Free Party’s extended leadership elects new governing body – ERR News

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Monika Haukanmm (Free).

The new lineup of the party's governing body consists of Monika Haukanmm, Siiri Kpa and Silver Liiv, with Monika Haukanmm serving as chairwoman of the governing body, party spokespeople said.

The extended leadership of the Free Party manages the party's activities between general meetings and consists of representatives of the party's regional bodies, MPs and members of the party's governing board.

At its meeting on Saturday, the extended board of the Free Party focused on measures to strengthen entrepreneurship. The party is campaigning for the abolition of the monthly rate for minimum social taxliability and introduction of hour-based payroll accounting to support small entrepreneurs, promote part-time work and the emergence of flexible forms of work as well as to introduce a cap on the amount of social tax payable on an individual person.

The party wants the burden of taxation to be shifted from labor taxes, excise duties and resource taxes to taxation of the yield that is, income tax, VAT and property taxes.

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Free Party's extended leadership elects new governing body - ERR News

Programs help put young girls on a path to success – USA TODAY

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Lisa A. Beach, USA TODAY Back to School magazine Published 8:18 a.m. ET July 15, 2017 | Updated 8:18 a.m. ET July 15, 2017

Girls work together to examine properties of soil as part of an activity at the Girls Inc. program in Lynn, Mass.(Photo: Provided by Girls Inc.)

When 9-year-old Jelani Jones discovered a passion for creating natural bath products, she decided to launch her own business Lani Boo Bath in October 2016. But when she needed help creating a more structured approach to grow her business, Jelani turned to SheEO, a Springfield, Va.-based mentoring and enrichment company that provides entrepreneurial training.

SheEO joins a growing number of girl empowerment organizations that share a common goal: to help young girls realize their dreams.

We work to empower the CEO in every girl to take steps towards business ownership and community leadership, explains DeShawn Robinson-Chew, the groups CEO and founder. Our hands-on, immersion program helps young ladies be a she while becoming an EO (executive officer). We foster both personal and professional development.

Founded in 2003, SheEO partners with schools, churches and youth centers to encourage budding entrepreneurs ages 8-16 through summer camps, classes, after-school clubs and individual coaching. With guidance from SheEO professionals, entrepreneurs-in-training plan and pitch business ideas, set goals, strategize and connect with like-minded peers.

While some girls need help on their path to entrepreneurship, others just need a helping hand.

When she was 11, Diamond Jones was living in extreme hardship in Chattanooga, Tenn. Her mom was ill, her dad was in jail and she was homeless. She turned to her local Girls Inc. organization for much-needed support and guidance as she overcame her struggles. Now 18, she recently graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA and is the first in her family to go to college; she will attend the University of Memphis in the fall.

Headquartered in New York, Girls Inc. taps into its network of more than 1,200 sites across the U.S. and Canada to serve 140,000 girls ages 6-18 each year. Its overarching purpose? To inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold by providing direct assistance and advocacy.

We are on the prevention side, says Judy Vredenburgh, Girls Inc. president and CEO. We create strong, long-lasting mentorship between girls and our professionals done in a sisterhood of support.

To accomplish this, Girls Inc. offers programs covering media literacy, healthy relationships, sports and initiatives like Operation SMART, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Another nonprofit, Girls Who Code, takes the STEM-focused approach even further. It strives to build the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the U.S. by providing free after-school clubs and summer immersion camps to girls wanting to learn computer programming.

Since 2012, the organization has grown from serving 20 girls in New York to 40,000 in 50 states.

In both our summer immersion program and our clubs, girls work on a final project using technology to solve an issue that matters to them. That personal relevancy is crucial in sparking and sustaining girls interest in the field, says founder and CEO Reshma Saujani.

As todays girls battle gender-specific stereotypes and biases, they can lean on girl empowerment organizations along the way.

We need to start challenging our girls to step outside of their comfort zone, to push girls to be brave and reward them for trying, Saujani says.

USA TODAY Back To School 2017 magazine(Photo: Studio Gannett)

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Programs help put young girls on a path to success - USA TODAY

New Technology Has Transformed Celebrity, Says Kate Hudson At AT&T Conference – Deadline

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New technology not only reshapes entertainment content and distribution, but the role of performers as well, and sometimes in ways as distressing as they are promising, said actress Kate Hudson and others at todays AT&T Shape conference.

Theres a lot of talent out there, said Hudson, part of a paneltitled How Direct-to-Consumer Technology Is Transforming Celebrity at the conference on the Warner Bros. lot, but its more about what is the next big thing instead of making the best version of that content.

She said the studios focus on big branded franchises while the tech companies create platforms that make actors a commodity.

The actress-entrepreneur added that major studios have stopped making the mid-range $20 million to $60 million movies she is known for, like How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days and Bride Wars, in favor of hugely expensive franchise movies which are the star.

I dont work that much anymore, admits Hudson, because the movies I want to be doing are much harder for me to get. The movies I could be in, I dont want to be doing. I might do a big comedy but artistically I want to be doing different things.

Hudsons panel was moderated by John Stankey, CEO of the AT&T Entertainment Group, who is rumored to be in line to run a new division that would include Warner Bros., Turner, HBO and other content platforms.

Not discussed today wasAT&Ts effort to acquire Warner Bros. for $85.4 billion.

Instead, todays event wasan effort to encourage web designers to make content for AT&T platforms.

Sharing the panel with Hudson were her CAA agent Michael Kives and Van Toffler, CEO of the startup Gunpowder & Sky and formerly of MTV.

A big shift has taken place, says Kives. Traditionally, in the past, it was the studios and networks bearing the risk of a project and guaranteeing the money. Its really shifted to where media companies are asking talent to share the risk with them. That can be very lucrative to talent and it can be bad if it fails.

Toffler said at first, Silicon Valley tech companies came to big media looking for content and our media company told them to go away. And then they amassed huge audiences and we begged them to put it on.

Today multiple content platforms and social media deliver the content and drive the narrative about what, and who, is hot.

Hudson does social media as a way to relate to her audience, promote her movies, TV appearances, books, clothing line and more.

I never wanted anyone in charge of what goes out for me on my social media channels, says Hudson. I wanted to be in control of that. To me, as my brand grows, its really important to be authentic, even if its a lot more work for me.

The danger of social media, says Kives, is that one joke on Twitter or Instagram can be taken wrong and suddenly youre dealing with a crisis where ten years ago you might have been able to get away with it.

Technology makes it so hard to catch up, adds Hudson. The movie industry still lives in an antiquated system and I still struggle, as an artist, to catch up to technology.

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New Technology Has Transformed Celebrity, Says Kate Hudson At AT&T Conference - Deadline

Technology giant plans mosquito invasion – CT Post

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By Caroline Chen, Bloomberg News

Technology giant plans mosquito invasion

A giant technology company will release up to 20 million bacteria-filled, buzzing mosquitoes this summer in Fresno, Calif.

Thats supposed to be a good thing.

The bug campaign, which was to start Friday, is part of a plan by Alphabet Inc.s Verily Life Sciences unit. Reared by machines, the male mosquitoes are infected with a bacteria that, while harmless to humans, creates nonhatching dead eggs when they mate with wild females hopefully cutting the mosquito population and the transmission of the diseases they carry.

The swarms target is Aedes aegypti, a mosquito breed that carries viruses like zika, dengue, and chikungunya. Theyre an invasive species in Californias Central Valley, first arriving in Fresno in 2013.

After becoming a standalone Alphabet division in 2015, Verily has grown rapidly, taking on numerous health technology projects, partnering with the drug industry and raising significant funds including $800 million from Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings Ltd. While the mosquito project, called Debug, wont generate revenue in the near-term, its a chance for Verily to show off its technical prowess in the health-care field.

If we can show that this technique can work, Im confident we can make it a sustainable business because the burden of these mosquitoes is enormous, said Verily engineering chief Linus Upson, who helped create Googles Chrome web browser and now leads Debug.

Verilys mosquitoes arent genetically modified. Theyre infected with a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia. When infected male mosquitoes mate with wild females, they create nonviable eggs, resulting in population decline over time. A bonus: Male mosquitoes dont bite, so Fresno residents wont spending the summer itching more than normal.

Verily isnt the first to use Wolbachia mosquitoes for disease control. Organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been working on the bugs for more than a decade, running pilot projects in countries including Indonesia and Brazil. Verilys contribution has been to create machines that automatically rear, count, and sort the mosquitoes by sex, making it possible to create vast quantities for large-scale projects. The Fresno project will be the biggest U.S. release of sterile mosquitoes to date, Verily says.

A minimum ratio of seven Wolbachia mosquitoes to one wild male mosquito is needed to control the population, according to Steve Mulligan, district manager of the Consolidate Mosquito Abatement District, which includes the parts of Fresno in this project.

