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Category Archives: ideology
September 4, 2017 by kotzabasis
FBy Con George-Kotzabasis
The following is my contribution to a lecture given by Professor Vrasidas Karalis in the Greek Community Centre, in Melbourne, two years ago.
Bravura performance professor Vrasidas! Papaioannou's head would lift from the grave in approval with a big smile on his face, unlike the skulls of Communism, which according to the ex-Marxist Polish philosopher, Leszek Kolakowski, will never smile again. Papaioannou was a bright star amidst a constellation of co-stars, like Raymond Aron, Ernst Nolte, Ayn Rand, and Hannah Arendt, not to mention others, who had foreseen, identified, and exposed the murderous traits of Communism. However, the cocottes of the ideology of Marxism were able to allure with their bawdy charms and false historical promises nipple-fed intellectuals, whom Lenin had dubbed "useful idiots," into the ranks of the Communist mirage. Intoxicated by the brilliant form of Marx's writings they were blind to its toxic content.
The dragon's teeth spawned by Marx on the cerebral landscape would give rise to the monstrous leadership of Stalin, Mao, and the Althusserian trained ideologues of Cambodia, who would try to build their utopia on Gulag Archipelagos and killing fields. And when Communism would be achieved on these brutal homicidal grounds, then human concerns would take over: man fishing in the morning, playing the flute in the evening and writing romantic poetry in the night. Thus, the Marxian birth of the "all-sided man," of the "politropos Anthropos!"
Marxism is not merely tragic drama, it is worse: it is kitsch, a pretentious worthless play staged on history. And the wrathful hallucinations and platitudes of Marx became murderous instruments in the hands of the epigones of Marxism.
Presently, a repeat of Marxist omniscience is to be re-enacted in Greece. The Tsipras Government, a politically arriviste, incompetent bungling blend of a withering crop of epigonistic Marxists, pseudo intellectuals, and populist sycophants, are pushing Greece into the abyss of their own "killing fields". Failure in negotiations with the Troika will lead to the debt default of Greece and return to the drachma, with annihilating consequences to the standard of living of the ordinary people and to a political danger by the rise of dictatorship. Marxism is the opium of the intelligentsia.
Posted in government, ideology, politics, thoughts.	Tagged ayn rand, constellation, ideologues, intelligentsia, landscape, mirage, opium, performance
July 26, 2017 by kotzabasis
By Con George-Kotzabasis July 18, 2017
"The beginning is the sign". David Hilbert, German mathematician
In the doom and gloom of the political and economic landscape of Greece, a spectre haunts the country, the spectre of Marxist dictatorship. There are ominous signs that Prime Minister Tsipras and some of his closest associates are working on a sinister secret plan that would prolong their staying in power beyond the date of the expiration of their tenure. There are several signs (they will be identified and explained below) and all of them are showing clearly, like lighted roads that lead and meet at a central junction, that this central square is named dictatorship.
All the latest polls are indicating that the Tsipras government will get a merciless thrashing at the next election, to be held in 2019, in the hands of the electorate, as back payment for the historically unprecedented deceptive promises and prodigious lies that Syriza had told the people, for the purpose of winning the 2015 election, as well as for the severe cuts in pensions and increase of taxes that Tsipras, by breaking all his promises to the contrary, had imposed relentlessly and with no compunction, even upon the most indigent parts of society. Tsipras, therefore, and his bosom comrades are realising with great panic that their proud slogan of "First Time Aristera" (Left Government) is to be transformed into the terrified shameful "Never Again Aristera." Therefore, to prevent this from happening, they will not hesitate to extract the most nefarious means from the arsenal of Bolshevism so they can remain in power. And as the game is up for them, politically and electorally, they have nothing to lose by taking these extreme measures, since they are fated to be consigned into the graveyard of history.
Yet this coup d'état of Tsipras will not occur under the rattling of the tanks but under the scratching of the pens. By making changes to the political processes of the country, apparently by abiding the Constitution, that would open the road toward dictatorship. (Not that he has any moral scruples in using the tanks–after all his ideological kin the Soviet Union, used them in Czechoslovakia–but only because he has no direct control over the armed forces.) However, before he comes to the real McCoy, i.e., the setting-up of a Marxist dictatorship, he will initially postpone or suspend the next election. And to do this he will use as proschema, pretext, a contrived national threat or a real one, such as provoking a military incident with Turkey. Hence by creating a casus belli he will render to himself extraordinary powers enabling him to suspend normal constitutional processes and govern the country by plebiscite.
What methods will Tsipras use to achieve his goal? Whether he will fabricate a fictitious internal enemy such as an association of so called right-wing politicians of New Democracy, and even involve its president, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with big corrupt business and bigwig criminals involved in the importation of vast quantities of heroin, or whether he will create a real enemy by provoking a military clash with Turkey, Tsipras will use the rationale, by which he will attempt to convince the people, that in order to fight either of these enemies successfully he must be given the right to make the necessary amendments to the Constitution and hence will call the people to agree to them through a plebiscite. It is hard to imagine, that in conditions of great dangers to the country, in the first case, the importation of heroin, with its deleterious effects upon the wellbeing of Greece's children, by a so called evil combination of politicians, businessmen, and criminals, or a takeover of the country by a rapacious cabal of right-wing politicians and big commerce and industry, which will profit at the expense of the ordinary people, or the threat of war with Turkey, that it will be difficult for the people to be convinced of either of these dangers and will therefore render to Tsipras the right to make the appropriate changes to the Constitution. Furthermore, the crescendo of violent demonstrations by anarchist extremists of the left, in which the minister of public order deliberately refuses to take a strong stand against this disorder, as todays incidents in the heart of the retail trade centre of Athens shows, whose shops were broken and vandalized, may also be a part of the conspirators plan that will facilitate them to declare emergency measures or even martial law.
Tsipras therefore is confident that there will be no mass reaction to his moves, and rests this trust on the passivity of the people as well as on the passivity and indifference of the armed forces, which, since the experience of the Junta, stand at arms-length from politics. What other forces therefore could oust Tsipras from power, when all the key posts of government will be held by people of his own ilk?
However, it will not be easy for Tsipras to convince the guardians of the Constitution, the Judiciary, of the necessity or correctness of these changes to the political processes of the country. This is the reason why from the beginning of this year there has been a concerted and vicious attack against the Judiciary by some ministers of the government, and even by the Prime Minister himself, who has stated in public, that the Judiciary is a "hindrance" to some of the policies of his government. And the primo uomo of this attack is the Minister of Health Polakis, whose cursing cacophonous mantinades (Cretan couplets) against the Judiciary, may sound noetically jarring and stupid but they hide behind them a clever purpose, i.e., to degrade, erode, and weaken its authority. Also, the involvement of the Minister of Defence, Kammenos, in the investigative operations of the police in regards to this huge quantity of heroin that was smuggled into the country by criminals, which is a blunt violation of the separation of powers, i.e., of the Executive, the Judiciary, and the Legislative, has also the same aim, that is, to debilitate the Judiciary and its personnel. All the above are lucid signs of the Tsipras government plot to disparage it and wear down its authority. As it perceives, that the main obstacle to turn itself into a proletarian dictatorship, is a robust and independent Judiciary, that espouses the separation of powers and checks that the actions of government are in tangent with the rules of the Constitution. The conspirators, however, will be attempting to make 'tailor-made' interpretations of the Constitution so that they will suit their actions which will creepily lead to their dictatorship.
But the most significant revealing sign is the appointment by Tsipras, of the former Chief Justice of the High Court, Vasiliki Thanou, as head of his Legal Office. Mrs. Thanou, is known for her skills as a lawyer as well as for her political credentials of being a left-wing supporter of long standing. She served, with the support of SYRIZA, as interim prime minister prior to the election of Lukas Papadimou in Government. It is obvious that Thanou, will be advising Tsipras on changes in the legal and political processes of the country and on possible changes to the Constitution that would facilitate him to consummate his secret plan. Indeed, she will be knitting, with her skilful fingers, the regal toga that Tsipras will be wearing as dictator of the proletariat. Since her appointment, she launched a vehement attack against New Democracy for its audacity to criticise her appointment.
The question rises with no easy answers. How can one kill the plan of Tsipras at the initial stages of its incubation? But there is an answer, and it comes from an unusual quarter, by which the Tsipras plan will be dead in its first breath: Ancient Greece comes to the rescue of modern Greece, Iphigenia in Aulis: Since it is impossible presently for the Opposition to force an election, the only way that would impel an election is by the resignation of Prokopis Pavlopoulos from the presidency. The reasons for his resignation would be plausible and cogent, that is, that he is unwilling and it is repugnant for him to preside under the fiendish machinations of the Tsipras government to undermine the Constitution, and its attacks against the Judiciary, that would lead to the subversion of democracy. Hence, Pavlopoulos will be summoned to be the modern Iphigenia whose sacrifice would release the storming winds that will sweep Tsipras and his comrades from The Maximou House (The White House of Greece). In this solution time is a crucial factor, and those persons who are close to Pavlopoulos will have to move swiftly and persuade him to accept this summons and go to the Euripidean Aulis, to his rendezvous with destiny. The question is: Will Prokopis Pavlopoulos have the spiritual and moral fortitude and intellectual insight and strength to sacrifice himself for the sake of Greece?
PS There might be within SYRIZA some righteous people. But if they do not oppose this insidious plan of Tsipras, they will suffer the Aeschylian fate. "A righteous man by himself is formidable. But a righteous man conjoined with the wicked perishes with them."
