text:
After a little bit of thought, here is the design I came up with for this week's challenge:
I used Ranger Pearls over Basic Grey CS that has been embossed to give it a pearl washed look for the background paper. The image is stamped with Sage Shadow ink using SU!'s new Elements of Style stamp set. That sweet hummingbird is also stamped in SS and cut out to give a 3-D effect. Some yummy grey satin ribbon in the corner anchors the grey ric rac die cuts (PTI) and some white pearls to give it a finished, somewhat vintage look.
Now it's your turn! Hop on over to the Picture Perfect Creations Challenge Blog to see what the other a-mazing Design Team Members have created for your inspiration this week. I really can't wait to see what you come up with for your design using this unique color combo.
*I'm running a challenge special for Picture Perfect this week ... make a card or project using the Week #13 colors and post it over at PPC. Then, come back here and leave me a comment on this post letting me know that you want to be entered into my contest. One lucky participant will win two yards of the colors of your choice of my Shabby Vintage Seam Binding - 15 colors viewable in my Etsy Shop!
*Megan, our PPC Creator, will be running a 'follow me' contest this week too ... become a follower of the PPC challenge blog AND submit a design this week for the #13 color combo challenge and earn a chance to win 12 yards of my Shabby Vintage Seam Binding!!
Now go get busy craftin' ... I'm excited to see what you come up with :) Sketch compliments of Our Creative Corner #15.

domain: design


text:
The Atlantic Music Expo (AME) will take place over 8 -10 April in the center of the capital Praia, Cape Verde, Africa: its conferences, networking meetings, professional market and showcases will offer a perfect setting for international music professionals, artists from Cabo Verde and abroad to network, expand their contacts and activities, and discover the country.
Atlantic Music Expo is scheduled right before Kriol Jazz Festival to give the delegates the possibility to enjoy a broader offer of musical discoveries.
David Alexander is attending AME and will be sitting on a panel entitled;
THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF RIGHTS COLLECTING SOCIETIES
Publishers, labels and collecting societies will all provide their perspective on this often complex topic in order to paint a clearer picture of how it all works.
David Alexander – Sheer Publishing (South Africa)
Gerard Davoust – SACEM (France)
Erica Smith – COSCAP (Barbados)
Daniel Spencer – (Cabo Verde)
Moderator Sipho Sithole – Native Rhythms (South Africa)
Sheer Publishing will be looking to add to its roster of songwriters from Cape Verde. Sheer currently represents Maria de Barros whose music transcends taste, preference and even language. It travels through countries dense with culture, picking up pieces of each along the way, combining distinct inflections of Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, France and Spain, while allowing the tradition and culture of Cape Verde to permeate.
Melodies melt off her tongue with the same richness and maturity of a contemporary Cape Verde club singing Ella Fitzgerald, except that this songstress’s club is bursting with a taste of Latin spice, serving Portuguese and African cuisine with dancers to match and audiences swinging their hips to Maria’s sensual Morna and Coladeira beats. Although Maria was born in Dakar, Senegal and grew up in Nouackchott, Mauritania, her creative heart lies in the culturally rich Islands of Cape Verde, the birthplace of her parents.
Maria takes inspiration from things which fuel her heart: The love of her family, nostalgia of her mother’s voice around the house, the school children whom she sponsors in Cape Verde, the humbling of her fans and musicians and artists she admires, particularly godmother Cesaria Evora, “the barefoot diva”, who put the music of Cape Verde on the global jukebox. If music is food for the soul, then Maria de Barros is most certainly the chef. She takes inspiration from food and cooking too, but most importantly, life. Her optimistic outlook on life is evident in her music, as it serves as a glimmer in some of the darker times.
She describes her music as “a potpourri of African, Latin and European styles. It is truly a musical geography – but still very much rooted in the musical tradition of Cabo Verde.”
Maria’s musical canvas, with an undercoat of traditional Criolu daubed with bright flecks of Latin pop and African soul, is like a global triptych, made up of all different parts, influences and dialects, yet each piece standing alone, would be much less exciting or meaningful. The beauty can only be truly appreciated when all are perceived simultaneously – an aural masterpiece.
Maria seems to be following in her godmother’s “barefooted” steps with her global appeal. Her achievements include the Cape Verdean Artist of the Year, awarded by Cape Verdean Radio/TV/Newspapers in US in 2005, the Miriam Makeba Award for Excellence in Music, given by Radio DJs in the United States in 2006, and the Cultural Certificate of Merit awarded by the Ministry of Culture in Cape Verde in 2008. She has also hosted the “Soul of Africa” programme on BET Jazz television since 2006 while a song from her latest album was placed in the international hit HBO series “Entourage”. The recognition of this songstress’s talent is a testament to her global appeal and drive, which she hopes will help her in her strife for a better world.
Maria de Barros: Songstress, collaborator, explorer, philanthropist, cultural Ambassador of Cape Verde, feeder of souls.
More information: http://www.atlanticmusicexpo.com/

domain: entertainment


text:
Pen Name: None Connection to Illinois: Brownson lives in Chicago. Biography: JeanMarie Brownson writes the ''Dinner at Home'' column for the Chicago Tribune served as assistant food editor and test kitchen director between 1980 and 1996. She is the culinary director of the Rick Bayless-founded Frontera Foods and Frontera Media Productions, which produces Bayless's PBS TV show. She has co-authored three books with Rick Bayless, including ''Mexico: One Plate at a Time'', winner of the James Beard Foundation's International Cookbook Award.
+Brownson JeanMarie Brownson on WorldCat : http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=JeanMarie
|Dinner At Home :
ISBN: 1572841788 OCLC: 946625869 Agate Publishing, Chicago, IL : 2015. JeanMarie Brownson has long been a beloved chef and food writer, from her time as the Chicago Tribune's test kitchen director and associate food editor to her ongoing professional partnership with the iconic Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco). Since 2007, Brownson has chronicled her life of cooking in a series of Chicago Tribune columns, the best of which have been hand-picked to form her newest cookbook, Dinner at Home: 140 Recipes to Enjoy with Family and Friends. This book features inventive and easy-to-make recipe ideas, along with gorgeous full-color photography. Organized by course, Dinner at Home also devotes chapters to holiday dinners, party snacks, rubs and sauces, and "breakfast for dinner." Readers will enjoy the seasonal menus, such as those for special occasions (Anniversary Dinner, Ultimate Father's Day, and Sunday Brunch) as well as themed meals (Manhattan Cocktail Party, Saturday Night Beer Tasting, and Wish We Were in Ireland Supper). For Brownson, cooking for others ranks as one of life's greatest pleasures, and her passion for creating trustworthy, approachable recipes is clear throughout Dinner at Home. This book is a must-have for home cooks who love the time spent gathered around the table with friends, family, and delicious meals.
|Rick Bayless Mexico one plate at a time /
ISBN: 068484186X OCLC: 44573373 An authority on Mexican cuisine shares his wisdom and experience on cooking south of the border in this collection of 120 recipes that includes classics as well as some of his own creations.
|Salsas that cook :
ISBN: 0684856948 OCLC: 39765477 Simon & Schuster, New York, NY : ©1998. Tells readers how to compose six authentic, versatile salsas and use them in sixty delicious dishes, including such American standards as ribeye steak.

domain: library


text:
[The above video footage shows the pepper spraying incident on UC Davis campus last week.]
UC Davis' embattled chancellor said campus police officers defied her orders when they used pepper spray on peaceful Occupy protesters last week.
Chancellor Linda Katehi's statement comes as outrage continued over the incident, which was caught on tape.
During an interview with the Sacramento Bee, Katehi said, "We told the police to remove the tents or the equipment."
"We told them very specifically to do it peacefully, and if there were too many of them, not to do it, if the students were aggressive, not to do it. And then we told them we also do not want to have another Berkeley."
Katehi said that she doesn't know who decided who to use the pepper spray, but that Police Chief Annette Spicuzza was part of an "emergency conference call" before the incident took place, and that on Saturday Spicuzza claimed it was Lt. John Pike who made the decision.
Lt. John Pike, and another officer wearing riot gear and the campus police chief have all been placed on paid administrative leave.
Katehi has resisted calls for her resignation in recent meetings with students, and yesterday called for dropping charges against 10 people who were arrested and paying the medical expenses of students who were pepper-sprayed.
Eleven of the victims were treated for the effects of pepper spray which include burning to the eyes and nose, shortness of breath, gagging and coughing.
Police have been ordered to remain on call for emergencys, but to otherwise remain out of site on the campus.
Meanwhile, former Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton will head a UC-sponsored investigation into the incident. Bratton is to lead an independent review and report his findings within a month, UC President Mark G. Yudof said.
Katehi said it was time officials "recognize that we are a campus of the 21st century, and students have different needs and different expectations of how to express themselves, and yet we have protocols of 30 or 40 years ago. And we have a police force that has been trained for the incidents we dealt with 20 or 30 years ago."
More like this
- One Last 2014 Ask From Blue America
- Pushing Back Against Sheldon Adelson Flood Of Slime
- Why We "Are Voting For the Other" ...Susan Collins Hasn't Earned 6 More Years
- Steve Israel's Ignored WA-08, so Jason Richie Will Use Own Strategy to Beat Loathsome Dave Reichert
- Alan Grayson-- Progressives' Cosmic Thing
- Brad Blog
- Daily Kos
- The Reality-Based Community
- Petrelis Files
- Liberal Catnip
- The Talent Show
- Rising Hegemon
- bob harris
- Vagabond Scholar
- Down with tyranny
- 43 Ideas Per Minute
- Politics TV
- Nicole Sandler - Radio or Not
- democratic underground
- Balloon Juice
- echidne of the snakes
- Arthur Silber

domain: news


text:
The Serial Daters Of 2011
Some folks just can't settle down. Here are the serial daters of 2011: The celebs that hooked up with the most people!
After splitting with Penn Badgely in late 2010, Blake Lively took a tour of Hollywood's hunks. After a summer of romance with Leonardo DiCaprio, she hit it off with Green Lantern co-star Ryan Reynolds.
Ryan Reynolds was no slouch, either. Rumors said he hooked up with Sandra Bullock, but he is currently going stroke with Blake Lively.