Verily is planning to release 1 million mosquitoes a week over a 20-week period across two 300-acre neighborhoods. The companys bug-releasing van will start traveling the streets of Fancher Creek, a neighborhood in Fresno County, on Friday.

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A vote for moral technology: Updating Reinhold Niebuhr to the age of Donald Trump – Salon

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Its the incongruities that perplex and provoke so many of us. The ideal versus the real. Its hard to look at the imposing U.S. Capitol, all that strong, gleaming marble, and realize at the same time how the nations elected representatives have failed at their primary job: improving the lives of those who elected them. We have learned that those who elected them doesnt even mean what the Constitution intended. Disgusting negative ads elected them. Money elected them. A minority of the eligible population voted inertia reelected them. Politicians are professional fundraisers who principally target swing voters. This is who we are now.

Our idealized democracy is obviously not even close to a perfect system for obtaining the wisest deliberator as president. The inordinately long, obscenely costly campaign process, imitating nothing so much as a repetitive TV miniseries, is, effectively, a register of party loyalty, not a measure of the viability of one or another policy direction. With all the talent that exists in the United States the scientists, engineers, artists, givers, problem-solvers look what we have now: an inarticulate man of limited imagination, who worships himself and appears to care about nothing and no one else, and least of all the truth. He convinced 63 million people to vote for him.

We the millions of us who voted a different way feel corrupted by his undeserved presence in our lives, his repetitive bad behavior, his pettiness, his petulance, his arrogance. Our values have been betrayed, and we are all somehow, in some way, complicit. We didnt do enough to help voters see through him. We allowed democracy to become a business in the hands of public relations firms, pollsters, financiers and advertisers. And tweets. Sad!

Just as Gerald R. Ford announced his presidency with the comforting words, Our long national nightmare is over, when he put Nixon and Watergate behind, Americans of both parties will, let us hope, realize a sensible solution to our Trumpian nightmare. This short essay seeks to give some context to our historic moment, and to suggest how to put behind us the conditions that allowed a boorish bungler with demagogic skills to subvert democracy and advance plutocracy.

To begin, every present feels unique, until we take the time to rediscover our historical literature. In 1952, the vigorous mind of a renowned theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, produced a book titled The Irony of American History. The irony Niebuhr saw lay in the contrast between the hopeful language of the nations founders and the political reality of his America. What were its moral responsibilities in the world? he posed. What did it owe itself? And where could it find political wisdom to chart a better future?

His concerns are our pronounced concerns, too. Hubris tops Niebuhrs list. When you endow any elite a moneyed elite, a Russian Communist Party with preponderant power, it comes to possess a fanatic certainty about the direction history ought to take. It is impatient in its directedness. Drawing contrasts between the 18th and 20th centuries, Niebuhr invoked the generally optimistic French Enlightenment philosophe, the Marquis de Condorcet, who was a friend of Thomas Jeffersons. Condorcet was convinced that the future held the destruction of inequality between nations, the progress of equality among the common people, and the growth of man toward perfection. In a world of monarchs, America seemed virtuous when it stood opposed to a monarchs willfulness and spoke of popular will instead. Humanity would improve the circumstances of all once a people applied its collective intelligence to the moral challenge of creating a cooperative society.

The future of the American Revolution bore with it Condorcets hopes and dreams of government that served the interests of all citizens and not only those with inherited wealth and privilege. So far, so good. Armed with those enlightened hopes and dreams, Niebuhr contended, the American people developed a Messianic consciousness about themselves. The founding generation conceived of the United States as the darling of divine Providence, he said, and the concept took hold. As the 20th century began, the original vision still allowed the political class to exclaim that Americans godly cause would make them the master organizers of the world, to establish systems where chaos reigns. Cold War America similarly believed that God blessed America, because the stark alternative to us was Soviet communism.

Niebuhr critiqued all dialectical views of history. He gently, sensibly protested: The American Messianic dream is vague about the political or other power which would be required to subject all recalcitrant wills to the one will which is informed by the true vision. He perceived that monopolies of power, whether in the hands of Red commissars or Red, White and Blue elected leaders, was potentially dangerous. The virulence of communism lay in its investment of a class and a party with a monopoly of power. But neither was the American way immune to a monopolistic moral calculus.

So, let us compare the political landscape Niebuhr wrote about in 1952 to that which we face in 2017. The theologian concluded his argument on an upbeat note, believing that the American nation had learned the lesson of history tolerably well. Though not without vainglorious delusions in regard to our power, we are saved by a certain grace inherent in common sense. A certain grace. Still, he warned, we had to rid ourselves of the pretentious elements in our original dream, and apply the stern understanding of prudent government that the founders bequeathed along with its messianic conceit. On preventing abuse of power, his go-to founder was James Madison. With the realists of every age, Madison understood how intimately mans reason is related to his interests. Government had to temper the very human tendency to abuse power. The most common and durable source of faction, Niebuhr quoted Madison, has been the various and unequal distribution of property.

Madison was no Marxist, of course, which served Niebuhrs purpose. He gloried that the two political parties in 1952 still contained sufficient diversity of interests as to be prevented from being unambiguous ideological instruments. Niebuhr referred to Americas progress in establishing a welfare state as an agreed-upon thing and at that time, it was because most Republicans felt that social welfare, social security and a regulated health system did nothing to deter capitalist expansion. The development of American democracy toward a welfare state has proceeded so rapidly because the ideological struggle was not unnecessarily sharpened, Niebuhr wrote. The free market was not one of the nations holy, self-evident truths. We have, in short, achieved such justice as we possess in the only way justice can be achieved in a technical society: we have equilibrated power to redress disproportions and disbalances in economic society.

Niebuhr looked about him. If there was social peace in America, he adjudged, it was only owing to a comparatively fluid class structure, whereby the privileged classes resigned themselves to being less intransigent in their resistance to the rising classes. In 1952, the wealthy paid their fair share in taxes, the incoming Republican administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower regarded labor unions as a necessary balance and a positive good, and the G.I. Bill remained a proven means of developing a stronger middle class.

Today, on Capitol Hill, with the empowered lobbyist, we see nothing but intransigence on the part of big business, and weak excuses for taking from the poor to give to the rich. And yet, like Reinhold Niebuhr, a Christian who perceived his God as an ironic one that laughs at human pretensions without being hostile to human aspirations, we do not believe that reason has been entirely extinguished in American political society. Town hall meetings bring out the real victims of Republican policies. The silent majority will meet its match in this affected majority, who increasingly demand a certain humility as well as responsiveness from their dissimulating congressmen. Like Niebuhr in 1952, they recognize that ideological rigidity is counterproductive. The forward-thinking who look beyond the empty and ignorant promises of the current president, and the empty and inactive poses of their Republican representatives, see that the mythical market cannot solve our problems without help from somewhere else.

Beyond the ballot box itself, then, where does hope lie?

As long as the practical-minded, improvement-oriented moral philosophy underlying the founders vision directs the liberal imagination (the same that Niebuhr refused to dismiss), an obvious scenario presents itself: computer technology. We are shopping and banking and filing taxes online; the military is operating drones in Afghanistan from a post in Florida. Robots build self-parking automobiles, and something so recently unimaginable as driverless cars are already present in our world. Biometrics and bionic organs will extend lives. IBMs Watson connects to a health care database that conducts and monitors the results of genetic testing and delivers precision medicine to patients with speed and accuracy. It will only get better. Medical science cant be stopped. We arent going backward to a coal-driven mining economy.

The sole uncertainty is political. Will only the super-rich enjoy the benefits of 21st-century technology? Will Republicans continue to be the party that denies life-saving medicine to the majority? Will the voters be so anesthetized that they allow it? Or will the emerging techno-curious majority oblige government to make universal health care the only possible solution, and for all social classes to participate in the self-evident advantages? People used to complain about being a number; eventually, your DNA will be part of a national database. The medical benefits will outweigh the privacy-sacrificing costs.

When put to use in politically novel ways, technology can improve governance and move us in the direction of less inequality. It only requires a modicum of political intelligence (and, of course, political honesty) for the gerrymandering of congressional districts to be done away with: A computer algorithm takes into account population patterns and natural geography, and voil! we have democratic change that delivers fairness, removing human corruptibility from the equation. We wont even get into the argument that has roiled Congress and the nation since the 1790s, as to whether a national popular vote or the assignation of electoral votes by congressional district (after the end of gerrymandering), would be preferable to the general-ticket plurality system in place today.

Despite hacking worries, uniform voting methods will at some point have to replace the current, antiquated means that make it possible for Republicans to fantasize voter fraud and enact voter suppression laws. Will it be politics only that lags, when green technologies expand rapidly and profitably? When sensors within roadways will stop traffic jams before they occur? Liberals need to run for office by touting the power of humane technologies.

