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Fueling Fires
1 Comment January 26, 2020 Steve Wiggins
Paying attention to world affairs can take all your time. In fact, for those who study foreign affairs, it practically does. I've been struggling with the fact that you can't be lazy in a democracy. I know that's true—we must constantly be vigilant of governments turning evil (with a wink)—and yet we each have our own lives to look after. Trying to balance this teeter-totter, I noticed a Washington Post story lately about library officials in China burning books. Said books challenge government ideology and are being destroyed. We've seen this before. Nazis burned books, and Republicans would certainly like to. Even further back in history Medieval thinking led to the destruction of what would now likely be invaluable tomes. There is biblical precedent, of course. Read Acts 19 if you need a refresher.
Book burners now do their deed for its symbolic value. We live in an age of Kindles and Nooks and books online. Not as many are printed as there used to be, but the smell of burning plastic doesn't convey the same pathos. Besides, you can just whip out your synced phone and continue reading. Those of us who've committed our lives to reading find this symbolic gesture heinous. Yes, there are books that offend us. I've read more than one that I wish I hadn't. I have, however, no inkling to burn them. Books represent our attempts to increase knowledge. Fiction or non matters not. Those who write have something to say, and surveys reveal that many adults really would like to write a book. As a symbol, there's nothing like it. I suspect that's why burning them makes such an impact.
The western world is struggling to understand China. One of the largest investors in both Africa and South America, China is building foreign relations just as the Trump administration is jettisoning them. Many well-informed Americans don't realize just how long and how well China has been making connections through financial investment. Sounds like a very capitalist thing to do. That librarians should burn books seems an odd form of theater in such a scenario. Governments that can't take criticism are autocracies. I know few donkeys that would state any one of their party is really a saint. That's GOP territory. At least we haven't started book burnings on the White House lawn. As we turn our gaze to the east, or, depending on your perspective, to the west, we do have to wonder just how long it will be before we do.
Rich Rule
Leave a comment October 2, 2018 Steve Wiggins
The perils of plutocracy should be obvious, but clearly they're not. This is somewhat ironic among its biblical fan base, which seems to be where the GOP draws its energy. As the truth about Brett Kavanaugh becomes public knowledge, his religious supporters dig in their heels and blame the victims. As one of the many who grew up far from privilege I found Shamus Khan's analysis in the Washington Post eye-opening. Khan makes the case that those who grow up in rich families and attend the "best schools" are endowed with the constantly reinforced message that the rules do not apply to them. They can get away with things that others cannot and, in general, they are let off the hook for things that lead to imprisonment for other citizens. What's surprising is the Bible-thumpers applaud this.
It also explains more than Kavanaugh. Trump is also a child of privilege and his entire term in office so far has been one of personal exceptionalism. Many actual presidents were impeached or censured for acts far less offensive than those 45 commits. The wealthy, however, are not held accountable. Where is the Bible when we need it? The Good Book is no friend to those who enjoy great riches. In fact, one of the most constant refrains of Scripture is that against the privileged. With great wealth comes great responsibility—the obligation to help those less fortunate. The idea of getting away with what you can is hardly evangelical.
If the literalists can overlook the misuse of wealth, it is still more surprising that they can pardon lying. Since the rules do not apply to the privileged, their own narrative bears the conviction of righteousness. They can't have made a mistake since their money proves them right. Morality can be counted in dollars and cents. It is for those of the underclasses to come up with high-minded ideals and hold themselves to them. Wealth is its own justification. Back in the days when America was young, the French lost patience with governance by the elites. But then, the Fundamentalist class didn't have much of a voice then. It was the Age of Reason. An Age out of which we've apparently grown. Fake news, alternative facts, heavy-drinking frat boy justices, and women-groping presidents. Can we not see the parallels with the other great plutocracy of the Roman Empire? Ironically, it survives today only in the form of the church it sanctioned.
Truth under Fire
3 Comments August 21, 2018 Steve Wiggins
As Evangelicals continue their unflinching support for Trump, Rudy Giuliani has at last said something that rings true with these "Christians." According to a Washington Post story 45's lawyer declared, "Truth isn't truth." This was regarding the Russia probe, something that would've led to the ouster of any real president by now. We're all used to Trump's constant state of obfuscation after all these long months, and the former mayor of New York has just come clean—truth is what we want it to be, no more, no less. It is a meaningless word, a chimera. If the son of god in the White House has broken the law (and he has) then the truth is there's no law to be broken. Democracy is just a made-up word in the hands of the Republican Party.
Now, I don't have much truck with politicians. Leopards, according to a certain book, can't change their spots. Nevertheless, Evangelicals should object to Giuliani's direct assault on their sacred text. The Good Book, you see, is all about "the truth." But the truth isn't the truth. When it claims that Jesus died to atone for your sins, that can't be the truth because the truth isn't. The only truth is what Trump personally wants. And the GOP won't lift a finger to stop him. Long ago it was clear that the party of Lincoln had abandoned the will of the people they're elected to lead, but if there were truth we'd see the deep, stinking muck of corruption everywhere within its doors. At least you'd expect the neat and clean Christians to object.
A certain man about two millennia ago said, according to the Book, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." But Rudy says "Truth isn't truth." The Beatles said they were more popular than Jesus and the public revolted. Rudy says Trump has more authority than Jesus and the Evangelicals cheer. The capacity for untruth has always been part of politics. Most politicians know to lie discreetly, when fact-checking will reveal some ambiguity. Now the gospel-truth is whatever comes from the unholy mouth of Trump. There is no truth. There are alternative facts. There's fake news. Surely the Prince of Peace wouldn't have cancelled a military parade. Meanwhile someone once said "the truth will set you free." The great Giuliani has informed us, however, that there is no truth. And if truth isn't truth, there's no hope of freedom. At least according to a guy named Jesus, whoever he may be.
Horse Senses
If a horse can be made a senator, surely an ass can be made a president. History can be unkind to those who think too highly of themselves. It's a horse of a different color than Incitatus that's on my mind today. This past week I read a news story in the Washington Post about Justice (there may be some double-meanings here, so hold onto your horses). Justice used to be called Shadow, and Shadow was an abused horse. Justice is now suing his former owner. The story explores the question of whether animals can sue. As a vegan for moral reasons I can see the point, but I also have to wonder how you defend those who have no voice to be heard, kinda like the electorate in the sham of a democracy. How do we know what a horse really wants?
If horses could draw or sculpt, Xenophanes quipped, their gods would look like horses. Asses, it stands to reason, worship one of their own. Animals should have rights, but the difficult question falls onto our species—how do we know what they want? Anyone whose spent time with animals knows that they think. I can see a cat in a neighbor's yard from my window. Separated by a flimsy-looking hurricane fence is the next yard over where two large dogs often prowl. If the cat and dogs happen to be out at the same time, there will be barking and braying but the cat will not appear to show concern. The way my heart hammers at those barks, however, I have to suppose my feline friend also feels a bit of fear at the threat. The cat must decide how to act, but it also must know that a barely visible fence keeps the canines at bay.
What does Justice want? It's a loaded question, for sure. As much as we wish there might be, there is no Lorax to speak for the trees. Or horses. Nevertheless it's obvious that horses think. Perhaps like Job, Justice wondered why he was being punished after being a good horse. The church magnanimously grants that animals cannot sin, after all. One must wonder, however, about breeds developed by human engineering to be destructive, but that's another parable. While Justice might be given a day in court, and might win a cozy stall and protection from the elements, those of use bound by language will never know if justice has been served. The limitation is our own. Just ask Balaam.
Shepherding Lies
2 Comments August 2, 2018 Steve Wiggins
They're going to look pretty ridiculous when this is all over. Like sheep without a shepherd. Evangelicals, I mean. The fact is they've jettisoned everything they stood for to support a pseudo-president constitutionally incapable of telling the truth and now they must be wondering about what they've lost along the way. Stories in "liberal" sources such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Atlantic have raised the question repeatedly—why don't Evangelicals hold Trump to the same standard they hold all other people? His backing and filling have been obvious to anyone capable of thought, and yet the bestselling books in America for the past two weeks have been tomes about how the liberals are lying. What's an Evangelical to do when truth has lost its meaning?
While I was still an Evangelical, in college, we debated endlessly how to get at Truth with a capital "T." No matter how you sliced it, diced it, or even julienned it, Truth had to come from the Bible somehow. Two things the Good Book was against unequivocally were lying and adultery. Who'd have thought Southern Baptists would be standing in line to change divine law, by their own definition? And for what purpose? To support a man who clearly doesn't share their values, and shows it daily. These former Communist-haters now cozy up to Russia with a familiarity that suggests Trump isn't the only one sleeping around. As a former Evangelical, I have to wonder whatever happened to the concept of the double standard. This was never considered right or fair or biblical. Now it's all three.
Just this past week the Washington Post ran a story about an Evangelical pastor preaching a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments. Somehow they've made their way from courthouse lawns into churches, it seems. The week he reached adultery, he didn't know what to say to his Trump-supporting flock. He himself supports a leader whose told an average of hundreds of lies per day since January of last year. Among them allegations that he didn't commit adultery. Or pay to have it covered up. Or know that his lawyer had paid to cover it up. But when said lawyer realizes that the shepherd doesn't care about sheep—can't even find one in a paddock—he suddenly remembers that there is Truth with a capital "T." But Evangelicals don't have to listen to anyone named Cohen. After all, they have wool in their ears. Just don't read what the Good Book says about hearing what you want to hear. What've they lost? Not just their shepherd, but their very souls.
Not Final Words
3 Comments July 16, 2018 Steve Wiggins
