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Death of a Terrorist
by William Cran, Stephanie Tepper, Judy Woodruff, PBS Video., WGBH Educational Foundation.
Traces the life of Mairead Farrell, her involvement with the Irish Republican Army, and her death as a suspected terrorist.
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Topic: frontline (television program)
The Race for the High Ground
by Jessica Savitch, WGBH Educational Foundation
Before President Reagan introduced Star Wars, Frontline examined how in the previous 25 years the US and the Soviet Union had gone from designing satellites to designing weapons to blast them out of the sky. The superpowers were converting space from an arena for communications, to a concept of space as 'high ground,' the battle area to control.
Coming From Japan
by Thomas F Lennon, Documentary Consortium., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video.
Tells how Matsushita became the largest consumer electronics company in the world and conquered the American television industry. Explores some of the larger moral and cultural issues that confront Japan as it expands rapidly abroad.
Memory of the Camps
by Stephanie Tepper, Trevor Howard, WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video., Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
A documentary on Nazi Germany, the Jews, and the horrors of the concentration camps
In the Shadow of Sakharov
by Sherry Jones, Foster Wiley, Wil Lyman, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), Washington Media Associates.
Profile of the life of the nuclear physicist who became a human-rights advocate and the father of the Soviet democracy movement. With access to Sakharov's family and friends, the film documents his life, which spanned seven decades of Communist rule in the U.S.S.R., and traces his struggle to teach his country and the world important lessons about the moral power of the human spirit.
Who Pays for AIDS?
by Judy Woodruff, KCTS (Television station : Seattle, Wash.), WGBH Educational Foundation.
With more and more American contracting AIDS, the cost of treatment is beginning to overwhelm government agencies. By 1991, the bill for caring for people with AIDS could climb to nearly 10 billion dollars a year. At least half that bill will be paid by taxpayers. This program examines the predicament of people with AIDS. Unable to handle skyrocketing medical expenses after losing their jobs and their health insurance, many must turn to the government for assistance. It looks at overburdened...
The VHS Vault
Desperately Seeking Baby
by Elizabeth Arledge, Judy Woodruff, Lary Lewman, Jim Astrausky, Bill McMillin, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video.
Infertile couples desperately seeking white, healthy babies turn to private adoption firms. Strategies include informal pre-birth arrangements with prospective mothers, who may later change their minds. The scene can then shift to the courtroom. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS Host, Judy Woodruff ; narrator, Lary Lewman Editor, Jim Astrausky ; camera, Bill McMillin Originally broadcast Mar. 3, 1987 as an episode of the television program: Frontline
Topics: frontline (television program), Adoption
Prisoners of Silence
by PBS Video.
Facilitated communication (FC), a controversial, new technique which is profoundly altering the lives of people with autism and their families. Heralded by many as a breakthrough technique for communicating with nonverbal people with autism, it is being rejected by many scientists as simply not real. 1 videocassette (56 min.) : 1/2 in General public Produced jointly by KCTS Seattle, WNET New York, WPBT Miami, WTVS Detroit and WGBH Boston. Hosted by Judy Woodruff Originally broadcast as an...
Topics: frontline (television program), Autism
A Matter of the Mind
Feb 14, 2020 02/20
by Robert Thurber, Judy Woodruff, PBS Video.
Describes six individuals residing at Central Manor, a half way house in St. Paul, Minn. Their personal stories are told, describing the type of mental illness and likelihood of recovery. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in General public Produced jointly by KCTS Seattle, WNET New York, WPBT Miami, WTVS Detroit and WGBH Boston. Hosted by Judy Woodruff Originally broadcast as an episode of Frontline Host, Judy Woodruff
Topics: frontline (television program), Mental illness
Who's Killing Calvert City?
Dec 12, 2019 12/19
by WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video., Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Examines the struggle between politicians, plant executives, chemical manufacturers, and concerned environmentalists who fear the plants are jeopardizing Calvert City citizens' lives, but who also insist that a pollution panic has been stirred up that could ruin Calvert City's economic future. 1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Originally broadcast as an episode of the television program Frontline Presenter: Judy Woodruff Reporter, Michael Mierendorf
Topics: frontline (television program), Pollution, Environmental health
The Real Life of Ronald Reagan
by Judy Woodruff, Gary Wills, Godfrey Hodgson, Martin Smith, WGBH Educational Foundation., Martin Smith Productions., Brooks Production., Public television Videocassette Service (PBS), WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
A look back over the long life and unusual career of Ronald Reagan. The first two term President in a generation, he left Washington more popular than when he arrived. 1 videocassette (90 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format "FRON701K." On container: Produced by the Documentary Consortium of public television stations (KCTS Seattle, WGBH Boston, WNET New York, WPBT Miami, WTVS Detroit) Director, Prudence Arndt ; producer, Martin Smith; associate producer, Bruce Alfred ; written by Garry Wills,...
Topics: frontline (television program), Documentary television programs
by Antony Thomas 1940-, WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Frontline examines how the diet industry is contributing to our frustration over unwanted pounds and asks if one can be healthy, fit, beautiful - and fat 1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1/2 in VHS Written, produced and directed by Antony Thomas ; narrated by Antony Thomas ; co-producer, Carleen Ling-An-Hsu; editors, Barry Reynolds, McDonald Brown; director of photography, Jonathan Partridge Narrated by Antony Thomas
Topics: frontline (television program), Obesity, Diet in disease
The Arab and the Israeli
Sep 14, 2019 09/19
by David Fanning, Steve York, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), WGBH Educational Foundation.
Two men, an Arab and an Israeli, born 30 miles apart, journey to America to project the message that dialogue between West Bank Arabs and Israelis is possible, and that a solution for the West Bank can be found. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in Executive producer, David Fanning; written, produced and directed by Steve York Judy Woodruff Will Lyman
Topics: frontline (television program), Jewish-Arab relations, Palestinian Arabs
The Real Stuff
by William Cran, Stephanie Tepper, Janet McFadden, Judy Woodruff, Frederick Hauch, Robert Gibson, WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video.
Highlights the risks involved in space shuttle flights. Presents discussions with various astronauts about their feelings and reactions before, during and after shuttle flights. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS Narrator, Judy Woodruff ; Frederick "Rick" Hauck, Col. Roy Bridges, Joe Allen, Robert "Hoot" Gibson, Richard Covey, Steven Hawley Director and producer, William Cran, Stephanie Tepper, Janet McFadden; correspondent, James Reston, Jr.; cinematography, Ray...
Topics: frontline (television program), Space shuttles -- Observations, Space shuttles
Inside the Jury Room
by Judy Woodruff, Janet McFadden, Marc Levin, PBS Video, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
From the Frontline series. Looks at the ongoing debate of jurists having the power to disregard the law. Documents a jury deliberation (twelve men and women) as they decide the fate of justice in the case of Leroy Reed. In Georgia, Indiana, and Maryland, judges are obliged to inform juries that they may follow their own consciences. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in Producer/Director, Janet McFadden ; Director & Editor, Marc Levin
Topics: frontline (television program), Jury -- United States, Jury, United States
Betting on the Lottery
by Judy Woodruff, James Reston Jr.,, MARZ Associates., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video., Documentary Consortium., WGBH Educational Foundation.
Discusses why people play lotteries, the amount of money brought in by lotteries, and people's opinions of lotteries. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS "A presentation of KCTS Seattle, WNET New York, WPBT Miami, WTVS Detroit, and WGBH Boston." Frontline is produced for the Documentary Consortium by WGBH-Boston Copyright held by the WGBH Educational Foundation Writer and producer, Marian Marzynski Reported by James Reston, jr. ; host, Judy Woodruff Originally broadcast as an...
Topics: frontline (television program), Lotteries -- United States, Lotteries, United States
Vietnam Under Communism
by Judy Woodruff, Greg Pratt, Paul Henschel, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), WGBH Educational Foundation., WCCO (Television station : Minneapolis, Minn.)
A view of Vietnam ten years after the end of the Vietnamese War which chronicles the accomplishments as well as the problems facing the people of this land. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Segment from the television program: Frontline Written and directed by Greg Pratt ; narrated by Will Lyman Hos: Judy Woodruff Narrator: Will Lyman
Topics: frontline (television program), Social conditions, Vietnam, Vietnam -- Social conditions
The Earthquake is Coming
by Judy Woodruff, WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video.
Presents a scientific scenario that experts project as the result of a major shift in the San Andreas fault. Examines the awesome effects and implications of a major California earthquake. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1/2 in
Topics: frontline (television program), Earthquake prediction, Earthquakes -- California, Earthquakes,...
Broken Minds
by DeWitt L Sage, Will Lyman, PBS Video., WGBH Educational Foundation.
Examines the puzzling mental disease of schizophrenia and factors that may have a role in its cause. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format [NTSC] Videocassette release of a program broadcast on December 28, 1993 "Previously broadcast on December 29, 1992." "FRON903K." Executive producer, David Fanning ; producer/writer, DeWitt Sage, Jr. ; director of photography, David Leitner ; narrator, Will Lyman
Topics: frontline (television program), Documentary films, Schizophrenia -- Case studies, Schizophrenia
Growing Up Poor
This documentary examines a generation of children who are raised in poverty and who need more help than the government can provide. Shot in Chester, Pa. it shows how a community nurse and other professionals try to help. 1 videocassette (60 min.) (VHS) : 1/2 in Off-air licensing rights through the Television Licensing Center "FRON403K." Producer, Edward Gray ; director, Mark Obenhaus
Topics: frontline (television program), Poverty, Poor, Poor children, Teenage pregnancy
Teacher, Teacher
by KTCA-TV (Television station : Saint Paul, Minn.), PBS Video.
Teachers discuss issues and problems of their profession and the role and value of teachers in society. 1 videocassette (59 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Originally broadcast on television series Frontline Judy Woodruff Will Lyman Container title: Frontline: teacher, teacher Written, produced, and directed by Robert Thurber
Topics: frontline (television program), Teachers, Education -- United States, Education, United States
The Money Lenders
by Kinoy, Peter
This program looks at the two world bank systems originally set up after World War II for governments that needed short or long term loans, and at the economic and environmental problems the two systems are experiencing today. 1 videocassette (VHS) (90 min.) : 1/2 in Edited by Peter Kinoy and Tom Crawford ; written by Peter Conoy
Topics: frontline (television program), Monetary policy, Banks and banking, International finance
The Battle for Eastern Airlines
by Alex Gibney, Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Details the progression of events leading up to the hostile takeover of Eastern Airlines. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1/2 in Host, Judy Woodruff Writer/producer/director, Alex Gibney Originally produced for the television program Frontline FRON703K
Topics: frontline (television program), Eastern Air Lines, Airlines -- Deregulation, Airlines -- Management
Death of a Porn Queen
by Judy Woodruff, Alan Austin, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video., WGBH Educational Foundation., WCCO-TV (Television station : Minneapolis, Minn.), Documentary Consortium.
The short, tragic odyssey of Colleen Applegate, who left Minnesota at 18, became porn star Shauna Grant, and killed herself at age 20. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in Host, Judy Woodruff; narrator, Al Austin Segment from the television program Frontline Closed captioned for the hearing impaired VHS "FRON513K."
Topics: frontline (television program), Suicide, Pornography, Films for the hearing impaired
Your Loan is Denied
by Madison Davis Lacy, Center for Investigative Reporting (U.S.)
Explores the issue of race and credit. Do our financial institutions avoid lending because of color? 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in Bill Schechner Camera, Mark Falstad, Gino Bruno ; editor, Wendy Wank Aired on Frontline June 23, 1992 VHS "FROLO23"--Container
Topics: frontline (television program), Discrimination in consumer credit, Discrimination against African...
A Whale of a Business
by Neil Docherty, Renata Simone, Linden MacIntyre, Robert Dalva, Steve Audette, John Griffin, Colin Allison, Bill McMillan, Mason Daring, Martin Brody 1949-, PBS Video.
Examines the money, power, and politics of the captive marine mammal industry through the story of Keiko, the killer whale star of Hollywood's Free Willy. The film traces Keiko's fourteen years in captivity, examines the capture, transport, and treatment of marine mammals, and explores the human understanding of and relationship with these large creatures. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in Originally broadcast as an episode of Frontline Closed captioning for the hearing impaired...
Topics: frontline (television program), Whales, Captive marine mammals, Films for the hearing impaired
Bread, Butter, and Politics
by Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video.
Are large numbers of Americans going to bed hungry as they did before the huge increases in federal food programs a decade ago? This documentary investigates hunger as a controversial political issue during the Reagan administration. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in Judy Woodruff Photographer, Bob Perrin ; editor, John J. Custodio Broadcase over PBS as a segment of: Frontline Winner of the grand prize, 1985 Robert F. Kennedy journalism award Issued also as U-matic 3/4 in. or Beta 1/2...
