text:
China's Renewable Energy Revolution: What Is Driving It?
By John A. Mathews and Hao Tan
Global Research, November 17, 2014
Asia-Pacific Journal
https://www.globalresearch.ca/chinas-renewable-energy-revolution-what-is-driving-it/5414533
Alongside its enormous "black" energy system, China is building a renewables energy system that is now the largest in the world. Following our previous articles on this topic in the Journal, we continue to report the latest trends in development of this renewables-based system, again focusing principally on the electric power system, and utilizing three sources of data from Chinese and international sources – capacity data (GW), electrical energy generation data (TWh) and investment data. We highlight that while the Chinese energy system as a whole is shifting in a green direction, at its leading edge (where new capacity is being added, and fresh electrical energy generated) it is turning green very rapidly. This provides a foundation for predicting future directions for the system as a whole, and eventual reductions in absolute carbon emissions. We note that China's increasing reliance on renewables is consistent with a concern to enhance energy security, based on the observation that renewables are products of manufacturing rather than of extractive activities.
China is known as the world's largest user and producer of coal, and the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. This is China's "black face". But less well known is China's "green face": the country is building the world's largest renewable energy system – which by 2013 stood at 378 GW and generated just over 1 trillion kilowatt hours, by far the largest in the world. In terms of generating capacity, by 2013 China's WWS sources (water, wind and solar) accounted for more than 30% of capacity (exceeding the unofficial 2015 target of 30%) and in terms of electrical energy generated, the WWS total was close to 20% of energy generated — exceeding the combined total of electrical energy produced by the power systems of France and Germany.1 The question arises: what are the drivers and implications of this extraordinary commitment towards renewables?
China's drive to create the world's largest renewable energy system is widely recognized by specialists. Dr James Hansen, prominent climate scientist, in a posting in early 2014 asserts that "China is now leading the world in installation of new hydropower, wind, solar and nuclear electricity generation."2
The most recent data for 2013 lends support to Dr Hansen's assertion, as well as very new data for the first half of 2014. Three sources of data may be drawn on: installed capacity (measured in gigawatts of power); generation of electrical energy (measured in billion kWh or TWh), where different sources are utilized with different capacity factors; and investment data. Together, these sources provide a realistic and multi-faceted assessment of China's renewable energy revolution, and the progress made in accomplishing the goals laid out in the 11th and most recent 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP) covering the years 2011 to 2015.
1) Installed capacity
In terms of installed capacity, China now has the largest electric power system in the world, rated at 1.25 trillion watts (TW), exceeding the US power system's capacity at 1.16 TW (and German at 175 GW).3 Renewables (water, wind, solar) accounted for around 30% of China's capacity by 2013, while fossil fuels, mainly coal, still accounted for 69% — it is still a very black system (Mathews & Tan 2014a).
The year 2001 was the inflection point – which coincides with China's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This signalled to the world that China was "open for business" and manufacturing started to migrate to China in a big way – calling for drastic expansion of the energy system. In the time-honored way, replicating the actions of the West in the 19th century and Japan in the 20th century, what was expanded initially was the coal-burning system.4
The leading edge in capacity expansion is demonstrably getting greener. In 2013 China added about 100 GW of new capacity, of which 58% came from renewable (hydro, wind, solar PV) sources and just less than 40% from thermal (mostly coal) sources. China also added just 2.2 GW nuclear capacity in 2013. So China added more capacity in 2013 sourced from WWS than from fossil fuels and nuclear sources combined.5 In 2014 1H these proportions have dipped slightly, with 20 GW being added from WWS and just 15 GW being added from fossil fuels (or 53% from WWS) – with WWS still a majority of the new capacity added.
2) Electricity generation
Installed capacity is one thing; actual electrical energy generated is another. By 2013 China was generating a total of 5,361 billion kWh (or TWh), including 4,196 TWh from thermal power stations and 1056 TWh – or just under 20% – from renewable WWS sources. If the share of WWS in electricity generation continues to increase with its average growth (about 5% per year) since 2007 when China adopted a lower carbon strategy, then WWS would account for more than 26% of the electricity generation mix by 2020.
In this case the leading edge is also getting greener. For the year 2013, of the additional electrical energy generated (according to the 2014 BP Statistical Review) year-on-year, amounting to 373 TWh, 280 TWh came from thermal sources and 82 TWh from WWS – or WWS amounting to 22% of new additional energy generated. This is a higher proportion for WWS in additional energy generated than in the system as a whole.
Now it is true that large hydro has been the dominant component of this WWS category, driven by huge projects like the Three Gorges Dam. Large hydro accounted for 912 TWh of renewable electrical energy generated in 2013, compared with 132 TWh for wind and 12 TWh for solar PV – but the latter two sources are increasing rapidly. Of the additional electrical energy generated from WWS sources in 2013, more than half came from wind and solar PV. [39.5 TWh for hydro; 35.9 TWh for wind; and 5.7 TWh for solar PV] Solar and wind power are widely anticipated to be the dominant (combined) renewable sources by 2020.
3) Investment
The most revealing sign of the renewable energy revolution is from the investment data. Since 2007 the share of investment in renewable electric generation has increased steadily, from 32% of the total in 2007, passing 50% in 2011 and reaching 52% in 2013. Adding the investment in nuclear power, the proportion of investment in all non-fossil fuel-based electric generation increased from 37% in 2007 to 75% in 2013 while investment in thermal power plants declined from 62% to 25%. Here too then investment in green sources consistently outranks investment in fossil fuels and nuclear.
Thus our conclusion is that in 2013, China's leading edge of change in its electric power system is moving in a green direction, away from fossil fuels dependence. We have demonstrated that this is so in terms of capacity added and in terms of investment, while in terms of generation of electrical energy the new WWS sources account for a higher proportion of new energy generated than for the system as a whole. Our argument is that these leading edge changes are consistent with trends towards renewables that are visible over several years, as shown in the Supplementary material, and place China in a leadership position. What we are demonstrating is that China's ambitious goals to build a "green" renewables-based energy system alongside its "black" coal-fired system over the course of the 12th FYP is on track; indeed it is exceeding expectations.6 The most recent target from the National Development and Reform Commission (ND&RC) issued in March 2014, namely that China should have reduced the share of coal in total energy consumption to less than 65% by 2017, is likely to be fulfilled.7
"Leading edge" versus total system change
We emphasize that we are making a clear distinction between the state of China's total energy system (in particular the electric power system) and its leading edge of change, as captured in the 2013 full-year data. China's is a very large electric power system – as noted, now larger than that of the US. In terms of the slow-moving total system, China now has around 20% of its total electrical energy generated sourced from renewables, while around 30% of its generating capacity is built on renewables. (The difference is due to the lower capacity factors of renewable generating sources – themselves improving year by year.) The leading edge is clearly greener than the total system, which is why we can predict the direction of change of the total system as moving towards greater reliance on renewables.
The sources that are most widely discussed are wind power and nuclear. In terms of capacity, wind overtook nuclear by 2008, and by 2013 had grown to 91 GW, compared with less than 15 GW for nuclear – so that wind capacity exceeded nuclear capacity sixfold. In terms of actual electrical energy generated, wind drew level with nuclear in 2012, and has remained ahead as the preferred source since then (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Electricity generation: Wind power vs. nuclear in China Source of primary data: the electricity generation data for wind and nuclear and the capacity data for wind is available from the 2014 BP Statistical Review of World Energy; the capacity data up for nuclear up to 2011 are available from the EIA International Energy Statistics database.
What are the likely future trends of these two sources? China is allowing the construction of four AP-1000 nuclear reactors by Westinghouse, with the first due to come on-line in 2014 and all four expected to be operational by 2016. The ND&RC envisages a target for growth in nuclear capacity to reach 50 GW by 2017 (generating 280 TWh), by which time wind plus solar are targeted to reach 220 GW. By 2017 the ND&RC expects China to have built 150 GW of capacity in wind power. How much electrical energy is this likely to generate? If we take the historic capacity factor of 20%, this would be expected to generate 255 TWh. But if we take the recently completed Salkhit wind farm in Mongolia as best practice example (50 MW, construction cost $120 million, output 168.5 GWh or capacity factor of 40%) then the 150 GW by 2020 should be adding 500 TWh of electricity in a year – around a fifth of China's current needs. If we take the mean between these two extremes, and assume a capacity factor of 30% for wind, then the 150 GW target should be generating 375 TWh of electrical energy – comfortably exceeding the amount expected from nuclear. These are the trends in China.
Based on China's abundant wind power resources, McElroy et al (2009) projected that China could build 640 GW of wind power by 2030. This is entirely consistent with recent trends, which have seen a doubling of capacity every two years, and with an anticipated target of 300 GW by 2020. Thus, while we agree with Dr Hansen's assertion that China is building the world's largest low-carbon energy system, it is difficult to agree with his follow-up assertion that China can only continue to do this by relying on nuclear power.8 On the contrary, China appears to be banking on a variety of low-carbon sources for its energy revolution – with the capacity to build a system based on manufacturing that can scale to grow with the country's expanding economy, without impinging too aggressively on other countries' fossil fuel resources.
What are the implications?
The common assumption is that it is concern over climate change (global warming) that drives China's shift to renewables. Carbon emissions are certainly a topic of great concern to the Chinese leadership, as well they should; statements going back to 2009 and the Copenhagen conference indicate that by 2020 China is aiming to reduce carbon emissions as a proportion of GDP (carbon intensity) by 45% from 2005 levels. Our calculations shown in Fig. 2 reveal that this appears to be a realistic target.
Figure 2. China's declining carbon emission intensity with target set for 2020 Sources of primary data: Carbon intensity data up to 2010 is available from US EIA; carbon intensity figures in 2012 and 2013 are estimated by authors based on the real GDP growth data available from Euromonitor and the carbon emissions data from BP 2014Statistical Review.
Important as this motive of reduced carbon intensity might be, we believe it is the least likely of the explanations for China's shift. We believe the more plausible explanation for China's new trajectory – and for the determination with which it is being pursued – is energy security (Mathews & Tan, 2014b).
All countries face a choice between, on the one hand, continued reliance on fossil fuels, with their geopolitical implications, including threat of military entanglements, and on the other an increasing reliance on renewables, which are based on manufacturing activities. So long as China is able to tap renewable sources of energy for manufactured devices to work on (solar and wind energy) it appears that it would be able to generate superior energy security through renewables than it would through continuing (or deepening) its reliance on fossil fuels. This appears to be well understood by the Chinese leadership. It is also reflected in China's broader goals to reduce dependence on fossil fuels (particularly oil) in the transport sector, by increasing reliance on high-speed rail systems (where China leads the world) and on electric vehicles, including the charging infrastructure for EVs. These are seen as highest priority national infrastructure goals in China.
The other motivator for China's push towards renewables is of course the scandal of the smog-blackened skies that are making the air unbreathable and life unliveable in the major cities. Scarcely a week goes by without some new story of terrible air pollution in Beijing, or Shanghai or Tianjin or some other major industrial centre. The Chinese leadership have to breathe the same air – at least up to a point. And this is clearly a powerful motivator in the drive to develop an energy system that is becoming less reliant on 'black' fossil fuels and more on 'green' renewables.9 It is notable that in 2013 China enacted several moves to cap coal consumption, particularly in coastal cities and in Beijing. The ND&RC policy noted above has banned construction of new coal-fired power stations in China's most advanced regions including the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Beijing and its surrounding areas; a decline of the total coal consumption by 2017 is required as a performance indicator of the local governments in those areas.10
Manufacturing is the platform upon which China's shift towards low-carbon sources of energy (and renewables in particular) is based, which in turn provides a platform for reducing costs due to learning curve effects. While the US is swinging behind an "energy revolution" based on alternative fossil fuels (shale oil, coal seam gas), China is clearly shifting towards greater independence of extractive activities and greater reliance on manufacturing for its growing appetite for power supplies.11 Manufacturing generates increasing returns, and can be expanded almost indefinitely – particularly if it works off recirculated materials, consistent with China's goal of building a Circular Economy. By contrast, extractive activities are faced with eventual diminishing returns. This is why China's swing towards renewables is good for China, and for the world.
John A. Mathews is Professor of Management, Macquarie University, Australia, and Eni Chair of Competitive Dynamics and Global Strategy at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. His research focuses on the competitive dynamics of international business, the evolution of technologies and their strategic management, and the rise of new high technology industries. He researches the development of the institutional capacities of firms and governments in the Asia-Pacific, internationalisation processes of firms and the theoretical explanations for latecomer firms' success. His work has focused in recent years on the emergence of the 'green economy' and the transition to renewable energies, and the institutional changes needed to provide industrial capitalism with genuine long-term sustainability. He is the author of Strategizing, Disequilibrium, and Profit. Recent articles include "Knowledge flows in the solar photovoltaic industry: insights from patenting by Taiwan, Korea, and China," (with C.Y. Wu) Research Policy, 2012, 41(3); and "Fast-follower industrial dynamics : the case of Taiwan's emergent solar photovoltaic industry," (with M.C. Hu and C.Y. Wu) Industry and Innovation, 2011, 18(2), 177-202. Email [email protected]
Hao Tan is a Senior Lecturer in International Business at the Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle, Australia. He also serves as a Convenor for the Master of International Business Program. Dr. Tan's current research interests are in the interplays of international business strategy, innovation and economic geography, with a focus on the energy, resource and renewable energy sectors. Since 2009 he has published over 20 scholarly journal articles and book chapters. Email [email protected]
Their article "Economics: Manufacture renewables to build energy security," appears in Nature, Vol 513, Issue 7517, 10 September 2014; their article "The Transformation of the Electric Power Industry in China" appears in Energy Policy, Vol. 52, January 2013.
Recommended citation: John A. Mathews and Hao Tan, "China's renewable energy revolution: what is driving it?", The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 43, No. 3, November 3, 2014.
Hong, L., Zhou, N., Fridley, D. and Raczkowski, C. 2013. Assessment of China's renewable energy contribution during the 12th Five Year Plan, Energy Policy, 62: 1533-1543.
McElroy, M.B., Lu, X., Nielsen, C.P. and Wang, Y. 2009. Potential for wind-generated electricity in China, Science, 325 (11 Sep 2009): 11378-1380.
Malakoff, D. 2014. The gas surge, Science, 344 (6191) (27 June 2014): 1464-1467.
Mathews, J. A. and Tan, H. 2014a. China's Continuing Renewable Energy Revolution: Global Implications, The Asia-Pacific Journal, 12(12).
Mathews, J. A. and Tan, H. 2014b. Manufacture renewables to build energy security. Nature, 513 (11): 166-168.
Yuan, J., Xu, Y., Zhang, X., Hu, Z. and Xu, M. 2014. China's 2020 clean energy target: Consistency, pathways and policy implications, Energy Policy, 65: 692-700.
1 In 2013 China produced 1056 billion kWh of renewable electrical energy, from hydro, wind and solar PV sources. In the same year Germany produced 579 billion kWh from all sources, and France produced 476 billion kWh from thermal and nuclear sources – giving total electrical energy produced in France and Germany of 1055 billion kWh, or what China produced from renewables alone.
2 See James Hansen, "Renewable energy, nuclear power and Galileo: Do scientists have a duty to expose popular misconceptions?", 21 February 2014, here.
3 It is worth noting that US data is for "net" electrical energy generated, while for China it is "gross" energy generated. The difference is minor, amounting to around 5%; in any case thermal power stations use more electrical power (to load fuel supplies, remove ash and monitor operations) than renewables devices.
4 Note that the Chinese leadership appears to have "capped" the expansion of coal consumption at 3.5 Gt – with important implications for carbon emissions.
5 See also Mathews & Tan (2014a).
6 For recent scholarly discussion of China's progress in the energy sphere, see Hong et al (2013) and Yuan et al (2014).
7 See the statement (in Chinese) here.
8 In his 2014 testimony to Congress, "Climate and Energy: Fundamental facts, responsibilities and opportunities," Dr Hansen asserts: "Non-hydro renewables provide only a tiny fraction of global energy and do not appear capable of satisfying the large energy requirements of developing nations such as China and India." See James Hansen, Testimony to the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, 13 March 2014, here.
9 Christina Larson was certainly on the mark with her comment on the paradox of China's "green energy and black skies".
10 See "Beijing to ban coal use to curb pollution" (5 August 2014), here.
11 In the US, dependence on fossil fuels is being prolonged by the revolution in alternative fuels production, particularly coal seam gas and shale oil (Malakoff 2014). Overall, US generation of electrical energy from WWS sources has grown from 7.1% in 2003 to 10.6% in 2013, in a fairly even progression (Fig. A2 in Supplementary material). The shift to dependence on renewables has been much more pronounced in China.
Copyright © John A. Mathews and Hao Tan, Global Research, 2014


