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Our StoryOur TeamOur InitiativesNews & ViewsSupport UsConnect With Us
Connect With Us hello@seechangeinitiative.org
Support Us Find out more about how you can support our work here.
Rachel Kiddell-Monroe
Founder and Executive Director
Rachel Kiddell-Monroe is a lawyer, a humanitarian practitioner and an advocate. She is a Board Director at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a founding President of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines and a Professor of Practice at McGill University. Rachel believes putting people and their community first is key to creating a more humane, just, and fair society.
Violeta Chapela
Medical Advisor and Program Lead
Violeta Chapela is a doctor with humanitarian experience in the areas of sexual violence, migration, sexual and reproductive health, mental health for victims of violence and primary healthcare in exclusion and war zones. Violeta also has an interest in strengthening community networks from a gender perspective.
Sumeet Sodhi
Medical Director and Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator
Sumeet is a family physician in the Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and the Academic Lead for the Indigenous Health Partners Program at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Sumeet has led many global health initiatives, including indigenous health, diabetes, HIV, TB, primary care integration, community-based programming and chronic illness care.
Bayan Alabda
Bayan holds a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering and is now pursuing her second degree in psychology at Concordia University. She is the Executive Assistant at SeeChange, where she provides administrative, financial, and operational support to the team. Bayan is interested in researching war trauma, family violence, and its effects on memory and daily life. Her goal is to complete her education and earn a PHD in the field so that she can support marginalized communities.
Jasmine Cumetti
D-DEI Lead
Jasmine Cumetti holds a B. Comm. in organizational behaviour and psychology from McGill University and is currently completing a M. Sc. in International Business at HEC. Jasmine coordinates efforts to foster decoloniality within the organization. She believes that an inquisitive and introspective process of decolonizing our minds is an important first step in becoming an agent of change and cultivating a society which is truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive at its core.
Canadian Initiatives Team
Naomi Tatty
Intercultural Health Lead
Naomi Tatty, from Iqaluit, Nunavut, was nominated "Inuit Woman of the Year" because of her tireless volunteer work assisting Inuit families in need across Canada and advocacy for Inuit culture and wellbeing. Fluent in Inuktitut and English, Naomi, is a strong advocate on the issue of tuberculosis in Inuit communities. Naomi is also well known by community members for organizing fundraisers to assist with the cost of travel and funeral expenses for those who have lost a loved one. Naomi proudly helps to keep Inuit culture strong by sharing her skills in sewing and the Inuktitut language. When asked what advice Naomi had for other Inuit women, she said, "Always give a helping hand and treat people with respect."
Dawit Yimam
Canada Program Lead
Dawit was born and raised in Ethiopia, Eastern Africa, and is a public health and emergency management professional with a double master's degree in public health (MPH) and Disaster and Emergency Management and more than 15 Years of working experience in Public Health and Emergency Management Programs in different organizations including World Health Organization (WHO), Bill and Melinda gates Foundation, Save The Children and Canadian Red Cross in different parts of the world mainly in Africa and Southeast Asia. Dawit used to work for First Nation Health Authority in Northern Ontario as an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator which gives me a perspective and deep understanding of the history and culture of indigenous communities in Canada.
Samantha Poncabare
TB Project Lead
Samantha holds a Bachelor in International Development from the University of McGill, Montreal, Canada. She has been working at SeeChange since 2020, bringing executive, admin, finance, fundraising and operational support as the Executive Assistant. Building on this experience, she recently stepped into the role of Project Coordinator, co-leading the Tuberculosis initiative in Nunavut, Canada.
Malcolm Ranta
Local Director
Malcolm Ranta is the Executive Director of Ilisaqsivik Society. He is also Director of Operations for the social enterprise Tukumaaq Incorporated. Malcolm has years of experience working in Nunavut in government and non-profit sectors. He has worked in public health and community development with remote and urban Indigenous communities. Malcolm is also a wannabe weekend hunter.
Global Initiatives Team
Jessica Farber
Project Lead and Community Readiness Coordinator
Jessica Farber is leading SeeChange project with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), piloting the CommunityFirst approach in vulnerabilised communities globally. She works with community leaders and institutional partners to organise, prepare and respond to health crises. She also has experience in outreach, advocacy and project coordination with forced migrants and asylum seekers in Montreal and Mexico. Jessica holds a B.A. in International Development from McGill University.
Megan Corbett-Thompson
CommunityFirst Fellow and Project Coordinator
Megan Corbett-Thompson holds a BSc in Ecological Determinants of Health from McGill University. She has gained diverse experience in protection work, community mobilization and environmental health promotion alongside NGOs in Latin America. Megan is committed to community empowerment and upholding the dignity of all persons. She holds a fellowship from York University's Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (DIGHR).
Huguette Ekambi Mbella
Huguette Ekambi Mbella is a global citizen – Cameroon-born, Paris-educated, Washington DC-based – with deep expertise in governance, risk management, and control functions. She is pursuing a distinguished career at the International Finance Corporation (IFC, member of the World Bank Group) and has served profit and not-for-profit international finance institutions across Europe and North America. Ms. Mbella is passionate about unlocking human potential, expanding financial inclusion, and all things Art related.
Denis Blanchette
Denis Blanchette has spent 30 years bringing community first. He worked with communities in Africa and Latin America. After working at the Supreme Court of Canada, he is now a partner at one of Canada's leading law firms supporting Indigenous communities. Denis is recognized as a leading practitioner in Indigenous law in Best Lawyers in Canada 2020.
Carol Devine
Carol Devine was a founding member of SeeChange and is a Humanitarian Affairs Advisor with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada. Carol was a 2016 fellow of the Ecologic Institute's Arctic Summer College. She is a member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Humanities Expert Group and a Community Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.
Yves Abanda
Yves is a French-Cameroonian McGill graduate from a Liberal Sciences Bachelors in Physics and Environment. Among his current interests are sustainable self-determination, colonization of the mind, deep adaptation, food sovereignty, energy transition, alternative and popular education, low tech, and modes of governance compatible with collective intelligence. He co-founded SymBioSyn in 2017 with some fellow students that shared his passion to find ways to live well together. Currently, he works at the University du Nous to learn more about Shared Governance methods.
Michelle Osry
Over the past 25 years, Michelle Osry has worked across North America, Europe and Africa as an academic and investment banker She is now a partner at Deloitte Canada, where she leads the firm's Family Enterprise Consulting practice. Michelle is Vice Chair of the Family Enterprise Xchange, a Canadian organization dedicated to empowering enterprising families and their advisors.
Jasper Monroe-Blanchette
Jasper Monroe-Blanchette studies Forestry at Cégep de Chicoutimi. Through his studies, he is working towards getting involved with Indigenous communities in relation to forest management. Jasper loves wild places and finds his calling in mountains and forests. He is a yoga teacher and finds his peace in practicing traditional forms, which include qigong and kung fu as well as yoga.
Stephen Lewis is co-director of the international advocacy organization AIDS-Free World and co-chair of the board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He has previously served as the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, as Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, and as Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations.
Igah Sanguya
Igah Sanguya currently sits on the Board of the Ilisaqsivik Society and serves as the Community Health Representative of Clyde River, Nunavut. In the past, Igah has also served on the Board of Directors of Pauktuutit and the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network.
Jerry Natanine
Jerry Natanine was born and raised in Clyde River, Nunavut. He has been working with Ilisaqsivik for several years. He completed Ilisaqsivik's Our Life's Journey: Inuit Counsellor Training Program. Jerry has held many leadership roles in Clyde River, including Chair of the Hunters and Trappers Organization. Jerry is currently Mayor of Clyde River for a second time.
Jennifer Furin
Dr. Jennifer Furin is an infectious diseases clinician and medical anthropologist who has spent 25 years working to address TB and HIV in vulnerable populations. She is a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and serves as a consultant for a variety of organizations to support person-centered care. She specializes in the care of children with drug-resistant forms of TB.
James Orbinski is professor and Director of York University's Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research. As a medical doctor, a humanitarian practitioner, a best-selling author, and a global health scholar, Dr. Orbinski believes in actively engaging and shaping our world so that it is more just, fair, and humane.