Topics: frontline (television program), Hunger -- United States, Poor -- United States, Hunger, Poor,...
My Doctor, My Lover
by WGBH Educational Foundation
Story of a woman and his psychiatrist, their sexual involvement, and the ethical and legal tangle that follow. 1 videocassette (88 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Originally shown on Nov. 12, 1991 on the television program: Frontline Producer, Virginia Storring ; writer/director, John Zaritsky ; narrator, Will Lyman "FROL005." Narrator, Will Lyman
Topics: frontline (television program), Psychotherapist and patient, Psychotherapists -- Sexual behavior,...
Holy War, Holy Terror
by Stephanie Tepper, David Fanning, Judy Woodruff, John Laurence, Network Features Incorporated., PBS Video., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
A documentary on terrorism, focusing on Iran's revolutionary Shiites. Discussion centers on the war they are fighting in the gulf, their involvement with terrorism, and their religious creed. 1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1/2 in "From the Network of Public Television stations, KCTS/Seattle, WNET/New York, WPBT/Miami, WTVS/Detroit, WGBH/Boston/"--Voiceover Host, Judy Woodruff; correspondent, John Laurence Executive producer, David Fanning; cinematographers, Joe Vitagliano, Roy Page,...
Topics: frontline (television program), Terrorism -- Iran, Shiites -- Iran, Documentary television...
The Search for Satan
by Ofra Bikel, Rachel Dretzin Goodman, Ofra Bikel Productions., WGBH Educational Foundation., Documentary Consortium., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
FRONTLINE untangles the mysterious web of satanic ritual abuse, psychiatric treatment, and insurance claims that escalated into millions of dollars. Were these professed victims of secret satanic cults really helped by the psychiatric care they received? 1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1/2 in VHS, NTSC Originally aired on October 24, 1995 Originally produced as an episode of the documentary television program Frontline in 1995 "#1402"--Cassette label "#1402K"--Opening credits...
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Topics: frontline (television program), Ritual abuse victims -- Rehabilitation, Satanism -- Psychological...
Innocence Lost : The Verdict
by PBS Video., Ofra Bikel Productions Corporation., WGBH Educational Foundation
In January of 1989, the North Carolina Department of Social Services informed Bob and Betsy Kelly it had received complaints that Bob Kelly had sexually abused several children at Little Rascals, the day care center they were running. This program is a sequel to the 1990 program, Innocence Lost. It examines the tangled history of the investigation and nine month trial, which has consumed a small southern town and irreparably shattered lives, friendships and reputations. 2 videocassettes (240...
Topics: frontline (television program), Child abuse -- North Carolina -- Edenton, Child abuse, North...
Innocence Lost
by Ofra Bikel, Ofra Bikel Productions Corporation., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), WGBH Educational Foundation.
In January of 1989, the North Carolina Department of Social Services informed Bob and Betsy Kelly it had received complaints that Bob Kelly had sexually abused several children at Little Rascals, the day care center they were running. This program examines the tangled history of the investigation and the poisoned atmosphere which has consumed a small southern town and irreparably shattered lives, friendships and reputations. 1 videocassette (120 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Videocassette release...
The Politics of Power
by Nick Kotz, Center for Investigative Reporting (U.S.), PBS Video
Reveals the limits of American government showing what is possible and not possible in today's Washington. Where is our national energy policy? 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in. + VHS Broadcast October 20, 1992 on PBS as a segment of: Frontline Producer, Jan Legnitto ; camera, Gino Bruno ; narrator, Will Lyman Correspondent: Nick Kotz
Topics: frontline (television program), Politics and government, United States -- Politics and government...
Secret Daughter
by June Cross, John Baynard, Jean-Philippe Boucicaut, WGBH Educational Foundation., PBS Video.
Cross tells the story of her own family through the prism of the changing face of race relations in America. Cross, born to a white mother and an African-American father in the early 1950s, was given away by her mother to live with a black family in Atlantic City when she was four. This FRONTLINE takes viewers on a journey across the racial divide and into the relationship between a daughter and the mother who gave her away. 1 videocassette (117 min.) : 1/2 in Originally broadcast on the...
Topics: frontline (television program), Cross, June, Race relations, Adoption, Parent and child, Racially...
To the Last Fish
by Alan Austin, Oregon Public Broadcasting., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), Documentary Consortium.
Alan Austin travels to different parts of the globe to examine commercial fishing. The program outlines how the use of driftnets and large fish processing fleets are depleting the fish supply and killing other sea life, and what measures are being taken to curtail or eliminate these techniques. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS "FRON920K." Videocassette release of the television program Frontline, originally broadcast May 21, 1991 Reported by: Alan Austin Producer, Steve Amen ;...
Topics: frontline (television program), Fishery management, International, Fishery policy, Fishing nets --...
Who Cares About Children?
by Hector Galan, PBS Video., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Discusses child welfare and foster care, especially in Arkansas. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS FROLO19 Originally a broadcast of the television new program: Frontline in 1992 Editor, Hector Galan ; narrator, Will Lyman ; camera, Joseph Tovares, Tom Taylor
Topics: frontline (television program), Child welfare -- Arkansas, Foster children -- Arkansas, Child...
The Mind of Hussein
by Saddam Hussein, Hodding Carter, Films Incorporated., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), British Broadcasting Corporation. Television Service., Public Media Films, Inc. Video., Documentary Consortium., Iraq. President (1979- : Hussein)
Frontline investigates the personal and political history of Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Through interviews with Hussein's former neighbors, members of his government, military leaders, journalists, and Middle East experts, correspondent Hodding Carter reveals the fears, the passions, and the intellect of the man behind the demonic image. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in "0826 - 9005." Videocassette release of television program Frontline "A BBC-TV production in...
Topics: frontline (television program), Documentary television programs, Politics and government, Iraq --...
In the 1960s, thalidomide was a highly touted wonder drug prescribed as a sedative for pregnant women. This program tells the story of the devastating side effects of thalidomide by profiling the lives of three courageous Canadian men, former thalidomide babies, who have overcome tremendous physical limitations, emotional trauma and social repression. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Segment of television program: Frontline "Frontline is produced for the Documentary Consortium...
Topics: frontline (television program), People with disabilities -- Canada, Thalidomide -- Side effects,...
Cry, Ethiopia, Cry
by PBS Video, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), Judy Woodruff
An in-depth investigation of famine in Ethiopia, and the politics behind relief efforts by western nations. 1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1/2 in. Title from data sheet Narrator, Will Lyman ; sound, Christian Wangler, John Fitzpatrick ; editor, David Leighton, Tricia Cahalan Osborne ; associate producer, Alice Markowitz, Gail Ringel ; camera, John Gordon Presenter, Judy Woodruff ; narrator, Will Lyman
Topics: frontline (television program), Famines, Politics and government, Ethiopia -- Famines, Ethiopia --...
Welcome to Happy Valley
Jun 18, 2020 06/20
by Paul Sapin, Marc Etkind, Will Lyman, British Broadcasting Corporation., Documentary Consortium., PBS Video.
Travel to the Prozac capital of the world, Wenatchee, Washington, and examine the philosophical and societal implications of Prozac, the most prescribed antidepressant in America. 1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1/2 in VHS Closed captioned Camera, Bill Megalos ... (et al.); editor, Bernice Schneider; narrator, Will Lyman Originally broadcast June 6, 1995 as a segment of: Frontline
Topics: frontline (television program), Fluoxetine, Antidepressants, Films for the hearing impaired,...
So You Want to Be President
by Gary Hart, Public Broadcasting System., WGBH Educational Foundation., Washington Media Associates, PBS Video, Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Presents an inside view of the political process in the quest for the presidency, focusing on the 1984 campaign of Gary Hart. 1 videocassette (100 min.) : 1/2 in Presents an inside view of the political process in the quest for the presidency, focusing on the 1984 campaign of Gary Hart Producer-Director, Sherry Jones Judy Woodruff VHS format Title on container: Frontline: "So you want to be president."
Topics: frontline (television program), Presidents -- United States -- Election, Elections -- United...
Gunfight, U.S.A
by Jessica Savitch, Steve Weissman, Ian Morrison, WGBH Educational Foundation.
Tries to pierce the debate on the explosive issue of handgun control.
Topics: frontline (television program), Shotguns -- United States, Pistol shooting, Violence -- United...
Apartheid : Part V
by WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video., Granada TV, Judy Woodruff
Details meeting of representatives of the African National Conference and an Afrikaner delegation. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1/2 in Host: Judy Woodruff Executive producer, David Fanning
Topics: frontline (television program), Apartheid -- South Africa, Afrikaners, Apartheid, Race relations,...
The Arming of Iraq
by Hodding Carter (Reporter), Will Lyman (Narrator), Michael Sullivan (Television producer), Jim Gilmore (Television producer), WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.) (Production company), British Broadcasting Corporation. (Production company) Television Service,, Krosney Productions. (Production company), Films Incorporated (Publisher)
Frontline examines how Saddam Hussein built Iraq's massive arsenal of tanks, planes, missiles, and chemical weapons during the 1980's. Correspondent Hodding Carter investigates the complicity of the US, European governments, and Western corporations in creating the Iraqi military machine the world is now trying to stop. 1 videocassette (58 min.) : 1/2 in VHS, NTSC Narrator, Will Lyman Correspondant, Hodding Carter ; investigative reporter, W. Scott Malone Orginall produced as an episode of the...
Topics: frontline (television program), Armed Forces, Politics and government, Iraq -- Armed Forces, Iraq...
by Sherry Jones, Washington Media Associates., PBS Video., Judy Woodruff, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Examines the Black church in America as a source of Black heritage and cultural identity, a wellspring of social and political action, and a refuge for impoverished urban blacks. Shows hot two Black churches in Chicago, one with a middle class congregation and one serving the inner-city poor, balance the spiritual needs of their members with their mission of addressing the social and economic problems facing many disadvantaged Black Americans. 1 videocassette (VHS) (60 min.) : 1/2 in Segment...
Topics: frontline (television program), African Americans -- Religion, African American churches --...
Men Who Molest : Children Who Survive
by Rachel V Lyon, Bobbie Birleffi, Filmakers Library, inc., Lioness Films., Kidsrights (Firm), WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Explores the problem of child molestation. Presents several case studies and has interviews of the offender, victim, and the offender's wife. Explores such issues as motivation, childhood sexual experiences or abuse of the offender, and long-term effects of the molestation upon offender, victim, and family unit. Shows individual counseling sessions and group therapy in progress. Has interviews with legal and mental health professionals who counsel offenders and victims. Discusses the question...
Topics: frontline (television program), Child molesters, Incest victims, Child sexual abuse, Sexually...
Currents of Fear
by Jon Palfreman, WGBH Educational Foundation., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video.
A group of mothers of cancer patients and journalist Paul Brodeur raise the question of the cancer hazard posed by electric transmission lines and call for government action. Researchers find no evidence electromagnetic fields cause birth defects or increased incidence of cancer; epidemiological evidence of clusters of childhood cancers are explained as statistically insignificant. 1 videocassette (57 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Originally broadcast on the PBS television program Frontline on June...
Topics: frontline (television program), Electromagnetic fields -- Health aspects, ELF electromagnetic...
The Campaign for Page One
by Sherry Jones, David Fanning, WGBH Educational Foundation., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video, Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff shows how the media affected the 1984 presidential elections. 1 videocassette (59 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format [NTSC] Producer and director, Sherry Jones ; executive producer, David Fanning ; writers, Richard Reeves, Sherry Jones ; editor, Foster Wiley Judy Woodruff Broadcast on Feb. 26, 1984
Topics: frontline (television program), Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1984, Political...
by Judy Woodruff, Network Features Incorporated., PBS Video., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)
Traces the rise and fall of Jim Bakker and his ministry. Also looks at other earlier fundamentalist ministries. 1 videocassette (VHS) (58 min.) : 1/2 in Prepared for the television program entitled: Frontline, hosted by Judy Woodruff
Topics: frontline (television program), Bakker, Jim, 1940-, PTL Club, Fundamentalism, Evangelists -- United...
Hillary's Class
by Rachel Dretzin Goodman, Jane West, WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), PBS Video., Ofra Bikel Productions.
Examines the lives of members of Wellesley's class of 1969, which included Hillary Clinton, during a period of great change and upheaval for American women. 1 videocassette (60 min.) : 1/2 in VHS format Originally broadcast on the PBS television program Frontline on November 15, 1994 Closed captioned for the hearing impaired Producer: Rachel Dretzin and Jane West Narrated by Deborah Amos
Topics: frontline (television program), Clinton, Hillary Rodham, Wellesley College. Class of 1969, Films...


