After deadly crash, a new push to make Boston duck boats safer
Spencer Buell Posted on May 25, 2016
Derek Kouyoumjian, Metro
After the death of a motor scooter-rider in a crash with a duck boat, Boston's cycling community has been gearing up for a push to make the hulking, World War II-era crafts safer.
Bikers around the city are mobilizing behind the effort, which comes after a woman died April 30 near Boston Common after a collision with a vehicle operated by the company Boston Duck Tours.
"The crash really hit close to home in the biking community," said Becca Wolfson, executive director of theBoston Cyclists Union.
The group, whose members work with the city'sVision Zero Task Forceaimed at creating plans to eliminate fatal crashes, has made a number of recommendations for the iconic vehicles, which offer sightseeing tours in the city and can also be operated on the water.
That's because duck boats have blind spots, Wolfson said. Their long, protruding hoods can make it hard to see objects in front of it.
"It's innate to the vehicle," she said.
Wolfson said she and other bikers have suggested a number of solutions: that the vehicles be fitted with front-end bumpers and with new cameras or mirrors, that the boats install some kind of alarm system to alert drivers when a bike is in their blind spot and that the vehicles have two operators instead of one (one to lead tours for passengers and another to drive).
The group dove into the issues in more detailin a recent blog poston bostoncyclistsunion.org.
Part of the problem, Wolfson said, is bikers are used to using defensive driving methods, among them pedaling up in front of cars when waiting at red lights, so drivers can see them. That often doesn't work with the oddly designed duck boats, she said — something she said is made all the more evident after last month's deadly crash.
Metro reached out to Boston Duck Tours to ask them about these suggestions, but a company spokesman declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation into the scooter crash.
After the incident, the Boston Globe reported that the driver of the duck boat involved in the incident had multiple speeding tickets on his driving record. The company has since also taken another driver off the road,who also had several infractions on his record.
That's a positive step, said Wolfson, but it may be missing the heart of the issue.
"While the operator may have made an error, the fact is these machines are deadly and they have deadly blind spots," she said. "Those need to be fixed."
Among elements of the ongoing investigation is whether the driver was at fault.
Wolfson said she recognizes that it may be unlikely duck boats will disappear from the city's streets. After all, they're staples of tourism and have beenroaming Boston since 1994. When a victory parade rolls through the streets of Boston, it's duck boats that carry the grinning sports heroes.
"They're part of the fabric of this city's character," Wolfson said. "Me as an individual, or us as an organization, are not going to say they should be banned permanently. But they should be taken off the road until they're made to be safe to coexist with vulnerable road users."
One of those users is Jonathan Fertig, who lives near a duck boat storage yard in Dorchester and often ends up biking alongside the vehicles. He isn't sentimental about the duck boats, he said, and would love to see them disappear.
"While the duck boats served admirably when storming the beaches of Normandy, they have no business at all being on the crowded streets of Boston," Fertig said.
For now Wolfson and other bikers have begun organizing — discussing the issue as recently as Monday at the Boston Cyclists Union's meeting. And she said she's gotten promising feedback from city officials about the possibility of new requirements for the vehicles.
Wolfson said her group has also been advocating for so-called "side guards" — attachments to big trucks that keep bikers from ending up under their wheels in a crash. Bostonnow has an ordinancerequiring that municipal vehicles and city contractors have the devices. There is an effort underway to make them mandatory statewide.
When asked, Boston Bikes, the city-run program that promotes road safety teaches biking classes, didn't say whether it teaches its students about how to stay safe around duck boats specifically. But in a statement, spokeswoman Tracey Ganiatsos said instructors teach bikers to avoid big vehicles' blind spots and brings MBTA buses to events to help spread awareness of them.
She also toutedBoston's leadership on the "side guards" and said the city is "striving to make bicycling a comfortable option for more people" via education programs and projects to engineer multi-modal streets.
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Associate Vice President, HR Community
Location: Stanford, California
University Human Resources at Stanford University is committed to advancing Stanford's position as the best-led, best-managed university in the world. We support the university's mission by creating and sustaining a culture of excellence and high engagement, fostering innovation and growth, promoting diversity and respect, and supporting the integration of work and life responsibilities.
We are seeking an Associate Vice President (AVP), HR Community with responsibility for fostering a highly professional working environment focused on enhancing employee experience and achieving university objectives. Alongside HR leadership, this AVP works closely with central, school and unit HR professionals to drive business objectives and provide guidance and leadership, ensuring excellent service delivery and adherence to leading HR practices, policies, and protocols.
This role will catalyze change and focus on strategy in HR, enabling an HR Community that is agile, focused on employees and leadership, and equipped with tools to continuously improve and tailor activities to the needs of client groups This AVP will be responsible for leading a culture in which school and unit HR professionals will continue to champion, support, and drive their departmental business objectives and serve as trusted advisors while being fully knowledgeable of and delivering services in alignment with university-wide HR strategy/priorities/objectives and applicable policies, practices, laws, and regulatory requirements.
The AVP, HR Community builds strong relationships with HR leaders across the university and consults with academic and administrative department leaders on key initiatives to ensure alignment and delivery of integrated solutions for HR-related needs. The AVP will leverage extensive, industry-leading expertise with organizational transformation, employee experience, active collaboration, agility, technical excellence, and the ability to successfully partner with and advise senior business leaders and functional HR leads to foster strong employee experiences across Stanford. This individual will introduce and implement innovative HR community programs from concept through delivery and may influence every aspect of the employee life cycle. This includes recruitment to onboarding, career development, employee engagement programs, customer relationships, communication, culture, technology, and DEIB. The AVP will mentor HR managers and directors, providing leadership across the community and may directly influence the role/requirements of HR directors and managers. The AVP, HR Community reports directly to the Vice President of Human Resources and serves as a member of the Human Resources Leadership Team. This role will execute Stanford's vision while championing Stanford's culture, values, and unit goals. If you are excited about directly impacting the Stanford mission, this may be the right opportunity for you!
This position will be located in our new Stanford Redwood City campus. The campus offers amenities such as an onsite cafe and a dining pavilion, a high-end fitness facility with an outdoor pool, and a childcare center for Stanford families.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Demonstrate deep knowledge of HR client services, employee relations, talent management, compensation, learning and development, organizational development and design, change management, and diversity & inclusion.
Collaborate with HR Center of Expertise management and others in senior leadership roles, providing guidance where needed and contributing to the department's long-term plans, continually developing strategies to place Stanford ahead of industry trends. Support HR management by planning talent pipeline requirements, building structures in line with the demands of schools and units, and determining the appropriate resource allocation, staffing levels, and reporting structure. Over time, build out the HR Community organization to support HR university-wide, including determining staff needs and recruiting, hiring, and managing the team.
Demonstrate a broad understanding of units' business needs and deliver world-class HR support for those needs.
Proactively lead client strategies and projects, providing critical coaching and context to enable school and unit HR professionals to make customer-focused contributions. Guide a successful HR Community department consisting of proactive and trusted thought partners who are skilled in building relationships and delivering core HR services. Support HR change management efforts in the field, engaging stakeholders and providing strong leadership to the team. Encourage diversity of thought, focus on employee development and performance, and ensure that the HR Community team is current with the necessary skills and capabilities.
Develop the HR strategic plan with leadership and the HR Community, providing a long-term vision and roadmap for HR. Determine strategic pillars, objectives, and milestones for the organization that translate into departmental and individual goals.
Act as a senior advisor to school and unit HR professionals, leveraging HR Centers of Expertise to build and execute strong, integrated HR strategies while leading and developing HR teams that support and champion unique business needs, culture, and objectives. Ensure stakeholder buy-in for strategies and processes; collaborate with other HR leaders to ensure optimal HR programs and protocols for application across Stanford. Develop and deliver presentations tailored to various levels of the organization.
Cultivate an inclusive ethos with diverse thought and innovative ideas while inspiring team members to demonstrate their best abilities to deliver meaningful results. Promote an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold the Stanford Code of Conduct principles.
Design and align an effective HR Community team to support university and school/unit strategies. Facilitate initiatives to build a high-performing organization aligned with Stanford's strategic leadership agenda. Implement key performance indicators to measure service to the university and schools/units.
Minimum Required Skills:
Bachelor's degree in organizational design and development, human resources, business administration or related field
15 years of increasingly responsible experience in two or more of the following areas: HR, including experience in talent management, learning and development, organizational development, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement, and/or employee relations; culture change and change management; coaching; and/or strategic planning.
10 years of experience leading or managing teams, including leadership experience in a complex, decentralized environment.
Seven or more years of experience in a senior administrative or executive role for an organization
In this role, you may be required to frequently travel between campuses and/or to schools or units, and to occasionally travel out of town.
Why Stanford is for You
Imagine a world without search engines or social platforms. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enrich the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy. Our culture and unique perks empower you with:
* Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.
A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
A healthier you. Climb our rock wall, or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We also provide excellent health care benefits.
Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.
Enviable resources. Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and more
The expected pay range for this position is $267,000 - $280,000 per annum.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.
The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.
Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law
Job Code: 4699
Employee Status: Regular
Grade: O
Requisition ID: 97477
About Stanford University
Why work at Stanford?Stanford University has changed the world, over and over again.We are one of Silicon Valley's largest employers - and also one of the most unique. Our mission is to educate future leaders and promote interdisciplinary, world-class research and teaching. This passion makes Stanford an intensely creative, rewarding, and challenging place to work. At the same time, our traditions of respect and collaboration sustain a humane, supportive environment in which to pursue your life and your career.At Stanford you'll work with bright, diverse, dedicated people. You'll find encouragement to learn and grow. You'll enjoy excellent benefits and an outstanding environment. How will it change you?
Connections working at Stanford University
https://hrjobs.hrci.org/jobs/17954874/associate-vice-president-hr-community


GOP Rep. Phil Roe Retiring
Source: AAN
by: AAN Staff
doe-oakridge [Public domain]
FIGHT IMPEACHMENT: STAND WITH TRUMP
After six terms in Congress, Republican Phil Roe has decided this year will be his last.
Roe has represented a portion of deep red Eastern Tennessee since 2009.
The Hill's Rachel Frazin has more:
"After prayerful consideration, I have decided to retire at the end of the 116th Congress," Roe said in a statement.
"Serving East Tennesseans these past 11 years has been the honor of my life, and I will be forever grateful for the trust my friends and neighbors put in me to represent them," said Roe, the top Republican on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. "As someone who practiced medicine for over 30 years, I said I would serve five or six terms because I never intended this job to be a second career."
The Johnson City Press reported that Roe had initially pledged to serve no more than 10 years in Congress.
Roe represents a heavily Republican district, one that President Trump won with more than 75 percent of the vote in 2016.
Tags: Issues: Faith, AAN Exclusive; Categories:


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Pencils Down: Briefing Concludes in West Virginia v. EPA
Posted on April 21, 2016 by Amber Martin
Last Friday, April 15, 2016, petitioners challenging the Clean Power Plan and like-minded intervenors filed their rebuttals to EPA and its supporters' defense of the rule. The reply briefs wrap up briefing in West Virginia v. EPA, and set the stage for the D.C. Circuit to hear oral argument in June.
In their 168-page opening brief on the "core legal issues," petitioners—a collective of 28 states, numerous coal producers, utilities, and trade groups—attack the CPP on four broad grounds, arguing the rule far exceeds EPA's authority under section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), is in direct conflict with section 112 of the CAA, unlawfully abrogates the CAA's cooperative federalism system, and unconstitutionally commandeers states into carrying out EPA's federal policy. Citing the Supreme Court's 2014 decision in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, petitioners urge the court to "greet … with a measure of skepticism" claims by EPA to have "discover[ed] in a long-extant statute an unheralded power to regulate a significant portion of the American economy." In a separate opening brief on "procedural and record-based issues," petitioners also attack the CPP as procedurally deficient. In the reply briefs filed last week, petitioners further elaborated on their legal and procedural arguments in response to EPA's brief.
The opening and reply briefs of the intervenors supporting petitioners—a group of six mining and transportation companies–allege similar legal defects with the rule.
Various amici curiae have also offered the court their perspectives on the rule. Amicus curiae briefs supporting petitioners were filed by:
166 state and local business associations;
34 Senators and 171 Representatives;
60Plus Association, Federalism in Action, Hispanic Leadership Fund, Independent Women's Forum, National Taxpayers Union, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance;
Climate scientists;
Former state public utility commissioners;
Landmark Legal Foundation;
Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia;
Pacific Legal Foundation, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Morning Star Packing Company, Merit Oil Company, the Loggers Association of Northern California, and Norman R. "Skip" Brown (private citizen);
Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc.;
Philip Zoebisch (private citizen);
The State of Nevada and Consumers' Research; and
Southeastern Legal Foundation.
Amici filing briefs in support of EPA include:
Adobe, Inc.; Mars, Inc.; Ikea North America Services LLC, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.;
Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft;
Citizens Utility Board; Consumers Union; and Public Citizen, Inc.;
Current and former Members of Congress;
Dominion Resources, Inc.;
Former EPA Administrators William D. Ruckelshaus and William K. Reilly;
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns;
Former state environmental and energy officials;
Grid experts;
Health and medical associations;
Leon Billings and Thomas Jorling (former United States Senate staff members and environmental law and policy experts responsible for the drafting and deliberations that resulted in the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments);
National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and 54 cities, counties and mayors;
New York University School of Law Institute for Policy Integrity;
Religious groups;
Service Employees International Union;
Sustainable business organizations; and
Union of Concerned Scientists.
With briefing now complete, the parties have just over a month to prepare for oral argument, which is scheduled for June 2-3, 2016.
This entry was posted in Blog Posts and tagged Clean Power Plan, CPP litigation, D.C. Circuit, Judicial review. Bookmark the permalink.


COPYCENSE
Copycense Clippings 1.06
Despite the lack of sunshine, wind chill, and wintry mix, we keep it moving. Along with the return of guest editor Kim Hagedorn, this week's Copycense Clippings returns with a technical and business analysis of Apple's DRM scheme; J.K. Rowling putting a spell on eBay; a Texas company becoming this year's NTP; and the danger of legislation that is introduced with cute acronyms as titles.
RoughlyDrafted.com How FairPlay Works: Apple's iTunes DRM Dilemma. Feb. 26, 2007. A lot has been said about Apple's FairPlay copy protection software, but to our knowledge, this is one of the first articles that explains what the software does, how it does it, and the software's broader implications on DRM and copy-protected digital content. Categories: Computers & Technology; DRM & Copy Protection; Music.
"When a politician introduces legislation with a cutesy acronym for a title, it's always a good idea to double-check its contents." ArsTechnica. FAIR USE Act Analysis: DMCA Reform Left on the Cutting Room Floor. Feb. 28, 2007.
To the best of our recollection, this (rather ridiculous) acronym trend began in 2001 with the hasty passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, which has been the source of much controversy. Ever since then, American lawmakers have been quick to sharpen their Scrabble skills in an attempt to curry initial positive press for newly introduced bills (We wonder how much time Congressional aides spend on crafting these pithy, acronym-friendly titles.)
As Ars points out, however, the more savvy the acronymed title, the closer one most scrutinize the bill for possible problem passages. We've not had a chance to study the FAIR USE Act (H.R.1201) (.pdf) but we note for the record that the legislation was introduced by a bipartisan team of Congressmen (Virginia Democratic Rick Boucher and California Republican John Doolittle), and that the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SLA, the American Library Association supports the legislation, while the RIAA opposes it. Seems like the lines are drawn as they always have been.
What is interesting about the Ars piece, however, is its criticism of the bill for focusing too much on overturning the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in MGM v. Grokster (which held that the manufacturers that provide "file sharing" software can be held liable for others' copyright infringement that is conducted while using that software) than overturning the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Categories: DMCA; DRM; Legislation, Law and Regulation.
Site Check
A Digital Annotated Concept Map of the Fundamentals of U.S. Copyright Law. Southwestern Law School professor Lionel S. Sobel has created an interesting, interactive way to quickly go through the various aspects of copyright law. Categories: Research.
IPKat. Another Setback for Amazon 1-Click. Feb. 28, 2007. Amazon.com is continuing to patent its 1-Click e-commerce method after the European Patent Office refused their request due to the lack of solutions to technical problems. Amazon.com is expected to appeal the decision. Amazon.com holds U.S. Patent No. 5,960,411 for the 1-Click method, causing widespread furor about patent law's inapplicability to computer software. Last spring, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office announced it would re-examine the 1-Click patent after a New Zealand inventor claimed the technology was based on a prior patent. Categories: Computers & Technology; International; Patent; Web & Online.
Technology & Marketing Law Blog. Lycos Not Liable for Objectionable Message Board Posting – Universal Communication Systems v. Lycos. Feb. 28, 2007. A Florida court ruled (.pdf) in favor of defendant Lycos based upon a provision of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that gives safe harbor to Web publishers in the event others post libelous or defamatory remarks. Plaintiff Universal Communication Systems brought action against Lycos stating that Lycos was encouraging users to engage in illegal behaviors and trademark infringement. Categories: Cases & Litigation; Trademark; Web & Online.
Ellen Nakashima and Alec Klein. New Profiling Program Raises Privacy Concerns. WashingtonPost.com. Feb. 28, 2007. Again, beware the cutesy legislative titles. The Department of Homeland Security is testing a new data-mining program to locate terrorist activity. The Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight, and Semantic Enhancement (ADVISE) program sifts through information about average Amercians looking at such things as hotel and flight reservations. ADVISE uses mathmatical algorithms to discover hidden relationships. Lawmakers (and, probably, citizens) are concerned that citizens' privacy will be violated. We're more concerned that little has been known about the program until now. Categories: Databases; Politics & Government; Privacy & Security.
