Christ In the Desert
"This is the best monastic building in the country," Thomas Merton wrote on May 17, 1968 while visiting the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in northern New Mexico. I drove over there last week, near Abiquiu, a hauntingly beautiful corner of the world and tasted for myself the "peace which the world cannot give."
My life these days jumbles along. I travel nearly every week to lead a retreat, offer a lecture or join a demonstration against war and injustice. When home on the desert mesa, I write and pray, and do day-to-day tasks–such as shooing away the six foot long rattlesnake that's been hanging out at my front door, or driving to town for my weekly check-in with the U.S. probation officer. All the routine tasks of the amateur peacemaker.
But periodically I find it a lifeline to visit a monastery and reclaim my spiritual center of peace. And there is no monastery quite like the nearby "Christ in the Desert."
It's nearly impossible to find. You drive north past Georgia O'Keefe's house, Bode's General Store, and the Ghost Ranch center. Then after the majestic Pedernal Mesa, you'll veer off the highway and travel several miles along a deserted dirt road. You'll pass endless fields of sagebrush, hemmed in along their perimeters by towering cliffs streaked with red, brown, yellow and white. At the Rio Chama, you'll turn right. Then you'll proceed at a crawl along the dirt road through Chama Canyon. Be patient for ten miles. Only then does the road end–right at the monastery nestled at the foot of a wailing wall of chiseled red cliffs.
To call it a road is to give it too much dignity. It's more of a half lane dirt path. And it clings to the edge of a cliff some four stories above the river. Getting there is half the fun. The view snatches the breath, but you must resist the temptation to gape in awe. Otherwise, your last act on earth will be to plunge into the river below.
The trek to the monastery is the ultimate metaphor for the spiritual journey.
The remoteness was quite deliberate. Founded in 1964 by three monks, it remained small and isolated until recent years, when the community welcomed dozens of monks from around the world.
This is one of the places where I go to pray, rest, walk, swim in the Rio Chama, ride horses, and reclaim my inner peace. The landscape never fails to astonish me. The red and yellow cliffs, the cottonwoods, the sagebrush, the stern mountains, the wandering hawks, the bright sun, the pressing silence and expansive solitude.
"A monastery is not a place where a few retire to deepen their own experience of the meaning of life; it is also a center where others can come to re-adjust their perspectives," Merton wrote in May 1968 during his first visit to Christ in the Desert.
"While not blindly rejecting and negating the modern world," he said, "the monastery nevertheless retains a certain critical distance and perspective which are absolutely necessary as mass society becomes at once more totally organized and more mindlessly violent. In its firm assertion of the basic human values as well as of God's message of salvation, the monastery bears witness to the most fundamental and most permanent truths of life. It remains a sanctuary where both monks and retreatants and others may experience something of that 'peace which the world cannot give.'"
"The Monastery of Christ in the Desert," Merton added, "seeks only to keep alive the simplicity of Benedictine monasticism: a communal life of prayer, study, work and praise in the silence of the desert where the Word of God has always been best heard and most faithfully understood."
Merton would make a second visit a few months later. He was considering retiring there. That September, on his fateful journey to Asia, he stopped by again for a few days. This time, he met Georgia O'Keefe, swam in the Rio Chama, and attended the annual fall dance festival on the Jicarilla Reservation.
The monastery rises at the point where the canyon narrows and the road vanishes into rock and brush," Thomas Merton wrote in his journal, "Woods, Shore, Desert." "The monastic church, designed by the Japanese architect George Nakashima, fits perfectly into its setting Stark, lonely, stately in its simplicity, it gazes out over the sparse irrigated fields into the widening valley. The tower is a like a watchman looking for something or someone of whom it does not speak. The architectural masterpiece is a perfect expression, in adobe brick and plaster, of the monastic spirit.
The brown adobe chapel is small, shaped in the form of a cross, but rises perhaps three stories to stand out over the canyon. The top two stories are all glass. And as you enter, you see in the center a simple stone altar and on the walls a few beautiful icons, and above, through the glass, a looming bank of red cliffs bearing down. An overwhelming sight
On a side wall, and just as moving, is a large Mexican crucifix. It bears all the pathos, dignity and hope of the world's crucified peoples.
"The monk is one whose gaze is fixed on God," Saint Theodore wrote centuries ago, "who desires God above all else, who applies himself to God, who seeks to serve God alone, in peace with God, and so becoming peace for others."
And in that spirit, I sit awhile in the silent chapel and take it all in. The silence. The solitude. The beauty. The peace. I begin to breathe again. It's as if I've been holding my breath for months, trying to breathe under water, thrashing to stay afloat in our culture of war. I feel healed, disarmed, refreshed. I remember how to live in peace all over again.
This is precisely why I return to this quiet canyon regularly–so that I may rediscover my own peaceful solitude.
"If we want to change the world and create peace, we can begin by creating peace within ourselves," the Dalai Lama teaches. "If we practice peace, we can teach the rest of the world."
After my chapel time, I visit with a monk and buy a CD of Gregorian chants. Then outside, I head toward the rushing Rio Chama and sit along its banks. There, sheltered by the cottonwoods, I listen to the rapids.
The air, a stifling 95 degrees, makes me wilt like an old carnation. What the heck, I think, and jump in, just as Merton did long ago. I take a plunge and meet with polar temperatures. The jolt wakes me, shocks the system, invigorates my senses.
Merton himself was invigorated when he was here. His time here stirred his imagination for the journey ahead. "In our monasticism," he writes in Woods, Shore, Desert, "we have been content to find our way to a kind of peace, a simple undisturbed thoughtful life, and this is certainly good, but is it good enough?"
I, for one, realize that now I need more. Not simply to be quiet, somewhat productive, to pray, to read, to cultivate leisure… There is a need of effort, deepening, change and transformation. Just to go for walks, live in peace, let change come quietly and invisibly on the inside…A return to genuine practice, right effort, need to push on to the great doubt. Need for the Spirit. Hang on to the clear light!
As the sun descends, I start the treacherous and lurching ride back home. On the highway at last, I pass rusting, forlorn trailers where there live many of the poorest people in the nation. And I push past Los Alamos, where some of the wealthiest design sinister methods of global destruction.
But by now the prayerful peace of Christ in the Desert has shored my wobbling knees and fortified my deflated spirit. I feel ready to stand again and proclaim the good news–the news of the advent a world without war, poverty, nuclear weapons or global warming, news that alas is rarely greeted with thanksgiving, but really is good.
The encounter with Christ in the desert, in any remote monastery, is worth the journey and the time, for it has the power to sanctify our workaday lives and give us new hope. I highly recommend it.
For more information on Christ in the Desert, see www.christdesert.org. John's autobiography, "A Persistent Peace," (with a foreword by Martin Sheen), available August 1st, can be ordered now at www.amazon.com. See also: www.persistentpeace.com. From July 7-11, John will be teaching a weeklong class on "Gandhi, King, Merton and Dorothy Day," at Loyola Univ. in Chicago. See www.retreatsintl.org. For info, see: www.johndear.org


Entertainment Movie
Music Electronic
You Can Finally Search for Music by Humming, Singing, or Whistling
Infotainment Media Music Music Electronic Music Industry Previews Reviews TV Show
Adiantku October 17, 2020
The Holy Grail of music identification has arrived.
How many times were you unable to secure that elusive Shazam, only to have a sick beat incessantly poke at you like an annoying little brother? The earworm is in your head, but it doesn't have lyrics, so you can't search for it anywhere and it's not like you can just clumsily hum it into your phone—until now.
Thanks to Google's new "Hum To Search" feature, you can now search for music by humming, singing, or whistling a melody. Gone are the days of agonizing, tedious lyric searches and Reddit rabbit holes. All you have to do is use the Google Search app or Google Search Widget, tap the microphone icon, and ask "what is this song?" or click the "Search a song" button. From there, you'll have up to 15 seconds to simply vocalize the melody in your head before Google spits out a list of potential matches.
The "Hum To Search" feature, which uses machine learning to conjure its magic, is currently available on both iOS and Android. How does it work, you ask? "An easy way to explain it is that a song's melody is like its fingerprint: They each have their own unique identity," reads a blog post published by Google to announce the update. "We've built machine learning models that can match your hum, whistle or singing to the right "fingerprint."
"When you hum a melody into Search, our machine learning models transform the audio into a number-based sequence representing the song's melody," the post continues. "Our models are trained to identify songs based on a variety of sources, including humans singing, whistling or humming, as well as studio recordings. The algorithms also take away all the other details, like accompanying instruments and the voice's timbre and tone. What we're left with is the song's number-based sequence, or the fingerprint."
You can find out more about the feature via Google's blog post and check out a new advert for the update below.
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Iceberg Arena: The Cat Countdown Part II
This is the second part of a three part series counting down the best animated cat movies I've seen. The final part will feature canine and rodent cinema.
5. Night on the Galactic Railroad (1985)
"Night on the Galactic Railroad" adapts freely from the novel by the pre-war Buddhist writer Kenji Miyazawa about the poor son of sick mother, Giovanni, and his mysterious train voyage across the stars with his best friend Campanella. The galactic railroad takes them through themed constellation stations full of surreal landmarks and eccentric passengers, including a man who harvests herons for candy and the ghostly souls of the sunken Titanic. Giovanni begins to suspect that the train is taking Campanella to afterlife (the Southern Cross), a fear that is confirmed when he wakes up on Earth alone and learns that Campanella drowned during the night's moon festival while saving the school bully.