Be assured that new technology will not be democratically applied in the near term. Innovation inevitably bypasses certain segments of the population. It will benefit some while hurting others one understandable reason why many Americans resist modernity. The quality of life in less populated areas needs to advance closer to that in urban and suburban areas. It takes will.

One problem with politics right now is that we have lost the ability to talk about what works as opposed to what sounds good. Part of what elects a Trump is the torture inflicted by politicos on the English language. Along with hate speech and attack ads, the political landscape has been awash in deceptive euphemisms. In 2016, the hapless Bobby Jindal was supported by the appropriately banal Super PAC Believe Again; there was Rick Perrys equally meaningless Opportunity & Freedom PAC; and the pro-Trump Future in America PAC. Then try out the conundrum that was Mitt Romneys 2012 PAC, Restore Our Future. But along with such emptiness comes the Koch brothers Americans for Prosperity: Whose prosperity are they specifically interested in, one wonders?

Innovation and entrepreneurship will continue to mark our century. Why not in political life? Google will be able, before long, to instruct a voter what slate of candidates best reflects his or her interests. Yes, that seems scary. What happens when you eliminate free choice at the same time as you counsel someone against a self-defeating vote? Privacy issues will continue to consume us.

Were not suggesting its inevitable. Trump ran on a rejection of modernity, captured in his infamous banality, Make America Great Again. Building his itll be something amazing border wall was hardly a Star Trek solution; he compared his Mexican barrier to the ancient Great Wall of China. Looking backward is a comfortable position for many Trump supporters. Evangelicals want the return of the patriarchal family, where father knows best and where womens sexual activities are geared for reproduction rather than pleasure. The same people who dispute climate change because it is a global concern and not of benefit to America alone are more willing to imagine that voter fraud is rampant than that corporations are exploiting consumers and literally killing workers with deregulation of safety laws and environmental controls, while producing foods that incontrovertibly make people unhealthy. Conservatives are strangely comfortable blaming people for demanding better: whether its the working poor, selfish women in need of abortions or Michelle Obama telling them how to eat better.

Not everyone embraces the future. Not everyone sees technological progress as a boon to society. Conservatives are more prone to see technology as something alien, invasive and morally neutral. They work with the old template of regulating vices rather than regulating Wall Street greed. They are afraid that bad or undeserving people will vote whereas in the freedom-loving, gun-restrictive nation of Australia, voting in elections is compulsory.

Theres another way to look at the Trump phenomenon, however. It is not just about the senseless symbolism of building a wall to solve Americas problems. It also reflects the increasing power of our entertainment media. How shocked should we be that a reality TV star was elected president? Hes a byproduct of dramatic changes in Americans use of technology, its underside, if you will: He belongs to the age of selfies, Facebook de-friending, sexting and rabid, instantaneous tweets of every cruel, impulsive thought. Innovation in communications has broken down the barriers that traditionally separated professional expertise from virtual (Trump-like, Kardashian-like) celebrity.

Technology is here and omnipresent. Rather than despair in the everyday embarrassment of President Trump, we are casting a vote for the good effects of technology as managed by fair and balanced humans committed only to the laws of science. Harnessed technology will help rescue the political future but we say this with one crucial caveat. As Niebuhr wrote in The Irony of American History: The evil in human history is regarded as the consequence of mans wrong use of his unique capabilities. The same species that built the gleaming U.S. Capitol created the atomic bomb.

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A vote for moral technology: Updating Reinhold Niebuhr to the age of Donald Trump - Salon

Strange days of today’s technology – The Japan Times

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Hang in there, the stinky summer could soon be over

Summer always seems to come with an increased level of bad odors. Whether its from sweat, smoke or food, smells seem to get more powerful in the heat and humidity.

Panasonic, however, has come up with something that can give items of clothing that arent machine washable such as jackets and suits a few more wears before their next dry clean.

The MS-DH100 is a deodorizing hanger that has the added bonus of reducing pollen contamination of garments. It utilizes what Panasonic describes as an electrostatic atomized water particle device, which emits negatively charged nano-sized water particles to eliminate odors and inhibit pollen particles. Its a sculpted hanger with a fan inside that disperses the particles through vents on the shoulders, base and back. The chunky shape of the hanger also ensures the clothing is opened up to allow particles to reach all corners, while an optional garment cover makes the device even more effective.

There are two modes a normal five-hour clean and a long seven-hour one both of which use only 1 of electricity when the hanger is plugged into a mains socket. It can also run off a mobile battery if your closet isnt close to a socket.

Of course, the MS-DH100 cant replace a proper dry clean, but it can reduce the number of trips to the cleaners and it will be particularly handy to those who suffer from hay fever.

The MS-DH100 is scheduled for release on Sept. 1 and will be priced at around 20,000.

bit.ly/panasonic-deohanger

There are some really odd electronic accessories out there, but this one is definitely for the more fantasy inclined.

First seen last year in China and written about by various trend sites including Rocket News and Boing Boing, elf-ear earbuds are finally readily available in Japan via gadget shop Thanko.

Its a no-brainer really, considering the popularity of cosplay here. What is surprising, though, is that the quality of sound from these earbuds is not that bad for the price and the pointy ears that hang over your own are soft silicone, so theyre also quite comfortable. These may look like something just for fancy dress, but they appear to have been designed for everyday use. They even have remote control buttons with an built-in mini microphone for use with a smartphone.

The ears are flesh-colored, but unfortunately only come in one tone, which is very Lord-of-the-Rings-elf-pale, so they wont match everyone. But dont worry; if you have long hair to hide your own ears, you will still look weird.

Elf-ear earbuds are available at the Thanko online store, priced at 1,980.

http://www.thanko.jp/shopdetail/000000002828

Sitting in front of a humming computer all day only adds to the discomfort of summer heat, making a desk fan a particularly useful device to own. But it neednt be boring. Gadget shop Shanhai-Donya is now offering a USB Message Fan that can brighten your day with a personalized message every time you turn it on.

This old-school looking fan looks nothing out of the ordinary until you flip the switch and, thanks to a row of LED lights, colorful messages light up and roll across the blades. You can program up to nine messages (in English or Japanese) via the computer, with each message up to 13 characters in red, green, blue, yellow, pink, pale blue or white. Like any regular fan, you can angle the blades to blow various directions and if youre not in the mood for a flashing message, you can, of course, turn the function off.

The USB Message Fan is priced at 2,499 and is only available in black.

http://www.donya.jp/item/74699.html

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Strange days of today's technology - The Japan Times

Union Science and Technology Minister to head panchgavya panel with RSS, VHP members – The Hindu

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The Hindu
Union Science and Technology Minister to head panchgavya panel with RSS, VHP members
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Headed by Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan, the committee will select projects that can help scientifically validate the benefits of panchgavya the concoction of cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd and ghee in various spheres such as ...

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Union Science and Technology Minister to head panchgavya panel with RSS, VHP members - The Hindu

Progress made, but there’s more to do for Texas children – San … – mySanAntonio.com

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Vicki Spriggs, For the Express-News

Photo: Julysa Sosa / For The San Antonio Express-News /Julysa Sosa / For The San Antonio Express-News

Progress made, but theres more to do for Texas children

In his January State of the State address, Gov. Greg Abbott elevated the reform of the child protection system as his No. 1 emergency item.

This occurred against the backdrop of U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jacks 2015 ruling that Texas foster care system violated childrens constitutional right to be free from an unreasonable risk of harm. Media scrutiny also revealed major problems with Child Protective Services, such as children sleeping in hotels and CPS offices due to placement shortages.

Our system was in crisis; with high turnover and high caseloads, the foundation was crumbling as children slipped through the gaps. Under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus, the Legislature took significant steps toward filling these gaps and began the process of re-laying a solid foundation to build on in the coming sessions.

As a result of new legislation and additional appropriations, substantive changes championed by Texas CASA and other child advocates were enacted, including measures to consolidate all investigations under CPS regardless of whether children live in foster care facilities or with families; increase foster care and kinship capacity; increase caseworker pay and lower caseloads; and enact structural changes to the Department of Family and Protective Services to help it operate with more flexibility, and ensure all reports of abuse and neglect are investigated in a thorough, consistent and timely manner.

By sessions end, significant reforms reached the governors desk, including a $508.5 million funding increase for DFPS. This substantial increase comes during an otherwise austere budget cycle highlighting how dedicated the Legislature was to making child welfare reform a priority.

Already, the CPS workforce has begun to stabilize, thanks to Sen. Jane Nelson and other state leaders. With their leadership, caseworkers received a much-needed pay raise in December that, along with increased staffing to lower caseloads, has led to improved child protection.