When death's not the final word, it's hard to argue. This is such a basic level of disagreement between religions and culture that it may be impossible to avoid conflict. Not that I condone it, but a couple in Oregon, members of the Followers of Christ Church, let their newborn die rather than seek medical attention, according to a Washington Post article. I have to admit that the Followers of Christ is a sect of which I'd never heard—there are thousands of such groups—but I'm guessing that at the base of their refusal to seek help was a deeply held belief in the afterlife. Almost impossible to comprehend unless you've accepted it profoundly yourself, this single teaching is a game changer. The child who dies, although tragic from our perspective, has not, in the eyes of a religion transcending death, lost anything.
It's sometimes difficult for us to to realize just how radical a teaching Christianity was in its early days. The myth of the martyrs may well have been overblown, but the fact is here was a sect that didn't fear death like the vast majority of people do. Resurrection is a powerful concept. Those who truly believe in it have nothing to fear. Modern-day sects that take this seriously may respond quite differently to crises than "normal" religions. In a situation Niebuhr would've recognized, this "Christ against culture" outlook is never easily resolved. True believers will accept punishment on the part of secular authorities as a form of martyrdom. The fear of death on the part of the vast majority of people outweighs, I suspect, professed belief in the afterlife.
Place the current political climate into the mix and the colors will become even more vivid. Extremism is the flavor of the day. Mainstream Christianity, for all of its problems, has sought a balance between accepting the benefits of medical science—the social acknowledgment that taking an infant's life is inherently unfair and unjust—and an official belief in an afterlife. It allows for a fairly comfortable existence of accepting belief without becoming the radical threat to a materialistic society that more extreme sects represent. In a nation where no controls exist because of the power of office favors those who believe in nothing so much as themselves, and even the rhetoric of right to life becomes meaningless. Sects and violence, to go back to my roots, sleep peacefully side by side. And when awakened, the right to be conceived can't be extended to life beyond the womb for those who believe death's not the final word.
Losing Ahab's Head
Leave a comment June 24, 2018 Steve Wiggins
Call me Ishmael. There was a time when I heard about archaeological discoveries impacting the Bible soon after they were made. Now I have to wait until they appear in the paper, just like everybody else. When I saw a story asking if a recently found statue head might be that of Jezebel's husband a number of things occurred to me. First of all, how cool is it that a king is referred to as the husband of a more famous wife? Well, I suppose Jezebel is infamous, but as the Washington Post article I read indicated, some biblical scholars are inclined to view her more sympathetically as a strong woman in a patriarchal morass. Seems like something we should be able to understand these days.
Another issue is that underlying bugbear of wanting to prove the Bible true. There is little doubt that Jezebel's husband, a king by the name of Ahab, existed. Quite apart from the Bible he is historically attested—one of the earliest biblical characters to have received outside verification. If he actually struggled with a prophet named Elijah or not, we can't know. In any case, the non-talking head of the statue looks like just any other pre-Roman guy with a crown. The article wistfully wishes the rest of the statue could be found, but one thing that we know from ancient iconography is that ancient figures, be they gods or heroes, are seldom inscribed. As I long ago argued about Asherah, without definitive iconic symbols to identify them, ancient images must remain ambiguous.
What would iconically identify good old Ahab? Certainly not a white whale—it's far too early for that. He was represented in the book of Kings as the worst monarch Israel ever had. Politically, however, he seems to have been somewhat successful. Would he have been represented with the grapes of Naboth's vineyard? Or, like a saint, holding the arrow that eventually slew him in his chariot? Ahab is a mystery to us. Unlike Melville's version, he's a man eclipsed by those in his life, notably the prophet Elijah and his wife Jezebel. Although the latter's been baptized into the acceptable form Isabel, her name is synonymous with being a woman who knows what she wants. In the biblical world her main crime was being born into a family who worshipped Baal. The difference between her day and ours is that if a Republican president declared himself a Baal worshipper, evangelicals would cheer and joyfully follow along. Rachel, after all, cannot stop mourning her lost children.
The Republican National Convention?
Evangelical Angst
4 Comments June 12, 2018 Steve Wiggins
Unless you know what it's like to face life with no real prospects beyond making it to Heaven when you die, you can't understand evangelical angst. That last phrase might seem odd to you. Aren't evangelicals uber-smiley, happy people angry over the way society's going? Yes and no. Many of them were raised (or converted into) a faith that holds out no hope for this world and that constantly reinforces the idea that what we like is bad. Having grown up in that world, I knew what it was like to be hoodwinked by an evangelist. I can't remember the guy's name, but he was famous. He came to my small town and packed a local Methodist Church. During his rambling, long sermon, he had us afraid for Hell burning under our feet. Grateful that we'd just managed to avoid it, he announced there would be three collections that night: the first was your normal tithe. The second time the plates came around you were to empty your pockets and purses of all change. The third time, you were to contribute to his private jet. If you gave over a thousand dollars your name would be inscribed on a plaque inside.
Almost as if nothing has changed in the decades since then, a Washington Post story expresses amazement that evangelist Jesse Duplantis is asking his followers for a fourth private jet. Uncomprehending, the world doesn't show much curiosity as to why otherwise intelligent people would give to what is so obviously a scam. Or why such people would vote for Trump. The academic world doesn't understand evangelical angst. As I sat in that audience that night, a poor kid from a poverty-level family, I fervently wished I had more money to give. Until he asked for his plane. My young doubts crept in, for I had more angst than most other evangelicals I knew. Was this really the Gospel?
Later I saw him on television. His personal mansion had literal streets of gold. Jesus, he said, wanted us to get ready for Heaven right here on earth. Did this turn his followers against him? Decidedly not. In fact, he may have believed it himself. You see, neuroscientists have learned that our brains have the evolved capacity to hold and dismiss reason simultaneously, for strong emotional stimuli. Sex, for example, or music. Or religion. These can motivate people beyond the realm of logic, and they often do. Evangelical angst says you're not buying a scam artist a jet to spread the Gospel, it says your trying to avoid Hell. Rational or not. And that, it seems to me, is more than adequate ground for evangelical angst.
Doubting Normal
1 Comment June 11, 2018 Steve Wiggins
The problem with being mainstream is that you have a hard time impressing anybody. "Mainstream church does something normal" is hardly an eye-catching headline. So when mainstream Christianity's in the media it must be abnormal. According to a recent Washington Post story, mainstream leaders are protesting Christianity leaving Jesus behind. To be fair, that's an Evangelical speciality, but still. Without naming the elephant named Trump in the room, these mainstream leaders are doing what every Christian in the nation should be doing, which is objecting to the abuse of their brand. The Religious Right has been driving this car and from all indications RR is drunk. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once the darling of Evangelicals, once wrote that it is a Christian's duty to wrench the wheel from the hands of fascists. Now they call shotgun and select the tunes.
I could be getting this wrong. As the child of an alcoholic, I don't know what's normal. My wife must tire of hearing the question from me, "Is this normal?" I just don't know. One thing I do know is that being unable to know what to expect has prepared me well for Trump's destruction of America. I can't tell if it's normal or not, so good thing we have the two-faced Evangelicals to tell us it is. Those who watch religion might say it's odd to have mainstream Christians on the moral high ground over their more self-righteous kin, but these seem to be strange times. Religion, like anything that can be used, can also be abused.
Even our Orthodox siblings know the score. The Orthodox Church basically went underground in Russia, which is, after all, a Christian nation. Stalin, at least, was honest. He couldn't stand that mamby-pamby opiate of the masses. He had the fortitude to call himself an atheist. 45, on the other hand, calls himself whatever it takes to make himself look good. What? Christians are fashionable this season? Okay, I'm one of those. Even people who should know better (just because your daddy was an Evangelist doesn't make you holy—too many Evangelists were caught with prostitutes to make that claim) have delighted to invite a lion into the sheepfold. I don't know about you, but I'd be edging toward the fence just about now. Something doesn't smell right in here. But then again, don't take my word for it. The situation looks normal to me.
Ask an Evangelical
1 Comment May 21, 2018 Steve Wiggins
News stories this year have plowed up a frequently repeated question: what's an Evangelical? This was the subtext to a Washington Post story that declared "Half of evangelicals support Israel because they believe it is important for fulfilling end-times prophecy," as if it's news. The media's a little shy, I get it. Those of us who grew up Evangelical could have told them that at least 40 years ago. As a child I knew that Israel had to be fully restored for Jesus to return. Politics, we thought, were holding God hostage. You see, if the Bible says something, and it's infallible, then even the Almighty has to obey it. And some parts seem to indicate that Israel has to be restored—interpreted a certain way—before Jesus gets his invitation back.
This Evangelical support isn't because they love the Jews. No, no. Let's not get personal about this. It's because the second coming isn't coming until the pieces are laid out in order. The Bible's like a crystal ball, only it's holy. It can predict the future with great precision. You can be sure someone like Trump is in there someplace, maybe in the passage where an ass speaks. In the 1970s it was Nixon. The wonderful thing about prophecy is that it's made with interchangeable parts. As Millenniarians know, if you get your year wrong never apologize. Simply recalculate and keep preaching as if nothing happened. The Almighty is a forgiving God. At least to those He likes.
Intellectuals seem to think Evangelicalism is contagious. Well, to be fair, historically it has been. That was the whole point of camp meetings. Most Evangelicals aren't too shy to tell you what they believe. In fact, their reading of the Bible sort of insists that they do. If you're too bashful, many of those in the academy (or even formerly so) started out in their ranks. Rare is the biblical scholar who decided on that field of study purely based on intellectual curiosity. There was likely a method to their madness. Yes, of course Evangelicals support any politician who moves the embassy to Jerusalem. Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. The divine heels have been dragging for a couple of millennia now, so it's time to get this show on the road. All you have to do is ask an Evangelical. They're not hard to find; in fact, they seem to be everywhere these days.
Latter-Day Scouts
Leave a comment May 17, 2018 Steve Wiggins
Physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. And prepared. That's what Boy Scouts are supposed to be. My attempts to become an Eagle Scout were about like my attempts to become a priest—fraught with peril from the beginning. As a child I wasn't physically strong, for one thing. The runt of the litter, I was scrawny and often sick. Mentally awake remains a reasonable goal, as does morally straight. Such are the realities of life. Then why are the Mormons parting ways with the Scouts? In a recent Washington Post story by Samantha Schmidt, the Latter-Day Saints are formally separating from the organization now known as Scouts. Whether it's because they now allow girls to join, or if it's because they've openly permitted gays, the Scouts are no doubt becoming accommodationistic in the eyes of some. In a pluralistic world it's the only way to survive.
Girl Scouts, on the other hand, have historically not raised the question of sexual orientation. When the social dynamics of a society disadvantage girls, it's natural that an organization to help build confidence and positive self-attitudes should exclude boys. They have no official affiliation with any religious group. I didn't realize until reading this article that Mormon boys were automatically part of the group formerly known as Boy Scouts. It fits the image, though. If you've ever been on a Boy Scout retreat, however, you know that image and reality aren't the same thing. I dropped out of Troop 3 after frequent leadership changes frustrated me from getting beyond Tenderfoot. Besides, church was taking over more and more of my life at the time. I guess I was headed for morally straight. Our troop, after all, met in a church basement.
This is about symbolism, of course. To be a Boy Scout meant you were making an effort to be good. In fact, it was kind of hard to grow up thinking you could be good without that guidance. Boy Scouts, they used to say, helped the elderly across the street. Apparently what they do behind closed bedroom doors raises the specter of morality. When I was a kid the issue seemed to be more the mentally awake aspect. The Scouts I knew were like everybody else. There was no special purity there. I never knew anyone who made it all the way to Eagle. The Boy Scout law was like a twelve-step program: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. I wasn't a Mormon, but the church had proved itself a rival. Especially for the reverent part.
Lazing Around
Leave a comment May 6, 2018 Steve Wiggins
I was a science nerd as a kid. Well, at least I had a real soft spot for charismatic megafauna, but who doesn't? We had those cheap, plastic figurines of dinosaurs that we incongruously mixed with our mammoths and cavemen—wait, no. We weren't allowed cavemen because people didn't evolve. Nevertheless, we didn't see any problem putting glyptotherium in combat with t-rex. Pleistocene or Triassic didn't matter—they weren't here now. Extinction is the great equalizer. One of the figurines that always intrigued me was the giant ground sloth. I mean, here was a creature bigger than it needed to be. Not hurting anybody, it just wanted to eat leaves and laze around. A lifestyle that sounds attractive to this day.
Photo credit: Postdlf, from Wikimedia Commons
Human beings, in a process that is still continuing, wiped out animals bigger than themselves. The story is poignantly told in footprints discovered in White Sands National Monument. A Washington Post piece by Ben Guarino tells how paleontologists discovered a human footprint embedded in that of a giant sloth. Reading the story I couldn't help but wonder if this was the very last one in existence. What if we'd uncovered the story of extinction in real time? Sloths, apart from being named after a mortal sin, never harmed anybody unprovoked. Simple vegetarians—principally vegans, apart from the occasional accidental bug, actually—they were the ultimate victims of human greed. It is virtually certain that we drove them extinct just like we did the dodo and the fiscally conservative Republican. Not exactly fast food, sloths couldn't really outrun us, and like good Trumpists, we took advantage of their weakness to our own gain.
Or loss. There are no giant sloths left. We'll never thrill to the sight of a living eucladoceros, or wonder at chalicotheres roaming the savanna. We'll never run for our lives from an African bear otter (the mind reels). Our world becomes poorer for our presence, it seems. We moved from huddling in fear in our caves out to take on the beasts with our technology. Once we cottoned onto the concept, we refined it until we could drop an elephant with the single pull of a trigger. Our destruction of megafauna continues at an alarming and accelerating rate. Evolution does have quite an imagination, after all. Like human beings, it can take sins and make them larger than life. And "thou shalt not kill," we say, applies only to our species.
Leave a comment April 25, 2018 Steve Wiggins
While in seminary I had the interesting job of teaching a visually impaired student Greek. This wasn't an arbitrary choice on the part of my professors since, as an undergraduate I had exhausted the Greek curriculum at Grove City College and my fourth year the professor suggested I teach the course to the second years. This was, however, strictly koiné—I've always been from the lower class echelons. Trying to figure out how to explain a dead language to a student who couldn't see required some creativity. At that point in my life ministry loomed as a career and it was still fairly easy to learn new languages. I was studying Hebrew at the time with the inimitable William Holladay at Andover Newton Theological Seminary, both of which are now gone.
I recently ran across a story in the Washington Post that utilized an unfamiliar word based on Greek: kakistocracy. It seems that the present administration has officials scrambling for new words to describe the depths to which our government is willing to sink. There's an old saying: "the Greeks have a word for it"—I suspect the ancients would be shocked to see this particular word emerging again after centuries of progress. The translation of kakistocracy is quite logical for those with some Hellenistic training; it means "rule by the worst." The sad thing is that democracy has come to this. Anyone with a fragment of a brain stem could see that 45 didn't win the election in any sense but an electoral college one—giving us a new direction to sling the related word "kaka" around. It was the fact that those privileged to vote simply didn't get around to it. As it was, the "incumbent" lost by three million votes. Nobody, however, is willing to do anything about it. It's kaka.
If the swamp has been drained, it's been to become a cesspool. With complete disregard for decency, decorum, and democracy, the directives issuing from the potty mouth on Pennsylvania Avenue demonstrate just how diabolical government can become. The sad thing is, the Greeks already had a word for it. One thing we know about our species is that we like to repeat our worst moments over and over again. Even worse, we seem to be proud of it. So as the kakistocracy grows to include porn stars, genital grabbing, and treasonous relations with foreign nations, the world looks in wonder and concludes people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had gotten it wrong after all. At least the student I was tutoring, although she couldn't see, wanted to learn to read. And that made all the difference.
Heavenly Questions
A lot can happen when you're in a coma. Or nothing at all. I haven't read Kevin and Alex Malarkey's account of the latter's trip to Heaven during a coma, and it looks like I never shall. A story by Kyle Swenson in The Washington Post explains how Alex Malarkey, now that he is no longer a minor, is suing Tyndale House over the publication of his Near Death Experience (NDE), penned by his father. The story, according to the Post, was a fabrication. Alex awoke from his coma recalling nothing, but Kevin knew a good thing when he saw it and wrote an account of the young boy going to Heaven. Alex says it never happened. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is now being pulled and pulped as a hoax.
NDEs are real (even if one didn't happen in this case), but what they actually are is a matter of debate. The mainstream interpretation is that they are the last gasps of consciousness before a brain dies, temporarily. These often comforting thoughts can be quite similar in very different contexts and sometimes include the formerly deceased knowing details that they couldn't possibly have witnessed in real life. Scientists willing to buck convention explore these episodes less with the intention of proving Heaven is true than with probing the idea that souls are real. That consciousness somehow continues. That life may, after all, be eternal. Since there are no scientific apparatus in the afterlife, there's no way to measure or quantify such events. This leads most scientists to conclude that these are merely dying thoughts, or, as in the Malarkey case, hoaxes.
Ever since Raymond Moody's Life after Life, confessional publishers—particularly of the evangelical brand—have promoted such stories. Religion and science, while not necessarily the cats and dogs they're presented as being, don't often coalesce around a common nucleus. Part of the problem is that spiritual events are beyond the reach of the scientific method since no laboratory conditions exist to test them. A number of scientists and medical doctors attest the reality of NDEs, but these occur in human consciousness—a realm of which we know little. Religious publishers know a good story when they see one since the doubts cast by science have to be regularly dispelled. The problem is the money such stories attracts also allures those seeking the fiduciary comforts of this material world. In this case, it seems, if you didn't have the experience yourself you could capitalize on someone who did. Or didn't. Those eager for proof are always willing to buy and sell the story.
1 Comment April 10, 2018 Steve Wiggins
Maybe I watch too many zombie movies, but the story of zombie raccoons was just too good to pass up. A story by Marwa Eltagouri in the Washington Post described a spate of recent "zombie raccoon" incidents in eastern Ohio, not far from where I grew up. While the likely explanation is distemper, one of the behaviors of these raccoons stands out—they walk on two feet. Since I also enjoy the occasional non-fiction book by Linda Godfrey—who's made a name writing about anomalous animals in North America, particularly bipedal dogs, or wolves—I found this aspect of the raccoons particularly interesting. That's the thing, you see. Bipedalism suggests other human-like traits. Think great apes. Or penguins. (Although birds are generally bipedal, they tend to be squat and more horizontally inclined than vertical. The penguin not only dresses for our most formal occasions, but waddles around like many of us do after having been a bit too generous at the dinner table.) But bipedal raccoons—now that's scary.
As a species Homo sapiens seem to have a need to believe themselves unique. Over the centuries any number of traits have been claimed as unique to us. Bipedalism, the ability to speak, being relatively naked so that we have to wear clothing, being able text with our opposable thumbs—we're not like other animals. We're special. So when animals that normally go on all fours walk on two legs we instantly think they're trying to be like us. They want to have all the rights and privileges of our species so they can elect alt-right leaders and destroy everything they've built. Uppity critters! We have trouble reconciling ourselves with our animal origins.
Other animals, it seems, are beginning to note the advantages of walking on their hind legs. I've watched enough zombie movies to know that it's the intention that's the real problem. They want to be like us. Notice the accounts of bipedal animals—witnesses say there's something in their eyes. Global domination. Yes, they've been watching us and now they want the same things we want. They want to take over the world. I know enough about World War Z to know that you can't save everyone. Hard choices will have to be made. And maybe I've watched too many movies, but I've noticed the bipeds are from red states: the dog-men of Michigan and Wisconsin, the raccoon-men of Ohio. If we can't save everyone, we need to make wise choices. Why not let them have Washington, DC? They certainly can't be any worse than what we've got there right now.