Director Sugii's lugubrious religious allegory unsettled fans of the original work who weren't expecting the characters to be cats (an artistic choice never explained) and confused those unfamiliar with the novella (amongst them, me) even more. It doesn't help that the chapter titles are given in Esperanto and the thick symbolism is at once heavy-handed (prepare yourself for a bevy of crosses) and inscrutable (what the hell is with the bird candy guy?). Yet what emerges from the gentle dreamlike flow of the adventure is a mature and emotionally resonant tale about a brave child's imagination, curiosity, friendship and loss. The low-on-action pacing and atmospheric spiritualism hasn't been welcomed by fans of conventional American or Japanese anime, but I find it, along with "Angel Egg," to be a worthwhile experiment.
4. The Cat Returns (2002)
Ghibli's semi-sequel to "Whisper of the Hearts" (of which "The Cat Returns" is something of a story-within-a-story) is a light-hearted fantasy about a schoolgirl named Haru who can understand cats. One day she instinctively saves the life of a cat in danger and learns that he's the prince of Cat Kingdom. Amongst the many rewards she'd prefer to reject are dead mice and a marriage proposal that leaves both parties unhappy. A mysterious voice advises Haru to seek out the Baron, a cat statue come to life, and Muta, an obese feline rogue, to save her from transforming into a cat and losing her stake in the human world.
Like with other Ghibli films, especially the kid-friendly "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Kiki's Delivery Service," this film is warm-hearted, sincere and appropriate for pretty much all ages. The plot can be a little too cute for its own good, but the characters are well-realized enough to add a necessary grounding in realism. It also helps that the visuals are so strong, with Ghibli's trademark eye for detail, color and light bringing to life Japanese suburbs, Victorian alleys and magical kingdoms.
3. Cats Don't Dance (1997)
Danny, a song-and-dance tomcat hoping to make it big in Golden Era Hollywood, steps on the shoes of Darla Dimple, "Hollywood's Sweetheart," when he improvise on his single line ("Meow") while an extra in her star vehicle. He's immediately blacklisted, framed in a studio disaster and rejected even by the other would-be sensations whose dreams have also been crushed by humanity's lack of interest in animal stars. Though initially depressed, Danny contrives to stage a massive musical comeback that wallows gleefully in garish "final number" excess.
Warner Brother's underappreciated gem was strangled in the cradle by executives who doubted its potential (much like in the plot), cutting off marketing funds and limiting the release. They managed to lock in a box office failure for themselves, which is sad given the film's success as a self-aware throwback to classical feel-good backstage musicals and its polished "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" type wit. It walks the line drawn by Pixar, whereby the film appeals to kids with its bright colors, catchy tunes and non-stop action while amusing adults with razor-sharp studio-era references (Darla Dimple, a sadistically villainous Shirley Temple, is especially memorable). At least director Mark Dindal was able to go on and make Disney's equally delightful anomaly "The Emperor's New Groove."
2. The Cat Who Walked By Herself (1988)
This obscure Russian film caught me by surprise. It's an adaptation of a Rudyard Kipling pourquoi story (short origin tales that take the format "how the leopard got his spots" or the like). It's narrated in silky whisper by a house cat to a toddler who's pulled her tail. Apparently the child forgot that thousands of years ago, humans and cats came to an agreement not to do so. Mixing stop motion, cutouts and paintings, a primal fable about cavepeople's evolution and dependence on animals unfolds, with the cat providing wry commentary.
Intricate constructions and an eclectic art design make this one of the most visually arresting cat films ever made, though few have even heard of it. It also manages to capture the personality of cats and the sense that they see themselves not as pets, but as masters of their domain (unlike dogs or horse, food and scratches behind the ears only buy temporary loyalty). Like in many of Kipling's other writings, the atmosphere of unfathomable magic and exotic creatures foregrounds nature as an exciting power to be reckoned with and humanity as gruff interlopers in over their heads. The occasionally drab character designs and use of ritual repetition are notable flaws, but the craft, originality and wisdom behind the production won my admiration.
1. Felidae (1994)
Soon after arriving in a new apartment building with his owner, Francis begins to investigate a series of brutal sex murders in the neighborhood. His amateur sleuthing turns up a viscous gang, a deadly cult, a blind beauty, a brilliant technophile, a secret catacomb, feral femme fatales and evidence of an unethical research program carried out years ago that may hold the key behind it all. The closer he gets to the truth, the more bodies pile up around him, but the crafty killer is clearly playing a larger high-stakes game destined to force Francis into choosing between his mind and his morals. Felidae, by the way, is the scientific name for the family of cats.
The sinuous noir plot is the best on the list by far, with metaphoric implications that stretch from Nazi war crimes to modern scientific debates. Its dark tone, unsparing imagery and mature subject matter was a major risk for an animated film (Germany's most expensive), but Akif Pirinçci source novel ensured an artistic pedigree high enough to pay off in its niche market. The animation is also stellar, aiming for realism (nailing cat mannerisms and their social hierarchy) to create real tension and intrigue. I'm not too sure about the title track by Boy George, but overall this is THE cat film to see.
Next week, top ten countdowns for animated dog and mice movies.
Labels: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, Anime/Animation, Germany, Iceberg Arena, Japan, Lists and Rankings, Russia, Screenshots and Images, USA
I love Angel's Egg, but I can't really stand Night on the Galactic Railroad. I guess maybe I'm not a Kenji Miyazawa fan. I couldn't stand the anime biopic of him starring cats, either.
Dan Cowan said...
I'm trying to recall the name of an animated art film I saw at Mass MoCa museum sometime around 2002-2005 (?) which featured a female cat as the main character in a dreamlike, mostly black and white story which alternated traditional animation and some less-appealing computer-generated cityscapes in some scenes. Probably Japanese, although I could be totally wrong there. It did have a very cute anime style which featured a sudden change to vibrant, psychedelic colors towards the end and vaguely metaphysical subtext. Any idea? I'm trying to find if it was ever released, but I'm starting to doubt it. I consider it a cat film worth seeing, at any rate.
Sorry, I just read through your posting of Part One and found the title, Tamala 2010, listed as #6. Thanks for posting on this - now I have to try to find a copy!
Since there is no US distribution of the film, you can legally download it or watch it on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slzKCovm6sw
You can also buy an unofficial copy here:
http://www.allcluesnosolutions.com/index.php?productID=573
or an official copy sans subtitles here:
http://www.yesasia.com/global/1004859129-0-0-0-en/info.html
or you can try to decipher the website which I hear sells a subtitled version:
http://www.tamala2010.com/
Enjoy or re-enjoy as the case may be!
Nate said...
Have you ever seen Catnapped? It's not going to unseat Felidae or anything, but it's notably insane for a kids' fairy tale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lys-Cd_OjOk
The Superpower-Driven Narrative
Review of The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz
Review of The Tale of Tsar Saltan (1966)
Ten Great Characters
Iceberg Arena: Beyond the Cat Countdown Part III
Iceberg Arena: The Ten Lives of Cartoon Cats Part I
Review of Lilith


What a fucking year.
Here's the prediction thread from last year. Go look yourself up and see if you correctly predicted that Trump would be the president-wreck. (E-wreckt? Gross.) Spoiler: you didn't.
Like a Business
It's the end of the year. For some reason, I keep recalling Kotsko's "Like a Business" column, on the incessant promise to fix public goods by running them like a business:
Yet it occurs to me: is anything inherently a business? We normally think of a bakery as a business, for example, but isn't it actually a place where people bake things? One can imagine a bakery operating under many different economic systems. The examples multiply. A clothing retailer is a place where people come to get their clothes. A convenience store exists to provide people with easy access to frequently used items. A car factory exists to make cars. Even a bank exists primarily to intermediate between people's different financial priorities (e.g., saving vs. spending), rather than to make money as such. All of those things are typically "run like a business" in Western countries, but that doesn't mean that they directly "are" businesses.
Only one type of pursuit is inherently a business: hedge funds. Hedge funds avowedly exist for no other purpose than to turn money into more money. They are indifferent to the means by which that is accomplished -- they will buy and sell anything, from an oil drum to a government bond to a complex bet to pay out if a certain asset reaches a certain price. For all the advanced math and physics deployed, the basic logic is simple. Buy low, sell high -- minimize your costs while maximizing your revenue. That's what it means to run something "like a business."
So I figured I'd dust it off.
It's much more a refutation of Mitt Romney than Trump - Trump is too much of a trainwreck/wild card/blunt impulsive talker for this to be his crux. It's just something that's been knocking on my mental door lately.
I Come From The Future
In Iran, you have a rich, corrupt minority that does what it wants, an intelligentsia that says "shit is fucked up and bullshit," and a whole bunch of poor people. Every now and again, when the intelligentsia says, "that's it, we've had it," the government rolls out the Basij, drawn from the ranks of the poor, conflates the intelligentsia with the corrupt, rich minority (who are actually connected to the government) and lets the Basij bash their heads in for a while.