domain: celebrity


text:
Soil fertility evaluation of inceptisol order from Ausa Tahsil of Latur District
Kadam DM, Waghmare MS, Goswami HG, Mutkule US and Chavan NS
The present investigation was undertaken for assessing the fertility status in Inceptisols of Ausa tahsil in Latur District, for this purpose total 100 soils samples were systematically collected from 20 villages by using global positioning system where 50 samples identified as Inceptisols which were analyzed for their Physico-chemical properties (soil pH, Electrical conductivity, organic carbon and calcium carbonate) and available nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium). The soils of Ausa tahsil were found neutral to moderately alkaline in reaction; soluble salt content comes under safe Limit i.e. no any deleterious effect found for all crops, where the organic carbon level exhibited low to moderately high content and non-calcareous to calcareous in nature. The Inceptisols of the area showed low to moderate content in Available N and P, whereas most of the samples were found under very high content for Available K. The Physico chemical properties (pH, EC, OC and CaCO3) of soils from order Inceptisols showed strongly positive and significant relation with available nutrients (N, P and K) however CaCO3 showed non-significant relation with available K.
How to cite this article:
Kadam DM, Waghmare MS, Goswami HG, Mutkule US, Chavan NS. Soil fertility evaluation of inceptisol order from Ausa Tahsil of Latur District. Pharma Innovation 2021;10(12):30-35.

domain: agronomy


text:
1: Indulge in the flavors of the Mediterranean with these exotic shrimp recipes. Impress your friends and family with your culinary skills.
2: Savor the taste of succulent shrimp marinated in a blend of Mediterranean spices. These recipes are sure to elevate your cooking game.
3: Transport yourself to a Mediterranean seaside with every bite of these shrimp sensations. Discover new flavors and techniques with these recipes.
4: From spicy harissa shrimp to citrusy grilled shrimp, these recipes will take your taste buds on a journey through the Mediterranean.
5: Elevate your cooking with these exotic Mediterranean shrimp recipes. Become the culinary star you were meant to be with these sensational dishes.
6: Impress your guests with grilled shrimp skewers and zesty shrimp pasta. These recipes will make you a culinary star in no time.
7: Whip up a batch of garlic butter shrimp or Mediterranean shrimp salad for a taste of the sea. These recipes will elevate your culinary skills.
8: Master the art of Mediterranean cooking with these exotic shrimp recipes. Become a culinary star in your kitchen with these sensational dishes.
9: From lemon herb shrimp to spicy shrimp tacos, these recipes will make you a culinary sensation. Elevate your cooking with these Mediterranean dishes.
Click here for more

domain: food


text:
Our latest Events
Explore The arts world
Artistiq provide the best online platform for artists to showcase their work and it also serves to easily connect artists with customers. We offer seasonal seminars and work shop for artist in the Arab Regions.
Always stay connected with arts

domain: artistic


This catch can is a great solution to deal with any excess crankcase pressure in your motor. It allows for quick installation to factory mounting holes with the provided hardware. When the tank is full, it can easily be drained in seconds without the use of any tools!
The oil catch can uses three tabs that can be mounted to OEM bolt holes along the firewall and strut tower. This catch can fits nicely alongside the OEM fuse box to fill out the space.
*Fits first gen IS300 only (1999-2005)*
*Battery must be relocated to install this oil catch can*
- 1/8" Aluminum construction
- (2) -10AN fittings standard - *other fittings available by request*
- Internally baffled + stainless mesh inside
- Holds 2.5 qts of fluid
- Quick drain plug - no tools required to drain tank
- Removable air filter
- Raw aluminum - IN STOCK
- Anodized - Up to 2 weeks
We are now happy to offer AN fittings and hose for all of our catch cans and oil coolers! Our selection of AN products can be found HERE


Donnerstag, 28. Februar 2013
Mittwoch, 27. Februar 2013
Montag, 25. Februar 2013
Sonntag, 24. Februar 2013
Dienstag, 19. Februar 2013
Posted by Courtney Chappell on February 11, 2013 at 01:17 PM EST
Today, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) released Fiscal Year 2013 federal agency plans and a report entitled “Continuing Progress for the Asian American and Pacific Islander Community, Federal Agency Accomplishments”. The report showcases the accomplishments made by the federal government to address the needs and improve the quality of life of AAPIs across the country.
The Initiative has partnered with 23 federal departments and agencies to develop and implement specific plans that will increase the participation of AAPIs in federal programs and services. Some notable accomplishments include:
- The Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration published a new health and safety guide for nail salon workers. Given that approximately 40% of nail salon workers in this country are AAPI, the guide has also been translated into Vietnamese and Korean.
- The Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted outreach and provided education materials to Hmong communities about the nutritional benefits of USDA programs in California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission expanded its ability to collect demographic information from individuals filing a charge of discrimination from five Asian national origin categories to twelve.
The agency plans establish program goals that relate to several overarching themes: expanding data disaggregation systems to help us better understand the needs of the AAPI community; ensuring that individuals with limited English proficiency have access to federal programs and services; expanding workforce diversity programs; and utilizing existing federal grant programs to help support AAPI communities.
The Initiative will collaborate with federal agencies to continue to provide for the 16 million AAPIs living in the U.S.
Courtney Chappell is a senior advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
White House Blogs
- The White House Blog
- Middle Class Task Force
- Council of Economic Advisers
- Council on Environmental Quality
- Council on Women and Girls
- Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Office of Management and Budget
- Office of Public Engagement
- Office of Science & Tech Policy
- Office of Urban Affairs
- Open Government
- Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships
- Social Innovation and Civic Participation
- US Trade Representative
- Office National Drug Control Policy


text:
After Sri Lankan army forces overran parts of the last stretch of territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 1 April 2009, a statement from the defence ministry in Colombo announced that they had found the bodies of over seventy LTTE cadre. The statement went on to detail the spoils of war: the numbers of captured rifles, grenade-launchers, and mortars. As for civilian deaths and injuries - despite what was evidently hard fighting in populated areas - not a word! Indeed, except to assert its own blamelessness, the ministry has been silent on the more than 3,000 civilians believed to have been killed in the fighting since January (see "Sri Lanka under siege", 30 January 2009).
A military that counts seized landmines but not killed or wounded civilians is a cause for concern. The LTTE, which has refused to let tens of thousands of civilians flee the fighting, shows as little regard for civilians. But that's not a standard Sri Lanka's government should try to emulate.
Tens of thousands of terrified civilians are trapped in a dangerous conflict-zone. The military says that the remaining LTTE cadre - along with their leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran - have effectively hidden themselves among the civilians in a government-declared "no-fire zone". As the military plans the final defeat of the LTTE in this twenty-six-year conflict, the fact that the army has repeatedly and indiscriminately shelled these zones means that fear for the safety of civilians has increased.
A brutalised country
This terrible plight of civilians is hardly surprising.
The LTTE has itself long been responsible for horrific human-rights abuses. These include forcibly recruiting people to serve its cause; turning schoolchildren into combatants; using Claymore landmines and human-bombs; indiscriminate killings and outright murder. During the 2002-08 ceasefire, the LTTE continued to commit systematic human-rights abuses, not least in the territory it controlled.
Sri Lankan governments, in an effort to appease the majority Sinhalese population, have consistently failed to address Tamil grievances; this has helped the Tigers to build support among the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora. But the present government of Mahinda Rajapakse is hoping that its current military campaign will finally mark an end of the LTTE. Since 2006, when both sides resumed major military operations, the conflict has killed and wounded thousands of civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands, leaving many suffering from disease and hunger.
To ensure its success, the Sri Lankan government has chosen to silence dissident voices. Many of those demanding another approach or criticising government actions or policies are accused of being closet LTTE supporters or otherwise sympathetic to terrorists. Journalists and human-rights defenders wonder when they might fall prey to a bullet or be subjected to arbitrary detention. Many have fled the country. Meanwhile, all over Sri Lanka, Tamils are treated as suspects, often asked to report for profiling and identification.
As the military made significant gains in reclaiming virtually all of northern Sri Lanka previously held by the LTTE, the Tigers have withdrawn. But with utter disregard for the international laws of war, they have scooped up civilians to be used as combatants, provide labour to build trenches and bunkers, and now to serve as human shields. These are Tamils, the people that the LTTE claims to represent and protect - yet, it is deliberately putting them in danger.
The army, as it marched victorious through towns and villages, found abandoned homes, schools, churches and temples. For over two years, the Sri Lankan government was aware that civilians were being forced to accompany the retreating LTTE - for the Tigers have also used this strategy in the past. Yet the government has made no attempt to secure the safety of its citizens held hostage by the enemy. It could have helped them to escape much earlier, ensuring that displaced escape the fighting and are treated in accordance with international standards - creating fears in the minds of many Tamils that they will be persecuted, both now and when the fighting is over. Instead, it has only recently set up detention-camps for the 60,000 or so displaced persons who have managed to
An urgent need
As the military fired into the few square kilometers still held by the Tigers, there were widespread reports of civilian casualties. The government says it is doing its best to avoid these, and has routinely denied that its shells were landing on civilians. When questioned by the United Nations, diplomats or journalists, the military has claimed that the casualties are not necessarily civilians.
An official statement said: "It has been found that the terrorists fight in civil clothes and when they get wounded they can be mistakenly considered as civilians", but it added that there could be accidental injuries to non-combatants if they were in the line of fire. These dangerous statements convey the opposite of what is needed: for as LTTE militants merge with displaced civilians, the Sri Lankan army needs to demonstrate greater - not less - restraint.
It is impossible to know exactly what is going on in many combat-zones. The government has expelled virtually all humanitarian agencies and has kept independent journalists far from the combat-zone. The United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has called for the protection of trapped civilians, asking the LTTE "to allow civilians to leave the conflict-area of their own free will", and reminded the Sri Lankan government of "its responsibility to protect civilians, and to avoid the use of heavy weapons in areas where there are civilians, as promised."
The international community needs to take decisive steps to ensure that the war's victims are protected. It should work with concerned governments that have supported the Sri Lankan government's efforts against the LTTE; and with those in the Tamil diaspora who have for so long backed the LTTE, and encourage them to speak up for Tamil civilians caught up in the fighting.
The LTTE must stop placing civilians at risk and instead allow them to evacuate the combat-zone. The Sri Lankan government for its part should make every effort, including seeking the assistance of international experts, to rescue civilians - and request humanitarian agencies to provide them with appropriate care and protection. Both sides should agree to an emergency evacuation of civilians before more die or are maimed. Every day that passes is a stain on the consciences of those who could have saved new victims.
Meenakshi Ganguly is senior South Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.