Courtney Howard
Dr. Courtney Howard is an Emergency Physician in Canada's subarctic, and board President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). She was the first author on the 2017 and 2018 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change Briefings for Canadian Policymakers, as well as being the 2018 International Policy Director for the Lancet Countdown.
Daniel Soloman is a businessman and trustee of the Heathside Charitable Trust which is a family charity based in London, United Kingdom. The charity funds projects both in the UK and overseas.
Georgia White
Georgia White is a Strategy and Policy Associate at the international advocacy organization AIDS-Free World. Over the past decade, Georgia has worked in the United States, Cambodia and her home country of Australia as an advocate and policy expert on health and social justice issues.
Grace Yang
Grace Yang is the Chief Trouble Maker at TEDxMontrealWomen, curating and encouraging speakers to step outside of their comfort zones to deliver their most compelling talks. She leads a dynamic team of volunteers and fosters a creative culture where everyone can grow together. Previously, Grace worked in the investment industry on both the buy and sell sides of the Street.
Ilisaqsivik Society
Community initiated and community-based Inuit organization located in Clyde River, Nunavut. Ilisaqsivik Society is dedicated to promoting community wellness by providing space, resources, and programming that helps families and individuals find healing and develop their strengths. Ilisaqsivik Society is a Canadian registered charity and brings two decades of Inuit-based experience in training and community empowerment.
Pathy Family Foundation
The Pathy Family Foundation (PFF) is Canadian foundation that works to build vibrant communities and promote equal opportunities for all. PFF invests in people, organizations and ideas that empower marginalized groups in Canada and globally. PFF is partnering with SeeChange and Ilisaqsivik Society to run a program based on trauma-informed TB empowerment activities in Inuit communities across Nunavut.
Government of Nunavut Department of Health
In partnership with SeeChange, the GN Department of Health is developing strategies to enable communities to develop autonomy and ownership of their health outcomes as part of their goal is to improve health outcomes and decrease health inequity by increasing Inuit involvement in and ownership of public health strategies in Nunavut.
MSF Transformational Investment Capacity (TIC)
Institutional Partner
Building on and complementing already existing Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders (MSF) community engagement initiatives, SeeChange is adapting the CommunityFirst framework to create a model for MSF that meaningfully involves communities at every phase of the project cycle, including handover and emergency preparedness. Currently piloting in indigenous communities in Peru and Sierra Leone.
Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI)
SeeChange has partnered with CFLI, ECO-RE and the Lenca Women of Reitoca to strengthen and empower women's leadership to improve the COVID-19 response and recovery in Reitoca, Honduras through skills development workshops, feminist leadership training, knowledge sharing, and mental health support.
University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine
SeeChange is a proud recipient of the COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Impact Grant Program (Co-RIG) with the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine, a research grant to investigate the outcomes of the CommunityFirst COVID-19 Roadmap to create a CommunityFirst Toolkit for Indigenous communities in Canada to adopt and adapt.
Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research (DIGHR), York University
The DIGHR has partnered with SeeChange to advance research on CommunityFirst responses and how they are contributing to the global health and humanitarianism research agenda.
SeeChange is partnering with Mitacs to develop a Decolonisation, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework.
McGill Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health
SeeChange is hosting a seminar course on Decolonising Humanitarian Action at the McGill Summer Institute in Infectious Diseases and Global Health.
University Los Andes
SeeChange is hosting seminars on Global Health and CommunityFirst responses at University Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia.
lululemon Here to Be
SeeChange is a proud recipient of the Here to Be grant, lululemon's social impact program that disrupts inequity in wellbeing through movement, mindfulness, and advocacy.
Power Corporation of Canada
SeeChange Initiative is a non-profit organization and we count on the generosity of supporters like you who believe in our vision.
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Together with our partners, we co-create innovative solutions to health and social challenges. We invite community-led organizations to reach out to explore how SeeChange Initiative can support your work.
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We always welcome passionate, motivated, and skilled volunteers to join us! If you have talent and time to share, we would love to hear from you.
Turning the Tide on Tuberculosis in Nunavut
Turning theTide
onTuberculosis
inNunavut
TB Crisis
Living Trauma
Passing the Flame
Tuberculosis among Inuit is a public health crisis. The inequity in Canada is striking.
Inuit are 300 times more likely to get sick from tuberculosis (TB) compared to non-indigenous, Canadian born citizens.
TB is a preventable and curable disease. Yet the rates of TB for Inuit are similar to those of many low- and middle-income countries.
TB in the North is not a new problem.
"It is a public health crisis and one that's 60 years in the making."
—Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK)
From 1946 to 1968, Canadian government ships, like the CD Howe, went to the Canadian Arctic to screen for TB.
"We were taken down to the bottom of the ship. After the exam, we were informed we should not leave the ship or go on shore. I could not go off ship to see my family. It was so hard for us mentally. It broke us. Our life got shattered back then. I still feel scared of the CD Howe. When I left Broughton Island, I cried very hard. I was so homesick."
—Ida, participant in Community TB Empowerment Workshop
Inuit who tested positive for TB were not allowed ashore to collect belongings. They could not say goodbye, or make arrangements for their families.
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"My parents and my siblings were taken away on the CD Howe. I was just a child and I was left behind alone. It was the last time I would be seeing my parents and siblings for a long time. Even though I tried crying, nobody cared. I thought I was left because I was the only one that was not loved by my parents among all my siblings."
—Mary, participant in Community TB Empowerment Workshop
Some Inuit today still do not know where their relatives lost to TB are buried.
"I never found my mother's grave. She left around 1960 and died on her way to a sanitorium, and I never heard anything else. She passed away en route to a sanitorium, in Iqaluit. I have never seen the grave personally."
—Mariah, participant in Community TB Empowerment Workshop
To learn more visit the CBC Archives
Today, there is a widespread lack of trust in the health system.
Language barriers, cultural differences, and intergenerational trauma are barriers to accessing healthcare.
IT IS TIME FOR A NEW KIND OF ACTION TO ELIMINATE TB IN NUNAVUT.
Community-owned and community-driven programs are key.
initiative-headline-inuktitut Created with Sketch.
Ikuma tunilavut: Let's pass the flame
Ikuma tunilavut is a partnership between SeeChange + Ilisaqsivik Society to co-create a CommunityFirst response to TB in Nunavut.
"Inuit have used the oil lamp, qulliq (qul-liq), for thousands of years. I see our path as a qulliq. The base itself is made of hard thick stone that gets hot from the flames. The wick is a mixture of moss and cotton. The oil is from seal, whale or caribou fat.
The base is us starting with this tuberculosis project. The oil is us Inuit who want the knowledge but have no way of getting the answers around tuberculosis or other concerns. The flame is the knowledge. It starts out very small and spreads slowly to others. The more people want to learn, the more fuel we have and the bigger and hotter the flame becomes.
That's how I see this project. Just like the qulliq my mother made for me, I will also carry this with me always and pass it on to the next generation."
—Sheila Enook, TB Project Coordinator
Community TB Empowerment Workshops are a centrepiece of this project.
Workshops are held entirely in Inuktitut and facilitated by Inuit counsellors. Community members have space to heal from TB-related trauma. They can acquire knowledge about TB.
Workshops blend storytelling, narrative therapy, multimedia and passing of basic technical information. Participants and facilitators work together. Content is shaped by the community's needs.
Read our post 'Pilot Workshop'
11 Clyde River and Iqaluit community members graduated from the first Community TB Empowerment Workshop. They are now TB Pijitsiit (community helpers).
"In the old days, they shipped us out, which was not beneficial to the community. We went through extreme hardship. We don't want other people to go through what we went through. Thanks to the workshop, we are healing ourselves by talking about it. We now have information on TB. Now we can work together to help people."
—Ida, participant in Community TB Empowerment Workshop)
TB Pijitsiit are central to the community's efforts to eliminate TB in Nunavut.
Workshop graduates become TB Pijitsiit (community helpers) who:
help remove language barriers, restore trust and improve health outcomes
act as cultural mediators
create culturally adapted tools and develop Inuktitut health terminology
train as community health workers
help carry out community-based health tasks (prevention, screening and treatment support)
Community members are the changemakers
This is health decolonized. This is the revival of humanity, humility and solidarity.
Read the Reports
Go to News & Views
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© Copyright 2023 SeeChange