I'd offer consulting services to the Trump transition team, but I think they have this angle mostly covered.
Dredlocks
Is this legally unavoidable and reasonable to lawyers, like calling corporations "people", or is this a racist (or at least cowardly) judge who is hiding behind unnecessarily strict classifications to avoid seeing the forest for the trees?
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled against a lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Catastrophe Management Solutions, effectively ruling that refusing to hire someone because of their dreadlocks is legal.
In their suit, the EEOC claimed that this was a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964's Title VII, arguing that dreadlocks are a "racial characteristic" that have been historically used to stereotype African-Americans as "not team players" and as unfit for the workplace. Therefore, claiming that dreadlocks do not fit a grooming policy is based on these stereotypes and inherently discriminatory, as dreadlocks are a hairstyle "physiologically and culturally associated" with African-Americans.
The court of appeals disagreed, ruling that CMS's "race-neutral grooming policy" was not discriminatory as hairstyles, while "culturally associated with race," are not "immutable physical characteristics." In essence, traits in a person's appearance that are tied to their culture but are otherwise changeable are not protected and can be used to deny job offers.
I mean, yes, you can cut off your dreads, but that's how racist workarounds of strict interpretations work. This is all very tied to how attuned you are to fashion norms of this century - there are many, many examples of a person with dredlocks dressing extremely formally. I'd be curious to know if men with long hair is allowed.
(Don't make an analogy to tattoos or you'll tie yourself in knots - they're not analogous. The current 2016 socially-understood cut-off for tattoos is to keep them to locations where they can be easily hidden by long sleeves and long pants and shoes. Maybe in ten years the line will have drifted.)
My money is on the racist/cowardly judge.


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Hi how are you doing. School has started. I'm just dealing with my MS. Good news and good doctor finally. Send me a letter. Please
Questions for Alexandre Philippe for August 1st Shindig
tigorprod replied to Dr. Rich Edwards's topic in The Master of Suspense: 50 Years of Hitchcock
The women characters in Hitchcock films (and television shows) were mostly portrayed as weaker physically and emotionally than the men characters although a female might be more cunning than the male counterpart. Even in an argument between a Hitchcock male and female (Grace Kelly and James Steward in Rear Window), the man almost always has the last word. This was the societal view of women through the 1960s and early 1970s. Would Hitchcock have ever considered a strong female character such as Ripley in the Alien franchise? Are there any Hitchcock female characters that might be considere
Hitchcock once defined the MacGuffin as "the thing that the spies are after but the audience don't care about." Is there a MacGuffin in every Hitchcock film? For example, does Marnie have a MacGuffin?
Daily Dose #20: Look! (Opening Scene of Frenzy)
1. How does the opening of Frenzy differ from the opening of The Lodger? Feel free to re-watch the clip from The Lodger (Daily Dose #2) for comparison. Aside from the obvious technical differences, Frenzy opens with a friendly, almost soothing travelogue aerial shot of London that glides through London Bridge under the beginning titles. Ron Goodwin's score is all strings and happy horns as though referencing the traditions of the British Empire musically. The titles are clean and elegant against the London backdrop. Only the movie title, Frenzy, is designed using white and blood red ver
Daily Dose #19: Real Identities (Opening Scene of Marnie)
1. Based on the opening sequence alone, what do you feel you already know about Marnie as a character? In what ways does Hitchcock visually reveal her character through her interaction with objects. Hitchcock has selected the purse as an object that represents and contains the complete counterfeit identity of Marnie. Hitchcock's camera focuses in close up on this purse that is a canary yellow color that stands in contrast to the near colorless hallway where we see Marie walking from behind. Even her brown suit and her dark hair contribute to the production design. We see by the various b
Daily Dose #18: Love Birds (Opening Scene of The Birds)
1. In what ways does this opening scene seem more appropriate to a romantic comedy than a "horror of the apocalypse" film? What do we learn about Melanie (Tippi Hedren) and Mitch (Rod Taylor) in this scene? The basic opening after Melanie strides into the pet shop could certainly play as a scene from a Ross Hunter-produced movie such as Pillow Talk or Lover Come Back with Doris Day and Rock Hudson as the principal actors. Hitchcock sets the first meeting of Melanie and Mitch as a verbal, thinly veiled sexually-infused joust. We think that Melanie is fooling Mitch into believing that she
Daily Dose #17: What Do I Do With My Free Afternoon? (Title Sequence and Opening Scene of Psycho)
1. Psycho opens with title design by Saul Bass and music by Bernard Herrmann. This is their third collaboration for Hitchcock, including Vertigo and North by Northwest. How does the graphic design and the score introduce the main themes of this film? (I wonder how this extraordinary collaboration came off? Hitchcock, Herrmann and Bass had to communicate in some form. Which came first, the development of the titles or the music? Of course, the final draft titles and music had to be fully synched and approved by Hitchcock.) Psycho is a complex psychological thriller that again plays w
Daily Dose #16: It's a Nice Face (Scene from North by Northwest)
1. Even at the level of the dialogue, this film is playing with the idea that two Hollywood stars are flirting with each other (e.g. the line, "I look vaguely familiar.") How does our pre-existing knowledge of these stars function to create meaning in this scene? Hitchcock is not only the master of suspense but a master of casting. One of the most interesting things to learn about Hitchcock is the importance of finding the right stars for the success of his films. In this case, Cary Grant had been a big international star for two decades. Eve Marie Saint, who had won a supporting acade
Daily Dose #15: Lissajous Figures (Title Design Sequence from Vertigo)
1. Describe what you think this film will be about simply from the sounds and images in these opening credits. Even if you have seen the film, try to focus on these sounds and images themselves and "the story" (or if not "the story," the mood and atmosphere they are establishing) that this sequence is communicating to the audience. If I had never seen a Hitchcock film before or if I knew nothing about his reputation, I would know that a great mystery, perhaps in the supernatural realm, was about to be presented to me even before the Vistavision credit is displayed with Bernard Herrmann's
Daily Dose #14: Here Lie the Broken Bones of L.B. Jefferies (Opening Scene of Rear Window)
1. How would you describe the opening camera shot of this film? What is Hitchcock seeking to establish in this single shot that opens the film? Whose vantage point is being expressed in this shot, given that Jeff has his back to the window? Hitchcock allows the audience to discover the apartment courtyard setting along with some of the inhabitants. The initial panning shots that showcase the physical dimensions of the courtyard before returning to the sweating brow of James Stewart lasts 30 seconds or so. The next close-up confirms the sweltering heat by showing a thermometer hitting 95
You have reached your quota of positive votes for the day
Daily Dose #13: Criss Cross (Opening Scene of Strangers on a Train)
1. In how many ways does Hitchcock play with or visually manifest the metaphor of "crisscross" or "crisscrossing" in this introductory sequence. [For those who haven't seen the film yet, the idea of "crisscross" is central idea in this film, a theme Hitch sets up from the opening frames of this film.] Be specific. Hitchcock sets up the "crisscross" motif using "doubles". For example, the camera pans left on an approaching cab coming into the train station entry. In a low shot, the camera shows a male passenger wearing spats exiting the cab and walking screen left. In another low angle
1. What Hitchcock "touches" do you see in this early scene from the movie? The Hitchcock Touch is immediately apparent in the selection of shots including extreme close-ups, dollies, expressionist angles, etc. The most prominent "touch" is Hitchcock's presentation of a beginning attraction between Grant and Bergman that will later involve a third party, Claude Rains. Hitchcock crosses the spectrum of love, betrayal, mistrust, jealousy and sex. 2. How does Hitchcock choose to light, frame, and photograph his two stars in this scene? What are some of the contrasts that Hitchcock tryin
Daily Dose #11: Thought I'd Left (Opening Scene of Mr. and Mrs. Smith)
1. What Hitchcock "touches" do you see in this opening sequence? Moreover, what do we learn about or know about the couple through the scene's visual design: the props, the set design or dressing, the decor, the camera angles, the lighting, etc.? Hitchcock begins with the establishment of characters, a married couple played by Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard, by allowing the audience to discover their personalities with certain visual cues before any dialogue begins. The first dissolve opens to a pan-dolly shot of plates of half-eaten food. The shot lands on a disheveled, unshaven
Daily Dose #10: Nothing on Me (Opening Scene of Shadow of a Doubt)
1. As mentioned in the curator's note, this scene operates as a prelude to the main story. What do learn about the character of Uncle Charlie in this prelude? Be specific. Hitchcock uses this initial scene to delineate Uncle Charlie's sociopathic personality primarily though the visuals aided to a great degree by the dialogue with his landlady. The scene begins with a wide shot of children playing ball in the streets below a seedy apartment building. As the camera moves towards the building, Hitchcock shows tilted-angle shots of the window outside of Uncle Charlie's room. These angled


HoopDirt.com Daily News – 2/8/18
HoopDirt.com's Daily News from the college basketball coaching world…
James Madison University has postponed its home basketball game against UNCW on Thursday, Feb. 8, and its away game against Elon on Saturday, Feb. 10. The games are being postponed due to suspected cases of mumps affecting the team and due to concerns for potential exposure to opposing players. Within the JMU coaching staff, there is one confirmed case of mumps and one probable case in an individual who has since recovered. Two other individuals have been identified as suspected cases of mumps with no confirmed diagnosis at this time. At this point, there is one possible case affecting a student-athlete.More on this situation from James Madison HERE.
