text:
GDP (million): 217,377
GDP p/cap.: 42,653
Life expectancy: 80
Development Index: 0.846
Democracy Index: 6.03
Corruption Index: 9.3
Education Index: 0.913
Religiosity: 70
Singapore is a an island city-state and entrepôt at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.
As a financial hub and popular tourist destination, Singapore is a thriving modern economy, and maintains generally good relations with the rest of the world, despite its repressive regime and questionable human rights record. Its economical and political success revolves around the idea of mass "importation" of cheap/good/fast labour and easy citizenship which guarantees its one party rule. It intends to grow its population to a whopping 6.9 million by 2030 compared to 1.887 million when the country gained its independence in 1965.[1]
1 Government and politics
1.1 Civil rights, law and rights to assembly
1.2 Gerrymandering and grassroots leaders
1.3 Salaries of ministers and MPs
2.1 New citizen controversies
3.1 IDA saga
3.2 Investment controversies
4 Culture and religion
4.1 Casual racism
5 Foreign relations
5.1 Relations with Malaysia
5.1.1 Operation Pukul Habis
Government and politics[edit]
Singapore is effectively a one-party democracy which benefits from first past the post voting. Ruled by the People's Action Party (PAP) under the leadership of Founding Father Lee Kuan Yew since its independence and separation from Malaysia in 1965, the Government of Singapore follows a progressive form of state crony capitalism[2] with a hint of elitism under the mask of meritocracy. Free speech is de jure allowed in Singapore but subjected to so many conditions that it effectively doesn't exist. In fact, the "free speech" of Singapore is more of a freedom to common sense and pro-government rhetoric.
Civil rights, law and rights to assembly[edit]
Speaker's Corner at Hong Lim Park: is anyone listening?
Riots, strikes and demonstrations are generally banned in Singapore as it is a common understanding by both the government and general populace that such events disrupt and hinder the productivity and affect the livelihood of Singaporeans. In fact, many Singaporeans would rather complain about their issues through proper channels or visit their Member of Parliament (MPs) than participate in demonstrations/riots/strikes as they will be shunned by the rest of their family if they go against the government. Singapore, in its unique way of implementing democracy, has allocated a park, Hong Lim Park, for such activities.[3] However, anyone holding the activity must first apply a permit with the Police and no foreigners are allowed to participate in such activities.[4]
In Singapore's justice system, a single judge decides all questions of both law and fact at a trial. An appeals process exists, but is largely irrelevant since criticizing the objectivity of the trial court (or any other Singaporean court) in any way will, by law (called scandalising the court), result in your appeal being dismissed out of hand and additional criminal charges filed against you.
Homosexual activity remains criminalized under Section 377A of Singapore's penal code. The government claims that they have bowed to public pressure and will no longer enforce this prohibition but seem quite uninterested in bowing to public pressure by taking it off the books.
Capital punishment still exists in Singapore for major crimes such as murder/kidnapping/possessions of recreational drugs and armed robbery under the Penal code of Singapore.[5][6] Caning is still a punishment for men below 65 years old. Caning is a compulsory punishment for rape, sexual harassment, civil dissent, vandalism, and littering.
Whilst the ruling Lee family has long been fond of suing political opponents for defamation (how dare they get elected?), 2014 saw this trend exacerbated when the sitting Prime Minister sued an ordinary citizen, the young social activist Roy Ngerng. Guess who won? Clearly annoyed that unemployed Roy managed to gather enough funds through crowd-funding to pay his legal fees, PM Lee then made sure that the damages hearing would be heard at the High Court which meant the minimum award sum would be $200,000.[7]
Judgement was handed down in December 2015 and Ngerng was ordered to pay S$150,000 in damages to PM Lee with comments from the judge that "The comparatively low standing of the defendant warranted a substantial reduction". That's the way it runs in Singapore folks.[8]
Lee Kuan Yew's death in 2015 was promptly commemorated by the arrest of a teenage blogger.[9]
A different sense of nepotism was scrutinized under public light when the brother of prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Yang, accused his brother the Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong (son of Lee Kwan Yew), of abuse of power by not demolishing the Oxley Road House that had belong to the founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew.[10] The entire saga, also known as Oxley Road Saga, had a lot of controversy when the prime minister decide not to sue his brother for defamation, in stark contrast to his political opponents. This prompted the famous speech from the opposition member of parliament, Mr. Low Thia Kiang, who said "By suing family, does this not also show that blood is thicker than water? Own siblings cannot sue… but political opponents and critics, sue until your pants drop".[11]
Gerrymandering and grassroots leaders[edit]
Critics have long accused the ruling PAP elite of gerrymandering to maintain a significant parliamentary majority. The Elections Department fixes electoral boundaries and is part of the executive branch which reports to the (always PAP) Prime Minister. This has raised its ugly head yet again in advance of the Parliamentary elections scheduled for September 2015.[12]
It would be safe to assume that a large percentage of the PAP grassroots leaders are also part-time informants for the Internal Security Department (ISD). Visitors are encouraged to abstain from Singapore politics while in Singapore as any politically incorrect conversation overheard by the grassroots leaders may subject the unsuspecting tourists to an indefinite jail term, and/or caning.
Salaries of ministers and MPs[edit]
The salaries of ministers and members of parliament (MPs) are of constant debate.
With a salary of US$1.7 million per year, reduced from an initial 2.9 million per year under mounting public outrage, Lee Hsien Loong is the highest-paid head of government in the world by a substantial margin.[13] Lee Hsien Loong has reportedly mentioned that he donates 50% of his salary to charity but this claim could not be substantiated. The salary of MPs are fixed at SGD $16,000 per month before taxes as of 2017.[14] MPs are not required to quit their job so they can hold their day job while performing their MP duties. In fact, many MPs are rich enough without the $16,000 salary and the official explanation for their large compensation is so that they have enough pride when talking to business leaders who earn equivalent salaries.
Society[edit]
The Singapore Army's conscripted troops on the ground during the Afghanistan War.
Women enjoy greater rights than men in Singapore. Under the women's charter, women are guaranteed 50% of their partner's assets and subsequent salaries upon divorce regardless of the reason for divorce.[15] Women are excluded from compulsory conscription in Singapore and enjoy better wages due to local feminism movements. In fact, Singapore has the lowest rape cases in the region as non-consensual sex in Singapore is viewed as rape and comes with compulsory caning of the offender. Non-consensual sex in Singapore includes impaired consent (i.e. having intercourse with a drunk girl) and retroactively withdrawn consent (i.e victim regretting the sex and retracting the consent given). Women in Singapore are given exclusive tax rebates for childbirth (up to 75% of their annual income) and are one of the richest in the region due to their high salaries and low taxes. Adultery is legal in Singapore and women have the right to have sex with more than one man.
Men on the other hand are not so lucky. Many of the local populace agree that a man born in China or India is more fortunate than a man born in Singapore. Singapore has a compulsory conscription in place since 1967[16] through the passing of the NS (Amendment) Act. Every male citizen in Singapore is subjected to two years of full-time National Service and a subsequent part-time service every year up to the statutory age limit of 40 years old. Men who obtained officers' ranks are required to serve until age 50. During the whole duration of service (until the statutory age limit), every man who is deemed to be medically fit has to pass a physical test or face jail time, fines and even capital punishment. They are also subjected to random call ups at any point in time, also known as Mobililsation Exercise, where they must turn up at their respective camps within 2, 4 or 6 hours depending on the requirements of their vocation. Employers in Singapore must release their male employees to compulsory service. As a result, many employers shun hiring local men, instead choosing to hire local women or foreigners. Singaporean men are also despised if they wear their army uniform on public transports as they are deemed to be smelly and lazy if they sit down in trains.[17]
New citizen controversies[edit]
Many locals in Singapore believe that the government has no restrictions for foreigners to become new citizens as the new citizens are most likely to vote for the incumbent government. In fact, many call it the "pyramid scheme" where foreigners are attracted by the lucrative job opportunities and relatively low taxes. However, many new citizens soon discover that their children are subjected to national service and migrate to other countries as soon as they become Singaporeans. This has sparked the ire of many locals who feel that they have got the short end of the stick as they are stuck in the country with no means of escaping from it.
Singapore's business district.
The Singapore government relies heavily on foreign labour, which they called "Foreign Talents" (FTs). Minister Lim Swee Say who was previously the Secretary-General of NTUC (the only workers union in Singapore), has coined the term "Cheaper, Better, Faster" as the solution to Singapore's economy.[18] This term was later used by many bosses in small and medium enterprises to justify the retrenchment of older local workers and replacing them with young foreign labour as young Singaporean men have national service commitments and it will affect their productivity.
Banking is a major part of the Singapore economy. Though on some level, Singapore may appear to have little corruption, the banking industry has historically been closely tied with laundering ill-gotten gains from neighboring counties in Southeast Asia.[19][20] This can appear particularly ironic to those in the know when Singapore annually suffers from very bad air pollution caused by forest fires in neighboring Indonesia, some of which are associated with illegal land clearing.