Posted in government, greece, ideology, politics, Uncategorized.	Tagged crucial, formidable, greece, haunts, iphigenia, judiciary, landscape, marxist dictatorship, righteous, spectre, tsipras government
Smart Politicians Stand Naked before Labor's Master: Ideological Stupidity
August 4, 2016 by kotzabasis
By Con George-Kotzabasis June 28, 2016
Since the economically profligate Whitlam era, the only Labor government that was bracketed off from Labor's inveterate stupidity was the Hawke-Keating government. The present leadership of Shorten-Bowen taking a leftist turn in its politics, like the Rudd-Gillard administrations had done, as adumbrated in its pre-electoral commitments of "big-government," is repudiating the prudent policies of Hawke-Keating and wilfully adopting, retrogressively, the stupid and disastrous paradigm of European socialism that had sunk Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Cyprus into the abyss of bankruptcy, economic crisis, and political instability. Moreover, it is doing so in the face when even the Scandinavian haven of the social democratic Welfare state is severely clipped of its largesse, as at last has been realised to be no longer economically viable. Anders Borg, the wunderkind as finance minister of Sweden, initiated the incremental dismantling of the Welfare state, lowered taxes in the private sector, which has galvanized the creation of new jobs.
But returning back home. The leftist political editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, Mark Kenny, is forecasting "dire trouble" for Labor on the debt and deficit front. Terry McCrann, of The Daily Telegraph, ominously declares "Shorten would plunge the country into greater debt". And Henry Ergas, of The Australian, claims that even the latest backflips of Labor will not be sufficient to close the deficit gap and its "mythmakers" will be tempted "to conjure revenue increases out of thin air, just as the Rudd-Gillard governments did pointing to a golden future time when receipts would soar."
But to believe in myths and tales of future increases in revenue, when The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund slash hopes of economic growth in the near future, is highly precarious, as it would lead the country into complacency and prevent it from taking the necessary measures to countervail a looming long recession. Furthermore, such a possibility is strengthened with the present event of Brexit, which could ominously beget both the dismemberment and the disintegration of the UK and the European Union, whose widespread ramifications upon the geopolitical and economic spheres of the world would devastate any prospects of economic growth for many years. And it is most unlikely that there will be, like in 2008, another China to save Australia from woeful economic distress.
Further, Labor with egregious lack of imagination and foresight is not factoring-in such imponderables as a precipitous fall in world prices of minerals in a context of world recession and the calamitous consequences that would follow, hitting public finances to smithereens and engendering a seriality of deficits with no hope of being reduced, with the outcome of plunging the country into the abyss of bottomless debt and insolvency. Is Bill Shorten going to be the "Maduro" of Australia, who, as the world price of oil dropped to lower depths, as a socialist president of Venezuela, continued the dissolute economic policies of his predecessor, Chavez, that turned the country from contrived prosperity to real poverty, once the government coffers were emptied, and indeed, into a hunting ground for dogs and cats to feed his people?
It goes without saying, of course, that this is an exaggeration and one could hardly imagine Australians shooting dogs and cats to feed themselves. It is merely used as an example to emphasize the dangers overshadowing an economy, when its Stewarts, the government, insouciantly do not take in consideration future possible events that could dramatically affect the economic course of a country and do not take prospective measures that would shield the country from such catastrophic effects.
One asks the question why the smart as they come politicians of Labor, such as Andrew Leigh, the assistant shadow treasurer of Labor, let their guard down and are reluctant to prepare themselves for these uncertainties of the future, believing that Australia somehow is protected by divine mandate from the ills of world recession and that Australia's "economy is indestructible", to quote Rex Connor, a minister in Whitlam's government? For people who have studied the policies of Labor over a number of years the answer is simple and obvious. All their major policies are motivated by their passionate belief in the socialist utopia. And the implementation of these policies requires, according to this ideological schema, big and interventionist government and hence, high taxes; and the redistribution of wealth and not its greater increase are their priority. Despite the glaring evidence showing that augmenting the size of wealth is the only and sure way to enhance the standard of living of the ordinary people. The latter proposition has indisputable historical precedents, as it was the flourishing and ever increasing wealth of capitalism, that for the first time in history, pulled millions of people from the hovels of poverty onto peaks of prosperity. But Labor is blind before this historical fact. Like a drug addict Labor is fixed to its socialist doctrine and lives in a stupefied world of unreality and wishful thinking.
The matchsticks foundations of socialism are collapsing all over the world, especially in Europe, yet Bill Shorten's Labor continues adamantly to believe that from this wreckage one could still build the just and equal society as envisaged by Labor's quixotic visionaries. It is under this standard of socialist ideology that Shorten undermines and repudiates the prudent and pragmatic policies of the Hawke-Keating government, whose "Accord" between employers and workers engendered a congenial milieu for investments and the creation of new jobs with the consequence of increasing the living standard of Australians. Bill Shorten's silence about these productive structural reforms and fiscal frugality of the Hawke-Keating era that had put Australia on a track of prosperity is a contemptuous affront to the two architects of these reforms. It was therefore rather surprising and amusing to have seen the two conductors of this inimitable political and economic performance sitting on the front-row of Shorten's Launch of the Labor campaign, clapping at a leader who had mockingly renounced their wise policies. For Paul Keating, especially, standing next to Bill Shorten who had adopted and announced policies that would lead to a "Banana Republic," it must have been an exceedingly painful occasion. Perhaps as painful as replacing Placedo Domingo with rock-and-roll.
I rest on my oars: You turn now
Posted in australia, economics, government, ideology, Uncategorized.	Tagged anders borg, bill shorten, european socialism, inveterate, kotzabasis, labor government, placedo domingo, welfare state
Marx and his Reincarnation Continue to be Hotbed of Gross Errata
April 17, 2016 by kotzabasis
The following is a very brief reply to professor of economics Kostas Lapavitsas, and former member of Parliament with the Party of Syriza, to his thesis, that Greece can achieve its national sovereignty only by going back to its own currency, i.e., the drachma, delivered at the Ithacan House, Melbourne, on April 15, 2016. The three first paragraphs were omitted from my response as I assumed regrettably wrongly, that the time allotted to the questioners at the meeting would be too short and hence I did not include them.
Professor Lapavitsas, allow me to make a short comment before I come to my question, as at the start I want to point out what I believe to be the roots of your erroneous proposition.
Dialectical materialism even in its modern reincarnation of neo-Marxism, which you espouse, is a hotbed of gross errata, not to say terata (monsters), and hence a fallacious doctrine.
Yet the ghost in the machine of Marxism, despite its irreparable breakdown, continues to churn-out apparitional panaceas for the ills of global capitalism. One such quack panacea is your own proposition.
My question is: Show us one country in the world hit by absolute poverty, which, your implied return to the drachma entails, that by adopting your proposal has achieved national sovereignty and kept it; If you cannot show us such a country, then your proposal is a mirage, a will-o'-the-wisp, an occult fancy.
But what is more worrisome is that you are asking the Greek people, after the botched Tsipras-Varoufakis experiment, to be also the guineapigs to your own theoretical experiment which has hardly better odds of success than the Varoufakian one.
National sovereignty is the result of prosperity not of poverty.
Posted in european union, government, greece, ideology, Uncategorized.	Tagged errata, marx, poverty, professor lapavitsas, proposition, reincarnation, theoritical experiment
Terrorists Claim Rights under Loose Garments of Human Rights Lawyers
With the terrorist attack in Boston and the capture of one terrorist human rights lawyers are readying themselves to render to the captured terrorist the Miranda enactment that gives him the right not to talk to the police. It is for this reason that I'm republishing this article written in 2009.
Supreme Court judge Bernard Bongiorno, who is presiding over the biggest terror trial in Australia of the twelve radical Muslims (The "Dirty Dozen" bombers) who were allegedly preparing themselves to be holy martyrs in their jihad against Australia by killing innocent civilians, has been persuaded by SC (Senior Counsel) of the defendants, Jim Kennan and Mark Taft, that the alleged terrorists are being treated inhumanely by the authorities and are in a state of mental collapse.
Before we go into the ruling of the judge I think it would be appropriate to know few things about the two SC of the accused,. Jim Kennan, and MarkTaft. The former was a minister in the Kane and Kirner Labor governments in Victoria who held the portfolios of Attorney General and Transport in the mid-eighties. Melbournians will remember the Tramways Union strike in 1989 when trams had blockaded the metropolitan streets of Melbourne for more than a month preventing commuters coming into the city and threatening many small shops with bankruptcy. The strike lasted that long only as a result of Kennan being a weak minister as well as of the incompetence and languid state of his advisors. One example which I remember vividly, was his press secretary watching the Commonwealth Games with his feet on his desk whilst John Halfpenny ( the then Secretary of The Trades Union Council), who was leading the strike, was besieging with his goons the minister and threatening the livelihood of many small shop keepers. At the end of the strike, Jim Kennan was removed from the Ministry of Transport and was placed back to his Attorney General's position. And Bernard Bongiorno was appointed to the Bench of the Supreme Court by the Brack's Labor government in 2000. ( Birds of a feather flock together.)
The other SC Mark Taft was a member of the Communist Party following the footsteps of his father Bernie Taft, who, as the Victorian Secretary of the Party dissolved it in 1991 in the wake of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. But he dissolved the Communist Party not for the purpose of expressing his political mea culpa for the millions of peoples who were slaughtered by the Leninists doctrinaires Stalin and Mao, but for the purpose of conceiving its bastard sibling the Socialist Forum hoping that its members would become an influential part of the left of The Labor Party. In the latter goal the older Taft succeeded completely, while the younger Taft as a member of the executive of the Socialist Forum and as one of its foremost ideologues, second only to his father, was ideologically grooming many members of the left of the Labor party, among whom were the present Minister of Finance, Lindsay Tanner, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, of the Rudd Labor Government. Now that both SC Jim Kennan and Mark Taft have abandoned the heavy burdens of the public sector, which for both of them were a total failure, and have chosen to be lured by the entrepreneurial temptations of the private sector and gratify themselves with its rich tastes, they decided to open their appetite for the latter with the "aperitif" of being the defenders of the "Dirty Dozen", in Australia's biggest terrorism trial. But enough of this minuscule biographical diversion of our two attorneys of defense, and let us now deal with the "unprecedented "ruling of the presiding judge of the trial.