domain: politics


text:
Updated on March 9
If evidence is presented that attacks on Google originated in China, authorities there said they will punish those responsible.
However, Chinese sources reportedly said they have yet to receive proof of charges that hackers based in China were responsible for the recent hacks incurred by Google, as well as some 30 other high-profile corporations.
According to an item posted Saturday by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Google has yet to file a report with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology over the attacks.
“If Google has had evidence that the attacks came from China, the Chinese government will welcome them to provide the information and will severely punish the offenders according to the law,” Vice Minister Miao Wei said in the report.
The hacking incident inflamed an already adversarial situation for Google in China. Despite continuing negotiation with state authorities, Google has made public accusations and threatened to pull its business out of China rather than submit to increased censorship. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said in January that although the company was still censoring search results in China, it would be making changes in a "reasonably short time." Subsequently, in a move that might be said to defy Chinese conditions, Google said that it would cease censoring results on its China-based search engine.
This latest statement from Vice Minister Miao Wei, however, is seen by some as a gesture at some reconciliation.
“I won't speculate on the political reasons for the perceived softening, Rene Head, global theater engagement manager, managed security services for Unisys, told SCMagazine late Monday. "However, there will most certainly be a measurable impact to both China and Google if Google decides or is legally forced to discontinue its business in China."
What is most interesting, said Head, is that the technology to identify the originating source and location of such malicious attacks is readily available in the market today, so Google's claim that they have identified the attackers is not unrealistic.
The cybercriminals who compromised systems at Google, Adobe and more than 30 other large companies used a previously unknown, zero-day Internet Explorer exploit as part of their arsenal to install data-stealing malware on target machines, researchers at McAfee revealed in January. In late February, the attacks were traced to two schools in China, though the Chinese government has refuted Google's claim that the hackers were based in China.
Google has struggled for market share in China, reportedly the world's largest online community with 384 million users as of the end of 2009. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company has an 85 percent share of the search engine market globally, but is a distant second (with a 20 percent share), behind Baidu (with a 75 percent share), in China.
"Google should plan to encounter multiple legal challenges no matter what they decide," Head said. "If it remains in China, it will be forced to continue supporting the censored version of Google already in China, or possibly face involuntary shutdown of their business there if the uncensored version is deemed illegal. That would mean a loss of the rich base of hungry internet users in China that is growing faster than in many other countries."
Last Friday, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong said China was in consultations with Google to resolve the hacking issue.
A spokesman at Google declined to comment Monday after a request by SCMagazineUS.com.
"Whether or not China is perceived to have softened its position, Google and China both have much to gain if they can overcome the barriers to provide a secure and mutually acceptable service," said Head. "It is reasonable to expect Google to adhere to the laws of any country in which it conducts business, which ironically may actually endanger their ultimate responsibility – protecting its users and corporate information.”


text:
On May 18th, 2013 Wesley Community Center of Savannah Inc., held their annual fundraiser Move your Feet to the Beat. Many local public figures attended the event and some were guest judges for the competition.
The funds raised directly benefit the thousands of homeless and low income women and families who receive services including Crisis Intervention, food pantry, a day shelter, educational and motivational classes adult education, computer tutoring, career clothing closet and more. The winners for the Dance Off are as followed:
1st Place Winner
2nd Place Winner
3rd Place Winner Honorable Participant Mention:
Best Dance Moves
Sean White- High Energy
Best Youth Dancer-
Toreon Wilson “E” for Effort-Mildred
For more information about the Wesley Community Center call (912) 236- 4226.

domain: sociology


text:
Virginia Is For Lovers has been the tourism board’s official slogan for over 50 years. The state features an abundance of natural beauty from the Appalachian Mountains to Chesapeake Bay. Charming historic towns like Colonial Williamsburg pre-date the founding of the United States. Here are some great Virginia weekend getaway ideas from Washington, DC and elsewhere! Included are some fantastic bed and breakfasts and historic hotels around Virginia that we have loved staying in.
The Shenandoah Valley is an excellent Virginia weekend getaway destination. The region features charming towns packed with great restaurants, historic hotels and cozy romantic cabins, craft breweries and wineries and attractions like the Luray Caverns and American Shakespeare Center. Just 75 miles from Washington, DC, Shenandoah National Park has been one of the most popular national parks in the country since it was founded in 1935.
Staunton is an excellent base to explore Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Downtown Staunton is home to a vibrant art and music scene, nestled in a walkable historic center. A couple highlights of Staunton include the American Shakespeare Center and Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum.
Staunton, Virginia’s Historic Hotels
Staunton offers two Historic Hotels of America properties. The Stonewall Jackson Hotel is located right in downtown Staunton, next to the American Shakespeare Center, where you can take in a play and walking distance from great restaurants, shops, bars and cafes. The Stonewall Jackson Hotel was originally built in 1924 and was recently restored in 2018. It’s perfect for a Virginia weekend getaway, with amenities that include an indoor heated pool.
The Blackburn Inn is another member of the Historic Hotels of America. The building dates to 1828 and was built by Thomas Jefferson’s carpenter. The building’s history is storied, previously housing a mental asylum, it was later converted to a boutique hotel. The tranquil property, a stone’s throw outside downtown Staunton, sits on 80 acres of well-manicured grounds. Old-time charm meets modern finishes at Blackburn Inn, making it an excellent place to host a wedding. The pastries served for breakfast are baked at Reunion Bakery and Espresso, an excellent cafe that gives Parisian patisseries a run for their money!
Historic Prospect Hill is just a 30 minute drive from Charlottesville. History abounds with Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the University of Virginia, which he founded nearby. When you set foot on the beautiful 40 acre Louisa County property, you take a step back in time. Prospect Hill is the oldest continually operating frame-house plantation in Virginia, with the manor house dating back to 1732. Along with wineries just down the road, it is a short drive from the homes of several former presidents and close to civil war battlefields. If you visit Monticello, be sure to take the slave tour, which depicts the hypocrisy of Jefferson and other American founders.
Prospect Hill offers guests a choice of 11 distinct rooms. Some are in the Manor House, and some are in separate cabins. The “boys cabin” actually dates back to 1699 and was the original home built on the property. By American standards, it’s extremely rare to be able to sleep somewhere that old. In recent years, they’ve added modern comforts like a plush bed and whirlpool jacuzzi in the adjoining bathroom to the cabin from 1699.
Prospect Hill gives guests the option of eating a complimentary gourmet breakfast in their historic 177 year old dining room or having it brought to your room. We stayed for two nights and chose each option one morning, so we could experience both and enjoyed breakfast the two mornings. We also highly recommend eating dinner there, as it is a culinary feast.
Richmond is the state capital, with lots to offer for a Virginia weekend getaway. Highlights include the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia State Capitol Building. Richmond restaurants offer an innovative culinary scene, blending southern favorites with modern international dishes. The state capital of Virginia was also the capital of the Confederacy during the US Civil War and you can take a guided tour of the White House of the Confederacy. The history is tragic, and by learning more about it, we can hope to avoid repeating it.
We celebrated our 14 year wedding anniversary at the historic Jefferson Hotel and had a fantastic time. The Jefferson opened its doors in 1895 with the intention of bringing the country’s finest hotel experience to Richmond. At least 13 US presidents have been guests, along with many foreign dignitaries and celebrities like Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Tom Hanks and the Rolling Stones. This palatial property is AAA’s only 5-diamond rated hotel in central Virginia, so it’s the premier place to celebrate a special occasion in Richmond. Read our article on a special Richmond, Virginia weekend itinerary.
Williamsburg, Virginia was the capital of the Virginia colony from 1699 to 1780, when the capital was moved to Richmond. Today it’s the centerpiece of the historic triangle with Yorktown and Jamestown, one of the first English settlements on the continent. Colonial Williamsburg is the best-preserved colonial settlement on the continent. Its historic district is a living-history museum where actors in period costume depict daily Colonial life in the streets, stores and workshops.
We recently used an annual AMEX Marriott Bonvoy redemption for a complimentary night stay at the historic Williamsburg Lodge. The property is just across the street from Colonial Williamsburg, with two on-site restaurants, a swimming pool and spa. Room décor is inspired by the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum collection. Comfortable rooms feature bedspreads with 18th-century coverlet designs, hand-painted lamps and throw pillows. This is a fantastic weekend getaway idea that you can save a lot of money on with points. Read our article on travel hacks to save big money!
The Luray Caverns are the largest caverns in the Eastern United States. They were first discovered on August 13, 1878, by five local men, including tinsmith, Andrew J. Campbell and local photographer Benton Stebbins. The caverns have been a popular tourist attraction for over a century. Guided 75-minute tours leave every 20 minutes from 9am-6pm.
Luray Caverns are packed with stalactites, stalagmites, mirrored pools and mud flows, that create beautiful optical illusions. Another highlight is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made with solenoid-fired strikers that tap stalactites of different sizes to produce tones similar to xylophones, tuning forks or bells. A lighted pathway in the caverns means tours are also handicapped accessible as well as suitable for families.
Historic Hotels of America Stay in Luray: Mimslyn Inn
The Mimslyn Inn is a member of the Historic Hotels of America and has been operating since the 1920’s. From its hilltop location in Luray, well-appointed rooms feature great views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley. Suites have jacuzzi tubs, fireplaces and large flat-screen TV’s. Circa’ 31 is their specialty dining restaurant open for dinner shows like Murder Mystery performances. Their Speakeasy Bar and Restaurant has art deco-inspired decor, a prohibition theme drink menu and period music.
Located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, Winchester is just 76 miles from Washington, DC. It has a charming historic center packed with a variety of great restaurants. Nearby Shenandoah Valley offers many picturesque overlooks along with hiking and outdoor recreation opportunities. Outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy the nearby Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive, George Washington National Forest and Appalachian Trail. The scenery is lovely year round, with peak autumn foliage being a significant highlight.
History enthusiasts can enjoy visiting the office of George Washington in Winchester. From that office, he supervised the construction of the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and Fort Loudoun. The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley covers the art, history and culture of the area. Country music legend Patsy Cline was born in Winchester and you can tour her former home, which is now a museum. All this makes Winchester a great base for a Virginia weekend getaway.
Historic Winchester Hotel: George Washington
A wonderful place to stay in Winchester is the historic George Washington. Located right in the historic downtown, it is a short walk from lots of great restaurants, bars and cafes. Rooms are well-appointed and extremely comfortable, making it an ideal choice for a fun couples getaway. Amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, on-site restaurant and bar and room service.
Blacksburg is a quaint college town that is home to Virginia Tech University. You can use it as a base to explore the scenic nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. Check the calendar at the Moss Arts Center, Virginia Tech’s hub for performance and visual arts. Off-campus, the Historic Smithfield Plantation Home, is a unique 18th-century property on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the birthplace of two Virginia governors.
Charming Blacksburg Bed and Breakfast: Clay Corner Inn
Clay Corner Inn is tucked away in a residential neighborhood a short walk from central Blacksburg and the campus. The rooms are individually decorated and lovingly maintained by the couple operating the property. After checking in, we were delighted to find gourmet chocolates in our cozy well appointed room.
Clay Corner Inn serves a wonderful gourmet complimentary breakfast that can be brought to your room or enjoyed in their comfy common area. We especially loved the sausage stuffed French toast with raspberry puree and a side of cheesy grilled tomatoes. During the warmer months, you can take a dip in their swimming pool to cool off. However, in the off-season, this is one of the best value Virginia weekend getaway stays we have experienced. We enjoyed a lovely and peaceful stay there during a recent white Christmas!
Virginia Weekend Getaway Ideas Recap
Virginia offers a wealth of experiences for weekend getaways, from the Appalachian Trail to Chesapeake Bay. A popular vacation destination we left off this list is Virginia Beach, partly because fighter jets fly over the beach during the week. You can avoid that noise pollution by visiting on weekends. There are lots of great Virginia wineries, breweries and distilleries around the state as well, from the Appalachian Mountains to Colonial Williamsburg.
Seasonally, we also highly recommend staying at Capon Springs, just over the Virginia boundary in West Virginia. Tucked away in the Allegheny Mountains of High View, West Virginia, Capon Springs and Farms is less than a two-hour drive from Washington, DC. The 119 room all-inclusive resort is a wonderful oasis to relax and enjoy a wide range of activities like golf, tennis, swimming and their luxurious spa. It is a peaceful getaway for a digital detox or family reunion.
Disclosure: This article contains some affiliate links. We earn a small commission when you use them to book your stay. So thanks in advance for using them when you can!

