded sleeves which are designed to keep your laptop safe and secure whilst travelling.
Other packs have certain compartments for mobile phones, keys, passports, tickets and cameras.
The addition of carry handles give extra flexibility. Carry handles means you don’t always have to wear your backpack on your back, you may be able to stow your straps and carry as a traditional suitcase. Carry handles also aid in putting your back in overhead plane lockers as well as on buses.
A water resistant fabric is great for a backpack. It is one less thing to think about if it starts to shower, or you accidentally spill something on you backpack. It gives you that bit of extra time to find cover, or grab your rain cover to ensure your backpack and its contents are protected.
This Osprey Travel Backpack is designed to carry loads of up to 25 kg’s. It comes with a detachable daypack complete with laptop sleeve and a scratch free pocket for your eye wear. Made from Nylon Ripstop fabric, the Farpoint 55 is water resistant.
The main compartment is accessed via a large zippered panel, which can be secured with locks. The laptop and tablet sleeve is also lockable. Internal and external compression straps allow you to secure items inside the backpack and reduce the overall external size if required.
A considered design, the trademark LightWire frame suspension system transfers the weight of the backpack to the hip belt, keeping the strain off your shoulders. A frame sheet spreads the weight across the back. The Farpoint 55 gives you the option of stowing the shoulder straps and hip belt in a zippered compartment, streamlining your baggage for transport.
Osprey is a respected brand with good customer service. This is a good pack with well thought out features and comfort in mind.
The Kelty Redwing 50 Backpack is a simple backpack with less focus on features and more on comfort.
The suspension system for this pack allows for on body adjustments, by loosening all the straps before you put the pack on and tightening them while you are wearing the pack you ensure a customised fit.
The main compartment can be accessed from the top zippered panel, or via a larger zippered panel below the compression straps. Padded and ventilated back panel helps to keep you cool while wearing the pack.
The padded hydration sleeve doubles as a laptop pocket, so no dedicated laptop sleeve. You can carry tent poles or a fishing rod in deep side panel/pockets.
Some reviews have raised a disappointment at the lack of features, for example, no rain cover pocket at the bottom of the pack, no internal compression straps, no lockable zippers. However others rate this pack as the best 50L backpack available so it could be your perfect fit.
The Gregory Mountain J53 Backpack is a lightweight pack specifically designed for women.
The strap system designed to be comfortable for women, has cutaways on the shoulder straps, a contoured hip belt and padding at the breathable lumbar region. The hip belt has 2 small pockets for snacks or a small phone.
Able to carry up to 20 kg’s, this pack is suited to overnight or weekend trips. The trampoline style mesh covered frame is designed to provide an air gap between your back and the pack, keeping you cooler while on the move. The pack is top loading and has a large zippered panel to access the main compartment.
Removable or extendable top pocket, external compression straps and easily accessed rain cover, add to the flexibility of this pack. Great for weekend getaways or for those looking for the best hiking backpack for women.
The Osprey carry on backpack is packed with pockets and heaps of space, for a laptop backpack.
With a streamlined design and lockable zippers, reviews indicate this is good value for money. Described by Osprey as urban to trail, the Osprey Nebula is sturdy enough for travel, commuting or a sometimes outdoors trip. Key features include a blinker light attachment for cycling at night, a padded laptop sleeve which has separate zippered access, large organisation front pocket and a top grab handle.
Mesh pockets are great for quick access and a visual recognition, this pack has incorporated these at the sides and front and within the organisation pocket. The suspended mesh ventilated back panel keeps you cooler by creating some airflow between you and the pack. The removable hip belt gives you more options.
The hanging padded laptop sleeve keeps your laptop off the ground and close to your back for a more comfortable carry.
The Osprey Nebula is a great choice for those looking for the best small travel backpack.
The Swiss Ruigor 6147, sounds like a weapon! Not surprisingly this Swiss designed backpack is almost intuitive in its design.
Three zippered top openings give enough room to see what is in each compartment without being too big. The front organisation pocket includes small to medium pockets for pens and notebooks, a small zippered mesh pocket and key hook.
The middle compartment is perfect for books or folders. The laptop sleeve located in the back compartment accommodates a laptop or tablet up to 15.6 inches in size. Considered ergonomics, this pack has a breathable padded back, assisting in cool comfortable wearing.
Earphone port, reflective strip, safe pocket and glasses hook complete this backpack.
The Osprey carry on travel backpack has direct access to the laptop sleeve and gives you the option of purchasing Osprey’s trademarked Handle-It system to create a roll on luggage system, making this one of the best carry on backpack for international travel.
The Ozone Ultralight is made up of three main compartments, the front organisation compartment, main compartment and lower compartment. The front organiser pocket has a zippered pocket hidden inside, the main compartment includes a padded laptop sleeve and the lower compartment has been designed for shoes or camera gear.
Upper and lower compression straps help to keep items secure inside the pack, while ventilated harness and hip belt aide in keeping you cool, and can be stowed away. The stretch mesh pockets on either side are for bottles or sunscreen.
This pack has standard features presented well. If you are looking for a backpack that is a little bit bigger with an option of using the roll on luggage system, this is a great choice.
Not sure if you will need a backpack, or an extra backpack on your next journey? The Outlander Packable Lightweight Travel packs down to the size of a big burger when empty, so you can pop it in your main bag in case you need an extra bag during your travels .
This 35L backpack has a lifetime warranty, is made from rip proof water resistant nylon and comes with a free carabiner. A focus on durability is in Outlander’s interests keeping warranty claims down, reports that despite the price and packable feature, that this backpack is durable.
The simple design has a main compartment, a small front pocket and 2 side pockets for water bottles. The main compartment opens with a zipper in a traditional “U” shape to access the inside of the backpack easily. The small front pocket is also zippered designed for keys and wallet type items.
This is a good daypack option, big enough for snacks, camera, book, and more. A reasonable price and a great warranty.
We have this backpack ourselves and use it often. It is perfect for an extra day pack when we travel.
The Osprey Farpoint 70 travel backpack comes in 2 sizes, s/m 67L or m/l 70L and includes a daypack. Even better, it comes with a lifetime warranty!
Not classified as lightweight, this size backpack is for a longer trip, or a trip that requires a bit more gear. The inclusion of the daypack, easily zippered off the main pack, means you can carry minimal weight with you while you explore, and has a designated laptop sleeve.
Made from durable fabric, stow away straps for travelling, internal and external compression straps, padded handles and plenty of internal and external pockets. This pack is a solid choice for travelling.
The Kelty Redwing 44 Backpack is perfect for those who travel light and includes a padded hydration or laptop sleeve.
Upper side pockets and front pocket with organisation panel for small items you want to access regularly. Stretchy lower side pockets are great for water bottles, and a stash pocket at the front of the backpack is secured with a hook only for storing and grabbing a jacket or jumper quickly.
The main compartment can be accessed from the top of the pack via a small zippered panel, or similar to a suitcase opening, when the backpack is laid on its back, almost the entire front panel can be zipped open.
A simple design to spread the load across the back and onto the padded hip belt, this backpack is as comfortable outdoors as it is on a flight.
My husband has this pack and is a fan. It requires extra postage as it needs to come from the US but we found it worth it as this is a quality backpack from a great price that holds as much as possible while still being fine to bring onboard as carry on luggage.
The Osprey Women’s Aura 50 AG Backpack is a large pack and is receiving great reviews with regards to its comfort factors.
With a focus on designing a comfortable, larger sized pack for women, Osprey have delivered. A trademarked AntiGravity suspension system and curved design, the Aura 50 transfers the weight easily to the comfortable hip belt. This is so important for a pack this size. It is no good wearing this on day 1 of a 10 day trip and realising your neck and shoulders are paying for it.
The harness is adjustable while you are wearing the backpack, and the hip belt has pockets for snacks, phone or sunscreen. Plenty of pockets without being confusing, compression straps, lockable zippers and bottom sleeping bag storage.
This is a big pack that is well designed. If you are needing a bit more space and comfort is high on your priority list, this might be the backpack for you.
The Kelty Women’s Redwing 40 has been designed for women to take on short to medium length trips or for those that travel light.
Womens specific waistband and shoulder straps are contoured for comfort. A classic Kelty design, standard features included are the upper and lower side pockets, which can be used to store long items such as poles, or fishing rods. Considered design keep straps tidy while in use and you have the option of removing the hip belt completely.
The suspension system is ridged and light, and the straps and back panel are padded and meshed for cooling. However, this pack is sized, the shoulder straps are non adjustable, only accommodating torso’s 14-18 ½ inches in length.
Versatile enough to take on a plane or into the outdoors, this small to medium sized pack is a great addition to the Kelty range and one of the best 40L backpack options.
I own this myself and love it. I take it onboard all flights as carry on luggage yet it holds so much. I am able to take all my own luggage as well as the family’s toiletries, my laptop in the back insert and a huge bag of nappies as well.
It’s always super comfortable and I highly recommend it.
Read about the best carry on luggage and other travel related products here. | 2019-04-21T21:12:15Z | https://simplerandsmarter.com.au/best-travel-backpack/ |
An in-depth discussion of skin protection from exposure to cement, including causes, prevention, and training materials to be used with workers. Part of a collection. Click on the 'collection' button to access the other items.
This material is supported in part with funds from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training to a consortium of CPWR, the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association, and FOF Communications. Researched, written, and produced by FOF Communications.
If you are responsible for protecting the safety and health of workers who use wet portland cement products—concrete, mortar, plaster, grout, stucco, terrazzo, or other products, this guide is for you. It will help you prevent skin problems from cement.
Development of this guide was supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through a CPWR Consortium on Preventing Contact Dermatitis. Consortium partners are CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training, the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association, and FOF Communications. The guide was researched, developed, and produced by FOF Communications.
The consortium steering committee includes: David Hinkamp, MD; Boris Lushniak, MD, of NIOSH; Jon Mullarky and Greg Vickers of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association; William Schell of the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association; John Sullivan, Jr., P.E., of the American Portland Cement Alliance; Azita Mashayekhi of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Eileen Betit of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers.
The consortium has been instrumental in focusing the cement industry on skin problems and in disseminating innovative protective measures such as the use of buffers and other neutralizing agents. The consortium supported a Physician Alert brochure to help Portland cement products workers talk with their doctors; the Save Your Skin booklet on glove wear; An Employer's Guide to Skin Protection; a Tool Box Pamphlet; a worker classroom training course; a training evaluation study; jobsite visits for pH testing of surface skin and rinse water; a stakeholder symposium, and a professional advisory group meeting on the development of this handbook.
To learn more, visit NIOSH at www.cdc.gov/niosh or CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training at www.cpwr.com or call the NIOSH Technical Information Branch (800-356- 4674) or CPWR (301-578-8500).
Ted Jason' s eight-year old daughter got a painful rash that would not go away. The Jasons took her to several doctors. They applied ointments. They washed her sore skin with prescribed soaps. Nothing they did made a difference.
Then Ted took a course on preventing dermatitis from Portland cement . He learned to measure the pH of the surf aces of his skin, his boots, and his car interior.
Ted found out that alkaline cement residue from his work had contaminated his life in a way he had never before appreciated. He realized his daughter had been exposed.
So Ted began following the tips given in the course. He cleaned his car interior and began removing his work clothes before getting into it . He switched to pH-neutral soap for his family. Within a few weeks, his daughter's skin problem was gone—and so was his.
What does Ted Jason' s story tell us about many port land cement products workers? Too often, they may feel they must accept their skin problems as part of the job. Ted became serious about treating dermatitis only when his own daughter got a skin problem.
Skin problems from cement are widespread. Unfortunately, problems are often tolerated as part of the price of the work in some trades. Our tolerance permits the high rates of occupational skin problems in the United States to continue. A change in attitude is needed.
As a safety & health practitioner, you may find that you too hold many of the more traditional assumptions about how to prevent occupational skin problems.
If you believe skin protection is fundamentally a matter of getting workers into the proper gloves, then you will find much in this guide that is innovative and thought-provoking.
One of your challenges is to convince cement products workers that it is possible for them to prevent occupational skin problems. But first, they - and you--must recognize when skin problems exist. Often, rashes and other symptoms are downplayed or overlooked as a prelude to chronic disease.
Dry skin or irritation. Wet cement dries and irritates skin.
As a safety & health practitioner, you can take many actions in support of worker protection. In addition to educating workers, you can educate employers. You can work to create an environment in which the individual worker’s decision to adopt protection is reinforced by social influences and in which protections are readily available and easy to use.
As a safety & health practitioner, you can help workers choose the right protective measures, you can convince employers to take the best protective actions, and you can keep both groups continually motivated so that incremental progress will be made.
Portland cement products workers include bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, hod carriers, laborers, plasterers, tile setters, terrazzo workers, ready-mixed concrete truck drivers, and other workers. Portland cement products include concrete, mortar, plaster, grout, stucco, terrazzo, and other products.
What Problems Does Cement Cause?
Skin problems can be mild and short-lived or severe, persistent, and disabling. Problems can happen after single or multiple exposures. It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict who will get skin problems based on experience or on medical tests.
Dry skin or irritation may include scaling, it chiness, burning, and redness.
Dry skin may also be called xerosis. Portland cement exposure can lead directly to dry skin or irritation.
Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) can be acute or chronic. Symptoms may include stinging, pain, itching, blisters, rash, dead skin, scabs, scaling, fissures, redness, swelling, bumps, and watery discharge. Sometimes irritated skin may become infected. Exposure to portland cement can lead directly to ICD without first causing dry skin.
Alkalinity is essential in the development of irritant contact dermatitis from portland cement. 3 Cement makes the skin’s barrier layer more alkaline and permeable. As the barrier layer becomes permeable, repeated contact with abrasive particles in cement products may contribute to ICD and ACD.
It can be difficult to recognize ICD by its appearance or morphology alone.4 Proper diagnosis of work-related ICD requires a complete work history and a physical examination.
Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) . Alkalinity is essential in the development of irritant contact dermatitis from cement. At alkaline pH, human skin is more permeable, repeated contact with abrasive materials may contribute to ICD and ACD.
Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an immune response. It is like other allergies but it involves the skin. ACD includes many of the same symptoms as ICD.
Most portland cement contains metals or other chemicals which are sensitizers, or allergens. Foremost among them is hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) . Others may be present in admixtures: accelerators, water reducers, superplasticizers, retardants, air entraining agents, or polymer-modified systems.
ACD can develop without any warnings, such as local irritation. ACD is difficult to cure. The allergy may last a lifetime, with symptoms recurring after each exposure.
Caustic burns (cement burns) are chemical burns. Second or third degree burns may occur after relatively short exposures to fresh mortar, concrete, grout , and other Portland cement products. Cement burns look like other burns. They produce blisters, dead or hardened skin, or black or green skin. Cement burns can lead to allergic dermatitis. In addition, chromate sensitivity can exacerbate the severity of cement burns.
In severe cases, these burns may extend to the bone causing disfiguring scars, even disability. Some may require skin grafts.
Refer cement burns to a medical specialist without delay. When a worker feels a cement burn, much damage already has been done and further damage can develop unless medical treatment is received.
Cement burns. The occurrence of alkaline burns from Portland cement is well documented. In severe cases, these burns may extend to the bone and cause disfiguring scars, even disability.
Why Worry About Portland Cement ?
Some 5 to 15% of workers coming into contact with Portland cement that contains hexavalent chromium may suffer allergic contact dermatitis, a rate as high as 25 times that of the general population.9 This dermatitis may persist in 20 to 40% of workers without further exposures, even after they leave the trade.
Experts agree that reported lost time is just the small tip of a very large iceberg of skin disease. One indication of how prevalent skin problems are comes from a statistically valid survey of apprentice cement masons.
In 1997, 442 apprentices were surveyed using a questionnaire derived from one used by NIOSH.6 The response rat e was 100%. The mean age of t he surveyed apprentices was 27; the most frequent age was 20. The mean number of years in the industry was 3.3.
71% of apprentices had one or more skin problems. Only 29% reported no skin problems.
A surprising 71% of the apprentices reported one or more skin problems in the previous 12 months, including rashes, bumps, blisters, fissures, scaling, redness, oozing, burning, and pain. Only 29% reported no skin problems.
Only 7% of apprentices with skin problems reported lost time or physician visits for those problems.
Only 7% of those reporting skin problems reported lost time or physician visits for their problems. 93% of the apprentices with skin problems continued to work without seeking medical treatment —setting themselves up for lifelong health problems. (Also see Halbert .9) Asked whether they had had ‘eczema’ or ‘ dermatitis’ at any time during their careers, only 3% of surveyed apprentices said yes, indicating possible lack of medical diagnosis.
Official reports of lost work days are not always reliable indicators of the rates skin problems among Portland cement products workers. More accurate estimates may come from statistically reliable surveys.
Skin has two primary layers. Together, both are less than 1/ 8-inch thick.
The epidermis ( outer layer) is only 1/ 250th of an inch thick.
The dermis and epidermis contain oil glands, hair follicles, and sweat glands—all are like tiny channels through the skin letting in some foreign substances. Skin also contains blood vessels. Some chemicals can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream.
The old model of skin disease assumed that skin responds directly to external insults. The response included conditions like inflammation, rashes, or even scar tissue.
Scientists can now detect skin function at the molecular level due to advances in bioengineering technologies.
The skin is the single largest organ. It covers 20 square feet of surface. The skin's purpose is to protect the body from external substances, chemicals, and bacteria. The 'permeability barrier' plays a major role in maintaining healthy skin in the new outside-to-inside model of skin disease.
When barrier disruption is persistent , these processes become chronic. In some individuals, the repair response compensates for insults and produces 'hardening.' Hardening is a state of accommodation.
Normalization of the barrier function should be a standard part of treatment of skin problems. 13,15 Recovery or repair of the ‘permeability barrier' requires acidification of the stratum corneum as discussed in more detail in Chapter 4.
Preventing 'INSULT' means avoiding contact with irritants.
The role of pH in barrier maintenance and repair is discussed further in Chapter 4.
What ‘Insults’ Initiate Skin Problems?
Worksite materials can start skin problems. Some materials insult and injure skin. Some also pass through it to the bloodstream.
Portland cement is very alkaline (caustic) when wet so it affects skin surface pH. The moisture in eyes, mucus, and sweaty skin can contribute water to dry cement, releasing its causticity. Portland cement is hygroscopic so it draws moisture from skin. Cement products are abrasive and physically damage the skin surface, making it a less effective barrier against chemicals. These factors allow cement to cause dry skin and irritant contact dermatitis.
Sensitizers in workplace materials may cause allergic responses in some workers. The reaction may be local or widespread. Sensitization is an immune response. The immune system fights a foreign substance. Usually, the material causes no change on first contact. Once a person is sensitized, small amounts trigger a strong reaction. Many people cannot tolerate any further exposure.
Possible sensitizers used by cement products workers include: hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in cement, chemical admixtures in concrete, epoxies, additives in rubber gloves, and other trace metals in cement.
Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is rated as a strong to extreme sensitizer. It is an important cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Cement's alkalinity increases skin absorption of this soluble chromate. Some studies show that Cr6+ penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. 7 If skin is mechanically damaged (cuts, abrasions), it is feasible that Cr6+ and other allergens can penetrate it .
Worksite skin cleaners too often are caustic and abrasive. They may contain sensitizers like lanolin, limonene, or perfume and they may contain irritants like alcohol.
How long does the worksite material contact the worker’s skin?
How often does a worker use the worksite material?
Is the worksite material trapped or occluded to the skin by gloves, creams, lotions, pet roleum jelly, or barrier creams?
Heat causes sweating. Sweat can dissolve chemicals on the skin. Heat increases blood flow at the skin surface and this increases the absorption of materials into and through the skin.
Cold dries the skin and causes microscopic cracks, sometimes known as ‘winter eczema.’ Cold changes blood flow at the skin surface and leads to loss of feeling.
Humidity increases sweating. High relative humidity (RH) keeps sweat from evaporating. A 1998 study showed that epidermal homeostasis and barrier repair following acute insult are better supported in a low humidity (RH<10%) environment rather than in high humidity (RH>80%). 17 Recent data suggest 40-60% RH is optimal.
Sun burns and damages skin. Sun can increase absorption of chemicals. Some chemicals react with sunlight to cause photosensitization and photoirritation. Sun exposure alone can also cause skin cancer.
'Insults' to the permeability barrier of the skin of cement products workers include wet cement, hexavalent chromium, and harsh worksite cleaners.
From 1983 to 1994, the rate of reported occupational skin diseases rose from 64 to 81 cases per 100,000 workers. In 1994, there were approximately 66,000 new reported cases of occupational skin diseases.
What Do Skin Problems Cost ?
From 1983 to 1994, the rate of occupational skin diseases increased from 64 to 81 cases per 100,000 workers. In 1994, there were approximately 66,000 new reported cases of occupational skin diseases. Reported skin diseases are current ly about 10 to 15% of all work-related disease (BLS).
Moreover, occupational skin diseases are believed to be severely underreported. The true rate of new cases may be many fold higher than documented. No one knows how many family members are affected by contaminants brought home from the job.
Estimated total annual costs (including lost workdays and loss of productivity associated with occupational skin diseases) may reach $1 billion annually. Workers' compensation claims rates for occasional skin diseases vary by State and range from 12 to 108 per 100,000 workers per year. Self-reported occupational dermatitis prevalence in the 1988 National Health Interview Survey was nearly 2% (1,700 cases per 100,000 workers).
The costs to employers include worker compensation disability claims, lower productivity, and poor morale. The costs to the workers include reduced earnings, medical bills, loss of a trade, social disability, embarrassment, and lower quality of life.
The rates of most other occupational injuries and disease have fallen. But skin disease rates remain constant or actually increase. Little progress has been made, even though the causes are better understood and more methods of control exist now than ever before.
More than 92.7 million metric tons of portland cement were consumed in U.S. construction in one recent year, according to the Portland Cement Association.
The consumption of Portland cement has increased every year since 1991.
More than 1.3 million American workers in 30 occupations are regularly exposed to wet Portland cement products. Thousands more—such as ironworkers—are exposed to cement dust during the grinding of hardened cement products.
Grinding cement underlayer for terrazzo (Photo courtesy of BAC).
grinding of finished concrete, which releases cement dust.
Setting tiles (Photo courtesy of BAC).
Applying stucco (Photo courtesy of OP&CMIA).
No matter what the cement product or work task, the most frequently damaging property of cement is its alkaline nature.
pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. The pH scale ranges from pH 0 on the acidic end to pH 14 on the alkaline end.
The acidic pH range is pH <1 t o 6.9. the alkaline (base) ph range is pH 7.1 t o 14. Strong acids are pH 1 to 3. Strong alkalies (bases) are pH 12 to 14.
pH stands for “potential of hydrogen.” It refers to the concentration and activity of hydrogen ions in a substance in aqueous solution (water). Acids ionize in water to give H + (hydrogen) ions. Alkalies (bases) produce OH - (hydroxyl group) ions in water.
An ion is an atom that has lost or gained one or more electrons and has acquired an electric charge. Cement contains calcium hydroxide which liberates hydroxylions.
The use of scientific notations to describe the hydrogen ion concentrations of substances is cumbersome. So chemists began using the pH scale in 1909.
pH-neutral is 7. This is the pH of pure or distilled water. It is virtually free of hydrogen ions.
The pH scale is like the Richter scale for earthquakes. Both are logarithmic. On a logarithmic scale, the intervals between the numbers are not equal. Every whole number on the pH scale represents a 10-fold change in alkalinity or acidity.
pH 13 is one million times more alkaline than pure water at pH 7. pH is one million times more acidic than pure water.
Wet cement is extremely alkaline, with a pH value of 12 t o 13. Strongly alkaline material is caustic and corrosive to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Wet cement is 10 million to one billion times more alkaline than normal human skin.
Like an orange, normal skin is mildly acidic.
Alkaline pH contributes greatly to skin absorption of the hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in cement.18 So absorption of Cr6+ may be increased when it contacts skin in cement.
As a safety & health practitioner, you can measure the surface skin pH of cement products workers. Elevated pH is an indicator of portland cement residue on the skin.19 It demonstrates the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of protective measures. pH also serves as a feedback mechanism for education workers about the need to protect their skin from cement.
The best way to measure surface skin pH is with pH indicators, also known as pH color test strips. As an educational tool, pH test strips also can be used to measure the pH of cement residue on car seats, steering wheels, boots, glove interiors, and more.
Full range color test strips (pH 1 to 14) work best for cement contamination.
To test skin or dry surfaces, moisten a strip in distilled water. Apply it to the test surface. To test a liquid, dip the test strip in the liquid.
The strips come with a color coded scale. Hold the test strip next to the scale. Hold the test strip next to the scale and wait for it to change color. Then match it with the color on the scale to find the pH value.
pH represents the acidity or alkalinity of a watery solution on a scale. Pure water has a pH of 7. pH 7 is considered pH-neutral. Citrus and vinegar are pH 3.5—10 times more acidic than normal skin. Wet cement is 10 million to one billion times more alkaline than normal skin.
Supplies: dry Portland cement, household vinegar, one gallon distilled water, pH test strips, plastic glasses, plastic spoons, bar soap, liquid soap. Along with vinegar, you may consider testing one of the buffering or neutralizing products.
Dip a pH strip in distilled water. Compare the strip with the color key. What does it tell you about the pH of the water?
Add a little vinegar to the cement water and stir. Dip a new pH strip in the water. What happens? What is the pH now? What does it mean?
Dip a new pH strip in a clean glass of distilled water. Lay the strip on the surface of the bar soap. What is the pH of the bar soap? What does it mean?
Take a new pH strip and pump some liquid soap on it. What is the pH of the liquid soap? What does it mean?
You also can test the pH of exposed hands, gloves, hard hats, or the seats and steering wheels in cars or trucks. Just dip a pH strip in distilled water and lay it on the surface to be tested.
A pH test meter can be used to test tool rinse bucket pH. But cement particles in the water may clog this instrument.
Cement product s workers probably will find the alkaline residue of wet portland cement on their skin and even on their clothes, their boots, their vehicle interiors, and elsewhere.
Wearing gloves without good hygiene appears to be no more productive than wearing no gloves at all.3,19 and in fact may be worse.
Acids and alkalies (bases) react with one another so that the properties of both are lost to form water and a salt. The result is a more pH-neutral solution.
So adding an acid to an alkali tends to neutralize its pH. For example, adding vinegar to cement water can reduce the pH. But it also may generate heat.
Buffers are another choice for controlling surface skin pH. If added to an alkali, a buffer may reduce pH without generating heat.
Buffering solutions are equilibrium systems that maintain a constant pH when combined with acids or alkalies. A buffer can neutralize either an acid or an alkali. Buffering solutions typically contain similar amounts of a weak acid and a salt of its conjugate base.
Compared with acids, buffers generate less heat and can maintain the desired pH over a longer period of time. Phosphates are often used as buffering agents.
Portland cement products workers may have difficulty in preventing 'insult' from wet cement. When cement residue accumulates on the skin, the application of a buffering solution may be beneficial in restoring the acidic pH of the stratum corneum, thus permitting the initiation of barrier repair and preventing skin problems.
Commercial product s are marketed for acidifying t he skin’s stratum corneum. Neutralitetm is a pH 5.5 buffering solution. Mason's Hand Rinsetm is an acidic rinse. In theory, either product or similar products can be helpful if they normalize surface skin pH.
In addition to reducing the corrosive effect of cement, normalizing pH through the application of a buffering solution may convert hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) to trivalent (Cr3+). This would decrease skin absorption of Cr6+, reducing the risk of ACD.
This soap list is advisory only . To obtain reliable information, ask the soap's manufacturer for an MSDS. A pharmacist can recommend pH-neutral or moderaltey acidic soaps.
Industry leaders often ask whether cement can be modified to reduce the skin hazards. Different modifications are proposed depending on the specific skin problem.
Remember, cement causes two main problems: irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Cement causes ICD because it is alkaline, hygroscopic, and abrasive. Cement causes ACD because it contains sensitizers, not ably hexavalent chromium (Cr6+).
Worldwide, there have been several experiences with modifying cement to prevent allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from hexavalent chromium. Before reviewing results, let’s examine the cement manufacturing process.
In the hierarchy of hazard controls, the best and most effective measure is always substitution of a less hazardous chemical. Product modification is a type of substitution. If product modification is feasible, it can often reduce or eliminate the need for other hazard controls.
Most cement manufacturing plants are located near quarries. Quarries mine the raw materials needed to make cement .
Huge quarried boulders of stone such as limestone and shale are dumped into an impact crusher. These raw ingredients, along with small amount s of iron ore and clay, may then be fed to a grinding mill where steel balls tumble to pulverize the material into a powder.
This powder may then be loaded into giant steel rotary kilns. The typical kiln may be about 200 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. The kiln interior is lined with refractory brick. As the kiln rotates, the inside temperature reaches 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The solid material must reach 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heat causes a chemical reaction in the raw materials as they slowly transform into portland cement. At this point in the process the cement compound is called clinker.
Clinker is dark gray chunks like volcanic rocks. The fully processed clinker falls out of the rotary kiln and down into t he clinker cooler where it cools it off for reprocessing.
The clinker is then ground in a giant rolling tube called a ball mill. Gypsum is added during t his grinding process.
The ball mill is filled with several tons of metal balls. Often, these balls are chrome or chromeplated. As the mill spins, the metal balls crush the clinker into an extremely fine dust and mix it with the gypsum until it becomes portland cement.
Samples of the finished product are taken to a lab for strength and consistency testing. The final product is shipped in bulk by truck and rail or packaged in bags. Cement is used in the manufacture of plaster, stucco, mortar, grout, and other cement products.
Recognition of the connection between hexavalent chromium in portland cement and allergic contact dermatitis in cement products workers first emerged in Europe during t he 1950s. As the evidence mounted, some European countries acted to limit exposure to hexavalent chromium in cement products.
By law, Denmark and Sweden require cement manufactures to produce cement whose concentrations of Cr6+ are 2ppm or less. In these countries, a patented process is used which involves intergrinding of clinker, gypsum, and ferrous sulfate heptahydrate to reduce chemically the Cr6+ to trivalent chromium (Cr3+).
Cr3+ is not harmful to human skin because it is not absorbed by the skin.
A similar patent was granted to an East German company in 1985 and another to a Japanese firm in 1991. Additional patents were granted in other countries in subequent years.
Finnish, Danish, Swedish, and other scientists have published studies showing that this method of modifying portland cement at the plant has greatly reduced ACD in Portland cement products workers in Scandinavia and Singapore.18,23,24,25,26,38 ICD rates in these countries remain unchanged.