Justice Bongiorno being a practical judge and not an ivory tower one, was not satisfied of being convinced merely by the "theoretical" pleadings of the two SC that the defendants were treated inhumanely by the authorities, especially when they were shackled hand and foot while they were transported from prison to the Court locked in the steel compartments of the prison vans, and wanted to test this allegation in a practical way. So when he visited Barwon prison where the twelve were being held he had himself locked up in "the small steel compartment…in one of the prison vans… to get a better understanding of their treatment". Convinced now "beyond a reasonable doubt" by his own "travailed" experience during his own "transportation" to Barwon prison that the alleged would-be terrorists were treated by the authorities brutally and inhumanely he issued his ukase to the latter that unless they stopped this "intolerable" treatment of the prisoners his honor would "suspend the hearing indefinitely and consider releasing the men on bail".
Victoria's Department of Corrections under this hovering threat expeditiously responded positively to the Jupiterian ruling of Justice Bongiorno and implemented most of his directions. In doing so it negated the possibility that some of the twelve defendants would jump bail and break away from the "forceps" of Australian justice and disappearing in a Muslim country. But it did so paradoxically at the expense of the Judge. As it deprived his Honor of the honorific that Muslims, moderate and radical alike, at least in Australia, would have bestowed on the Justice as an indelible sign of their gratitude for this service, i.e., giving the opportunity to their co-believers to escape from the unjust Australian terrorist laws, by replacing their traditional greeting of Salam with Bongiorno, for ever after.
What was most interesting and amusing moreover, was the forensic evidence of the psychiatrists whose painstaking analysis had found the defendants to be psychologically and mentally disturbed—as if people who were prepared to kill hundreds if not thousands of innocent people for their messianic goals and in chase of the seventy-two virgins were not already incurable cases of mental disturbance–and "believed that their condition would deteriorate as the trial progressed". Needless to say Justice Bongiorno was deeply influenced by this forensic evidence extracted from the "psychiatrist's couch" and was a decisive element in his "extraordinary", to quote him, ruling.
Thus we will be told as an entertaining and jovial story, that the twelve bearded fanatics who were "toying" with ideas how to blow up Australians, now that they are standing before the bar accused of planning this atrocity they have metastasized themselves into mere "naughty boys" playing among the skirts of the "libertine" legal profession and claiming from the loose garments of the latter their human rights.
Bongiorno Australia:Have a nice day
I rest on my oars: Your turn now.
Posted in australia, ideology, islam, muslims, politics, terrorism.	Tagged boston, claim rights, defendants, die fackel, human rights, kotzabasis, legal profession, loose garments, lswyers, melbourne, minister, preventing, supreme court, terrorist attack, torch, union
Radical Left Experiments its Policies Using Greeks as Guinea Pigs
June 9, 2012 by kotzabasis
The jarring interests of reason and piety [read ideology] Edward Gibbon
The radical left party of Syriza, led by its green horn, tongue in cheek, know-all adventurist leader Alexis Tsipras, armed with the omniscient Marxist ideology and holding with devotional piety the rosary of communism in both hands, is experimenting its policies using Greeks as guinea pigs. Against all reason and hope, it persists and is determined, if after June 17 it comes to be the new government, one-sidedly to denounce and repudiate the European Memorandum without risking the country's exit from the Eurozone. Unable to see through the nebulous clouds of their ideology, the materialist Marxists cannot see the reality as embodied in the clear expressions of all European leaders, representing to a high degree the wishes of their constituents respectively, and high technocrats, that such denunciation of the Memorandum would immediately lead to the cessation of all financial help to the stricken country and to the latter's inevitable return to the drachma and absolute poverty with catastrophic results to the standard of living of the majority of the population. This economic and social break-down of the country would spark a social war of all against all that would crack the foundations of democracy and on whose ruins would be built a fascist state, either of the left or of the right.
Moreover, their hopefulness that the European Union is bluffing and would not dare to turn the financial tap off as such a move would lead to the mutual destruction of Greece and Europe, is a Fata Morgana in view of the fact that all these leaders and technocrats have put their credibility and reputation on the line in regard to the exit, not to mention the other obvious fact that all the Wall Streets, and banks of the world, and evaluative institutions, such as Standard and Poor's, and Moodies are showing on their financial electronic screens the great possibility of a Greek exit and are making preparations for it. To consider, as Syriza does, that all these political, technocrat, and financial actors are engaging and participating in a grand bluff against Greece, in regard to its exit from Europe, is to be a fugitive from one's senses; and to ventilate such an idea among the Greek populace, is a gigantic falsehood.
The economic programme of Syriza as presented by its leader Tsipras on May 31, promises a horn of plenty to Greeks with the government's coffers empty. It promises higher wages, higher pensions, and an extension of unemployment allowances from one to two years, an expansion in the employment of public servants, and full employment in a dateless future, without however indicating where it will find the funds to implement the above measures. Nor does it compute their costs, according to an admission of a prominent economist of Syriza itself. This is unprecedented in the history of electoral campaigns, as pointed out by Antonis Samaras, the leader of New Democracy, when a political party presents its economic policies to the electorate and admitting at the same time that they have not been costed.
This is a populist bag of gifts that only a Santa Claus could deliver to longing and credulous children. Syriza claims falsely that the expenses of these outlays for the above measures will be covered by taxing enterprises, ship-owners, and people on higher incomes, without however specifying the height of these incomes, and by imposing a levy on seven-hundred-thousand households with a net of 2,000 euros. In the present dire recession that the country is in and where enterprises can hardly show even modicum profits in their balance sheets, and where people with higher incomes have been inflicted by a cut of 50% in their salaries(Professor Yanis Varoufakis who teaches economics at Athens University and whose salary was cut by 50%, fled Greece and went to the United States), the claim of Syriza that it will have the funds from these sources to implement its promises, is a swindle of gargantuan magnitude of the Greek people. Moreover, this impossibility of funding its measures from these sources leads to the suspicion, as again pointed out by Samaras, that Syriza has a hidden agenda to impose taxes on ordinary people's bank deposits and on private property.
Furthermore, Syriza pledges to reverse all previous commitments to privatization and go back to state ownership of all companies that were going to be privatized, and hence continue the increase of bureaucratization, thus bringing back to life all the deadly worms that in the past gnawed and eroded the economic foundations of the country that brought it to its present calamitous state. Also in its foreign policy it commits itself to exit from NATO and seek a new alliance in South America, with such countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua, which, with mathematical precision would lead to the 'Cubanization' of Greece as well as leave the country geopolitically defenceless. But this is not surprising since many of Syriza's higher echelons are strong votaries of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Hugo Chavez; birds of a feather flock together.
Syriza's economic and political manifesto is a draft of dangerous irresponsibility and naivety, doctrinal dogmatism and blindness, and swashbuckling political adventurism at its best. With its policies, the fate of Greece's future generations will be played on the green tables of a casino with Alexis Tsipras playing high stakes poker–which, according to a latest interview he gave on American television, he loves–with other people's money, and all he has to lose is Greece's future.
Posted in economics, europe, greece, ideology, news, politics.	Tagged antonis samaras, denunciation, die fackel, economics, kotzabasis, lose, materialist, politics, reality, syriza, torch, tsipras
Iron Ladies Never Die they Just Continue to Show the Way
February 17, 2012 by kotzabasis
By Con George-Kotzabasis—January 9, 2012
In a hostile world only the strong have the right to indulge in hope. Thucydides
Ah, that memorable, fascinating, admirable, and politically insightful and intrepid subject, Margaret Thatcher, the Iron Lady, that challenges almost all of contemporaneous political leadership that is scrambling on all its fours–with some notable exceptions such as Lee Kuan Yu, of Singapore and Antonis Samaras, of Greece–from Obama to Zapatero to Merkel and Sarkozy, who instead of standing on the shoulders of political giants, like Thatcher, to command events, they have been overwhelmed and overcome by them.
The characteristic spending profligacy of Labour socialist governments over a number of years, and the excessive borrowing and inflation that resulted by the latter's policies that brought the UK into economic stagnation gave Margaret Thatcher the opportunity to win the election in 1979 with a sizable majority. Her victory would bring not only the transformation of British politics but would also spawn, with a small astute coterie of others, the seeds of a profound change on the political landscape of the world. Further, by re-introducing forcefully the idea of privatization as a dynamic concept among the economic detritus left by Labour's deficit-laden nationalization of industries, she would place the country on the trajectory of economic efficiency and generation of wealth for the benefit of all Britons. To open markets to the world she abolished all exchange controls on foreign currency five months after coming to power. The UK from being the poorest of the four major European economies in 1979 became by the end of ten years under Thatcher's stewardship the richest among them. In a series of economic policies packaged by Milton Friedman's and Frederick Hayek's monetarist theories, Britain's GDP grew by 23.3% during this period outpacing that of Germany, France, and Italy.
However, to accomplish the latter goal, she would have to confront the power of unions decisively, which, in a ceaseless campaign of strikes and imprudent and irrational demands were ruining the British economy. In 1979, at the apex of union power, Britain had lost 29.5 million working days to strikes, whereas at its nadir, under the robust stand of Thatcher and her strong blows against it that led to the defeat of unions, in 1986, the figure of lost working days was 1.9 million. The Moscow trained communist Arthur Scargill, secretary of the Mining Unions, had unleashed in 1984-85 a myriad of strikes with the aim to obstruct the Thatcherite pro-market reforms that would put Britain on the roller skates of economic prosperity. By the end of that year that shook the foundations of British industry and broke the morale of some of her Cabinet members–that prompted Thatcher in a memorable quip to say to them, "You turn if you want to. The lady is not for turning."—the red flag became a trophy alongside the Argentinian flag in her collection of victories, as Arthur Scargill conceded his defeat.