domain: geography


Our Chief Developer, Jonas, has equipped a robot with our D1 radar sensor, thus enabling it to see through walls. In the video below, you can see the very cool result:
How it works:
In the heart of the D1 radar sensor is a radar chip based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radar technology from Novelda (www.novelda.no). An UWB radar sensor sends out electromagnetic pulses and looks at the pulses that are reflected back. When an electromagnetic pulse hits the wall in the video above, a part of the pulse is reflected back to the radar and a part of it penetrates the wall and is reflected from the cabinet behind the wall.
The D1 radar sensor has several interesting functions. One of them is the ability to set a blind zone on demand. In the example above, the blind zone has been set at 1.5 meters, so that the sensor ignores everything up to 1.5 meters. Since the wall is closer than 1.5 meters it is being ignored and the distance to the cabinet behind the wall is returned by the sensor instead. The robot is programmed to always keep a distance of 2 meters away from it. Therefore, you see the robot move in accordance to the movement of the cabinet behind the wall.
EDIT: We received a lot of enquiries on this through the contact form. But due to a bug in the contact form, the email address of the sender was not forwarded. This means we had no way of answering the questions. This is fixed now, so if you did not get an answer please resend your question.


text:
14. Countries That Have Confirmed Coronavirus Patients
Outside of China, the virus has spread to over 27 countries so far. Japan has the second-highest number of cases with 45 infected individuals. South-East Asia has also been affected, with the first cases outside of China having been reported in Bangkok, Thailand.
The USA and Europe also has confirmed cases of coronavirus patients. Most of these cases have been individuals who had recently been travelling in or near the infected areas in China.

domain: medical


text:
Inmarsat receives STC for Jet ConneX WiFi for Gulfstream G550
Inmarsat has received an STC for its Jet ConneX business aviation inflight WiFi service for Gulfstream G550 aircraft.
The certificate, awarded by the US FAA, approves Gulfstream G550 business jets to be equipped with the JetWave antenna and terminal, produced by Inmarsat partner Honeywell.
Following more than a year of investment in development and testing, initial installations on G550 aircraft are now underway. Gulfstream, in cooperation with Inmarsat and Honeywell, is currently conducting in-service evaluation and final terminal Type Approval activities.
“The Gulfstream G550 community has been eagerly awaiting this Jet ConneX installation approval and has told us about their desire to have a powerful global high-speed WiFi solution for their principals.”
Kurt Weidemeyer, vice president of business aviation at Inmarsat, said: “The Gulfstream G550 community has been eagerly awaiting this Jet ConneX installation approval and has told us about their desire to have a powerful global high-speed WiFi solution for their principals. Many are heavy users of Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband solution and are happy with the service reliability but are now looking to upgrade to a next-generation network that is fast enough to handle the demands of today’s applications.”
Honeywell is the exclusive provider of JetWave hardware and played an integral role in supporting the Gulfstream G550 STC.
Warren Nechtman, vice president of connected aircraft systems at Honeywell, added: “Honeywell worked closely with Gulfstream to successfully integrate the JetWave hardware into the existing G550 architecture. However the real credit goes to the Gulfstream team who worked expeditiously to bring Jet ConneX to their customers. They did it in record time.”


text:
- Find a Park
- Parks M to P
- Pearrygin Lake
Pearrygin Lake State Park
An angler casts her line into a glassy lake, and a sweater-clad camper sips a steaming mug of coffee. They gaze out, admiring the last tendrils of mist on the water as the rising sun plays on the amber hills above. Welcome to mornings at Pearrygin Lake.
White in the winter, green in the spring, gold in the summer and fall, Pearrygin Lake State Park is a park for all seasons.
In springtime, the sunny weather and shrub-steppe landscape make this park a perfect escape from the late winter grays. The spring-fed lake is a fishing oasis, and the Rex Derr Trail allows hikers to take in the lake views and endless folding hills.
In summer, a late-afternoon breeze comes up, signaling social hour. Cabin neighbors chat across decks, tiny trailer enthusiasts compare their homes on wheels, and bicyclists confer about their epic rides. Families cook, and children splash in the shallow swim areas.
Campgrounds and day-use areas close from November to April, but snowshoeing, skiing and fat-tire snow biking are popular at Pearrygin Lake.
Whether you've spent the day clocking bike miles or doing crossword puzzles in camp, you will sleep well at Pearrygin Lake and be ready for morning again.
Pearrygin Lake State Park is a 1,186-acre camping park in north central Washington, near the Western-themed town of Winthrop. The park offers 11,000 feet of waterfront on Pearrygin Lake and 6.5 miles of hiking trails. After Nov. 1, the park remains a haven for winter recreationists, and fat-tire snow bicycling.
- Picnic area
Use our interactive ADA recreation map to search for other state parks with ADA amenities and facilities.
Picnic & day-use facilities
The East Campground has 30 unsheltered picnic tables. There is a parking area with overflow directed to boat launch parking. Available in the day-use area are a bathhouse, marked swimming beach, four barbecue stands, a volleyball court and a large lawn with shade trees. Picnic sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is wheelchair access to one picnic site and the bathhouse.
- 6.5 miles of hiking trails
Water activities & features
- 60 feet of dock
- Fishing (freshwater)
- Personal watercraft use
- Watercraft launches (2)
Winter activities & features
- Cross-country skiing
- Fat tire bicycling
- Snow play
Other activities & features
- Bird watching
- Horseshoe pits (2)
- Wildlife viewing
Campfire programs, if staffing levels allow, are conducted every Tuesday and Thursday night from June 15 - Labor Day. The park offers a volunteer facilitated Junior Ranger program for children. Ask for information at the registration / contact station.
- The park features the 3.1-mile Rex Derr trail, a multi-seasonal trail that begins at the east boat launch, traverses a hillside up through the shrub-steppe environment, skirts the old Graves Homestead and winds its way back through the east campground.
- The area is available for winter sports, including Nordic skiing.
- A recreational license is required for fishing and shellfish harvesting at Washington state parks. For regulations, fishing season information, or to purchase a recreational license, visit the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
- Printable park brochure (PDF).
Located in Okanogan County on Pearrygin Lake, the park offers a watercraft launch at the East Campground reopens the first Friday in April, depending on snow and ice conditions on the lake. The park has 60 feet of dock.
May and June water-ski and personal watercraft operating hours are 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. July - August operating hours are 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesdays - Thursdays, and 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Fridays - Mondays.
Launching a boat at a state park requires one of the following:
- An annual launch permit (Natural Investment Permit); or
- An annual Discover Pass and a daily launch permit; or
- A one-day Discover Pass and a daily launch permit. A daily watercraft launching permit for $7 and a trailer dumping permit for $5 is available at the park. Annual permits also may be purchased at State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at region offices, online, and at parks when staff is available.
Latitude: 48º 29' 9.24" N (48.4859)
Longitude: 120º 8' 28.67" W (-120.1413)
The park has 92 standard campsites, 27 partial-hookup sites (water and electricity), 50 full-hookup sites, two cabins, a vacation house, two dump stations, six restrooms (two ADA) and 22 showers (two ADA). Two campsites are primitive. Full-hookup sites have electricity, water and sewer service. Maximum site length is 60 feet (limited availability).
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m.
Check-out time is 1 p.m.
Pearrygin Lake has two group camps. G1 (east group camp) accommodates up to 48 people and eight cars. G2 (west group camp) accommodates up to 80 people.
The two cabins at Pearrygin Lake have the added convenience of kitchenettes. Each cabin has a picnic table, electric heat, lights, locking door, and bathroom with a toilet. Showers are nearby in the park. Each cabin is 16-by-16-feet in size and is furnished with twin bunk beds, a full-size bed, and small table with two chairs. The kitchen has a microwave, coffee pot, two-burner cook top, sink,and under-counter refrigerator. Outside is a fire pit and a deck. For more information, visit our cabins and yurts page.
Reservations & fees
Reservations can be made online or by calling(888) CAMPOUT or (888) 226-7688. For fee information, check out our camping rates page.
Services & supplies
Firewood and ice are available for sale at the West Campground Office and East Camp host site. Winthrop and Twisp are full-service communities located nearby. There are medical clinics in each town. The nearest hospitals are one hour away in either Omak or Brewster. Also located nearby miniature golf, hiking and backpacking, full-sized nine-hole golf course and horse rentals.
The park was originally purchased in 1959 from a local orchardist. In 1964, the park opened as a state park recreation area, including a small camp area. Renovation and construction of the campground was done in 1972. In 2004, 94 acres, including a store, hayfield, and the west campground were added to the park. A series of acquisition completions led to the park expanding to a total of more than 1200 acres in 2011, including the old Graves Homestead and ranch south of the park to the boundary and the Bear Creek Golf Course.
The Rex Derr trail, dedicated to lifelong parks and recreation professional and former director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Rex Derr, opened in October 2011.

