Changing Flag

From USA Today:

"Hundreds march for Mississippi flag change"

 

Sharon Brown, who proposed the initiative that seeks to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, said she's doing it for her mother."Mother is the reason why this is taking place; she indicated that, ‘you and your sister better stand up,’ so we’re standing up for a change," Brown said as supporters gathered  for Sunday's One Flag for All rally near the Jackson State University campus.

But more than striking the Confederate emblem, Brown said, it's about creating a flag that can unify Mississippians. "(The current flag) doesn't represent the unity that's here in Mississippi," she said. "We need one flag that represents all of the people here, not just a minority. It hurts the state economically and socially." The rally also drew some big names, including rapper David Banner, civil rights activist Myrlie Evers and South Carolina Rep. Jenny Horne. Horne helped facilitate  the removal of the flag at the South Carolina state capitol following a mass shooting at a church in Charleston this summer. Horne had been friends with Sen. Clementa Pinckney, one of the victims of the shooting. "There's a lot Mississippi can learn from what we did in South Carolina, so they don't have to have a tragedy to make them do the right thing," she said. "It's unfortunate that it took such a senseless act of violence. You shouldn't need that in Mississippi. It's really sad that it's 2015, and it took a tragedy to make us do this."

^ I have long said that Confederate symbols should be banned in the US. It started long before it became "trendy" to do so and also before I even lived in the South. There's a reason why many white Southerners want to keep the Confederate symbols and names. It makes them feel proud to know that they once ruled society while keeping down others (blacks, immigrants, Jews, etc.) Confederate symbols should have been banned throughout the country after 1865 when the South lost the Civil War the same way the Allies banned Nazi symbols after World War 2 in 1945. Both are symbols of a group of people who believe they are better than everyone else and go a step beyond just thinking something to putting their discriminatory views into violent actions. The Confederate symbol not only rallied the South during the Civil War, but was also used during Jim Crow as a symbol to keep blacks, Hispanics and Indians "in their place." It would be one thing if the Confederate symbol had merely been a rallying cry for States' rights over that of the Federal Government. That would have been a good cause, but when it was used for decades after 1865 to openly discriminate against non-white Protestants it crossed a line and moved from a political symbol into a racist symbol. That is why it should be banned from display (except in historical circumstances.) Many Southern states have realized that and removed the symbols from certain places, but Confederate names and symbols still dominate. No one would allow for the Germans to continue having Hitler Strasse or Hitler's Highway, but they see no issue with Lee's Highway or Jackson's Way. They should as there is no real distinction between the two. Both used violent and deadly means to keep minorities down. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/10/11/hundreds-march-mississippi-flag-change/73798542/
 

Happy Thanksgiving!

From Mental Floss:

"4 Big Differences Between Canadian and American Thanksgiving"

 1. Canada probably did it first.

There's a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving: friends and family, leftovers, a long weekend ... and don't forget Canada! English explorer Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew first got their thanks on in Newfoundland in 1578, which is widely accepted at the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America (there is, however, some debate as to when the first Thanksgiving actually occurred, and where). The story goes that Frobisher and company hadn't found the Northwest Passage to the Orient like they'd been hoping to, but still wanted to celebrate a safe arrival in the New World. The frequently cited first American Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts, occurred some 43 years later in 1621. We don't need to tell you the American version is a bit more controversial. The Pilgrims gathered to celebrate God's bounty and a good harvest. The Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims survive—many of whom were killed or exploited, in turn—may or may not have been invited to the party.

 2. Canada still celebrates it first.

Since 1957, Canadian Thanksgiving—which the natives simply call Thanksgiving—has occurred on the second Monday of October. But it hasn't always been that way. Years after the first celebration, the holiday occurred sporadically to coincide with larger events, differing by region. And if these events didn't occur in autumn? No big deal. In 1816, the end of the war between Great Britain and France inspired Thanksgiving in both Lower and Upper Canada in May and June, respectively. Then in 1921, the country tried to schedule a two-for-one so that Armistice Day and Thanksgiving would both be celebrated the Monday of the week of November 11. Thanksgiving's a lot less confusing now that Canada's one big tribe and can always count on the same annual three-day weekend. Back in the U.S., Franklin D. Roosevelt is still regarded as one of the greatest presidents of the 20th century. He helped America recover from the Great Depression and fight a world war. He taught us that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." But no one talks about how FDR ruffled everyone's turkey feathers in 1939. Another beloved president, one Abraham Lincoln, first declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. The president was given the power to choose the date of the holiday each year, but the last Thursday of November became the standard. Holidays were difficult to celebrate during the Great Depression. Many businesses worried that most Americans wouldn't spend money Christmas shopping if Thanksgiving fell on the last day, or the fifth Thursday, of the month, as it did in 1939. So Roosevelt moved the holiday one week earlier, to the dismay of many Americans. Calendars were out-of-date. School schedules were disrupted. And retailers still complained that they were losing income. Some states decided to ignore the presidential decision and celebrate Thanksgiving on the usual day; others followed the president. For the next two years, Roosevelt made Thanksgiving the second to last Thursday of the month. But no one likes to fight over turkey dinner. In 1941, Congress officially declared Thanksgiving to be the fourth Thursday of November every year. Let them eat pie!

 3. Holiday, Legislate!

Thanksgiving's a statutory holiday in most of Canada, meaning that it's celebrated nationally, but can also be legislated at the provincial and territorial levels. But in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Thanksgiving's optional. Most Canadians still get the day off, but others get paid overtime for working. One word of advice: Tell them thank you. Thanksgiving's a federal holiday in the U.S., so most Americans get a day off to stuff themselves—and then a long weekend to reheat leftovers. Still, many others, from hospital employees to store clerks to restaurant workers, hold down the fort over the holiday. Another word of advice: Tell them thank you.

 4.  There's no Black Friday in the Great White North.

Historically, Canada's biggest shopping day of the year is Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. Imagine Black Friday, but with thousands of people returning disappointing gifts. There are sales and lines and yes, sometimes even a boxing match in the aisles. (Not everyone in Canada can be friendly.) While Black Friday has picked up in Canada, it isn't nearly the mess that it is in the United States. Each year, American retailers sell massive amounts of inventory on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and the much less ominous sounding Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving. (The latter term was coined back in 2005. Can you believe it's only been seven years?) The two events are some of the biggest shopping days of the year. This year, the most crazy, err, dedicated shoppers are spending their vacation days camping out in front of stores up to a week before Black Friday. Hey, it's a free country.

 

 ^ Today is Thanksgiving and most people around the world only think that the United States celebrates the holiday. This article should give a quick summary of what Canadian Thanksgiving is and how it is different in Canada. I have been celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving since 2010 (and American Thanksgiving since I was born.) I like to see the way the same holiday is celebrated and viewed by the Canadians and the Americans. The Canadians tend to treat it as a special day for family and friends. Technically it is always on a Monday, but you can have your holiday meal anytime during the long weekend. One thing I don't like is that it is not a holiday in every province (the way it is in the US.) Americans have changed how Thanksgiving is celebrated. It has become more about the huge sales and getting ready for Christmas rather than the more traditional day to be with friends and family. That's a shame. Americans also only ever celebrate it on the Thursday and to have your holiday meal on Black Friday or the weekend is sacrosanct (yet as I already said people now rush their meals to wait for hours in long lines outside of stores to save a few pennies - so it's  not all sacrosanct.) I kind of feel that the way the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving (ie free to have it anytime during the long weekend, making it only about family and friends rather than shopping or football games) is a nod to the old days when every store was closed for the holiday and people made it about family, friends and fun. ^

 http://mentalfloss.com/article/13143/4-big-differences-between-canadian-and-american-thanksgiving

 

 

Helpful Harvest

From Fox6now.com:

"Small Illinois town rallies behind farmer in need to create “amazing harvest”"

 