In international affairs she questioned Kissinger's policy of détente toward the Soviet Union as she believed strongly that Communism should not be accommodated but overcome. For this implacable stand the Soviet Army's newspaper Red Star christened her the "Iron Lady." Together with President Reagan, she planted the diplomatic dynamite under the foundations of the Soviet empire that would eventually bring the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of Lenin's benign Marxist dream that had turned back to its true nature as a nightmare of Gulags and Killing Fields.
Thatcher in the 1980's fiercely opposed the European economic and monetary integration. To her the European construction was "infused with the spirit of yesterday's future." In the kernel of this construction laid the central "intellectual mistake" of assuming that "the model for future government was that of a centralized bureaucracy." And she was prophetic to the current events and crisis of Europe when she argued that German taxpayers would provide "ever greater subsidies for failed regions of foreign countries," while condemning south European countries to debilitating dependency on handouts from German taxpayers." She concluded, "The day of the artificially constructed mega-state is gone."
However, no statesmanship is without its warts. In 1986 prohibition of proprietary trading went out; the separation between commercial and investment banks was abrogated; and 'casino banking' took off, which without these changes would not have happened. Her critics accused her of promoting greed which she personally abhorred. Also, the introduction of the poll tax on adult residents was most unpopular among Britons and sparked the Poll Tax Riots on March 31, 1990, that instigated an internal coup against her that ousted her from her premiership.
Margaret Thatcher entered number 10 Downing Street with her strong character and astute political perceptiveness with panache that destined her, like all great statesmen, to "walk beneath heaven as if she was placed above it," to quote the seventeenth-century French political philosopher, Gabriel Naude. She will enter the 'gate of heaven' not as the frail distracted old woman, as she was depicted in the film made by Phillida Lloyd, but as the iron lady who will never die and continue to show the way.
I rest on my oars: your turn now…
Posted in government, ideology, politics, united kingdom.	Tagged admirable, antonis samaras, beacon, command, continue, film, iron ladies, just, lee kuan yu, margaret thatcher, never die, obama, overcome, politics, show, way


You are looking at products by the Philips AED brand. With access to the right equipment and support, everyone can help save a life. Philips AED solutions with Life Guidance act as your personal coach to guide you through a cardiac emergency with a simple, step-by-step process. Adaptive instructions and intelligent sensors keep you on track to automatically deliver the right therapy, helping give you the confidence to lead the way to save a life.


No matter what we create, design, build or sell, it all comes down to the consumer and their understanding of what we collectively bring to their world. Let's make things easy!
As developers of ANT and ANT+ products, we've made it our mission to deliver the very best products that 'just work' so let's make it clear to your end users that their ANT+ enabled devices will do what we say they will do, simply and seamlessly. Let's tell them how to find out more about those devices and which other products they really will work with.
Ultimately, we want to make it easy for the people who use ANT and ANT+ products to benefit from our joint commitment to excellence and compatibility. ANT+ Product Certification and proper branding practices will help make this happen. The ANT and ANT+ branding programs, ANT+ Product Certification and ANT+ Product Directory have been specifically designed to inform and educate the end users while adding solid value to your own brand and products.
Who can use ANT+ brands?
Anyone commercializing an ANT+ certified product is eligible to use ANT+ Brands.
As per the ANT+ Adopter Agreement, whether you are developing a new ANT+ product or application, updating an existing ANT+ product, or rebranding another members' design, your company must go through the ANT+ Product Certification process for authorization to use ANT+ logos, word marks, icons and symbols.
To inform customers of the advanced ANT+ interoperability and functionality of your products.
When to use ANT+ brands?
How to use ANT+ brands?
Getting started is easy. Review the tips and dowloads below. Questions may be directed here.
Make it Easy for Your Consumers!
The ANT+ Product Directory is a complete inventory of all ANT+ certified products and quickly connects visitors to hundreds of industry-leading devices and all compatible products and apps within the vast ANT+ ecosystem.
This is an essential guide for consumers in sourcing product and compatibility information; for retailers in buying and selling inventory; and for you in promoting your products and discovering new market opportunities.
Take advantage of this tremendous resource. Link to www.thisisant.com/directory on your website, user manual, product announcements, advertisements and retail collateral.
Add the appropriate ANT+ logo to the product itself to provide a clear indicator to consumers of ANT+ interoperability.
Apply the logo to a consumer-accessible area. Ideal locations are by other trade markings on product labels, or in user interface setting or pairing screens for apps and electronic devices.
Avoid common mistakes. See the ANT+ Brand Guide for details.
Add the ANT+ logo to the retail packaging to provide a point of purchase indicator of ANT+ interoperability.
Take advantage of these key areas to showcase the ANT+ features of your product and the compatible options available.
Featuring certified wireless ANT+™ connectivity. Visit www.thisisant.com/directory for compatible products.
Be sure to list ANT+ in the connectivity features section of your product spec sheet, white papers and other techical documents and web pages.
Featuring certified wireless ANT+™ connectivity. Vist www.thisisant.com/directory for compatible products.
The ANT+ logo and profile icons consist of the symbol, the logotype AND the box with the rounded corners. Do not alter any of these elements.
Do not place the reverse logo on a light background and add a black border/box around the Symbol and Logotype. The standard logo is the correct logo to use on light backgrounds.
Do not place the standard logo on a dark background and add a white border/box around the Sympol and Logotype. The reverse logo is the correct logo to use on dark backgrounds.
When working with a full colour print application, you must adhere to the ANT+ Brand Guide and are not allowed to adjust the ANT+ brand to suit your brand colours.
When working with a one colour print application, see the ANT+ Brand Guide for colour options.
See the ANT+ Brand Guide for full details.


From beaches, boating, biking and golf during the spring, summer and fall to cross country and alpine skiing in the winter-and spa days, shopping and fine dining all year round-there's always plenty to do during your visit to the Inn.
In the summer, cool off with a splash in the Bay, then sunbathe in the comforts of cabana lounge chairs on the beach. Or take a dip in our outdoor swimming pool offering lake views and sip your favorite libation while soaking in the hot tub. Stand up paddleboards and kayak rentals available.
When you explore the Village at Bay Harbor in Northern Michigan, you'll find boutique shopping and fine dining.
While you hit the links, let the little ones play! Welcome to Inn Kids, the Inn at Bay Harbor's exclusive no-boredom-zone club for kids. Choose from a menu of daily activities and plan to have your little explorers experience summer northern Michigan-style.
Defined by endless horizons and fresh water, The Spa at Inn at Bay Harbor is perfectly suited for guests seeking relaxation, solitude and self-discovery. When you settle into our luxurious, full-service resort spa, you'll understand why it earned top honors in Spa Finder Magazine's readers' choice awards, and recognition among the "Top 100 Resort Spas in the US" by Conde Nast Traveler.
"The grounds are immaculate. Fine workout center. A Spa as well. We met Michigan residents who love to come here to this hidden gem. The property is not crowded nor overrun with tourists. We will recommend this property to our friends back home. Well worth the trip!"


Hope this day finds you well and cheery!!
I have had a bit of fun lately trying some new projects I have discovered, just in time for Christmas. I have just sent out my newsletter if you haven't signed up for my monthly newsletter please click on the link on this page so I can get you all the latest news from Stampin Up.
Here are some great little projects I have been working on. I know I promised a youtube video and that is coming, I assure you some time this week!
I was especially proud of the Christmas Orb ornament which I cased from my demo website. They are all the rage at the moment and so simple to make, really, if I can do it so can you. They don't just have to be used for Christmas either, depends on how you decorate them they could be used for any occasion and can hold treats. The chocolate coins demonstrated in the pic are great to put inside for that someone special. (These ones didn't last that long, yum!!!) I can fit classes in between now and Christmas on these ornaments if you wish!! Just contact me to book.
Well I hope you are all ready for the festive season. Looking forward to a great Christmas and an even better 2018.
Merry Christmas and a very happy new year and thank you all for your continued support with Wynning Creations!!!


text:
Science portal
Geoscience resources
Guide to resources within the sciences
Finding resources for science research
Environmental science resources
Geoscience research
Government-sponsored geoscience research
Open access geoscience research
Geoscience data resources
Geoscience maps and images
Other geosciences resources
Geoscience course guides
Health & medicine resources
Physics & astronomy resources
Jonathan Grunert
Social: LinkedIn Page Twitter Page
Subjects:Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geosciences, Health & medicine, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology
The first few databases on this list are broad in scope, and are frequently used to start research. As your project advances, and as you need additional resources, use a variety of databases to expand your research.
EarthChem.org
Geochemical data from a variety of sources worldwide. Advanced search interface allows users to define many parameters to find appropriate information.
GeoGratis
Geospatial information from the Canadian federal government, including topographic maps and GIS data.
Geospatial data from Data.gov
Datasets from the federal government, including the USGS and other agencies.
A large archive of climate data.
National Geophysical Data Center
Bathymetry, earth observations from space, geomagnetic data & models, marine geology & geophysics, natural hazards, space weather & solar events.
ShareGeo Open is a spatial data repository that promotes data sharing between creators and users of spatial data. Geospatial data of all kinds is available.
Earth Science World Image Bank
High resolution photos of geologic formations, rocks, minerals, and interesting earth features.
Geologic Atlas of the United States
Texas A&M University Library has digitized this series of maps and information published by the USGS between 1894 and 1945. Each folio in the series offers a topographic map and a geologic map of the 15' quadrangle, plus additional information particular to the map area. These maps sets offer great detail, in an easy to use online interface, although they are older.
National Geologic Map Database
Search for a geologic map data with keyword and map-based searching. Links are provided to online map images, where available, as well as text citations. Robust search tools allow queries of any place name or a lat/long search. Maps cover North America, primarily the United States.
The National Map Viewer and Download Platform
Map data available for download, including US Topos (the USGS's most up-to-date topographic maps), elevation data, aerial photographs, land cover data and more.
Geologic map information from around the globe. Most maps are at approximately a 1:1,000,000 scale. Data are contributed by participating national geologic survey organizations. Coverage is still inconsistent, but growing.