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The Adolescent Excuses of the Trump Apologists
July 31, 2019 PoliticsDonald Trump, Elijah Cummingsmross109
After Donald Trump's spattering of recent tweets maligning Elijah Cummings and the city of Baltimore, his defenders arrived on various news and talk shows to explain, support and deflect.
I am writing about this because what these Trump explainers said reminded me of parents defending their child's aggressive behaviour to a teacher.
The first of these is, "He's a real boy. If he's attacked he will fight back. Someone called him a name, he's going to punch back. And he's going to punch back harder. You have to expect that."
The second is, "This other boy started it. He bullied first."
The third is, "The real trouble maker in the class is a girl named Hillary. Her parents are the ones who should be in here."
The fourth is, "I don't know why you single out my son. There was a kid in the previous class who did much worse and never got in trouble. You know, the black kid."
And finally, "Just because he beats up mostly black and brown kids doesn't mean our family is racist. Why, we hire African Americans to pave our driveway and Hispanics to look after our garden."
And variations such as,
"Well, I wish he hadn't used a rock but you gotta admit the other kid had it coming."
"He's very popular you know. He's running for class president next year."
"And sometimes I think you teachers just have it in for my son. He's a scapegoat for all you failed teachers."
"Besides, it's a fake story. Donald tells me he didn't hit the other boy. The boy apparently slipped and hit his head on the pavement."
"I'm recording this interview so I can take it home and play it for Donny and he will still love me."
And, "Let's get back to talking about the Steele Dossier, Obama doing nothing, and Hillary's emails."
July 29, 2019 Climate Change, Delusions, Education, Global Warmingmross109
By Dr. David Laing Dawson
Recently our Hamilton Spectator published two op eds side by side. One espoused going back to the moon and staying there (a permanent research settlement), and the other argued for Mars. I pondered the short-sighted craziness of this at the time but it didn't come into stark relief until I saw the news item that India had just launched a rocket to send a rover to the moon, specifically to one of the lunar poles.
70 percent of the population of India does not have access to toilets. They urinate and defecate in the open. Might not that be a higher priority? Of course the people at greater risk with no plumbing are poor women and poor children, not politicians, engineers and scientists and the CEO's of the new private space industry.
For humankind to aim for a colonization of the moon and/or Mars implies a great endeavour, a great adventure, requiring enormous resources and cooperation. Presumably this endeavour would be led by NASA, with the help of Canada and numerous private companies. And then one day in the future we can all be staring at our TV screens, this time 55 inch 4K LED screens, when the first astronaut of this century takes that one giant leap for mankind. But we better be watching indoors because it will be too hot and stormy outdoors and we better have strong locks on those doors because there will be millions of people from now uninhabitable parts of this earth trying to get in.
Last night I watched part of a pleasant CBC production telling me how I might reduce my carbon footprint. Right down to how many times I have to re-use a glass bowl before it becomes better than disposable styrofoam. Guilt inducing, quaint, nicely Canadian, but oh so silly.
And then I read an article about how many trees I need to plant each year to cover just my own personal carbon output. There was some disagreement on the numbers but on the low end it almost looked doable, that is if each of us had the space and resources to plant 400 trees with life spans of 80 plus years.
So, it looks like extinction for the human race, and most animals, within a few generations, preceded by years of crises, suffering, and conflict, if we, collectively, don't reduce and control our CO2 emissions.
And here is the question: Why on earth can we not turn those space travel resources into a "Manhattan/NASA" project to save the world? Bring together all the management skills, engineering skills and scientific knowledge in one place (of course today it doesn't have to be physically one place) to come up with the best possible comprehensive plan. We are (some would say we have run out of time) running out of time for our grandchildren.
And sure, include world wide education for how each of us can personally reduce our carbon footprint, and of course tell us how we can move quickly to non carbon producing forms of energy, but also take a realistic view of natural sequestration of carbon (trees), and all the proposed and possibly viable artificial means of capturing carbon and either burying it or using it. And in this mix don't forget population control.
We humans have a very poor track record when it comes to self denial for the sake of the human race, but we can be quite astonishing when we decide to build something, or do something never done before, or repair something, or save something. This time it is the planet we need to save. Let's get on with it.
Mental Illness, Political Correctness and Political Cartoons
July 22, 2019 political correctnessDoug Ford, Lisa MacLeod, Michael DeAddarmross109
An unusual connection of topics in the headline, I admit, but let me explain. We live in an era of political correctness gone mad to the point that I've been lambasted in the past for saying schizophrenic rather than a person with schizophrenia. I actually did a column years ago entitled something like sticks and stones….. where I discussed the silliness of terminology and the editor got letters of complaint.
Years ago, Dr Sally Satel wrote a book called PC, M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting Medicine I loved that book and wish I could remember who I loaned it to. I am a big fan of hers for many reasons and one is her sensible attitude to treatment and committal for those with serious mental illness.
Political Correctness just turned up in Ontario when a political cartoonist published a bang on cartoon of Ontario cabinet minister Lisa MacLeod. The cartoonist in this case was Michael De Addar whose recent Trump cartoon went viral and he was fired from his freelance gig. If you visit the link above, you will see the Trump cartoon that got him fired.
In that link, De Adder describes the role of a political cartoonist and the top role is sarcasm or, as the Brits say, to take the piss out of people. That is what he does and political cartoonists have always done that well.
After being fired, he was picked up by the Toronto Star which has a long history of brilliant political cartoonists. His first cartoon for them got him in trouble again for making fun of the mentally ill but called mental health issues because to call someone mentally ill is not politically correct.
Some background. Most people are familiar with the late Rob Ford who became mayor of Toronto as his antics with drugs made headlines around the world. His big brother Doug desperately wanted to follow him as mayor but he was trounced. He managed to become leader of the Ontario Conservative Party when they turfed their leader and entered the election in 2018 when the incumbents had been in office for so long that their approval rating was rock bottom.
Doug won with no platform and immediately began cutting services for everyone. His minister, Lisa MacLeod, tried to reform the treatment programs for the autistic (persons with autism) and their families and was greeted with jeers, disdain, and numerous protests. The governments' popularity fell to unprecedented levels within a year (60% surveyed reported July 15 that they felt the government was corrupt) so that in desperation, Doug demoted most of his cabinet and had them replaced.
The lady who messed up the autism file is now the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and she went to see the Rolling Stones at their recent concert in Ontario. While there, she spotted Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Ottawa Senators hockey team (and Ms MacLeod comes from Ottawa). She went up to him and said:
"Do you know who I am?" and, "I am your minister and you're a f—ing piece of s—t and you're a f—ing loser'."
She later apologized on twitter but De Adar's cartoon showed her in a straight jacket being led away by two men in white coats.
None of this upsets me as someone with mental illness in the family and who has written and advocated for years for better treatment. It did upset many who felt that the cartoon promoted stigma for the mentally ill and made it more difficult for people to get help.
Camille Quenneville, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association, stated so well in a letter to the editor published in the Star in protest of the de Adder cartoon:
"The cartoon depicting the Hon. Lisa MacLeod in a straitjacket is heartbreaking and demoralizing for all of those suffering, and the people supporting them. I cannot imagine the Star printing a cartoon maligning a cancer patient."
The Star's public editor in the link above, agreed. It seems that some people knew that Ms MacLeod had once mentioned that she had problems with depression and anxiety and so this was an unfair attack on her and on the mentally ill.
What is unfair is the lack of treatment services for those with serious mental illness. That upsets me. Not an attack on a politician who was caught trying to throw her weight around and invoke her self believed power over others. The fact that she has had an issue with depression in the past is no excuse to cut her some slack.
And suggesting she be carted off in a straight jacket is simply the sarcasm of a political cartoonist popping the balloon of a self important politico.
Sarcasm from the Oxford English Dictionary is "The use of irony to mock or convey contempt." The target of that contempt was a politician and not those with mental illness.
If people want to become incensed about our attitudes to mental illness, they should start to demand to know why so many are untreated, homeless and/or in jail. That is the obscenity!
One Last Comment (for now) on Trauma and Schizophrenia
July 17, 2019 Trauma and schizophreniamross109
I do not understand the term "co-causal". In the study of disease we look for necessary etiological factors, contributing factors, and protective factors. For TB it is necessary to be exposed to a certain micro-organism. Contributing factors include crowding, poor ventilation, poor immune system, poor nutrition. Protective factors include excellent immune system, robust health, hygiene, fresh air.
"Trauma" is a loaded word. It generally infers a major assault on one's body, brain, mind. When the word is used it is understood in this way. A diet excessively rich in carbohydrates causing a particular messenger protein to be manufactured and released by mitochondrial DNA and then influencing the genes that are scheduled to turn on or turn off other genes during future developmental phases is not, in usual parlance, a "Trauma."
And finally, with respect to statistics and scientific journals: There was a time I think when only the scientists and medical professionals read these articles, and generally they knew how limited, usually, each was in establishing an ultimate truth. Each depended on a specific population studied, on particular definitions, particular measures of outcome, experimental bias, reader bias, uncontrolled variables. We also always knew that null studies do not get published.
Now the selective summaries of these studies show up in newpapers and google if they "find something".
It has been of interest to me as a male Canadian of European descent to learn definitively if it is healthier to partake of no alcohol, red wine only, one, two, three, or four drinks per day. So I confess that I read these studies more often than studies on "schizophrenia and trauma."
Given the large numbers of people who drink alcohol and the large numbers of people who drink none, it really should be easy to answer my question. Much easier than tracking down "co-causal" intrauterine factors in the development of schizophrenia.
Yet despite the money and interest in the alcohol question, large population studies, and definitive statements in the press, we still know (scientifically) little more than my grandmother who preached "moderation."
More on Schizophrenia and Trauma
The studies cited by Bruce Wilson do not demonstrate a causal relationship between childhood trauma (neglect, abuse, deprivation, sexual abuse) and schizophrenia. They do, quite logically, demonstrate a relationship between childhood trauma and severity of the course of schizophrenia. That is, the specific injuries to cognitive developmental processes, focus, attention, arousal systems, and affective pathways in the brain caused by serious childhood neglect and/or abuse, (if this person later develops schizophrenia or bipolar disorder), cause a more refractory and debilitating form of the illness. The trauma experienced may also shape the nature and form of the symptoms.
Abuse and neglect in childhood make schizophrenia worse.
And then we have "Lies, damn lies, and statistics":
Some studies show, for instance, when adults are hospitalized with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and asked or surveyed about childhood trauma (specifically physical abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, sexual abuse) they answer in the affirmative between 7 percent for sexual abuse and 13 percent for emotional neglect and a total of 49 percent overall. Now these figures turn out to very similar to the same percentages we find when we survey the entire population. In fact when the definition of trauma is expanded to include major losses, bullying, witnessing a death, the percent of the general population answering in the affirmative is more than 80% even in countries like the US.
In the general population 15 to 25% of women and 14% of men report being sexually abused as children or teens.
So if I simply take these figures from legitimate studies I could make a case that a smaller percentage of people suffering from schizophrenia report being abused than the general public. (e.g., for sexual abuse, 7% of schizophrenics vs. 15%+ of general population) . At the very least I can certainly say that these studies do not show a causative link between abuse and schizophrenia. In fact I can use these figures to support the opposite conclusion.
But for years it has been known that identical twins raised in the same household are only concordant for schizophrenia 60 to 80% of the time. This does imply that an environmental influence could make a difference for 40 to 20%. (My own small sample of identical twins (2) with schizophrenia over 50 years places concordance at 100%)
But if the twins are raised in the same household they must have had similar environments and experiences through childhood and adolescence. It is rather inconceivable that one identical twin was abused and/or neglected and the other not.
So this presented a puzzle.
But now we know that a.) 99.7 percent of the DNA of every human is identical, b.) that human DNA is 96% percent the same as that of chimpanzees and c.) identical twins do not have exactly the same DNA and d.) expression of any gene can be influenced by many factors (including other genes), many of which are probably intrauterine. For example, identical twins can develop similar but not identical finger prints.
Epigenetics and environmental factors certainly play a role in the onset, development and the course of any genetic illness. There also always have been, and continue to be, problems, differences, and great variability in the diagnosis of schizophrenia, making most surveys involving this diagnosis suspect. And the onset of trouble (early symptoms) can be well hidden in a protective, adaptive environment, or explode early in a troubled home.
And it is my experience that the immediate "environmental factors" that precipitate a full blown schizophrenic psychosis in a person genetically vulnerable to schizophrenia are not "traumas", but (besides drug use) rather common, normal, usual developmental social stresses: Attending high school, leaving home to live on campus, share a student house, first job, first date, first relationship, first child, even the push and expectation to advance developmentally and socially…
And by the time identical twins reach the age of schizophrenia onset there may easily have been a sufficient number of different epigenetic and environmental factors to offer, 20% of the time, protection for one and not the other. (And a more productive line of research might be to figure out what those protective factors are)