In response to California’s Proposition 65 regulations, some American cement manufacturers experimented with iron sulfate in an effort to reduce Cr6+ in Portland cement .
In a published report of the results5 and in other forums, several reasons have been given for the failure to replicate the Scandinavian results.
More than 120 plants make U.S. cement and t he product ships long distances in this country. If ferrous sulfate is added, the time it takes to transport the cement may result in spontaneous oxidation of the ferrous ion to the ferric form, rendering the ferrous sulfate inactive.
The addition of ferrous sulfate during grinding is a patented process. Royalties and the cost of the ferrous sulfate (variously estimated at $.05 to $1.00 perton) would increase the cost of American portland cement products. Added costs may be incurred in reconfiguring manufacturing processes to allow for the addition of ferrous sulfate.
American manufacturers express concern about possible effects of such methods on the structural integrity of finished concrete. For example, some argue that addition of substantial amounts off errous sulfate to concrete might cause durability problems or necessitate adjustment of the amount of gypsum added.
Concrete in Europe and Singapore appears unaffected by modifications to cement in those countries. Manufacturers point out that American specifications for concrete are rigid, that any changes must be well researched, and that research is in fact ongoing. So change may be possible some day.
One difference between American and European cement manufacturers is the distances between the plants and the points of consumption. American cement is transported greater distances.
Neutralize pH at the Plant?
Some in the industry have asked manufacturers to reduce the alkalinity of cement.
By nature, wet port land cement is pH 12 to 14. Attempts to neutralize the pH of cement would chemically alter it . For example, the amount of buffering solution needed to neutralize a batch of cement at the plant would overwhelm the chemical formulation of the cement . It would no longer be cement.
Rather than attempt to neutralize the pH of an entire batch of cement at the plant, it seems more feasible to reduce the pH of the comparatively small amount of cement that may contact the surface skin of cement products workers at the jobsite. This can be done with a neutralizing or buffering solution.
As an additional benefit, neutralization of pH also may convert Cr6+ t o Cr3+, rendering the iron sulfate controversy irrelevant.
Neutralizing the pH of portland cement during the manufacturing process is not feasible.
Protecting skin is not simply a matter of wearing gloves. A substantial portion of cement products workers already wear gloves. To be effective, glove wear must go hand-in-hand with proper hygiene. Hygienic practices and use of the correct gloves will prevent contact with cement. Glove wear without good hygiene is no more protective than no gloves at all.3,19 In fact, it can make problems worse.
Not everyone can do all these practices. But every cement products worker should do as many as possible, beginning with the easiest ones. There is no guarantee that any or all of these practices will prevent skin problems from Portland cement . But these practices are recommended by experts and they represent the best protections known.
Best protective practices are recommended by experts based on results of scientific studies and field experience. A Printer ready worker safety pamphlet explaining best practices to cement products workers, is available towards the end of the document.
Portland cement products workers should wash with pH-neutral or moderately acidic soaps.
If cement products workers wash with pH-neutral or acidic soaps, it may help restore the desired pH balance of the surface skin.
Warn cement workers to launder work clothes separately to protect family or roommates. Run washer empty after work clothes load.
Construction workers are motivated to take protective measures when they believe they are protecting their children. 2 So convincing portland cement products workers to launder work clothes separately may be a good first step to adopting more best practices.
Workers need clean water for washing before work, whenever they break, and at the end of the shift. Water can be brought to the jobsite in tanks on wheels. Many employers would be surprised at how economical it can be to provide decent hygiene for workers. They might also be surprised at the improved morale and productivity that result.
Consider providing buffering spray to reduce the pH of contaminated surface skin.
Prohibit cleaning with abrasive or solvent-containing products. These include waterless handcleaners like alcohol-based gels or or citrus cleaners based on limonene. Such cleaners are not suitable for cement exposure.
Removing alkaline wet cement residue from skin requires clean running wash water and pH-neutral or slightly acidic soap. It may be helpful to use a buffering or neutralizing solution to normalize surface skin pH.
Gloves on dirty hands trap contaminants against the skin. Workers should wash with pH-neutral or slightly acidic soap and clean running water, as noted in the Portland Cement Association's sample MSDS. If workers remove gloves during work, they must wash again. If not, cement will enter gloves. Workers should not rinse their hands in tool rinse buckets.
A worker should dry hands with a clean cloth or paper towel before putting on gloves.
When wet cement gets on permeable clothing, remove it immediately. When wet cement gets on skin, wash with clean water and pH-neutral or acidic soap. At the least, consider using a buffering spray to reduce alkalinity.
Many experts recommend wearing long sleeve shirts taped inside gloves.
Cement can collect under rings, watches, or necklaces. Wet cement trapped against skin for long periods of time is hazardous.
Removing work clothes at work cuts exposure for workers and their family members. It keeps cement out of the car or truck interior.
If work clothes cannot be left at the job, they should be taken home in a separate container. A trash bag works great.
Skin-softening substances can seal or occlude portland cement residue to skin, can increase the skin's ability to absorb contaminants, and can irritate and sensitize the skin.
Never use petroleum jelly or other emollients to treat cement burns. Applying such products can intensify burns by trapping the cement residue against the skin.
Some skin-softening products may contain fragrances, lanolin, or other chemicals that can cause ACD in susceptible workers.
Barrier creams or 'invisible gloves' are not recommended for Portland cement work. 29,39 The abrasive cement probably breaks the seal of the barrier cream. Also, reapplying the cream in the work area may occlude the seal cement to the skin.
Consult a glove manufacturer to select the right glove for the hazard. Manufacturers often recommend butyl gloves or nitrile gloves for caustics like cement. Cotton or leather gloves may become saturated with wet cement. Cotton gloves dipped in butyl rubber or similar materials to coat the fingers, knuckles, and palms may provide adequate protection. Make sure gloves fit. Loose gloves let cement in.
Clean reusable gloves daily. Follow t he manufacturer’s instructions. Place clean gloves in a baggie. Store gloves away from tools and materials in a dark, dry place where the temperature is not too high.
Sometimes gloves get so contaminated they cannot be cleaned. Throw them out.
Disposable gloves can make it easier to keep hands clean. Disposable gloves can be less expensive than reusable gloves. The only drawback to disposable gloves is that workers sometimes wear them too long. To remove disposable gloves, peel back from the top, turning them inside out. Discard disposable gloves at the jobsite each day.
Disposable gloves can make it easier for workers to keep their hands clean. Disposable gloves can be less expensive than reusable gloves. The draw back to disposable gloves is that workers often wear them too long.
Some gloves combine rubber or butyl with cotton, other fabrics, or leather. Glove thickness and the length of the cuffs vary by task or worker preference. All-fabric or leather gloves are not recommended because they may become saturated with wet cement.
Gloves on workers are no proof of protection. Don't fool yourself: Without good hygiene, gloves are no better than no protection at all.3,19 If workers can't wash with clean running water and pH-neutral or acidic soap whenever they remove their gloves, the insides too easily become contaminated.
Workers should be allowed to choose among equally protective gloves, whenever possible.
Below are the websites of two well-known glove manufacturers. Gloves can be purchased from these and others or through a local safety supply store listed in the business section of the telephone directory.
When workers wear the correct gloves, they still must avoid contamination when they remove the gloves. As a safety & health practitioner, you can demonstrate proper met hods for cleaning, removing, and storing gloves. Before removing gloves, clean the outsides by rinsing or wiping off wet cement. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Watch for pinholes which can let in contaminated rinse water.
Remove the first glove only to the fingers. The cuff of the glove will remain over the palm.
Now, grabbing the second glove with the first glove, remove the second glove. The first glove should slip off.
Try to handle gloves by the insides only. Don't touch the outsides.
Any worker with a persistent skin problem, even a minor one, should see a physician. A statistically valid survey of apprentice cement masons showed only 7% of those with skin problems saw physicians even though 71% had had problems in the last year.6 Some did not think the problems were serious. Others were afraid of losing employment.
To get effective treatment , the cement products worker must inform the physician about products used at work. The goal is to provide medical treatment for a health problem.
A Physician Alert brochure is available from CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training (301-578-8500 or www.cpwr.com) . The brochure can be given by a worker to a doctor, along with the product Material Safety Data Sheet.
Encourage workers to follow the physician's prescriptions and recommendations. That action, combined with other best practices, can lead to the successful control of most cement-related skin problems.
Find the best Material Safety Data Sheet in the industry and review its recommendations.
The best MSDS is the one that is most complete and provides the most protective recommendations.
Remember, this MSDS is only the minimum guideline. With a little creative thought and not too much effort, employers and workers can do a lot more to prevent skin problems.
Dusty clothing or clothing wet with Portland cement fluids should be removed promptly and laundered separately before reuse.
Workers must wash wet cement from the skin with clean water and pH-neutral or acidic soap. Workers cannot rely on pain or discomfort to alert them to skin damage.
An acid will burn skin immediately. Cement is sneakier. A worker can work with wet cement on the skin for hours without feeling any discomfort . But the alkaline burns of the port land cement are damaging the skin microscopically. That damage may be just a cement burn or it also may be the cumulative injury that leads to irritant or allergic dermatitis.
Cement burns are alkaline burns (caustic burns). Cement burns progress. This means they get worse even without more exposure. Anyone who feels a cement burn starting should go immediately for emergency treatment in an ER or by a burn specialist. Don't assume the burn will not get worse. By the time an employee becomes aware of the burn, much damage has already been done and further damage is difficult to stop.
When cement burns are treated medically, recovery takes place within two to three weeks. If untreated, these burns take much longer to heal, if they ever do.
Almost everyone agrees the construction industry must do more to protect workers from skin problems. As a safety & health practitioner, what resources can you use to improve protection for cement products workers?
The PRINTER-READY PULL OUTS in this guide can help: Worker Safety Pamphlet, Best Practices Checklist, and Symptoms Questionnaire. This chapter also presents some additional tools and pointers to help you achieve your goals.
The Portland Cement Association offers a sample Material Safety Data Sheet. 20 Recommendations include washing on the job with running water and pH-neutral soap.
Skin Safety with Cement and Concrete, a worker training video, is for sale from the Portland Cement Association. The video presents safety tips and hazard information. It focuses on cement burns rather than on preventing dermatitis.
The Cement Burn Awareness Kit is available for purchase from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association for use in educating Portland cement products workers.
The kit contains color photographs of severe cement burns, warning tools, and a sample MSDS to help prevent cement exposure.
Save Your Skin: 15-Minute Tool Box Session is an 8-page booklet explaining symptoms, skin problems, pH testing, and protective practices for work with cement products.
Commercial products are now marketed for buffering or neutralizing the pH of cement residue. NeutraliteTM; is a buffering solution. Mason’s Hand Rinseä is an acidic rinse. Each is spray-applied. In theory, these or similar products can be useful if they neutralize or buffer alkaline residue on the skin surface.
Let's say you want to invest time and effort in improving conditions with the aim of preventing skin problems from portland cement.
You might say, “It's easy—I'll see the improvement with my own eyes. It will be plain to everyone.” But that may not be true.
There are two very good reasons to evaluate your prevention efforts. One is to get the feedback you need to improve your efforts. The other is to justify their continuation.
When you evaluate anything, you need a basis for comparison. Two classic methods of evaluation are ‘criteria-based' and ‘norm-based' comparison.
Criteria-based means comparing something with an objective standard that's set up ahead of time. For example, if a teacher grades tests by an objective standard and gives an ‘A' only for 100%, that's ‘ criteria-based' evaluation.
Norm-based means comparing something with other things in the same category. For example, if a teacher "grades on a curve" by comparing a student with other students in the class, that's 'norm-based' evaluation.
Always remember that you are not evaluating the workers. You are evaluating the effectiveness of your own efforts to change their protective practices and to improve the protections provided by the employer.
Whatever comparison standard you choose, here are three tools you can use to measure your results. You might also think of other tools.
Consider comparing the workers, as a group, with themselves before and after beginning your prevention efforts.
Before you begin, take some baseline measurements. You can use the Best Practices Checklist and the Symptoms Questionnaire in this guide. For example, watch workers on the job and take reports of what they do at work and at home. You are not comparing individuals. You are comparing the workers as a group before and after your efforts.
Which best practices are the workers currently doing? Which are they failing to do? Keep a written record of your observations. Have the workers complete the symptoms questionnaire. Assure them the information will not be released in personally identifiable form and that their answers will have no effect on their employment. Ask them to do a pH test of surface skin. Again, this is not a test of the individual worker. Instead it is a measure of the success of the protections implemented by you, the safety & health practitioner.
Once you have a baseline record, begin your effort to reduce skin problems. Teach workers best protective practices and make what improvements you can in working conditions.
When you think your efforts may be starting to pay off, repeat your measurements. If you made worksite observations, make them again. If you collected best practices checklists, collect them again. If you collected symptoms questionnaires, collect them again.
Now count the results and compare the ‘BEFORE' and the ‘AFTER.' If you or someone in your organization knows how to use a statistical software program, it can help your evaluation. Or you can count by hand calculator and determine where it appears there has been progress. Repeat the measurements again in a few weeks or a few months. Keep a long-term record of the outcomes.
What If Workers Are Transient?
In construction, workers often come and go. Turnover varies from company to company. Some larger companies have a steady cadre of core workers and hire or layoff more as projects demand. Other companies have no steady workers, only transient ones. This makes evaluation more difficult. But not impossible.
Always keep in mind that you are not evaluating individual workers. You are evaluating the success of your efforts by looking at all the workers as a group.
If all the workers are transient, you may not see immediate improvements in the symptoms checklist. But you should see improvements in the pH tests of surface skin and in compliance with best protective practices. This should help prevent future dermatitis.
By working with other organizations, you can help to reduce skin problems among the cement products workers whose safety and health is your professional concern. If possible, involve the health & welfare plan and implement a plan-wide evaluation in medical costs and workers compensation disability.
Download the "Worker Safety Pamphlet" in pdf format for print.
It is a 2-fold 6-panel Worker Safety Pamphlet. Paste your organization’s name or logo in the box on the front before 2-sided copying. Fold copies along the dotted lines. Give pamphlets to cement products workers at trainings, jobsites, union meetings, or other appropriate places.
BEST PRACTICES CHECKLIST. Following the pamphlet is the Best Practices Checklist. Again, you can paste your organization’s name or logo in the box before copying. You can use the checklist to evaluate your efforts, to help workers remember the practices, and in other ways.
SYMPTOMS QUESTIONNAIRE. You or a physician may find the questionnaire helpful in evaluating workers' skin problems.
Anyone is free to reproduce any material in this guide for any purpose.
INSTRUCTIONS: Place a checkmark on the line next to each protective practice followed.
___ 1. Use pH-neutral or acidic soap at home.
___ 2. Launder work clothes separately.
___ 1. Wash with clean running water and pH-neutral or mildly acidic soap.
___ 3. Wash and dry hands before putting on gloves.
___ 5. Try using a neutralizing or buffering spray.
___ 6. Use disposable gloves or clean reusable gloves daily.
___ 7. Remove gloves properly.
___ 8. Wear glove liners.
___ 9. No jewelry at work.
___ 10. Long sleeves buttoned or taped inside gloves.
___ 11. Rubber boots with pants taped inside for concrete work.
___ 12. Never let cement product remain on skin or clothes.
___ 13. Avoid barrier creams.
___ 14. Avoid skin products at work.
___ 15. Change out of work clothes before leaving jobsite.
___ 16. See a doctor for any persistent skin problem.
This questionnaire is designed specifically for Portland cement products workers. Please fill it out by placing a check mark in the box that represents the best answer. Do not worry if you cannot answer every question exactly. Remember, if possible, collect the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the materials you work with before visiting your doctor for any skin problem.
When the condition first appeared, did it have any of the following features?
Have you had this kind of skin problem in past year while doing similar work? If yes, how many times?
Have not done similar work during past year.
Is the current problem more severe than most other problems?
Is the current problem more widespread than most other problems?
Has the current problem lasted longer than most other problems?
Have you had a history of skin problems?
What kind of work were you doing at the time or just before you developed the skin problem?
Did these jobs involve some similar materials that contacted you skin?
Did working with these materials ever give you a skin problem in the past?
Are there others at work with skin problems similar to yours?
Do any of them work with the same materials as you?
Have there been changes in work procedures, or materials which have happened at about the same time the skin problem developed?
Have you noticed a relationship between working with a specific material and this skin problem? Which materials?
Have you detected improvements in the skin problem during changes in work procedures, assignments, or locations? Which changes?
Have you detected worsening in the skin problem during changes in work procedures, assignments, or locations? Which changes?
Have you detected an increase in the severity or frequency of the skin problem with any of the following exposures?
Exposure to materials at home or during recreational activities?
Seasonal changes, time of day?
Do any of the following materials seem to cause your skin problems?
Have you noticed improvement in the skin problem during days off or vacation? If yes, how many days away from work are needed before you notice some improvement in the skin problem?
Do you keep your skin clean and dry by wearing any of the following protective gear?
Cotton gloves with butyl-dipped digints and palms?
Do you use a barrier cream?
Do you change your skin protective gear regularly? How often, usually?
Is this enough to keep your skin clean and dry of work materials?
Are you able to wash your skin and change skin protective gear if material gets inside while at work?
After material gets on your skin, are you able to wash and change protective gear within a half hour?
Is your skin problem in an area of skin that is exposed at work?
How often do you usually clean off this skin while at work?
Do you usually use any of the following for skin cleaning at work?
Do you use any of the following for skin cleaning?
Do you regularly apply any of the following to your skin at home?
1. el Sayed, F and J Bazex. Airborne contact dermatitis from chromatein cement with recall dermatitis on patch testing. Contact Dermatitis Vol 30, No. 1: 58, January 1994.
A woman became sensitized to chromate from cement from her partner's work clothing. She developed eczema in skin folds at the elbow and neck and fissuring of fingertips. Lesions may be induced by the alkalinity and abrasive effect of wet cement. In the present case, skin folds are sweating areas and deposition of cement dust there may have produced an initial irritant reaction that facilitated the penetration of chromate, thus resulting in sensitization.
2. White, MC, MB Larson and RD Wolford. The role of personal beliefs and social influences as determinantis of respirator use among construction painters. Scand J Work Environ Health 14, 239-245, 1988.
The purpose of this study was to identify and rank potential determinants of respirator use among construction painters. As part of a health survey of union painters, 169 male spray painters were questioned about their own belief s concerning the consequences of wearing cartridge respirators, as well as about the perceived attitudes of others in the work place toward respirators. ... The most important beliefs concerned discomfort or inconvenience. Other determinants associated with respirator use were respirator availability, cigarette smoking, and social influences. The health belief most strongly associated with intended respirator use was that the painter would be able to produce healthy children if a respirator were used.
3. Avnstorp, C. Risk factors for cement eczema. Contact Dermatitis 25: 81-88, 1991.
Risk factors for cement eczema were studied among workers employed in the Danish construction industry. Two cohorts exposed to cement containing different concentrations of water-soluble chromate were examined. A statistically significant decrease in the number of workers with allergic cement eczema was found in the cohort exposed to cement with the lower water- soluble chromate concentration. Allergic cement eczema was found to have a greater extent of involvement than irritant cement eczema. A 3rd cohort was followed to evaluate individual risk factors. The degree of exposure to wet cement seems to have a certain, though not statistically significant , effect on the risk of developing irritant cement eczema. Individual preventive measures, such as the use of gloves and creams, did not seem to reduce the development of irritant cement eczema.
4. van der Valk, PGM and HI Maibach. The Irritant Contact Dermatitis Syndrome, CRC Press, Boca Ratson, 1996.
5. Klemm, WA. Hexavalent chromium in portland cement. Cement, Concrete, and Aggregates, CCAGPD Vol 16, No. 1: 43-47, June 1994.
...[T]he amount of hexavalent chromium found in portland cement is coming under increasing scrutiny. Hexavalent chromium has been classified as a carcinogen, and its release into the air or groundwater is regulated and controlled under many federal and state regulations... As a consequence, Scandinavian countries have limited the amount of hexavalent chromium in Portland cement. This is generally accomplished by intergrinding clinker and gypsum with the chemical reducing agent , ferrous sulfate, which maintains hexavalent chromium below 2 ppm. Developments in t his area are reviewed. Studies at a California plant showed that more than half of the hexavalent chromium in the cement was contributed by the grinding media in the finishmill. Attempts to reduce the chromium to its benign trivalent form with ferrous sulfate failed in full - scaletrial grinds, due to oxidation of the ferrous iron. This indicates that further research is needed to f i nd better methods for introducing ferrous sulfate into the cement to develop more stable reducing agents.
6. Larson, M, and R Wolford, Survey of apprentice cement masons, FOF Communications. Report to NIOSH/ CPWR Consortium 1997.
442 apprentices were surveyed using a questionnaire condensed from a version used by NIOSH. Response rate was 100%. Mean years in industry : 3.3; mean age: 27; most frequent age: 20.
7. International Labour Organization, Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health. Geneva, 1987.
8. US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported in the Construction Chart Book, CPWR, 1998.
9. Halbert, AR et al. Prognosis of occupational chromate dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 27: 214-219, 1992.
To elucidate further the natural history and prognosis of occupational chromate dermatitis, 120 affected patients, diagnosed between 1980 and 1989, were reviewed...65% of patients were construction workers with cement-induced chromate dermatitis... The median age at onset of symptoms was 34 year, with 48% having been exposed to chromate for 5 years or less. Only 37% presented to the dermatologist within 12 months of developing symptoms. 76% of patients had ongoing dermatitis at the time of the review. Although 48% of the study population had completely changed their occupation to avoid chromate exposure, symptoms persisted in 69%. A delayed diagnosis of chromate sensitivity was noted to be a predictor of chronicity. In view of the potential chronicity of chromate dermatitis and its associated social and occupational impairment, we recommend the addition of ferrous sulphate while mixing bagged cement at the work site. This simple technique targets the workers at greatest risk of becoming sensitized.
10. Nethercott , JR and DL Holness. Disease outcome in workers with occupational skin disease. J Amer Acad Dermat ol 30:569-574, 1994.
11. Rosen RH and S Freeman. Prognosis of occupational contact dermatitis in New South Wales, Australia. Contact Dermat it is 29:88-93, 1993.
12.Wall LM and KA Gebauer. A follow-up study of occupational skin disease in Western Australia. Contact Dermatitis 24:241-243, 1991.
13. 13.Elias, PM et al. Epidermal pathogenesis of inflammatory dermatoses. American Journal of Contact Dermatitis Vol 10, No. 3: 119-126, September 1999.
It is generally assumed that dermatitis, whether of allergic or irritant in origin, is primarily an immunological/inflammatory disorder. ...[R]ecent information supports an epidermal contribution to these disorders, as well as several other dermatoses. We first review new concepts of the epidermal barrier , with recent evidence that the stratum corneum is a biosensor that regulates the epidermal lipid and DNA-metabolic responses to a variety of exogenous insults. Various signaling mechanisms, including changes in levels of epidermal cytokines and growth factors, are potential candidates to mediate these metabolic responses. ...[T]hese signaling molecules may be generated not in response to permeability barrier requirements, but as an avoidable consequence of the epidermal injury that accompanies all types of acute barrier abrogation. Although the role of cytokines/growth factors as regulators of metabolic events leading to barrier recovery is still unknown, their role initiating a cytokine cascade leading to cut aneous pathology seems more certain. We conclude that signaling molecules, released following injury to the stratum corneum, initiate a cytokine cascade that induces inflammation, which is responsible for the clinical features of specific dermatoses. Thus, ‘outside-to-i nside’ signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of a variety of dermatoses characterized by abnormal barrier function.
14.Elias, PM et al., Relationship of the epidermal permeability barrier to irritant contact dermatitis, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America, Vol. 17 (Contact Dermatitis: Irritant and Allergic) Philadelphia, PA, W.B. Saunders, 1997, pp. 417-430.
15.Mauro, T et al. Barrier recovery is impeded at neutral pH, independent of ionic effects: implications for extracellular lipid processing, Arch Dermat ol Res, 290:215-222, 1998.
Epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis requires the post secretory processing of polar lipid precursors into nonpolar lipid products within the stratum corneum (SC) interstices by a family of lipid hydrolases. A specific requirement for B-glucocerebrosidase, which exhibits a distinct acidic pH optimum, is particularly well documented. Therefore, we sought to determine whether the recovery of the barrier after acute insults requires acidification of the SC. We examined permeability barrier recovery by assessing changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), SC membrane ultrastructure ... at an acidic vs neutral pH. Barrier recovery proceeded normally when acetone-treated skin was exposed to solutions buffered to an acidic pH. In contrast, the initiation of barrier recovery was slowed when treated skin was exposed to neutral or alkaline pH, regardless of buffer composition. ...These results suggest first that an acidic exracellular pH is necessary for initiation of barrier recovery, and second that the delay in barrier recovery is a consequence of inhibition of post secretory lipid processing.
16.Goh, CL et al. Occupational dermatitis in a prefabrication construcion factory. Contact Dermatitis Vol 15, No. 4: 235-240, October 1986.
In a field study of occupational dermatoses in a prefabrication construction factory , 272 workers were interviewed, examined and patch tested to chromate, cobalt , nickel , rubber mixes, epoxy resin, melamine formal dehyde and conplasts. The prevalence of occupational dermatitis was 14% (38/272) ; 57% (22/38) were irritant dermatitis from cement ; 39.5% (15/38) were allergic contact dermatitis from cement (2 with concomitant rubber glove allergy) ; and 2.5% (1/38) were allergic to rubber chemicals in gloves. The overall prevalence of chromate sensitivity was 8.5% (23/ 272) , with the highest rate from the concreting bays of the factory. The rate was unrelated to the duration of workers engagement in construction work. 34. (/23) had asymptomatic chromate allergy. The prevalence of cobalt reactions was 1.4 (4/23) and all were associated with chromate allergy.
17. Denda, M et al., Exposure to a dry environment enhances epidermal permeability barrier function. J Invest Dermatol, 111:858-863, 1998.
18. Avnstorp, C. Prevalence of cement eczema in Denmark before and since addition of ferrous sulfate to Danish cement. Act a Derm Venereol, Vol 69, No. 2: 151-155, 1989.
This is a study of the prevalence of chromate allergy and hand eczema among workers engaged in the manufacture of prefabricated concrete building components in Denmark in 1981 and again in 1987. In September 1981 the chromate content of cement manufactured and sold in Denmark was reduced to not more than 2 ppm (parts per million) of water-soluble chromate. This was accomplished by adding ferrous sulfate, thus increasing the cost of the cement by about 1%. There was a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of chromate allergy and hand eczema following the addition offerrous sulfate, but there was no change in the frequency of skin irritation. The economic benefit of adding ferrous sulfate was demonstrated by a decrease in the need for dermatological services and topical steroid treatment. Cement eczema as a result of chromate allergyis a common occupational dermatitis among workers in the building and construction industries and a reduction in the chromate content of cement would appear to be a reasonable preventive measure in areas where there is a large concentration of construction industries.
19.Wolford, R and M Larson, pH testing of cement-exposed skin, American Industrial Hygiene Association Annual Conference, May 2000.
This field study examined the effectiveness of gloves, water rinses, and pH- neutralizing agents in controlling alkaline cement residue on palmar skin of 27 concrete finishers at five locations in four states. Full range pH indicator papers and meters were used to measure palmar skin pH. After two hours of work, mean palmar skin pH of workers not wearing gloves was 9.9. This did not differ significantly from the mean pH of workers wearing leather gloves, cloth gloves, or rubber gloves. Workers subsequently attempted to decontaminate skin through the usual practice of rinsing hands in tool rinse buckets. Prerinse, mean palmar skin pH was 10.4. After rinsing, mean palmar pH was 9.3. Addition of a phosphate buffering agent to the rinse water significantly reduced palmar pH from a prewash mean of 10.4 t o 5.9.
20. Portland Cement Association. Report of sample material safety data sheet for portland cement . Skokie, IL, 1997.
21.Feldberg, L et al. Cement burns and their treatment. Burns Vol 18, No. 1: 51-53, 1992.
Trying to discover why people with full skin thickness burns did not immediately report these burns, authors reviewed 20 cases at a hospital in Buckinghamshire, UK. 15 had occupations in which they might be expected to come into contact with wet cement. 50% of burns were on ankles. 80% had full skin thickness burns and 75% under went wound excision and grafting. Time from injury to presentation at the hospital varied from a few hours to 10 days. Treatment recommendations for injured person as well as for doctors.
22.Wolford, R and M Larson, Efficacy of buffering solution as a protectant for workers using alkalies. Abstract . Am J Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2000.
This is an assessment of the efficacy of a pH 5.5 buffering rinse to improve the condition of skin occupationally exposed to alkalies, compared with water washing, moisturizers, and gloves. Pre/posttreatment surveys of 30 concrete truck drivers were completed 30 days apart . Workers reported daily on use of the four treatments and were grouped by treatment compliance (high/low). Relative risk for skin improvement was estimated between compliance groups. Workers using buffering rinse were 7.8 times more likely than workers not using it to report improvement. No differences were seen between workers using and not using water washes, moisturizers, or gloves. No difference in reported frequency of symptoms was seen between compliance groups for any treatment.
23.Bruze, M et al. Patch testing with cement containing iron sulfate. Dermatol Clin Vol 8, No. 1: 173-6, January 1990.
Addition of iron sulfate to cement means transformation of water - soluble hexavalent chromium into nonwater-soluble trivalent chromium. This has been the basis for preventive measures concerning sensitization to hexavalent chromium (chromate) in cement . For some years, iron sulfate has been added to cement manufactured in the Scandinavian countries. In the present in vivo study, cements with and without iron sulfate were compared concerning their capacity to elicit allergic patch-test reactions in eight chromate-hypersensitive individuals. No patch-test reactions were obtained from a water extract of cement with iron sulfate when appropriately buffered.
Cement dermatitis is connected with chromate sensitivity...Iron sulfate added to cement reduces the chromate completely, and the 3-valent chromium is precipitated. An amount of 0.35% (w/w) iron sulfate, FeSo.7H0, is enough to reduce 20 micrograms Cr 6+ /g cement. There is no technical side effect to the concrete. Iron sulfate is preferably added to cement when there is an intimate contact with skin, e.g., at floor laying, repairs and handmade casting.