Amazing places to eat and sleep near to great wild swimming locations. Pubs, restaurants, ice cream and cake - something for all the family. Once you've had a swim, and eaten a delicious meal, there's no better way to end the day, than lay down your head, whether you prefer a bit of 5 star accommodation, or like to be one with nature, camping.


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Board index ‹ General ‹ Audiø Immersiøn
Ozzy Cancels Tour
Music news, reviews & discussion.
by darkness on 18/02/20, 15:57:09
O-dot might be on to something with his Ozzy death pool pick. Guess I won't be seeing Marilyn Manson after all.
cnn wrote: Ozzy Osbourne has canceled the North American dates of his 2020 "No More Tours 2" to deal with his health issues.
The 71-year-old rocker went public last month with his Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
Rather than touring, Osbourne is set to head to Europe for additional treatments.
"I'm so thankful that everyone has been patient because I've had a sh*t year," Osbourne said in a statement. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to get to Switzerland for treatment until April and the treatment takes six-eight weeks."
Sharon Osbourne rocks dramatic white hair transformation
"I don't want to start a tour and then cancel shows at the last minute, as it's just not fair to the fans," he added. "I'd rather they get a refund now and when I do the North American tour down the road, everyone who bought a ticket for these shows will be the first ones in line to purchase tickets at that time."
Osbourne has had a number of issues since last year, including a severe infection and a fall he said led to him having the "worst" year of his life.
"I remember lying there thinking, 'Well, you've done it now.' Really calm," he said during an interview with "Good Morning America." "Sharon got me an ambulance. After that, it was all downhill."
The fall and the infection led his to postpone his entire 2019 tour to 2020.
Refunds for the 2020 North American tour are available at the original point of purchase and fans who purchased "No More Tours 2" tickets will have first access to tickets when the tour is rescheduled. The tour was supposed to begin May 27 in Atlanta, Georgia, and go until July 31.
The cancellation does not affect the European leg of his tour, which is still scheduled to begin on October 23 in Newcastle, England. Osbourne is currently promoting his new album, "Ordinary Man," which goes on sale Friday.
Just cut them up like regular chickens
Location: In Heaven

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Dendromyrmex é um gênero de insetos, pertencente a família Formicidae.

Espécies
  Dendromyrmex apicalis
  Dendromyrmex chartifex
  Dendromyrmex fabricii
  Dendromyrmex madeirensis
  Dendromyrmex nidulans
  Dendromyrmex traili
  Dendromyrmex wheeleri

Referências

Gêneros de formigas
Formicidae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
International House Shanghai Gala Exceeds Expectations
by International House
On March 29, 2019, International House held its first overseas Gala in Shanghai, China. The event brought together Alumni, Trustees, and friends from the Asia region and around the world to celebrate the organization's 96-year history of preparing the next generation of global leaders. The evening also served to highlight the importance of China to the history of International House.
Shanghai was chosen in recognition of China's emergence on the international stage and the growing population of Chinese Residents and Alumni in the International House community. Today, Chinese Residents comprise approximately 15% of the 700 students and scholars from throughout the world who live at the historic non-profit residence and program center in New York City.
As fitting for International House's mission of cross-cultural understanding, guests came to the Jing An Shangri-La Hotel from Asia, the U.S., the U.K., Qatar, Australia, Germany and beyond. The evening's program included a formal keynote discussion with I-House Alumnus Dr. Georges Haour '69, Professor of Technology and Innovation Management at the Swiss executive education institute IMD and author of Created in China: How China Is Becoming a Global Innovator. Also speaking were Peter O'Neill, Chair of the International House Board's Executive Committee, and Calvin Sims, President and CEO of International House.
Performances by international GuQing artist Xinjiang Ping and the Kun Opera rounded out the evening's entertainment. The festivities continued beyond the event, with excursions organized by International House in Hangzhou, Suzhou and Beijing in the days following.
This special Gala was organized primarily by local Alumni, who filled the room with a joyous mix of attendees across generations. The Shanghai Gala Committee members included Wellington Chu '88, Eileen Fang '99, Haolun Li '15, Ken Lin '81, Owen Liu '10, Maggie Sun '15, Yuan Wang '08, Frank Wong '81, Chaai Chaai Wu '15, Chao Yu '10, Gilbert Zeng '07.
Gala attendees gave special thanks to John Pek '68, I-House International Trustee who co-chaired the event along with International House Trustees Bei Ling and Yuqiang Xiao. The event raised a record $130k, surpassing expectations. A second gala in Asia is being planned, to be held in India in 2020.
(More Gala Photos to come)


text:
The Pray More Lenten Retreat Preview
Emily Stimpson Chapman
Pete Burak
Fr. Patrick Gonyeau
Scott Powell
Ashley Stevens
-- Why join the Pray More Lenten Retreat? --
Learn how to have a holy, prayerful and transforming Lent.
Slow down and reflect on your walk with Jesus and how you can strengthen your relationship with Him and get to know Him and His word better.
Return to the Lord with your whole heart and learn how you can let the Holy Spirit guide you in your everyday life.
Reflect on God's mercy and immeasurable love for us as He sent His son to die for our sins.
Deepen your faith and pray more this Lenten season from the comfort of your own home!
The Retreat will be available beginning on February 26th!
Countdown Until The Pray More Lenten Retreat
"There were many personal moments in which the speakers touched my heart and brought me closer to God's love."
"All the speakers were wonderful and it felt like they were speaking directly to me. I did not want it to end!"
"Wonderful talks! Great concept! Easy access!!!"
Discovering the Joy in Advent
by Sarah Reinhard
"Can you drink the chalice I'm going to drink?"
by Scott Powell
Having Hope in a Faithful God
by Ashley Stevens
Getting to Know Jesus Better this Lent
by Emily Stimpson Chapman
How to be Led by the Holy Spirit
by Pete Burak
Trusting in God's Will
Denying Ourselves, Taking Up Our Cross and Following Him
Bringing Our Wounds to Christ
Jesus Wants Our Conversion, Continuously
Coping with God's (Seeming) Silence
Mary's Role in Our Redemption
Redemptive Suffering
"God, show me a sign"
Dealing with Unanswered Prayers
The Prodigal Son and The Merciful Father
Believing Our Identity as "Beloved"
by Fr. Patrick Gonyeau
St. Joseph: Protector and Father
Overcoming Lies of the Devil
Overcoming our Temptations
Every talk comes with a Transcript, Study Guide, and Downloadable Audio
& Video (with Closed Captioning too)
You can watch, listen or read through the talks however you'd like best! Alone or with a group!
Why Join the Pray More Healing Retreat?
Hear inspiring testimonies about God's presence throughout even the darkest of times.
Receive guidance and practical advice about how to move on from your pain.
Learn more about who God is as our Father and about how you can grow closer to Him through your cross.
Deepen your faith and pray more from the comfort of your own home or while you're on the go!
Dr. Scott Powell is a teacher, theologian and author. He is the director of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Thought, an outreach to the University of Colorado Boulder, and is also an affiliate of the Benson Center for the Study of Western Civilization, Thought and Policy at the University of Colorado. He has taught at the Augustine Institute and the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary's Catholic Biblical School. He and his wife, Annie, founded Camp Wojtyla, a Catholic outdoor adventure program for youth based in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Scott also co-hosts and produces the popular podcast "The Word on the Hill with the Lanky Guys" and has appeared in numerous Catholic productions, including "Symbolon," "Beloved," "Reborn," "YDisciple" and the "Opening the Word" series. He has been featured on EWTN, "Catholic Answers Live" and several other Catholic outlets. He holds a doctorate in Catholic Studies from Maryvale Institute/Liverpool Hope University in England. Scott is also the author of "An Environmental Ethic for the End of the World: An Ecological Midrash on Romans 8:19 – 22," recently published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Scott and his wife live near Boulder, Colorado with their three children: Lily Avila, Samuel Isaac and Evelyn Luca.
Elizabeth Ficocelli is a best-selling, award-winning author of fifteen books for adults and young people and a contributor to national Catholic magazines.
She is a frequent guest on Catholic television and radio and the host of her own radio program, "Answering The Call" on St. Gabriel Catholic Radio AM 820. A sought-after speaker, Elizabeth presents at national Catholic conferences, catechetical events, parishes, schools, and retreats, sharing her love and enthusiasm for the Catholic faith with audiences of all ages. She and her husband of 31 years have four boys and reside in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, please visit www.elizabethficocelli.com.
Pete Burak is the director of i.d.9:16, the young adult outreach of Renewal Ministries. He is a 2010 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and has a Master's Degree in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. Pete is a frequent speaker on discipleship and evangelization, and he is the co-director of Pine Hills Boys Camp. He is the co-founder of the Millennial Church Conference, a monthly columnist for Faith Magazine, and the host of the popular YouTube show called Cathlist. Pete and his wife Cait have four children.
Ashley Stevens is a speaker, writer, wife, and mother of three. She was born near Philadelphia, PA, raised just outside Knoxville, TN and played soccer and converted to the Catholic faith at the University of Nebraska. While serving as a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary shortly after getting engaged, she was T-boned by a Mack truck and nearly lost her life. They got married on the one-year anniversary of the accident to redeem the day and she's since shared her story with The 700 Club, Busted Halo Sirius XM Show, The Omaha World-Herald, and blogs and podcasts to encourage those whose life isn't going according to plan. Find out more about her at www.mountainsunmoved.com.
Fr. Patrick Gonyeau is a priest from Detroit who is on fire. After four years of priesthood, he experienced a breakthrough surge of stunning healings in ministry that changed his life, convincing him that Jesus loves to give his disciples power to share the gospel and power to heal (Mark 16:18). He carries an infectious joy, inspiring faith, a passion for healing and a unique grace to equip and activate believers into the healing ministry of Jesus.