Lawmakers also turned their attention to addressing the need for more foster homes. Currently, about 60 percent of children are placed outside their home counties. With an investment of $95 million toward payment increases to foster care providers and an expansion of foster care redesign, lawmakers hope to bolster the number and quality of providers, and improve the chances of children being placed closer to their home and families.

The expansion of foster care redesign, now called community-based care, also aims to keep children closer to home, reduce the number of times a child changes placements, and ensure children and families have access to supports and services in each community.

A major CPS reform bill increases the placements for children with relatives, known as kinship placement. Spearheaded by Rep. Cindy Burkett and Sen. Charles Schwertner, this legislation better supports family members who take in children in CPS care. Family caregivers who once received an annual $1,000 payment and an additional annual payment of $500 for each sibling will now receive approximately $350 per month per child, about half of what basic foster care providers receive.

The future looks brighter for children in foster care than it did back in January, yet theres more to be done. The focus must remain on the best interest of the children. All aspects of our child protection system need to become more informed about the complex trauma that abused and neglected children experience and how it affects their behavior. We also need to create mechanisms that engage and involve relatives and other caring adults to support children in foster care, such as the Collaborative Family Engagement program that CASA programs are developing with CPS.

Lawmakers took meaningful steps to change the fate of Texas children. We continue to move forward from here. It will take time, it will be gradual, and it will be worth it because our children are worth it. When foster children have the level of care and services they need, they will begin to thrive and when our kids thrive, so will Texas.

Vicki Spriggs is the chief executive officer of Texas CASA.

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Progress made, but there's more to do for Texas children - San ... - mySanAntonio.com

Broncos, John Elway making progress toward deal – NFL.com

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The Broncos are moving closer toward a new deal for their top football executive.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday evening that the team and general manager/executive vice president John Elway are making progress toward an extension that would keep him in Denver for the foreseeable future.

"We're working to get it done," Joe Ellis, Broncos CEO and president, told The Gazette in Colorado Springs. "We've had some productive discussions in the last week or so and will keep talking. John's an important part of our organization, and we want to make sure he's here for a long time."

Talks ramped up this week after a period of stagnation and there is optimism it will get done at some point before the season, Rapoport added.

Elway told The Associated Press back in May that he did not "think there will be any doubt" a deal gets done before the season opener.

The new deal would likely place Elway among the highest paid GMs, if not the highest.

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Broncos, John Elway making progress toward deal - NFL.com

Syria talks end with ‘incremental progress’ but ‘no breakthrough’ UN envoy – ReliefWeb

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15 July 2017 Speaking to reporters in the early hours of Saturday in Geneva, United Nations Special Envoy said that the latest round of the intra-Syrian talks ended with incremental progress.

We made, as we were expecting and hoping, incremental progress. No breakthrough, no breakdown, no one walking out, incremental progress, Staffan de Mistura said at a press conference, following the conclusion of the 10-15 July round of the UN-facilitated talks aimed at ending six years of war in the Middle East country.

Referring to a technical consultative mechanism agreed on in the previous round, he said that in addition to this technical agreement there has been a generous effort among them (the opposition) to build something they didn't have before, trust, mutual trust.

I would not have imagined two months ago that they would have been sitting in such an intensive and constructive way together in confidence, the envoy said.

He said he intends to reconvene the intra-Syrian talks in early September.

I have asked the parties to be ready to offer clear, substantive positions on issues across all four baskets, and we hope that we will be at least pushing them to sit in the same room.

The four baskets are: a credible non-sectarian transitional government; a future constitution; early and free parliamentary elections within 18 months; and a united war against terrorism within Syria.

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Syria talks end with 'incremental progress' but 'no breakthrough' UN envoy - ReliefWeb

Learning is the Focus for Children’s Activities at Ag Progress Days – Gant Daily

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Exhibits, games, activities and prizes focused on learning about bugs, animals, health and science will be offered for children at Penn States Ag Progress Days expo, Aug. 15-17.

In interactive exhibits at the4-H Youth Building, on Main Street between West Eighth and West Ninth streets at the Ag Progress Days site, children can learn about 4-H programming in science, engineering, technology, citizenship, leadership and healthy living. They can find out how to get involved with 4-H, play with rabbits, see robotics demonstrations, and learn about farm and home safety and plant diseases.

This years youth building will showcase the variety of activities that can be done in 4-H, said building coordinator Jeanette Blank, 4-H education program associate and teen program manager. We are also excited to be hosting the first Ag Olympics event for our 4-H families and alumni, as well as the public, during the shows extended hours on Wednesday night.

Following are other Ag Progress Days attractions for youth and families:

TheShavers Creek Environmental Center exhibit, on Main Street between West Eighth and West Ninth streets near the 4-H Youth Building, will feature presentations on wildlife, including turtles, birds of prey, snakes, amphibians and insects.

At theKids Climb, on Main Street near the Equine Exhibits Building, children can don safety equipment and harnesses and climb a tree like a professional arborist.

Hands-on exhibits at thePasto Agricultural Museum, on East Tenth Street across from the red barn, will give visitors a glimpse into farm and rural life before the widespread use of electricity and gas-powered equipment.

Demonstrations on healthy eating, food safety, first aid and firearm safety will be offered at theFamily Room buildingon Main Street.

Visitors can get lost inA-Maze-N -Corn, outside the Joseph D. Harrington Crops, Soils, and Conservation Building, at the end of East Fifth Street. This corn maze is accessible for wheelchairs and baby strollers.

Miniature horses, draft horses and other breeds will be among the demonstrations at theEquine Experience, at the top of Main Street.

At thePedal Go Kart Derby, on West Eighth Street behind the Family Room building, kids supply the power as they travel a serpentine track.

Sponsored by Penn StatesCollege of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 15; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 16; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 17. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website athttp://apd.psu.edu. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and Facebook users can find the event athttp://www.facebook.com/AgProgressDays.

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Learning is the Focus for Children's Activities at Ag Progress Days - Gant Daily

150000 projected in Decatur for Farm Progress – Herald & Review

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DECATUR The Super Bowl of agriculture is coming back to Central Illinois.

Crews are readying nearly 90 acres and more than 2.9 million square feet north of Richland Community College for the three-day Farm Progress showwhich starts Aug. 29. More than 600 exhibitors are expected, along with as many as 150,000 visitors from around the globe.

The event billed as the Nation's Largest Outdoor Farm Event combines elements of an international trade show, technology conference and demonstration site. In a maze of tents and buildings known as Progress City USA, vendors show every agricultural and livestock product imaginable, from weed control to gleaming $400,000 combines, often with eye-catching 3-D displays.

Beyond primary display grounds, entire fields are dedicated to seeing equipment in action, showing off tillage techniques and the latest in global-positioning systems.

Plumbers Matt Peters, left, and Ben Forgas perform manhole castings adjustment work at Progress City Monday. Crews are getting nearly 90 acres ready for Farm Progress, a showcase of agricultural and livestock wares.

Companies, from giants like Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Monsanto to smaller agribusinesses, exhibit the latest wares and hint at the future of agriculture.

The show, which alternates between locations in Decatur and Boone, Iowa, started in Armstrong, Illinois, in 1953 as a way for farmers to see firsthand the progress being made in farming equipment, seed varieties and agricultural chemicals.

Since 2005, the parcels near Richland have housed the show and the site improved to includes permanent structures and paved roads. The show is produced by London-based Informa Global Events.

With just over 40 days left until opening day, Greg Florian said work is on schedule to have the grounds ready for exhibitors and visitors.

Its gotten easier to prepare as the site has evolved, said Florian, vice president of finance and administration at Richland, which oversees the Progress City site.

The last show had visitors from 50 countries.

Brazilians come to see what they can expect in the near future, said Bruno Correa, an agronomist from Brazil, who attended the 2015 event.

Plumber Ben Forgas marks measurements before a pipe is cut for manhole castings adjustment work at Progress City. Farm Progress isbilled as the Nation's Largest Outdoor Farm Event."

It generates an estimated $10 million for the local economy, according to Florian.

Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Teri Hammel said the show has the largest economic impact in the community in the years Decatur is the host.

A big economic driver is in the hospitality field, with full hotel rooms across Central Illinois. According to a report put together by the bureau for the 2015 show, Decatur/Forsyth-area hotels had 5,468 room nights for Farm Progress, making $1.3 million on the three-day event. Springfield had a total of 5,800 room nights, also bringing in $1.3 million.

That number does not count those that Hammel said come to Decatur more than a month in advance to start setting up their exhibits and weeks after the show to help tear down.

Were talking several extra million there for the local economy, she said.