Singapore has also signed multiple free trade agreements that also allow India, China and the Philippines to dump their additional population in Singapore. In fact, the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) which was signed between Singapore and India has allowed India to replace the majority of the information technology workforce in Singapore with many companies hiring Indian FTs through their Indian human resources counterparts. This became such an issue for many locals but despite that, the government insist that it is for the greater good of the economy to import a cheaper, better, faster workforce.[21]
IDA saga[edit]
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore(IDA), now renamed as GOVTECH, was involved in a saga in April 2015 when one of the local citizens discovered that IDA had hired an Indian "Foreign Talent", Nisha Padmanabhan, with a fake masters degree from unaccredited Southern Pacific University.[22] IDA was a statutory board under the Ministry of Information and was considered to be a public sector under government payroll. Many citizens were infuriated because the government had decided to hire a foreigner with a diploma mill degree rather than local people with genuine degrees. The controversy sparked much debate and it ultimately ended when the Indian FT resigned and moved to Silicon Valley.
Investment controversies[edit]
The city operates an investment firm called Temasek Holdings, which manages a portfolio of over 200 billion dollars — larger than JP Morgan Chase and approximately equal to the entire GDP of Singapore. By "coincidence", Temasek's CEO is Ho Ching, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Lee has stated publicly that his feelings are greatly hurt by the suggestion that nepotism was involved, and he and his father have both been notoriously litigious toward political critics over the years.[23]
Many of the local populace suspects that the compulsory savings and retirement accounts, know as Central Provident Fund (CPF), was "gambled" away by the firm when it made poorly-judged investment in the crisis of 2008/2009.[24]
Culture and religion[edit]
The Sultan Mosque, one of the most important such buildings in Singapore.
Singapore has a wide variety of cultures and religions. In fact, Singapore is so culturally diverse that one can see nine different religions blessing a public infrastructure.[25] Singapore has four official languages (English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil), although new citizens from India and the Philippines are campaigning for the inclusion of Punjabi and Tagalog as official languages as well. Singaporeans are generally cohesive and view themselves as Singaporeans rather than as a group of their respective races. In fact, local Singaporean Chinese would identify themselves with their local Malay or Indian counterparts rather than with Chinese from China. Locals who do not like foreigners stealing their jobs are labeled as xenophobic racists. The discussion of race and religion in a manner that could be interpreted as hostile is banned in Singapore under the sedition act.[26] It is an offense to make racial/religious jokes in Singapore as the government does not want a re-enactment of the Maria Hertogh riots.[27]
Casual racism[edit]
Casual racism was brought into the spotlight when a local Indian actor Shrey Bhargava wrote a lengthy post on Facebook about his experience with stereotyping during an audition for a role in Ah Boys To Men 3, a local propaganda movie on National Service.[28] Local online television personality Xiaxue, was quick to respond that it was right for the directors to do what they did and called bullshit on Shrey Bhargava for not being professional enough and a hypocrite.[29] Subsequently, Shrey was questioned by the police for alleged racism (due to his discussion on racial issues) and was released when the police determined that no damage was done to the social fabric of Singapore.[30] This incident brought the topic of casual racism into the public with many agreeing that while it might not be a big deal for the majority Chinese populace to laugh and joke about common racist stereotypes, the minority in Singapore has been very tolerant as well.[31]
Foreign relations[edit]
Prime Minister Lee with President Trump before the summit with North Korea.
Singapore is so influential in the world that anyone with the Singapore passport has visa-free access to 173 countries including North Korea.[note 1] Singapore maintains friendly diplomatic relations with North Korea despite the trade embargo against North Korea. However, the general public in Singapore do not have the financial luxury to obtain a passport, which costs SGD$80, nor travel the world as they are constantly taxed by the government and as a result earn one of the lowest real salaries (Gross Salary - Compulsory Retirement Account Contributions - Taxes) in the region.
Singapore has a love-hate relationship with its neighbors, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Relations with Malaysia[edit]
Many Malaysians travel to work in Singapore from Johor and are viewed as the extended cousins of Singaporeans. However, many Singaporeans secretly envy the Malaysians as they stay in much larger houses and earn a good salary after exchange rates. Many Malaysians who worked in Singapore has no loyalty towards Singapore. In fact, they would openly admit that Singapore's salary is good but its cost of living is so high that they would not want to move here. Singapore and Malaysia are in a legal conflict over the Pedra Branca dispute. Pedra Branca is the largest of a small group of unpopulated islets that is Singapore's gateway to the South China Sea. Malaysia, under the Najib Razak government, wishes to claim Pedra Branca so that they can tax all incoming and outgoing vessels and discourage vessels from using Singapore as the main port of call between Asia and the rest of the world. This is in line with China's One Belt One Road Initiative to reduce the influence of Singapore and its key western allies in the region.
Operation Pukul Habis[edit]
Malindo Darasa 3AB (a.k.a. Operation Pukul Habis) was a joint exercise by Indonesia and Malaysia held on August 8th, 1991 which coincided with Singapore's 26th National Day. The operation involved an airdrop of troops from both countries in Johor and it happened during the transition phase when Lee Kuan Yew passed the baton to the new Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong.
In response to the operation, a massive island-wide mobilisation exercise was triggered by Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and all reservists were given loaded M-16 assault rifles with live ammunition and deployed to the coasts of Singapore to prepare for a potential invasion by sea. It was one of the largest mobilisation exercises in Singapore and it was done to dissuade her neighbors from an actual invasion.
↑ No visa is required for Singapore citizens traveling to North Korea and vice-versa!
↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-population-could-hit-69m-by-2030-0
↑ Planet Plutocrat: The countries where politically connected businessmen are most likely to prosper (Mar 15th 2014) The Economist.
↑ https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/hong-lim-park
↑ http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-to-block-foreigners-from-promoting-political-causes-lo-8712130
↑ http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId%3A%22025e7646-947b-462c-b557-60aa55dc7b42%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0
↑ See the Wikipedia article on Capital punishment in Singapore.
↑ Singapore PM takes to the stand for hours in blogger defamation case
↑ Blogger Roy Ngerng ordered to pay PM Lee S$150,000 in damages
↑ Teenage blogger who called Lee Kuan Yew a 'horrible person' is arrested by Singapore police by Lucy Clarke-Billings (Monday 30 March 2015) The Independent
↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/oxley-road-lee-hsien-yang-says-he-is-against-pm-lee-hsien-loong-not-govt
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo15Wvf3lG4
↑ 10 things I learnt about the politics of gerrymandering in S'pore from reading The Straits Times
↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/uk-singapore-politics-idUSLNE81503N20120206
↑ Lucrative salaries keep MPs and Ministers from retiring (January 2, 2017) States Times Review.
↑ http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId%3A%22f0897dd7-1f3a-45a9-b1e7-ba30fef2dbba%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0
↑ http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/summary/results.w3p;page=0;query=S%20Decade%3A%221900s%22%20Year%3A%221967%22;resUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fstatutes.agc.gov.sg%2Faol%2Fsearch%2Fsummary%2Fresults.w3p%3Bpage%3D0%3Bquery%3DS%2520Decade%253A%25221900s%2522%2520Year%253A%25221967%2522
↑ https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/netizen-smelly-ns-boys-cause-air-pollution-public-transport
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMZ6QZ9kx3Q
↑ Human Rights Watch World Report 2011
↑ Layout candid recorded videos to corruption in Sarawak Directorate Taib Imam
↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/04/07/how-many-pmets-from-india-came-since-2005-under-ceca-and-how-many-singaporeans-over-to-india/
↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ida-probes-claim-about-employee-said-to-have-fake-mba
↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/09/24/singapore-feer-idUSSP35267420080924
↑ https://thehearttruths.com/2016/07/09/does-temasek-holdings-use-singaporeans-cpf
↑ http://mothership.sg/2017/06/9-religious-leaders-bless-tracks-for-upcoming-mrt-tuas-west-extension
↑ http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;page=0;query=DocId%3A%221f6d9e4b-1cf1-4575-9480-da4bdeff9ef4%22%20Status%3Apublished%20Depth%3A0;rec=0
↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/painful-lesson
↑ https://www.facebook.com/shreybhargava7/posts/10155441011724445
↑ http://mothership.sg/2017/05/xiaxue-wades-into-racist-ah-boys-to-men-audition-saga-calls-actor-a-hypocrite/
↑ http://mothership.sg/2017/06/police-question-actor-over-ah-boys-to-men-audition-facebook-post
↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/putting-casual-racism-in-the-spotlight
Retrieved from "https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Singapore&oldid=2068915"
Bronze-level articles
Asian countries


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This is a tour exploring the entire Gansu province, from the famous Jiayuguan Pass - Western end of the Great Wall, Dunhuang - home to the Mogao Grottos, one of the richest collections of ancient Buddhist murals and statues in China, to Xiahe of Gannan area (south Gansu), which is known for its rich Tibetan culture, landscape and Labrang & Langmu Monasteries - quiet and picturesque paradise.
* explore murals and statues in the grottos on high cliff.
* Mount on the fort of the western end of the Great Wall.