Hexavalent chromate in cement is the commonest cause of allergic dermatitis, especially among construction workers. Over the past decades, there has been a general decline in the prevalence of chromate allergy among construction workers. We suspect that a change in the constituents of cement, resulting in the lowering of hexavalent chromate, contributed to the decline. Slag (free from hexavalent chromate) from the iron-quenched, blast furnace process has been used as a substitute for clinker (which contains high hexavalent chromate) in manufacturing cement. As a result, the slag has diluted the hexavalent chromate content of cement. Our analytical study showed that slag is free from hexavalent chromate and that he hexavalent chromate of clinker ranged from 6-17 micrograms/s. Substituting slag for clinker resulted in dilution of hexavalent chromate in the cement. The hexavalent chromate content of cement declines proportionately with increasing proportion of slag.
26.Goh, CL and SF Kwok. Prevention of cement dermatitis in construction workers with iron sulphate. Asia-pacific Journal of Public Health. Vol 1, No. 1: 91-93, 1987.
Allergic dermatitis due to chromate in cement is the most common occupational dermatitis among construction workers in Singapore. Hexavalent chromate in cement can be removed by iron sulphate. This study determined the minimum concentration of iron sulphate required to remove the hexavalent chromate from nine brands of Asian cement. The hexavalent chromate concentrations in cements were determined by colorimetric spectrophotometry. The minimum amount of iron sulphate required to remove completely hexavalent chromium in all the cements was 0.35% w/w. Iron sulphate should be used in the construction industry to prevent cement dermatitis in construction workers.
27. Avnstorp, C. Follow-up of workers from the prefabricated concrete industry after the addition of ferrous sulphate to Danish cement. Contact Dermatitis Vol 20, No. 5: 365-371, May 1989.
Ferrous sulfate has been added to cement manufactured in Denmark, reducing the water soluble chromate content to not more than 2 ppm, since September 1981. A comparison is made between the medical and employment status of a cohort of workers engaged, or who had been engaged, in the manufacture of prefabricate concrete building components in 1981 and in 1987. Workers who had allergic cement eczema in 1981 appeared to show no improvement 6 years after the reduction of chromate in the cement. Improvement was seen, however, in the eczema of those workers with irritant cement eczema. The 1987 study showed that a larger number of chromate-sensitized workers required medical services and topical steroid treatment than did those who were not sensitized to chromate. This difference was statistically significant. The worse medical prognosis of the chromate-sensitized workers could in part be due to the fact that some of these had secondary contact sensitivity to cobalt and rubber chemicals. The chromate-sensitized workers also took earlier retirement. Younger workers with allergic and irritant cement eczema continued to work and their employment status was not influenced by chromate sensitization.
28. Kolbe, L. Enhancement of the stratum corneum barrier: the effect of moisturizer treatment, American Contact Dermatitis Society Annual Meeting, March 1999.
29. Goh, CL. Common industrial processes and occupational irritants and allergens: an update. Ann Acad Med Singapore Vol 23, No. 5: 690-698, September 1994.
This paper reviews the recent development of the industrial processes in the construction, electronics and metal industries which are the predominant industries in developing countries.. The information is essential for occupational dermatologists and physicians managing patients with occupation skin diseases. In the construction industry, the prefabrication construction methods are now widely used. The commonest irritant is cement and the allergens are chromate, rubber chemicals and epoxy resins...Preventive measures including health education are most effective against occupation dermatitis.
30. Cooley, J and JR Nethercott. Prognosis of occupational skin disease. Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews Vol 9, No. 1: 19-25, January-March 1994.
The prognosis in occupational skin disease (OSD), which is largely irritant (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), is guarded. Many investigations over the last five decades have documented that a large portion of workers developing such disease do not improve with present methods of secondary preventive intervention and treatment. Although cases of ACD may do better when a specific cause can be found and avoided, ACD due to the metals nickel and chromium has a poor prognosis. Job changes are of equivocal value. Early diagnosis and intervention are associated with a better prognosis for cure. Medical management alone has not modified the outcome significantly over the last decade. Greater attention to primary prevention through regulation of exposure to irritants and sensitizers, combined with more effective measures for control of control of industrial hygiene, offers the possibility of more effective management.
Four cases of cement burns from prolonged contact with wet cement, one requiring skin grafting. Includes recommendations for treatment (flushing area with water or diluted vinegar until soapy feeling is gone), and prevention (notices on cement bags and handed to purchasers, kneel on board, watertight boots tied at top to be in close contact with the skin.
32. Fisher, AA. Cement injuries: Part II. Cement burns resulting in necrotic ulcers due to kneeling on wet cement [news]. Cutis Vol 61, No. 3: 121, March 1998.
33. Pike, J et al. Chemistry of cement burns: pathogenesis and treatment. JBCR Vol 9, No. 3: 258-260, May/June 1988.
Two brief cases are presented describing burns resulting from exposure to cement and its components.
34. Goh, CL. Sickness absence due to occupational dermatoses in a prefabrication construction factory. Contact Dermatitis Vol 15: 28-31, 1986.
In a study of sickness absence due to occupational dermatoses among 360 construction workers in a prefabrication construction factory in 1984, we found 3 workers with allergic contact dermatitis from chromate in cement who required medical leave. There were 5 sickness absence spells due to occupational dermatoses and the number of days lost due to occupational dermatoses was 53 days fro the year. This averaged out at 0.01 spells per worker per year, 0.15 per worker per year and 15 days per spell. It appeared that the number of workers requiring sickness absence from occupational dermatoses was low, but that those with the condition required about 2 weeks of sickness absence. Allergic contact dermatitis from chromate in cement appeared to be the only occupational dermatosis causing sickness absence in the factory.
35. Lushniak, BD. The public health impact of irritant contact dermatitis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America Vol. 17, No. 3: 345-358, August 1997.
36. Lushniak, BD. Epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis. Dermatologic Clinics Vol 13, No. 3:671-680, July 1995.
37. Meherin, JM, and TP Schomaker. The cement burn: Its etiology, pathology and treatment. Jour. A.M.A. No. 14: 1322-1326, April 8, 1939, Microscopic pictures of burn progression damage.
39. Wigger-Alberti, W and P Elsner. Do barrier creams and gloves prevent or provoke contact dermatitis. Am J Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 9, No. 2, June 1998.
40. De Raeve, H et al. Dermal and respiratory sensitization to chromate in a cement floorer. Am J Ind Med Vol 34, No. 2: 169-176, August 1998.
A 48-year old floorer, occupationally exposed to cement and with a documented chromate contact dermatitis, reported dyspnea and wheezing after work. These conditions were demonstrated by self-measured sequential peak expiratory flows..This report illustrates that a subject, with allergic contact dermatitis to chromates, may develop a respiratory allergic reaction to an airborne source of this metal. | 2019-04-19T00:40:57Z | http://www.elcosh.org/document/60/d000458/A%2BSafety%2B%2526%2BHealth%2BPractitioner%2527s%2BGuide%2Bto%2BSkin%2BProtection.html |
Good afternoon. Let me begin by saluting all of you for your commitment in coming here today. I know expectations are high.
And I know it takes courage and conviction to publicly commit to working together with groups that are sometimes portrayed as adversaries, rather than as allies.
To be honest, we didn't know if we would get 150 districts to come to Denver in the middle of February to do some very hard work. We initially thought we might end up with close to 50 and we were a little shocked and ecstatic that almost 250 applied -- because we set a very high bar.
Board Presidents, Superintendents and Teacher Leaders all had to agree to attend this summit together. And you signed a pledge to explore new compacts around a host of very difficult and complex issues.
As impressive as your commitment is, this conference today is clearly only a beginning, not an end.
I am committing to following up with all of you--and to being transparent about what districts are making progress over time.
The pressure is on all of us -- and the four million students in your districts are counting on labor, management, and state governments to set an example of how America can provide a world-class education.
When this conference is over, I hope you will leave with at least two messages of hope. First and foremost, student success must be the heart of the labor-management relationship.
Other labor and management goals are important, too. But they are all secondary to the goal of improving education and student learning.
It's not a new idea to say that educators must put the interests of children first. But that idea is often dismissed as a truism or empty rhetoric. I disagree. Many district policies that perpetuate the status quo today are grounded in what is good for management or good for labor. Yet not all policies that are fair to adults are good for children. And sometimes what is good for children is not fair to adults.
School boards, administrators and teacher leaders face different challenges -- from setting policy and approving budgets to hiring staff, negotiating agreements and ensuring due process. Yet all stand or fall together on the quality of student learning.
The second message I hope you will take away from this conference is the importance of a new narrative in school reform. Newspapers, television, and documentaries typically portray the struggle for school reform as a tale of ceaseless conflict between labor and management.
They love the yelling, the finger-pointing, the controversy -- and sadly we have been content to spoonfeed them exactly what they want. In district after district I've seen people retreat to their traditional roles and I know exactly how that movie ends.
It is absolutely telling that this is the first conference on labor-management collaboration in the history of the department.
I would be the first to acknowledge that labor and management are going to have their differences. And sometimes those differences will be deep and distinct.
But for the first time, this conference is casting a spotlight on a more decisive narrative that rarely gets covered in the press but that is actually more compelling.
President Obama and I are convinced that labor and management can collaborate to solve many of our nation's enduring educational challenges. And we believe that progress more often follows tough-minded collaboration than tough-minded confrontation.
And ours is not a hope in the unseen but a hope harbored in the reality of the hard work, success and courage demonstrated by our presenting districts.
We reject the idea that "collaboration" in education is a codeword for cowardice, as if collaborating was somehow akin to collaborating with an enemy in wartime.
Just to be clear, I am not here to celebrate all union-management collaboration. I am not commending labor and management collaboration that props up a status quo that fails to serve the interests of children -- or doesn't create the sense of urgency our work demands today.
Collaboration is such a friendly-sounding word. But in practice, nothing is more demanding at the district level than collaborating on issues that take all of you far beyond your comfort zone.
Why can collaboration be uniquely productive? It's worth remembering that we are here today because of a simple bond.
Everyone in this room was drawn to education for similar reasons. You wanted to make a difference in the lives of children. You intuitively knew that educating the next generation was some of society's most important work. Education was personally fulfilling and rewarding.
Much of your work over the years reinforced those feelings. You wouldn't be here if you didn't still believe that education remains society's highest calling -- and that few other fields offer a greater sense of accomplishment.
It makes sense that if we began with these shared goals and aspirations -- a shared agenda for achieving them would naturally follow.
We also know that other parties -- from parents to politicians to business and community leaders –have a role, a right, and an obligation to be involved in education.
Education is everyone's responsibility. Every voice must be heard -- and most importantly those of our students themselves.
And as much as we welcome it, that diversity of voices doesn't make it easier to sing from the same hymnal or forge a common agenda.
At the same time, districts over the years have built up statutory, regulatory, and bureaucratic machinery that controls the churn of day-to-day policies from school codes and board policies to annual budgets and collective bargaining agreements.
In too many instances, the K-12 system is not flexible. But during this conference, you will hear from districts across the country that have found new ways to work together around issues like the hiring and evaluation of teachers, training, support and professional development, as well as agenda setting and budgeting.
Innovation and creativity are flowering in some breathtaking ways.
For example, in nearby Douglas County Colorado, the District, the Union and the Board have an evaluation system that uses multiple measures of teacher effectiveness and student learning to drive performance pay and professional development.
Here in Denver they have the Pro-comp system that rewards whole schools and individual teachers for learning gains and for working in hard-to-staff schools.
In Baltimore, the district and the union have set up management committees to facilitate their new contract, which includes a new program jointly focused on professional development and student learning.
66% of teachers voted for a contract that will reward excellence in unprecedented ways.
In Hillsborough County, Florida, which is a merged AFT-NEA district, the contract pays teachers more to take on greater responsibilities around mentoring and peer evaluation.
In New Haven,Connecticut, the new contract provides for a teacher induction and mentoring programs as well as a range of training programs and opportunities.
The new contract also literally inspired renewed confidence and investment in the district. Shortly after the contract was signed, Yale University offered to help pay the college tuition of all New Haven district students who are succeeding academically.
Yale's President told me the new deal and his investment were "absolutely inseparable."
ABC Unified in Los Angeles has a new Peer Assistance program where struggling teachers can get help from more experienced and successful colleagues.
Also in Los Angeles, the Green Dot Public Schools contract sets aside preparation time and defines the teacher workday by areas of responsibility rather than hours.
While many contracts are dense phone books comprehensible only to trained lawyers, Green Dot has created contracts that are brilliant in their vision, clarity and simplicity.
In Helena, Montana, they created a career ladder with 25 steps and they pair new teachers with mentor teachers.
In Plattsburgh, New York, a collaborative labor-management relationship dates back 35 years -- during which time they have had only one union leader and just four superintendents.
In rural St. Francis, Minnesota, they have developed a groundbreaking teacher evaluation system and compensation plan -- and 90 percent of the teachers have opted in.
And in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the district and the union have used national teaching standards to build an evaluation system using multiple measures, including student achievement, principal observation, and evidence of practice provided by the teachers themselves.
Finally, in Maryland, for years, Montgomery County schools set strategy and performance targets with the union and offers stipends to teachers who earn National Board Certification.
Peer review has led to an intolerance of failure. Montgomery County has also closed achievement gaps with a special sense of purpose that should inspire districts around the country with what is possible.
By cooperating around these tough issues, these districts are strengthening the teaching profession. They are creating the conditions for student success.
You can read about all of our presenting districts in the packets where you will find information about their collaborative work. You will also see student achievement data which shows that in most cases, the labor-management reforms have contributed to classroom gains.
All 12 presenting districts will hold three breakout sessions today and tomorrow and you're free to attend any of them.
The plan for the conference is that we will have a panel discussion with a superintendent, a Board president and a teacher leader -- moderated by our General Counsel Charlie Rose -- who was a highly regarded labor lawyer in Illinois for many years.
Tonight we also will have an informal dinner back at the hotel. That's a chance to meet some of your counterparts from around the country. I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can.
Tomorrow morning is another breakout session and a panel discussion moderated by Brad Jupp, who is on our staff and who some of you may know from Denver. He will bring together parents, students and educators who can talk about how some of these changes are playing out at the school level in Denver.
Lastly, we will have a moderated discussion tomorrow with the national leadership of all of our sponsoring organizations -- moderated by our Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Russlynn Ali. She will focus on how the national organization can support your work, take labor-management collaboration to scale, and turn this into a movement.
I believe this needs to be a movement. The nation has 15,000 school districts. Too many of them are trapped in a dynamic that pits labor and management against each other. That doesn't work for any of the adults involved or for the children we are committed to serve.
Districts and states need a new framework in which student learning drives how districts and other stakeholders train, recruit and support teachers, implement policies, pass budgets, and align the work of reform.
This needs to go well beyond our budgets and bargaining agreements because the real work of improving student learning is too nuanced and complex to be captured in the dry language of a budget document or a labor contract that is negotiated every few years and then set aside until the next battle.
The real work in real time of educating children happens in classrooms -- far removed from the bargaining table or the board chambers -- and certainly far removed from the think tanks and conference rooms in Washington.
The real work happens every day in the way that states and districts set standards, promote a rigorous and well-rounded curriculum, and support student learning.
The truth is that educators and management cannot negotiate their way to higher performance. The contract is just a framework. Working together is the path to success but it is just one critical step in that journey.
All stakeholders—and I include the federal government—have to be willing to adjust and adapt to the infinite variety of circumstances and conditions that exist in our public schools.
We have to shed our Neanderthal pace and our 19th century model of education -- and give our children and our country a chance to compete in a globally competitive, knowledge-based economy.
In a world that will have clear winners and losers based precisely upon educational attainment, we have to know how to win.
We have to learn to problem-solve together -- and we have to learn to disagree without being disagreeable.
That isn't easy. Major corporations spend billions of dollars teaching people how to collaborate and work through their differences.
Our Department cannot afford to do that -- and we're deeply grateful to the Ford Foundation for funding this one-day conference.
One thing is for sure: There is no shortage of issues demanding our attention. I have said that education is entering an era of the New Normal, where education funding will be tight for years to come and where districts will be asked to do more with less.
We have two choices: we can either become paralyzed by the issues we face or we can view crisis as an opportunity.
We can use that budget crunch as an opportunity to rethink the provision and delivery of K-12 education and to re-think the status quo.
We can view this opportunity as a challenge to boost educational productivity, instead of a moment to circle the wagons.
At a time of declining revenues, how do we continue to build momentum and create confidence in public education?
Collective bargaining, I firmly believe, is an underutilized tool to do exactly that -- and that trusting and collaborative environments can foster the innovation we need. This work must also come to define the New Normal.
It starts with strategic direction setting: Teachers and their leaders need to be at the table when districts are making major decisions and pursuing new reforms. As AFT President Randi Weingarten often says, do it "with" us -- not "to" us.
The second area is about sharing responsibility for academic outcomes of students: Teachers have often complained that they get all the blame for poor academic outcomes. They have a point. School leadership and district leadership are vital to learning.
I reject the view that unions are management's stumbling block to building a better educational system.
I served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools for eight years--and I can tell you that in many districts, management is very much part of the problem. Dysfunctional central offices and school boards are more common than anyone would like to acknowledge.
We all need to change. We all need to move outside our comfort zones.
What is important is that accountability must be shared at all levels of the system from parents and students to state and federal education officials -- and everyone in between -- teachers, principals, administrators and school boards. When responsibility is shared, there's less blame going around and a greater commitment to the work at hand.
The third area of focus is around the growth and improvement of teachers and leaders. ABC Unified in California does an annual retreat around this issue.
The School District of St. Francis, Minnesota develops an annual 30-hour professional development plan. In Montgomery County, Maryland, every teacher has a PD plan uniquely tailored to their professional goals and needs.
Issue number four is a catchall category that includes school design, schedules, teacher workload and time. In my meetings with teachers, no other issue comes up more than this one. They want time to collaborate with colleagues -- time to focus on individual students -- time to prepare.
In Winston-Salem they have a flexible block scheduling system established by board policy that can be adjusted at the school level. In New Haven, the staff can modify work rules at the school level.
The next three issues involve evaluation -- and we all know that this is among the most challenging issues of all. There is no one-size-fits-all answer but we know the current system of teacher evaluation is broken.
For teachers, we should look at multiple measures of effectiveness, including student achievement. I encourage you to survey your colleagues and develop a system that works for you.
With respect to evaluation of administrators, shared responsibility means shared accountability. Everyone needs feedback -- and everyone can get better.
And I put myself at the top of that list. At the end of this conference, I want you to tell me what did and didn't work.
That's the only way my team and I can improve and better support your work.
Finally, school boards should be evaluated as well -- and this is frankly not an area where there are a lot of examples. Most school boards have to face voters. On the other hand, many school board elections have a low turnout -- so we need a system where school boards also get the meaningful feedback they need from their partners, not just voters.
The eighth issue is equally challenging -- and that involves transfer, assignment and layoffs. With Recovery Act funds drying up, this is a front burner issue across the country. My view is that we need to look hard at the impact of staffing rules and policies on students, especially in low-achieving schools. That means recruiting the best teachers and then making sure that our state laws, labor contracts and personnel practices support these teachers and keep them in their schools. Clearly, the status quo isn't working for children.
The ninth issue is also a challenge -- especially in lean budget times like this -- and that is compensation and benefits. I've said over and over that teachers should be paid more -- but I've also supported differential pay for teachers in hard-to-staff schools and hard-to-staff subjects. Clearly that is not a universally-held belief.
In Chicago, teachers developed a whole-school performance pay program that proved to be very popular. We only did this in schools where the vast majority of staff welcomed it.
Other districts, like Denver and Hillsborough, have developed their own models.
Benefits are a whole other story. The pension crisis is not news to any of us and the staggering increases in health care costs are a challenge in almost every occupation. Moving forward, honest, thoughtful dialogue on these topics is desperately needed.
Again, this won't be solved overnight -- but we cannot kick the can down the road forever. It's time to start the conversation -- and as with so many other issues -- the best solutions will come at the local level.
The last issue is -- in some ways -- the most important -- because it is really about how you work together on a day-to-day basis. As I said, the bright lines and dry language of a labor contract or a school budget can never anticipate the circumstances and challenges facing teachers and administrators on a daily basis.
We need to find new ways to work together, to problem-solve, and to manage our everyday issues -- without turning every one of them into a battle. This really comes down to relationships among the three leaders, which is why we are so pleased to have you all here as leadership teams.
School boards are elected by the public. Union leaders are elected by members. Superintendents are appointed by boards. But they have to spend a lot of time working with the community, parents, staff and students. You all have constituencies to manage - and it's important to walk in each other's shoes.
We also share a commitment to transparency -- but sometimes that devolves into a public ping-pong argument rather a face-to-face conversation. I've seen far too many good ideas fall to the wayside because of miscommunication in the media.
And speaking of the media, I would point out that this event is fully open to the media. Some of the country's top education reporters are here -- as well as a few bloggers. I hope you get to know them over the next 24 hours.
And as districts leave here to get the real work and the hard work done -- without acrimony or bitterness -- I challenge the media to cover those stories with the same breathtaking interest they display when folks are yelling at each other.
I want to close by talking about what may be the single-most important hour you spend at this conference -- and that is the reflection time tomorrow morning -- when your team meets on your own and talks about what you have heard and learned and how it might apply in your district.
This is an opportunity to build greater trust and shape an agenda for change. I don't expect you to take on all 10 issues that I cited. And in some areas you may already be ahead of the presenting districts. But we do hope that you are ambitious and far-reaching -- because the need is great.
We all know the brutal facts that must compel us to behave differently -- and to get better, faster than we ever have before.
One in four kids today doesn't graduate from high school on time. That's almost one million young people leaving our schools for our streets each year.
Fewer than half of the rest finish college. As a nation, we are slipping compared to the rest of the world. We need to not only do better but much better -- and that only happens at the local level in our classrooms.
I really want to push you hard on the importance of collaboration. Unions and administrators have been battling each other for decades and we have far too little to show for it. It hasn't been good for the adults and it certainly hasn't been good for children.
If all of us in this room today can devote ourselves to the fundamental idea that student achievement needs to be at the heart of our relationship, I'm confident that we can launch a new era in labor-management relations and -- more importantly -- a new era of educational progress.
Collectively, you have the power to stop our educational decline and help lead the country where we need to go.
So once again, I thank you for being here today. I applaud your courage and hard work -- and I thank you on behalf of the President and the entire country for everything you are doing every day to give our children the education they need and deserve.
Your passion and your commitment are why I am so hopeful. | 2019-04-24T10:10:23Z | https://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/advancing-student-achievement-through-labor-management-collaboration |
A fact is, I really enjoy posting political articles on my Facebook page. I’ve always enjoyed posting political articles on Facebook for any number of reasons. I’m a native New Yorker Sagittarius. And Sagittarians (like my Philly-guy pen pal Noam Chomsky [yeah, that one]) are truth tellers—especially the New Yorkers. Our ruling planet is Jupiter, called Jove by the Romans. Jovial people-people that we Sagittarians are, however, the Sanskrit name for our ruling planet is Guru: the clearest window to our souls that you’re gonna get. And you would think that that says it all about us, but it doesn’t exactly. We’re also shamanic performers. Truth is not just scientific to us, it is myth , magic, music, medicine, visual choreography, incantation, poetry, prayer. Sadgies (like Beethoven, Paracelsus, Spielberg, Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bruce Lee, Maria Callas, Richard Pryor, Donald Byrd, Brad Pitt, Jaco Pastorius) know that truth can be told, but it must be performed to be truly revealed. None other than Aaron Sorkin discovered while researching his screenplay for THE SOCIAL NETWORK that Facebook is a giant digital stage upon which no one is being themselves and everyone is performing; I have chosen the role I play and perform it on FB accordingly. In between rehearsals, gigs and bouts of boredom & insomnia, I seek truth online to corroborate truths I have discovered elsewhere. I share them with you, in my own mini-shamanic performances that coincide with my desire to be a good citizen of the world, at this time when the world itself is in jeopardy. Each article I post and comment on is a little truth dance that entertains me, and hopefully leads others to healing.
Another fact is, however, that I have always felt people share too much of their private lives in their public performances on Facebook. I’m an 80s kid. I remember when Madonna and countless other feminist artists first wore their underwear over their clothes as a sexual political statement more than an aesthetic one. It was jarring and exciting then. The vestigial remnants of that culture that is the digital exposure of ones intimate secrets, daily banalities and a six year-old’s excitement with the discovery of adult curse words on FB have always struck me as cute (at times), but utterly devoid of the meaning and relevance the original cultural statement had thirty years ago. To publicly do the ironic or the taboo every single day doesn’t kill irony or taboo, anymore than telling the same bad joke everyday kills comedy. It just makes you boring. Indeed, since everybody is doing it, it makes one complicit in the death of the very privacy and individuality we are supposedly celebrating; that for which this era may sadly be known, if there are any eras after this. Zuckerberg’s social media tool for bringing people together (and commodifying them), like all great inventions, came from his traumatized id as much as his brilliant ego. While he takes part in the creative restructuring of the collective Superego that is our new culture, he makes it so that the Frankenstinian nature of the tool he invented ironically serves to push us all further apart. The genius and the tragedy of it all is in the irony: as a result of the trading of intimacy for immediacy–and depth for concision–never before in human history have we been so globally interconnected and so lonely at the same time.
I still want to be connected–to friends, family, networks, leaders. (I still want to sit at the cool kids’ table in the lunchroom.) But I still like wearing my underwear under my clothes; most of my personal life is still exactly that, and I like keeping it that way. Sharing political news articles and performing the role of investigative journalist on Facebook allows me to do both, in my own way.
Another fact, nonetheless, is that sometimes the only truths that matter are the personal ones. And at those times, it doesn’t take an exhibitionist streak, it takes courage to share them. Like the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
The fact is, Azriel, the beloved orange tabby cat of the little fur family I have with my wife Alexis, died this week. He was about fifteen years old. Named after Gargamel’s cat from (the classic 80s cartoon) THE SMURFS, he was found on the streets of Philadelphia as an abandoned, flea-covered kitten by Alexis’ best friend when he was mere months old. By all logical analysis, he shouldn’t have lived more than another few days, but the friend who saw him meowing on the sidewalk while driving one night (as the story I’m butchering goes) slammed on the brakes, scooped him up, and sat with him in the car overnight after driving to the parking lot of a veterinary clinic, waiting for it to open. It was only a couple of years later that this friend, in the early stages of what promised to be a long and torturous nervous breakdown, chose to move to Phoenix and bring her two cats with her. (Our black cat, Liebchen, who she found similarly, is the other.) When this friend found herself nearly overwhelmed by the maesltrom of mental illness within her—and overwhelming Alexis in the process—Alexis sent her home. But Alexis knew that even if the cats survived the flight back to Philly that she wouldn’t allow them to take (the second time they were saved from something that would have probably killed them), they would not survive long under her suffering friend’s care (the third time); nor would they survive the friend’s mother who lived nearby (the fourth); nor would they live long with a mutual animal-loving friend in the area, whose large home was already filled with angry, territory protecting felines (the fifth). They became Alexis’ cats days later, and adapted to a new life of Phoenix sunshine, with a new mistress.
Azriel, like his brother Liebchen, became an indoor/outdoor cat and survived any number of fights with the local felines in our apartment complex. He became, as he grew to almost twenty pounds (uh-huh), one of those cats that even the dogs in the neighborhood said their own comically canine version of “wassup” to without barking crazily. He owned the place: gangsta kitty. But while my mezzo-soprano wife Alexis and I were working for Utah Festival Opera last summer (with my brother in law Jared checking on them regularly from his apartment minutes away), Azriel contracted cancer in his GI tract; one that remained almost imperceptible by even his vet until weeks ago. Given his bloodwork came back normal months ago, we spent money and time treating him for what seemed to be basic kitty GI issues, only to discover the reason he lost half his body weight over this past year and never gained it back was far more serious less than 48 hours before he passed away.
The fact is, the first one to realize the depth of Azriel’s illness was Liebchen. Just days ago now, Alexis set out the new moist catfood we were trying out for him, angry that it was in chunks and not the pâté he seemed to like more. (The sales girl at the specialty pet food store got our Doctor-recommended order confused.) Inexplicably to us, however, and completely out of character, Azriel didn’t try any of it. We thought he was simply being his finicky, Walter Matthau/grumpy kitty self for a moment when Alexis noticed that Liebchen had decided, equally uncharacteristically, to eat it himself, while it was sitting in Azriel’s bowl and area. Cats play alpha dominance games with each other all the time, but this was different; he never ate Azriel’s food so brazenly before. It was if he was saying, “Don’t worry, Azriel, I will assume the role of Alpha cat now; rest,” and ate the food Azriel was too weak to eat accordingly.
I immediately called the Vet when Alexis brought this to my attention and had them jumble their busy schedule enough to sneak Azriel in, for a diagnosis of what was the matter with him. His countenance had changed literally overnight from the older cat taking it easy, to the tired kitty that looked like he was almost gone. It was because he was almost gone. His doctor told us then that it could be days; it could be hours.
The fact is, I made a decision. I saw myself quite possibly having to make this decision years ago, but blocked it out of my mind. The Vet gave us a choice of euthanizing our kitty right then and there, minutes after choosing to do so, or bringing him home with us for the last time. And while my wife Alexis tried to compose herself, I decided to bring him home. He would have known no pain had we euthanized him then, at least not obvious pain, but our little family would have never recovered, and he would have spent his last moments in sterile, lonely fear. He needed to be in his house; putting his overheated kitty belly, hot from the Phoenix in summertime sun, on the cool linoleum foyer floor in front of our kitchen; drinking water from his own water fountain; resting his weary head against the edge of the Persian area rug in our music room like it’s a pillow, while laying the rest of his body comfortably on the wall to wall carpeting beneath. (He lost interest in all the kitty beds we ever bought him within weeks, if not days.) My wife needed to pet him, hold him, talk to him several more times. Liebchen had to be in his presence in the home and know exactly why he would be the lone cat in the house from here on, not just the new Alpha. I had to tell him how much I loved him–how much I always loved him–and that I would be here with him to the end. And his uncle Jared, who knew him and took care of him before I married his fur-Mom and ever met him, needed to get off work from his second shift job, reconnect, and say good-bye.