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Regional Joint Project on Partnership for a Green Economy
By UNOSSC March 17, 2019 August 29th, 2019 Solution
The growth model of the last century has been accompanied by significant environmental degradation and increasing social inequality. It is thus one of the greatest challenges of our time to build economies that improve human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Recognizing this fact, increasingly more countries wish to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories through a reframing of their economic policies and practices around sustainability and strengthening of the ecological foundations of their economies. Unity and enthusiasm from Member States are evidenced in the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. These global agendas have increased country demand for technical assistance and capacity building for the plan and implementation of the transition to an inclusive green economy.
Towards a Solution
The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) was launched in 2013 as a response to the Rio+20 call to support those countries wishing to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories. By bringing together five United Nations agencies – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – PAGE represents a mechanism to coordinate United Nations action on the green economy, offering integrated and holistic support, while also ensuring coherence and avoiding duplication.
While positioning itself as an emerging economic power, China is shifting its development focus toward sustainability. To better tackle various challenges associated with the transition, the Government of China expressed its interest and commitment to work with PAGE, starting at the provincial level in Jiangsu.
With PAGE support, the Jiangsu Province of China aims to achieve the following objectives:
To identify good practices at the policy, business and sub-provincial levels for replication and upscaling in other provinces and countries. Jiangsu Province is relatively advanced in integrating key elements of a green economy into development plans and policies. Identifying and sharing these good practices nationally could thus inspire further changes in other provinces.
To identify and analyse major challenges to the implementation of green economy policy. Although some green economy policies have been established, the Province still faces challenges in transforming its economy. Through the engagement of local stakeholders, PAGE supports the provincial government to identify challenges in order to offer targeted solutions in future phases.
In the initial phase, PAGE supports Jiangsu Province through:
the identification of the province's green economy successes and good practices, in partnership with the Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP);
the production of a stocktaking report of major green economy strategies, policies and plans, including those embedded in China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), providing a database of successes and good practices.
PAGE engages a wide range of local stakeholders in capacity-building activities for green finance, green jobs, green industry and inclusiveness in a green economy. It is innovative because this is the first time that five United Nations partners have come together to coordinate their expertise and resources at national level. Joint efforts have allowed PAGE to deliver more than the sum of its individual organizations' contributions. Over the past four years, PAGE has set clear policy directions and targets for green development that could guide policy and investment decisions. In many areas, project activities have led to actual policy changes, an important parameter for long-term impact.
In Mongolia, through the National Green Development Policy (NGDP) Action Plan, the different thematic work streams initiated by PAGE have been consolidated in a Government-owned document. In particular, PAGE has supported an amendment to the Law on Public Procurement, which is expected to be submitted to the Parliament during the third quarter of 2018. UNIDO's PAGE engagement in the country has supported a study on waste management for end-of-life vehicles, which is expected to provide policy advice that will be incorporated into national strategies, and an action plan for waste management of end-of-life vehicles.
In Burkina Faso, after an assessment carried out by the Group for Research and Applied Analysis for Development(GRAAD) in 2015, UNIDOwasrequested to help update and amend the country's industrial policy document and to organize an information and awareness meeting after its adoption. The work on greening the industrial policy has followed the process set out in the Practitioner's Guide to Strategic Green Industrial Policy by UNIDO/PAGE in 2016, using GRAAD local expertise. Moreover, UNIDO has been requested to make recommendations for short- and long- term measures to enable the transition to a green economy through industry, which will contribute to the sustainability of the greening policy.
In Barbados, UNIDO is engaged in various proposals that emerged from the Barbados Green Economy Scoping Study (GESS), which consists in the identification of key greening opportunities.
PAGE has been able to facilitate a spirit of collaboration for green development across both government and NGOs, including other green initiatives such as the Global Green Growth Initiative (GGGI), the Education for Sustainable Development Project (ESD) and the Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI).
PAGE seeks the promotion of South-South and triangular industrial cooperation as a mechanism to foster inclusive green economy through the exchange of knowledge on inclusive green economy, including exchanges and visits to PAGE partner countries. Over the past years, several new tools were created including the Green Economy Policy Framework and Integrated Green Economy Model, enabling mutual learning processes and supporting green economy so as to achieve the 2030 Agenda. A number of high-level global events including Powering the SDGs in Geneva, and Policy Innovations towards green economy at COP 23 have allowed PAGE beneficiary countries to share knowledge and experiences. PAGE currently has 13 partner countries, which are engaged at various levels of a green economy transformation, including policy development at the national and sectoral level, capacity building and awareness-raising.
Countries/Regions involved: Barbados, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Ghana, Guyana, Kyrgyz Republic, Mauritius, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, South Africa, Uruguay
Supported by: Finland, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, European Union, and the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund
Implementing entities: UNEP, ILO, UNDP, UNIDO, UNITAR
Project status: Ongoing
Project period: 2013-2020
URL of the practice: www.un-page.org; goo.gl/jDhAhw
Relevant Solutions
13 - Climate Action17 - Partnerships for the Goals
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I hope your summer is going well. I'm here with a quick update from the world of tech, economics and data science.
Fun With the News: I've been busy with media this summer. I'll share two favorites. Here's a profile in The Atlantic of how technology is changing my role at Glassdoor. And here's me on Marketplace explaining why more Americans should quit their jobs.
Stream This: There's a terrific new NBER working paper exploring data from Swedish music streaming giant Spotify. It shows songs being added to weekly recommended playlists has a huge impact on artist revenue. It's the first time I've seen Spotify data used in a paper -- hopefully a sign they're opening up to researchers.
Gender Pay Gap in Gig Economy: Uber has been a pioneer in sharing data with researchers. Here's a terrific new paper revealing a large gender pay gap among Uber's rideshare drivers. The paper shows the gap isn't due to discrimination -- it's mostly due to women bearing the burden of family responsibilities. Nevertheless, this paper is at risk of being misinterpreted by some readers -- a real-world risk every company that shares data with researchers eventually faces.
Do We Really Need Deep Learning for That? A team of researchers at Google have a new paper on the power of deep neural networks to make accurate health predictions from electronic health records. That's great. But there's a fun twist in their appendix. They show a simple regularized logistic regression performs about as well as deep learning -- a gentle reminder about the practical value of simple methods.
Is Deep Learning Just Polynomial Regression: Here's a provocative new paper that argues deep neural networks are basically just the wolf of old-fashioned polynomial regression in sheep's clothing. Needless to say, the paper has generated controversy. Regardless of the paper's merits, it has sparked a useful debate about what's happening inside the "black box" of deep learning algorithms -- a healthy conversation for data science practitioners.
Use Maps Like A Boss: Two years ago Uber developed it's own mapping software to keep tabs on millions of riders and drivers. It's called keppler.gl and now it's open source and available for free. Here's an intro from their engineering blog, and here's the GitHub repo. When economists say traditional surveys overstate inflation in today's tech economy, "free" services like this are what we're thinking about.
A New Economist Joins My Family: Finally some personal news. My wife and I are expecting our first baby next week -- it's a boy -- so this newsletter may be on hiatus until the fall. Wish me luck!
Thanks again for staying in touch -- I wish you a safe, happy and healthy summer.


Cornerstone Homes is a leading residential design-build company committed to providing the expertise, tools, and enthusiasm to create living spaces that truly reflect our client's lifestyle needs, personalities, and creative passions. As third-generation builders, we have a passion for construction and have been honing our craft for more than 20 years. We go above and beyond on all projects we are engaged in as we recognize the importance of having a built environment that improves our local communities and brings people together in a safe, functional, and aesthetically beautiful surrounding. Not only do we value the quality and workmanship of the projects we are engaged in, we are dedicated to creating sustainable homes that utilize the earth's natural resources to benefit our humankind and the environment we live in.