The trial for former Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person has been set for February 4th, 2019. Person and co-defendant Rashan Michel are scheduled for a jury trial in the Southern District of New York before Judge Loretta A. Preska. This past November, Person pleaded not guilty to six charges including bribery, fraud, and corruption for his alleged involvement with the NCAA pay-for-play scandal. More from Al.com HERE.
According to The Wisconsin State Journal, the worst season in 20 years for the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team has put some fans on edge. Some people are even wondering about the direction of the program under coach Greg Gard. However, the Journal reports that UW athletic director Barry Alvarez hasn't lost faith in Gard despite the Badgers' major struggles this season. "I feel great about Greg," Alvarez said. Read more about the vote of confidence that Gard received from Alvarez HERE.
From Belmont Vision: Belmont men's basketball coach Rick Byrd grabbed his 773rd career win following Saturday's victory over Morehead State, placing him 15th on the NCAA career wins list. On Jan. 27 after the men's victory over SIU Edwardsville, Byrd surpassed former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who had earned 770 career wins. More on Byrd and his climb up the career wins ladder HERE.
NJCAA DI Grayson College (TX) will be bringing back men's basketball, and they plan on playing during the 2018-19 season. The program was cut after the 2010-11 season after legislature reduced funding to the school. We'll have the job posting soon as they search for a head coach. More from Grayson College HERE.
Yesterday, HoopDirt.com released the first Coaching Tracker of 2018. For up-to-date coaching changes so far during the 2017-18 season, please click HERE.
The HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions winners were announced earlier this week. The full list of winners from the DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO levels can be found HERE. Nominations for next week's award can be sent to: [email protected]
Tagged with: Auburn Belmont Big Ten CAA Chuck Person Grayson College Greg Gard James Madison JuCo Rick Byrd SEC Wisconsin
Gabriel named Head Men's Basketball Coach at Lackawanna College
BREAKING: UNC Wilmington fires Head Basketball Coach C.B. McGrath
JUCO DIRT: Southern Nevada set to add men's basketball; Veteran coach hired


NIGERIA, 17 OTHERS ELECTED INTO ECOSOC
Home / Investor News / NIGERIA, 17 OTHERS ELECTED INTO ECOSOC
NIGERIA, 17 OTHERS ELECTED INTO ECOSOC2020-06-192020-06-19https://courtevillegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logonew.gifCourteville Business Solutions Plchttps://courtevillegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ecosoc.jpg200px200px
This membership positions Nigeria to advance the interest of the African continent as a whole. The United Nations General Assembly has elected Nigeria and 17 other countries into the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN. The new ECOSOC members will serve for three years, effective from January 1, 2021.
Of the 14 seats usually reserved for African Countries on the council, only 5 were vacant and those seats went to Nigeria, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar and Zimbabwe, following their endorsement and the presentations by their respective sub-regional organisations
To represent the Asia-and Pacific states were Indonesia, Japan, and the Solomon Islands, while Bulgaria was elected to represent the Eastern European Group.
Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico were elected to represent the Latin American and Caribbean Group on the council; while Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom were elected to fill five vacant seats reserved for "Western European and other" states.
ECOSOC is considered the heart of the United Nations, established by the UN Charter in 1946. It is responsible for the coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on the economic, social, and environmental agenda of the UN.
This will be Nigeria's third time of serving on the ECOSOC since 2012, and is coming within two years after its last term in the council. This membership positions Nigeria to advance the interest of the African continent as a whole. Under the UN Charter, the ECOSOC is also responsible for promoting higher standards of living, employment and economic and social progress.
https://nairametrics.com/2020/06/18/nigeria-17-others-elected-into-ecosoc/
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Machine Man
Francisco Toro / February 7, 2012
"We have 530,000 votes for Pablo Pérez in Zulia. And when I tell you we have 530,000 votes for Pablo Pérez in Zulia, that's not some estimate, or a hope, or a plan or anything like that. When I say we have 530,000 votes for Pablo Pérez in Zulia it's because I know which 530,000 people we're talking about. We've already contacted them and they've made a specific commitment to vote for Pablo. So we know their names, we know their cédula numbers, we know where they live, we know where they vote, we know how they're planning to get to the polls, and if they need a ride, we know who is going to give them that ride."
We're on the road from La Cañada to La Concepción, south of Maracaibo, going from one Pablo Pérez campaign event to the next, and Machine Man is feeling confident. He's sure the polls have Sunday's race badly, badly wrong. He wonders out loud whether the pollsters who have HCR far ahead of his guy are just incompetent or actively corrupt.
"We're going to win," he declares, with an air of someone who's worked through all the angles, covered all his bases, and speaks out of mathematical certainty.
Then he pulls out his iPad and starts to show me why.
"We've already made more than 14,000 contacts in La Cañada, and there are just over 44,000 voters there. In Villa de Rosario we're a bit behind but we'll meet our target of 9,000 by election day, easy."
As he speaks, he's flipping through a thicket of data downloaded onto spreadsheets on his tablet.
"See, we have specific numerical targets for every municipality, every parish, every voting center and every voting table in the state. We have mobilizers down to the block level. Right now I can tell you there are 12 tables, tables, in Zulia where we might lose. That's out of over 1,000."
In Zulia, their goal is to mobilize 80% of the people who voted for the UNT card in September 2010. Back then, 752,000 voted for the opposition, and out of those 640,000 voted on the Un Nuevo Tiempo ticket. 80% of that number is 512,000, so that was their target for 12F. They've already exceeded that number of contacts. Nationwide, the UNT machine is looking to mobilize 800,000 voters +.
"And that's just the mobilized UNT vote," he hastens to add, "that doesn't count the votes our allies are going to bring out in Tachira, in Margarita, Monagas, the llanos, Southern Valencia. And it doesn't count spontaneous votes, the ones who turn out without anyone having to ferry them to a polling station."
Machine Man looks up from the screen and says, "all in, we'll be well over a million votes. Easy."
Then he leans back and repeats, now mantra-like.
"We're going to win."
February 7, 2012 in Pablo Perez.
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56 thoughts on "Machine Man"
ElTank says:
and yet I hope he is wrong… PP is the worst thing that could happen to the opposition. Outside of Zulia, nobody is interested in having him as president.. a guys with no plan and no charisma. Chavez would probably squash him.
Kepler says:
I agree with you in almost all but I think there could be some people outside Zulia who would vote for him: Zulianos -even if not all of them, as Juan Nagel shows- who live in the diaspora.
Zulianos even hold their separate religious services in my city, Valencia:
http://www.el-carabobeno.com/portada/articulo/23542/zulianos-en-valencia-celebrarn-da-de-la-chinita
I just hope Chavistas don't move to vote for him.
extorres says:
"a guys with no plan and no charisma. Chavez would probably squash him."
I don't follow the logic. Since when does a man with no plan nor charisma not have a chance to get elected in Venezuela? :P
irpo says:
I'm not sure what Pablo Perez needs to do and say and show to prove that he has a plan for Venezuela. His speech is full of content and ideas, real proposals. Not sure we are looking at the same man. Plus we should begin to think strategically and vote with our heads. Its not about winning on the 12th is about beating Chavez. In 1 day Chavez will destroy Capriles with his rhetoric against the Sifrino-Oligarchs and that goes deep in the heart of the population that belongs to the lower classes and they are the majority. If the middle class votes strategically they will vote for the candidate that can take votes away from Chavez Oct 7th, for the candidate that has a good story to tell, that comes from way down and moved up by his own determination and hard work, the one candidate that talks to the people because he belongs to the people, the candidate that Chavez cannot destroy with a day of rhetoric. I'm not maracucha, I live in NY, and I'm voting with my head.
Francisco Toro says:
I think that's a perfectly reasonable post. Yet as the candidate for AD, COPEI, MAS, and essentially the entire cuartarepublica holdover squad, I think the attacks PP would have to face are just as harsh as the ones in store for HCR, just as resonant, and arguably more justified.
What will it take to weather the storm? A clear, consistently delivered, highly disciplined, properly honed message delivered by someone with growing credibility.
I diagree Quico. Are you saying AD, COPEI, MAS are not going to support HCR after February 12th? They are still part of the MUD as far as I know, and HCR is going to be their candidate too if he wins on Feb 12th (AND he is going to need their help).
I think in the end, the cuarta republic shtick is not going to work against either PP or HCR because both are young and relatively fresh. It's not like Pinerua is coming back from the grave to run for president!
I agree with your post. Plus we need to think of Podemos and PPT, what do they represent anyway? Not a great support. On another note I've never been adeca nor copeyana, but must say that the reasons that brought us the mess of Chavez and co. had to do with a general emotional and unrestrained hatred towards politics and in particular against the IV republic and what they represented. After 13 years of purgatory, people should mature a bit and realize that we shouldn't make the same mistakes of the past. Unrestrained emotions don't take us places… Our past is as necessary as our future. We cannot understand the present unless we learn from the past. A total rejection of everything past is immature. Pablo Perez however doesn't represent the past, nor the IV, he's fresh, young and popular. All needed qualities for the big fight against the mega-powers in October. If Capriles wants to win he'll need the ADs and the COPEIs as well.