domain: travel


text:
Book your event at the Creative Alliance →
From Weddings to Company Retreats, Creative Alliance has the space.Book your event at the Creative Alliance
SAT OCT 1 | 6-9pm | Halloween movies and games in the Marquee Lounge | FREE
THU OCT 6 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show w/ Betty O’Hellno & Friends (2 Shows)
OCT 7 & 8 | Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror – Never seen on the Creative Alliance Stage before!
OCT 22 (Rain Date OCT 23) | The Great Halloween Lantern Parade & Festival
And LOTS of Lantern Workshops!
OCT 8 & 16 | Advanced Paper & Reed Lantern Making
OCT 12 & 13 | Members Only Lantern Making
OCT 19 | Drop-in Lantern Making


The point on the bow handle at which the arrow comes into contact with the bow. The pressure button is used to center the arrow to the bow initially, and then to ‘tune’ the bend in the arrow as it leaves the bow in order to have a clean shot after it exits the bow.
- Buttons that apply pressure. The point on the bow handle at which the arrow comes into contact with the bow. This button is used to center the arrow to the bow and then to ‘tune’ the bend in the arrow as it exits the bow in order to get a clean shot.
What do Olympic archers keep their arrows in?
When it comes to archery, a quiver can be used to hold arrows, bolts, dart, or javelins. In accordance with the style of shooting and the archer’s personal taste, it can be carried on the archer’s body, on the bow, or on the ground by the archer.
What is a Berger button?
What is the Berger Button and how does it work? The Berger Button, also known as the plunger Button, is an attachment that is a vital element of the bow’s construction. It is made up of a spring that is located within it. On both the bow riser and the arrow shaft, it is mounted. While propelled, it performs its primary purpose by dampening the arrow.
What is an archery plunger button?
The plunger, which is also known as a ‘cushion button,’ has two functions: first, it acts as a cushion for the user’s fingers. While the shot is being taken, it directs the arrow down the centerline of the bow, and it moderates (within limits) the arrow’s flexing following release. Plungers are made up of a tube that contains a spring, which is attached to a plastic ‘head’ that protrudes from the tube.
What does pressure switch do?
Two functions are performed by the plunger, which is also known as a ‘cushion button.’ This stabilizer helps to guide an arrow through the shot while also limiting (within limits) the arrow’s bending after it is discharged from the bow. Essentially, a plunger is a tube that contains a spring, which is attached to a plastic ‘head’ that protrudes from the tube.
What is normal psi for well pressure tank?
The majority of well tanks are pre-set at 30/50. The cut-on pressure for the well pump is 30 psi, which means that the pressure in the tank should be 28 psi to operate properly. You should set your well tank’s pressure to 38 psi if it’s connected to a pressure switch that operates at 40/60.
What does cast mean in archery?
In archery, the cast of a
bow refers to the distance over which it can shoot an arrow.
Why is there no compound archery in the Olympics?
Archery established a long-standing link with the Olympic Games from the beginning. It was featured in the second edition of the Games in 1900, as well as the 1904, 1908, and 1920 editions. Archery, on the other hand, was eliminated from the Olympic program due to a plethora of regional variants.
What sight does Brady Ellison use?
Brady Ellison’s AXCEL recurve sight, which he uses on his bow.
What is a Beiter Plunger?
The Beiter Plunger is made of finely machined pieces that are assembled by hand (the Beiter company supplies the watch-, precision-mechanic- and medical-industry and is used to work only with the finest materials). When the notching scale cylinder is used, the spring tension may be precisely and consistently reproduced time after time.
How does plunger arrow rest work?
A precisely machined set of pieces is utilized to construct the Beiter Plunger (the Beiter company supplies the watch-, precision-mechanic- and medical-industry and is used to work only with the finest materials). When the notching scale cylinder is used, the spring tension may be controlled precisely and consistently.
What is a tiller in archery?
To measure the tiller, measure the difference in actual distance from the upper limb to the string and lower limb to the string at a 90-degree angle from the base of the limbs (the point where the limb and riser come together). Tiller adjustments are accomplished by changing the top or bottom limb weight adjustment bolt, depending on which limb is being adjusted.
Should bows be stored unstrung?
Unstringing your wooden recurve bow or longbow once you’ve completed shooting is the finest method of conserving energy. Modern recurve and longbows constructed of synthetic materials can be left strung for up to three weeks, but they should be taken down and stored untied for extended periods of time. Compound bows can be left strung for an infinite period of time.