* Visit the most important Tibetan monastery out of Tibet.
CCC does not presently offer regular set excursions to this destination. However we are happy to help you plan a private tour. Please click the tab "Custom Itinerary" to check prices and propose a date and your own group.
Jiayu Mountain is located in Gansu's north, close to Inner Mongolia and Qinghai province. At the foot of the Jiayu Mountain lies Jiayuguan, one of the greatest ancient forts on the Silk Road. The Fort was founded during the Ming Dynasty, built to an existing watchtower and completed in 1372. It was the western end of the Great Wall and for the Chinese the last outpost of civilization, beyond which lay barbarian country. The Fort is also known as "Impregnable Defile under the Heaven" and has been crowned as the best in China due to its bleak location.
Along the Hexi Corridor and 43 miles southwest to Dunhuang City in Gansu Province, Yangguan Pass is one of the two important western passes (the other one is Yumenguan Pass) of Great Wall in Western Han Dynasty (206BC -24AD). The Emperor Wu ordered to build it in the purpose of consolidating the frontier defense as well as developing the remote western region. For years and years, the flowing dunes have eroded this Great Wall pass into a broken beacon tower, standing alone in the boundless desert. It measures 15.4 feet high and 8.7 yards wide. Around the relic, you cannot even see the dismantled walls, because they were all eroded by the wind and buried under earth. South to the pass, there is a "Curio Beach". It is a small valley where you can find lots of dynasties' tiles, coins, weapons, and decorations.
Dunhuang, "City of the Sands", is located in Gansu, northwest of China. It was a former terminal of the ancient Silk Road, perched on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, one of the world's largest deserts (272,000 sq km). Dunhuang is home to the Mogao Grottos, one of the richest collections of ancient Buddhist murals and statues in China. These grottos were carved into a 1600-meter high cliff and created during over nine dynasties (4th - 14th centuries). They contain 492 caves, each housing murals (45,000), Buddhist paintings and terra-cotta statues (2,000).
At the "Mingshashan Sand Dunes" -which Marco Polo referred to as the "rumbling sands"- one can visit "Crescent Moon Lake", a lush green oasis. A stunning view of a green oasis surrounded by endless desert scenery will open to you when climbing to the top of the dunes.
Other locales: Let us know your departing city and we will arrange your journey to Jiayuguan.
After lunch, we will start the tour by visiting the Jiayuguan Pass. Jiayuguan Pass is situated in the middle of a narrow valley. The Great Wall on both sides of the pass crosses the Gobi desert, with the Overhanging Great Wall to the north and the First Fire Tower of the Great Wall to its south. The Jiayuguan Pass represents the western starting point of a section of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Then, we will drive to the overhanging Great wall neighboring the Pass. The Overhanging Great Wall is an important part of the defensive work of Jiayuguan Pass. It is built in the year of 1539 during the Ming Dynasty. The main body of the Overhanging Great Wall was built with gravel and soil, including three fire towers.
Have dinner and check in to hotel.
After breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and drive 4.5 hours to Dunhuang.
We will make flexible stops on the way to enjoy the vast wilderness of the Gobi desert.
Dunhuang, "City of the Sands", is located in Gansu, northwest of China. It was a former terminal of the ancient Silk Road, perched on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. Dunhuang is home to the Mogao Grottos.
Upon arrival, we head straight to the Mogao Grottos, one of the richest collections of ancient Buddhist murals and statues in China. These grottos were carved into a 1600-meter high cliff and created during over nine dynasties (4th - 14th centuries). They contain 492 caves, each housing murals (45,000), Buddhist paintings and terra-cotta statues (2,000). Have dinner and check in to hotel.
In the morning, we will have great fun in Mingshashan Mountain and Sand Dunes, which Marco Polo referred to as the "rumbling sands" and ride camels on the Sand Dunes leading to the Crescent Moon Lake - a lush green oasis. A stunning view of a green oasis surrounded by endless desert scenery will open to you when climbing to the top of the dunes.
After lunch, we drive for about an hour to visit Yangguan Fortress.
Then, we will transfer to the airport and fly to Lanzhou, the provincial capital of Gansu province. GS7564 (16:55~18:55). Have dinner and check in to hotel.
Have breakfast and check out the hotel. We will drive for about 4 hours to Xiahe. Xiahe boasts wonderful landscape and mysterious religion culture. Unique Tibetan customs and beautiful prairies give the place the good names of 'Chinese Little Tibet' and 'Eastern Vatican'.
Upon arrival, we will visit the stunning Labrang Monastery.
Check out and Drive to Lanzhou. Along the way, we will visit the great mosque in Linxia County..


text:
CBS RADIO WORKSHOP
DIMENSION X
Original image: Patrick Hoesly
Authors: Earl Schenck Miers and Richard A. Brown
Originally aired: 30 June 1957
Plot synopsis: A dramatized account of the Battle of Gettysburg, featuring first-hand testimony from the time. Based on a book of the same name by Earl Schenck Miers and Richard A. Brown, first published in 1948.
Favourite line: 'June 28th. About ten o'clock, a large body of our cavalry began to pass through town. I hope they may catch the rebels and give them a sound thrashing!'
Review: Anyone with an interest in US history, especially Civil War history, will find something of value in this episode - though if you know little about the conflict beforehand, you won't be greatly enlightened by the end, as it focuses very narrowly on a single battle, the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. What is perhaps most fascinating about the episode is the fact that it was broadcast 'only' ninety-four years after the battle was fought - sure, the Civil War was no longer in living memory, but the 1950s was still a time when the conflict was an important part of many Americans' mental landscapes. The most striking scenes in the episode are the personal accounts, performed by a variety of actors, of their experiences of the battle, of not only soldiers but also civilians (including one female Gettysburgian). It also strives to be even-handed, by including both Union and Confederate voices. Only a brief extract from Abraham Lincoln's famous Address is included, at the very start, and there isn't much in the way of broader context, or about the wider significance of the battle. Nonetheless, a solid episode.
Rating: * * *
The Green Hills of Earth
Originally aired: 21 July 1957
Plot synopsis: The story upon which this episode was based was also adapted by X Minus One (as well as by Dimension X) and my main review is of this version here. The CBS Radio Workshop adaptation differs in a number of ways - the acting is, perhaps, superior, though the singing may be worse - but the basic story is the same. In any case, I found the plot equally unappealing in both versions, so I would not strongly recommend one over the other.
Rating: * *
Grief Drives a Black Sedan
Original radio play: Dee Engleback
Originally aired: 1 September 1957
Plot synopsis: A quarreling married couple runs something over while driving, but the husband refuses to stop to discover what it is.
Favourite Line: 'Oh, yes, you've given me things. Money, a beautiful home. And, oh, so much loneliness.'
Review: This episode works best during the scenes in which it presents a study of a marriage in the process of breaking down. An example of the sort of 'realistic' social drama that was prevalent in the 1950s, the story's depiction of a warring couple whose relationship has descended into bitterness and acrimony has real power. Moreover, the section at the end - SPOILER ALERT! - in which the husband reads out the letter by the man whose dog he ran over (based on a real letter, 'A letter to the man who killed my dog', by Richard Joseph, which was later expanded into a book) is quite affecting. There are some problems, though - for example, the ticking clock in the background during the scenes in the police station becomes quite irritating after a while. There is, too, an overly earnest message by New York Governor William Averell Harriman after the story has concluded promoting safer driving - today, at least, I can't imagine many people listening very seriously to a politician delivering such a worthy message. Yet overall, this is a strong, even moving, episode.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A perennial herb whose leaves are basal, simple, elongated, and with glandular hairs. Flowers are terminal on a naked stem, 5-parted, funnel-shaped, pale lilac, purple or white with a greenish-yellow eye. Fruit is a capsule. A German horticulturist, successfully breed a primin-free Primula obconica cultivar but unfortunately the flowers were much less spectacular. These plants are great for adding colour to cool greenhouses and windowsills during spring. They produce brightly coloured flowers that last for several weeks if spent flowers are removed regularly.


text:
Sun Signs(current)
Birthday Horoscopes
Bernard Madoff
Birth Place : Queens, New York, United States Of America
Zodiac Sign : Taurus
Chinese Zodiac : Tiger
Birth Element : Earth
Bernard Madoff Biography, Life, Interesting Facts
Bernard Madoff was a Wall Street broker who became infamous for being charged with an investment fraud that amounted to $50 billion. He is sentenced to 150 years in prison due to his crime of which only a portion of the wealth has just been returned to his clients.
He married his high school sweetheart Ruth Alpern in 1959. Together, they had two children named Andrew and Mark who later assisted Madoff in the family business.
A Bloodline Tied to the Finance Industry
Born on April 29, 1938, in Queens, New York, Bernard Lawrence Madoff was the son of Polish immigrants, Ralph and Sylvia Madoff. His parents were married at the height of the Great Depression in 1932 and settled for a job in finance before working as a housewife and a plumber.
