text:
<?php if (!is_home() && is_page()) { ?>

Om Uppskattat.se

                        Vår lilla redaktion har ett stort hjärta, och vi kämpar för att du ska få ta del av det absolut mysigaste, chockerande och hetaste från internet. Vår målsättning är att du inte ska kunna besöka vår hemsida och förbli opåverkad av känslor. Våra klipp, bilder och berättelser kommer tveklöst träffa dig i hjärtat.

Länkar

<a style="color:#FFF;" href="<?php echo get_site_url(); ?>/annonsera-2/">Annonsering

<a style="color:#FFF;" href="<?php echo get_site_url(); ?>">Startsidan

Facebook

<a style="color:#FFF;" href="<?php echo get_site_url(); ?>/info">Info

<a style="color:#FFF;" href="<?php echo get_site_url(); ?>/kontakta-oss/">Kontakta oss

<a style="color:#FFF;" href="<?php echo get_site_url(); ?>/cookies/">Info om cookies

                    Copyright @ 2014
 Skapad i Wordpress

<?php } ?>

<?php wp_footer(); ?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
"Back To Democracy For Fiji!!"
Posted by Suliasi Daunitutu on March 29, 2009 at 8:48pm in World Issues
You are invited to share and pen your ideas, views or opinions that will facilitate/assist our country back to democracy. All positive and/or negative ideas and comments to steer us back to the road of democracy are welcome.
Whichever way one looks at our current situation back home, democracy has been completely raped. The rape of democracy in Fiji is a virtual degradation of the populus of Fiji. Their human rights are being deprived:
1. the right to decide their government;
2. who they want to represent them;
3. their right to free assembly;
4. free protest;
5. free to organise into groups so that they can talk about what is pertinent to their daily lives;
6. protest on issues they do not agree with....with no fear of intimidation from anybody.
With this military regime in place, the concept of freedom per the Constitution is a total myth!
And, we, the people of Fiji need to come together and be vehement about our total disagreement with the military regime. So give us liberty or death! The reality of the issue is that democracy in Fiji has been raped...from top to bottom...left to right....inside and out and vice versa!
Here we have a military regime that talks about freedom to the people and yet the very same military regime randomly arrest people, torture them, inflict unnecessary harrassment and emotional stress to those that seem a threat to them. The military regime talks about racial unity.......the communal concept of togetherness and yet Fiji is far more racially divided today than it ever was.
The so-called advisors, viz-a-viz, John Samy, these are rejects from their adopted countries and yet they are being rewarded with exuberant amount(s) of money by these rogue military regime who have no idea what they are doing. Lying to the international community does not augur well with this interim government and yet the interim Prime Minister continuously talks with a forked tongue when addressing international issues. The ministers talk about internal securities as if Fiji is going to be invaded.
All around it is clearly seen that the economy is in tatters and the Constitution is just a useless piece of paper. The rule of law is as what the military regime wants it to be.
The above are just some of my views (from a pro-democracy viewpoint). But, do not let that deter you from penning your comments if you share otherwise.
So, let us come together and voice our views/comments, whether they be for or against the military regime and have a very healthy discussion here so that in the end we can factually understand what our role is, what we need to do and how we can come up with ideas to help restore democracy back in our beloved Fiji!
Please feel free to write what you like or dislike about the military regime. Be sincere and honest about your thoughts, without getting personal or spiteful.
Kindly note, this "topic" will expire as soon as we have an election.
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Permalink Reply by Mike on May 5, 2013 at 10:08pm
New Zealand and Australian unions launch campaign to alert Fiji travellers
Posted at 03:23 on 06 May, 2013 UTC
A campaign to raise awareness among tourists about the political situation in Fiji has been launched by the New Zealand and Australian Council of Trade Unions.
The Secretary of the CTU in New Zealand, Peter Conway, says the union wants to alert potential travellers about the situation many workers in Fiji face.
He says they are often unaware the country is being run by a military regime.
"We respect the fact that people make their own decisions as to whether or not people want to holiday in Fiji. But we want them to be informed. And it's about ethical purchasing, just as it is in the Supermarket. So, we want people to be aware and the fact is; human rights have been stripped away in Fiji and that is a huge concern."
"Peter Conway says Fiji is far from the paradise portrayed in brochures and its time travellers took into account what is going on in the country when they choose to go there."
News Content © Radio New Zealand International
PO Box 123, Wellington, New Zealand
Permalink Reply by Mike on May 6, 2013 at 12:13am
ADRESS BY MR JUSTICE FILIMONE JITOKO ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE FIJIAN TEACHERS ASSOCIATION 79th ANNUAL DELEGATES CONFERENCE 30th APRIL, 2013 - SUVA CIVIC CENTRE
The future of the Fijian people is what we make of it; or to re-phrase it, taking into account the changes foisted on us in the last 6 years, the future of the Fijian race, or the i Taukei as the indigenous people of this land is now legally referred to, is what we make of it. This self evident truth is the common thread, the sinnet if you wish, that weaves through and connects the two major topics your Association has chosen as the theme for your Conference this year, namely, entrepreneurship and sustainable development in education.
I am mindful that the theme is of general application in the field of education of Fiji's young, but allow me to take some poetic license, and indulge in some personal reflections on Fijian/i-Taukei education. I reflect back on a speech I made at the 2003 end–of–the-year prize-giving ceremonies at Queen Victoria School, in which I stated that for the Fijian/i Taukei there are essentially three (3) development needs and priorities. The first priority is education, the second is education, and the third priority is education. I emphasized that only through education will a Fijian/i-Taukei be competent to secure meaningful employment, accumulate wealth and property, wisely exercise his/her democratic rights, and possess the ability to differentiate what is right moral or otherwise, from what is harmful to society. These are the building blocks of a just and stable democratic society.
Nothing in the intervening decade, in my view, has changed my belief in the importance of these priorities, given my perception of the existing Fijian/i Taukei social and political landscape. One has only to pick up a newspaper or turn in to a radio station or switch on to the Fiji TV news to realize how appallingly uninformed, or more correctly, ill informed, we the Fijian/i Taukei are, of who and what we are; what our rights are, the limits to those rights; what are our obligations, and in under what circumstances; what are our responsibilities, and to whom are those responsibilities owed. As an example, last month, an indigenous landowner was reported as advocating the sale of his mataqali land and the realised funds to serve the present generation and the residue if any, to be invested for the future. Does he not know, as a matter of general knowledge, that under the Native Lands Act, selling or any alienation of native land is prohibited? Does he not then, as a consequence, realize that that means for the purpose of the Act, native landowners are merely exercising ufructuary rights over their land, making them effectively just life tenants to live on it while preserve it for his children and his future generations? Is it too hard to understand that the objective of the legislation is first to serve the welfare of the Fijian/i Taukei living generations and second, to preserve the same land for the future Fijian/i Taukei generations? All of these might I add, notwithstanding the creation of the so-called Land Bank under the 2010 Land Use Decree.
Again, the mind boggles when a Fijian/i Taukei accuses some of our leaders of using the dreaded "race card" by their merely mentioning the interests of the indigenous people; as if race is not a reality of life here in Fiji and that the plight or problems of the indigenous people cannot be spoken of in public lest it corrupts the concept of the "Fijian" people to which we all now belong. Will I then be accused I wonder, of playing the race card when I speak to you today about Fijian/i Taukei education? If I should be, then it can only lend more credence to my thesis today.
I am not an educationist and neither will I pretend that I have the answer let alone the competence to solve the problems that beset the Fijian/i-Taukei education as our race confronts today's challenges. I lay some feeble claim to be an educationalist of a sort, finding myself in your profession so late in life, but that, is another story. I recognize in your midst the presence of some of our luminaries in the field of education who will have perhaps a different perspective on how we should address Fijian/i Taukei education. I defer to their expert knowledge in the field. My views which I express today may at best be correctly referred to as that of a layperson, but a stakeholder nevertheless, who is compassionate and care deeply about Fijian/i-Taukei education and the future of our race. At worst, accept it as a confused and disjointed ramblings of a disgruntled old man from southern Lau island of Kabara; a rocky outcrop that has little to contribute to the nation's GDP, except that gentle breeze that greets your face each morning, the south easterly tradewinds.
I believe that at it very basic, the problems of Fijian/i Taukei education are impediments that are firstly, culturally embedded and are self-imposed. They emerge at the most critical time of life, at childhood. All living creatures under the sun are imbued with one indomitable spirit which ensures their ability to survive and more importantly, succeed. I speak of the inquisitive mind/spirit. The young possess the most inquisitive mind. A child observes. A child constantly observes because that's all a child does. It asks a million questions often very simply put: Why? Why? Why? Fijian/i-Taukei culture unfortunately gets in the way and hinders by stifling the enthusiasm of the child to learn and to know. How often have you heard parents or adults telling the child, "O sobo o sa rui gone dau taro" or simply "Sa rauta mada na taro". The same child grows up on his way through primary and high schools, and even to tertiary level, with the belief that asking questions in not polite and is inappropriate behavior. Little do we realize that in our stifling the child's inquisitive mind we deny him knowledge that will define him later in life which invariably translates between success or failure. Simply put, the more you ask the more you learn; the more you learn the more you know; the more you know the higher the probability that you will succeed in life. At the end of the day wisdom, the pathway to success, only comes to an inquisitive mind.
The challenge I pose to you today is how teachers and parents, as instructors, break down this cultural barrier, and re-ignite the enthusiasm of curiosity in the minds of our children that is so vital to their education and their future? A paradigm shift will be necessary in our Fijian/i Taukei homes to recognize instead, that a child that asks a question is not making a nuisance of itself by bothering the family gathering or a dinner party, but just beginning its life-long adventure of learning and acquisition and storage of knowledge that will positively contribute to making a success of his life later. Schools and teachers must be pro-active in encouraging our children to ask questions. I always coax my students into asking questions by citing that old Chinese proverb that says, "He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn't remains a fool forever." We must do all we can by encouraging and goading to convince our schoolchildren that asking is not the preserve of the dumb and the stupid. They must get over and ignore the embarrassment of asking questions on matters they do not know, and that a momentary pride sacrificed at the altar of life time knowledge is worth its weight in gold.
There is an important corollary to this process; an admission on our part as teachers. Why don't we readily admit that even as teachers and the fount of knowledge, we do not necessarily know everything? What better way I ask, for the child to take you into his confidence with your admitting that no you do not know the answer to his question, but add, "Why don't we find out together"?
Let me turn to the other impediments. All of these efforts to mentally prepare our children to enter our learning institutions to be educated, will come to naught if they are not provided with a conducive environment under which they are taught. By this I mean the resources both financial and human, as well as a stable and reliable family support system. If I may deal with these issues in turn and explain how I believe they impact on Fijian/i Taukei education.
For us, with our much heralded tradition of the practice of the extended family and, as a family support mechanism in the education of our children, the system has proved through the years, to be both a blessing as well as a curse. For those like me who sailed from the outer islands to attend secondary schools on Viti Levu, home for the next five years meant living with relatives often in cramped and sometimes unhealthy conditions, with little room, if at all, for privacy and more importantly, for study. Some of us who went on to attend boarding schools; we were the fortunate ones. But whether one was living with relatives in the barracks-like quarters in Brown Street attending Suva Sangam High School or safely ensconced in the dormitories on the picturesque rolling hills of Ratu Kadavulevu, both need the family support system and network around them. Unless the whole family relocated from the islands to Viti Levu to come to support the education of its child, with all its attendant repercussions, the student, whether at Suva Sangam or Ratu Kadavulevu, will have to make do with the relatives around Viti Levu who may not necessarily be as attentative; as understandably, they may have their own children and priorities. To the extent that the welfare of the island students, or any students for that matter, studying away from home is often abandoned albeit innocently, in the hope that the relatives on Viti Levu will take care of their needs, is a major weak link in our ability to ensure that the provision of dependable family support is available to our children at all times. I recognize that this lacuna, to some extent, has been filled especially in recent years by strong and vibrant PTA groupings; but they tend in the main, to operate only in boarding and bigger urban schools. In the end, whatever relief or assistance our extended family traditions offer to the education of our children, these are often negated by the absence of the compassionate touch or approach the immediate family is capable of.
Financial support to both the institution and the students is the second crucial ingredient towards achieving our desired level and outcomes in education. In the light of the persistent rumors of the present administration's plans to cease its role in continuing financial support of Government schools, I am reminded of the findings of the Gonski Advisory Panel, commissioned by the Australian Government in 2010 to review the funding of schools in Australia. Its report was published in February last year (2012). It is by far the most comprehensive review done in the last 40 years. Now, if I were arguing in a court of law here in Fiji a case for the continuation and even increase of government funding to Government schools and special schools, I would merely refer to the Gonski's Review, in particular, it's findings, its recommendations and, its three key conclusions and I would add soon after the well known American courtroom counsel's jargon, "I rest my case".
I am aware that even right now, with the Australian general elections just around the corner, the major political parties are jostling as normal for favourable positions in policies and plans on education. The Gillard government is keen to implement some elements of the Gonski recommendations, drawing accusation of vote buying from the Opposition. It nevertheless is important, in my view, to appreciate that Australia has already a blueprint to work from in planning the funding for the education of its children in the coming decades.
I wish only to draw our attention to some of the findings of the Gonski review. Of particular relevance for us today firstly, is its finding of what it terms as "unacceptable" link between low levels of achievement and education disadvantage, particularly among students from low socioeconomic and indigenous backgrounds. It further found that this gap is growing all the time. Some may argue that low socioeconomic status applies across the racial divide as far as Fiji is concerned; and that will be true, except I am saying the ratio of those in this category as ethnic or racial component of the Fiji population, are much higher with the Fijian/i Taukei that in any other. Most of our people live still in the rural areas self- sufficient maybe, but not employed with regular income by which economic status of adult population of a country is measured. (No doubt my good friend Prof Wardan Narsey will correct me if I fall foul of some of his benchmarks). The link however that I want to establish is this: low level achievement and education disadvantage of students from low socioeconomic bracket and indigenous population are by and large one and the same as far as this country is concerned. In other words, the majority that belongs to the low socioeconomic bracket is synonymous with the other. That is why, in my view, it is vital that we preserve and indeed support the long- established systems like Government schools and the FAB scholarships system that recognized and took into account the shortcomings in our socioeconomic life.