text:
Showing 41–60 of 90 results
The Enduring Relevance of Walter Rodney’s ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’
Soon after its publication in 1972, Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa gained global popularity among students, scholars, activists and people concerned with African affairs. His innovative application of the method of political economy transformed the paradigm for rendition of the continent’s past. Because it stridently took the traditional historians and the prevailing neo-colonial order to task, it was also pilloried by the defenders of the status quo. And, in these neoliberal times, mainstream scholars and pundits proclaim that it is no longer relevant for Africa.
In Walter Rodney: An Enduring Legacy, Karim Hirji makes a systematic case that, on the contrary, Rodney’s seminal work retains its singular value for understanding where Africa has come from, where it is going, and charting the path towards genuine development for its people. After giving a broad picture of Rodney and his times, Hirji examines in detail the criticisms levelled against his work, and conducts a focused review of modern day textbooks on African history. It is seen that most of the claims against Rodney lack a sound basis and that direct representations of his ideas are replete with distortions, unfair selectivity and political bias. Yet, the long term influence of Rodney on African history is unmistakable.
Hirji’s succinct, coherent defence of an intellectual giant who lived and died for humanity is an essential read for anyone with an interest in Africa and related regions.
You can read this book online for free.
Soon after its publication in 1972, Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (HEUA) gained global popularity among progressive students, scholars and activists, and people concerned with African affairs. His innovative application of the method of political economy was a prime contributor to shifting the paradigm for rendition of the continent’s past as well as for visualizing its possible trajectory. Because it stridently took the traditional historians of Africa and the prevailing neo-colonial order to task, it was also vociferously criticized by the defenders of the status quo.
In these neoliberal times, its visibility has waned. Mainstream scholars and pundits from and outside of Africa proclaim that it is no longer a relevant work for Africa. In Walter Rodney: An Enduring Legacy, Karim Hirji makes a systematic case that, on the contrary, Rodney’s seminal work retains its singular value for understanding where Africa has come from, where it is going, and charting a path towards genuine development for the people of Africa.
Hirji considers Rodney in his unitary persona as a historian, theoretician and activist. He begins by outlining the publication history and contents of HEUA, and noting the comments it has drawn from varied quarters. This is followed by a depiction of the global context within which it saw the light of the day and the flowering of progressive thought and vision in those vibrant times. The retrogressive reversal, in thought and social reality, that has transpired since then is summed up next. An assessment of how HEUA has weathered this storm is also provided.
The next chapter presents a brief portrait of Rodney as a revolutionary, with the focus on his seven years at the University of Dar es Salaam. This is followed by an overview of the methodological framework utilized in HEUA.
These five chapters lay the foundation for the main substantive part of Hirji’s book. This part begins with a detailed evaluation of the criticisms that have been levelled at HEUA. Subsequently, by a review of eight textbooks of general African history in common use today is provided. The aim here is to assess the persistence, if any, of ideas of the type promoted by Rodney in such books and identify the manner in which HEUA is directly depicted therein. Do these books give an adequate and fair depiction of Rodney to modern day students?
The penultimate chapter argues for the continued relevance of Rodney and his seminal text for Africa (and the world) in this anti-people, pro-capital, pro-imperial neoliberal era. Hirji concludes with a lively account of his own interactions over six years with Walter Rodney. With the focus on the issue of building socialism in Tanzania, a key dimension in the evolution of Rodney’s thinking is described in a critical spirit. The fundamental question addressed is, in our often dark, demoralizing political environment, what do Rodney and his life have to teach us on the matter of navigating between hope and struggle?
The conclusion emerging from this book is that in the first place most of the criticisms of the content, style and practical value of HEUA lack merit. The representation of Rodney in mainstream books is as well replete with distortions, unfair selectivity and political bias.
Despite these misrepresentations, Rodney and his ideas retain their signal value for understanding African history, for engaging with its present day conditions, and for projecting distinctive future scenarios for the continent. Hirji’s succinct work is a consistent, coherent defence of an intellectual giant, an astute historian and a compassionate revolutionary who lived and died for humanity. It is an essential read for anyone with an interest in African history, and the fate of Africa and the regions that are historically related to it.
Walter Rodney: An Enduring Legacy
Karim F Hirji
1. The Book
2. The Global Context
3. A Grand Reversal
4. Rodney, the Revolutionary
5. Rodney and Historiography
6. Criticisms of the Book
7. Rodney in the Classroom
8. Contemporary Relevance
9. Hope and Struggle
Major Writings of Walter Rodney
Moving Beyond Capitalist Agriculture: Could Agroecology Prevent Further Pandemics?
Moving Beyond Capitalist Agriculture is born out of the coordination between scholars and community organizers and it should be shared widely. The group behind it, the Pandemic Research for the People, is an expression of collective wisdom and necessary unease. In fact, organization and solidarity are two values to be cherished in this moment of multiple crises. COVID-19 is a neoliberal disease and agroecology that frees the land and people of greed and towards food sovereignty is the pathway out of this mess. — Saulo Araujo, US Friends of the Landless Workers Movement
If you want to know more about the connections between racial capitalism, industrial agriculture, environmental destruction, and epidemics and pandemics, then this is a great place to start. But this pamphlet is more than just an analysis of the immense problems generated by capitalism. More importantly, this pamphlet represents an attempt to overcome this system and to develop revolutionary alternatives to it. Rather than falling into the tempting illusion of reform, the authors of these texts give invaluable insights into how we might support and develop revolutionary forms of agro-ecology that can sustain and reproduce life outside of the racial capitalist machine that is destroying it.” — Arturo Castillon, co-author, The Revolutionary Meaning of the George Floyd Uprising
Increasingly threatening climate disaster coinciding with a pandemic has tragically illustrated that the world doesn’t have the luxury of dealing with one crisis at a time – and capitalist agriculture is at the root of both. The authors show convincingly that there is a better way: one that’s based on self-determination and building on human cooperation, not competition. This publication makes a strong case for agroecology as a crucial part of a future that puts people above profit; a future that assures people`s health by allowing planetary health to flourish. It will bring clarity to everyone trying to understand how the next pandemic could be averted whilst building a more just world — Vijoleta Gordeljević, Health economist and environmental health policy expert, People’s Health Movement.
Pathogens repeatedly are emerging from a global agrifood system rooted in inequality, labor exploitation, and unfettered extractivism by which communities are robbed of their natural and social resources. A crisis-prone economic system that prioritizes production for profit over meeting human needs and ecological preservation is organized around intense monocultural production that, along the way, allows the deadliest of diseases to emerge. The Pandemic Research for the People (PReP) focuses on how agriculture might be reimagined as the kind of community-wide intervention that could stop coronaviruses and other pathogens from emerging in the first place. We address how mainstream science supports the same political and economic systems that helped produce the pandemic. Then we introduce agroecology, an environmentalism of the peasantry, the poor, and indigenous, long in practice, that treats agriculture as a part of the ecology out of which humanity grows its food. Agroecology—a science, movement, and practice—combines ecological science, indigenous and peasant knowledges, and social movements for food and territorial sovereignty to achieve environmentally just food systems.
Peasant- and indigenous-led agroecology is uniquely positioned to limit the spread of zoonotic viruses: Post-capitalist agroecology champions the indigenous and smallholders who protect agricultural biodiversity. A diverse agroecological matrix of farm plots, agroforestry, and grazing lands all embedded within a forest can conserve animal biodiversity in the landscape. Agricultural biodiversity can make it more difficult for zoonotic diseases to prevail. Such a mode of conservation also takes into account the economic and social conditions of people currently tending the land, rather than a conservation that uproots people to foster the private accumulation of capital.
Contents: Introductory note / Globalized food systems, structural inequality, and COVID-19 / What is mutual aid? A COVID-19 Primer / Can agroecology stop COVID-21, -22, and -23? / Moving Beyond Capitalist Agriculture
Abolitionist Agroecology, Food Sovereignty and Pandemic Prevention
COVID-19 has exposed the racialized nature of food systems, but also potentially grants opportunities to build anew. Maywa Montenegro explores a series of breakdowns, from fractured supply chains to uncontrolled infection among essential food workers, among Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities scythed through by the virus along old grooves of race and class oppression.
She traces the likely origins of COVID-19 to spillover sites forged by agroindustrial expansion into forested regions where pathogens spring free and infect humans. Industrial animal agriculture drives these ecological changes that incubate future outbreaks. Pandemics have their roots in the violent separation of communities from their territories, seeds, knowledge and wealth. Racism enables such theft as fundamental to capitalist expansion.
To tackle pandemics and food injustices, Montenegro calls for an abolitionist agroecology. No anti-capitalist alternative can ignore the racism that is central to transnational food system. Scholars including Angela Davis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Mariame Kaba have argued that although abolition is frequently seen as an oppositional strategy — to eradicate, for example, prisons and police — abolition is equally propositional. An abolitionist agroecology cracks open multiple possibilities that respond to the exigencies of a pandemic planet — there is no ‘normal’ to which we can safely return.
The Revolutionary Meaning of the George Floyd Uprising
There was nothing but darkness in the spring of 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic raged and shut down the economy. But as right-wing protesters demanded an end to the lockdown, a much bigger social conflict was brewing under the surface. A rebellion exploded in Minneapolis in response to the brutal police murder of George Floyd in late May, during which a police station was overtaken and burned down. The uprising quickly spread across the United States as protesters looted downtown urban centers, set fire to cop cars, vandalized government buildings, and fought the police. The Black proletariat led the charge, but white, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous proletarians also joined the fight, demonstrating new possibilities for building alliances. While anti-police rebellions continued throughout the summer and fall, the uprising receded with the start of the winter. But this conflict is far from over.
In an effort to think through the experience of the uprising and prepare for the great struggles that are coming, The Revolutionary Meaning of the George Floyd Uprising provides an in-depth analysis of what exactly happened during the 2020 uprising, its potentials, internal limits, and strategic implications.
Love after Babel and other poems
ANNOUNCEMENT: Love After Babel wins Nicolás Cristóbal Guillén Batista Outstanding Book Award by the Caribbean Philosophical Association
Congratulations to Chandramohan S!
Love after Babel is a collection of poems that deal with themes such as caste, the resistance of Dalit people, Dalit literature, islamophobia and other political themes, with almost one hundred poems divided into three sections (Call Me Ishmail Tonight; Name Me a Word; Love after Babel). The introduction is by Suraj Yengde (award-winning scholar and activist from India, author of the bestseller Caste Matters, inaugural postdoctoral fellow at the Initiative for Institutional Anti-racism and Accountability, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School).
Chandramohan’s poems are dialogues of the ‘ self’ with the ‘other’. He brings to life a world that subverts myths, literary canons, gender and caste stereotypes by pooling in sparklingly new metaphors with sensitivity and care. He draws his images from contemporary incidents as well as myths and legends of yore, and delves deep into the politicized realm, thus ‘rupturing the hymen of demarcations’ of identity, resistance, repression and love.
—Babitha Marina Justin, poet, artist and academician
Chandramohan’s poetry is an extraordinary combination of a strong individual voice, crying out against a deeply felt sense of personal abuse, and a sophisticated understanding of the long history and mythology of such abuse, in India but also in the world at large. Mythological figures like Shambuka and Urmila illluminate, and are illuminated by, modern atrocities. The poems are by turns shocking, moving, and exhilarating. —Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty is an American Indologist whose professional career has spanned five decades.
Chandramohan S has the stark ability as a poet to react to any social happening, and these turn out to be in the most responses to societal happenings, plunged into the dark interiors of human behavior. So these could be related to caste oppression. Economic exploitation, religious polemics etc. But the poetic ability or the agility is always there to handle a situation born out of politico- social situations. There lies his remarkable dexterity as a poet commentator. His lines are direct, and even angry. But that does not matter. This is poetry- at its best. No wonder then that, his poems have been published world wide. He is perhaps now one of the very few, if not the only Indian poet in English to have taken the burden of social and political repression, as a distinct and livid political idiom. To read his poems is also painful, but the poetry is in the pain!—Ananya S Guha lives in Shillong in North East India. He has been writing and publishing his poetry for the last 33 years.Love after Babel selected by as one of Twelve books that form part of the arsenal of Dalit writing by Suraj Yangde.surajyengde@surajyengde
Had an honor to introduce this extremely riveting collection of humanity-filled radical lines “Love After Babel” told by the incomparable art form—Dalit Poetry. Chandramohan is confidently flirtatious with his words. by
Mau Mau From Within: The Story of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army
The inside story of the struggles of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army, referred to by British colonialism as the ‘Mau Mau rebellion’, is little known today. The autobiographical material written by Karari Njama (a senior leader in the Mau Mau hierarchy) and compiled by Donald L. Barnett was first published by Monthly Review Press in 1966, as Mau Mau From Within: An analysis of Kenya’s Peasant Revolt. It was reprinted in 1970; it has remained out of print for many years. As the late Basil Davidson put it in his review of the first edition: “Njama writes of the forest leaders’ efforts to overcome dissension, to evolve effective tactics, to keep discipline, mete out justice … and to teach men how to survive in those merciless forests. His narrative is crowded with excitement. Those who know much of Africa and those who know little will alike find it compulsive reading. Some 10,000 Africans died fighting in those years . Here, in the harsh detail of everyday experience, are the reasons why.”
The book is an extraordinary story of courage, passion, heroism, combined with recounting of colonial terror, brutality and betrayal. It is a story of how the very idea of being ‘Kenyan’ was intimately linked to the idea of freedom, a connection that was destroyed not only by the firepower of the British, but also by those who collaborated and established themselves as the beneficiaries of neocolonial rule. Disconnecting notions of freedom from identity left only a caricature that rapidly descended into tribalism and ethnicity.
This momentous story of the struggle for freedom described here is relevant not only for a new generation of Kenyans but also for all those engaged in emancipatory struggles internationally. For so long as the experiences arising from the struggles described in this book are perceived as merely ‘African’ or ‘Kenyan’, it is not possible to fully grasp the contributions they have made to the struggle for a universalist humanity.
What is recounted in this publication is more than an ‘analysis of a peasant revolt’. It is above all a history of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army. As Ngūgī wa Thiong’o points out in his Preface to this new edition, ‘we don’t have to use the vocabulary of the colonial to describe our struggles.’ We were tempted to rename the book ‘Kenya Land and Freedom Army from Within.’ But because the original title has wide recognition, and and as one of the characteristics of movements of the oppressed is to appropriate derogatory terms used by their oppressors and repurpose them as an expression of pride in their own experiences, this book retains the original title, but with a change in the subtitle as ‘The Story of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army.’