In July, Carl Bates was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Doctors gave him just months to live. Bates, a grain farmer in the town of Galva, Illinois, became physically unable to endure the rigorous hours in the field. “It has progressed pretty fast as of late,” said his son, Jason Bates. “With all that acreage to pick, my dad was concerned about getting it done.” So they tapped the shoulders of their neighbors — asking them to help out a bit here and there when Carl couldn’t. The response was overwhelming. On September 25, people came from every pocket of Galva, hoping to help. “Everybody kind of came running,” Jason Bates said, when he mentioned to residents in his small hometown that a family member was in need. “We talked to a couple guys, which turned into another couple guys, and another couple guys,” Jason said. The day of the harvest, around 40 people showed up, including ladies with lunch. So did 16 trucks and 10 combines — covering over 450 acres in a single day, according to CNN affiliate WXIN. A creative effort captured the “amazing harvest.” A neighbor with a plane used for crop scouting went up with a camera and shot the aerial photo that’s taking social media by storm. Drone video was even shot. Looking at it one way, Galva is a small farm town. It’s got a population of around 2,500 and just one school. But looking at it another way, it’s more like a big family. Mike Rumbold, of Rumbold & Kuhn — a third-generation agriculture management company based in the area — said that Carl Bates, a longtime customer, was a special guy. “He’s just a caring individual, very near and dear to our hearts,” Rumbold said. When the company caught wind of Carl’s illness and his limitations, it wanted to do everything it could, donating 12 of the 16 trucks and its grain elevator. “He isn’t the type to want to ask for anything — but he’d be the first guy to come running,” said Jason Bates. The harvest took 12 hours, and by the end of it, Carl Bates was “touched and humbled,” his son said. Around 100,000 bushels of corn were harvested that day — and the bonds of a “typical Midwest farm town,” as Jason Bates calls it, proved bountiful. “It means a lot to our family that people care so much,” Jason Bates said. Carl is currently in hospice care. His son is appreciative for the outpouring of goodwill. “It’s really a testament to the people in this area,” Jason Bates said. “They would have done the same thing for others.”

 

^ You usually only see these kinds of acts in the movies. It's great to hear they actually happen. The town I live in is smaller than Galva, but after living here nearly 7 years I haven't seen this kind of helpfulness or selflishness. People here want to be left alone and that's that. This is a fitting piece to show people being good - especially on Canadian Thanksgiving. This may have happened in the US, but there are still some people around the world who think of others and not only that they put action to those thoughts. We could all stand to be more like those kind of people. ^

http://fox6now.com/2015/10/11/small-illinois-town-rallies-behind-farmer-in-need-to-create-amazing-harvest/

UK Disabled Pictures

From the BBC:

"Pictures of how disabled people trained to work in factories"

 

 

 

An archive of photographs of disabled people being trained for work and independent living have been released.  The pictures trace the history of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation of Disabled People from its creation in 1932 when it was first set up as a residential training college for disabled people in Surrey.  Over the years it has provided training for both work and ways to more easily live independently in four centres - the Cripples' Training College, Dorincourt, Lulworth Court and Banstead Place.  Today the foundation serves more than 1,000 disabled people across the country in three centres.  Founded in 1934, the Cripples' Training College aimed to "demonstrate the possibility of fitting many cripples for absorption into industry". It was set up by Dame Georgiana Buller, the then Chairman of the Central Council for the Care of Cripples. She wanted to give disabled people the chance to have a profession other than "traditional crafts".  On its opening on 1 November 1934, the college received its first 16 trainees for courses including engineering, house painting, gardening, cooking and clerical work.  When World War Two was declared the college was officially recognised as part of the Disabled Section of the Munitions Training Scheme of the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Because of this they started to provide training in engineering, welding, and tracing.  Over the years the courses offered changed according to the job market and by the 1940s this included spray painting, pottery, bookbinding, needlework, and leatherwork. By the time the 1970s came around training included bookkeeping, shorthand, and telephone switchboard operating.  In 1982 the first computer programming course was offered and by the 1990s all courses lead to NVQ or other awarding bodies' qualifications.  On 1 November 1958 Dorincourt opened as a centre providing training for both work and independent living for 22 men and 21 women. Dorincourt was suited to people with disabilities who couldn't find employment in open industry, either because they needed to work under special conditions, or could not live in lodgings because of their disability.  The two main workshops were light electrical work, and pottery. In 1984 Dorincourt became less rigid in its structure - people no longer had to live in the hostel to work in the factory, and those who lived in the hostel were free to work elsewhere.  In the early 1990s Dorincourt became a residential arts centre offering "flexible and exciting opportunities to young disabled adults as an alternative to employment". Dorincourt now provides care, therapy, life coaching, and skills training to help pursue independent living for disabled people.  Based at Southend-on-Sea, Lulworth Court offered disabled people accessible seaside holidays.  Originally opened by the National Association for the Paralysed it was taken over two years later by the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation and ran until 1999 when it shut due to a lack of funding.  Set up in 1956, Banstead Place was set up to train those categorised as "young chronic sick" in all activities of daily living.  Its role has changed over the past 20 years and the centre is now a specialised centre for acquired brain injury rehabilitation. It has kept its historic focus, however, and focuses mainly on support for younger adults.  As well as offering training for independent living, Banstead Place ran a mobility centre which provided support to its residents looking to drive cars or scooters, or use assistive technology to help them in their daily lives. In 1990 the department moved to Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in Carshalton where it remains today, providing assistance with wheelchairs, scooters and assistive technology.

 

 

^ It's great to see that the some disabled have been treated as regular people as far back as the 1930s and given the opportunity to make a decent living - especially considering that back then most disabled were kept hidden away in institutions or in their homes (out of sight out of mind.) The pictures from the training centers show the change in attitudes of the disabled in the UK from its opening in the 1930s to today. I am really impressed at what the four centers have accomplished over the years. ^

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/disability-34425970

1 If By Land, 2 If By Sea

From Interfax Ukraine:
"Ukrainian goods shipped to Crimea by sea – Crimean Tatar leader"

Ukrainian goods are being shipped to annexed Crimea in barges, President's Commissioner for the Crimean Tatar People, Petro Poroshenko Bloc MP Mustafa Jemilev has said. "Everything is blocked by road and rail, while barges from Skadovsk are shipping goods by sea to Crimea," the Sobytiya Kryma portal reported, citing Jemilev. He also said that some trucks delivery goods to Crimea via Rostov-on-Don in Russia, bypassing Kherson region. Jemilev said that he has informed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the situation. He did not say if the barge shipments could be blocked. As reported, a blockade of deliveries to Crimea by road began on September 20.

^ "1 if by land, 2  if by sea"  the old American Revolutionary War saying that helped Paul Revere warn the colonists that the British were coming can be used in the Crimea. In this case it is 2 if by sea. The protect blockade has been undermined by Ukrainian goods being shipped to the Crimea. To some that is just a way to make a living, but to most it shows direct support for the Russian annexation. The Crimea relies heavily on the Ukraine for many things, road access, electricity, water, etc and that is something that still confounds people around the world. Russia makes bold statements on how they will invest in the Crimea, boost  the government pensions, improve the infrastructure, build a bridge to the Russian mainland and that the Crimea will be overflowing with Russian tourists. It seems that very little of those promises are being kept over a year since the invasion, occupation and annexation. The Russian tourists are few and far between mainly because of the economic crisis and the high cost of basic items (brought on by the Russian war.) The only concrete things being down in annexed Crimea are: the nationalization of many businesses, the importation of Moscow-backed leaders, the discrimination of the ethnic Ukrainians and Tartars and the building of the bridge to mainland Russia. In most of the polls (conducted by the Russians, Ukrainians, Europeans, etc) show that the lives of the Crimeans haven't improved in the year and 7 months since Russia annexed them. Like good former Soviets, the people of the Crimea know what to say in public with Moscow listening and what reality is and the two viewpoints don't match. It  continues to amaze me just how fairly the Ukrainians continue to treat the Russians even though the Russians annexed part of their country and have been helping the ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. I know the Russians would not do the same if they found themselves in that situation. That shows how peace-minded the Ukrainian people are and how they just want to be left alone to decide things for themselves. ^

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/295268.html

Not Giving Up

From Interfax Ukraine:
"Ukrainian leadership won't give up attempts to liberate Crimea from Russia - foreign minister"

Ukraine will not give up its attempts to make sure that Crimea again becomes its integral part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said. "The theme of Crimea won't vanish anywhere until Crimea is liberated from Russia," Klimkin said at a Verkhovna Rada session on Wednesday. "We have no confidence in Russia, and no one in the civilized world has confidence in Russia - this is a proven fact," Klimkin said. "Our chance within the framework of the Normandy format and within the framework of another format is to use our power and also political and particularly sanction pressure of our friends and partners in order to force Russia to abide by key standards," Klimkin said.