Today West Virginia's universities are on the "cutting edge" of bioscience research, Dr. Jan Taylor told attendees at the 2016 West Virginia Bioscience Summit on the Marshall University campus April 26.
But Taylor, director of the Division of Science and Research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said she was "apprehensive" about the future of the state's bioscience research efforts. She cited a number of significant research projects at West Virginia University and Marshall and noted those projects have attracted significant federal funding because there was initial state "seed money" for them. Now those state dollars are drying up, she warned.
HUNTINGTON - The future of bioscience in West Virginia looked bright Tuesday during the sixth annual West Virginia Bioscience Summit at Marshall University.
The event, conducted annually by the West Virginia Bioscience Association, highlighted the role and impact of the bioscience industry in West Virginia and the region, showcased research and commercialization efforts taking place at West Virginia universities and private companies, and provided an opportunity for state and local leaders to discuss policies and programs to help nurture the industry at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.
NITRO,W.Va. — Two of the Kanawha Valley's leading chemical employers made a sizable donation to Nitro High School on Thursday. The $10,000 contribution from Dow Chemical and Bayer Crop Science will be used to transform a former home economics lab into a bio-technology lab.
West Virginia's bioscience industry is seeing positive growth! According to the "Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Jobs, Investments and Innovation 2014 Report" released June 24, 2014 by Battelle and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), West Virginia's bioscience industry grew 6.9 percent since 2007. Additionally, the industry employed nearly 6,400 workers in 2012 across 343 business establishments.
Drugs and pharmaceuticals, the state's largest and most specialized industry subsector, helped drive these overall gains with 73 percent job growth since 2007.
Employment in drugs and pharmaceuticals in West Virginia is considered to be specialized and is 98 percent more concentrated in the state economy relative to the national average.
Annual wages for state bioscience workers are nearly $70,000, on average, and are 78 percent more than the overall private sector average.
State patenting in the biosciences totaled 143 patents issued from 2009 through 2013 with a focus in surgical and medical instruments and in drugs and pharmaceuticals.
The founder of a medical device research and manufacturing company says West Virginia has a great potential to grow an innovative biotechnology industry in the state.
Dr. Mark Bates, founder and CEO of Nexeon MedSystems, was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the fourth annual West Virginia Bioscience Summit at the Embassy Suites hotel in Charleston.
Bates, a Hurricane native, was a professor of medicine and surgery at the West Virginia University Medical School in Charleston prior to founding the company nearly ten years ago.
Since then, his company has patented 25 medical devices for a variety of functions, including spinal cord injury therapy, nanotechnology, regenerative therapy and stem cell implantation. In addition to the patents obtained, the company has several more pending.