The fact is, I am posting this on Father’s Day, 2017. Roughly six months ago, I reconnected and said good-bye to my Caribbean-Harlem grandfather, Emanuel. I’ve talked and written about that time before, but the most important parts of my final moments together with him I’ve barely discussed even with my wife. I will probably never discuss it with my family. My Grandfather and I, along with my father whom we both lost in my childhood, were part of a special club that made us something like a cross between bewildered adoptive children being sent to Catholic school against our will and billionaires inheriting a seat in the Illuminati. We have been the continual focus of envy and scorn in our families for both an assumed powerlessness and a corrupt omnipotence simultaneously—the passive/aggressive expression of which the family routinely confuses with love. Waking up one morning to the discovery that we became the Palestinians of a liberal Zionist family without our knowledge when we became fathers, whether we liked it or not, scarred our souls and colored the perception of our lives in ways only other curry scapegoats of a Caribbean family could understand. Only later generations of children, as the unwritten rule seems to go, even try. In this men’s club, which, like AA, has no secret handshake or mottos, there are stories shared only with the membership, for reasons as obvious as they are painful. In this men’s club–which, like AA, has no secret handshake or mottos–there are stories shared only with the membership, for reasons as obvious as they are painful.
I am one of the last living members of my extended family’s secret father club now. In me are the secrets held. In me, the truths lay.
And the fact is, my kitty Azriel was hopped up on steroids last week for his GI tract condition, which worked well enough to keep secret the severity of his cancer symptoms from even HIS awareness. Until a few days ago, that is, when the steroids wore off and he felt everything wrong within him that he could not explain. While laying out on the couch one morning last weekend, after one of the nights where both Alexis and I fell asleep in front of the TV, Azriel climbed up onto me and stared me in the eyes. Climbing onto me was not out of the ordinary, nor was looking at me for moral support for one of his little kitty agendas, but he had never looked at me like this. In his eyes—unnervingly confused, quizzical, sharp, poetic, earnest, wise and elegiac all at once—I saw he wanted to say to me all that my grandfather had said six months ago from his hospital bed, without having the words.
I didn’t realize that that’s what it was until about 48 hours later.
The fact is, I was about nine years old the last time I had a pet. It was a parakeet, whose name I don’t even remember. My parents were raising my first little sister and I in such poverty in the projects of the Bronx that, when the time came to buy him more bird seed, they seemed to have a choice between food for him and food for us. They naturally chose us…which meant that I had to feed him the treat food, used to train birds for tricks and to get them back in their cage when the flew around, as his only meals. His premature death as a result a couple of weeks later (which even at that age I should have predicted) hit me like three tons of bricks. When my artist father, a trained stone sculptor, took out his tools to chisel a grave from the frozen winter earth near a tree in front of our project building that late November night, we buried him together, as I keened. He held me and comforted me afterwards, the way a child needed his father to do, and yet I never got over it.
I grew older and went to junior high school and high school, and used my mother’s mortal fear of animals as an excuse for not having another pet. I went to college, moved out to a great apartment after graduating mere blocks away in the Inwood section of Manhattan, where pets were welcome. But I was a singer; far too busy working temp or full time by day and in show rehearsals by night (when I was actually in town) to take care of a cat or dog the way they needed. And my beloved son, who I pretended inherited a love of animals from anyone and everyone but me, simply couldn’t have a pet at my apartment for the same reason I couldn’t, of course. It all made sense. It made so much sense that all the women I dated with cats or dogs in my 20s & 30s pretended to believe it. Some actually did. The fact is, it was all true, but all irrelevant. I chose never to hurt that way again, to the point where I had little understanding of people who opened themselves to experiencing it, for the rest of my life. By the time I was an adult, I had an intellectual appreciation for the general idea of having a pet, and that was about it. Dogs took too much time & energy, I said; cats had too much attitude; exotic reptiles, fish and birds were just too pretentious…even racism allowed me to block out the innumerable Black, Latino, Muslim and Asian people with pets that I knew in New York City and pretend that owning animals, making them part of a family, was just a white thing. I buried all interest in having a pet from the moment my father and I finished burying my parakeet, when he got me ready for bed and I proceeded to cry myself to sleep. I never got over the loss of that little bird who died before his time, because I didn’t know how to take care of him.
Alexis, my wife, didn’t just choose to love me ten years ago. And she didn’t just love her cats. She followed a divine call to change all of that when she married me; a call to open my heart and teach me how to love, through her cats. And in so doing, her former best friend’s cats didn’t just become hers, they became mine.
The fact is, it’s been less than a week, and I am still in mourning. Writing helps me cope; writing helps me feel; writing helps me understand. I fell apart upon taking Azriel home from the Vet earlier this week, realizing that night that our weary kitty would probably never see another morning. And in falling apart, I held my wife in my arms and both inexplicably & uncontrollably admitted every personal failing I could think of since the day we met. It turns out that every fault, every mistake, every character weakness and every bad choice I ever made since the moment I met her formed a world unto itself; one that I could hold on my psyche’s back like Atlas and compartmentalize into a nearly repressed oblivion, until my grief over Azriel made me too weak to do so. I begged my wife to forgive me–not for being the cause of our beloved kitty dying, which was beyond our control, but for not being the man who could make all her anxieties disappear and all our dreams come true, the way I repeatedly failed at being for so many of the days of our life together. She consoled me, shocked, and told me everything I needed to hear; confused by my asking for forgiveness for being, in reality, the man she always wanted. A new level of love between us was discovered; one we rose to embrace while wiping away each other’s tears. We are both, nonetheless, still in mourning. We still hurt.
And the fact is, I treasure this hurt. I treasure the pain; I treasure the loss. I treasure the gaping hole in my heart that only seems to grow larger as I walk through our Tempe two-bedroom and discover just how many little things I did every day to give attention to, make room for, and take care of a cat that is no longer here. I treasure the inexplicable and wholly irrational power of love, which gave my heart peace and joy in the celebration of my 91-year old grandfather’s life, but broke it into pieces while with an animal who, in dying after a mere ten years of our acquaintance, was forcing me to say goodbye. I treasure the horror of seeing Azriel (who routinely jumped on our bed, on our couch and over the four foot patio wall of our first floor apartment when he was healthy) too weak to walk, to eat or even to drink water; of my having to pet him gently and stare at his shallow breathing belly in his final hours repeatedly, to even know whether or not he had given up the ghost. I treasure the glory and pain of it all, because it could only fill my heart with such agony if said heart had matured and expanded to fit the memories of loving him at his strongest, most affectionate and best. Azriel challenged me to love beyond my fear. He challenged me to embrace the coddled, broken heart of my childhood past and open it to be courageously broken again–as real life and true love demands. He challenged me to love him, and I did. And in accepting that challenge from a bouncy ten-pound (in the morning) turned huge eighteen-pound (in the midday) turned frail eight-pound (in the sunset of his life) cat, I learned how to be more human. I learned, from an animal, that to be human and humane, two things often thought to be independent concepts, are actually one and the same. You cannot be one without the other.
I learned from Azriel how to let love make me more human.
1) Father’s Day is for fathers. Hence the term. It is a time to celebrate men who, in one way or another, have raised, are raising, have facilitated or are facilitating the protection and development of children. I know the world may be full of more fathers who failed miserably than the victims and veterans of all wars, but no one wants to talk to angry atheists on Christmas, or Islamophobes during the Hajj. Please don’t say some micro-aggressive, tone deaf version of “All Parents Matter” to anyone on this day, with a willful ignorance to both the excruciating irony and its effects on the fathers who tried.
2) Tears are teachers. They have a wisdom to them.
3) Animals and children (and wives) are servants of the Lord, who, as angels in physical form, will teach you how to love, if you let them. You probably won’t be fully human until you do.
I miss you, Azriel. Your Kitty Daddy loves you. Thank you, for the Father’s Day gift of teaching me how to love. | 2019-04-25T23:45:05Z | http://jazzoperetry.com/cogent-opinions-irrelevant-facts-a-kitty-daddy-fathers-day/ |
The ToL Glossary is still under construction. We expect to greatly expand it over the next few months. The current page contains a listing of all the available ToL Glossary terms.
You can set your preferences for browsing the ToL web site so that words contained in the glossary list are highlighted on ToL pages, and definitions are displayed when you move the cursor over a highlighted word. If you would like to try this now, click on the Turn Glossary On button below, and then go to a ToL page that features some of the terms in the list below (the Eukaryotes page is a good one). Note that you can turn the Glossary function on and off on any ToL branch page, leaf page, other article, note, or treehouse. Open the preferences menu and select either Show Glossary Entries or Hide Glossary Entries.
Relating to position: away from the mouth (cf. adoral).
The part of the ocean that extends from 4000m to the sea floor. This zone is characterized by near- freezing temperatures and crushing water pressure.
A type of pseudopod, needle-shaped, with internal skeleton formed from arrays of microtubules.
Relating to position: toward the mouth (cf. aboral).
Pertaining to the air - as opposed to the land (terrestrial) or the water (aquatic).
In animals: a state of dormancy/inactivity during the summer.
In plants: the arrangement of sepals and petals or their lobes in an unexpanded flower bud.
A polyphyletic grouping of organisms with chloroplasts. Now divided into blue-green algae (eubacteria), cryptomonads, chlorarachniophytes, glaucophytes, dinoflagellates and other alveolates, euglenids (a group of Euglenozoa), various stramenopiles (also referred to as chromophytes, chrysophytes, heterokonts - including the diatoms and brown algae), haptophytes (= prasinophytes), green algae (green plants), and red algae. For more information see Algae: Protists with Chloroplasts.
Species or populations occupying separate geographic areas. Compare to sympatry.
Molecule that serves as the basic structural unit of proteins. General formula: R–CH(NH2)COOH, with the side group (R) specific for each individual amino acid.
Any organism in a polyphyletic grouping of organisms which move and feed using pseudopodia. For more information about amoebae see Amoebae: Protists Which Move and Feed Using Pseudopodia.
Like an amoeba. Usually means that the organism has the capacity to produce pseudopodia.
Organisms capable of gaining energy and nutrients by both autotrophic and heterotrophic means. (Same as amphizoic).
An environment in which there is no free oxygen present. A situation that commonly arises in natural habitats when the biological demand for oxygen exceeds the supply, for example in sediments or when a site is organically polluted.
Relating to the apex, the anterior pole.
A character state derived by evolution from an ancestral state (plesiomorphy). A novel evolutionary trait.
Specialized structure of a fungal filament that anchors to the surface of a plant root, facilitating the invasion of the plant by the fungus.
Pertaining to water - as in aquatic habitat (ponds, lakes, streams, oceans, etc).
Organisms living on or in trees, fequenting trees, or a part of an organism resembling a tree in form and branching structure.
1990's but fluid concept for eukaryotes believed to have evolved before the origin of mitochondria. Over time, the group has included some or all of the entamoebae, microsporidia, diplomonads, retortamonads, oxymonads, trichomonads, hypermastigids, mastigamoebids, Pelomyxa, Phreatamoebae and trimastix in various combinations. For more information see the Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships on the Eukaryotes page.
A uniquely-derived character state. An apomorphy that is unique to a single terminal taxon.
Organisms which trap energy from physical or chemical sources and use the energy to assemble the macromolecules of which they are made. Photosynthesis is the only process by which this happens in eukaryotes, but additional processes are found among prokaryote organisms. Compare with heterotrophic.
A geometrically packed assemblage of microtubules (subcellular scaffolding) used to support flagella, the arms of Heliozoa, etc.
An organism that eats bacteria.
A pair of nucleotides on opposite strands of a nucleic acid hydrogen-bonding with each other according to the pairing rules between a pyrine and a pyrimidine.
A palatable/harmless mimic resembling an unpalatable/vigilant model.
Batesian mimicry postulates that palatable mimics are likely to gain protection from predators that have learned to avoid the unpalatable/vigilant model as long as the mimic remains relatively rare compared to the model.
The part of the ocean that extends down from 1000m to 4000m. No sunlight reaches this zone so it is very cold and completely dark. It is also characterized by very high water pressure.
The bottom sediments of the sea, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.
An organism which is dependent on a living host organism as a source of nutrients.
Having a pair of longitudinal stripes.
Reduced muds found below the surface of sediments in lakes and rivers. The blackness is caused by the occurrence of metal sulphides.
A secondary woody stem or limb growing from the trunk, main stem, or another secondary limb of a tree, shrub or vine.
Many other, subdivided, elongated structures of organisms resembling a tree branch.
Graphical representation of an evolutionary lineage in a phylogenetic tree diagram.
Relating to structures associated with the mouth.
From Latin bucca, mouth cavity.
The Burgess Shale is a sedimentary rock formation located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada. It contains exquisitely preserved fossils of invertebrate animals that lived on the seafloor 505 to 500 million years ago, during the Cambrian period.
For more information see Burgess Shale at The Paleontology Portal.
The Cambrian is the earliest period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between 543 and 490 million years ago.
For more information see The Cambrian at The Paleontology Portal.
The Carboniferous is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Devonian and the Permian, about 354 to 290 million years ago.
For more information see The Carboniferous at The Paleontology Portal.
The consumption of living animal flesh.
The female reproductive organs at the center of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style, and stigma.
The female gamete-producing reproductive organ of red algae. It develops from the gametophyte.
A sporangium produced by a carposporophyte. The organ that contains the carpospore.
A nonmotile, diploid spore found in red algae. Carpospores are produced by mitosis at the tips of gonimoblast filaments and develop into the tetrasporophyte phase.
A morphological stage in the life cycle of some red algae. The sporophyte phase which results form the fertilization of the carpogonium. It consists of growths originating from a carposporangium.
Compound used to make walls (normally around the outside) of certain types of cell.
The Cenozoic era spans the time from the end of the Mesozoic, about 65 million years ago, to the present. It is generally subdivided into two periods, the Tertiary and the Quaternary.
Any heritable attribute or feature of an organism that can be used for recognizing, differentiating or classifying a taxon.
Biologists use characters from a variety of different sources, including morphological, behaviorial, developmental, and molecular data.
Alternative forms of a character.
A family of pigments used in photosynthesis to trap radiant energy. Normally located with chloroplasts. Chloroplasts with chlorophyll b have a bright green colour, those with chlorophylls a and c are off-green or yellow.
An organelle found in eukaryotic algae and plants (and occasionally as symbionts in certain protist and animal cells). The site of photosynthesis and of chlorophyll.
A term used variously to refer to some or all of those algae with chloroplasts having chlorophylls a and c (i.e. stramenopiles, cryptomonads, and haptophytes). The cluster is probably polyphyletic.
A long strand of eukaryotic DNA, often complexed with specialized proteins called histones.
A behavioural type of eukaryotic flagellum, distinctive because they occur in large numbers, have a co-ordinated behaviour, and usually direct fluids parallel to the surface.
A single complete branch of the Tree of Life; more formally, a monophyletic group of organisms.
The practice of arranging organisms in named groups (taxa).
A fluid-filled body cavity in animals, lined with tissue of mesodermal origin, housing the internal organs.
An organism that derives nourishment or shelter by living in close association with another organism (the host), without damaging the host.
A type of sexual event during which two cells fuse. It may or may not lead to reproduction.
A member of the same species.
A given group's containing group is that group in which this group is included as a subgroup.
Any group in the Tree of Life has a series of hierarchically nested containing groups going all the way down to the ultimate containing group, Life on Earth.
Part of the contractile vacuole complex, often the only part that is visible with the light-microscope. It collects fluid and periodically allows the fluid to be discharged through the cell surface.
An organelle involved in osmoregulation in protist cells, including contractile vacuole, spongiome (a membranous system not usually visible with the light microscope), possibly a pore, collecting canals and ampullae.
In general, two or more things coming closer together.
Evolution of similarities in unrelated groups of organisms.
Adaptation for similar function may lead to novel characteristics (homoplasies), which are similar, although they are not inherited from a common ancestor. In some cases, such similarities may be superficial, as in the wings of birds, bats, and insects. In others, similarities can be so striking that it is difficult to determine that the traits arose independently and then later converged upon their current form.
Collective term for the petals of a flower.
A surface with a regularly indented margin.
An adjective used to describe things relating to the twilight associated with sunrise and sundown. An organism is considered to be crepuscular if it is active primarily during the dawn and dusk hours. Compare to diurnal, nocturnal.
The Cretaceous is the final period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between about 144 to 65 million years ago.
For more information see The Cretaceous at The Paleontology Portal.
Fold of the inner membrane of mitochondria.
Nineteenth century concept broadly covering small algae, fungi, and bacteria.
Part of the food ingestion structures (mouth) of some cells; usually a channel of microtubules that draws newly formed food vacuoles away from the cytostome and into the cell.
The matter which makes up cells, within which organelles occur.
Found in some ciliates, the site at which old food vacuoles fuse with the cell surface, and undigested residues are excreted.
Intracellular components used to provide shape to a cell or to create tracts along which cellular organelles may be moved, mostly comprised of microtubules and actin filaments.
Literally, 'the cell mouth'. only used in reference to organisms which ingest food at one or more particular locations, and then best used in reference to the region(s) of the cell surface through which food gains entry into the cell; part of the 'mouth' structures; see also cytopharynx.
The products of cell division of protists.
Breaking open at maturity, along a definite line, to release materials (e.g., seeds, spores).
Loss of one or more nucleotides from a nucleic acid sequence.
Living on or near the bottom of a body of water.
An organism that eats detritus.
Fragments of dead plant and animal material before, during and after breakdown by agents of decay. May incorporate inorganic matter (such as mud).
The Devonian is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Silurian and the Carboniferous, about 417 to 354 million years ago.
For more information see The Devonian at The Paleontology Portal.
A tree where all branching points are dichotomies. That is, a tree is dichotomous if at each branch point there are only two immediate descendents. This is in contrast to a polytomous tree.
A branch point on a tree that has two immediate descendents.
Feeding strategy in which the predator relies on the movements of the prey to make contact - as in heliozoa and suctoria.
Diploid organisms have diploid cells. Diploid cells have two copies of each chromosome.
Away from (contrast with proximal).
An organism that is active during the daytime rather than at night.
Long molecule in the nucleus of cells, shaped like a double-helix, contains the genetic information that determines the development and functioning of an organism's cells.
A parasitoid that lays its eggs on the surface of the host. Larvae feed on the host from the outside.
Organism living on the surface of another organism.
A type of explosive extrusome found in cryptoflagellates.
A group of organisms that is restricted to a particular geographic area.
A parasitoid whose immature stages live inside the body of its host.
A protein that acts as a catalyst, accelerating the rate of specific biochemical reactions.
Tissue covering or lining of the surface of an organism or an organ, both external and internal. Examples include the skin cells, the inner linings of the lungs, blood vessels, and the digestive tract, etc. Epithelial cells are generally tightly packed, providing a continuous barrier protecting the underlying cells.
Genetic changes in lineages of organisms over time. Through this process, a lineage may split and diversify into new species.
For a good introduction to evolution, see Evolution 101 at the Understanding Evolution web site.
A supportive structure lying outside the cell or body.
Facing outward, away from the axis or center.
A kind of organelle, the contents of which can be extruded, for example to catch or kill prey or for protection.
A thin strand. May refer to the appearance of an organism, a part of an organism, or a strand of cytoplasm.
In angiosperms: the slender, thread-like stalks that make up the stamens of a flower.
A kind of protist bearing flagella; a very diverse group with unclear boundaries. distinguished from ciliates because flagella are few in number, and usually create a thrust along the length of the organelle rather than parallel to the body surface.
The siliceous lorica of a diatom.
The phase of the life cycle of sexually reproducing plants and algae in which the gametes (egg and sperm) are produced. The gametophyte arises from the germination of a haploid spore.
Functional and physical unit of inheritance that is passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA containing the code for the synthesis of a functional polypeptide or RNA molecule. Most genes contain coding regions (exons), non-coding sequences (introns), and transcription-control regions.
Tissue derived from the the fertilized nucleus of some red algae, equivalent to the carposporophyte. It may develop from the carpogonium or an auxiliary cell, and it ultimately produces carposporangia by mitosis.
Solid inclusions in cells or items adhering to the surface of cells. Usually refractile, in that they may look bright when viewed with the microscope.
The Green River Formation, exposed in northwest Colorado, southwest Wyoming, and northeast Utah (USA), is what remains of a large lake that existed in the area about 60 to 38 million years ago. It contains one of the most complete fossil assemblages of plants, insects, reptiles, fish, and mammals in the world.
For more information see Green River Formation at The Paleontology Portal.
The very deepest parts of the ocean floor, including areas found in deep sea trenches and canyons. These areas are characterized by total darkness, constant cold, and very intense water pressure.
Haploid organisms have haploid cells. Haploid cells have a single copy of each chromosome.
The consumption of living plant material.
An organism which has both female and male reproductive organs and is therefore capable of producing both eggs and sperms. A simultaneous hermaphrodite has both kinds of reproductive organs at the same time. A sequential hermaphrodite has one kind early in life and the other later in life.
A term used variously to refer to some or all of those algae with chloroplasts having chlorophylls a and c (i.e. stramenopiles, cryptomonads, haptophytes and dinoflagellates). The group is paraphyletic as it fails to include some taxa derived from heterokonts.
A mode of nutrition in which the consumer relies upon molecules created by other organisms for energy and nutrients. Either osmotrophic (absorbing soluble organic matter) or phagotrophic (ingesting particles of food).
A class of proteins found in eukaryotic chromosomes. Histones bind with DNA and compact it, so that it will fit inside the nucleus.
The Holocene (or Recent) is the second epoch of the Quaternary period, spanning the time between about 11,000 years ago and the present.
Organisms that remain pelagic throughout their entire life cycle.
A characteristic shared by different groups of organisms that is derived from the same structure or trait in their common ancestor.
Ancestral characteristics may be greatly modified in descendent groups, so that homologous traits may not be similar in appearance or function. Clues of their common ancestry may often be found in structural details, ontogeny, or position relative to other features.
For more information about homologies see Homologies and Analogies and Recognizing Homologies on the Understanding Evolution web site.
A similiarity between different groups of organisms that is not homologous (due to common ancestry) but rather the result of convergent evolution or character reversal.
For more information about homoplasies (analogies) see Homologies and Analogies on the Understanding Evolution web site.
A natural process by which some of the genes of an organism are transferred and incorporated into the genome of an organism belonging to another species. This contrast with vertical gene transfer, in which the genes of an organism are passed on to its offspring.
An organism that provides nourishment and/or shelter to another organism, e. g., a commensal or a parasite.
The breaking apart of a molecule by addition of water.
Microscopic, tubular filaments that make up the body of a multicellular fungus.
A term used to refer to premitochondriate eukaryotes.
A parasitoid that paralyses and arrests the development of its host. Compare to koinobiont.
A structure produced by the organism, as opposed to a xenosome or foreign body. Used to refer to the elements which make up or adhere to the test of some amoebae.
Not moving, sometimes used to refer to cells which are fixed to the substrate.
In phylogenetic analyses, the subgroups of the group whose phylogeny is reconstructed.
The process of genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring.
Arising or occurring between species.
Arising or occurring within a species, involving the members of one species.
The Jurassic is a period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between the Triassic and the Cretaceous, about 206 to 144 million years ago.
For more information see The Jurassic at The Paleontology Portal.
A parasitoid that permits its host to continue to feed, grow, and function after parasitism. Compare to idiobiont.
A group of organisms, cells, or genes linked to one another through a continuous line of descent, i. e., through parent-offspring connections.
When a fruit capsule dehisces along lines coinciding with the centers of loculi (the enclosed compartments within the ovary). Compare: septicidal.
A small cavity or hollow space within an organism or in an organ.
An organic or inorganic casing or shell incompletely surrounding an organism, usually loose fitting.
One of two types of nuclei found in ciliates. Typically the larger of the two, may be rounded, like a long sausage, or like a string of beads. Involved in production of proteins but not in sexual reproduction. Essential for the day to day activities of the ciliate (see micronucleus).
A compound structure comprised of many cilia and associated with the mouth of a ciliate. Either present in groups of three (oligohymenophora) or as a band of many more (polyhymenophora).
The mid-ocean zone at depths between about 180 and 900 meters (600 and 3,000 feet). Also called the "twilight" zone because it is found between the well-lit photic zone above and the darkness of the deep ocean below.
The Mesozoic era spans the time from the end of the Paleozoic, about 248 million years ago, to the beginning of the Cenozoic, about 65 million years ago. It is generally subdivided into three periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
One of two kinds of nuclei found in ciliates, dividing to produce two similar nuclei during asexual reproduction and producing nuclei with half the complement of dna for sexual activity. usuaully the smaller of the two types of nuclei, but many may be present. some cells lack a micronucleus and survive quite well without it.
Usually single-celled creature that is too small to be seen without the aid of a microscope. The term may be applied to bacteria, archaea, and viruses, as well as certain fungi and protists.
A subcellular structure comprised of the protein tubulin and used for support - part of the cytoskeleton. Individual microtubules cannot be seen by conventional light-microscopy, but aggregates of microtubules can.
Resemblance of an organism (the mimic) in appearance and/or behavior to another organism or object (the model).
Site of aerobic respiration (energy production that is dependent on oxygen) in eukaryotic cells.
Used in reference to organisms which use a mixture of nutritional strategies, such as organisms with chloroplasts and carry out photosynthesis but are also able to feed by phagocytosis.
The study of the form and structure of an organism or one of its body parts. The word is sometimes used to also mean the form or structure itself.
Moving, for example by swimming, gliding, crawling, jumping, or kicking. Part of the body (e.g., cilia) may be motile in a cell which is not motile and is fixed in one position.
A gelly-like substance produced by organisms, texture may vary from virtually fluid to stiff and rubber-like.
An organism consisting of more than one cell.
Resemblance among several unpalatable/vigilant species.
The Müllerian mimicry theory postulates that several species mimic each others' warning signal in order to more effectively train predators to avoid eating individuals displaying the shared signal.
Stiff aggregates of many microtubules found around the cytostome of some ciliates and used during the ingestion of food. A type of ingestion rod.
A term referring to ocean waters from the low-tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf at a depth of about 200 meters. The neritic zone is characterized by low water pressure, plenty of sunlight, and stable temperatures.
The environment of the interface between water and air, often rich in bacteria and protists.
An organism that is active at night rather than during the day.
A branching point in a phylogenetic tree, representing the common ancestor of the lineages descending from this branching point.
An optically dense region (or regions) in a nucleus, associated with RNA synthesis. Not always visible.
Molecule that serves as the basic structural unit of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three other molecules — a sugar, a phosphate group, and a purine or pyrimidine base.
An organelle found only in eukaryotic cells, in which most of the cellular DNA (genetic material) is located. Most cells have a single nucleus, but certain species may have many nuclei.
A type of unsupported pseudopodium without evident extrusomes (compare extrusopodia).
The developmental history of an individual organism from its origin to its death.
The Ordovician is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Cambrian and the Silurian, about 490 to 443 million years ago.
For more information see The Ordovician at The Paleontology Portal.
A discrete structure found within eukaryotic cells.
Any living creature. A plant, animal, or micro-organism.
A form of nutrition in which soluble compounds are taken up by the organism, either by pinocytosis or by mechanisms capable of transporting one or a few molecules at a time (membrane pumps).
Echinoderms: small calcareous plates forming the skeleton.
A taxon that is not part of the ingroup but that is included in a phylogenetic analysis in order to provide information about the root of the ingroup and to help differentiate between apomorphies and plesiomorphies in the ingroup.
The deposition of eggs by the mother into a host or the environment.
A tubular organ that is used for oviposition, i. e., the laying of eggs. In some insects, especially parasitoid wasps, the ovipositor can be very long.
The Paleozoic era spans the time from the end of the Precambrian, about 543 million years ago, to the beginning of the Mesozoic, about 248 million years ago. It is generally subdivided into six periods: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian.
An interaction between organisms in which one organism (the parasite) lives in or on the living tissue of another organism (the host), deriving nutrients at the expense of the host. Parasites usually live for some time in association with their hosts rather than killing them soon after encounter.
An organism that is parasitic on a single host in its immature stages, usually kills its host at some point during its development, and is free-living as an adult. Most known parasitoids are insects, in particular wasps (Ichneumonidae, Chalcidae), flies (Tachinidae), and strepsipterans (Stylopidae).
A rod of material lying within the flagellum parallel to the axoneme, only found in some protists (e.g. euglenids) causing the flagellum to appear relatively thick.
Pertaining to the water column of the open sea - as opposed to coastal areas or the sea floor.
The outer region of cytoplasm of some protozoa, the term is applied only when the region can be distinguished because it appears to be relatively stiff and highly structured. Used mostly in reference to euglenids and ciliates.
The entire assemblage of scales, spines and spicules which encase some heliozoa, chrysomonads, etc.
Regular contractions of a body or part of a body. Mostly said of the intestinal system of vertebrates but also the squirming behaviour of some euglenids.
The region of the body around, and external to, the mouth. To deserve application of this term, the region must be modified to favour the acquisition of food.
The Permian is the final period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between about 290 to 248 million years ago.
For more information see The Permian at The Paleontology Portal.
The most conspicuous organs of a flower, often brightly colored, providing chemical and visual signals as well as landing platforms for pollinators. They are sterile and surround the fertile organs.
The ingestion of visible particles of food by enclosing them with a membrane to form a food vacuole.
An organism which feeds by phagocytosis.
A region of the ingestion apparatus lying internal to the mouth (of a metazoan organism) or internal to the cytostome of a protist. Involved in the swallowing process (see cytopharynx).
The upper zone of a body of water (a lake or an ocean) that is penetrated by sufficient sunlight to allow for photosynthesis.
A means of acquiring energy for metabolism which involves trapping radiant energy in chloroplasts, the use of that energy to break up water molecules (hydrolysis) and to convert released energy into an accessible form - such as the molecule ATP. The only form of autotrophy in eukaryotic cells. Some heterotrophic protists have symbiotic algae which allow them to exploit photosynthesis.
Large molecules in chloroplasts that absorb radiant energy (hence they have colour), mostly chlorophylls and carotenes and, occasionally phycobilins.
The scientific process of collecting and analyzing data to provide the best estimate of the true phylogeny of a group of organisms.
The scientific discipline of resolving phylogenetic relationships between organisms.
Any group of species are descended from a common ancestral species, which, over time, split into two species, with these descendents splitting again, and again, until the entire collection of species was produced through evolution and speciation (the splitting of a lineage). The genealogical connections thereby formed in general take the shape of a tree, called the phylogeny of the group.
For more information about this topic have a look at our What is Phylogeny? page and check out the Understanding Evolution web site, in particular the section about Understanding Phylogenies.
A process of ingesting material by enclosing it with a membrane. The resulting structure is usually too small to be seen with the light microscope and is mostly suitable for the ingestion of fluid or mucus.
Organisms living in the water column (above the sediment).
A type of amoeboid organization involving a large mass of cytoplasm and, usually, many nuclei. A type of body form adopted by some slime moulds. The genus Plasmodium is the cause of malaria.
The same as chloroplast, from it come the terms aplastidic and plastidic for with and without chloroplasts respectively.