We were delighted that Karari Njama was able to provide us with a Prologue to the new edition (Kamoji Wachiira, a former political prisoner, connected us with Karari and translated the text of the Prologue). Shujaa Hon Dr Gitu wa Kahengeri, Secretary-General of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association reminds us how the veterans of the liberation movement, like Karari Njama, continue to live in extreme poverty today despite the enormous contribution that they made to the struggle for freedom.
Kenya’s leading writer and academic, Ngūgī wa Thiong’o, points out in the Preface, how so much of the narratives about the Kenya Land and Freedom Army has been written from ‘without’, emphasizing the importance of a book that speaks to the personal testimony from within the movement. We are honoured to have Mīcere Gīthae Mugo, Emerita Professor of Literature at Syracuse University, provide reflections on the importance of the republication of this historical text. There are many who, as children, lived through the terrifying events of the Emergency during which so many were tortured and killed by the British (and their local collaborators) and whose psyche remains deeply affected by what they witnessed. Kamoji Wachiira describes some of these experiences vividly in his Introduction to the new edition. He highlights the extent of betrayal by successive post-independence governments, and the development of the post-independence revival of resistance which he was a central part of. He also emphasizes the importance for a new generation of Kenyans “to gain not only a deep understanding of Kenya’s revolutionary history but also to reflect on what lessons may be drawn for the struggle to achieve real freedom.”
The original publication had no biographical information about Don Barnett. Few are aware of the extent of Don’s political engagement with the cause of liberation, of which Mau Mau From Within was only one aspect. He was a founder of the Liberation Support Movement in Canada, and had close contact with the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola). Don sadly joined the ancestors in 1975. We are fortunate, however, that Don and Daphne’s son and daughter, Michael Barnett and Dawn Barnett, were able to provide, together with Ole Gjerstad, a revealing biography.
We have endeavoured to retain the content of the original book (but for a few minor corrections) including the original Selected Bibliography. An updated Further Reading list is provided.
Transforming ourselves, Transforming the World: An open conspiracy for social change – Second Edition
You can watch / listen to a conversation between the author, Brian K Murphy, and David Austin here.
This is a new edition of the book originally published by Zed Books in 1999. The book includes an Introduction written by David Austin and an Afterword from the author, Brian Murphy.
This book is for all those – community workers, adult educators, social activists of every kind – who want to overcome pessimism and play a part in changing society in the direction of peace, justice and dignity for all human beings. As author Brian Murphy— the independent analyst, organizer, educator and writer, and former staff member of the social justice organization, Inter Pares—points out, many of us are pessimistic about our ability to change the world when confronted by destructive political and corporative forces and the destruction they wreak. Murphy reveals the social and personal dilemmas which hold people back from social engagement, and argues that the various constraints we face can be overcome.
In this new edition, David Austin explains in his Introduction why this book, first published in 1999, is perhaps more relevant to our times than ever, offering insights from his own experiences of engaging critically with the book and with others. (David Austin is author of Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolution, Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex, and Security in Sixties Montreal and the editor of Moving Against the System, The 1968 Congress of Black Writers and the Making of Global Consciousness.)
And in his new afterword, Brian Murphy reflects on the continued relevance of the original text, emphasizing how our humanity is being corroded and commodified. To reclaim our humanity, he argues, we must transform ourselves to transform the world.
Brian Murphy’s immensely inspiring book,Transforming Ourselves, Transforming the World, deeply challenges us to think and rethink everything we knew and thought we knew.—Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation & Right Livelihood Award Laureate in 2010
We need more conversations like the one in this book, which are rooted in hope while honestly working through a foundational way of seeing and understanding ourselves in the bigger picture.— Christina Warner, Co-Executive Director and Director of Campaigns and Organising, Council of Canadians.
This is one of the coolest, enjoyable and important books I have read in recent years. Written from the heart as well as the head, it is a breathtakingly visionary, unique and insightful take on the life of the ultimate activist.—Hope Chigudu, Feminist activist
The republication of Transforming Ourselves, Transforming the World is a gift for our troubled times. All of us who share the drive to change our society will find encouragement and nourishment. This book offers a break from an all-too-common type of “activism” that demands harmful suppression of our individual creativity, freedom and health. What we have here is a celebration — and an entirely convincing validation — of a way of changing the world that is always nurturing and open-ended; a process of possibility and becoming, as we build on humanness to realise greater humanness. As Murphy puts it: “‘I will act, because it is sane, and healthy, and human to do so. We will act together, because it is sane, and healthy, and human, and more effective to do so. … This is how we can begin to develop an open conspiracy’”. I’m energised to sign up to this “open conspiracy”, and I’m sure many more readers will be too. — Mark Butler, co-author with Church Land Programme (South Africa) of in, against, beyond, corona
Table of Contents
Introduction to Second Edition: David Austin
Preface and Acknowledgements
1 The Courage to Be
2 The Dilemma of Action and the Psychology of Inertia
3 Confronting the Dilemmas: Beyond Inertia
Possibilities in Process
4 The Missing Link
5 The Individual, the Visionary
6 Challenging the Established Rationality
7 Imperatives for Modern Education
The Open Conspiracy
8 The Open Conspiracy: Allies for Health and Action
9 Theatres and Strategies: Embracing the Future
10 Education and the Open Conspiracy
Eclectic Notes on Knowledge and Action
Afterword to the Second Edition – Brian Murphy
You’re Not Here
One brother goes missing in action in Afghanistan, the other falls in love with an Afghan girl in England.
Bitter divisions engulf an English town where young Muslims oppose the British armyâ€™s presence in Afghanistan, whilst white youth condemn the Muslims as traitors.
To the disgust of his white friends, 17-year-old Jake Marlesden, whose brother is missing in action in Afghanistan, is in love with Leila Khan, an Afghan. When Jake tries to find out what happened to his brother, neighbour turns against neighbour and lover against lover.
Leila joins young Muslims protesting against the returning bodies of dead British soldiers, and Jake stands with the families of the soldiers. The lovers fall apart.
But far off events, and sinister forces at home, bring the lovers together again in a journey in which they will not only discover themselves, but also heal the wounds of their families and friends.
This is the sequel to You’re Not Proper.
Set in and around Manchester, You’re Not Here is informed by Mehmood’s experience of growing up a working class Pakistani in northern England, combatting racism on the streets and being arrested. The novel explores the British Asian experience in the context of the “war on terror” and Islamophobia. “I have lived and fought against various waves of racism in Britain, but the current Islamophobic one, the new racism, is far more insidious and divisive than those which preceded it,” says Mehmood in his blog.
This novel is a sequel to You’re Not Proper, which explored, in the author’s words, “what it is to be a Muslim teenager in the west today”. While it featured two teenage women’s search for identity and belonging — one with a Pakistani father and white Christian mother, the other her Hijab-wearing school friend — Mehmood’s sequel is, interestingly, told from the point of view of a white working class British youth.
Jake’s father was in the army. His elder brother is missing in action in Afghanistan. Jake is in love with a Muslim girl. We are introduced to diverse Asian characters and to white racist friends of his brother, and to the tensions both within and between the two communities, through Jake’s eyes.
While the novel reads like a pacey thriller, the teenage love story is treated with convincing tenderness. And there is sympathy for British soldiers. One scene features physically and mentally scarred ex-soldiers discarded by the state, and Military Friends and Families Against War make an appearance.
The narrative is packed with authentic voices, often humorous observations and insights, The novel reads like a thriller. It reaches an action-packed and moving climax, but, unlike a thriller, we are left uneasy about what may happen next.
Helen Goodway, Red Pepper, Summer 2019
Lenin150 (Samizdat): 2nd expanded edition
For all the official historiographic efforts at forging a mythologised image of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov as the austere, no-nonsense, professional revolutionary, the really existing flesh and blood Lenin understood and appreciated that the most materialist action an individual must carry out without fault to metabolise the struggle for communism is to breathe. Not just biologically respire but consciously breathe. Breathe for oneself and breathe for and with others. If it is indeed our desire to breathe new life into the long choking red star, a new oxygenic Communist politics of walking and breathing is what we must aspire to, inspire, respire and encourage.
See the Description below for further details.
Struggling to be seen: The travails of Palestinian cinema
The book explores the challenges Palestinian filmmakers confront to develop a cinema that gives expression to the national narrative. It is based on collaborative research involving Film Lab Palestine, Sheffield Palestine Cultural Exchange and Sheffield Hallam University. We explore the political, economic and cultural contexts that impact on Palestinian film production and some of the barriers encountered in profiling and screening Palestinian films, to shed light on the complex terrain that is traversed to sustain and develop a film industry and film culture in historic Palestine and beyond.
Table of contents
The struggle to develop a national cinema
The experience of Filmlab Palestine
Visualising the Palestinian past
Roadblocks, borders and hostile environments
The screening and reception of Palestinian films
The Palestinian short film
Appendix 1: Cinema of the Palestinian Revolution
Appendix 2: 70 Years of Nakba: Audience response
Appendix 3: Love and Desire in Palestine: Audience response
Appendix 4: Selection of leaflets from film screenings
About the authors
Praise for Struggling to be seen
To so nimbly and elegantly traverse Palestinian time and space is itself a defiance of the occupation’s brutally enforced barriers. The authors’ unstintingly political examination of Palestinian cinema has much to offer both those in the know and readers new to this extraordinary body of work. — Kay Dickinson, Professor, Film Studies, Concordia University
Working extensively through primary sources, conducting research and interviews across generations of Palestinian filmmakers, the authors offer the reader an ambitious and wide-ranging essay which charts the development of a national Palestinian cinema, from an historical and critical perspective. By exploring the constellation of political, social and aesthetic concerns that shape this cinema, this authors challenge us to rethink the stakes behind the contemporary development of a Palestinian cinema industry, its audience reception, in historic Palestine and beyond.— Samia Labidi, cultural programmer & artistic curator
Illuminating and compelling, Struggling to be Seen lays bare the historical, enduring but also emerging (colonial and neocolonial) obstacles to the development of a film industry and film culture within the West Bank and Gaza. Though familiarly sobering (in its re-confirmation of the scale of injustice facing Palestinians), the book provides up-to-the-moment and an interdisciplinary account that provides rich, fresh terrain that reveals new and exciting progressions within Palestinian film culture. —Michele Aaron, Reader in Film and Television, University of Warwick, author of Death and the Moving Image: Ideology, Iconography and I (Edinburgh Univer- sity Press, 2014) Director, Screening Rights Film Festival.
Struggling to be Seen is a must read for those who are interested in under- standing the multilayered challenges that face Palestinian cinematography from its production phase to its screening phase. The book is a short read which takes the readers through the different stages which shaped the Palestinian film making enterprise. Struggling to be Seen shows the restrictions that Palestinian filmmakers face from the initial stages to funding and screening. The authors tell a story of a people whose sense of self-reflection is suppressed by the Israeli oppressive machine which con- stantly works at erasing the Palestinian peoplehood, detaching it from its past.— Nahed Habiballah, Assistant Professor and member of the Board of Directors of Policy and Conflict Resolution Studies Center, Arab American University, Ramallah, Palestine
I am a man of peace: Writings inspired by the Maynooth University Ken Saro-Wiwa Collection
This book marks the 25th anniversary of the execution of Nigerian activist and written Ken Saro-Wiwa. The 21 essays, by international contributors, and 42 poems by new and established poets, are inspired by his ideals and activism.
The volume includes contributions by people intimately connected with Saro-Wiwa. His brother Dr Owens Wiwa recounts how his older brother awakened and nurtured his awareness of the tremendous damage Royal Dutch Shell was doing to their homeland, in collaboration with the then Nigerian military government. His firsthand account of the brutality of the military government and its impact; his unsuccessful efforts to save the life of his brother; his time in hiding and subsequent escape, with his family, from Nigeria and his efforts to retrieve the remains of his brother for burial, makes for very moving reading. Likewise, Noo Saro-Wiwa shares her story of growing up in England with strong links to family in Nigeria, and the trauma of hearing of her father’s execution while at University.
Maynooth University, where the editor works as Deputy Librarian, holds the death row correspondence from Ken Saro-Wiwa to Sister Majella McCarron. McCarron provides two personal essays. One, a reflection on the events that shaped her work with Saro-Wiwa in Nigeria and her subsequent efforts to save the lives of the Ogoni 9: the second essay explores her experience as a table observer of the Shell to Sea campaign, which strove to have gas, discovered off the west coast of Ireland, refined at sea rather than inland.
The damage that Shell has caused in Ogoni and the issue of redress are topics addressed in essays by experts including Mark Dummett, of Amnesty International, who investigated how Shell and other oil companies have caused or contributed to human rights abuses through their operations in the Niger Delta. Daniel Leader, a barrister and partner at Leigh Day’s international law department, the firm who have led a number of ground breaking human rights cases, including a series of cases against Shell on behalf of Nigerian communities, explores the issue of legal redress. Architect, environmental activist, author and poet Nnimmo Bassesy’s wide ranging essay presents Saro-Wiwa as activist and writer and creator of the Ogoni Bill of Rights, against the backdrop of the UNEP report of the Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland, which recorded that drinking water in Ogoni had benzene, a carcinogen, at over 900 times the level permitted
I welcome the publication of this volume which highlights the work of Trócaire and other people and organisations
to fight for a more just world. Trócaire campaigned strongly for the release of the Ogoni 9 and continues to campaign for justice in the face of state and corporate violations of human rights. The writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa and those inspired by his work keep the flame of justice lit.
Dr Caoimhe De Barra, Chief Executive Officer, Trócaire.
The publication of I am a Man of Peace: Writings Inspired by the Maynooth University Ken Saro-Wiwa Collection highlights the shift towards peaceful protests as a means to a more sustainable end. It is a justification that one’s dreams for the greater good can still be attained without bloodshed. Ken preached, lived, and practiced peace in his search for justice even in the face of stiff opposition. Years after his death, Ken’s ideologies and philosophies have proved relevant today.
Dr Owens Wiwa, Executive Vice-President, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI).
Sister Majella McCarron’s choice of Maynooth University for this unique donation was particularly appropriate, given the University’s long involvement with issues of inclusion and justice in Ireland and abroad. This deep-rooted commitment is today articulated in our University Strategic Plan, where a strategic goal is ‘to build on our achievements to date and become a model University for equality, diversity, inclusion and inter-culturalism, where social justice, addressing inequality and empowering people are central to our mission.’ This book makes a significant contribution to that goal.
Dr. Gemma Irvine, Vice-President of Equality & Diversity, Maynooth University.
Writing can urge us to pause, to think, and to discover what we really want to say. Sharing that writing calls for courage and support. In this publication, as Jessica Traynor suggests, we see the evidence of a new generation of Irish and new Irish citizens engaging with complex issues through poetry. Reading their poems, we may begin to understand more about each other and ourselves. By bringing together these Irish and new Irish voices the book contributes to building a shared discourse which is essential for trust, community and hope.
Dr Alison Farrell, Founder of the Summer Writing Institute For Teachers (SWIFT) and Co-founder Irish Network for the Enhancement of Writing (INEW)