The bureaus work starts in January, and ranges from setting up hotel rooms for vendors and attendees, which Hammel says can mean sold-out rooms as far as Springfield or Champaign-Urbana. They also work with embassies to help international farmers attend and educate them on the locations of goods and services in the region, such as hardware stores and restaurants.

Its chaos for us, but theres also a lot of excitement, she said. This (show) fills our community.

Nearly $500,000 also was spent this year hiring Decatur-based Dunn Co. to improve roadways, fix drainage and shoulders and patch potholes. It was funded by grant dollars, Informa, money in the county highway fund left over from the sites original construction and Brush College LLC, created by the college to help operate the site.

Theyll have the roads all fixed up by the time exhibitors start to set up, said Macon County Highway Engineer Bruce Bird.

In 2015, crews expanded the site, added three streets and built 100 more exhibit spots on the southwest side of the venue.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A group from Chihuahua, Mexico, including from left, John Peters, Peter Peters, Abraham Nelson, Daniel Loewan and Franz Peters record the corn combining field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A view from the Brock grain bin service platform provides a view of the flurry of activity down Eleventh Progress Street during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Troy Tracey eats ice cream while helping with the transport of ice back to the Dow AgroSciences tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Ticket holders wait along the Avenue of Flags for the gates to open during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors look at a map of Progress City at the John Deere exhibit area during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday August 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Hunter Rademaker,4, helps demonstrate a grain bin lifeline at the Grain Handling Safety Coalition site next to the Health and Safety Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Tuscola F.F.A. advisor Brittany Eubank, left, and member Jordan Ochs help set up the organizations booth during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. The group is selling raffle tickets at the show for a 1955 John Deere tractor that they helped restore. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Tuscola F.F.A.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Dr. Joe Jeffrey emcees a cattle chute demonstration at the Livestock Industries Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. Jeffrey says he wanted to focus on how safe the shoots on display are for cows.

Rodney Crim of Golconda watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson, Josaiah Crim, 4, on Tuesday at theFarm Progress Show in Decatur. Josaiah is attempting to block the dustwith his hat while his grandpa takes a picture of the combine with his cellphone.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Farm Progress host farmer Jeff Zinn has his blood pressure checked by E.M.T. Kristy Gorden at the Liberty Village table in the Health and Safety tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Eric Burgett performs country music on the Opening Ceremonies Bayer CropScience stage for ticket holders walking in the main entrance during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors peruse the Case IH Agriculture exhibit during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several hundred people observe a corn combining demonstration during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Rodney Crim of Golconda, Ill., watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson Josaiah Crim,4, as Josaiah attempts to block dust with his hat during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several new models of farm equipment are parked in between field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A group from Chihuahua, Mexico, including from left, John Peters, Peter Peters, Abraham Nelson, Daniel Loewan and Franz Peters record the corn combining field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling A view from the Brock grain bin service platform provides a view of the flurry of activity down Eleventh Progress Street during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Troy Tracey eats ice cream while helping with the transport of ice back to the Dow AgroSciences tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Ticket holders wait along the Avenue of Flags for the gates to open during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday September 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors look at a map of Progress City at the John Deere exhibit area during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday August 1, 2015.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Hunter Rademaker,4, helps demonstrate a grain bin lifeline at the Grain Handling Safety Coalition site next to the Health and Safety Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Tuscola F.F.A. advisor Brittany Eubank, left, and member Jordan Ochs help set up the organizations booth during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. The group is selling raffle tickets at the show for a 1955 John Deere tractor that they helped restore. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Tuscola F.F.A.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Dr. Joe Jeffrey emcees a cattle chute demonstration at the Livestock Industries Tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday. Jeffrey says he wanted to focus on how safe the shoots on display are for cows.

Rodney Crim of Golconda watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson, Josaiah Crim, 4, on Tuesday at theFarm Progress Show in Decatur. Josaiah is attempting to block the dustwith his hat while his grandpa takes a picture of the combine with his cellphone.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Farm Progress host farmer Jeff Zinn has his blood pressure checked by E.M.T. Kristy Gorden at the Liberty Village table in the Health and Safety tent during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Eric Burgett performs country music on the Opening Ceremonies Bayer CropScience stage for ticket holders walking in the main entrance during the first morning of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Visitors peruse the Case IH Agriculture exhibit during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several hundred people observe a corn combining demonstration during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Rodney Crim of Golconda, Ill., watches a corn combining demonstration with his grandson Josaiah Crim,4, as Josaiah attempts to block dust with his hat during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Several new models of farm equipment are parked in between field demonstrations during the first day of the Farm Progress Show Tuesday.

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Herald & Review, Jim Bowling Day 1 of the Farm Progress Show at Progress City in Decatur, Ill., Tuesday September 1, 2015

Florian said roadwork has not gotten a lot of attention since the first show on the grounds, in 2005.

After 12 years of being out there, the vehicles are getting bigger and the exhibits are getting bigger, he said. The roads were really starting to show their age.

Some exhibitors have started preparations on plots. As of Thursday afternoon, 554 exhibitors were expected to attend. With more than a month before the show, that is par the course, said Jeff Smith, regional sales manager for Informa.

One change this year is that there will be no headliner country act performing and evening concert. Where past shows have seen national country singers like Craig Morgan and Chris Cagle take the stage to thousands of fans, the only musical acts at this years show will be ones brought by exhibitors.

I think with the farm economy the way it is right now, none of the sponsors stepped up, Florian said. It just wasnt in the cards.

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150000 projected in Decatur for Farm Progress - Herald & Review

Reggae-rooted Rebelution always a work in progress – Charleston Post Courier

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Rebelution now has five studio albums and a live DVD/CD under their collective belts. Theyve seen two of their studio albums, 2012s Peace Of Mind, 2014s Count Me In, make top 15 debuts on Billboard magazines all-genre Top 200 album chart. The band has grown a grassroots following to the point that it headlines outdoor amphitheaters in many markets.

But singer/guitarist Eric Rachmany hardly sounds like he has everything figured out as a performer and artist. Thats actually good news for fans of the reggae-rooted band because it means theyre likely to see a better version of the band each time Rebelution goes on tour. This summer's tour makes a stop at North Charleston Riverfront Park on Friday.

I mean, every year, we become a little bit more comfortable on stage and we are able to let loose a little bit more, Rachmany said during a recent phone interview. This whole project, Rebelution, has been a learning process throughout the years. We started this band not really knowing what we were doing. We were just doing it for fun. And we kind of had to learn how to become better entertainers over the years. Every year we just get a little bit better and we become stronger musicians and stronger bandmates and better performers. Were learning new things as we go.

What: Rebelution: The Good Vibes Summer Tour 2017

When: 6:15 p.m. Friday, July 21

Where: North Charleston Riverfront Park

Tickets and info: $30-$35; http://www.musicfarm.com

As Rachmany suggests, Rebelution was anything but seasoned and polished when the band first starting making noise in 2004 on the burgeoning Cali reggae/rock scene. Thats when Rachmany met his future bandmates Rory Carey (keyboards) Wesley Finley (drums) and Marley D Williams (bass) while attending college in the Santa Barbara, California, area.

The group took a do-it-yourself- approach to building its career, self-producing a self-titled 2006 EP, followed by its first full-length album, Courage To Grow, in 2007 and 2009s Bright Side of Life.

The groups growing musical ambition and abilities really started to show on Peace Of Mind. For that album, the group branched beyond its reggae foundation, adding a rock edge to Comfort Zone, Lady In White and Day By Day, doing a gentle acoustic ballad, Route Around, and mixing a bit of a lilting hip-hop flavor into the ballad Closer I Get.

The diversification in sound continued on Count Me In (the title track and De-Stress brought a strong element of soul into the proceedings). But with the 2016 album, Falling Into Place, Rebelution shifted back toward emphasizing their reggae roots, sounding more in command of the form than ever.

For Falling Into Place, the group teamed up with several outside producers/songwriters on several tracks. Dancehall singer Protoje adds a guest vocal to Inhale/Exhale, one of the standout songs on the album, while producers/songwriters Dwayne Supa Dups Chin-Quees and Yeti Beats were among the artists that produced tracks on the album.

Just as Rebelution has continued to grow musically, the band members continue to sharpen their game as a live unit. For his part, Rachmany said he has learned how to overcome his natural tendency to not want to be a focal point on stage and can now give performances that are honest and translate the passion he feels for the music to audiences.

Thats one thing Ive really learned over the years is to just get comfortable in the music, he said. You know, Im the kind of person who doesnt really like being the center of attention. I definitely dont desire that attention. One way Im able to get through a show is just by really getting into the art and not focusing on the fact that there may be thousands of people looking at me. So in that regard, I feel like I can get through anything. As long as the music is playing and Im thinking about the music and getting into my guitar playing and singing and really focusing on the creativity, then it doesnt really matter if there are cameras in my face and people staring at me. That came over time.