This situation will be further exacerbated if the government funding and support to Government schools are to be withdrawn. Why? For the simple reason that this Government-funded schools have been the mainstay of Fijian/i Taukei education throughout our history. They had offered the next to the ideal in a situation that allowed our children from the far flung corners of the country, representing as it often does the low socioeconomic and indigenous background, to come together and learn in an environment that facilitated and sharpened their learning capabilities and, while the support network of the family was not always there, the space and freedom to learn and study was.
As I speak these Government-supported schools are at their death kneel. Much has still to done to upgrade let alone repair the physical facilities, to improve the amenities, to reduce class numbers, and to bolster the teaching staff. In some cases, PTAs have been pushed into doing things that are core tasks of the provider, the Government.
In the same way as the Gonski Review foretells the future of Australian education and recommends that Government schools and special schools should be fully funded by the Federal Government, I too strongly urge the Government to continue the funding and support to these schools. I go further, that not only must it continue funding them but extend the same compliments by increasing its assistance to private schools including those run by Committees. The Gonski Review estimates a cost of some $5 billion to implement its recommendations. While we are not in the same league as Australia in this regard, we still can borrow some ideas from the review in ways to assist both the Government and the schools on the funding front. For example, the Review recommends that the Government can help schools raise money from philanthropic sources, by setting up Funds, with tax incentives, for the private sector including businesses, foundations and trusts to make contribution to; a very attractive proposition even for us here in Fiji. Prioritizing increased spending on education, the Review said, is investment not cost on the national budget.
The three key conclusions of the Gonski Review are as relevant to us and to a school child here in Fiji as it is to the Australian child. First, the Government and the education system must prioritize support for its lowest achieving student. Second, it says that every child should have access to the best possible education regardless of where they live, the income of the family, or the school they attend. Finally, it says that no student in Australia should leave without the basic skills and competencies needed to participate in the workforce and lead productive and successful life.
Let me turn finally to the provision of the third essential leg to the proverbial tripod in support of my belief is the pathway to successful Fijian/i Taukei education. Here I speak of human resources and specifically teachers and technical or support staff. We all recognize that roles of teachers have changed significantly with modern technology and in the age of the internet. For some schools that now access the internet, rather than teachers being the major source of knowledge to the students as in the past, they now become the facilitators in the learning process. In modern schools the teachers teach the students not knowledge, but how to gain information and more importantly, how to select and use them. Our education system then has to prepare both the teachers and the students in this new age of technology. This means teachers need to acquire computer skills, the understanding of how to use power points, projectors, etc. as their role shift from teachers or educators to supporters and facilitators. In-service training to expand the teachers' knowledge base is absolutely essential and must be prioritized.
School management and general administration around a school may be not everybody's cup of tea. They are nevertheless skills that must be encouraged to be acquired by everyone as a logical consequence of the changing nature of a teacher's role in this new age.
Extrinsic motivation in terms of monetary rewards cannot be underestimated in the overall configuration of a revamped education system intended to truly serve the interests on the Fijian/i-Taukei . The system must firstly employ competent and skilled teachers. Thereafter, it must be prepared not only to pay, but pay adequately if not well, for their services. I have often wondered, if there were other forms of rewards, monetary or in kind, that should have been used by Government to attract teachers to go to rural areas and teach where, our Fijian/i Taukei students predominate. Perhaps it is something which we should not just leave for Government alone to do. I recall that some years back while we, the people of Kabara, were engaged in running an inter-island shipping business, our management team promised and gave free passages to Government officials, including teachers and their families, posted to the island, in their travels to and from their postings. Maybe such initiatives are worth revisiting.
I have attempted to underline what I believe are the essential components to an education system that is not only responsive but sympathetic to the Fijian/i-Taukei. Any strategy that is intended to achieve the goals I have advocated, brings back into focus your theme for this year's meeting.
First, when I think of entrepreneurship in the field of education, I am attracted to the idea of innovation; not so much as that associated in the start up of a new business or venture, but in the revitalization of the old. Essentially, we have a system that has to be upgraded to meet the needs of our people. We have a mindset influenced by our traditions and culture that desperately needs to be changed; we have education development wants that need prioritizing; we have instructors and teachers to be up-skilled; and through all of these we have to keep our faith and commitment to the profession. It requires innovative ideas and thinking on the part of our educators, curriculum developers, course designers, individual stakeholders and collectively the FTA, to ensure that our goal is achieved. Entrepreneurship in these areas should help bring about constructive changes that will impact on transformative learning (especially in the radical change required in our belief system), capacity building, creativity and adaptive management in the light of the technological revolution we face. I believe all of these can be achieved and achieved in our lifetime.
When I think of sustainable development, I am reminded foremost of the 1987 Brundtland Commission's definition which states that "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the future generations to meet their own needs." There were initially three pillars underpinning the concept, namely economic development, social development and environment protection. The missing fourth pillar that eventually found its way into the equation through the efforts of the indigenous peoples international forums and prescribed under the 2001 UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, is the one that I wish to focus on - the fourth pillar, cultural development, and more specifically, the recognition of cultural diversity as an essential ingredient of sustainable development. How so? You may well ask. Well, first the Universal Declaration on Cultural Rights says that together with economic growth, cultural development enables a country especially one that is multi-cultural to achieve a "more satisfactory, intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence." Second, next year, 2014, will mark the end of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development whose objective is to integrate principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. The dedication by the UN for a decade for this purpose underlies the importance of education in understanding the holistic approach to sustainable development.
Some of you may be thinking that all of what I am talking about has to do with education for sustainable development, not sustainable development in education; and you will be right except that I believe that sustainable development in education is really in the end all about sustainable education. Essentially then, we are dealing here with the role of education in the 21st century. I am not qualified to even begin to discuss the challenges to the sustainable education of the 21st century. What I am most certain of is a paradigm shift in the way we see education and learning, to the extent that we may even revisit the limitations I had placed on entrepreneurship and innovation earlier on. We are not merely looking at piecemeal response such as adding on sustainability concepts to our curriculum, but a systemic change in our thinking and practice.
As part of this wholesome change to bring about sustainable education, I am suggesting that the strengthening of the linkage between culture and education is essential. Cultural diversity, one of the four pillars of sustainable development, means the teaching in our schools of culture, in our case, cultures. It is easy to see why. Adherence to and respect in and practice of cultural diversity brings out the character of a nation, especially a multi-racial one as ours. It is the door to a nation's soul, philosophically speaking. Inherent also in this belief is an undertaking by those in authority, to not only protect, but preserve the cultures the system sustains. Put very simply, for a race to survive, its culture needs to survive alongside it. Culture in the context of a race means customary beliefs; culture means social forms; culture means material traits. They are manifested through language, literature, arts, music, philosophies and rituals. You know all these. The important issue is how do we protect them now and for the future.
Let us take the Fijian language and let me ask a few questions. How do we protect and sustain for the future our language? Is it enough that it is taught in schools? Is it not right and proper that, in addition, it be also made the national language alongside English? Is it really too big a concession to ask of other races living here with us, and who incidentally a majority have their own languages protected in their countries of origin, to grant us the dignity as a race with a language recognized and blessed by law in our Constitution? Or are we so obsessed with the ideal of one people that anything that invokes the thought of separate treatment is frowned upon as not in harmony with the national objective of togetherness?
Looking into the future, I am hoping that alongside language, our education system will also recognize by taking into account other important aspects of our culture: in the preservation of our arts, music and rituals. My hope is based on Fiji, as a member of the international community, its conduct guided by the UN Charter which imposes obligations on its members to their adherence to UN Conventions and Agreements, will abide by the provisions of the 2001 UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity and the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Both Agreements impose a duty on member states to protect the indigenous cultural heritage and tradition of their native population.
In keeping with your theme of sustainable development in education, I am suggesting that if Fiji's education system of tomorrow is truly going to serve and protect our race, then it must not only prepare our children for the job market to compete and consume, but equally to care and conserve. That to me is the meaning of sustainable education for my people; a system that meets the needs of our present, without compromising our future generations in terms of their needs within the protective embrace of our identity and heritage, our culture. Education for preservation: if I were to suggest a sub-theme to yours.
And so, I end where I begun: the importance of education for the country, and for us the Fijian/i Taukei as a race, in particular. An inquisitive spirit, I have identified, as a pre-requisite to life-long learning and success which we must not suppress in our children; a conducive environment with appropriate support systems – structural, human and financial.
The logical end product, if my thesis is correct and, the single most desirable attribute which I pray and wish is visited on our children as they leave our schools, can be summarised in three words: "a discerning mind". A discerning mind is best described as capable of exercising good judgment and wisdom; that exhibits a keen insight, that is astute, that is perceptive. Look back into our recent history and wonder how things may have turned out if, not so much as those who led, but those who followed, had discerning minds.
Where and who else can we draw our inspirations from other than from the wisest of us all. In the Books of Kings, 1 Kings Chapter 3: 6-14, King Solomon, on ascending the throne upon the death of his father King David, asked:
" O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as King, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule…Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil…."God responded saying, "Behold I give you a wise and discerning mind…." I am sure, as sure as I am standing before you today, that the God we have in common with King Solomon, our God, will not mind if we, as teachers, emulate him with the same endowment to our schoolchildren as he gave King Solomon.
It is my fervent hope that in your deliberations in the coming days, you will always be mindful that in the mission of your noble calling and solemnised in your oath of profession which you reminded yourself of this morning, lies the destiny of our people as a race.
I wish you well in your deliberations.
Vinaka vakalevu.
Former UPP leader Mick Beddoes said today he stood by what he said about the MSG leaders in his ABC interview and was undeterred by the personal attacks leveled at him by the AG.
Former UPP leader Mick Beddoes said today he stood by what he said about the MSG leaders during an ABC interview and was undeterred by the personal attacks leveled at him by the AG.
In a statement responding to personal attacks against him by the AG in the Fiji Sun April 19 Beddoes said the personalized nature of the AG's attack is nothing more than a diversionary tactic to try and shift attention away from the questionable judgment of the leaders of PNG, Solomon's and Vanuatu with regards to their relationship with the unelected, illegal and treasonous Military Bainimarama dictatorship.
Beddoes said it was important to restate the facts pertaining to Fiji because the regime has spun so many lies that they actually start believing these lies to be the facts? So for the record:
It was the Kaiyum's leader who planned and overthrew of the duly elected government of the people in 2006.
It was Kaiyum's leader who promised the people of Fiji on the first night of the coup that no military officer will benefit from the 2006 coup then broke it?
It was Kaiyum's leader who said he would uphold the 1997 constitution then abrogated it in 2009 when the regimes own appointed Court of Appeal declared the Bainimarama regime 'illegal' and instructed the President to appoint a new caretaker government.
It was Kaiyum's leader who trashed the 'people's 2012 constitution' and the proposed Constituent Assembly after 7,000 individuals and organizations in Fiji put forward submissions that were reflected in the draft
It was Kaiyum himself and the Solicitor General who drafted the regimes 2013 draft without a single input from the people which they are now peddling as the people's wish
It is Kaiyum as AG who stands to benefit the most when they impose their 2013 regime draft
It is Kaiyum and his leader who are afraid [lamu], and who lack the moral courage to take responsibility for their actions and subject themselves to an independent court of law, instead of hiding behind the immunity they seek for their wrong doing of the past and all the wrong they will do in the future.
Beddoes said; these are a handful of the undisputed and unchallenged facts of our recent past that we need to remind ourselves of, lest Kaiyum, his leader and the MSG members forget!
And Mick Beddoes and other 'old politicians' played no part in the illegal and treasonous acts mentioned above.
Beddoes said that contrary to the AG's suggestions that his remarks were damaging to the efforts of the largest trade and investment group to ever visit PNG, Beddoes said his remarks will have no impact on trade negotiations as the principals that govern their success or otherwise relate purely to business interests, pricing and quality of product and besides, participants know full well they are participating in a trade delegation that is sponsored by an illegal and unelected regime and they each would have had to weigh up the benefits verses 'risks' of being associated with such a delegation.
Beddoes said that while he agreed that economic growth, investment opportunities and job creation were all important goals for any government, the fact remains, had Kaiyum's leader not removed the elected government of the people in 2006, the Fiji economy today would be booming, our level of poverty dramatically reduced and unemployment would not be nearly as bad as it is today.
Beddoes said, in any event economic growth, investment and job creation will not improve so long as we have in place a repressive, unelected and non representative military government who after 6 years in power, still do not enjoy the confidence of the majority of our people enough to govern in an open, free or fair manner.