The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that, following a referendum in Crimea on March 16, 2014, in which over 90% of its participants voted in support of Crimea's becoming part of Russia, the Crimea issue has been closed once and for all.

 

^ The Crimea is part of the Ukraine regardless of the annexation by Russia and should remain Ukrainian until the people of the Crimea (ethnic Tartars, Ukrainians and Russians) decide otherwise and can do so freely without Russian guns pointed at them as it was in the 2014 referendum. You can not consider any vote held under threat of violence legal and the Ukraine and most of the UN member nations feel the same way. The fact that Putin stated that he was going to invade, occupy and annex the Crimea long before any referendum shows that the Russians were going to take the Crimea with or without the support of the Crimeans. Their decision has isolated Russia to the point not seen since Soviet times (especially after they invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979.) I have many Russian friends (both inside Russia and around the world) and it is clear that the sanctions and economic problems in Russia are more pronounced than the media and the government are letting on - especially noticeable to Russians who travel outside of the country. It's sad that the ordinary people have to suffer for the actions of their government, but that has been the Russian way of life from Czarist, Soviet and now modern times. It would nice to see a break from that "tradition" but things tend to change very little inside Russia. I guess the Russians prefer the hardship they know then the hardship they don't. ^

http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/294954.html

Disabled Rio

From the BBC:

"What's life like in Rio de Janeiro with a disability?"

 

It's less than a year until the Paralympic Games begin in Rio. I went to investigate what life is like for the disabled people of the city.  "It's the best place in the world for me. You learn to love this city very easily, it's wonderful." It was on my last day in Rio de Janeiro that Carlos Alberto Da Silva, my driver for the ten days I was there, told me just how much he adores his city. Of course it's not unusual to be fond of the place you grew up in, but it was a little surprising hearing it from Carlos, because Carlos, like me, has been disabled all his life. And living in Rio, getting around in a wheelchair, means he faces his fair share of obstacles.  Carlos and I had just spent over a week together filming for the BBC, meeting people with a variety of disabilities who face difficulties everyday, living and working in Rio.  With the Paralympics just less then a year away, we wanted to look past all the construction work, behind the Olympic stadiums, to see what it is really like to live here with a disability.  And, if you're disabled, it's not that easy. Visually impaired people trying to cross the road with crossings that have no sound, wheelchair users trying to navigate steep curbs and cracked pavements that are almost impossible.  It can be hard living in Rio if you're disabled - and the problems aren't just about access. Of the millions of disabled people of working age in Brazil, just 2% are in employment and as few as 7% have completed any form of higher education. My Brazilian producer, Roberta Fortuna, described Rio in one sentence for me: "It's one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world but also a place where social differences and inequality of opportunity stand out."  It's fair to say that Rio needs the Paralympics. But do disabled people who live in the city think it will miraculously improve access and opportunities overnight? No, they don't. But it's a step forward. I was encouraged by the excitement non-disabled people showed for the Paralympics during my stay, especially at an event marking a year until the start of the Games in the affluent area of Lagoa. It was a jam-packed day for our team with many live broadcasts and interviews to mark the day. I was exhausted, but it was here I really felt the excitement and pride the people of Rio have at hosting the Games next year.  It was a wonderful mix of parents with their disabled children, non-disabled sport enthusiasts and spectators just wanting to see what it was all about.  The atmosphere was uplifting and very positive.  Embaixadores da Alegria, dancers who make up Rio's only disabled samba troop, popped down to dance in the afternoon and although the weather was wild, they had a packed audience of people all dancing along, in awe of the exceptional dancing they were witnessing.  My week in Rio was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The warmth of its people was overwhelming. Whenever I was stuck on my mobility scooter (which was so battered by the end of the trip I'm currently looking for a replacement), within seconds a passer-by would lend me a hand and get me out of a tricky situation.  And that attitude is what the disabled people of Rio love about their city.  They may be angry with their government, with the economic and political situation they're in right now, angry because there's no denying access is bad and the change that is so desperately needed isn't happening fast enough.  But they also have so much love for their people and their undeniably stunning city. They embrace the fact that living in Rio forces them to be strong, to cope with everything life throws at them. They love that they're tough. And so do I. But I love that the people are kind too. I must mention too that many of the city's tourist attractions are being made accessible, making the city much more enjoyable for disabled visitors. Carlos in particular is very proud of this.

 

^ Hopefully the Olympics will make Rio more accessible (during and after the Games) the same way it forced the Russians in Sochi to do. Of course that usually only means that the host city will benefit when most of Brazil, Russia and the rest of the world still remain inaccessible to the disabled. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/disability-34469395

CA's Right

From BBC:
"California enacts right-to-die law for terminally ill"

 

California has joined four other US states that allow terminally ill patients to legally end their lives with a doctor's supervision. State Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on Monday. The bill was partly inspired by the case of a terminally ill California woman who moved to Oregon to end her life. At least two dozen states introduced aid-in-dying legislation this year, but none has become law. The right-to-die movement gained support in California after Brittany Maynard, a cancer patient who lived in the state, moved to Oregon to legally end her life. Her family including her mother, Debbie Ziegler, spoke in support of the bill. Religious groups had opposed the bill, saying assisted suicide was against God's will. The Catholic Church had urged Governor Brown to veto it. Advocates for people with disabilities also worried that terminally ill patients could be pressured into choosing death.  Governor Brown, a Catholic who once studied to become a priest, had taken weeks to decide whether to sign the bill. "In the end, I was left to reflect on what I would want in face of my own death," Governor Brown said.   "I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the option afforded by this bill." The law stipulates that two doctors must approve the use of the life-ending drugs and two witnesses must be present when the drugs are administered.  The patient also must be physically capable of taking the drugs themselves.  Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana already have similar laws in place.

^ Again California is doing what is right for its residents. The fact that the Governor is religious and it is against his beliefs yet he still signed the bill to give the option to the terminally ill to die painless and on their terms shows how compassionate he is towards the dying. Everyone should have the opportunity to decide what is best for themselves  - especially with regards to their own death. No one should have to suffer and have a painful death if it can be helped and if they decide that is what they want for themselves. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34450058

Japan's Hero

From USA Today:
"Japan's 'Schindler' honored 70 years after WWII"

 

As world attention is focused on the plight of migrants fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq, a Japanese diplomat who risked everything to save thousands of Jewish refugees during World War II is finally getting his due here. Chiune Sugihara was Japan’s vice consul in Kaunas, Lithuania, when he defied government orders and issued travel visas allowing thousands of Jewish refugees to escape Nazi persecution in 1940. He later resigned under pressure from the foreign ministry and spent years in self-imposed exile. Sugihara issued more than 2,000 visas and is credited with saving more than 6,000 lives. He wrote many of the documents by hand during a feverish five-week period, passing the last out of the window of his train after his consulate was closed and he was ordered to leave the country. "Sugihara is proof that one person's choice to take action in the face of evil — whatever the consequences — can make a difference,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Though considered a heroic figure in Israel and elsewhere overseas, Sugihara is not widely known in Japan. That seems likely to change. A government advisory panel last month recommended that documents relating to Sugihara — known as “Japan’s Schindler” — be submitted to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, a compendium of key historical documents. An exhibition devoted to Sugihara and Holocaust victim Anne Frank will open in Tokyo this week. And a movie based on Sugihara’s life is scheduled to open later in the year. Many of the refugees aided by Sugihara were on the run from Nazi persecution in Germany and Poland. They were able to travel on the visas he issued to Japan and then onward to safe havens in China, the United States and elsewhere. Sugihara, who was forced out of Japan’s foreign service after the war ended, spent many years working and teaching overseas. A small museum is dedicated to his memory in his hometown in central Japan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an apology to his widow and family in 1991, and later dedicated a plaque in his honor at the ministry headquarters in Tokyo.