text:
Q: Why does ElementFinder.find(...) no longer return a promise in Protractor 2.0? There is a breaking change in protractor 2.0:

*

*remove the then function from element(by.foo)

I'd like to know the rationale behind this change. Having ElementFinder.find return a promise is a pattern that we rely on heavily in our tests. I'm wondering if this is an anti-pattern for some reason.
I see that the commit this was changed in is here. The commit message describes what has changed, but not why it was done (other than to align itself more with Selenium webdriver, which just begs the question).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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TV Shows | Sep 27, 2013 10:00 AM EDT
'Supernatural' Season 9 Spoilers: Jensen Ackles' Dean Encounters a Chastity Counselor, Female Writer Pens 'Rock and a Hard Place' VIDEO
By Vanessa Frith
The title for Supernatural's eighth episode is out along with some interesting casting tidbits.
While the Vancouver based Supernatural team is currently hard at work on episode 7, "Heaven Can't Wait," preproduction has already begun on season 9's eighth installment.
Titled "Rock and a Hard Place," the episode has the unique distinction in that it is written by a female author, Jenny Klein. Known for having a high level of male bylines, Supernatural appears to be adding a bit of diversity this season.
Jared Padalecki Teases New and Returning Characters for Supernatural Season 9
Although Klein has been an writer's assistant for the CW drama since season 3 and has written several episodes including last year's "Torn and Frayed," producer Jim Michaels was quick to point out to his Twitter followers that Klien is not the only female writer on the payroll this year.
"We have 3 female writers on #Supernatural this season! [Jenny Klien,] Eugenie Ross-Leming & Nicole Snyder," Michaels wrote.
Shannon Lucio cast as Castiel's Love Interest in Supernatural Season 9
Directed by longtime Supernatural helmer John MacCarthy ("Remember the Titans," "As Time Goes By"), the episode will feature two new female characters, according to Spoiler TV. There is Kathy, who runs a church and may hide evil beneath her innocent looks, and a chastity counselor named Suzy.
It will be interesting to see how Dean (Jensen Ackles) reacts to Suzy and her mission.
Supernatural returns to the CW on Oct. 8, now on Tuesday nights.
Tags: supernatural
'Supernatural' Star Jared Padalecki Arrested, Might Head to Prison [DETAILS HERE]
"Supernatural" star Jared Padalecki was arrested in his go-to club in Austin, Texas early Sunday morning.
'Supernatural', 'The Flash', 'Jane The Virgin', And More: 10 Current The CW Series Renewed
The CW renewed 10 of its hit shows including 'Riverdale,' 'Supernatural,' and 'Jane the Virgin,' which may be ending after its next season. The network also expanded its lineup from five to six nights a week of content.
Scooby-Doo Crossover Puts The Mystery Gang On The Same Screen With 'Supernatural's Sam, Dean, And Castiel
The Mystery Inc. and the 'Supernatural' boys get into mischief together for the ultra-special 'ScoobyNatural' episode. From catching monsters together to a smitten Dean, this team-up will entertain fans of both franchises.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Hilarie Burton Welcome Second Child And First Daughter
Jeffrey Dean Morgan announced the birth of his second child and first daughter with wife, Hilarie Burton, on social media. 'The Walking Dead' star also asked for privacy so they focus on their newborn.
'Supernatural' Season 12 Episode 16 News, Air Date & Spoilers: A Werewolf Hunt Goes Sideways in 'Ladies Drink Free'
Titled "Ladies Drink Free," the upcoming episode will send Dean and Sam on the hunt for a werewolf with an unlikely third wheel in town.
'Supernatural' Season 12 Episode 14 To Show Dean And Sam Joining Men Of Letters? Showrunner Revealed Upcoming Episodes To Highlight Mary In Action
Some intense happenings are going to be seen on tomorrow's episode of American fantasy horror drama, "Supernatural" on its season 12. Scheduled to air its fourteenth episode of the current season, fans are going to get answers from few cliffhanger scenarios left last week.
"Supernatural" Season 12 Spoilers: Winchester Brothers Track Down Gavin; Angels To Finally Kill Child Devil's Mother? [VIDEO]
American fantasy horror drama, "Supernatural" is again on its way to air another episode for the twelfth season. Exciting revelations and events are awaiting for the fans to see as the series almost approaches the season finale.
'Supernatural' Season 12 Episode 13 Update: "Family Feud" Will Feature Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles Solving 'The Star' Mystery [VIDEO]
"Supernatural" Season 12 Episode 13 which was entitled "Family Feud' will center on Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles quest in solving 'The Star's' mystery.
'Supernatural' Season 12 Episode 12 Spoilers: Promo Hints Castiel's Possible Death, Lucifer's Return [VIDEO]
Last week's episode for American fantasy-horror drama, "Supernatural", turned out to be one of the series' best episodes. This week, it has been reported that a new set of scenarios for the twelfth episode is made to be more intense which fans can't wait to find out.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


12:47 PM - BuiltLikeGoku quoted PeterRS in post Bosch ECU software?
04:12 AM - PeterRS quoted DrIoannis in post Bosch ECU software?
07:25 PM - BuiltLikeGoku quoted PeterRS in post Bosch ECU software?
01:59 PM - DrIoannis quoted PeterRS in post Bosch ECU software?
12:37 PM - BuiltLikeGoku quoted PeterRS in post Bosch ECU software?
07:44 AM - Fbto quoted PeterRS in post Any chance to see BMW bring a factory team to World SBK ?


1953 Jaguar XK120 Roadster photographed by RemarkableCars.com at the Automobiles of Amelia Island Collector Car Auction, Amelia Island, Florida, March 13, 2010..
160 bhp, 3,442 cc inline six-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with transverse wishbones, elongated torsion bars and anti-roll bar, rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 102".
During World War II, Jaguar founder William Lyons and his engineers used the hiatus in production to design what would become the world's first high-volume twin cam engine. The engine was completed well before the Mark V series saloon for which it was intended; Lyons took advantage of the situation and designed an open two-seat sports model to showcase the new XK-series engine. It was conceived as a low production roadster to demonstrate the XK's performance and was clothed in hand-hammered aluminum body panels, with production of only 200 units planned.
The XK120's introduction at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show was a sensation, immediately overshadowing the sporting sedans that were Jaguar's bread and butter. A journalist in attendance commented, "all preconceived notions as to what was a series-production sports car disappeared overnight." William Lyons, never one to miss a commercial opportunity, recognized the XK120's potential and commissioned tooling for steel bodywork so that the car could be produced in quantity.
The XK120's body was a fresh, minimalist design with gracefully flowing curves, while the modern chassis provided excellent handling. The new car's model designation, intended to represent its top speed, proved an understatement when factory test driver Ron Sutton was clocked on a Belgian road at over 130 mph.
The O'Quinn Collection's XK120 is a lovely example, finished in the sporting combination of black with red leather interior and matching carpets. The car presents very well, and the exterior paint is very nice, generally devoid of major imperfections, save for a couple smaller dings and a few scratches on the trunk lid. The engine bay is of the same quality, presents nicely and seems to be period correct as well, with proper fittings and wiring throughout. The sporting wire wheels are shod with whitewall tires, and there's also a spare in the trunk. The odometer currently shows 62,524 miles.
With excellent performance, handling and balance, XK120s are wonderful driver's cars and an absolute joy to drive. This example is sure to offer its next enthusiast owner those same thrills, be it on a country road or leisurely weekend trip.


I offer a variety of training services and resources for basketball players and coaches of all ages and levels. My goal is to provide the latest basketball specific strength & conditioning information, concepts, and drills to help improve basketball athleticism.
My mission is to produce better basketball players; not better "weight lifters." Everything I do is geared toward the end result of improved performance on the court. In addition to making players and teams stronger, more agile, quicker, and in tremendous basketball shape, I also focus on making my players tougher, better communicators, and intense competitors.
Owner of Stronger Team, LLC and the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the basketball program DeMatha Catholic High School.


The team for The Professional: A Stevie Blatz Story is in town! We had our first screening on Friday and we have our second on Thursday.
In the meantime some great reviews have come in with more on the way.