It's been eight years since we last heard from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but anyone who has bought tickets to one of their sold-out summer tours sure didn't complain about the lack of new material. And it's been nearly 20 years since a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers record was wrought with the kind of American urgency that made Petty a household name in the late 1970s with his Rickenbacker plugged in and his heart on his sleeve. (The last such record was 1991's Into the Great Wide Open.) Mojo, the band's 12th studio record, is packed with just the sort of driving-with-the-windows-down-after-three-gin-and-tonics tracks that have we've been missing from Tom Petty for some time now. Not to condone drinking and driving—perhaps you were riding in the passenger's seat after those cocktails—but with Mojo, Petty's wanderer and backseat-lover appeal is back. (Look no further than "First Flash of Freedom" and "U.S. 41").
it or on his Rolodex. Drake possesses the ego necessary for any M.C., and Thank Me Later is stuffed with its fair share of navel-gazing odes, however Drake at least attempts to reconcile with his past (his parents split when he was only three and he was robbed at gunpoint in a Toronto restaurant last year). But since his past is largely privileged, his rhymes may sound shallow to some listeners. If you can cut through Drake's financial stability, you'll find that Thank Me Later is a poised debut from a fame-weary 23-year-old. Either way, get used to it, cause you'll be hearing it all summer.
If Marching Band had been around in 2004, the Swedish duo's brand of brooding pop would have been a shoo-in for the Garden State soundtrack. But, since it's 2010, their syncopated keyboards and upbeat-about-our-unrequited-love harmonies will have to do without the Zach Braff stamp of approval. The Swedes do have a knack for tastefully crafted pop songs, with Erik Sunbring and Jacob Lind building peppy guitar licks to fill the space between their dueling harmonies.


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An immersive sim (simulation) is a video game genre that emphasizes player choice. Its core, defining trait is the use of simulated systems that respond to a variety of player actions which, combined with a comparatively broad array of player abilities, allow the game to support varied and creative solutions to problems, as well as emergent gameplay beyond what has been explicitly designed by the developer. This definition is not to be confused with game systems which allow player choice in a confined sense or systems which allow players to easily escape consequences of their choices.

Immersive sims by definition allow for multiple approaches, and typically incorporate elements of multiple genres, including role-playing games, stealth, first-person shooters, platform games and survival horror. Although they typically have smaller worlds than open world games, they also generally allow for open-ended gameplay, allowing the player to progress in any order and pursue side missions alongside any main story missions. Immersive sims are generally compared to games developed by Looking Glass Studios. The first such game generally considered an immersive sim is Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, and other examples include Thief and Thief 2, System Shock and System Shock 2, as well as the first Deus Ex.

The term "immersive sim" may also be used to describe the game design philosophy behind the immersive sim genre, which uses interacting, reactive and consistent game systems to create emergent gameplay and a sense of player agency.

Concept
Immersive sims typically task the player to make their way through levels and complete missions, but do not enforce the means by which the player does this. A common example would be where the player-character must get past a guard. The choice of how to do this would be up to the player: they may attempt to sneak around; use parkour or other similar abilities, aided with some equipment, to slip around them; find small passageways that allow them to get around the guard; create a distraction that draws the guard away from their post; convince or bribe the guard to ignore them; or simply attack and kill or disable the guard directly. The choices may be limited by the player-character's abilities and current inventory, and there may be consequences of the player's choice. For example, killing or disabling the guard could leave the guard's body to be found later, raising the alert level of other guards. However, this element of consequence can be seen as a negative to players if taken throughout the game. For example, Dishonored introduced a "chaos" system that adjusted how enemy guards would behave due to how much violence and disturbance a player had done earlier in the game, which discouraged players from trying different tactics to avoid making future encounters harder. This system was removed for Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, as well as the addition of optional quests to encourage alternate approaches to missions.

Warren Spector, part of Looking Glass Studios, said that immersive sims create the feeling that "you are there, nothing stands between you and belief that you're in an alternate world". Many of the key developers of immersive sims compare them to tabletop Dungeons & Dragons games hosted by a good gamemaster, or to live action role-playing games, in that there are a set of rule systems to keep it a game, but the game will react to the players' actions rather than force the player to conform to a specific action. Spector is credited with the term "immersive sim" in a post-mortem he wrote on the development of Deus Ex in 2000, although Spector himself attributes it to his Looking Glass colleague Doug Church instead.

Mark Brown of the YouTube series Game Maker's Toolkit identified that a key differentiating feature of immersive sims is that they do not readily use scripted or fixed events. Instead, they use a consistent series of rules and systems throughout the game. These consistent systems then can be exploited by the player to complete objectives in unique and unpredictable ways, with the game reacting to the player's decisions. Brown uses the example of being able to fire rope arrows (to climb on) at any wooden surface in the original Thief: The Dark Project (1998), while the 2014 Thief game limited what locations these could be used, removing the immersive sim elements. Rick Lane of PC Gamer noted that while earlier games in The Elder Scrolls series were not immersive sims, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006) transitioned the series to an immersive sim.

The concepts of immersive sims are designed to have the player imagine themselves are part of a consistent world, and games using immersive sim philosophies need not have gameplay systems normally attributed to immersive sims. A notable example is Gone Home, a narrative exploration game that has the player examine the state and objects in a home to piece together a story of events that happened there previously, but has otherwise very few game mechanics. Steve Gaynor of The Fullbright Company which developed Gone Home, compared their approach to Looking Glass Studios' games, stating that "It's really about this feeling of being in a place and the designers trusting you to progress through it in a meaningful way".

History
Warren Spector considered Ultima VI: The False Prophet (1990) the first game to have an immersive sim mentality as while played from a top-down view, it relied less on events and planned-out puzzles, and instead provided the rulesets and systems through its living world to allow players to craft their own solutions to situations. Spector described one playtesting example from Ultima VI that he considered the genesis of the immersive sim genre, in which a playtester lacked a magical spell needed by his party to pass by a closed gate, and instead used a pet mouse character to sneak through small spaces and access the necessary controls to open the gate, something none of the developers had anticipated.

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (1992) is considered the first game to demonstrate the necessary elements of an immersive sim according to Spector and others. It built upon Ultima VIs gameplay and added in the first-person perspective, predating Wolfenstein 3D, the game that first popularized first-person shooters, by a few months. The first-person view helped to cement the impression that the player was part of the game's world that they had full control of, and completing the impression of immersion. Spector recalled that he had thought to himself "Do you not realize that the entire world just changed?" on seeing the initial demo for Ultima Underworld. Other early examples include System Shock (1994) and its sequel System Shock 2 (1999), Thief: The Dark Project (1998) and its sequel Thief II (2000), Deus Ex (2000), and Arx Fatalis (2002). However, at the same time, more action-oriented games with strong narrative elements that followed from Wolfenstein 3D, like Doom (1993) and Half-Life (1998), drew larger commercial sales, making it difficult to gain publisher interest.

Around 2006-2008, several games emerged that revitalized interest in the immersive sim, including The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006), BioShock (2007), S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) and Fallout 3 (2008). Spurred from these successful titles, there have been new titles in the Deus Ex series (Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011), Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (2016)), the Underworld series (Underworld Ascendant (2018)). A remake of System Shock (2023), "enhanced" and Virtual Reality versions of System Shock 2 (2023) and System Shock 3 (TBC) are also all planned for release. New properties, including the Arkane Studios titles Dishonored (2012), Prey (2017) and Deathloop (2021), as well as White Paper Games' The Occupation (2019) and WolfEye Studios' Weird West (2022), were developed acknowledging the design principles of immersive sims. Other titles in this period, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and Hitman (2016), while not necessarily considered immersive sims, have been said to possess elements of the genre, given their "sufficiently advanced physics engine/systems that interact with both player verbs and mechanics and level design"  and emphasis on emergent gameplay.

Performance in the industry
While the immersive sim genre is well-received critically, its performance within the video game industry tends to be poor and sales of immersive sim games have been varying. The original Deus Ex sold more than 500,000 units (at the time, a respectable number) but its immediate sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War was considered a commercial failure. More recently, while Deus Ex: Human Revolution sold more than 2.1 million copies within a month of its release, its sequel Deus Ex: Mankind Divided had not yet cleared one million in sales a year after its release. Dishonored 2 also did not see a sales uptake similar to the one the original Dishonored had. System Shock 2 only sold about 58,000 units eight months after release, in contrast to System Shock 170,000 units. As a result of poor sales of System Shock 2 and Thief from its multimillion dollar budgets, Looking Glass suffered mounting debts and closed down in May 2000. Irrational Games still wanted to make System Shock 3, but Electronic Arts, which held the publishing rights to the franchise, felt sales of the second were not sufficient to justify a sequel, leading Irrational to make a spiritual successor that shared the same concepts but avoided the intellectual property rights issues in BioShock.