Is Pérez young? Doesn't look like.
Is he fresh? In which sense? To me he sounds like an adeco.
Is he popular outside Zulia? I doubt it.
Do you want to know the past? Well: do you know that the term "Un Nuevo Tiempo"
was used in the early seventies as a synonym for the movement started by Acción Democrática?
http://books.google.be/books?ei=x2oxT4qOJsSQ-waEz8ziBQ&id=_CgYAAAAYAAJ&dq=historia+venezuela+un+nuevo+tiempo&q=un+nuevo+tiempo#search_anchor
I mean: the guys were so uncreative that they used a synonym for AD to create a new party…
And Pérez' way of talking is not "pueblo". It is adeco. They are related but not mutually interchangeable terms.
GTAveledo says:
HCR should get that machinery for himself if he wants to win in October; I've frequently felt that he often went out of his way to alienate almost any possible "big" ally.
Even though I'd vote for any of them come October -no hesitation, no proverbial handkerchiefs- I believe PP could have it easier in order to retain the unitary momentum. That being said, I'm sick of Rafael Poleo's blurbs against HCR, which play to the other side.
As for the "IV Republic" charge, well, I won't say that such a thing just mirrors chavismo's World-view ("the world stopped in 1830 and began anew in 1998"), but I might add that any opposition candidate will have that levelled against him: Wasn't HCR diputado for Copei? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Pablo Perez is the closes thing to AD/COPEI that is out there, from the way he handles himself to the way his campaign is run. He is popular in Zulia and only in Zulia, he was the right hand of Manuel Rosales who is despised in the rest of the country (for one reason or another) and his speeches are boring and lack charisma (even compared to HCR). He performed poorly in every single debate.
His campaigning is as old school as it gets. You are right in that the middle class will vote for the candidate that can take votes away from Chavez Oct 7th, but there is little reason for the lower class to vote for him. He was Rosales dauphin and can be easily associated with the cuarta. Its not like Maracaibo is very well run either..
In the other hand you have Capriles who looks (is?) younger and has a clearer speech. His party is younger and doesnt smell of 4ta republica. He is backed up by Lopez and his VP party. Both PJ and VP have managed to grow outside Caracas/Miranda in a way that UNT could only dream of.
Capoldo has a chance against Chavez. They inspire the younger voter (Venezuela is a relatively young country). Pablo Perez inspires 4ta republica and backroom smoked filled rooms.
Eltank, Kepler, I honestly think you are not looking at the key aspects that give Pablo Perez his popular appeal. He doesn't necessarily speak to you, and obviously not to a segmented portion of Miranda. That's irrelevant at the end. We obviously know that this demographic will vote against Chávez October 7, so why even bother too much. The key here is to gather all the votes that we can to beat Chávez. Capoldo is precisely the antithesis of that proposition. They speak to themselves, to all those that have voted over and over against Chávez and yet haven't managed to get him out. To the middle class, to the economic groups. The key again is to get the votes of the disaffected Chavistas, those that will never vote for an oligarch even if he rolls up his sleeves and walks the flooded streets of the barrios. They won't vote for an oligarch period. However, they might vote for someone that looks like them and that even speaks to their issues, its simple. Its okay that the campaign of Pablo Perez has not reached you, it was never intended to do so. I think he's clearly positioning himself as the one that can connect with the people, those that Capoldo can never connect with. Lets remember this election is not about who looks younger, and who speaks clearer to the middle class, is about who can beat Chavez. Lets keep an aesthetic distance when we think about the key issues here, and vote with our heads. First lets get rid of Chavez in October, so that we can have many opportunities to vote for a Capriles in the future and see him win, the way things are right now he doesn't strike a chance against Chávez, who's the real problem, not AD or COPEI.
Rodrigo Linares says:
Irpo,
We are definitely not seeing the same guy. PP doesn't come from an impoverished family (not filthy rich either), nor he speaks to the people (or to anyone for that matter). I think PP has a lot going on for him, but not of the arguments you are bringing up are demonstrable in reality. He has not been very successful in communicating his plan for Venezuela to a middle class, Caracas guy like me or to anyone else that I know. I've noticed that he is usually preferred by an older demographic at least here in Miranda. If you ask me what is PP major drawback is that if you are not looking closely you think you are listening to Manuel Rosales. They are the same thing and machinery and all, they are proven to not be able to defeat Chavez.
Also, reasonably respected pollsters (Consultores 21) showed that Capriles has way more credibility against Chavez than PP against Chavez every where but in Zulia. So I am not sure where are you getting those arguments.
Guido David Núñez-Mujica says:
Kepler:
The Truth shall set you free. Y por eso te vamos a apedrear, no joda!
Rodrigo nailed it: This is Rosales' Dauphin. Manuel 2.0, same background, similar people around him. We tried that in 06, got us nowhere. Why insist?
Rodrigo, What I'm saying is precisely that PP is not directing his message to the middle class, but to the lower classes. He doesn't need the middle class if he wants to beat Chavez. And the pollsters that you mention all specify that the groups that tend to follow PP are precisely the lower sectors. I'm not making this up its in the papers. You criticize the traditional party machinery, but how do you think that Capriles will win in October without them? I can't visualize any possibility of the sort. If Capriles wants to win, he'll need AD, COPEI and UNT. So either way, its not smart to trash the machine.
By all means the party machinery is necessary. I think PJ has tried to build one. MCM admitted in the Panorama debate that she wishes she had one. But I would like to think that the leaderships within UNT, AD, Copei are decent enough, that in the PP loses, they will do everything they can to get those machineries working towards the unity candidate. I don't think people should consider "machinery" and advantage for the primaries.
The people? Certainly not MY people. None of the candidates, including Chávez looks or acts like my people. So, moot point.
mtchz says:
Not probably. Chavez would SURELY squash him.
anonimo. says:
you may hate it right now, but you will need it later… Capriles people keeps attacking THE Machine as if they could easily win in October without them and they can't (no matter what absurd reasoning the maracucho chimbo from this blog my come up with).
The people who press the button of the machine may have signed a deal that they will support the winner no matter what… but the people that moves the machine didn't… and unlike chavismo… in this machine if you don't go to vote you don't get fire, and these greasy people are getting really piss off by the constant attacks for being part of a machine that has done so much good for the opposition in past elections… did you forget that this machine is not in front of you but right by your side?
Juan Cristóbal Nagel says:
Seré chimbo, pero por lo menos doy la cara y no me escondo bajo un "anónimo." Y si, nunca he dicho que Capriles no necesita la maquinaria de UNT, pa'que sepáis.
Jeffry House says:
Chavistas sowing discord….
Roberto N says:
I liked the greasy people moniker. Is he talking about auto mechanics?
Criticizing a politician, even within one's "side" is part of the daily discourse in open societies where there is debate. I know many Venezuelans are not used to this, after spending only 38 years or so with non-military caudillos (but still, populists), after so little time to have a real competition (we started having some after 88 with the attempt to decentralized things).
I am not sure who these "greasy people" are and where. I think the vast majority in the opposition will go to support the winner.
Very few who claim to be with the alternative parties will play Chávez's game and if they do, they should know they will be shooting on their own foot.
For what it's worth, I don't see where you get the sense that I "hate it right now." I think UNT is doing an admirable job organizing its people and putting together the kind of no bullshit groundgame we'll need nationwide on October 7th, no matter who wins this Sunday. I know for a fact PJ is perfectly cognizant of how powerful the UNT machine is, and they're not stupid – they know HCR would have no chance in October without a big bold win in Zulia.
The proof of the pudding comes in just five days.
Canucklehead says:
The don't call him Pablo Pueblo for nothing. Or do they?
He will win the primaries. What best strategy for the chavistas than to vote for the worst option for the oppo?
CharlesC says:
I fear this "surprise" as well.
There's no evidence of this at all.
geha714 says:
Matter of fact, the PSUV gave the "order" yesterday of "banning" all their members to paritcipate in the primary.
http://www.codigovenezuela.com/2012/02/noticias/politico/el-psuv-prohibio-a-su-militancia-votar-el-12-f
No. Chavez needs the voting turnout to be as low as possible. If more than 2 million vote on 14F, he'll look really bad for 7O. If more than 3 million vote (which would be required for chavista vote to push PP on top), it'd look like Chavez has already lost.
Camilo says:
This is exactly what I was hoping that Diego Arria's crew would do… He could have partnered with a group like Esdata and focus on opposition strongholds and not in places like Parapara for now (those could be targeted after the primaries). Not sure if they did any of this… Arria does have a heavy emphasis on using social media a la Mockus in Colombia, but not sure if it will be enough…. let's see!
Yup…let's hold our breaths to see if Diego Arria wins!
I don't wanna risk brain damage
You want to hear about Brain Damage? In the succession of PP marches and caravanas I had to endure for the sake of getting the one bloggable tidbit in this post, I had to listen to this, on an endless loop, for 14 hours non-stop:
Argh!
Man, this has to be the soundtrack to summon Cthulu.