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Willem Bernard "Pim" Jacobs (* 29. Oktober 1934 in Hilversum; † 3. Juli 1996 in Tienhoven) war ein niederländischer Pianist, Arrangeur und Komponist des Modern Jazz und des Mainstream Jazz, der über lange Jahre mit seinem Trio Begleiter seiner Ehefrau, der Sängerin Rita Reys war.

Leben und Wirken
Jacobs war in den 1950er und 1960er Jahren neben Rob Madna, Cees Slinger, Louis van Dijk (und später Rein de Graaff) der bekannteste Pianist des niederländischen Modern Jazz. Er begann 1940 Klavier zu lernen, gewann einen Jazz-Wettbewerb von AVRO und gründete 1954 mit seinem Bruder Ruud Jacobs (Bass) und Fred Burkhardt (Schlagzeug) ein eigenes Trio. In den 1950er Jahren spielte er im Trio von Wessel Ilcken (Schlagzeug, Aufnahme 1957 bei Philips) und machte nach dessen Tod ein eigenes Trio auf, mit dem er unter anderem seine Frau Rita Reys begleitete (England-Tournee 1957, Festival von Juan le Pins/Antibes 1960), die er 1960 heiratete und mit der er schon 1957 aufnahm (Philips, CBS). Mitglieder des "Pim Jacobs Trio" waren sein Bruder Ruud Jacob sowie der Gitarrist Wim Overgaauw und später der Schlagzeuger Cees See (dem Peter Ypma folgte).

Jacobs begleitete mit Trio unter anderem Stan Getz, Lucky Thompson, Donald Byrd, Julian Adderley, Herbie Mann (1956 Aufnahmen bei Philips), Johnny Griffin, Bud Shank, Dusko Goykovich, Stephane Grappelli, Bob Cooper (1957 Aufnahmen bei HMV) und Tony Scott. Jacobs veröffentlichte zahlreiche Alben.

Er komponierte viel für Filme, TV und die Werbung. 1958 lieferte er den Soundtrack für den Kurzfilm "Glas" von Bert Haanstra, der 1960 einen Oscar als bester Dokumentar-Kurzfilm erhielt. 1966 trat er auf dem Berliner Jazzfestival auf und in Lugano und Palermo, 1968 in Zagreb und 1969 in New Orleans und auch häufig in Osteuropa (1963 Warschau, 1964 Prag, 1964/65 Budapest). 1967 gründete er einen eigenen Go Go Club in Loosdrecht.

Ab 1986 gab er regelmäßig mit Louis van Dijk und Pieter van Vollenhoven unter dem Namen "Gevleugelde vrienden" Wohltätigkeitskonzerte. Er war in den Niederlanden auch als TV-Moderator bekannt; er moderierte die  Musiksendung "Music All In" (ab 1967), Djez zien (ab 1964) und die Spielsendungen "Wie van de drie" und "Babbelonie".

2004 gab Rita Reys die CD "Beautiful Love - A tribute to Pim Jacobs" in Erinnerung an ihn heraus.

Nach Pim Jacobs ist das Theater- und Kongresszentrum in Maarssen benannt, das von Leila Jacobs, der Tochter von Rita Reys und ihm, geleitet wurde.

Diskografie

Weblinks
 Pim Jacobs Trio, Discogs

 Cees Poling: Pim Jacobs 1934-1996, Trouw, 4. Juli 1996

Einzelnachweise

Jazz-Pianist
Fernsehmoderator (Niederlande)
Niederländer
Geboren 1934
Gestorben 1996
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Multidrug-Resistant Shigellosis is Spreading in the U.S.
International travelers are bringing a multidrug-resistant intestinal illness to the United States and spreading it to others who have not traveled, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shigella sonnei bacteria resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin sickened 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May 2014 and February 2015. Research by the CDC found that the drug-resistant illness was being repeatedly introduced as ill travelers returned and was then infecting other people in a series of outbreaks around the country.
Shigella bacteria. Image courtesy of the CDC.
CDC and public health partners investigated several recent clusters of shigellosis in Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania and found that nearly 90 percent of the cases tested were resistant to ciprofloxacin (Cipro), the first choice to treat shigellosis among adults in the United States. Shigellosis can spread very quickly in groups like children in childcare facilities, homeless people and gay and bisexual men, as occurred in these outbreaks.
"These outbreaks show a troubling trend in Shigella infections in the United States," says CDC director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. "Drug-resistant infections are harder to treat and because Shigella spreads so easily between people, the potential for more – and larger – outbreaks is a real concern. We're moving quickly to implement a national strategy to curb antibiotic resistance because we can't take for granted that we'll always have the drugs we need to fight common infections."
In the United States, most Shigella is already resistant to the antibiotics ampicillin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Globally, Shigella resistance to Cipro is increasing. Cipro is often prescribed to people who travel internationally, in case they develop diarrhea while out of the United States. More study is needed to determine what role, if any, the use of antibiotics during travel may have in increasing the risk of antibiotic-resistant diarrhea infections among returned travelers.
"The increase in drug-resistant Shigella makes it even more critical to prevent shigellosis from spreading," says Anna Bowen, MD, MPH, a medical officer in CDC's Waterborne Diseases Prevention Branch and lead author of the study. "Washing your hands with soap and water is important for everyone. Also, international travelers can protect themselves by choosing hot foods and drinking only from sealed containers."
CDC's PulseNet lab network identified an increase in Shigella sonnei infections with an uncommon genetic fingerprint in December 2014. Further testing at CDC's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) lab found that the bacteria were resistant to Cipro. PulseNet detected several large clusters: 45 cases in Massachusetts; 25 cases in California; and 18 cases in Pennsylvania. About half of the PulseNet cases with patient information were associated with international travel, mostly to the Dominican Republic and India. The San Francisco Department of Public Health reported another 95 cases (nine of them among those identified by PulseNet), with almost half occurring among the homeless or people living in single-room occupancy hotels.
Shigella causes an estimated 500,000 cases of diarrhea in the United States every year. It spreads easily and rapidly from person to person and through contaminated food and recreational water. It can cause watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and malaise. Although diarrhea caused by Shigella typically goes away without treatment, people with mild illnesses are often treated with antibiotics to stop the diarrhea faster. Until recently, Cipro resistance has occurred in just 2 percent of Shigella infections tested in the United States, but was found in 90 percent of samples tested in the recent clusters.
Because Cipro-resistant Shigella is spreading, CDC recommends doctors use lab tests to determine which antibiotics will effectively treat shigellosis. Doctors and patients should consider carefully whether an infection requires antibiotics at all.
To prevent the spread of shigellosis, CDC recommends that people wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after using the toilet and before preparing food or eating; keep children home from childcare and other group activities while they are sick with diarrhea; avoid preparing food for others while ill with diarrhea; and avoid swimming for a few weeks after recovering. Improving access to toilets and soap and water for washing hands may help prevent Shigella transmission among the homeless.
Travelers to developing countries can take additional precautions to avoid diarrhea and minimize infection with resistant bacteria. Choose safe foods and beverages, such as food that is steaming hot and drinks from sealed containers (download CDC's app "Can I Eat This?" to help you make safer food and beverage choices when you travel). Wash hands frequently, particularly before eating and after using the toilet. Take bismuth subsalicylate to prevent travelers' diarrhea and treat it with over-the-counter drugs like bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide. Try to reserve antibiotics for severe cases of travelers' diarrhea.
Health care providers should test stool samples from patients with symptoms consistent with shigellosis, re-test stool if patients do not improve after taking antibiotics, and test bacteria for antibiotic resistance.
For more information on Shigella, visit: www.cdc.gov/shigella.
Travelers can learn more about food and water precautions to prevent Shigella at: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2014/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/food-and-water-precautions.
Source: CDC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Lake Tiriara är en sjö i Cooköarna (Nya Zeeland). Den ligger i den östra delen av landet,  km öster om huvudstaden Avarua. Lake Tiriara ligger  meter över havet. Den ligger på ön Mangaia. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km norr om Lake Tiriara.

Savannklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är februari, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är augusti, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är januari, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är oktober, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Insjöar i Cooköarna


text:
28 June, 2013 繁 簡
Lingnan University appoints Prof Leonard Cheng as new President
The 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning: "Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected World, Connected Future"
Exhibition on mammal hairs and graffiti letters
Art exhibition by students with special education needs
Visit by Research Grants Council members
Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong delegation visits Lingnan
Lingnan Foundation trustees meet Lingnan senior management
Alumni Volunteer Team visits Ronald McDonald House Charities hostel
Seminar on "Li Kuang and His Literary Works"
Pre-show talk on "Tong Dik-sang's mid-phase works: Lonely Moonlight on a Cold Bed"
A study on global human rights through documentaries
Lingnan wins prize in Shakespeare Festival competition
Dr Sophia Law and Dr Tingting Chen receive Lingnan University "Education for Service" Faculty Award
The 2nd Induction Ceremony of the Lingnan University Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma
Cultural July: Sharing session on English reading (2 July 2013)
Elder Academy Intergenerational Summer Camp at Lingnan 2013 (10 July 2013)
MCS10 2nd Seminar on "In and Out of the Institution: The Past and Future of Cultural Studies and Adult Education" (31 August 2013)
Call for Papers: 2013 Academy of International Business (AIB) Southeast Asia Regional Conference (5-7 December 2013)
Lingnan University's Office of Service-Learning (OSL) held the opening ceremony of the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning on 5 June. The theme of this year is "Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected World, Connected Future", which aimed at gathering about 450 guests including educators, students and service providers from 19 countries and regions around the world to exchange ideas and work together for a connected future.
As a pioneer international service-learning conference held in mainland China, the four-day conference was closed with a two-day exchange session at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou on 7-8 June. Representatives from six Chinese higher institutions, including Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai City Polytechnic, South China University of Technology, Guangxi Medical University, South China Normal University and Shantou University, also came to Hong Kong to share their service-learning experiences.
At the opening ceremony, Secretary for Education the Hon Eddie Ng Hak–kim was invited to deliver opening remarks while the University's Council Chairman the Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan gave a keynote speech on "Engaging Hong Kong: Community-University Engagement".
Other keynote speakers were invited to share their insights on service-learning at the conference, including Mr Chung Po-yang, SBS, OBE, JP, Co-founder of DHL International and Chairman of The Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership & Management Limited; Prof Andrew Furco, Associate Vice President for Public Engagement, the University of Minnesota, the US; Dr Mabel Erasmus, Associate Professor and Head of Service Learning, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa; Prof Cheng Huanwen, Professor of School of Information Management and Chief Librarian, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; and Ms Gorri Lau, Office Managing Partner of Deloitte, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP Guangzhou Branch, China.
The four-day conference also included pre-conference visits to BiciLine Cycling Eco-Tourism Social Enterprise, the headquarters of Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) at Oi Man, Homantin and New Life Farm. Conference attendants were also invited to participate in life experiences simulation at Crossroads Foundation, pre-conference workshops on journal article writing, the Service-Learning Asia Network (SLAN) meeting, as well as the welcoming party "WOW Night".
For more information about the conference, please visit: http://www.ln.edu.hk/osl/conference2013/.


Boat trip. Discover the beauty of Greece on the board of Cronwell Lines! Cronwell Lines offers the best opportunity to sail around Greece, enjoying the sun and. Card "Клипарт одежда ljvfiyzz - angelartpainting.com" from the collection "Одежда , обувь и аксессуары" in angelartpainting.comtions. Booking date and time of the wedding ceremony; Location of the ceremony; Pre wedding meeting to go through all the arrangements for your wedding (in your.
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text:
@interface OSTAppDelegate ()

@end

@implementation OSTAppDelegate

#pragma mark - Application lifecycle -

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application
didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{
    self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:[[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds]];
    self.window.rootViewController = self.rootViewController;
    [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];

    [self setupUserAccountsIfNeeded];

    return YES;
}

#pragma mark - Setup methods -

- (void)setupUserAccountsIfNeeded
{
    // set default values for user accounts
    [self setupUserAccountWithKey:kOSTSecureKeyEurAccount
                        withValue:100.f];
    [self setupUserAccountWithKey:kOSTSecureKeyUsdAccount
                        withValue:100.f];
    [self setupUserAccountWithKey:kOSTSecureKeyGbpAccount
                        withValue:100.f];
}

- (void)setupUserAccountWithKey:(NSString *)key
                      withValue:(double)value
{
    NSString *userAccount = [_securityHelper stringForKey:key];
    if (!userAccount.length) {
        [_securityHelper saveString:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%f", value]
                             forKey:key];
    }
}

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
World War II Victory in Europe 70th Anniversary Ceremony
2015-05-10T07:59:44-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/e44/20150508103234001_hd.jpgDignitaries and veterans commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at a ceremony at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Speakers included White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice and author and World War II historian Alex Kershaw. The ceremony was followed by a flyover by dozens of World War II aircraft. May 8, 1945, marked the formal acceptance by the Allied forces of Germany's unconditional surrender.
Dignitaries and veterans commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at a ceremony at the National World War II… read more
Dignitaries and veterans commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe at a ceremony at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. Speakers included White House National Security Adviser Susan Rice and author and World War II historian Alex Kershaw. The ceremony was followed by a flyover by dozens of World War II aircraft. May 8, 1945, marked the formal acceptance by the Allied forces of Germany's unconditional surrender. close
Transcript type Text People Graphical Timeline
Filter by Speaker All Speakers Josiah Bunting III Karen Cucurullo Alex Kershaw Susan Rice Kathy Silva Gary R. Studniewski
Josiah Bunting III Chair Friends of the National World War II Memorial->Board of Directors
Karen Cucurullo Superintendent (Acting) National Park Service->National Mall and Memorial Parks
Alex Kershaw Author
Susan Rice National Security Adviser White House
Kathy Silva Sister Madeleine K. Albright
Gary R. Studniewski Command Chaplain U.S. Army->Military District of Washington
National Park ServiceNational Park Service
Friends of the National World War II MemorialFriends of the National World War II Memorial
American History TV
Public Affairs Event
May 08, 2015 | 10:31am EDT | C-SPAN 1
Last Aired:
Dec 25, 2015 | 5:10am EST | C-SPAN 3
May 08, 2015 | 9:36pm EDT | C-SPAN 3
May 10, 2015 | 7:59am EDT | C-SPAN 3
Dec 24, 2015 | 9:11pm EST | C-SPAN 3
See all on World War II American History TV
World War II Victory in Europe 70th Anniversary Flyover
Dozens of World War II aircraft participated in a flyover following a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War…
Veterans Day Ceremony at World War II Memorial
The Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service held a Veterans Day ceremony to pay…
Victory Over Japan Day Anniversary
Speakers participated in a ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Victory over Japan Day in front of the National…
World War II Memorial Veterans Day Ceremony
In honor of Veterans Day, the Friends of the National World War II Memorial co-hosted a ceremony with the National Park…
User Created Clips from This Video
User Clip: Josiah Bunting III
User Clip: V-E Day
User Clip: WWII Victory in Europe 70th Anniv.
User Clip: Les Wheeler V-E 70th Annivesary


This tutorial is for those that have a working knowledge of PSP. This tutorial was written by me on the 20th day of August 2010 and any resemblance is purely coincidental. I used PSP 9, but any version should work. I do not allow my tutorials to be translated and please do not claim them as your own. If you would like to share the tutorial please send a link to my blog.
• Tube of choice: Im using the talented Leigh Youngs artwork which you must purchase a license in order to use and you can do so here from Mistaken Art.
42. That's it thanks for trying my tutorial.


The Mid Week in Review Airs Wed, 7:30pm EST-Trump, Flash & Clones!
And cue the X-mas, music! Yep, we know you're just a few weeks away from another Winter Holiday season so why not check out a new episode of our Mid Week podcast airing this Wednesday at 7:30pm EST. Listen to Dburt and Capt. Kirk as they tackle the latest (mid) week issues: Republican presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump meets with African-American pastors in an attempt to get an endorsement (he said he felt the love); the scientist behind China's leading cloning factory affirms that human replication is imminent; Dburt has a blerd fit over this week's CW Flash/Arrow annual crossover event; a Univ. of Chicago student is under house arrest for threatening a mass shooting of White males at that institution in retaliation for the death of Chi-town teenager, Laquan McDonald; Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg receives the greatest gift and as payment vows to give away 99% of wealth to charity; more on that viral Killer Mike endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Dem presidential nomination. And lastly Dburt waxes on a NY Times video short interviewing Black Women on Race. Call the hosts live at 646-915-9620.