As I have been reminded recently, serious trauma in the first few years of life (neglect, deprivation, abuse, sexual abuse) causes enormous damage that is readily apparent in the years of childhood and adolescence long after the child has been rescued. Let us not trivialize this level of trauma by including disappointment, unhappiness, failure at sports, having to change schools, growing up poor, name calling, loss of a friend, or even of a parent, under the rubric of TRAUMA.
Time to do Away with Trauma as a Cause of Schizophrenia.
July 8, 2019 Trauma and schizophreniamross109
I just read an excellent article in Psychology Today called Schizophrenia and Trauma: My parents did a great job, I still developed schizophrenia I highly recommend the article and it has spurred me on to refute once again the nonsense of trauma causing serious mental illness. Trauma is actually something that the parents and the families of those who are ill suffer with.
David has touched on this a couple of times and stated that
"People with psychotic illness do not need someone probing the wells of their psychic discomfort; they do not need (no matter how well-intended) a therapist scouring their childhood memories in search of an unhealed wound. They need support, safety, security, grounding, and satisfying routine before they can get better. And good medical treatment."
That actually happened to the person who wrote the article I recommended.
I also recommend a second blog that he did when he was criticized for his view that trauma does not cause serious mental illness.
Another recent good article on the topic just appeared in a UK paper by Alastair Kemp and Ruth Hunt called the Traumatic Power Struggle Within Mental Health. They argue that ideological differences are being used to cut services. If the problem is simply trauma and not biological then the sick need to take responsibility for their problems and their failure to get well. If they don't, why give them government supports?.
Another good paper is by Dr Boris Vatel, a psychiatrist at the Indiana State Hospital in Evansville, IN called Unmasking trauma-informed care which appeared in Current Psychiatry Archives, October 9, 2015. He points out that:
trauma-informed care has no language for dividing pathology from normality and because everyone's experience and pain are seen as equally "valid," trauma-informed care actually trivializes severe trauma by placing it on par with experiences that objectively would be classified as merely unpleasant.
Now, if trauma causes serious mental illness, then I should have schizophrenia.
I don't!
I grew up in Toronto as the child of poor, working class, Jewish immigrants at a time when Toronto was not the tolerant wonderful multi-cultural city it is today. Then, my father died when I was 10 and I had a number of serious medical problems. I remember my uncle taking me to a synagogue, introducing me to the sextant and telling me that he would look after me while I was there. I actually thought I was going to be living in the synagogue with this garlic smelling guy with the numbers tattooed on his arm. That was traumatic.
It turned out that I did not have to live there but no one told me that I would have to go to morning and evening prayers for a year to say the mourners prayer instead of playing with my friends (traumatic). The Rabbi partly saved me by telling me I did not have to come for morning prayers.
Allow me to look at all the people with schizophrenia and/or their families whose books I've published.
I am not so naive that I do not believe that prosperous, educated people do not abuse their kids or that their kids cannot suffer trauma but there was no trauma in these cases.
Susan Inman in Vancouver wrote After Her Brain Broke about her experiences with her daughter who developed schizophrenia. Susan was a teacher and her husband a university professor and there are no signs in her book that her daughter suffered any trauma. What was traumatizing for her daughter and for the family was the counselor they hired to help her daughter. The counselor was one of those who believed in the trauma theory, grilled the young lady on potential traumas she may have experienced and even set back the proper treatment by her actions.
Sandra Yuen MacKay (My Schizophrenic Life) developed schizophrenia at a fairly young age despite being in what seems to have been a loving Chinese-Canadian family. Her father was an architect and Sandra has gone on to become a very successful artist. She is the winner of the Courage to Come Back Award in Vancouver, one of the faces of mental illness in Canada, and exhibits her work in the Vancouver area. No signs of trauma.
Erin Hawkes-Emiru (When Quietness Came) came from the Maritimes and became sick while a student at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Her mother is a librarian and her father a university professor with the only signs of trauma being the trauma to Erin of having difficulty finding a medication that worked for her in her adventures with horrible psychosis from Dalhousie University to the University of British Columbia. I lost count of the number of times the police had to wrestle her into ambulances for another trip to the isolation ward.
Erin's doctors finally found an anti-psychotic that worked; she completed her masters in neuroscience, is a peer counselor in Vancouver and speaks to conferences of families, doctors, nurses and others. She too is a Courage to Come Back winner.
The late Dr Carolyn Dobbins (What A Life Can Be) spent a childhood engaged in sports and was about to qualify for the US Ski Team at Lake Placid when she became ill. Carolyn did manage to get her PhD in psychology from Vanderbilt despite her illness and was a successful counselor for many years. She grew up initially in Colorado but then her family moved to Knoxville where her father was a practicing pediatrician. A childhood friend, Dave Kopel, wrote an extensive review of her book in his blog at the Washington Post
Carolyn mentions no trauma whatsoever in her childhood other than the trauma of her disease that severely impacted her life. Unfortunately, she passed away early but she lives on in her book which is still very popular.
There was also no trauma in the life of Sakeenah Francis (Loves All That Makes Sense) other than being African American in a racist society. Her parents were educated citizens in Cleveland and Sakeenah attended an African American University where she met and married her husband. It was after she married that she developed schizophrenia. She and her mother had differences when she was growing up but so do many people who did not develop an illness. Her family was incredibly supportive as so many families are. She was able to return the favour by helping look after her father when he developed Alzheimer's.
The one person with schizophrenia whose story I've published is Paul Flannery (Shot in the Head) whose story and the history of the family was written by his sister. Paul developed schizophrenia in his mid-teens and never properly recovered for a host of reasons. This very large Irish American family was highly supportive and there is no indication of any severe trauma that might have triggered the disease as the trauma proponents claim. Paul's twin did not develop the condition even though there is a high likelihood that twins will.
My own personal experiences also disprove the trauma theory but I have to comment on one of the stupid suggestions we got from a social worker and psychologist before the proper diagnoses. Seems my son was suffering from being in a family where there was too much love. We were stunned by that comment and still are today. And my son has told me how happy his childhood was. The day we were told the too much love story, my son admitted in the session that he had been using a lot of marijuana. As David pointed out in his blog "Involve Parents", this is not unusual. Our son told us that we were pretty stupid not to have noticed and pointed out how he always cleared out the fridge when he got home from being out with friends.
Earlier this week, I met with the Alzheimer's patient I am power of attorney for and with his new doctor. No one ever mentions trauma as a cause of Alzheimer's which, like schizophrenia, is a disorder of the brain but with no therapeutic options unlike schizophrenia. As with schizophrenia, signs of paranoia are creeping into his symptoms.
The vast majority of parents stand by and support their kids and endure tremendous stress and often cost while doing so. As an example, when I was involved with the local chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, we had an annual golf day put on for us by the National Hockey League Old Timers. They were an incredible bunch of generous characters. One of our members, a fairly elderly woman, would stand at the 1st tee all day to lecture each foursome on schizophrenia and the importance of supporting us. It was a very hot day and she did not move to so much as get a drink or to pee for fear of missing a foursome.
Isn't it about time we put this stupid theory into the garbage where it belongs.
The Threat To Democracy – A Canada Day/ Independence Day Concern
July 2, 2019 PoliticsAdam Gopnick, Bill Maher, democracy, Donald Trump, Kim Jong-Un, liberal democracy, Putinmross109
The other night on the Bill Maher show Adam Gopnik warned of the threat to liberal democracy that Donald Trump presents. He also said that the democratic candidates arguing about what are usually the important issues (health care e.g.) normalizes Trump's behaviour. If they don't focus on that they are saying it is just politics.
We all recently saw Trump make a joke about telling Putin to not interfere in American Elections. We all saw him legitimize the cruel dictatorship of Kim Jong Un and suggest in conversation with Putin and by his friendship with The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia that killing off journalists is not such a bad thing.
But a small exchange between Trump and another journalist was perhaps the most chilling of all. The journalist asked Mr. Trump what he was going to discuss with Putin. And Donald Trump answered, "None of your business."
And that small exchange embodied the threat to democracy Trump poses. For clearly Donald Trump does not see himself as an elected representative of the people with a four to eight year appointment to that position. He is, in his mind, a potentate, a king, a ruler, a despot, a chosen one, a single being more important than the populace, the populace that is allowing him to temporarily represent them. He does not understand democracy.
And then in Canada I see a cartoonist was fired, presumably for a cartoon depicting Donald golfing by the edge of the Rio Grande and coming across the bodies of Oscar Ramirez and his daughter Angie. The caption read, "Do you mind if I play through?"
Gopnik rightly suggests America is at a turning point; the only issue for 2020 is defeating Donald Trump before they lose their democracy. And the democratic candidates need to focus all energy on this.
And I mention the cartoonist because I think, I believe, that of all the freedoms we have in a democracy, the most important, and the freedom that provides the strongest bulwark against tyranny is not just the freedom of speech, good journalism, the fourth estate, but the freedom to complain, criticize, and most importantly, make fun of our leaders and deities.
A Belated Happy Canada Day.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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For Some Crustaceans In Polluted Waters, It Could Be Worse: They Could Have Healthy Predators
Scientists: New Cyanobacteria Adapted to Coastal Choppy, Polluted Waters
Study: Baby Fish In Polluted San Francisco Estuary Waters Are Stunted And Deformed
No Shrimp: Cambrian Super-Predators Grew Large In Arms Race; 'Fierce Horrible Predators'
Study: Too Few Salmon Is Far Worse Than Too Many Boats For Killer Whales; 'Behavior Is Hard To Interpret, Physiology Is Easier'
Shark Tracking Reveals Impressive Feats Of Navigation; 'They Know Where They Are Going'
Research has shown that grass shrimp do better in polluted waters as their main predator was less deadly
NEWARK, New Jersey -- Imagine that you're a grass shrimp. Now, imagine that you're a rational grass shrimp, and that you have a choice of living in an environment with relatively high levels of dioxin, poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other floating nastiness or a relatively unpolluted environment with clean water and plenty of food.
Which would you choose?
The clean environment, right? It's not that simple, according to Judith Weis, a professor of biology at Rutgers-Newark.
"If your predator is worse affected (by the pollution) than you are, you can do well," says Weis, who published her research recently in Bioscience. "Put another way, if your predator is leaving you alone for some reason, or is just a lousy predator, you can do okay."
Weis explains that earlier studies suggested that grass shrimp ate less in polluted environments than in clean ones. But killifish, which eat grass shrimp, are much worse off in polluted environments: They swim slower, catch prey less efficiently, eat less and grow slower. As a result, grass shrimp can live longer and grow bigger. Because they're poor at catching live food, the killifish eat more "junk food" – sediment and detritus – which is not nutritious for them.
Weis and her co-authors, former graduate students Lauren Bergey, Jessica Reichmuth, and Allison Candelmo, studied five species of marine life living in parts of the Hackensack Meadowlands and Piles Creek (which runs into the Arthur Kill between New Jersey and Staten Island) in northern New Jersey, and in clean Great Bay, near Tuckerton in southern New Jersey. Though the Hackensack Meadowlands and Piles Creek have gotten much cleaner in the last 40 years, they are still polluted with dioxin, PCBs and other toxic chemicals. The sediments there still contain metals: copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium and mercury.
Fiddler crabs from Piles Creek tend to be less active on the bottom, eat less, and spend more time in their burrows, the researchers found. Lab experiments indicate that fiddlers from the polluted waters were better at avoiding blue crab predators, possibly because they spent more time in burrows.
Bluefish have it worse. They spawn at sea, but spend their first summer in estuaries, some of which are polluted. Weis and her co-authors analyzed the stomach contents of juvenile bluefish ("snappers") caught in the Hackensack Meadowlands and in clean waters of Tuckerton. They found that most of those caught in the Meadowlands had empty stomachs, higher levels of contaminants, and were smaller than the well-fed snappers from cleaner environments. Researchers fed the clean-water snappers killifish from polluted waters, or from clean water. They found that fish fed contaminated prey swam slower, ate less, and grew slower than fish fed clean food. Worse, at least potentially, is that bluefish that live in polluted waters may eat more heavily contaminated killifish, because they're easier to catch. Bluefish bioaccumulate contaminants – that is, the contaminants stay in their tissues when they eat contaminated prey, and therefore pose a risk to human beings who might catch and eat those fish.
Blue crabs may have the best deal. In relatively clean waters, according to Weis, they eat a more normal diet – with lots of smaller crabs, small fish, and mollusks. In the polluted Meadowlands, they eat a lot of sediment, detritus and algae – which is unusual. In lab studies, crabs from the polluted environment were found to be poor predators on active prey like smaller crabs and fish, which may explain the diet of algae and detritus. Despite their odd diet, blue crabs in the Meadowlands appear to grow all right and be abundant.
They may grow bigger because they live longer. They may live longer because human beings are forbidden to catch them in polluted northern waters, precisely because those waters are so polluted.
And there's something else the blue crabs have in the north or that they obtain after being fed a northern diet in the lab: attitude. "They're really nasty and aggressive," Weis said. "When we caught some blue crabs down at Tuckerton, put them in a container and took them up to the lab, two hours away, they were all fine when we got them home. But when we captured some in the Meadowlands, and opened the container in the lab 20 minutes later, they'd started killing each other. We don't know exactly why that is. But they do come from a tough neighborhood."