^ I've known about Sugihara for several years and it's a shame that the majority of people, especially the Japanese, do not. He defied his own government (Japan and Germany were both part of the Axis Powers) and did so just to do what was right. He didn't get any awards or support during or after the war  - - until now.  ^

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/10/07/japans-schindler-honored-70-years-after-wwii/73385520/

CA Gap

From Yahoo:
"California governor signs law targeting gender wage gap"

Female workers in California will get new tools to challenge gender-based wage gaps under legislation signed into law Tuesday that supporters say offers the strongest equal-pay protection in the nation. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed the measure while surrounded by women and girls at an event at Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond, northeast of San Francisco. "The stratification and the pay disparities in California and in America, probably in the world, are something that really eats away at our whole society," Brown said. He called the legislation a "milestone." The bill by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, a Santa Barbara Democrat, expands California's existing equal pay law and goes further than federal law by placing the burden on the employer to prove a man's higher pay is based on factors other than gender. It also protects workers from discrimination and retaliation if they ask questions about how much other people earn, though it doesn't require that employers provide that information. Workers also will gain the right to sue if they are paid less than someone with a different job title who does "substantially similar" work. The Fair Pay Act stipulates employers can justify higher wages for men only if the pay is based on seniority, a merit system, quantity or quality of production or any other "bona fide factor other than sex." It cleared the Legislature with bipartisan support and backing from the state Chamber of Commerce. The new law takes effect Jan. 1.

 

 

^ California is on the ball on this one. Women deserve to be equal in all aspects of society. There shouldn't be any "glass ceilings" anymore. Every position with equal pay should be open to both men and women and the only issue that should be taken into consideration is a person's qualifications and training. It would be nice if the rest of the country could get on-board. The fact that these common sense things (equal pay for equal work) has to be made into a law and enforced rather than just something that is shows that we still have a long way to go with gender equality. ^

 

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/california-enact-tough-equal-pay-law-address-wage-180522881--finance.html

No Base

From Yahoo:
"Belarus' president says he doesn't want Russian air base"

Belarus doesn't want to host a Russian military air base, President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday, a statement that highlighted a strain between the two neighbors and allies. Lukashenko said that he knows nothing about plans to set up a Russian air base in Belarus and added that his nation doesn't need it, according to state news agency Belta. "I feel surprised and, to some extent, angry and annoyed by that," he said. The Belarusian leader's statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's order to his government last month to sign an agreement on a Russian military base in Belarus. The two countries have close political, economic and military ties, and Belarus depends on Russian energy and other subsidies. The Russian military already has an early warning radar and a navy communications facility in Belarus, but setting up an air base would mark a significantly bigger military presence. The Russian move comes at a time when Lukashenko has moved to improve Belarus ties with the West, which long were strained over his crackdown on dissent and free media. The Belarusian leader hinted Tuesday that Moscow might want to establish the base to try to hamper Belarus' efforts to warm up ties with the West. "Maybe they are worried that we are going to go to the West, and they raised the issue so that the West starts asking us about it and having doubts whether we really want to normalize ties," he said. The Kremlin had no immediate comment on the statement by Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994 and is certain to win a fifth term in Sunday's election against token challengers. On Sunday, about 1,000 opposition activists in the Belarusian capital protested Russia's plans to set up the base, voicing fear that it would add to regional tensions already heightened by the conflict in Ukraine, and make it impossible for Belarus to maintain neutrality between Russia and the West. Alexander Klaskovsky, a Minsk-based independent political analyst, said that Lukashenko has always tried to maneuver between Russia and the West during more than two decades in power, and he now fears that the Russian base would limit his freedom of action. "He's trying to avoid isolation and total dependence from the Kremlin, and the air base in Belarus would make him a Russian vassal," Klaskovsky said.

^ It does seem that Russia is trying obsessively hard to make sure it is the only power in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ie the former Soviet Union.) It has made it's presence stronger in Georgia, Moldova, the Ukraine, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and is trying the same in Belarus. What is different about Belarus is that those two countries created the Union State of Belarus and Russia several years ago when Belarus was seeking a closer relationship with Russia. It seems that now Belarus wants a balance between Russia and the West and Russia clearly doesn't want to have anything to do with that - ie the same reason Russia is fighting in the Ukraine right now. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Belarus try and balance both sides equally? Will Russia simply invade, occupy and annex Belarus like it did the Crimea? It's something to watch. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/belarus-president-says-doesnt-want-russian-air-171031880.html

Same Ole Same Ole

From Yahoo:

"Milosevic allies in power with new look, 15 years on"

 

When jubilant crowds stormed Belgrade's parliament 15 years ago and ousted Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, few could have imagined that his allies would be in power today -- and firmly backing European integration. Monday marks the anniversary of the overthrow of the late president, whose 13-year iron rule stoked brutal ethnic conflict and mass murder in the former Yugoslavia, resulting in international isolation and the crippling of the Serbian economy. After Milosevic refused to admit defeat in a September 2000 election, Serbs took to the streets for two weeks, culminating on October 5, 2000, when hundreds of thousands stormed the state media building and the federal parliament. The largely nonviolent uprising forced Milosevic to resign a day later. "It felt incredible, because before that day we thought David can beat Goliath only in legend -- or 'Lord Of The Rings'," said Srdja Popovic, a leader of the Otpor (Resistance) movement that galvanised the uprising. "I felt so proud of millions of my fellow citizens ready to risk their lives." Despite the elation of many over Milosevic's downfall, a decade-and-a-half later Serbia is run by a clutch of his former ultra-nationalist sidekicks -- but in the totally different guise of pro-European reformists.  Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, elected last year, served as information minister under Milosevic, and has a murky past of fiery far-right speeches during the 1990s drive for a Greater Serbia "cleansed" of Croats and Muslims. Vucic's predecessor and now deputy premier Ivica Dacic was Milosevic's spokesman, known as "Little Sloba", while current President Tomislav Nikolic is another former ultra-nationalist who was a minister while NATO bombs fell on Belgrade during the war with Kosovo. "I really didn't expect them to still be in politics," said 35-year-old Aleksandra, a unemployed Belgrader having lunch in the autumn sun in Pionirski Park, opposite the parliament where she took part in the historic protests. The uprising was orchestrated by the Democratic Opposition of Serbia, a coalition of 19 parties against Milosevic, but it struggled to fulfil high hopes in a deeply troubled country. A blow to reform was the assassination in 2003 of Zoran Djindjic -- then prime minister and a leading light of the post-Milosevic era. Milosevic himself died in 2006 at The Hague, where he was on trial for war crimes. Although his dark shadow may seem to loom large over the current crop of leaders, they had to take a very different path to get elected. While Serbia is not yet an EU member, negotiations on its accession were opened in January 2014, and are widely supported. Vucic has expressed remorse for his past actions and is keen to be seen as a pro-Western reformer. A landmark deal reached with Kosovo and the treatment of migrants passing through Serbia under his watch have won plaudits. He said the three overall aims of the movement at the time were winning freedom, "stopping wars, and being good neighbours", and becoming a member of the European Union. While Vucic and his colleagues have clearly changed tack, some remain sceptical about whether their transformations are genuine, or superficial attempts to win and maintain power. "We see the erosion of media freedoms, a certain degree of authoritarianism creeping into system gradually," said Florian Bieber, a Balkans specialist at the University of Graz in Austria. He questioned whether Serbian institutions were able to withhold authoritarian pressure, saying no leaders since Milosevic have been "institution builders".