Beddoes said it was intriguing that Kaiyum who remains an unpopular, unelected, non representative self appointed officer of the state, whose appointing authority is an Act of treason, should accuse me [Beddoes], a twice elected representative of the people, and twice constitutionally appointed Leader of Fiji's Opposition in parliament, of double standards, when we have multiple examples of double standards being practiced by the regime on an almost daily basis.
Beddoes said with regards to the AG's claim that there was no press censorship or constraints, placed on opposition statements, Beddoes said there was no point arguing this matter with the AG, because as far as the he [AG] is concerned, full page statements of the government comments which include multiple front page articles, with little or no dissenting views is what the AG thinks a free and independent press is all about?
The media outlet themselves know full well the level of their bias and while things may have opened up a little in the past 12 months, self censorship continues today and the AG and their media partners know full well the extent to which they are manipulating it. So for now, Beddoes said, I'll let him win this argument.
Beddoes said his remarks about the MSG leaders relates to their conduct with the unelected leadership in Fiji saying he has always encouraged the international and Pacific Island nations to 'engage' with the regime.
Beddoes said since 2006 to the present day the regime has simply refused to 'engage' with Fiji's political leadership in any type of dialogue and the few attempts to do so in the past have failed, because the regimes idea of 'engagement' is that everything they say must be accepted without question and that simply will not fly with us Beddoes said.
Beddoes said the problem with the MSG leaders is that they have confused our calls to 'Engage' with 'Embrace' and from all accounts, that's exactly what they have done and by embracing the illegal, repressive regime of Bainimarama, the MSG leaders have forgotten our Chiefs and people so if anyone is being irresponsible or putting at risk the future relations the MSG will have with Fiji it is the MSG leaders themselves not Mick Beddoes.
Beddoes said hosting an illegal Dictator on a 4 day state visit, will full military honors, red carpet treatment and electing him leader of the MSG is all about 'Embracing' a dictatorship not 'Engaging' Beddoes said, and by doing this the MSG leaders have themselves violated the very founding principles of the Establishing Agreement of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.
Beddoes said if the MSG leaders say I'm wrong, then they should take a few minutes to go back over their obligations under the Agreement and in particular they should read Articles 5, Sustainable Development & Human Rights, and Article 6: Rule of Law and Good Governance.
These Articles clearly spell out the 'rules by which the MSG should conduct themselves' and I quote:
ARTICLE: 5 Sustainable Development and Human Rights
1. The parties agree to direct their cooperation towards sustainable development centered on
the human person, who is the main protagonist and beneficiary of development; this
entails respect for and promotion of human rights, including communal rights and the
rights of indigenous peoples and communities.
2. Respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including respect for
fundamental social, cultural and indigenous rights, democracy based on the rule of law
and transparent and accountable governance shall be an integral part of sustainable
development within the MSG region.
3. The parties affirm that democratization, development and the protection of fundamental
freedoms and human rights and mutual reinforcing are interrelated. In addition thereto,
the parties further affirm that, democratic principles are universally recognized principles
underpinning the organization of the state to ensure the legitimacy of its authority, the
legality of its actions reflected in its constitutional, legislative and regulatory system.
Beddoes said in the period following Bainimarama's 2006 Coup, in which he was supported by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, innocent citizens such as Sakiusa Rabaka, Nimilote Verebasaga and Tevita Malasebe were brutally killed. Their right to life was taken away in clear breach of MSG Article 5. But where was the voice of the MSG for these victims, their families and for the oppressed people of Fiji? Silent!
When the Bainimarama Regime disbanded and shut down the Great Council of Chiefs, our paramount Chiefly institution, in clear breach of Article 5:1 where the supporting voice of the MSG Leaders was for our traditional Chiefs? Silent!
We only saw the MSG leaders when they were and wined and dined at our expense at our major resorts in the full embrace of a Military Junta, with absolutely no thought or regard whatsoever for our people. So much for their commitment to the MSG principals.
ARTICLE 6: Rule of Law and Good Governance
1. Except for parties which are otherwise not sovereign states, the parties agree that the
provisions espoused in their respective national constitutions in relation to the prevalence
of the rule of law and the prerogatives of the different powers therein and in particular for
the effective and accessible means of legal redress, an independent judiciary and legal
system guaranteeing equality before the law and an executive which is fully subject to the
law, shall be upheld and observed.
2. Respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law shall underpin the
domestic and international policies of the parties and constitute the essential elements of
the contractual nature of the relations between the parties to this Agreement.
3. The parties affirm that good governance is the transparent and accountable management
of human, natural, economic and financial resources for the purpose of equitable and
sustainable development. It entails clear decision-making procedures at the level of
public authorities, the primacy of law in the management and distribution of resources
and capacity building.
Beddoes asked why the MSG Leaders did not follow their own agreement as outlined in Article 6: and act when our twice elected Prime Minister was being persecuted by the unelected Military Junta.
What plausible or rational explanation can they possibly provide to the peoples of their own countries and the citizens of Fiji for ignoring all of the other clear breaches of the MSG principals by the Bainimarama Regime?
Yet despite all of his regime's violations of the MSG principals I have outlined here – such as good governance, accountability, democratic principles and the rule of law – the MSG leaders not only 'embraced' the Fiji Dictator, they also elected him their leader!
It is this unacceptable behavior of the MSG Leaders that prompted me to say in my recent Radio Australia interview that a newly elected Democratic Government in Fiji must review its relations with the MSG nations and the MSG.
After all, when the people of Fiji were robbed of their democracy, freedoms and rights in 2006, instead of coming to our rescue, the MSG leaders made friends with the usurpers and ignored our people. They chose to abandon us.
So why would a newly-established democratic government of the people wish to remain in a close relationship with Island Leaders who openly embraced the treasonous usurpers of our previous democracy?
I believe the MSG Leaders owe the Chiefs and people of Fiji an apology for their disgraceful conduct and behavior, because the MSG is founded on cultural and traditional values as much as it is about good governance, accountability and transparency and the rule of law and I say that if the MSG leaders don't make amends with our Chiefs and people in the traditional manner they will by their own action render the founding principles of the MSG worthless!
Authorized By: Mick Beddoes
Permalink Reply by jone ropate on May 6, 2013 at 4:17am
http://fdnblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/sodelpa/
God Bless the Marama Na Roko Tui Dreketi.
Permalink Reply by viliame nabobo on May 7, 2013 at 11:43am
I wish there are more chiefs in Fiji like the Marama Na Roko Tui Dreketi.
Permalink Reply by Sireli on May 6, 2013 at 3:25pm
Traditional ceremony marks opening of G77 forum
By Felix Chaudhary
Guard of Honor - INFERNO !!
A firefighter tries to control the flames which engulfed the MH Supermarket in Nadi early yesterday. Picture: NFA
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=233193
Update: 10:48AM BOLIVIAN President Evo Morales has just inspected the guard of honour at the start of the G77 talks in Natadola where heads of countries attending a two-day forum are now accorded traditional ceremonies of welcome.
The two-day meet between the G77s High Level Panel of Eminent Personalities of the South, is a historic first for Fiji, and will be chaired by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
Fiji's permanent representative to the United Nations Peter Thomson said the outcome of this meeting would be taken to the secretariat and the General Assembly but would also be presented to the G77s 132 Foreign Affairs Ministers who would meet in New York in September.
So the deliberation will be important in that the advice given to the 132 nations on the future of the South-South Cooperation, he said.
Permalink Reply by Viti Tuimereke on May 6, 2013 at 3:37pm
Has anybody located Waisale Tui. I hope He has learnt from a crash course in the illegality of the the regimes he is trying to champion. The more He aruges for it , the more is convinced that He supposed to be against it. You have a nice week Waisale Tui.
Permalink Reply by viliame nabobo on May 6, 2013 at 6:06pm
Ha,ha,ha,ha maybe he went into hiding.
Permalink Reply by max on May 7, 2013 at 11:15am
Hes been shoved back into his cage lol
Permalink Reply by Tamai Pai on May 7, 2013 at 12:45pm
he probably his name
Permalink Reply by Loruama Tawawili on May 7, 2013 at 6:38am
Article from Coup 4.5
Fight the Fight, Not Your Existence
Opinion piece by Jagath Karunaratne
There are questions about the unions from Australia, New Zealand and United States and their statement about the new website to discourage people visiting Fiji.
It is with sincere hope that local unions do not have any hand on this and if they do, they should expect to have to respond to questions from the people of Fiji.
First of all, this initiative clearly shows the inability or weakness to get respective governments to take tougher actions against the current administration of Fiji. Instead of spending time and energy on a website, unions could have got their governments to enforce the imposed conditions on Fiji by using their strength, their memberships in thousands.
It is apparent today that respective overseas governments are simply pushing Fiji towards the so-called democracy process and possible elections in 2014. They are eagerly waiting for the Bainimarama government to become legitimate or for them to be able to join hands without any implications to continue business as usual with Fiji.
Once there was a rumor that Australian and New Zealand unions were organizing a strike by the workers of the airports and ports to boycott handling luggage and cargo to Fiji.
Then the respective legislations were in place and unions simply shied away because of the fear of legal implications that could have mounted to millions of dollars in damages. There have been many attempts by the international unions via condemning statements, lobbying of the UN and other bodies and pleading with their respective governments to protect worker's rights and human rights as a whole, which is commendable. But they never had any great impact.
Currently, the government of Australia is led by the Labor Party and it is believed the unions of Australia can make a difference in the governance and decisions of the current administration. However, they are either lacking in showing their strength or are simply reluctant to go the hard yards. Instead, the unions look as though they are trying to show their existence yet again rather than doing what they are supposed to do - push their respective governments.
The local unions should not entertain any activity which puts Fiji and her people down. This is our country and our people where we share and care on a day to day basis. It has been proven that an administration cannot be taken away by weakening the economy. The machinery of the administration will survive with the taxes and other means and it will never ever withdraw from power due to a sinking economy.
The weaker the economy gets, the more the people suffer and there are many examples in the world today where administrators are living in gold plated houses while the poor spend bundles of cash to buy one single loaf of bread.
Many overseas individuals and some overseas based locals call for people of Fiji to stand up. Some call the people of Fiji "lamulamu" (cowards) and in some cases "liumuri" (backstabbers) because they haven't. But this is mainly due to a lack of understanding of the culture, upbringing, history and people of Fiji. People of Fiji are very unique in their own way in terms of respecting leaders, elders, the traditions and protocols and most of all religious principles.
This is where local unions and its leaders need to come in to play. The unions should not join the international movement to put the people of Fiji down. Instead, they should stand up as agents of Fiji and explain why things are the way they are.
It is us who know better than anyone overseas about our culture and traditions which show Fijians to be the most humble nation on earth. These are the aspects to educate the international community on how and why we the people of Fiji suffer in silence. The unions should not in any way declare their support for activities which can put people of Fiji down or harm the economy, which in turn hurt the stomach of the poor. Fight the fight in spirit and strength and never ever put your people down.
People or robots
Have you seen a young kid, probably less than 5 years old wearing only a nappy, running in and out of their tin house every time a vehicle passes, waving at them with a big smile, indicating to the two papayas and boiled corns hoping that someone would stop and buy them from her Dad - and then the smile disappears till the next vehicle approaches?
In the city, thousands of people are walking about with straight faces like programmed robots, looking lost and without a focus, but millions of thoughts running through their minds about where they are heading, how to feed the family with the limited cash in hand or simply wandering around hoping for something to smile about.
So "does one need to be a Fijian, Indo Fijian, Muslim Fijian, Sri Lankan or European to be engrossed in thoughts of humanity and have a tear or two with the helpless thought, What can I do?"
In the war between the Bainimarama government and the political parties to cling on to power, to prove their existence, debate on matters to prove to the people that they are there for people and doing things for people to ensure support, the most important segment of the whole process, which is "People", have been ignored or conveniently forgotten.
While we cry for democracy, assuming that it is the best way to address people issues in Fiji, shouldn't we as religious leaders, traditional and political leaders, youth, society groups, NGOs and other like minded communities get together as ONE and discuss national issues and find ways to help people with or without power and democracy?
The general excuse by many for not attending to the matters as a nation is fear of losing their bread and butter. But aren't you already sacrificing your bread and butter or that of your children and the future generations by making such excuses?
Published by Coup fourpointfive at 10:08 AM 27 comments: Email ThisLike · · Unfollow Post · Share · a few seconds ago
Permalink Reply by Mark Manning on May 7, 2013 at 2:59pm
http://allpoetry.com/poem/8601069-First_They_Came_For_The_Communist...
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Magtec, the UK's leading designer and manufacturer of electric vehicle drive systems, is creating a number of highly skilled new jobs to help the business take advantage of growth opportunities in the high-tech global industry.
The company will be recruiting for 19 engineering and related specialist positions to support the delivery of existing and new electric vehicle programmes in Britain and overseas.
These include the world-leading electric refuse collection vehicle currently being trialled in Greenwich, London, the innovative electric drive system for a 7.5 tonne commercial vehicle, which is ideal for the urban daily deliveries market, and a technology-enabled commercial vehicle project in northern Europe.
Magtec currently employs 71 people at its factories in Sheffield and Rotherham, adding 22 in the last financial year.
Roles include production engineers, production manager, service manager, demand planner, health and safety manager and design engineers covering the software, electronic, electrical and mechanical disciplines.
This year, Magtec has brought in young talent including apprentices recruited via Sheffield City College, engineering graduates recruited via the Sheffield City Region's Rise programme, and teenage work experience placements welcomed from local schools.
Alex Gorringe, a new apprentice at Magtec, added: "I used to work as a butcher in Grimsby, but I always wanted to do something in engineering and now I am a mechanical assembly apprentice.
"It's very hands-on at Magtec. I am paired with a senior colleague who is walking me through everything from start to finish. I am gaining lots of practical experience about how electric motors work. In the future, I hope to be able to use this experience in the design of our products.
HR Manager, Sinead O'Neill, who joined the business in September 2017 concluded: "We have ambitious growth plans. We have the world knocking on our door and we need to recruit.