And now theres a document that illustrates how far Rebelution has come as a live act. This spring, the band released a DVD/CD, Live at Red Rocks, which documents a summer 2015 show at the famous Colorado outdoor amphitheater.

The band decided to do the live project, in a large part, because fans have been saying for years that the group is at its best on stage.

For the longest time a lot of people have said Rebelution is a live band, Rachmany said. So we wanted to really show our audience that hasnt seen us perform live that this is what we can do.

The timing of Live at Red Rocks might seem a bit odd in that the show documented on the release preceded the release in spring 2016 of Falling Into Place, and as such does not feature any songs from that latest studio release.

Rachmany said, though, there simply wasnt time to get Live at Red Rocks edited, mixed and prepared for release before the band needed to release Falling Into Place.

We definitely took our time putting it out, but we wanted to make sure it was right and ready and perfect in our eyes, he said.

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Reggae-rooted Rebelution always a work in progress - Charleston Post Courier

IDF Medics to Learn Groundbreaking Trauma Procedure – Breaking Israel News

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Choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed. Deuteronomy 30:19 (The Israel Bible)

IDF medics operate a field hospital of injured Syrians near Israels northern border. (IDF Blog)

For the first time in Israels history, top surgeons throughout Israel and the Israel Defense Force (IDF) gathered to learn a new medical technique which stops bleeding in cases of trauma without an incision. Trauma specialists from South Africa, the US and Sweden came to the Holy Land to teach and demonstrate the groundbreaking procedure. The workshop took place on Kibbutz Lahav in Israels southern region, with eighty medical personnel in attendance.

LIBI USA is honored to have sponsored this trailblazing three-day workshop which will, no doubt, save lives in Israel and worldwide, shared Dr. John A.I. Grossman, Chairman of LIBI USA, the official welfare fund of the IDF, with Breaking Israel News. It was also a unique opportunity for medical professionals to unite in Israel, as saving lives is a Jewish and Israeli priority.

Dr. Grossman referred to the Biblical commandment of pikuach nefesh, the preservation of human life. This commandment, derived from the Book of Leviticus, is so basic to Judaism is that it takes precedence over all others.

So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them. Leviticus 18:5

The Talmud emphasizes that one should live by the commandments, not die by them. One who is zealous in saving a life is praised and one who hesitates to save a life is considered as one who has shed the persons blood themselves, which the sages describe as piety of madness. In fact, to save and preserve a life, one must desecrate the Sabbath and even eat on the fast day of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year.

This is a new technique which requires specialized training in a controlled setting to master, explained Colonel (res.) Dr. Ofer Merin, Director of the Trauma Unit and Preparedness of Mass Casualty Events at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and Commander of the IDF Field Hospital and General Staffs Surgical Hospital Unit, to Breaking Israel News. We are truly grateful to Dr. Grossman and LIBI USA for funding these life-saving workshops as simulated trauma scenarios with the use of REBOA are crucial to master this new technique.

Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta, or REBOA, is used when a person is rapidly bleeding to death. It involves the placement of a flexible catheter balloon into the aorta to control haemorrhaging in traumatic injuries and then inflating the balloon, which stops the bleeding.

The head of the Trauma and Combat Medicine Branch for the IDF, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Avraham Yitzhak, was part of the team of experts learning and assessing the effectiveness and practicality of using REBOA on Israeli soldier trauma victims. This important workshop united civilian and army surgeons to train in the cutting edge REBOA technology. Because of this workshop, the IDF might have an additional way to save lives, Dr. Yitzhak told Breaking Israel News. We are grateful to LIBI USA for sponsoring these days.

Dr. Yitzhak also discussed the IDFs commitment to pikuach nefesh. IDF physicians have three levels of oaths they take concerning the saving of lives, he said. We have the Hippocratic Oath, which every doctor in the world is obligated to uphold. In addition, we have the Oath of Maimonides and the oath of the Israeli Medical Corp, My Brothers Keeper.

The essence of the Oath of Maimonides, named for its originator, a 12th century scholar of Jewish law and philosophy, is to watch over the life and health of Gods creatures without egoism.

The essence of the Israeli Medics Oath is that medics will give everything, including their own lives, for the State of Israel and its people and will treat friend or foe alike, in all conditions, and never leave anyone in the field.

In Israel, we tend to be busy with trying to live fulfilling lives or dieing at the hands of our enemies, shared Dr. Yitzhak. IDF medics risk their lives to give correct care to everyone, including wounded Syrians across our border, humanitarian aid to people all over the world and even medical care to our enemies.

Unfortunately, we havent taken the time and arent good at explaining to the world how ethical, moral and valuing of life we are. This workshop helps to build that knowledge worldwide and gain life-saving skills in addition.

To donate to LIBI USA and support the IDF, please visit here.

Originally posted here:

IDF Medics to Learn Groundbreaking Trauma Procedure - Breaking Israel News

Woman seriously injured after falling off stage at Guns N’ Roses show – The Times of Israel

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A woman was seriously hurt on Saturday after falling and hitting her head at a Guns N Roses concert in Tel Aviv when trying to climb onto the stage in the middle of the show.

The fan was one of nearly 62,000 people an Israeli record who had gathered at the citys Yarkon Park to hear the concert.

Some Hebrew media reports said that the woman, in her late 20s, appeared to be drunk when she tried to climb up the side of the stage during the performance. She then fell off and injured her head.

Medics at the show gave her first aid and she was transferred to Tel Avivs Ichilov Hospital while unconscious and on a respirator. However, medics said her injuries were not life threatening.

In total, 55 people required treatment at the show, according to the Ynet news site.

This was not the first medical emergency at a concert this summer. In May, a woman went int labor at a Justin Bieber concert.

The promoter of the show for the American hard rock band said earlier this month that the concert would be the largest ever held in the country.

The hard rock band, which formed in 1985, sold 61,900 tickets, more tickets for an Israel show than any other band, said promoter, Guy Beser, of Bluestone group. Britney Spears had 55,000 fans at her show earlier this month at the same venue.

Guns N Roses has sold over 100 million records, making it one of the best-selling bands of all time.

The band, which was founded in 1985, with its first studio album, 1987s Appetite for Destruction, featuring the number-one single Sweet Child O Mine, was known for a new brand of hard rock and for hedonism reminiscent of the early Rolling Stones.

Its May 1993 concert in Tel Aviv was part of a major, two-year world tour following the 1991 twin albums, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, which sold a combined 35 million copies worldwide.

It was that tour which led to tremendous tensions in the band, following significant drug and alcohol abuse by members of the group. The band was last in Israel during that 1993 tour, although Axl Rose performed in Israel in 2012 with a different mix of band members.

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Woman seriously injured after falling off stage at Guns N' Roses show - The Times of Israel

Crisis in leadership as bright minds avoid public service – The New Indian Express

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Image used for representational purpose only.

This is a recurrent topic in many political analyses, we ask ourselves why the world has reached an incomprehensible free fall process of the quality of leadership in the world. So many commentators focus on the lack of competence in political leaders, and how the brightest minds dont want to serve in the public office. This is by and large true, but it misses the real problem and is extremely partial in its approach. There is also a crisis in leadership in the private sector.

It would only be logical to think that in 21st Century, when the world has never been richer and more countries under democratic regimes, that a larger number of people are educated, or that science has ever been more advanced, that we would have the best leaders in our history. We should have the ablest, competent, stable, prudent and wise leaders. Well, we dont.

There are some exceptions, but thats not enough. Does this mean that there is a collective crash of intelligence and common sense? Well no, but it does mean that some of the best dont choose public service anymore, and that business leadersno matter how brilliant, creative and great managers they can be lack other essential tools, such as sufficient knowledge of history and geopolitics. Many business leaders are educated in the principles of competence, excellence and merit; others simply ignore those principles. But in too many cases the ignorance of history and geopolitics gravely hinders their ability to manage.

The crisis we are suffering is far from simple. Its a combination of flawed elites, political and all others, that are followers not leaders, and the representative democracy under severe fire from the extreme and far Right and Left. Democracies can withstand the burden of a flawed political class, but not if combined with fierce attacks from the extremes and even questioned by some mainstream media and thinkers.

The trend is worrying and only getting worse. When we see some of the leaders elected to the executive branch of government in some of the most important countries, one wonders how they are going to react in a serious crisis, how will they preserve peace and stability if, in fact, many of those leaders are actually the source of instability and conflict. Examples include the heads of the states or governmentseven local government such as the Mayor of Rome and her intensively criticised management of the Eternal City.