domain: literature


text:
Meet Rachel. The author of "Imposter Syndrome." PhD student. Bookworm. Pizza making extraordinaire and the master of time management.
Meet Emma. The author behind "Writing Austistically." Learn all about her small business, her BookTube channel and so much more.
Meet Kelly. The watercolour artist who brought the first issue of the WHW magazine to life. Learn all about her career as an artist and get a glimpse into her artwork online.


text:
Find yourself amongst other Dental professionals that share your passion for yoga. Be inspired to avoid common occupational hazards such as musculoskeletal pain.
We aim to support you through continued education and providing opportunities to connect with other Dental Community members with a passion for Yoga. Your membership is also an opportunity to market your Yoga Lifestyle to patients, while connecting with like-minded people.
Get listed to seek out patients that are interested in your holistic approach to Dentistry. The Yoga Dentistry community has like-minded professionals where you will feel encouraged to OM together.


text:
Saturday August 15: Viktor Tsoi/Joanna Stingray new video
A tribute to Viktor Tsoi will premiere on Russia’s Channel One this Saturday, August 15th at the end of the Vremya news program. Joanna Stingray recorded an English version of her friend Viktor Tsoi’s song, “Love Is No Joke” in 1987, but she never released it. Now she has made it into a music video with the help of director George Itzhak, using her archival footage, including never before seen moments of Viktor Tsoi’s life in the 1980s. It is the 30th anniversary of his death today, August 15, and his fans around the world are commemorating and celebrating him.
Esquire Russia also hosts the video and more from Joanna about the making of the video, “with rare archive footage , where you can see Tsoi in an informal setting – cheerful, laughing, different [than on stage].” Importantly, the article notes that Kino’s famous album, “Groupa Kroovy” (“Blood Type”) “was recorded at a portable studio donated by her.”
Stingray says, “For me personally, it was always surprising that Tsoi had the image of a heavy, serious person with a strong character. Yes, he could be serious, but it was not his true nature. I knew him to be funny, interesting and charming. That is why I love this clip – the video shows Victor as he was and as I remember him: laughing, funny, artistic and charming, he jokes all the time and looks amazing on stage. I’m really glad that Victor’s fans all over the world will be able to see this video. This is my tribute to him.”
She continues, “By the way, Victor heard my version of the song. He liked it; he said that it was great and funny, he was especially hooked that in the last verse I simply replaced the words with “la-la-la.” He liked this invention! Yes, he really loved it, it’s a very happy version of the song…. My version is very close to the original.”


text:
© 2021 - Negotiamini. All Rights Reserved.
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress released a new analysis of U.S. census data revealing that in 2019, for the first time, half of young adults in the United States had earned a college degree. The new data represent an increase from the 47.8 percent of young adults who had obtained a college degree as of 2017, when CAP last evaluated national attainment. The new analysis finds that Black and Latino young adults have made the largest gains, though white adults continue to have higher rates of education attainment.
The analysis also reveals the extent to which reengaging college noncompleters could be a promising strategy for further boosting overall attainment rates and narrowing racial disparities. This phenomenon is likely even more relevant with recent data revealing sharp declines in college enrollment, particularly among nonwhite students, in light of the pandemic and shift to virtual learning.
“With 2 in 3 jobs in America today requiring some sort of postsecondary credential, it is encouraging to see the United States continue to make progress toward boosting college degree attainment rates, though we know a persistent racial divide continues to threaten the prospects of America’s increasingly diverse young adult population,” said Marshall […]