Monthly Archives: August 2017

A NEW FM CHANNEL? Umm, not really. Rather, it was an underground radio station started by Goan nationalists in the mid-1950s, in the run-up to liberation of the state in 1961.

WOW, THATS UBER SUBVERSIVE. BUT WHY AN UNDERGROUND STATION? That calls for a quick history class. In June 1946, freedom fighter RM Lohia organised a Satyagraha campaign for the first time in Goa to demand civil liberties and to liberate Goa. Lohia was arrested, the movement was quashed, but it would spark off many more movements by Goan satyagrahis in the years to come. Portuguese police action would be swift and violent. The underground radio station was an attempt to sustain the morale of the people by keeping them updated on the progress of the freedom struggle, both inside Goa and outside.

HOW DID THE STATION ESCAPE THE PORTUGUESE CRACKDOWN? For one, the station essentially a transmitter mounted on a truck operated out of a dense forest in Amboli in Maharashtra, on Goas outskirts, where the nationalists were living incognito. Trial broadcasts began in November 1955, and by the 25th of that month Voice Of Freedom began.

WOW, THAT WAS QUITE A PLAN... Yes, hatched by three young Goan nationalists: Vaman Sardesai, Nicolau Menezes and Libia Lobo, the last two being Goans residing in Bombay.

ER, MENEZES, LOBO NATIONALISTS? SHOULDNT THEY BE PORTUGUESE? Well, its best to let a freedom fighter, Ronaldo Coutinho, answer that question: The liberation struggle of Goa saw the participation of both the communities, that is Catholics and Hindus. It was widely believed that the Catholics in Goa were loyal to the Portuguese rule and considered themselves more as Portuguese than the Portuguese themselves. But this was not true in regard to all the Catholic population. Coutinho said this in a newspaper interview in 2001.

COUTINHO MAY HAVE BEEN AN EXCEPTION. Not really. Guess who said: I belong to that race which composed the Mahabharata and invented chess A Goan politician called Francisco Luis Gomes, sometime in 1861 in Paris. In one of his novels, Luis Gomes also wrote: Impartial men, who are moved by justice and not by racialism, want India to be ruled by Indians.

HMM, TELL ME MORE. Tristao de Branganca Cunha established the Goa Congress Committee and linked it to the Indian National Congress, leaving little doubt that Goa was an integral part of India.The next time youre in Panjim, look out for TB Cunha Road.

AND THE MAN WHO GOT LOHIA TO GOA? Aha, so you do know something. Indeed, it was the initiative of a Goan academician and writer, Juliao Menezes, that was responsible for Lohias entry into Goa. Menezes was arrested along with Lohia for disregarding the ban and addressing a meeting in the Margao town square, which has been named after Lohia. Others who had gathered for the protest include Evagrio Jorge, Jose Inacio Loyola, JF Martins

WHOA, WHOA, HANG ON MATE, YOUVE CONVINCED ME. TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE VOICE OF FREEDOM, NOW. VoF broadcasts made Goans aware of the states long history of struggle for freedom, right from the 16th century. It also gave voice to the Satyagraha movement of 1946, eventually leading up to the liberation of Goa and, before that, the liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Goan nationalists in 1956. At a time when newspapers in Goa were censored, VoF proved effective in countering Portuguese propaganda.

COOL WONDERING IF ITS TIME FOR A VOF OF INDIA Got to go.

Read more here:

All you need to know about Voice of Freedom - Goa's underground radio station - Economic Times

NFL quarterback DeShaun Watson, Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and multi-Grammy winner Chance the Rapper (Bennett) were among the historical figures portrayed in the W. Vernon Middleton Fine Arts Center on the campus of Claflin University on July 27.

Their message was one of upliftment.

The 67 scholars participating in the sixth year of Claflins Freedom School vicariously portrayed Watson, Biles and Bennett under the direction and choreography of associate professors of speech and drama Annette Grevious and Cedric Rembert during the programs hour-long theatrical production finale.