Let me state for the record that I've always been a big fan of Alice Cooper. But let's be honest, his recent career has been spotty at best. While his last album The Eyes of Alice Cooper was a step in the right direction, it contained some of the worst songs of his career. Fortunately, it also contained some of the best. Now with the impending release of Dirty Diamonds (August 2), Alice has gone even further backwards while vocally sounding better than ever. While it's arguable that he's merely jumping on the garage rock bandwagon, let's not forget that it is a wagon he helped master in the first place.
Luckily, Alice's trademark sense of humor is still intact. "The Saga of Jesse Jane" brings back the cross dressing theme that made songs like "Desperado" and "The Prettiest Cop on the Block" so interesting. This time it's a straight up Johnny Cash styled country song that demonstrates Alice's attempt to even sound like the man in black. "Sunset Babies (All Got Rabies)" is a Rolling Stones like swaggering rock number with a pre-chorus nicked from Cheap Trick's "Tonight It's You." It's also surprising that this album doesn't contain an "Only Women Bleed" styled ballad. This time the ballad, "Six Hours" is like a bluesier "I Never Cry." Just not as autobiographical.
This being Alice, the album isn't without a few cringe worthy moments. The chorus to "You Make Me Wanna" is downright lame and the bonus track with Xzibit, "Stand," should have never been released.
These few moments aside, Dirty Diamonds is the Coop's best album in quite awhile. It's certainly no Killer or Billion Dollar Babies, but the old shock rocker is on the right track. With Alice's history of doing albums in pairs, expect his next release to be something completely different.