View topographic maps online. Users can find locations via clicking a map or searching for a location. Maps can be printed and emailed or downloaded as images.
Topo Map Locator and Downloader
Map based guide allows you to click on a map location to find and download the topographic map you need.
An electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society.
<< Previous: Environmental science resources
Next: Health & medicine resources >>
Last Updated: Oct 22, 2019 11:37 AM
URL: https://libguides.geneseo.edu/science-portal
Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geosciences, Health & medicine, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Samsung yesterday announced its flagship Galaxy S10 series at the company's annual Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco. The company announced three devices, the Galaxy S10e, the Galaxy S10 and the premium Galaxy S10+. Along with this, the company also revealed the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.
If you don't already know this, the Samsung Galaxy S10e is a new addition to the Galaxy S series and has been placed as the most affordable varaint in the company's flagship series. Apart from this, the series includes the usual Galaxy S10 and the top-end Galaxy S10 variants.
The three devices in the Galaxy S10 series feature some similar specifications, including the basic design, chipset dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wi-Fi ax support. Additionally, all three devices run on Android 9.0 Pie out of the box.
In terms of security, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ feature an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, which is known to be more secure than traditional optical fingerprint sensors. The Galaxy S10e still uses a side-mounted traditional fingerprint sensor.
In terms of performance, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC coupled with Adreno 640 GPU or Exynos 9 Series 9820 SoC coupled with Mali-G76 MP12 GPU depending on your location. In India, the devices will be equipped with the Exynos chipset.
Starting with the Samsung Galaxy S10e, it features a 5.8-inch Full HD+ (2280 × 1080 pixels) resolution Dynamic AMOLED display with HDR10+ support and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
In terms of internal storage, the device has been announced in two variants - 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 512GB via a microSD card.
Coming to the camera department, the Samsung Galaxy S10e features a dual camera setup at the back, consisting a 12MP Dual Pixel primary camera with f/2.4-f/1.5 variable aperture, OIS and a secondary 16MP 123-degree ultra wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture and up to 8x digital zoom. On the front, the device sports a 10MP selfie camera with f/1.9 aperture and an 80° wide-angle lens.
It is powered by a 3,100mAh battery with wired and wireless fast charging support. Connectivity options on the device include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS, NFC and a USB Type-C 3.1 port.
Coming to the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+, the two devices feature a 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Curved Dynamic AMOLED displays respectively. The displays support HDR10+ and are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6.
Both the devices feature the same chipset as the Galaxy S10e, however, they differ in terms of storage variants. While the Galaxy S10 is available in 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 512GB internal storage variants, the Samsung Galaxy S10+ has been launched in 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage, 8GB RAM + 512GB internal storage and 12GB RAM + 1TB internal storage variants.
Coming to the camera department, the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ feature a triple camera setup at the back consisting a 12MP Dual Pixel primary camera with f/2.4-f/1.5 variable aperture, OIS, a 12MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture and a 45-degree FOV and a 16MP 123-degree ultra-wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture, 0.5X/2X optical zoom and up to 10x digital zoom.
Coming to the front camera, the Galaxy S10 features a 10MP Dual Pixel camera with f/1.9 aperture and an 80-degree wide angle lens. The Galaxy S10+ features the same 10MP sensor along with an additional 8MP depth sensor with f/2.2 aperture and 90-degree FOV.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are powered by a 3,400 and a 4,100mAh battery respectively. Both the device support wired and wireless fast charging and are equipped with wireless PowerShare. Connectivity options on the devices include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5, GPS, NFC and a USB Type-C 3.1 port.
Starting with the Samsung Galaxy S10e, it has been priced at ₹55,900 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, which is the only one that will be available in India.
The Galaxy S10 has been priced at ₹66,900 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and ₹84,900 for the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage variant.
Coming to the Galaxy S10+, it has been priced at ₹73,900 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant, ₹91,900 for the 8GB RAM + 512GB storage variant and ₹1,17,900 for the 12GB RAM + 1TB storage variant.
The pre-orders for Samsung's flagship S10 series begun at 10AM today, February 22 on Flipkart.


Founded in 1955, our partner school St. Giles is situated in the heart of London, and has solid experience in teaching English to executives and professionals. The St Giles International group is one of the largest and most prestigious English language training organisations in the United Kingdom. This "executive" course centre distinguishes itself thanks to its high-quality teaching, its small class sizes and its modern facilities, perfectly adapted to the requirements of executives and professionals. The school is housed in an elegant historic building in the Bloomsbury district, and is easily accessible from Russell Square, Holborn or Tottenham Court Road tube stations. You will study English in the very centre of the city, a stone's throw from the famous British Museum and the green lanes of Lincoln's Inn Fields, London's "Central Park". It'll be difficult to find better!
Gick Platinum--kurs tillsammans med en person till samtidigt som barnen gick Family course. Väldigt bra. Flexibelt, duktig lärare Svårt sätta betyg på barnens i och med att man inte såg så mycket, men det vi såg var bra. Lärarna bra på att ge återkoppling och väldigt trevliga. Barnen tyckte det var nyttigt och kul. Gott betyg :) Boende i väldigt trevligt område, mycket vänlig familj som tog hand om oss på ett bra sätt. Fina frukostar. Ordnade med lunchpaket (sannolikt pga allergirisk i skolan).
Die Gastfamilie ist sehr zu empfehlen.
Accommodation with a family in a single room with half board (private bathroom).
If you're looking for a convenient accommodation option, you'll find it on the upper floors of the school building! You'll stay in a single or twin room, where you'll also find a sink, a TV and a kettle; bathrooms are shared and bed linen is changed once per week. You'll have the choice between half-board or breakfast only. Thanks to the security guard, the door entry system and the CCTV monitoring in the hallways, this residence is very safe. Take advantage of this on-site residence to sleep a little longer in the morning!
A few steps from Holloway Road and the Emirates Stadium, this residence offers en suite single rooms with free bed linen, some storage, a desk and a chair. Wi-Fi is available at no extra cost and the kitchen is shared. Common areas also include a nice courtyard, a gym, a cinema room, a videogames room, some study rooms and the laundry facilities. And the school is only 15 minutes away by tube!
The St Giles On-site residence is conveniently located in the same building as St Giles London Central. All 17 rooms were recently refurbished.
63 students rated this school. See the testimonials of former students.


Being guest be the host..
I am a government officer and associated with education sector. Working on new theoretical approaches for the betterment of all with focus on humanity. Love travelling (by own vehicle) & exploring new places.


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"Even now, the war is a big part of me. It's not a moment in time, it still affects me in so many ways."
Smajos Story: "Every war is a war on children"
100 years ago this year, Eglantine Jebb, the founder of Save the Children, wrote that 'Every war is a war on children'.
A century after she penned those words, they still ring with a painful truth that all adults have a duty to hear and act upon.
War harms children in more ways than it is possible to list:
CHILDREN ARE FORCED TO BECOME SOLDIERS
There are an estimated 300,000 child soldiers in the world at present. Children are used because they are easy to manipulate, are cheaper to feed, and have a less developed sense of danger. Armies often send children in as the first wave of attack to draw enemy fire.
CHILDREN ARE SEPARATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES
In the chaos of a conflict situation, it is easy for parents to lose track of their children. In South Sudan, UNICEF has reunited almost 6,000 children with their families. Another 12,000 children are still waiting for their families to be found.
CHILDREN ARE RAPED
Rape is used as a weapon in war to intimidate the civilian population. The UN estimates that of the 10,000 victims of rape during Sierra Leone's civil war, almost 15% were children. The effects of rape as a war crime include higher rates of HIV, pregnancy, physical scars, and emotional scars that often never heal. Just a few months ago, the US threatened to veto a UN resolution to tackle rape as a weapon of war because they objected to some of its language regarding sexual health.
CHILDREN ARE HARMED PHYSICALLY
On the eve of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Radio Mille Collines, in Kigali, told its listeners: "To kill the big rats, you have to kill the little rats." Over the weeks that followed, more than 300,000 Tutsi children were hacked, beaten and burned to death. Children's small bodies are even more vulnerable to trauma than adults'. For those who survive, the physical scars can last a lifetime.
CHILDREN ARE SCARRED EMOTIONALLY
No statistic can do justice to the nightmares, anxiety and depression experienced by the child victims of war. Traumatised children reveal their stress in dozens of ways, from bed wetting and mutism, to self harm and even suicide.
Because a child is harmed as he or she is still forming themselves, the damage finds its way into the deepest part of the self.
Smajo illustrates this fact when he describes the effect that the war in Bosnia has had on his life:
After seeing their home village of Barane ablaze, the Bešo family had realised that they would never be able to go back to the life they had once had.
On 4 August 1993, Bosnian-Croat forces began to round up Muslim families in Stolac, where Smajo and his family had taken refuge after being forced from their village.
26 years later, Smajo still vividly recalls what happened when he was just eight years old:
"We were forced to march to the factory where my dad used to work. It was a half hour walk.
These were people we knew, soldiers we recognised. They had been our neighbours, our friends. People were panicking, screaming and shouting.
We always walked in the same way: I would walk on the left holding my mam's left hand, my brother on the right, my sister just ahead of us.
I remember it hurting my hand because my mam was squeezing it so tight out of fear of losing us in the crowd.
They took us in two families at a time. We went in with my auntie's family.
I remember what happened in that room as if it was yesterday.
There were two soldiers. One of them was focussed specifically on me. My sister started crying hysterically and they took that as a sign that we had money.
I remember a big soldier interrogating me.
One moment he was shouting at me, then he was pretending to be nice, saying he'd buy me a big bar of chocolate if I told him where our money was.
It was so scary. I remember he was wearing aviator sunglasses so when I looked at him I could just see a reflection of myself.
I sometimes wonder if that's why I often remember myself in those situations as if I'm looking at myself from the outside, because I could see myself crying. I could see what he could see.