This column is too short to analyse such a deep problem, but it intends to give the reader food for thought. Why is this happening? One of the main questions that comes to my mind is why values and principles, common to all humanity, are not more present in decision-making? Why dont we all have, and especially leaders, a greater sense of transcendence of depth and of the bigger picture, and above all the greater good?

It is true that we live in times of greater Corporate Social Responsibility, of fair trade and growing solidarity, but that is mainly the civil society putting pressure on the top more than a top bottom inspirational movement. There are some extraordinary exceptions to the ruleBill Gates, Warren Buffet, Amancio Ortega, and Real Madrid Foundation. In India, examples of responsibility, generosity and solidarity include Bharti Foundation, Munjal Hospital in Ludhiana, Adani Foundation and many others.

Making a better world is not only about generosity and giving back, it is about governing, managing and deciding under a strong set of universal principles, solid education, culture of excellence, merit, capacity and unbreakable work ethics. The world is ruled by immediacy, impatience, egoism and even hedonism.

Not that a certain degree of self-indulgence is bad, the problem is when it overwhelms everything else. It is said that cable news changed politics, that Internet changed our work and leisure, that social media and mix of all the above are changing the world. Progress is essential to humanity, but it should be at the service of humanity and not the other way around. And so should politics and businessno mankind under the boot of either or both.

Gustavo de Aristegui, Former Spanish ambassador to India

gmdea1967@gmail.com

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Crisis in leadership as bright minds avoid public service - The New Indian Express

Clean raving: how club culture went wild for wellness – The Guardian

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Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, addresses the Morning Gloryville crowd. Photograph: Jack Pasco

The stench of dead flesh and discarded bones wafts through a chattering crowd dressed in sequins, wacky wigs and neon Lycra. Its 7am, and hundreds of ticket holders are waiting near Brixtons meat market to enter a rooftop beach venue in south London.

Theyre here for the fourth birthday of Morning Gloryville, an event that pitches itself as a non-alcoholic rave. The crowd here includes everyone from young families to yuppies, Instagramming teens, and Ibiza casualties who have traded in booze and drugs for protein bars and bikram. The rave is held in a big open plan space, decked out with posters that read: I am in charge of how I feel and today Im choosing happiness. As the morning unfolds, the scene becomes increasingly bizarre. Couples kiss as if it were New Years Eve; a grown woman holds a bucket and spade; there are impromptu yoga sessions, head massages, and a polyamorous collective appears, dressed as glittery unicorns. All the while, Fatboy Slim DJs in a Lucha libre mask.

Extroverts are everywhere, and I have the lurching feeling that if I lock eyes with anyone long enough they might rope me into something I dont want to do: dancing on stage to Balearic house, for instance, while holding an inflatable slice of watermelon. Everyone is, of course, stone cold sober.

The heaving crowd is a sign of something bigger: the current appetite for combining music events and healthy living. Morning Gloryville was set up by Samantha Moyo who, having left hedonistic days behind her, wanted to keep seeking the communal thrills and escapism of raving. Her parties soon went from passion project to a fully functioning empire, often attracting big-name DJs who have abandoned the excessive lifestyle that can come with being a touring musician, including Roger Sanchez and Fatboy Slim.

The absence of bar profits might have represented an impossible financial hit for Moyos parties, had the stars not aligned in other areas. The popularity of the events has rocketed as the trend for clean living has grown a trend that is captured on Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram, with images of Morning Gloryvilles parties spreading out across social media.

The unexpected relationship between clubbing and clean living has been building for a few years now. In 2014, for example, there was a craze for voga, a fitness class combining yoga and voguing. Then there is Ministry of Sounds role. Eric Prydzs notoriously raunchy aerobic video for the song Call On Me led to Ministry creating a series of wildly successful workout compilations, and this year it even opened its own workout space in south London, with a club-standard sound system. But the latest wave is more bohemian. It includes the club Awakening, a conscious rave where cacao and smoothies are served, there are classes in hip-hop hot yoga, and meditation sessions are accompanied by expert gong practitioner Mona Ruijs of Sound Interventions. In the last few weeks alone I have been alerted to an event that combines guided group meditation with classic album listening parties; a music festival that boasts a pop-up eco spa; another with a deep listening, meditation and laughter class; and an album by a singer who is also described as a sound therapist. The party picture website The Cobrasnake once a photo stream of It girls and fashion freaks at clubs and gigs recently turned its attention away from hedonism to concentrate instead on its Cobra Fitness hiking club.

The pairing of wellness and music is now mainstream, and highly profitable. In the wake of the digital boom, the music industry found itself in a state of flux at the start of the 21st century there were numerous record shop and label closures and a 40% decline in revenue as piracy took its toll. Festivals and live events have shrewdly merged with the 3tn global wellness market to help them stay afloat. It also helps that we are in the age of experience as currency where a Snapchat story of your best mate hula hooping to Basement Jaxxs Bingo Bango at a wellness event may have more online capital than a video of them showcasing their Black Friday haul of beauty products.

Of course, there are also actual health benefits to be gained from some of these events. I attended one hosted by Secret Yoga Club, during which Simone Salvatici, an ambient and experimental composer, played an assortment of Tibetan bowls and shamanic percussion instruments (and at one point, it seemed, a bunch of twigs). His immersive performances are designed to be therapeutic, and recall both stirring whale song and the work of doom metal group Sunn O))). As I looked around the room, I had the feeling that many who were there wouldnt have been seen dead murmuring om in a renovated asylum on a Wednesday night five years ago, but now seemed to welcome a chance to escape Twitter feeds full of snark and grim news (while also toning their biceps).

The wellness trend is perhaps most obvious at some of the festivals taking place this summer. This weekend you can do voga at the London festival Citadel, which will also host SwingTrain, a fitness session set to swing music, and Lovercise, a workout class for single people set to tragic love songs and bump and grind tracks. Green Man in the Brecon Beacons has Nature Nurture, a health and holistic rejuvenation area, as well as a shamanic hideaway, and Isle of Wight now has a Yogassential Deck where you can get a massage or a fresh juice, as well as working out. Glastonbury is a veteran of the wellness trend with its Healing Fields, and this year Radio 1 Breakfast Show DJ Nick Grimshaw described it as probably the most vegan-friendly place on earth (perhaps forgetting, as some pointed out, that Glastonbury is located on a dairy farm).

Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire was an early adopter of the trend and this year hosts spa treatments, mindfulness and exercise classes and a yoga session set to the most hedonistic of all musical genres, psytrance. Tessa Clarfelt, a programmer for the event, believes that before parties such as Morning Gloryville, there was a spiritual absence in some music lovers lives.

I think that the coming together and the community aspect of [events like Morning Gloryville] is a really large part of it, says Clarfelt. Once a month at 6am, which is quite a ceremonial moment, the sun is coming up, you group together with people who are friends or people you dont know, and you get this new connection. She suspects people are getting tired of fun meaning going out and getting drunk, and are instead warming up to the more Californian approach to wellbeing.

While Morning Gloryvilles Moyo says she favours dance music that gives you a big rush, the increasing links between club culture and spirituality are bringing more ancient sounds to the fore. Moyo believes there is much more appreciation of gongs and chimes and didgeridoos, at the moment, for example, because everyone left, right and centre is trying ayahuasca or going to see a shaman. Chillout music is growing in popularity, with the types of sounds you might hear in a yoga session being listened to now more than ever. One musician who has been exploring ambient sound for decades is Laraaji, discovered by Brian Eno on the streets of 1970s New York. He has released a string of acclaimed albums, and is behind the aforementioned meditation and laughter workshop where, without any jokes being told, people force themselves to laugh together until they feel genuinely happy. He has run the sessions for years, but says that in the age of 24-hour news cycles full of Trump and terror, people need this kind of healing and music more than ever. Ambient music can provide [an] escape, he says, even if its temporary, without feeling like youre abandoning your duty and responsibility as a planetary being.

Its this kind of musical quest that a generation of Instagrammers and yoga enthusiasts has embarked upon and, of course, commercialised. And just like any trend co-opted by commerce, there is a sense that the link between music and clean living may soon start to pall, and to seem quite unhealthy. Many of us are tired of the pseudoscience peddled in this area, and the excesses of websites such as Gwyneth Paltrows Goop (with its $30 pots of Spirit Dust and $66 yoni eggs), and are questioning those who profit from our health-based paranoia. The high costs of many of these luxury events its not unusual for a hot yoga session to cost 20 or more will also ensure they remain the preserve of the wealthy. As a newly politicised generation grows up, it seems likely that Instagram health gurus will soon seem like vacuous relics of the past. But while the more commercial strands of the music-mindfulness movement may disappear, the marriage of spirituality and sound will endure.