Technology & Marketing Law Blog. Search Engines Defeat "Must-Carry" Lawsuit–Langdon v. Google. Feb. 26, 2007. Courtesy of Silicon Valley Watcher, this Delaware decision (.pdf) analogizes search engines to newspapers, opining search engines have a First Amendment right to reject ads. Categories: Broadcasting & Journalism; Cases & Litigation; Web & Online.
Boing Boing. USB Device Lets You Spy On Other's PC Activity. Feb. 26, 2007. Snoopstick from CYBERsitter, a USB device, downloads hidden software when inserted into a Windows machine. The software allows the owner of the USB device to monitor the activities of the other machine from anywhere. Very disturbing! What has happened to trust and privacy? Categories: Computers & Technology; Privacy & Security; Tech & Devices.
Jack Malvern. Potter Author Sues eBay Over Pirate Book. TimesOnline.co.uk. Feb. 26, 2007. J.K. Rowlings throws pixie dust on the India outlet of eBay, which was enjoined from selling illegal copies of her work. This poses a problem for eBay because if they successfully remove illegal copies of Harry Potter books, other authors and publishers could demand the same treatment. But if eBay's removal efforts are unsuccessful, the company could be held in contempt of court. Category: Books; Infringement; Web & Online.
Marguerite Reardon. Skype Petitions FCC for Open Cellular Access. News.com. Feb. 22, 2007. The cellular lobby likely will use every ounce of power to ensure that Skype and other VoIP providers never will be able to access their networks. Categories: Law, Legislation & Regulation; Tech & Devices; Web & Online.
Louise Story. Google in Content Deal With Media Companies. The New York Times. Feb. 26, 2007. It must kill Big Content that they feel compelled to do business with Google, instead of just suing away the competitive and technological challenges the company poses. Categories: Broadcasting & Journalism; Film; Multimedia; Music; Web & Online.
Martyn Williams. Apple, Samsung, Sandisk Sued Over MP3. InfoWorld. Feb. 26, 2007. That was the sound of the other shoe dropping after Texas MP3 Technologies won a $1.3 billion judgment last week over Microsoft. We wonder if the defendant companies will go the same pansy route that Blackberry-maker RIM took in its patent infringement battle with NTP. (RIM whined to Congress to intervene.) Surely, the amount of iPods on Capitol Hill rivals the number of Blackberry devices. Categories: Cases & Litigation; File Sharing, P2P & Downloads; Patents.
ZDNet Education. Copyright Infringement By Your Students Is Your Problem. Feb. 26, 2007. Before we read this article, we assumed it was another press release disguised as a "news story," and planted by the RIAA, Association of American Publishers, or similar Big Content outfit. It seems not to be. Instead, the author identifies himself as an IT official at Indiana University. We would agree with the article's central premise: higher education seems to dole out few and light penalties when it comes to allegedly illegal file sharing. We also agree that framing the activity as a potential security threat is a better way to present this issue to students than presenting the activity as an ethical or legal problem. Categories: Cases & Litigation; Education; File Sharing, P2P & Downloads; Privacy & Security.
Greg Sandoval. BitTorrent to Open Digital Media Store. News.com. Feb. 23, 2007. We find it odd how most news outlets (including News.com) have framed this story. The angle they have reported is BitTorrent's evolution from rogue outfit to upstanding citizen, almost like watching Michael Corleone move the family from strong-arm protection rackets in the Bowery to receiving a medal of the Order of St. Sebastian. We see it differently. How about framing this story as Big Content having wasted so much of their (and other people's) time and money on lawsuits, only to end up where they could have — and should have — years ago: using peer-to-peer technologies as a distribution network for their own content? Categories: File Sharing, P2P & Downloads; Multimedia.
Michael Geist. U.S. Copyright Lobby Out-of-Touch. BBC News. Feb. 20, 2007. Razor sharp Michael Geist discusses the International Intellectual Property Association's annual intellectual property report and how it forms the basis of the U.S. Trade Representative's Special 301 report to Congress. Categories: International; Law, Legislation & Regulation; Politics & Government.
Graeme Wearden. U.K. Government Rejects Calls for DRM Ban. News.com. Feb. 20, 2007. We used to think that public outrage would cause policy change. Perhaps this is no longer the case, or maybe this outrage wasn't vociferous enough. In any event, we continue to be sure that until governments use data from sources other than global copyright holder groups, the core debate about intellectual property will not change much. Categories: DRM & Copy Protection; International; Law, Legislation & Regulation; Politics & Government.
Security Fix. Microsoft to Tighten Anti-Piracy Noose in Vista. Feb. 20, 2007. The WashingtonPost.com's Brian Krebs explains the economics behind Microsoft's hard line anti-copying stance concerning the new Vista operating system. Categories: Business & Commerce; Computers & Technology; DRM & Copy Protection.
Edvard Pettersson. Disney Loses Court Ruling Over Winnie the Pooh Rights. Bloomberg.com. Feb. 16, 2007. A very juicy story about a procedural ruling that allows the owners of the Winnie the Pooh character to sue Disney; the plaintiffs reportedly are seeking up to $2 billion in damages. Categories: Cases & Litigation; Images, Art & Photos; Licensing & Permissions.
James Inverne. Masterpieces Or Fakes? The Joyce Hatto Scandal. Gramophone. Feb. 15, 2007. William Barrington-Coupe, the husband of the late Joyce Hatto, has conceded to releasing other's music under his wife's name. His plagarism was discovered when an iTunes user went to download one of Hatto's CDs and the pianist was listed as someone completely different.(Hatto died last year of cancer.) Other such examples have emerged. It appears that digital manipulation was used in an attempt to conceal the origins of one of the tracks. Categories: DRM & Copy Protection; Infringement; Music.
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Writer/Director Martin Radich on his ...
Are you a modern day ...
Writer/Director Martin Radich on his latest film film 'Norfolk'
Writer/Director Martin Radich on his latest film film Norfolk – words Paul Risker
Norfolk is the sophomore feature of writer/director Martin Radich that sees the filmmaker forge a bond between this and his 1998 debut feature Crack Willow.
While the latter looks to the relationship between a father and son, the former focused on the loneliness and grief of one son following the loss of his father. In both films the relationship of the son to the father have been a central thematic drive or inclination of the filmmaker forging a bond that cannot be ignored.
Radich has received significant recognition for his feature and short filmmaking, particularly from the The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) where Crack Willow played as 'Best of the Fest' and Norfolk would be nominated for The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film in 2015. Meanwhile, in 1998 he was the recipient of a BAFTA award for his short film In Memory of Dorothy Bennett, that was also nominated at the EIFF, along with his 2000 short film A Good Man is Hard to Find.
Ahead of the theatrical release his film Norfolk, Radich spoke with Flux about the importance of exposure of the filmmaker to cinema and the discovery of the creative voice, film as an extension of its creator and the vitality of the collaborative process. He also shared his thoughts on working with constraints and the need to write with foresight to avoid contradictions.
Why a career in filmmaking? Was there an inspirational or defining moment?
I'm of an age where I was a teenager in the early eighties when video shops exploded. I was eleven or twelve and that's all we did growing up as teenagers – went to the video shop each night and hired films. And at that time the video shops were keen to fill their shelves with a vast array of films for you to watch – trashy horror, experimental martial arts, comedy or war. There was just a diverse range of films and I got to about seventeen or eighteen, and I bought a Super-8 camera. So just one thing led to another. There was no decision that this is what I was going to do because I ended up working in a biscuit factory for five years when I was seventeen. And it was only while I was there that I met someone who encouraged me to go to art school. But even when I enrolled at art school, it wasn't going to be film that I was going to pursue. I was just interested in art in general – fine art, sculpture, photography, literature and music. It was when I went to Edinburgh Art School that I began to focus on film.
I recall Quentin Tarantino saying: "If you want to make films, watch films. If you want to write books, read books." But I have also heard the contrarian opinion to pursue that which you are less familiar with or rather have had less exposure to. How do you view the importance of exposure to a creative medium as being integral to the individual pursuing it?
I suppose I am split. I certainly believe it is valuable to have an understanding and knowledge of whatever the medium is that you are pursuing. But I am now at a point where I have had my education, and I don't need to continue to absorb films at the rate that I once did. And now, especially when I am starting to write a script or even when I am making a film, I don't reference anything. I don't want to see or read anything – I just want it to come from inside me. But at the very beginning it's important because watching a diverse range of films helps you to find your voice by.
Discussing the relationship of the film and the filmmaker, writer/director Rebecca Miller remarked to me: "If they are made honestly, all pieces of art are self-portraits of the person making them." Reading your statement for Norfolk, the inspiration and influences were personal and subjective. Can your yourself envisage a connection between not just Norfolk and yourself, but also your other films?