In addition, close links between business, politics and organised crime under the late strongman's rule "created power structures that persisted until today", Bieber said. Serbia has moved far from the pariah status it endured in the 1990s, but the economic challenges remain stark. Youth unemployment has been around 50 percent in recent years, the average monthly salary is less than 400 euros ($450), and foreign investment is much needed. The country will also have to wait at least five years to join the EU. While the capital Belgrade itself is bustling and increasingly popular with visitors, youngsters expressed concern over their prospects and the pace of change.

 

^ Serbians and the rest of the world need to be worry of people who served under Milosevic's dictatorship. Under his rule were wars against Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo and NATO. There were mass murders, sieges, boycotts, sanctions and bombings. Milosevic is one of those historical figures that the world is much better off now because he has died since he brought nothing but death and destruction while he was alive. He tried to create a Greater Serbia in the Balkans and went after anyone who was a Serb regardless of where they lived. Of course he didn't do that by himself so anyone associated with him is suspect. Hopefully those who worked for him have really learned their lesson and won't repeat the mistakes of the past. Serbia needs to join the EU if it wants any hope to get out of its current economic and social woes/ ^

http://news.yahoo.com/milosevic-allies-power-look-15-years-072346848.html
 

X-Mas Count

I am 99% done with my Christmas shopping (and have been since last month.) The other 1% I know what I am getting and just have to wait until it gets closer to December to order them. It would be a lot easier if everyone had an updated Amazon wish list and shared them freely with people (like I have - - wink, wink.)

25th Reunion

From Yahoo:
"Historians still puzzling over East Germany after 25 years"

 

In a musty room inside a maze of offices in east Berlin, two women are working patiently on what may be the biggest puzzle the world has ever seen: more than half a billion pieces that together detail innumerable crimes by East Germany's secret police. The Ministry for State Security, better known as the Stasi, used a network of agents and informers to collect details of almost every citizen in East Germany, to better quash dissent. When the communist regime collapsed, Stasi officials tried desperately to destroy the evidence of their totalitarian surveillance apparatus. Even now, as Germany marks 25 years since reunification this weekend, historians are still putting together the pieces. There were so many files, East German shredders couldn't cope, said Juliane Schuetterle, who works at the Stasi records office, a special government institution set up to handle the files. "They had created such a large archive, that they couldn't destroy them using conventional methods. So they began destroying them by hand," she told The Associated Press in an interview. Stasi officers managed to tear up some 48 million pages filling over 16,000 brown sacks — each containing up to 40,000 shreds of paper. Together with about 112 kilometers (70 miles) of files that the Stasi was unable to destroy, they constitute a vast, but probably incomplete, catalog of mundane observations and cruel repression spanning 40 years. But piecing all the bits together would, by some estimates, have taken 800 years.  In an effort to speed up the process historians and scientists from the nearby Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology devised a method that allows computers to scan pre-sorted shreds and automatically find bits that match. "We're at the start of a pilot program for the virtual reconstruction," said Schuetterle, who oversees the project. "The software puzzles in the background, and where it gets stuck it receives support from our archivists." Nobody knows what will emerge as the files are put together again — and who may be exposed as a Stasi informer. That fact caused some concern after German reunification in 1990. However, a decision was made not only to keep the records but to make them accessible to those who wanted to see them, as a way for people to come to terms with a past in which their neighbors, friends and even family members may have spied on them. "It was important for the victims of the Stasi to have the opportunity to find out who had denounced them," said Heinrich August Winkler, a prominent German historian.  The decision to process the files and even put together those that were destroyed contrasts with the way Germans after World War II engaged in collective silence about their role in the Nazi state, said Winkler. "For a while that was psychologically understandable, but it was also a big burden," he said. "This process of reassessing the past was much more successful, I think, in the reunified Germany after 1990 than in West Germany after 1945." So much so, said Winkler, that other countries have copied Germany's model, particularly in the former communist Eastern bloc. Even today, interest in the files is unbroken in Germany, Schuetterle said. "We get about 5,000 requests a month from citizens who want to have their personal file or that of family members," she added. Many people who initially hesitated to request their files for fear of what they might find out are now doing so. Others are making repeat requests as new material comes to light.  One of those who chose to request his files is Manfred Teichmann. A retired engineer from Zossen, a town just south of Berlin, Teichmann managed to emigrate from East Germany in 1988, after petitioning to do so for years. "The main reasons for wanting to leave were the fact that East Germany was a people's prison, and that the economy in West Germany was better," he said. "I wanted to offer my family a better life." Such views inevitably put him on the radar of the Stasi. Once, Teichmann said, he found a man lurking outside his house, and neighbors claimed to have seen people enter their home while the family was out. Teichmann's suspicions were confirmed in the late 1990s. "Our Stasi files prove that our apartment was searched by members of the Stasi," he said. "They show Stasi agents made copies of our keys." The experience brought not only certainty, it also helped release some of the tension built up by decades of repression. "We laughed at some of the passages in there," Teichmann said.

 

 

 

^ It has been 25 years since Germany was reunited. The country was divided into Communist East Germany and Capitalist West Germany for 45 years so there is still a lot that needs to be addressed between the two former countries and the people that lived in them. The former East Germans feel as though their world was "stolen" from them by West German "carpet-baggers" while the former West Germans feel that they have sacrificed a lot to bring the standard of living in the former East up to Western standards and that the former East Germans are ungrateful. The Berlin Wall and the Inner-German Wall may have been torn down in 1989 and Germany reunited in 1990, but there still seems to be an "inner wall" in the minds of people from both former countries - especially among those over 40. I lived in both divided and reunited Germany. I have visited numerous times since as a tourist. I have many German friends (living in Germany, around Europe and in the US.) I have friends that are former West Germans and former East Germans. Over the years I have heard their comments about each other and about the past. I agree with this article when it says the Germans (on both sides) seem more open about dealing with their East Germany/West Germany past (especially the crimes of the Communists) than they have been with dealing with their Nazi Germany past and those horrible crimes. Maybe it is because the Nazis influenced the whole territory of modern-day Germany (along with territory that was lost after the war) while the Communists influenced a much smaller portion. There is a whole collective guilt about the crimes of 1933-1945 for the German people while the guilt of the crimes from 1945-1990 are limited to less than half of a reunited Germany. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/historians-still-puzzling-over-east-germany-25-years-115352075.html

Russian Shift

From Yahoo:

"As Russia enters Syria's war, Ukrainians ask what it means for theirs"

 