Madoff's mother, Sylvia, was registered as a real estate broker and dealer in the early 1960s working for Gibraltar Securities Company and listed the family residence in Queens as the company's office. It was later closed down due to non-filing of financial conditions.
Growing up, Bernard Madoff was indifferent towards the subject of finance of which he only grew interested upon entering college. The young Madoff was interested in swimming, even joining his school's local swim club where he was a regular competitor in meets.
His swim coach even hired him as a lifeguard in Atlantic Beach on Long Island's Silver Point Beach Club and saved the money he earned from his sideline for later investment. Other than the sport, his attention was focused on his girlfriend, Ruth.
The Founding of Madoff Securities
Before entering the finance industry, Bernard Madoff initially aimed for a career in the law industry. He graduated in 1960 from Hofstra College with a degree in political science and later enrolled to Brooklyn Law School but dropped the pursuit in exchange of pursuing the job in the finance industry. A year before his graduation at Hofstra, he married his wife Ruth in 1959.
Bernard Madoff and his wife established the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LCC. The company was born from the savings he accumulated from working as a lifeguard amounting to $5,000 in Long Island along with the additional funds from working as an installer of sprinkler systems and $50,000 worth of funds loaned by his in-laws.
His business clientele grew with assistance from his father-in-law's connection and marketing who was also a retired certified public accountant. Included in his impressive list of the clientele are renowned director Steven Spielberg and prominent actor Kevin Bacon. The company's annual return amounted to at least 10 percent which led to its popularity.
With a growing business at hand, Bernard Madoff later employed his family members as administrative help to the company. Both of his sons served as traders for the company while his younger brother Peter worked as the company's chief compliance officer upon joining in 1970.
Madoff's Arrest, Trial and Imprisonment
Bernard Madoff's downfall came on December 11, 2008. Before his arrest, he announced beforehand the early release of his sons' bonuses which amounts to several million dollars. Suspicious to the incredulous amount, they demanded where the money came from of which Madoff ultimately admitted that the company he was handling was part of an elaborate Ponzi scheme.
His sons then reported him to local authorities where he was duly arrested. Bernard Madoff pleaded to 11 counts of felony on March 11, 2009, and was said to admittedly losing $50 billion worth of his investors' money. June of the same year, he was sentenced to 150 years in prison by Judge Denny Chin and was sent to serve his term in North Carolina at Butner Federal Correction Complex.
While serving his time, he suffered the death of his son Mark in December 2010 due to committing suicide while his other son Andrew died in September 2014 from a long battle against cancer. Earlier in 2014, Bernard Madoff was also diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer and suffered from a heart attack.
In 2017, Robert De Niro took on his role in the HBO adaptation of the 2011 non-fiction narrative by Diana B. Henriques entitled Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and The Death of Trust.
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Comillas is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and famous of Cantabria, a magnificent architectural complex surrounded by a natural environment and landscape of emergency.
The town, declared a historic-artistic, is known by the nickname of "Villa of the archbishops, as in his town who were born five prelates over age Madia took several dioceses.
Noteworthy is the magnificent architecture and ancestral mansions with their shields, own lineage of the time.
Its cobbled streets, squares and invite you to discover every corner of the town, reporting to the visitor a feeling of peace and serenity.
In the middle is the town square, surrounded by houses with extensive views, next to City Hall and the parish church of San Cristobal, whose construction dates from the seventeenth century. In the town center, Piazza del Corro noted Campi, where you will find the main bars and restaurants of the town, busy in summer, and a little farther from the Plaza of Three Caños, with tower and houses spacious sunny where we must mention the source of air marked modernist.
The monumental Comillas stems under the patronage of Antonio Lopez, the first Marqués de Comillas, who got in the summer of 1881 King Alfonso XII to spend their holidays in the village, thus becoming the place chosen by the aristocracy as a tourist center summer. This allowed the Catalans to important modernist architects of the time it made much of his works, thus giving it a set of extraordinary beauty.
Palace Sobrellano. Great building, also called Palacio del Marqués de Comillas, since it was built in the same place where his home is located, being designed by the Catalan architect Juan Martorell. Neo-Gothic, part of the furniture was Cascante idea, speaking also on the artistic Lorens painter and sculptor Joan Roig. Jointly with the style palace, the chapel vault is characterized by hair marble mausoleums. Part of the furniture was designed by Gaudi. Visiting hours are from 10.30 until July 13,30 and 16 to 19.30 (Closed Monday and Tuesday). July to September 9 from 10 to 21 hours. The fare is 3 euros and 3 euros Palace Chapel. Phone: 942720339
Universidad Pontificia. Impressive building that dominates the town from the west, is one of the most representative of the village. The ornamental details, as well as access to the home were designed by the architect Doménesch.
"El Capricho" Gaudi. Declared a historic-artistic monument in 1969, is a beautiful building in the arabesque style that highlights her porch with large columns with ceramic decorations of its walls.
The cemetery. Topped by the magnificent works of sculpture The Angel of Joseph Llimona exterminator, overlooking the ruins of the old Gothic monastery, one of the finest details of the landscape of Comillas.
Monument to the Marquis de Comillas. Doménech work, was erected in 1980, located on a hill, from which dominates the village with excellent sea views.
Playa de Comillas. Fine golden sand, the beach of Comillas is located in the town center. Awarded the distinctive blue flag, has all kinds of services.
Is located very close to the natural environment Oyambre, near the estuary of Rabies. This is one of the best preserved beaches of the region, highlighting its dunes, surrounded by a landscape of incredible beauty.
The entire coastline of Comillas is ideal for water sports such as diving, sailing, racing drifters, windsurfing.
You can also opt for fishing bait in the steep cliffs surrounding the town.
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Welcome to Portage Park!
Our little scientists!
Color War Day at Camp!
Our silly little kiddos!
We are lucky to have such great staff!
Outdoor soccer at Portage
Just keep swimming!
We love our boxing program!
4100 N. Long Ave.
Supervisor: Tom Versen
Features: Parks
Sunday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Monday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Tuesday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Wednesday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Thursday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Friday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Saturday: 6:00 am-11:00 pm
Fieldhouse Hours
Sunday 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Portage Park is located in the Portage Park community. Portage Park warmly welcomes patrons with a decorative gateway entrance at the corner of Irving Park Road and Central Avenue and an expanse of lush landscaping. Many Chicago residents choose Portage Park for their wedding ceremonies and special outdoor occasions because of its natural, scenic beauty. The 38.18-acre park is much more than a pretty picture—it's the site for hundreds of valuable sports, early childhood recreation and cultural programs, as well as fantastic family special events.
Portage Park offers something for every kind of play—six tennis courts, a new soft-surface ADA accessible playground, a slab for in-line skating, a new dog friends area, a bike path, a nature walk, five baseball fields, two combination football/soccer fields and two fieldhouses, one housing a gymnasium and the other a cultural arts building.
In the heat of summer, Portage Park is the place to keep cool. Its Olympic-size pool features a large deck for sunning, misting sprays, an interactive water play area with slide and diving boards. The park also contains a smaller heated pool.
For youth, programming includes an exemplary after-school program, woodcraft, recreational tumbling and gymnastics, floor and roller hockey, music, and a wide range of sports each season. Adults can get involved with a walking or senior club, stay fit with an aerobics or conditioning class, or explore their creative side with lessons in piano, concert band, or woodworking.
The park features a boxing center where boxing programs are offered for ages 8 and older. The Chicago Park District's boxing program has produced a number of professionals including Olympians Michael Bennett, David Diaz, Nate Jones and Leroy Murphy and former champion Montell Griffin. The Chicago Park District operates 20 citywide boxing centers.
In 2003, a 6,500-square-foot senior center was created in coordination with the City of Chicago Department of Aging.
In 2011 a 3,000 square-foot dog friendly area was developed at the north west corner of the park.
Portage Park was created in 1913 by the Old Portage Park District, an independent park board formed by local citizens to enhance property values and improve their northwest side neighborhood. The name of the new park district, and that of its first and largest park, makes reference to several nearby routes used by Native Americans and fur traders to portage their canoes between the DesPlaines and Chicago Rivers. The American Park Builders Company prepared the original plan for Portage Park and completed initial construction between 1913 and 1917. The park design included a naturalistic swimming lagoon, which opened to the public in July, 1916. By the 1920s, the new park was thriving. Noted architect Clarence Hatzfeld designed a handsome prairie-style fieldhouse in 1922, followed by an attractive brick gymnasium in 1928. Portage Park quickly became the center of the community, providing athletics and team sports, cultural and club activities, festivities and special events. In 1934, the city's 22 independent park commissions were consolidated into the Chicago Park District, and the new agency soon secured federal funds through the Works Progress Administration. WPA improvements at Portage Park included additional plantings, whimsical stonework fountains and gateways, and a comfort station. WPA workers also removed the original swimming lagoon and constructed a kidney-shaped concrete pool. In 1959, the park district replaced the concrete pool with an Olympic-sized pool in preparation for hosting the Pan American Games. In 1972, Portage Park hosted the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, where Gold Medalist Mark Spitz set new world's records. In 1998, the swimming pools and plaza area were rehabilitated and an interactive water play area was created for children. The 1922 fieldhouse is now being used as a cultural center, offering art crafts, drama, music, and senior citizens programs.