Thank you for the visual...very good work!
I am a visual learner, so this is AWESOME!! Thanks so much for helping others!
Once the CA Is removed is there a possibility for the debt to be resold back to the OC or a new CA?
One factor would be the SOL for the debt. Be very careful to look and see what the DOLA is on the Credit Report.
OC however, unless I know my legal rights.
EQUIFAX HAD ON REPORT , THE DATE OF LAST ACITIVITY ON A PAID CHARGE OFF 05/04 AND THE "DATE REPORTED" WAS 4/2007.MY TRANSUNION SHOWS, 8/03 AS DOLA .
i SPOKE WITH THE CREDIT BUREAU AND THEY TOLD ME THAT WHAT MATTERS IS THE DATE OF LAST ACTIVITY DATE AND NOT THE DATE REPORTED.
ANYWAY . THE DATE OF LAST ACTIVITY SHOULD HAVE BEING 08/03 AND NOT 05/04 AND I REQUESTED A DELETION.
WHAT EQUIFAX DID WAS UPDATED THE DATE REPORTED AS 9/07 AND MY CREDIT SCORE DROP FROM 667 TO 623.
I CALLED THE BUREAU AND THEY SAID THAT THE DATE REPORTED MEANS NOTHING, ONLY THE DOLA DATE IS WHAT MATTERS.
CAN ANYONE HELP TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO ?
I go away for a bit and this happens?
I have the same question... any thoughts or advice?
Thanks for the chart. It really put everything into perspective for me.
Anyone have a copy of the flow chart? The hosting company seems to have deleted it from the location in the OP.
So wait, If i do the 1-2 and the CA isnt producing REAL, relevant info like some have claimed, does it make the 1-2 flow stop effectivness or help the cause?
Is there a copy of the flow chart anywhere else. Seems to be deleted from this post.
I got a note saying the 1-2 Punch diagram is gone.
What error do you get, works for me?
Ok, just because I'm slow, what happens if you do not start this within 30 days? Will you have no recourse?
The website has it listed incorrectly.
Will this work for accounts that were charged off for Bankruptcy?
It does not work again.
The requested URL /Forum/Credit/12punch.jpg was not found on this server.
The chart is great I have 10 letters (3 to OC & 7 to CA) going out in the mail this week.
Now here is the question when sending out the letters mine go all over the country....would I send them out in stages, they are being mailed from Oklahoma, I am thinking that I will send the ones that go back east to NY State, VT & CT earlier in the week...then later on send the ones closer to me like IL & KY...then a day later send out the 1 that is in my state...so they would all get them on about the same day? Then when they start to come back to me mail out the letters to the CRA's?
Have other people done this mass mailing? These are the last things on my reports I had 10 others removed by just disputing with the CRA's....I disputed everything on my reports...but these stuck so I thought I would try this in combination with Jacks new method to disputing.
I would just send them all at once.
Is this applicable to accounts that are charged off and accounts open but past due 150 days? Please let me know and I really dont understand. Thank you very much.
1-2 punch seems to be popular among CBers, why not just keep the image in your servers instead. I don't see why not.


MidDel Consulting was approached by a Municipal Utility in California to conduct a systems delivery assessment to determine the recommended course of action to improve their systems capabilities required to support entering the Energy Imbalance Market (EIM). MidDel conducted a bottom-up analysis of their Settlements, Trading, and Risk groups by meeting with key stakeholders to understand their current state system landscape and provide recommendations for their future state system landscape and business processes. MidDel also reviewed internal Audit findings and identified areas where efficiencies could be gained.
MidDel provided three proposed system landscape solutions to the client's management team to support entering the Energy Imbalance Market, as well as future growth, while addressing resource impacts and risks to the current EIM project. The proposals included an implementation approach that addressed project sequencing and estimated resource needs. MidDel also provided alternative recommendations to decrease delivery time and to address staffing concerns.
The recommended solution provided scalable systems with minimal delivery risk. The system landscape supported day ahead through term deal capture, counter party credit and risk reporting along with system optimization, real time deal capture, scheduling and settlements. The implementation approach utilized a waterfall methodology that was front-loaded against the EIM implementation; providing natural resource leveling. The solution provided the scalable functionality required to support the increased EIM transactional volumes.
The client was able to select from several system landscape solutions to determine the one that best fit their scope, budget, and time constraints, while providing scalable systems to support entering the Energy Imbalance Market. The solutions provided several key benefits; including streamlined reporting, workflow management, position management, and enhanced credit and risk functionality. Finally, the delivery approach provided scalable systems with minimal delivery risk.
The recommended system approach would significantly streamline transaction processing and automate workflows. The client would see an estimated $300,000 cost reduction per year based on a decrease in FTE.
Thank you! This will save the affiliates a boat load of hours. This is great! Great job.
- Payments Manager, Electric Services Company, U.S.