Jody Macgregor of PC Gamer noted that there are other factors contributing towards lower sales - including other competing games and changes in a sequel's marketing and approach. He also states that immersive sims require more commitment from the player to invest and learn the game's complex interacting systems in contrast to other types of games built around simpler mechanics thus making immersive sims harder to sell. Jordan Thomas, a developer on Thief and the BioShock games also said that immersive sims are very difficult to be built by groups other than large teams due to the complexity of such games - making contributions from indie games unlikely.

Arkane's Harvey Smith believed that while the sales trends for immersive sims in the 2010s were disappointing, there will always be a market for them but there will be a need to balance the cost of development to lower sales numbers. Smith attributes the lower sales of more recent games to the general trend of players favoring fast-paced action games with strong multiplayer components - with publishers being wary of games without such elements. Immersive sims by nature tend to be single-player experiences requiring thought-out approaches but Smith believes that the new titles will adapt to these player preferences in the future, particularly from indie developers.

Lineage

A small number of studios and developers have been associated with the immersive sim genre, creating a lineage in its development originating from Looking Glass Studios and its projects. Ultima Underworld was created by Paul Neurath and Doug Church, under their studio Blue Sky Productions and published by Origin Systems. Warren Spector of Origin (who had worked on Ultima VI) also worked closely with Blue Sky to finalize the game - which eventually transitioned into Looking Glass and created System Shock and Thief. Spector later joined Ion Storm and founded its Austin, Texas studio where they developed the Deus Ex series. Looking Glass Studios eventually closed down but developers from it launched their own studios - notably Ken Levine who had helped with Thief and System Shock 2 left to form Irrational Games and create the BioShock series (which has been described as a spiritual sequel to the System Shock games). Following the release of BioShock Infinite, Levine significantly pared back Irrational Games to reform under a new name, Ghost Story Games, as to explore a new approach towards storytelling. However, Jason Schreier observed that many of those that had worked on the BioShock series at Irrational or other related studios often ended up either at existing studios or created their own studios that made their own immersive sim take on BioShock and continued this lineage.

Separately, Raphaël Colantonio had been part of the quality assurance team supporting Origin Systems for Electronic Arts (EA) in publishing games like System Shock in Europe. Colantonio left EA and eventually founded Arkane Studios, desiring to make an immersive sim sequel to the Ultima Underworld series. EA denied them the use of the intellectual property and instead Arkane produced Arx Fatalis. Later, Colantonio brought on Harvey Smith (a quality assurance tester for Origin for System Shock and one of the lead developers under Ion Storm for Deus Ex) and they subsequently designed the Dishonored series as well as building the new Prey atop similar immersive sim fundamentals. More recently, Neurath founded a new studio, OtherSide Entertainment obtaining the rights for an Underworld sequel from EA and for the System Shock property through Night Dive Studios whom also had acquired the rights from EA. Neurath brought on Spector to help create both sequels.

Many immersive sims that feature numeric passwords use the numeral "451" (or "0451") as part of the first code that the player encounters, such as in BioShock, Prey (2017) and Deathloop. This is in reference to System Shock games which use it as part of the first door codes seen in the game - sometimes believed to be a reference to Fahrenheit 451 but according to Spector, the code had been used on the door for Looking Glass's studios in Cambridge. Since then its recurrence in immersive sims as well as other games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Firewatch is described as "kind of a signature that developers use to align themselves with Looking Glass", according to former Looking Glass developer Tim Stellmach. The name Looking Glass is also played upon by developers of immersive sims to reflect on the importance of the seminal studio to the genre - for example: OtherSide Entertainment's name (playing on the title of Lewis Carroll's book Through the Looking-Glass) and Prey having the Looking Glass computer system that the player encounters frequently.

References

Video game genres


Kingdom Hearts III has had a stellar launch with over five million units shipped, making it the fastest-selling title in the series. Sora's latest adventure has not only topped retail and download charts in the UK and US, respectively, it has also topped sales charts in rest of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia (EMEAA)!
According to data compiled by Games Industry, Kingdom Hearts III was the best-selling game in EMEAA for the week ending February 3, 2019. The chart includes digital and physical sales.
Capcom's remake of Resident Evil 2 settled as the runner-up, with Rockstar Games' smash hit Grand Theft Auto V rounding up the top three.
On the hardware side, Nintendo Switch continued to dominate Japanese sales charts followed by the PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro.
Any surprises for our readers in these lists?


Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities is his 11th book but his first novel. Happily for him, it looks like being that publisher's dream, a runaway best-seller which is also critically acclaimed. But I guess it will not, at the end of the day, be as highly ranked as the author's new journalism (Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak-Catchers), his polemics on aesthetics (From Bauhaus to Our House) or his American epic docufiction (The Right Stuff). One sees less a new career in The Bonfire of the Vanities than a sharp detour in a career which has already proved the most unpredictable in modern literature.
The plot of the The Bonfire of the Vanities suggest a powerful reason for its appeal: namely, an eerie topicality. At its simplest, it is a novel about the city of New York, an urban monster that devours its citizens. Wolfe's hero is a WASP, Yale graduate, Wall street investment banker, called Sherman McCoy. Thirty-eight years old, and over-extended on a million a year, McCoy is a yuppie, to use a term Wolfe studiosly doesn't (presumably because he disdains any neologisms but his own). McCoy, who secretly pictures himself as a 'Master of the Universe', lives with this designer wife and cute seven-year-old daughter in a Park Avenue apartment that has been featured inArchitectural Digest. It is 'the sort of apartment the thought of which ignites flames of greed and covetousness under people all over New York, and for that matter all over the World'. Raw American chauvinism has always been an active element in Wolfe's literary make-up, and one may doubt whether the eskimo in his igloo, the bedouin in his tent or the Englishman in his semi really lust for deep green marble floors, Tiffany glassware, five-foot-wide walnut staircases, private lifts and faux-Sheraton cabinets that roll back to reveal television screens. But the zest of Wolfe's depiction of modern times arises in largest part from his endearingly Steinbergian delusion that if the Wall Street banker is the master of the universe, Manhattan is its geographical centre.
Sherman panics, jumps in the passenger side of the car, Maria takes the wheel and they roar off, sideswiping the second of the young blacks. It's more run and hit than hit and run. Nevertheless, the white couple nervously congratulate themselves on having gone into the jungle, fought the beast, and survived. They are disinclined to report the matter. Mrs McCoy and Mr Ruskin (an aged Jew, enriched by running charter flights to Mecca) would not be sympathetic. Nor, in the scale of New York crime, would an aborted robbery and some minor unintended battery matter all that much. Normally, such routine skirmishes in New York pass unregarded (particularly if they involve blacks doing violence to blacks). It is certainly not something to worry the Bronx legal authorities, with their 7000 arraignments a year and capacity for no more than 650 court cases. Wolfe's book is full of such numbing factoids.
But Sherman is abnormally unlucky. At the nearest hospital, the injured black youth is neglected to death. He has a subdural haemorrhage, the doctors treat him for a sprained wrist. The victim, Henry Lamb (born it would seem for sacrifice), was in life a wimpish nonentity too timid to drop out of high school like the more enterprising 80 per cent of his peer group and his more vigorous companion in crime (a professional crack pedlar, as it turns out). Comatose and dying, the not entirely illiterate Lamb is martyred as an 'honor student' cut off in his prime, an upstanding credit to his family, his city and his race. The cause is taken up by a black leader, the Reverend Bacon, a hypocrite of Dickensian proportions, who is principally concerned to distract attention from the $350,000 given him for a day centre which he has secretly invested in McCoy's securities firm, Pierce and Pierce.
Its a classic New York book.