However, after enduring a Chavista concentration to get my first passport (maybe I should write about it in English, bizarre experience), this is not that bad.
lavici says:
quico i offer you a craniosacral therapy ad honorem to dislodge your brain and environs of the beat and lyrics. it works wonders… trust me!
I think a Craniosacral-Exorcism combo might be in order.
ja ja quico, bueno en serio si te animas contactame por aquí y te mando mi email… un apurruño a la bella kimi
Sweet mother of mercy Quico. The horrors you have to endure to for the sake of our country. I was barely able to listen to the first 10 seconds. La patria te lo agradece.
That was 48 hours ago and I STILL CAN'T GET THE JINGLE OUT OF MY HEAD….
Arriamentum! LOL.
Well, I'm still voting for him on Sunday!
"Arria does have a heavy emphasis on using social media a la Mockus in Colombia"
Really? Because he is tweeting Chávez to death?
Dale a ese Blackberry, carajo! Sans pitié!
I wish he had the appeal of a Mockus. I think a Mockus would know people in Southern Zulia are NOT Guajiros.
venegringa says:
se pusieron creativos. LOL
'"We're going to win," he declares, with an air of someone who's worked through all the angles, covered all his bases, and speaks out of mathematical certainty.'
2006 called and it wants its mantra back.
kernel_panic says:
They called to my house yesterday, my grandma picked up the phone, they asked her if she was going to vote for PP, then they asked for her CI (ID number).
Funny thing is, my grandma isnt going to vote for PP and yet she said with great enthusiasm that YES SHE WILL :D
Francisco (FC) says:
I wonder how many false positives they have? I mean what are you going to say: "I'm not voting for PP"? And then have to suffer through repeated calls and please of why the hell are you not voting for PP?
I'm pretty sure his number is at least a bit inflated. Nevertheless the machinery and organization seem impressive, the proof is in the pudding as they say.
He sounds like Jimmy Dugan from the movie A League of their own.
of course chávez will forbid the pesuvi reds to go and vote… the last thing he needs is to let real numbers tallied by the MUD/Súmate of total voters to come out of the black box closet he has hidden himself in for these past years.
by the way…what do you guys/gals make of fidel's assuredness that cavez can't lose? i personally think he didi the oppo a favor…what's your take?
Fidel's thing? All noise, no signal.
i know, but the fact that fidel is backing up his pupil with such assurance don't you think it could work against the said pupil between nini's or even disenchanted chavistas who can't stand the cubiche master?
sorry for the typos, but i'm running…
Manuel Rosales 2.0
JotaE says:
I wished we had a comparison of their performances as governors.
There is not candidate that cannot be attacked by the governement.
The name of the game is to win no matter the attacks.
This is a bizantine discusion.
We have to give our support to whoever wins on 12-02. That includes supporting someone who was not our candidate.
The winner and his team most do his best to get the votes of those people that voted before for Chavez, the other votes are granted.


Police: Woman driving with infant gets second DWI in three weeks
Police: Woman's husband also intoxicated
Updated: 12:26 PM EST Jan 22, 2015
Furnished by House of Corrections SOURCE: Furnished by House of Corrections
A Wolfeboro woman faces her second driving while intoxicated charge in three weeks, and police say in the most recent incident she had her 3-month-old son in the car.Wolfeboro police stopped Kimberly Pritchard, 35, after an officer saw her and her husband, Lee Pritchard, 35, acting suspiciously in the Lehner Street area, according to authorities.Pritchard failed a field sobriety test and was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and breach of bail conditions. Her husband was also intoxicated and he was held in protective custody at the county jail.Authorities said Pritchard's 3-month-old son was in the back seat of the car. He was turned over to a family member. 12967056
WOLFEBORO, N.H. —
A Wolfeboro woman faces her second driving while intoxicated charge in three weeks, and police say in the most recent incident she had her 3-month-old son in the car.
Wolfeboro police stopped Kimberly Pritchard, 35, after an officer saw her and her husband, Lee Pritchard, 35, acting suspiciously in the Lehner Street area, according to authorities.
Pritchard failed a field sobriety test and was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and breach of bail conditions. Her husband was also intoxicated and he was held in protective custody at the county jail.
Authorities said Pritchard's 3-month-old son was in the back seat of the car. He was turned over to a family member.


Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) continue to threaten our lakes. The good news is that the spread of aquatic invasive plants is slowing down thanks to the Lake Host Program. But, here's the bad news—the spread of aquatic invasive animals into New Hampshire's lakes is on the rise. More must be done.
Our Lake Hosts cannot be at every boat ramp in New Hampshire, from sunup to sundown, helping and reminding boaters how to prevent the spread of invasive species. And, it's difficult for boaters to drain out every last drop of water from boats.
But, there is good news. too. There are tools and equipment that can be offered to boaters to help them Clean, Drain, & Dry their boats, trailers, and gear, even when a Lake Host isn't at the launch to help.
NH LAKES works with boat access site owners and local partners to upgrade sites with a variety of approaches, tools, and technologies to help boaters to take action to prevent the spread of invasive species. Under state law, boaters are required to use tools and technologies provided at access sites to clean, drain, and/or dry their boat, before launching into and after coming out of the waterbody. These tools may include garden hoses, cleaning tools or units, or decontamination units.
To find out more about what can be done at boat ramps to prevent the spread of invasive species, download our FREE guide below:
"Best Available Technologies for Aquatic Invasive Species Spread Prevention"
And, you can invite NH LAKES to do a free evaluation of a local boating access site and provide recommendations on tools and technology that could help boaters prevent the spread of invasive species! To request an evaluation, fill out our inquiry form below:
Request a Best Tech Site Evaluation
CD3 Watercraft Cleaning Station
NH LAKES has deployed the first waterless watercraft cleaning unit in the Northeast—the CD3 Clean, Drain, Dry & Dispose Unit! Our mobile, solar-powered CD3 is visiting public boat ramps throughout the state helping boaters prevent the spread of invasive species. If you're a boater and you see it, please feel free to use it. We know you like a clean boat and lake! By using the CD3 unit, you can easily clean, drain, and dry your boat, trailer, and gear to prevent the spread of invasive species. Learn more about the threat of invasive species here.
It's FREE and easy to use!
Our CD3 unit is equipped with hand tools to help boaters remove plant fragments and other debris. A wrench is provided to help open drain plugs to remove trapped water that may contain microscopic invasive animals. A wet/dry vacuum allows boaters to remove standing water trapped in bilges, live wells, and storage compartments. And, a blower is provided to help fully dry any areas that came in contact with the water.
We must all do more to help prevent the spread of invasive species
It can take just one boat with a fragment of an invasive plant, or a boat with a few drops of water trapped in a livewell with a single invasive animal larva, being launched into a waterbody to cause a widespread problem in a lake. We must all do more to help prevent the spread of invasive species and the CD3 will help!
Our CD3 unit is being shared with access site owners and local partners at boat ramps around the state. By seeing how easy it is for boaters to use this innovative technology, we believe communities around the state will be inspired to provide such tools at local boat ramps. We thank New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and several generous donors for their support, allowing NH LAKES to bring the first CD3 unit to boaters in the Northeast!
To find out where our CD3 unit is stationed, visit our event calendar.
If you would like the CD3 unit to visit a boat access site in your area, please fill out our inquiry form below:
"CD3 Visit Inquiry Form"
And, to learn more about the variety of CD3 Waterless Cleaning Stations available, visit cd3station.com.


REVEALED: How much Hearts spends on a single GHPL match
Hearts of Oak MD, Frederick Moor, has opened the lid on how much money the team averagely spends every time it has to play a Ghana Premier League match.
The Phobians, like their other 17 counterparts in the Ghana Premier League, have not played a match since March 15 when the President, Nana Akufo Addo, announced a ban on public gatherings including sporting events.
This has left football clubs facing massive financial challenges in terms of making money to keep their operations going since there are no revenues from gate proceeds and football transfers.
These two elements form a huge a part of how football clubs make money in Ghana and their absence has led the Ghana FA to ask the government of Ghana for some financial support for the clubs.
However, no one seems to know how much the clubs spend and contribute to the national economy.
In an interview on Happy FM and GTV Sports Plus on Thursday, Moore revealed Hearts' average expenditure on a match day in the Ghana Premier League.
"The average amount that we spend on a match day is between GHS 15,000 and 25,000 and that depends on where we are going, which hotel we are staying in and how long we will spend there.
In terms of revenue, we got nearly GHS 400, 000 from our match with Asante Kotoko and everyone knows that. On an average day, we will make as little as GHS 25,000 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Consider the fact that when we go away from Accra, we do not make a penny. So, whatever we make in Accra should be divided by two in terms of the income but the revenue doubles because we pay when go away from Accra."
Hearts played 14 matches in first round of the league before it was suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic. They were set to play their 15th match against Techiman Eleven Wonders but the game was called due to the ban on public gatherings on March 15.
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China Troops 'Practice for War,' U.S. Backs India In Latest Border Standoff
By Tom O'Connor On 9/1/20 at 2:17 PM EDT
World International Affairs China India
China's armed forces have released footage of troops training for battle near their border with India, amid a charged territorial standoff between the countries in which the United States has sided with its South Asian defense partner.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Tibet Military Region shared recent footage Tuesday showing personnel "practice for war" as a brigade conducted combat exercises in the highlands that meet India. The area is an ill-defined junction that has been the source of renewed tensions between the nuclear-armed Asian neighbors. Rare skirmishes between the two forces turned deadly earlier this year, and both sides on Monday accused the other of trying to cross the contested boundary known as the Line of Actual Control.