Parking Directions
For directions using public transportation visit www.transitchicago.com.
Jan 6-March 15 | Portage Pool Schedule
Contact: Jennifer Dianovsky, President
Email: portageparkplayground@gmail.com
4th Monday of odd numbered months, 7:00pm to 8:30p
The Nature of the Place
4100 N Long Ave
Portage Woodcraft Room
Portage Tennis Courts
Portage Roller Hockey Rink
Portage Playground
Portage Pool - Outdoor
Portage Pool - Indoor
Download Portage winter pool schedule 2020.pdf (63.38 KB)
Portage Interactive Water Play Area
Portage Gymnasium
Portage Football/Soccer Fields
Portage Dog Friendly Area
4100 N. Long
Portage Clubrooms
Portage Natural Area
Portage Boxing Gym
Portage Baseball Field
Three Dogs in the Park
Portage Fieldhouse
Curbed Chicago: 11 outdoor swimming pools for summer in Chicago
Chicago Park District Gears Up For Winter
Girls in Sports Day at Portage
Location: Portage Park
Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Registration dates vary by park. The dates listed below are specific to this park.
2020 Winter: Zone 1: West of California
Most programs run from Monday, January 06 to Sunday, March 15.
Online registration begins Monday, December 02.
In-person registration begins Saturday, December 07.
Click on a program name below for description, availability and to add to your wish list or register online (if available). For activities that have already begun, registration is ongoing while spots are available. Resident fees are listed below. Non-resident fees are double.
2020 Spring: Zone 1: West of California
Floor Hockey at Portage 283387 Instruction Floor Hockey At least 9 but less than 13 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Thursday from 5pm to 5:45pm $17.00
Boxing at Portage 283077 Instruction Boxing At least 9 but less than 13 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday from 5pm to 5:45pm $18.00
Dodgeball at Portage 300459 Instruction Dodgeball At least 8 but less than 13 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Wednesday from 4pm to 4:45pm $17.00
Recorder at Portage 284195 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 8pm to 8:30pm $37.00
Guitar - Group - Beginner at Portage 283520 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 7:30pm to 8pm $37.00
Piano - Group - Beginner at Portage 284092 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Thursday from 3:30pm to 4pm $37.00
Guitar - Group at Portage 283529 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Band at Portage 282788 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Piano - Group - Intermediate at Portage 284109 Instruction Music At least 7 but less than 13 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Soccer at Portage 284418 Instruction Soccer At least 6 but less than 9 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 5, 2020
Each Thursday from 6:30pm to 7:30pm $22.00
Floor Hockey at Portage 283386 Instruction Floor Hockey At least 6 but less than 9 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Boxing at Portage 283076 Instruction Boxing At least 6 but less than 9 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Learn to Swim at Portage 283833 Instruction Lessons At least 6 but less than 18 Coed From January 12, 2020 to March 15, 2020
Each Sunday from 11:30am to 12:30pm $34.00
Each Sunday from 12:45pm to 1:45pm $34.00
TEAM Sports at Portage 284652 Instruction Specialized At least 6 but less than 18 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 27, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday,Friday from 4:45pm to 7pm
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 4:45pm to 6pm $35.00
Youth Swim at Portage 285068 Open Open At least 6 but less than 18 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Monday,Friday from 3:45pm to 4:45pm Free
Each Saturday from 11:15am to 12:15pm $34.00
Each Saturday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm $34.00
Learn to Swim at Portage 283830 Instruction Lessons At least 6 but less than 18 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 3:45pm to 4:45pm $34.00
Each Wednesday from 3:45pm to 4:45pm $34.00
Park Kids - Winter at Portage 284074 Instruction After School At least 6 but less than 13 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 20, 2020
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 2:45pm to 6:30pm $240.00
Seasonal Sports at Portage 284276 Instruction Seasonal Sports At least 6 but less than 10 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Gymnastics at Portage 283561 Instruction Recreational At least 6 but less than 10 Female From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Piano - Group - Beginner at Portage 284091 Instruction Music At least 5 but less than 7 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Kiddie College - Winter at Portage 283677 Instruction Recreation At least 4 but less than 6 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Monday,Wednesday,Friday from 10:30am to 1pm $71.00
Ballet - Beginner at Portage 282781 Instruction Dance At least 4 but less than 6 Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 9, 2020
Each Monday from 1pm to 1:45pm $26.00
Tiny Tot Swim - Level III at Portage 284830 Instruction Lessons At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 12, 2020 to March 15, 2020
Each Sunday from 10:15am to 11:15am $38.00
Music and Movement at Portage 300458 Instruction Dance At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Special Olympics Young Athletes at Portage 284509 Instruction Seasonal Sports At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 15, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Wednesday from 9:15am to 10am Free
Tiny Talkers - Spanish at Portage 284732 Instruction Educational/Self-Help At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Fun and Games at Portage 283462 Instruction Fun & Games At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 1pm to 1:45pm $22.00
Art & ABCs at Portage 282690 Instruction Recreation At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Tiny Tot Swim - Level II at Portage 284813 Instruction Lessons At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 10:30am to 11:30am $38.00
Each Tuesday from 7pm to 8pm $38.00
Each Thursday from 10:30am to 11:30am $38.00
Each Wednesday from 10:30am to 11:30am $38.00
Tiny Tot Swim - Level III at Portage 284827 Instruction Lessons At least 3 but less than 6 Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Thursday from 11:30am to 12:30pm $38.00
Each Wednesday from 11:30am to 12:30pm $38.00
Each Wednesday from 7pm to 8pm $38.00
Play School at Portage 284155 Instruction Recreation At least 3 but less than 4 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Tuesday,Thursday from 11am to 12:30pm $44.00
Painting at Portage 284023 Instruction Painting At least 2 but less than 6 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Arts & Crafts at Portage 282748 Instruction Decorative Arts At least 2 but less than 6 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Boxing at Portage 283078 Instruction Boxing At least 13 but less than 18 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Teen Club at Portage 284694 Open Clubs At least 13 but less than 18 Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 18, 2020
Each Wednesday from 6:30pm to 8:30pm Free
Basketball at Portage 282896 Instruction Basketball At least 13 but less than 18 Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 6:45pm to 8:30pm Free
Tiny Tot Swim - Level I at Portage 284776 Instruction Lessons At least 1 years 6 months but less than 3 years 1 months Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 10:30am to 11:30am $38.00
Tiny Tot Swim - Level I at Portage 284777 Instruction Lessons At least 1 years 6 months but less than 3 years 1 months Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 11:30am to 12:30pm $38.00
Each Thursday from 7pm to 8pm $38.00
Moms, Pops & Tots Interaction at Portage 283955 Instruction Recreation At least 1 years 6 months but less than 3 Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 10am to 10:45am $21.00
Each Thursday from 10am to 10:45am $21.00
Aquatic Exercise II - Low Impact at Portage 282638 Instruction Fitness 60 and up Coed From January 7, 2020 to March 10, 2020
Each Tuesday from 9:15am to 10:15am Free
Each Thursday from 9:15am to 10:15am Free
Aquatic Exercise III - High Impact at Portage 282652 Instruction Fitness 60 and up Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 9:15am to 10:15am Free
Aquatic Exercise III - High Impact at Portage 282655 Instruction Fitness 60 and up Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Wednesday from 9:15am to 10:15am Free
Boxing at Portage 283079 Instruction Boxing 18 and up Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday from 7pm to 8pm $18.00
Drawing & Painting at Portage 283305 Instruction Drawing 18 and up Coed From January 8, 2020 to March 11, 2020
Adult Swim at Portage 282593 Open Open 18 and up Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 15, 2020
Each Sunday,Saturday from 9am to 10am
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 8am to 9am
Each Monday from 9:15am to 10:15am Free
Learn to Swim at Portage 283826 Instruction Lessons 18 and up Coed From January 10, 2020 to March 13, 2020
Each Friday from 11:30am to 12:30pm $34.00
Piano - Group - Beginner at Portage 284095 Instruction Music 18 and up Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Each Saturday from 10am to 11am $34.00
Basketball at Portage 282897 Instruction Basketball 18 and up Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 9, 2020
Each Monday from 6:45pm to 8:45pm $32.00
Piano - Group - Intermediate at Portage 284112 Instruction Music 18 and up Coed From January 9, 2020 to March 12, 2020
Family Swim at Portage 283346 Open Open Coed From January 6, 2020 to March 14, 2020
Each Monday from 11:30am to 12:30pm
Each Monday,Friday from 7pm to 8pm
Each Saturday from 1:45pm to 3:30pm Free
Park Kids - Spring at Portage 290047 Instruction After School At least 6 but less than 13 Coed From March 30, 2020 to June 12, 2020
Each Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday from 3pm to 6:30pm $240.00
Kiddie College - Spring at Portage 289635 Instruction Recreation At least 4 but less than 6 Coed From March 30, 2020 to June 5, 2020
2015 Valentine's Day in the Parks
Date Posted: 2/17/2015 Romeo was melting hearts at the Warren Park ice rink.