The Pleistocene is an epoch of the Quaternary period, spanning the time between about 1.8 million years ago and the beginning of the Holocene about 11,000 years ago.
An ancestral character state. A trait from which an evolutionary novelty (apomorphy) is derived.
A chain of amino acids, usually less than 100 amino acids in length. Polypeptides are the building blocks of proteins.
Feeding on many different kinds of food. In the case of parasites or parasitoids, the use several different groups of organisms as hosts.
A tree that has at least one branch point that is a polytomy. A tree with only one polytomy is called polytomous, as is a tree with multiple polytomies. This is in contrast to a dichotomous tree.
A branch point on a tree that has more than two immediate descendents.
The Precambrian is the time period from the beginning of Earth, about 4.5 billion years ago, to the beginning of the Paleozoic era, about 543 million years ago.
For more information see The Precambrian at The Paleontology Portal.
An interaction between organisms in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats the other organism, the prey.
Unicellular organisms lacking a membrane-bound, structurally discrete nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. The term is generally applied to bacteria and archaea. Not a monophyletic group.
A large molecule composed of amino acid chains. Proteins perform a wide variety of cellular functions. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
A paraphyletic group consisting of those eukaryotes which are not animals, true fungi or green plants.
Transient extensions of the cell surface, used for locomotion or feeding. They may be supported internally (actinopods) or not (rhizopoda), they may be thread like (filose) or broad (lobose), may or may not bear extrusomes (nudipodia, extrusopodia) and they may be one (monopodial) to many (polypodial) produced at one time.
With a dimpled or spotted appearance.
A system involving a sac and channels and found in some dinoflagellates. The function is not understood, but it may act as an osmoregulatory organelle.
A protein body lying inside some types of chloroplasts.
The Quarternary is the second period of the Cenozoic era, spanning the time between about 1.8 million years ago and the present. It is generally subdivided into two epochs, the Pleistocene and the Holocene.
For more information see The Quarternary at The Paleontology Portal.
The re-establishment of an ancestral character state through the loss of an evolutionary novelty (apomorphy). For example, winged insects (Pterygota) evolved from a wingless ancestor; however, some pterygote lineages have subsequently lost their wings, e.g., fleas, lice, some grasshoppers and beetles.
Movement of an organism in response to the motion of a current of water or air.
Growth or orientation of an organism, or of part of an organism, in response to the motion of a current of water or air.
A molecule found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells. It plays an important role in protein synthesis and other chemical processes of the cell. The structure of RNA is similar to that of DNA. There are several classes of RNA molecules, including messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomal RNA, and other small RNAs, each serving a different purpose.
The below ground portion of a plant.
The root of a subtree of the Tree of Life is the branch that connects the subtree to the remainder of the Tree of Life. For a given group of organisms, the root is the branch that connects this group to its containing group.
The leaf-like, outermost organs of a flower. They are sterile and protect the fertile parts of the developing flower.
When a fruit capsule dehisces along lines coinciding with the partitions between loculi (the enclosed compartments within the ovary). Compare: loculicidal.
Procedure for the linear comparison of two or more molecular sequences in order to identify those positions that are likely to have a common evolutionary origin. Series of characters that are in the same order in the sequences are used as reference points, and hypothetical gaps may be inserted in order to make similar regions line up with one another.
Refers to organisms which are fixed to the substrate, for example by means of a stalk or lorica.
The Silurian is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Ordovician and the Devonian, about 443 to 417 million years ago.
For more information see The Silurian at The Paleontology Portal.
The two groups resulting from the splitting of a single lineage.
A contractile element in the stalk of some peritrich ciliates.
The splitting of an evolutionary lineage producing (usually) two new, separate species, which thus begin their own, unique evolutionary histories.
For more information about speciation and its significance in evolution check out the Understanding Evolution web site's pages about Speciation.
A leaf on the tree of life. A group of organisms that share a common gene pool as well as a unique evolutionary history distinct from other groups of organisms.
The definition of a species is more difficult than one might think. Over the years, a variety of different species concepts have been proposed, and the debate about the most appropriate definition is ongoing. Check out Defining a Species on the Understanding Evolution web site for more information.
Delicate pointed structures lying external to the body and usually pointed away from it. Like spines, but invariably excreted and more delicate.
A stalk bearing one or more sporangia.
An organ that contains or produces spores. Found in plants, fungi, algae.
Unicellular body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms. Often a resting stage, encased in a protective coat, adapted to resist heat, desiccation, or other unfavorable environmental conditions. Spores can give rise to a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore.
The phase of the life cycle of sexually reproducing plants and algae in which the spores are produced. The sporophyte arises from the diploid zygote.
The process of spore development.
The male reproductive organs of a flower. They produce pollen and usually consist of slender, thread-like stalks (filaments) topped by pollen-bearing anthers.
The length of a fish measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the fleshy part of the body. This measurement is preferred by many ichthyologists because it ignores the tail fin, which can often be damaged in specimens.
A term used loosely to refer to refractile masses of polysaccharides which are accumulated as storage products in the cell.
A type of cyst, with a siliceous wall and a single plugged opening, formed by some chrysomonads (stramenopiles).
Feeding on suspended particles. The most usual ploy is filter-feeding, but not all suspension feeders feed in this way.
Living in association with another organism, normally to the mutual advantage of both or to the advantage of one - the other being unaffected. Where there is a notable discrepancy in size, the term 'symbiont' is used to refer to the smaller member of the association which may occur inside (endosymbiont) or on the outside surface (ectosymbiont) of the larger member 'host'.
Species or populations occupying the same geographic area. Compare to allopatry.
A shared ancestral character state (plesiomorphy). A trait that is shared by two or more groups due to inheritance from a distant common ancestor.
Symplesiomorphies are common to all the descendants of a distant common ancestor, and they cannot be used to infer close evolutionary relationships between subsets of these descendants.
A shared derived character state (apomorphy). A novel evolutionary trait that is shared by two or more groups due to inheritance from an immediate common ancestor.
Synapomorphies are used by phylogenetic biologists to infer close evolutionary relationships between organisms.
Any named group of organisms.
A slender climbing organ by which some twining plants attach themselves to an object for support, formed by modification of a part of a plant, e.g. a stem, a leaf or leaflet, a stipule.
The taxa or named groups at the tips of the branches of a tree.
Pertaining to land - as opposed to the water (aquatic) or the air (aerial).
The Tertiary is the first period of the Cenozoic era, spanning the time between about 65 to 1.8 million years ago.
For more information see The Tertiary at The Paleontology Portal.
A unicellular sporangium containing four asexual tetraspores which are produced from meiosis. Tetrasporangia are found in certain red algae.
A form adopted by some species of ciliates that typically does not feed but moves quickly. May be thought of as an adaptation in response to a lack of food and the task of which is to hunt out new sources of food.
The Triassic is the earliest period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between about 248 to 206 million years ago.
For more information see The Triassic at The Paleontology Portal.
A type of extrusome which, when extruded, takes the form of a fine stiff filament. Typical of Paramecium, but used inadvertently to refer to other types of extrusomes.
An organism that is an obligate inhabitant of caves and underground water systems. Subterranean life often results in a series of characteristic morphological and physiological adaptations (troglomorphies) such as loss of pigment, blindness, and elongation of appendages.
Morphological characteristics often exhibited by troglobites due to adaptation to life in caves and subterranean water systems. Examples include blindness, a loss of skin pigment, and elongation of appendages.
A term preferred by some workers, usually in the US, for eukaryotic cilia and flagella.
Consisting of but a single cell.
A structure in a cell enclosed by a membrane. Usually food vacuoles (associated with the digestion of food) or contractile vacuoles (association with the excretion of fluid). Small vacuoles may be called vesicles.
A foreign body. Used to refer both to bits of debris which may be incorporated into the shells of some testate amoebae, and also to symbiotic algae lying inside other cells. Probably best restricted to the first use. | 2019-04-21T10:24:00Z | http://wwww.tolweb.org/tree/home.pages/glossary.html |
Yes. All prizes are subject to income taxes. The Lottery must withhold federal and state taxes from each prize over $5,000. The Lottery withholds 24% for federal taxes and 6.5% for West Virginia state taxes. Non-US residents’ prizes are subject to federal back-up withholding.
By law, unclaimed prize money is returned to the prize fund for second chance drawings, additional prizes in games and other promotional efforts. Beginning July 1, 1996, the Unclaimed Prize Fund also paid 1¼% out of the 7% retailer commission.
Effective January 1, 2019, House Bill 2982 allows winners of West Virginia Lottery draw games to remain anonymous in regards to his or her name, personal contact information, and likeness; providing that the prize exceeds one million dollars and the individual who elects to remain anonymous remits five percent of his or her winnings to the State Lottery Fund. All other winners are made public and listed in the winner database on wvlottery.com.
Can lottery winnings be claimed by mail?
Yes. You can claim any prize by mailing (we suggest certified or registered mail) your ticket to: West Virginia Lottery Claims, P.O. Box 2913, Charleston, WV 25330. Be sure to sign the back of your tickets and include your postal address. You MUST include a copy of your driver's license or state ID and a copy of your social security card (if the prize is $601 and above). We also encourage you to keep a photocopy of your ticket.
How long do I have to collect on a winning ticket?
A winner has 180 days from the drawing date to collect on-line game cash prizes and 180 days from the game ending date for instant games. Please note that under State Law, retailers are allowed to sell tickets up until the expiration date. Please refer to www.wvlottery.com for a complete list of new games, current games and games that have ended.
What happens if I accidentally lose a winning ticket?
The West Virginia Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. Protect yourself by immediately printing and signing your name as it appears on your government issued identification on the back of any winning tickets. It is important to remember that West Virginia Lottery tickets are bearer instruments and unless signed by the rightful winner, anyone in possession of the ticket may file a claim.
What happens to annual jackpot payments if the winner dies before collecting all of the prize installments?
In case of a winner's death, the West Virginia Lottery will continue to pay the annual payments, as scheduled, to the winner's ESTATE, trust or person(s) named in his or her will. The Lottery does NOT keep the money; the state does NOT take it. It is possible for legal action to be taken to have the lump cash sum remaining in an annuity to be made payable to the estate. The Lottery recommends that all jackpot winners consult a financial advisor and competent attorney as soon as possible.
How do I know that the Lottery is safe?
The Lottery is one of the most closely scrutinized agencies in state government and is structured with a comprehensive oversight network of numerous checks and balances. All financial records are audited by several entities; the background of every employee, vendor, and licensed retailer must pass an in-depth security check in conjunction with the West Virginia State Police. Numerous security measures are included in the drawing procedures to assure their randomness and integrity. A staff that includes a security officer, an event manager and an independent auditor oversees all drawings.
How many West Virginia Lottery employees are there?
The Lottery employs more than 170 people. Contracts for providing online games, instant tickets and field services (through GTech) provide employment for additional West Virginians.
Is the West Virginia Lottery audited?
Yes. The West Virginia Lottery employs an internal auditor, is audited each year by an independent auditing firm and is subject to Legislative audits. An independent auditing firm observes all game drawings.
When did the West Virginia Lottery start?
State voters approved the Lottery Amendment to the West Virginia Constitution on November 6, 1984 by a vote of 67% for the issue to 33% against. The West Virginia Legislature passed the Lottery Act in April 1985, which was signed in May by Gov. Arch A. Moore, Jr. The first instant tickets were sold on January 9, 1986. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold the first day.
Always guard your personal information. Attempts to deceive people into believing that they have won a lottery prize are now commonplace. Scammers are looking for sensitive personal information such as a your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number and ultimately - your money in an effort to defraud you. 1) If you receive a "winning notification" by mail, email or phone that you are a West Virginia Lottery or Mega Millions or any other Lottery prize winner: The West Virginia Lottery does not send out winning notifications via postal mail. You will never be contacted by phone or email, unless you entered a specific second chance drawing from the West Virginia Lottery. There is no other circumstance where you will be contacted by us informing you that you've won a prize. 2) If you receive a check with directions to cash and return a portion of the cash, do not respond. The check is not valid and will be returned for insufficient funds. No legitimate lottery will ever send you this type of communication. 3) Do not be fooled into providing personal information to scammers. Scammers often provide Internet-based claim forms or request personal information over the phone, such as credit card or bank account information. 4) If you are requested to pay a fee before winnings can be released to you, this is a fraud. Never send money. A legitimate lottery will never require you to pay money for advanced fees to cover expenses associated with the delivery of "winning prizes." 5) Never redeem a Lottery ticket for someone you do not know. Never pay cash to someone offering to sell a "winning ticket." 6) Never accept a collect phone call from someone claiming to be a Lottery official. You will never be asked to accept charges or to pay for anything in advance of claiming a legitimate prize. 7) Only purchase West Virginia Lottery tickets from one of our licensed lottery retailers located in the state of West Virginia. 8) If you feel you have been a victim of fraud you should: Contact your state’s Attorney General to report it. Read the information and tips put out by the Federal Trade Commission about scams. Forward the suspicious email to the Federal Trade Commission's address for unsolicited commercial email at [email protected] . Notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the FBI by filing a complaint on their web site at: www.ic3.gov.
What games does the West Virginia Lottery offer?
Instant (Scratch-Offs) Games, Online games (DAILY 3, DAILY 4, Cash 25, HotLotto®, PowerBall®, "TRAVEL™" Keno”, Mega Millions®), and Video Lottery games at selected locations under the laws governing LVL and RVL. TRAVEL™ Keno games (5-minute draws) are available only in certain "adult environments"; video lottery games and table games are available only at the State’s four casino racetracks and the Greenbrier resort.
Can the Powerball® or Mega Ball numbers be used in the first five numbers?
In short, no. Those numbers cannot become or be used as one of the numbers in the set of five numbers (the white drawing balls); neither may one of those five numbers become the Powerball, Mega Ball or Hot Ball. The two sets of numbers remain separate and apart for drawing and to determine winners. This is how the odds are determined, using TWO different sets of numbers.
Do PowerBall® and Mega Millions® players have to choose the cash or annuity option before buying the ticket?
No, you may choose cash or annuity up to 60 days after claiming a jackpot. Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") rules govern this issue. At one time, the annuity or cash option was required at the time a ticket was purchased. After the enactment of Internal Revenue Code section 451h, a player now may switch from annuity to cash within 60 days of claiming a jackpot.
Does the Lottery place winning instant tickets in certain parts of the state?
No. Winning instant tickets are randomly placed by computer into the packs of instant tickets during the manufacturing process. The Lottery randomly distributes the packs around the state. Because of this system, players in one part of the state have as much chance of buying winning instant tickets as those in any other part of the state.
In DAILY 3 and DAILY 4, what are the differences between all of the box bets such as 3-way box, 6-way box, 24-way box, 12-way box, 6-way box and 4-way box? Why is there a varied payout?
A boxed bet is a winner if any combination of your numbers come out as winning numbers. The 3-way and 6-way box bets as they pertain to the Daily3 game: The term "3-way" and "6-way" refer to the number of combinations that are possible for a certain bet. If your Daily3 bet consists of 3 unique digits, such as 1-2-3, there are 6 different winning combinations possible (1-2-3; 1-3-2; 2-1-3; 2-3-1; 3-1-2; and 3-2-1). This is a 6-way box. A Daily3 number that has 2 like numbers, such as 1-1-2, only has 3 possible winning combinations--1-1-2; 1-2-1; and 2-1-1. This is a 3-way box bet. You win more money for 3-way box bets because there is a lower probability of winning with only 3 possible combinations rather than 6. The same principle applies to the Daily4 box bets, which are the 24-way, 12-way, 6-way and 4-way boxes. Again, the "24-way" refers to how many possible combinations of a number there are. A Daily4 boxed bet with 4 unique digits, such as 1-2-3-4, has 24 different possible winning combinations. With 24 ways to win, this is the easiest Daily4 box, therefore it has the lowest payout. The 12-way box applies to a number that has 2 like numbers within it, such as 1-1-2-3. The 6-way box has 2 pairs, example 1-1-2-2; and a 4 way box has 3 like numbers, for example 1-1-1-2. The 4-way box has the highest payout of the boxed bets because with only 4 possible combinations, it is the least probable box bet to win. Make sure to view our “How to Play” instructional videos for more information!
I buy several instant tickets in a row and have no winners. Why can't the Lottery have more winners in an instant game?
A Lottery is a game of chance, and to preserve the integrity of the West Virginia Lottery, printing instant winning tickets is done randomly. We cannot program winning tickets without compromising integrity. There are a certain number of instant winners in every book, but even within each book, winning tickets and their prizes are printed randomly. The prize payouts for West Virginia instant games are considered fairly high. The prize payout averages approximately 68%.
Instant ticket odds are incorrect.
Odds printed on the back of all instant tickets (i.e. 1 in 4.25) are the overall average odds based on the total amount of tickets printed for that game. This means that if you could purchase EVERY ticket that was printed for the game and scratched them all, the number of tickets printed divided by the number of winners found would equal the odds. It does not mean that by purchasing four to five tickets in order at a time will produce a winner. Remember, that the Lottery is a game of chance and not every ticket can be a winner.
What is a straight/box bet in DAILY 3 and DAILY 4?
You can play both Daily3 and Daily4 numbers in a "straight/box" bet (also known as EXACT/ANY). This simply means that you are covering your straight bet combination with a box bet. Therefore, if your straight bet wins, you win both the straight amount and the boxed amount. If your numbers do not come up straight (exact order), but a combination of your numbers come up, you win only the boxed (any order) amount. Keep in mind, 50¢ of your $1 bet goes to each type, therefore your winnings will be half those of just a straight (exact) or just a box (any) bet. For a more detailed explanation with visuals, please see our “How To” video tutorial.
What states are in the Lotto America® game?
Lotto America is available to play in 13 jurisdictions: Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday after 11 p.m. ET.
When did Powerball® begin and how has it changed since its inception?
The Multi-State Lottery Association’s first game was LOTTO*AMERICA 7/40® which started sales on Wednesday, February 3, 1988. The first draw was on Saturday, February 13, 1988. MUSL’s second game was LOTTO*AMERICA 6/54® with sales starting on February 5, 1989. The original POWERBALL® game began sales on April 19, 1992. The first POWERBALL® drawing was on April 22, 1992. After more than five years as America’s premier jackpot game, POWERBALL® was updated beginning with the drawing of November 5, 1997. In order to generate larger average jackpots, the game changed from a 5 of 45 white ball plus 1 of 45 red ball game to a 5 of 49 plus 1 of 42 format. Low-tier prize levels were increased, the guaranteed starting jackpot was raised to $10 million, and players were offered the option of taking the jackpot in a lump sum cash payment. In March 2001, a major product enhancement was designed for the POWERBALL® product. This Power Play® feature allows a player to multiply their winnings of all set prizes (all prizes except the jackpot prize) by a number randomly drawn in a wheel spin just before the POWERBALL® drawing. As the population base playing POWERBALL® continued to increase, the matrix was again changed on October 6, 2002 by adding 4 additional balls to the white ball set. No additional balls were added to the red balls with the resulting matrix becoming 5/53 + 1/42. The continued success of the POWERBALL® brand prompted four more states to join the game. The matrix was again changed to insure game performance starting with the drawing of August 31, 2005. Additional enhancements to the game included: minimum jackpots starting at $15 million; the secondary prize raised to $200,000; and the third prize increased to $10,000. While no additional balls were added to the red Powerball set, two additional numbers were added to the white balls resulting in a matrix of 5/55 + 1/42. On January 1, 2009, the population base playing POWERBALL® increased with the addition of Florida to the membership. A matrix change effective for the drawing held January 7 added four numbers to the selection of white balls and dropped the number of red POWERBALL® numbers to 39. The change improved the overall odds of winning a prize, while providing a minimum jackpot that moved from a guaranteed $15 million to $20 million. Another change affected those who pay a dollar extra for the PowerPlay multiplier option; anyone purchasing a PowerPlay ticket who matches all five white balls automatically wins $1 million, instead of the $200,000 cash prize. Odds of winning any prize dropped from 1 in 36.6 to 1 in 35; odds of winning the jackpot increased from 1 in 146 million to 1 in 195 million, but the jackpot provided is higher and is expected to be hit more often because of the increase in play from Florida's players. In January of 2012, the game was redesigned to bring more value to its players. Jackpots will start at $40 million and grow faster overall. There will be more chances to win a prize of at least $1 million cash and the overall odds of winning any prize in the game also improved. The ticket price also changed, moving from $1 to $2. The enriched POWERBALL® game debuted Jan. 15, 2012. Tickets in the game will cost $2 and the Power Play® feature will still be available for an extra $1 per play. For that extra $1, players have the chance to win $2 million cash for the match 5 prize; that is improved from $1 million. While the Power Play now has set prizes, players will still at least double their non-jackpot prizes when they purchase this option. Players in the newly designed game still choose their first five numbers from a pool of 59. But the group of numbers in the POWERBALL® pool will shrink from 39 to 35, producing better overall odds of winning a prize in the game. Players today have a 1 in 35 overall chance of winning, which will improve to 1 in 31.8 in the revamped game. That means tens of thousands more winners each drawing. The POWERBALL® jackpots will start at $40 million, double the current starting jackpot of $20 million. In January of 2014 Powerball's Power play option returned to being a multiplier function. Adding a potential 2-5X prize component to all prizes under the match 5 level.
When the PowerBall® and Mega Millions® jackpots are very high, why not have several top prizes of $1 million or $5 million each instead of one $30 million, $50 million or $75 million prize?
The PowerBall® and Mega Millions® games are designed for players wanting large jackpots; sales go up as the jackpot rises. The Lottery provides other on-line games with more frequent winners of smaller prizes. Please note that both games also produce a great deal of second-tier prize winners for matching a certain amount of numbers. Always check your tickets!
Which game is the West Virginia Lottery's biggest seller by percentage?
For Fiscal year ending June 30, 2005: West Virginia Lottery instant games were the top seller with 58%, next was PowerBall® with 25%, Keno with 5%, DAILY 3 with 4.8%, CASH 25 with 3% and DAILY 4 with 2%. Other Multi-state games accounted for 1.7%.
PowerBall® is played in 41 States, Washington D.C. and the US Virgin Islands. The lotteries include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia.
Why did you change the Powerball game to make it even harder to hit the jackpot?
There is another side of the coin. The chance of winning any prize under the new Powerball structure (changed January 2009) have improved from 1 in 36.6 to 1 in 35. While the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot increased from 1 in 146 million to 1 in 195 million, the jackpot is higher, grows more quickly, and is hit more often as a result of increased play from the addition of Florida to the Powerball membership. In additon, the changes allow for players to win $1 million who choose the PowerPlay option and match all five of the white balls drawn, instead of the usual $200,000 cash prize. And receiving enthusiasm from players, the new jackpots will start at a minimum guaranteed $20 million, instead of $15 million. The reason the odds of the jackpot were changed was because of the addition of Florida players to the game. It follows that the jackpot is hit more frequently with a larger population pool, which would keep it low. Players buy Powerball tickets because they are attracted to large jackpots; sales are driven by the size of the jackpot. As one player said, "Where else can I get the chance of this much money for a dollar, regardless of the odds?" People who want better odds of winning lots of money can play "Hot Lotto" (odds are 1 in 10.9 million of hitting the jackpot) or for the cash prizes in Cash25, Daily3, and Daily4. Adjustments have to be made to the Powerball jackpot-driven game to provide the big jackpots players have come to expect. The indicator as to what players want is reflected in sales and in this case, big sales are reflective of a big jackpot.
Why is the cash amount of the PowerBall® and Mega Millions® jackpots less than the annuity amount?
The annuity amount is the value of the cash amount invested in securities over 30 years.
Can a group of people share a Lottery prize?
Yes, some Lottery prizes (e.g. PowerBall®, Mega Millions®, Hot Lotto® and CASH 25) can be shared. This decision must be made at the time of claim. Some restrictions do apply. The individuals and their respective shares are reported for tax purposes. PowerBall® annuity checks are sent to each individual.
Can lottery tickets be purchased by phone, mail or Internet?
No. Current law prohibits such sales. Also, federal interstate trade laws prohibit the sale of tickets across state lines. Tickets must be purchased at an authorized West Virginia Lottery retailer location.
How can I get winning numbers?
For winning numbers call 1-800-WVA-CASH (982-2274). Numbers may also be obtained through any Lottery retail location, newspapers, radio stations, or through our website www.wvlottery.com. The West Virginia Lottery is only responsible for numbers provided through its phone service and website.
How does Mega Millions® differ from Powerball®?
Actually, they are played the same. The multiplier associated with Mega Millions® is called the Megaplier, which includes numbers 2-5 that can be drawn to multiply prizes. The Megaplier does not apply to the jackpot; it costs $1 extra to purchase. The single sixth digit in the game is called the Mega Ball. The five Mega Millions® numbers are chosen from a field of 75; the Mega Ball is chosen from a field of 15. Prizes range from $1 from matching only the Mega Ball, to the jackpot for matching all five balls, plus the Mega Ball. A $1 million cash prize is won for matching all five of the set of five numbers. As with Powerball®, the numbers cannot be switched, in that a Mega Ball number cannot become one of the five numbers, nor can one of the five numbers become a Mega Ball number. Odds of hitting the Mega Millions® jackpot are 1 in 258,890,850 (odds for the Powerball® jackpot are 1 in 175,233,510).
How does the Lottery make sure its drawings are random?
The West Virginia Lottery goes to great lengths to ensure the randomness of its drawings and to eliminate any possibility of a breach of security that could jeopardize integrity. All equipment is stored in a locked area of our drawing studio. Further, a numbered and recorded seal secures each ball case. Each seal is checked and verified every night prior to drawings by the Lottery’s security officer, the event manager and the independent auditor. For each game, we have multiple sets of balls. The ball sets to be used are randomly selected prior to each drawing by the independent auditor. The auditor monitors all drawing activities to make absolutely certain that all procedures approved by the Director are followed. All drawing-related activities are recorded on both video and audiotape. Prior to every drawing, pretests are conducted and following every drawing posttests are conducted to ensure the random drawing of numbers – to ensure that no one digit is drawn more often than another. Each set of balls is regularly weighed and measured down to 1/1000 of a gram by the WV Department of Weights and Measures. All Lottery drawings are open to the public.
How many West Virginia players have won large jackpot prizes? It seems Multi-State prizes are mostly from out-of-state.
Feb. 14, 1987: 43 Lotto 6/36 winners; split $250,000 jackpot (9 from counties around the Charleston regional office, 3 from counties around Parkersburg's regional office, 6 from counties around Wheeling regional office, 5 from counties around the Martinsburg regional office, 3 in the Elkins region, 5 in the Beckley region, 3 claimed in the Logan regional office, and 4 claimed by those living in counties served by the Huntington regional lottery office.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- October 21, 2005: Robin Davis claimed West Virginia’s top cash prize from the $340 million Powerball drawing on behalf of 19 hair stylists from Charles Town, WV. Including their $200,000 prize and their share of the cash pool, the total prize was $853,492.
March 15, 2008: Eight Monongalia County Tax Office employees claimed $139.4 million CASH OPTION from a $276 million Powerball jackpot.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Feb. 5, 2009: Jeff McNew, Chesapeake, Va., $1 million for match-5 from Powerball with the Powerplay option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- April 8, 2010: Frank and Patricia Proud, Durbin, WV, $1 million for match-5 from Powerball with the Powerplay option.
August 23, 2010: Randy Smith, Martinsburg, WV, $79 million jackpot, $44 million CASH OPTION from Powerball jackpot.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 6, 2012: John Wiles, Tunnelton, WV, wins $1 million Mega Millions prize for matching five numbers with the Megaplier option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 5, 2012: Michael Shaver and Ronald Simmons, both Vietnam Veterans from Weston, WV, share $14 million in winnings from Powerball for matching five numbers with the Powerplay option seven times on the same drawing.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 29, 2012: Judy Price, Fairview, WV, wins $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers with the Megaplier option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- June 4, 2012: John Robinson, Beckley, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Dec. 21, 2012: Terry Brumfield, Harts, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 8, 2013: Mary Carr, Barboursville, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 8, 2013: The Gillispie Family (Doug, Chad, Todd and Tiffany Price), Julian, WV, win $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 22, 2013: Harry Seal, Martinsburg, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- October 7, 2013: David Feamster, Rupert, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 7, 2014: Randy Brown, Man, WV, wins $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 8, 2014: "The Beckley 27" (co-workers at the Register-Herald), Beckley, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 19, 2014: "The IMS Dreamers" (Twelve co-workers at Innovative Mattress Solutions in Winfield), Winfield, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 18, 2014: Beverly Swartzmiller, Sistersville, WV, wins $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 31, 2014: Katie Ivers, Pullman, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- April 25, 2014: Jeff Carver, Belle, WV, claims $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 5, 2014: Pam Garretson and Penny Fitzpatrick, Crab Orchard, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 5, 2014: Ricky Hall, Arnoldsburg, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 6, 2014: Angel Gonzales, Ranson, WV, claims $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 17, 2014: Hartzell "John" Lancaster, Weirton, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Aug. 2, 2014: Robert Carter, Poca, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Dec. 20, 2014: David Tefft, Parkersburg, WV, wins $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 14, 2015: “The Fabulous Five,” a group of five co-workers from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority, South Charleston, WV, claims $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers.• *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 14, 2016: Steven Wilson, East Liverpool, Ohio, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 5, 2016: Sam & Barb Ratliff, Elkview, W.Va., claim $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 11, 2016: Robert Lane, Fairmont, W.Va., claim $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 12, 2016: "The Mountaineer 26," a group of 26 former and current WVU employees, claim $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 23, 2016: Teddy Harbert, Worthington, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- January 17, 2017: Martha & Tommy Robinson, Princeton, W.Va., claims $2 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers with Power Play.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 4, 2017: Tim Varca, Shinnston, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 16, 2018: Robert & Mary Thomas, Charleston, W.Va., claim $2 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers with Power Play.
*Special note, not a jackpot* -- January 11, 2019: Stanis Tabler, Charles Town, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers.