text:
Justin Bieber Is Reportedly Dropping His Comeback Single Next Week
by Joe Kelley April 10, 2019, 6:39 PM 14 Views
Justin Bieber's musical dry spell is almost over — at least, according to TMZ. The tabloid reports Bieber will return with a comeback single very soon… as in, next week.
TMZ writes that the pop star has recorded a song alongside American rapper Lil Dicky that is set to drop next week.
Sources told the publication Lil Dicky will be "featured on the single," making the alleged track Bieber's first proper single since "No Brainer" dropped in July 2018.
On Tuesday (April 9), Bieber seemed to hint at his comeback by retweeting Lil Dicky's "New song and video next week" tweet.
It's been a hot minute since Bieber focused on his music career. He recently opened up about taking a break from music to focus on fixing his "deep-rooted issues" and to focus on his family and his health. Fortunately, it looks like he's finally ready to get back in the studio for his Beliebers.
Bieber last studio album, Purpose, was released in 2015.
Justin Bieber's Relationships, Ranked
Previous article BTS Continue to Tease Us With Another Look at Their 'Boy With Luv' Video
Next article BTS Are Finally Dropping Their Long-Awaited Collaboration with Ed Sheeran
BTS Continue to Tease Us With Another Look at Their 'Boy With Luv' Video
BTS Are Finally Dropping Their Long-Awaited Collaboration with Ed Sheeran