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English governing law clauses - should commercial parties change their approach?
Issue in focus English law and the English courts have long been a popular choice for commercial parties doing business internationally. There are many reasons why this is the case. English law is widely considered to be comparatively certain, stable and predictable and the English courts have a deserved reputation for independence and expertise, for the commerciality and reliability of their decisions and for the willingness of judges to give effect to the contractual bargain struck between commercial parties. In this article we assess whether a vote in favour of Brexit, or Brexit itself, would make a choice of English law less attractive to commercial parties. In Specialist paper No 2 we consider the same question in relation to a choice of the English courts as the forum for resolving commercial disputes. One observation we would make at the outset is that the harmonisation of the rules applied by Member State courts to determine governing law in civil and commercial matters has been one of the success stories of the European project, at least where commercial parties are concerned. Member State courts (other than Denmark) now apply a uniform set of rules to determine what law they should apply to most commercial disputes. These rules provide that party autonomy is, for the most part, to be respected. As such, commercial parties can feel comfortable that a choice of English law (or any other law, including that of a non-Member State)
will be upheld by Member State courts in the vast majority of cases. This certainty, combined with the similar degree of certainty arising from the harmonisation of rules on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments (see Specialist paper No 2), enables parties to assess litigation risk and price deals more accurately when negotiating commercial transactions and reduces the risk of having to litigate under an unfamiliar or unintended law when disputes arise. Most of the reasons why parties choose English law to govern their relationships are entirely unconnected with the UK's membership of the EU and would be unaffected by any departure. Further, it is highly unlikely that Brexit would have any substantive impact on the enforceability of English governing law clauses, whether in the English courts or elsewhere. In our view, therefore, the possibility of Brexit should not lead parties to make changes to their current approach to governing law clauses. A choice of English law to govern both contractual and non-contractual obligations (ie principally torts) is a sound one and will remain so whatever the outcome of the Brexit referendum and even following Brexit itself. We discuss the reasons why below. `
Analysis Popularity (and enforceability) of a choice of English law – what is the current position? English law is currently a popular, if not the most popular, choice of law for parties to cross-border commercial contracts worldwide (see, for example, the Singapore Academy of Law's January 2016 survey of 500 lawyers working on cross-border transactions, in which English law was, by a significant margin, the most popular choice of governing law, with 48% of respondents identifying it as their preferred choice). There are many reasons for this:  English law is comparatively certain, stable and predictable and is commercially oriented, with a strong body of case law in relation to complex commercial transactions that can be relied upon by parties to assist them in assessing how particular contractual terms or concepts are likely to be interpreted and applied.  English law generally gives effect to the contractual bargain agreed between commercial parties. There is limited scope for terms to be implied or for public policy or other principles to overwrite what has been agreed.  English law is flexible – the common law system allows the law to develop and grow to deal with economic and societal changes and new and innovative deal structures.  English law is or has become familiar to many parties, even those with no connection with the UK, because it is an acceptable or even market-standard choice in a wide range of sectors and markets, so the need for parties to conduct a detailed investigation into the law at the time of contracting is reduced.  English law is a sensible choice for parties wishing to resolve their disputes in the English courts (there is no need for costly expert evidence on the law and less risk that the courts will get the law wrong) and for those wishing to arbitrate their disputes (given the wide pool of English qualified arbitrators).  A choice of English law facilitates contracting in the English language and allows parties to access a mature legal services market, with specialist lawyers available to advise on complex transactions.
The other point worth noting here is that, as indicated above, Member State courts currently apply the same set of rules to determine the governing law of both contractual and non-contractual obligations in most commercial contexts, namely the Rome I and Rome II Regulations. Both of these Regulations require Member State courts to respect party autonomy on choice of law, meaning that they uphold English governing law clauses subject only to certain limited exceptions. And importantly in this context, that requirement applies regardless of whether a party is located in the EU or whether the chosen law is the law of a Member State. What might change following Brexit? The reasons for choosing English law discussed above are for the most part unconnected with, and would be unaffected by, the question of whether the UK remains within the EU or opts to leave. Further, even in those areas where the UK's position vis-à-vis the EU could have an effect, that effect is in our view likely to be limited in practice. The principal reason for this in relation to contractual governing law is that, to date, substantive English contract law has largely been unaffected by the proliferation of EU law, at least in the context of general commercial contracts (the position is more complex in other spheres, for example in relation to consumer contracts and agency contracts). Instead, the law on almost all key contractual issues including offer, acceptance, consideration, the implication of terms, exclusion clauses, interpretation, the bases on which contracts can be avoided, breach, frustration and damages derives principally from English common law. The same is broadly true in relation to English tort law, save perhaps in relation to certain statutory torts that have a European law basis. So, whilst there is likely to be significant uncertainty as to some legal obligations that apply to commercial parties while the precise terms of a UK exit from the EU are negotiated and any necessary domestic legislation is passed (for example in relation to financial services regulation, prospectus rules and consumer protection, among many other areas), English law as it applies in relation to commercial contracts between parties conducting business internationally will largely be unaffected by that uncertainty and will therefore continue to be certain, stable, predictable, commercially oriented and familiar.
Similarly, there is no reason to think that English law will be any less flexible post-Brexit. And Brexit would not alter the efficiencies achieved by choosing English law in circumstances where the parties wish to litigate their disputes in the English courts or the ability for parties to contract in English and have access to specialist commercial lawyers. Further, although Rome I and II may no longer be applied by the English courts following Brexit, it is almost inconceivable that they would change their general approach to respecting a choice of English law post-Brexit. The English courts have long respected party autonomy over choice of law including, of course, a choice of English law to govern contractual obligations, and there is no reason why this should change. Further, the widely recognised benefits in terms of legal certainty that have stemmed from the widespread adoption of non-contractual governing law clauses post-Rome II mean that it is highly unlikely that the UK would take a different approach to upholding a choice of English non-contractual governing law following Brexit. And so far as other Member State courts are concerned, the rules in Rome I and II would be applied in essentially the same way to a choice of English law whether the UK is a Member State or not. Finally, one further consequence of Brexit in the contract sphere would be that the UK would presumably no longer be part of the continuing debate about the introduction of a pan-European sales law (whether in the online sphere or otherwise). However, this controversial debate may of course still be relevant for parties selling into the EU. What does this mean for you? In light of the above, parties to commercial contracts should be able to continue to take the same approach to negotiating governing law clauses post-Brexit as they do today. English law will remain a sensible choice for commercial parties in relation to both contractual and non-contractual obligations. Brexit should not have any significant impact either on the enforceability of a choice of English law to govern contractual or non-contractual obligations or on the substantive rights and obligations of parties that arise from such a choice. That does not mean, however, that parties who continue to choose English law to govern their contracts and related non-contractual obligations should necessarily continue to contract in precisely the same form postBrexit as they do today. Commercial contracts may refer to European legislation or use European legal concepts as a reference point (for example representations and warranties on matters such as environmental or data protection compliance, employment policy or compliance with economic sanctions). Others may refer to the territory of the European Union, for example when defining the territorial scope of a distribution agreement or non-compete clause. And there may of course be some transactions where parties would want to consider catering expressly for Brexit itself, for example by including material adverse change clauses that will trigger on Brexit (or a vote in favour of Brexit). Parties may therefore need to revisit their standard contractual documentation to check these points and update the drafting where necessary (and possible). Whether any amendment is necessary in practice will depend in part on the language used and in part on the views taken by the parties as to the likely consequences of Brexit and the terms of the post-Brexit legislative regime. This article is one of a series of specialist Allen & Overy papers on Brexit. To read these papers as they become available, please visit: www.allenovery.com/brexit.


Microsoft Bluetooth Device Driver. MaxAllen Replied on January 22, Life in the slow lane: Bluetooth New Driver Driver. WavePlus Bluetooth Device Driver.
System Requirements OS Required. Download and install original software.
But this time – all of Bluetooth services will be installed. Max Range Open Space.
As for my case, there are still few msl steps onward. The Wi-Fi 6 And I was able to solve it this way: Using only built-in features of Windows 7. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. WLink Bluetooth Device Driver. Panasonic Bluetooth Device Driver. Winbond Bluetooth Device Driver. Microsoft Bluetooth Device Driver.
Please help us maintain a helpfull driver collection. HP Bluetooth Device Driver. Nvidia launches GeForce Now 'recommended router' program So you don't 3z to muck around with the settings on your gaming router. The following files are found inside the driver download file. Installation Manager Success Stats: Bluetooth wireless hub Driver. Msi Btoes 2 0 3x Faster U1.
Smart Home by Brian Bennett Dec mxi, TI Bluetooth Device Driver. Get a 4-terabyte USB 3. Samsung Bluetooth Device Driver. Msi Btoes 2 0 3x Faster now has a special edition for these Windows versions: SmartModular Bluetooth Device Driver. Overview Reviews Related Drivers.
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After downloading and installing Msi Btoes btors 0 3x Faster, or the driver installation manager, take a few minutes to send us a report: Arima Bluetooth Device Driver. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. This option requires basic OS understanding.


Description: Burlington Car Wash Inc is a business categorized under carwashes, which is part of the larger category carwashes. Burlington Car Wash Inc is located at the address 310 Cambridge Street in Burlington, Massachusetts 01803-2050. The Owner is Philip Santullo who can be contacted at (781)272-1032.
Location & access map for "Burlington Car Wash Inc"


text:
RFID Journal Awards 2007: Best Use of RFID in a Product/Service
By Doug
Feb 23, 2013DHL has been working with one of its customers, a large pharmaceutical company, to monitor the temperature of drugs in transit. The project showed that RFID could be used to alert workers when drugs were being exposed to temperatures outside an acceptable range, so that they could intervene and prevent spoilage. Speaker: Manny Fernandez, DHL
To continue reading this article, please log in or choose a purchase option.
Option 1: Become a Premium Member.
One-year subscription, unlimited access to Premium Content: $189
Gain access to all of our premium content and receive 10% off RFID Reports and RFID Events!
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Our in-dept case-study articles show you, step by step, how early adopters assessed the business case for an application, piloted it and rolled out the technology.
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The best way to avoid pitfalls is to know what best practices early adopters have already established. Our best practices have helped hundreds of companies do just that.
Don't waste time trying to figure out how to RFID-enable a forklift, or deciding whether to use fixed or mobile readers. Our how-to articles provide practical advice and reliable answers to many implementation questions.
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All RFID Journal Premium Subscribers receive our bimonthly RFID Journal print magazine at no extra cost, and also have access to the complete online archive of magazine articles from past years.