As of Tuesday, it was apparent that no consensus had been reached, despite officials in Beijing and New Delhi emphasizing they sought a peaceful resolution.
China continues to blame the border dispute on incursions by Indian forces into their territory.
"On August 31st, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas," the Chinese embassy in India spokesperson Counselor Ji Rong said in a statement.
"The Indian side's actions seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated the relevant agreements and important consensus of the two countries, and severely damaged the peace and tranquility of the border area," Ji added. "This runs counter to the efforts of both sides to promote the relaxation of the situation on the ground for some time."
Echoing remarks made earlier by PLA Western Theater Command spokesperson Colonel Zhang Shuili, Ji noted that Beijing "firmly opposes" India's actions and "has lodged solemn representations" with New Delhi.
Channeling Zhang, the spokesperson demanded "that India immediately stop all provocative actions, immediately withdraw illegal cross-border personnel, and immediately stop any actions that may escalate and complicate the situation."
Troops of the People's Liberation Army Tibet Military Command conduct combat exercises in this footage shared September 1. The Chinese military has rolled out video and photos of recurring drills in western regions that meet India at a contested border that has been a source of conflict between the two nuclear-armed Asian neighbors. Chinese People's Liberation Army Tibet Military Command
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying offered a nearly identical response to the media at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday. Pressed for details of the incident, she stated that "the Indian account may differ from ours, but there is only one simple truth."
Hua said that in the seven decades since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the country "has never proactively provoked any wars and conflicts, and has never invaded an inch of land in other countries."
China and India once went to war over their Galwan Valley feud, a stinging conflict in which both sides claimed victory. Battles broke out both between Ladakh and Aksai China and at another contested border point connecting China's Chumbi Valley, India's Sikkim state and Bhutan's Ha Valley, where clashes between Chinese and Indian troops occurred in 2017.
Both then and now, Beijing and New Delhi maintained they were observing territorial integrity while accusing the other of crossing the line.
In response to reports that India had fortified its frontier posts with additional units, however, Hua said that such actions, if true, "are inconsistent with the desire of the Chinese and Indian peoples to live in peace and maintain good, stable and healthy development of Sino-Indian relations."
"We hope that India will take China's concerns seriously and take concrete actions to ensure the peace and tranquility of the border areas and the sound development of China-India relations," she added.
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Indian military spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand confirmed to Newsweek that "no physical clashes" took place Monday during a confrontation with China, but accused the PLA of carrying out "provocative military movements to change the status quo" south of Pangong Lake, and said their advance was thwarted by Indian troops, which have taken "measures to strengthen our positions."
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs elaborated the following day, accusing the Chinese side of repeated infractions at the border amid dialogue.
Spokesperson Shri Anurag Srivastava said in response to media inquiries Tuesday that Beijing and New Delhi were regularly engaging diplomatically in order to resolve their long-running border dispute, but that even as Indian and Chinese ground commanders met over the August 29/30 incident, "Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action."
The spokesperson held the Indian line that the Chinese were the aggressors.
"Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo," Srivastava said. "The actions and behavior of the Chinese side since earlier this year along the LAC has been in clear violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquility on the border."
Matching Chinese protests and calls for India to reign in its border troops, Srivastava said New Delhi had brought these issues to Beijing officials "through both diplomatic and military channels and have urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions."
Consistent with previous statements, Srivastava emphasized the importance of diplomacy in resolving the dispute.
"We expect the Chinese side to sincerely abide by the understanding reached earlier and earnestly work with India to resolve the situation and to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas," he added.
A man walks past a poster, depicting portraits of Indian soldiers killed in a hand-to-hand fight with their Chinese counterpart on June 15, in a market area in New Delhi on August 31. India and China have accused each other of military provocation on their contested Himalayan border where a deadly showdown erupted in June—even as commanders from the two sides held talks aimed at easing tensions. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
The high-stakes Himalayan quarrel has caught the attention of the United States, which described the PLA's Western Military Command as "likely responsible for responding to conflict with India and terrorist and insurgent threats to and within western China" in an annual assessment of the Chinese military published Tuesday.
The report made several references to the historic border contest between China and India. The document saw China's actions here as part of a broader campaign of "coercive activities" that "fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region."
Washington has sought to contain Beijing's rise by bringing New Delhi into the Western fold. Recent security events at the Line of Actual Control roughly coincided with senior U.S. officials speaking at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun directly linked recent India-China tensions to President Donald Trump's bid to isolate the People's Republic.
"Our strategy is to push back against China in virtually every domain," Biegun said. "We're doing it in the security area. We're doing it in terms of outsized demands to claim sovereign territory, whether it's in the Galwan Valley of India on the India-Chinese border, or whether it's in the South Pacific."
Vice President Mike Pence also addressed the forum, saying Trump sought to make good on strong personal ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the U.S. leader had accomplished with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but ultimately the White House would "continue to stand firm with our allies in the region like India."
Such language has been welcomed in New Delhi but rejected in Beijing, where it is seen as a bid to interfere in Chinese affairs.
Despite their tensions, both U.S. and Chinese officials paid tribute on Tuesday to the passing of former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, whom both sides credited with making strides to improve India's relationship with their respective countries.
A map shows a selected series of China's territorial disputes in the region as of January 1. U.S. Department of Defense


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Multifocal hematogenous osteomyelitis in an adult treated with corticosteroids
von Meeren, H. in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery Vol. 100 (1982), p. 69-71
".... Westerhof, W. in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery Vol. 100 (1982), p. 69-71 100<69-71 (DE-601)NLEJ..."
Infrared hyperthermia and psoriasis
von Westerhof, W. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 279 (1987), p. 209-210
"...-601 Westerhof, W. Siddiqui, A. H. Cormane, R. H. Scholten, A. in Archives of dermatological research..."
Determination of catechol O-methyltransferase activity in relation to melanin metabolism using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection
von Smit, N.P.M. in Analytical Biochemistry Vol. 190, No. 2 (1990), p. 286-291
"... Smit, N.P.M. Pavel, S. Kammeyer, A. Westerhof, W. in Analytical Biochemistry Amsterdam : Elsevier Vol..."
Expression of different immunological markers by cultured human melanocytes
von Smit, N. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 285 (1993), p. 356-365
"... changes DE-601 Smit, N. Poole, I. Wijngaard, R. Tigges, A. Westerhof, W. Das, P. in Archives of..."
Phenylalanine and UVA light for the treatment of vitiligo
von Cormane, R. H. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 277 (1985), p. 126-130
".... Westerhof, W. Schutgens, R. B. H. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 277 (1985), p. 126-130 277<126..."
Albinism: phenotype or genotype?
von Dorp, D. B. in Documenta ophthalmologica : the journal of clinical electrophysiology and vision ; the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology and Vision Vol. 56 (1983), p. 183-194
"... Dorp, D. B. Haeringen, N. J. Delleman, J. W. Apkarian, P. Westerhof, W. in Documenta ophthalmologica..."
Treatment of vasculitis with chlorpromazine and dapsone
von Asghar, S. S. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 277 (1985), p. 504-506
"... Chlorpromazine Dapsone DE-601 Asghar, S. S. Westerhof, W. Das, P. K. Jansen, F. Ch. Cormane, R. H. in Archives of..."
Increased anthralin irritation response in vitiliginous skin
von Westerhof, W. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 281 (1989), p. 52-56
"... Anthralin DE-601 Westerhof, W. Buehre, Y. Pavel, S. Bos, J. D. Das, P. K. Krieg, S. R. Siddiqui, A. H. in..."
Catechol-O-methyltransferase in vitiligo
von Poole, I. C. in Archives of dermatological research Vol. 286 (1994), p. 81-86
"...-601 Poole, I. C. Wijngaard, R. M. J. G. J. Smit, N. P. M. Oosting, J. Westerhof, W. Pavel, S. in..."
Production of catecholamines in the human epidermis
von Schallreuter, K.U. in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Vol. 189, No. 1 (1992), p. 72-78
".... Westerhof, W. Pittelkow, M.R. Thody, A.J. in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Amsterdam..."
Phagocytosis by Normal Human Melanocytes in Vitro
von Le Poole, I.C. in Experimental Cell Research Vol. 205, No. 2 (1993), p. 388-395
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Anthralin
Catechol-O-methyltransferase
Immunological markers
Infrared hyperthermia
Melanocyte cultures
Phe-UVA
Phenotypic changes
Phenylalanine and UVA therapy
Photochemotherapy of vitiligo
Radical scavenger
albino misrouting
albino skin
hairbulb incubation test
tyrosinase assay


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Home People's Voices Interview with Ei Thinzar Maung
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Interview with Ei Thinzar Maung
April 8th, 2021 • Author: Ei Thinzar Maung • 10 minute read
By the Coalition For Women In Journalism
"They will kill me if I ever get arrested", Ei Thinzar Maung, an iconic Myanmar activist, discusses blatant cruelty and the mercilessness of military rule
Journalists, activists, and civilians are severely beaten, chased, shot, sexually harassed, and executed in broad daylight.