With my esteemed colleague Sharon Morris, Director of Library Development and Innovation for the Colorado State Library, I just finished teaching a graduate class in "Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness" for the University of Denver's Library and Information Science program. It was fascinating. I have a few observations.
* The next generation of librarians is really smart. I like them.
* I learned a lot myself, at least as much as the students. Class planning worked out to about two hours of prep per hour of class. The cool thing was just getting some clarity around both the content and the research behind each concept. Sharon is working on a PhD in this field. She has a commanding knowledge of the latest findings. That's pretty handy for a class like this. Our students got the very best thinking available. And I think our overall approach - know thyself, play well with others, pay attention to the measures of organizational effectiveness -- captures the right lessons for our time.
* Sharon also brought a keen understanding of experiential learning to the class. We didn't just lecture. (In fact, we RARELY lectured.) We asked our students to step in and claim their learning. They had to investigate, co-present, brief, provide feedback, receive feedback, participate in panel presentations. We asked the class to interview candidates for a job. We made them have that crucial conversation with others that is the last step before firing - and provided a format predicated on the most profound respect. I think, finally, we gave them the experience of leadership, in six classes. My takeaway: I wish I'd had classes like this.
* Grading is a lot like performance evaluations. But performance here equals meeting the goals of the syllabus. So, like any conscientious supervisor we did strive to clearly articulate our expectations. Then assess student understanding. Over the past two days I spent some 14 hours reading, responding, and ranking student journals.
* Teaching is a remarkably inefficient way to make money. Two hours prep per class. Maybe half an hour debrief and grade per assignment. Grading, as mentioned above. My conclusion: it's not about the money. It's mighty darn interesting. It is, in fact, exhilarating. It may even be a professional obligation. But is it a career? Clearly, for some it is. For me, it's a hobby. I sure enjoyed it. But consider this a shout out to teachers everywhere. Thank you for what you do!
I'm glad you enjoyed the experience. Teaching is a calling, and few that do it as a hobby take the time to reflect as beautifully as you have here!
Sorry to have missed you! I see to my chagrin that I didn't mention the thing that was most fun -- the students. It was such a pleasure to hear their thoughts, read their essays, see their jumps in understanding. I feel very invested in their futures, now.


text:
Mark Power
Allard Prize for International Integrity
Type: Short Documentary
Synopsis: The Allard Prize is one of the world's largest prizes dedicated to the fight against corruption and the protection of human rights. Daphne Caruana Galizia, Howard Wilkinson, and International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) were recipients of the Allard Prize
Role: Producer / Editor
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese writer, blogger and anti-corruption activist, who reported on political events in Malta. In particular, she focused on investigative journalism, reporting on government corruption, nepotism, patronage, allegations of money laundering, links between Malta's online gambling industry and organised crime, Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme, and payments from the government of Azerbaijan.
Howard Wilkinson is a British whistleblower whose actions helped to illuminate the 2018 Danske Bank money laundering scandal. Wilkinson uncovered that a Danske Bank branch located in Estonia had been involved in the suspected laundering of up to $235 billion dollars of illicit funds.
International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) was an independent international body charged with investigating and prosecuting serious crime in Guatemala. Their objective was to investigate the existence of illicit security forces and clandestine organizations that commit crimes that affect the fundamental human rights of the citizens of Guatemala, and identify the illegal group structures (including links between state officials and organized crime), activities, modes of operation and sources of financing.
Vancouver Police Department
Type: Commercial & Ads
Synopsis: Campaigns for the Vancouver Police Department
Role: Camera / Editor
Produced by Oh Boy Productions
Vancouver Police Department recruitment video.


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A week ago today, we passed along word of the still-circulating rumor that the Black Eyed Peas would be the performers at Super Bowl XLV, which, you surely already know, is set to take place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington on Sunday, February 6.
We've yet to squash that rumor--the closest we got was a "no comment" from the NFL, and some word from an employee of the North Texas Super Bowl Planning Committee saying that she hadn't heard anything about the Black Eyed Peas on that front.
Still, we're a little nervous; the NFL didn't flat-out deny the rumor. And that means, unfortunately, it could still be happening--which would be terrible news, in our humble opinions. The Black Eyed Peas have their place, we admit, but not on a platform where they can be seen by millions and millions of TV viewers.
So, on that front, we've come up with a list of other suggestions. After the jump check our list--which, we should note, doesn't just include acts we'd necessarily want to see in this setting, but rather the acts that we think actually deserve the honor and might be legitimate candidates to play the thing.
This one's probably a bit of a reach on our part. But, aside from cameos, there's never been a hip-hop halftime show at the Super Bowl. And, let's face it, the Beastie Boys, at least at this point in their careers, are not only great, but also as unoffensive as hip-hop gets while still maintaining high marks for integrity and creativity. Plus, Public Enemy's out of the question now that Flavor Flav's all crazy. So is Run-DMC, what with Jam-Master Jay's death, unfortunately.
biggest solo performer out there that manages to have both working-man cred and massive commercial appeal--and yet still hasn't played the Super Bowl halftime show. But, seeing that the Super Bowl heads to the Meadowlands for SB XLVIII, we're thinking that he might be best suited for that one. Y'know, what with all his songs about New York.
, Pearl Jam still packs a mighty live punch. And, hell, they've been around for some 20 years now at this point, which makes them mainstays--and not nearly as decrepit as last year's performers, The Who.
--for good or for bad. Our stance? It's largely been for bad, but we're critics with a taste for punk rock, and not the masses. The masses, of course, still manage to eat up everything Green Day produces, and at a higher clip now than ever. And now with the band boasting a musical on Broadway, isn't a Super Bowl performance the next logical step?
Oh, admit it: You'd love to hear "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "Livin' On A Prayer" at halftime. You wouldn't? Answer us again once you're two quarters into some Sunday evening boozing.
to be something of a spectacle?
Pretty much every football stadium in the country already blares AC/DC's songs during games anyway, right? Why not try the real thing? These Aussies deserve the chance.
The biggest star that country music has ever seen recently came out of retirement for a string of shows at the Wynn Las Vegas. But if he were ever to embark on another actual tour, wouldn't this be the setting in which to launch it? Plus, there's the whole this being Texas thing, which implies that all we do is sit around listening to country music. Right, y'all?
with the idea of hosting the Black Eyed Peas as its Super Bowl halftime entertainers, it's that the NFL wants to turn a 180 on the failed venture that was booking The Who last year and go more modern with its selection. Well, if you're gonna go modern, go big--host the biggest power couple in music, either of whom would be deserving of the nod on their own. But, together? C'mon, that's the kind of show that would get the whole world talking--which, let's face it, is the kind of marketing splash the NFL really wants out of its halftime performers anyway. A no-brainer, really.


text:
William Savage
"The 4th Gold Star:" William Savage
Posted on September 21, 2017 September 28, 2017 by hchm-curator
by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator
"This makes the fourth gold star to be placed on the high school service flag, and we all hope the last." (Evening Kansan Republican, 4 December 1918, p. 5)
The United States entered the Great War on April 6, 1917, by the summer of 1918 young men from Harvey County were drafted into the army. As a first step, they went to training camps before being sent to France. With communication slow, letters from soldiers were often shared in the newspaper by their families.
The Savage family had two sons far from home. Mrs. M.S. Savage shared the news from her two sons, Melvin and William, in the Evening Kansan Republican in the fall of 1918. Thirty year old, Melvin was stationed at a Camp in Texas for training. In his letter dated November 15, 1918, he spoke "highly of the canteen service which was appreciated by the soldiers . . . without which the boys would often go unfed."
On November 25, 1918 Mrs. M.S. Savage received word from her son Will. He reported he had completed training at the Great Lakes Training School and "that he will have an opportunity to go overseas and will likely be on transport duty." Sadly, he did not make the journey overseas.
"Very Sad News"
A neighbor to the Savage family, Waive Kline wrote to her fiance, Glenn Wacker in France of the sad news in December.
"Savages rec'd some very sad news Monday. Will was drowned on Monday. He was at Norfolk, Va and seems as if they were getting ready to sail. Some of the boys had been scuffling on deck and had broken the railing . . . Will came along and not knowing this he leaned against the railing and it gave way with him and he fell in . . . .They have never found the body."
-Waive to Glenn, Dec.5, 1918
"His Prospects Were Bright"
Born in Downs, Ill, 31 December 1895, William Savage came to Harvey County, Kansas with his family in 1906. They purchased a farm in Macon Township. Three years later, his father died. At that time, William and his older brother Melvin formed a partnership and farmed together. A 1913 graduate of Newton High, William enlisted as a second class seaman in May 1918.
William Savage, 1913.
"Loses Life in Service"
William was an instructor at the rifle range at Camp Logan near the Great Lakes naval training station. In November 1918, he was sent to Norfolk navy yards. While aboard the United States steamer Clio, several other men got into a tussle and a bar at the gateway loosened. Later, when Savage leaned against the bar, it gave way and he fell overboard. Efforts to rescue him failed. His body was never found and"the sands of the ocean form his resting place." An investigation revealed that his death was caused by "the unsafe condition of the vessel."
Evening Kansan Republican, 3 December 1918.
The Mt Pleasant News for Dec. 6, 1918 reported;
"In every home where the Savage family is known, sadness and gloom have been present since it became known that Will, the youngest son of the family, had met his death at Norfolk, Va., by drowning. Particulars of the accident are very meager. His brother, Thomas, left for that place Tuesday with the hope that the body may have been recovered. . . .The mother and brothers have the sympathy of all at this time of awful sorrow."
–Newton Evening Kansan Republican, Dec. 6, 1918
News of his death was particularly hard to bear as it came less than a month after peace had been declared on November 11, 1918.
"His death in so tragic a manner, coming as it has at a time when hearts have been gladdened by the joyous anticipations of the return of their loved ones in government service is particularly sad."
Since William was a 1913 graduate of Newton High, a fourth star was placed on the school service flag. The editor of the Evening Kansan Rwepublican noted: "This makes the fourth gold star to be placed on the high school service flag, and we all hope the last." (Evening Kansan Republican, 4 December 1918, p. 5)
"Pneumonia claimed Melvin J. Savage"
The Savage family endured additional sorrow several weeks later when a second son died. The Newton Evening Kansan Republican reported on Dec. 16, 1918 that "a series of tragic events combine to make this a peculiarly sad death." Thirty year old Private Melvin J. Savage was training with the 681st aerial squadron at Kelly Field, Texas, when he received the news of the death of his brother Will. On the trip home "to comfort his mother who was griefstricken," Melvin contracted a severe cold that developed into pneumonia. He passed away at Axtell Hospital, in Newton on Dec 15, 1918. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Parade, 1919, World War 1 Soldiers, Main, Newton, Ks
In a ceremony in 1919, the Savage brothers, along with other soldiers from Harvey County, were remembered. In addition to a brief biographical sketch of those that lost their lives, the complete roster of all Harvey County soldiers was included in the May 19, 1919 issue of the Evening Kansan Republican.
For more information 1918 Flu Pandemic.
Evening Kansan Republican: 15 November 1918, 25 November 1918, 3 December 1918, 4 December 1918, 7 December 1918, 11 December 1918, 12 December 1918, 14 December 1918, 16 December 1918, 17 December 1918, 18 December 1918, 19 December 1918, 17 January 1919, 19 May 1919.
Waive Kline, Harvey County, Ks, to Glenn Wacker, France, 5 December 1918. Glenn & Waive Kline Wacker Collection, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks.
Tagged Influenza, Melvin Savage, William Savage, WW 1, WW 1 Fatalities