Since the beginning of time music has been a spiritual experience, says Moyo. Laraaji agrees. He says that music reminds us there is still beauty, equilibrium, and a consciousness that isnt perturbed by whats going on in this fleeting global moment. If youre trapped in the inner city, or a stressful relationship, ambient music can offer a fast way out.

As can Fatboy Slim playing anthems before breakfast. As the clock reaches 10am, and the morning rave continues, I start to wonder what these people do for a living. But its difficult to deny the confidence of Gloryvilles audience there is something oddly rebellious about sober people dancing their way to ecstatic joy. At least until they are flung back into Brixtons pungent meat market.

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Clean raving: how club culture went wild for wellness - The Guardian

News Bites | Loewe Releases Ibiza-Inspired Record, Erdem x H&M – The Business of Fashion

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Welcome to News Bites, BoF's regular compilation of the stories that have got the industry talking.

Loewe will todayrelease a 12-inch vinyl in collaboration withSoulwax and Michel Gaubert.

Jonathan Andersons parents used to have an apartment in Ibiza, so some of his most impressionable summers were spent goggling at the goings-on in such temples of e-soaked hedonism as Manumission. The Andersons let their boys off the leash early. But that meant when Jonathan came to Loewe, his visions of Spain were shaped by Balearic bliss, not by bullfights, or haute bourgeois Madrid. That higher state of consciousness has helped turn the 173-year-old house into a hotbed of sunny sensuality, quirky craft and idiosyncrasy that often borders on the Dali-surreal. And now it has a soundtrack.

Anderson is obsessed with curation. Its determined the shape of his work and his life. So adding a 12 vinyl object to the many other elements hes drawn into his orbit at Loewe completed a circle. Hes giving credit for the actual curating to his soundtrackist Michel Gaubert, who brought in Belgian DJ duo (and longtime Ibiza aficionados) Soulwax to create a track called "Close to Paradise," the kind of subtly uplifting anthem you imagine playing as the sun sets over the Caf del Mar. It evokes the prelapsarian moment on the White Island before the charter flights started disgorging planeloads of party-crazed visigoths. Four denizens of those early days murmur about their experiences over the gentle pulse of the music. People who are rooted in what we know of Ibiza today, Anderson calls them.

Paula's, Ibiza | Source: Courtesy

One of his own early memories was the boutique Paulas Ibiza, the inspiration for a capsule collection for Spring/Summer 17. Loewe is launching the 12 with a party on Friday night at the islands Museu dArt Contemporani (digital downloads follow on iTunes and Spotify in August), and a pop-up of Paulas archives from the 70s. The boutiques founder Armin Heinemann will also have massive baskets of old stock so everyone can play dress-up.

Ibiza is one of those places you can let go and experiment with something youre not, says Anderson, with gleeful anticipation. You feel anything is possible. Thats how I feel about Loewe. There are no boundaries. And there arent many brands where you could do this. Which, as the Ibicencan sun rises on Saturday morning over Loewe's all-night party people, will surely seem like an understatement. Tim Blanks

Erdem Moralioglu is the latest designerto announce a collaboration with H&M.

The Canadian-born, London-based designer, whose designs are wornby celebrities and royalty alike, has developed collections for both men and women, to go on sale globally in H&M stores and online on November 2.

I am so happy to collaborate with H&M, and to explore my work on a whole new scale including a menswear collection which I have never done before," Moralioglu said in a press release announcing the partnership. "Its also such a thrill to work with Baz Luhrmann, one of the most important storytellers of our time.

The collection is set to be a celebration of some of the designer's most well-known themes. Meanwhile,Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann has directed a teaser film for the collaboration, which was released on YouTube Thursday afternoon.

For me fashion is always about more than just clothing, it is a form of expression - a stand alone art form," said Luhrmann. "I am excited to be collaborating with Erdemand H&M to reveal the story of this unique collection. Tamara Abraham

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News Bites | Loewe Releases Ibiza-Inspired Record, Erdem x H&M - The Business of Fashion

Fear of holy snakes is flushing out toilets in Malnad region – The Hindu

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The Hindu
Fear of holy snakes is flushing out toilets in Malnad region
The Hindu
It is also the birthplace of enlightened writers such as Kuvempu, U.R. Ananthamurthy, and P. Lankesh, who advocated rationalism. Epidemics are known to break out regularly in villages of Udri-Vaddigeri, Aralasurali, Kudumallige, Bejjavalli gram ...

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Fear of holy snakes is flushing out toilets in Malnad region - The Hindu

Amartya Sen’s documentary, The Argumentative Indian, to now release online after censorship row – Firstpost

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Kolkata: National Award winning filmmaker Suman Ghosh plans to release his censorship controversy-mired documentary on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen online in a "couple of months" in its entirety, including four words that the Indian censor board has objected to.

Amartya Sen. News 18

The Argumentative Indian, originally scheduled for a 14 July release, was refused the green signal by the Indian censor board over the use of the words "cow", "Gujarat", "Hindu India" and "Hindutva", by Sen.

The hour-long documentary, structured as a free flowing conversation between Sen and his student and Cornell economics professor Kaushik Basu, has already been screened in New York and London. It had a special screening in Kolkata on 10 July.

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) officials in Kolkata verbally asked Ghosh to mute at least four words, including "cow" and "Gujarat", from Sen's interview in the film.

"I will do that (release the film online). I have some screenings organised abroad so I can't release it before that. It will take a couple of months. It will be there in its entirety," Ghosh told IANS in an interview

Ghosh unveiled a link to a 141-second trailer of the documentary on Friday via his Facebook page. The trailer link was posted on YouTube earlier in July. However, it is being reported that CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani has termed the trailer post "illegal".

"I have to find out though... if he (Nihalani) is objecting to the trailer... whether a new law has been created in India where online content also has to be certified, so I have to find those out. But definitely I can release it all over the world," the filmmaker said, adding the trailer was prepared much in advance, before the documentary came under the CBFC's scanner.

Noted for films like Footsteps (winner of two National Awards) and Nobel Chor, Ghosh's features have had screenings in prestigious film fests such as Busan, Karlovy Vary and London, among others.

Asked about the CBFC's reaction to the trailer, Ghosh said, "I saw that (media report on Nihalani terming the trailer illegal)... I don't know why. I made six feature films and I know a lot of filmmakers.. all of them said that on YouTube, one need not necessarily certify. If I play the trailer on TV or in theatres, then I need a censor certificate."

In the aftermath of the censor trouble, Ghosh has had no dialogue yet with the censor board. "No. I am waiting for them to send me some official letter and I believe because of this controversy and everything, they are also scrutinising it. I will get an official letter from them, what they have told me verbally they will write and give it to me officially... that is the next step," he said.

As for as discussing the matter with Sen himself, Ghosh avers the steps being taken are completely his prerogative as a filmmaker.

A still from The Argumentative Indian. Twitter

The CBFC, which has stoked controversy in recent times by recommending a whopping 12 cuts in Madhur Bhandarkar's forthcoming Indu Sarkar, as also by wielding its scissors on films like Lipstick Under My Burkha and Jab Harry Met Sejal, drew all round flak after its latest decision.

Branding the CBFC's moves as "authoritarian", Ghosh notes these diktats put India in a bad light internationally. "This is definitely an authoritarian gesture for sure to beep out certain things in my film, Madhur's film.. but the way the media took this issue up, nationally and now this has become international news also, we can just hope that better sense will prevail on them because they have been criticised for this even internationally," Ghosh said, referring to the coverage in The Washington Post and BBC.

"It puts India in such a bad light. Why is the government so insecure to mention even (the) truth (of) what is happening in the country... what has happened in the country... why is the government insecure about these things," he wondered.

"This is not only in films...in other areas too lot of things are happening... not an isolated issue... censorship issue is one spoke in the wheel," Ghosh remarked about the CBFC's "intolerance".

He also believes all the hue and cry that has been generated as a consequence of the censor board's recommendations is "counter-productive" for it. "They want to shut out any oppositional voice, but this is counter-productive for them," he quipped.

Looking forward to the release of his next feature outing Mi Amor in December, Ghosh said even if filmmakers apprehend fronting sensitive topics, in the wake of censorship issues, what is remarkable to note are the voices of dissent that have risen up.

"If all of us cow down (because), in future, we might be blacklisted or targeted -- then it's like accepting whatever they are saying without any voices raised... I am not such a person... we will see what the future holds. The voice that has been raised... that's why its so important that the youngsters are also not demoralised by these events," he added.

As for the implementation of the recommendations submitted by a Shyam Benegal-led panel to revamp the CBFC, Ghosh expressed doubt on its smooth progress. "Now it (censorship) has become a political issue. I hope it happens, but I doubt whether it will be smooth sailing," he said.

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Amartya Sen's documentary, The Argumentative Indian, to now release online after censorship row - Firstpost