text:
Quick Answer: Which source of energy is most used in the desert regions?
What is the main source of energy in the desert?
Which energy is suggested for desert regions?
Why are deserts a good source of energy production?
Do solar panels work in the desert?
What if we put solar panels in the Sahara?
Can we put solar panels in Sahara desert?
What are sources of solar energy?
How much solar energy is in the Sahara desert?
Does anyone own the Sahara desert?
By using natural sources such as the sun, wind and tides we can create energy without creating so much pollution. At the moment we use a lot of oil, gas and coal to power our country, but there are several large North African solar projects underway working to harness the awesome power of the desert sun!
Solar and wind energy: Challenges and solutions in desert regions.
The world's most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power – the most abundant and clean source of energy we have. Deserts are spacious, relatively flat, rich in silicon – the raw material for the semiconductors from which solar cells are made — and never short of sunlight.
There are several solar power plants in the Mojave Desert which supply power to the electricity grid. Insolation (solar radiation) in the Mojave Desert is among the best available in the United States, and some significant population centers are located in the area.
THIS IS INTERESTING: Can Electrical engineers make 200k?
If we lined the desert floor with giant solar panels, it would double the rainfall in the region and increase vegetation cover by about 20 percent. … The warmer would rise from the desert to high altitudes and condense as clouds. This same moisture there would periodically fall as rain.
The truth is, the ten largest solar plants world wide are all situated in deserts or dry areas. Researchers imagine it may be attainable to remodel the world's largest desert, the Sahara, into an enormous photo voltaic farm, able to assembly four times the world's present power demand.
Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the U.S. has some of the richest solar resources in the world.
Including solar PV, the electricity generated in the region has risen from 32,160 GWh in 2010 to 425,873 GWh in 2017, an impressive annual growth rate of 175%.
We don't own the Sahara desert. The Sahara is "owned" by Africans in at least 11 countries. Many of those countries are not exactly paragons of political stability (e.g. Sudan, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia). … It's the promise of that solar resource that makes the idea of "solar across the Sahara" so tantalizing.
THIS IS INTERESTING: Question: What is the relationship of photosynthesis and energy?


A BMW SUV drove into the front window of a medical supply store on South Main Street in West Hartford on Sunday morning.
The driver of a BMW X3 slammed into the Advanced Home Medical Supplies storefront, right next to the Dunkin' Donuts at 43 South Main St. in West Hartford on Sunday morning.
The crash was reported at 9:25 a.m. Sunday, West Hartford Fire Department Chief Greg Priest said.
When responders arrived on the scene, the driver had already exited the vehicle. No injuries were reported, Priest said.
Crews removed the vehicle from the building.
According to Priest, it appeared that the driver hit the accelerator rather than the brake, but he said that the West Hartford Police Department is now handling the investigation.


Martello Tower on Ireland's Eye, Howth Head, County Dublin, Ireland.
Sea fog rolling in over Keel Bay, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Winter view over the Wild Nephin Wilderness Area from Letterkeen. Ballycroy National Park, County Mayo, Ireland.
Fishing Boats and lobster pots at Purteen Harbour, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Beach and dunes near Binroe Point, Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Old stone farm building, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Storm waves beneath Benwee Head, County Mayo, Ireland.
Aerial view over Wild Nephin Wilderness Area to the Nephin Beg Mountains. Ballycroy National Park, County Mayo, Ireland.
Old cottage above Keem Bay, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Coastal sunset over Sligo Bay, Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland.
Coastal mural in Easky village, County Sligo, Ireland.
Walker in front of Kid Island, on the Children of Lir coastal walk. Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Flock of ringed plovers above Killala Bay, Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland.
Coastal sunset near Enniscrone, Killala Bay, County Sligo, Ireland.
Person beside Dun Briste sea stack at sunset. Downpatrick Head, County Mayo, Ireland.
Person viewing Dun Briste sea stack from a cave beneath Downpatrick Head. County Mayo, Ireland.
Coastal walker admiring the 260m sea cliffs of Benwee Head. Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Coastal cottages and green fields at Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Wave breaking on the shore at Easky, County Sligo, Ireland.
Rocks protruding from the sea along the Atlantic Drive, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Leslie River flowing through Kahurangi National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Red clover and buttercups, County Sligo, Ireland.
Sunset reflection of Mt Tasman and Mt Cook, Lake Matheson, Westland National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Teminal face of Fox Glacier, Westland National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Tractor and coastal farming, Easky, County Sligo, Ireland.
Hiker silhouetted beneath Aoraki / Mt Cook, Mount Cook National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Waterfall in Mt Aspiring National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Dawn mist over Glencar Lake, County Sligo, Ireland.
Abseiling into Annach Re Mhor chasm, Kings Mountain, County Sligo, Ireland.
Surfer riding a wave at Easky, County Sligo, Ireland.
Coastal walker dwarfed by the cliffs near Kid Island. Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Moonrise over Mt Broom, Mt Aspiring National Park, South Island, New Zealand.
Evening cattle grazing in a field, County Sligo, Ireland.
Dawn mist over Glencar Lake and Kings Mountain. County Sligo, Ireland.
Sunset reflection over Killala Bay, Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland.
Sunset over the River Moy, County Sligo, Ireland.
Coastal sunset from Easky, County Sligo, Ireland.
The hexagonal columns of the Giant's Causeway, Country Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Ferns growing in a stone wall, Slievemore deserted village, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Old cottage door, Achill Island, County Mayo, Ireland.
Beach beside Binroe Point, Carrowteige, County Mayo, Ireland.
Easky pier and coastline, County Sligo, Ireland.