Senior Fun in the Parks!
Date Posted: 5/6/2015 A Senior Prom 2015 at Columbus Park
Boxing Showcase at Hamlin Park | Oct. 13, 2016
Date Posted: 10/17/2016 Center Ring!
Portage Park Turkey Trot
Date Posted: 11/24/2014 Congrats to the Portage Park 2014 Turkey Trot winners!
Portage Park: Canoes
Date Posted: 7/28/2015 The playground canoes were inspired by the park's name. Historically, Native Americans would…
2016 Senior Hawaiian Luncheon
Date Posted: 5/12/2016 Aloha!
Solar Eclipse Viewing Parties In the Parks
Date Posted: 8/21/2017 Teens viewed the eclipse from Humboldt's boathouse with glasses from Adler
2014 Fall in the Parks!
Date Posted: 10/6/2014 Creative pumpkin carving by our amazing art instructor from Rutherford Sayre Park. Showcasing her…
Go Cubs Go!
Date Posted: 10/27/2016 We love pumpkins and the cubs at Indian Boundary!


The marathon run for importing Norwich LETS's msaccess-based database to LocalExchange's MySQL-based database has ended a while ago. It took almost 7-8 hours and pushed my SQL knowledge to its limits. Here's how I did it.
0. Open database in MSAccess and export all tables as CSV file.
1. Make a list of columns in each table and create identical tables in MySQL.
3. Now that all tables have been brought into MySQL, it's time to push them into LocalExchange's database.
This "listing" table stores both the wants and offers.
A similar SQL copied everything from the offers table.
5. Now we have to copy tmp.member_detail into norlets.member and norlets.person.
Especially important to note here is the use of the date format string inside the str_to_date function.
Instead of using "%M" for minute as in php, it is using "%i". This is MySQL specific.
7. After this, some specific records were update with suitable values (e.g. primary membership) to match the needs of local exchange.
8. Next I added the "admin" account with an id of 999 into the norlets.member table and started to test Local Exchange with the newly created database.


text:
ReemaFaris.com
the comfort of why
Posts Tagged 'priority'
The Trouble With Our Schools Is Not ESL
In his English 104 lecture today at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Dr. Paul Matthew St. Pierre argued that our posts, tweets, texts, online articles, and other written forms of expression in the digital sphere are published works.
By publishing via these new media forms, we become authors and contributors to digital culture. I, for one, am grateful that technology has made this access to publication possible. In almost three years of writing for my blog, I've been able to put forward opinions on a range of topics for consideration.
However, by publishing on my blog, I'm certain readers know the content of each article represents my own personal opinion albeit informed by my experience, my work, my position, and my reflections on what I may have read, seen, and heard.
In contrast, opinion pieces published in traditional mainstream media publications, such as The Vancouver Sun, are imbued with the aura of a journalistic standard even when they too are statements of personal opinion. Even when marked with the label "Opinion", as with today's column by Shelley Fralic, this apparent legitimized authority can be problematic.
Simply put, because today's contribution on the public education system by Ms. Fralic was poppycock.
The trouble with our schools is not spelled ESL as Ms. Fralic contends. Rather than spotting an elephant in the room, she has spotted a mouse and while focused on the "wee … tim'rous beastie," running across the room to escape, she's missed the herd of elephants standing right behind her.
It is true that the number of English Language Learners (ELL, previously ESL) is rising in our classrooms, particularly in the Metro Vancouver area. And it is true that more ELL students has contributed to greater complexities in terms of class composition. But does Ms. Fralic — or anyone else for that matter — really believe that removing ELL students from our classrooms would somehow magically eliminate the issues we face?
It's preposterous because the problem with our schools — the real elephant in the room — is the slow steady erosion of government support which has seen, based on court estimates, approximately $300 million per year kept out of the public education system. That's money which would have provided programs, resources, and services to all students including the help of specialist teachers.
And here's the thing: the students who need the help of those specialists may be ELL students, and often they are not. Students arriving for kindergarten without adequate pre-literacy skills may be ELL students, and often they are not. The truth is obstacles to learning, whether speech impediments, learning disabilities, behavioural issues, or other, are not specific to any one culture or any one language.
Neither is poverty.
Neither is economic inequality.
And these are among the real obstacles to better functioning classrooms along with the lack of adequate community resources for all families, whether new to this country or not.
The reality is — as I witnessed in the school my child attended last year — a large number of ELL students introduces an amazing level of diversity into a school community. The learning opportunities, with the exposure to a variety of cultures, are magnified. And the emphasis on inclusion introduces a depth of acceptance that is unparalleled.
That's how we build understanding. That's how we build a society. That's how we build tolerance.
ELL students are the ones who will emerge from our public education system fluent in more than one language: an invaluable asset in our globalized world.
And, their multi-lingual, multi-cultural sensibility is one they will put to good use in making their contributions to Canada and to Canadian culture.
From Job Action To Job Action To … ?
When I chose to run as a candidate in the 2011 municipal elections, the K-12 public education system in British Columbia was embroiled in job action.
Almost three years later, the public education system in British Columbia is once again contending with a job action which many are calling the worst ever for the sheer rancour of the debate, the barbed rhetoric which abounds, and the crumbling relationships.
In other words, my entire term as a Trustee on the West Vancouver Board of Education has been characterized by the lurch from one job action to another.
While bargaining has chewed away at my time as a Trustee, it's insatiable appetite has also served as an obstacle to discussions and innovations on a number of educational topics.
Because if you're consistently caught up in trying to clean up the mess your guests have made with the appetizers, you'll never have the chance to sit down with your company to enjoy the main course.
If our focus is concentrated on bargaining issues, what are we not talking about? Here's a short-list of "big picture" items which I feel are overshadowed by the labour situation whether at a local level or provincially (in alphabetical order):
which Ministry reports are essential and which ones aren't?
is there a way to simplify school district financial reporting to ensure better utilization of staff time and resources without sacrificing the integrity and thoroughness of the information required?
aside from the issue of underfunding, is it time to review the current funding formula?
Assessment (I know much has been done in this area and some school districts have already begun experimenting with different approaches, but I'm afraid that work has been disrupted and the information won't be available for sharing as best practices with others.)
what should report cards look like at each level in the K-12 system?
how do we continue to move forward on implementing models of formative assessment?
is there a different way to organize credits at the high school level to enable a more flexible route to graduation rather than one based strictly on work in school or on a progression through grade levels?
Age Groupings
is grouping students according to their age still the desired approach to education?
how do we balance the advantages of early learning with the fact that for some students a later start into a formal school environment may be more desirable?
do all students require a full five years of secondary education or should there be a fast-track option for some learners?
Calendar (some districts are already working with different calendars)
do we have to start school in September and stop in June with the traditional breaks at the end of each calendar year, for spring break, and so on?
are balanced calendar models more successful for students and their families?
what are the logistical barriers to changing the calendar within a district? That is, does it work well to have one or more schools on a different calendar or does it work better to change all at once?
how do we break through the walls between our communities and our schools to improve and increase relevancy and connections?
what sort of partnerships can we build with our community without compromising the integrity of our public education system?
how do we draw on the expertise and skills of our community members to further enhance and support school learning and the work of our educators?
These are some topics I yearn to delve into along with other issues such as the new curriculum, pre-service requirements for future educators, and the structure of practicums for student teachers.
Oh, and what exactly is a teacher's role and what do we even mean by education in today's world?
And while I believe that a negotiated settlement is the best foundation from which we may be able to enter into a progressive and enlightening discussion on many of these issues, it makes me very sad to acknowledge that the time needed to repair relationships once a deal is signed means we may not have the time we need to talk about such things substantively let alone implement them before we're at the bargaining table again!
In the meantime, school districts continue to strive to do the very best for the families of this province but if each electoral mandate continues to be a Ben Hur-like chariot race from one set of failed negotiations to another, we will — all of us — have failed in our duty to build a better world for our children.
It will be a collective failure of imagination.
Class Size and Composition: A Birthday Party Analogy
Issues of class size and composition tend to polarize the discourse about public education.
These issues are complicated because ideological positions inform much of the debate which is often emotional, replete with language around justice and economics, anxiety and flexibility, discrimination and fairness.
They also encapsulate a tug of war between the needs of students, the workload ramifications for teachers, the expectations of parents, and the managerial criteria of governments.
I want to explore these issues using the analogy of a birthday party.
Because we're stuck in a gladiatorial arena where arguments on class size and composition are discussed in terms of competing narratives.
This restricts our ability to forge solutions and negotiate settlements rather than helping us forge fair and equitable resolutions. So why not try a different lens?
Let's take a typical six-year-old in British Columbia who is turning seven. Which is easier to host: a birthday party for 12 or a birthday party for 20?
All factors being equal, one would be inclined to say a party of 12.
But wait. What if you have to tend to all the details for a party of 12 with no help? That could be much more work than booking a birthday package for 20 at a local community centre where all, or most, of the details are taken care of.