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The Municipality of Starše (; ) is a municipality in the traditional region of Styria in northeastern Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the town of Starše. Starše became a municipality in 1994.

Settlements
In addition to the municipal seat of Starše, the municipality also includes the following settlements:
 Brunšvik
 Loka
 Marjeta na Dravskem Polju
 Prepolje
 Rošnja
 Trniče
 Zlatoličje

References

External links

Municipality of Starše on Geopedia
Municipality of Starše website

Starse
1994 establishments in Slovenia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
UP polls: BJP in a tough spot
Govt must consider extension of expiry dates under provisions
India will lead the post-Covid digital world
Torture under 'transparent taxation'
'Covid Zero' to 'Living with Covid'
Non-cooperation movement of Indian borrowers
The fiscal-monetary tango
Inflated claim can lead to zero compensation
Pakistan gets serious
Year-on-year analysis of economic performance serves a very limited purpose
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Nilanjana S Roy: The twilight of the Brahmins
Nilanjana S Roy | New Delhi Last Updated at January 20, 2013 01:49 IST
Nilanjana S Roy: Cricket and collaborators
Nilanjana S Roy: The emperors of exploration
Nilanjana S Roy: Waiting for Mr Coetzee - the JLF
Nilanjana S Roy: The Big India Book
In Edmund de Waal's The Hare with Amber Eyes, there is a wonderful section on the fascination Japonisme held at a certain time in Europe, when Japanese bibelots, netsuke, robes and paintings found their way into Parisian salons: "Anyone would sell you anything. Japan existed as a sort of parallel country of licensed gratification, artistic, commercial and sexual."
Often, what the collectors of that time picked up from Japan was unremarkable — the dross of everyday life, mass-produced objets d'art mingling with the rare and the exquisite. As de Waal recounts so beautifully, this early hunger was replaced by first a refined connoisseurship, and inevitably, a waning of the interest in Japonisme, a return to the less exotic and the more local.
In the last few weeks, as new books on India by Patrick French and Anand Girdharadass were released, a familiar debate came back to us, reheated and freshly garnished. Pankaj Mishra's argument with French was over the content of the book—Mishra seemed unable to recognise or reconcile his vision of India, one of cruel economic inequalities and a dominant, often bullying, state, with French's more upbeat India story.
Reading between the lines, the real anxiety was over French's portrait, not the quality of his reportage: was this the authentic India, or had he missed the big story? Elsewhere, in a joyously savage piece of provocation, Mihir Sharma flayed India Calling, by Anand Girdharadass, for shallow journalism, and slammed the stereotypes of India that find their way into the "foreign correspondent" book.
But the real debate is one that tore Indian writing in English apart about a decade ago; it's the question of what makes a book about India the genuine article, and who has the right to "represent" the country. The "authenticity argument" was rapidly buried, with a few stray knives in its back, in the world of Indian fiction — few readers, writers or critics wanted to police books to see how their Indianness rated a scale of one to ten.
Fewer still are comfortable acknowledging what might be called marketplace realities. In the years when Indian writing was doing well, like a hardworking honour student, in the West, we were happy to measure our importance and success not by the literary impact of a Kiran Desai or a Salman Rushdie but by the sales figures and the prize shortlists. What we are all uncomfortable acknowledging is that the West —shorthand for the complex markets and divergent reading tastes of the UK, the US and a large swathe of Europe — has a sharply truncated view of Indian writing.
Much of the unease expressed by Mishra, and in a different form by Sharma, comes from questioning the need for the Big India book — at some level, we understand that these books are very rarely written by Indian journalists, and that the stories they tell, whether simplified or not, are influential even so. Some of the unease comes from a sense of disenfranchisement; it is telling, for instance, that there seems to be little need for the Big India book in Hindi, or Urdu, or Marathi. Outside of English, we lack either the curiosity or the need to explain India to ourselves.
What the West sees of Indian writing would be ridiculous, if that view wasn't so influential; as with the age de Waal describes, where all of Japanese culture and history could be interpreted through the shlock, detritus and masterpieces of the art world. Over the last 30 years, some realities have been inescapable; Indian writing in the Western world is defined largely as Indian writing in English, with very few translations making their way abroad.
Writing from the margins —Dalit writing, the resurgence in Indian poetry in English, writing from the north east — is rarely visible, and when it is visible, it's exoticised, here and abroad. And by its nature, Indian writing in English has been largely privileged writing — if not quite limited to the sons of St Stephens', most contemporary writers in this language come from the relatively enfranchised middle class, and their work reflects the limitations of their backgrounds.
In the same week as the French-Mishra rallies, complete with aces and double faults, were playing out at the net, a small piece of data passed almost unremarked. The Census 2001 figures, recently released, revealed that English had effectively become India's second language, behind Hindi. Many of the new English speakers come from the small towns, or belong to areas of the metros that lie outside the charmed circles of privilege. English belongs to them now as much as it once did, about two-three decades ago, to the old class of writer-Brahmins.
And as this generation begins to tell and write their stories, they may not need to beguile the souks of the West with their Indiennisme. 125 million English speakers, out of whom a much higher percentage has made it their first language in the decade since the Census data was collected, is enough to make its own marketplace. I'm guessing here, but I don't think this new generation of writers will find much use either for the Big India books or for the debates that drew us in over the last few decades.
nilanjanasroy@gmail.com
First Published: Tue, February 22 2011. 00:55 IST


Cot beds are mainly designed for kids ages 0 to 4 years. Choosing a cot pay attention to the material it's made of, as it' s very important for your baby health. It should be natural or eco friendly wood, because child might gnaw the bed sometimes.
Adjustable height of the mattress.
Usually there are 3 positions: the highest is used for the little baby not yet able to sit and rise (about 5-6 months), then the mattress is lowered so that the child, in case of standing could not climb over the railing.
Some cots are lowered one side, others – both. Very handy if cot provides an opportunity to take out a few rods banister. This helps the already grown kid to go to bed / get up from the cot when he wants to. In some beds for this purpose it is possible to lower the railing to the level of the mattress, or just take them out from one side.
The wheels on the bed legs.
Absolutely necessary thing, because often a first bed is located close to parents, and later in a separate room. Also, there are times when baby daily sleep prevented by background noise, and with the presence of good wheels, you can easily move the bed to the quiet place, or change location of the bed in kid's room (can influence the sleep quality).


text:
Белоклю́вый во́рон () — вид птиц из рода во́ронов, распространённый на Соломоновых островах.