Absolutely, and the artists I admire the most are those that leave their DNA in whatever it is they have created. Everything I have ever written or shot has me in it. Obviously you create characters and those characters have opinions. They don't necessarily agree with your opinions, but regardless, somewhere within them there is something of you. As I say those are the filmmakers that I greatly admire and that's the kind of vain I see myself. I make personal films and the script that I have just written is even more so, because I am using a bit more of my upbringing. I can see myself in everything that I have ever done [laughs], for the good or for the bad.
Do you feel that you'll reach a point where you will exhaust the personal, or do you think it will find a way to endure and continue to define your cinema?
My outlook changes and my attitude changes. My anger subsides and then it rises. My enthusiasm for things dips and wanes, and then reemerges stronger than ever. I think now there is plenty of fuel for the fire.
The collaborative nature of film is what makes it a truly special art form. Having written the script you'd have had a good understanding of the characters and narrative entering the shoot. When on set with the actors, did they reveal new things about the characters that you didn't expect, and how did that change the process? And for you, is filmmaking a journey of discovery whereby you don't quite know the film you will end up with?
I think that's the type of film I want to make. I want to make a film that captures elements of spontaneity. You don't just want to write the script and then precisely capture that because it can lead to a lifeless film. In the past I've made films where there was no script. We would make up each scene on the day and that would involve a great skill from the actors to be able to improvise those scenes. Norfolk was obviously scripted, but I greatly encourage actors to bring their own interpretation to the characters and to the scene. And if they suddenly show me something unexpected, it gives me the chance to witness it exactly how the audience might see it. So for instance, if it has not been written, auditioned, rehearsed and blocked, then it comes to me fresh. But if it has gone through all of those processes it can feel quite stale. I would always encourage the actors to come up with something new. There is a scene towards the end of Norfolk where the father comes home to the son, and in the script it was never meant to be as big and dramatic. But because of a few things that happened on that morning, the scene suddenly exploded, and thank God it did. For me it's really incredibly emotional and it was the actors that brought that to the scene, which I'm eternally grateful for.
Filmmakers have told me that editing is the best training ground for a director. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on how the experience of editing Norfolk will impact your approach to writing and directing in the future?
I wouldn't necessarily say that the editing has impacted upon my new project. I would say that is more the budgetary constraints and the restrictions of the schedule. So what I've written now is quicker, not simply the tone and pace of the film, but how it can be captured on set. Whereas what I had written for Norfolk, it was very sedate, very languid and a very hypnotic type of story. And when you suddenly feel you've an hour to shoot that scene, it's almost working against what it is you are trying to capture. So that's caused me to write something that has more freewheeling momentum, because I anticipate that if I am lucky enough to get more money to make another film, it's not going to be a massive sum of money. And so those restrictions of a tight schedule are going to be there, and it's those that have caused me to think about the writing of the next one, rather than the edit process.
Speaking with Ryan Bonder for The Brother, he explained: "It probably takes about a year before you start to feel like yourself again, because it really can take a lot out of you." In a sense the filmmaker is liable to an empty feeling as they are trying to return to who they were, while for the films audience, our experience is in a different time zone. In a sense are we not experiencing your past, and therefore we are forever chasing your present?
Well it's very true, and it does take a while to come out of the system. I say this hand on heart, you sometimes forget the metaphors and the symbolism when you are sitting there writing it. I have answers to everything [laughs], but what starts to happen is once you begin speaking to costume and make-up, the cinematographer and the actors, you pass over the baton of the meaning of those moments to them. And then it's almost a cathartic experience where all of these ideas are permeating and are floating away like motes of dust. And by the very end you are: Oh, how did I create this? I don't know, I've forgotten… It's left me. Now it is in the hands of the audience to enter the world as they wish.
German filmmaker Christoph Behl remarked to me: "You are evolving, and after the film you are not the same person as you were before." Do you perceive there to be a transformative aspect to the creative process?
It is an incredibly precious and special thing to be able to make a film – to go through emotional ventures with the collaborative team. And if you are making more personal work, then you are going inside and pulling something out, whether it be rotten or whether it be joyful. I think it somehow does alter who you are, which is unavoidable, especially if you are digging deep. On all the films I've made, they've enabled me to explore something or to get something out there from within, and I would have thought that has to change you. I wouldn't want to make anything that didn't and I think it's got to have my blood on it for it to have any merit – if that doesn't sound too pretentious.
Norfolk will screen at the following cinemas and will be followed by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers:
24 September – Encounters, Bristol
26 September – Manchester Home, Manchester
29 September – Broadway, Nottingham
1 October – Orkney, Scotland
4 October – Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow
5 October – Filmhouse, Edinburgh + Masterclass & Arthouse Crouch End, London
Further October dates are still to be confirmed, but will include Eden Court, Inverness
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House delegate Stacey Plaskett quotes Run The Jewels and GZA during Trump impeachment trial
RTJ's El-P responded by saying: "I can't say I didn't see it coming. OK I didn't see it coming"
By Sam Moore
Representative Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands, speaks in the Senate Chamber in a video screenshot in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. House Democrats used searing video footage from last month's deadly rampage at the U.S. Capitol to begin Donald Trump's second impeachment trial on a dramatic note, yet the prosecution remains far from winning enough GOP votes to convict the former president (Picture: Senate Television/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
US House of Representatives delegate Stacey Plaskett quoted lyrics from songs by both Run The Jewels and Wu-Tang Clan's GZA this week while speaking at Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
Plaskett, a Democrat who represents the US Virgin Islands' at-large congressional district, is one of the nine House impeachment managers who are outlining the case against the former US President during his ongoing trial in the Senate.
Addressing Senators this week, Plaskett spoke out against Trump in a speech where she quoted lines from Run The Jewels' 'Early' ("truth is truth, whether denied or not") and GZA's 'Breaker, Breaker' ("the truth is usually seen and rarely heard").
During my presentation in the impeachment trial yesterday, I made two references from the hip hop genre: "The truth is usually seen and rarely heard" from GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan and "Truth is truth, whether denied or not," from Run the Jewels. You can see it below: pic.twitter.com/uLUYp6H8nN
— Rep. Stacey Plaskett (@StaceyPlaskett) February 12, 2021
Plaskett confirmed her lyrical nods in a tweet overnight – you can watch a clip from her speech above.
Run The Jewels' El-P responded to being quoted by Plaskett in a series of social media posts which you can see below, writing: "Remember kids: smoke a whole hell of a lot of weed and maybe one day you too can, like me, write something that ends up being quoted during an impeachment."
A post shared by thereallyrealelp (@thereallyrealelp)
welp apparently i was quoted during the impeachment trial today and i can't say i didn't see it coming. ok i didn't see it coming. pic.twitter.com/4xcd297pcs
— el-p (@therealelp) February 12, 2021
GZA also responded to being quoted by Plaskett by sharing her tweet and tagging both Run The Jewels and Killer Mike.
A post shared by GZA (@therealgza)
Trump could be barred from running for President again if he is convicted at his impeachment trial, although that outcome looks unlikely given that a two-thirds majority will be required to convict Trump in the evenly split 100-seat Senate.
An acquittal looks far more likely, given that the vast majority of Republican senators have remained loyal to the former president so far.
Earlier this month Killer Mike was named on a new advisory board in the US which has been set up to help support artists hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
GZA/Genius


Dodgers vs Brewers: Lineups, Pregame Matchups, and More for August 24
The Dodgers and Brewers have split their first six games this season, just like they did in the 2018 NLCS. Tonight, they head back to Dodger Stadium for one last game to see who wins the season series.
The Dodgers come into the game as heavy favorites, partly because they are a better team, and partly because they have a guy with a 1.77 ERA going against a guy who, on paper, seems like a Dodgers wish list of what they'd like to face in an opposing starting pitcher.
Andrew Heaney gets the start for the Dodgers. Heaney is coming off his first bad start of the season, against these same Brewers six days ago. He had great stuff, striking out 10 batters in 4.2 innings, but he allowed five runs (three earned) on three homers to take the loss.
Andrew McCutchen, who hit two of those homers, is 3-for-6 with three homers and two strikeouts in his career against Heaney. Realistically, if Heaney can keep the ball in the ballpark, he should have a pretty good game. Of course, fans who have followed Heaney in recent years know "Can Heaney keep the ball in the ballpark?" doesn't always have a satisfying answer.
Taking the mound for Milwaukee will be Adrian Houser, making his first start in almost two months after being sidelined by a forearm issue. Houser made three rehab starts with Triple-A Nashville, but he maxed out at 3.1 innings and 68 pitches, so he's unlikely to go very deep in this game.
Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner are the only Dodgers who have ever faced Houser. They're a combined 1-for-7, but that one hit was a Freeman homer. Houser throws right-handed, doesn't strike out many hitters, and has a relatively high walk rate, so he's definitely the kind of pitcher the Dodgers should feast on.