text:
If Only Wally Had Shot the Film Himself!
(USA/UK/China, 119 min.)
Dir. Wally Pfister, Writ. Jack Paglen
Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Kate Mara
The Internet ruins everything. Gadgets meant to make our lives easier become electronic leashes. Social media makes us less social as we chat with friends online rather than in person. Online screeners tether films bloggers to desks and drown them in Vimeo links. Wouldn't it be nice to live in a world without the Interwebz?
Meh, probably, but Transcendence isn't the film to make humankind unplug. This ambitious techno-philosophy flick is a noble misfire. Transcendence comes with ample expectations as the directorial debut of Wally Pfister, the acclaimed/Oscar winning cinematographer of Christopher Nolan blockbusters like Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, but it's less likely to be a Nolan-level smash than it is another entry in a string of Johnny Depp-led box office disappointments. (Even The Lone Ranger is better...)
There's nothing especially bad about Transcendence. Nor is there anything particularly bad with Pfister's first effort as a director. Nor is there any reason to quip over Depp's surprisingly small performance. The problem with Transcendence is that there just isn't anything particularly good about it.
It's a one-note science fiction flick that simply peddles an intriguing premise about the power of the Internet and the saturation of technology within our everyday lives. It's a dangerous thing, the Internet, for it makes men like Dr. Will Caster (Depp) cyber deities with the right code and cunning. Caster gets to play God when an orchestrated attack on his organization leaves him fatally wounded and his wife and colleague Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) decides to upload his brilliant mind into the program they're working on so that Will can become the eternal whiz of artificial intelligence.
Things go terribly wrong even before Evelyn can say, "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." Not only do they go wrong in the familiar villainy of technology that makes humans slaves to all things computerized, they go horribly wrong in the sense that Transcendence becomes loonier as it chugs along. There's actually a great premise and allegory to be had in the idea that the power of the Internet and open-access is actually a bad thing and Evelyn's eventual fatigue with AI Will smartly shows the artificiality of online/virtual relationships. The whole story about Will becoming a literal godlike entity, however, throws Transcendence off the rails as Pfister envelops the physical world in weird CGI floaty things that are supposed to be bits of code come to life. (I think.) The visual code moves around the desert like molten metal and it wraps around people like vines. It looks far too silly to do the film any justice.
The cast does its best to keep Transcendence credible. Hall is especially good and she carries much of the film with Evelyn's mix of cunning and confusion. Onscreen scientists aren't usually ones for emotions, but Hall gives her character an ever-present sense of humanity within Transcendence's increasingly artificial world. Depp, on the other hand, offers one of his more subdued performances as Will and he gets surprisingly little screentime for such a big name. Depp appears often as a disembodied voice, though, as he plays Will as the HAL of Transcendence, and he returns midway through the film as a hologram image. It's an interesting turn for Depp because one can see how much he does within a performance that's heavily restricted by the physical confines of the production. Nolan regular Morgan Freeman is characteristically fun, while Paul Bettany and Kate Mara are decent as a pair of unplugged renegades.
There's a lot to make Transcendence rise, but the debut script by Jack Paglen doesn't offer enough complication and action to keep the film engaging as it becomes increasingly goofy. Transcendence is very talky and full of on-the-nose expository verbiage—the kind one expects in a Christopher Nolan flick—and it becomes tiresome as it trucks on towards two hours. There's a lot going on in Transcendence, but it mostly feels like the same conversation about the perils of technology played on a loop. Pfister certainly orchestrates a competent production, though, that is a mix of old-school heady drama and techno-pizzazz, so Transcendence looks promising for further directorial efforts.
Surprisingly, though, the one fault about the production value of Transcendence might actually be the cinematography by Jess Hall (The Spectacular Now). Pfister has always brought a trademark darkness to the films of Christopher Nolan and his signature compositions are arguably an invaluable piece of Nolan's signature style. Transcendence, however, mostly looks dark in the awkwardly lit kind of way. The dim, unflattering lighting doesn't translate well to a big IMAX screen. If only Wally had shot the film himself!
Rating: ★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Transcendence opens in wide release April 18.
What did you think of Transcendence?
Labels: 2014 Reviews, Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Transcendence
Hot Docs Reviews: 'The Secret Trial 5', 'Hotline',...
Hot Docs Review: 'Beyond Clueless'
Hot Docs Review: 'To Be Takei'
Hot Docs Review: 'Everything Will Be'
April 29 is Canadian Film Day!
Hot Docs Review: 'Super Duper Alice Cooper'
Hot Docs Reviews: 'The Malagasy Way' and 'Flotsam ...
Hot Docs Reviews: 'Guidelines' and 'Jutra'
Hot Docs Review: 'The Internet's Own Boy: The Stor...
Hot Docs Review: 'Out of Mind, Out of Sight'
Hot Docs Review: 'Come Worry with Us!'
Hot Docs Review: 'Joy of Man's Desiring'
#HotDocs14: Best Bets for the Festival
I Want Seconds of 'The Lunchbox'!
The Boys Are Back!
"To Each His Own Beckett"
Trailer for Atom Egoyan's Cannes-bound 'The Captive'
Hot Docs Guest List Welcomes Everyone from George ...
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'The Railway Man' in C...
Afflicted by Tired Trends
Trailers for David Cronenberg's 'Maps to the Stars...
Un-Law-ful
LAFF Review: 'Heart of a Lion (Corazón de León)'
Contest: Win Tickets to See 'That Burning Feeling'...
Flash Contest! Win tickets to see 'The Raid 2: Ber...
Misc. Canadian Film Awards News: CCE Nominees and ...
The Rising Star & The Veteran
LAFF Review: 'In the Name of the Girl'
LAFF Capsule Review: 'Solo'


Turned off auto-sync. No sense in firing that up every time I'm on EDGE and can't access my LAN.
Convinced OmniFocus to combine its hundreds of XML files into one, and now it syncs properly to the iPhone again.
@leebennett I read that the buds are the same but the cable is different.
...and now my home screen icons are jumbled.
Some of my apps have updates in the mobile app store but not in iTunes.
@stevenf Knol will have higher PageRank than you, so more people will see your stuff there.
The last several mac.com addresses I've tried to send to have returned "unknown or illegal alias" errors.
@danielpunkass I'm not sure there's anything wrong with the new layout. I'm just not used to it.
Is it my imagination, or does MarsEdit 2.2 have tighter spacing between the source list and the article list?
@danwood My beef is the "@"--to me that says e-mail address, not URL.
@natevw "No two selectors are the same, and all methods with the same name have the same selector." I think "same" implies bitwise equal.
@mgrimes 10.4 now, but when Sparkle came out I supported 10.2.
@mgrimes I had update code that predated Sparkle and worked on earlier OS versions. I don't like the Sparkle UI and need features it lacks.
@bbum The docs seem pretty clear on that point, and huge volumes of code and Apple examples use ==.
@bbum That a SEL is a (char *) is an implementation detail, but at issue here is whether equivalent SELs must have identical values.
@danwood The funny thing about that is that the text says it's using _cmd as the mutex.
@rentzsch Why? Even the July 2008 revision of the Obj-C book does it. And there's nothing about it in the 64-bit transition guide.
@rentzsch I think SEL is automatically interned, so you can use ==.
SuperDuper's elapsed time text field isn't wide enough to handle double-digit hours.
iTunes says there's a 0.0 MB update to version 1 of Light. How much more white could it be?
Yes, I realize that wifi traffic is sniffable (would like a secure built-in WebDAV server for OmniFocus), but it's not as easy as using LS.
I still head to the bottom of the iCal window to try to change the month.
The other advantage to WP Super Cache is that most pages still work when your database is down.
Trying Name Mangler. Seems to have a nicer interface than ABFR.
@jessegrosjean Who says they didn't type in iT? ... Hey, it's finally letting me download Bubbles.
OmniFocus is forcing me to get things done. If I don't review my task list and clean it up, my iPhone will run out of RAM and hang.
Apparently the bricking of my iPhone deleted all the alarms in Clock. Other application data seems to be fine.
Enter to edit/commit makes more sense than Escape in OmniFocus, but I'm having a hard time adjusting. Plus, Enter requires my mousing hand.
@leebennett Just out of curiosity, why are you using SMS?
@nriley Not close. Blue→Green, Orange→Red, Red→Blue, Green→Blue, Purple→Orange, Orange→Purple.
@jimcorreia Maybe there's a trick, like disabling and then enabling accounts in Mail to re-order them in the source list.
Why don't the event colors in Calendar match those in iCal?
It's a shame there's no way to bookmark pages in the iTunes store without using another app.
Syncing Pocketpedia. Why doesn't it use a progress bar?
Movies app is kind of lame. 2 clicks and a scroll to get to the showtimes. I can see it all on one screen in Google.
The iTunes support link for Twitterrific links to a Web page that just links back to the store.
iPhone restore completed, but I still get error -4 when clicking on it in iTunes.
Unbricked. Now "Restoring iPhone music and videos." This will take a while.
...and then stops with error -4.
Now instead of reporting an error, it hangs on "Accessing iTunes Store..."
I can still get to the iTunes Store. I think the update completed, but it's failing to connect to the activation server.
Unknown error -9838, and now I have a brick.
Finally starting iPhone software update.
Wishing for a NetNewsWire touch that synced directly with my Mac. I don't want to use NewsGator's server.
Fixed a composed character bug.
Another software update, another SMC reset so my displays aren't black.