text:
Brussels Airlines bids farewell to the AVRO
This weekend Brussels Airlines says goodbye to the AVRO Jet, the aircraft type with which the airline started off in 2001. On Saturday several aviation fans flew to Geneva on the Avro's last commercial flight for Brussels Airlines. Today, the airline's staff bid farewell to the aircraft type that carried millions of passengers over the years, on which hundreds of its pilots and flight attendants started their careers and on which several Brussels Airlines engineers worked during its maintenance.
With the touchdown of flight SN2720 Geneva-Brussels at 19h40 yesterday evening, Brussels Airlines has ended its AVRO era. Over the past 15 years, 31.5 million Brussels Airlines passengers boarded the 4-motor aircraft type, on the 606,000 flights to 89 different destinations. The AVRO was a regular guest at airports like Bromma (Stockholm), Copenhagen, Marseille, Lyon, Geneva, Oslo, Manchester and Berlin.
Once upon a time, Brussels Airlines' fleet consisted of 32 AVRO jets. This weekend, the last one, registered as OO-DWD (Delta-Whiskey-Delta) retires from the airline. From today onwards, Brussels Airlines' operator license only consists of Airbus aircraft.
Many aviation fans and long-time Brussels Airlines customers were present on the last commercial flight. One of them even traveled all the way from the United States to Brussels only to be on the farewell flight of the AVRO. Indeed, the AVRO has become a rare aircraft in Europe. The few planes that are left only fly in Ireland, Great Britain, Sweden and Greece. Some of these served for Brussels Airlines before.
Other ex-Brussels Airlines AVRO jets started a new life on other continents. Some jets now serve as firefighting planes in the US and Canada or fly in South America and Ghana. Others have been dismantled for spare parts and one of them now serves as practice aircraft for the Brussels Airport firefighters.
Qantas partners with Uber
easyJet signs agreement with Air Berlin


In South Africa, many of us don't have access to enormous gardens and, due to townhouse living we must make do with the patch of garden allocated to us. The most important element is to ensure that your garden has multipurpose features. For example, a concrete feature could serve as a flower bed, to catch rain and even as additional seating when entertaining guests. A quick change to your garden could include the addition of decorative water tanks. These stylish tanks from Garden Master adds to the modern look of your garden while serving as a flowerbed, all while collecting rainwater for usage around the home. So keeping a garden needn't contribute to excessive water usage.
The growing appreciation for organically grown vegetables coupled with the rise of food prices are leading to more households growing their own fresh fruit and vegetables all year round. Garden Master has a wide range of vegetable and herb seeds available such as tomatoes, cucumber, butternut, gem squash, beans and onions to name but a few. Planting your seeds at the right time of the year will assist in ensuring a good crop.
This is an easy step towards staying on trend this year as it doesn't require any landscaping or building. Houseplants are back in fashion for more than one reason: not only are they aesthetically appealing, they purify the air and according to NASA, indoor plants can also reduce your stress, control humidity in the home as well as lower sound pollution. Various plants can actually aid your well-being in different ways. Aloe Vera for example, could neutralise benzene which is found in certain detergents and plastics. An easy way to decorate your home with plants is to make use of indoor hanging planters – these were highly fashionable during the 60's and 70's and is now considered to be back in fashion. Garden Master has an array of terrabowls for you to choose from.
The pantone colour for 2018 is ultra violet so feel free to introduce it into your own garden through clever use of flowers and pots. Lavender won't only make your garden look trendy, you could also use it when cooking deliciously lavender infused meals. Lobelia Crystal Palace is ideal for carpet bedding borders or colour pockets. Garden Master's seed packets of Lobelia Crystal Palace provides enough seeds to cover a 1 m² area and can be planted in loose gritty soil anytime of the year. The good news is, you can start planting this weekend.
Due to our expanding cities and suburbs, the needs of local wildlife aren't met. It is in fact very easy to meet their needs by growing both seed producing and berry bearing plants. Reducing the use of insecticides is also recommended.


Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released recruitment notification for the post of Manager, Specialist, Asst Geologist, Legal Advisor and other several posts.
Interested and eligible can apply on or before May 3, 2018.
Candidates applying must be below 50 years of age. Age relaxation is admissible as per the rules.
Interested candidates applying under General and OBC categories have to shell out Rs 25 whereas SC/ ST/ PH/ and women candidates are exempted from Application fee.
NOTE: Payment made through online mode- Credit/ Debit Card, Net Banking- are only acceptable.


After what seems like ages since we last heard any news about a new Unreal Tournament game, it appears that fans of the arena shooter won't have to wait much longer.
Epic's Paul Meegan recently tweeted out some very interesting news regarding Unreal Tournament and its future, mentioning an incoming live stream event this Thursday.
Though it might seem off that Epic is showcasing a new Unreal Tournament on their Unreal Engine channel instead of their Epic Games channel, vice president and co-founder Mark Rein has stated that Unreal Tournament is indeed making a comeback.
No other information was provided, aside from Epic showcasing Unreal Tournament on Unreal Engine 4 this Thursday.
Keep your sights on MP1st for more Unreal Tournament updates.


text:
Undoing Roe v. Wade
Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Monday, June 23, 2003
The former plaintiff known as "Jane Roe'" in the infamous Roe v. Wade decision of 30 years ago wants the case that legalized abortion overturned.
Norma McCorvey, who is a Christian now, says the Supreme Court's decision is no longer valid because the scientific and anecdotal evidence that has come to light in the last three decades has amply demonstrated the negative affects of abortion.
McCorvey and her attorneys are asking the federal district court in Dallas -- where the case started -- to consider more than 5,400 pages of evidence, including 1,000 affidavits from women who say they regret their abortions.
I'm wondering what the courts will do about this. Jurists are big on what they call "settled law," meaning that once a law has been in place for some time and people have gotten used to it, they are reluctant to overturn it.
That has always seemed wrong to me. If a law is wrongly decided, the length of its enforcement should have nothing to do with it. Certainly it didn't when it came to civil rights for blacks, and it shouldn't when it comes to civil rights for the unborn.
I'm Cal Thomas in Washington.


Huihui, boy, about 5 months old, very healthy and playful, friendly to people. He was found in our feeding spot when somebody dropped him off, he soon became familiar with us and is a sweet boy. We will take him to be vaccinated and dewormed before adoption.
Da baibai, 5 years old, boy ADOPTED!
Da baibai, 5 years old, boy,vaccinated and neutered. friendly and healthy. His owner left him together with another 3 cats and 4 dogs behind and been to Canada, we got such news and want to helped them out. we have to find new home for him either adoption or fostering by end of Sept.