He was also holding metal tongs and he was squeezing them in my face, making them snap open and shut.
I always wonder if he had kids of his own, if he had thought about whether he would want someone doing that to his kids. I wonder if he saw us as kids at all.
My brother was at the other side of the room, swivelling on an office chair, looking out the window. We both had shorts on. He had a denim jacket on, my mam had sewed money into the sleeves.
My sister had been given earrings by my grandad when she was born, that was the only connection she had to him. My mam tried to plead the human side, she tried to say, "Please don't take the earrings, they're the only things she has from her grandad", but they didn't give a shit.
On the floor there was a pile of money and clothes they had taken from people. People had taken money out of banks. Just recently we found the records from that centre: they had gathered over a million marks. But we know that not everything they took was recorded, some of it was just stolen by the soldiers.
I remember I was crying so much, and I was wondering why my brother wasn't.
I remember always just crying. Every opportunity, I was letting my emotions out. My mam always allowed me to cry, she said it was OK for a boy to show emotions.
My brother doesn't really talk about what happened. He doesn't remember a lot of it, that's his way of dealing with it.
I talk about what happened constantly. For me, talking about it is the only way we can get justice.
The war is part of who I am today, I don't know who I would be if it hadn't happened."
None of us can choose whether we experience trauma or not. A child in Syria has no more choice than a child living through the Blitz in Britain in 1940, or any more choice than Smajo had in Bosnia in 1993.
But Smajo says that even though we have no choice about whether we experience traumatic events, all of us can choose how we react to them:
"My mam has always said, 'How you deal with these things in life is up to you. It's not what you experience, it's what you take from it.'
My mam is one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet. She's a fighter. Whatever was going on, she and my auntie always put food on the table. I always think, if she had had a different attitude, what would my experience of war have been? I think I would have been more angry, more aggressive."
Smajo's mother has an important lesson for all of us: by teaching children how to deal with traumatic events in a way that not only protects their humanity, but even enhances it, we not only save them from trauma's worst effects, but we also prevent them from becoming the kind of people who inflict trauma on others.
Click here if you would like to read more of Emlyn's blog.


text:
A Letter to Marvel Television Fans from Jeph Loeb
by Marvel
Earn Points, Get Rewards Join!
It had never been done before.
Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors, cast and crew, coming out months apart and then...
...they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City.
We called them The Defenders.
And together we were thrilled by stories of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and even the Punisher joined in!
They said it couldn't be done.
But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes.
Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it.
And we did it all for you -- the fans -- who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.
So, Thank You!
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn't be more proud or more grateful to our audience.
Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters... but you know Marvel better than that.
As Matthew Murdock's Dad once said, "The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it's how he gets back up."
To be continued...!
- Jeph Loeb and all of us at Marvel Television


I got an Xbox One in the last week or so, and I love it. It's nice to have a "gamer" console again after only having a Wii U (which I also love, but for very different reasons) for a year or so. I was, however, left without it or internet access this past weekend, but I brought my laptop and a gaming controller with me. My laptop certainly is not a gaming powerhouse, but it has enough power to play some recent, not-graphics-heavy games. The two main fixtures for last weekend's gaming were Shovel Knight and Rogue Legacy.
Both these games give you a good idea where my head is at when it comes to video games. I'm a child of 90s gaming, for sure. Shovel Knight is a quasi-8-bit platformer that combines the best parts of Mega Man, DuckTales, Zelda II, and Castlevania into one of the best games of last year. Shovel Knight has a quirky story, superior level design, and catchy music.
Rogue Legacy is a rogue-like platformer, meaning that the levels in the castle you are adventuring in get randomly generated every time you enter. This game is difficult, and you will die–a lot. That's okay, though, because after every death, you pick an heir from three options (also randomly generated), but they keep your equipment and the money you collected in the previous castle run. Death is just a part of the game, and it's fun trying out new characters as you make your way through all the parts of the castle.
My new Xbox is great, and I love playing games like Shadow of Mordor and Titanfall, but to have just pure fun that appeals to me as an early millennial gamer, platformers (especially those that refine, perfect, and enhance the experience like the ones mentioned about) are where it is at for me.


Overtime was needed in Saturday's game as Pamela Rosado could not keep Manati in it as Chanita Jordan helped Yauco escape with a 74-73 win. On Sunday, first overall draft pick Anushka Maldonado had her best game yet for San Sebastian, but Whitney Bays and Carolina won 69-45. On Tuesday, Nici Gilday took the lead scoring role for Carolina as they beat Yauco 83-77. On Wednesday, Manati beat Santurce 71-54. Carolina thought that they would roll again on Thursday after adding a key player, but Chanita Jordan and Yauco started well, forcing the visitors to stage a comeback in the second half and maintain their perfect record after overtime with a 79-74 win. On Saturday, first draft pick Anushka Maldonado had a good game, but San Sebastian is still looking for their first win after an 88-59 loss to Santurce.
The new season started with one special game on Thursday and the rest on Saturday. The league expanded this season, eliminating the old qualification process. The two military teams also merged, creating an all-domestic rival for the teams that will be bringing in star foreigners. Xinjiang had to their opener with just their domestic lineup as they await the arrival of their foreign player. Wang Lili and Peng Shiqing picked up the scoring slack, but Ji Yanyan and Heilongjiang escaped with a 73-72 win as Monique Billings played her first overseas game.
On Saturday, the best duel between foreign players was in Shaanxi's 86-67 win over Liaoning where A'ja Wilson had a strong first overseas game and Imani McGee-Stafford had a big game too. Beijing will have to alter the plan that got them recent championships, but a good game from Morgan Tuck was not enough against DeWanna Bonner and Shandong, which left with an 80-70 win. Shanghai is also changing strategies, but Jelena Dubljevic's solid effort was not enough against a balanced Jiangsu team as they won 78-64. Tianjin is pursuing a different strategy than the other teams as they are one of a number of newcomers to the league, giving Ieshia Small her professional debut, but Shanxi proved stronger with their duo of Wu Di and Yu Qi leading them to a 100-57 win. Hebei had a much better start as Qi Siyue led them past Yelena Leuchanka and Sichuan 75-60 with Azura Stevens playing her first overseas game. Stefanie Dolson and Henan beat Fujian 96-71. Hubei is not fielding a foreign player, which proved painful against Chen Liyu and Guangdong, which won 105-43. The merging of the military teams under the Bayi banner could mean a super team is being formed and Jin Jiabao led them in the first game, an 86-67 win over Alaina Coates and Zhejiang as the special rules did not come into play.
The first full round was played with all games played on Saturday. The first game saw Lattes Montpellier beat Lyon 80-63. Marine Johannes and Bourges beat Landerneau 79-62.. Adja Konteh and Alexis Prince teamed up to lead Tarbes past Roche 78-69. Kristen Mann led Mondeville, but Landes won 68-57. Pauline Akonga led Hainaut past Nantes 72-63. Villeneuve continued their momentum with a 73-70 win over Charleville 73-70.
All of the games in this round were played on Sunday. Lyndra Weaver and Gipuzkoa kept Sant Adria in last place 73-60. Gernika also remained unbeaten with a 70-60 win at Al-Qazeres. A battle of winless teams went to Zamarat 74-61 over Ferrol. Valencia got a good game from Maria Pina, but continued to deal with a tough starting schedule with an 82-61 loss to Shay Murphy and Girona. Avenida handed Sedis their first loss 82-53. Another battle of winless teams saw Zaragoza beat Bembibre 66-59. Natalie Van Den Adel and Araski ended the day with a 66-65 win over Ensino.
Saturday started with Nymburk beating Trutnov 64-51. KP Brno then beat Ostrava 97-58. Alena Hanusova and USK took care of their city rivals Slavia 122-59. On Sunday, Strakonice put up a fight against Monika Satoranska and Slovanka, but still lost 65-51. Teamstore Brno was far less competitive, losing to Hradec Kralove 118-47.
The round started with one game on Saturday as Tiffany Hayes joined Polkowice as they beat Gdanska 94-65. The rest of the games were on Sunday, starting with Emma Cannon firing Gdynia past Wisla 67-56 in Krakow. Torun beat Poznan 91-61. Brianna Kiesel and Lublin tried to come back late in Wroclaw, but lost to Sleza 80-78. Rebecca Harris led Siedlce, but Maryia Papova and Gorzow won 92-58. Klaudia Perisa and Widzew Lodz beat Ostrovia 81-69.
On Wednesday, another game from Round 3 was played as Gottingen recorded their first win in impressive fashion, surprising Keltern 69-57. This round started with one game on Saturday as Herner beat Freiburg 78-69. A busy Sunday included Ariel Hearn and Saarlouis beating Lauren Engeln and Bad Aibling 85-79 as Bronaza Fitzgerald made her professional debut. Jen Schlott and Wasserburg dismantled Chemnitz 88-45. Hannover stifled Donau-Ries 63-40. Gottingen continued their momentum with a 74-66 win over Matilda Claesson and Eintracht Braunschweig. Keltern is falling in the opposite direction after losing to Marburg 67-62 at home.
The round started out in Novosibirsk on Saturday with Ekaterinburg winning 90-49. Inventa Kursk beat Dynamo Moscow 79-71. Dynamo Kursk unleased Breanna Stewart in her first game and she was dominant against MBA as they won 85-64 as Epiphanny Prince also made her return. On Sunday, Brionna Jones and Nadezhda were at full strength as they welcomed Enisey to Orenburg, winning 81-72. Spartak Moscow then beat Spartak Noginsk 76-53.
The first full Sunday of games started with Anete Steinberga and Martina Bestagno leading Venezia past Kahlia Lawrence and Torino 98-53. Courtney Williams and Napoli beat Antiesha Brown and Battipaglia 75-54. The best game of the day went to overtime before Nikolina Milic and Broni beat Krystal Vaughn and Lucca 74-70. Aliyah Huland El had a great game for Empoli, but the balance of San Martino di Lupari helped them win 80-56. They are not the only league newcomers struggling as Feyonda Fitzgerald and Sara Bocchetti dispatched Sesto San Giovanni 83-73. Sandrine Gruda and Schio ended the day with a 75-64 win over Ragusa.