text:
Ashley Madison Hackers Release User Data
Breaches
Tagged with Ashley Madison, customer data, cyber attack, cyber crime, data dump, investigation, OAIC
By Cameron Abbott and Melanie Long
On 19 August 2015 the group known as 'The Impact Team', who a month earlier hacked into online affair website Ashley Madison, made good on its threat and released a "data dump" of Ashley Madison users' personal information. A second and larger release of stolen data occurred 2 days later and appears to have included emails sent by Noel Biderman, Ashley Madison's founder and CEO of parent company Avid Life Media.
Following the release of the stolen data, acting Australian Information Commissioner, Timothy Pilgrim, announced the launch of an investigation into the breach which is to be conducted in liaison with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (where Avid Life Media is based). On 28 August 2015 Noel Biderman stepped down from his role as CEO of Avid Life Media.
Read the ABC news' article in relation to the first data release here.
ABC news' article relating to second data release can be found here.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's press release relating to its investigation can be found here.
Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) 2015 Threat Report
Report finds finance and HR departments the greatest cybersecurity threats to organisations


text:
Iowa nursing home fined thousands after allegedly abusing resident
James Stratton
Chief Investigative Reporter
RECORDS SHOW IT WAS INSIDE THIS CARE CENTER HERE IN LENOX THAT A RESIDENT WAS ABUSED, RESULTING IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES. RECORDS SHOW ON AUGUST 20TH, THE RESIDENT WHO HAD COGNITIVE ISSUES FROM A STROKE AND BRAIN TUMOR WAS TRYING TO LEAVE THIS FACILITY WHEN A NURSE ALLEGEDLY YANKED THAT RESIDENT THROUGH AN EXIT DOOR. SHE FELL, ACCORDING TO RECORDS STAFF, THEN TOOK THE RESIDENT'S WALKER AND FORCED HER IN A CHAIR. RECORDS SHOW SHE YELLED, QUOTE, OUT, STOP, YOU'RE HURTING ME. AND KEPT SAYING, QUOTE, I KNOW MY RIGHTS. STAFF THEN CONTINUED TO HOLD AND RESTRICT HER RECORDS SHOW TYING A BED SHET AROUND HER LEG, BUT NOT TYING IT TO THE LEG OF THE CHAIR. NURSES STEPPED OUT OF THE FACILITY TO CALL THE FACILITY'S DIRECTOR OF NURSING, BUT THAT PERSON RECORDS SHOW, WAITED TWO DAYS TO REPORT IT TO THE NURSING HOME'S ADMINISTRATOR, SAYING SHE WAS COACHED ON HOW TO REPORT IT BUT HAD BEEN A NURSE FOR 22 YEARS AND NEVER HAD AN ABUSE ALLEGATION AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. ACCORDING TO RECORDS, WHEN ASKED ABOUT IT, THE NURSE ALLEGEDLY IN QUESTION SAID THE RESIDENT WAS, QUOTE, BEATING ON STAFF AND SHE LINKED ARMS TO TURN HER AROUND. ULTIMATELY, THE STATE FINED THE FACILITY $10,000 AND THE FEDERAL FINE, ACCORDING TO THE STATE, IS $75,645. ADJUSTED FOR MORE THAN 910 GRAND, ACCORDING TO THE IOWA CAPITOL DISPATCH, KCCI IS WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE FINE WAS ADJUSTED AND DROPPED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WE REACHED OUT TO THE CARE CENTER, WHO THEN REFERRED US TO THE CORPORATE OWNER ARBORETUM HEALTH, WHO DID NOT RESPOND TO KCCI REQUEST FOR COMMENT. IN MY OFFICE FOR Y
Lenox Care Center, a nursing home in Lenox, Iowa, faces thousands of dollars in fines after a staff member allegedly "yanked" a resident and forced her to stay seated in a chair.Records show that on Aug. 20, a resident who had cognitive issues from a stroke and brain tumor was trying to leave the facility when a nurse allegedly yanked the resident through an exit door. The resident then allegedly fell, and the staff member took the resident's walker and forced her into a chair, documents allege.The resident responded, "Ow, stop, you are hurting me," according to records, and kept saying, "I know my rights." Staff then allegedly continued to hold and restrain her, tying a bed sheet around her leg, but one staff member said it was unclear if that sheet was tied to the leg of the chair.State records show nurses then let the director of nursing know about the incident, but that person waited two days to report it to the nursing home administrator. The director of nursing says she was coached on how to report abuse but had not had an allegation about it in her 22 years of nursing. When asked about the incident, records show the nurse in question said the resident was "beating on staff" and she "linked arms" to turn her around while she was trying to exit the facility.Ultimately, the state fined the facility $10,000, according to the Department of Inspection and Appeals. The federal fine is $75,645, state records from the DIA show. That fine was higher than $910,000, according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch.KCCI has reached out to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who issued the fine according to state records, but CMS says it will take a few days to respond. KCCI also reached out to the care center, which referred us to Arboreta Health, which has not yet responded
LENOX, Iowa —
Lenox Care Center, a nursing home in Lenox, Iowa, faces thousands of dollars in fines after a staff member allegedly "yanked" a resident and forced her to stay seated in a chair.
Records show that on Aug. 20, a resident who had cognitive issues from a stroke and brain tumor was trying to leave the facility when a nurse allegedly yanked the resident through an exit door. The resident then allegedly fell, and the staff member took the resident's walker and forced her into a chair, documents allege.
The resident responded, "Ow, stop, you are hurting me," according to records, and kept saying, "I know my rights." Staff then allegedly continued to hold and restrain her, tying a bed sheet around her leg, but one staff member said it was unclear if that sheet was tied to the leg of the chair.
State records show nurses then let the director of nursing know about the incident, but that person waited two days to report it to the nursing home administrator. The director of nursing says she was coached on how to report abuse but had not had an allegation about it in her 22 years of nursing.
When asked about the incident, records show the nurse in question said the resident was "beating on staff" and she "linked arms" to turn her around while she was trying to exit the facility.
Ultimately, the state fined the facility $10,000, according to the Department of Inspection and Appeals. The federal fine is $75,645, state records from the DIA show. That fine was higher than $910,000, according to the Iowa Capitol Dispatch.
KCCI has reached out to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who issued the fine according to state records, but CMS says it will take a few days to respond.
KCCI also reached out to the care center, which referred us to Arboreta Health, which has not yet responded


A#1. Simply log into your account - Click on My Account on the top right - then click on Update Your Profile.
Q #2. Who can I contact to help me with my registration?
A#2. On our home page -Click on one of the Contact links posted.


VR headset support, professional driver consulting and actual circuit courses are just some of the features being put into Project CARS' development.
Andy Tudor, Slightly Mad Studios' creative director, has posted on the PlayStation Blog an inside look about Project CARS' inception, development and special features. Tudor explains that the game has been in development since 2011, as Slightly Mad Studios previously worked on the Test Drive and Need for Speed franchises before Project CARS. Whether it's riding GT cars, a 24-hour-long race in an LM Prototype or riding on a famous track, Slightly Mad Studios is working hard at making authentic, in-game replicas for as many aspects of the game as it can. Ben Collins, Oli Webb and Nicolas Hamilton are just some of the real racers who have been consulted to give elaborate details and critiques on how the cars should be and how the game should feel. Finally, Slightly Mad has confirmed that Project CARS will be one of the first PS4 games to support the Project Morpheus VR headset.
Be ready to hit the next-gen starting line when Project CARS debuts on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this November.


The latest nightly build of Mozilla Firebird for Mac OS X now features Kevin Gerich's Pinstripe as the default theme. The skin received several enhancements in preparation for its inclusion in the standard OS X builds, including a new set of icons from Stephen Horlander. A screenshot of the new-look Pinstripe is available.
The Pinstripe theme was originally created for the Mozilla Application Suite before being ported to Firebird. The skin is designed to match the native look and feel of Mac OS X and better conform to the Aqua Human Interface Guidelines. As the theme relies on OS X's own Appearance Manager to draw some widgets and backgrounds, it is not available for Windows or Linux.
Mac OS X users can experience the new theme by downloading the latest Firebird nightly build.
Is firebird going to replace camino now?
No of course not, but it is available for Mac, so it should have a different look and feel then the windows version.
If firebird uses the native OSX wigets for L&F ... what is the point of camino then?
But Firebird doesn't use the native wigets.
the XUL widgets just ask the Appearance Manager how they should look, firebird is not using the native widgets.
#12 Re: Re: Re: Camino?
The magic of nsITheme http://www.mozilla.org/projects/xul/theme.html.
Same as Galeon and Firebird, as on Linux both are gtk2: one is just a Gecko browser and the other is full XUL. People who want a deep integration of their browser in their desktop may choose Galeon or Camino, those who prefer to benefit of a XUL browser (extensions, themes, customizability...) would choose Firebird.
Yes, I was hesitating between Galeon and Epiphany as an example. I end up thinking that Epiphany being the official web browser for Gnome, it should be compared to Safari on the mac, even if one is Gecko and the other khtml.
Galeon and Camino are for people who feel the need to have more features in their browser than the default one.
Same reason why both Firebird and K-Meleon are available for Windows.
I liked the Pinstripe theme's icons much better when it was in beta. The new Safari-like icons are IMO not only ugly but also seem to say "we copied Safari because we can't come up with anything better" which I don't think is the case. Like I said, I think the Pinstripe's beta icons were much more original and eye-pleasing. Just my .02.
But I thought the original looked like it was just a copy of IE:Mac. I know they're a little different, but these aren't EXACTLY like Safari's either. I like it, even if it is a little similar to other browsers.
You must be talking about the Pinstripe theme for Mozilla. It looks much like IE Mac. But the Firebird version had different icons. I liked those the best out of all three. They are extremely simple and obvious. IMO these are the most important aspects of a browser's GUI. I think browsers, possible more than any other application, should be extremely easy to use and the purpose of buttons and items in the GUI should be very obvious. There. Now you've got my $.04.