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Quartier des Banques (2017– )
This is a pretty good show, and it's interesting to watch the Swiss turning their banking system into dramatic material in these post-financial crisis times. The ending is good, so keep watching.
A few things could have been handled better, including the American link, and I found the lead performance of Elisabeth somewhat misguided: Although she is supposedly an independent and experienced woman, she is played as a nervous and emotional being, unable to keep a cool head even as she sees the importance of her chosen mission.
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Nothing's All Bad (2010)
Sex, lies and therapy
"Smukke mennesker" is being cited as the box office bomb of the year in Danish cinemas, but I was captivated by it. Its multiple story lines of connected characters and its somewhat bleak and depraved point of view have critics throwing up comparisons to this and that source of inspiration, but I found the characters and the themes of sexual identity engaging on their own.
I was particularly impressed by Sebastian Jessen in arguably the leading role as the attractive, even beautiful young man who seems to decide to spend his youth on his own, away from parents or obligations, selling sexual favours with little discrimination, but not without empathy. Mille Hoffmeyer Lehfeldt is equally daring as a school teacher who chases some kind of physical fulfillment after losing a breast to cancer surgery. Bodil Jørgensen ('Idioterne') comically retires from the company where the young boss doesn't know anything about her, then loses her husband on the same day and has absolutely nothing to do. Henrik Prip, who I have never before considered an interesting actor, makes his woman-abusing, self-hating, therapist-seeking character seem almost likable. The supporting cast make excellent contributions.
There are numerous surprising or poignant or plain funny moments, some of them cringeworthy like the meeting of the young man with the old widow - on her couch. The characters, flawed as they are, made me care. I could have done without the chapter headings, which gave the proceedings a pompous edge and seemed to slow down an otherwise well-edited film. The ending presents an absurdly coincidental chance meeting, but I was happy to see the story go there.
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Here's Looking at You, Boy (2007)
Bits and pieces from the history of gay cinema
This film takes a look at gay cinema as it has developed over the last decades. It is not thorough or precise enough to be a true historical treatment of the subject, but rather lets its interviewees make their points without much opposition. Someone is allowed to say that he thinks the first "gay" movie was made in 1985, but we don't hear his reasons for the assertion. The upside is that there are some good interview bits in here, notably with John Waters, Tilda Swinton and Gus Van Sant.
There is no narrator or presenter, everything is interviews and film clips. The chosen film clips are sometimes linked neatly to fitting words by the interviewees, but overall the film feels slower than it needs to be. I saw this on Danish television; it looked to have been produced to be multilingual needing only subtitles to adapt from territory to territory.
Suddenly, Last Winter (2008)
Political and personal
I saw this film in its English-language version on Swedish television. It follows a gay couple who decide to film a documentary about the fight for a law to allow civil unions for gay couples in Italy. It seems like something of a vanity project with its focus on the couple's own emotional journey, but it also offers a look into the Italian political process and into the homophobia and religious sentiment that stand in the way of gay rights in Italy and elsewhere. The result is worthwhile for followers of the issue, though not essential viewing.
The English version that I saw contained narration which referred to the two protagonists in the third person, and which was carried out in a somewhat naive tone. I thought this was annoying and diluted the role of the gay couple as authors of the film.
Little Soldier (2008)
Under the surface
This is a very fine film, more serious than most Danish films, less somber than one might have feared. The story of prostitution among trafficked women is heart-wrenching at times, but is helped along by entertaining scenes and an excellent score. Well-established dramatic actress Trine Dyrholm gives a strong and controlled performance as a soldier recently back from war stumbling through her days as she is drawn into an unseen underworld that's right under her nose, and ours. The screenplay lets her scarring experiences in war bubble under the surface, and the character becomes the more interesting for it. Finn Nielsen has a rare, but excellent big role as the father, who is in turn comical and brutal, and British actress Lorna Brown is good as the Nigerian woman who is thankful for any client who will pay.
The film is critical of the forces that drive prostitution and trafficking and exposes the hypocrisy of the father, who claims to be helping the women he is selling, but it doesn't spell out its message, and its message is not easy to spell out. It is a captivating piece of fiction and deserves more than the lacklustre audience reception it has so far received in Denmark.
Himlens hjärta (2008)
Elegant and engaging
Danish director has directed a marriage drama cast with four excellent Swedish actors. From beginning to end it is beautifully filmed, strongly acted and well written. The story involves two middle-aged married couples who live in lush houses, have good jobs and are set in their ways, perhaps too much so for some or all of them. The dinner conversation when the two couples spend an evening together is the elegant starter of the infidelity drama that follows. This is tough and sometimes excruciating drama, though it does have pieces of playful dialogue throughout; there is also a dose of sweetener added at the end, but interpret it as you wish.
The settings are restricted to a few rooms of their two houses and go along with a style of photography and direction that insists on intimacy and requires precision on the part of the performers. The chamber drama style has been compared to certain moments of Bergman's career, usually favourably. There are also some surprising moments where the director draws attention to himself, for instance by allowing the actors to look straight into the camera; I think this helps keep the film engaging for the interested viewer.
A sidenote on the film title. It's possible that this double-metaphor romantic cliché is meant as some sort of irony on the part of the director, but it refers to nothing in the movie and almost kept me from wanting to see the it. It's already hard enough for films like these to survive in theatres without sticking nonsense titles on them.
Caught in the Act (I) (1993 TV Movie)
Bad movie, but with saving graces
Someone must have had a fun time thinking up the plot of this little flick. That someone may have felt that since there was no other good reason to make this film, he might as well set the story in Hollywood and have the characters be an unemployed actor and a lonely agent with nothing better to do than fall in love with her clients. I wonder if the filmmakers were possibly unemployed themselves at the time, which would be an enjoyable twist. In any case, had they had anything better to do, I doubt they would have made this movie.
A man with bills to pay discovers thousands, then millions of dollars mistakenly deposited into his bank account. He decides to tell his bank. The film could have ended here, but the line is too long at the bank, so naturally he ends up spending the money instead. What follows is a thoroughly inexplicable chain of events with a plot twist of the sort that you really shouldn't think about too much. In the film's most clever development, the concept of acting takes center stage in the plot's resolution; all comes down to who can pull off the best performance.
Along with decent acting, especially by Leslie Hope as the attractive, but cold lover and Patricia Clarkson as the shy, but warm friend, these meta elements are saving graces of an otherwise lukewarm and unattractive production.
Taggart: Angel Eyes Part One (1996)
Top Taggart
This story from the Taggart series, usually shown in three installments, is among the best of the period after Taggart's death when Mike Jardine is chief inspector. Set against the backdrop of a growing gay scene in Glasgow, the plot has Jardine and his team investigating a series of grueling murders of gay men sought out in the local clubs and bars. The images of the dead bodies, stripped down and washed before being abandoned, are haunting and stuck with me from the first time I saw the story years ago until I was able to catch it again in the past few days.
The plot is carried out in persuasive manner, with enough characters to let us doubt the identity of the murderer, and enough false clues for us to feel convinced of the wrong conclusions. Most of all, though, it was the engaging character drama of the story that impressed me. Mike Jardine has obvious problems accepting homosexuality and jeopardizes the investigation because of it. Young cop Stuart Fraser is gay, but hides it at work, indicating the prejudice still existing in certain strata of society. Detective Jackie Reed becomes a highlight of the story as she navigates the local gay community while negotiating the tempers of her male co-workers. Particularly poignant is the family drama of the first murdered man, who leaves behind his lover of 40 years and an angry daughter, who does not accept her father's life choices.
At the end, the plot goes perhaps a little too sensational for my liking, but I must admit it is quite effective. Despite the drama, the story does not omit the sense of humour which is a popular part of the British crime fiction. Like the series in general, these episodes have good acting performances, with special mention to Blythe Duff and to the young woman who played the dead man's daughter, whose name I can't find.
Aftenland (2003)
Dark and dramatic
Thomas Bjerregaard Nielsen's film school graduation film is a dark piece about a twenty-something man who returns home to his father's country house for an annual hunting party. The young man has quit his job as a military officer, but is scared to tell his father. His dilemma and his feelings in general towards his father and what he stands for are shown through effective scenes, one where he changes into officer's clothes in the woods before he dares approach the house, another where his father interrupts him with common pleasantries each time he tries to speak his mind.
The film employs a technique where the narrative erratically jumps from one situation to a later one without notice, which is interesting but not necessarily elegant. With this as an instrument we proceed to see not only verbal encounters between characters, but also our protagonist walking in on his father and sister sharing a bed, and a dramatic situation to end the film.
There are strong similarities in plot to another work by a Danish film school graduate, Thomas Vinterberg's feature "Festen". The themes of youthful struggle, incest and patriarchy are thus not exactly original, albeit carried out in a slightly different, and simpler, plot. "Festen" was also a remarkably better work of art with for instance a stronger sense of environment, higher technical merit and better acting. While Flemming Enevold spins a strong character as the father, the younger actors Jan Meyer and Stine Fischer Christensen are not so charismatic in the parts of his adult children, and I don't feel like we get to see the motives or feelings behind their actions.
John and Mia (2002)
Dark estrangement
"John og Mia" is a 25-minute short from Danish director Christian Dyekjær. It is based on the good idea of a middle-aged man discovering his own daughter as the star of one of the adult movies he rents at the local gas station to comfort him in his not too stimulating life as a widowed truck driver.
The idea is good because it is surprising and because it begs action of the man and confrontation not only with his daughter, but with the detachment they have suffered. Without saying too much, the ending seems to say that estrangement within family can only ever be shallow - father and daughter share more than puts them apart.
Style is something different entirely. With its video pictures and dark lighting in anonymous settings this film offers a mood and a pace of its own, but fails to tell the story with anything except the most necessary ability. There are a few unnecessary scenes, and the entertainment level is not high. Dick Kaysø plays the father and more or less blends in with the interiors while Mira Wanting is the daughter who does well in those scenes that underline her sensibility as a woman and a daughter, especially the final scene. Actor and singer Niels Skousen is seen in a small role.
Flash of a Dream (2002)
Good subject, poor film
Drama-documentary "Flash of a Dream" chronologically tells the story of the Danish man Jacob A. Riis who emigrated to the United States and became famous for his photo documentarism about the poverty of New York in the early twentieth century. This subject is excellent; for Americans and Danes alike this is an interesting and relevant chapter in our shared history, and one that at least Danes are commonly unaware of.
However, the manner in which the story is told here leaves me cold. A subject which would certainly have made a good documentary, and quite possibly a good feature film, is turned into something which is both and neither. Swedish actor Peter Stormare narrates as Riis from a manuscript which is probably inspired by Riis' book "How the Other Half Lives", interrupted only by a few paragraphs narrated by Anna Christine Löf as Riis' lost love Elisabeth. Stormare speaks with a touch of a Scandinavian accent blended into an American accent so thick it seems affected. Most of all, though, it is the monotony and melancholy of his reading and the frequent sentimentality of the text that are annoyances.
This is accompanied by an imagery consisting of Riis' black-and-white photographs, black-and-white reconstructions of situations from Riis' experiences in New York, and some colour footage of present-day poverty in America. Trying to link the poverty of a century ago with the poverty of today is a good idea, but the attempt is much too unsubstantiated, and there is really very little of visual interest other than Riis' own photographs which are seen only briefly.
Some hand-written lines of Riis' writings are used as graphical elements, but there are no actual historical sources referenced in the film. While this may be natural in a dramatic work it leaves me as a viewer strangely uninterested and not much more knowledgeable about Jacob A. Riis and his work.
Two Women (2001)
A beautiful and interesting film
"To kvinder" is an interesting Danish short film. It focuses on the relationship between an aging woman and a young daughter of Muslim immigrants as the latter is employed as a temporary housekeeper for the former. The ambition of the film is to show the cultural barriers that exist between them and, indeed, between Danes and immigrants in general, and to confront the prejudice and the lack of communication.
It does so in great style. Both lead actresses perform excellently, with frailty as well as strength. The cinematography is kept in a beautiful, classic style, accompanied with much grace by a score of piano music to reflect the importance of a piano in the storyline. Great compliments can be paid to every part of the production crew.
The film can be criticized as being politically correct or as ultimately downplaying the problems from cultural barriers. However, the fact that the actual barriers are almost always smaller than what the prejudices foresee is an ever-important message, and this film shows this in an appealing and interesting manner.
The Man with the Tuba (2000)
A film of many qualities
"Manden med tubaen" is a fine Danish short film carried by quality in several important fields of film-making. The lead actor, the talented Søren Sætter-Lassen, is wonderful as the struggling man who finds a glimpse of passion in a tuba and in a woman who he can help because she is even more sad than he is. Especially remarkable is the cinematography by award-winner Anthony Dod Mantle and the sceneries and locations he is given to work with. The light and the colours give a refreshing stylistic touch to the film.
The director keeps the to some extent tragic tale interesting by not ignoring the moments of humour and warmth in the story. It's a film of important changes in a man's life, and while the brevity of the film perhaps excludes it from exploring all aspects, it certainly represents a good use of a form and a subject and is interesting and appealing to watch.
Under uret (1985 TV Movie)
Within the walls of a central station