text:
Posted July 16, 2011 by Matthew Looker in Films
Shutter Island Cinema
The themes explored within Shutter Island marks a significant departure from Scorsese's
usual awards-worthy films. There is no consideration of a society at
odds, nor any insight into a criminal uprising in America. Instead,
Marty presents a horror film, his first since 1991's Cape Fear,
which, on paper at least, seems like a simple B-movie with overwrought
film noir elements and pseudo-psychological issues. On screen, however,
the plot unravels with stunning visual flair, blending surreal feverish
dream sequences with an artificial-looking real world to evoke an eerie
sense of the unnatural.
Set in 1954, the movie starts with US Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) meeting his new partner Chuck (Ruffalo)
on the way to investigate the mystery of an escaped patient at an
isolated mental institute on Shutter Island. As the facts don't quite
add up and the hospital doctors, in particular Dr Cawley (Kingsley), seem intent on preventing access to patient records, Teddy starts to suspect a larger conspiracy at hand.
But it seems he has his own secrets. Haunted by visions of his wife (Williams)
who died in a house fire, as well as reliving traumatic memories of
murdering German soldiers while liberating a Jewish concentration camp,
Teddy begins to pursue his own agenda on the island. As he digs deeper,
it seems that no one in the institute can be trusted, including his own
partner, and the investigation into the institute's practices soon leads
to Teddy questioning his own sanity.
As the story unfolds into increasingly unhinged situations, Scorsese is, of course, still in control, using seemingly fresh cinematic techniques to complement the film's spiralling descent into madness.
The B-movie overtones throughout the film are very deliberately
expressed to highlight the bogus nature of the story. In the first five
minutes, a scene on a ship's deck appears far too super-imposed and the
dialogue seems unusually clichéd, but it soon becomes obvious this is
just the smoke and mirrors that help to sell an immaculately composed
tale of lunacy. These false aspects to the film help to make Teddy seem
more detached from those around him and depict the 'real world' as less
tangible for our protagonist. It's a brave move on Scorsese's part, but
one that works to brilliant effect, helping to create a sinister, almost
Lynchian, atmosphere where nothing seems real.
The director's perfect handling of the plot is matched
scene-for-scene by the film's lead. In what will mark his fourth
collaboration with the bushy-browed auteur, DiCaprio delivers a superbly nuanced performance as
Teddy, a character who, on the surface, is a typical noiresque
anti-hero but who hides a devastating past that bubbles behind every
glance. While Leo convinces as a man who is constantly suppressing a
dangerously aggressive side, he comes close to a career best during the
film's heartbreaking final scenes.
It is a small shame, however, that the story's climax doesn't quite
live up to the main tone of the rest of the movie. The shocking
revelation that comes at the end of the movie won't fool those that like
to second-guess plot twists, and all the loose ends are too neatly tied
up for a film that presents an otherwise illusory enigma. It seems
uncommon to complain about an ending which leaves no question unanswered
but, in this case, the fun is more in the mystery.
That said, the story ultimately comes a welcome second place to
Marty's expert direction, meaning that, with glorious set-pieces like a
scene in which Teddy and Chuck struggle through a hazardous storm, and
spectacular effects as when Teddy's wife crumbles into embers and ash in
his arms, Scorsese elevates this film far above other movies in the
psychological horror genre, proving once again that he is a cinematic
master.
Matthew Looker
More articles by Matthew Looker »
FilmJuiceDating
Quatermass And The Pit
Whip It! Cinema
Kick Ass DVD/Bluray
No One Knows About Persian Cats Cinema
Lebanon DVD