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It's nigh-on impossible to try and police over 300 crossings, PSNI chief tells PM
Simon Byrne said he took part in a "candid" 30-minute conversation with the Prime Minister by video call today.
by Jack Peat
Northern Ireland's chief constable has told Boris Johnson that it would be nigh-on impossible to try and police over 300 Irish border crossings with his current officer numbers.
Simon Byrne said he took part in a "candid" 30-minute conversation with the Prime Minister by video call on Thursday.
"We were face to face on a video call for over half an hour," he said.
A very open conversation
"It was a very open conversation, trying to tell him we saw that it was nigh-on impossible to try and police over 300 crossings with the amount of police officers we had.
"It was a candid conversation, he was responsive to what we said and at the end of the day, how it landed and what he thought… you're going to have to ask him."
Earlier this week it emerged that under the Prime Minister's Brexit plan, Northern Ireland would remain in the European single market for goods but leave the customs union.
Proposals suggest that most customs checks could be carried out electronically but a small number of physical checks would be required either at business premises or at points on the supply chain.
Police will not staff any form of border security
Mr Byrne told a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board that he has "made it clear" to the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) that police will not "staff any form of border security".
"We have been working closely with the Northern Ireland Office to understand our constitutional position in relation to any proposed changes to border arrangements, and I have been clear with the NIO in particular that it will not be the role of the PSNI to staff any form of border security," he said.
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He added the force is there to facilitate normality and day-to-day policing, "but not to carry out custom checks".
Pressures
The meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board approved a request by Mr Byrne for additional officers.
Board chairwoman Anne Connolly said there was no dissent among the board on the request.
"Seeing all of the pressures the PSNI is under, without Brexit, certainly with legacy, the board was more than happy to support that.
"We will be following that through with a proper business case that has to go to the Department of Justice," she said.
"That may not even be enough either depending on how Brexit goes."
Related: 'If that is the final proposal, there will be no deal' Ireland's Varadkar on Johnson's Brexit plan
Theresa May asked for resignation date as vote on her Brexit deal unlikely now
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Tory energy secretary claims France has lower energy price hikes because it scared investors
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Rise Against Announce Intimate Show at Garage, London
The Top 4 Summer Activities For the Family
Sadiq Khan: Masks will remain mandatory on London transport
Top 20 Malcolm Tucker Quotes
New EU chief lovebombs UK but warns Johnson has not allowed time for full free trade deal


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Spring Club Fair Joining a club is one of the best ways to get involved on campus. Learn about the different clubs available at the Spring Club Fair, Wednesday, April 10, 2019 in the HUB from 10:30am-1:00pm.
ASYVC Candidate Speeches Come listen to the students running for next year's office to get to know your candidates. The event will take place in the HUB on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 starting at 12:00pm. For more information: 509.574.4899 / asbvp@yvcc.edu.


text:
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Dawn of the Robot Recruiter
"A pretty mechanical toy"—Lord (Herbert) Kitchener, British Secretary of State for War, assessing the newly introduced World War I weapon, the tank
"It seems to me that the Japanese society (government) is preferring the robot-option to others, since the government is not making major reforms to increase children and immigrants" —Shinji Yamashige, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Economics & School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University in "Declining Population and Fiscal Sustainability in Japan"
THE TWO RECRUITER ROBOTS
Robots are going to make or break the recruiting industry. Not today. Not tomorrow.
But not never.
Not only has the age of the robot arrived, it arrived years ago—at least for me and viscerally, on the morning in 2002 when I opened a copy of Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper and saw a jaw-dropping, yet somehow engaging full-page full-color photo ad featuring a Canadian family of four plus dog standing in front of their modest suburban home, smiling with their gleaming helmeted and faceless creamy-white human-sized Honda Corporation robot, ASIMO, by their side.
Nah. A gimmick, a toy, a novelty, you say. Too expensive, too dumb, too clumsy, too Hollywood….too few to worry about, you think. "My job is safe; my family is safe," you wish. No human-hunting, flesh-eating, job-stealing robots in your future or in your place at work or at home, you may suppose, taking precarious comfort in the rapidly obsolescing notion that robots can perform only the "4D" jobs–the dangerous, the dirty, the dumb and the dull.
The Robot Choo-Choo That May Chew-Chew You and Your Job
But to suppose this is to suppose wrong, for they already exist, in the thousands or in the millions, depending on whether robotic toys and robo-carpet cleaners are included in the tally—and not only in labs or warehouses, but also in family homes, nursing homes, factories, restaurants, cribs, battlefields and farms. Your office and your job may eventually be no exception, if/when robots come to replace the comparatively primitive automated telephone interviewing systems that now exist, and relegate them—and maybe you—to the dustbin of technology's history.
About ten years ago—techno-eons, given the pace of technological and specifically robotics innovation, a University of Florida team created the world's first gastrobot, a train dubbed the "Chew-Chew" (that's the official name) that ran on hand-fed sugar cubes (http://www.eng.usf.edu/~wilkinso/gastrobotics/index_files/page0001.htm). That was ten years ago. Now, more sophisticated and fully autonomous "fire-and-forget" robots that are designed to extract energy recharges from life forms are being developed.
There is also the U.S. Air Force-contracted "inverse capped helix winglet" (abbreviated to "i-CHeW"—really) that lands on and feeds off power lines to recharge and resume indefinite surveillance. Then there are the more—at least initially—benign Japanese robot receptionists, robot caregivers, robot fashion models, robot housekeepers and even robot sushi waiters—all already deployed and in service in businesses, homes and restaurants.
The robots are here, and those that aren't are coming soon.
Need proof? Check these out and wake up:
ASIMO, Honda: ASIMO (pronounced "ashi mo", which suggestively means "also feet" in Japanese) can, in addition to dance, run, kick a ball, shake hands, climb and balance on one leg, recognize up to 10 faces and discriminate many sounds, including random noises (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmabKC1P51A) 100 of these are operational, at a cost of $2 million each.
Robot "Transformer": The Hollywood movie "Transformers" is history. The future is robots like OmniZero.9, standing 1.2 m tall and weighing 25 kg, which at $2 million each, can walk, transform into a car and into a wheelchair. (http://www.gametrailers.com/user-movie/omnizero-9-transforming-robot/331331)
Robot EATR/eater: the "EATR" ™–an Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot, a "gastrobot" weaponized system being developed under the wing of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is designed to forage for food and operate completely autonomously, if not ominously. The developers characterize it as "strictly vegetarian"—for now or for as long as they can control it. (http://www.robotictechnologyinc.com/images/upload/file/Presentation%20EATR%20Brief%20Overview%2013%20June%2010.pdf)
Robot waiter, Japan: Fully operational and on the ex-human job, this waiter is basically a tray with legs that wheels food to a designated table [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYQR_pFKQFM]
Robot violinist, Toyota: In this video the humanoid robot "expressively" plays the classic graduation standard, "Pomp and Circumstance" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzjkBwZtxp4)
Robot bicyclist, Murata Boy: Not only does this robot ride a bike, but does it better than we ever could. It apparently has gyroscopes that allow it to perch vertically, like a fly, on a motionless bike, atop a balance beam [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4rgaLW163k&NR=1&feature=fvwp]
Swarm robots, UK: Research into creating swarms of robots that can assemble and reassemble themselves into new colonial forms is advancing at centers such as Bristol University. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkvpEfAPXn4)
Robot therapist: Equipped with visual and other sensors, Paro, a cuddly robotic seal, is used in hospitals and nursing homes in Japan and overseas, as a therapeutic, comforting companion. The sale price: around US$5,000. (http://web-japan.org/trends/09_sci-tech/sci090917.html)
Robot shopping assistant: Designed for the elderly, Robovie-II is an in-store stationed prototype that detects a coded shopping list a customer creates at home, guides the shopper through the aisles and reminds the shopper about items on the list. (http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/robovie-ii-robot-helps-you-shop)
Robot chef: Operational and assisting humans to make sushi, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), or ramen noodles. One model, the Motoman SDA-10, standing 1.4 m tall and weighing about 220 kg, can communicate with customers and even adapt their cooking methods in line with diners' requests. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Q1r0u_5bI&playnext=1&list=PL798D166475683BDA)
Rice-Planting Robot: winner of the 2008 Robot Awards grand prize awarded by MITI, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, this robot can plant and tend rice with no human intervention, at a cost of around US$90,000 and projected market debut estimated as the year 2018.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18F6DccAbSk
Prepare for "Made in Japan" Robots in Your Office
Besides their variety, their sophistication and their penetration into daily life, these robots are, for the most part, conspicuous for one more thing: Most on this list, apart from the U.S. military robots and UK projects, are "Made in Japan", which has 10 times as many industrial robots as the U.S, with approximately 300 per 10,000 manufacturing workers. That, in and of itself, may not mean much to you, since so much stuff is (still) made in Japan (despite the rise of China).
What is highly significant, however, is the possibility that, Japan, already this planet's robotics center—currently accounting for half of the world's total, is going to be manufacturing a lot more robots—not only for Japan but for the rest of the world, if Johns Hopkins Ph.D., Shinji Yamashige's hunch, quoted above, and one of my own are correct.
Desperation as the Mother of Robotic Invention and Marketing
First among the factors that he cites for expecting that robot numbers will only increase is that Japan's population is aging (a result of fewer marriages and babies). A second is that it is unlikely that Japan will ever become the kind of cultural melting pot that the United States and Canada are. Japan's foreign-born population, at less than 1% is dwarfed by that of the biggest melting pot of all, Australia, well above 20% and small compared to the U.S. rate of around 10% (Yamashige's data, in the cited report). Cultural, linguistic and genetic homogeneity have not only been the hallmarks of Japanese society, but perhaps also its most revered fact.
As for cloning to make up the labor, social security, health program, debt servicing and GDP shortfalls, it is hard to say whether Japan will go that route. On the one hand, it would preserve the treasured homogeneity of Japan; on the other, it's not clear that the Japanese are any less reluctant to have mass cloning than anyone else is. In an interview I conducted with the highest-ranking executives at genetic engineering giant Genzyme, Tokyo in 1999, the group was unanimously and surprisingly opposed to the idea and aghast at the suggestion Japan would even consider cloning.
Assuming cloning is ruled out, my hunch is that robot numbers will increase and increase dramatically, because there is yet another huge incentive for Japan to re-invigorate its recession-hit robotics industry: to generate what will be desperately needed export revenues to fuel services and buy resources and goods that Japanese domestic (in both senses of "domestic") robots won't be able to provide.
So my hunch is that very aggressive Japanese marketing of its robots is in the offing—perhaps especially of its humanoid companions and servants like Paro and the still pricey ASIMO, a gyndroid version of which may be ideal for the 20 million Chinese males who will be unable to find wives, because of China's 1-child-policy/female abortion-induced gender imbalance.
The Two Robot Recruiters in Your Office
What this all means for you, a 21st-century recruiter, is that you shouldn't be surprised if, one day, and sooner rather than much later, two kinds of robots show up at your desk.
The first kind will be there to replace and then, if you are lucky, maybe interview you for your next job. But, don't despair. There is a chance, however slim, that the second kind will show up first….
….the kind to be interviewed and recruited by you, for some other human's job.
Read more in Workplace Technology
By Michael Moffa
Michael Moffa, writer for Recruiter.com, is a former editor and writer with China Daily News, Hong Kong edition and Editor-in-chief, Business Insight Japan Magazine, Tokyo; he has also been a columnist with one of Japan's national newspapers, The Daily Yomiuri, and a university lecturer (critical thinking and philosophy).
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Q: Unable to upgradeto new Admob account I am facing an issue as my payment seems to be not processed with paypal.
I came to know that admob has created new interface but I am unable to switch to new interface asI dont see any option of upgrading in my account as mentioned in this video.
https://support.google.com/admob/v2/answer/3077517?ref_topic=3011419&rd=1
Can somebody help me out that is there any issue with Paypal and how I can switch to new interface.
Thanks,
Amandeep