The #Dodgers go for the series win in the rubber match when Andrew Heaney takes the mound tonight at 6:00 PM. https://t.co/xnDfdq3IRU
Will Smith gets a real day off, with Austin Barnes catching and Chris Taylor at DH. Gavin Lux is still out with his neck issue, as expected, and Joey Gallo gets the start in left field.
Today's game will mark the 123rd game of the season for LA. They are currently 85-37, on pace for nearly 113 wins. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM PT.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!
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THE PINCH HITTERS
St George Illawarra Dragons
A- League
A- League Bozza NRL Other Sport UFC
Fenton, Masvidal and other Candid Sportsmen
A look at some candid interviews from the weekend and years gone by.
By Bozza / November 5, 2019
Welcome to your home of Sports News and Views Hard and Fast
The Pinch Hitters are a group of sporting tragics committed to bringing you their own special take on the happening in the sporting world. In the grand tradition of sports great Pinch Hitters, their aim is to talk about the games you know but with their own unique twist.
Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.
While the team are firm believers of Shankly's assessment of the seriousness of football and believe it applies to sport as a whole, they also believe there is always a time and place to take a lighter view at the games adult people play.
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Viking heritage meets cutting-edge design
Our Denmark Travel Guide
Whether it's your first time travelling to Denmark or you've been there before, read our guide on the country's history, etiquette, tipping culture, food, festivals and more.
1½ hour
Danish krone (DKK) = 100 øre
The smallest country in Scandinavia, Denmark is spread across hundreds of islands wedged between northern Germany and the Scandinavian Peninsula. It's an easy country to explore by road or rail, and aside from some vibrant and easily walkable cities, it offers a varied landscape of pristine beaches, stunning cliffs and fjords, thick forests, rolling meadows and historic villages and towns.
Cosmopolitan Copenhagen is the most popular destination, followed by family-friendly Legoland in Billund, central Jutland. There are charming cobblestoned streets in Denmark's oldest town of Ribe, great beaches and bike riding on the Danish Riviera north of Copenhagen and on the island of Bornholm adrift in the Baltic, or you can chose between the varying pleasures of the Viking Ship Museum or northern Europe's biggest rock festival at Roskilde.
The Danish autonomous territories of Greenland, geographically part of the North American continent, and the Faroe Islands, almost equidistant from Norway, Scotland and Iceland in the North Sea, are not considered in this dossier.
"Denmark is like a secret little place with its own special language."
Denmark is an egalitarian society and this is reflected in the language, which is gender-neutral. Danes are generally modest about their own accomplishments and more concerned about group than individual needs. Danes believe there is a proper way to act in any given circumstance and they expect courteous behaviour. If someone is not following the rules, they will generally speak up.
Throughout Scandinavia, it is helpful to be versed in the principles of the Law of Jante, as set out by Dano-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose in his novel A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks, in which he extols the values of the working class in the fictional town of Jante. The ten rules state:
Don't think you are anything special.
Don't think you are as good as us.
Don't think you are smarter than us.
Don't convince yourself that you are better than us.
Don't think you know more than us.
Don't think you are more important than us.
Don't think you are good at anything.
Don't laugh at us.
Don't think anyone cares about you.
Don't think you can teach us anything.
An eleventh rule recognised in the novel that is pertinent to visitors states:
Don't think there aren't a few things we know about you.
Particular to Denmark is the concept of 'hygge'. Literally translated as 'cosiness', hygge is all about relaxing among friends or loved ones with good food and drink.
Maternity and paternity leave are particularly generous in Denmark, and men are more actively involved in child-rearing than in many countries. Working mothers can easily arrange the flexible hours they need to maintain both a career and a family. Marriage is not a prerequisite to starting a family, and many couples live together without legalising the arrangement by marriage.
Whilst Denmark has become increasingly multiethnic in recent years, there is a groundswell of resistance to multiculturalism, and political views on integration tend to stress assimilation to Denmark's cultural and historical identity. The fragility and dangers inherent in this mindset were apparent in the infamous cartoon case of 2005 in which the cultural editor of Jyllands-Posten commissioned a dozen drawings of Mohammed in an attempt to integrate Muslims into the Danish tradition of satire. The unforeseen outcome was a series of increasingly violent international protests and attacks on Danish and other European embassies, churches and Christians, resulting in over 200 reported deaths.
In Denmark, it's all about coffee, and beer. Danes are pretty passionate about both, and almost as fond of akvavit, or liquers. Every café serves decent coffee, with roasted beans freshly ground on the premises. Italian espressos, cappuccinos and now lattes are readily available too. Tea comes a poor second. When not drinking coffee, the Danes drink beer - it's consumed throughout the day, with lager ahead of brown ale in popularity, though several varieties of both are available. Carlsberg dominates, but other brands are available and worth sampling, particularly Faxe and Star. Wine is generally imported, though attempts have been made to introduce vines to the southern region. Special feasts are often served with shots of akvavit, the schnapps-like drink which comes in a variety of herbal flavours. Of these, a variation known as Gammel Dansk is so highly regarded as a healthy cure-all option that it's often drunk first thing in the morning. Tap water is, as you'd expect, completely safe.
January/February - Winter Jazz Festival. An ever-expanding nationwide festival kick-starting the jazz year, featuring some 300 concerts at 60 venues in 2013.
March - Aalborg Opera Festival. Two weeks of performances in concerts halls, churches and cafes.
April - CPH PIX, Copenhagen. City-wide two-week festival of Danish and international (chiefly European) film.
May - Aarlborg Carnival. The largest carnival in Scandinavia; a week of themed parades, music and dressing up.
May - Copenhagen Carnival. Shades of Rio as samba, salsa and world music beats fill Fælledparken and the city streets.
June - SPOT Festival, Århus. Two days of emerging Danish and Scandinavian music acts.
June - Riverboat Jazz Festival, Silkeborg. Five days of traditional jazz at three large marquees and onboard a steamboat on the Gudenå River.
June/July - Roskilde Festival. One of the biggest events on the European music calendar, drawing a wide array of international bands and visitors.
July - Skagen Festival. Four days of international folk music from Celtic to bluegrass and Scandinavian fiddling.
July - Copenhagen Jazz Festival. One of the largest music events in Europe, with more than 1,000 concerts at 100 venues over ten days, including international stars.
July - Århus International Jazz Festival. A week-long programme of performances at intimate venues including cafes, tents and bars.
July - Langelands Festival. A family-friendly week of mostly Danish rock at Denmark's 'largest garden party'.
August - Copenhagen Fashion Week. City-wide events, talks and fashion displays, accompanied by themed sales in department stores and boutiques.
August - Copenhagen Pride. Five days of gay-themed parties, concerts, films and events, culminating in a vibrant parade through the city.
August - Odense International Film Festival. Denmark's oldest film festival, showcasing international short films.
August - Skanderborg Festival. "Denmark's most beautiful festival" features folk, rock and pop music in a scenic beech forest setting.
August - Tønder Festival. Annual festival of Scottish, Irish, English, North American, Scandinavian and Baltic folk music.
September - CPH ADD (Copenhagen Architecture and Design Days). Guided tours and events celebrating the city's iconic buildings and design.
September - Århus Festival. Ten days of dance, theatre, opera and art.
September - Golden Days Festival, Copenhagen. Annual history festival focusing on a different period in the city's history each year, featuring all the city's major cultural institutions.
October - Culture Night, Copenhagen. 500 events in a single evening across the city's museums, libraries, schools, theatres, music venues and churches.
October - MIX Copenhagen. Gay and lesbian film festival featuring around 60 features and as many short films and documentaries, with satellite programmes in Århus, Odense and Aalborg.
November - CPH DOX, Copenhagen. International documentary festival featuring over 200 films each year.
December - Christmas Markets. Fairs, markets and events throughout Denmark. The whole of Copenhagen is decked in Christmas lights and decorations, and the Tivoli Gardens turn into a giant grotto.
It would be worth visiting Denmark for the food alone. In recent years, the country has become something of a culinary destination, with 15 Michelin stars and 14 Bib Gourmands, and the now-famous Noma in Copenhagen regularly topping best restaurant in the world lists. Part of the reason for this is the growing popularity of 'New Nordic Cuisine', a sustainable and delicious way of eating, relying on locally sourced, often foraged produce and a great deal of experimentation as well as traditional techniques. Typical dishes may include Nordic langoustines, wild salmon, seaweed and wild berries. Copenhagen is the hot spot for New Nordic Cuisine, but the trend is spreading around the country.
New wave cuisine aside, Denmark offers plenty of traditional specialities that are quite delicious, based largely on meat and fish. Some can be rather hearty - the staples of Kogt Hamburgerryg (pork loin cooked with thyme and parsley) or Skipperlabsskovs (a beef stew cooked with potatoes, black peppercorns and bay leaves) being classic cases in point. Pickled herring and variations on meatballs are available everywhere, as is a bewildering array of smørrebrød, open rye bread sandwiches topped with imaginative, often mouth-watering combinations of ingredients. Another culinary and cultural institution is the Danish hot dog stand. They're dotted about all over the place, and worth visiting - their hot dogs may not be gourmet, but they are delicious all the same.