In summary: Sales correspond directly with the number of winners by any given member of the MultiState Lottery. The odds of any ticket winning are exactly the same, regardless of where it is sold. I.e., the largest prize in the world –at the time—was sold in West Virginia’s Putnam County, while the bulk of winners for the drawing were found in areas with higher sales. The top 10 sales counties in WV were located along the borders where there was an influx across state lines to purchase tickets. The largest of West Virginia's Powerball prizes was a $314.9 million jackpot won by Jack Whittaker, who bought a ticket at C&L Super Serve in Hurricane for the December 25, 2002 drawing. The second largest prize won by a ticket purchased in West Virginia was a $276 million (CO $139.4 million) claimed by eight Monongalia Tax Office employees from a ticket bought at Paula’s in Westover for the March 15, 2008 drawing. The third highest WV jackpot was a $79 million Powerball jackpot won by Randy Smith of Martinsburg, W.Va. He took the $44 million cash option and bought his ticket at the Mountaineer ROCS in Martinsburg. The fourth highest WV jackpot was a $62.4 million Powerball jackpot won by Hobert Parnell, a VA resident, who bought a winning Powerball ticket in Bluefield at Blue Flash Food Mart #5 for the drawing held March 25, 2003. The fifth largest was a $30.6 million Powerball prize won by Robert Cogar, a PA resident. Cogar's ticket was bought at Cottrell's Country Store in Morgantown for the drawing held June 8, 2002. James Graves of Maybeury won an $8.2 million Powerball jackpot in 1994 from a ticket purchased at Fast Stop in Princeton. Roger Boone of Lewisburg won a $24 million Powerball prize in 1995 from a ticket purchased at Crawford's Foodland in Fairlea. Fifteen FEMA works claimed a $10 million Powerball jackpot in 2005 with a ticket purchased at Sheetz in Charles Town. In the summer of 2005, Diane Ellis of South Charleston claimed a $1.07 million Hot Lotto jackpot with a ticket purchased from Prima 7-Eleven in South Charleston, becoming West Virginia's first Hot Lotto winner. An $8.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot was claimed in 2006 by Donald Cox of Winchester, Virginia, from a ticket purchased at State Line Market in Bunker Hill. Winning Lotto*America jackpot prizes from 1989 to 1990 were: July 19, 1989: David Carter, Martinsburg, WV, $1 million (split $2 million w/ MO player) Oct. 21, 1989: Byron Herder, Warrenton, Va, $5,6 million (split $11.2 million w/ RI player) Jan. 6, 1990: Marvetta Coffman, Parkersburg, WV, $17.52 million Nov. 21, 1990: Arnel Collins, Morgantown, WV, $3.9 million (split $7.8 mill. w/ Kansas) In addition, 13 jackpots were won on the West Virginia Lottery's Grand Prize show won nearly $18 million from 1986 to 1988 and 15 jackpots were won from Lotto 6/36 totaling more than $13 million. The odds of winning for every ticket are exactly the same, regardless of the state, county, or retailer from which it is purchased. Understandably, however, there will be more winners in areas of greater population because of increased participation. All profits generated by MultiState game sales remain in the state in which the tickets are purchased.
What lotteries participate in the Mega Millions® game?
Lotteries selling Mega Millions® tickets include; Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Conneticut, DC, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennesse, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia, . WV began selling tickets for Mega Millions® on Jan. 31, 2010; the first drawing was held Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Outside of taxes, what other amounts can be withheld from my lottery winnings in West Virginia?
Under state law, the West Virginia Lottery must check for any outstanding child support that is owed and any back state taxes that are owed when an individual is claiming a prize of more than $600. Should a claimant owe either item, that amount will be withheld.
I live outside West Virginia. How can I buy West Virginia lottery tickets?
West Virginia lottery tickets can be purchased at nearly 1,800 West Virginia lottery retailers statewide. Tickets may not be sold by mail, over the phone, or Internet due to federal interstate commerce laws. You may want to consider a trip to West Virginia. For maps, travel guides and information, call 1-800-CALL WVA!
What TV stations broadcast the nightly live lottery drawings?
What time is the nightly draw show and where can I watch it? The West Virginia Lottery nightly draw show airs at 6:59 p.m. ET, Monday-Saturday. The following stations carry the West Virginia Lottery's nightly draw show: WSAZ-TV, Charleston/Huntington WDTV-TV, Clarksburg WOAY-TV, Oak Hill WVVA-TV, Bluefield FOX9, Wheeling, W.Va./Stubbenville, Ohio *Video of each nightly drawing is also uploaded to our web site, where it can be viewed following each drawing. You can access this page here.
When are the drawings held for Mega Millions®?
Drawings are held Tuesday and Friday at 11 PM. Tickets must be purchased before 9:59 PM on Tuesday and Friday to be included in that night’s drawing. Results are recorded on the Lottery’s phone system, as well as printed on the lottery web site at www.wvlottery.com; they may also be received as a print-out from any WV Lottery retailer.
When I buy a Lottery ticket, does the Lottery computer know whether I have won or lost?
No. The purchase of a Lottery ticket and the random drawing of the winning numbers are totally separate. Nobody knows if there is a winner until after the drawing.
Who can play the West Virginia Lottery?
You must be 18 years or older to purchase tickets. You may be younger than 18 to receive tickets as gifts and receive prizes. All tickets must be purchased from authorized lottery retailers in accordance with West Virginia Lottery legislative rules.
Who plays the West Virginia Lottery?
Since several states sell PowerBall®, Mega Millions® and HotLotto™, which state gets the profits from the tickets sold in West Virginia?
The profits from PowerBall®, Mega Millions® and HotLotto® tickets sold in West Virginia; stay in West Virginia!
What benefits do retailers get from selling tickets?
Retailers receive 7% commission on ticket sales. Incentives such as a 1% cashing bonus of prizes from $1 to $600, a 1% selling bonus for prizes of $500 or more (up to a $100,000 top bonus for winning Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto tickets) and various other retailer promotions are used.
More than 50% of all West Virginia Lottery instant and online ticket sales have been returned to players in prizes. State law requires that at least 45% of total revenue be paid in prizes. Retailers who sell tickets receive 7% of sales. Not more than 15% of the Lottery’s total revenue may be spent on operating costs. The remainder is profits transferred to the State Lottery Fund for appropriation by the Legislature to Education, Senior Citizen and Tourism programs.
Who decides how proceeds are used?
Each year the West Virginia Legislature appropriates net profits deposited into the State Lottery Fund to various programs benefiting education, senior citizen and tourism programs. The placement of basic skill education computers in classrooms statewide and programs under the School Building Authority, Education & Arts, Senior Services, as well as Natural Resources and Tourism are most of the beneficiaries of Lottery revenues. The Lottery, itself, has no authority over where proceeds are directed.
How are the profits spent for each one – Racetrack and Limited Video Lottery?
In general, profits from video lottery gaming fund West Virginia programs for senior citizens, education and tourism. In 2000, House Bill 102 capped the lottery’s four percent administrative allowance under the Racetrack Video Lottery Act at the fiscal year 2001 level. Today, excess funds are deposited into the State’s Excess Lottery Revenue Fund, used to provide West Virginia students with college scholarships and to back bonds for economic development endeavors. West Virginia cities and counties also receive two percent of the State’s revenues produced by the limited video lottery machines located within their geographic boundaries.
What is the difference between the Video Lottery at the racetracks and “Limited Video Lottery”?
It should be noted that the machines in both environments are the same with exception to “reel and coin drop” machines that are allowed only in the racetrack environment. Video lottery machines are stand-alone, player-interactive gaming machines with a video simulation of the common “slot” machine. Prior to the fall of 1999, the video lottery machines in racetracks were all voucher, ticket printing machines, sold by a number of state licensed manufacturers. West Virginia law was developed to allow the licensed racetracks to offer some actually “slot” machines that did not use a video simulation and some machines that dropped coins instead of issuing vouchers. The limited video lottery product, in the non-racetrack environment, remains confined to video simulation and vouchers. Limited video lottery games in West Virginia must pay out no less than 80 percent and no more than 95 percent. Video Lottery games located at the state racetracks and casinos must pay out between 80 percent and no more than 99.9% by law.
In the state of West Virginia, Video Lottery is the legal use of player interactive gaming machines similar to those commonly known as “slot” machines in the casino industry. As of 1994, video lottery was approved, with restraints set forth by law, at West Virginia’s four thoroughbred and greyhound racetracks. The issue had to be approved by voters in the counties in which each track is located. In 2001, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill allowing for a limited number of video lottery machines in adult environments. It is referred to as the “Limited Video Lottery Act.” The measure outlawed pre-existing “gray” or “poker” machines and restricted the number of Limited Video Lottery terminals to no more than 9,000. The environments in which they are permitted are classified as adult-only based on the fact that they possess a Class A, Alcohol and Beverage Commission (ABCA) license and meet various other legal requirements. | 2019-04-22T23:27:14Z | https://wvlottery.com/news-and-info/faq/ |
If I should be able to you help out in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Please also contact me should you need any help with setting up a Mediation with Cummins Mediation Services.
Trending over the past year were a number of notable Pennsylvania federal court decisions handed down reviewing the issue of jurisdiction over foreign or out of state Defendants.
A common thread in a number of the decisions was an agreement that, if a foreign business had registered to do business in Pennsylvania, that minimal contact in and of itself was sufficient to allow for jurisdiction over that defendant. See Mendoza v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc., No. 4:17-CV-02028 (M.D.Pa. 2018 Brann, J.).
In a number of other decisions, the federal courts addressed whether jurisdiction could be had under a stream of commerce theory. For example in Wylam v. Trader Joe's Co., No. 3:16-CV- 2112 (M.D.Pa. 2018 Mariani, J.), the court noted that neither a single sale directed at the forum state nor the fact that the Defendant's products were carried by national retailers was sufficient to establish jurisdiction.
In 2018, federal court bad faith Complaints were getting bounced left and right for being rife with conclusory allegations lacking sufficient factual support.
Decisions in the Western District, Eastern District and the Middle District tasked plaintiffs with the need to offer facts to support claims of poor claims handling, delays in payment, and lack of investigations by carriers. Lucky for the plaintiffs, in most cases leave to amend was granted.
A number of those cases can be accessed at this LINK.
Judge James M. Munley of the Federal Middle District Court of Pennsylvania denied the carrier’s Motion for Summary Judgment on a UIM statute of limitations defense in the case of Legos v. Travelers Cas. Ins. Co., No. 3:16-CV-1917 (M.D. Pa. Oct. 11, 2018 Munley, J.), by holding that the statute of limitations for a UIM is four (4) years from the date of a breach of the automobile insurance contract and not the date of the third party settlement. The breach of contract was noted to be the carrier's denial of the request, or settlement demand, for payment of UIM benefits.
In so ruling, the court referenced the Pennsylvania Supreme Court case of Erie Ins. Exch. v. Bristol, 174 A.3d 578 (Pa. 2017), in which it was held that the statute of limitations in an uninsured (UM) motorist case does not begin to run until there is an alleged breach of the insurance contract, i.e., the denial of a claim or a refusal to arbitrate.
The Legos decision can be viewed HERE.
Some argue that these cases serve to eradicate the statute of limitations in UM/UIM cases by basing the start of the statute of limitations upon the alleged breach of the auto insurance contract by the carrier. When filing such Complaints, Plaintiffs typically allege that auto insurance carriers breach the contract by not paying the Plaintiff's request for UM or UIM benefits.
As the argument goes, every time a carrier declines to pay a Plaintiff's settlement demand, another breach occurs which causes the running of the statute of limitations to start again (and again and again and again, every time a demand is rejected). Look for the defense bar to challenge this issue in the future.
A number of decisions handed down over the past year confirmed that there is no liability under the Hills and Ridges Doctrine if a person slips and falls during the course of a snowstorm.
The Collins decision is also notable for the court's ruling that the Defendant's alleged failure to pretreat a walking surface was not a basis upon which to impose liability under Pennsylvania law.
Another case from the past year along these lines was the case of Bless v. Pocono Mountain Recovery Center, LLC., No. 8167 - CV - 2016 (C.P. Monroe Co. May 17, 2018 Zulick, J.).
In Bless, which is noted to be the most viewed case of 2018 on the Pennsylvania Law Weekly's Instant Case Service, Judge Arthur L. Zulick, of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas granted the Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment based upon the hills and ridges doctrine in a case where the record contained evidence that the Plaintiff's fall occurred right after a recent snowfall which caused slippery conditions.
In the case of Gintoff v. Thomas, No. 2016-CV-2155 (C.P. Lacka. Co. May 4, 2018 Nealon, J.), Judge Terrence R. Nealon of the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas granted a Defendant hospital’s Motion for Summary Judgment in a medical malpractice case given the Plaintiff’s failure to support the claims against that Defendant with expert opinion testimony on those particular claims.
This decision was the fourth most viewed case on the The Pennsylvania Law Weekly's Instant Case Service in 2018.
In Gintoff, the court found that the Plaintiff's medical expert report, which only addressed the care provided by the defendant doctor, lacked sufficient expert opinion to establish a prima facie case for vicarious liability or corporate negligence on the part of the defendant hospital.
As such summary granted was entered in favor of the hospital. Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision by Judge Nealon may click this LINK.
Notable social media discovery and evidentiary decisions continued to trend over the past year.
Earlier this year, in the case of Commonwealth v. Mangel, 181 A.3d 1154 (Pa. Super. 2018), the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that social media posts are inadmissible in criminal cases unless prosecutors can present evidence of who actually authored the commentary, that is, unless the evidence is authenticated under Pa.R.E. 901.
Both the trial court and the appellate court in Mangel found that merely presenting evidence that the posts and messages came from a social media account bearing the defendant’s name was not enough to allow the evidence in. The court noted that Facebook posts and messages must instead be authenticated under Pa.R.E. 901 in a manner similar to how text messages and email messages are authenticated.
The Superior Court in Mangel relied on its own 2011 decision in Commonwealth v. Koch, 39 A.3d 996, 1005 (Pa. Super. 2011), affirmed by an equally divided court, 106 A.3d 705 (Pa. 2014), which dealt with the admissibility and authentication of cell phone text messages.
It can be expected that a similar ruling will also be handed down in the context of a civil litigation matter should that issue come before the trial or appellate courts.
In terms of social media discovery decisions, in Kelter v. Flanagan, PICS Case No. 18-0266, No. 286-Civil-2017 (C.P. Monroe Co. Feb. 19, 2018 Williamson, J.), Judge David J. Williamson granted a defendant’s motion to compel a plaintiff to provide the defense counsel with the plaintiff’s Instagram account log-in information.
public pages on the plaintiff’s profile showed that more information may be found on the private pages of the same profile.
A contrary result was handed down in the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas ruling in Allen v. Sands Bethworks Gaming, No. C-0048-CV-2017-2279 (C.P. North. Co. Aug. 6, 2018 Dally, J.).
This case arose out of the plaintiff’s alleged slip-and-fall in a bathroom at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
After reviewing the record before the court, the court in Allen ruled that the defense had failed to establish the factual predicate of showing sufficient information on the plaintiff’s public pages to allow for discovery of information on the plaintiff’s private pages.
In a footnote, the court also emphasized that such a factual predicate must be established with respect to each separate social media site the defendant wishes to access further.
For a comprehensive compilation of social media discovery decisions, one can freely access the FACEBOOK DISCOVERY SCORECARD on the Tort Talk blog. Many of the decisions handed down to date can be viewed and even downloaded from that page.
With the continuing absence of any appellate authority on the issue to date, the trial courts of Pennsylvania have developed a common law on the issue of whether punitive damages are a viable part of an auto accident claim involving cell phone use by a defendant driver.
In the Cumberland County case of Manning v. Barber, No. 17-7915 Civil (C.P. Cumb. Co. 2018), preliminary objections were granted and a plaintiff’s punitive damages claim was dismissed in a case in which the plaintiff alleged that the defendant driver was texting while driving.
According to the opinion, the plaintiff’s vehicle was stopped at a red light with another vehicle stopped behind it. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant failed to stop for the traffic light and rear-ended the second vehicle, causing it to strike to the rear of the plaintiff’s vehicle. The plaintiff additionally alleged that, at the time of the accident, the defendant was not looking at the roadway because she was distracted while looking at and texting on her cell phone.
The Manning court concluded that the mere use of a cell phone absent additional indicia of recklessness was not enough to sustain a claim for punitive damages. This decision can be viewed at this LINK.
Over the past year, the Pennsylvania Superior Court has continued to hand down important decisions that are marked as "Non-Precedential" by that Court, rendering the decisions to be of minimal or no persuasive value going forward.
One rationale voiced at CLE seminars for marking the decisions as "Non-precedential" is that the Superior Court writes hundreds and hundreds of opinions every year. Huh?
With all the room in the online world for continuing publications of everything in this Digital Age, including numerous court decisions, the hope is that the Pennsylvania Superior Court begins to publish all of its decisions so as to render them precedential and, therefore, useful.
The Superior Court internal rules or customs pertaining to marking Opinions as "Non-precedential" are as necessary as its old, repealed rules that use to make litigators waste time needlessly looking up and citing to both the "A.2d" citation and the "Pa.Super." citation to cases back in the day. Here's to hoping that a change is coming in 2019.
In what may be the first reported Pennsylvania decision in an Uber personal injury litigation matter, the court in Fusco v. Uber Technologies, PICS No. 18-0944 (E.D. Pa. July 27, 2018 Goldberg, J.)(Mem. Op.), conditionally granted Uber’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s negligent hiring, retention and supervision claims in a case of an Uber driver who allegedly attacked the plaintiff-customer.
In this matter, when the Uber driver arrived to pick up the plaintiff, the driver refused to take the plaintiff to his requested destination as it was too far. The plaintiff, apparently knowing the rules that Uber imposes on its drivers to honor the customer's request to be taken to a certain destination, remained seated in the car and repeated his request to be brought home. At that point, the driver dragged the plaintiff out of the car, kicked and beat him, leaving the plaintiff unconscious and bleeding.
The plaintiff later filed this suit against Uber asserting a negligent hiring claim, fraud and misrepresentation claims and vicarious liability claims.
According to the opinion, the court had originally granted Uber’s motion to dismiss on the negligent hiring and related claims given that there was no record of any alleged instances of past misconduct by the offending driver.
The court noted, however, that, after the plaintiff filed his complaint, news outlets in the area reported that the driver involved in the incident had a prior criminal conviction. In light of this development, the court granted the plaintiff leave to amend his complaint as to these claims.
Accordingly, the claim against Uber was allowed to proceed.
Anyone wishing to review this memorandum decision may click this LINK. The companion Order can be viewed HERE.
And so, with the dawn of the age of Uber and Lyft litigation arising, it may be wise to read up on any case law you see in this regard. Please email me a copy of any decisions you see to be posted here on Tort Talk so that all can benefit from this knowledge.
For an article by myself and Steve Kopko, Esquire on the law pertaining to required insurance in Uber and Lyft cases, click HERE.
Twelve (12) years of precedent was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Cagey v. PennDOT, 179 A.3d 458 (Pa. Feb. 21, 2018) (Maj. Op. by Donohue, J.)(Saylor, C.J., Concurring) (Wecht, J., Concurring), thereby exposing PennDOT to more litigation relative to accidents involving guiderails along Pennsylvania state roadways.
In Cagey, the court expressly overruled the long-followed 12-year-old Commonwealth Court decision in Fagan v. PennDOT, 946 A.2d 1123 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2006), along with its progeny, which had previously held that PennDOT is immune from liability in guiderail cases. With the Cagey decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court handed down earlier this year, PennDOT is now only immune when it fails to install a guide rail.
With this reversal of many years of legal authority that protected PennDOT from liability pertaining to guide rail claims, it is expected that there will be a dramatic increase in litigation for the government in defending accidents that involve alleged issues with a guiderail.
Anyone wishing to review the Majority Opinion written by Justice Christine Donohue may click this LINK.
The Concurring Opinion written by Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor can be viewed HERE.
The Concurring Opinion written by Justice David Wecht can be viewd HERE.
In a monumental reversal in the case of Balentine v. Chester Water Authority, 191 A.3d 799 (Pa. Aug. 21, 2018 Mundy, J.) (Justices Todd, Dougherty, and Wecht joined in the majority Opinion) (Baer, J., concurring) (Saylor, dissenting, J.), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned 30 years of precedent by holding that the involuntary movement of a vehicle can constitute the operation of a motor vehicle for purposes of the vehicle liability exception to governmental immunity under 42 Pa. C.S.A. Section 8542(b)(1).
The plaintiff’s decedent in Balentine was a contractor working at a site just off the side of a roadway. The Plaintiff was fatally injured when one car struck a parked car that was running and propelled that parked car into the pedestrian plaintiff.
The parked car was government inspector's car which gave rise to claims being pursued against governmental agencies that are generally protected with immunity under the Tort Claims Act. One exception to the immunity provisions is the motor vehicle exception, for accidents involving government motor vehicles in operation.
In this case, the appellate ladder, the majority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reviewed the law behind the Tort Claims Act and decided to overturn 30 years of precedent by holding that movement of a vehicle, whether voluntary or involuntary, is not required by the statutory language of the vehicle liability exception in order for that exception to apply.
The Majority Opinion of the Court in Balentine can be viewed HERE.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision in Balentine was recently followed by Judge Julia K. Munley in the Lackawanna County case of Sands v. Hamilton, No. 2013-CV-55 (C.P. Lacka. Co. Nov. 5, 2018 Munley, J.).
In Sands, the court addressed a defendant municipal bus company’s Motions In Limine seeking to preclude evidence and testimony related to negligent supervision, negligent training, and negligent retention of the bus driver. The defense was asserting that such evidence was irrelevant given that such evidence did not relate to the central issue of whether the “operation” of the motor vehicle at issue fell under an exception to the governmental immunity provided under42 Pa. C.S.A. §8542(b)(1).
Based in part upon the Balentine decision, the court denied the motion in limine and allowed the evidence in at trial.
Splits of authority continue to abound on many issues in Post-Koken Litigation in the continuing absence of much needed appellate guidance. Hopefully, the Superior Court will get a chance to decide some of these issues this year and issue published decisions to provide valuable precedent for the courts below.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court had another chance to view the issues in Tincher as that case continued its ride up and down the appellate ladder. In this latest decision, the court again confirm that the Azzarello decision is no longer good products liability law. Yet, the plaintiff's and the defense bar continue to battle over proper language for jury instructions.
Anyone wishing to review the Pennsylvania Superior Court’s decision in Tincher may click this LINK.
In the case of Trigg v. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, No. 2018 Pa. Super. 129 (Pa. Super. May 14, 2018 Kunselmen, Olson, J.J.; Bowes, J., concurring) (Op. by Kunselmen, J.), the Pennsylvania Superior Court noted that, if trial court judges want the benefit of a favorable standard of review on appeal, they better be on the bench during voir dire in order that they may assess a juror's demeanor in person when deciding whether or not to strike a juror for cause.
Both the Board of Governors and the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association have adopted a Report and Recommendation with regards to submitting a request to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to issue a new rule allowing attorneys to earn up to 2 CLE credits a year, and judges up to 2 CJE credits a year, for their participation in the annual Mock Trial Competition.
With this adoption of the Report and Recommendation, it is now the official position of the Pennsylvania Bar Association to submit a request - on behalf of all Pennsylvania lawyers - that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court change the Rules of Continuing Education to allow for two CLE and two CJE credits for mock trial participation. That request has been submitted.
Here's to hoping the Supreme Court grants the request and thereby provides great assistance to a great program that helps high school and college students all across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by increasing the number of attorneys and judges who will be more willing to volunteer their time.
In 2018, Cummins Mediation Services was launched and began to provide mediation services to assist in bringing all types of personal injury civil litigation matters to a close with much success.
Should you wish to mediate a case in the year ahead, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or 570-346-0745 to request a CV or a proposed fee schedule.
In the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas case of Smith v. Riverside Rehab Center, No. 1146 - CV -2017 (C.P. Monroe Co. Oct. 9, 2018 Zulick, J.), the court found that the Plaintiff failed to establish a prima facie case of negligence in this slip and fall matter given that the hills and ridges doctrine served to prevent the Plaintiff’s recovery and since the Plaintiff provided no expert medical opinion on the issue of causation.
The Plaintiff allegedly fell when he slipped while walking up a ramp to the entrance of the Riverside Rehabilitation Center.
After discovery, the Defendants filed a Motion for Summary Judgment asserting, in part, that they were entitled to summary judgment based upon the hills and ridges doctrine.
The court reiterated general rule of law that, under the hills and ridges doctrine, landowners are protected from liability for generally slippery conditions resulting from snow and ice where the owner has not permitted the snow and ice to unreasonably accumulate in ridges or elevations.
In this matter, Judge Zulick found that liability was not established under the hills and ridges doctrine. The record revealed that a severe snowstorm had begun as the Plaintiff traveled to the Riverside Rehabilitation Center. Evidence presented to the court indicated that the snowstorm was continuing when the Plaintiff arrived at the center and slipped and fell while going into the center.
As such, the court found that the record established that there was no evidence presented which otherwise indicated that any of the Defendants allowed hills or ridges or snow or ice to unreasonably accumulate. To the contrary, the court found that the case presented as involving a slippery ramp created by an ongoing storm. As such, summary judgment was granted on this basis.
The Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment was also granted on the basis that the Plaintiff failed to provide a report by a medical expert on the issue of causation. The court had previously directed the Plaintiff to produce a medical expert report, which the Plaintiff failed to do.
The court agreed with the defense contention that the Plaintiff was unable to prove factual causation of the injuries allegedly sustained as a result of the slip and fall event. In this matter, the Plaintiff had a complicated history of both pre-existing and subsequent injuries. One of the subsequent incidents occurred only two (2) weeks after the subject slip and fall event. The Plaintiff had allegedly struck his head in both the subject slip and fall incident as well as during the subsequent accident a few weeks after the slip and fall event.
Moreover, the defense produced a report from the Plaintiff’s doctor indicating that the Plaintiff’s alleged trauma was related to the injuries sustained during the Plaintiff's more recent incident.
The record also revealed that the Plaintiff was involved in a motor vehicle accident approximately two (2) months after the slip and fall event. Other evidence showed that, in the following year, the Plaintiff sustained yet another head injury.
Given this complicated medical history, the court concluded that the Plaintiff was required to produce expert medical testimony to prove causation with respect to the injuries alleged to have resulted from the slip and fall event at the Riverside Rehabilitation Center. The court noted that the Plaintiff did not comply with the court’s Case Management Order requiring the production of a medical expert report within a certain deadline and the Plaintiff offered no excuse for failing to do so.
Based upon these reasons, the court granted the summary judgment motion.
Anyone wishing to review a copy of this case, may click this LINK.
Source: “Digest of Recent Opinions,” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (Nov. 13, 2018).
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In the case of Dittman v. UPMC, No. 43 WAP 2017 (Pa. Nov. 21, 2018), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court addressed the duty of an employer to safeguard sensitive personal information of employees.
The court ruled that an employer has a legal duty to use reasonable care to safeguard an employee’s sensitive personal information stored by the employer on internet/accessible computer systems.
The court additionally noted that recovery in negligence for these types of purely pecuniary damages raised in this type of case are permitted under the economic loss plan since the recovery asserted is based upon an application of an existing duty to a novel factual scenario as opposed to imposing a new affirmative duty requiring consideration of other factors under Pennsylvania law.
Anyone wishing to review a copy of the Majority Opinion written by Justice Baer may click this LINK. Chief Justice Saylor's Concurring and Dissenting Opinion can be viewed HERE.
This article of mine was recently published in the December 18, 2018 edition of the Pennsylvania Law Weekly and is republished here with permission.
These are invigorating times for those engaged in the study and practice of law in Pennsylvania.
Over the past year there have been dramatic reversals of long-standing law by a newly activist Pennsylvania Supreme Court. There have been clarifications of recurring civil litigation issues by both the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court. There has also been a continuing development of a new common law by the Pennsylvania state and federal trial courts grappling with novel questions in the absence of appellate guidance in post-Koken matters and with respect to social media discovery and evidentiary disputes. Keeping apprised of these dramatic changes and developments is more important than ever.
Over the past year the Pennsylvania Supreme Court made its presence known with its new brand of judicial activism evidenced in several civil litigation decisions that have created new avenues for plaintiffs to seek additional compensation and which will likely trigger more litigation in the future.
In Cagey v. PennDOT, 179 A.3d 458 (Pa. Feb. 21, 2018), the Pennsylvania Supreme Court expressly overruled the long-followed 12-year-old Commonwealth Court decision in Fagan v. Commonwealth, DOT, 946 A.2d 1123 (Pa.Cmwlth. 2006), and held that PennDOT is now only immune from suit in guiderail claims in limited circumstances. Under the prior Fagandecision there was essentially no liability on any claims against PennDOT relative to guiderails in motor vehicle accident matters.
Now, under the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in the Cagey case, when PennDOT has installed a guiderail, sovereign immunity is waived if it is established by the plaintiff that the agency’s negligent installation and design created a dangerous condition that caused or contributed to the happening of a motor vehicle accident. A dramatic increase of lawsuits against PennDOT on this theory of recovery is anticipated.
In another stunning reversal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned 30 years of precedent with its holding that the involuntary movement of a vehicle can constitute an “operation” of a motor vehicle for purposes of the vehicle liability exception to governmental immunity under 42 Pa. C.S.A. Section 8542(b)(1).
In the case of Balentine v. Chester Water Authority, No. 119 MAP 2016 (Pa. Aug. 21, 2018 Mundy, J.), the plaintiff’s decedent was working as a contractor hired to rehabilitate a section of a water distribution system. At the time of the accident, the decedent was working just off to the side of a roadway. A government inspector pulled up to the scene and parked his car and left it running. The decedent-contractor was unfortunately killed when a third car struck the parked government inspector’s car and propelled that stationary vehicle into the decedent.
The majority of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court reviewed the law behind the Tort Claims Act and held that movement of a vehicle, whether voluntary or involuntary, is not required by the statutory language of the vehicle liability exception in order for that exception to apply. As stated, in so ruling, the court eradicated 30 years of precedent on the issue in one fell swoop. This decision is also expected to give rise to an increase in lawsuits on this theory of recovery.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court also handed down a number of notable decisions over the past year. The case of Trigg v. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, 187 A.3d 1013 (Pa. Super. May 14, 2018), has already changed how jury selection will work in the trial courts across the Commonwealth. In Trigg, the Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed a trial court’s denial of post-trial motions in a medical malpractice case regarding, in part, jury selection issues.
According to the opinion, in certain trials in Allegheny County, only a court clerk presides over voir dire. Any issues raised during jury selection would require the litigants and the clerk to go to another office to meet with the judge for a decision on whether to strike a juror. As such, the trial court judge would not have any first-hand perception of a juror’s demeanor in response to questions posed by the attorneys during jury selection.
The Superior Court in Trigg ruled that, given the fact that that first-hand perception of a juror’s demeanor is the basis for a palpable error deference standard of review on appeal for voir dire issues, decisions on jury strikes made by judges who do not attend jury selection should not be afforded that type of deference by the Superior Court.