Most of the games in this round were on Saturday. Galatasaray beat Izmit 73-54. A balanced effort among the starters helped Mersin beat Kayseri 89-64. Brandi Harvey-Carr led the way for Bodrum again, but Besiktas had the duo of Viktoria Mircheva and Kelsey Mitchell to lead them to a 102-58 win. Adana stunned Anastasiya Verameyenka and Fenerbahce 70-68. Astou Ndour led Cukurova past Rebekah Gardner and Orman 71-64. On Sunday, it took overtime for Nicole Romeo and Canik to beat Istanbul University 76-66. Hatay tried out a new combination of foreign players again as mainstay Hind Ben Abdelkader led them past Botas 83-63.
A busy Friday started with Darcy Garbin leading Adelaide past Townsville 75-65. A home team won for the first time, but that still require a late comeback as Bec Cole and Dandenong beat Sydney 66-62. Kelsey Griffin and Canberra beat Melbourne 72-65 to continue the road trend. There was one game on Saturday as Becca Tobin and Bendigo beat Dandenong 87-65. A busy Sunday started with Lindsay Allen and Melbourne beating Tahlia Tupaea and Sydney 87-75. Kelsey Griffin paced Canberra again in their 79-75 win over Adelaide. Brittany McPhee and Asia Taylor teamed up to lead Perth past Suzy Batkovic and Townsville 98-88.
The first round of games all played on the same day was on Monday as Natalia Achonwa and Jiangsu beat Shandong 100-72. Tianjin continued to find the step up tough as they lost to Beijing 77-38. Xinjiang got Natasha Howard in time for the trip to Liaoning, which helped them leave with a 71-66 win despite another big game for Imani McGee-Stafford. A'ja Wilson led Shaanxi again, this time past Shanghai 79-71. Yelena Leuchanka and Sichuan beat Henan 73-56. Azura Stevens and Hebei continued a solid start with a 81-61 win over Shanxi. Li Yueru led Guangdong past Heilongjiang 79-55. Hubei knew that an all-domestic battle with Bayi was only going one way as Liu Shuai and Wang Xuemeng marched the military team to a 106-35 win. Alicia DeVaughn and Lin Qingrong teamed up for Fujian, but it was not enough to stop Alaina Coates and Zhejiang, which won 81-76.
thanks again, awhom. really enjoy these updates.
Round 3 started with Satu Mare beating Arlesia Morse and Cluj 85-65. Sepsi beat Alina Podar and Brasov 96-57. The final game was played on Tuesday as Arad beat Targoviste 78-65 with A'Lexus Harrison making her professional debut.
A pair of Round 4 games were played on Saturday. Oradea edged Angel Robinson and Targu Mures 58-53. The city rivals faced off next with Agronomia overcoming and Florina Stanici and Rapid 60-59.
The site should come back online soon. Mo is on league business outside the country right now.
A couple games from future rounds were brought forward to last Wednesday. A Round 11 game was close for a while before Sopron's trio of Aleksandra Crvendakic, Candice Dupree, and Amanda Zahui B helped them beat ZTE 95-72. A game moved from Round 5 was played in Miskolc with DVTK beating Pecsi 101-60. This round started on Saturday in Ujbuda with Dora Szabo and BEAC beating MTK 65-60. The old rivals squared off with Sopron beating Gyor 71-52. Erica McCall and Szekszard bounced back with an 88-51 win at Vasas. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and DVTK beat PEAC 82-77. On Sunday, NKE welcomed Cegled to Csata and won 72-50. The last game was played on Wednesday with ZTE beating Pecsi 84-76.
Another full round of games was played on Wednesday. Shandong kept Tianjin winless 91-51. Beijing handed Hebei their first loss 75-56. Shanghai's tough start continued because Natasha Howard could not be stopped in Xinjiang's 76-67 win. Liaoning has similar nightmares despite another productive outing for Imani McGee-Stafford as Guandong's duo of Li Yueru and Aerial Powers got them the 83-67 win. A'ja Wilson had another big scoring night in a battle of undefeated teams, but Shaanxi lost to Natalie Achonwa and Jiangsu 92-74. Monique Billings led Heilongjiang, but Li Meng and Bayi showed their superior depth in a 104-59 win. Wu Di and Shanxi beat Stefanie Dolson and Henan 77-67. Hubei found another winless team that they could match up better with, but Fujian's combination of Alicia DeVaughn and Chen Caijin still got them the 72-65 win. Dan Wanli and Alaina Coates teamed up to lead Zhejiang past Zhao Xuetong and Sichuan 84-77.
All games in this group were played on Wednesday, starting with the game in Orenburg where Alyssa Thomas led USK Praha to an 83-78 win over Nadezhda. Temi Fagbenle and Polkowice did not have their start go as planned as Bourges dominated from the start on the way to a 73-56 win. Ekaterinburg crushed Villeneuve as expected 99-51 while still short of their full roster. Schio's new look team came up short in Belgium as Castors Braine won 63-60.
Olympiacos started well at home on Wednesday, but Kelsey Plum and Fenerbahce showed their experience at this level in a 63-54 win. Sopron will no longer be able to sneak up on teams this season and it was Charleville that got the opening win 80-74. TTT Riga was almost able to get the surprise win, but Breanna Stewart's immediate impact on Dynamo Kursk continued as they escaped 70-69. There was one game on Thursday as Courtney Paris led Hatay past Avenida 88-80.
One game was played on Wednesday in this group as Adelina Abaiburova and Spartak Moscow welcomed Teodora Turudic and Swedish side Sodertalje to the competition by beating them 73-56. The two Polish teams met on Thursday with Bydgoszcz beating Maryia Papova and Gorzow 92-74.
Wednesday's games started in this group as Victoria Macaulay and Moriah Jefferson teamed up to lead defending champions Galatasaray past Jade Johnson-Walker and Niki Lefkada 81-61. Nirra Feilds led Torun on Thursday, but they could not leave Moscow with a win as MBA prevailed 86-82.
Wisla Krakow was not expecting to be dropped down into this competition so early, but tried to make the best of it starting with a 76-58 win over Inventa Kursk on Wednesday. As expected, Kelsey Mitchell provided Besiktas with scoring on Thursday, but it was Viktoriya Hasper who put up the day's biggest numbers to give Tsmoki-Minsk the 68-63 win.
Two Turkish teams are playing in this group and they squared off on Wednesday with Mersin beating Kahleah Copper and Orman 75-70. Sepsi was hoping to start another surprise run on Thursday, but their group proved to be as difficult as it looked on paper as Stephanie Mavunga and Enisey left with a 73-54 win.
On Wednesday, Botas leaned heavily on their foreigners in their trip to Umea as Jewell Loyd, Elizabeth Williams, and Claudia Pop combined to outscore their opponents themselves in an 82-65 win. Thursday's games started in this group as Beroe brought Bulgaria into the competition with some solid signings, but a good game from Ana Pocek was not enough as they lost to Cukurova 89-68.
Both games in this group were played on Wednesday, starting with Gyor's 78-67 win over Uniao Sportiva. League-mates also squared off as Girona breezed past Gernika 80-57.
Both of the games in this group were played on Wednesday, including DVTK's 77-59 win over KP Brno in Miskolc. Reyer is looking to make another run in the competition this season and started with an 88-60 win over Nantes.
The variety of countries in this competition continues to improve and Frida Eldebrink and Szekszard welcomed youthful Slovenian powerhouse Celje to the competition by beating them 90-56 on Wednesday. This group closed play on Thursday with a great game as Nymurk fended off Ruzomberok 71-70.
The two French teams opened this group on Wednesday and Sami Whitcomb fired Lattes Montpellier past Lyon 79-63. The other game was on Thursday as Leia Dongue had a big game for Cegled, but they lost to Keltern 81-80.
Both games in this group were played on Wednesday. Milica Ivanovic led Fribourg, but Aby Gaye helped Tarbes leave with a 70-66 win. Sint-Katelijne-Waver is fielding an exceptionally young roster and it showed against Landes in their 80-48 loss.


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The Catholic Transcript
The newspaper says the UK government will reduce BBC funding
Is Globo closing? How are the finances of the largest broadcaster in Latin America – Money Times
"Bolsonaro was telling people not to search"
Patients are robbed in line at a health center in Kariyasika
The Brazil Cup draw determines the opponents of Ciara, Ferroviario and Icasa. See Clashes – Run
The owner of 99 stopped coming to the UK after Chinese restrictions
Alvin Dean August 26, 2021 2 min read
Once you have received your application Removed from all stores in China. Didi Global, owner of apps like Uberin 99 and the world's biggest competitor, has postponed plans to launch in the UK and continental Europe. British newspaper Telegraph It said on Monday (23) that the suspension may be related to a domestic issue about how to manage its customers' data.
After obtaining licenses to operate in several cities in the UK, the Chinese company announced to the employees it had already hired because Didi had stopped hiring in the country and postponed the release plans for at least 12 months.
A Didi spokesman issued a public statement noting plans to launch in the country, noting that the company would continue Explore new marketsEstablish contacts with interested parties and think about the best time to start their services. More succinctly: "As soon as we get more news about additional new markets, we will gladly share."
Didi's seizures
Didi's logo during its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (Source: Brendan McDermott / Reuters / Reproduction)Source: Brendan McDermott / Reuters
Didi is going through a turbulent moment in its history, under the pressure of both sides of the world. Aside from the natural American "marking" aside, the company is facing serious cyber security reviews, especially after listing its shares on the New York Stock Exchange. By Chinese authorities, Guarantees secure storage of its users' data in the "battle" with the country's major technologies.