In an entertaining and interesting television documentary from one of Denmark's top documentarians, Copenhagen's central train station is portrayed as something more than walls and a roof around a necessary means of transportation. Through the camera lens and the excellent interviews with the people who inhabit the station we hear a variety of stories: 'Roligans' returning in disappointment from a football match, a family who await the return of their family member from America after several decades, a man who comes to the station with two parrots on his shoulders to have his picture taken, an old woman who invariably sits in a corner to watch the travellers walk by, a prosthetic leg forgotten in a train, fireworks in the sky outside on Saturday night.
Documentarism with a topic as simple, yet complex as this is rarely seen better. Director Poul Martinsen presents us with a work of artistic and documentarist value while from start to finish focusing on the humanistic craftsmanship of telling good stories about actual people. Everyone really does have a story worth telling, at least in this train station. Bjørk Aabech's inspired photography of architectural details and everyday situations help to make this little film an excellent example of well-made, relevant documentarism.
Sofia - født 1901 (2000 TV Short)
Good idea in theory, but fails to impress on closer inspection
This small Danish production, produced by Filmforsyningen for Danmarks Radio and directed by veteran Anders Sørensen, is based on the interesting and educational idea of letting a (fictional) hundred year old woman tell her life story and, through animation, depict the many events of her life that intertwine with the most dramatic events of the world in the twentieth century. Starting at a radio studio in Copenhagen where the old lady is invited to tell her story on the air, the film goes on to show us the events of her narration before, at the end, returning again to the radio studio and a situation more dramatic than expected, which proves a worthy finish line to an imaginative screenplay.
All the way through, the animation is coherent and even monotonous in its black-and-white sketchy style. Indeed, as a measure of imagination I find the animation to be decisively poor. In addition, the character voices are not good at all: while the Sofia voice is certainly that of an old foreign woman, it is also disastrously dull. Actor/comedian Thomas Mørk seems to follow that track in his performance which lacks surprise and feeling. This gathers the impression of a little film which is definitely interesting on the outset, but may prove almost unbearable to watch till the end.
Shadow of the Clouds (1996)
Excellent performances and solid treatment of time, place and topic
"Skyernes skygge rammer mig" is the somewhat heavy title of this well-made Danish timepic. What you don't necessarily realize from the official plot summaries of this film is that its subject is that of a dark and potentially dangerous homosexual attraction. Written by author Klaus Rifbjerg, who is not a stranger to writing about homosexual topics, the film lets the young law clerk Jens delve into a nightlife he never knew before, led by the older man Erhard who is his superior at the office. It becomes clear, at least to the viewer, that Erhard is interested in more than conversations and friendship, and despite his relationship to a pretty girl his own age Jens finds himself tempted, and reluctant to cause disappointment for the man who has taken such an interest in him.
The director and the artistic team do well to create an atmosphere of the 1950s time period at issue, including many delightful details. The direction is also flawed, however, for instance when it ties the story to pictures of an aged Jens which gives, in my evaluation, an overly-ambitious structure and design for a short film of less than three quarters of an hour. Meanwhile, the lead actors and the acting direction are truly remarkable. Ole Lemmeke is precise in his portrayal of a slick man with ulterior motives and, as is hinted, a hurtful past; Tomas Villum Jensen is arguably even better in a role of much nuance. Additional parts range from bright to miscast.
Halfway through the film it struck me that I would have had a difficult time figuring out a way to end a story which follows a path towards something which could, it seems, certainly never be a happy ending, at least not for everyone involved. Indeed, the actual ending is my biggest concern with the storyline as it can perhaps be criticized for escaping climax rather than delivering it. Nevertheless, this is a fine short film which shows ambition and experience combined in good form.
Stealing Rembrandt (2003)
Well-made crime-comedy with an edge
Going to see this was a bit of a gamble for me. I didn't feel convinced that this film would be worthwhile, based as it is on a funny, but not terribly dramatic news story about the robbery of a Rembrandt painting. I was, in the end, positively surprised, even at Lars Brygmann's unusual role which I would have thought was out-of-character for him.
In fact, director Jannik Johansen has made a very strong and convincing story from the actual event which inspired him. The fact that the robbers stole the Rembrandt by mistake rather than by intent proves a good starting point for a comic screenplay full of surprise, distrust and, eventually, disappointment. The latter is no spoiler, for it is almost a given that a Danish crime plot on film will not depict the problem-free victory of the crooks, but rather the opposite. "Rembrandt" might, as such, remind many viewers of the famous "Olsen-Banden" series.
Actors which work well in a comic, but also dramatic and personal setting are instrumental here. The film succeeds very well, especially with before-mentioned Lars Brygmann, the super-expressive Nicolas Bro and the bold, young Jacob Cedergren for whom this is the first major film role since his breakthrough in the TV series "Edderkoppen". Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau is all right as the fourth gang member, but his part lacks perspective and importance, in part due to the fact that the ending of the film doesn't involve his character adequately. Søren Pilmark, Sonja Richter and Paprika Steen are the most noteworthy of the additional cast, all in solid performances.
Rembrandt is not by any means a revelation, nor does it attract much attention for cinematography or additional crafts, but it works on all levels and, notably, successfully adds a serious and personal angle to its humour.
Reconstruction (2003)
Exquisite film-making in Copenhagen love drama
"Reconstruction" is overt about its style from the first minute when a deep-voiced narrator cautiously introduces the audience to the story and the narrative form. From then on, and until the narrator returns at the very end, we are cast into a complex and difficult drama set in a big city environment filmed in stunning craft and style. Copenhagen has rarely been seen as interesting, and in an odd sense charming, as here.
This is not an expensive film - the Director's Cut entity behind the film was designed specifically to produce good films on even lower budgets than are the norm in Denmark - but its appearance is delightful and intriguing with its sometimes bright, sometimes dark and often grainy cinematography, additional effects of occasional written identifications of characters and locations, and classic-style title design.
The story sees a young man captured by the meeting with a woman different than, but resembling his usual girlfriend, and struck by existential doubt when he finds himself a stranger to those he thought he knew. The plot is impossible to grasp completely, at least at first sight, but sufficiently immediate for the beholder to like it and be taken in by it. To me, the lack of answers is a bit over the top and causes me to cut my IMDb rating for the film to 8, but with the strong support for David Lynch films and other similar works in recent years I am probably in the minority on that point.
Danish Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Swedish-Norwegian Maria Bonnevie are both extraordinary, Kaas in the antagonist role of Alex and Bonnevie in a rare double part as the different, but similar Aimee and Simone. A repeated scene in a bar in which Aimee and Alex meet is a particularly fine example of the precise and strong performances. The fine Danish actors Nicolas Bro and Malene Schwartz are the most noteworthy of the additional cast.
Ambition is Christoffer Boe's middle name, but he lives up to any and all expectations Danish experts may have had to him since he graduated from the National Danish Film School in 2001. He has already been compared to another renewer of Danish film, Lars von Trier, and while I am reluctant to compare this first-time feature director to an established international star, I do think "Reconstruction" bears a stronger sense of place through its use of locations and the plot's connection to them, a superior depiction of relationships between people, and sometimes simply a more profound joy of storytelling than in any of Trier's work.
I Belong to Me (1967)
Mixed impressions
Some may be surprised to learn that there were quite a lot of Danish musicals around the middle of the 20th century, almost exclusively of light and comedic character. Like in Hollywood, the phenomenon diminished in the last decades of the century and has until now only been resurrected in children's film and cartoons. And, if you like, in "Dancer in the Dark".
"Jeg er sgu min egen" stars the popular Daimi in what reads like a recipe for success; the film is written by one of the country's most popular writers (Rifbjerg), directed by one of the country's most popular directors (Balling) and has a score by one of the country's most popular composers (Fabricius-Bjerre).
Upon closer view, and watched thirty-six years after it opened, it certainly has some surprising content and entertainment, but is also a tiring experience. The main story is simple bordering on dull, albeit interesting for its light-hearted take on sex roles and the women's lib movement. Characters range from the subdued to the wacky, giving a mixed overall impression; I will note another misuse of the sometimes wonderful Poul Reichhardt in a role as a dream-sequence naval captain. Musically, only a few songs grabbed my attention, notably "Jeg sætter min hat som jeg vil", a Danish classic, and while the score is light and playful, it is perhaps not of significant interest. An advantage is the delightful cinematography in on-location settings in Copenhagen.
Hårde drenge danser ikke (2001)
Undramatic documentary on dramatic dancing
Eske Holm's documentary self-portrait is a small film produced by himself in the creative environment of one of the Danish Film Institute's workshops. It works on that basic level, as a document of Eske Holm's career in which he gets to express his ideas in words as well as show some of them in action. Something which, of course, is much more suited for the film medium than for those of writing or radio.
Also on the positive side, it gives a good overview of the 30-year career in question, with sufficient detail to fit those interested in the specific details of Holm's personal story or that of Danish modern dance in general.
The film, however, is not very interesting to viewers who are not familiar with or interested in modern dance. It doesn't adequately transcend the border between narrow and general interest.
Stargazer (2002)
A musical document
"Stjernekigger" is an interesting documentary about the rise of the Danish rock band Swan Lee. The film is an intimate and personal documentation of the band's long, troubled path towards releasing their first album, the acclaimed "Enter".
We see the private conversations of the group, showing the frustrations they face with finding a steady group of band members, and the just as frustrating meetings with record executives. The film also uses its medium well, for instance in the artistic intro sequence (identical to the band's music video for "Tomorrow Never Dies") and some impressionist mosaics of picture and sound that describe singer Pernille Rosendahl's personal story. Also, the description of the frustrating business of contacting record companies is made interesting through entertaining compositions of telephone conversations that lead nowhere.
The film ends with the decision of recording the album for the band members' own money and then a brief look at the success that followed. I would have liked to see additional parts of the band's development process, for instance the songwriting, as well as the actual recording process. This would also have served as an elaboration on what the musical visions of the band are, which is another thing I only get an incomplete impression of as a viewer.
Woyzeck's Last Symphony (2001)
It's a comedy, it's a tragedy, it's a ...
'Tragicomedy' is what I submitted as a keyword for this title, and tragicomedy is what it is. With a dialogue full of good ideas and a comic angle on everything that goes on, but also a semi-political emphasis on the problems of the unemployed immigrant, a number of melancholic scenes and a decidedly tragic ending, I sense that the director has in fact gone directly for this mixed impression.
With its surprising and entertaining fake-documentary style featuring a narrator voice and look-backs on the life of the main character, the style of the film is colourful and fun. Add to that the perfect lead, Zlatko Buric, himself an immigrant to Denmark from Croatia, and you've got yourself a very good film.
Weaknesses are a few dull scenes, the somewhat undeveloped character Sarah, and the mystification that the viewer may feel about the criminal environment that plays a central role in the film. Some of these are probably products of the intention of getting all moods into the film.
Mountain Craze (2002)
Average short film with climbing drama
This film features two of the actors who have achieved fame in the Danish film boom of the past five-six years. Ann Eleonora Jørgensen and Peter Gantzler also starred alongside each other in the drama series "Taxa" and the romantic comedy "Italiensk for begyndere".
In this short film by writer-director Kari Vidø they are two Danes who have gone mountain climbing in Sweden. They meet two Swedes, played by Reine Brynolfsson and Jessica Zandén. The outside drama of a climbing accident is combined with the inside drama of tension in the relationships of both couples.
I found the whole matter to be slightly uninteresting for the average viewer. The story felt a bit too schematic to quite capture my imagination or identification. This is, I think, a common risk in short films where a story has to be told through few scenes, but the best directors avoid it completely. In addition, the dialog sounded slightly unnatural, which reflected on the acting performances, and the cinematography, while well-crafted, felt uninspired.
Baby Quark (1987 TV Short)
Good work; lovely irony
In what is surely the best of the six animation shorts about Quark, the troll-like creature from "Valhalla", the animators and writers do well to unite their crafts to tell Quark's story of origin while inspiring plenty of laughs. The animation is not very advanced, but its liveliness and its many fun troll characters make up for a great deal.
A narrator is used here to a much higher degree than in any of the following five films; he tells the entire story assisted only by various sound effects and some lively music. The narration, carried out excellently by Henrik Kofoed in the Danish version, is used for a very specific purpose, namely to tell an ironic tale where pictures are contrasts to the narration. It is this concept that brings me to rate this film highly among not only the six Quarks, but among animation shorts in general.
Excellent work; a bit of a classic
"Valhalla" has become a bit of a Danish classic, for years rating as a key product of Danish children's fiction. Since it was based on a popular Danish comic album series and helped establish a growing cartoon industry in Denmark, it has also achieved some popularity with young film aficionados, resulting for instance in the recent petition campaign for the DVD release of the film.
Having re-watched the film on the video release recently, I have almost exclusively positive remarks for the film. In all parts of the production this is solid work. There is, perhaps, more cuteness than true drama, and the film is left too short to be epic, but these are descriptions rather than criticisms.
Three things struck me as particularly note-worthy about the production: First, the story does well to transport the imagination of the beholder into the world of the old mythology. To that end, I took special note of the opening prologue scene in which a narrator introduces us to the land of the gods and the story that is to begin; it is almost perfectly styled. Second, as a very positive quality to the story in general, the gods of the story are portrayed funnily and full of flaws, bad tempers, etc. Third, the music of the entire film is excellent, balancing the dramatic and light styles elegantly to fit the moods of the film.