The Superior Court’s decision in Trigg is in line with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s jury selection decision last year in the case of Shinal v. Toms, 162 A.3d 429 (Pa. 2017). In Shinal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that whether a juror is to be stricken during voir dire is dependent upon the trial judge’s assessment of the juror’s demeanor and the juror’s answers to the questions posed regarding whether the juror is capable of putting aside any biases so as to serve in a fair and impartial manner.
Going forward, it is anticipated that this line of decisions will keep trial court judges on the bench during voir dire so as to avoid any jury selection objections being upheld on appeal.
Notable social media discovery and evidentiary decisions were handed down over the past year.
In Kelter v. Flanagan, PICS Case No. 18-0266, No. 286-Civil-2017 (C.P. Monroe Co. Feb. 19, 2018 Williamson, J.), Judge David J. Williamson granted a defendant’s motion to compel a plaintiff to provide the defense counsel with the plaintiff’s Instagram account log-in information.
The court ruled in this fashion given that the defense had made a predicate showing that the public pages on the plaintiff’s profile showed that more information may be found on the private pages of the same profile.
In addition to granting the defense limited access to the private pages of the site for discovery purposes, the also court ordered that the defense not share that information with anyone not related to the case. The court’s order also directed that the Plaintiff not remove or delete any content from that account in the meantime.
During the course of discovery, the plaintiff provided limited information in response to social media interrogatories seeking information regarding her online activity. The plaintiff confirmed in her responses that she used Facebook and Twitter but declined to provide any more detailed information other than to confirm that nothing had been deleted from her accounts since the date of the incident.
The defense responded with a motion to compel for more information, including information from the private portions of the plaintiff’s social media profiles.
In his detailed opinion, Northampton County Judge Craig A. Dally provided an excellent overview of the general rules of discovery pertinent to this issue as well as a review of the previous social media discovery decisions that have been handed down not only by various county courts of common pleas but also courts from other jurisdictions. No Pennsylvania appellate court decision was referenced by the Allen court as there is apparently still no appellate guidance to date.
In his opinion, Dally noted that the defendant had pointed out discrepancies between the plaintiff’s deposition testimony regarding her alleged limitations from her alleged accident-related injuries and photos available for review on the public pages of the plaintiff’s Facebook profile depicting the plaintiff engaging in certain activities.
Nevertheless, after reviewing the record before the court, Dally still ruled that the defense had failed to establish the factual predicate of showing sufficient information on the plaintiff’s public pages to allow for discovery of information on the plaintiff’s private pages.
Dally additionally noted that, in any event, he “would be disinclined to follow the line of Common Pleas cases that have granted parties carte blanche access to another party’s social medial account by requiring the responding party to to turn over their username and password, as requested by the defendant in this case.” The court found that such access would be overly intrusive, would cause unreasonable embarrassment and burden, and represented a discovery request that was not properly tailored with reasonable particularly as required by the Rules of Civil Procedure pertaining to discovery efforts. In light of the above reasoning, the defendant’s motion to compel was denied.
The above cases show that a decision on the discoverability of social media information can be dependent upon the personal assessment of the evidence by a particular trial court judge.
It is anticipated that when faced with the issue, the appellate courts will apply a similar method of allowing for social media discovery, i.e., requiring a predicate showing of information on the public pages of a profile that lend support to an assertion that discovery of the private pages should be allowed as well. But perhaps the appellate courts will apply more concrete parameters of the analysis so that the litigants can predict with greater confidence how a trial court judge may be required to rule upon the issue.
For a comprehensive compilation of social media discovery decisions, one can freely access the Facebook Discovery Scorecard on the Tort Talk blog. Many of the decisions handed down to date can be viewed and downloaded from that page.
Although there has been no appellate guidance in Pennsylvania on the issue of the discoverability of social media information, the appellate courts have weighed in on the issue of the admissibility of social media evidence at trial, albeit in the criminal court context.
The court ruled in this fashion after noting that social media accounts can be easily hacked or faked. In so ruling, the court affirmed an Erie County trial court decision denying a prosecutor’s motion in limine seeking to introduce into evidence Facebook posts and messages allegedly authored by the defendant.
Both the trial court and the appellate court found that merely presenting evidence that the posts and messages came from a social media account bearing the defendant’s name was not enough to allow the evidence in. The court noted that Facebook posts and messages must instead be authenticated under Pa.R.E. 901 in a manner similar to how text messages and email messages are authenticated. The Superior Court in Mangel relied on its own 2011 decision in Commonwealth v. Koch, 39 A.3d 996, 1005 (Pa. Super. 2011), affirmed by an equally divided court, 106 A.3d 705 (Pa. 2014), which dealt with the admissibility and authentication of cellphone text messages.
In the 2018 Commonwealth v. Mangel case, the court noted that the Koch court had previously held that “authentication of electronic communications, like documents, requires more than mere confirmation that the number or address belonged to a particular person. Circumstantial evidence, which tends to corroborate the identity of the sender, is required.” The Mangel court ruled, in a case of first impression, that the same analysis should apply to social media posts in the criminal court context.
Sometimes the future, like an Uber ride, arrives sooner than you expect. One of the first Pennsylvania court decisions in a personal injury matter involving an Uber ride was handed down this year.
In the case of Fusco v. Uber Technologies, PICS No. 18-0944 (E.D. Pa. July 27, 2018 Goldberg, J.)(Mem. Op.), the court conditionally granted Uber’s motion to dismiss the plaintiff’s negligent hiring, retention and supervision claims in a case of an Uber driver who allegedly attacked the plaintiff-customer.
By way of background, the plaintiff had attended a party Philadelphia and then contacted Uber for a ride to his home in New Jersey.
According to the opinion, the Uber app conceals the customer’s destination until the start of a booked trip. Accordingly, when a driver arrives to pick up the plaintiff, he does not know the plaintiff’s destination. The app is apparently set up in this way so as to the prevent drivers from declining routes they deem to be less profitable or less desirable. According to the opinion, Uber does not allow drivers to refuse a trip after learning of a customer’s destination.
In this matter, when the Uber driver arrived, he refused to take the plaintiff to his home in southern New Jersey. The plaintiff, apparently knowing the rules that Uber imposes on its drivers, remained seated in the car and repeated his request to be brought home. At that point, the driver dragged the plaintiff out of the car, kicked and beat him, leaving the plaintiff unconscious and bleeding.
The court noted, however, that, after the plaintiff filed his complaint, news outlets in the area reported that the driver involved in the incident had a prior criminal conviction. In light of this development, the court granted the plaintiff leave to amend his complaint as to these claims. Accordingly, the claim against Uber was allowed to proceed.
In 2018, the law continued to trend with respect to the issue of the availability of punitive damages in claims involving drivers involved in accidents while using their cellphones.
Under Pennsylvania’s Anti-Texting Law, 75 Pa.C.S.A. Section 3316, it is provided that no driver shall use a handheld device to send, read or write a text while the vehicle is in motion. Noncommercial drivers are otherwise still currently allowed to use their cellphones to make and receive calls while driving.
As for commercial drivers, Pennsylvania’s Distracted Driving Law, 75 Pa.C.S.A. Section 1622, makes it illegal for commercial drivers to use handheld devices in any fashion, except in emergency situations. That law also provides that it is illegal for an employer to permit or require a commercial driver to use a handheld device while driving, except in emergency situations.
According to the opinion, the plaintiff’s vehicle was stopped at a red light with another vehicle stopped behind it. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant failed to stop for the traffic light and rear-ended the second vehicle, causing it to strike to the rear of the plaintiff’s vehicle. The plaintiff additionally alleged that, at the time of the accident, the defendant was not looking at the roadway because she was distracted while looking at and texting on her cellphone.
The court did note that there were a number of trial court decisions from across Pennsylvania regarding claims for punitive damages in cellphone cases. Based upon these trial court decisions, the Manning court concluded that the mere use of a cellphone absent additional indicia of recklessness was not enough to sustain a claim for punitive damages.
In reviewing the plaintiff’s complaint, the note noted that the plaintiff simply pleaded boilerplate allegations that the defendant was inattentive and going too fast. The court in Manning found that these allegations only amounted to a classic claim of negligence, and not recklessness.
The court in Manning additionally rejected the plaintiff’s presentation of a policy-based argument that texting while driving should constitute per se recklessness. The court stated that, while this argument maybe considered by a future appellate court, in the absence of any such appellate guidance to date, the Manning court declined to accept the plaintiff’s argument in this regard.
The Manning decision is consistent with other prior trial court cellphone decisions requiring additional aggravating facts over and above mere cellphone use in order for a court to allow for a punitive damages claim to proceed. Such aggravating factors in other decisions in which punitive damages were allowed to proceed have included the fact that the defendant is driving a large commercial vehicle, excessive speed on the part of any driver, heavy traffic in the area, looking down or intoxication.
It remains to be seen whether 2019 will bring us an appellate decision on the issue of cellphone use and punitive damages claims in the auto law context.
There were no appellate decisions handed down in 2018 in the separate auto law context of post-Koken matters.
The only published appellate decision to date remains the Pennsylvania Superior Court’s decision from five years ago in Stepanovich v. McGraw and State Farm, 78 A.3d 1147 (Pa. Super. 2013) appeal denied 89 A.3d 1286 (Pa. 2014). In that case, the Superior Court approached the question of whether an insurance company defendant should be identified as a party to a jury in a post-Koken trial but, unfortunately, did not provide a definitive holding on that issue. Incredibly, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to hear that appeal thereby missing a rare opportunity to dole out much needed guidance on novel issues of law.
Ever since, the trial courts of Pennsylvania continue to struggle with post-Koken issues. According to the post-Koken Scorecard on the Tort Talk blog, which has been compiling post-Koken decisions over the past decade, there are splits of authority among, and sometimes within, the county courts across the commonwealth on many different important questions of law pertaining to pleadings, discovery, evidentiary and trial issues.
For example, in terms of whether post-Koken claims not containing a bad faith claim should be consolidated or severed in terms of the third-party allegations against the defendant driver and the breach of contract claim for UIM benefits, at least 24 county courts favor the pretrial consolidation of such cases, while at least 23 favor the severance of these types of cases.
In terms of those post-Koken cases in which a bad faith claim is also alleged, there are at least 10 county courts that deny motions to sever and stay the bad faith claims, while at least 19 other county courts have ruled in favor of granting motions to sever and stay discovery on the bad faith claims.
The majority trend in the Pennsylvania federal courts, regardless of whether a bad faith claim has been pleaded, has been in favor of the consolidation of post-Koken claims through the life of the litigation.
It is expected that the above trending areas of law will continue to grab the headlines in 2019.
Perhaps one of the most important decisions to watch for in 2019 will be the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling in Roverano v. Crane, No. 58 EAL 2018 (Pa. July 31, 2018). In Roverano, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is expected to address the issue of first impression involving the question of whether the Pennsylvania Superior Court misinterpreted the Fair Share Act in terms of apportioning liability among defendants in the context of this products liability case. That decision could have an impact across all types of civil litigation matters involving multiple defendants.
At the Superior Court level, the hope is that that court will publish any decisions in these trending areas of law as opposed to releasing them as nonprecedential decisions. In this day and age of digital information there should not be any concern with respect to filling too many casebooks—those books are (unfortunately) falling by the wayside. As appellate guidance is desired by both civil litigators and the bench on these emerging areas of concern, such decisions should all be published as a matter of course.
The hope also remains that if the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has an opportunity to review any of the above issues on appeal that it will grant certiorari and also provide the much-needed appellate guidance in these important areas of the law. | 2019-04-24T14:30:57Z | http://www.torttalk.com/2018/12/ |
Fifteen years ago, on one of my early visits to Pyongyang, I was taken to the Tower of the Juche Idea, the vertiginous propaganda monument on the south bank of the Taedong River. Peering acrophobically over the railing at the ground 560 feet below, I asked one of the local guides if people ever came here to commit suicide. The young woman, who spoke flawless English, appeared baffled. I rephrased the question. She still didn’t understand.
Visiting North Korea used to be like that. Not only were the actions of the country’s leadership perfect in all particulars, not only were all of its citizens unimprovably provided for, even personal anguish was unknown. I have no doubt that, in reality, my young guide was fully acquainted with despair, and may well have known people who had been driven to kill themselves: just a few years before, in the late 1990s, the country had been struck by a famine so dreadful that North Koreans fell dead in the street, and as many as a few million perished. But in the official version of reality as presented to visiting foreigners, there were no snakes in the garden. Not only hunger, but disharmony, disagreement, personal pain, even death itself, had been abolished. Kim Il-sung, the country’s founder, who had died in 1994, continued to reign as Eternal President. When asked what would happen after the demise of his son and successor, Kim Jong-il, the guides were completely unwilling to consider the possibility. That was what visiting North Korea used to be like. It isn’t anymore.
In September I spent a week there, my first visit since 2010, and the willingness to admit imperfection, the acknowledgment of at least a few creepy crawlies in paradise, was, I think, the most striking among many alterations that had taken place. Travelling to Pyongyang used to be like teleporting to an alien world, in which the most familiar assumptions no longer applied. It is still a singular experience: touching, nostalgic, infuriating and sinister. But in the space of eight years, North Korea has changed. The changes are small in themselves; almost all could quickly and easily be reversed. But cumulatively, they are remarkable.
At Pyongyang’s airport (a brightly lit new building has replaced the sepulchral halls of the old terminal), the foreign visitor can pick up a sim card that allows him to browse the internet more freely than in neighbouring China (where Google, for example, is blocked). Locals, of course, are restricted to a closely policed ‘intranet’ of official websites but several million of them now have mobile phones, and use them in similar ways to people all over the world. Our guide, Mr Ri, showed us an online shopping site – manmulsang.com.kp – where a modest range of clothes, food, books and CDs could be purchased using another innovation, a prepaid credit card. On the Pyongyang subway, a dimly lit netherworld decorated with mosaics of idealised life under the Kims, I saw something that I never imagined here: North Koreans zoning out between stations to play Candy Crush and card games on their phones.
At night, Pyongyang, which used to decline into blackness after sunset, was better illuminated than I had ever seen it. There were the lights of new restaurants, selling pizza, burgers, steak and fried chicken. There were many more cars on the streets, Chinese imitations of foreign models, as well as authentic Toyotas, and expensive electric bicycles of the kind Japanese mothers use to ferry around young children. The toilets in the restaurants had electric hand dryers, and in a couple of places I found another Japanese invention: lavatories that squirt a cleansing jet of water between the buttocks at the touch of a button.
The skyline of the city, spied from the Juche Tower, was jagged with new construction – bristling, cylindrical apartment blocks built for teachers and their families. South of the river, the stained and crumbling post-Korean War high-rises that gave the city much of its grimy texture have been refaced and repainted in pastel colours. The Ryugyong Hotel, a 105-storey pyramid that has never opened thanks to a mysterious structural problem, had been veneered on one of its sides with LED screens, flashing patriotic slogans and colossal animations.
In large part, the change that has taken place lies in the willingness of the authorities to show the visitor what was formerly hidden from view. We went one evening to the Kaeson Youth Park, a hundred-acre expanse of carousel, rollercoaster and Ferris wheel, which opened in 1984. In the amusement arcade, girls of university age in high heels and trench coats eyed boys in tight jeans, who were trying a bit too hard. I suspect that this subsection of youth culture has been a feature of the city for a while. But the guides on my previous visits would never have had the confidence to expose a foreign journalist to anything so raw, unfiltered and unselfconscious. There was nothing rebellious about them, but the sight of young North Koreans being pouty and flirty was something that I never expected to be allowed to see.
The biggest change was in the behaviour of the guides themselves. When you visit North Korea, the ‘minders’, as everyone calls them, are the only people with whom you have unmediated contact, and they are the key to the entire trip. Their job, to a great extent, is persuasively to bamboozle visitors to a country that is by a long way the most repressive in the world. At the same time, they have it in their power to bestow indulgences, or to impose prohibitions, in ways that can make the difference between a successful and enjoyable trip and a tedious and frustrating one. Yes – I will ask those students if you can photograph them. No! The visit to buy souvenirs in the Number 1 Department Store has been cancelled. Past tours in which I had taken part were a delicate mixture of flattering the minders in order to win their goodwill, teasing them about the absurdities which their job forces on them, and stealthily defying the rules in order to harvest the experiences and observations that are the journalist’s raw material.
Never has it been less tense and more enjoyable, never has the atmosphere been more relaxed, than it was in September. In the past, photography was forbidden unless it was explicitly permitted: I once travelled with a BBC team which, having been caught filming out of the window of the bus, were obliged to spend the next day showing every frame of their footage to the chief minder, on pain of having the whole lot confiscated. This time the only prohibition was on photographing soldiers. I received one stiff telling off – for inappropriate smirking in the vicinity of a statue of Kim Il-sung. But otherwise, Mr Ri and his senior colleague Mr Kim gave the best impression of normal human beings that I have ever encountered in North Korean minders.
The trade fair itself was dull, and the people to whom we tried to talk were ungracious. Mr Ri attempted to interpret our questions, but ended up in a salty exchange with the proprietor of a stall that sold fitness drinks made out of potatoes. He rolled his eyes in irritation as we walked away. The significance of all this is relative, and I don’t want to exaggerate it. My travelling companions, all of whom were visiting for the first time, were struck most of all by the stifling atmosphere of constraint. But to me it was remarkable, and thrilling, to witness two North Koreans falling out with each other.
During the long hours on the bus, Mr Ri talked, freely and at length, about surprisingly personal matters, including his marriage. It had taken him a year, he said, to establish his authority over his wife; during the difficult interim, he had been helped by the advice of his father-in-law. He told a story about a friend of his, a young woman who had fallen out with her parents over the man she wanted to marry. After one bitter argument, she went to her room and lay down next to an open bottle of pills. When her parents came in to see how she was, they assumed that she had taken an overdose. ‘Her family were all lamenting,’ Mr Ri said, with amusement. ‘But she was only pretending! In the end her family relaxed, and she and her husband are now happily married.’ Suicide, then, is indeed alive and well in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
How to explain this striking alteration in the atmosphere? It was not, I am sure, simply down to the character of our minders. The job they do is not one that offers scope for personal innovation and individual flair; they speak from a well-rehearsed and carefully edited script, issued by a central authority. And since my last visit in 2010, the tone and quality of the dialogue had changed. At its heart were the same old pride and defiance. But there had crept in alongside them a new and amused confidence, an acknowledgment of imperfection, and a previously suppressed sense of fun. There is an obvious explanation for much of this: the young leader Kim Jong-un, who succeeded Kim Jong-il in 2011.
North Korea is routinely regarded as a place that defies understanding, a realm of fizzing irrationality and madness, but viewed from a few steps back, the logic of its government’s actions is not at all difficult to grasp. Kim Jong-un has one overriding aim in life: to die of natural causes in old age, as his father and grandfather did before him. His enemies, the United States and South Korea, are primed to go to war, and on his doorstep. The closest he has to friends, China and Russia, regard him with irritable disdain. Every year, the competitive advantages conferred by the massive size of his army are being eroded by the technological advances made by his adversaries. The nuclear weapons that he claims now to have – a small arsenal of warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles – could never bring victory against the immense forces of the US. But the capacity to take out even one American city, to raise to an unacceptable level the cost of an attack against him: this in itself is an insurance policy like no other.
The argument of Western governments is that, far from protecting him, nuclear weapons put Kim in greater danger of being attacked, and that if he obediently gives over his deterrent he will enjoy a rich bounty. Recent examples of those who were persuaded to reverse nuclear course provide strong reasons to doubt this. The most prominent among them, Gaddafi, was lynched in 2011, shortly after being sodomised with a bayonet, in a Libyan uprising backed up by American bombardment. The more recent nuclear deal with Iran is in jeopardy after the present US government abandoned the agreement painstakingly reached by its predecessor. You don’t have to approve morally of anything about the Kim regime to conclude that, for a dictator in such circumstances, to give away nuclear weapons, rather than hold on to them, would be the behaviour of a madman.
Why then, at the very beginning of 2018, did Kim Jong-un set in motion a series of diplomatic initiatives culminating in his June summit in Singapore with Trump, a meeting devoted to the subject of denuclearisation? To the American president, and the foreign governments that take his lead, the reason is clear: he has been successfully pummelled into submission by the sanctions that have been imposed on North Korea since its first nuclear test in 2006, as well as by Trump’s military threats. Like much else connected to North Korea, this is an explanation freighted with wish fulfilment and false hopes.
The international sanctions regime reinforced in 2017 is, on paper at least, the most stringent ever imposed on North Korea, but the only evidence of its effects is anecdotal, and hopelessly liable to manipulation by governments with a need to cast their own policies in the best light. Trump and his secretaries of state have veered between claims of extravagant success for sanctions, and complaints that North Korea’s neighbours Russia and China are not doing enough to enforce them. China, which controls the literal and metaphorical pipelines into the country, did appear to be enforcing an embargo on iron and coal in 2017, though by Trump’s own admission this has slackened over the course of the past year. Sanctions, in any case, do not in themselves equate to pressure, especially in a regime such as North Korea in which the sufferings of the population are of only incidental concern to its leaders. This is a government which, in its self-imposed isolation, has effectively sanctioned itself. If the collapse of the North Korean economy after the Cold War and the Arduous March were not enough to prompt political change, or galvanise North Koreans to rise up, then no fudged punishment imposed from outside will either.
There is another way of understanding Kim’s change of course, which is more or less to take at face value what he himself has said. In his annual New Year address to the nation in 2017, he announced that the country was in the ‘final stages’ of creating an ICBM that could strike the US mainland. (‘It won’t happen!’ Trump tweeted in response.) In September of that year, North Korea exploded underground what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb. Three months later, after a series of tests of increasingly powerful missiles, it successfully launched the Hwasong-15, an ICBM with an estimated range of 13,000 km – enough to reach any city in North America or Europe. At New Year 2018, Kim spoke triumphantly of ‘the achievement of the great historic cause of perfecting the national nuclear forces’.
He also talked of his hope for improved relations between the two Koreas. Within weeks, North Korean athletes and members of the senior leadership were attending South Korea’s Winter Olympics; within months, Kim had held three summit meetings with the South Korean president; and in June he met Trump in Singapore. Rather than a meek submission to the power of sanctions, it is quite possible to interpret this pivot to diplomacy as a confident decision, made from a position of strength. For years, he had been racing towards a precise goal: nuclear missiles capable of striking the United States. Having achieved it, with all the security it brings, there is nothing to be lost by talking, and possibly useful concessions to be gained – but it does not follow that he will abandon the strategic asset that brought a US president to the negotiating table in the first place.
These opposing interpretations of Kim’s actions – that he has been ignominiously crushed, or that he has pulled off a brilliant and high-risk strategic coup – are more or less the orthodoxies of the two strains of thinking on North Korea that have prevailed since the 1990s. The first holds that only toughness, force and confrontation will bludgeon the recalcitrant regime into submission; the second insists that North Koreans are a lot tougher and cleverer than many people give them credit for, and that engagement with them, in some form or other, is the only way to achieve a long-term solution. But perhaps there is a third possibility: that North Korea is undergoing a fundamental change, and that Kim Jong-un is a historic figure of a different character from his father and grandfather, a man who is guiding North Korea towards a new and only dimly discernible destiny.
It’s not about sim cards, funfairs and pizza joints, of course, all of which could be shut down and withdrawn overnight. The serious changes, of a kind that cannot readily be reversed, are taking place within the North Korean economy. In September, I visited a catfish farm in Pyongyang, and an agricultural collective near the city of Wonsan. Like many state-run producers across the country, they have in the past few years transformed the way they operate. They still have a production quota, which must be delivered to the government. But having achieved it, everything left over becomes the property of the business, to be disposed of as the management decides. The catfish breeders sell their surplus, and spend part of the proceeds on superior feed for their fish, thus increasing next year’s yield. Managers at both farms spoke with satisfaction of the bonuses – in cash and kind – that they give to workers, based on their productivity. Until recently, in the official conception, all North Koreans were automatically assumed to be giving their all out of patriotism, passionate devotion to the ideals of socialism and love for the Kims. Now, they get paid at different rates depending on how hard and well they work. This is not a small or subtle change. Under the so-called Socialist Corporate Responsibility Management System, businesses have the right to plan production, to organise management teams and to manage labour, intellectual property and finances. All over the country, farms, factories, mines and fishing collectives are incorporating competitive market mechanisms into state-owned enterprises.
When asked, North Koreans insist that this is nothing new, and refer to obscure ordnances on incentives laid down decades ago under Kim Il-sung. But these were meaningless until the famine of the 1990s, when the sheer necessity of survival after the collapse of the state distribution system caused informal markets to spring up across the country, and those with produce at their disposal to sell or barter it at market rates rather than handing it over to the government. Confronted with this reality, Kim Jong-il took an anxious and indecisive approach, alternately tolerating and repressing entrepreneurial activity. Under his son, however, the system has proliferated and grown, and has become institutionalised to some extent through new laws. Even more remarkably, the newly empowered enterprises are actively seeking investment from the world at large.
An English-language prospectus distributed at the Pyongyang International Trade Fair set out some of the opportunities available in the Wonsan-Mt Kumgang International Tourist Zone on the east coast. They include the Sinsong Sewage Station (investment sought: $20.53m), the Tongmyong Emergency Hospital ($7.6m), the Wonsan Taxi Station ($4.2m), right down to a humble souvenir shop for $310,000. The business people travelling in my group were invited to put €600,000 into building and operating a guesthouse in the high-tech Unjong Special Economic Zone, just outside Pyongyang. Like most of the other offerings, this was to be not a joint venture – as all foreign investment in China, for example, must be – but a wholly owned foreign enterprise. Large practical questions – about how these projects could ever be legally squared with sanctions, for example, or whether they are remotely sensible as business prospects – remain unanswered. The point is that such things have never happened before. Until recently – until more or less the coming of Kim Jong-un – they were unimaginable.
The immense changes wrought in the Chinese economy by Deng Xiaoping began like this, with the empowerment of state-owned enterprises in the early 1980s, a process conventionally described with words such as ‘liberalisation’ and ‘reform’. But the subsequent trajectory of Chinese politics, through the repression of the pro-democracy movement to the neo-Maoist Confucianist Xi Jinping, illustrates how inadequate those terms are. To speak of Kim, too, as a ‘reformer’ would be hopelessly premature. But his relentless and triumphant race to full nuclear status has shown that – unlike his timidly opportunistic father – he is a bold and fearless strategist, unconstrained by the outward conventions and modes of behaviour established by his forebears. It was remarkable when Kim attended a concert in Pyongyang at which musicians dressed as Walt Disney characters cavorted for his entertainment. It was amazing when he stepped out alongside his young and fashionably dressed wife (the numerous women in the lives of his father and grandfather were scarcely seen or even mentioned). By the time he stepped over the South Korean border to embrace its president, Moon Jae-in, and flew to Singapore for Trump (leaving behind the bulletproof train), the unprecedented had become normal.
Let there be no doubt: whatever changes are visible in North Korea, life there continues to be defined by deprivation, repression and fear, underwritten by the threat of violence. The notion of a ‘Pyongyang Spring’ is fantasy, arising from lazy analogies with former despotisms with which North Korea has little in common. Even if Kim Jong-un wanted to give his people greater political freedom, and to open up his economy, tensions are at such a pitch that to do so would be suicidal. The days when dictators could scarper safely off into exile, like Ferdinand Marcos, the Shah of Iran or Syngman Rhee, have long gone. Kim knows that in attempting to do a Gorbachev, or even a Deng Xiaoping, he would be more likely to end up as a Gaddafi or a Ceaușescu. He would be just as mad to stop locking up those who challenge him, in fact, as he would be to give up his nuclear weapons.
And yet even in the quality of his repression he is singular. The most astonishing example of this was the execution in 2013 of Jang Song-thaek, his uncle by marriage. The 67-year-old Jang, husband to Kim Jong-il’s sister, had spent a lifetime negotiating the intricacies of Pyongyang politics – and been banished from court, only to return, at least once before. The murder of political opponents has always been a feature of life under the Kims, but in the past it was done discreetly and in private, to emerge in the sudden absence of a senior name from the lists of party hierarchs published in the state media on the occasion of an important funeral or military parade. The fall of Jang, however, could not have been more public.
Whatever the truth of the charges, the way that they were presented was profoundly transgressive. Put aside the fact that he was a member of the Kim family, a man who had been judged worthy and elevated to a position of power by father and son. Even to admit to the existence of such a thing as plotting a coup, to accept that a North Korean, certainly one so honoured and trusted, was capable of harbouring treasonous thoughts: this in itself seemed to violate an essential principle on which the North Korean lie is built. Even in his cruelty and ruthlessness Kim Jong-un is like no one before him. Under his leadership, new creatures have been born and are slithering audibly around the garden. Who can tell how many they are, and what they will look like when they are fully grown? | 2019-04-25T06:30:12Z | https://www.lrb.co.uk/v41/n02/richard-lloydparry/diary |
Cover Week came to a crashing end as I miserably failed to refine or update the hump molded dish I was working on for what seemed like hours the other day. I have a few boards of these dishes but called it quits when I wasn't getting the results I wanted. I had come up ,with a way of making a big loaf with the size and shape that needed very little cutting, shaping etc. I had marginal success, but wished I had made new hump molds.
and the life of an art form eventually requires the last.
I guess my out of the box expressions would have benefited from more time. More an exercise than an expression, the covers helped me to understand outside of my box and gave me some ideas to follow up on in the next session after I fire these. Far from complete replication, these offered me a way to throw myself off course just a little by forming unfamiliar shapes and reacting to them in a spontaneous progressive sort of way. Here are a couple of shots of my table where I did a lot of head scratching and slab rolling and hump molding.
Most of the molded dishes were tossed out, but I did save a few to fire. After the day (a week) of experimenting, I needed to make some pots that were reassuring and familiar so I made a bunch of 9 lb. bowls. So at the end of Saturday night, I felt I hadn't wasted a day chasing butterflies, but had some pots that I really needed for the upcoming firing. It's good to mix the practical with the exploratory!
The vase/bottle forms got a coating of my kaolin slip and I did some combing through the wet slip. Next I will do some brushwork on glaze these in my amber/tenmoku. This form was one of my most satisfying research project even though it started out as something slightly different.
Here are the 9 lb (4 kilograms)(0.6 stone) bowls that I made Saturday evening. Sunday was overcast and the light coming from the window to the right of my wheel was great for seeing the line of the platters I threw.