Russia's military involvement in Syria has generated great unease among Ukrainians who fear Western cooperation with Moscow could lead to a weakening in support for Ukraine. Others hope that a distracted Russia, fighting on two fronts, may be more inclined to compromise over the rebel-held regions in the country’s east.  Many analysts in Kiev say Moscow's operation in Syria is a significant shift that has already been felt in Ukraine. As Russia began its Syria deployment a month ago the guns in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed rebels formed breakaway republics in spring 2014, suddenly fell silent. While many welcome the cease-fire, they are concerned about what could emerge from backroom talks between Russia and the West over Syria's war, given the high stakes in the Middle East.  "This truce, which seems to be accompanied by a more constructive Russian position, makes people here wonder whether the West isn't wavering in its support for Ukraine in order to obtain Russian cooperation in Syria," says Vadim Karasyov, director of the independent Institute of Global Strategies in Kiev. "There is still hope that this won't happen. But Ukrainians are very concerned."  When Russian President Vladimir Putin took to the podium on Monday at the United Nations General Assembly to make his pitch for a grand anti-terrorist alliance in Syria, the Ukrainian delegation walked out.  President Petro Poroshenko spoke the next day at the same podium. "Over the last few days we have heard conciliatory statements from the Russian side in which, in particular, it called for the establishment of anti-terrorist coalition," he said. "Cool story, but really hardly to believe! How can you urge an anti-terrorist coalition – if you inspire terrorism right in front of your door?" Vladimir Panchenko, a political expert with the International Center for Policy Studies in Kiev, says that a lot of Ukrainians agree with the need for an alliance to counter the spread of jihadism in the Middle East, but differ over what Russia's involvement means for their country. "Maybe the more Russia gets dragged into it, the more problems it will have," he says. "But everybody here thinks there is already cooperation happening between Russia and the West in Syria, and that this is not going to turn out in Ukraine's favor."  On Friday, leaders of the four powers that framed the Minsk-II peace accord for eastern Ukraine – Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France – will meet in Paris to chart the accord's final implementation. The 12-point deal calls for military disengagement and steps to resolve the contested status of the rebel-controlled regions. Russia has already indicated that it will prod its rebel allies to accept a new deal with Kiev based on regional autonomy in a decentralized Ukraine. Meanwhile, Western leaders seem more willing to urge Kiev to hold direct talks with rebel representatives, offer amnesty for separatist fighters, and restore economic links with the breakaway regions. Earlier this week the two sides agreed on a comprehensive pull back of weaponry from the conflict's front line, a deal one rebel leader said "could mean the end of the war." "There is certain progress in east Ukraine, but Russia still maintains all its levers of influence there," says Valery Ryabikh, an expert with Defense Express, a Kiev think tank. “Ukraine is a hostage to the situation as Russia moves into this new relationship with the West in Syria.”

 

 

 

^ It does seem that Russia has decided that they can't get much else from the Ukraine and so are now moving towards a new "project" in Syria with the hope of getting what they want there. It would be good if that was true and the war in the Ukraine would end, the Crimea given back and things  would become peaceful once again. ^

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-enters-syrias-war-ukrainians-ask-means-theirs-185321004.html

Fall

It is already October 1st and Fall is here. I took the above picture myself. We had a day and a half of heavy rain, but today it was dry. This is the reason thousands of people come to New England to see the foliage.

Kazakh Teaches Truth

From the MT:
"Kazakh Textbooks to Remove Mention of 'Russian Crimea'"

 

The Kazakh Education Ministry will correct geography and history textbooks to remove references to Crimea as a Russian region, local news website Tengrinews.kz reported Wednesday. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine last year, but few nations have officially recognized the Black Sea region as part of Russia.  Tengrinews.kz quoted spokespeople from the Kazakh Education Ministry rapping the knuckles of a publisher of state textbooks: "On the subject of Crimea, the publishing house and the authors [of the books] failed to reflect fully Kazakhstan's official position [on the issue], as well as the international position."  Kazakhstan, which has a large Russian population, has particular reason to be wary of recognizing the annexation of Crimea. Moscow justified the land grab as essential to protect the Russian population against Ukrainian aggression, and some analysts have worried that it could use the same pretext against other neighboring states. The move by Kazakh authorities came after the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan sent a protest note last week to the country's Education Ministry, Tengrinews.kz reported. The embassy's statement said that mention of Crimea as a part of Russia "contradicts the international position on the matter, as well as the official position of Kazakh leadership that has claimed its support of Ukraine's territorial integrity multiple times."

^ Kazakhstan, like most of the former Soviet Union, has a lot to fear from current Russian trends and attitudes and needs to walk a fine line between Russia, the West and what is best for Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs even moved their capital to the more ethnically-Russian north of their country (from the southern part) to try and keep the balance and sovereignty in-tact. In that respect Kazakhstan has made the correct decision in removing the phrase "Russian Crimea." It stopped being Russian in 1954 when the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic gave it to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic - -both part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Russian Federation even recognized Ukrainian sovereignty over the Crimea in numerous legally-binding military, economic, etc agreements since the USSR collapsed in 1991. There may have been a case back in 1991, but after agreeing to the continued status of a Ukrainian Crimea for over 20 years there is legal recourse for Russia. Moscow knew that and that's why they had to invade, occupy and annex the Crimea so quickly. There was a "vote" held after the invasion and occupation which holds no legal binding nationally or internationally (especially since Putin himself revealed that Russia had plans to invade, occupy and annex the Crimea long before a vote could decide anything.) The only thing I can see the annexation of the Crimea has given Russia is: international sanctions, a move closer to a new Cold War, thousands of refugees and money being wasted in the Crimea that could have been used to help improve the lives of ordinary Russians throughout the Federation. Russia has now moved on to Syria and one can only hope they don't intend to later focus on any other territory to invade, occupy and annex. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/kazakh-textbooks-to-remove-mention-of-russian-crimea/536630.html

Golden Hour

From the Stars and Stripes:
"Study: 'Golden Hour' rule saves lives of seriously wounded troops"

An estimated 359 lives were saved in Afghanistan after the U.S. military sought to treat critically-injured troops within the so-called “golden hour,” a study released Wednesday concluded. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first of its kind to substantiate the effectiveness of getting critically injured servicemembers to appropriate care within 60 minutes,said lead author Russ Kotwal, a medical doctor and retired Army colonel. Combing through years of medical records and flight data, researchers found that after implementation of the “golden hour” rule, about six percent fewer troops died before arriving at a military hospital. The decline occurred despite an increase in severity and complexity of battlefield wounds, as the cause of injuries shifted from gunshots to explosives. The report also found that more servicemembers returned to duty within 72 hours. After the rule was implemented, this rose from 33.5 percent to 47.3 percent. The percentage of overall fatalities, meanwhile, dropped from 13.7 percent to 7.6 percent. A total of 21,089 U.S. military casualties were examined during the Afghanistan conflict from Sept. 11, 2001, to March 31, 2014, according to the report. Given the nature of injuries in Afghanistan, early blood transfusions and initial treatment at field hospitals and by forward surgical teams also contributed to better survival rates, the study found. The study “demonstrates the effectiveness of combining advanced trauma care capability with informed policy,” said Todd Rasmussen, a doctor with the U.S. Combat Casualty Care Research Program, in a commentary published with the study. The U.S. military over the years has made great strides in getting the wounded to definitive care more quickly. Transport time shrunk from 10 hours in World War II to five hours in the Korean conflict to one hour in the Vietnam War, primarily owing to the use of helicopters, which had their operational debut in Korea. The one-hour standard was implemented in Iraq. But Afghanistan, with its rugged terrain, posed more of a challenge to trauma crews. On June 15, 2009, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a standard of 60 minutes or less from call to arrival at a trauma center for the transport of critically-injured troops in Afghanistan, cutting in half the previous goal of two hours. Gates directed that more medical evacuation helicopters be assigned to Afghanistan and at more forward bases closer to troops in the field. The study found that following Gates’ order, among 4,542 casualties with detailed data, the median transport time decreased from 90 minutes to 43 minutes. The number of air evacuation missions that achieved transport times under an hour jumped from 24.2 percent to 75.2 percent. Transport times and fatality rates in Afghanistan were already beginning to fall prior to the “golden hour” standard, but the study noted a more rapid decline after its implementation. Using statistical modeling, they estimate 359 lives were potentially saved. Other efforts reduced time between injury and treatment. Medics trained in blood-transfusion protocols and critical care paramedics and nurses were assigned to flights more routinely, resulting in earlier availability of blood products and advanced care. Small, mobile surgical teams were dispersed across the battlefield, bringing major surgical capability closer to the point of injury. Critically injured troops who received early blood transfusions saw some of the best short-term survival rates in the study. It found 6.8 percent of servicemembers who received a blood transfusion died while en route to care versus 51 percent who didn’t.