A: You can only upgrade if they have rolled it out in your country, in which case you'll see a banner at the top of your AdMob site: "We have launched a new version of AdMob! >Upgrade< Learn more".
If you are running AdBlocker on Chrome you have to prevent it blocking ads on the new site or else all you will see is a blank screen.
In this case you will see a little 1 next to to the AdBlock hand so left click the hand, and choose "Don't run on pages on this domain".

A: The roll out of the new Admob dashboard (user interface) is occurring in stages. It has not yet come to some countries. Be patient.
Not sure about Paypal. I get my payments direct into my bank account.

A: Paypal is not supported any more in some countries (Europe, North America).

A: I am also confused about how to upgrade to new Admob as there is no option to upgrade. But I got my payment initiated mail just now.


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AINsight: Aircraft Owner Trusts Under Indictment
by David G. Mayer
- September 10, 2021, 12:17 PM
Aircraft owner trusts in the U.S. got a black eye on Feb. 24, 2021, when the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Texas announced that a grand jury returned an indictment against two well-known participants (defendants) in business aviation for criminal activity involving Aircraft Guaranty Corp. and Wright Brothers Aircraft Title. Although one of the defendants owns these companies, both defendants allegedly used the owner trust and escrow services to perpetuate criminal enterprise since 2016 involving illicit aircraft transactions valued at approximately $350 million.
The Indictment
The indictment cited 22 allegedly "offending aircraft transactions." The defendants allegedly facilitated bogus aircraft transactions using non-U.S. citizen owner trusts, often called "NCTs," and concealed the movement of funds in and out of escrow accounts. They also allegedly participated in international drug trafficking, engaged in conspiracies to commit money laundering, wire fraud, export violations, and aircraft registration violations.
Finally, the indictment alleged the defendants violated FAA and Department of Commerce regulations requiring aircraft registration with the U.S. while concealing the aircraft's true ownership. There's more, including an apparent Ponzi program using illegally obtained loan funds to cover aircraft purchase deposits.
Negative Consequences
Fortunately, the Indictment has not derailed the use of NCTs from what I see and advise in my practice. And for the people aware of the case, it represents an unprecedented extreme abuse of owner trusts and an inapplicable anomaly.
Regardless of the outcome of the case, the defendants have exposed prospective trust customers and thousands of current trust beneficiaries, owner trusts, and escrow companies, among others, to potentially negative repercussions. It is conceivable that NCTs could experience heightened FAA scrutiny, legislative actions on disclosing NCTs parties like Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Massachusetts) introduced in 2017, fewer registrations at the FAA by non-citizens, unwelcome media attention, and more criminal investigations into escrow and trust companies.
Understanding a Non-citizen Trust
A brief description of NCTs will help put the allegations and use of NCTs in context. Non-citizen owner trusts function amid extensive regulation and transactional scrutiny. The FAA requires an aircraft owner (not the aircraft operator) to qualify for registration on the U.S. registry.
To register an aircraft in the U.S., the aircraft owner must be a "citizen of the United States" under 49 U.S.C. §44102(a)(1)(A) and 14 C.F.R. §47.7(c) (citizen). For an NCT, the owner trustee must either be an original U.S. citizen or a resident alien to qualify for registration of an aircraft at the FAA.
A foreign national—the term used in the Indictment, among others—does not qualify as a citizen but typically can hold a beneficial interest in an NCT as the "trustor." The owner trustee of the NCT can qualify as a citizen, hold legal title to the aircraft, register an aircraft at the FAA, and sign documents as the aircraft owner. An FAA policy clarification issued in 2013 requires reporting and other responsibilities of the owner trustee.
To serve as the citizen for a foreign national-trustor, owner trustees must submit an application for registration (AC Form 8050-1), owner trust and operating agreements, and an affidavit of citizenship of the owner trustee. After reviewing this documentation, the FAA will issue an opinion on whether the owner trustee qualifies as a U.S. citizen for aircraft registration purposes.
Contractually, the non-citizen trustor and the owner trustee create the owner trust that holds legal title to the aircraft by entering into an NCT agreement. They also enter an operating agreement, a form of a lease by the trustee, as the registered owner (lessor), to the trustor, as the operator (lessee) of the aircraft.
The operating agreement transfers to the trustor most owner-type obligations that it can by law, including complying with all applicable laws, operating and maintaining the aircraft, exercising operational control for aircraft operations, paying all related costs and taxes, and indemnifying the trustee for aircraft-related claims and liability.
Notably, the policy clarification provides that trustees, as aircraft owners, have the same responsibility as any other aircraft owner to comply with applicable laws and regulations, which should incentivize owner trustees to review their due diligence efforts.[i]
Benefits of NCTs
An owner trust affords prospective aircraft owners, as trustors, and other transaction parties practical benefits. For income tax planning, the trust is a disregarded entity, which means the IRS focuses on the trustor as the taxpayer.
A trustor can attend to matters under the operating agreement roughly like a member or manager of a single purpose –an aircraft LLC. For example, under the operating agreement (not through or by the trustee), a trustor, like an LLC member or manager, can silo all aspects of the aircraft costs and use, such as accounting, paying property tax, hiring accounting, legal, tax and other professionals, recording business and personal travel hours, and collecting aircraft charter revenue.
The owner trustee holds legal title to the aircraft under the trust agreement, enabling lenders to take security interests untouched by other debt, liens, or other possible conflicting rights of an operating company and its creditors. Any trustor (citizen or non-citizen) can structure trusts to provide privacy, transaction support, and shared ownership.
These important features, among others in business aviation, appeal to enterprises, executives, individuals, and families. Finally, an NCT allows a non-citizen to secure U.S. registration of an aircraft in compliance with the FARs. It is this aspect of NCTs that the defendants allegedly manipulated and exploited to such an extreme that the Indictment seems to astonish almost everyone in my transactions who understands NCTs.
Diligence and Safeguards
Substantial safeguards already exist to form and use NCTs correctly. An owner trustee should always perform "know-your-customer" (KYC) diligence. Where lenders or lessors provide funds to purchase or lease aircraft, they too conduct KYC diligence.
Their documents contain extensive representations to identify unqualified credit risks or prohibited persons with whom they cannot transact by law. Law firms increasingly do or should access services to verify the background of non-citizen trustors and conduct, to the extent feasible, due diligence that mitigates the risk of illegal activity.
Escrow companies now appear to require the use of purchaser deposits only for the applicable transaction—not always a simple task in transactions like a "back-to-back," a sale and purchase through any intermediary who first buys the aircraft as the purchaser from the true seller and then instantly becomes the seller and sells the aircraft to the true purchaser.
But more can or perhaps should be done to improve upon legal compliance by owner trustees, escrow companies, law firms, and their customers. The Indictment should help inform owner trustees, escrow agents, lawyers, and other deal participants of red flags without sacrificing or unreasonably hindering the application of NCTs.
Certain law firms—which, like all law firms, are bound by legal ethics rules—can provide legal advice, escrow services, and also supplemental due diligence driven by their legal ethics, training, and experience. Further, the indictment should prompt conversations about best practices in structuring owner trusts, mitigating risks of abuse, and revisiting the scope and methods of due diligence covering non-U.S. citizen trustors, owner trust companies, and escrow services involved in aircraft transactions.
Owner trusts provide a well-understood and essential tool for ownership and financing of aircraft by citizens and non-citizens. The facts in the Indictment should not, therefore, deter the continued reliance on non-citizen trusts. Still, the disturbing betrayal of trust alleged in the Indictment may create significant concern, but that seems unlikely to last long if other trusts and escrow companies do not follow suit.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/blogs/ainsight-aircraft-owner-trusts-under-indictment