The Museum of Difference Makers: Hall of Historical Figures was the culminating performance of the six-week enrichment program aimed at curbing summer learning loss and closing achievement gaps, something that Claflin University President Dr. Henry N. Tisdale and project director Nathan Chaplin both agree will ensure a level playing field for all children.

When Dr. Marian Wright Edleman, president and founder of the Childrens Defense Fund, visited Tisdale and extended an invitation for Claflin to be one the host sites in the Southeast for the CDF's Freedom Schools, he said he knew he had made the right decision when accepted.

We know the program is making a difference, Tisdale told the crowd of parents, guardians and community leaders. We see a difference in the scholars' attitude towards learning, their confidence levels, and the feedback we receive is tremendous.

Tisdale said the community has a responsibility to tell children that they are strong, visionary leaders and that theyre going to be someone great. Encouraging children to thrive is one of the best things people can do, he noted.

Chaplin said this summer's program was one of the smoothest hes experienced. He credits that to the support of the parents, the university and community leaders who served as read-a-loud guests and speakers, such as state Sen. Brad Hutto and Rep. Jerry Govan.

There was a waiting list for the program due to the growing popularity of Freedom Schools. While Claflin is one of several sites in the state, Chaplin said it is one of the most popular.

Students leave more prepared for their next grade level, he said. They exit with a greater voice to serve in the classroom and the community.

According to its website, the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools program model curriculum supports children and families around five essential components: high-quality academic enrichment, parent and family involvement, social action and civic engagement, intergenerational servant leadership development and nutrition, health and mental health.

Each year, the program recognizes a community leader whos made an impact on the universitys Freedom School or in their respective field of expertise.

However, there was a deviation from that this year, which Chaplin said was necessary.

This summer would have been Aniyah Floods third year participating in the program, but an unforeseen incident kept her from joining some her classmates from Clark Middle School.

With the use of a walker, Aniyah was surprised and overjoyed as she stood to receive the Freedom School Honors award.

The future veterinarian said she was thankful to have been honored, adding that it gave her motivation to make those who believe in her proud as she enters seventh grade.

Allendale native Youshi Kirkland said the Freedom School experience afforded him the opportunity to manage a classroom while still pursuing his degree in middle level education at Claflin. Kirkland said he taught as well as learned.

We grew a bond, he said. The scholars helped me find my mojo and vibe my teaching style.

Kirkland said he couldn't wait for the weekend to end so he could resume teaching and learning. He helped conclude the evenings program along with the other educational interns with "cheers and chants" that are sung each morning during "Harambee," the Swahili term that means "all pull together."

The scholars, described by Tisdale as "the next doctors, philanthropists and college presidents," closed out the program singing "So Strong," written by British musician Labi Siffre: The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become. The farther you take my rights away, the faster I will run. You can deny me. You can decide to turn your face away. No matter cause theres something inside so strong

See the rest here:

Claflin's Freedom School aims to curb summer learning loss - The Times and Democrat

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-North Carolina.

CBS Evening News

The House Freedom Caucus on Friday launched a petition to force a vote on the House floor on a straight Obamacare repeal bill, meaning the fight over health care isn't dead at least, not yet.

The group of conservative Republicans needs 218 members to sign the discharge petition to bring H. Res. 458, a clean repeal of Obamacare, to the floor for a vote. The petition is a type of parliamentary procedure used to bypass the committee process. A handful of House Freedom Caucus members, including Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Tom Garrett (R-Virginia), and Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) signed the petition from the House floor on Friday.

"It's critical that we keep our promise to the American people and repeal Obamacare and replace it with a policy that works for American families," said caucus chairman Rep. Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina), in a statement."We cannot drag this process out any longer. This bill with a two-year delay on implementation of repeal will force Congress to come together on a replacement bill. President Trump is eager to sign repeal and replace, it's time we get to work and send both to his desk."

The petition is an attempt to push forward the stalled health care reform in Congress. The House passed a bill to repeal and replace parts of Obamacare in May, but the Senate failed to do so twice, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans made it clear the Senate is moving on to other issues like tax reform.

Chances of a straight Obamacare repeal in the House or the Senate don't look good. The Senate rejected a clean Obamacare repeal bill last month.