However, what if that group of 20 at the recreation centre includes a handful of children who do not take well to group activities? It may still be less work, but it may be as stressful as, or more stressful than, the small party for 12 at home. And that small party of 12 at home might be a lot less work if you have the help of family members and friends.
This may be a frivolous analogy, but it demonstrates a key idea: class size is important, but it's not the only factor to consider with regard to structuring a successful learning environment. That's why those who claim that class size doesn't matter, in my opinion, are erroneously emphasizing short-term economic efficiency. Those who claim class size can be addressed as a formula are prioritizing workload considerations.
I think we need to figure out a new system for public education, one which supports smaller class sizes, allows the flexibility for larger class sizes where supportable, and in all cases supplies the resources and help required to ensure an optimum learning environment. In my imagined structure, a school district may very well have Grade 1 classes of differing sizes whether of 6, of 12, of 20, of 24, and even, depending on many other factors especially support services, 30.
Wait a second.
I overlooked the most important question.
Whose birthday party is it? What type of birthday party does the child want? Is he an introvert better-suited to small gatherings at home? Is she an extrovert better suited to a significant gathering with lots of activity and her as the centre of attention? Alternatively, would he or she really rather not bother with a party at all even at six years old?
Unfortunately, that's the question which is often overlooked in the fractured and fraught discussion about class size and composition.
And yet, it is about the kids. Isn't it?
Getting to Know Me and You
In a recent blog post, Chris Kennedy, Superintendent of Schools for West Vancouver, issued a challenge which involves providing 11 random facts about one's self, answering 11 questions, and posing 11 questions for others to answer.
I don't have an athlete's competitive gene in the way Chris does, but I'm not one to pass up a challenge — particularly one which offers an easy way into kickstarting my blog for the year.
11 Facts About Me
I'm the eldest child in my family and I use birth order psychology to rationalize my tendency to be bossy.
Athletic competition is not my forte, but I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger.
And while I may not be an athlete, my competitive instincts do tend to arise if faced with a New York Times crossword puzzle, a game of Trivial Pursuit, or any sort of game involving my five nephews.
I was one of the original hosting staff hired for Expo 86 in Vancouver. I worked in the pre-fair period, first at the display pavilion conducting tours of the site model, and later at the Expo Centre which eventually became Science World.
Although I did have that experience with Expo, I resigned my position before the Fair actually opened – not one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I lived in Toronto from 1986 to 1992 and worked for a variety of companies including Addison Wesley Publishers, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and Rogers Cablesystems. I also obtained my MBA from the University of Toronto while there.
During my time in Toronto, I took creative writing lessons through the Continuing Education department at the U of T. My instructor, for two terms, was Anne Michaels who subsequently found much acclaim with the publication of her novel Fugitive Pieces among other works.
I still have the letter Ms. Michaels wrote to me at the end of one term (she wrote a letter for to each student) encouraging me to give myself the gift of time to write. I have to admit, I've never quite learned how to do so, but I still may.
While working for CMHC, I was seconded to the G8 1988 Economic Summit and worked in the media centre. I think I may have caught a glimpse of Margaret Thatcher once from a very great distance!
My return to Vancouver in 1992 was prompted by a number of factors, primarily the impending birth of my first nephew. That's one of the best decisions I've ever made because it brought me back home and allowed me to play a bigger part in his life, and the lives of his brothers, than I may have been able to from far away.
September 2014 will mark 40 years since my family moved to British Columbia and settled in West Vancouver.
Questions from Chris Kennedy:
If you could only watch one television station what would it be? CBC Newsworld
Looking back at your schooling, what was the silliest rule your school had? I don't remember which is probably a clear indication that school rules aren't as effective as we'd like them to be. Or it may only be evidence of my memory issues!
Who is the greatest ever Canuck? I'm sure I'd answer this differently every day and we're lucky to have so many choices. Today I'm going to pick Lester B. Pearson because I believe he was a man who had a vision of how Canada could operate on the world stage in a manner which promoted peace and reconciliation. Our political leadership now seems to have abdicated that position. [Editor's Note: I realize now Chris meant the hockey team and not Canadians in general in which case I'll say Trevor Linden although I was also a Harold Snepsts fan. Oh, and Kirk McLean.]
What is the greatest rock group of the 1980s? Please see the note above re memory issues. I was a Fleetwood Mac enthusiast and also a fan of the Little River Band, but I think that may have been more reflective of the 1970s.
What is something education related you have changed your opinion on over your career? Assessment although not necessarily academic honours and awards.
What is the warmest place you have ever been — and how warm was it? China in July 2009. My eyeglasses would fog up as soon as a I stepped out of the hotel lobby and I remember being drenched in perspiration from morning to evening.
Poorest fashion trend you have seen in schools in the last 10 years? Ugh to Uggs.
What was more frustrating to deal with in your school — Pokemon cards or silly bands? Luckily my role precluded the need to deal with this issue.
Describe your favourite high school teacher in four words. Miss Lysell: dramatist extraordinaire inspiring imaginations.
What is the best reason to go on Facebook at least once a day? For a smile while refreshing connections with friends and family, near and far.
If blogging was outlawed tomorrow — what would be your reaction? Phew!
11 Random Questions for You:
When you think back to your time as an elementary and/or high school student, what's the one thing you wish had been done differently?
What's your favourite movie and why?
If you were asked for one piece of advice to offer a first year student at a post-secondary institution, what would it be?
What was your favourite song of 2013 and why?
Who would you say serves as the best role model for young people today?
Think about the work you're doing now. Is it part of a career you had planned on or are you doing something you had never thought of doing when you were younger?
If you could pitch an idea for a television show, what would it be? (Credit for this question goes to my son!)
On a sunny day, do you make every effort to get outside or do you sometimes prefer to stay at home?
If you had to choose one animal to best describe who you are, what would it be? (I was once asked this question in a job interview!)
What do you think is one thing we could do to encourage more young people to vote in municipal, provincial, and federal elections?
What is one change you hope to make in 2014?
I Challenge the Following People to do their "Homework":
As Chris did, I extend the challenge of this activity to the educational community in the West Vancouver School District including parents and students who write and maintain blogs. I'd also like to extend the challenge to Trustees throughout British Columbia. It's an interesting way to allow our communities to get to know us just that little bit better beyond our role as advocates for the public education system.
The Speed of Life
Math was not my favourite subject in high school, but I was proficient with the material presented. Decades later a modicum of what I learned is hardwired for my general use, but don't ask me to explain an advanced concept and please save me from anything that has to do with calculating probabilities.
One formula that has stuck with me is d = rt or distance (d) equals the rate of travel (r) multiplied by time (t). And while familiarity with the relationship between these three factors comes in handy for planning, lately I've been thinking about the formula's applicability in a different way.
Because I think the distance we travel daily contributes to the feeling we have that life is hurtling by us at breakneck speeds.
On days when I teach, for example, the 25 kilometre journey to SFU's Burnaby campus takes me about thirty minutes each way if traffic is flowing smoothly. That's nothing compared to those who may commute in to Vancouver from the Fraser Valley or drive down each day from Squamish or ferry over from the Sunshine Coast.
Compare that to the daily distance my Grandmothers would have travelled as young women, my paternal Grandmother in rural Lebanon and my maternal Grandmother in rural Jamaica. Until they married, their circle of travel likely extended no further than 10 kilometres, by foot, over the course of a day.
We have extended the distances we travel dramatically and not just for essentials. How many consider a drive to the Bellis Fair Mall, a three-hour roundtrip from the Lower Mainland depending on border waits, a simple excursion? Or consider how cavalier we have become about booking vacations requiring hours if not days of travel?
So if the distances we traverse have become more extensive, and if you accept that our time is fixed (not just in the sense of 24 hours a day, but in the finite sense of our mortality), it would seem that the factor which has changed the most with regard to our day-to-day is r, the rate.
And that may help explain why it feels like we are living at a faster and faster rate, one which increases with each passing year.
Is it any surprise then, as we're preparing to celebrate the arrival of the new year, that many of us wonder what happened to the old one? How is it that we are celebrating graduations when it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the births of the children in our families?
And nothing drives home the finite nature of time as much as the loss of those around us, whether people we've known and loved, young and old, or strangers from far away whose images fill the news.
That's why it's vital to recognize, sooner rather than later, in our instantaneous 140-character world, that we do not have another now.
And unless we take control of the speed of our life, it will pass by in a blur.
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Tweets by @rmfaris
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Freda was the Shirley Bassey of the Sunbeams Concert Troupe, a truly natural performer with a bone-dry sense of humour. At Sunbeams we saw a side to Freda that you wouldn't know if you hadn't experienced her unique performances when she commanded the attention of hundreds of people. She always had to be the last act - she would have waited patiently for hours if necessary! And how she developed her act - which always included 'Wooden Heart', 'It's Now Or Never', and reaching a climax in her angelic pure voice with her 'Silent Night' (whatever the season!). I know all the Sunbeams Concert Troupe agree that our concerts will never be quite the same. She touched the lives of everyone she met, with her bravery, her courage, her style, her gentleness, her love. What a woman. She will be greatly missed by all of us and especially her public.