Denmark is located southwest of Sweden and due south of Norway and is bordered by the German state (and former Danish possession) Schleswig-Holstein to the south. Bordering the North and Baltic Seas, it has a temperate climate with mild winters and cool summers. The landscape is characterised by flat, arable land and sandy coasts. About 70 of Denmark's 400+ islands are inhabited, and the largest are Zealand, North Jutlandic Island, Funen, Lolland and Bornholm.
The country is flat with little elevation and an average height of 31 metres above sea level. The highest point is Møllehøj in the Ejerbjerge hills in Skanderborg at 171 metres.
Denmark has a comfortable, reliable and inexpensive train service between all the major cities. Domestic flights are also available between Copenhagen and Aalborg, Århus, Karup (Central Jutland), Rønne (Bornholm) and Sønderborg. Long-distance buses are cheaper but far slower.
Cycling is a popular way of getting around the cities, and there are excellent cycling routes throughout the main islands. Car hire is generally more expensive than public transport unless you're in a group, but look out for cut-price deals, especially at weekends. Consider hiring a car in Germany, where it can be much cheaper, and drive across the border.
An extensive network of ferries connects all the Danish islands, from the hi-tech catamaran link between Zealand and Jutland to raft-like foot and car ferries serving isolated settlements.
"It is perfectly true, as philosophers say, that life must be understood backwards. But they forget the other proposition, that it must be lived forwards."
The first evidence of human settlement in present-day Denmark dates back to the end of the last Ice Age in around 12500 BC. Organised farming did not appear until 3900 BC, and the first villages sprang up in the centuries before Christ's birth. Towns such as Ribe, Denmark's oldest still standing, began to appear during the Iron Age between 400 and 750 AD.
Unification of the country under a central power began in 700 AD and was completed under Harold I Bluetooth in the late 10th century, as confirmed by the inscription on his runic stone at Jelling, where the word 'Denmark' is written for the first time.
During the Viking Age (800 to 1100), royal power was buttressed by large, strategically placed circular fortresses. The period was characterised by frequent Viking expeditions that led to the brief conquest of England and took the Vikings into Ireland, northern France and Russia. Their long boats brought many riches into the country, but the Danish Viking kings were unable to turn their conquests into a lasting empire.
In about 965, Harold I Bluetooth was baptised and a clergy was established to disseminate the Catholic faith. Churches were built, and a 700,000-strong farming community organised itself according to Christian social standards. A secular nobility of landowners formed the heart of the country's elite, an urban middle class increased as towns grew, and a large peasantry worked the fields. The first Danish coins were minted at Lund in 995. As well as a means of payment, the coins were a form of mass communication by which successive kings could assert their sovereignty.
In around 1350 the Black Death wiped out a third of the Danish population. City dwellers were often harder hit than farmers, and many towns were abandoned altogether. King Valdemar IV took advantage of the deaths of many of his enemies to add to his growing lands and properties, and he kept taxes high although far fewer peasants now farmed less land. Uprisings flared in subsequent years, but the main political event of the period was the establishment of the Kalmar Union in 1397, combining Denmark, Norway and Sweden under the Danish Queen Margrete I.
The union lasted until Sweden, led by Gustav I Vasa, broke away in 1523. Denmark and Norway would remain united until 1814, when Norway's former North Atlantic possessions Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands became part of the Danish kingdom.
A break with the Catholic Church in 1536 after three years of civil war turned the Danish Church Lutheran, and Denmark fought for the Protestant cause in the lengthy religious wars that ravaged Europe until 1648. Internally, the new state church became a tool for ideological and moral indoctrination and a greatly strengthened central power. The period 1560-1720 was dominated by an intensified rivalry with neighbouring Sweden for the position as the leading Baltic power, triggering six wars between the two nations. After Denmark was weakened by Christian IV's unsuccessful intervention in the Thirty Years' War between 1625 and 1629, the conflict developed into a struggle for survival on Denmark's part. With Denmark on the verge of becoming part of a Swedish Baltic empire in 1658, the Netherlands and England intervened, negotiating the ceding of all Scanian provinces east of the Oresund to Sweden. The area of the Danish kingdom was reduced by almost a third, and the population dropped from 800,000 to 600,000.
The ensuing political crisis in 1660-61 brought about a new form of government as the old elective monarchy dominated by the aristocracy was replaced by a new hereditary king, Frederik III, who gained absolute power. The king's unrestricted authority remained in force until the abolition of absolutism in 1848 and the adoption of a democratic constitution the following year.
Denmark refused to take sides in the Napoleonic Wars, which led to English naval attacks on Copenhagen in 1801 and 1807 and seizure of the Danish fleet. The loss of Norway in 1814 meant that the former dual monarchy, which had stretched from the North Cape to the Elbe, was reduced to include only Denmark and the German duchies.
The main achievement of absolutism had been the extensive agricultural reforms of the late 18th century, which created an entirely new class of independent farmers, who in the following century became the driving force behind the adoption of universal education and the co-operative movement.
As national movements developed, the duchies' position within the monarchy became a key issue. Almost a third of the nation's population was German. Holstein and Lauenburg belonged to the German Confederation, while Schleswig was nationally divided. The crucial question of Schleswig's affiliation became acute in 1848 when the pro-German Schleswig-Holsteiners demanded a liberal constitution and the incorporation of Schleswig into the German Confederation. Conversely, liberal circles in Copenhagen demanded a democratic constitution for the monarchy and the inclusion of Schleswig within it, which conflicted with a long-standing promise that the duchies would never be separated. This triggered a revolt in the duchies, and in Copenhagen led to Frederik VII declaring himself constitutional king, thereby paving the way for a democratic constitution which was codified in The Constitution of the Kingdom of Denmark of 05 June 1849.
The Three Years' War of 1848-51 ended in a Danish victory insofar as the duchies remained part of the united monarchy. But a satisfactory solution had not been achieved, and the Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck declared war on Denmark on behalf of the German Confederation. The outcome was a humiliating Danish defeat in 1864 and the loss of all three duchies. Once again, the nation had lost almost a third of its land and population.
Denmark had become smaller than ever, and national regeneration work was undertaken with the aim that "outward losses must be compensated by inward gains". The reclamation of moorland gathered speed, and a large-scale shift took place from crop cultivation to livestock farming.
Industrialisation also accelerated, creating a strong working class in the towns. In 1884, the first Social Democrats were elected to the Danish Folketing. In 1905, the Social Liberal Party broke away from the Liberal Party in an appeal to urban intellectuals and smallholders. Through much of the 20th century, Danish politics was characterised by a chronic inability for any party to muster a majority on its own, and compromise and consensus became the norm in Danish political culture.
Denmark remained neutral during World War I, and Danish trade and industry generally profited from the wartime conditions. The same line was taken after Hitler seized power in Germany in 1933 but this time, on 09 April 1940, German troops occupied Denmark. The Social Democrat/Social Liberal government led by Thorvald Stauning saw no option but to collaborate with the occupying power, but gradually British-backed popular resistance increased to such a level that the policy of collaboration collapsed in August 1943. The government resigned and the fiction of a 'peaceful occupation' burst. The last 18 months of the war were dominated by growing armed resistance to the Germans, met by increasingly brutal reprisals. By the end of the war, the resistance movement numbered around 50,000 members, and Denmark had achieved de facto recognition as an allied power. The country became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and along with Norway joined NATO in 1949, thus definitively abandoning the policy of neutrality which had lasted since 1864. Marshall Plan assistance initiated the modernisation of Danish farming, and from the mid-1950s industrialisation took off. At the same time a comprehensive welfare system was introduced, based on the principle of the right of all citizens to receive social benefits. This created the Danish welfare model by which a highly developed social safety net is underpinned by a heavy burden of taxation.
The traditional party structure collapsed as a result of the Europe-wide youth revolution of 1968 and growing resistance to high taxes. At the 1973 election, electoral support for the four traditional parties dropped from around 84% to just 58%, and new protest parties the Progress Party, the Centre Party and the Christian People's Party entered parliament.
Three decades later, the general election of November 2001 resulted in further fundamental shifts in the parliamentary picture. For the first time since 1920, the Liberal Party won more votes than the Social Democrats. At the same time the Danish People's Party, which has a hardline immigrant policy as its main issue, registered a gain, while the Progress Party and the Centre Party dropped out of the Folketing altogether.
Denmark's post-war economy has become increasingly internationalised. Since joining the EEC in 1973 (along with Great Britain), the relationship with Europe has divided the population into two camps of almost equal weight.
Until recently, the Danes were an exceptionally homogenous people, which can be attributed in part to the gradual loss of marginal territories over time. The traditionally high degree of homogeneity and consensus in Danish society is also closely connected with the doctrinal influence of the Lutheran Church, the uniformity of the broad population brought about by absolutism, the late industrialisation that only created a large urban lower class in the 20th century, and the inability of political parties to muster an absolute majority, which has made compromise a cornerstone of both political life and social conditioning.