Описание
Белоклювый ворон — небольшая коренастая лесная птица (40—41 см в длину) с коротким хвостом, по форме близким квадрату. Голова сравнительно большая. Клюв очень характерный — цвета слоновой кости и тёмный на конце; мощный, высоко посаженный, закругляется к острому кончику. Щетинистые перья находятся у основания клюва. Оперение блестящее, чёрного цвета с фиолетовым блеском, на голове обладает зелено-фиолетовым отливом. Ноги чёрные. Радужка глаз серо-белая.

Близким родственником белоклювого ворона считается гигантский ворон (Corvus fuscicapillus), однако внешне они отличны друг от друга размерами и цветом оперения.

Кормится небольшими семейными группами на деревьях, питается различными насекомыми и фруктами.
Обитает под пологом леса, в полете держится ближе к кронам деревьев.

Полёт «дрожащий», с быстрыми короткими взмахами крыльев, которые птица держит несколько ниже тела.

Отсутствие информации о поведении в период гнездования — проблема всех лесных видов ворон.

Среда обитания и распространение
Этот вид обитает на островах Шуазёль, Санта-Исабель и Гуадалканал из архипелага Соломоновы острова.

Голос
Голос белоклювого ворона напоминает звук, издаваемый австралийским вороном (Corvus orru), но выше по тону и быстрее, с отзвуком «ао-ао-ао».

Примечания

Литература
 BirdLife International 2012. Corvus woodfordi . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 18 November 2014.

 Sylvia Bruce Wilmore. Crows, jays, ravens and their relatives. — T.F.H. Publications, 1979. — Всего страниц: 208
 John M. Marzluff, Tony Angell, Paul R. Ehrlich. In the Company of Crows and Ravens . — Yale University Press, 2007. — Всего страниц: 408

Вороны
Животные, описанные в 1887 году
Птицы Австралии и Океании


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Chris Evans would love to reprise his Fantastic Four superhero role – Socialite Life
Chris Evans admits reprising his role as Johnny Storm in 'Fantastic Four' would be an "easier sell" than playing Captain America again.
The 41-year-old actor played the Human Torch aka Johnny Storm in 2005's 'Fantastic Four', and its sequel 'Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer', and he would love for the Marvel superhero to make a comeback as he doesn't believe the character has had his "day" yet.
He told MTV News: "God, wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that be great?
"No, no one's ever come to me about that. I mean, I don't exactly look the same anymore. That was 15, almost 20 years ago. Oh my God, I'm old. But I really love that character, but I think… aren't they doing something now with 'Fantastic Four'?"
The 'Lightyear' star starred as Captain America in a whole host of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including 2011's 'Captain America: The First Avenger', 2014's 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier', and 2016's 'Captain America: Civil War', as well as several 'Avengers' ensemble movies, the last being 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame'.
He added: "I would love it. That would actually be an easier sell to me than coming back as Cap. You know what I mean? Cap is so precious to me. And you know, I almost don't wanna disrupt what a beautiful experience that was. But Johnny Storm, I feel like he didn't really get his day. That was before Marvel really found its footing. So, I loved that role and, you know, who knows."
Last year, Chris shot down a rumour he was set to return as Captain America.
He simply responded: "News to me."
Chris also previously shared his excitement to have the "freedom" to pursue other parts.
He said: "I absolutely loved my time with Marvel; I already miss it, but there's no denying that it is very exciting to just have complete freedom to pursue whatever my creative appetite wants."
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This past weekend, the authors of this blog were featured on the State of Tech podcast (you can download it from iTunes or online at thestateoftech.org). "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has," said Mead.
One of the biggest, unforeseen challenges that we have faced on our blended journey was teaching the students to learn in a blended space. How do I define a blended space?
An environment where mastery is shown through authentic projects or presentations.
Haven't you, even for a moment, dreamed of a classroom like this? We all did, which is why we embarked on this blended learning journey. The problem is that we thought our students were dreaming of this classroom, too. We designed high quality classes and marketed them to high achieving, good students. And that's when we hit our first bump in the road.
High achieving, good students were defined as high achieving and good based on an antiquated classroom model. They were high achieving and good students because they came to class Monday through Thursday, listened to the lectures, took copious notes, on average raised their hands twice a week, and on Friday were fully prepared to regurgitate everything that they had observed back to us on an exam. But this definition of the high achieving, good student does not fit with the blended learning spaces that we were designing. In fact, our high achieving, good students struggled (at first) to fit into their blended learning space. In fact, a few even longed for the face-to-face lectures and weekly quizzes because that is what years of schooling had taught them to expect. They were good at the game of school and then along came a few teachers who started playing Calvinball with the rules and the students simply were not ready.
We had to take a few steps back and realize that we had to teach students to unlearn the game of school and really learn to think. I'm not trying to holistically denounce the game of school, because it got many of us to where we are today. It's just that the world has changed around us, so it is time that we change the definition of what a high achieving, good student is. More importantly, we have to change what the high achieving, good student expects in the typical classroom. All students deserve to learn in a blended space (as defined above) but just like we taught them how to play school so many years ago, now we much reteach them how to excel in our classroom of the future.
Our blended teachers are creating blended spaces for students to learn and everyday impact the lives of over 100 students and they are really making the difference. They are teaching students to stretch beyond what they thought was possible, to see learning in a new light, to contribute to their world and to challenge the status quo. In the words of Margaret Mead, our blended teachers are thoughtful, committed citizens who are not only changing the world; they are teaching their students to do the same.
Stacy Hawthorne earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia, her teaching license from Ashland University, her gifted endorsement from the University of Cincinnati, and is currently working on her Master of Education in Administration from Ashland University. She has worked in parochial and public schools, as a mathematics and computer education teacher, gifted intervention specialist and is currently the Technology Integration Coordinator for the Medina City Schools. Stacy is a mobile learning explorer who has implemented mobile devices in two different school districts and presented at several state conferences on using mobile devices in the classroom for increased student achievement. Most recently Stacy wrote a proposal on behalf of the Medina City School District which earned Medina High School one of eTech Ohio's $130,000 Blended Learning Grants. Medina High School's blended learning program has been featured in local and national news, including Converge magazine.


text:
Headline Latest Top Stories
WASHINGTON — Barr testifies he was surprised by Mueller's decision
May 2, 2019 May 2, 2019 Contributor 0 Comment WASHINGTON — Barr testifies he was surprised by Mueller's decision
Update: Attorney General William Barr said he was surprised that special counsel Robert Mueller and his team did not reach a conclusion on whether or not President Donald Trump obstructed justice.
Barr said in testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that Mueller told him of his team's plans at a March 5 meeting. A Justice Department legal opinion says sitting presidents cannot be indicted.
Barr said Mueller told him he wouldn't have recommended indicting the president even without that opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel. Barr said Mueller told him that there may come a time when the Justice Department should consider revisiting that opinion but that this is not that case.
Mueller wrote a letter saying that Barr's summary of his Russia report created "public confusion about critical aspects of the results."
By ERIC TUCKER and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press – Associated Press – Wednesday, May 01, 2019
Previous report:
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr defended his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report on Wednesday amid new revelations that Mueller expressed frustration to Barr about how the attorney general was portraying the investigation's findings.
Barr's first appearance on Capitol Hill since releasing a redacted version of the report, promised to be a dramatic showdown as Democrats confront him with allegations that he spun the investigation's findings in President Donald Trump's favor. Democrats were also likely to accuse him of misleading lawmakers last month when he suggested he was unaware of concerns on the Mueller team about his actions.
Barr's appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to highlight the partisan schism around Mueller's report and the Justice Department's handling of it. It will give the attorney general his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including a press conference held before the report's release, and for him to repair a reputation bruised by allegations that he's the president's protector.
Barr noted in his prepared testimony Wednesday that Mueller concluded his investigation without any interference and that neither the attorney general nor any other Justice Department official overruled the special counsel on any action he wanted to take. Barr also defended his decision to step in and clear the president of obstruction of justice after Mueller presented evidence on both sides but didn't reach a conclusion.
A major focus of the hearing was sure to be the Tuesday night revelation that Mueller told Barr, in a letter to the Justice Department and in a phone call, that he was frustrated with how the conclusions of his investigation were being portrayed.
Mueller's letter, dated March 27, conveys his frustration that Barr released what the attorney general saw as the bottom-line conclusions of the special counsel's investigation and not the introductions and executive summaries that Mueller's team had prepared and believed conveyed more nuance and context than Barr's own letter. Mueller said he had communicated the same concern two days earlier.
"The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office's work and conclusions," Mueller wrote.
"There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations."
At an unrelated hearing last month, Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida asked Barr about media reports of frustration within the special counsel's office about the way the report's findings were characterizing. Asked if he knew what those concerns referred to, Barr said, "No, I don't."
Barr also is invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question the attorney general.
Democrats were likely to press Barr on statements and actions in the past six weeks that have exasperated them. The tense relations are notable given how Barr breezed through his confirmation process , picking up support from a few Democrats and offering reassuring words about the Justice Department's independence and the importance of protecting the special counsel's investigation.
Mueller's letter, dated March 27, conveys his unhappiness that Barr released what the attorney general saw as the bottom-line conclusions of the special counsel's investigation and not the introductions and executive summaries that Mueller's team had prepared and believed conveyed more nuance and context than Barr's own letter. Mueller said he had communicated the same concern two days earlier.
"There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation," Mueller wrote in his letter to Barr. "This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations."
Barr appeared unmoved by the criticism. He said repeatedly that Mueller had assured him that the information in Barr's letter of conclusions was not inaccurate but he simply wanted more information out. Barr said he didn't believe a piecemeal release of information was beneficial, and besides, it wasn't Mueller's call to make.
Once Mueller submitted his report, his work was done and the document was "my baby," Barr insisted defiantly.
"It was my decision how and when to make it public. Not Bob Mueller's," he said.
Barr also complained that Mueller did not, as requested, identify grand jury material in his report when he submitted it, slowing down the public release of the report as the Justice Department worked to black out sensitive information.
Barr noted that Mueller concluded his investigation without any interference and that neither the attorney general nor any other Justice Department official overruled the special counsel on any action he wanted to take. Barr also defended his decision to step in and clear the president of obstruction of justice after Mueller presented evidence on both sides but didn't reach a conclusion.
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Iran's oil minister walked out of a key meeting with OPEC peers on Thursday, as a rift deepened with regional rival Saudi over its push to ramp up the cartel's oil output.
"I do not think we can reach an agreement," Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters at his Vienna hotel after storming out of talks with a group of ministers on the eve of a crucial OPEC meet.
The talks were meant to lay the groundwork for Friday's gathering of the 14-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), when the cartel will discuss easing a supply-cut deal with 10 partner countries that has cleared a global oil supply glut and pushed crude prices to multi-year highs.
But the proposal has run into resistance from Iran, Iraq and Venezuela, who would struggle to immediately raise output and fear losing market share and revenues if other countries open the spigots.
But Riyadh, which cheered Washington's exit from the nuclear pact, is under pressure from Trump to boost output in order to lower oil prices ahead of November's midterm elections.
Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih had earlier signaled a compromise could be in the works.
The 24 nations in the pact, known as OPEC+, initially agreed to trim production by 1.8 million barrels a day but they have actually been keeping more than two million bpd off the market.
Observers believe a face-saving deal could be brokered if members simply stopped over-complying with the current pact, and agreed to stick to the original reduction quotas -- which would bring several hundred thousand more barrels to the market each day.
But that is easier said than done since much of the shortfall has come from Venezuela, where an economic crisis has savaged the nation's petroleum production.