I turned off the overhead lights and was able get a good sense of the line from the lip to the center of these platters. For the past week I have been using Highwater clay's Zellastone and it took a while to retool and approach this commercial clay body. It's been a real relief and convenience to just open bags for a change. But I can't wait to get a back hoe over here to get a few years supply of the red stuff to mix in the coming spring!
The Zellastone is quite a bit more smooth that my red dirt mix and wooden tools didn't work so well. I switched over to some metal ribs and got some really nice results. The above picture shows the shadow from the nearby window that is very helpful when using the metal ribs to get the inside of the bowl just right. For some reason when I'm using the red dirt clay, wooden ribs get the results that are pleasing. Could be the smooth clay versus the course red dirt clay I normally use.
Here's the platters I threw this afternoon. The bowls from last night were turned over and then covered with plastic to even out their dampness.
I'm going into the home stretch for firing 34 and will try to keep all of you informed of the goings on around the shop. February saw the biggest traffic ever at the blog and I hope you will continue to read and share with your friends who may also like to see more pottery in 2010.
Please notice that there are a couple of new ways to share the blog with others who are yet hip to "Sawdust and Dirt" after each post. Just click on the facebook link to share to your "wall" and tweet the blog if you are so in-klined.
I'd love to continue this conversation tonight, but I'm very tired and need some sleep. Big weeks ahead. Just wanted to share a few thoughts about the week's end. Leave a comment, I'd love to know what you're thinking about.
More coming tomorrow ( a new poll) and a lot of pottery in the weeks to come!
Best rib(?) ever for platters.
One Rather Long Ramble: Or Am I Going To Ever Going To Get Back to the Wheel?
Somehow it all makes sense I guess. There are things in your life that have their influence on you, people, pots, and finger paintings! I just saw this drawing as I was putting together this morning's post and thought, "oh, that's interesting." It could be that I'm drawing conclusions or implying that this drawing has influenced me in some subconscious way when really it just hangs on the door that we go in and out of all through the day. Now I'm confusing myself. Anyway you can draw your own conclusions or draw your own finger painting, or just draw!
When I was at Highwater Clays the other day I bought a bag of Grolleg kaolin for my #6 Tile kaolin slip. Go figure. I call it T6 slip, but it has a little bit of Grolleg in the recipe. It's a recipe I got from Linda Christianson somewhere down the road. It worked really well, so why change a good thing? Well that bag of Grolleg kaolin was $44! Yes, I know it is from England. Yes I know it probably one of the world's best clays. But come on!! I tell myself that it's just a small portion of the recipe and the bag will last a long time. But come on! I putting it on dirt! Oh well. If it works is there a reason to fix it?
Oh yes, I pour the slip on the slabs, spin the bat that the slab is on, and then comb away.
Here is the hump mold just after I have shaped a dish. You can still see the ghost image of the combed slip. Below are the molded dishes aprés Bandana. Stacey thought they looked too much like Michael and Naomi's pots. I said, "Oh good!!" I don't think she knew that it was covers week here at the pottery. And what would be so wrong about that, anyway? I guess this idea of originality is a problematic one for us potters.
The cup shape grew into a vase shape quite naturally.
Here are a couple that asked for ears!
After that I was back at the treadle wheel for some more trimming. I took the still soft chuck I used for the bottle/vases and reshaped the top to accommodate the MSimon cup covers! The updated chuck's effectiveness was marginal but it worked and I got them done.
The feet were tricky. I soon found that I had looked closely at the finished fired cup when throwing these, but hadn't looked closely enough at the foot. For most of these I had left too much clay in bottoms which needed a lot careful tweaking to get the cups where they wanted to be. A process that made the feet look a little overwrought. Most of them were taller and narrower in proportion than the original.
This one had the nice profile, a decent weight, and the foot was close, but a far cry from Mr. Simon's. The scale is a little off.
The scale is one of the things I like about Michael's cup. It's volume is very specific to my coffee in the morning or a good gulp of water. My version will hopefully find a home where it is "just the thing".
For me, it's back to the drawing board, or rather, back to the wheel! It's getting on noon and here I am at a keyboard!
Don't forget to take this weeks poll! Just a few hours left! Scroll down and you'll find it on the right hand sidebar. Thanks.
My parents don't give me enough allowance money. I do the dishes every day.
Most of my peers are getting twice or three times what I get.
Its not fair. What should I do?
You know a lot of potters feel this way. Never getting paid enough for doing the dishes, while friends in other jobs earn a lot more money. Why do we persist? We do it because we love it. I mean look at these great plates by Bernadette Curran or Sam Taylor. These are nice plates, a pleasure to use or even wash if that's your thing. Or this set by Sylvie Granatelli, what fun. I suggest you throw yourself into doing the dishes and soon you will feel like a kid again.
A friend of mine recently told me she does not believe dinosaurs ever existed. Furthermore she believes the earth is only 6.000 years old!?! This woman is obviously crazy, but she won't believe me. What can I tell this woman to persuade her to believe in the once dominant existence of these impressive creatures?
Your letter really made me angry. Yes I know that some people think pottery is archaic and anachronistic, but calling us dinosaurs gets us nowhere. Since receiving your letter I have done a lot of reading and reflection on these issues. I have to say that I don't think there is really anything to argue about. When it comes to choosing between a mass produced mug with a logo and a lovely hand made mug by Nick Joerling, his piece is the natural selection.
That being said; I am a firm believer in intelligent design. I mean poorly thought out pottery is so disappointing. David Pier's work is so smart and well made; it doesn't really matter to me that it wasn't made on a wheel. It's wrong to say that round pots are better just because they are more fully revolved.
I know pottery's heyday has passed, but it is still a vibrant field full of innovation and history. There are so many wonderful potters who have resurrected the art of clay, and there are potters who's work is filled with revelations. I think if you can save your friend from her misconceptions we will all prophet from your efforts.
Good luck and good potting.
Just time for pictures and captions. Too many thoughts, so little time to write them down. Maybe we'll have a snow day soon and I can sit down to expand on some of the things I've meaning to share with you. For now, some views of the shop from today.
my buddy Peter Karner made the cover!
I'm proud to see his beautiful pots.
the rim of this cup gets a little bumped around while I flute the sides.
Michael Simon a few years ago.
I've been slipping with posting. I guess there haven't been enough snow days this week to keep me from doing pottery work. I have been busy chasing the plastic! To take us back a few days, Saturday I spent outside in the beautiful warming trend and began to uncover the wood pile that I had covered with a most beautiful blue tarp. I also cleaned up around the kiln area picking up all the stuff the wind and snow had played with over the past few weeks of old man Winter.
I have dedicated this week and some of last week to being a pottery version of a cover band. It all started with the batter bowls and continues into this week with favorite pots that friends have made and I am giving a spin at. These include a hump molded dish aprés Bandana Pottery that I have revisited from time to time over the last few years. Another of the cover pieces is a bowl/vase pot from Bulldog Pottery that I got a little while back. I was reminded of Bruce's pot after looking at my jars upside down and that alternative form. Here is that board of jars upside and drying.
And here they are right side up with knobbed lids. Here is Bruces jar/bowl/vase.
The following are some of the bowls that came from covering Bruce's.
They're not exactly like Bruce's but I wanted to show you how I am taking the form and interpreting it and later I will show you what happened by the time I had made a dozen!
I couldn't find my Bandana Pottery dish that I'm covering here, but I found the old bisque molds that I had made a few years ago. I decided to make a hump molded dish and used a Mudtools wavy wire tool to cut the slab. Then I let this molded dish dry a little and am using it to mold the final dishes.
Here are some pots I covered after Ron's videos last week. There were a lot of fun, but weren't as easy as Ron made them look! I'll definitely make more of these soon. It's a whole lot of fun and the problem solving and shape solving is very interesting and speculative from my point of view. I am guessing at prethrown weights and the scale of the pots are varying.
I'm sure you've tried this once or twice before. If not, why not pick one of your favorite pots from your cupboard and try to make it. That how all these great pots are kept alive for the generations to come. Here's one our favorite little sugar jars, similar to Ron's knobandall! This one was made by Douglas Rankin and/or Will Ruggles, of Rock Creek Pottery.
All of this mimicry is related to a conversation that has been happening over at Kristen Kieffer's blog on signature. I am working on another post about finding one's voice and signature style TBA.
But for now I thought I would just stick my head in the blog door and say hello and show you what I've been into the past couple of days.
Howdy. Just checking in on this Saturday morning. I hope everyone is enjoying Ellen Denker's posts. I 'm thrilled to have her posting here! Thanks Ellen!
and now the little covered jars aprés Philbeck! Maybe I'll called this series the "aprés" line! Has a nice allure, hinting at "style". [drats, there's that word! I'm still crafting a post on that topic for next week] I did just what Ron warned me not to, I think I threw them too thin. When I did the credit card move (ribbing the little band around the waist of the pots) I had a bit too much flex/movement. It's a cool pot and I really liked the direct nature of the technique! We'll see what I say when I try to finish them. ha. Ron's videos (part 1 and Part 2) are very well done. Check'em out! I'd better get a video camera so I can keep up with these vlogger/potters!!!
Ron's was a fun assignment, just in time for the boxes I'll be making for an upcoming show at the Crimson Laurel Gallery. I hope to use some part of this technique for the boxes.
Really, though, I wanted to show you this little series of jars, shown above, turned upside down. I usually turn my pots over as soon as I can without denting the lip to slow down and even out the drying. After I flipped these and flipped their lids, I flipped mine! These look better upside down that right side up I think! What do you say? Let me know (if you would be so kind).
For now, there is the beautiful sunshine to go out into and much plastic to chase for this weekend warrior. Stacey and the gals are visiting Grandmother's house (over the mountains and through the woods) so I'm cranking up and focusing on some clay!
P.S. see my new poll on lower right sidebar!
When Michael was experimenting with new handles for his handled bowls last week, I decided to look up the same form in a new book recently published by Colonial Williamsburg on early American stoneware. The closest I could come is something called a porringer, an all-purpose vessel for eating wet food mixtures (such as stews, oatmeal). For example, Ben Franklin in his autobiography mentioned eating breakfast of gruel or bread and milk out of a porringer. The only ones shown in this new book were made in England of white salt-glazed stoneware.
We would more likely find the precedents for Michael’s bowls in a book on earthenware rather than stoneware, but looking there would not provide a convenient segue into my review of this new stoneware book.
The authors of this handsome volume take a broad view of stoneware in early America. Their time period is before 1800, which covers more than 200 years of colonial occupation. In addition to discussing the stoneware made in the American colonies (American-made stoneware is all from the 1700s), they also cover the English and German stoneware used in America. Their evidence comes from complete objects that survive with histories of ownership in the colonies, many shards recovered from archaeological sites, and colonial inventories.
Their searches yielded some remarkable things; like the German mug made 1550-1575 with engraved English silver-gilt mounts for the cover, rim and foot, and carried by John Winthrop, future governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony when he crossed the Atlantic in 1630.
John was not the first Winthrop to own the mug, nor was he the last. The mug continued to be passed down through generations of the Winthrop family for another two hundred years, until it was given to the American Antiquarian Society in 1825. Without the silver mounts and the long Winthrop family history, this is otherwise a rather mundane mug made in Cologne or Frechen of grey stoneware body coated with a rich brown slip and fired with a salt glaze. Surely the potter who made it thought of it as nothing more than one more piece qualifying for his daily count. Yet it was held in high esteem in the sixteenth century (the English silver mounts tell us that) and acquired magical properties as it was passed from generation to generation of Winthrops, each passage carried out on the Feast of St. Michael (Michaelmas recognizes the coming of autumn and shortening of days, while celebrating the accomplishments of Archangel Michael, who defeated Lucifer in the battle for the heavens). The whole story made me wonder whether any of us would want to set ourselves three hundred years hence to see what has happened to our own objects.
The story above was not meant to put you off your wheel, but to let you know what sorts of things you will see when you page through this book – common objects like the ones handled every day by colonial forbears: Jugs, jars, mugs, pitchers, plates, crocks, tea and coffee wares, chamber pots, and a few figurines and ornaments. Some are remarkable, like this carved cup made in Nottingham, England, about 1700.
The authors also examine the elaborately decorated German wares, like the brown bearded-man jugs and blue-and-grey Westerwald medallion wares.
The German potters used small press molds to create the pads of decoration that were typically applied to the leather-hard jugs, bottles and mugs.
For those of you who try to follow Bernard Leach’s admonition to look for inspiration at historical wares made in your region there is also a chapter on American-made stoneware, especially from Yorktown VA, Philadelphia, New York City, Connecticut and Boston.
In addition, an appendix lists the names, dates, and locations of all the known American stoneware potters of the eighteenth century. Only Delaware among the thirteen original colonies did not boast a stoneware pottery, so if you are resident of the states touching the Atlantic you have stoneware history to mine that goes back to the 1700s.
Although this book was written for cultural historians and stoneware collectors, there is much here to be admired and learned by contemporary potters with an interest in the products of historical kilns. In addition, an exhibition in the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum at Colonial Williamsburg (“Pottery with a Past: Stoneware in Early America”) will be on view through January 2, 2011, which gives every reader of this book the opportunity to see first hand many of the wares illustrated in the volume. | 2019-04-19T12:58:26Z | http://www.sawdustanddirt.com/2010/02/ |
Almost every year for the whole month of December I’m either cooking up treats, eating the treats (or doing them both at the same time hehe) or attending christmas parties and enjoying the celebration of Christmas, with food. A whole lotta food.
But with this comes a loss of focus on training and diet and as a result a few kilos pile on. Which is completely okay because food is good and nothing in the world is better than food and family (am i right?), but the struggle to get back on the band wagon once Christmas is over is very real!
So this year one of my goals is to try and stay focused and on point with my training and eating AS CLOSE to Christmas as I can.. and then relax and enjoy every single mouthful of food on Christmas day without guilt, and appreciate and honour the food baby which may come my way.
Christmas is my favourite time of year so there is NO CHANCE its not going to have indulgence (healthy, indulgence) and yours should too.
Below are some healthy tips to keep the weight off, eat healthy and still enjoy the indulgence!
Have a healthy snack or breakfast before you head to the party instead of starving yourself prior to save your appetite for the treats, this way you won’t overeat.
Count your canapés, set yourself a limit and stick to it.
Be picky! Choose only the treats that you feel are worth the calories and omit the cheap and nasty junk. E.g. Skip the candy canes and chips so you can feel better about having that slice of sticky date pudding.
Avoid sauce, chutney, gravy, jelly, cream and relish, as these often contain high amounts of sugar and/or fat. Or if you’re supplying the meat, attempt to make your own sauce!
If you have a craving then go with it. You’re more likely to be able to control yourself if you have that piece of chocolate cake now rather than ignoring it because a few drinks later you might just devour six! But remember – portion sizes!
Limit your alcohol consumption and fill up on water or infused water between drinks. For every alcoholic drink have two glasses of water.
Choose better quality alcoholic beverages and ones that contain less calories such as vodka, dark ale and organic red wine.
Serve your drinks in tall thin glasses, as short wide ones encourage more frequent top ups and quicker drinking.
Mocktails made with fresh fruit are a great alternative to alcohol and sugar laden cocktails. You won’t have to put up with the constant questions as to why you’re not drinking.
Offer to be the designated driver so you can avoid the temptation to drink alcohol.
Don’t indulge the whole holiday period, pick your events carefully and have a break between Christmas and New Year.
When your not spoiling yourself at the parties and dinners, be extra health conscious and stick to salads, seafood, water and extra exercise so that you can keep it balanced.
When you know you have a big event coming up be extra diligent and committed to exercising so you can combat the extra calories.
A good distraction from overeating is getting absorbed in conversation!
Always pick the smallest plate so you don’t feel compelled to fill up a large one.
If a friend or family member is throwing a party ask if you can bring a plate so that you can take the opportunity to make a delicious, nutritious salad or dessert. That way, you know that there is a nice healthy option you can eat if there is only heavier options at the party.
If you do a lot of cooking over the holidays, then try to avoid taste testing too often. Because by the time you're done you’ll be full but you may feel obliged to finish your plate anyway.
When hosting your own event, serve the meals from the kitchen and not at the table, when the ham and baked potatoes are right in front of you... it’s far more likely you’ll go for seconds or thirds.
Grab some disposable Tupperware for guests so that you can fill them up at the end of the day so you don’t have leftover pudding sitting in the fridge tempting you.
If you don’t have seconds on any other day of the year then don’t make an exception today, you’re not missing out.
Why not start a new family tradition and go for a big walk Christmas morning before you start getting ready for the day!
Smile. Have fun. Keep portion sizes in mind.
Happy preparations! And don’t forget to have fun and ENJOY your little treat, you deserve it!
Everyday millions of people make decisions to eat better, exercise more and start their journey to healthy weight loss. But many of them cannot stop eating or maintain a healthy weight. This is because our attitude can determine success in any challenge, including weight loss. If we want to get our body in better shape, we may want to start with our mind.
But what is the role of psychology in managing weight? “I really feel it is the missing piece of the puzzle for success with weight management especially when we’re talking about long term success. Good weight management psychology not only complements but informs the other elements: nutrition and movement”, according to Glenn Mackintosh, Australia’s leading weight management psychologist.
I have heard this statement countless of times from many people who want to lose weight; they’ve tried everything from diet plans, diet pills, instant weight loss programs but they can’t seem to lose that extra body weight. There might be some psychological factors that influence weight loss?
“There are so many, and with rates of weight regain being so high, people really need to ensure most of them are in good order, so they can maintain healthy habits long-term. Let’s start with what I call the ‘Big Three’. The dieting mentality is the first. The paradox is that the more we focus on weight, the worse it becomes. The second is emotional eating. It’s really important to learn new ways to deal with uncomfortable emotions for lasting results. Thirdly, body-image issues actually make weight worse, so it’s better to learn to love the skin you’re in, and care for yourself from a more accepting space. The ‘Big Three’ work in a trio, all making each other worse, but the good news is that, as they are all related, improving one area often gives flow on benefits in the others, said Mr Mackintosh.
So, before you embark on your quest to lose weight, you may want to consider a few healthy weight loss and dieting tips from the Principal Psychologist at Weight Management Psychology (WMP).
“Well, the first one would be… don’t actually focus on weight loss! While almost every person wants to lose weight, the more we focus on it, the worse it becomes. At WMP, we help people broaden their goals by setting four important outcomes – for most people, weight is one of them, but by also setting goals for fitness, medical health, psychological wellbeing, and general life, it can help de-emphasise weight, which actually leads to better results. Secondly, enlist some support. I tell clients that weight management is a team sport! The challenge is so complex and multi-factorial, that you’ll often need the partners, the parents, the progeny, and the whole range of health professionals on your side. And don’t be afraid to add the psych into your team – a great health psychologist won’t be a weirdo peering over their spectacles while you lie on the couch, and may just be the missing piece to your puzzle! Thirdly, you can get some great psychological benefits without having to book in with the psychologist.
and counting where we all share support, conversations, and a few light-hearted laughs, and we’re just about to start our Six Days of Success campaign over Facebook https://www.facebook.com/weightmanagementpsychology/, with wonderful posts Monday – Saturday to help you improve your mindset.
People who want a bit more can register for our newsletter on the website www.weightmanagementpsychology.com.au, which includes my blog “52 Thoughts for The Chronic Dieter” and our new “Thursday Therapy” – with is my new weekly video blog which should be a lot of fun!"
Job, family, household, poor nutrition, 24-hour accessibility, lack of sleep – all these push people to their limits. Burnout and other stress related diseases could be the result.
For this reason, more and more health conscious and discerning people are looking for an opportunity to escape this vicious cycle as early as possible. Their dream is to use the best time of the year to stay active and healthy. To make that dream a reality, there are a selection of worldwide Healing Hotels and they are all offering more than “just wellness”.
Guests spending their vacation in Healing Hotels, are not only expecting a simple “pat-massage or beauty treatment” - physical renewal and holistic well-being are the main focus of their stay, which means “they bring their bodies to the service!” A special environment, a holistic spa and health concept as well as a personal care of qualified life coaches, doctors and naturopaths are characterizing Healing Hotels. The goal is to help their guests implementing a holistic lifestyle-change. Coaching them to live in long-term self-responsibility can decrease stress, enhance vitality and increase energy.
Their lifestyle coaching is specialized in Ayurveda, yoga, Reiki, detox, weight loss, stress management, TCM treatments and spiritual and emotional practices, such as meditation. Massages, foot reflexology and body treatments are also included.
My today´s tip for stressed out and tired bodies is the Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa, Koh Samui island, Thailand. Marina and John Stewart Founder of Kamalaya have created this 5-Star-Paradise nestled in a spectacular nature. The Kamalaya Resort is a perfect place where guests can enjoy some quiet time while discovering themselves. Offering a unique concept in personal well-being and health, Kamalaya focuses on holistic medicine and complementary therapies from eastern and western traditions and hosts retreats and events. It is also a place far away from mass tourism, where guests can enjoy nature and complemented with a healthy and delicious cuisine. Furthermore the Kamalaya is specialized in weight balance and detox-sessions and it is also recommendable for yoga, stress- and burnout-programs, emotional balance as well as improvement of fitness.
An enjoying stay at the Kamalaya will bring calm, peace and well-being to your life.
Hayfever: Is Antihistimine the answer?
So, I may be biting off more than I can chew for my first article, but with the season being Spring, and many people I know needlessly suffering from dreaded hayfever, I thought it a good topic to begin with.
Hayfever, or allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction triggered by pollen, dust and other similar inhaled allergens. Whilst most of us look forward to Spring and the bountiful coloured flowers emerging from under the ground... many run screaming, in frantic search of their hayfever medication. While taking an antihistamine can provide you with some relief, we can instead use hayfever signs and symptoms as an acknowledgement that your body isn't in a state of balance, and rectify the situation so that you know longer have to fear the dreaded daffodil.
How do we do this I hear you ask? By focusing on modulating your immune and adrenal systems, your body is better able to cope with the rush of pollen coming into spring. As many of us know the body is an integrated system, when one system is out of whack, all can be affected. It should be no surprise then, that the immune system plays a pivotal role in maintaining homoeostasis (balance) within the body. When we are stressed, tired or run down, our immune system is compromised. What we are often unaware of, is that when such things occur in our body, on a chemical level sends messages to other parts of the body to react in certain ways, to either stimulate or suppress changes from occurring.
While there is always a small amount of histamine circulating through your body at any given time, when you inhale an allergen such as pollen, proteins within the body are stimulated to create a response to increase histamine within the body and to destroy the foreign object (Duqedu, 2015). When pollen appears in the nose, blood vessels swell up, the nose gets blocked and fluid leaks out. These then become the signs and symptoms of hayfever. This is the body's way of of attempting to expel the pollen, and is part of the body’s natural immune and inflammatory response.
This response however, can become a tiring and bothersome problem, when someone is sensitive to a particular allergen such as pollen, and continuously feels under attack. Rather than focusing on the fact that our body is releasing a large number of histamine, something that plays a vital role in allergic reactions, stimulating digestion and regulating sleep, we should be focusing on why some bodies overreact to allergens (Dedequ, 2015).
One of the reasons the body can over react to allergens, is due to an under active adrenal cortex. When the body is under stress, be it physical, mental or emotional, the adrenal cortex secretes a hormone called cortisol (Heuther. S & McCance. K, 2012). Cortisol has an anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine effect, it reduces inflammation and histamine reactions within the body (Michael, 2015). If your adrenal function is sluggish it may not be able to manufacture enough cortisol to meet demands of the body and adapt successfully to stresses, including hayfever.
So, how can we break this cycle? While using over the counter antihistamines such as dimenhydrate (Dramamine) and diphehydramine (Benadryl) reduce the histamine response, you are still not dealing with the underlying factor that is your weakened adrenal system. Focus must be placed on reducing stress within the body to reduce your cortisol production. Many people consider stress to be only that of 'having a lot on your plate.' Stress can result from environmental, emotional or biological stressors, and may be occurring without you even realising it. So take note of this when addressing conditions of low immunity, for stress plays a key role in lowering your immune system.
There is a list of nourishing herbs which can be used to help enhance your adrenal system. These herbs are known as adaptogens and nervines. Adaptogens are herbs that increase the body's resistance or adaptation to physical, environmental, emotional or biological stressors (Bone, 2007). Herbs with this action include Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus), and Siberian Ginseng (Eleureroccus senticosus) to name a few.
Nervine herbs are herbs that nourish, soothe, and restore the nervous system and alleviates nervous irritability (Weed, 1989). Herbs with this action include Lemon Balm (Meslissa officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora incarta), Oats (Aveena sativa) and Skullcap (Skutellaria lateriflora) (Bone, 2007).
So what is the best way to access the goodness of these herbs and treat your hayfever? Believe it or not, through the feet! I recently attended a seminar lead by Dr Sandi Rogers, who taught us that the feet contain over 250,000 sweat glands (Living truth yoga, 2015), and because of this, it is a great way to uptake nutrients into the body.
To keep the cost of this treatment low, I have chosen two herbs from the list above, Licorice and Skullcap. Licorice root has the actions of anti-inflammatory, adrenal tonic, and mucoprotective, making it a great addition to the treatment of hayfever (Bone, 2007). Skullcap, my second herb of choice is not only a nervine but also an antihistamine, relaxant of the nervous system, and helps to calm the mind (Micheal, 2015).
Other focuses for the treatment of hayfever include reducing stress levels, through yoga, meditation and relaxation. This is part of the reason I chose a foot bath as the treatment. By taking the time to soak your feet, you are reconnecting with the needs of your body... you are stopping for a brief moment in time. This is the perfect treatment for a body that is stressed and overworked. So stop, relax and unwind... allow your body to reintegrate and become whole again!
Bone, K. (2007). The Ultimate Herbal Compendium . Missouri: Phytotherapy Press .
Hechtman, L.E.A.H. (2012). Clinical Naturopathic Medicine. Chatswood, Australia : Elsevier.
Heuther, S & Mccance, K. (2012). Understanding Pathophysiology . Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
Wood, M. (2008). The Earthwise Herbal. California : North Atlantic Books.
coping with it all, while others are falling in a heap or flying off the handle at the slightest bit of pressure?
is created by our perception.
can be changed with a change in mindset, therefore there is no such thing as stress, only a perception of stress.
your well-meaning friend says “just RELAX, stop stressing” it makes you feel a whole lot better doesn’t it?? NOT!!
There are some holes in the “There is no such thing as stress” theory.
so they lack the buffer from situations that will cause a stress response.
short our cortisol levels contribute to our perception of stressful situations.
perceptions because they have elevated stress hormones keeping them on edge.
guys, if you don't want to have a gripey, cranky baby make sure you look after your lady when she is pregnant!
Cortisol imbalance is also associated with the occurrence of eczema and asthma in babies.
stress response under control is kinda important!
herbs are classed as adaptogens- meaning that they assist your body to adapt to physical and emotional stress.
taking these herbs as like "a warm hug" and they start to experience sustaining energy that is nourishing and supportive.
herbs and nutrition that I have mentioned or you may like to make an appointment to see me.
I was standing in the fruit and vegetable aisle, trying to decide between two very nice looking aubergines, when a lady came up to me and asked if I knew anything about coeliac disease. I am familiar with this type of food intolerance but the question surprised me as it came out of nowhere: in a supermarket? She must have noticed the surprised look on my face because she immediately apologised and explained she was recently diagnosed with the disease and had left her gluten-free food list at home. I asked her, how she knew I was in the health and nutrition business and she replied, 'I don't know, I just had the feeling that you were.' Wow, I thought she must have ESP! Anyway, we talked about her intolerance at length (still standing in the supermarket aisle) and I found out that one of her daughters inherited her hypersensitivity to gluten. This prompted a very interesting subject for me: the relationship between genetics and nutrition.
and President of Nutrigenetics Unlimited, Inc. whose academic background includes BS/MS degrees in Food Science and Nutrition from Chapman University, in Orange, California. He has worked for more than 35 years in nutrition and food related industries in California, including Plus Products (Irvine), the Wm. T. Thompson Co. (Carson), and for the Nutrilite Division of Alticor (Buena Park) where he served as Senior Research Scientist in Nutrilite's R&D New Concepts Group. Ron is also one of many founding members of the Institute of Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics (ISNN).
I asked him if he could impart his knowledge and expertise to understand the relationship between nutrition and genetics and he agreed to be interviewed.
Sofia: Ron, what is the relationship between genetics and nutrition?
severe stress, but we cannot avoid nutrition for any length of time.
Sofia: How can individual genetic differences affect the way we respond to nutrients?
efficient. Either of these types of variations can affect what is "optimal" for our own bodies, as individuals.
For example, some people have a higher-than-average genetic risk of developing dementia/Alzheimer's disease, but this does not mean they’re destined to develop it. But factors such as physical inactivity, alcohol drinking, smoking, higher intake of saturated fats, and lower intake of polyunsaturated fats have been reported to further increase the risk of developing this memory-robbing disorder. Thus, dietary and lifestyle choices can help offset and reduce the risk, while new research continues to emerge.
Sofia: When did you become convinced that differences in genes influences the body's response to diet and nutrition?
Ron: When I first started my professional career, I worked in product development/R&D for a large dietary supplement company, and I wanted to know the truth about whether supplements are really beneficial – or not.
When I started collecting scientific articles about this, I discovered that some people respond to clinical trials with supplements very favourably, while others do not respond, or respond in unexpected ways.
variations help explain many of the inconsistencies found in earlier studies.
Sofia: Is this the reason why you established your company Nutrigenetics, to promote awareness on genetics and health?
Ron: Yes, I created the online database Nutrigenetics.net in 2007, which is a subset of the U.S. National Library of Medicine database (PubMed.gov), with articles relevant to genetics and health. My company further indexes these articles with standardized terminology (controlled vocabulary), including for genes and gene variants.
Sofia: What is your company's mission?
Sofia: So not only Health Care Professionals and Researchers can access your database, but can the public as well?
Ron: Yes, articles of interest to the Public are identified and made accessible for easy browsing. After logging in, users can return to one of the homepage links like http://nutrigenetics.net/Home/ThePublic.aspx to browse hundreds of interesting article titles (instead of being limited to viewing only seven). Each title serves as a link to the corresponding PubMed record.
The great thing about our database is that it makes the evidence-based research much more accessible, so that members of the public can work together with their health practitioners to make the best possible choices, based on their own individual circumstances.
Studying Nutritional Medicine with AIAS gave me the skills and experience I needed to work in the industry I love.
healthier diet, with the skills I learnt at AIAS helping me make my dream a reality.
below and take your first steps towards becoming a qualified health and wellbeing professional. | 2019-04-19T21:05:09Z | http://www.nutritionbuff.com.au/blog/previous/2 |
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