But Mr. Trump, who has publicly shamed McConnell for the health care failure on Twitter and won't answer whether he wants McConnell to step aside, isn't giving up on a key part of his campaign platform to repeal his predecessor's signature legislation.

The House Freedom Caucus hopes to bring the clean repeal bill to a vote in September.

"We make this job too difficult," Jordan said in a statement. "We need to do what we told the voters we were going to do. There's no reason we should send less on repeal to President Trump's desk than we sent to President Obama's. Now is the time for members of Congress to put on the record whether they're truly for repeal of Obamacare."

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read the original here:

House Freedom Caucus launches petition to compel Obamacare repeal vote - CBS News

In the old days of video streaming that is, not so long ago consumers could cut the cable cord and subscribe to one or two services, enjoying a vast array of movies and television programming at a rate far less than the monster cable bill.

Its not so simple anymore.

Disney, the juggernaut behind ESPN, Pixar, Marvel and the recent additions to the Star Wars franchise, shook the entertainment world this week with an announcement that it would remove many of its offerings from Netflix. The company said it would create a service or multiple services for its films and shows, and another for ESPN.

As a result, a Netflix user who enjoyed access to Disney content plus all of Netflixs other content on one site may have to turn to three or more sites to get it all. Its all in discussion, said Disney chief executive Bob Iger.

[Disney bidding Netflix goodbye as it ramps up its own streaming empire]

It is the most recent example of how the move toward streaming though consumers have been demanding it for years is proving to be a more fragmented experience than many have anticipated. Entertainment companies are now running services with increasingly narrow offerings, looking to hit consumers up for more subscription revenue wherever possible.

I worry that well be going down yet another rabbit hole where exclusivity will take over and Ill ultimately end up paying more for less, said Brett Hatten, a father of two toddlers from Chicago who already pays for six streaming services. I dont want to end up in a place where you have to subscribe to a bunch of different fiefdoms.

The shift is breaking down popular expectations in the entertainment world. For a half-century, for instance, viewers have expected to see shows on CBS broadcast free over the air on their TV. But this year, the network is launching highly anticipated shows such as the sequel to The Good Wife and a new Star Trek series only on its online service, marking yet another service people may need to subscribe to. CBS announced a separate sports streaming service this week.

CBS sees this as a way to court specific audiences. To succeed, you need a great core and content that only you have, Marc DeBevoise, the president of CBS Interactive, said of the networks streaming service, CBS All Access. These are not for a big, broad audience.

And the plethora of television options is changing consumer behaviors in still other ways, leading many viewers to hopscotch between services, subscribing to HBO for a few months to watch Game of Thrones, then moving to Showtime to take in The Affair, before joining yet another service for an eight-episode binge.

I happily subscribe to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, which all have a wide selection of shows and movies. But when I consider other streaming services, the costs add up, said Diana Urban, a 30-year-old marketing manager and fiction author in Boston. She signs up for HBO Now during Game of Thrones season, when she also catches up on Veep and a few other shows. Paying $15 a month indefinitely for only four shows isnt worth it, she said.

Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, which offers a video library along with its other features, such as free two-day shipping, took off in part because they promised a convenient, cheaper alternative to cable. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

Cable companies are bound to distribution deals from network conglomerates, including Disney, which require cable firms to pair their most popular channels with less popular ones. As cable-bill prices continued to climb every year, however, consumers balked at paying more for content that they didnt want and some decided to turn to streaming sites.

The shift has prompted cable companies to explore smaller cable packages that cut the bloat. But for many customers, making their own bundles of streaming services has proved appealing. Those not interested in live sports which contributes a lot to the cost of a cable package can easily get news, movies or sitcoms from Netflix or Hulu without having to buy a preset bundle. (Or they can get just the opposite, in the case of ESPNs upcoming stand-alone service.)

Thats provided consumers with a lot of choice, said John Bergmayer, senior counsel at the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.

The stranglehold of cable isnt broken yet for most people its hard to cut the cord but these are all really good signs, he said.