Denmark has a rich design history, led by legendary names such as Arne Jacobsen and Hans J. Wegner. From homeware to fashion, Denmark is a great place to pick up unique, cutting-edge products or gifts. Fashion labels to hunt down include Munthe plus Simonsen, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, Mads Nørgaard, Baum und Pferdgarten, Ivan Grundahl, Rützou, Bruuns Bazaar and By Malene Birger, while up-and-coming names crowd the boutiques of Copenhagen, Aarlborg, Århus and Odense.
Copenhagen's main shopping areas are in the beautiful old town centre and the buzzing districts of Vesterbro, Østerbro, Nørrebro and Frederiksberg. Close to Nørreport Station is the indoor food market Torvehallerne. Opened in September 2011, its two glass buildings are a lively place to shop for tapas, smørrebrød, delicatessen foods and fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables.
Silverware, hand-blown glass, china and designer furniture are all popular purchases. Amber, which washes up on the shores of Denmark's west coast, is used to make fine jewellery.
A service charge is included in most Danish hotel and restaurant bills. Tipping for special services is acceptable but not expected. A small gratuity is expected for evening meals.
Taxi drivers should be given a few extra kroner, porters and cloakroom attendants usually charge fixed fees, and doormen are tipped modestly.
From fine-dining restaurants to small village inns that often provide accommodation as well as meals, Denmark offers numerous options for eating out. The more sophisticated city restaurants serve a fusion of Danish and French cuisine, and increasingly, innovative New Nordic Cuisine, and generally require reservations in advance. Café culture thrives in Denmark, often providing main meals as well as pastries and coffee. For a speedier experience, there are numerous street stalls selling hot dogs to take away, with all the accompaniments you could hope for.


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CHERYL FORTUNE GOES SOLO / DEBUT SINGLE "FIGHTERS" SET TO IMPACT GOSPEL RADIO JAN 2017
Houston based recording artist Cheryl Fortune is set to embark on her solo recording career with the release of her Lucius B. Hoskins produced debut single "Fighters" set to impact gospel radio January 2017. "With this single I created an anthem for women that would offer A sense of hope, strength and boldness, states Cheryl.
Ms. Cheryl Fortune is widely known throughout the gospel music industry as a former member of GRAMMY-nominated and Stellar Award winning recording group James Fortune & FIYA. As the sound of the ensemble Cheryl lended backing vocal, co-writing and vocal production on projects such as, LIVE THROUGH IT (2014), GRACE GIFT (2012), IDENTITY (2012), ENCORE (2010) and TRANSFORMATION (2008). Cheryl contributed backing vocals on other artists projects including Kirk Franklin (Hello Fear), Shirley Caesar (Good God), Zacardi Cortez (The Introduction, Reloaded), Bishop T.D. Jakes (Sacred Love Songs, Vol 2) and Isaac Carree (Uncommon Me). She recorded a song "Running To You" (composed by Terence Vaughn) for the 2013 released compilation project KINGDOM MUSIC, VOL 1 (FIYA World/Light) among many other compilation projects as well. Most recently she toured with Kirk Franklin on the 20 Years In One Night World Tour.
As a songwriter Cheryl is most notable for co-writing the Billboard #1 smash hit single "I Trust You" which maintained that position for 28 consecutive weeks on Billboard's Gospel Airplay chart. She also co-wrote the song "Hold On" which features Fred Hammond and R&B singer Monica. Additionally, Cheryl wrote the current single "God Held Me" (Lucius B. Hoskins) recorded by Zacardi Cortez.
A vocal prowess full of grace, style and poise, Cheryl is ready for her next chapter in life through song with the ability to speak and help battered and broken women about overcoming and surviving all types of abuse, form of cancer, or any challenge life has thrown ones way.
Source: The J Hardy Agency
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Cheryl Fortune
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"Top 6 Coastal Hubs on the Costa del Sol ... "
"Andalucia considered the new inheritance tax "haven" in spain ... "
"Record-breaking 13 million tourists expected to choose the Costa del Sol in 2019 ... "
"Värde Partners to manage Sareb residential development portfolio in Spain valued at €800m ... "
"Malaga tops list ranking best cities in Spain for culture ... "
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Domus Venari - Costa del Sol Property
Spanish coastal homes are currently among the most sought after in the world. Following one of the worst economic crises in Spanish history, the region has undergone a period of sustained recovery and growth. Despite rising prices and ever-increasing levels of demand, there are still a number of lucrative opportunities to invest in quality property in prime locations on the Costa del Sol.
We offer a variety of services to accommodate your house buying needs before, during and after the purchase. Our long term experience and relationships with local banks, agents and developers enables us to offer you an insight into one of the most popular Real Estate markets in the world – and the keys to the very best bargain properties (starting from €160,000), new developments, the latest investment opportunities and bank repossessions available on the Costa del Sol.
As your dedicated Costa del Sol property specialists, we aim to not only match your individual needs and requirements to our comprehensive portfolio of available properties in Spain, but also to provide you with a list of homes that match your criteria offered by other agents. In other words, while some agencies have a limited selection of properties, we have access to every single available listing on the market at any given time.
As part of the Domus Venari experience, we offer initial private consultations followed by individualised viewing trips to the Costa del Sol, giving you a chance to view a selection of hand-picked properties tailored to your needs, as well as an opportunity to explore the surrounding areas.
Living on the Costa del Sol
The Costa del Sol is world renowned for its relaxed and carefree Mediterranean way of life. Featuring miles of sprawling golden beaches, pristine golf courses, first class restaurants and hotels and over 300 days of sunshine per year, purchasing a Spanish property and living on the Costa del Sol is the dream for many – Domus Venari are proud to be helping make that dream a reality. From the vibrant cosmopolitan coastal towns of Puerto Banús and Marbella, to the tranquil beauty and charm of villages such as Mijas and Casares, the Costa del Sol has a vast array of attractions and regions to suit a variety of tastes.
With its unbeatable Mediterranean microclimate of warm, balmy summers and mild winters, traditional cultural heritage and cosmopolitan opulence and luxury, it's no wonder that millions of people have chosen to make the southern coast of Spain their home away from home.
Domus Venari Exclusives
Rancho Santa Monica
Domus Designs
A boutique-style residential project of only 20 spacious and bright garden-apartments and penthouses, all featuring spectacular sea views.
Nestled in a beautiful valley overlooking the Mediterranean, the one offers a perfect mixture of Costa del Sol beach life and the tranquillity of an exclusive residential estate. The signature characteristics of the one include large, open plan living areas leading to spacious terraces.
Each apartment will have a private Jacuzzi or plunge pool on the terrace. Private lifts with direct access to each apartment complete the exclusive and stylish design.
An exclusive low density development featuring 25 signature villas offering some spectacular sea views, only 1 km from the beach.
The gated community is located in one of Benalmadena's last pristine valleys, a stone's throw away from its charming white-washed village and a variety of local amenities, and only a 20 minute drive away from Marbella and Malaga. Each of the designer villas will be built on a 2,000m2 plot with a beautiful private garden and infinity pool.
The villas will be constructed using eco-friendly building processes and materials, ensuring quality, longevity and maximum energy efficiency.
Our selection of spectacular villas combine contemporary design with high quality, sustainable and eco-friendly materials.
They create a comfortable living environment complete with top-of-the-range appliances, open-plan living spaces, en-suite bathrooms, optional home cinema and gym installations.
Set within some of the most sought after picturesque locations along the Costa del Sol, all completed villas boast energy ratings at the upper end of the scale (B and C+) saving you thousands in energy bills each year.


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Amazon creates 1,000 permanent new jobs in Kaiserslautern
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Amazon is further expanding its fulfillment center network in Germany to meet growing customer demand, expand the product selection and support small independent German businesses.
Kaiserslautern, February 8, 2022. Amazon today announced the opening of a new German fulfillment center in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, which is scheduled to start operations in autumn 2022. With this new fulfillment center, Amazon will create more than 1,000 permanent jobs within the first year of operation, offering high quality employment along with highly competitive wages and benefits from day one. Amazon continues to develop its fulfillment center network to meet customer demand, expand its product selection and support a growing number of independent small German businesses selling on Amazon Marketplace using "Fulfillment by Amazon" warehousing and delivery.
"We are pleased that we can continue our growth in Germany with Amazon's third fulfillment center in Rhineland-Palatinate in Kaiserslautern in order to be able to respond even better to the needs of our customers. We have all kinds of jobs for all kinds of people, and will create 1,000 roles within the first year of operation", says Gregory Bryan, Regional Director Operations Amazon Germany. "Wherever we are located, we create high quality, competitive and safe jobs as well as great career opportunities for people in the region."