Our barn had a great history. Reportedly it was once the carriage house for the large white building at the corner of Main and High Streets, next to the Walker Funeral Home. Many years ago, probably before 1910, it was moved all the way to its current location at the end of Colorado Avenue. To move it the new owner (probably Bruno Hartmann) had to dismantle it completely, then move it board by board and beam by beam on horse-drawn wagons. The old construction involved pegs in addition to nails. The round wooden pegs and the old-fashioned cut nails were carefully removed, then re-used at the new location. I'm not sure what the wood was. Chestnut was the most common old wood, but this was likely something else.
Bruno Hartmann had a small farm, maybe about 70 acres, and he kept a few cows and sold milk to his neighbors in that small German community. The barn was about 30 by 30 with two large lofts connected by a smaller loft at the front of the building. The barn had to accommodate two or three cows, two draft horses, and lots of hay in addition to a small space for grain, tack, and tools.
Bruno and his brothers, the chemist and the machinist (Rob and Max), owned the property a long time. During World War I they were informally restricted to the farm because of their alleged admiration for the Kaiser. A kind gentleman named Alphonse Patnode would go into town and buy groceries and other necessities for the family, which included a sister Anna. Neighbors would come to the farm to get their milk. Down on the hillside there were a couple of small buildings which were probably chicken coops. I assume at least one of those belonged to the Hartmanns, as it was falling into extreme disrepair by 1960. The Hartmanns went back to Germany after the war, and gave the farm to Mr. Patnode in thanks for his kindness.
The barn has stood sturdy and strong for many years. When I first knew it, there was an old "office" room at the front, with many prize ribbons left there by a horse owner, George Patnode. There were two large box stalls with half-doors scarred along the top by the "cribbing" of the draft horses. (Bored horses chew the wood on their doors.) The walk-through door leading into the office still worked. The lofts were being used as storage space for old furniture, an old ice sled, some scrap lumber, and more obscure treasures.
Over the years the barn has leaned a little to the east. At one time we jacked it up and added bracing to reinforce the strength of the building. Now when it tries to lean, it actually tightens the bracing and becomes stronger. We even got the walk-through door working again. Then in more recent years we got busy. Allan had some health problems, and we built a house on the other side of town. The barn started leaning aggressively to the east, pushing the walk-door into the ground. The west end of the barn started to buckle a little, and panes of glass have popped out of the windows on the south side of the barn. Occasionally a slate from the roof falls off, and Allan slides a piece of metal roofing into the space. Squirrels like the way the trees north of the barn have grown larger and longer branches, making it easy to include the barn in their daily route. Squirrels are bad for buildings, and we have seen larger and newer chewed-out holes they have created to improve their traffic flow. An expert tells us our barn could still be jacked and saved, but we are not there to use it.
We have been trying to sell the place on and off for several years, and we realize the barn's deteriorating condition seriously detracts from what realtors call "curb appeal." Last year we talked with a man who will take the barn down in exchange for the salvaged materials. Old barn boards have value even if they aren't gray. Varying shades of worn and faded red are also desirable. Late in the fall he told us he had not forgotten us and would see us in the spring. Spring came very late and now the man is putting on an addition to our daughter's home so her mother-in-law can move in with them. I guess we're not the only procrastinators who overbook our time.
Two years ago we removed a lot of stuff from the lofts. Allan's Red Ryder BB gun was there, to his surprise. His oldest bike had been stolen. Our cellar now has the double-rip sled, the ice sled, several chairs in need of re-building, and boxes of old tools and glassware. We gave a lot of old metal stuff to my nephew to sell for scrap. Allan still wants to remove the horse stall doors to use again, perhaps in the cheap new barn we hope to build behind our new home. We have fond memories of the horses we kept in that barn, but Allan likes his memories reinforced with souvenirs.
Our computer still stores the last good photo of the barn, taken when the barn looked presentable. The barn appears as a dark red shadow, softened and framed in falling snow. I'll enjoy remembering it that way.