 

 

 

^ The US Military has done a lot over the years to improve the healthcare and life-saving techniques of its soldiers especially in a warzone. Many people may not think it has any bearing on civilian life, but the techniques used in the military can be modified to aid paramedics and hospitals around the country in saving more lives. ^

 

 

http://www.stripes.com/study-golden-hour-rule-saves-lives-of-seriously-wounded-troops-1.371053

Bankrupt Russians

From the MT:

"Chaos Feared as Millions of Russians Gain Right to Go Bankrupt"

 

From Oct. 1, for the first time in the country's history, millions of Russians who cannot pay back their debts will be able to file for bankruptcy. The measure is meant to ease the financial situation of people struggling with repayments amid a deep recession, and it brings Russian law into line with similar systems in many other countries, where bankruptcy law gives rights and protections to both borrowers and banks. However, analysts warned that the introduction of the legislation could lead to a huge number of bankruptcy cases that will strain the court system and cause serious losses to banks. "Some unscrupulous borrowers are not repaying their loans on purpose and waiting for the new law to enter into force to declare bankruptcy," Sergei Grigoryan, head of analysis at the Association of Russian Banks, told The Moscow Times. Before the amendments to the law, only legal entities could file for bankruptcy.  The new legislation allows Russians with total debt of more than 500,000 rubles ($7,600) and over three months of missed payments to file for bankruptcy from Oct. 1. It also imposes penalties on debtors who fail to register as bankrupt. Debtors owing less than 500,000 rubles can also file for bankruptcy if they can prove they are not able to pay the loans. The procedure, which can be initiated either by the individual or a creditor, provides a framework for people with a stable income to restructure their loans, while those who are unable to repay due to low income or unemployment will see their assets sold and the money distributed among creditors.

Under the law, an individual can file for bankruptcy no more than once every five years.The move to introduce a personal bankruptcy law was triggered by a growing number of overdue loans as the economy began to slow in 2013.  It follows a boom in lending to individuals in recent years. Around 40 million people — or more than half the economically active population — have loans, the Vedomosti newspaper reported earlier this year, citing the data from the credit ratings agency Fitch. Many people have more than one.  And many of them are failing to repay. In May, the share of consumer loans overdue by more than three months reached 10 percent, up from 7.9 percent at the start of the year and a record high since 2008, the Interfax news agency reported, citing data from the Central Bank.  The total value of bank lending to individuals is around 10 trillion rubles ($150 billion), according to Central Bank data cited by Vedomosti, meaning that some 1 trillion rubles ($15 billion) is overdue.  Millions of people could use the new law. According to data from the United Credit Bureau, which monitors credit history, 580,000 Russians, or 1.5 percent of the total number of debt holders, will immediately qualify for bankruptcy on Oct. 1. The law could also potentially help another 6.5 million people who are now more than 90 days late on payments on smaller loans to ease their debt burden, the bureau said in a statement Tuesday.  The system may not be able to cope with those numbers, analysts said.  The bankruptcy procedure needs trained people who can manage a debtor's assets and repayments, and they don't appear to be being prepared, said Vasily Solodkov, director of the banking institute at Moscow's Higher School of Economics. It also requires that the court appoint a mediator between the bank and the debtor during the bankruptcy process, which will be an additional burden on courts that are already overloaded, according to the Association of Russian Banks' Grigoryan. The Finance Ministry has estimated that in Moscow alone, the courts will have to deal with about 4 million individual bankruptcy cases within the next year, Vedomosti reported Tuesday. If that happens, the court system will simply choke, Solodkov said.

 

 

^ Russians over the age of 40 grew-up in a time when private money and enterprise was not allowed. Then when that system collapsed in 1991 it was a free-for-all. Credit was given out at alarming rates to people who had no clue what to do with it.  They started to spend like never before in the history of the country. There have been several economic crisis' in Russia since 1991 (1998 and today) and many people can no longer pay for everything they have bought on credit. For the most part Russia is a cash-based society, but certain things (houses, dachas, cars, etc) are bought on credit. Russians may see this new bankruptcy law as a life-saver - especially with the internationally-imposed sanctions due to the Russian annexation of the Crimea and the self-imposed bans. While bankruptcy can help some it is not a good thing to file for or have on your "record." Like in 1991 I wonder how many Russians fully understand what bankruptcy is and what it all implies. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/chaos-feared-as-millions-of-russians-gain-right-to-go-bankrupt/536324.html

Aging Canadians

From the G & M:
"Canada shows its age as seniors outnumber children for first time"

 

Canada has reached a milestone on its path, shared by the rest of the industrialized West, toward a much older population: The country now contains more seniors than children. The finding, released by Statistics Canada on Tuesday, is stark: 16 per cent of Canadians were 14 or younger as of July 1, while 16.1 per cent were 65 or older. The news has been greeted by researchers with some anxiety but also a surprising dose of optimism. They point out that while health-care bills and pension liabilities will rise as baby boomers enter their senescence, this generation of seniors is richer and fitter than any before it, and that Canada still has time to adjust to its new demographic reality. The country has been moving in this direction for years, but has now crossed a “magic line,” said Doug Norris, chief demographer at Environics Analytics and a nearly 30-year veteran of Statscan. The impact is more symbolic than anything, but Mr. Norris said numbers such as these should help policy-makers focus on the needs of aging boomers, many of whom are reaching retirement age. Mr. Norris pointed to skyrocketing rates of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia as a key problem for governments to confront in the next decade or so. Even areas of policy such as city planning will have to adjust, Mr. Norris predicted, as senior mobility becomes a more urgent concern. “We’re a suburban country in large part … but when you get older into your 70s and 80s, I’m not so sure about suburban living. How do you get to the doctor’s?” he said.

Aging and stagnant populations are a problem across the developed world, and by those low standards Canada is faring well, the Statscan report notes. Though the country’s population is getting older, it is relatively youthful compared with other large industrialized countries. In Japan, 26 per cent of the population is 65 or older, compared with 16.1 per cent in Canada. Only the United States, at 15 per cent, has a lower proportion of seniors among G7 economies. The health-care system will have to adapt dramatically to them, said Cindy Forbes, president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). At the current rate of growth, seniors will eat up 62 per cent of provincial health-care budgets by 2036, the CMA estimates, a 15-per-cent increase over what seniors consume now. To curtail that kind of spending binge, Dr. Forbes says Canada needs to move “from a hospital-based system to a community-based system” that emphasizes live-in services and palliative care. Where a Canadian hospital bed costs about $1,000 a day on average, home care costs $50 a day, Dr. Forbes said.

 

 

^ This is a difficult milestone to celebrate. On the one hand it's nice to know that so many people are living longer, but on the other side Canadian society now has to change to accommodate the special needs of the senior citizens. Of course it shouldn't be such a surprise since the records would have shown this trend coming and yet, as usual, most people and governments put it off until it becomes a major issue like now. The same thing happened with the Baby Boomers. In the late 1940s-early 1960s millions of babies were born and yet governments, etc did little to prepare (lack of schools, social activities, welfare services, etc.) Now the pension, healthcare and social welfare programs are going to be strained and yet little will be done until it's too late. ^

 

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-shows-its-age-as-seniors-outnumber-children-for-first-time/article26595171/

Ludmilla Alexeeva

From the DW:
"Ludmilla Alexeeva: 'Russia is moving away from Europe'"

The Council of Europe has honored Ludmilla Alexeeva, one of Russia's oldest human rights activists. She told DW about the state of democracy in Russia and revealed the one question she plans to ask President Putin.