Despite all the pressures, Didi remains steadfast in its international business expansion plans. Following the success of its initial public offering (IPO) in the United States in June, the company launched in South Africa, Ecuador and Kazakhstan when it raised US $ 4.4 billion (R $ 23.5 billion). In Brazil, the company has been operating under the 99 brand since 2018.
See also From US Futures Point to Wall Street losses this Thursday
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School Trips to The Netherlands
School Trips to Austria
School Trips to Belgium
School Trips to China
School Trips to France
School Trips to Germany
School Trips to Greece
School Trips to Iceland
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School Trips to The Dutch Coast
School Trips to Amsterdam
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School Trips to WWI Battlefields
The charming canals, winding streets and wealth of museums across the city make visiting Amsterdam a first class learning experience for students. School trips to Amsterdam prove very popular for a range of interests, particularly art, design, history and music.
The city is also smaller than many other major European cities, meaning that it's less of a challenge to visit as many attractions as possible during a school tour to Amsterdam. Visit the world-renowned Rijksmuseum, dedicated to housing masterpieces of art and design for over 200 years. Just around the corner you also have the hugely impression collections on display at Van Gogh Museum.
For an unforgettable history experience, Anne Frank House is a deeply moving exhibit that documents Jewish persecution at the time of the Second World War – a must-see for all school trips to the Netherlands.
Amsterdam school trips always prove popular for both students and teachers alike. Have a read through our subject-focussed trips listed below or feel free to get in touch for more information on tailoring the perfect trip for your class.
Browse our curriculum-linked school trips to Amsterdam
There is an incredibly diverse range of art on offer in Amsterdam, particularly in the recently improved Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. These are some of the destinations during the art & design school trips.
Learn more about our art & design trips to Amsterdam here
Cultural & Transition Year
Many groups choose to base themselves in Noordwijk, a modern seaside resort with long sandy beaches, numerous cafés, shops and traditional Dutch attractions. Noordwijk provides a suitable base for excursions to Amsterdam.
Learn more about our cultural & transition year trips to Amsterdam here
Geography school trips to the Netherlands are excellent for the study of physical, human and environmental geography.
Learn more about our geography trips to the Netherlands here
Amsterdam is a thought-provoking destination for history school trips, and an ideal location to put classroom learning into context.
Learn more about our history trips to Amsterdam here
Music - Amsterdam & the Dutch Coast
Visit the popular coastal resort of Noordwijk, a perfect location packed with concert venues, churches and local markets.
Learn more about our music trips to Amsterdam here
View all Amsterdam school trips
Amsterdam trip highlights – our groups love...
Comprising the largest collection of Van Goghs in the world, the museum includes over 200 canvases by the master, providing a fascinating insight into his life and oeuvre. The museum also exhibits an extensive permanent collection of works by other 19th-century artists including Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec. The museum is ideally located on Museumplein in Amsterdam, between the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum.
Rembrandthuis Museum
Originally a house where Rembrandt painted for a number of years, the museum's collection provides an almost complete overview of Rembrandt's graphic work including four original etching plates. The museum also includes the restored Rembrandt's house - historically accurate, this provides a wonderful opportunity to see where Rembrandt worked.
Foam Photography Museum
FOAM - from Dutch Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, is located in a beautiful century-and-a-half-old canal house at one of Amsterdam's central canals. The interior is a mix of original architectural features and modern chrome and glass that provide an artistic ambiance for museum goers. Both still photography and multi-media shows are displayed. The museum rotates its shows on a regular basis, every 2-4 months, showing small exhibits of two or three different international artists at the same time, to give an audience a chance to view work by both world-famous artists up-and-coming talent.
Dedicated to arts, crafts and history, the museum has over 400 masterpieces on display telling the impressive tale of the political, economic and artistic wonder of Holland's Golden Age. In addition to eighteen works by Rembrandt, other favourite items of the public on display include Vermeer's famous 'The Kitchen Maid', Steen's depictions of daily life and exquisite Delftware.
Anne Frank House
Containing the preserved warehouse offices, annexe and a modern extension, students can visit the rooms where the Frank family hid for over two years and where Anne wrote her diary. The modern extension houses exhibitions on those hiding in the annexe and on the wider story of the fate of Europe's Jewish population, as well as displays seeking to link these themes to contemporary issues relating to persecution and prejudice.
Camp Vught National Memorial
The only official SS-concentration camp in the occupied part of WWII and includes the Children's Memorial, the crematorium and a reconstructed prisoners' barracks. Groups can also benefit from the invaluable opportunity to meet a concentration camp survivor or a member of the survivor's family at Camp Vught.
Situated in a complex comprising four former synagogues in the heart of the old Jewish district, the museum covers all aspects of Jewish culture and religious belief.
Delta Park Neeltje Jans & Delta Works
Following the 1953 disaster, the Delta Works were constructed consisting of several moveable barriers, locks and dams. The Delta Works lie within the water-themed Delta Park Neeltje Jans where exhibitions, films and a guided visit to the storm surge barrier itself will give you an impression of the stupendous power of water.
Rotterdam Harbour Cruise
Your students will spend the afternoon on a visit to Rotterdam Harbour where they can take a 75-minute cruise and observe the gigantic throughput facilities and redevelopments.
NEMO Science Centre
Enjoy five floors of exciting things to do and discover. Filled with exhibitions, theatre performances, films, workshops and demonstrations, pupils will smell, hear, feel and see how the world works.
This museum is crucial for understanding Amsterdam's rich history. Apart from its permanent art treasures, Amsterdam Museum presents interesting temporary shows – not only about Amsterdam recent history, but also about its people, arts, fashion and crafts.
Canal Cruise through Amsterdam
See the major sights of Amsterdam as you travel along the canal.
The museum possesses one of the world's main collections of modern art and design including works by big names, such as Malevich, Mondrian, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Rietveld, Appel and Warhol.
Amsterdam school trip experts
Each year, hundreds of students visit Amsterdam with our help. Members of our team regularly visit this region to really get to know the ins-and-outs of the area, from logistics and attractions to our range of accommodation.
Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their knowledge of Amsterdam to create an itinerary that's tailor-made, perfectly timed and meets your exact school travel needs. They'll be able to share their first-hand experience, suggest options you might not have considered and give you insight into the feedback other teachers have given us too.
Start planning your Amsterdam trip
If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...
Your dedicated tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of Amsterdam to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group's exact needs.


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Ziwe Puts Karens and White Feminism on Blast, Turns to Fran Lebowitz and Gloria Steinem for Answers
By Mekeisha Madden Toby / May 7 2021, 2:29 PM PDT
Courtesy of Showtime
Fran Lebowitz and Gloria Steinem are not Karens. And they are not among the 55 percent of white women who voted for Trump in 2020, either.
But in the same way that people of color are sometimes asked to explain the misdeeds of their brethren, the eponymous host of Ziwe (Showtime's new chat and sketch show debuting Sunday at 11/10c) challenges the feminist thought leaders to break down white women's racial privilege. Their answers, in turn, create a back-and-forth that is sometimes funny, occasionally awkward and always thought-provoking.
At one point, Ziwe gets Lebowitz to comically compare herself to Martin Luther King Jr., and later self-identify as "the great white hope." Although, Ziwe isn't intimidated by either woman, it doesn't mean she wasn't a bit scared that things could've gone south.
Ziwe Asks the (Tauntingly) Tough Questions in Showtime Series Trailer
'SoHo Karen' Snaps at Gayle King in Contentious CBS Interview — Watch
"We're on this Earth for a very limited time, so I personally need to make art that moves me, that makes me a little afraid," Ziwe tells TVLine. "This interview doesn't feel safe and that's what entertains me — like, that's what would get me to watch it. My comedy has to feel fresh and it has to surprise me. But I am afraid, and that's kind of why I do it. I'm always pushing the boundaries, trying to get that fix."
Thanks to the magic of editing, sometimes Lebowitz feels like she is in on the jokes and sometimes it doesn't. But Ziwe applauds the literati icon's openness during the four-hour interview, which was pared down to 20 minutes for broadcast.
"She was in on it in the sense that she came to that interview from a place of honesty. Fran put it all on the table," Ziwe elaborates. "I asked her which was worse, 'slow walkers or racism,' and she asked if that was a real question before answering 'slow walkers.' But that's an honest answer. She was bringing herself to the interview, and so was I."
Ziwe also pulls no punches when it comes to Karens (such as in a segment with real white women bearing that name) and white feminism (mocked via a catchy musical number titled "Lisa Called the Cops on Black People"). Ziwe's approach is so candid, in fact, it feels like she's exposing conversations and perceptions Black women have about white women that are only shared among themselves.
"We are socialized to never speak about race, especially not on-camera and especially not for your professional living," the comedian divulges. "I wanted to really subvert these conversations. Every single person I know can relate to being cornered at a bar and someone white is talking to them about their 'Black friend.' And you're like, 'What are you talking about?'"
"I wanted to bring that sort of awkwardness and absurdity on-screen, in a way that translates so that people can realize how truly wild it is," she adds. "That's what my comedy aims to do. And sometimes I'm successful, and sometimes I'm not. But that's definitely the aim."
In a future installment, Ziwe challenges anti-Asian hate and classism with the respective help of Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang and Shrill's Patti Harrison. (There's even a brilliant musical number where she and Harrison snobbishly instruct people to "just don't be poor.") Another episode features broadcast journalist and reality star Eboni K. Williams, who has an unexpectedly wicked sense of humor.
"Eboni was such a delight; I had no idea how hilarious she is," Ziwe reports. "She was talking about being big-breasted and I was like, 'OK, we're really peeling back the layers.'"
"Overall, that's the way I would describe my guests — unafraid. Even if they are nervous," Ziwe concludes. "That is such a great characteristic to have, and I've been so thankful to each and every one of my guests for coming onto my show unafraid to have these really public conversations, and not being afraid to look silly. That is a blessing, and every one of them is brilliant and beloved to me."
TAGS: Showtime, Ziwe
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