But its clear from viewers that the cost per service is a growing concern. The current influx of these subscription-based plans is saturating the market, said Jamie ODell, 35, a food safety program manager from Albany, N.Y. We do not need more options for streaming services, she said. We need less.

About 21percent of American video viewers pay for multiple streaming-video on-demand services, according to the market research company GfK. That number has grown by roughly one-third for the past three years.

Big streaming services such as Netflix provide subscribers content from many sources. But many others are now getting into the game. At least six networks have launched services, with subscription fees ranging from $6 to $15 per month. Many of those already offer their shows in some way through existing services.

Now, consumers may find that shows and films they used to be able to access on broader services such as Netflix are pulled out for a separate service. The cost and mental effort of managing multiple services may be starting to prove nettlesome.

I just dont want another subscription bill I have to pay, said Erin Thompson, a mother of four from North Tonawanda, N.Y.

Justifying the hassle of managing another service also puts pressure on Disney and rivals, creating a different kind of relationship with its fans, analysts say.

The company will have a more direct line to consumers but will also have to deal with complaints, for example, about the quality and reliability of their streams.

The appeal of streaming will prompt many more companies to launch their own video streaming services, said Brian Wieser, senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group. Its inevitable [there will be] more direct-to-consumer offerings as time progresses.

Read more here:

Freedom from cable isn't free: Flood of streaming services will make cutting the cord more complicated - Washington Post

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didnt pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.

President Ronald Reagan must have had a premonition that someday his quote would be needed.

The movie Seven Days in May," although fictional, with a different plot, doesnt mean it cant happen in todays America.

Already one current retired general has forgotten the principles for the founding of this great nation and the same reasons so many have fought and died for these freedoms.

The movie has a great cast: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas and many other great actors.

The only thing that protects us today is our Constitution, freedom of the press, honest lawyers and judges and honest justices of the Supreme Court.

No other country in the world has these kinds of protections, but we have to be on our guard, night and day, or they could be lost.

Gerald Newman, retired U.S. Navy, Valparaiso

Go here to see the original:

Reagan was prophetic on freedom - nwitimes.com

The Festival of Democracy, a three-day event celebrating freedom, which began here on Saturday stressed the need to resist any attempt to curb freedom of expression while condemning the fascist tendencies of the ruling establishment at the Centre.

Writer N.S. Madhavan, who opened a session in the morning on Writing in a democracy, said good literature was never produced in a democracy, if you look at historical developments across the world. Writers are supposed to truthfully document human conditions and different writers have done it differently in view of the prevailing social circumstances.

However, in our country, human conditions are being narrowed down to certain particular concept. This phase in history indeed has fascist connotations. A human being is supposed to talk Hindi, should be a Hindu, that too a savarna, he said.

Mr. Madhavan said those opposing such notions were first subjected to physical intimidation and threats like what happened to scholars such as M.M. Kalburgi. Then, they infringed on freedom of expression like what happened to the documentary featuring economist Amartya Sen. Their last resort was to harass opponents on available platforms, including social media.

He claimed that writers were not allowed to raise their voice against such developments.

Writers K.P. Ramanunni and Ashokan Cheruvil were present, among others.

In another session on Journalism in the time of fascism, veteran journalist Shashi Kumar alleged that the mainstream media, especially English-language newspapers, were suppressing news that they perceived to be against the interests of the ruling establishment.

The farewell speech of former Vice President Hamid Ansari had an important point about the insecurity being faced by Muslims in the country. The response from the Prime Minister was not reported in the proper context.

In news debates, anchors were often seen taking sides with the Centre. This capitulation to the dominance of the vicious brand of politics of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was unexpected from the media, he said.

There is some amount of self-regulation in the media. Self regulation in a manner where you wont put the BJP government in bad light, he claimed.

Mr. Kumar also alleged that the English-language news channels were also projecting Kerala as if the law and order situation in the State had collapsed and there was a jungle raj.

He said the situation in the State was not worse that what was happening in States such as Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

There were sessions on poetry, music and drama too.

Originally posted here:

Primacy for freedom of expression - The Hindu