 

Deutsche Welle: You have just received the Vaclav Have Human Rights Prize. What does it mean to you? Ludmilla Alexeeva: First, it means a lot to me that the award is in Vaclav Havel's name. I had the honor to meet him in person. He founded Charter 77, which started the human rights movement in Czechoslovakia. Secondly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe handed me the award at a time when our country is moving away from Europe and the entire civilized world. This year, the Russian human rights movement turns 50, and that includes the Soviet years. I've been active from the start and I know from experience under what difficult conditions we work. This prize is for everyone who is involved in the human rights movement in our country. After all, I don't stand alone.

 

How do you rate the state of democracy in Russia?

When the Soviet Union collapsed, we were on our way to democracy. If you look at Chapter 2 of the Russian Constitution - which outlines human rights and basic freedom - you'll find that we don't have fewer rights and liberties than the developed nations. But in recent years, there has been a regression, the reason being that my country has known almost no times at all marked by freedom in its history. The era from 1987 to mid-2000 may well be the longest such period. When the USSR collapsed, we got all rights and liberties almost for free, since the Soviet Union broke down of its own accord. Easy come, easy go: we hadn't fought for our freedom. Now we'll have to wage that slow and agonizing battle. I don't think I will be around to see Russia as a democratic state of law. But it will happen, because we are a European nation, geographically, historically, by religion and our people's culture.

 

So it's wrong to say that the Russian people's pursuit of democracy was stronger in the late 1980s than today? Back then, people thought we'll chase out the communists and live like in the US. Alexander Ausan, dean of the Economics Department at Moscow State University, was right when he said recently: "My fellow countrymen didn't want democracy, they wanted to be consumers, they wanted the supply shortages to end." Today, we're a consumer society. At least we don't have to suffer hunger anymore, and stand in line for bread, potatos and butter, which is humiliating. Now we can also think about freedom.

 

In 2012, you left Russia's Presidential Council for Human Rights. Later, you returned - why was that? I returned because human rights activists always have a difficult time in our country. The Council for Human Rights is one of the few platforms where you can take action and at least find someone to listen. I'll be heading to Moscow soon for a session planned for October 1 in the presence of the president. The Council usually convenes twice a year. This time, I want to raise the issue of the legislation on foreign agents. Luckily, the Moscow Helsinki Group doesn't fall under that law. But many highly reputable organizations are on this scandalous and unfair list. I want to convince the president to do something about it. I want to ask him: "Vladimir Vladimirovitsch, why is it praiseworthy when Gazprom or an entrepreneur gets money from abroad, which is regarded as an investment. Our country lends money abroad, too, which is also commended. Why then is a charitable organization regarded as a foreign agent when it receives money from abroad and acts in the interest of its own country. I can't find an asnwer to this question. I don't understand why we are mistrusted.

 

Ludmilla Alexeeva, 88, is a historian, human rights activist and former Soviet dissident. She was a founding member of the Moscow Helsinki Group in 1976. A year later, she was forced to leave the Soviet Union, but she continued her human rights work from the US. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Alexeeva returned to Russia in 1993. She has served as chairwoman of the Moscow Helsinki Group since 1996 and is regarded as one of the most outspoken critics of the Kremlin.

 

 

^ It's people like Ludmilla Alexeeva that know the truth about what is going on inside of Russia today and want to make that public to the citizens of Russia and the rest of the world. She was a dissident in the Soviet Union and spoke out against the Communist dictatorship Super Power despite everything being against her and her cause. The things she had to endure just to make her country better back then are hard  to imagine. Now she is speaking out against what she is seeing in modern Russia and trying to improve things better once more. While the majority of Russians have either drank the Kool-Aid or will "wait and see" it is pioneering people like Alexeeva who actually want change. ^

http://www.dw.com/en/ludmilla-alexeeva-russia-is-moving-away-from-europe/a-18749530

TSA Calls Out Kuwait

From Yahoo:
"US finds Kuwait airline discriminates against Israelis"

 

In a challenge to boycotts of Israel, the U.S. government has found that Kuwait Airways unlawfully discriminated against a passenger traveling on an Israeli passport by refusing to sell him a ticket for a New York to London flight. Eldad Gatt, an Israeli citizen, complained to the Department of Transportation that in 2013 he was unable to buy a ticket from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to London Heathrow Airport through Kuwait Airways because the airline's online booking system prevented him from selecting Israel as his passport-issuing country. The department investigated and initially rejected Gatt's discrimination complaint, according to a statement and letter provided by transportation officials. But when Gatt appealed the department's decision, the case was reopened and the department ultimately concluded that the airline had violated a different federal law than the one initially cited by Gatt. "We considered Mr. Gatt's claim upon an alternative ground ... which holds that an 'air carrier or foreign air carrier may not subject a person, place, port, or type of traffic in foreign air transportation to unreasonable discrimination,'" Blane Workie, DOT's assistant general counsel for enforcement said in a letter to the airline. By refusing to transport Israeli citizens to and from the U.S. and a third country that accepts Israeli citizens, in this case the United Kingdom, the airline is in violation of the law, the letter said. "We expect (Kuwait Airways) to sell tickets to and transport Israeli citizens between the U.S. and any third country where they are allowed to disembark based on the laws of that country," Workie said. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the case is a warning that "any airline that wishes to operate in the U.S. should know that we will not tolerate discrimination of any kind in our skies." The airline explained that it's against the law in Kuwait to do business with any Israeli citizen or company, and that punishment for a violation could result in imprisonment and hard labor, according to the department. "We do not find the interest of Kuwait in the enforcement of its laws in this case to be greater than the interest of the United States in the enforcement of its laws," the letter said. "It is our view that the U.S. interest in providing nondiscriminatory access to air transportation to an individual traveling from the U.S. to a third country that allows that individual's entry is greater than Kuwait's interest in applying its economic boycott of Israel." The department said it is aware of another, similar complaint. The department has given the airline 15 days to respond. A range of enforcement actions are possible, beginning with civil penalties. Kuwait Airways officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

 

 

^ I have been to Kuwait and didn't really care for it. The Kuwait Airport was completely chaotic and dirty. I didn't fly Kuwait Airlines (I went British Airways) so I can't comment about that. It does surprise me a little that an Israeli would want to fly on an airline of a country that has officially declared their desire to see Israel wiped off the face of the map. Maybe he was just trying to make a statement to get awareness to the boycott since many people outside of the Middle East don't know about it. With that said I'm glad the US TSA ruled that Kuwait Airlines was discriminating against him and that they actually have the authority to do something about it. The stupid boycott is the only way the Muslim/Arab countries have to try and harm Israel since they have never won any of their numerous wars against Israel since 1948  despite having massive more amounts of soldiers and weapons. I am curious to see what, if anything, Kuwait does now since they need the US more than we need them - especially with the situation in Iraq and ISIS. Will they stop their open discrimination against Israel and the Jews and move into the 2nd decade of the 21st Century? ^

 

http://news.yahoo.com/us-finds-kuwait-airline-discriminates-against-israelis-192501641.html

Not Shutting Down

From Yahoo:
"No shutdown: House approves bill to keep government open"

Congress is sending legislation to President Barack Obama that would head off the threat of a government shutdown at midnight Wednesday. Democrats helped embattled House GOP leaders pass the measure by a sweeping 277-151 vote with just hours to spare. The Senate passed the legislation by a 78-20 tally earlier in the day. Approval of such stopgap measures used to be routine, but debate this year was delayed by tea party lawmakers who demanded that the must-pass bill be used to punish Planned Parenthood, stripping it of federal money because of its practice of supplying tissue from aborted fetuses for scientific research. The bill provides 10 weeks to negotiate a more wide-ranging budget deal that would carry past the 2016 presidential election.

^ They starved it off for now, but we will be in the same situation again in 10 weeks. ^


http://news.yahoo.com/no-shutdown-house-approves-bill-210039459.html