Mysuru: With one of the major industries in the city, Falcon Tyres Ltd. on KRS Road, closed for over three years, rendering hundreds of workers and employees jobless, Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister K.J. George, who was in city this morning, held a meeting with all stakeholders at the Deputy Commissioner's (DC) Office here this noon to discuss the possibilities of reviving the factory.
Soon as the meeting began, Falcon Tyres Employees Union Legal Advisor and Trade Union leader H.R. Seshadri apprised the Minister about the current status of the factory.
Pointing out that the factory, established over four decades ago, is one of the largest two-wheeler tyres and tubes manufacturer in Asia, Seshadri noted that the factory slipped into downslide in 2014, before shutting down in 2015.
Maintaining that the employees were not paid salaries for years and other statutory benefits such as PF, Gratuity, ESI etc., he said that an NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal)Court in May 2018 had ordered the factory owner to restart the factory in 6 months, through an IRP (Insolvency Resolution Professional) process.
Stating that even the High Court, while hearing a petition from the employees, had called for State's intervention on the issue, Seshadri urged the Government not to allow Liquidation of the factory at any cost.
Seshadri also appealed the Minister to consider a PPP (Public-Private-Participation) model for revival of the factory, as it is a matter of life and death for hundreds of employees.
The Factory Management representatives, who attended the meeting, said that the company on its part has floated a tender for re-starting the factory, setting Oct. 28, 2018 deadline for interested parties.
Asserting that the company would honour the Court order, they said that necessary initiatives will be taken in this regard.
Higher Education Minister G.T. Devegowda, who also attended the meeting, said that the Chief Minister was serious about the revival of the factory.
Assuring that the Government on its part will take all necessary measures needed for the revival of the factory, he expressed the hope that the issue will be resolved soon.
MLA Tanveer Sait urged the company to pay all arrears due to the employees by disposing off scrap and by other means of revenue.
Tourism and Sericulture Minister S.R. Mahesh, MLAs L. Nagendra, B. Harshavardhan and Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar, Industries Department Secretary Gaurav Gupta, former MLA Vasu, industrialist Suresh Kumar Jain, DIC Joint Director Lingaraju, Falcon Tyres Employees Union Secretary Shivanna Gowda and others were present.
Reviving the Falcon tyres factory in the current site is not desirable. It would make Mysore polluted, mysore will no longer be cleanest city. It is better to move it a few kms away from mysore . Govt should consider alternate employment to the people affected. This will ensure they will get jobs quickly without having to wait for reopen of factory.


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violence against journalists
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Home | Opinions | NES
The SNES Classic Won't Get Nearly as Much Hype as the NES Classic
OPINION: The SNES Classic (assuming it's a thing) is meant to capture a time in gaming history that was much more divided than the NES era.
Nintendo kind of flubbed production and distribution of the NES Classic. We know this. The Ancients know this. But, hey – at least it has a chance to make things better with the SNES Classic that's maybe-probably coming out this holiday season!
There are just two things wrong with Nintendo's probable plans for an SNES Classic:
Nintendo sucks at learning lessons (or even pretending to learn lessons), which leads the company to make the same supply "mistakes" over and over.
There's little chance the SNES Classic will generate the same hype the NES Classic kicked up when it was announced.
Nintendo Direct News, No NES Classic Edition for You, and the Rest of This Week's Headlines
I'm excited by the idea of an SNES Classic. If you know enough about video games to understand the SNES Classic is a rumor at this point (i.e. not a tangible product with a solid release date announced across major 6 o'clock news outlets), you're probably intrigued, too. But the SNES Classic is far less likely than the NES Classic to catch the attention of people who simply want a cheap, convenient way to re-capture a few childhood memories.
I'm referring to Wal-Mart Mom. Remember her? The hypothetical woman who accidentally left her baby on the car roof after purchasing her NES Classic? Yeah. There's a good chance she played some NES games when she was a kid, but didn't move on to the SNES.
There might be several reasons why she never became an SNES owner. Maybe she was forced to abandon games as the pressures from schoolwork and young adult life mounted. Maybe she simply lost interest in games. Maybe she adopted the Sega Genesis or even the TurboGrafx 16 instead of the SNES, and those systems became joyfully synonymous with her teen years instead of the Super Nintendo.
See, as far as North America is concerned, gaming was never as unified as it was when the NES dominated the '80s and early '90s. Even the Atari CES shared the cultural spotlight with ColecoVision and Intellivision. After the industry crashed and resurrected, however, Nintendo was video games and video games were Nintendo. The little grey box was as much a fixture in American living rooms as VCRs and humongo floor-set televisions.
A lot changed when the Sega Genesis entered the market, though. Though Nintendo had prevented the Sega Master System from gaining relevance in America by (metaphorically) staring down curious retailers while rhythmically slapping a tire iron into its open palm, the Genesis' arcade-quality graphics turned a lot of heads. Sega seemed fresh, new, and grown-up – and that last point was a big deal to kids who'd grown up with the NES, but were ready to abandon "babyish" things like Mario games.
Granted, if Nintendo promises Terranigma for the SNES Classic, I'll force everyone I know at knifepoint to buy it. That includes *you,* grandma.
Nintendo entered the 16-bit market behind Sega; that was one strike against it. But its entrenched brand also proved to be a mixed blessing when bad press arose from parents who resented the idea of upgrading.
Though people adopted new technology on a regular basis long before the Super Nintendo was thought up, adults were furious at the idea of buying a "new Nintendo" at twice the price. The sales pitch of improved graphics, sound, and new games meant nothing to them. In their minds, crooked Nintendo was pushing a frivolous upgrade that would instantly render their kids' "old Nintendo" obsolete. The SNES's lack of backwards compatibility didn't endear parents to the system, either.
So maybe Wal-Mart Mom asked her parents for a Super Nintendo back in Christmas of 1991, and her parents said no because she already had an NES and plenty of games. As a consequence, all her fond memories of video games belong to the NES era—and she's helpless to re-experience them in a cheap, convenient (legal) way because Nintendo produced about six NES Classic systems. But now we're going in circles. Let's move on before the Tryclyde gobbles its own tail.
I'm not suggesting an SNES Classic won't sell like gangbusters. It'll do just fine. But the "30-to-40 consumer" Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime referenced when he talked to Wired about the NES Classic earlier this year isn't going to be nearly as interested or nostalgic as people like you and I—the people who still have their original SNES and several SNES games on the Virtual Console, but would love to have a wee SNES pre-loaded with great games sitting on their coffee table.
Then again, the NES Classic demonstrated Nintendo is very bad at meeting demand for varied audiences. Maybe things are just better this way.
For more retro SNES loveliness, check out our complete guide to the SNES Classic.
Tagged with NES,	nes classic,	Nintendo,	Opinions,	Sega Genesis,	SNES,	Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Classic Edition.
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You are given the chance to do your favourite water sport like surfing, and kite surfing mainly in the East part of Limnos, as well as, all over the island where winds, especially northern ones, blow.
Find yourselves in the hidden paradise so as to enjoy doing your hobby. It is the ideal destination for spear-gun fishing and collecting shells.
For those who are bird watching lovers, you will find in Limnos the most appropriate place so as to relish your favourite activity. The most important wetlands of the island are the complex of the lakes Aliki, Chortarolimni and Asprolimni that cover an area of around 14.000 and have been included in the network of NATURA 2000.


The eye at high altitude.
Karel Van Keer, Joao Barbosa-Breda, Raf De Jongh, Ivo Nijs, Mieke Wirix, Luís Abegão Pinto, Ingeborg Stalmans, Evelien Vandewalle; The eye at high altitude.. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2018;59(9):3951.
Purpose : To investigate the physiological response and recovery of retro-bulbar, choroidal and retinal circulations to exposure to simulated high-altitude in healthy individuals.
Methods : Participants were examined with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), angio-OCT, retinography and colour Doppler imaging before, during and after a six-hour exposure to a simulated height of 4000m in a normobaric hypoxic chamber. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and choroidal (CT) thicknesses were measured on structural OCT-scans. Vessel density in the macular and peripapillary areas were quantified as the mean gray value on angio-OCT images using ImageJ®. Central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE) were measured on retinographies using iFlexis® software. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the changes within patients over time.
Results : Eighteen eyes of 18 healthy individuals aged 34.5±16.4 years were analyzed. RNFL, CT, peripapillary vessel density and CRVE showed a significant increase after six hours of hypoxia exposure (p = 0.036, p < 0.001, p = 0.040 and p <0.001 respectively) that was accompanied by a decrease in resistive and pulsatility indexes (both p<0.001) and an increase in ophthalmic artery flow velocities (p < 0.001). After one hour of recovery at sea level conditions, all the changes returned to baseline values.
Conclusions : We demonstrated that in healthy individuals a decrease in ambient oxygen saturation is compensated at the retrobulbar, choroidal and retinal micro- and macro-circulatory level. These changes quickly recover back to baseline upon return to normoxic conditions .