In the unfolding Spring Revolution against the military coup of February 1, Ei Thinzar Maung has emerged as a fierce political activist and a symbol of public resistance. Her fiery oratory and intelligent analyses won over the public's heart and made her a leader for the people to follow. However, such dedication comes with a great price. "I fear for my life. And I know they will kill me if I ever get arrested", Ei Thinzar Maung revealed in a conversation with CFWIJ's Katarzyna Mierzejewska. "Everyone is fearful of being arrested, abducted, tormented, or even executed on the street because the security troops are killing wantonly day and night, on the streets or inside residential homes", she says. Ei Thinzar Maung is currently on the military regime's wanted list of activists.
The situation in Myanmar is rapidly deteriorating. Due to severe safety concerns, Ei Thinzar Maung, like dozens of other activists and journalists, remains in hiding inside the country. However, she never ceased to participate in the civil resistance movement in Myanmar. Ei Thinzar uses all of the resources at her disposal to support their democratic agenda. Ei Thinzar Maung spoke to The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) about the cruelty ravaging Myanmar and its citizens.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) is horrified by the pervasive brutality of the army and blatant violations of basic human rights. We are in regular contact with journalists and activists on the ground who are tormented, abducted, and beaten yet continue to operate in hiding. CFWIJ gives a platform to journalists who fearlessly carry on with their reporting to share their experiences and expose the appalling reality in Myanmar. We stand by the courageous people in Myanmar and will continue to support them in any way we can.
Katarzyna Mierzejewska: We have been speaking to several journalists and activists in Myanmar who emphasize the immense scale of violence tearing the country apart. The army continues its crackdown on civil liberties, but people's tenacity is extraordinary. Given that the situation is very dynamic, could you shed light on the recent distressing developments?
Ei Thinzar Maung: The military has been on a killing spree, terrorizing protesters and non-protesters in the same merciless way. The regular army units and other security forces are seen shooting protesters in the heads, executing them in broad daylight, shooting children in the playground or in their own homes. Not even visibly pregnant women who show their support for youth protesters have been spared. Going beyond the scope of their mandate, Myanmar security forces demonstrate sadistic behavior, terrorizing unarmed residents and peaceful protesters. These security troops also engage in senseless vandalism, theft, looting, arson and property destruction in all neighborhoods and protest sites in cities, towns and villages.
What do the protests look like now? I spoke to several journalists who bravely continue their coverage, and they all mention that protests are now organized in smaller townships while activists put their lives at risk every single day. How do people feel, how does the brutality and fear affect them?
Given the extreme brutality the security forces use to disperse protesters – all practically unarmed and peaceful – the protests have become smaller than the earlier waves, which attracted millions of people. However, the determination of the protesters, primarily made up of young students and labor activists, has only grown stronger in response to the security forces' barbaric behavior. There is so much creativity on the part of protest organizers who resort to numerous unusual forms of opposition to the military. The community members who do not join the protests have shown tremendous empathy and solidarity while providing concrete support such as safe houses, food, money, and information about the troops. Besides student protests, the Civil Disobedience Movement, led by civil servants such as doctors, nurses, teachers, academics, engineers, railway employees, and other professionals, continues to cripple the military's ability to run the central state administration.
Everyone is fearful of being arrested, abducted, tortured, or even executed on the street because the security troops are killing wantonly day and night, on the streets or inside residential homes. So many of us feel we are not safe simply existing as humans in the country under the siege of this terroristic regime. Women and girls are now in constant danger of being raped and gang-raped. For decades, Myanmar security forces have been using rape as a weapon of war and political subjugation, particularly in the ancestral regions of national minorities such as Shan, Kachin, Karen, Rohingyas, and so on. Shan Woman Action Network broke ground internationally in calling the world's attention to the Myanmar military's use of rape as an instrument of terror with its License to Rape report released almost 20 years ago. Thus, the military's practice of rape and threats of rape, with total impunity, has continued throughout the country.
Can you describe the main threats to the press and journalists? Many of them now operate in hiding.
Myanmar local journalists face severe risks of being detained, arrested, locked up, tortured, and executed. The military leadership frames them as being biased against the state. Journalists are regularly accused of only focusing on the military's crimes and political repression. Also, they are accused of exposing state secrets internationally. They are chased and often singled out for persecution.
Tell us more about your experience with protests as an activist in the spotlight.
I fear for my life, and I know they will kill me if I ever get arrested. But I can't allow the fear for my own safety to overwhelm me while millions of others face similar risks. When I am with other protesters and on the frontlines of protest movements, my fear usually fades away. It is only when I am alone the fear returns to me. I take comfort in the view that we are all in this together. We win as a collective, and we lose as a collective, in the face of such an evil regime. This way, I keep my revolutionary spirit up and stay resolute and resolved about my activism.
Have you experienced violence? Have people close to you endured physical attacks or any kind of state persecution?
Yes, I was beaten in the crackdown of our student march of 404 miles in 2015, and I was locked up for over a year. A few weeks ago, before I had to go underground because the risks became too great, I lost a very close friend and fellow woman dissident I was in jail with. That was hard emotionally.
You have been protesting against the military coup since the very beginning. How would you say the situation has changed in the last two months? Could you describe it in detail?
The earlier crackdowns involved water cannons, rubber bullets, and other typical riot control methods. Then, the military leadership ordered its security troops to shoot to kill and aim for the heads of protesters. They also broadcast on official propaganda TV stations that parents and family members should keep their loved ones at home unless they want to see their activist family members shot "in the head and the back of the head". Many troops videotaped themselves and published these clips in which they say they will rape or kill unarmed protestors.
The troops have been using scorched earth or Four Cut military strategies (cutting food, new recruits, information, and other supplies) in many urban neighborhoods. Residents and protesters alike are wrongly but intentionally framed as enemies, manipulated by outside powers such as Western governments and political foundations. These are military strategies the troops use against armed ethnic organizations and their communities in minority regions. Now, the troops employ these methods in cities and towns where the ethnic majority live. The regime has also tried to create news and information black-outs through internet shutdowns and interrupting mobile data services. The regime also brought back repressive Draconian measures from the previous era of military dictatorships, such as requiring every household in villages and towns to report any overnight visitors in their homes. The coup regime has also targeted philanthropists, public opinion-makers, and celebrities to block any type of moral, material, and financial support. But practically every community, village, town, and city is united in their opposition— not just against the coup regime, but its main instrument of terror, called Tatmadaw (or the Defence Forces). The public wants to defeat this repressive regime by any means necessary. Thousands of protesters have gone over to ethnic armed organizations and undergo armed resistance training programs. The public views the military regime as a gang of terrorists and aspire to set up a new Federal Army in its place, working with national minority communities.
The police and army are viciously violent towards protesters. On social media, we are inundated with disturbing images of people either killed or severely injured. Could you describe to us what it looks like in the eye of the storm? I want our readers to understand how risky it is to protest or even silently support the Civil Disobedience Movement in Myanmar.
Every time I join the street protests, I know I may be killed. I have seen fellow protesters shot, hauled away, or savagely beaten by security troops right before my eyes. It makes my blood boil. As I said before, we win or lose together as a movement. So, I feel empowered and unafraid, if only for a short moment, when I am with other protesters.
What do you think will happen next? Activists insist that the revolution must prevail, but is it even possible? Is the army willing to sit down and negotiate? What are the demands of the public resistance?
We will eventually win. We have no other option but to defeat the evil that has been terrorizing our peoples for nearly 60 years since the coup of 1962. Every one of us knows the country's military is an existential threat to all of us. So, we are at the now or never moment in our country's political history. These men in uniform, whom we commonly refer to as terrorists, will not negotiate with the protest movement whatsoever. Our revolution demands to abolish the anti-democratic constitution drawn up by the military to ensure its power. We seek the establishment of transparent federal democracy, as well as accountability for the leaders who perpetrated international crimes against unarmed civilian populations— protesters and non-protesters alike.
Ei Thinzar Maung is a respected and well-known human rights activist who has emerged as a symbol of the ongoing protests in Myanmar. Her commitment to defending social liberties long-standing.As a Kachin woman student at Mandalay University, she cut her political teeth in the nationwide student protest movement against the National Education Law proposed by the quasi-democratic government of ex-General and President Thein Sein in 2014. The prospective law promised a ban against student unions, a ban on teaching ethnic minority languages, and the prohibition of academic autonomy for universities and colleges. In the bloody crackdown against the 404 Miles March, organized by students opposing the new law in 2015, Ei Thinzar was arrested and detained for over a year. She was one of Myanmar's vocal opponents against the Rohingya genocide. She was a promising leader of the second-oldest party, A Democratic Party for a New Society, until March. She is currently on the military regime's wanted list of activists and remains in hiding in Myanmar.
Original post: the Coalition For Women In Journalism
Progressive Voice is a participatory rights-based policy research and advocacy organization rooted in civil society, that maintains strong networks and relationships with grassroots organizations and community-based organizations throughout Myanmar. It acts as a bridge to the international community and international policymakers by amplifying voices from the ground, and advocating for a rights-based policy narrative.
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