When Dr. Jennifer Walden shares posts of procedures and results from surgeries, she's doing it so people can see what they can get when they visit her office. She likes to show people what she can do so they have a chance to find out about her services. Without Instagram, Dr. Jennifer Walden wouldn't have the chance to connect with some patients. In fact, she wouldn't have the chance to show people what she could do and that might lead to some people never getting the options they need to make themselves look better. There are things that can make Dr. Jennifer Walden understand the positive opportunities she can use when she's performing cosmetic surgeries and that's what makes her want to do even more than what she did before.
It's also something that helps her connect with other people so she doesn't have to worry about the issues that sometimes come from her practice. Instagram can be an excellent marketing tool and it can be something people use when they're trying to find a cosmetic surgeon. For Dr. Jennifer Walden, this means she has to do things differently while she also focuses on what she can help people with. Doing these things allows Dr. Jennifer Walden to have a better experience while she's handling different cases. Thanks to her hard work and the experience she has helping people with plastic surgery, she knows what they need and how they can get a better opportunity thanks to her plastic surgery.
There are many things that allow Dr. Jennifer Walden to do her job the right way. She finds out about different techniques and uses them to help people with the surgery they want. After Dr. Jennifer Walden started offering a variety of techniques for her patients, she started sharing them on Instagram. Patients can choose to be featured on her Instagram page so she can show other people the excellent results. Many patients choose to do this so they can help other people see the way the surgery made them look and feel better. Dr. Jennifer Walden uses this as marketing and it helps people see how their lives can transform.
Richard Liu Qiangdong. The man with the brains behind the number one stop shop for shopping online, JD.com. Prior to Richard Liu founding JD.com, he had to work hard and do odd jobs as most people experience before making it big.
He first started working with his parents in the transportation business before going to university. During his 3rd year in university, he started restaurant business but did not thrive. As if handling classes and exams in university is not had enough, running a restaurant needs putting in a lot of time into it. Richard Liu was not able to do that hence the restaurant went down.
The restaurant failing him did not deter Richard Liu Qiangdong. He started another business selling computer accessories which had 12 physical shops. When the infamous SARS struck in China, Richard Liu business was among those affected. The disease was transmitted by being in contact or even near an infected person, so the management of the business advised the employees to stay indoors and led to losing sales.
They had to come up with a different way of doing business. Hence the birth of them starting to sell products online. At the beginning they seld their products both offline and online. However, they realized that selling their products online was more cost effective for them and the engagement with the customers was better.
Discovering that e-commerce was the game changer for them was everything. The business Richard Liu had started was selling computer accessories and soon after they began to sell IT and digital products including mobile phones. They went on increasing products every year, and after six years, they had everything on their site.
Richard Liu's business differentiated itself from other businesses selling online by ensuring their products were legit, not deceiving customers about prices and delivering products on time. These were some of the reasons that made his business boom into JD.com. They can deliver their products as fast as in 6 hours even in the most rural areas.
Other than providing speedy deliveries to their customers, JD.com aims to treat all their customers in the same way by providing everyone with excellent service, and it is one thing that Richard Liu Qiangdong emphases on.
For anyone to be successful in business, risk-taking is an essential part of life as it helps forge alliances as well as increase profits. Wes Edens knows and understands the essence of risk-taking. He was part of a team of bright investors and financial minds that led to the founding of Fortress Investment Group. A self-made billionaire with a passion for taking risks that do not only become profitable but they also create an impactful change to people's lives. One such collaboration is the partnership between Wes Edens brightline company and Virgin group. This collaboration has made it possible for Brightline to continue growing the first privately funded passenger train in America for over 100 years. Read more about Wes Edens at Industrial Areas Foundation.
This partnership creates a new strategic partnership as well as a trademark licensing agreement. This partnership also creates an added advantage for Brightline Company, as it is a collaboration with one of the most recognized brands in hospitality and travel. It also enables Brightline to make use of the diverse knowledge and expertise Virgin Group has when it comes to travel and hospitality. This partnership also made it possible for Brightline to change its name and establish a new brand name for the first privately funded passenger train.
Its new brand name is Virgin Trains. Brightline had previously launched service between West Palm Beach, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. It also intended to extend to Tampa and Orlando. This collaboration will help ensure that this vision is made possible. According to Wes Edens, the partnership between Brightline and Virgin will help reinvent the passenger rail service and enable it to take a leap forward. Virgin group has over 60 companies that have a primary focus of providing consumer services in sectors like travel and leisure, music and entertainment, telecoms and media, health and wellness, and financial services.
According to Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, partnering with Brightline will help alter the perceptions and traveling habits in America. This partnership with Wes Edens will also help validate the accomplishments each company has made when it comes to expanding markets as well as amplifying the efforts of each company to create a reliable passenger train system.
On weekday mornings, Live! With Kelly and Ryan broadcasts live on the television. You may be familiar with Ryan Seacrest. Most likely, you remember him from the show, American Idol. Maybe you have heard him on the radio. Ryan Seacrest hits the radio airwaves on his show, "On Air with Ryan Seacrest".
Not only does Ryan Seacrest hosts numerous shows he also owns Ryan Seacrest Productions. This Emmy-award winning production company launched in 2006. Although Ryan Seacrest does not make a personal appearance, his production company is behind "Keeping Up with the Kardashians", "Shahs of Sunset", and "I Love Kellie Pickler" just to name a few. If it concerns entertainment you can be sure that Ryan Seacrest will come to mind. Do you know that show called, "Shades of Blue" with Jennifer Lopez? Or have you seen "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"? You guessed it, Ryan Seacrest Productions produced these shows.
The radio show host is also a businessman investing in many entertainment and media companies such as Pinterest. He also has his own clothing and accessory collection. Recently, he has also launched a men's skincare line in partnership with Dr. Harold Lancer. Ryan Seacrest also maintains relationships with big name brands such as Coca-Cola and Ford. His reputation precedes him.
As a philanthropist, Ryan Seacrest founded the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. This foundation is behind Seacrest Studios. What's Seacrest Studios? Seacrest Studios are "media centers" set up in pediatric hospitals. These media centers can be found throughout the U.S.A. What's it for? Ryan Seacrest Foundation aims to alleviate stress commonly associated with families and children who are undergoing treatment at these pediatric hospitals. These media centers offer a means of distraction but also educates patients in entertainment and media production. In addition, it also gives patients hands-on activities on the ins-and-outs of properly using media equipment. One of Ryan Seacrest Foundation's ultimate goal is to create an environment conducive to staying optimistic throughout the progression of a pediatric patient's treatment.
Ryan Seacrest is a host, businessman, investor, fashion line creator and he is also a philanthropist. He stays active with countless projects and is commended for his philanthropic endeavors.
"Great works stopped: how to face the problem?" is a study prepared by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI. It gives data 2017 information at year end that was given by the Ministry of Planning. The breakdown reveals that currently Brazil has nearly 2,796 paralyzed construction works. It further shows that many of the 517 are in direct relation to the infrastructure sector. That said, this clearly uncovers that 18.5 percent of that total number also had costs running up to about $ 10.7 billion to public all coffers, as reported by the Infrastructure Projects expert, Felipe Montoro Jens.
Felipe Montoro Jens highlights that these many construction interruptions that happened in day-care centers, sports facilities and preschools inside the educational sector was also caused by a CNI study, even though they were not as complex and much cheaper.
The study targeted technical problems, budgetary and financial difficulties, problems of land ownership and expropriation and abandonment of works by companies as the basic reasons for the interruption of construction.
When this company was founded it was named KP Futures Management Corp. It was part of the larger Kidder, Peabody & Co Inc. firm and served as the department that managed alternative investments. It became an independent financial firm in 1995 after Paul Saunders and a business partner purchased it. James River Capital is registered with the SEC as an investment advisor. They now have more than $570 million in assets under management.
At James River Capital they follow nine strategies. Among the financial strategies they offer their clients across the United States are distressed credit, equity strategies, fixed income arbitrage, managed futures trading, and corporate credit. Their investment philosophy is based on offering alternative investments that are not correlated to stocks and so offer greater diversity.
The team at James River Capital recently wrote an article about ways to improve your style of leadership. In order to be a great leader, it takes a mix of science and art. It takes time and experience to develop leadership skills. There are a few relatively simple measures that people can take to develop their leadership skills to that they can effectively manage their team. Researchers have performed extensive studies and they point to three changes anyone can make to improve their style of leadership.
The first rule is to support your team rather than attempting to lead it. Facebook has taken this management approach and it has definitely paid off. It's just a simple one-word shift but it makes all the difference in the world. The manager sees their leadership role in a new light and how they work with their team fundamentally improves.
The next tip is that every team members opinion matters. Everyone should be listened to because what they have to say is valid. Team Leaders should write down everyone that is attending a meeting, for example, and encourage quiet people to engage others. The third tip is to both welcome and encourage escalation as receiving critical feedback is critical. You can't know that your leadership style isn't working if nobody on your team is willing to tell you so.
Since the year 2000, OSI Industries has experienced stellar growth, thanks to David McDonald, the President, and Chief Operating Officer within this company. Being a world leader in food production, which began as a butcher shop in the early 20th century, the company has gained worldwide recognition as it has ventured aggressively into other new frontiers. McDonald has been with the company since its inception. Having grown up in a farm in Iowa, he worked hard to join Iowa State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in animal science. Today, he heads OSI Industry, and is still committed to the Iowa State community, and has played a pivotal role in Iowa State University's Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative.
McDonald has also assisted the company to diversify and become a global enterprise with over 65 facilities around the world. OSI Industries has more than 20000 employees in all the facilities that operate from 17 countries of the world. He played a weighty role in enabling the company to acquire Baho Foods and Flagship Europe. His expertise in food production logistics and working with governmental agencies has assisted his efforts to grow the company to greater heights.
OSI Industries hired McDonald as an intern during the preliminary stages of explosive international growth within the company. His hiring came at a time when OSI Industries' growth and innovation permeated operations. He adapted, embraced, and has maintained it up to date. He has also helped the company to acquire a facility in Chicago that was owned by Tyson Foods. He has also overseen the merger between OSI International Foods and Turi Foods to create Turosi Pty Ltd. This move underpins the magnitude of the steady growth and innovation within OSI Industries.
McDonald insists that the company's foundational values do not change, but the constant change comes through their solutions, products, challenges and the resources. McDonald further says that OSI Industries does not brag about its success. Instead, they enjoy supporting the success of the customers and maintaining a low profile.
The company has won different awards in its effort to maintain sustainability through technology and innovation. The awards include Globe of Honor from the British Safety Council. They have won this award three times in the last five years. OSI received the Environmental Award from the North American Meat Institute because of its environmental management systems in Geneva, Switzerland. The estimated worth of this company stands at $ 6.1 billion.
Whitney Wolfe was brought up by very caring parents who worked throughout minding about the welfare of the daughter. His father was a prominent real estate developer in Salt Lake City while the mother used to stay at home to take care of their daughter. She was a very humble child and was very hard working since her early days. Her massive commitment to achievement made her join the Southern Methodist University for a bachelors of arts in International Studies.
Whitney Wolfe started a business while she was 19 years when she designed tote bags. She later left the institution and got a job at an orphanage. Then she joined a lab that was working on a particular project. Unfortunately, it flopped while at the preliminary stages making her jobless. That was the project she was supposed to market, but things did not work out for her. She joined hands with two agents who were working on a dating app. They incorporated her as a team member who would play significant roles in marketing the company. She also played the role of choosing the name and even the company's logo.
When the app was launched, Whitney Wolfe Herd hit the ground with hopes to market the company. She had several winning strategies and thus moved to all the Universities trying to sell the product. It was user-friendly and straightforward to join. So many students became members and thus enabling them to interact and start dating freely. She later quit the company after a disagreement with one of the directors. Her compensation was the capital that developed Bumble.
CAOA is a market leader in the automotive industry and was founded by Dr. Carlos Alberto de Oliveira. As a growing and sophisticated car dealership company, they managed to strike a partnership with Renault, as the exclusive importer of Renault cars. It was a booming relationship until Renault started to retain import duties and there was a fallout. Dr. Carlos Alberto de Oliveira took just six years to take CAOA to a whole new level in the car dealership industry. Their breakthrough partnership was with Ford, as they were appointed as the official importer of Ford vehicles in the whole of Latin America.
In 1998, CAOA acquired their next major client, Subaru, a world-renowned car manufacturer in Japan. One year through their journey, the number of Subaru vehicles sold tripled and this is still considered as one of the huge accomplishments in the history of the company.
Hyundai did not meet their sales target in Brazil after two unsuccessful partnerships with other dealership companies. As a last attempt, Hyundai partnered up with CAOA in 1999. The sales of Tucson from Hyundai exceeded the set target and it was a huge success for both the companies. With time Dr. Carlos Alberto de Oliveira was convinced that he needed to do something bigger and better, and in 2007, he took a major decision to make a car manufacturing unit with Hyundai as a partner. It is called Hyundai CAOA Montadora de Veiculos S / A and required an expenditure of $1.2 billion.
Dr. Calor Alberto de Oliveira Andrade, awarded as the Entrepreneur of the year by istoedinheiro.com.br, was also concerned about the environment. He imposed strict safety protocols and use of energy efficient machinery leading to less pollution. He also recycled the waste from the production line. His engagement in the reforestation of the Midwest shows how deeply he cares about the environment and the other species that we co-exist with.
Recently, Hyundai named CAOA as the distributor of the year, a small gesture to the long successful partnership they share. The marketing approach of CAOA has helped Hyundai become a huge success in the country. In 2012, the range of cars they were dealing with increased many folds. The list of cars included Flex, i30, Elantra to name a few. Currently, CAOA is the market leader in distributing and manufacturing in South America.


Some estimates say that people spend only 8 seconds looking at a given artwork in a museum. Slow down and enjoy the artworks of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 102nd Annual Juried Exhibition on Slow Art Day.
Visit Mystic Museum of Art's galleries between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and pick up our Slow Art Guide, a handpicked selection of art curated by MMoA's staff. Then join others for lunch at nearby Bartleby's at 1 pm to talk about your experience. Lunch is at your own expense.
Slow Art Day is a global all-volunteer event with a simple mission: help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art. Founded by Phil Terry, this project began in the summer of 2009 to encourage people to spend more time looking at fewer artworks. Now in 2013, over 100 museums and galleries world-wide participate in Slow Art Day.