text:
Egon Larsen (13 July 1904 - 17 October 1990) was a German science journalist and writer.

Larsen was born in Munich. He was the author of many books, due to persecution from Nazism he moved to live in Prague and to London in 1938.

Publications

Men Who Changed The World Stories of Invention and Discovery (1952)
Men Under the Sea (1955)
You'll See: Report from the Future (1957)
Atomic Energy: A Layman's Guide to the Nuclear Age (1958)
Ideas and Invention (1960)
The Cavendish Laboratory: Nursery of Genius (1962)
Atoms and Atomic Energy (1963)
Men Who Fought for Freedom (1963)
Inventors (1965)
The Deceivers: Lives of the Great Imposters (1966)
Great Humorous Stories of the World (1967)
First with the Truth: Newspapermen in Action (1968)
A History of Inventions (1969)
Great Ideas in Engineering (1970)
Strange Sects and Cults: A Study of Their Origins and Influence (1972)
Weimar Eyewitness (1976)
New Sources of Energy and Power (1976)
Telecommunications: A History (1977)
A Flame in Barbed Wire: The Story of Amnesty International (1978)
Wit as a Weapon: The Political Joke in History (1980)

References

1904 births
1990 deaths
German male writers
20th-century German journalists


Yes, I understand why I've been off from Newgrounds for a while. But I am currently working on a new project for Newgrounds in hopes of making my recognition known on this very site. Hopefully, I'll figure something out from here.


This is a very delicious Au Jus Gravy recipe!!!
This is from Anjali Vellody's Food column of the Weekend magazine. Enjoy!
These tasty tidbits are perfect for graduation parties! The curling/wrapping ribbon is easiest to tie.


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Ференц Ласлович Кокольник ( 1941, Виноградів) — радянський футболіст, що грав на позиції захисника. Відомий насамперед за виступами у складі команди «Автомобіліст» з Житомира у класі «Б» та другій групі класу «А», насамперед за, у складі якого став чемпіоном УРСР 1967 року в класі «Б».

Біографія
Ференц Кокольник народився у Виноградові, а розпочав виступи в командах майстрів у 1964 році в складі команди класу «Б» «Полісся» з Житомира. У складі житомирської команди відразу ж став одним із основних гравців захисту, а в 1967 році став у складі команди вже під новою назвою «Автомобіліст» чемпіоном УРСР в класі «Б». Наступного року Кокольник грав у складі «Автомобіліста» вже у другій групі класу «А», у складі житомирської команди грав до середини 1969 року, а в другій половині року грав у складі команди класу «Б» «Прогрес» з Бердичева. Сезон 1970 року розпочав у складі команди другої групи класу «А» «Спартак» з Івано-Франківська, а закінчив сезон у складі команди класу «Б» «Горинь» з Ровно. У 1971 році Ференц Кокольник грав у складі команди другої ліги «Торпедо» з Луцька, і після закінчення сезону завершив виступи на футбольних полях.

Досягнення
 Переможець Чемпіонату УРСР з футболу 1967 в класі «Б».

Примітки

Посилання

 Профіль футболіста на сайті ukr-footbal.org.ua

Радянські футболісти
Футболісти «Полісся» (Житомир)
Футболісти «Спартака» (Івано-Франківськ)
Футболісти «Вереса» (Рівне)
Футболісти «Волині»
Уродженці Виноградова
Футболісти «Прогреса» (Бердичів)


Bioventix is 6.5% of my portfolio and is up 48% on my purchase price.
Bioventix's moat fundamentally stems from its IP in developing particular sorts of antibodies (sheep based) which are useful for certain tests.
It has exploited this very well. It has near certainty of future revenue streams from its royalty model – it has infinite contracts with customers (the companies that make blood testing machines) and these customers face barriers to switching (diagnostic need for consistency of antibodies). Downstream customers (hospitals, clinics) are also unlikely to switch. This makes Bioventix very insulated from competition.
Like a pharma company, after Bioventix has developed an antibody for use in a test the ongoing costs are very low. Fixed costs are also low resulting in incredibly high margins and ROCE.
Bioventix benefits from certain growth drivers: from demographic changes resulting in greater use of tests and from the possible addition of new tests following R&D in collaboration with partners. Unfortunately it does not appear able to reinvest all its profit successfully in new R&D to grow faster.
Historically its growth rate has been fairly high with high ROCE and cash generation a lot of which is paid in dividends.
Momentum is currently very good though there is an issue with a coming revenue shortfall from a big legacy contract ending. The market appears to be 'looking though' this now though the valuation currently at a PE ratio of 20 appears to me to be very cheap given the long term quality and growth prospects. If I had to put all my money into one stock it might well be Bioventix.
Somewhat unusually my next holding is a closed fund rather than an individual share. Electra is 5.9% of my portfolio and up 52% on my purchase price.
My analysis of funds is rather more rudimentary than of individual shares. I buy funds rarely but typically to get exposure to an asset class where I either have little expertise or want diversification across multiple shares. At the time I bought Electra about a year and a half ago I wanted some exposure to private equity. I choose Electra on the basis of its long term NAV performance, recent momentum and discount to NAV. I have been pleased with its performance since.
Electra is also currently subject to some intervention on the part of an activist investor, Sherborne, which seems to believe it can unlock a lot of hidden value in Electra by changing its management structure, reducing fees and improving capital efficiency by holding less cash. Given Electra's admirable track record, its management and some of its shareholders seem a bit miffed at this intervention but personally I see the shakeup as likely to be positive and with little risk. Sherborne has some track record for similar successful interventions into US private equity firms I believe.
I'm more than happy to continue to hold here as the momentum continues.
Micro Focus provides legacy software services – helping customers get the most out of old IT investments. Interestingly (for me) my father owned a business doing something very similar but on a much smaller scale. Micro Focus has a growing portfolio of mostly ex-growth products but also SUSE which is growing significantly. While I have a broad understanding I have to admit that I find the overall business and products a bit complex to fully understand. To complicate things further Micro Focus has recently undertaken 3 very large transformative acquisitions, including lately a reverse takeover of HP software business, catapulting it into the FTSE100.
Micro Focus is largely almost totally insulated from competition for existing customers who are effectively locked in to using its products. Even more widely it faces little competition.
It also benefits from scale and operational efficiency and appears to be well run.
The market it operates in is stable in the long term and its products are indispensable to its customers. It therefore makes stable profits and is very defensive. There are nonetheless some areas of growth, though Micro Focus recent strategy has been to grow by driving consolidation and greater efficiency across the sector.
Micro Focus business has great economics: it has huge margins, ROCE and FCF conversion. Shareholder returns have been exceptionally and consistently high in recent years, particularly for a large company. Micro Focus is one of very few companies whose share price grew through the 2008 downturn.
Management have very good reputation and track record. They appear very focussed on maximising shareholder returns with good incentivisation.
The current share price momentum and newsflow is good. The valuation appears fairly cheap to me given the quality but depends a lot on effective execution of the HP merger. The debt levels are fairly high which is not cause for concern but needs to be accounted for in the valuation. I am fairly sanguine given management's track record.
Craneware is 4.9% of my portfolio and is up 46% on my purchase price. Craneware is one of a few stocks I bought immediately post Brexit as a likely beneficiary of the sharp devaluation in sterling.
It looks to have a good product with a competitive advantage. Its market share is growing.
It has a very high moat from 'sticky' customers who would face substantial costs to switch to an alternative provider and high barriers to entry for potential competitors.
It operates in a market with long term secular growth and little technological risk. It is non-cyclical. There is some regulatory risk, including that potentially raised by Trump (see the recent share price blip) but this seems unlikely from what I have read.
It has experienced stable and consistent growth and has high margins, ROCE and cash conversion.
Momentum is currently great with management very bullish on growth over coming years and a big currency tailwind. It is not currently so cheap – current buyers are paying up for low risk, high quality and the possibility of accelerating growth. In my view it is currently good value given this but there may well be opportunities to add at a cheaper valuation as there have been recently. I have no intention of selling any time soon.