In Kaiserslautern, Amazons offers a diverse range of opportunities for people starting their career or returning to employment. There are jobs to be filled from shipping employees (without formal qualifications) to a large number of specialist positions (professionals in the areas of health management, human resources, IT, logistics, occupational safety, procurement, technology and training). Interested parties can find out more and apply at the following link: www.amazon.jobs.
Dr. Klaus Weichel, Lord Mayor of the City of Kaiserslautern: "Amazon's settlement is worth its weight in gold for Kaiserslautern because it complements our job portfolio in the right place, both quantitatively and qualitatively. That is why we were very happy to support the company from the very beginning. Welcome to Kaiserslautern and good luck at the new location!"
Peter Weißler, Chairman of the Management Board of the Kaiserslautern-Pirmasens Employment Agency: "With the opening of the Amazon fulfillment center in Kaiserslautern, the upswing in mail order with warehouse logistics in the western Palatinate continues. The industry opens up career prospects for many people, including chances and development opportunities for the unskilled. With the settlement of Amazon, the positive development on the regional labor market will continue."
Edith Zeiter works in the Amazon fulfillment center in Frankenthal: "I have been working at Amazon in Frankenthal since the start of operations in 2018 and have not regretted it. As a slightly older employee, it is not so easy to get a job. But at Amazon, this has never been an obstacle. Today, I work as an instructor and train new employees, which gives me a great pleasure."
Amazon employees in logistics receive a very competitive wage package. In Kaiserslautern, the converted entry base wage will be 12.22 Euros gross per hour. After 12 and 24 months at Amazon, the wage increases automatically. After 24 months, employees earn an average of around 2,750 Euros gross per month. This includes restricted stock units and other extras. Amazon employees also benefit from other additional benefits such as special remuneration for overtime, life and disability insurance, contributions to the company pension scheme and the "Career Choice" program, in which up to 95 percent of the course fees and literature costs for recognized further training courses are covered up to a maximum of 8,000 euros per employee. Specialists and executives earn correspondingly more.
Amazon has created over 28,000 permanent jobs in Germany, over 20,000 of them in logistics alone. In addition to these direct jobs, tens of thousands of indirect jobs have been created in Germany. Amazon works with numerous transport partner companies and many German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that use Amazon's technology, services or logistics network to grow their business by selling their products on Amazon. Amazon offers small and medium-sized German companies that sell on Amazon the opportunity to reach millions of customers across Europe more easily than ever before.
Amazon prioritizes health and safety and employs health and occupational safety experts at all German fulfillment centers. The company has invested millions of Euros to provide a safe workplace, including comprehensive COVID-19 measures. Therefore, elaborate concepts, which have been endorsed by health authorities and governmental officials throughout Germany, will come into place in Kaiserslautern from day one. These concepts include adapted cleaning and disinfection intervals, mask requirements, distancing requirements, regular testing and vaccination offers.
As a company, Amazon is committed to a sustainable future and is working on several projects to protect the environment. As co-founder of the Climate Pledge Amazon has made a strong commitment to reach the objectives set in the Paris Agreement by 2040 – 10 years earlier than the Paris Agreement's target of 2050. This commitment to eliminate carbon emissions includes among other things an order for 100,000 fully electric delivery vehicles from Rivian – the largest order for electric delivery vehicles ever –, an investment of 100 million dollars in reforestation and an increased usage of sustainable energy.
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You are here: Home > Featured > I may have 'horsed around' in Nazi camp in my youth, Bulgarian deputy PM says
I may have 'horsed around' in Nazi camp in my youth, Bulgarian deputy PM says
(JTA) – Bulgaria's deputy prime minister said jokingly that he may have behaved inappropriately when visiting a former Nazi concentration camp.
Valeri Simeonov, also vice-president of the United Patriots, a nationalist coalition of political parties, told the Sega newspaper on Tuesday that he and some his friends may have taken spoof pictures of themselves in Buchenwald during the 1970s.
Simeonov, 62, was downplaying an incident from earlier this week that forced a member of his party, Pavel Tenev, to resign from the post of deputy minister. Tenev had been photographed performing a Nazi salute at a Paris museum while standing next to mannequins dressed in Nazi uniforms.
Dismissing Tenev's actions as harmless buffoonery, Simeonov recalled traveling with his friends in the 1970s to Buchenwald, where the Nazis killed more than 43,000 people, including dissidents, Soviet prisoners of war and many Jews – before nearly all the Jewish inmates were transferred to the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.
The newspaper quoted Simeonov recalling how he himself had "horsed around" on the Buchenwald trip as a student.
"Who knows what gag photos we made there," Simeonov told Sega.
In a statement Friday, Alexander Oscar, president of the Shalom Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria, condemned Simeonov's flippancy.
"We are witnessing an ugly manifestation of disrespect toward the millions murdered in the concentration camps during World War II," Oscar said. "Such behavior demonstrates a lack of political culture and sensitivity vis-à-vis the greatest tragedy in human history. When we talk about the Holocaust, joking is inappropriate."


CNN: The Taliban Control Minerals the World "Desperately" Needs to Survive Climate Change
If the US wanted to control these minerals, maybe they should have opened up trade deals with the Taliban instead of invading their country and trying to force them to do man-on-man anal and be ruled by women?
CNN:
The swift fall of Afghanistan to Taliban fighters has triggered a humanitarian crisis, with thousands trying to flee the country. It's also brought renewed focus on Afghanistan's vast untapped mineral wealth, resources that could transform its economic prospects if ever developed.
Afghanistan is one of the poorest nations in the world. But in 2010, US military officials and geologists revealed that the country, which lies at the crossroads of Central and South Asia, was sitting on mineral deposits worth nearly $1 trillion.
Supplies of minerals such as iron, copper and gold are scattered across provinces. There are also rare earth minerals and, perhaps most importantly, what could be one of the world's biggest deposits of lithium — an essential but scarce component in rechargeable batteries and other technologies vital to tackling the climate crisis.
"Afghanistan is certainly one of the regions richest in traditional precious metals, but also the metals [needed] for the emerging economy of the 21st century," said Rod Schoonover, a scientist and security expert who founded the Ecological Futures Group.
Security challenges, a lack of infrastructure and severe droughts have prevented the extraction of most valuable minerals in the past. That's unlikely to change soon under Taliban control. Still, there's interest from countries including China, Pakistan and India, which may try to engage despite the chaos.
"It's a big question mark," Schoonover said.
Oh, no, not China!
Now the fate of the planet is in the hands of people who don't care about climate change!
Demand for metals like lithium and cobalt, as well as rare earth elements such as neodymium, is soaring as countries try to switch to electric cars and other clean technologies to slash carbon emissions.
The International Energy Agency said in May that global supplies of lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements needed to increase sharply or the world would fail in its attempt to tackle the climate crisis. Three countries — China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Australia — currently account for 75% of the global output of lithium, cobalt and rare earths.
The average electric car requires six times more minerals than a conventional car, according to the IEA. Lithium, nickel and cobalt are crucial to batteries. Electricity networks also require huge amounts of copper and aluminum, while rare earth elements are used in the magnets needed to make wind turbines work.
The US government has reportedly estimated that lithium deposits in Afghanistan could rival those in Bolivia, home to the world's largest known reserves.
The Taliban was open for business in 2001 when the Jews sent the US military to invade their country.
They're now open for business again, and will allow the Chinese to come in and mine these minerals.
The Chinese will smile, shake hands, and hand over bags of cash in exchange for mineral rights. They will not start trying to force men to do anal rimjobs on each other, nor will they attempt to topple the patriarchy and put women in charge of everything.
Trade as a means to global power is so obvious, and such basic common sense, that only a country completely controlled by Jews could throw away a massive trading advantage in favor of using military force to compel cultural transformation.
The US could very easily have rolled into every country on earth and said "hey, you guys do your thing – we're just here to make deals!"
Sure, communistic nationalization of resources America had already paid for is a potential threat to that order, but it's not nearly as big of a threat as it has been made out to be, and it is easily avoided by just making deals that are more fair. In actual reality, most of the cases of countries nationalizing American-owned oil fields were the result of the US military and intelligence apparatus meddling in national affairs.
There's a Wikipedia page on the nationalization of oil fields by third world countries. You can check what was happening in every case.
Regardless of the specifics, nothing makes less sense than spending over 2 trillion dollars to try to turn an Islamic country into an anal matriarchy and getting literally zero in return.
how dare the Taliban squat like a greedy dragon on all of that lithium that rightly belongs to all of us 🙁 i bet they planned climate change all along to drive up demand 🙁
— 10,000 Motivated Rats (@bombsfall) August 19, 2021
???? #BREAKING China's MFA recognizes Taliban gov't = "respects the choice of the Afghan people"
➡Afghanistan sits on $1 Trillion in minerals
➡???? Taliban need the cash & China needs the minerals#iron #copper #cobalt #lithium #gold #rareearths ? pic.twitter.com/EMZMt7xPpD
— Prof. Michael Tanchum (@michaeltanchum) August 16, 2021
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